13 Hours of Rain

We attend a typical mainstream evangelical church in a politically conservative part of our province. While our church celebrates women in positions of leadership such as elders, deacons, ministry team leaders, worship leaders, Sunday School teachers, and Bible readers, we rarely open the pulpit to allow women to offer a sermon. It does occur on occasion, when a female missionary is visiting or the moderator of our church leadership team is a woman. However, when it comes to systematically selecting speakers to teach Biblical truths during a thirty minute, one-way exhortation, it is almost always a man. And the probability of our lead pastor being a woman is practically nil. Now I am not writing this to criticize my church. However, I am writing this to open our eyes to this extremely common practice in our province, especially in churches who are similar to us in denomination.  Women have come a long way since Biblical times, in their access to education and equal opportun...

We were challenged this Sunday to intentionally ask fellow believers if they confessed their need of Jesus today and if they read their Bible today. The speaker wasn't being rhetorical in his challenge, but rather desired for each one of us to ask one person, every day, this week, those hard -- but essential -- questions, until next Sunday. Part of me cringed at the thought, envisioning the whole awkwardness of the scenario, the quasi-judgmental nature of the query. What would a person think if I bluntly asked them, "So... did you read your Bible today? What did you read? Did you pray to Christ that you need Him to save you today?" Whoa... hold on a minute... My sister is a woman of refreshing candor. I know that eventually, in a face-to-face conversation, she will ask me how I am doing spiritually. Often, she'll phrase it as, "So, how is your heart today?" I know the aim of her sentimental question. She wants me to disclose the deep down "spiritual s...

If membership is just the ability to vote at a meeting and hold a key leadership position in my church, it actually doesn't appeal to me that much. However, if membership has the potential to foster grace-based, authentic relationships where we are each other's advocates in this Christ centered journey, then I am more inclined to become a member than ever before.

Our church experience in this town has been a roller coaster of emotions. We have gone from "What a friendly place!" to "Why in the world do they do it this way? It makes no sense..." to "Should we leave and attend somewhere else?" to "Hey, someone actually understands our perspective!" to "Yes! Good things are happening here!" to "So, should we become members?" Our church has done a commendable job in presenting a renewed Membership process. Both your Daddy and I have appreciated the teaching on the topic. However, there is one aspect of membership that gives me pause for thought, namely "Christian Accountability". Accountability is defined by the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary as " the quality or state of being  accountable ;  an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to  account  for one's actions." Truthfully, I wonder if accountability, as defined above, adequately describes...

I take a spade to the front flower bed and dig out the quackgrass that tends to infiltrate the south edge. I firmly push the shiny blade with my foot. I uproot some of the underground rhizomes. I pull and discard plants with my gloved hands. "So, Mommy, can we make a plan about what we will plant this year?" A. asks. "I don't want to think about that right now. I just want to weed," I mutter (Sorry, I was not the most inspirational Mother at that moment). "Can we talk about it anyway?" A. persists. "Sure." "Can we plant peas? I like peas," J. adds. "Yes." "And carrots?" A. asks. "Yes. We'll plant short ones." "How about cucumbers?" A. continues. "Maybe." "Broccoli? I love broccoli!" A. exclaims. "Probably not. Broccoli is hard to grow." You kids continue to dream, imaging the garden we can grow in our limited space. I keep on weeding,...

Let's say you attend a Women's Conference. It isn't anything flashy. The poster advertising the event doesn't promise life changing advice or earth shattering results. The main speaker is "plain jane" and not clad in today's bling or tomorrow's trendy. The conference doesn't have a gymnasium full of booths with famous authors signing autographs. Neither are there inspirational coffee mugs with quasi-Christian phrases for sale. The atmosphere is not frenetic or vacuous. Rather, the events are fairly ordinary. God's Word is expounded with integrity. Prayers are spoken in unison and in private. Songs are offered with sincerity. The Lord's Supper is observed. And genuine thankfulness is offered to our God for divine redemption through His Son and the Gift of His Spirit until He returns. Doesn't that sound refreshing? Why doesn't everything these days have to be spectacular? I just finished reading a book entitled O r·di·nar·y b...

I'm unpacking the idea of church. Not the universal one; not the global body of Christ. But the local one, the corporate one, the one that has an annual budget and a building to match. I'm mulling over new millennium questions, wondering what it would take for the North American church to change to better address the realities of our current society. I'm not talking about bending to the "Christian bookstore" trends in church dynamics. Rather I'm pondering how to transform our way of doing things to be more effective, more Christ-like, more God-glorifying. We live in a world in which "relevancy" and "engagement" are buzz words. We are told it is "All About You." So we cater church the same way, creating age-specific programs that are exciting and fun, hoping somehow the Gospel message will stick. We segregate people from each other and stick them with like-aged people, with similar mindsets. We throw in a few mentors, thinking ...

It is year in review time. And since my current stage of life doesn't lend itself to staying up until midnight to clink the champagne glasses, I feel the need to mark the moment through words instead. I did a quick perusal of my previous blog posts and read a few of my private journal entries over the year. A few thematic elements jumped out at me. I list them below in no particular order: Perseverance. There were a few incidences over the past couple of years that strongly tempted my husband and I to attend a new church. This is a hard thing to admit in this space, as I know some of my readers frequent our place of worship. So why admit it? Because, let's be honest, as Christians, we do struggle with some element of our church experience, whether it is the preaching, leadership, worship style, certain individuals or groups, theology, vision, etc. And there are times when you wonder why in the world you decided to attend your church in the first place, especially in the fac...

I have finally reached the point when I can proclaim with sincerity, "I am thankful for my church and I actually like it." Now I am praying that God will help me LOVE my place of worship. I don't mean love as a feeling of euphoria or infatuation where I become giddy talking about where I attend for corporate Christian gathering. I mean the 1 Corinthians 13 kind of love, where I love in spite of frustrations or hurts or imperfections. So, here is my prayer: Dear Lord, I pray that you will help me love my church as you love this group of believers. May I be patient, especially when things don't go the way I think they should. I pray that I will speak kindly of my church when rubbing shoulders with those on the outside. I ask that I will not boast when things are going extremely well, because all that we are is because of your Grace and Power. Please, may I not be proud when I use my talents and passions to serve others (and receive affirmation). May I not be rude...

Autumn lingers, showcasing leaves that have slowly ripened into brilliant yellow, orange and red. The season of Christmas rush and winter hibernation is just around the corner. A tentative gift budget has been struck. Rakes comb our backyard to prepare for snow. And I pause and savor the cool mornings, warm afternoons and the chill of night frost. Change is coming. One side screams with anger and sorrow. Another side whispers hope. On Wednesday, October 22, our country woke up to a different reality. Acts of terror rocked our nation’s capital. The battles fought way over there descended for a moment within the House of Commons. Sorrow flowed. Anger was expressed. Our collective resolve to stand firm was punctuated by political speeches. Fears were calmed with promises of a more secure country. I was saddened that day, saddened over images of citizens and paramedics frantically trying to bring a dying soldier back to life; saddened to know that there is a six year old boy out th...

My burden was once again punctuated by a moment where I witnessed you kids singing Vacation Bible School songs at a church near our home. I teared up as I took in the sight and sounds of 100+ kids praising Jesus. In that space, I prayed that the seeds of faith would be planted deep in your hearts. And that your faith and the faith of the ones surrounding you would grow and mature and survive the transition from home to adulthood. Because so many young adults these days are packing their bags, moving away, and saying goodbye to church. I believe the North American church does a reasonable job of introducing our children to Jesus. We have our Sunday School programs, mid-week Kids' Clubs, Bible camps, and Vacation Bible Schools. And as our children transition from childhood to the teenage years, Youth Groups take over with their mix of Bible Studies, pizza parties, and community service. It is often the hope and prayer of Children Ministers and Youth Pastors that these experiences...

This Fall, it will be four years since we moved to this small prairie city. And I realize I am not chasing church anymore. Chasing church? Sounds strange, doesn't it? Let me explain. I am expending less energy on trying to fit in at my place of worship. Instead, I am allowing God to bring people along my path that fit with me and our family's passions and interests. At the Family Camp we were recently at, your Daddy and I had an opportunity to connect with a woman who attends our church with her husband. Because of their ministry, they attend sporadically. As a result, they don't feel like they are building relationships within our church. Your Daddy and I shared with her how we often felt the same, that we didn't fit into the existing groups that comprised our congregation, in spite of our church's overall welcoming spirit. Our collective struggle encouraged us and this woman to pursue relationships with people like us. After all, there are probably more people i...

My experiences of camp have been mixed. I remember the first time I was at camp. It was with my family. My Dad was the program director and us little kids, along with Mom, tagged along for the experience. I recall the female teen campers gushing over the program director's cute brown kids. And I enjoyed making a blue paper mache doll during craft time. My next camp experience was as a young pre-teen. I attended a Pentecostal camp with one of my sisters and a cousin. My memories included a slug filled slough-of-a-lake, plain macaroni with ketchup (yuck!) and awesome chapel services. At the end of this camp, I was prayed over to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (i.e. the ability to speak in tongues). I didn't receive it. I was okay with that. Years later, I participated in Teen Camp at the camp I attended with my Dad. The food was fabulous. Almost everything else was a BIG disappointment. I was an awkward, chubby, not-so-trendy young girl who didn't catch the eye of ...

It was a moment of clarity, where so many issues whirling around my head were systematically addressed through the power of one inspired by the Holy Spirit to speak. I walked away from the experience more at peace. I’m not so different after all. There are others who think like me. The setting was a play date for you, my son, and three other kids. You all were running to and fro, playing tag, bumping heads, giggling, crying. In the midst of it all, I talked with your friends’ Mom about stuff I think about much. I listened to her experiences. Her words were like water, full of encouragement and exhortation and insight. We reflected on how the organized church is probably the last place to bring someone seeking Christ. Too many times, we try to bring a friend to church, hoping the pastor will say something phenomenal to “covert” the person. We try to trick our friend into hearing the gospel through the lure of bouncy castles and hot dogs. We attempt at perfection with some slick wors...

I experienced a moment of candor today (for which I am thankful). I was visiting with an international during a community play group for preschoolers. We chatted about where she was from and what brought her here. Love, her husband, a place to raise their family, I was told. So I asked her, "What do you think of this city? And you can be honest." And she was. While she praised our community for its safety, beauty and quiet, she also disclosed her disappointment over the majority's mindset. As a community, we are afraid of diversity, since it seems to threaten what we believe. She went on to state that she once visited a local church where the speaker went on about how Muslims were infiltrating our society and how we better make a stand before they erect a Mosque. "It took everything for me to not get up and leave the service," she pauses and adds, "I don't go to church." The interesting thing, I, a Christian, could actually relate with her, even ...

Today I am thankful for church innovators, those who dare to think outside the institutionalized church service box and dream of alternative realities. Sounds sci-fi, doesn't it? In most North American churches, the Sunday Morning Worship Service is the holy grail of the week. We don't mess with it. We keep it to a tidy formula. In my current church experience, the pattern is: Welcome, Sing, Pray, Take Offering, Sing, Sermon, Adjourn. Repeat next Sunday. The only exceptions are when guest presenters are added or communion is slotted in between the Sermon and Adjourn. Or it is baptism Sunday. Or the service occurs at an alternative location. Interestingly enough, I am a traditionalist. Patterns, rituals, and schedules bring me comfort and security. I am more of a church manager than an innovator. Yet, even I can see the benefit of reconceptualizing the way we do things. So, I ask: What if we spend one Sunday a month serving in our community as an entire church family? What...

After three years of attending our church and feeling disconnected with the people in our place of worship, we finally took the initiative to start a care group. Since care groups are not an official part of our church structure (there are unofficial groups meeting in homes), we realized either we had to embrace building community here or we needed to leave to find it somewhere else. To deal with the childcare issue, we decided to hold our care group during your Sunday School program. Thankfully, three other couples joined us on our journey to study a book of the Bible together. And it has been refreshing. Our group is inter-generational. We are the youngest couple with the youngest kids. The eldest couple has grandchildren. We have people representing various church experiences and denominations. We have farmers and teachers; healthcare works and carpenters. We have a multitude of ministries represented from Bible Camp Representatives to Missions Liaisons to Deacons. It is a div...

In our care group, the conversation went off on a tangent to explore the implications of evangelism. What if that undesirable person walked into our church? What if? Would we be okay with it? Would we accept that person or family with the same grace and love God offers through His son Jesus? Or would we immediately judge them, reform them, and – dare I say – undermine the convicting work of the Holy Spirit by condemning them to an unsavory finality? In addition to these questions, I was also encouraged and affirmed for taking the step of obedience and sharing my words of exhortation with the church the Sunday previous (see On Being a Missionary (Here?) ). What I had to say was challenging and the questions I asked revealed the flawed nature of how the North American church, in general, shares the Gospel of Christ. We equate evangelism with somehow leading a person to attend our church programs instead of leading them to Christ. Deep down inside, we want someone else more qualified to...

Kids, this is as profound as I'm getting during the craziest week of the school year when your Daddy is off to see the Wizard... P.S. The church we go to is pretty much a non-hand raising church except for a few token types. :)

We now have celebrity status. We can be followed, pinned, and liked. We can put our best image forward and make everyone love us. After all, we live in a carefully edited sparkly world *. It is nothing new, really. Humanity has always strived to make themselves look good even though the underneath in an impossible mess. Women have been applying cosmetics for centuries to cover up their flaws. Men have been holding on to their expected image of stoic strength and control in spite of the raging emotions inside. Whole cultures have made it tradition to constantly wear psychological masks in public even though their private lives are full of perceived shame. And now we have social media that allows all our "friends" to see how happy we were on our last holiday to exotic somewhere, even though we had several not-so-happy arguments along the way. You see, our world desperately wants to believe, "I'm okay, you're okay, we are ALL okay." But we are not. Just fli...