New Look

Just thought I would update the look of the blog - just a change of templates really. What do you think? I like it better - and so does Brigitte (high praise!).

Hospitality 2

As I was preparing to talk about hospitality in the early church at Hills on Sunday, I was amazed at how much I had looked at the book of Acts through the eyes of my late 20th century church eyes. You know, the church that has 3 or 4 hundred people in a nice church auditorium used a couple of times a week with everyone sitting in rows and facing the front listening to one person drone on and on and afterwards trying to find someone to go out to eat with so you could practice the hospitality you were shown by someone else last week.

Now (with my 21st century eyes) I am seeing stuff in the book of Acts I never realized was there. I am seeing that the house churches were the embodiment of biblical and Christian hospitality. These house churches were not preacing points but places where dialogue happened. (Preaching was primarily for the proclamation of the glad tidings to people who had not yet experienced the reality of the risen Christ.)

In my life the theological aspects of hospitality had been left unstudied. If I had ever heard a message on it, the main ideas were neighbourliness or inviting someone home for dinner after church. I never saw that the core of Christianity and the success of the movement revolved around hospitality. Hospitality resulted in household salvation and was the medium of the growth of Christianity

In many ways this is counter cultural teaching but Christians need to excel in this virtue and transform it into a distinctly Christian principle. We are called to a higher level of living than the society around us and so must live as relational people. A commitment to hospitality confronts our society's rampant individualism and it actually protects our life together as the people of God.

A few Scriptures ... Hospitality is our duty and the duty of elders Titus 1:8; it is a spiritual gift Rom 12:13; practice hospitality without grumbling 1 Peter 4:9; by hospitality we may entertain strangers Heb 13:2; in the gospels, the very success of the mission depended on hospitality – finding a man of peace and being welcomed into homes Mt 10:5-42; Mk 6:7-11; Lk 9:2-5; 10:1-16.

The challenge remains: can we break out of the individualistic culture around us (and deeply ingrained in us) in order actually practice what is commanded? I know it is challenging me because hospitality is exercised as a household and everyone in the household needs to cooperate - or at least comply - in order to make hospitality effective. The last post about the role of women in hospitality neglected to mention that it is a combined role requiring husband and wife (and often children and extended family) to participate together "without grumbling!"

Hospitality 1

This morning at church we talked about the significance of hospitality and I might post a few times on this topic. A number of weeks ago Scott Mcknight posted a comment on his blog concerning the role that hospitality plays in the advancement of the kingdom of God. I've quoted three paragraphs of his post and made a few comments afterward.

"Today I want to suggest that women took common places and converted them into sacred spaces, and I want to suggest further that women developed “missional centers” in earliest Christianity. And I want to contend that any suggestion that the hospitality women offered in the 1st Century was simply cooking for others or making life easy for others greatly devalues the kind of hospitality women created."

"Martha and Mary illustrate the kind of benefaction women offered Jesus and the Twelve and the kingdom ministers (Luke 8:1-3). Martha and Mary illustrate how to use one’s goods and money for the sake of the kingdom; Jesus criticized the rich and offered consolation to the poor — and called those who followed him to surrender their goods (Mark 10:17-31). These women were illustrations of how to do that: they used their goods for the kingdom."

"One needs to note that women were so much a part of offering hospitality in the early churches that churches got connected to them — notice Acts 12:12; 16:13-15; 16:40; Rom 16:1-5; 1 Cor 16:19; Col. 4:15 and 2 John 1. If the hospitality that is being offered here is truly Jesus-shaped, it is a hospitality that engaged one another in fellowship, in instruction, in learning, and in shaping the kind of kingdom ministry in those communities.
Now, let me make this clear: women did more than this, but this they did in the earliest churches: they converted common places into sacred spaces."

The hospitality aspect really captures my imagination here. We speak of it as almost something optional as if we would be hospitable if we (male or female) were willing or gifted. But the whole New Testament makes little sense without hospitality at the core of how the church developed.

The ministry of Jesus was dependent on the hospitality of those around Him (Mary and Martha, Peter's mother-in-law, etc.). The church was dependent on the hospitality of those in whose homes the church actually met. Hospitality is not an extra but the strategic central concept of the first three hundred years of the church. The household church was where hospitality was embodied and it was the medium of the early church growth.

Our reluctance to show hospitality, or the hospitality that is limited to family and friends, or the marginalization of household hospitality in favour of mega church programs and fellowship suppers is hopefully one of the things being challenged by the emerging church movement.

I think some of those embracing new monasticism (Shane Claiborne and others) have captured some of the essence of biblical hospitality and it challenges me deeply.

Zvi's Bike

I went with Zvi (my friend and neighbour) to Bike Depot today and he got himself a new bike! A very nice Specialized Rockhopper.

Looking at some of the bikes they have there (I saw one for $5500) made me realize that I have a nice bike that I really haven't ridden much over the past couple of years. It is an older bike (I put it together with my bike courier buddy while I was still working at Evergreen) but very nice and very light. It has a Rocky Mountain frame and a lot of LX and XT parts on it.

I used to ride it back and forth to work (45 minutes each way) when we lived in Don Mills and it certainly gave me a great workout. As Spring rolls around I think I need to slip on the helmet and the sweats (you don't want to see me in bicycle shorts) and get a good sweat going as I enjoy the great outdoors.

Breakfast of Champions

Ahhhh! The smell of bacon in the morning (and the afternoon because it clings to your clothes and tells the whole world what you've had for breakfast). You'll notice the eggs and bacon and sausages on the stove just about ready to be consumed

And in the second picture those ready to consume (Christian, me, Dan, Jared, Phil and Alan - Norm's taking the picture and Ken, Glen and Tom have not yet arrived). We actually had a few more show up after our photo shoot to help us with the abundance of food. You can actually see the smoke from the cooking of the bacon as it catches the early morning sun streaming in through the window.

For the last four years or so Norm has been hosting a breakfast for the men who hang around Hills and their friends. We call it the Breakfast of Champions because we don't pray enough to call it a men's prayer breakfast. But we do talk! Sometimes the talk is silly - but most of the time the talk is about what's going on with us or with our world or with the whole world. We talked a bit about the Leafs and why they are not in the playoffs. We talked some politics this morning (why is Belinda Stronach in the news again?) But mostly we talked about our testimonies (or Tom did anyways). He told us how God interrupted his life and in the "cone of silence" showed Himself to be real and alive.

I am so amazed of the repeated stories of how God moves in people's lives and how much of it is very similar from person to person. As we look back we can see the amazing way God has been faithful and with us every step of the way - even though in the middle of the journey He can seem kind of far away.

Thanks for your story Tom.
And thanks to you Norm, you really know how to show hospitality (and thanks Marika - because although Norm had the house before he was married and he still does most of the cooking, I know you make the place look nice and you still so graciously put up with our banter, and our mess!) Thanks for letting us be the church in your house!

Praying the Gates

Tonight we prayed the gates (compass points) of Thornhill (some of them at least - in the driving sleet).

The city of Jerusalem is a paradigm for many things Christian: the city of God, the hill of the Lord, Mount Zion, the new Jerusalem (Kingdom of God), the church, the dwelling place of God, etc. It is of course a literal, physical city - both throughout Scripture and in current events. Historically the Scriptural writers used many metaphors to describe the relationship between God and man. The Psalmist writes refering to Jerusalem:
3. Who may ascend the hill of the LORD ?
Who may stand in his holy place?
7. Lift up your heads, O you gates;
be lifted up, you ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in. (Psalm 24)

We prayed that the King of Glory would come and possess our city for His Glory and for His purposes. We prayed along the lines of some of the prayers found here.

Although it was probably one of the worst nights of the year to be outside praying, I felt like we connected with God and that there was something very significant accomplished. Prayerwalking (praying onsite with insight) really is effective and we sensed God was with us and had gone before us.

Johnny Hart Passes Away

I found out today (on a couple of sites so I won't link to them) that Johnny Hart, the creator of the comic strip BC and Wizard of Id passed away on the Easter weekend. I found an exerpt of a news report that I copied below.

"Cartoonist Johnny Hart, whose award-winning "B.C." comic strip appeared in more than 1,300 newspapers worldwide, died Saturday while working at his home in Endicott. He was 76.

"He had a stroke," Hart's wife, Bobby, said Sunday. "He died at his storyboard."

"B.C.," populated by prehistoric cavemen and dinosaurs, was launched in 1958 and eventually appeared in more than 1,300 newspapers with an audience of 100 million, according to Creators Syndicate Inc., which distributes it.

Later in his career, some of Hart's cartoons had religious themes, a reflection of his own Christian faith. That sometimes led to controversy.

A strip published on Easter Sunday in 2001 drew protests from Jewish groups and led several newspapers to drop the strip. The cartoon depicted a menorah transforming into a cross, with accompanying text quoting some of Jesus Christ's dying words. Critics said it implied that Christianity supersedes Judaism.

Hart said he intended the strip as a tribute to both faiths."

I really enjoyed his comics because they had some great themes and very direct Christian content (like the example given in the article). Here's another good one.



May we all choose so wisely.

Cultivate Gathering

Cultivate Gathering is a learning party which is taking place in Hamilton, Ontario on Saturday, April 21, 2007. What does "learning party" mean? Well, basically it's designed to be everything good about a conference without all the rigamarole... and much more fun and interactive.
[Read more here...]

Cultivate Gathering is for anyone who is interested in church planting or creating new forms of church. This year, we will be exploring three areas which relate to the missionality of local church communities:
Culture & Creativity
Spiritual Formation
Urban Renewal

I was at this gathering last year and enjoyed the group of people who attended. It's a good chance to talk about stuff and get some ideas. A little steep maybe for one day but it'll be a good day.

Go Leafs Go (home)

A change of pace.


Yes! The Maple Leafs are where they deserve to be
- out of the playoffs.

What was obvious to most pundits at the beginning of the year, and obvious to most objective observers and obvious to everyone but the Leafs management and the most rabid of fans in the Leaf Nation, became a reality today as the Islanders overcame adversity and clinched the final playoff spot.

Not only that but the Leafs managed to be the best team in their conference not to make the playoffs - and the second best team in the NHL not to make the playoffs (after Colorado). That means their draft pick will be mediocre at best.

The question at the trade deadline was why the Leafs weren't sellers so they could have picked up some good young talent for their overpriced, slow-footed defense corps. Let's hope for some good off season dealing.
However, it may take ten years of missing the playoffs before management decides enough is enough and actually bites the bullet to go through a true rebuilding process.

Maybe it will take a Jubilee before the Leafs bring home another cup.

He is Risen

He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed! I was so moved by the truth of this passage this morning.

Luke 24 The Resurrection

1On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' " 8Then they remembered his words.

Why do you look for the living among the dead? The significance of Jesus dying on Passover was our theme this morning at church. That He died on Passover because he came not just to forgive our sins but to set us free from oppression and slavery. "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him." Acts 10:38

People were in a foreign land
They were enslaved
They were oppressed
Passover provides a liberation paradigm
God (through Moses) did many signs and wonders
Provides a worldview that we are being set free
The image of a captive people being set free – not just a sinful people being forgiven
Freedom from oppression – and an oppressor
Passover was also the first month of the year
They ate the lamb
They took care of the poorer families
He brought us out to bring us in

What did death at Passover do?
- Passover involved the death of a lamb; the Paschal Lamb (spotless lamb – a year old)
- it involved the smearing of a lamb’s blood with the hyssop branch on the door; the blood protected from God’s judgment and liberated Israel following that protection.
- Jesus was creating a story of deliverance by the timing of his own death
- Jesus was claiming that his followers were protecting themselves from the judgment of God by partaking of His blood and body
- It was a revolution against the oppressive, violent, and power-mongering leaders of Israel and Rome who right now were oppressing God’s good people.
- No destructive plague would touch the Israelites because of the blood Ex12:13
- He will not permit the destroyer to enter the houses of the Israelites Ex12:23
- They plundered the Egyptians Ex12:36
- Jesus chooses the images of divine protection and liberation and new kingdom
- He offers himself—in death—to absorb the judgment of God on behalf of his followers so he can save his people from their sins.
- Jesus’ act at the Last Supper declares that his death is atoning,
- that his blood is like the Passover blood,
- that his death will save his followers from their sins,
- and that his death will create the new covenant community around him.
- He is the Passover lamb

It is the image that He proclaims at the beginning of His ministry as he quotes from Isaiah 61

The Year of the LORD's Favor

1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,

2 to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,

3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.

4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.

He uses Passover as the time of His death to proclaim to us freedom from oppression - final victory over death and hell. He is Risen indeed!