On Sunday I snuck into the RIOT room to bask in the glory and insanity of life with 30 grade 6,7 & 8ers. I only lasted a few minutes among them because, lets face it, I dont have the stamina for their energy level, but I did catch a glimpse of the Kingdom pressing forth among some pretty amazing kids that I wanted to share with you.
Mike was asking the kids to share their favourite part of the year with RIOT and amongst the responses of "eating junk food" and "throwing eggs at Pastor Mike" there was one that honestly brought tears to my eyes (don't worry Internet, it doesn't take much). One of the grade 8 boys raised his hand and politely said "I liked when we went to Tim Hortons for breakfast and prayer on that Sunday morning. It was really good to have donuts but I also really liked being in the community and doing Jesus stuff out there."
SERIOUSLY!?!? Can someone please tell me how to bottle that and spike the water here? That we would be a people marked by the desire to be in our neighbourhoods, coffee shops, community centers, pubs, libraries, sports fields DOING JESUS STUFF! That we would be a people who want to be beyond our building, that our dreaming would not be contained to what we can do within our walls but would be exponentially bigger than that box. Because, lets face it, people are not drawn to the church building (especially ours) they're drawn to Jesus and how are they going to meet those people and have a cup of tea with them if we are all sitting in the church doing our Jesus stuff?
I love the RIOTers, even in with their insane energy levels, but I especially love that we have a generation of kids coming to whom "doing Jesus stuff out there" is normal AND exciting.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
stolen friday.
“From the time they can toddle we teach our children that feeling loved means feeling made much of … We are willing to be God-centered, it seems, as long as God is man-centered. We are willing to boast in the cross as long as the cross is a witness to our worth. Who then is our pride and joy?” John Piper - God is the Gospel
Thursday, June 24, 2010
top-ten thursday.
A few months ago a good friend of mine and I started Top-Ten Thursday. One of us initiates sometime in the morning on Thursday with #10 and we just email back and forth the top ten things from each of our weeks. It started as a bit of a cheeky joke but has turned into a beautiful gift as I’m reminded to be thankful and (literally) count my blessings.
Shocker of all shockers, I can be a bit of a pessimist. My glass can be half-empty by Thursday when my to-do list is no-where near done and Sunday is coming quickly. I need to fight for joy every day and Top-Ten Thursday is an excellent way of putting up the fists and pushing into the blessings poured over me.
So, Internet, I’ve decided to share my Top-Ten Thursday with you …
10. Slurpee Friday! Janice made me the perfect mix and it kept me from melting on the HOT (not that I’m complaining) Friday afternoon!
9. Brining home a TRUCK load of great books that my Grandma was going to get rid of. Snagged an beautifully old collection of English lit that I cannot wait to crack this summer!
8. Lunch at the Canoe Club in Victoria on Monday. Mouth-watering goodness. Next time your in Victoria, don’t miss it!
7. Any time the sun peaked through the clouds this week!
6. Breakfast for lunch with the Small Group on Sunday afternoon. Pancakes are good for ANY meal but especially with good friends, Whipping Cream and a World Cup game.
5. Watching the Babe read bedtime stories to my niece (the Monkey) on Saturday night.
4. Monday with Bev. ‘Nuff said.
3. Getting jiggy (yes, I just used that word) on the dance floor at the wedding on Friday. Any night I get to dance with fabulous people and break out my horrible moves is an awesome night!
2. Watching Scotty-Potty and Andrea get hitched last Friday. So privileged to be a part of their day. I cried. A lot.
1. Date night with the Babe on Tuesday. Long boarding around Stanley Park, dinner at the Blarney, swim in the pool and Seinfeld = perfection!
Shocker of all shockers, I can be a bit of a pessimist. My glass can be half-empty by Thursday when my to-do list is no-where near done and Sunday is coming quickly. I need to fight for joy every day and Top-Ten Thursday is an excellent way of putting up the fists and pushing into the blessings poured over me.
So, Internet, I’ve decided to share my Top-Ten Thursday with you …
10. Slurpee Friday! Janice made me the perfect mix and it kept me from melting on the HOT (not that I’m complaining) Friday afternoon!
9. Brining home a TRUCK load of great books that my Grandma was going to get rid of. Snagged an beautifully old collection of English lit that I cannot wait to crack this summer!
8. Lunch at the Canoe Club in Victoria on Monday. Mouth-watering goodness. Next time your in Victoria, don’t miss it!
7. Any time the sun peaked through the clouds this week!
6. Breakfast for lunch with the Small Group on Sunday afternoon. Pancakes are good for ANY meal but especially with good friends, Whipping Cream and a World Cup game.
5. Watching the Babe read bedtime stories to my niece (the Monkey) on Saturday night.
4. Monday with Bev. ‘Nuff said.
3. Getting jiggy (yes, I just used that word) on the dance floor at the wedding on Friday. Any night I get to dance with fabulous people and break out my horrible moves is an awesome night!
2. Watching Scotty-Potty and Andrea get hitched last Friday. So privileged to be a part of their day. I cried. A lot.
1. Date night with the Babe on Tuesday. Long boarding around Stanley Park, dinner at the Blarney, swim in the pool and Seinfeld = perfection!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
if I'm honest.
Last week I was prompted by, what I'd like to say was the Spirit but, was probably more just a weird Facebook post, to call one of our young adults and check in. Turns out my dear friend and sister was having a rough day after a succession of rough months.
After a few moments of silence, her tear-filled hiccups the only thing coming over the phone, she said to me "Katie ... if I'm honest, I just want to ask God what He's doing with my life cause this sucks!"
In that moment I, oddly, wanted to cheer. Dont worry Internet, I didn't cheer, that would have been awkward. But if we had been together she would have seen my huge smile and sigh of relief as we took one step forward together.
Those three words, "If I'm honest..." make my day every time they're uttered.
Because if we're honest, community happens. If we're honest, we give others permission to be honest. If we're honest, we learn from each other honestly. If we're honest, we can honestly be there for one another.
If we're honest, life sometimes sucks. If we're honest, sometime we don't understand what He's doing and if we pretend like we get it or we're cool with it, we just put on a face and not only do we keep others from really loving us in that place but maybe we keep them from helping us see what God is doing when we cant.
The reality is, I was so excited to hear her 'be honest' because it meant she wasnt learning from me! Only hours before a friend had, rightfully and lovingly, corrected me in the place where I was not being honest with those I was leading, but instead pretending that it didnt sometimes suck and that I didnt need help.
And so as I heard those three words over the phone "If I'm honest..." I wanted to cheer but instead I just said, "I know, it sucks. And I've been there before."
After a few moments of silence, her tear-filled hiccups the only thing coming over the phone, she said to me "Katie ... if I'm honest, I just want to ask God what He's doing with my life cause this sucks!"
In that moment I, oddly, wanted to cheer. Dont worry Internet, I didn't cheer, that would have been awkward. But if we had been together she would have seen my huge smile and sigh of relief as we took one step forward together.
Those three words, "If I'm honest..." make my day every time they're uttered.
Because if we're honest, community happens. If we're honest, we give others permission to be honest. If we're honest, we learn from each other honestly. If we're honest, we can honestly be there for one another.
If we're honest, life sometimes sucks. If we're honest, sometime we don't understand what He's doing and if we pretend like we get it or we're cool with it, we just put on a face and not only do we keep others from really loving us in that place but maybe we keep them from helping us see what God is doing when we cant.
The reality is, I was so excited to hear her 'be honest' because it meant she wasnt learning from me! Only hours before a friend had, rightfully and lovingly, corrected me in the place where I was not being honest with those I was leading, but instead pretending that it didnt sometimes suck and that I didnt need help.
And so as I heard those three words over the phone "If I'm honest..." I wanted to cheer but instead I just said, "I know, it sucks. And I've been there before."
Monday, June 21, 2010
where it begins.
A few months ago I watched a video on FB that got stuck in my head like that song from Lamb Chops (you know the one, don't make me sing it). It was the story of the guy who wrote "How He Loves Us" which is a beautifully haunting song that has impacted me, and many in our community, deeply.
The story goes that the day before John Mark McMillan wrote the song, he was in a staff prayer meeting at their church when his dear friend and youth pastor prayed this prayer; "Lord, if it would shake the youth of the nation, I will give my life." And that night he died in a tragic car accident. John wrote the song the very next day and proceeded to live the next year frustrated that they weren't seeing revival out of the death of his friend, that change did not seem to be coming from that place of pain and deep loss. In reality, this song, that John wrote out of that very place of pain, has changed thousands of kid's and adult's lives across the country. Often when its sung, by whoever, the Spirit moves and John has received countless reports of healings, bondage being broken, lives being transformed and people coming home to Jesus. It has shook more than just the youth of the nation.
And so I heard this story and I could not get away from it. I journaled about it, I told the Babe about it, I sent it to other friends on FB and I just kept asking God what he wanted me to find in it. Because its a beautiful, moving story but it's not my story; I'm not going to write an epic song that calls people to Jesus and I'm not called to lay down my life for the youth of the nation. But I am called to lay it down for something.
So four weeks later, I sat at Awaken, listening to this song again and suddenly, the Spirit whispered to me what my prayer was.
If it will call people home to Jesus, I will give my life.
I want to die for this, if He asks. But probably, more painfully, I will have to die to myself, to my sin, selfishness, pride, anger, cynicism and rights every single day. To die to my comfort, ideals and need to be in control.
I want to try, everyday, to die to these things a little bit more, so that Jesus would be made much of and I would be nothing. I will plead with God to put to death all these things so that those I love, those I'm trying to love and anyone else I might touch, will see Jesus, not me. So that people will be called home. No matter the cost.
That's what I want, and on rough days, I want to want it. (know what I mean Vern?)
And this, therefore, are the stories of me. Trying to die in whatever way He calls me to. And my epic failures and Jesus' fist-pumping successes, along the way.
Pull up a comfy chair, grab a cup of tea and please, try not to mock me too much.
The story goes that the day before John Mark McMillan wrote the song, he was in a staff prayer meeting at their church when his dear friend and youth pastor prayed this prayer; "Lord, if it would shake the youth of the nation, I will give my life." And that night he died in a tragic car accident. John wrote the song the very next day and proceeded to live the next year frustrated that they weren't seeing revival out of the death of his friend, that change did not seem to be coming from that place of pain and deep loss. In reality, this song, that John wrote out of that very place of pain, has changed thousands of kid's and adult's lives across the country. Often when its sung, by whoever, the Spirit moves and John has received countless reports of healings, bondage being broken, lives being transformed and people coming home to Jesus. It has shook more than just the youth of the nation.
And so I heard this story and I could not get away from it. I journaled about it, I told the Babe about it, I sent it to other friends on FB and I just kept asking God what he wanted me to find in it. Because its a beautiful, moving story but it's not my story; I'm not going to write an epic song that calls people to Jesus and I'm not called to lay down my life for the youth of the nation. But I am called to lay it down for something.
So four weeks later, I sat at Awaken, listening to this song again and suddenly, the Spirit whispered to me what my prayer was.
If it will call people home to Jesus, I will give my life.
I want to die for this, if He asks. But probably, more painfully, I will have to die to myself, to my sin, selfishness, pride, anger, cynicism and rights every single day. To die to my comfort, ideals and need to be in control.
I want to try, everyday, to die to these things a little bit more, so that Jesus would be made much of and I would be nothing. I will plead with God to put to death all these things so that those I love, those I'm trying to love and anyone else I might touch, will see Jesus, not me. So that people will be called home. No matter the cost.
That's what I want, and on rough days, I want to want it. (know what I mean Vern?)
And this, therefore, are the stories of me. Trying to die in whatever way He calls me to. And my epic failures and Jesus' fist-pumping successes, along the way.
Pull up a comfy chair, grab a cup of tea and please, try not to mock me too much.
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