Friday Five -- Renewal

In this week that looks unlikely to hold a complete day off, I am pondering renewal. List four ways you like to relax or give yourself a break. Then name a fifth, something you've never been able to do, a self-care dream.

1. Hot Bath, just a nice soak
2. WAlk the DOg, which reminds me that hasn't happened for a couple of days--after supper
3. Read something brainless. Actually reading in general but for real refreshment reading that doesn't feel like work.
4. Play with the kids. In my former job, if I was having a rough day on an Intake shift I would take five minutes on the floor in the playroom and find that much more refreshing than 15 minutes sitting in the staff room.
5. A massage, never had one, not likely to happen soon either

What Does It Mean to be Christian Today? (newspaper column)

That is the question which opens Marcus Borg’s book The Heart of Christianity. And it is a question that tends to excite a lot of discussion.

One of the recurring themes in the Discussion Lounge of WonderCafe is whether or not there is one, and only one, “right” way to be a Christian. Some claim that you have to believe what the ancient creeds say, that you have to accept the 5 fundamentals of faith (that Scripture is the inerrant Word of God, that Jesus was born of a Virgin, that the Resurrection was a physical and bodily event, the Blood Sacrifice for payment of sins, and that Christ will come again), in order to be a “true” Christian. Others find that the language and imagery of the ancient creeds is nonsensical to them and that there are other ways of expressing Christian faith. Often the latter say that to accept the faith of fundamentalism would mean turning off their intellect and common sense. And of course many of us find ourselves somewhere in the middle between the two extremes.

But really, what does it mean to be Christian in 2007? I strongly believe that it means we respect the faith of those who have gone before but not that we have to copy it. In one of my favourite quotes church historian Jaroslav Pelikan says: Tradition is the living faith of the dead. Traditionalism is the dead faith of the living. The United Church of Canada has, since its formation over 80 years ago, believed that each generation needs to re-state the faith in its own language and imagery. There is room for those who have a more traditional faith. There also needs to be room for those of us who see the faith moving away from traditional language.

In The Heart of Christianity Marcus Borg invites the reader to explore that opening question. He invites us to look at the tradition with new eyes, to look at Christian life from the view of the heart. He writes from the point of view of a person who was raised in a very traditional faith, who rejected that faith as anti-intellectual, and who has come back to faith in a new understanding. Borg describes 2 visions, or paradigms, of Christian faith and challenges the reader to explore what gets to the heart of faithfulness.

Faith is meant to be questioned and explored. Faith grows only when subjected to questioning. In the end, there is room in the Christian family for people at varying points between traditional and “emergent”. But we all have to determine what works for us. Starting Thursday March 1 Riverview will be holding a 12-week study of Marcus Borg’s book. If you are interested in exploring these sorts of questions call Gord at 597-6129 or e-mail the church at riverviewuc@shaw.ca. All are welcome whether you grew up in the church or have never walked through the door.

And What Does THIS Mean?

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Milord Sir Lord Gord the Carnivorous of Yockenthwait Walden Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

Hat Tip to Songbird

Words of Commissioning

THis SUnday I am preaching a sermon titled "Prophets Without Honour" focussing mainly on the Luke passage (the whole story, we didn't read the first half yesterday) and touching a bit on JEremiah's call/resistance. HEre is the service closing (we will sing Siyahamba after it).

*COMMISSIONING AND BENEDICTION
Long ago the Voice of God spoke to young Jeremiah,
and he was afraid to heed the call.
Long ago the Call of God pushed a man from Nazareth to upset the known and the comfortable,
and people got upset
Here today God continues to call us to speak words of truth and challenge,
and we are often afraid that people will get upset.
May we go out into the world as those who have heard God’s call,
may we go out into the world to free captives, end oppression, and bring hope to the despairing.
We do this knowing that the God who calls us walks with us every step of the way.
Thanks be to God! Amen.

If Anyone is Interested

Going through my files this morning in preparation for a devotion I found an old sermon called On Life, and Life After Death, and Mystery. I posted it on the church blog if ayone wants to read it.

MAybe Some Day

Every once in a while I find myself musing about doing some more schooling. For example doing this.

NOt sure how well it would work as distance ed though...

ANyone WAnt to get rid of some pews?

I have learned that some of our brothers and sisters in faith need pews for the church buildign they are rebuilding after a fire. For more information go here

The 5 W's

The questions are simple, the answers unlimited. Go!

• Who THe five of us, meeting my parents at the other end.
• What A study leave event at my alma mater -- called "SIng Lustily"
• When In just under a month. Actually in three weeks we leave, home 4 weeks from tomorrow.
• Where The City of Bridges
• Why WHy not? Study leave time is there to be used after all.
• Bonus: How Driving. Three days out, three day event, three days back.

EXXTRA: When I was in about Grade 5/6 there was a children's news show on CBC taht was called something like the title of this post. Each episode ended with a quiz where each question started with one of the 5 w's. I remember my Grade 6 teacher using taped copies for class discussion about current events (this is around the time of the Iran-Iraq war, or as it was called then the PErsian Gulf War -- a name which has since been re-used)

Missing the Point Again!

Tories to spend $230M on clean energy technology
Federal minister says he is 'keen on' use of nuclear energy in Alberta's oil patch

IS it time we can finally admit that there is no such thing as "clean energy"! THere is only the choice of what form of pollution we prefer.

The biggest lie is that nuclear energy is going to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions -- not. By the time the ore is mined, processed, and shipped the saving at the power plant has been lost, and you still have the slight problem of waste that will be radioactive for THOUSANDS of years.

The only real long-term policy that will make real change in emission levels is to use less energy. YEs that might hurt business as power rates (or green taxes) go up and energy is less available. But in the end it has to happen. Using the aount we are currently using won't be sustainable. HArd truths but they are on the mark.

TIme WAsters Combined

OUr router arrived today! Sitting on the couch typing this.

SO now we can combine web-surfing with TV watching--lots of screen time.

OR check e-mail in bed....

Or blog from the kids toy room....

NOw to find a router compatible with Windows 98 and get approval to get one for the church.