Posts tagged church

June 9, 2009

So in the afternoon yesterday I went for a walk with my son… and a couple walks by myself.  On one of them I was going by Fibonacci’s coffee shop, and a guy sitting at a table on the sidewalk cafe there called me over.  He knew my name, though I didn’t recognize him at all.  He asked about Sunday church-in-the-park… and I told him that about a dozen people turned up, and we sat around and ate cookies, and that I enjoyed it.  Then he said Pastor P. is back in town… which I had assumed.  That young girl was there too, so I said “hi” to her as well.  (I had asked Father before I set out, to let the walk be according to His will…  Sometimes I wonder about what I’m doing, so that really encouraged me…).

When I was walking with my son, he told me that he thought maybe we should be looking to buy a house in Penticton.  He admitted he’d like to stay here, but also said he thinks some of our girls think maybe we are playing favorites by wanting to move to Campbell Rive.  (I have kind of wondered about that myself, but haven’t said anything about it).

So on Sunday, as I recorded before, I had mentioned to my husband about if we should pray together about God’s will regarding moving, but at that time he didn’t say a thing.  Last night, after what my son said, I looked through the local Real Estate weekly paper and found a couple possible places here (2 bedrooms, under $200,000).   So this morning I mentioned to my husband what our son said, and he said he had never thought of the girls thinking we were playing favorites, but that maybe it is possible.  Then right away he just took my hand, and prayed for both of us that Father would show us His will in regards to all this!

Then we had breakfast, and then went on-line and looked at the MLS listings for our city, and found out there are actually quite a lot of possibilities.  Of course the cheapest are mobile homes in trailer parks,  and we really don’t want to do that unless it is one of the parks where you own the piece of land your trailer is on (and those of course cost more).  There are a lot of two (and a few 3) bedroom apartments starting at about $130,000 and up, and then townhouses starting about $169,000 and up, and even a duplex and a fixer-up-house just under $200,000.  I was really surprised – there were 6 pages of listings at 10 per page (except the last page which was 5 or 6 listings)… so over 50 listings in our price range, although the first couple pages are pretty much trailers.  (I think housing prices really have been dropping).

Then we went to coffee time.  Pastor P. was back from his Ontario ordination, and obviously feeling really quite inspired – and realizing that he needs to focus on the street, which is where God has really called him.  Well, I myself had already wondered about all his other “plans/ dreams/ involvements” and I think that he is hearing Your voice, Father.  His wife and others have also confirmed this.

Oh!  I gave Pastor J. my “Rabbits and Elephants” book to read!

Anyway, one thing I didn’t mention on Sunday (I don’t think) was that I saw __ (the native one, in a wheel chair) and offered him a cookie… but he was so battered that he can’t even eat.  His lips are all swollen and cracked, his face all scraped, and his hands all dry and puffy and cracked and caked.  He is skin and bones and his legs are just shaking.  And he keeps throwing up clear foamy stuff.  I placed my hands on his back and head, and prayed for him.  That was quite a breakthrough for me… I can’t get him out of my mind… Father, please take care of him, please heal him if it is your will, not just physically, but free him, please, Father, from the bondage of alcohol (Pastor P says that ___ really loves Jesus… oh Papa, please free him from this terrible bondage!  thank You!)

And I am also wondering how the guy who had the seizure in the street is doing…

Now, since I read that book, when I go out walking uptown, when I wake up in the morning, when I’m doing my Bible reading, and other time, I find I am praying quite a lot for the people downtown… but also for the businesses, and other aspects of the city.

So at coffee time I told Pastor P. about Sunday and the cookies and the people who gathered and how we sat on the curb, and visited, and that ___ prayed for everyone.  He was pretty happy about that.  He said, “You know I’m going to tell your story!”  Well, I didn’t know that (and certainly wasn’t even thinking about it) … but I do think he was encouraged because he has felt alone, perhaps, out there.

Well, he talked to John, and then he said to the couple ladies who are always there at coffee time,that he wouldn’t be very involved in coffee time any more, but he encouraged them to keep it going.  He said if ___ (who is the lady who God led to start it) needed food or coffee stuff, to let him know, and she told him she’d try to get church people to bake, but she sounded kind of doubtful – she has a hard time getting anyone to bake for the coffee corner at the church…  I’m afraid I rolled my eyes when she said she’d ask the church people (sorry, Lord… that was wrong!).  Pastor P did say to try to get others in the church more involved…

Oh, she asked me if I go to the Sunday church-in-the-park, and said she feels like she “should do more,” and maybe she could come to that too.  I just told her to come and hang out and see what’s happening.

Okay, what I really wanted to say, too, was that at coffee time, my husband told everyone what I said about wondering if it is really God’s will if we move, and how we should pray together, as in “when 2 or 3 are gathered in My name…” and that we had prayed together this morning… and then he asked everyone there to also pray for us that God would show us His will, so Pastor P prayed right then… and at the end, just as everyone was leaving, hubby asked them again to remember to pray and they said they would.  (After he prayed this morning, at home before coffee time, hubby said that right away he had a lot more peace.  Yep, me too!  Though I can still hardly believe he prayed like that!  And then told them at coffee time, too, and asked for their prayers!  Wow!

After coffee time, we went to get gas, and on the way home we drove by a couple apartment buildings in our area that have apartments for sale. “I” think it would be awesome to still be in this neighborhood!

I guess we should talk to our children in Campbell River about all this.  Father, please prepare their hearts – and ours – for YOUR will!  Thank You!

(I keep thinking about what I could do in the way of a little home-based business…to make a few dollars… this is more and more on my mind… but Father, is it from Your Spirit… or is it “just me”??  Please show me Your will, Father! In Jesus’ name!)

Oh yes, Pastor P is having “typical teens” struggles at home with his 5 teens!  Please be with him and his wife and family, Father.  Please give them wisdom and Your love and care.  And please be with his wife and her mom who is slowly dying  (And her dad too, and her sister).  Thank You, Father!

And please bless the couple who are getting married!

…. later… (Having gone for yet another walkabout, made lunch, started typing my notes from “The Rabbits and The Elephants”…)

This morning when I was walking with my son, he was telling me about when he used to play this on-line video game with a bunch of other people,and how it started as this little group of maybe 8 people that was really like a family (there were even a couple who were in their 40s that everyone referred to as the group parents!) and everybody had a good time, really got to know each other, worked together on the game… gradually more people joined in, but it still
worked well till there was about 15.  Then it built up to 25 and started to be a bit awkward, people started dividing into sub-groups to chat (the officers group, the newbies with low skill levels, the people with high skill levels, the people in the middle…) and they started to complain about each other, especially the newcomers who didn’t get invited to the “raids” very often… and to begin with, people had played for fun, but gradually it became more and more competitive, and a couple of the officers developed these big dreams of becoming the best group on the server (there were like 30,000 people playing in groups on this server, and their group made it up to #6!)… but to accomplish this they couldn’t let the less skillful people go on the raids because that would decrease their success level… and finally (after the group got up to 35 or 50 people, many who didn’t know or like each other… and some there for the social life, others to play for fun, others to play to win:  so even their goals/ purposes/ dreams were different) it got to the point where the whole group blew apart, instead of having divided up into smaller groups way earlier on, which could have the family-type atmosphere of the original group.

I was really interested in this story, because it sure reminded me of the same kind of things happening in all kinds of situations – clubs, teams, organizations, busineses, classrooms, study groups… and yes, churches.  The family size group is truly the building-block of society, and when things like this happen, the family/ relational dynamic breaks down, and all kinds of problems develop.

… later… Just as I finished writing the above, my daughter and grandson came in.  We visited for awhile, then she went for groceries and I watched the baby and made supper.  Hubby ate, then left for work, and my daughter came and picked up her son.  Oh yes, two of my other daughters also phoned this afternoon!  Yay!

And hubby and I decided on our travel dates even though he hasn’t been “cleared to go” yet by his work!  So I need to make reservations.  I was really tired, but I stayed up past 9 pm typing my book notes anyway – almost done!

June 6, 2009

My grandson slept great!  Me – not so much… kept waking up and checking him… must have gotten up to check him at least 5 times!  I’m out of practice!  So this morning took care of him…ah, so sweet first thing… half awake, just snuggling up in my lap! Fed, changted, played, fed, changed… and now he is napping.  Did manage along the way to make banana bread, breakfast, dishes, laundry, tidy up … he’s such a happy, cooperative baby! … ha! haven’t lost my
multi-tasking mama touch after all!  (But my back sure is sore in the usual spot… maybe from so much baby lifting? … Lord, please heal it… completely!  Thank You!)

… later… well, my grandson had a long nap (1 1/2 hours) so I did lots of book reading and note taking – then he woke and I took him in the stroller to the Farmers and Artisans Market.  Then his parents came and stayed all afternoon.  My wonderful son-in-law cleaned everything off the family computer and reloaded it right from scratch!   Then they went home, and hubby and I went an got a few groceries, then over to their house for barbeque.  It was awesome.  We had so much fun sitting around eating and telling funny stories and memories.  That is real family!  (That is how church should be!).  Got home around 9.

I had been reading the rest of the “Rabbits and Elephants” book off and on during the day, and finished it off before going to sleep – though I still need to take notes.  It is having, I believe, a profound influence – I believe You sent it for me, Father, at this time…  I didn’t feel free to read it even after I got it, until I had done my journal/blog typing, and reflecting on what You’ve been teaching me.  And now it’s like this book was sent to tie it together for me (including all the reading in the epistles and in Mark, that I’ve been reading before the book!).

As I was reading before bedtime, I listed on a slip of paper some things You were really impressing on me:

Street people share and care!  Boy, do they ever!

Ask God to show/ give me a way to earn my own money to share with others.

Living among those to be reached….

Prayer-walking, corporate prayer, prayer against the enemy (maybe with that guy who wants to pray?!?)

Reaching out to the 3rd world as well?

Ask people to share their stories about God!

(Oh, and last night I dreamed I was selling stuff again… And it was a good thing…)…

June 5, 2009

So I took a quick look at “The Rabbits and the Elephants” … and the #1 thing that stands out to me is “a lot of prayer and fasting.”  And yes!  street ministries are included!  Oh – and just because a ministry is functioning in a certain place and time and group of people, doesn’t mean it has to go on forever:  whatever God’s plans are, eh?!?!   And it may well be that an “established church” (or legacy church, as they call it) would be better off to “release” people as “local missionaries” rather than trying to do “outreaches” that are still closely tied to that church group…. including realizing that these outreaches may never contribute to the size or income of that church, but at the same time may reach many people who would never come to that church… and result in real churches (gatherings of believers)  themselves, who can reah ever further into communities/areas where a traditional/ established/
institutional/ legacy church never could…. But again, its all foundational upon lots of prayer and fasting!

So I do want to read the book – me methinks I should start first some serious prayer (and fasting…).  (When I kept seeing that “prayer and fasting” emphasis, my first reaction – being honest here, if a bit embarrassed – was basically, “I tried that!  Look at the endless hours, weeks, months, even years I prayed and prayed – and fasted – in both our former community and here… and to what avail?  (not counting God’s amazing work in my kids’ lives… and, after all, that was His #1 assigned ministry to me at the time, though I know now that I got awfully distracted back then by “real church ministries” … which maybe weren’t so much…)) (and who knows what answers I simply may not have personally seen, or how God continues to work on those things I was praying for…! yes!) (But anyway, I have been convicted to – and given the desire to – pray in the last week or two… God timing! … and another thing I saw was the need for corporate prayer… back in the day I (mostly…) wanted corporate prayer but ended up praying alone a lot… when Pastor P. started the new “services” on Sunday, that one guy kept saying, “We need to pray…” And so we do!  Only I don’t think I’ve seen him there the last bit…  But if he turns us I’m going to button-hole him about it! Oh… Papa?  Your will be done!)

… later… walk with my son.  I couldn’t keep up… and he thought I didn’t want to walk with him, so he just walked faster… and I got out of breath and dizzy, and had to sit down, and then walk slow… and I was feeling sorry for myself, thinking he was mad at me….  (having a real good pity party, yes I was… <red face> … sorry….) …  but along the way I met a lady walking along, looking for the bus depot, and her shoulders sagging from the weight of her bags, so I carried a suitcase for her and brought her to the bus depot!  Sorry for being so cranky, Lord… when You just knew someone You love needed a hand, needed some of Your love…

Back home, rested a few minitues, then posted my blog typing on the regular blog and the church journey blog.

Then checked facebook, saw on Gerry’s status that a new GodJourney podcast is posted so decided to listen to it.  Listened to most of it, then one of my daughters phoned and we had a nice chat.  Then I listened to the rest of the podcast – and now I’m listening to it again, wanting to take a few notes!  It’s called “Living Beyond the Recipe” – referring to some awesome chocolate chips they were eating while podcasting!  And guess what?  I was eating some of my own homemade chocolate chips while I was listening too!  Felt like I was really part of the conversation, lol!  Anyway, here are my notes:

- It’s not just the ingredients, but how the baker goes about it too – what she’s learned over the years as she’s made them over and over – and there’s something about the person themself who makes them.  So to make them yourself that well, you need a guide, a person who already has the experience – just like in your Christian walk, you need a guide who already has the experience of God, and you watch them and walk with God alongside them.  On your own, with just the recipe, you can misapply it, even with the right ingredients and well-written instructions.
- that chocolate chip recipe the baker used is true (like scripture) – and the cookies: well they are like Jesus!
- You can’t live without the recipe (scriptures) but you need to sink your teeth into the cookies too!  Eat the cookie, not just read the recipe.  If you haven’t tasted the cookies, you have no idea about what they’re really about.  We have to get on a journey to experience the life of Jesus.
- the cookie is more than the sum of the parts.
- it’s like sitting around a table talking all about golf, but never actually going out and hitting the freaking ball!
- you can’t know a person just reading about them, or even reading what they themself have written.
- God’s not defined by the ink and paper.  He’s so much greater.
- maybe the gospel is bigger than just a recipe:  it’s a person:  the life of God is in the reality of the Son (not in the Bible alone or even in the church).

Okay, so a couple of quotes I’ve picked up here and there:
“If you label it, you can dismiss it.”
“By the time you pin the butterfly to the styrofoam, it is no longer a butterfly.” (GK Chesterton?)
Be awfully careful when your walk/ beliefs/ ideas/ journy becomes a “movement”… we follow a Person, not an “it”…

…. later…. So I just wasted 1/2 hour or so ding a “Find Your RealAge” questionnaire… it says I’m 43.9 years old (10 years younger than my actual age!).   And that I work out too much (I don’t work out hardly at all… just walk a LOT!), and don’t eat enough fruits and veggies, and am short on some vitamins.  Oh, and that I should get a dog, and not ride a small car… ummmm? So!  I’m going to have lunch with lots of green veggies in it!

… So I spent lots of time this afternoon reading the book “The Rabbits and the Elephants” (and have taken up prayer-walking again as I walk through the community! Yay!).  I took a 1/2 hour or so break to go walk-about downtown and sit in the park on the grass for a few minutes… (and pray some) Thank You!

Later my daughter and family came over, as they have a birthday party to go to, and I took advantage of the chance to babysit the baby overnight!  Fun!  ___ came and visited for awhile, then left when I took baby out for an evening walk, and hubby left for work.  Lots of people admired my grandson!  (as usual!)  I ran into ___ and he said there will be breakfast on Sunday morning after all…

My legs were spagetti today… couldn’t walk fast… but still walked a fair distance all told.

June 4, 2009

Our back (side!) yard looks so barren without the gazebo, but it will be great for our daughter and her family, especially to have a shady outdoor spot for their little one!  (Our gazebo going makes me wonder what’s happening… Our son’s room is so barren too, without the big computer desk and chair which have also gone to our daughter … and the spare room is nearly empty too…  hmmmm…  adventure!)

Father, I keep feeling as though there is something You are teaching me these days… and although I get glimpses and hints of it, I seem to be missing the core of it!

Although I’ve been doing lots of walkabout, especially in the evenings, but also some short ones mid-day (and even early mornings, coming and going to coffee time and church-in-the-park), it seems like most of my “street” friends have disappeared (while loads of summer folks – both locals, tourists, and transients – though not as many as I’d expected – have arrived).  I even walked over to the Rose Garden area yesterday evening, but no sign of them there.  Maybe the local constabulary have moved them on, to clear the way for “normal” people (locals and tourists)  (AKA “hiding the problem”…).

My son wants me to make chocolate chip cookies this morning – for both coffee time – and for him!

…. later! …. So made the chocolate chip cookies.  Made hubby breakfast, then went to coffee time.  On the way, I was just reading Nanaimo Square when I saw “Gator” stand up rigidly, then fall backward rigidly to the ground.  He started having seizures and foaming at the mouth.  Those of us there (pretty much the whole crowd of “the crew”) got a man to call 9-1-1 (we ran around asking a bunch of people; some didn’t have cell phones, but others just didn’t want to get involved…), and I stayed until the ambulance guys came and got him.

Then I went on to the coffee time.  Not too many people there (Pastor P. having gone to Ontario for a few days) but then a few came by.  Still had some cookies left at the end so stopped back at Nanaimo Square and left the rest of the cookies with the people there.

Came home and went walkabout with my son.  Then folded laundry.  Now have been sitting on the front porch doing my Bible reading.  Lovely outside right now but heating up – supposed to reach 35 C.  It was 11 C at 6 am and 18 by 7 am.

My son this morning said, “I must not be a very good Christian because I don’t have any feelings one way or another about starving children in third world countries.” So we had a conversation about that (concern for those whom we don’t personally know)… but I was at the same time encouraged because he was identifying himself as a Christian.  Keep looking after him, Papa!  Thank You!

At Coffee Time this morning, the younger ___ was saying he wished there was something he could do for me, because he appreciated how much I care for people.   And I was telling him what a privilege it is for me, especially since I have so little family here now… and then walking home, I realized, Papa, that You have given me a great gift in giving me a “new family” to love and take care of!  Glory to Your name!  Thank You!  Praise God!

And I also realized that in arriving at Nanaimo Square exactly when I did, You were listening to what I was saying yesterday about how I couldn’t seem to find any of the regular street people… and this morning You gave me a wonderful opportunity.  And I did pray quietly for that guy, Gator… but I should have prayed out loud, eh?  I’m sorry Papa.  Please give me the boldness (and wisdom).  Thank You, Father God, in Jesus’ name.  Amen!  Amen!

… later…

I took my laptop out and typed for my blog (catch-up since May 19th) until even with the room divider to provide shade, I got too hot, so came back in and continued to type inside.  Mid-afternoon my daughter and grandson came by and stayed till my son-in-law came back from a job he was doing.  Played lots with my grandson.  Then hubby got up so I made supper.  After, I did more typing.  Then I decided I better at least go for a short walk, even though my body is kind of sore from those exercises!  Once outside I thought I’d just go up the steps and then down Vancouver Hill and home… but got up to the KVR trail, went all the way to the second set of bluff trails, down to the lake, back along the lakeshore past the marina all the way to the peach, and then all the way onward to the skateboard park, then back along the beach, and finally home at 9:30.  Very brisk walking, too!

Finally, after opening all the doors and windows to cool down the house, I sat down and finished the blog typing (up to yesterday), meanwhile snacking on some frozen fruit slices.

Oh!  While I was outside typing, the mailman came by with my new book about “Rabbits and Elephants” – but I didn’t want to open it until my blog typing was caught up, as I really felt led to first check out what Father has been telling me the past couple weeks, before I start reading the book.

Must phone my sister tomorrow and congratulate her on her new job!  I loved getting a REAL HANDWRITTEN LETTER from her!  Yay!

June 2, 2009

Went with hubby – and a fresh lemon loaf, yum! – to coffee time.  Today ___ was talking about how it seems like evil used to be in pockets (certain people, certain locations, etc) within society … but now it is all through (and accepted widely … only bad to be a Christian now…)… [but we don't see it, do we?  We seem to pull into our little Christian ghettos... and don't recognize when it follows us in and draws us in too, do we?)

A couple guys from coffee time this morning came over to get 5 bags of pop cans, and stayed for iced tea on the porch - lots of wild funny stories!

Then I did a bit more of my study in Mark.  (reading Mk 4:3-20 the parable of the sower... my observations:  we seem to suffer so little (re the seed on rocky ground) - what does that say about our lives in relation to the Word? ... AND 4:24 "Take care what you listen to.  By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides" [I'm afraid my "standard of measure" is awfully chintzy... oh dear]….

So my daughter and her family came over for quite awhile.  My son-in-law and son dismantled the big old computer desk and took it over to their house.  They are supposed to come by tomorrow for the gazebo – we’ll see!

In the evening I was real tired, but went walkabout anyway.  At first I could barely make it up the stairs, but then got more energy – and walked north across on the KVR trail, down the bluffs, north along the lakeshore, up another set of bluffs, south on the KVR trail, back down the first set of bluffs, then along the lakeshore to the peach and then home – and hour + !~