Here is a picture of someone who appeared in the Ottawa Citizen just today. As the teaching pastor of The Meeting House, Bruxy Cavey is well known as being one who integrates cultural literature and media into his messages. The article was showcasing his unique style of "preaching pop culture". Quite interesting. I am happy that my brother (Joe) is working with someone who has such a good sense of what the poets and preachers of society are saying. I too am aware that the media is revealing a society that has a facsination and interest in the supernatural. It causes lots of questions and creates lots of seekers.

Here is picture of another man who also believed that as Christians we need to hold the newspaper in one hand and your Bible in the other (the newspaper was the most common form of media at the time). Billy Graham has always tried to listen to the heart's cry of society to bring a pointed and relevent message. As far as I know he continues this practice.

 It's in listening to what is being said and asked that we can begin to stand up and speak. So often I find myself talking, not "understanding the times". Today's paper was an encouragement and a gentle reminder to not shelter myself beneath the cover of indifference or ignorance, but instead pray for the wisdom to find a place for my voice.

 

Jon 

The Starfish Story

adapted from The Star Thrower by Loren Eiseley
1907 - 1977

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.

One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.

He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"

The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean."

"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.

To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"

At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "It made a difference for that one."

THE FOLLOWING IS TAKEN FROM THE PEACE AWARD ADDRESS GIVEN BY CRAIG KIELBURGER AT THE INTERNATION PEACE AWARDS CEREMONY HELD IN JULY 21, 2005

"It was during one of our overseas volunteer trips that I was reminded that people don’t need money or power to better the world, merely the willingness to come together and work in a spirit of solidarity. A few years ago, our organization brought twenty student volunteers from the USA. and Canada high into the Andes Mountains of Ecuador to build a primary school in an indigenous community. Running behind schedule (an animal traffic jam stalled the mules that were carrying our construction supplies up the mountain!), we asked the advice of the village elder. Explaining that we had return plane tickets and would not be able to complete the project, she replied, “No problem. I’ll call a minga”.

In the local dialect of Puruhae India, she forcefully shouted, “A minga will happen tomorrow”. The next day, hundreds of people arrived. Men left their fields at peak harvest time. Women carried babies on their back. Children walked miles to help construct a distant school that they would never be able to attend because of the long journey it would take to reach it. The crowd asked for nothing in return and even brought food to share with the village.

Amazed, we asked the chief, “What happened? What is a minga?” She explained that this traditional word is a call to action—it means ‘a community coming together to work for the benefit of all’. When people hear this word, they stop all personal activities and come together for the collective good. Our translator struggled to explain the idea, and he finally asked us: “What is the word for ‘minga’ in English?” Huh? My brother and I looked at each other. We were dumbfounded. It wasn’t volunteer work—you could do that alone. Mission work? Not really. A minga is like a riot of people coming together, but not for evil—for good"

There is great power (ability to do work) within community and team. As a coach of various sports teams I am very interested in the principles that allow a group of strangers to function well together. Probably as you read the excerpt a number of things popped out at you, which if you have the time, please highlight them to me.

The concept of the Minga has shown me 3 principles which I believe are essential qualities of the team that wishes to bring change. They will be addressed in 3 separate articles: Servanthood, Solidarity of Vision and Submission to Gifting.

Jon 

The Minga is a group of people who join together to acheive a common goal, but the goal is one that benefits solely others, not themselves. Most times, thoser involved in the Minga will never see reap the practical rewards of their labour. That's servanthood: it's where you give of yourself in order to see someone else succeed.

Leaders are servants, and the greatest leader will be the servant of all. Those who wish to exert influence need to see their influence solely as making someone better. There is no place for personal development or fame as the motivation in the heart of a true servant. Self-seeking leaders are stumbling blocks while true servant are stepping stones. One gets in the way of people, the other gets under people to lift them up.

As a corporate group (or a team) that wishes to serve God, servanthood means shifting from a "God Bless our plans" to a "God reveal to us your plans". We don't come to God to have our agenda validated, but instead, we come to God seek His will and then to obediently follow it. Too many organizations have become presumptious in their approach to ministry, thinking that God Almighty will back them, just because they are Christians (how much of history would have been different if only people had caught this attitude?). Instead we look to Jesus, who was the greatest servant of all, because He laid His life down for all Mankind, in obedience to His Father. His whole passion was to "do the will of the One who sent Me".

Individually this principle means I must address and challenge the motivating attitude in my heart. Do I do things to validate myself or my ministry? Am I doing it to pad my resume? Am I doing only what is on my agenda?

When in place, servanthood is clearly evident and the results are incredible. You will always know when a servant has entered a room, because everyone around them suddenly becomes better.

Jon 

A nail by itself doesn't attract other nails to itself. But a nail attached to a magnet does. Imagine that the magnet represents a positive person, and the nails represent people within their sphere of influence. As that kind of person "rubs shoulders" with others, something good happens

I was able to experience this first hand about 5 years ago. Using some simple math and a pointed presentation, I was able to reveal people's negative attitudes toward Mondays. (For the big story version go to my other article called "Happy Monday") It was cool to see the effects. Over time and a lot of persistence, people started to rethink Monday mornings, and began themselves to greet me and others in the hallways of our school with a smile and a "Happy Monday". And the best part was the results - attention spans increased, more and better work got done and there were less conflicts in the classroom. The positive attitude was infectious!

Why should Christians be positive? Because the Good News is GOOD. It is a positive thing to be full of the life of God!

"Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." - Philippians 4:8. Practically if you are going to infect others with a positive attitude, it makes sense to say that you must be a positive person. Paul exhorts us to "fix our thoughts" on the positive, not the negative. That means when a situation comes up and it could be interpreted in 2 ways, choose the positive way. When faced with a bleak circumstance, look for what is praiseworthy (and sometimes that means people as well!). If you learn to see these qualities, you are able to reveal them to others and celebrate together the good things in life.

An interested study illustrated the power that the mind has over the body. Participants were asked to part with a few cells from the inside of their mouths. These cells were kept alive in a saline solution and hook up to electrodes to monitor any responses. The subjects the were placed in an adjacent room, also hooked up to electrodes. They were then shown a documentary. The researchers had spliced in a few seconds of racy footage, which caused an obvious response in the men. The astonishing thing was that the cells in the other room had a similar response! To make sure they were on to something, they drove the cells a few miles down the road and repeated the experiment. The same thing happened. What does this say? That somehow the mind has a direct link to every cell in the body. How important is it for us to think and speak positive things!

So if you are wanting to impact people, surround yourself with positive voices (people, music, books, etc) and fix your thoughts on positive things so you can be like the magnet and spread good all around.

Jon

You've heard the saying, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink." Maybe you haven't heard the clever addition - "but you can put salt in its oats."

I once saw a Far Side comic that illustrated this point exactly. A man with a coy look on his face was leaning confidently against the wall. To his right was a booth stocked full of salted herring with a large sign announcing "FREE ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT FISH!". To his left was another booth with a much smaller sign saying, "Water, $3.00". The man was completely assured a good day of sales!

As Christians we are given the responsibility of being embassadors of the Good News. In our attempts at being "good witnesses" we have to remember that we cannot force people to believe what we believe. How do we get people to take notice and receive the truth? The same way Jesus did.

"Early the next morning Jesus went out into the wilderness. The crowds searched everywhere for him, and when they finally found him, they begged him not to leave them." Luke 4:42 I am constantly amazed that Jesus was as successful as his was, when He obviously ignored all the major principles of good salesmanship, as taught by modern business gurus. He had no advertisment program. He didn't seem to have a narrow focus or specific target group. There was no headquarters or website to go for information. Instead He simply showed up, performed miracles, raised the dead, healed the sick, cast out demons and simply taught the people the right way (only way) to live... and they came in throngs to see Him. Many times He was forced to change His position simply because there was no more room.

The salt in His life was life in the supernatural - that is, when He showed up, God Himself showed up. The same is true for us "little Christs" (the literal translation of 'Christian'). If we are to impact people and bring a positive, godly change we must be the salt of the earth: those who live lives steeped in the truth and power of the Good News. That is one of the key attributes of our new life.

Practically it means we must be full of the Holy Spirit - in layman's terms, we must have a intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit, where he has our ear and our obedience at all times.

It also means that we must live Biblically principled lives. Lately, I have been challenged by God to dedicate more time meditating on scriptures and intentionally living what I am reading, rather than simply "doing devotions". The devotion aspect is tested in how well what I read translates to real life.

Thirdly, I must live close enough to people to be examined. I must learn to be transparent enough for people to realize that being a Christian doesn't exempt one from difficulties, or sorrow, or pain. Instead it proves the life of God in those circumstances and proves the power of the new life Jesus gives.

Can people see a difference? Are people noticing the life of truth, the life of God? If they do, be assured we become the salt in their oats. Then we can share the message of the thirst-quenching life through Jesus Christ.

Jon

No offence to our beloved Tim Horton's. However, I will use an incident from their restaurant to illustrate an important principle of change.

Back a few years ago, my wife were estatic to find out that Tim Horton's were offering their yummy soup in a bread bowl! Advertisments frequented the TV commercials and were plastered on billboards as we drove through Ottawa. Finally, one night we gave in and decided to "treat" ourselves to the bread bowl meal.

As we entered the first Timmy's, a big sign confirmed to us that we were in the right place. There was the bread bowl soup deal in large print. Barely keeping it together we walked up to the till, and with childish grins on our faces, announced that we would like to order 2 bread bowl meals. With dead-pan face, the lady at the till announced to us that they were out of the bread bowl. I can't describe the pain I felt at that moment. Disillusioned but not totally disheartened, we decided to go to the next TH's. Apon arrival we again we confronted with the mouth-watering advertisement that they indeed had the bread bowl meal deal. And more importantly - THEY HAD BREAD BOWLS! They just didn't have any more soup.

I think we hit a couple more place before the picture became clear. No matter how much advertisment we saw, it was apparent that we were not going to get our bread bowl meal deal. We went home and ate a far inferior meal that night with a complete loss of faith in Tim Horton's. They just didn't have what they said they did.

Since then, Tim Horton's has redeemed themselves. We enjoy a stop at Timmy's now and then, and for the most part find what we are looking for. How sad it is to say that a lot of people become disillusioned with Christians for the same reason. They hear us talk about all the great things we supposedly own, all the fantastic principles and concepts that run our lives and how meeting Jesus has radically changed our lives. And then they get close enough to realize that a lot of what we're saying is false advertisement, and in turn walk away deeply disappointed and hurt. They don't meet Jesus - they meet a glossy shell of religiousity and ceremony.

"Examine yourselves to see if your faith is really genuine. Test yourselves. If you cannot tell that Jesus Christ is among you, it means you have failed the test." 2 Corinthians 13:5

 This verse makes me uncomfortable because it is so true. As Christians, all we really have to give anyone is exactly what ws given to us - the life of Jesus. That's the only thing that will make the difference. In Colossians 1:16, it says clearly that everything was made by Jesus and for Jesus, or as the message states, "everything finds its purpose in Him". Whenever you meet someone, no matter what symptoms you see on the outside, what is the complete answer for them is the life of Jesus. It is their origin and their destiny.

Practically to live this principle there is no 3-step program or instant formula. To be a person full of the life of Jesus, it takes TIME with the Holy Spirit, as He alone is able to shape you and form you to become like Him. It's a relationship that you can't fake, or just read about. Much like the seed principle, it involves you listening and obeying. Ultimately it is your obedience that determines how similar you are to Jesus.

What does the world need? It needs to see its life-giving destiny - the life of Jesus in people. They have heard about Him and they have looked to the Church to find Him. Will they?

Jon 

"You have heard me teach many things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Teach these great truths to trustworthypeople who are able to pass them on to others." 2 Timothy 2:2

As in a relay race, it just isn't the race you run that guarantees the win. The person after is just as important as you are. In fact, when talking about change and leadership, it is vitally important that there is someone after you; someone who can carry the dream.

Think about this - If you died today, who would carry on all the things you see as important? Who would continue the ministry? Is there anyone of like heart, a trustworthy person or people who can run faster and farther that you did? In business it is called a successor. In family, it's the children. In the Church it is your brothers and sisters in Christ. Paul had a man named Timothy. Moses had Joshua. Thankfully Eli had Samuel. Jesus had the 12 disciples, and eventually the 120 from the upper room. All these people understood clearly the important of empowering others.

Empowerment is a common word in our day and age. There are many books on it; how to, who to, when to and why. Simply it is depositing the best things you have into others who will be able to live it, and who will continue to pass it on. Empowerment guarantees that people don't have to "reinvent the wheel". It allows the "next generation" to build off your successes and learn from your failures.

Practically, it means

• you need to identify those people who can/will eventually carry the same responsibilty(ies) as you
  
• you must give TIME and RESOURCES to them to train and equip for the task
  
• you cannot feel threatened by their growth, successes and developing abilities
• you need to speak in faith, casting vision to the point of them owning it for themselves
  

All of us who wish to see change continue to place (no matter what ministry we find ourselves in) have to start looking around at those within our spheres of influence and begin to invest our very best into their lives.

What is stopping me from doing this? I pray that as God reveals His ongoing will for the minisry He has called you to, He will also show you who else will be carrying the dream. When He does, be ready to pass on the baton.

Jon

What do you see when you look at the picture? A seed? An acorn seed? Perhaps you can see a future tree or maybe even envision an entire forest. A seed carries an incredible amount of potential. No matter how powerful is the life within the seed, it only remains a single seed unless it is planted.

"The truth is, a kernel of wheat must be planted in the soil. Unless it dies it will be alone – a single seed. But its death will produce many new kernels – a plentiful harvest of new lives." John 12:24 These were Jesus' words as he headed towards his own execution: a "planting" act that would change the world forever. Basically what he is saying is this; in order to bring life, you first must die.

Sound paradoxical? Welcome to the Kingdom of God. But the absurdity of the statement does nothing to alter its truth. When we became Christians, Jesus did an amazing and wonderful thing - He planted His own life in us! Now we have, by the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ and that allows us to bring life to others (you can only give what you own). The key to releasing this life is to "remove us" from the picture. Specifically and practically this means laying down our will and agenda and to pick up His.

I have found personally that this happened when I said "yes" to God and "no" to myself the day I became a Christian. I gave up the rights to my life and in return receive Jesus' life. But it also remains a continuous attitude of servitude. Each and every day I must consciously and intentionally plant myself into the will of God. "Here I am Father. I give myself this day to You. Speak to me so I will be able to serve You. Where are You working? Where do I need to go? What do I need to do?" This act of planting is what will allow my life to have impact. Ultimate it is the person who plants him/herself into the purposes of God that will find that they will indeed reap "a plentiful harvest of new lives".

Jon

A few years back, I encountered 3 hitchhikers heading to Ottawa from Peterborough. Although wary of picking them up, I felt compelled to do it.

Inside the car, they were personable enough, and quickly informed me that they were trying to make it to the G-8 summit happening that weekend. During our conversation it was clear they were bent on "making a difference" in the world: particularly through anarchist methodology. Anarchy is a movement whose purpose is to deconstruct oppressive systems and institutions (like governments) to allow people the freedom to live lives of mutual benefit. Apparently, these 3 were leaders of various sects of the movement and one had been an influencial author.

I applauded their enthusiasm and zeal to see something change, and wished them well on their mission of figurative "apple-bashing". This phrase caused some confusion. I was able to explain that "apple-bashing" is a way of dealing with things you don't like in the same way a person would try to stop an apple tree from producing apples. Instead of dealing with the real problem (the roots), they were determined to take a "bat" to the apples (the fruit). I also warned them that their job was going to be tiring, frustrating and probably futile.

They were not impressed at all. After some heated words and a few raised voices, they asked what I would do differently. I was able to explain to them the principle of Inside-Out change, the kind of change I knew worked well. All ears, I shared the gospel and how God's way of dealing with things that aren't right is to deal at the root level (a person's heart) to affect the fruit level (their actions).

In the New Testament we encounter others who, like the anarchists, were bent on seeing the world become a better place by imposing a large and extensive set of traditions, rituals and laws. The result? A whole lot of lawbreakers who had to live everyday with the guilt of not being able to shape up. Jesus had very little nice things to say to this group of religious people.

As we encounter people everyday, we probably meet those who could use some "adjustments". As Christians, one of the temptations is to try to alter their behaviours without asking what the real issues are. Someone who is smoking up is probably facing a lot of undercurrent issues that either led them to start the habit, or is motivating them to continue it. The Good News of Jesus is that He can take care of all those root issues, which in turn will directly affect the behaviours.

Ezekiel 36:26 says "And I will give you a new heart with new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new, obedient heart". Jesus deals with the inside problem first. This should mean that we, as His representatives, and bearer of this kind of Good News, do the same.

Practically this means a few things.

1 - People need to realize the deeper, inside issues to understand the surface, outer problems.

2 - We need to bring the Gospel to the real point of need. That means sharing what is appropriate for them to see the issues and hear what God has done for them.

3 - When we pray for people, pray past the "image"; those behaviours we see first. As spiritual people there is a great need to hear what the Spirit is saying about someone, for we look at the appearance, but God looks at the heart.

The questions I need to ask myself are these: Where is my focus? Where is God working in someone's life? What are the real issues?

When we begin to understand that true change happens from the inside out, we begin to be the catalyst that brings the kind of change God brings.

Jon