Memories

-
Memories, interesting things.

This time a year ago I had just finished my last term as a full time student. Hannah was barely 1 month old, and Nick, my brother-in-law, had very recently passed away. We were living with Teresa and Kevin (Kristina's sister and her husband), and I was spending a lot of time praying and thinking about a job offer from Burnaby Alliance Church.

I couldn't tell you what courses I was in, during the summer, or my last term. At least, I couldn't tell you without checking.

Now, this year, I just graduated from Regent. I have been a fully time pastor for just over 9 months, Hannah is 13 months old, and we are living in our own place. The job at Burnaby Alliance has turned out great (God, once again, showing His goodness), and we have a baby boy on the way.

As I look back I realize that time always passes so quickly. This is not news, but somehow there are moments, every couple of months, or every year, in which I am surprised by how much has changed. Moments when my memories take on the whimsical purple haze of nostalgia and I can't help but reflect. Which, of course, is the problem. I don't reflect enough.

P.S. That post on Canaanite genocide is coming, but maybe not for a while.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Forgiveness: A Hard Word From Luther

-
"Those who follow Christ grieve more over the sin of their offenders than over the loss or offense to themselves. And they do this that they may recall those offenders from their sin rather than avenge the wrongs they themselves have suffered. Therefore they put off the form of their own righteousness and put on the form of those others, praying for their persecutors, blessing those who curse, doing good to the evil-doers, preparing to pay the penalty and make satisfaction for their very enemies that they may be saved. This is the gospel and the example of Christ." - Martin Luther (Quoted by Miroslav Volf, Free of Charge, pg. 161-162)
Read more

A Good Tree Bears Good Fruit....

-
Image
"Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit." - Matthew 7:17-18 "One of the most powerful ways to influence the behavior of a system is through its purpose or goal. That's because the goal is the direction-setter of the system, the definer of discrepancies that require action, the indicator of compliance, failure, or success toward which balancing feedback loops work. If the goal is defined badly, if it doesn't measure what it's supposed to measure, if it doesn't reflect the real welfare of the system, then the system can't possibly produce a desirable result. Systems, like the three wishes in the traditional fairy tale, have a terrible tendency to produce exactly and only what you ask them to produce. Be careful what you ask them to produce." - Donella H. Meadows, Thinking in Systems. 
Read more

A Gracious Reading of Rob Bell

-
The Journey So Far The controversy rages on over Rob Bell's upcoming new book. No matter what happens now, this controversy has effectively guaranteed that 'everyone who is anyone' will need to read this book. Either to find out what is wrong and bash it, or because someone we generally disagree with also disagrees with the book so it has to be good stuff! Then, because 'everyone' is reading it, people like me will 'have to' read it to. After all, I am a pastor, and if many of my people are reading and being influenced by a book, don't I need to know what is going on as well?  Or so the reasoning will go... and perhaps I will read it, who knows. In the meantime, none of this will stop me from continuing to join this fray which I probably ought to have stayed out of in the first place. Onwards, Christian... :) The Latest Salvo The latest salvo has been fired by DeYoung  claiming that not only do we not need to talk with Bell but, more importantly, it...
Read more