Ragamuffin: Bob and I (4)

Part 4

B

ack to Captain Bob and the conversation we had at Starbucks (or Part 4)…

Bob has got his second wind and wants to finish off on several other concerns that are noticeably robbing him of his joy in ministry.

“Jay it seems like I can manage the corps finances but with my kids it is hard to handle my own finances. It is my fault - Barb (his lovely and capable wife) says I give in to the kids too much. That might be true but before I became an officer I could buy this and that and not worry too much about finances. Now, I have to watch every coin that leaves my pocket. In a regular job I could ask for a raise…”

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Thinkaloud | colour-blind God

a kaleidoscope of colour and sound

O

ne of the facts of life is that there are different races and different racial cultures. People have different coloured skin, they speak different languages and their worldviews are often dissimilar. All of this increases the possibility of misunderstanding, which can lead to racism.

Just what is racism? It has been defined as (a) prejudice or discrimination against a person or group because of a difference of race and (b) belief in the superiority of a particular race, based on the theory that human abilities and character are determined by race. Hitler took the second definition and used its erroneous ideas of a superior white race to bring into being Nazism and the horrors of war. The first definition finds its way into the daily life of our communities in insults, ethnic jokes and petty prejudice.

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Double~take | name game

defining yourself

W

hat’s in a name? Apparently a whole lot, because before the first kids turn up for summer camp this coming week (Newport Adventure Camp, Ontario, Canada), I have to find a camp name. Halogen? Kanga? Swiffer? All taken - not that I wanted to steal them. Aussie? How original! Sagala? Matilda? Bandicoot? Could happen… hopefully I don’t do anything stupid in the next couple of days, or my momentary idiocy will be immortalized forever. Or at least for the summer.

I think camping brings out the best in people. It gives them the chance to rise to challenges, and accomplish things they never thought they could. It’s one of those places where you’re not so defined - you have space to find out who you are. Especially around campfires. Obscured by the flickering shadows - you could be anyone…

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Vox populi | green not groan

taken the green plunge

T

hey came and took away my garbage this morning.  I watched contemplatively sipping my coffee as the city’s sanitation department representative dumped my one reusable plastic garbage pail into the back of his truck.  He unceremoniously threw it back on my lawn, with little or no regard to the fact I only had one pail generated by six people for a whole week set against the eight bags my neighbour is chucking out.  The recycling rep won’t be as impressed.  I have three full bins for her.

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Deeper shade of grey | lost themes 3

Lost themes of mission… salvation

M

ajor Ray Harris (R), when he was a training principal in Canada, once said your ‘understanding of mission will only be as wide as your understanding of salvation. Thinking about ‘Lost Themes of Mission’ I remembered trying to explore this and discovering the danger of watering down salvation.

Shortly afterwards I read these thoughts:

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Urban paradox

Reconnecting church and the city

But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.
Jeremiah 29:7

I

grew up in the country, the kind of place that some uncharitably call “the middle of nowhere.” Work was long and hot, and the church, that building at the center of a sprawling agricultural community, was an educator, social hub, and helper. The connection between the church and the land was easy enough to figure out. It was commonplace on a Sunday morning to give thanks for land, to pray for it, and to live with the dignity of a very earthy Christianity.

North America it seems that urban abstractions have destabilized this kind of intimate spirituality of land and community. How many residents of a new American suburb are liable to offer an earthy and robust thanks for their square patch of lawn, identically sculpted to fit the pattern of an endless row of McMansions? Or who might stare out of their high rise in Los Angeles to see a maze of granite, concrete, and the world’s most expansive road works and feel compelled to enter this kind of spiritual space?

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Ragamuffin: Bob and I (3)

Part 3

B

ack to Captain Bob and the conversation we had at Starbucks. When we left Bob in our last blog he was - well, going to the bathroom…

Angry, discouraged and feeling a sudden urge to dump all his cares on me I sat like a counselor hearing the angst of a weary counselee. It was like ‘rage against the machine.’ I guess he just needed to vent. It seemed a long time before Bob came back to the table but he did come back. Trying to lighten the mood I casually joked – “Everything come out alright Bob?” He smiled and sat down for what was going to be round two.

Well, anyway, back to Bob…

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Thinkaloud | who is paying?

getting things… too small for our God-given capacities

H

as the time come when a person no longer expects to repay his or her personal debts? Is it considered acceptable for a person, an organization or a government to borrow money without any idea of how it is to be paid back?

The answer to the above questions appears to be an unqualified “yes”. The borrowing habits of many people appear to be out of control. The insistent and seductive “Buy now, pay later with no interest until. . .” sale pitch of the more strident merchandisers, allied with the easy availability of credit cards, has led many unwary though self-indulgent people into financial servitude.

It is regrettable that with few exceptions government has not led the way in financial restraint. It seems that those who have access to the public purse have erased the word “thrift” from their minds.

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Double~take | Ignite

Igniting a neighbourhood

M

y house is pretty multicultural. That’s probably a good thing, cos so is our neighbourhood. It’s called the Ignite house, cos that’s where the Igniters live, funnily enough…

I hear knocking on the door, and a rattling letterbox slot… for the third time this week. I run down the stairs and open the door to the same bunch of kids as last time, only this time they brought friends. “Is Emily here? Or Drew?” No guys, they’re still on their Ignite mission trip. They’re in Montreal. “Oh. What about Audrey? Where’s Sarah? Can we come in?” They’re in Montreal as well. They won’t be back until Thursday. “Your neighbour’s scary - she keeps yelling at us because we come to the door all the time. Can we come in?” Um… I have to leave pretty soon, but ok…

And six kids charge into the living room, declare themselves terrified of the basement, and ask if they can have a freezie amidst a whirlwind tour of the house… They leave amidst the shouts of our neighbour… she might be scary, but they keep coming back…

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Vox populi | addiction

… I’m down to three a day

M

y name is Rick, and I’m an addict.  Actually, I’m a caffeine addict, and I personally believe that caffeine addiction is one of the non-canonical gifts of the Holy Spirit; a gift destined to ensure the efficient running of this temple of the Holy Spirit.  You see, my temple runs on caffeine.  For Pete’s sake, Paul champions the cause of carnivores in his Corinthian missive on meat (I’ve never understood vegetarianism.  Why do these people hate plants so much).  I’m off on a rabbit trail.  My point… if Paul was permissive with meat then he certainly must have understood the need for a great cup ‘o joe after a feast of meat.

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