On the move

After nearly two years in the town of Hope, Kari, Griffin and I are now moving to a new location just 10 minutes up the #1 Hwy to Camp Squeah where we will live in a newly renovated house. It's a large house, full of rooms for guests and visitors. We're still not far from Hope and if you're thinking you'd like to come and visit on your way through, please stop in!

We have grown to love this little town of highways, mountains, rivers and lakes. And now I'm walking into a new community with people with a history of Mennonite heritage, and a camp that has been in active service since 1961.

The Paddle-a-thon, by the way, was a great success. Weather was good, the river was high (which allowed us to avoid a number of difficult passages on the river), no one ended up in the river and we enjoyed each other as we paddled along. There were 17 paddlers and 18 fund-raisers and together more than $48,000.00 were raised to support volunteer student summer staff! Fantastic! Now we're looking to fill these positions and serve and love the young people that come to enjoy people and place of Camp Squeah.

With the move happening in a couple of days I'm not sure when next I'll be on to post on this blog. We'll be living in a remote area and connection speed is slower, but as soon as I can, I'll let you know how we're doing.

Bon voyage!

Paddle-a-thon 2007!

Now as the new Program Director for Camp Squeah, I'm leaping right into Squeah's annual fund-raiser.

Our goal: raise enough funds to support our mature young leaders who volunteer at camp all summer to serve and love children who are afterwards attending post secondary education.

My offer to you: consider helping us to love and support these young people who give of themselves for others by pledging me funds as I paddle down the Fraser River next weekend! From Saturday until Sunday, from Hope to Fort Langley I'll be paddling with many others. If you'd like to do this, please e-mail me at camp: tim@squeah.com or phone me (604) 869 5353.

Compunction

Easter is the celebration of the event that constitutes the foundation and centrality of our belief and knowledge of Jesus Christ and God. It is the crux of humanity and the reason for our salvation. And even though two statutory holidays are given to us for this time, most people find it difficult to invent ways to celebrate it. The best our depraved society can deal with it is to throw a bunny on a poster and encourage you to buy chocolate eggs? What does that have to do with God sending his son who dies condemned to death and then rises from the dead? (Just a little of my own frustration coming out here).

A few days ago a renowned teacher, who I respect and am growing to appreciate more and more, proposed the idea that compunction (or pain of the soul) is the desired means by which God moves us towards intimacy with himself. That on our journey of life that we all must travel, not only can you not escape compunction and pain, but that it is actually thrust upon you through life's circumstances ... maybe on purpose ... by God who loves you. This compunction, as I understand it, comes in many forms. We all experience it. Most commonly we experience compunction as the pain of longing - we all long for something/someone. It is a pain because it is a need that is not fully met or filled. And as there are many types of travelors, there are as many ways of attempting to alleviate this longing and pain.

We are MOVED by God through pain. Through 'unfullfilledness'. The ancient Jews saw all aspects of life as given by God, for good reason. Job replies to his wife's despair by saying, when all his world had fallen in around him, "... Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" I wonder if we ought not to spurn the pain of our hearts by shaking our fists at God, but to contemplate the truth behind the pain. The reason for our compunction. For that which pricks us to travel. For we do not move ourselves close to Jesus; Jesus moves himself closest to us through the greatest pain imaginable - death. Through his own great compunction, an unresolved relationship with us his loved creation, God allows a separation of his own, a pain so unbearable it is unimaginable to restore what was broken.

I wonder at times if there is perhaps much more to the phrase: "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowsip of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." That in sharing in Christ's sufferings, we accept the 'pains' God thrusts upon us as loving prods towards greater knowledge and intimacy with the Creator of all.

Some shots from our trip to Victoria

I love this shot!