Back to blogging. I'm surprised that anyone reads this, but since some do - I'll carry on!

This week I have been turning over a thought in my mind, as I consider my own life, our church, and the lives of some who are dear to me:

Is it better for a life to be driven from behind by circumstance, or to be invited forward by vision?

When honest, my own life displays characteristics of both. I am a product of my past, as well as shaped by the future. Some whom I love seem entirely shaped by their circumstances and history, devoid of the call of the future. Especially the youthful, which amazes me. Until recently, the young were always the idealistic who drove change in society. Today's 20-somethings are so often devoid of hope, unable to define success for themselves, and driven by unspoken - perhaps unspeakable fears. As I approach 50, I am more and more pulled forward by God's vision for me, and for our church, and happy to shake off the shackles of the past, as much as God has loosed those old responsibilities.

Many leading Christian writers are talking about an 'ancient future' for the church. I like that. God is newing the old again, ever new. May you know the call of God on your sensibilities this week.

God works each day in new ways. There is a possibility of a new secular job for me which I am 99.999% certain I will pass over. Big money, big commute and big commitment with greater distance and time away from my family and church. It just doesn't fit. However I will pursue the process for a little more because it's good to make new friends and meet cool people. (I hope this company feels the same way!)

Tonight God is reminding me of my love for each of the people in the church. My mind has been mulling over the people I miss who have drifted from church. Very special people. Mary, Cindy, Darryl, Len, Kim, Jamie, Kristin, Sean, Sarah. Please Lord, lead them back to You, if not us.

Tonight, Lord, build Your church I pray. Build us stronger, taller, more loving, more simple, more of You and less of us. Thank you for Jim and Cindy, Charlotte and David, John and Joan and Blue and Nanci and Randy and Donny and Krista and ... and ... and ...

Thank You for those who feed me. Those through whom You feed me. Thank You for providing all my needs. Thank You for my brother Andy - get him through another month I pray. Thank You for my Mum, and all our private jokes and shared history which make 3,200 miles melt away.

Thank You Lord, Father, Abba.

Lent 2007 is drawing to a close. It's been a bittersweet 40 days in many ways.

Sweet: Spring has sprung, willow trees are budding, snow drops are out in my garden. The warmer days are melting the last pockets of snow - at least I hope they are the last.
Bitter: A visit back to the UK reminds me that it just isn't the same any more. Faces that used to be in church that I haven't seen for quite a while now. A visit to my father's grave reminds me that it may be some time before we meet again.
Hopeful: I'm sensing a newness to this year that encourages my heart. The architects are putting final revisions into place on LCN's new ministry building plans. Our praise band is just better than ever. Our life groups are full of life. It's going to be a great year.

Thank you Lord for newness. That you make all things new. That your blessings are new each morning. The bright green of the spring leaves is the Easter color indeed. Let all that has breath praise the Lord!

After a 9 month hiatus, I've decided to take up the blog again. My absence was to focus on two other web-connectors that I use from time to time: Facebook and Xanga. The first is relatively new (triggered by Brian Collica's move to San Diego) and I will continue to use Facebook to connect with our college students and ex-members of the church who have moved away.
Xanga was a good means of connecting with my own children at college, and I'll discontinue that now, since Matthew connects with me often enough anyway, and Simon has stopped using Xanga too. I'll still read Xanga accounts that I subscribe to though. Thanks to Charlotte and Charity for getting me into Xanga.

It's all about communication. I'm learning that certain relationships require some communication, while others require a whole lot. The greater the trust, the less need for communication in a friendship. As trust is growing, the greater the need for clear, balanced, nuanced, and often repeated communication. As the church is growing, I have found it more and more important to communicate well,, and to build trust with hope and grace and mercy leading the way. So I hope this blog will help me to express clearly the important things we ought to be talking about. That will including, movies, alcohol, entire sanctification and what it looks like in practice, Weslyan discipleship methods, outreach theology, what it 'feels' like to follow Christ, why God is and sometimes also isn't interested in our personal agendas, and a dozen other things that are important, real, and practical aspects of following Jesus every day.

A conversation is a two-way process. Blogs are one-sided. So if you're reading this, then e-mail me anything. No, better still, pick up the phone and call me on my cell phone: 604 548 5287. Let's build each other up in love.

Your servant-leader in the body of Christ,

Pastor Eddy

thanks to Cindy for this Alphabet of Worship:

Although things are not perfect
Because of trial or pain
Continue in thanksgiving
Do not begin to blame
Even when the times are hard
Fierce winds are bound to blow
God is forever able
Hold on to what you know
Imagine life without His love
Joy would cease to be
Keep thanking Him for all the things
Love imparts to thee
Move out of "Camp Complaining"
No weapon that is known
On earth can yield the power
Praise can do alone
Quit looking at the future
Redeem the time at hand
Start every day with worship
To "thank" is a command
Until we see Him coming
Victorious in the sky
We'll run the race with gratitude
Xalting God most high
Yes, there'll be good times and yes some will be bad, but...
Zion waits in glory...where none are ever sad!

Duct Tape or a Nail

A man dies and goes to heaven. Of course, St. Peter meets him at the Pearly Gates.

St. Peter says, "Here's how it works. You need 100 points to make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things you've done, and I give you a certain number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. when you reach 100 points, you get in."

"Okay," the man says, "I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart."

"That's wonderful," says St.Peter, "that's worth three points!"
"Three points?" he says.

"Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my tithe and service."

"Terrific!" says St.Peter. "That's certainly worth a point."
"One point!?!!"

"I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans."

"Fantastic, that's good for two more points," he says.
"Two points!?!!

"Exasperated, the man cries. "At this rate the only way I'll get into heaven is by the grace of God."
"Bingo, 100 points! Come on in!"

We often try to fix problems with WD-40 and duct tape. God did it with a
nail.

(Thanks to Corey Johnson for this and his daily devotional. To sign uip - just email Corey at yeroc @ usadatanet.net (but take out the spaces in the email address).

This is a true story, from the Orange County Sheriff's office.

An elderly Florida lady did her shopping and, upon returning to her car, found four males in the act of leaving with her vehicle. She dropped her shopping bags and drew her handgun, proceeding to scream at the top of her voice, "I have a gun, and I know how to use it! Get out of the car!" The four men didn't wait for a second invitation. They got out and ran like mad.

The lady, somewhat shaken, then proceeded to load her shopping bags into the back of the car and got into the driver's seat. She was so shaken that she could not get her key into the ignition. She tried and tried.

And then it dawned on her why. A few minutes later, she found her own car parked four or five spaces farther down.

She loaded her bags into the car and drove to the police station. The sergeant to whom she told the story couldn't stop laughing. He pointed to the other end of the counter, where four pale men were reporting a car jacking by a mad, elderly woman described as white, less than five feet tall, glasses, curly white hair, and carrying a large handgun.

No charges were filed.

If you're going to have a Senior Moment, make it a memorable one! (Thanks to Ginnie Young for this one.)