Yes, it was a wonderful week on the Island (PEI). Valerie and I enjoyed a whole week of quiet relaxation. Thank You Lord! It was also good to see our friends at Charlottetown CRC. Thank You Lord, again! And above all, it was great to see our kids again when we came home. Thank You Lord!!!

God’s Mission, what on earth God is doing!
Do you think of God as on a mission?
Do you see God as active in the world, or passive?
And if God is active, what is it that God is doing?
I believe that God is on a mission; I believe that God is active in the world for a specific purpose.
I believe that the God that created this world is now at work restoring this world, remaking it into the paradise that it was first created to be!
The bible is not first of all a rule book, or an encyclopaedia of information; the bible is first and foremost the record or story of God’s plan of recreation, or rescuing this world from the mess that we made it.
The bible begins with a perfect creation; and it ends with a perfect (or new) creation.
But in-between it is a twisted story of good and evil intertwined, and ultimately a story of how God overcomes the evil with good.
This is what God is up to in the world; this is what God is doing everywhere, all the time.
And this is what God is doing in Falby Court!

He revealed his character to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel.
The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever.
He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.
The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust. [Psalm 103:7-14]
What is God like? What kind of character is God?
God is love.
God is not anger, God is not rage, God is not wrath; He demonstrates these qualities, but not because they are the root of His nature, but as expressions of wounded, violated love.
He does not treat us as our sins deserve… let that sink in!
If only we could believe this, instead of the lies that Satan misleads us into believing.
If only we would pay attention to the character of God, instead of the caricatures of God.
Yes, God is holy, God is just, God is mysterious and incomprehensible; but over all these qualities, He has revealed to us that He is first and foremost our loving, compassionate, forgiving Father.
Yes, He is in heaven, and His name is hallowed; Yes, His kingdom is coming and His will is to be done; but first and foremost, He is “Our Father”.

What is a community of grace?
A place where all people are welcomed and blessed, no matter who they are, what they are like, what they have done or not done, or how they stand in relationship to God.
Jesus models this with His disciples, a motley crew of followers from a variety of backgrounds – spiritual, social, moral, personality type.
To be part of a community of grace is wonderful, but to be a community of grace is difficult.
Grace is undeserved blessing, which sounds so nice when applied to us, but is so much harder when applied to people that annoy us, or offend us, or mistreat us, or take advantage of us.
Does being a community of grace mean that we are nice, respectful, patient with everyone?
What about speaking the truth in love, providing accountability, gentle rebuke?
When is it time to say something about someone’s unhealthy or harmful behaviours?
What does being a grace community look like in this specific instances:

• Someone who is loud, obnoxious, full of themselves, and talks your ear off?
• Someone who does not show up to fulfill a church role, without letting you know?
• Someone who makes foolish choices, and asks for help with the consequences?
• Someone who never helps with anything, but is always ready to complain when things go wrong?
• Someone who is always right, and very opinionated?
• Someone who always changes the conversation to be about themselves?
• Someone who lives a lifestyle that is morally disturbing to you?
• Someone who smells, has obvious personal hygiene issues?
• Someone who is always down, and brings you down when they talk to you?
• Can you think of other examples?

Have you experienced a community of grace?
How would your describe a community of grace?

Check out article in Hamilton Spectator here

On Monday May 3, 2010, the Lord took home His covenant children, Rachel Marie VanHartingsveldt, and her unborn infant daughter, Kaylee Elaine, as a result of a car accident.

Rachel, at the age of 21, beloved daughter of Pete and Elaine (nee Sikma). Loving sister of Ryan (Grace), Alicia (Ken) Boekee; Bradley and Kristin. Dear aunt of Amy, Carson and Justin. Beloved granddaughter of Philip & Rita VanHartingsveldt and Rose Rusticus (Sikma) and the late Pier Sikma & Ed Rusticus. Dear friend of Cohen Trolley. Cherished niece and cousin of Gerry & Dave deVries; Krista & Steve Driesman (Adriana, Janine); Valerie & Norm Sennema (Tim, Nathan, Janelle); Geoffery (Nicole, Jessica, Jonathon); John & Jen (Steven, Derek, Josh, Jacob & Ethan) and Christine & Steve (Alexe, Sam, & Taylor) and her Rusticus uncles and aunts Owen, Martin & Shayna, Sheila, Eric & Stacy. She will be sadly missed by her many friends. Psalm 8:2a “From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise”.

Visitation will be held at MARANATHA CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH, Hwy # 2 & Haines Rd. . Bowmanville on Thursday May 6th, 2010 from 2-4 & 7-9 pm. A funeral Service will be held at MARANATHA CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH on Friday May 7th, 2010 at 11am. Memorial Donations may be made to Durham Christian High School for a Tuition Assistance Fund or the Eva Rothwell Resource Centre (Hamilton ON) through the NORTHCUTT ELLIOTT FUNERAL HOME, 53 Division St. Bowmanville, with whom the arrangements have been entrusted. www.northcuttelliott.com

Please pray for a great measure of strength and grace as the family mourns this unfathomable loss.

Today I chatted with an atheist.
Sitting here at Starbucks, working on my blog devotionals, I noticed he was reading Karen Armstrong’s The Case For God.
I appreciated his honesty: He was an ardent atheist, but was concerned that he was becoming close-minded, so he was exploring perspectives on God’s existence.
Most of the books he read by Christians were shrill (his word) and negative, but this book was connecting for him, opening the possibility of God for him. Continue reading ‘chatting with an atheist’ »

Too often we think of church as a place where we go.
The connection between ‘church’ and a building is rooted in the very word itself, which comes from the Old English word “circe”, which is derived from the Greek word “kyriakon” meaning “the Lord’s (house)” from the Greek root word “kyrious” mean “Lord”.
Constrast that with the Greek word used in the bible: “ekklesia”. This word literally means “the called out ones”, referring to meeting or religious assembly.
In the “circe” sense, we do not have a “church”, i.e. a house for the Lord; but in the “ecclesia” sense we have many “churches”, i.e. religious gatherings. Continue reading ‘churching where we are’ »

Yesterday I watched video clips that depicted the cruel torture and death of Jesus on the cross, something that I have done many times around this time of year.
For my own spiritual journey, watching these graphic scenes has helped me to experience the depth and horror of what Jesus endured, as well as to identify with the billions+ of victims of horrific abuse throughout the centuries.
Yesterday again, I was disturbed… but in a different way. Continue reading ‘disturbing video clips’ »

Jesus is the reason for THIS season…

*** Warning, this is a disturbing video portrayal of the suffering and death of Jesus, taken from Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ”. ***