Not Quite Packing

This week I thought that I was going to get most of my packing done but plans never work out the way that you thought they would. Instead I have had a number of meetings, extended telephone "conversations" --you know the kind, press 1 if..., press 2 if...., please stay on the line etc. and oh yes did I mention getting immunization shots. My arms are still aching from them! So needless to say, not a whole lot has gone into boxes or suitcases. The highlight of my week has been hearing that the BOA has approved me for Commissioned Minister to Niger, I am just waiting to hear if that service will be part of our farewell service on July 22 at 4pm at Freedom Christian Community in Brantford. Whether it is or not I hope that I will get to see a number of you there to say good bye. Cole graduates from grade 8 on Monday and I am hoping that he can find the tickets so that we can be there. We are hoping to hold a pseudo-graduation from elementary school for Ben because he will be missing the elementary grad in Niger and it is at a different stage here in Canada (all part of the fun of living between two worlds). I'm open to any ideas on how to make it special for him. Time is running out if you were hoping to get in on the matching donation for the building project. Money needs to come in before we leave on July 26th in order to get the building started as soon as we get back. Praying that you have a strong sense of God's presence with you in whatever you face this week.

Love

In my readings for the Wesleyan Theology course I am taking I came across this quote:

Love cannot be appropriated as an abstract idea; it must be encountered, it must be allowed to work its transforming power in our hearts, at the centre of our identity, where its affirmation is received and responded to. (The New Creation: John Wesley's Theology Today)

Wow, isn't that what we all crave in the deepest part of our being to have that kind of encounter of love that changes us completely. The world understands this kind of desire and we catch glimpses of it in romantic relationships but miss the fact that it can only be completely satisfied in a relationship with the God of Love. It was this transforming love that enabled John Wesley to make such an impact on his world. We may not touch as many lives with God's love as Wesley did but I pray that we will each let God's love transform us and those we come in contact with today. Dave is in Calgary for the rest of this week visiting with his ailing aunt and family. Please pray for him and the family there that they would sense God's presence as they go through this time. Pray also for the boys and myself as we manage without dad for awhile.

An Angry Christian?

Last week Jennifer and I sat in on a course together at the McMaster. I enjoyed the opportunity to be with her in the classroom, even though the professor made us work in different discussion groups. I’m actually looking forward to reading the main textbook, The Angry Christian, even though it’s about 400 pages long. The course developed the idea of taking a realistic look at anger and correcting some faulty ideas about it. So often the Christian community perpetuates the idea that getting angry is a sin. Unfortunately, what that means is that we don’t have any really good ideas about what to do when we are angry since we weren’t supposed to get this way in the first place

Though anger can be and is regularly misused with horrendous consequences, anger can also be a function of love.  In the scriptures, both God and his servants get angry at things like injustice, or like Jesus who got angry at people who were indifferent about others suffering and sickness. Anger can be a sign that something important is being threatened or violated—it’s an amber light that allows us to be aware of danger ahead. I haven’t solved all the world’s problems with anger (nor even my own) but there was lots of helpful stuff for reflection and change.

This weekend I’m travelling alone to Saskatchewan to meet with a couple of churches. Originally I was to fly home on Tuesday but my Aunt in Calgary is not well and may not last the week. Since my flight already had a stopover in Calgary I’ve arranged stay until Sunday. I spent my teenage years in Calgary and our families were very close. My parents are heading out today and I will be meeting up with them on Tuesday to say our good-byes. My aunt has been a faithful supporter of our ministry over the years and will be dearly missed.  Jennifer and the boys will be making do without me for the next week and unfortunately this  is  moving into a stressful time as we get ready to move out of our home and make preparations to return to Niger.  We would all appreciate your prayers at this time.

Every Person You Meet Has Something to Teach You

The title of this is a quote from the Prof at a Pastoral Counselling course that I am sitting in this week. It struck me as so true as I think back to this past weekend's Wesleyan Theology Course. You see I really appreciate the knowledge and insight that the two instructors brought to the course, but I think I may have learned as much from all the other people in the course. If you get a chance to take one of the FM courses it is very worthwhile for both the teaching and the interaction amongst the group. Thanks to everyone who was praying for me last week. Amazingly, I was able to get through the precourse reading before I got to the course--now I just need to find the time to get through the assignments. Well, I need to get back to the class. Please pray for Dave as he tries to complete this last course, while trying to collect the resources he will need for his thesis and deal with all of the things that need to be done before leaving. Please also pray for the boys as well as they get a little less of our time and attention these days in our business.

Day Surgery & Other Points for Prayer

I could really use some extra prayer today because this week is taking life in Canada to a whole new level of crazy. I was going to list the additions to the regular routine but I am not sure how much of the regular things I will cover this week. Today Ben had a field trip that meant getting him to school for just after 7am (hopefully we will be back to get him for 5 without having to call in reinforcements). I need to leave in a half hour to go into Toronto for day surgery (I am hoping that having my boil removed will be the end to some of my troubles. I am just so grateful to be able to get it dealt with here before I leave!) Dave gets to go too for a check up (and to watch my procedure if he can stomach it). Friday morning I start my Wesleyan Theology course and sometime before than I have to finish my precourse assignment and help Dave make arrangements for his trip to Saskatoon. From there my course is to be prematurely ended by a trip to Peterborough (I really hope that we can get away before 9pm so that I can get to bed before 11). I am not sure this craziness would be all that bad if it ended there but next week is Dave's last class for Mac before he writes his thesis. I was originally supposed to be taking it with him, but it all depends on how my other course goes. Oh well, I am sure we will make it through, but I would appreciate your prayers just the same! In my readings on Wesley I was struck by how his teachings on money are so different for both our culture and that in Niger. He basically teaches: work all you can, make all you can, save all you can so that you can give all the you can. In Niger If someone close to you comes along with a need and you have money --it doesn't matter whether it is yours or you have a plan for it, you are supposed to help. So instead of Wesley's attitude they try to spend what they have as soon as they have it so they aren't obligated to give. What would happen if we all took Wesley's advice a little more seriously? Something to think about this week.