: mustard seed sunday @ sbf :

... February 22nd turned out to be Mustard Seed Sunday at SBF. Last fall John Bones asked about Dr Bones Blues Project doing a benefit concert, and we said absolutely. As the teaching planning team was putting together the Core Strength series we asked Chris Pollock, the Seed's youth pastor, if he could speak the same morning, as an introduction of sorts to the evening's education and awareness thrust. He agreed.

... even though I thought of it last second, and ran to my office to get the camera, I thought this shopping cart at the base of the cross was poignant.

... the Mustard Seed Praise Band, Brooklyn Peppler and Dr Bones & Co brought the music, various artists, poets, and others brought their words of testimony, observations of life on the street, and witness to the incredible work the Seed does through it's many ministries.

As the dust settled, Rev. Tom was overheard ... "I'm having trouble reconciling the Japanese Shogun in me with the Baptist Minister in me" ...

Many of you had heard of the tragedy of 'Harley's' death recently. It was something to hear Chris preface his sermon with a bit of an update on that from the perspective of the street community. I thought I would share that with you here.

dlc

***

Hi I’m Chris – I just want to thank you for having me here to share with you today – thank you Don – for pursuing me...it kinda made me feel nice and wanted...a very cool feeling! I’d also like to thank you, on behalf of the Mustard Seed Street Church – for focusing in on us today...Don has been calling it Mustard Seed Sunday and we are overjoyed to be here sharing with you of the work that we’re into...over the course of this day...and we’re just humbled by your interest in supporting us and our friends on the streets of Victoria...
Now, before I get going into the nitty gritties of this message - I’d just like to speak on the current situation of the streets of Victoria – the climate has been utterly depressed as of late – you could say that the street community is feeling rather under the weather right now. We are in mourning. Just over a week ago now someone, a young girl very close to many hearts of many people on the street, was pushed into the way of an oncoming bus...Her name to us is Harley...and, she was a pearl, a diamond – unique to the street for her gentleness, sweetness, loyalty – she was unassuming – she had needs, just like we all do – but, she didn’t press them upon anyone...she was quiet. The boy never knew what repercussions there would be...the boy never knew, in that moment that he chose to push her, the hearts that would be broken. The family of the street, who knows far too much of loss and is yet purified through it, was robbed that night...violated. There is a sad fog that is looming over us...this is real. On Friday, there was a memorial for Harley at Our Place – Reverend Al is such a father, friend and hero for the people...he led the service with such sensitivity – there were hundreds of people there...many old friends of mine came out to remember her and stand and hold one another, to weep together and sing...I saw sitting on a table across the big meeting room there a guy that used to run with me years ago...he used to be my protector as I came to the street there by Blenz, opposite 7-11 in my old Volkswagon Van...we called it the Drive By cafe...we used to serve wraps from the table inside – all specific to the order of each person who came in and sat with me...and there he’d stand outside the door, his name is Lucas – I called him Pete-Rock - he’d organize the line, break up fights, keep the language in check (it was funny...he’d let some emo-f-bombs drop to get his point across), and he’d lean in and check in on me from time to time to make sure I was OK – sometimes, at the end of the night he’d give me some martial arts demo’s by drop kicking the branch of a tree that was maybe a few feet over head, bar-none he was the toughest that our streets have seen for awhile at least...so, there was Lucas on the other side of the room to me at Harley’s memorial – head bowed and very somber and obviously reflecting the pain of this loss – reaching him through the crowd was not easy...but, I made it for the embrace...and he grabbed me, yanking me into his heart with the tightest hold, he buried his head deep into my neck and I felt the release of such pain...tears were flowing, not dripping, streaming down my neck...this is the sorrow of the street. A baby – I could only think of Molly, my 10-month old daughter, as I held him...’It’s ok...it’s going to be alright...I love you’...
We say that the homeless need a home...when we say ‘end homelessness’.
We say that they are poor...when we observe their situation and say ‘end poverty’.
My friends who live on the street and in shelters know family closer than the majority of families that I know.
My friends who live on the street and in shelters have a grand home...Victoria is a beautiful place...they are most certainly not homeless...they have any choice of a number of houses to stay in...
My friends who live on the street and in shelters know a wealth that affluence cannot describe...
We are the ones that tell them they are poor and homeless...that they are problemed?
So what should we be saying then...? The intention for change is good – I just think that the intention is processed wrong.
How about: ‘end apathy’...’end elitism’...’end classism’...’end prejudice’...’end categorizing and diminution’
There is such division...such misunderstanding. Harley was trying to break up a fight between two affluent, drunk young men that night. There is so much potential in unity...we need to get there, which is a place of honesty and trust before any type of change is possible...be sure that change will look different from the place of unity than from the place of division.
Let’s Pray

****

ps. if you have read this far, you might as well read Ron Cole's comments on the evening as well. Ron is Dr Bones' percusssionist.

: now that was a great sunday, if you ask me :

... I am sitting at my computer, obviously, first thing Monday morning, but still thinking about yesterday's service. It always seems to be a juggling act to include all the great things happening around SBF these days ... so yesterday we captured worship, Communion, John Wilton's December 2007 idea with the notes-to-self, an update from Marco, and Dennis' challenging conclusion to our series on Haggai, plus a challenging introduction to the CORE STRENGTH series starting next week.

... speaking of John Wilton? Nina, Dennis and I invited him back for a coffee last week, so he joined us for old time's sake on Thursday morning. Here is a quick snapshot I took of the SBF staff team 2007-2008.

And here is a snapshot of John's favourite liquid refreshment ( medium latte from Fresh Cup down at the corner ). He was known to have referred to the Fresh Cup as his second office while around SBF. Of course, presentation looks better when down at Fresh Cup Roastery, as something is lost in translation when a really great latte is ordered to go, but I assume it tasted just as great.

But what hit me as we concluded the worship service yesterday, before heading downstairs for our monthly Communion Sunday fellowship potlunch was the last verse of Shout to the North as Dave and Julie led us ... "rise up church with broken wings, fill this place with songs again, of our God who reigns on high, by His grace again we'll fly" ... coming on the heels of verse three ... "we've been through fire we've been through rain, we've been refined by the power of his name, we've fallen deeper in love with you, you've burned the truth on our lips" ...

Just seems to me like it was a great day all around. When it came time to come forward for Communion people were on their feet in a flash. When Marco shared the exciting things, and the challenging things, about their ministry, you could have heard a pin drop. When Dennis offered to meet with some men for a time of discipleship, half a dozen tracked him down over lunch. But the clincher, for me, was the amazing appropriateness of those last two verses ... especially after Dennis' challenge to SBF to be a witness on the Peninsula.

dlc

: CORE STRENGTH : winter/spring teaching series : 2009 :

... as the teaching planning team of Dennis, Alan and I began thinking about 2009's first 6 months of teaching/preaching at SBF way back in November, we felt that the progression from Fall 2008's "Se7en Churches of Revelation" into Advent 2008, and into Haggai this month of January would lead beautifully into something based on the spiritual practices, or disciplines, or habits that build a life of consistency and stability necessary to navigate the challenges staring us down spiritually in the 21st century.

We looked into a number of approaches to that, asked around some, bounced a few ideas off the elders, and did a bit of research and reading into it. What we came up with, after some give and take, was what we are calling ...

CORE STRENGTH : spiritual practices for a twenty-first century faith

A number of leaders in the area of spiritual formation have articulated some of these disciplines in written form : Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline, Dallas Willard's trilogy, Brother Lawrence's writings, and some others. In some way, shape or form each explains and defines these practices in different ways, but corporate, outward and inward disciplines say it best.

So as Dennis wraps up the Haggai series this Sunday at Communion, he will also introduce this series ... and through February, March and April, after Easter and Sunday February 8th we will launch into looking at Confession, Guidance, Worship, Celebration, Prayer, Simplicity, Submission, Solitude, Service, Fasting, Meditation and Study.

CORE STRENGTH is a sports medicine term, referring to essential, deep, basic muscle groups that when taken seriously, taken care of, developed and used properly bring overall health, stability, longevity and balance to our lives. Well, we thought ... we could do no less than teach our way through the same idea spiritually, identifying and addressing and together as a faith community working through these practices.

There are no shortcuts to CORE STRENGTH, but there are also significant benefits from understanding what is and isn't going to mature our faith. CORE STRENGTH is the opposite of cosmetic muscle work, or faddish body sculpting, it is deep, difficult, but rewarding effort.

: SBF's search has begun ... again ... Phase II :

... well, Phase II of SBF's pastoral search is up and running in earnest.

Search2009, as I am calling it, looks good to me.

We learned a tonne in Phase I last fall, with 3 potential candidates going through structured interviews with the SC, as the elders affectionately refer to the Search Committee. Two of them returned for a less structured, more conversational get-to-know-each-other afternoon, and one visited SBF early in Advent and spoke.

While all around there was mutual agreement with these first three men that the fit between them and SBF wasn't quite there, the process and the three different perspectives created a great learning experience for the SC, and the elders when they joined the process part way through. So now, as we re-enter the search in earnest, we have much more to go on, more clarity about the pastoral role, and a sense of direction and a comfort level with the challenge that I believe will be productive.

So, as you think of the SearchComm as we meet most Tuesday evenings, say a prayer for wisdom, direction, unity, great process, the right contacts, and a connection with the right person to join the SBF leadership team is this pastoral role. We will be getting some profiles and information out to you in the next few weeks as we finish off that refinement process. Until then? keep us in your prayers, and especially a special meeting next week with Jay Gurnett of Vision Ministries Canada. He knows a LOT of people in pastoral circles, and we will be picking his brains about the opportunity here at SBF.

dlc

: first and belated post of 2009 the new year upon us :

... Happy New Year SBF! I've taken the liberty of 'deleting' the last few posts about snow cancellations ... hope that's over!

: Advent 2008 @ SBF : O Come, O Come Emmanuel :

... hard as it may be to believe, Advent 2008 begins in less than two weeks.

At SBF we will turn towards our Advent focus beginning this Sunday, even as Dennis begins wrapping up the "Seven Churches of Revelation" teaching series with the second last church, Philadelphia. We will look to a visual, object lesson type reminder of what took place so many years ago. This year November 30th is Advent I ... December 7th Advent II, December 14th Advent III, December 21st Advent IV.

Each Sunday will have a unique focus and emphasis as SBF prepares, as a faith community, for Christmas in the 21st century. This Sunday an introduction, or better put, a welcome to the journey. November 30th ... the first candle, as Dennis concludes with the Church @ Laodicea. December 7th ... communion, and the second candle. December 14th, the third candle, and our kids bring us a pageant. December 21st ... Christmas Sunday, and the fourth candle. Advent culminates on Christmas Eve, as we celebrate "O Holy Night" ...

As we began planning for Christmas 2008, the theme of beautiful, scriptural Christmas carols came to mind, and we will allow them to direct our thoughts these next weeks.

One of those rich, biblical carols referred to above is 'O Come, O Come, Emmanuel' ... "O Come, Thou DaySpring, come and cheer, our spirits by Thine advent here" ... "O Come, Thou Wisdom from on high, and order all things, far and nigh" ... 'O Come, Desire of Nations, bind, all peoples in one heart and mind" ... let's look forward to Advent 2008, letting it shape us, slow us down, direct us and deliver us to December 24/25 prepared, even against the commercialized 'Christmas" many would want to deliver us into.

: one for the 'food-for-thought' category :

"NOT everything that can be COUNTED counts,
and not everything that COUNTS can be counted" ...

Albert Einstein