We’re Not Drunk
Scripture Readings: Acts 2:1-21; Philippians 4:4-7
When I was in high school, I made a few bucks working at McDonald’s. And when I say a few bucks, I really mean a few bucks. When I started working there, I was making around $4 an hour. So it didn’t exactly go along ways. Some weeks I’m not sure I didn’t spend it all on gas getting to work… and maybe along with the amount of food I would eat while on breaks as a hungry teenage boy.
One evening, I was hanging out with a couple of friends from work. We cruised the mall a bit, spent some money at the arcade. Then decided we needed to eat. So we decided to hit the drive through at work for a bite to eat and see if we were missing anything. So off we went.
You know those moments when you get really giddy and just can’t stop laughing? Well, as we were waiting for the drive-through we had one of those moments. I suppose someone in the car said something silly, as teenage boys like to do, which just triggered us and we could not stop laughing. And it was uncontrollable.
So as we are making our order and then proceeding to pick up our food, we are laughing like fools. I’m literally lying down in the backseat because my sides are killing me from laughing so hard. Our friends in the restaurant are looking at us like we’ve lost our minds.
To the Glory of God
Scripture Reading: Philippians 2:1-13
Earlier this week I was thinking about the “famous” people I have met in my life. The list is rather short, and mostly unimpressive.
Back in the early 90s I got a quick autograph from Oscar Robertson, one of the greatest basketball players to play in the NBA. That was kind of neat, and also to hear him speak to a gathering of teams at the Coal Bowl when I played in it.
Of course there are our own local celebrities we have in our own little town, the Barra MacNeils. Lovely people and a great family.
I’ve seen Rob Lowe, the actor, from a distance while he was shooting a movie on the campus of the Atlantic School of Theology while I was there. He’s a very small man. But that was as close as I would get.
I’ve met radio personalities. I’ve met many politicians. I’ve met moderators of the United Church of Canada. I’ve met a very successful olympic athlete (actually that one was kind of special).
I’ve been driven to the Toronto airport by a Hall of Fame Canadian Football League legend.
So I’ve met a few people, seen a few others from a distance. I’ve had the chance to have discussions with some of them, and even ask some of them about their own faith journey and how it impacts their public life.
Here is what I’ve discovered about pretty much every one of them. read more…
The Unknown God
Scripture: Acts 17:16-31
Two weeks ago I was away for a couple of events in the Toronto area. The first event I was supposed to go to was a retreat at a friend’s church, a retreat we may end up offering here at Carman at some time. But it was on the Wednesday, just two days before I was supposed to fly out when I got an email telling me the retreat had to be unfortunately cancelled.
Once I got over the initial disappointment, I began to think, “What am I going to do for 3 extra days in Toronto now?”
I thought about changing my flights. I thought about where I might stay if I changed things around. I thought about how am I going to get around when I was planning to hitch rides to and from the retreat with friends.
Then I remembered an email I had received a couple of months ago. It was from some Presbyterians who had asked about my group, Cruxifusion, and if there was a chance we could get to know one another and there was an invitation to come to their meeting, which just so happened to be in Toronto the same weekend of the retreat. Unfortunately though, because I had already made plans to go to the retreat I had to decline their offer. read more…
I Command You…
Scripture: Acts 16:16-34
As part of my mentoring program as part of the renewal movement which has brought us our Hearing God workshops and our Set Free retreats, I hear a lot of stories from various churches who are also involved.
One of those stories involves a church where people have gotten really good at hearing God’s voice when they pray. They were so good that they heard about a psychic fair coming to their town and decided (after praying about it) to set up a table in the middle of it all. At this table they would offer free “spiritual readings.”
So as people came to their table they would sit and listen for what God might have to say to the person. And what they would hear they would then share with the visitor. Turns out they were pretty accurate, and word began to spread that if people wanted the most accurate readings, they should go to this free table. One of the few, if not the only, free tables at the fair.
Other tables were not pleased as the church table quickly became the most popular table in the whole centre and lines began to form. read more…
Peace Be With You
Scripture Reading: John 20:19-31
Let me be perfectly honest with you. I love Easter, I love the victory of the cross and resurrection. I love the joy of Easter morning in the songs we sing. I love all that goes on over Holy Week leading to Good Friday and Easter morning.
But for a preacher, it. Is. Exhausting.
Last Sunday, I was like “Oh thank you Jesus for the empty tomb, now do you mind if I go in and have a nap, since you seem done with it all all?”
And I did nap. I wasn’t much company for my in-laws as I spent most of the afternoon unconscious in their living room. But it’s also not the first Easter Sunday I’ve done it either!
We want to be careful though. A nap is one thing. But losing the joy of Easter is another.
We get excited for Easter, after all it is the biggest Sunday in the Christian calendar. Without Easter, there’s no reason to be here at all. So we should be excited. We should be looking forward to it. read more…