Today Was a Good Day

I am 36 years old, which means I am exactly old enough to remember the Montreal Expos but not old enough to remember the peak of Gary Carter's career as their catcher. (I do have vague memories of his return to the team for a season when I was 12, after “The Kid” played a few years for the Mets.) I am a Montreal Expos fan and have not gotten over the team's move to Washington to become the Nationals. Currently, I like the Blue Jays enough that I am happy if they do well but I can't cheer for them with great gusto because it feels like I am betraying nos amours.

One night I met a homeless man a little bit younger than my Dad. This man lived in Montreal for the late 1970s and early 1980s. He and I spent a lot of time talking about the Expos. I listened to the homeless man tell stories about Gary Carter when Carter was a star on some of the best Expos teams assembled. I envied that this man got to see Gary Carter play live at his best while I only could watch YouTube videos of the legend.

Two things happened today that got me to thinking about this homeless man and thinking about this man got me to look up Carter's last at bat on YouTube. First, I met with a potential volunteer for the shelter. Second, I read the Prayer for Peace by Saint Francis of Assisi.

First is my meeting. When I meet with volunteers I talk about the sort of things they can expect to do at the shelter. One of the things I always talk about is simply sitting and talking with the guys. Like I always do, I pointed out today that some of the guys at the shelter really enjoy having someone to talk with because they spend most of their days alone and silent. Hanging out – as simple as watching a Tom Cruise movie or talking about the glory years of your favourite baseball team – is how relationships are built. I will never be able to talk about faith with one of my guys if I am not first willing to talk about whatever it is he wants to talk about.

Second is prayer. Francis leads us to pray, “O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek... to be loved, as to love.” I regularly need to pray this prayer. Recall what words Paul uses to describe love. Love is patient, kind, supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting. Love is not quick-tempered, selfish, jealous, rude, or boastful. Love does not keep a record of the wrong that was done. Love does rejoice in truth.* A nice summary of Paul's list may be, “Love is HARD.” The reason I need to pray for the ability to love my guys is because I am not able to love them without God's help. God's grace is the only thing that allows me to set aside my desire and my demand for love. Without God, I cannot love. Without love, I cannot serve.

I am a disciple of Jesus so I follow a man who always loved people even when the love was not returned. Saint Francis' prayer was so helpful to me because it reminds me to imitate Jesus and work to love others rather than to work to make them love me.

If love is not at the centre of my work with Outflow, I will be a failure. People often ask me how to talk with homeless people or others who are down-and-out in one way or another. My suggestion is to find something you have in common with the person and go from there. When we think about “homeless people” it is important that we put more emphasis on the word “people”. These folks are the same as you and me, created in God's image and loved by Him. There is certainly and always something in common between the person who is asking me how to talk to a homeless person and the homeless person they want to talk with. If nothing else, they are both persons.

Today I was reminded to love. Today I remembered my need God's grace for me to do this.

Prayer for Peace by Saint Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love,

where there is injury, pardon,

where there is discord, union,

where there is doubt, faith,

where there is error, truth,

where there is despair, hope,

where there is sadness, joy,

where there is darkness, light.

O Divine Master,

grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love;

for it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Gary Carter's last at bat

*Paul's famous love chapter is 1 Corinthians 13. I used the Contemporary English Version for this list.

--Tony

Holy God

Because of the nature of my job in Outflow, I've seen and heard some pretty awful stuff over the years. Witnessing some of these evils and injustices has caused me to ask a particular question about my faith: "Would God be good or loving if he was merely disappointed or hurt by evil and sin?" Gary Haugen, the former director of the United Nations genocide investigation in Rwanda, said this:

"Standing with my boots deep in the reeking muck of a Rwandan mass grave where thousands of innocent people have been horribly slaughtered, I have no words, no meaning, no life, no hope—if there is not a God of history and time who is absolutely furious, absolutely burning with anger towards those who took it in their own hands to commit such acts."

If God is not filled with anger toward human sin, how can he also be good, loving, and just? How could he be Holy? You see, the main description of God throughout the bible is that he is holy. So much so that on a couple of occasions angels with veiled faces in the stunning presence of the Lord proclaim, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts (the Lord God Almighty)..." (Isaiah 6:3 & Revelation 4:8). In the bible, when things are repeated, it means, "Pay attention. This is it!" Holy is used because it sums up everything about God. Language reaches its limit and the preeminent word available to describe God is Holy.

Holy means unique and set apart. Sometimes it's used in the bible to describe angels, people, God's word, etc. But when God is called holy, it's different. He is unique in that he is the source of all goodness and life; he is the transcendent creator of all things. Holiness sums up God's love, mercy, grace, justice and many other attributes. It speaks of his moral purity and perfection. When God is called holy, it means that he is not like us; he is "other". He is Trinity. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Three persons in one God.

Because God is Holy, he must and will stay true to his character...which presents a problem for God and us. Exodus 34:6&7 says, "The LORD passed before him (Moses) and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty..." God forgives sin and yet "will by no means clear the guilty." How is this possible? Especially when the bible makes clear that all humanity is guilty of sin.

Jesus says that the first and greatest commandment is to love God with your whole being and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:30). This is the target of life and anything less than this is missing that target (the definition of sin) and the source of all evil. Clearly humanity doesn't do this and that's the reason the bible can say that "all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory" (Romans 3:23). So you see, evil is not just a problem around us, but within us as well (Mark 7:21-23).

So how does God stay true to his character? How can he be forgiving and just at the same time? What hope do we have if we are all guilty?

The Christian answer is and always has been the cross and the empty tomb, Christ's death and resurrection. On the cross, Jesus triumphed over the powers of evil and death and rose from the dead victoriously (Colossians 2:13-15). Smart people call this Christian teaching 'Christus Victor'. But why the cross and how did Jesus triumph by dying on it? Volumes of books have been written about this, but simply put: Jesus the Christ substituted himself for us. The Holy Triune God had a rescue mission and it involved the loving Father sending the loving Son full of the loving Holy Spirit to take on himself the divine judgment due for humanity because of sin and evil (Isaiah 53, Romans 5&6, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 John 4:7-14). This was something only God could accomplish and it mysteriously and miraculously involved him becoming human and sacrificially dying in the place of sinners. The fancy name for this teaching is 'Substitutionary Atonement'.

I realize that through the years this teaching has at times been taught horribly causing modern trendy theologians to deny it and teach an equally horrible and cartoony view of the Trinity by calling it 'divine child abuse'. But in the words of the theologian J.I. Packer:

"Since all this (God's rescue mission) was planned by the holy Three in their eternal solidarity of mutual love, and since the Father’s central purpose in it all was and is to glorify and exalt the Son as Saviour and Head of a new humanity, smartypants notions like “divine child abuse”, as a comment on the cross, are supremely silly, and as irrelevant and wrong as they could possibly be."

The cross has been the answer to God's problem and ours from the pages of the bible to the early church fathers to now. There is forgiveness and restoration for those who put their trust in Jesus because loving justice has been done.

A police officer once told me that in our legal system, justice is almost never done. Not so with God. He will also judge the world in righteousness (justice) and put everything right. In a screwed up world like ours, this is good news. Thank God that he is Holy and doesn't simply turn a blind eye to the evils and injustices of the world. Thank God that he offers forgiveness because of Christ's death, and purity and innocence because of his resurrection.

Philip

Pure Joy in our Trials

James 1:1-8

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking in anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.”

It's interesting how trials and suffering can be understood in a new light. James is suggesting for us to see it in a different way – to perceive trials and suffering as pure joy. Why? Because through these, we will grow stronger. Our faith will grow stronger. We will become mature and complete. Isn't that what we want as followers of Christ? To not stay stagnant, but to continue to grow in our love for God and for others.

Being able to weather the storms and trials will create perseverance, so when more come, we will be able to withstand them, stronger than before, because we have the experience of getting through them. We can recall the season where we got through it, because we persisted in prayer. We persisted in worship. We persisted in meeting up with community.

We must try not to forget the promises of our Father in those trials. He is faithful and He is true. His words and His promises never waver. They are steady. They do not shift like the wind.

Lamentations 3:22-23

“Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

-Laura

Pinned to Home, Living Here with Joy

I went “home” this past weekend for our Community Days celebrations. I grew up in a small community, at the centre of which is my parents' property. Their house sits on one side of a large lot and most of the festivities were held under a tent on the far side. My husband and I pulled into my parents driveway at a little after 2pm. As I walked across the lawn to find my mum, I was spotted by a slightly-beyond-middle-aged (like, 80 maybe?) woman from the community. I have known her all my life. She loves me, dearly. She got up quickly and almost ran to hug me. I love her, too. She has loved me and prayed for me, hugged me and comforted me when my heart was broken, and encouraged me in all of my endeavours. She is one among many who have been a part of my “village” since birth.

I love my home community and I have missed living there since we moved to Saint John 8 years ago. I used to go home to visit and would shed quiet tears the whole way back to our house. It took some time, but I have come to love Saint John, too, and while a part of me hates to leave Springfield, another part looks forward to getting back to the port city. I love the friendliness of the citizens; I love the old parts and the new parts; I love the sea breeze and Mispec Beach; I love my friends and the new “village” my family has begun to build; I love my job and the brothers and sisters I work with and those we serve. BUT. It's not the same. It isn't “home.” My heart belongs in Springfield. Not the close to here Springfield, the other, farther one. The one it takes an hour and forty minutes to get to.

On my way back to Saint John last weekend, I was reflecting on how I have changed and how I've stayed the same. As I drive away from Springfield, it still feels as though a piece of me, that place above my stomach and below my ribs, my centre, my core, is pinned there. It stretches from “home” to home where I live, but doesn't break. I still belong there. I am known and loved there. I am safe there.

I often feel the same piece of me tacked and stretched when I consider our ultimate Home, our home with Jesus. I am nostalgic for what is to come. I am not the first to feel this loneliness for Home. Squire Parsons once penned, “I'm kind of homesick for a country to which I've never been before.” (Sweet Beulah Land, 1973) I imagine he felt the longing in exactly the same visceral way that I do.

There is a lesson in all of this for me. I think that the way I felt when I drove back this past Saturday (pinned to home but coming back to Saint John with gladness) is the way we are meant to live all the time: pinned to HOME, living here on earth with joy for the time being; longing for Beulah Land, but appreciating creation (even broken) and taking joy in it because it “proclaims the glory of God”, loving our neighbours who are made in God's image.

We have a permanent home. One where we belong, where we are known, loved, safe and with Jesus:

John 14:1-3 “Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father's home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me.”

The Lord is joyful about his creation. Shouldn't we be too?

Psalm 104:31 “May the glory of the LORD continue forever! The LORD takes pleasure in all he has made!”

And how can Psalm 19 not spark joy in our hearts when we think about this beautiful temporary home?

“The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. God has made a home in the heavens for the sun. It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding. It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race. The sun rises at one end of the heavens and follows its course to the other end. Nothing can hide from its heat.”

It all comes down to this: We are made for more than this broken, sin-filled world. We have a home that is greater than all of this. But we have been given a job. We are to love our neighbours and show them Jesus. If we are living without joy, without hope, in mourning, then we are not living here properly. People need to see joy, they need to see love, they need to see hope. Because of Jesus, we have all of that, and we can point to all of the things around us and show them the glory of the LORD. We can point to ourselves and say, “Look what the Lord has done for me.” Like David, we can say, “For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.” Psalm 92:4

--Chanelle

How Precious Did That Grace Appear

The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

Then Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah!”

Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked to find him talking to a woman, but none of them had the nerve to ask, “What do you want with her?” or “Why are you talking to her?” John 4:25-27 (NLT)

Three characters. There is a woman who has sinned. There is a messiah who came. There are disciples who are shocked by grace. It seems that, best-case scenario, I am a shocked disciple.

One day someone I know did something he should not have done. It is probably fair to say that he sinned that day. He thought he had a small injury as a result of this something. He talked to me about this something and his injury, looking at the floor. He seemed embarrassed and ashamed. Rightly so, I expect. A few days later he started to suspect that his injury was not as small as he thought. Then I delivered a message to him that his doctor called. He looked worried. He doesn't know this but I saw him a little while later when I passed him while I was driving. At this point, it was clear that his injury actually was more severe than he thought. His face was sad. Two feelings crossed my mind. Immediately I felt sorry for him. His injury would heal, but it would be a nuisance and it would hurt for a few weeks. A few minutes later I thought, “Well, he did this to himself. It is hard to feel too bad for him.”

Imagine if Jesus had the same reaction I did. What if...

God the Father watched Adam sin and he watched Eve sin. God the Father goes to God the Son and says, “My son. Our creation is broken. The man and woman we created broke it when they themselves sinned. Now they will have difficult lives – work will be exhausting and childbirth will be agonizing – and then they will die. Son, I have a way to fix this.” Then the Father tells the Son the plan. The Son responds with initial compassion, but then says, “Well, they did it to themselves. It is hard to feel too bad for them.”

God the Father and God the Son had the right and ability to react like they did in our imagined scenario. They did not react this way, however. We were created by a God who is gracious. We need to be mindful of this and grateful for this always.

I will not pretend that I spent a lot of time reflecting about my second reaction to come to this realization. I probably would never have thought of it again; however; I had to run an unexpected errand this morning. On this errand I walked down the road that I drove on previously. I walked past the spot where the man I know was sitting and I remembered his face. Immediately, I thought about the woman at the well...

Then I thought about Jesus...

Then I thought about me...

Then I thanked Jesus because Jesus is not like me. I thanked him for grace.