reflecting back on the last week
March 5th, 2009 § Leave a Comment
i’m enjoying some time with friends in northern saskatchewan…i remember enjoying living here. the flight out here gave me some time to think back on a week that had one kick after another.
for almost two years, i’ve been working on an equipping conference for the maritimes – essentially to bless, equip and encourage the leaders of the maritime churches (and at the same time, promote our ministry). we were finally able to book tony campolo to come as the keynote speaker, had a great planning team in place, workshop/conversation leaders…the whole works.
then the doors get shut. the joy (read: challenge/frustration) of working for a non-profit christian ministry is that we rely on donations from individuals who share the same passion and commitment we do. as the new calendar started to unfold and the current economic climate began to take notice, our support began to decrease. why? because the people supporting began to be more conservative in their giving.
when the time came where we’d need to start spending the money (room bookings, pr materials, etc…), it became a question of ‘do we invest in a conference and hope that people will come?’ or ‘do make sure that ministry costs can be covered for the next month or two?’. i began talking with some folks around who would be interested in coming…despite their excitement, they couldn’t justify the costs for them to come to such an event (travel, meals, accommodations, registration).
we prayed…and listened…prayed some more…i thought about bartering with God…listened more. every time i phoned or emailed one of the leaders it was like another kick to the gut. the conference is canceled.
i don’t doubt that we made the right decision. and i choose to believe that somehow God will use all the labours to his glory. i choose to believe that…and waiting expectingly.
review: jesus wants to save christians
March 5th, 2009 § 3 Comments
i just finished re-reading rob bell’s book – jesus wants to save christians. i started rereading it late last week and finished it while flying across the country last night.
my second read of it was probably enlightening than the first. i found myself re-examining my own perceptions and desires of what i thought (or wanted) church to be. i’ve been reminded frequently as of late how the church often gets caught up in the “consumer” mentality of our culture. i had lunch recently with someone where i heard as clear as day, that our primary means for doing church is about what makes us comfortable. i wish i could say that i was exaggerating this, but the same sentence was repeated over and over. many of churches are ignoring jesus’ plea to clothe the naked and feed the hungry – because it makes us uncomfortable.
i’m not sure that jesus ever wanted us to be “comfortable.”
maybe that’s what he means when he says, “do this in remembrance of me.” the “do this” part is our lives. opening ourselves up to the mystery of resurrection, open for the liberation of others, allowing our bodies to be broken and our blood to be poured, discovering our eucharist. listening. and going.
because when we do this in remembrance of him,
the world will never be the same;
we will never be the same.
now that is a manifesto.
‘jesus wants to save christians’, pg 181
