Snow Boots

There is nothing about traveling light when it comes to snow boots. I finally traded my "performance boots" in for just "regular person" boots and it made a huge difference. I am definitely not a performer when it comes to skiing! The snow is fantastic, so I don't want to take it too easy.

A "pre-ski" weekend definitely helps when planning a full week of skiing, and we missed that this year.

Have enjoyed spending time with family.

I have two books with me. One is Missional Small Groups:Becoming a Community That Makes a Difference in the World by Scott Boren. Scott compares being in mission to learning how to play music, particularly improvisational jazz; "Most people play their life rhythms without even thinking about the music their life makes...They must learn how to work together, how to read each other, and how to complement each other's strengths and weaknesses" (pg. 9). At the end of the book is an Appendix that walks small groups through a 12 to 15 weeks of learning "missional rhythms". There are even teaching segments that can be downloaded as video files! Sounds like something that would be very exciting for small groups to challenge themselves and grow in their understanding of what it means to follow Christ out into the world.

Learning to play a musical instrument is challenging. It isn't easy. Just like snow skiing. Some have natural ability, and some have to keep working at it. Some are dare devils (like helicopter skiiers) and some prefer to float down the green slopes and enjoy the scenery (that would be me!). Either way there is preparation that must be done - just in getting dressed!

The other book I have is a fiction book. Fiction is hard for me because I want to read something with purpose. However, so many people read fiction, and I want to understand why, so I will read something if it comes highly recommended. "If I Gained the World" by Linda Nichols is what I am working on. Today I am on chapter 10 and there are a total of 57 chapters. So far it is keeping my interest!

LINGO – CHURCH WORD #8

EVIL (ee-vuhl)

Adjective: Morally wrong or bad; immoral; wicked: evil deeds; an evil life.

Noun: That which is evil; evil quality, intention, or conduct: to choose the lesser of two evils.

Adverb: In an evil manner; badly; ill: It went evil with him.

Idiom: The evil one, the devil; Satan.

On, Saturday, February 14, 1976, I called home to wish my family Happy Valentine’s Day. My mother answered and told me to meet them at the hospital because something was terribly wrong with my brother, David. The day before, my younger brother came home from being out that night, sat down on the den floor, and started listening to my Jesus Christ Superstar album. While listening to the music, he continually rocked back and forth and back and forth on the floor at my parent’s house. This was the beginning of a ten year nightmare that eventually lead to my brother’s suicide.

The doctor’s called it “paranoid schizophrenia”. To me, it was evil and diabolic.

What is evil? In the book People of the Lie by M. Scott Peck, the author states “evil is ‘live’ spelled backwards. Evil is in opposition to life…Evil is also that which kills the spirit.” Some people also believe that evil is the result of demon possession.

The New Testament is full of stories about Jesus and the disciples encountering demon possession. Matthew 9:28 talks about the Gadarene demoniacs that were so fierce that no one could pass by them. Jesus tells the demons to “Go!” and enter some nearby swine, resulting in the swine stampeding over a cliff. Matthew 17:14 tells the story about the disciples trying to cure a boy that has a demon. When they are unable to cure him, the young man’s father takes his son to Jesus. Jesus rebukes the demon and heals the boy immediately.

Do you believe demons still exist? Eric Fromm, the author of the book The Heart of Man: Its Genius for Good and Evil, says “The longer we continue to make wrong decisions, the more our heart hardens...with each step along the wrong road it becomes increasingly difficult (for them) to admit that they are on the wrong road.” Some people make wrong decisions that effect innocent people, such as sexual abuse victims. The presence of evil is then experienced by the innocent as well as the wrong doer. God doesn’t want this, what He does, however, is invite all people to choose wisely. Choose goodness.

If God created everything and everyone, why were evil and the devil created in the first place? Understanding free will helps us to understand this paradox. He gave us choices, so we either choose to allow God to shape and mold us into loving humans or we chose the opposite. God loves us and wants us to choose His loving ways. God is a life giver, and Scott Peck explains it this way, “having forsworn the use of power against us, if we refuse God’s help, God has no recourse but, weeping, to watch us punish ourselves.”

In the movies and television, we see evil. The recently realeased movie The Rite starring Anthony Hopkins is a true story based on the life of an American priest who now lives in California named Father Gary Thomas. I could barely watch the trailer (so I know I won’t be going to see the movie)! Father Thomas believes there is evil in the world, demon possessed people, and a need for more exorcists. In fact, there was an exorcism conference held in Baltimore, Maryland in October 2010 that was attended by 56 Bishops of the Catholic Church and 66 parish priests.

How do we conquer evil? With love. 1 Corinthians 13:4 -7 says “Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.” Love isn’t easy, but it’s worth it.

Evil is not something we like to talk about. The book "People of the Lie" by M. Scott Peck helped me understand the evil that I experienced with what happened to my brother.

I choose to love and live with Jesus Christ as my guide, my saviour, and my Lord.

Does everyone around us know God?

That question is from the book "Unfreezing Moves" by Bill Easum. When thinking about this I wonder about the difference between doing "great" things and doing "good" things. We do a lot of good things when we do church work. What would be great things we could do? Good question. I look forward to your comments.

From the Mountain, To the Valley...Back Home

It is amazing to me that people's lives are so complicated today that many don't realize the value of slowing down and being still. Some slow down by plopping down on the couch in front of the TV (guilty!). I miss creativity time when I waste time with TV instead of using my time to reconnect to my playful, fun self.

In the book "Creativity and the Divine Surprise" by Karla M. Kincannon she reminds us that "Creativity fine tunes our listening."

Just started the journey through this new read. Karla writes beautifully. "Without creativity we are deaf to God's call; what we are to be and do remains a conumdrum." Conumdrum is a fun word. I think I will use that word creatively today!

Weekend Walk

There is something powerful about being with people you don't know well and spending time listening. Listening is a skill. Sometimes it involves being able to ask the right questions so we can listen even more. Information can lead to transformation.

I am participating in a weekend event as a leader and a listener. I hope you will take time to listen to people this week. Think of questions that might help them express even more of what they are thinking and feeling.

Trade Off

Started another book while still reading Missional book. Trade Off is about the "ever present tension between quality and convenience - why some things catch on an others don't". Very challenging to think 10 years in the future when technology is changing so rapidly.

Great examples from companies like Apple, Palm, Corning, Motorola, and McDonald's.

Speaking of McDonald's - there is a great article in Fast Company magazine this month about their 2.4 billion dollar makeover. The clown is taking a back seat!

Relational and Missional - Explained

So far, this is how I understand relational revision small groups. They are learning to do life together differently. They know they have a mission of putting love where love is not. Particularly when it involves relating to each other more as a family. The group chooses to do community with the presence of Christ at it's center. For example, if Bill needs a sitter for 3 yr. old Graham, he can call on anyone in the group to help him out because they are like family. He doesn't need to go out and hire a sitter.

Missional Re-creation groups are groups that get out into the neighborhood and make a difference. They actually engage with the people in their neighborhood, whether they are members of their church or not.

More to read...