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Why You Can’t Practice Your Faith Alone

There are things we were not meant to do alone. In fact, I would say we were created to do certain things together with others.

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Normally, my wife, Lily, and I attend a particular church while on vacation. But this weekend Lily was visiting our daughter, and the church we attend was having a farewell service for their pastor. So I decided I would not attend.

Instead, I streamed a service over the internet. I’ve never done that before because I’m usually preaching a sermon myself. I thought I would see what it was like.

The church I chose is a large church with several thousands in attendance. They also have satellite churches (nineteen of them) in other locations that have live worship music but simulcast the message on a screen.

I’ve attended conferences like this where you watch the speaker on a big screen. Since they want you to interact as if the speaker was there, they encourage you to clap when it’s appropriate, laugh out loud when he tells a joke … that kind of thing.

Basically, they want you to do the opposite of what you do at the movies yet while you’re watching a movie of someone speaking.

It goes against our natural or trained tendency of being silent and just watching the screen.

But this concept reminds me of the 1970’s film “Rocky Horror Picture Show”. I don’t recommend the movie, nor have I seen it myself.

The movie didn’t do well at the box office, but it has become a hugely popular midnight film. People show up dressed in the costumes of the characters, talk back to the screen at appropriate places, act out parts, and even throw toast and rice when applicable.

It’s extremely interactive.

Now I’m not saying that people should throw toast at the stage when they watch a preacher on a screen but there is something to say about the interactivity at church simulcasts.

It’s like watching a recording of a concert at home on your TV as opposed to being at the live event in the arena. You don’t get the interaction of the audience, and you miss the full value of the light show, the bigger than life stage, the whole sights, sounds and smells of the experience.

There is something about being there in person that you just can’t create on a screen.

As far as streaming a service to your computer goes, unless you’re with a group of friends, I don’t recommend it. Even watching the worship is less than exciting, and that’s with having the words to the songs on the screen.

It was a good message but the experience left me with no one to talk to about it; no one else experienced it with me. I was alone with my thoughts.

When it was over I felt … that’s it? Nothing else? Not even a coffee station in the foyer?

It’s always better live and in person.

Here’s the thing: You and I were not created to have a private faith experience with God. We can’t fully experience a relationship with God without others. We were created to interact with God as we engage and participate with others in worship, growth and service to our Maker.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: How have you sensed a need to practice your faith with others? You can leave your comment below.

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Why It’s Difficult To Make A Group Decision

We make decisions every day; we’re really good at it. We humans are as comfortable making decisions as a big ol’ dog is laying on his favourite rug.

Business session

But when you put a couple of people together – or, say 20, or maybe several hundred – making decisions is a whole new kind of beast. Decisions aren’t easily made in that kind of environment.

This week I attended our denomination’s General Assembly in Ottawa. It’s one of those conferences where one of the prime reasons we come together is to make decisions.

What you notice in these types of meetings is a lot of people have lots to say. Their eyes reveal their eagerness to get it out. And with lots to say, we often take too long to say it. And because those words are burning in our souls, we will say them even if they’ve already been stated.

Of course by stating them again we will say them with greater clarity.

That burning deep inside us is the same fire a preacher has when he’s churned all week on a passage, and has crafted what he believes is the word God has given him for his congregation that week. He just can’t wait to get that message out.

But as much as we want to say our peace, we aren’t as good at listening to others get their words out. What I find is that most of us already have our minds made up. We like our words, and we don’t really get swayed often by the wisdom that comes from the mouths of others.

But it’s more than just liking our thoughts; we’re comfortable with our thoughts.

It’s like when you settle in to watch a movie: you grab a big glass of Dr. Pepper (well, I do) and a few snacks; you get in your favourite spot on the couch; you gaze at the TV as the opening scene begins, and then the phone rings!

You don’t want to get up and move; you are settled in for the night.

When we hear someone with a different perspective, it doesn’t matter how convincing the ring of their words is, we don’t want to move from our position. Our minds are made up. We filter their words rather than give full value to them.

So the discussion drones on and on, with many words spoken but not much movement of position. We sit comfortably, leaning back and viewing the entertainment, unwilling to move and be disturbed by others’ words. Man . . . it’s tough to make decisions.

Here’s the thing: What is true with people is true with God. He speaks to us through scripture, through others, in our quiet thoughts, in our dreams. We need to be careful we are not so comfortable with our thoughts and ideas that we won’t get up and answer that ringing of God’s voice to us. We need to be ready to move from our position to follow God’s leading.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What makes hearing the words of others so difficult for you? I’d love to hear from you; you can leave your comment below.

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The Secret Sauce In Serving

There is something about serving that pays back greater value than just being part of something.

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This past week our church had two events that required groups of people to come together to serve others. On Wednesday we had a funeral at our church which included putting on a lunch reception after the service. Four days later we had our church picnic, which required a group of people coming together to serve all those attending.

Both of these events involved food, and lots of it!

They say there is a connection that is made when we eat together. And you can sure see it. When people have a sandwich, or hamburger, being mangled between their teeth, though it’s difficult to understand what they’re saying, there seems to be an easy flow of words.

Give people food and they will gather and they will talk. Food loosens us up; it makes us more social. Food gives us something to do with our hands.

Maybe it’s a distraction from standing face to face with nothing but a few inches of air between us. With food you have this other thing you’re doing on the side while you chew the fat with the person across from you.

… But when the food is gone and the conversation ends, you get up and walk away.

Serving goes deeper than that. Maybe that’s why it’s more difficult to get people to serve – more is required but more is gained as well.

When you serve at these kinds of functions you are doing more than eating and talking. You are part of making it all happen. You are the ones that make it possible for someone to feel comfortable stuffing a grape in the corner of their cheek while explaining what their family is up to these days.

You get to eat and talk too, but you’re an insider. You were there to set up, or cook, or clean up.

There is some kind of satisfaction you have when it’s done. You don’t just get up and walk away. There is a feeling of “we did it; it all came together … we helped” that those who just attended don’t have.

And that’s the secret sauce. It does take more effort, but the payoff is much greater. You don’t just walk away and forget about the event. You’re glad you made someone’s day, or that you helped make it happen. There’s a sense of connection with those you served with.

Between the funeral and the picnic this past week at our church, there were many who helped out and served. I’m proud to be part of a church that pitches in, digs down and makes something happen for the benefit of others.

Thanks KAC! You know who you are and what you did. I just want you to know I appreciate it all. And I hope you tasted the secret sauce of serving at these events.

Here’s the thing: When you serve the Lord, no matter how great or small, the secret sauce you taste is knowing that you’ve pleased your heavenly Father, that you have done something that has lasting, eternal value, and that you’re developing a deeper connection with Christ (and starting to look more like Him). Keep serving.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What is one highlight you have from serving the Lord? I’d love to hear from you; leave your comment below.

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How To Keep From Following The Wrong Truth

You can believe something to be true, can work very hard at following that truth through, and you can still be completely wrong or off course.

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A couple of weeks ago, we had a glitch with our church website. We couldn’t post recordings of messages to the site any more. The file size had to be so small that our sermons couldn’t be uploaded.

I remembered that this was an issue a year or so ago.

And, I remembered I had fixed the problem by going into the guts of the website and creating a file I didn’t understand, in an environment beyond my comprehension, using code that superseded my cognition. I thought I was hypnotized.

I figured I had to dive in and do that again. But a year had passed and I was grasping to remember what I had done.

One thing I was sure of was that this was a problem I needed to fix and not something I could ask the nice techie dudes on the support site about.

I tried three different times to correct the problem. Each time took about an hour or more of looking at the inside of our website – it’s the side of the site that nobody sees, with files and folders.

Finally, I exhausted all hope that I could figure out how to correct the problem. I decided to go to the people who live inside computers and beg them to help this poor dense sod solve his problem.

I made my request, left my computer and went to a meeting. When I got back from my meeting, the problem was fixed!

It turned out that I couldn’t have fixed it. This problem was something the support people needed to correct. I was thinking it was something I had to do, but I was wrong.

And that reminded me of a time I thought a plane I was to catch left at 2 pm in the afternoon, and I was cutting it close to make it before take off.

So I went to the front of a long line of people and asked to butt in because my plane was leaving in 15 minutes … only to find out from the ticket agent that my plane had left 45 minutes ago!

I was sure I knew the time, and I had made my plans based on what I was sure of. I never actually checked the ticket. I thought I knew the time, but I was wrong.

Here’s the thing: I thought I needed to figure out my website problem, so I worked hard to come up with a solution. I thought I knew when my plane left so I showed up at the airport at the appropriate time. I actually worked for nothing and showed up too late! We can do the same when it comes to the end of our life. We can work hard to be prepared for the end, but if we work at the wrong things, it’s for nothing. Or we can think we have more time than we really do, and so we are not prepared. Make sure you have a clear understanding of the relationship you need to have with God. You can only get that by knowing what God says in the Bible.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What have you been sure of only to find out you were dead wrong? I’d like to hear from you; leave your comment below.

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What You Give Your Attention To Will Be Important To You

I believe something will fade in its importance to you when you stop paying attention to it. I stumbled on this principle this week.

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He’s gone, and he’s not coming back. No more Winston the turtle in our house. No more swimming frantically when someone passed by his tank. No more bashing into the tank glass when he would get scared off his rock.

Oh, he’s still living. He has a life expectancy of about 25 – 30 years, so I figure he has over twenty years of life left.

Winston is just no longer in our home. It was a bit of a sad day. Lily and Karlie drained the tank, packed up the filter and all the other paraphernalia, and took him to a new home.

You know, when my kids were young, when I came home they would come running to the door to see me and give me big hugs. Since they’ve grown up, it’s been Winston who has excitedly paddled at the edge of his tank when I came home.

It might have been that he wanted me to feed him instead of just being happy to see me … I can think what I want, can’t I? He can’t speak for himself.

Winston didn’t get all that much attention at our house. Karlie lives in another city, and Mike, though living in town, didn’t have much to do with him.

So it was down to Lily and I to take note of him and I mostly talked to him as I was passing by the living room.

That left Lily to care for him … and she did more than just talk to him. She fed him, cleaned his tank and filter, and took him out to let him walk around.

It’s Lily who had the hardest time saying good bye.

Lil would hold him and stroke the underside of his neck which he seemed to like. I guess there’s no more of that now.

He’s been gone less than a week and I still find myself looking over to that corner when I enter the living room to make sure I don’t scare him off his tanning rock.

Now he’s with a good family, with three kids to watch him, feed him, walk him, and give him more attention than we could.

But they need to be aware that Winston is a passive pet. And by that, I mean you have to go to him; he doesn’t come over to you to get petted or hugged or have his hand held. (I would hold his hand or paw after I fed him).

The poor little guy is gone. … But already our house is feeling like it’s back to normal.

Here’s the thing: You get attached to any pet, but the more interaction you have with that pet, the more important it will be to you, and the harder it is to say good bye. The same is true with attending church. The more interaction you have with Christ and His people, the more important they will be to you, and the harder it is to stay away. It’s easier to stay away from church when you are a passive attender. Make sure then you develop close connections with friends at church.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What is one excuse you’ve used to miss going to church in the last 3 months? I’d really like to hear from you; you can leave your comment below.

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How To Determine If You Should See The Movie “Noah”

I’ve read about Noah in the Bible many, many times. Like thousands and thousands of other people, I know the story inside out.

Noah Flannel graph

This week I saw the movie, “Noah” in the theatre. To be honest, I didn’t read any of the hype, nor any of the reviews before I saw the movie. I simply went to see the movie of a script I knew very, very well.

After seeing the movie, I’m happy to report that there is a character named Noah, there is a flood and an ark (a very large boat). But the movie is not about the Noah that I’ve read about, nor does it have anything to do with God or the Bible.

There are people who have written all kinds of reviews on this movie. You could read a review or two if you want, but I would suggest you just read Genesis 6-9.

Read it a few times – it won’t take you the 139 minutes it takes to watch the movie (plus the previews and waiting in line for popcorn). As an added bonus, and just to get your math down on who lived when, you could read Genesis 5 as well.

That’s a really good start if you are interested in seeing the movie because, after reading the Biblical account of Noah, you will be able to view this movie without confusion. It’s clear that it’s not taken from the Bible.

I’m not saying that’s a bad thing; I’ve seen movies that aren’t from the Bible. I can’t recall any reference in the scripture to “Jason Bourne” or “Blackbrier” of the Bourne trilogy of movies, and I’m okay with that.

I saw the Lord of Rings series and I may even go see the Captain America movie that’s coming out soon. Those movies are entertaining; not enlightening; not revealing truth. And I don’t expect them to be any of that either.

For me, if I want enlightenment and truth I read the Bible. When I want to be entertained, I may watch a movie.

This was not a bad movie to watch. However, it is violent in places, and I still have a few marks on my hand where my wife dug in her nails.

There are some amazing rock creatures that help Noah build the ark. I’m sure they cut his workload and time down by about 60% … these guys had six arms!

If you haven’t seen the movie and are wondering if you should, consider your motives for seeing the movie first.

See it for entertainment only. If you want to get some visual depiction of the story in Genesis, then don’t see the movie. Instead purchase some flannel, some paper cut-out Bible figures, and an easel from a craft story. Then have someone read Genesis 6-9 and you work the flannel graph.

Here’s the thing: Everything you watch, hear and read has a slant to it. Someone has put their own thoughts, ideas, interpretation to it. But God has given us the Bible. Yes, it was written over 2,000 years ago and has 40 authors. But it was written under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit.  2 Timothy 3:16 says it was “breathed out by God”. God has made sure that we have what He wants us to have in the scriptures: His truth, the truth.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: Will you see the movie? Why or why not? If you have, what are your thoughts on it?

I’d love to hear from you; leave your comment below.

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Get Your Email Inbox To Zero, Part 2

This is part two of a blog I posted on Saturday, March 1, 2014. So if you are reading this and haven’t read the first part, check out “How To Get Your Email Inbox To Zero”.

For me the biggest concern I have with bulging email inboxes is the feeling of not being caught up, and that I may have missed something. And believe me, there have been times emails have got buried and I didn’t do what I was supposed to do.

inbox 0

In my last post, I said I needed help. So I went looking for some help to get control of this “rascally little rabbit” email inbox.

I combed through the google suggestions based on searches like “overflowing email inbox” or “help I’m buried underneath a thousand emails” … you know, usual search line phrases.

And to boil down all the information, I decided on three components to zeroing out my email inbox. The first is a decision process which is called D.D.F.D. that stands for “Do it, Defer it, File it, Delete it”.

I start by applying this process to each email. If I can address the email in 2 minutes or less, I do it; if I can’t, I defer it to a later time. If I might need to reference it later, I file it. If I don’t need to respond to it, I delete it.

It sounds like a simple process, but I have found myself staring at emails, contemplating which action I should take. Sometimes I need to do it AND file it, and then I always need to delete it from my inbox (I think I’ve been hypnotized).

Anyway, the process is vitally important but I needed some apps to help me make it all happen.

I use an app called “Evernote” to file emails in that I may need to reference later. Basically, I email the email to my Evernote account and it is then stored in the cloud, off my computer and especially out of my inbox.

The app I use to defer things to is called “Nozbe”. This app turns emails into tasks, and I basically email the email to my Nozbe account, also stored in the cloud.

That’s the basics – ask me if you want to know more. The bottom line is I’ve zeroed out my inbox for the last 5 days now. And there’s no looking back!

You wouldn’t believe how good this feels. I feel in control, and on top of things. When I look at that inbox and see nothing in it, I get this big ol’ smile on my face.  … Well I would get that big ol’ smile on my face if I was a 250 pound state trouper from Georgia.

I still have to delete my trash and my sent folders, but my finger is hovering over the erase button . . . . and  . . . oh, there. Gone! I did it.

Here’s the thing: In my last blog, I said dealing with an over-full inbox is like sin. The first step is to admit you have a problem. Identify the sin you have difficulty with and seek God’s help. The great thing is that God will forgive you.

Then take steps to distance yourself from that sin. Like zeroing out my inbox, it takes some planning, commitment to that plan and discipline. There may be times when my inbox starts to build up, but I can get right back at implementing my methods. And the same is true when you sin again: seek God in repentance and get back to your plan.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question:  What steps do you take to keep sin out of your life?

I’d really love to hear from you; leave your comment below.

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Three Lessons From The Men’s Gold Medal Game

I know hockey is just a game, but we can learn some things from what went down on Sunday morning. Like millions of other Canadians, I was up to watch the game.

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I had a slight twinge of pity for those living in British Colombia who had to get up at 4 am, but everyone who got up to watch is glad they did. What a game!

Team Canada dominated the play throughout and, like every other game they played in the tournament, the only thing that made it tense was their lack of goal scoring. That meant a crazy bounce, a little mistake, or a fluky play could sink them at any time.

But in the end, it all turned out just as I had thought.

And that leads me to the first lesson: When you have a feeling, a sense, or some kind of inkling about what’s going to happen, don’t keep it to yourself. Announce it!

It may be because I’m a Canadian, or maybe it’s just my lack of confidence, or perhaps nothing more than a nutty superstition, but I often keep my hunches to myself.

On Thursday morning when our lady’s curling team won the gold, I had this feeling (or call it what you will) that we were going to win both golds in curling and both golds in hockey.

Thursday afternoon I almost thought I was wrong, but then our women’s hockey team came back like Canadians to rip the victory from the USA team in True North dramatic fashion. My gut feeling was intact.

However, I said nothing of what I thought until the horn sounded to end the men’s hockey final on Sunday. But announcing then that I had this feeling Canada would win those four golds meant nothing.

You have to go out on a limb and state your convictions or predictions before they take place.  You can’t be a Don Cherry wise guy any other way.

The second lesson to learn is that it is far less stressful watching the gold medal men’s hockey game a second time. That’s right, for some reason CBC replayed the game Sunday afternoon and I found myself watching it again. I yelled up to Lily that we scored when we got our first goal.

During the first watching, I was a bit of a wreck. I didn’t talk much, I was nervous, I couldn’t look away from the TV. I enjoyed how well our team played, but my stomach was in knots.

On the second watching, I was at ease. I even did some work on my computer trying to get my email inbox to zero (but that’s another blog).

When you know the outcome of something, it takes all the nervous stress away.

Then there is one more lesson to learn from this game, and it’s this: no one should be late for church ever! I got up at my regular time, had my devotions, and showered before the game began. I finished my breakfast by the time the players had finished handing out those little trinkets before the game. Lil and I even had time after the game to watch interviews.

And we still made it to church before the puck dropped … I mean the opening song.

Here’s the thing: If you’re a Christian, you know how things end. Don’t be shy; announce it to your friends. Because you know the outcome, you don’t have to be nervous. Be confident about the future. And come prepared and expectant into God’s house to worship with your family, friends and fellow believers. It’s awesome!

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What did you learn from watching the game Sunday morning?  Leave your comment below.

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Ripped Off Because I Missed It

Fifty years ago I got ripped off, but not this time. Tonight on TV was a show called “The Beatles: The Night That Changed America.”

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There was no way I was going to miss this one! On February 9, 1964 I was at church during the first time the Beatles were on the Ed Sullivan Show.

I tried to stay home. My younger brother faked some mysterious sickness so he wouldn’t have to attend the evening service and got to remain home with Gram.

But not me; I had to go. I remember John telling me how he saw a music group on TV; I don’t think he could remember their name. Then the next day at school everyone was talking about the Beatles.

Sure, I saw the Beatles other times they were on the Ed Sullivan Show, but I didn’t get to see them the first time they performed in North America. And now that there are only two of them left, I had to see them for what will probably be the last time Paul and Ringo do something on a stage together.

I once had a chance to see Paul McCartney at Maple Leaf Gardens in 1976 for the Wings Over America Tour. I still kick myself to this day that I didn’t go. I didn’t go because, well, Paul McCartney and Wings weren’t the Beatles and I didn’t have the $16 (I think) for the ticket.

Ya, I know. It was only $16 – what an idiot! That amount seemed like a lot of money to me at the time and I really had no means to pay anyone back, either.

Tonight’s Beatles show was vastly different from the ’64 show. For one thing, it was in colour. I’m not sure if the Ed Sullivan Show was broadcast in colour back then, but we only had a black and white TV so it wouldn’t have mattered.

This time there were all kinds of artists singing renditions of Beatle songs, while the real Beatles watched and applauded. It didn’t really matter to me who was singing because I was drowning them all out singing away to every song that was aired.

The program was about the same length as a hockey game. In this case, they put the two stars on the stage at the end of the game and they scored a couple of goals by singing a few of their hits individually and together.

The last song was, “Hey Jude”, the longest song on the radio in its time. It was the song that opened the way for hits to be longer than about two and a half minutes long.

I knew the song well. My brother got me the single for Christmas in 1968 … actually, before Christmas. He couldn’t wait till Christmas morning, so he told me, and we actually played it a couple of times before it was wrapped and put under the tree.

The TV show ended with everyone, musicians and the whole audience, singing along. I didn’t miss out on it this time . . . na, na, na, na-na-na-na!

Here’s the thing: There are many things that we will miss out on in life. For one or more reasons we will wish we had been there, tried this, seen that, or in some way experienced something we didn’t. Any of those things, while they might have been great, don’t come close to missing out on heaven. We can only get to experience it if we have a relationship with Christ. Don’t miss out on it by put off beginning that relationship.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What have you missed that you really wish you had experienced? Leave your comment below.

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How Darkness Causes You To Stumble

I’m wondering if you can become more klutzy as you get older. I wouldn’t say that I have the greatest hand eye coordination but I’ve always been able to negotiate my way around things.

Falling-down

But not last night. I was working at the church and had gone out to run an errand. When I came back, I didn’t turn on any lights except for in my office. So, by the time I was done for the night, the church was pitch black dark.

The church foyer is pretty open so I made my way across it to the stairs. I started down the stairs and right near the bottom something caught my eye. It may have been a reflection or something but I looked up and then missed the last one or two stairs.

Well that was it – it would have made a great video! I sprawled out, my computer bag went flying, and I landed hard on both knees, which are not the greatest to begin with.

I rolled on the ground for a second, waiting for the pain to subside, then stood up, grabbed my bag and left. No harm, no foul. No one saw my wipe out. I didn’t suffer any kind of injury. But I felt pretty dumb.

When I was in my teens my bedroom was in the far end of our basement. There were two flights of steps to go down, and to get to my room I had to walk through two other rooms.

Instead of turning on a light at the top of the stairs, then turning on a light in my room and going back to the top of the stairs to turn that light out again, I would just make my way to my room in the dark.

I not only had the stairs to contend with, but I had couches, lamp stands, and any number of other objects that would be in my way. But I made it; I never fell down the stairs, never banged my knee into a door frame.

What happened to me last night, I don’t know. I’m just glad I wasn’t chewing gum at the same time; it might have been a disaster.

I know some people would try to tell me that I should look where I’m going. But really, I’ve been walking for well over 50 years! I think by now I should be able to cheat on that a little bit and get away with it.

Every morning I walk down a dark hallway, turning a Q-tip in my ear, and so far I haven’t jammed my elbow against the wall and sent that Q-tip clean through to my other ear.

Maybe my fall was an isolated incident, some kind of fluke that won’t happen again. Or maybe it’s the start of a clumsiness that will find me in traction drinking through a straw!

I guess I will just have to see what happens.

Here’s the thing: In the dark, even a glint of light catches our attention. Our eyes are drawn to it. But in the light, these little glints aren’t even noticeable. God has given us a great light in the Bible, and if we will read it, know it, and use it, all the little theories, fads, and ideas won’t distract us and cause us to fall.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What is your greatest source of distraction? Leave your comment below.