Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Angry....but you won't find out why by reading this blog

Before I go into my thoughts on NHL Trade deadline day, which many people are saying has become something of a holiday up here in Canada, let me first confirm that my wife Cara is pregnant. Kudos to you who were able to crack my secret and mystical code. Jon Kramer, better luck next time. So Yes, Cara is pregnant, and we couldn’t be more happy, we had been trying for about four months, and here we are, nervous but very excited and very happy to share this with our friends and family.

Now, on to other subjects: Last Thursday night, Baby (this is how I will refer to the child growing in Cara’s womb henceforth until its birth) attended his first rock concert. Well, ok, perhaps rock concert is not the right phraseology, because it was a Christian concert, and so this is not to say it was not rockin’ or enjoyable (we saw Jars of Clay in Edmonton), it was both, but the atmosphere of a Christian concert is so incredibly different then that of a concert which is not so definitely Christian. You see, I felt among the audience a lack of freedom to actually enjoy the music and be moved by it. The music of Jars of Clay has many times created an emotional response in me, and I have often appreciated the connection with the music that I have had. Seeing them live and seeing fellow concert-goers unable to respond to music was sad. You see, when I saw ACDC when they took the stage, we jumped to our feet, when they played the intro to “thunderstruck” the roof blew off of the stadium. People spontaneously move, and dance, and jump, and they have a great time, and they sing, and no one cares about how they sound, or how they look, because the music supercedes all that stuff. (Also they may be drunk or high, which also supercedes the concerns about looks and sounds, but you get the point). Christian concert-goers at a Christian concert didn’t stand until they were asked to stand. It was like a church service, they stood when they were asked to stand, they sat down awkwardly when they felt they could sit down (sort of like at the offertory when the worship band is still singing a song, but you feel like you should sit, but you aren’t sure if no one has told you) It was so awkward, and sad. So there was that. Then there was the fact that Jars lead singer Dan Haseltine had laryngitis. So he didn’t always sound that great, and sometimes he would try and get the crowd to sing along, and they would, but at a very low volume so that no one could hear you if you screwed up! It was awful, these people had no heart, the music didn’t affect them in such a way that they felt it an honor to sing along with Dan and the boys, to songs that have truly impacted their own hearts. The crowd sang the songs out of duty, and from a sense of fear that someone might actually have an emotional response to these songs and actually sing passionately from their hearts!

Well, I just got distracted for 40 minutes and I’ve lost my train of thought. I’ll post more another time. Just know the concert was good, except for a lady who stood up in front of us for half the concert and blocked our view of the stage. She was a swayer, she was quite annoying, especially to Cara, but also to me, but especially to baby.

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Secret Codes and the Reality of being Patient

At the outset of this blog i want you to know that i was forced to get a google account in order to continue using my blog. I don't like this, and have therefore set out to stop using google.

The real blog begins now

I’m sitting here at the Edge, my volunteers didn’t show tonight, but luckily God helped me finish my sermon C before we opened. He even gave me time to rent and try out a new PS2 game that I definitely, well sorta don’t like. I haven’t made up my mind yet, I don’t like the controller configuration A which by the way is not adjustable, but I like some of the newer features. Anyway, I’m here at the edge, listening to the wallflowers, and watching a group of teens interact around the pool table. Also note that I am feeling really tired. R Anyway, I thought about Jesus, cause that’s what you do when you are a pastor, and anyway, I thought about how Jesus could have just walked up to these kids and entered in to dialogue with these kids and A they would’ve been changed. I wish I could do that. I wish I could walk into a situation with these teens, or I guess a conversation, and engage them they way Christ did. Also, I feel like just sitting here, selling them pop, I giving them pool cues, video games and being friendly is not very effective. I guess I wish I could see S more results from this ministry, but I suppose the fact that we have about 15 non-churched kids in here tonight is results enough. I guess I just want to interact P with them the way I can with the church kids. To get to know them easier, to talk to them easier, to talk about deep and spiritual R things, to talk about even dumb stuff. Now Keith Urban is on, he’s sweet. I don’t know, these kids don’t want to talk to people here, well, E most of them don’t and the ones that don’t mind talking to you, G don’t seem to have much to say. Oh well. It’s in the Lords hands; I’m being faithful to do my part. I want to pray more N for these kids, but I guess I am slowly building a relationship A with some of them, I guess I just want it to feel more natural. In other news, life is good, I’m preaching in the morning, a N little nervous about it, but not so much also. I’m going to be pretty open and vulnerable with the congregation tomorrow. I felt Gods leading in it, so I hope it works out. I need to T sleep soon.

Ps. There is a secret code in this blog. If you figure it out, you will get a big surprise.

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Random Thought of the Day

If Olivia Newton-John married John Travolta, her name would be "Olivia Newton-John Travolta.....and that, that would be cool.

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Heavier Things

Some friends of mine had a baby. I'm stoked.

I'm feeling kinda blue this afternoon, i'm at the Edge Youth Center Here in Vermilion. Not really feeling like being here, but it's where i am supposed to be, so after fixing one of the computers in our internet cafe, i've taken up residence here to write another quick blog. The next couple weeks are going to be insane for me. I'm going to see Jars of Clay in Edmonton, the next day i'm running back to Saskatoon (for the first time ever!), and then i am coming back to take a gaggle (hopefully) of teens snowboarding and skiiing in Cold Lake. Not to mention preaching once in regular church, once for youth, and also singing on the worship team this weekend. Busy-ness doesn't necesarrily mean productivity, but in this case i think i will be. After this two weeks it will calm down, till LYC in Calgary and then i preach again after i get back.

I have a dream to see Vermilion come to see and know God, is that naive? Is that a dream we all go in with, and then once reality sets in we all get jaded and believe that God can't actually do it, or perhaps that we are restrained by the institution we have chosen to serve? Or are we restrained by our own view of this "institution" that we impose and suppose and assume. Do we assume that God, through a board of elders and a sr. pastor won't grant us the freedom to do something revolutionary in our community context? I don't know, I spent a few days at youth pastors retreat, and though i love the church, and the elders board i serve under and the sr. pastor i serve with, and it seems other guys don't...and seem to have real issues. I heard guys complain, and that wasn't the whole weekend, but it seems in some guys, the passion is gone, and also the perspective is gone, this doesn't make any sense, and more then likely, from thier perspective, i am some wide eyed rookie, with dreams and ideals that are all going to be crushed under the weight of reality. Oh well, as long as i still feel like God can do some work here in Vermilion, i will be happy and naive, and patient and serving him here. I'm gonna talk to my senior about it tomorrow. we'll see how it goes.

I'll let you know.

Saturday, February 03, 2007

Too Tired To Blog

My blog title is self explanitory, but what you might not catch is the similarity referance to a whiskeytown song called "too drunk to dream" which i'm pretty sure i put on Troy's mix cd. Great song. Life has been busy, and since i am no longer an intern, i feel bad about blogging while i am at work, so i am blogging from my brother in laws place while Cara and I babysit our neice. They got two new cats, to go with thier already two other cats, which doesn't work for me since i don't like cats at all in the first place. Anyway, i wish i had a lot more to say, to be honest this environment is not very condusive to blogging, because in laws are here, cats are jumping all over the place, and it smells like natural gas in here. Anyway, this is just a quick update to tell you i am alive, and that ministry is going well. I just returned from a Youth Pastor's retreat, which helped me connect with like minded individuals, and also gain some perspective on my life and current ministry. It was refreshing, despite the fact that it was filled with late nights and early mornings. That combo has followed me home the last couple days also, which has added to my fatigue. I enjoyed my time at Youth Pastor's retreat, cause i have been kinda lonely, at least lonely because for the better part of my last six years i have surrounded myself with friends and colleauges who are working towards a similar thing as me, this is all crap. WHat a lame blog, i'm sorry. I'll get something figured out soon. I need to blog more, and hopefully with my reading, teaching ect, i'll have more to say, and maybe some things will happen in my life that are more worth describing. My typing fingers on my left hand hurt. The end