A tradition of reform

I've been reading (and listening to the audio version on my ipod) "Velvet Elvis" by Rob Bell again lately. I was just sitting at lunch, and the following passage caught my attention. (and by the way, you can get the audio version, unabridged from itunes - I highly recommend it.)

I'm part of this global, historic stream of people who believe that God has not left us alone but has been involved in human history from the beginning. People who believe that in Jesus, God came among us in a unique and powerful way, showing us a new kind of life. Giveing each of us a new vision for our life together, for the world we live in.

And as part of this tradition, I embrace the need to keep painting, to keep reforming.

By this I do not mean cosmetic, superficial changes like better lights and music, sharper graphics, and new methods with easy-to-follow steps. I mean theology: the beliefs about God, Jesus, the Bible, salvation and the future. We must keep reforming the way the Christian faith is defined, lived and explained.

Jesus is more compelling than ever. More inviting, more true, more mysterious than ever. The problem isn't Jesus; the problem is what comes with Jesus...

(Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis pg. 12)

Comments? Thoughts? I found this to be an interesting thought, somewhat provacative, but worth considering...

Involved with People

My dad said something to me on Sunday morning that surprised me - a compliment. I'd handed him some information about some jobs at my company that had just come available, for him to pass on to a recent immigrant from Brazil who is looking for work and attends his church. He said (in continuation of an ongoing conversation we've been having), "This is why you need to be in a church that involves you in helping people - you come alive when you're helping people." It's true, something I've realized about myself in the last month or so, but not something I ever expected to hear from my dad. And it encouraged me to have him notice.

It came home to me again last night as I was out with a friend. We went to a funky little tea house in Kensington, and the inside of the building was packed, but it was a nice night, cool but not freezing cold, so we sat on this little porch they have in the back of their building. The girl working in the shop brought us candles for our table, and we sat in the dim light, drank tea and caught up. And as I sat, I thought about how much I was enjoying this moment, how it was one that would be memorable, and yet, it was something quite commonplace. There is nothing that makes me feel more alive than being with people I love - broken, struggling, beautiful, messy, god-loving (0r not) people. Sitting and basking like at the Jacob and Lily house concert I went to a month or two ago, or sipping tea and listening to a friend share the things God is doing in her life, and then praying for her.

I still find it funny, that for someone who needs so much alone time, I come alive when I'm around people and caring for people. Still working on the balance that will prevent quick development of compassion fatigue. Still working to create a cycle in which as I care for others I am also being cared for, but I am spending my life on people, because they're these beautiful, tarnished, through a mirror darkly kind of pictures of the image of God, and when I'm involved, I not only meet them, but I meet Him.

From the rising of the sun....

I see the sunrise almost every morning these days. It's just beginning to light the sky as I head to work. Usually, just as I'm transfering trains downtown the colors begin to happen. Most days in the last while, it's been unremarkable, a transition from dark, to a grey and cool "winter is coming soon" sort of day.

This morning, however, was spectacular. A wide variety of pinks and blues lit the sky.

And I was reminded of the scripture that says something along the lines of "From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the Name of the Lord is to be praised." (It's also a beautiful Steve Bell lyric.)

My commute has become a time of learning, of prayer and worship. I spend nearly two hours a day travelling via public transit to and from work. Thanks to my ipod, I can generally spend the time listening to worship music and praying, or listening to a sermon. It's a good way to start a day or a week...

good hugs

Do you have some of those friends who, when they ask how you're doing, you know that they really want to know? That they're invested in your well-being? I'm blessed to have several in my life right now - some new, some older. I saw a few of them at an event I attended last night. It stuck out to me as I was driving home, the difference in how they asked. You just knew that you could be honest. There was a pause before I smiled and told them that I was doing well, time for a quick mental inventory to make sure I was about to speak truth. I suppose it stuck out because I answered that question so many times, and quite a few of them I answered without thought, without really considering - I gave the automatic, socially acceptable answer. In one conversation, I didn't mentally inventory quick enough, and I stuttered through an answer that basically ended with me saying I didn't know how I was doing.

And the hugs - I've missed the hugs these last several weeks. My best friend is NOT a hugger. My family isn't huge into physical contact. And I don't have a new church yet, so I'm not getting hugs anywhere at the moment. A couple of good friends gave me hugs last night. Good hugs - not the sort of "I'm hugging you because I feel obligated" but the "I really am glad to see your face" sort of hugs. I've missed those.

Well, I suppose I should get ready for work. Today is my very last day at the Bay! So glad that it's over. And, by God's blessing, I'm working with two of the people who I actually enjoyed working with today, and not the ones that I had a very hard time with. I will finish well, and I think that feels kind of good too!

New post coming soon, on the pros and cons of church hunting, and my decsion making process, but it may be quiet this week - I'm tied up several evenings, and work is going to be crazy as I do all the photocopying, package preparing, nametag making, last minute hotel room scheduling, and other sundry tasks that fall into my lap in preparation for the company's annual general meeting at the end of the week. So you may not hear from me much until next weekend!

sliver moon

A tiny sliver of moon hung in the hazy sky, above the horizon where the sun was trying desperately to push it's way through the gray. It smiled at me, and I smiled back at it.