Pastor Bruce's Blog

MMM | Issue 10

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Bruce) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 22:54:00 +0000

Hi all,

Well, in conjunction with the "Faith and Doubt" series, I thought I'd write one more MMM.

As usual, you can listen to last Sunday morning's message, "Faith and Belief" on-line at www.rivercommunity.ca. Also as usual, feel free to e-mail me with your feedback or questions.

Before I begin musing, I'm wondering if you might be willing to do me a favour; that is, e-mail me and tell me why you believe. I'm doing a message this Sunday morning (the last one in the series) called, "Why I Believe" and I'd like to use some of your thoughts in building my message. Just reply to this e-mail and I'll receive whatever you write. Just so you know, I promise to let you be anonymous this Sunday morning.

Now, normally when I muse, I try to build on what I said the previous Sunday. But this week, I want to look ahead. I want to give you one of my reasons for believing that I won't get to this Sunday, but I find compelling. It goes like this: I believe that the way people argue suggests that God exists.

This idea comes by way of a man named C. S. Lewis. When we argue, we say things like, "That's not right! That's not good! You're not being fair!" In other words, we appeal to a standard that is independent and objective and higher than you and I. We appeal to the idea that there is such a thing as right and wrong.

In theory, many people in our day hold the belief that right and wrong are subjective-just preference-just vanilla and chocolate. You have yours, and I have mine. Everybody is different. An author named Denis de Souza has written a book entitled, What's So Great About Christianity? He points out that in our society, we will often hear this statement: "Don't impose your beliefs on me." De Souza says he finds it interesting that we don't say, "Don't impose your geometry on me. Don't impose your chemistry on me." Why not? Because we assume that science and mathematics are about objective reality. So we don't think they can be "imposed" on us. But we often believe that morals and values are simply subjective preferences. You have yours. I have mine. It's all just arbitrary. Every time you hear two people argue, it shows we know better. We believe that moral reality is built into the way that life is.

This is exactly what Paul was saying when he wrote: "The requirements of the Law (What's right and what's wrong.) are written on people's hearts (We can't get away from this. When we argue, we show that we know this.), their consciences also bearing witness and their thoughts, now accusing, now defending them." (Romans 2:15)

Every human being knows two things: There is a way we ought to behave. There is a code, a standard. We might be fuzzy on the details of it sometimes, but we have a general idea of what it is. We know there is a standard that we all ought to live up to, and we all know that we don't live up to it. We all fall short. We need forgiveness. We need grace. We need to get fixed.

Every time people argue, they imply that the universe is not an accident; that there is a moral order built into the way things are. It's there because it was put there by Somebody, and that Somebody was God. The Good News is that He is a gracious God. That's part of why I believe in God.

Well, I hope this primes the pump for this Sunday. See you then!

Keep on keeping on!

MMM | Issue 9

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Bruce) — Sat, 03 May 2008 06:34:00 +0000

Hi all,

Well, it's Thursday, time for another edition of Monday Morning Musings. I think I'm going to have re-name this thing J. Actually, I had major internet issues this week, so I apologize for the tardiness of this publication.

As usual, you can listen to last Sunday morning's message, "Faith and Hell", on-line at www.rivercommunity.ca. As many of you have already done, feel free to e-mail me with your feedback or questions.

On Monday, I received the following question from a young man who attends The River. He wrote, "My friend has a question, 'Can the Bible be taken absolutely seriously? How should stories such as Noah's Ark as well as chapters like Exodus 21 and Deuteronomy 13 be interpreted?'"

Here's what I wrote in reply:

Thanks for your e-mail. First off, you should know that you are asking a very BIG question about which entire books have been written. However, I'll do my best.

The short answer to your question is yes, the Bible can be taken seriously---in what it intends to teach. That being said, if you try to read the entire Bible literally, you'll get yourself in trouble. Do I believe, for example, that the story of the flood is historical? Well, there are reasons to think that it was, not the least of which is the fact that a flood narrative appears not just in the Jewish text but also in ancient Babylonian and Egyptian texts. Could they all be referring to the same event? Why not?

Now, do I believe it happened exactly as it is depicted in the book of Genesis? Probably not. For example, I think it is highly unlikely that there was a world wide flood. What is going on, I think, is that the Biblical writer is using a story that he's familiar with and crafting it in order to reveal some important truths about God and this world. Actually, it's brilliant writing! Here's what the Hebrew writer wants you to understand.

That human sin and evil will not be allowed to flourish unchecked. God will not allow human evil and the chaos it brings to unravel the "good" of creation. This is precisely why the story of the flood is followed by the story of the tower of Babel in which God thwarts human power and plans.
"a" being said, God will not continually intervene in the affairs of human kind. That is, he will not use direct, "right-handed" power to confront evil as the loss of life would be catastrophic. Neither, will he abandon his good creation. Instead, God will use a more subversive and self-sacrificial means. This is precisely what God initiates in the story of Abram that follows in Genesis 12. (By the way, there is a wholesale change in the Hebrew writing style at this point. It is a style that invites us to read it in a much more historical fashion.)
God remains faithful to His creation (even when we're not). The uninterrupted, flow of life and seasons are a testimony to this.
As for the other texts you mentioned, I'm guessing that the problem your friend has with these texts is that the injunctions mentioned in them seem on the surface to be quite primitive and brutal by our standards.

A few things to consider. First, remember that you are using your 21st century standard of morality to judge a culture that existed in a whole other era. There is no doubt that the era that God was speaking to in these chapters was a whole lot more brutal than ours. There were no police or complex legal systems. Killing your neighbour was much more common. In fact, believe it or not, the legal system that God provided in the Torah was actually (for that time) quite just and even handed. Now, is what God revealed in these chapters (and others such as in Joshua), His good and perfect will for all time and in all places. The answer is no. In fact, Jesus comes to show us the heart of the law. Jesus taught us that in order to do justice, we need a righteousness that goes beyond merely keeping the law (the righteous of the scribes and Pharisees). What we need are hearts filled with a spirit of love; love for God and love for others. This is the fullness of God's revelation in this regard.

The thing that I would advise your friend to do in reading the Bible is to take seriously the genre of literature that he or she is reading (and there are many different types in the Bible) and to ask him or herself, "what is the big truth (the principle) that the Bible wants me to grasp here."

If he or she has any more questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Blessings,

PB

MMM | Issue 8

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Bruce) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:14:00 +0000

Hi everyone,

Well, another week is upon us, albeit a snowy one (yuck!), but its time for another musing in conjunction with our Faith and Doubt message series.

As always, last Sunday's message is now on the website at www.rivercommunity.ca. Feel free to listen to it yourself or pass it on to a friend. You can also ask me a question on any topic in relation to faith and doubt by replying to this e-mail.

Let me start with this: How can we believe in Christianity if we don't even know whether God exists? Though there cannot be irrefutable proof for the existence of God, many people have found strong clues for his reality-divine fingerprints-in many places. The philosopher Alvin Plantinga believes that there are no proofs of God that will convince all rational persons. However, he believes that there are at least two to three dozen very good arguments or clues for the existence of God.

Let me share one that I find very compelling-the clue of beauty.

If there is no God, and everything in this world is the product of natural forces, then there is no actual purpose for which we were made-we are accidents. If this is true, then what we call "beauty" is nothing but a neurological response to particular data. You only find certain scenery to be beautiful because you had ancestors who knew you would find food there and they survived because they acted on that impulse. In the same way, though music feels significant, the significance is an illusion. Love too must be seen in this light. If we are the result of natural forces, then what we call "love" is simply a biochemical response, inherited from ancestors who survived because this particular trait helped them survive.

I find this to be a deeply unsatisfying answer. Christian or not, in the presence of real beauty such as a fantastic piece of music or great art, human beings feel a deep sense of meaning and satisfaction. I had a chance this week to visit a wonderful art show put on by a talented artist in our church community (Erica Wilk) and over and over again I found myself feeling what Goethe refers to as selige sehnsucht-blessed longing. Beauty leads us to long for something more, something better, something wonderful.

"So what?" someone might object. "Just because we feel something doesn't make it true." Just because we feel the desire for a steak dinner, for example, doesn't mean we will get it. Agreed. However, while hunger doesn't prove that the steak dinner exists, doesn't the appetite for food in us mean that food exists? Isn't it true that innate desires correspond to real objects that can satisfy them, such as sexual desire (corresponding to sex), physical appetite (corresponding to food), tiredness (corresponding to sleep) and relational desires (corresponding to friendship or love).

I think the blessed longings evoked by beauty are a strong clue that "something" more exists. I think that our longing for beauty is really a longing for the One that the Bible says radiates beauty and overflows goodness. Beauty is a reflection of our beautiful God who through the gift of music, art and dance invites us to taste his splendour and experience his goodness.

Blessings all,

Pastor Bruce

MMM | Issue 7

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Bruce) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 05:05:00 +0000

Hi all,

Since it's Monday, I thought I'd write my weekly Faith and Doubt musing. By the way, yesterday's message is now up on the website. Just go to www.rivercommunity.ca and click on "Recent Messages". Feel free to forward this e-mail to friend so they can join the conversation as well.

Today, I want to say a word about skeptics and trust. Before I say anything , I want to say that I love conversing with skeptics and respect their desire to find the truth. In my judgement, it is better to be a skeptic with an inquiring mind than someone who just doesn't care.

That being said, I do believe that often skeptics would rather, even at their own expense, appear to be right than take the risk of trusting.

The skeptics is someone who says, I'm going to suspend judgment. I'm not going to commit myself, because the demand for sufficient evidence has not yet been met. Now, while this sounds very objective and rational, often the dynamic that is going on underneath the surface is something like this: The skeptic is saying I don't want to be wrong. I don't want to lose the argument. I don't want to risk being hurt or looking gullible.

An example of this from the Bible is the disciple who was known for doubt- "Doubting Thomas." We see him three times in the Gospel of John, and he's always expressing skepticism. The climactic incident occurs after Jesus appears to the other disciples who were gathered together after the Jesus' resurrection. All of them were there except Thomas. They are overjoyed to see Jesus and can't wait to tell Thomas. When they see him, they say, "Thomas, we saw Him! He is alive! He is risen from the dead!" They are stunned by Thomas' response. He says, "I don't believe you."

What Thomas is saying to the other disciples is that they are either lying or delusional, even though he knows better. Despite the fact that he knows them and Jesus; despite the fact that he's spent time with Jesus, heard him preach and witnessed miraculous things, he won't believe. More than any other human being, Thomas had good reasons to believe, but he chose the skeptics path. And he gives a striking response: "Unless I see Jesus myself, unless I see the nail marks in his hands, unless I put my finger in a hole, unless I put my hand in his side, I'm not going to believe." (John 20:25)

Skeptics do this. They demand certainty at a level that they know cannot be obtained. It looks rational, but underneath it's simply human pride. The danger of skepticism is that skeptics can be so invested in being right that they will never find out that God is trustworthy, because they never risk trusting.

Peace,

Pastor Bruce

MMM | Issue 6

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Bruce) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:21:00 +0000

Hi all,

Well, we're in week 2 of our "Faith and Doubt" series. In case, you're just joining us, it's a series in which we're looking at the most common objections that people have to Christianity as well aspects of the Christian message that make it persuasive and compelling.

By the way, thanks for all the feedback on yesterday's message. I found our "Faith and Doubt" talk back on Sunday to be lively and interesting. Once again, here's the link to yesterday's message--Sunday Message at The River: Faith and Science. If you know somebody that you'd like to invite into our "Faith and Doubt" conversation, please do so by forwarding them this e-mail.

Here's something interesting I didn't have time for yesterday: A word on faith and scientists.

The first professional scientists can be traced to the late Middle Ages, and since this time the overwhelming majority of them have not only been Christians, but have also viewed their work as a fulfillment of Christian objectives. Morris Kline writes that "the Renaissance scientist was a theologian with nature instead of God as his subject." This does not mean the Renaissance scientist was on a secular path. On the contrary, he saw himself as achieving God's purpose in a new and better way; by going beyond the Bible and exploring His Creation.

Here's a partial list of leading scientists who were Christians: Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Brahe, Descartes, Boyle, Newton, Leibniz, Gassendi, Pascal, Mersenne, Cuvier, Harvey, Dalton, Faraday, Herschel, Joule, Lyell, Lavoisier, Priestly, Kelvin, Ohm, Ampere, Steno, Pasteur, Maxwell, Plank, and Mendal. In fact, a good number of these men were clergymen (which always makes me feel better about my chosen profession).

If you spend a little time digging, you'll be amazed at the faith statements that show up in works of these great minds. For example, one of the greatest scientists of all time, Isaac Newton viewed his work as showing the creative genius of God. He wrote, "This most beautiful system of sun, planets, and comets could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful being."

Just some additional food for thought.

Something else you might be interested in. Check out Dinesh D'Souza book, "What's So Great About Christianity" and read the chapter entitled, "An Atheist Fable: Reopening the Galileo Case". For those of you who have been taught that Galileo was persecuted and repressed by the church, you'll be fascinated by the real story.

Blessings,

Pastor Bruce

MMM | Issue 5

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Bruce) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:22:00 +0000

Hi all,

Well, we've officially kicked of our "Faith and Doubt" series on Sunday. For those of you who don't know, this series in which we're looking at the most common objections people have to the Christian faith as well reasons for believing. By the feedback I've received so far, there's lots of interest out there.

As promised, here's the link to yesterday's message: "Faith and Doubt: Introduction". If you know somebody that you'd like to invite into our "Faith and Doubt" conversation, please forward this e-mail to them. (BTW, we apologize for the poor quality of this week's audio recording. We had some technical glitches.)

If you're the one being invited, please consider joining us. This should be an interesting ride. Each week, we'll post Sunday's message on our website (usually on Monday) which you can download or listen to on-line. You're also more than welcome to attend one of our Sunday morning services at 9:30 and 10:45 AM at G.H. Luck Elementary school in Rivebend/Terwillegar. You can find directions on our website.

I'd also like to encourage everyone to send me whatever questions or objections to Christianity you might have. I can't promise to answer every e-mail personally, but I will use the substance of what you send me as a jumping off point for the messages in the series. My e-mail is theriver@shaw.ca.

Let me also follow up one of the things I said in yesterday's message; namely, that one of the major challenges we face now a days is not that we think SO much that we have rendered faith obsolete, but that we don't think nearly enough. As a result, we can find ourselves blown by whatever popular philosophical wind happens to be blowing.

As I reflected on this, I think this is true for both believers and sceptics. As such, in this series, I'd like to propose that both believers and sceptics look at doubt in a radically new way.

To believers I want to say that faith without doubt is like a human body without antibodies in it. If you never ask any of the tough questions facing Christianity, you leave yourself vulnerable to the experience of tragedy or the probing questions of a smart sceptic. As a result, you can find your faith collapsing overnight if you have failed over the years to listen to your doubts. So let me encourage you to do some genuine searching and reflecting during this series. Don't mail it in!

To the sceptic, I want to encourage you to look for a type of faith hidden in your reasoning. All doubts, however sceptical and cynical they seem, are really a set of alternatives beliefs. You cannot doubt Belief A except from a position of faith in Belief B. For example, some people say, "I don't believe in Christianity because I can't accept the existence of moral absolutes. Everyone should determine moral truth for him- or herself." Is that a statement they can prove to someone who doesn't share it? No, it is a leap of faith, a deep belief that individual rights operate not only in the political realm but also in the moral. There is no empirical proof for such a position.

My point is that the only way to doubt Christianity rightly and fairly is to discern the alternate belief under each of your doubts and then to ask yourself what reasons you have for believing it. It would be inconsistent to require more justification for Christian belief than you do for your own, but that is what frequently happens. In fairness, you must doubt your doubts.

Let me end with this. May the God you may or may not believe in bless you and guide over the next weeks of this series.

Peace,

Pastor Bruce

MMM | Issue 4

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Bruce) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 23:16:00 +0000

Welcome to another edition of Monday Morning Musings.

Last week, Victor and Eunae (our resident church planters who are planting a new church out of The River) and myself spent a week in Orlando, Florida at what's called a church planters boot camp. In other words, it's basic training for church planters.

First of all, it sounds like we picked a good week to be away. My kid's e-mails to me during the week all began, "Dad, you won't believe how cold it is here." I want you to know that I felt a twinge of guilt, but not a lot.

My job was to accompany Victor and Eunae as their coach, help them strategize, and to receive some more training myself in relation to coaching. Like Victor and Eunae, now that I'm back, I've got a pile of papers, binders, books and other materials to sift through.

Aside from the coaching thing, I learned several things last week. First of all, we have a fabulous church planting team in Victor and Eunae. I am fully confident that with God's blessing they will plant a healthy church out of The River. They are passionate, committed and capable of doing the work. I am so proud to have them on our team. Look for some exciting announcements from them over the next few months.

Second, we're not alone in our passion to see radically inclusive and world transforming churches like The River thrive. All across North America, new churches are being planted and old churches are being renewed with a real heart for the communities in which they find themselves. Moreover, a younger generation of gifted leaders are stepping forward to grow and lead the church. Exciting stuff!

Third and finally, I love this church. I love The River. God has fashioned us into an amazing community. Is He done yet--no. But, there is SO much to celebrate. As I flew back on Saturday morning, I couldn't help but smile at the potential.

Keep on keeping on.

MMM | Issue 3

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Bruce) — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 04:06:00 +0000

Welcome to another edition of Monday Morning Musings.

Hey, The River got some great coverage in the Edmonton Journal over the weekend. In case you missed, I thought I'd put it on MMM for your perusal.

Movie clips help worshippers find God
Don Retson, edmontonjournal.com
Published: Friday, January 18
EDMONTON - Shelby Stollery isn't usually in the habit of gripping her seat when she attends church.

But the 18-year-old University of Alberta student was sitting at the edge of her church seat last Sunday as she watched film clips from the Leonardo DiCaprio thriller Blood Diamond.

Stollery is passionate about movies. Even if she's cooled a bit on worship in recent years, she was thrilled when a friend told her about a church where the pastor is a film fiend like her.

Each January, Pastor Bruce Gritter of The River Community Church holds a movie series called God In The Movies. Last Sunday, church-goers were treated to clips from Blood Diamond, which depicts events in Sierra Leone in 1999, then listened as Gritter provided insights connecting events in far-away Africa with our own lives in the First World.

Many churches like The River are reaching out in new ways to connect with first-time visitors. Film, which can be profoundly spiritual, is sometimes that vehicle. At The River, as elsewhere, clips from popular movies help people to find God in the dark, or at the very least, help people to discover God's love for each of us.

On its website, The River notes that most Canadians don't have a high view of "church."

"In fact, when someone mentions the word, you think 'boring' or 'irrelevant.' At The River, we'd like to change your mind about church."

It has succeeded with Stollery. Since she first started attending the church in December, Stollery said she's enjoyed "the vibe" of the church's contemporary worship band and the warm, welcoming folks she's met there.

Stollery was looking forward to see what Gritter serves up Sunday when the featured movie is Amazing Grace. "The way he speaks and what he's saying is very powerful and really connects with you."

For Gritter, what's "cool" about the movie series is that folks who haven't been raised in church and aren't up on Bible talk don't feel at any disadvantage. They're on the same footing with everyone who enjoys movies.

A former student of film, Gritter said he tries to choose meaningful movies and also different types of movies. He puts a lot of research into each of the five featured films.

"These messages usually take me longer than any of the other," said Gritter, who wants to make the church experience for visitors compelling but also biblically faithful.

Spiritual cinema is a hit at a growing number of churches, especially among New Thought churches like the Centre for Spiritual Awareness.

The church, at 7621 101st Ave., subscribes to Spiritual Cinema, and each month receives copies of films dealing in some fashion with stories of hope, love, inspiration and transformation.

Rev. Patrick Cameron, senior pastor at the centre, noted that stories have been told since mankind first began gathering in community. The theatre experience, he said, is one of the few opportunities where people can sit together in a darkened environment and share their stories and connect in a common emotional experience.

"Our stories help us find meaning, inspiration and self-discovery," said Cameron, who as a former actor had speaking roles in such movies as Lethal Weapon and The Goonies.

"We celebrate and identify with the characters that we observe overcoming obstacles and challenges, and in the process discover the resources of character that allow us to achieve and create and fulfil our unique purpose and destiny."

MMM | Janurary 14th

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Bruce) — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 01:30:00 +0000

Welcome to another edition of Monday Morning Musings….

Part of our vision as a church reads to be a “world transforming community”. I still remember writing that part of the church’s vision 5 years ago and thinking, “that sounds really ambition, almost portentous”. However, over the years, I believe God has used our commitment to that part of our vision to do some amazing things. Lots of money and time has been donated for strategic causes, missionaries and missions teams have been sent out, the Riverbend/Terwillegar community has been served in substantial ways, various individuals have found healing through our recovery ministries, and much more.

This week, God gave me still another opportunity to sense the world transforming effect that The River is having and can have. I had a chance to sit across the table from our MLA, the honourable Dave Hancock. Over coffee, we had a great conversation and he expressed some real interest in the work we’re doing at The River. I first got to know Dave through the volunteer work I do with TRAC (Terwilligar Riverbend Advisory Council). However, his wife really connected with The River last May when we did a message entitled “Finding God in the Legislature”. For those of you who don’t remember, we set the gym up like a mini legislature and we had MLA Ron Prins in for an interview. After that, Dave pulled me aside at a TRAC meeting and told me how much his wife appreciated that service. Since then, he and I have had a chance to talk on several occasions.

Over coffee on Friday, we talked about some of the exciting new initiatives we’ve got going at The River. In particular, he wanted to know more about the parish nursing program we’re getting off the ground. Being the Minister of Health, he was very interested in how the government could partner with a local church to promote health in a community. We talked about how both of us had the same interest—helping people and bringing life to the community God had called us to.

As I left, I thanked God for the opportunity to talk to Dave—to learn from him and hopefully to influence his work in positive way. It was another tiny piece of the transforming work that God is doing through The River. May He keep on doing it.

Blessings all…

Monday Morning Musings

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Bruce) — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 03:40:00 +0000

Happy New Year Everyone!

One of my New Year's resolutions this year was to revive something I did when The River was still in its infancy; that is, I wrote a blurb every Monday morning called, "Monday Morning Musings". It was me reflecting on the challenges and opportunities involved in church planting in Edmonton. Over time, I stop writing the piece as other forms of communication (i.e. Currents) emerged at The River.

However, over the last few months I've felt the need to communicate more personally with Riverites. Part of the reason is that because we've grown so much, I just don't get a chance to talk to people and share my heart as regularly as I'd like to. When The River first started out, Sharon and I tried to invite as many people over to our house for coffee or lunch just to talk and get to know people, but that's becoming more difficult now. So I thought I'd try to create a friendly on line conversation. Hence, the revival of MMM.

Here's how I envision this. I'll send this out on Monday morning. If you've already got too much to read, feel free to hit the delete button. I won't be offended. If you enjoy it, great! Then after I send this out, I'll post what I've written to my blog which you can access from our website. If something I said strikes you or you want to disagree or you just want to talk, feel free to post to my blog so that other Riverites can read and enjoy some of your thoughts.

For my first entry, I thought I'd share a little story about God's provision. Over the years, I have been continually amazed at how God has provided for us as a church. I am so grateful. This Saturday, He reminded me again that He still has His eye on us. Before set-up on Saturday, I went out to purchase a popcorn machine (the one you saw in church on Sunday if you were there) for our God in the Movies series. Over the Christmas break, I looked into renting a machine, but it was ridiculously expensive. So, I'm standing in Home Outfitters and they only have one $400.00 popcorn machine left-the floor model. So, being a good Dutchman, I ask the gal if we can get a discount since it's a floor model. She goes in the back to ask her manager. So, I'm standing there minding my own business and this guy comes up and he says, "Hey, I've got 8 gift card that I got for Christmas. For every $50 you spend you get $20 back. I can't use them. Are you interested?" I say, "ABSOLUTELY!" and I proceed to tell him that he's really giving to a church as that's the reason I need the popcorn machine. As a result, he's even happier about his offering. As I'm standing in line to pay, I realize that he gave me 8 gift cards-not 1 or 2 or even 3, but 8! I mean who walks around with 8 gift cards and gives them away. This is the exact number I needed to maximize our discount on the popcorn machine. I thought to myself, "God, you're amazing. I love how you show up in the little things!"

Anyway, keep on keeping on!

Easter Hope

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Bruce) — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 16:07:00 +0000

Spring is late this year. As I write this, some snow on my front lawn has yet to melt. How depressing! Being a golfer, I view every day the snow remains in April as another wasted opportunity. Moreover, my friends in B.C. always torture me at this time of the year with e-mails that read, “Oh, we’ve been golfing for a month already.” Please, spare me.

I’m still hopeful of course. The weather forecast indicates that we could hit 16 degrees this week. Certainly, that will get rid of the rest of the snow and lawn encourage green keepers everywhere to begin doing their magic. “Just a few more weeks,” I tell myself.

Hope is a powerful thing. A wise person once told me, “There are a lot of things over-rated in this world, but hope is not one of them.”

Hope was big theme at The River’s Easter service. On Easter Sunday morning, over 400 people walked through the doors and heard a message about hope. What I love about the Easter story is that it teaches us that not only is there hope for my past (God’s grace is always bigger than our brokenness), but there is hope for my future, even if today I find myself on a rocky and rough road.

One of the cool things we did this year at our Easter service is we invited people to take a step of hope. As I reminded people, every journey begins with one step. At one point during the service, we invited people to light a candle, or to plant a seed, or to receive a pendant as a symbol of God’s grace in their lives. All of them simple, but hopeful acts. The response was tremendous. Some lit candles for others. Some lit them as a way of inviting God to light up their world. A couple that just lost their unborn baby planted a seed in anticipation of God birthing something new in their lives. I placed pendants around people’s necks with the words, “Hope is closer than you know.” I saw tears in alot of people's eyes.

As this world becomes an increasingly dark place, the message of the gospel become more relevant and shines brighter.

Body For Life

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Bruce) — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 21:45:00 +0000

I started this "Body For Life" program about 5 weeks ago. A friend of mine encouraged me to give it a try and so far I love it. I've managed to lose a few pounds and put on some lean muscle.

The program involves working out 6 days a week (Sunday is cheat day) as well as eating a high protien/low carb diet. That means--no sugar, no pasta, no white rice, no bread, etc. You are encouraged to eat complex carbs like whole wheat bread, brown rice and organic oatmeal.

Experiencing this, I'm gaining a new appreciation for the power of discipleship. Over the past 5 weeks, I've been discipled to look at food differently. In fact, because of Body for Life, I don't think I'll ever look at food the same way. Eating healthy is going to be a way of life for me from now on.

Often times I've thought of discipleship as that which happens in a classroom. Being discipled involves taking a course or uploading some Bible info. In truth, discipleship is about teaching people to live differently. To make different life choices---ones that will build spiritual health.

This fall, my friend and I are toying with the idea of starting a "Body and Soul For Life" course at The River. It would combine both physical and spiritual exercise. Now that I'm part way discipled, I can't wait to disciple someone else. Yup, this is the way the kingdom is suppose to work.

DaVinci Code in Canada

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Bruce) — Wed, 17 May 2006 15:50:00 +0000

Like many churches, we're doing a series on the Da Vinci Code. It starts this Sunday and goes three weeks.

Part of my motivation for this series came on Easter morning when my brother showed me a CanWest article that said 22% of Albertans believe the Da Vinci Code is true. When I read that I thought, "Oh boy, we've got to talk about that. People aren't thinking." And so we are.

I'm really stoked about the press we're getting for this series. Last Saturday, we had a full page article in the Edmonton Journal and yesterday I had a chance to go on the Rutherford Show (a popular call in radio show here in Alberta) to share what we're doing.

Canadians in particular are vunerable to being influenced by Dan Brown's book. While many Canadians claim to have Christian roots, most of them don't attend church. Moreover, with the universities in Canada being so anti-church, I doubt they'll recieve much guidance from these institutions as to what's historical fact and what's historical fiction. I worry that what The Da Vinci Code will accomplish is allowing many Canadians to simply write off the church and the gospel in one fowl swoop.

All this being said, I'm wondering if The Da Vinci Code might end up being a tempest in a teapot. I woke up this morning to a radio DJ saying the critics were giving the movie a thumbs down. If the movie bombs, interest in the book will blow over in a hurry. Another challenge here in Edmonton anyway is the run the Oilers are making in the playoffs. Who cares about Da Vinci when the Oilers are winning.

Don't get me wrong. I still think the series is worth doing. Dan Brown has provided a wonderful opportunity to educate people on the historicity of the gospel. I know whoever shows up on Sunday will find it compelling.

I guess we'll see...

Loving the Lion, Hating Potter

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Bruce) — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 01:42:00 +0000

Here's an article I just wrote for the Edmonton Journal over the weekend....
___________________________________________________________________________________

Sometimes Christians are weird. And I say that in love. Particularly because I count myself among them.

On Friday, Disney launched its Christmas blockbuster “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe”. I can’t wait to see it. From childhood, I have been a big C.S. Lewis fan. Not only have I read the book more than once, but like many others, I’ve read and re-read all seven books in the series. They’re great. My family loves them too. Whenever we go on a long trip, my wife reads aloud one of the books in the series. Whenever she stops to catch her breath or blow her nose, a cry goes up from the back seat, “Read Mom, read!”

What I find strange is how schizophrenic Christians are when it comes to movies like this. A friend of mine is in the Christian radio business and his station have been furiously promoting the film this last week. They’ve been giving away lion paraphernalia, books and movie passes. They’re even doing their morning show from a local theatre. However, in the next theatre over they’re showing another movie called, “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”. Of course, this movie is on the “bad” list. This movie has elicited protests and anti-Potter literature in Christian circles. Why? Well, mainly because it has wizards and ghosts and magic in it. Parents won’t let their children read the books because of its dark influence. Funny, I thought “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe” has a similar cast—witches, ogres, trolls and other fairy creatures. Why then the distain for Potter and the applause for C.S. Lewis?

Part of the problem I think is a misguided tendency Christians have to artificially divide the world between good and bad, right and wrong. When it comes to culture, many come to believe that there is “good” culture and “evil” culture. “Good” culture is primarily sold in Christian book stores. “Evil” culture is generated in other places, primarily Hollywood. The problem with this thinking is that is that not only is it unworkable (a la Potter vs. Lewis), but it’s not even particularly Christian.

Okay, let me explain myself, but I’ll have to get a little theological. This may come as a shock for some, but there is no such thing as pure evil. Why? Because as the Bible teaches and as Augustine so aptly pointed out, only God creates. Everything that exists is his doing. Therefore evil can only be a depraved kind of goodness. In the words of a seminary professor of mine, evil is always a parasite on good, it has no independent existence. The devil is a pervert, nothing more.

This has huge implications when it comes to how Christians ought to think about culture. There is no such thing as “evil” art. There is just good art and bad art. By extension, there is no such thing as “evil” movies. Just good movies and bad movies.

To be sure, there ARE movies that promote evil. They are so violent, so pornographic, and have such a negative influence on society that their distribution can have evil effects. These I think every Christian should oppose or at least refuse to promote by their patronage.

That being said, it is important for Christians to engage culture. If you don’t like Harry Potter as art, tell me why and don’t give me some lame answer that it has wizards and ghosts in it, because so does a lot of other artwork that apparently you approve of. I happen to like Harry Potter because I think it’s a great story that promotes friendship, courage, loyalty, honesty and a lot of other good things. Moreover, I’m teaching my kids to think critically about the movie as well. What kind of influences should we let our minds dwell on? Where and when do we draw the line? How does our patronage of certain kinds of art promote their distribution? All good questions with no easy answers.

In case you’re interested, check out our website (www.therivercommunitychurch.com) and listen to some sermons that use movies as a backdrop. Over the last weeks, we done “Hotel Rwanda”, “The Incredibles”, “Napoleon Dynamite” and “The Terminal”. On December 18th, we’ll be doing (you guessed it!), “The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe”.

Canadian Church Planting Congress

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Bruce) — Mon, 21 Nov 2005 16:54:00 +0000

I just got back from the Canadian Church Planting Congress in Toronto.

Overall, the conference was pretty good. The first day was really slow leaving a few of scratching our heads as to what the planning team was thinking. As I understand it, whoever was leading worship at the congress backed out at the last minute which left them scrambling. It showed. Moreover, those who hosted the conference, while good hearted, were trying way too hard to "create a moment" with such things as water bottles and spatulas.

By far, the highlight of the conference was Joyce Heron. For those of you who don't know her she is the director of Jacob's Well, a ministry to the disadvantaged in the downtown eastside of Vancouver, Canada's poorest neighbourhood. She passionately challenged us to "remember the poor" in church planting. Many of the people I talked to were laid bare by her talk. I left with tears in my eyes and a new commitment to think about our church's role in reaching and ministering to widows, orphans and the urban poor.

Another highlight for me was Rick McKinley two talks on Wednesday and Thursday. Rick is senior pastor of Imago Dei church in Portland. Portland is a lot like Canada in relation to how it responds to the church and I loved his emphasis on "The Kingdom". This really confirmed where I'm trying to lead The River.

Erwin was Erwin--great speaker. However, I've heard him several times now and I felt he was really mailing it in. What he gave was essentially the same talk he gave at other venues (including illustrations). I would have to prefered to hear what God is doing in his life and the life of Mosaic Church lately. Moreover, as I was listening to him, I thought, "I wish the planning team had scoured Canada for a Canadian church leader (a la Joyce Heron) to lead these sessions." I know its not as sexy as bringing Erwin in, but unless we begin to raise up our own talent, we never will.

As always, I loved the networking and the laughter. I had a great time, especially with our little tribe of church planters in the Christian Reformed Church. Talking with them makes me very hopeful.

All in all, I definitely learned a few things as I'm returning to Edmonton challenged to change and to do some changing.

Out of Shape

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Bruce) — Mon, 03 Oct 2005 19:59:00 +0000

Well, yesterday was the first practice for our church's hockey team. We're called The Rafters. One of the advantages that having a name like "The River" brings is that all the names of your ministries can nicely dovetail with the name of the church. Ergo, our bulletin is called "Currents"; our youth ministry is called "X-Stream"; our Nursery is called "Piddlers and Paddlers"; and our hockey team "The Rafters".

One of the things that I discoverd yesterday was just how out of shape I am. I decided to run a few conditioning drills. Pretty much everybody was laid out on the ice after only two drills. One of our new guys (he's new to the church as well) smokes and he was almost heaving in the corner. Another almosted blacked out. I guess that's what happens when a bunch of 35-50 year olds try to play a kids game.

On the positive side, we all went out for nachos and wings afterwards. Win or lose, we always have a good time sharing a few laughs and a pint or two after the game. I think for a lot of guys this is where they really connect with the church. I think its because for maybe the first time in their lives they feel they can really be themselves in a church related context. A few of them have even made the jump and attended church.

Well, our game is next Friday night. Pray for us. Pray for me. If I don't blog again, you'll know what happened.

Difference Between U.S. and Canadian Seekers

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Bruce) — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 15:17:00 +0000

As a result of my previous post, various people have asked me to detail what I see as the difference between U.S. and Canadian seekers. So here's my best shot.

1. The United States is much more churched than Canada. A church planting friend of mine from the States tells me that areas in the U.S. that have 30-40% church attendance are thought of as prime places for a church plant. In Edmonton, where I'm pastoring, a recent study showed less than 10% church attendance on Sunday morning. What this means is that attending church makes you a part of a small minority. It's not at all "the thing to do" on Sunday morning or Saturday night. Many newer Christian who have started to attend our church have met with real skepticism from their friends and family ("You're going to church????")which makes their choice to follow Christ that much more challenging.

2. Canadian Universities are much more anti-church and are much more aggressive in questioning the validity of Christian truth claims. The history of this would make an interesting graduate study, but I suspect this reality is rooted in two things. First, the turning of the political system against the church during the Quiet Revolution in Quebec during the 60s which influenced how the church is treated in Canada in general. Second, a defining of Canadian identity over against U.S. fundamentalism. To this day, most Canadians percieve evangelical Christianity in Canada and U.S. fundamentalism (a la George Bush) as essentially the same thing. And let me tell you, this DOESN'T help!

3. Canada is much more multi-cultural than the United States. Over the last 30 years, Canada has swung its doors open to immigrants from all over the world. While this is something I celebrate, it has made Christianity one of many religious "options" in Canada. Moreover, the claims of Christianity, especially the uniqueness of Jesus Christ, sound bigoted and even anti-Canadian in the ears of many Canadians.

4. The largest churches in Canada including the United Church, the Catholic Church and the Anglican Church have done little or nothing to promote a winsome form of Christianity in Canada. In fact, one could argue (especially in the case of the United Chuch) that they have been more a part of the problem than the solution. Unlike the States, healthy evangelicals are a small minority in Canada.

As such, Canadians are harder to reach. They are skeptical, indifferent and in some case even hostile to Christianity. Starting a church plant in Canada requires real innovation and an ability to patiently build trust with the unchurched. It is very much a person by person, family by family enterprise.

All this being said, there are some upsides.

1. There is absolutely no competition among Canadian church planters. There are plenty of lost souls to go around.
2. I think some of the most innovative churches (especially in how they communicate) are emerging in Canada right now.
3. Being a christian in Canada feels a lot more like living the book of Acts. Put it this way, we're praying for a lot more miracles these days.

Willow Leadership Summit

noreply@blogger.com (Pastor Bruce) — Wed, 17 Aug 2005 21:33:00 +0000

Last Thursday, Friday and Saturday, I had a chance to attend the Willow Creek Leadership Summit. What an amazing experience.

Typically, I find it hard to go to conferences. Usually, there's a lot of fluff and precious little substance. Most speakers just re-cycle what other people have already said. Often I find myself wandering around whatever facility is hosting the event or trying to redeem the time by doing some planning.

Not so with this year's Leadership Summit. Except for Saturday morning (which was by comparison a bit weak), it was an outstanding conference. Every speaker was compelling and I geninuely learned something from each of them.

My only criticism of the conference is that wasn't ANY Canadian content. One of the things that amazes me about U.S. churches is that they never look to the expansive mission field just to the north of them. We are NOW what they will be in ten years in terms of indifference, even hostility to the gospel. Whatever is working in Canada is likely the future of church ministry in the U.S.

Hats off to Willow for a great job. I'm looking forward to next year.