OK, for any of you who actually popped on in the last couple of days, you will notice that I changed the video, and have immediately changed it again. It seems that my dear friend Phil was not enamored of Rebecca St. James and the way she "flails" around in the video for the song "God." Though I can't say I disagree with him - it's unfortunate that some great songs have some pretty cheesy videos. We'll just have to trust that this was earlier on in her career....

For the record - speaking of Rebecca St. James - she recently recorded one of Phil's songs, so I doubt he has a personal animosity against her..... If you get a chance, check out "America" - it was the US's National Day of Prayer theme song this year. (You'll find an audio clip on the Prayer web site.)

Hopefully this one's more to your taste, Phil! It's not a super exciting video but I didn't notice any flailing!

:)

Sorry for the delay in blogging - I've been out of town at Ladies' Camp! I always think it's funny to tell people that, especially people under, say, 45. They always seem to say things like, "Oh, Ladies' Camp - wow, sorry about that," like I have recently contracted some sort of incurable disease. I'm always rather surprised. Ladies' Camp, while not for everyone, sure, is usually quite a nice weekend. Unlike Youth events or retreats, there is no compulsion to attend all the small electives, so I get rather more Jesus time than at home, and I also get to go to bed at a reasonable hour (unless I choose to stay up way too late laughing until the tears come with a couple of crazies - er, I mean, lovely ladies - from 614 in Vancouver. It happens.....).

Anyway, I digress. This wasn't actually intended to be about Ladies' Camp, but now that I'm there, let me tell you a little story - not a profound story, really, but still a story.


Being often the youngest person at church events (outside of the Youth, when they are present), and always the youngest gal at Ladies' Camp, I have the honour of always being given a top bunk on which to sleep. Fair enough, I suppose; lots of ladies have physical limitations, and I am pretty limber, though have been at times inclined to fall out of bed in the early morning when trying to get up and missing a ladder rung or two. Nevertheless, I do often have to sleep on the top bunk. It's not really a big deal, but when I want to sit and read or journal on the computer in the afternoons at Camp, a top bunk does become rather inconvenient. Well, let's be honest, it's kind of a pain in the butt.

So this year, when I arrived at camp and realized that I was able to have a bottom bunk on the first night because of the availability of rooms, I was thrilled. And then even more blessed when the gal I was sharing a room with offered to move to the top bunk when our extra person came in the next night (there were two bunk beds in our little room). Nice!

So the first day and night came and went, and as my roomie and I were napping the second afternoon, our extra lady came in and I woke up to hear her and one other person in the hallway speaking of the necessity of shifting "the young ones" up to the top bunks. Uh-oh. Two ladies. I'm going to have to move after all. And though I usually just accept that this will be normal until I have some problem that keeps me from getting up to the top bunk (like sleepwalking - can you imagine?), this time something in me snapped and I rebelled. Utterly and completely. I was so ticked off that I was going to have to move - that it was always assumed that I didn't mind getting up to the top bunk and sleeping in the rafters. (Now that I even write that, it's laughable, and I'm rather ashamed to admit that this was my thought process.....) But rebel I did, and though I knew that the result would not change, I was not happy about it.

So I did a little processing with Jesus, and to make a long story short, He basically told me that HE was going to be on the top bunk, and did I still desire the bottom bunk even though I couldn't actually have it? You can imagine that this news changed my opinion of where I wanted to sleep. So much so, that I moved all my stuff before the two ladies came back to the cabin, and arranged everything in the room to accommodate them.

The irony? They actually decided to sleep in a cabin all the way across the camp, and I was left with only myself and my original roommate.

The decision? Can't you guess? I slept on the top bunk anyway, and had a great night.

The real irony? On the third (and last) night, when I could have changed again to the bottom bunk, I stayed up so late with my crazy (and beautiful) friends that every light in my cabin was out and I had to feel my way to my room and to bed in utter darkness. There was no chance to change my stuff around without waking my roommate, so I slept on the top bunk again.

The lesson? That Geography doesn't matter. That God's presence matters. More so, that heart attitude matters. That "giving up" the bottom bunk in frustration and irritation is not really a good gift or servanthood in its proper sense at all. And that you can sleep just as well on the top bunk, and perhaps learn a lesson or two along the way about faithfulness to God's call to lay down our lives - and our sleeping arrangements - for our friends.


(I'm away again for a few days next weekend, if you don't see me updating for a few days. This time it is a Youth event - so reasonable bedtimes are to be abandoned! Though I will likely get a bottom bunk!)

Hey, there's a good worship discussion going on on Phil Laeger's blog at the moment. Check it out HERE (May 23, 2006 - "Same Ol' Stuff?")

Also - I've been Noticing Joshua Kumar's blogs lately - well worth a read. He's linked to the right - check it out.

God seems to be speaking a great deal just now about sitting at His feet - being with Him, spending time with Him, without the agenda of "should" or "do." Many people have told me they are experiencing the same thing, and the following scripture has recurred a number of times in the last couple of months:

Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord's feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me." But the Lord answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:38-42)

I was reminded again of this scripture just a moment ago, when I sat down to do some work on the computer. My cat (yes, the very same cat who falls out of bed and occasionally wears buckets on her head) was lying at the end of the bed, but when I sat down on it to work, she moved up to where I was, got as near as she could, and chose to lie down again with her face as near me as possible. She seems very content.

It got me thinking about Mary, and how she just wanted to be close to the Lord. There is a time for work and service, and a time for words and communication. But the ability to do those things out of love comes from times of intimacy, and often those times do not even need words. Someone once told me that the mark of a true friendship is one where you can sit together with someone and not feel the need to speak.

Mary sat at the feet of Jesus. At our Worship Team cell group last week we talked about the feet of Jesus, and someone asked where they were. The "feet of Jesus" may not be a specific thing or a certain place, and as far as I can see it is not the same for everyone. But the result of searching for and finding that place of intimacy with Jesus - indeed with the Father, for they are One - is something that Jesus called "better", and promised that that would not be taken from us.

Hallelujah.

I'm off to find the feet.

I went for a deliciously long bike ride today, and while on it I discovered something: a reflection of the Garden of Eden in the middle of New Westminster.

OK, so I'm obviously waxing poetic and using my spiritual gift of hyperbole. Let me paint you a bit better picture.

I love to mountain bike. I learned to love mountain biking when I lived in North Vancouver, which, I'm pretty sure, is the Mecca of all mountain bikers. Trails, hills, water, mountains, mud - in short, every natural environment you could ever want to be in, all right outside your door. I'm not a particularly hard core biker (I don't jump fallen trees on my bike - one bit me once, and I've been less than enthused about it since), but I do like the off-road experience more than the bike-along-side-all-the-cars-and-see-how-long-it-takes-to-get-smoked experience. Enough said.

In North Van I could leave any one of the apartments I lived in, and within three minutes be on some back trail and feel like I was away from the rest of the world for a while. Not so in New West, where the first time I went for a ride a car nearly killed me. And I was walking my bike in a cross-walk. Also enough said.

But today as I was just trying to enjoy the freedom of the bike and stay away from crazy drivers and fallen trees (the trees don't occur much on your average neighbourhood street - can't say the same for the drivers), I found an opening to a trail, and being a native North Van-er, I took it. After nearly KILLING myself with the 60 degree decline - sans trees, but still scary - I emerged in this amazing trail, which led to a small opening - a lawn and some benches and trees all around. And except for birds and the wind in the trees, it was also quiet. (A rarity for New West, with its bridges, skytrain, industrial traffic, hospital, fire halls and all the rest.) The trail itself was not a biking trail - too smooth for a lot of fun - but it will be great for walking. I followed the trail to the end, and emerged into this lavishly landscaped park that was heavily fragrant with lilacs, and coloured with lilacs, rhododendrons, magnolias, and a tonne of other beautiful flowers that I don't know the names of. It really felt like a reflection of paradise.

I stayed for a while and then biked home (after getting my bearings and figuring out where I had taken myself!). It was a rather long, uphill ride home, and since I bike for enjoyment rather than exercise, I tend to prefer to do all the work at the beginning of the ride, so that when I feel like going home, I can just coast there. No such luck today.

It sort of reminded me of our lives in a way - that in the midst of noise, busyness, grief, worry and hardships, there is a place of solace and quietness where we can go and experience pure beauty and true peace.

That place is at the feet of Jesus - the One and Only.


The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23)

"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

Short blog, but great quote:

Leadership within the church can be difficult, especially for those whom God has gifted in abundance. Many leaders have skills and gifts - some even have specific anointing for their ministry - and though these things are given by God, there is the ability to simply use them for what we think is the best furtherance of the Kingdom.

The problem here is that WE are dong the thinking and making the judgment call on what needs to be done next. Don't get me wrong - most leaders are particularly smart and see an abundance of things that need to be accomplished or could be done. Many of these decisions are backed by passionate adherence to the Word of God and the desire to see his name glorified in this earth. But I think when we rely on our own wisdom to make decisions about what one thing is more important than the next, or what we are to do today or tomorrow, we are in essence saying that we understand God's plan in all these areas and we can execute it swiftly and surely by using our gifts and skills.

I believe that this is nothing more than heresy and conceit, veiled in the mask of righteous striving for the Kingdom.

Yes, I realize that this is a strong statement.
Yes, I understand that I might offend people, some of them my friends (if I actually post this, you'll know that my passion for this truth outweighed my fear of hurting my friends - and that's saying a lot).
And yes, I am well aware that I myself have for years fallen into this trap, and may do so again.

I'm not a perfect leader - hallelujah! But I'm not supposed to be. The thing is, I'm supposed to be a servant. I'm supposed to understand that we have a King - a master, a boss - who is the only One who should be making a plan. I have never once, when seeking to be obedient to His plans, ever seen Him err. Many times I do not understand, or it feels like it's all moving too slow for my liking, but I have never seen it be fruitless or man-glorifying. Can you imagine the self-protection in simply following God as the one leader? There's no way anyone could say, "Bakes, that was a brilliant decision!" because my one response would only ever be able to be, "That was totally NOT mine!"

I have read far too many books on church leadership not to be disheartened by the fact that so many of them speak of success and growth in far too worldly terms. I believe success in leadership is to follow the only true leader. I believe Godly leadership may simply be defined as this:


Is there fear in thinking about attempting to execute ministry in this way? Absolutely, especially for anyone who answers to a boss on this earth, because there is just a chance that God may not want you to do anything for some time! Or that the move He requires you make will not be popular. But there is too much burnout in the church. There are too many leaders doing things that they freely admit keep them from the ministry to which God has specifically called them.

Frankly, I'm willing to take the risk of following Jesus for everything. God give me strength, wisdom and courage, and an open ear to hear Your every move.

Sometimes I am taken by surprise. Oh, not just when someone standing at my office door starts talking to me even though my back is to the door ("surprise" doesn't cover what that does to me....). I mean that even though I've lived a few years on this earth and become used to many things in life, I can still be taken by surprise.

I am sometimes surprised at the beauty (and immense size) of the moon.
I am sometimes surprised by the love of my friends and their enjoyment of my company.
I am sometimes surprised at the way I can forget some things and remember others.
I am sometimes surprised by my own emotions, both good and difficult.
I am sometimes surprised by my dreams.
I am sometimes surprised to see my dreams come about.
I am sometimes surprised at my own strength.
I am sometimes surprised at my own weakness.
I am sometimes surprised at the answers I receive to my prayers.
I am sometimes surprised by the grace of the Father.

What surprises you?

Many thanks to Denise Knee, who posted the summer placements for herself and her War College session. Please consider committing to intercede for all of these individuals for the next three months. They leave within the next week or so and arrive back in Vancouver mid-August. Many of them are bloggers, so you can keep up-to-date on what they're up to and how we can continue to support them in prayer.

Community is not bound by the borders of our corps.


Andrea & Anthony - Charlotte, North Carolina
Andrew & Kirsty - Campbell River, British Columbia
Andy - Victoria, British Columbia
Ashley - Vancouver, British Columbia
Craig - Birmingham, Alabama
Crystal - Vancouver, British Columbia
Dan - London, Ontario
Denise - Bangor, Maine
Jacynta - Vancouver, British Columbia
Jenea - Vancouver, British Columbia
Jill - Vancouver, British Columbia
Joe - Westbrook, Maine
Joel - Bangor, Maine
Joshua - Melfort, Saskatchewan
Juan - Dauphin, Manitoba
Kath - Vancouver, British Columbia
Katie - Vancouver, British Columbia
Kirsten - Vernon, British Columbia
Matthew - Vancouver, British Columbia
Melissa - Adelaide, Australia
Olivia - Chicago, Illinois
Philip - London, Ontario
Rebekha - Birmingham, Alabama

I had three friends run in the Vancouver Marathon today - what an amazing thing. I know the obvious parallel would be to pull out the ol' 1 Corinthians 9:24 analogy, but it's probably well overdone, and in any case, I was thinking of other things in relation to the race. My first thought was this:


At the serious risk of offending my friends, who have my utmost respect for the diligence to train and perseverance to run 42.2 KM that they obviously have, I JUST DON'T GET IT.

I don't understand runners in the first place. I understand a good cup of chai and a corner of the couch where I can curl up, but how can I drink my chai if I'm running around? It boggles the mind.

Actually, it's a fairly common joke amongst my friends and I - this fact that I'm not a runner. And it's probably overplayed, because it implies I don't understand the quest for fitness or the enjoyment of an active passtime or hobby.

But running? I'm not sure I do get that.

It's been causing me to think of those of us who are believers, however, and how we must be perceived by others. What to us is the most glorious relationship we have ever been in, with the most amazing Being we've ever (or could ever) encounter, appears to many as a hypocritical, law-driven crutch for weak people. Well, I am weak, but for the rest, I think it is merely their lack of understanding or experience that makes us seem so absolutely crazy.

Don't get me wrong, I fully realize that many people are turned off church because of their painful experience with Christians - what a sad commentary on our ability to be Christ in this world. I have tried running before, and been turned off by the exquisite pain that I experience, well, everywhere in my body. But to anyone who has turned their back on the church, I will ask one question: What's your excuse for not hanging with God himself? Because that's what it's all about.

And that makes me wonder whether I truly am missing something when it comes running. I saw the faces of many people as they passed the finish line. Those that didn't look like they were about to die were elated. And, truthfully, even those that looked pained were still completing a 42 KM race. Amazing. Maybe my own knowledge of running has not been the fullness of what I could or should experience. If you happen to be reading this and you have never met Jesus, maybe your own past knowledge of God and His church has not been the fullness of what you could or should experience.

Perhaps next year I'll take on the challenge of running the 2007 Vancouver Marathon. Oh, darn, it happens to be on a Sunday, when I'll be busy being a pastor at church that morning. Too bad I'll have to pass that up.

I'm sure I'll get over it.

Or maybe one day I'll even get it.

More great tidbits from Louie Giglio's latest book.....

"...the only place true stillness of the soul can be found on Planet Earth is in super-close proximity to the God of all Creation. Sabbath rest is in His lap. Our inner calm waits within His embrace. Our peace of mind is found in the assurance that God is present wherever we are. (I Am Not But I Know I AM, page 105)"

It puts a new twist on Sabbath rest, especially for anyone involved in any kind of leadership in their Sunday morning or evening services (or any weekly corporate gatherings).

Sabbath rest is not just a day set aside for God, it is a lifetime of living in the warm and protective embrace of the One who told Adam and Even to rest when they had just been created and had not yet done any work. It wasn't resting from work, it was resting in Him - His ability to be everything for us and to cradle our lives in His strong hands and His wisdom.

I think this concept may be particularly difficult for natural leaders to grasp - people with talents and abilities to make decisions and see some measure of success on this earth. The truth is still, however, that our greatest successes will be measured by our level of obedience to the One King and our ability to follow, not lead. Changing our focus from earthly success to eternal success is not easy, especially as the world around us - very often even within the church - still expects us to live up to the already established standards.

It makes Psalm 46:10 that much more alive and active and requires us to think of this as a life command, not a momentary reminder in a given situation: