Monday, October 30, 2006

Pioneer Work Weekend


This last weekend Kari and I journeyed back to Thetis Island and Pioneer Pacific Camp for their annual Fall work weekend. What a blast! Seeing old friends and helping such a great camp improve and grow in so many ways.

Here is the new building called the 'Sea Swell'. I had the privilege of helping many others insulate this building. Well, mostly, we didn't quite get finished, but almost.

Christopher and Andrea live here on site with their three children and are doing a great job keeping Pioneer Pacific alive, vibrant and active throughout the year. Thanks to you two for your courageous hearts.

Friday, October 20, 2006

Quitting

Quitting. It's not a verb that is looked highly upon. I have quit a number of things in my life. Most recently was a construction job here in the town of Hope. I worked 9 days. And now I'm done. Why? you ask. Well, the long and the short of it is ... I was miserable doing it. The work itself was less than satisfying. In fact, I was de-satisfied working there. I find no fulfillment or joy in constructing houses. There is the odd good feeling of finally figuring out how to do something after having been told 20 times, but as a whole, this job was not doing wonders for my psyche. My wife can attest. It had nothing to do with my employer or fellow employee. The work was depressing me. I've never really felt that before ... go figure (whatever that means).

I have quit one other job in my life. That was a landscaping job. The employer was not someone that treated or trained me well and I felt that his lack of care was detrimental to my person. So ... see ya!

Also, once, when I was young, I was asked the question by my mother if I wanted to continue playing soccer the next year/soccer season. Given a perfectly open option without persuasion or manipulation I decided, in my own little mind, that I would prefer not to continue playing soccer, but would have rather done something else. WELL. Dad was NOT happy about that. And it seemed other members of my extended family were also upset by my decision (or perhaps the fact that I was given the option of 'quitting'). By the way, here is me at the age of 9. I played on a soccer team for an Abbotsford little soccer league. We came second over all after a shoot out. I had a fantastic time and enjoyed it thoroughly. My Uncle Dale was our coach and I learned a great deal from him.

So why am I giving all this historical nonsense to you ... I'm not sure. But I know that quitting does not make me feel good. It is in my nature as a man to abhore giving up the fight. We're taught as males to fight to the last man and to work hard until the job is done. And I guess I struggle with this action.

Monday, October 16, 2006

Truth


The truth in ANY situation is very difficult to discern. What is truth? Pilate asks Jesus. It's a good question. Jesus is the Truth ... that's a simple answer that can mean very little. Except this:

Jesus is God in a body ... and God knows every person (has made every person) and knows everyone who will come to be in the future as well. God knows everyone and He knows everyone at every point of their lives past, present and future all right now. That's incredibly mind blowing. But it also is perfect perspective. Not that I think God needs perspective. But from truth as I am about to explain it, only God really has a handle on the perfect truth in any situation. For one good reason: We're all biased.

When I form a conclusion on a subject, I see every facet of that particular subject through my eyes and my mind and therefore through my worldview. Al McKay, a very wise man that I have had the privilege knowing, pointed out these principles to us. That everything you see and do and say and think all comes from your particular worldview and because it is your worldview, it is biased towards what you know, don't know; what you like and don't like; what you care about and don't care about; what you feel is valuable and not valuable ... etc.. So then, all my conclusions about anything are never truly and purely truth as it truly is. How depressing. Especially for a thinker like me.

For example: when I view two people in an argument I have the benefit of viewing (hearing) both sides of the argument. What his perspective and argument is and what her perspective and argument is. (Lets pretend there is a man and woman involved). Now they both might come to me to tell me their opinions on the subject and I might even be more sympathetic to one over the other (based on my biases) but at least I will have heard objectively what the two sides of the argument are. If I had only heard one side of the argument, I would have a very biased view of what happened. And this is disregarding any right or wrong ... I'm just talking about basic truth stripped of motive and worldview and bias and gender and belief or value system.

So, in essence, only God has all Truth because only He can see every person and every situation stripped of motive and bias, etc.. But I also believe that the more people given to comment or be included on a topic, the more truth of that topic do I find. Because limited to a small number of people, any topic is biased.

But then, I suppose my theory is quite flawed in that there have been masses of people that believed or were lead to believe some very terrible things (i.e.: nazism, etc.).

Hm ... what is truth?

The reason for miracles

In regards to the feeding of the 5 000 people with a few loaves of bread and some fish, George MacDonald wrote: "The lesson He (Jesus) would have had them (His disciples) learn from the miracle, the natural lesson, the only lesson worthy of the miracle, was , that God cared for His children; and could, did, and would provide for their necessities. ... No doubt the power of the miracle was some proof of His mission, but the love of it proved it better, for it made it worth proving: it was the throb of the Father's heart."

I don't know why, but I, much like all disciples of Christ, have been awed and sometimes dumbstruck by the power of the miracles Jesus performs. But I have so often missed the reason for the miracle: which was not so much to display what God could do, but to prove His endless and boundless love to those He loves and cares for, namely us!

"The miracles of Jesus were the ordinary works of His Father, wrought small and swift that we might take them in. The lesson of them was that help is always within God's reach when His children want it. ... [The miracles] had set forth to them the truth of God's heart towards them; revealed the loving care without which He would not be God."

Larson update!

Here's my beautifully pregnant wife Kari ... showing off our little one who is growing rapidly. Kari is feeling well in general. The worst effects of pregnancy currently are some back pain and occasionally getting kicked in the ribs and kidneys. My little kid knows where to throw the punches :).

Meanwhile, with Kari's job at Squeah winding up at the end of October, I've been fretting somewhat over getting a job. After chatting with God and putting out a couple of resumes I took a rather interesting approach to getting a job: I went to a poor Chinese restaurant in town and had a horrible cheeseburger for lunch. While attempting to digest this pathetic excuse for the North American food claim-to-fame, I was introduced to a Construction Contractor who, after a brief (maybe 1 minute) discussion, offered me a job starting 3 days later.

So now, I'm working construction. An answer to prayer, though I have to admit, I'm struggling to keep my proverbial head above water with speed and knowledge I am desperately trying to acquire for the job. I know for a fact it's not what I'd do for a living, but for now, it's bread on the table.

Monday, October 02, 2006

Our Corner of the Market on God

My wife and I had a particular good chat with friends of ours who have been struggling through a difficult marriage. Through my conversation with the husband, I learned he had for quite some time, been apart from his wife and both had sought and worked through the process of emotional healing. And continue to do so. During his time away, he also was away from most Christian culture and influence (i.e.: church, para church organizations, other Christians, ministry work, etc.). During this time, it became startlingly aparent to him how active God was in the every day life of the average human being who does not know or acknowledge the work or person of God in his/her life. In fact, the work of the grace of God, in his view (as it seemed to me listening to him) was no less significant or potent or restricted by what 'we' as Christians do or don't do. In his own words he summed it up as this: 'God's grace transcends the Christian community.'

And I think that most Christians would agree with this. His grace is beyond what we can imagine and is active in this world all over. We see it in the beauty of every created creature and in the wide and beautiful earth He's made. We acknowledge it in our own lives when describing how God works to bring us into relationship with Himself. And yet, when we've 'made it into the fold', we get this funny notion sometimes that the only good and sanctioned work of the Holy Spirit happens within our church walls and amongst our churchy friends and ministers. How religiously stifling and presumptuous we are! As though we (the church) have somehow cornered the market on mercy and forgiveness so that we are the only true conduit of God's grace to other people.

It's time for me to get out there to see God's grace being given by God Himself. And to give it anywhere and all the time.

Ignition

Kari and I were in Victoria this last weekend visiting her family and our friends that we left behind on our move to Hope. It was both enjoyable and exhausting running from person to person expousing our lives to each one in turn and hearing from them how they are doing.

On Saturday night at the Memorial Arena (I refuse to call it the Save On Foods Centre) there was organized a large youth rally for the purpose of igniting the youth of Victoria into relationship with Jesus Christ. There were people of all ages and from all over BC, as far as I could tell. Kari's brother Matthew's friend Brett got us box seats high above the action and music. Nice to have your own bathroom :). Anyway, it was a joy to see so many come and listen to the simple message of Jesus Christ come to save us and the path to freedom through Him to God. It was refreshing. Extremely so. Not only that, it is powerful. There is nothing more powerful than the truth of God's purpose to save us from our sins and to bring us abundant eternal life.

But, to be honest, I was skeptical. This was the year 2006. I had been to a few Christian concerts in the past and also have lived my childhood going to Christian camps and churches that largely preach a message of salvation that is largely humanistic in nature. That is to say, Christianity is for us and what we get out of it as opposed to God deserving our love and service and that being the end of the argument. Us falling into step with Christ because of what we get out of it as opposed to what God gets out of it. My hearts desire is to see all people know Christ not once but lifelong and on a continual deepening path of understanding, love and grace. Not just to receive some great benefits along the road and at the end of it.

So I suppose my skepticism about this large event might have been phrased like this: "Is this 'form' what we love (large flashy bands and big name speakers) or do we love Christ and that is the reason for sharing the good news to others?", "Are we more interested in just getting a few people into 'heaven' to raise our statistics and reports to make ourselves feel good or are we concerned with success as God sees it?", "Do we care what happens to those who feel called by Christ at this particular meeting (there were hundreds who flooded the lower pit to answer the call to follow Christ lifelong and wholeheartedly) after they have made this lifechanging decision?", "Are we more interested in our own objectives rather than Gods? Do we know what God's objectives are? Does God have objectives?"

And then I hear the stories. One particular fellow, a Korean student who lives in Hope with our good friends, had been drawn into relationship with Jesus that night. He feels that he is 100% Christian now. Somehow through all the lights and smoke and words and music, this young Korean grasped, in some capacity, the trueness of Jesus Christ and His reality in his own life and received the Holy Spirit forever ... to that I can only praise my Lord and King.

But the journey has only just begun. The beginning is exciting and full of joy but the path is long yet and full of bumps. My prayer is that all those who in sincerity bent the knee to Jesus as Lord and Saviour and master and God would also continue in Him, rooted and built up becoming mature and complete.