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Women of Faith: The Great Adventure Tour 2003

The Toronto/Hamilton conference scheduled for July 18-19 has been cancelled due to several factors.

The World Health Organization, is advising "people postpone all non-essential travel to Toronto." In addition to official warnings, many attendees have expressed anxiety about the various aspects of travel (i.e., lack of dining, lodging, and transportation options). For our attendees' safety and to ease their concerns, Women of Faith felt there was no other choice but to cancel this event.

Actually, I can't blame them. It's not their fault that the whole thing was overblown. The funniest story I heard today was that a faith healer cancelled a trip to Toronto. That's so funny it's got to be true.

Posted by Darryl at 6:07 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Over the years, we have walked intimately with pastoral leaders from a variety of denominations and cultures in our city and across the country. Far too many are fatigued and spiritually empty. They day-to-day stress of managing an institutional church - small or large - robs them of their personal vitality. In this condition, they simply cannot provide the effective leadership required to lead a congregation down a path of change. (Jim Herrington, R. Robert Creech, and Trisha Taylor, The Leader's Journey)

Posted by Darryl at 10:22 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )

John Maxwell postpones a conference and a golf tournament due to the WHO advisory (that's rescinded tomorrow, by the way, and never should have been made in the first place). It's just the latest uncanny similarity between John Maxwell and the duo Elton John and Billy Joel. You ask me how SARS has changed my life, I answer that it's a sad day when John Maxwell won't come to town.

Posted by Darryl at 9:38 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

:: RELEVANT magazine :: The Church of the Revolving Door

The Church needs to come to a point where quite simply, seeking the face of God is the sole objective. What else is there? A worship centered church.

I'm not suggesting we "worship the music" nor do I believe we should replace our worship team with performers and become an audience. But I see a real need for total, complete freedom and an all out abandon to worship, not to be constrained by time or agendas, to be able to stand before the real audience...of One.

Posted by Darryl at 9:57 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

:: RELEVANT magazine :: Interview with Brian McLaren:

So this is our challenge for today: How can we find value in the stories that exist and let them not just be wiped out by the biblical story, but redeemed by the biblical story? The word "redeem" is a beautiful word. It means to be given new value. Of course, people might reject it. Of course, then their problem is...which story are they going to choose instead? And, to me this is the great crisis that we face, because there are three or four alternative stories out there, and they're pretty scary. One is the story of consumerism, and it says that the purpose of life is to own and consume more stuff. It's not hard to see where that one will lead us. Another is militaristic U.S. or fundamentalist Islam. So which story are we going to choose, which context?

Posted by Darryl at 9:53 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

I had one of the more brutal weeks of church life this week. It was supposed to be a light week, but I shouldn't have been surprised. We had a great Easter service (besides complaints that the 9 baptisms weren't sombre enough - what's that about? God is most glorified when we're most glum?), but it's not unusual to get hammered the week after a high.

I'll spare you the details, but this one was tough, involving a confrontation between two good people that created some strange dynamics. Sometimes even good people have a spat, but the repercussions can be deadly.

It looks like things have been resolved now. I can also step back into a more sane schedule as well. On top of the relational crisis, I also lost a few day's worth of data from my hard drive, plus burried a friend's mother and conducted a wedding rehearsal. My light week became a very heavy one.

One e-mail Charlene received this week:

Yes there will be difficult people and situations to deal with that will be discouraging but God told us to be part of a church (group of believers) and I believe the difficulties although they are unpleasant are an opportunity for us to learn about ourselves and hopefully grow more like Christ. That's the canned preachy response-believe me I am not telling you to look on the bright side, I just heard about it and I can feel your pain. More importantly we are joining a church where things are happening. Nine baptisms on Sunday. Charlene, you and Darryl are personally affecting peoples lives. People are being converted and people are growing spiritually. That's exciting. That's why we should join this church...that's why you should ignore the difficult people and problems and focus on the people who are serious about growing personally and want to see the same growth in their brothers and sisters. I think it might be possible (not easy) to be involved and at the same time ignore the church politics...Spend your time and energy with the situations where good things are going on and do your best to ignore the rest.

God is at work. We had Urban Promise in today to talk about their ministry. They were amazing, and it's great to be able to partner with them. We're changing, gradually coming closer to God's heart. At the same time that Sundays are becoming less important - not the only event in church life - they're becoming better, more real. We're seeing new people come in, and God's presence is real. It's exciting.

Just got this comment posted. It's too good to leave in the comments section.

I've posted here once before. I preach at a newly planted church in Mississauga. The truth is (and I hate to sound elitist) there are unique pressures and challenges facing those in the ministry. When disappointment happens, personal failure or conflict in the church, it's about as tough a thing to deal with as anyone can imagine. Sometimes we question our calling - "Am I really up to this?"; "Will I ever see a truly healthy model of church?"; "Is it time to pack it in?".

For what it's worth, I like to think about Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 15: "Therefore, my brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain." Hang in there!

It's nice to come to the end of a brutal week. As Hebrews says, it's not like my struggles have caused me to shed any blood. I'm still standing, God's still at work, and his grace is still enough. If all goes well, I'll watch a little TV tonight, read my paper, get a good sleep, go to Starbucks tomorrow, and do some inner work that will get me a little more centered. I will hang in there.

Posted by Darryl at 6:57 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )

I'm having a bad day. I'll get through this, but it's been tough.

Midday, a friend came through big time to help. It's nice that we can always fall back on (a) grace and (b) friends. Today, I need both.

Posted by Darryl at 4:44 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )

Second body found amid blast rubble

Fire officials have found a second body in the rubble of a west-end strip mall destroyed in a natural gas explosion and fire yesterday, and a spokesman for the Ontario Fire Marshall's office said crews expect to find five more.

The news has not been good in Etobicoke recently. This explosion took place halfway between Richview and our house, just around the corner from where Charlene works. Everywhere we went yesterday, emergency vehicles were racing by. Now we know why.

Posted by Darryl at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Do you ever notice it's the people who should know better who end up letting you down the most?

Posted by Darryl at 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Charlene blogs again.

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NATIONAL POST

Mathematically speaking, a person is much more likely to die in a flood (one in 237,132), be murdered (one in 50,353), or accidentally strangle themselves in bed (one in 10,779).

"The safest way to travel is in a plane," said Emile Therien, the president of the Canada Safety Council. "But probably your chances of dying in a plane crash coming to Toronto are much greater than your chances of acquiring SARS."

Posted by Darryl at 11:55 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Update 37 - WHO extends its SARS-related travel advice to Beijing and Shanxi Province in China and to Toronto Canada

As a result of ongoing assessments as to the nature of outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in Beijing and Shanxi Province, China, and in Toronto, Canada, WHO is now recommending, as a measure of precaution, that persons planning to travel to these destinations consider postponing all but essential travel.

Somebody from Richview is facing emergency bypass surgery tonight, but nobody can get in the hospital to be with the family. Yesterday, rumours were flying that the government might ban all public meetings (movies, church, etc.) for a month.

Hard to know what to believe. It seems to be under control, or getting way out of control, depending on who you listen to.

Posted by Darryl at 5:46 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )

Just got back from a two-day regional conference of our denomination. The meetings were okay (shorter, which is better), but the highlight by far is re-connecting with friends. Lots of fun. Some of us went out last night to a Mongolian Grill. You pick your ingredients, they grill them, and then you eat in a wrap. I tried to make mine as spicy as possible, and ended up making the place smell like curry. I loved the place.

Our denomination is still struggling with knowing how to handle the gender and leadership issue. I respect what they're trying to do, and it sure seems that they can't win on this one. I don't like where it's heading, though. I'm not too far theologically from where they are (although I'm very much in flux), but that's not my main concern. My main concern is that we're going to draw a line in the sand, and if you don't tow the line, you're out. That should be done pretty sparingly, and I'm not convinced that it's necessary on this one. Even if I end up agreeing with them on the issue, I'm seeing myself gradually pushed out. It's not a great feeling.

Last night, I drove the speaker back to the airport. He's an internationally known speaker and author. We talked about many things, but then he asked about my family. Out of the blue, he said, "Pastors often ask me about when to have sex when you have young children. What do you do? Do you wait until they're in bed and you're dead tired? I can't remember what we did when our kids were young." It was so out of the blue and candid that I was waiting for the punchline, but it was just an observation. Another reminder that famous people are just people, with the same problems and random comments as the rest of us.

P.S. After a slight uncomfortable pause (waiting for the punchline), I responded that maybe young children are one of God's forms of natural birth control. Not terribly insightful, but the best I could come up with.

Posted by Darryl at 5:14 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 3 )

Posted by Darryl at 8:01 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )

I'll let Christina blog today. She gave this to us this morning.

Posted by Darryl at 1:24 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

ScrappleFace: 2nd Saddam Half-Brother Caught, Total Now One

It's been a while since I laughed quite so hard at a news headline.

Posted by Darryl at 11:06 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

We had a central air sales guy in today. He was good; in fact, we may buy from him. He did get a little carried away telling us about his mischievious son. That's when Josiah, age 4, walked by, and with just the right timing, spewed a mouthful of water on the poor guy.

Pretty hard not to laugh.

Posted by Darryl at 10:09 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )

Richview's been slowly changing. Something's happening at the grassroots level that nobody could engineer. Last night, I met with some of those God has been using to change the face of our church from a caucasian one to a more intercultural one - a very exciting change.

Two stories I heard:

A new Canadian was walking home, trying to carry 17 shopping bags full of groceries. A car slowed, and from the passenger seat, a woman called out and offered a ride. No, thanks - with a smile. But then the woman got out of the car, and waved the driver on, and came and offered to carry some of the shopping bags home. Few words were spoken.

When they arrived at their destination, the woman thanked her helper and asked, in broken English, "Why were you so kind?" The reply came in one word: "Jesus." The new Canadian's eyes began to brim with tears. The woman who stopped to carry a stranger's shopping bags home for no other reason than Christ said later, "I've never felt like more of a Christian."

A second story, this one taking place at Richview:

Another new Canadian arrived at Conversational English class, obviously upset. She had been involved in a minor traffic accident that day. The other driver, a man, spoke harshly, and told her to pay him $800 or else he would call the police. The police, in her mind, could kick her out of Canada. Her new life was beginning to unravel. She had $800 cash in an envelope, and was about to leave to meet the man alone, since her husband was still at work.

The teacher told her to hang on for a few minutes. After the class was settled, she took her to another room to calm her down and advise her against paying the man. A new member of the class came forward and said she could help. "I work for an insurance company," she said. She stayed and led her through all the necessary steps. Yes, this is what insurance is for. No, you shouldn't go see the man alone at night, especially with all that money. Yes, keep the money yourself. No, the police won't kick you out.

The new Canadian left relieved. The new class member, the insurance worker, was never seen at Richview before or after that night. She had come at precisely the right time. I've got a Conversational English teacher who's convinced that she met an angel that night.

Posted by Darryl at 10:07 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

I've thought about blogging the past few days, but I have nothing to say. When I have nothing to say, you're really better off if I don't say it anyway.

I'm going to recover the rest of today, and hope to return to more active blogging duty soon.

Posted by Darryl at 3:58 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )

Books & Culture's Book of the Week: A Story Darwin Might Love - Christianity Today Magazine

Brian McLaren's evolutionary interpretation of the faith promises more than it delivers, but what it delivers is good enough.

Posted by Darryl at 10:02 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

.:::rejesus - spirituality - seven sayings:::.

In the week leading up to Easter, we are looking at the seven last sayings spoken by Jesus as he died on the cross.

Thanks to Rachel for the link.

Posted by Darryl at 5:22 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Flag-O-Rama! - Patriotic items for fanatical flagwavers

Where else can you get an Udderly American Breastpump? "Nurture your child with Old Glory."

Thanks to Sandy for the link.

Posted by Darryl at 1:14 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

So it turns out CNN withheld how bad things were in Iraq:

I felt awful having these stories bottled up inside me. Now that Saddam Hussein's regime is gone, I suspect we will hear many, many more gut-wrenching tales from Iraqis about the decades of torment. At last, these stories can be told freely.

James Glassman doesn't buy CNN's explanation of why they didn't tell. Things might have been different, he argues, if the world had known:

The world most definitely was not outraged during the United Nations debates earlier this year. How would the public in France and Germany - people who certainly know the meaning of crimes against humanity - have reacted if CNN had reported courageously and completely the episodes that Jordan knew had occurred?

Thanks to Instapundit for these links.

You have to wonder what other news will emerge in coming days.

Posted by Darryl at 6:48 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

NATIONAL POST: Humans 'nearly impossible' to clone: study

Dr. Schatten said it is almost as if someone drew a sharp line between primates and other animals, saying: "I'll let you clone cattle, mice, sheep, even rabbits and cats, but monkeys and people require something more."

Posted by Darryl at 11:52 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Sometimes you feel like you would have been better off if you hadn't have gone to work. Today was one of those days.

It only got better at the end, when I interviewed some people who are getting baptized on Easter Sunday for the video we'll show that day. Other than that, it was a very frustrating day.

Posted by Darryl at 11:47 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Do you ever feel like you've passed through a 24-hour period and lived much more than a day?

Last night, I came home after conducting a funeral. I was tired and emotionally drained. It had been a hard day, and I came home to a dirty house. Dishes and the remains of dinner lay everywhere. The family was asleep. I unwound, cleaned up, and then collapsed in the late hours downstairs, and put on a Third Day worship DVD and had my own private worship service.

Your love, oh Lord
Reaches to the heavens
Your faithfulness stretches to the sky
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains
Your justice flows like the ocean's tide
I will lift my voice
To worship You, my King
I will find my strength
In the shadow of your wings

Today, I woke earlier than I would have liked, and talked with Charlene about unfinished business from yesterday. Then the normal rush to work, kids to school and a friend, fighting disruption after disruption to get to focus on what I needed to do. So much of church ministry could be spent worrying about the wrong things. Phone call after phone call, minor irritations, silly interruptions, and some time trying to figure out what God wants me to say on Sunday. Time trying to listen to him among - even through - all the other noises.

Lunch with two friends - safe people - and then an afternoon of appointments. A day full of confrontation, friendship, interruptions. Then, tonight, the mixed feelings of having kids (how can you not like your four-year-old son saying, "Dad, I sure do like you") and looking forward to when they collapse in bed so I can collapse too. This is life - way, way out of control, glorious and frustrating. And tomorrow's an entirely new day.

Posted by Darryl at 9:49 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )

This claims to be the dullest blog in the world. That's a pretty bold claim.

Posted by Darryl at 10:43 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Course 29 out of 30 in my Master's Degree completed. Possibility of doctoral studies quickly approaching. Feels very, very good.

Posted by Darryl at 4:54 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 2 )

In January 2001, Charlene and I took a week's vacation at LTI Costa Verde, Holguin, Cuba. It had been the first time in years we'd been alone, with no kids. The weather was warm, the beach was gorgeous. I don't usually like beach vacations, but this one changed my mind.

On January 24, after a couple of cloudy days, we went swimming in the ocean. We took out a paddle boat with a large slide attached, and slid down like a couple of kids into the ocean. I remember not being completely comfortable. Sharks, jellyfish, eels - all manner of creatures lurked beneath. I felt foolish for being worried, especially since Charlene wasn't.

When we got back to shore, I decided to go to the hot tub while Char stayed at the beach. Just ten minutes after we got out of the water, a shark attacked a woman not far from shore, far closer than we had been. Her left arm was almost ripped off. Charlene watched from shore. When the victim was brought to shore, Charlene ran over with her towel and offered it as a tourniquet. A few minutes later, resort staff carried her limp body past me on the way to a taxi. I remember looking at the trail of blood and wondering what happened.

It's a weird feeling to vacation right after a shark attack. The food wasn't nearly as good. Nobody went in the ocean for the rest of the week. We couldn't get news on her condition. We sat around, knowing that just a day earlier, this older woman had been sitting where we were. It could have been us. We had been in the water, much deeper than she had been.

She's fine now, although she only has limited mobility in her left arm. The story appeared in the March 2003 Reader's Digest (Canadian edition):

In 2001, there were 72 unprovoked shark attacks on humans in the world, with the vast majority occuring in North American waters. This was the only one in Cuba.

Posted by Darryl at 9:52 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 2 )

Charlene has gone vegan for Lent. It's not a moral thing, she just wanted to do it. That means it's been non-stop fruit, soy milk, nuts, and V8 for her. She's new at this Lent thing, and is just learning all the intricacies. (Did you know that western and eastern churches count the 40 days differently?)

Today, she made a nice bowl of fresh fruit and nuts for herself. For the rest of us, she fried some red wine sausages and bread, and boiled some eggs.

Fruit for her, grease for us. What could her intentions be? If my heart doesn't make it through the day, call the cops.

It reminds me of early in our marriage when she cleaned out the salt shaker by pouring the salt in the sugar dish. I made some coffee, and put in my regular sugar. It tasted awful, so I put in even more sugar. It was only when I spat it out that we realized what had happened. I'm starting to get suspicious.

Posted by Darryl at 1:43 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 2 )

NATIONAL POST: For Torontonians, the End seems Nigh

Have the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse come to visit?

A modern-day plague brings sickness, fear and death to Toronto. Unrelenting cold and sleet grind the city down. The war in Iraq rages and new predictions of global recession herald hardship, if not outright famine.

It's all starting to seem a little too much like the End is Nigh.

Posted by Darryl at 12:37 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Dallas Willard
ARTICLES

Much of evangelism today is rooted in a misunderstanding of salvation. People have been told they are Christians because they have confessed they believe that Jesus died for their sins, but the total package is presented in such a way that it leaves the general life untouched.

Biblically, salvation means deliverance; the question is, "Deliverance from what?" The common message is "deliverance from guilt." But the full concept of salvation in the New Testament is deliverance from our present sins. Deliverance from sins comes from the new life of God's Kingdom when we place our confidence in Jesus the person.

The problem is that we have been obsessed with this idea that the real issue is "making the cut" to get to heaven. We have taken the discipleship out of conversion.

Thanks to Jordon for the link.

Posted by Darryl at 5:51 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Bill Easum always seems to say just what I need to hear. Yesterday's e-mail from Bill to members outlined the roles of a lead pastor. The list isn't what you normally hear. Among the roles:

Keeps himself or herself spiritually fit. (Jesus was on vacation most of the time - withdrew).

A bit of hyperbole there, but a valid point. How much better would the church be if pastors made their spiritual fitness one of their top priorities? Almost like Jesus.

Posted by Darryl at 10:18 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Current Weather Conditions in Toronto:

Periods of ice pellets and freezing rain tapering to occasional freezing drizzle and light snow this afternoon. Wind northeast 40 km/h. Temperature steady near minus 3.

It's the first time this winter/spring I've ever had to work at getting out of my own driveway, and it's April 4.

Posted by Darryl at 10:09 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 2 )

From Warren Kinsella:

April 1, 2003 - Here's a good one. Driving the kids to school this morn, and I started lamenting the weather - cold, wet and miserable yet again - when our four-year-old started to waggle his Harvard Law index finger at me. "Daddy," said he, "be respectful to God. He's just doing his job."

If you can think of a snappy comeback to that one, drop me a line.

Posted by Darryl at 9:15 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

I haven't posted much this week. Between Monday and Wednesday, I put in about 33 hours. For some, that's not a lot, but it is for me.

Pastoral work hours are a hot topic for some. I heard one pastor say that every pastor should work at least 60-70 hours a week. Then you've got guys like Bill Easum saying that a smart pastor won't have to work any more than about 30 hours a week.

I remember someone saying last year that the best gift a pastor can give is a soulish you. That means that the bottom line isn't the number of hours, although this shouldn't become an excuse for laziness. I try to work so that nobody can reasonably question my work ethic. At the same time, I'm better at pastoring when I have margin in my life, when I have time to reflect and pray. I'm not at my best when I've overworked.

Today's my Sabbath. Nothing to do - no coursework, no housework, nothing. I almost feel guilty. But then it feels very, very good.

Posted by Darryl at 1:10 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 3 )

Jordon posts on war, sin, and community. Some wise words.

Posted by Darryl at 1:02 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Among the spam I deleted today: an e-mail with the subject line, "Darryl: Get rid of spam forever." I'm not too sure I'd buy spam-protection software from a company that sends out spam. Obviously, somebody must.

Posted by Darryl at 10:01 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Canada's position on Iraq is clearly explained.

Posted by Darryl at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )