Seasons - A time for change

The bible talks about everything having its season. Last week at the Cultivate Seminar a gentlemen their related that familiar verse to where God has currently placed him and where God is going to place him. He warned that we need to be willing to change when God calls to change. Seasons come and go, but God remains the same.

I am approaching a huge change in season, an about face. I am about to give up something that has been a huge part of my life and development. Ever since I was old enough to hold by arms up I have been playing the cornet and aspiring to be just like my dad and his dad before him, a desire to play well and to be active in the "ministry" of the band. This pursuit has lead me to some amazing experiences, tours of across Canada and the United States and even over to Europe, but probably more important it gave me opportunities to meet some great people and to develop some life long friendships. As a young man trying to figure out what God was calling me to the band acted as a place to meet with friends and discuss some of the challenges associated with following Christ. I will always be thankful to my parents for starting me out in the band and thankful to the band for helping develop me into what I believe is a fairly well rounded individual. I have come to realize that as much as I felt at the time I was doing some amazing outward ministry I was truly the one being ministered to.

In point of fact, I have come to realization over the past couple of years that as much as I love banding and I do, for me it is actually standing in way of what God is calling me to. I definitely believe my Season(s) spent in the band and "traditional" SallyAnn ministry has prepared me for something else. It has taken a lot of wrestling with God for me to realize that in order to be faithful to God I have to give up something I never thought I would ever want or be called to give up. That being said, I am so excited for the new Season which is approaching, where I pray God will continue to tear down anything in me that is separating me from fully experiencing what He has to offer. I trust that God will at some point provide an opportunity to use the musical talents he has given me, but I have been brought to a place where I know that even if I never play a cornet again I can be content knowing that God is going to provide opportunities far beyond my understanding that will take the place of the hours of time I have devoted to banding and do some new and amazing things.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
Eccl. 3:1


The challenge for us all is to be faithful to God when he is telling us it is time to change seasons and not cling onto things because they are the only things we have known.

It's a Boy

So it turns out in an earlier blog I referred to my soon to be here baby as a girl oops, its a boy. Kristen and I had the privilege of seeing our baby through an ultra sound and he is perfectly healthy almost a foot long and about a pound with defined feet, hands and well since we know its a boy you can guess what else was visible. As the doctor said he is not shy about showing it off lol!

Anyways, Kristen and I couldn't be more happy, I will scan the ultra sound pic over the next couple of days and post it!

Thank you friends for all of your support and prayers as we get closer to the arrival of our first baby BOY!!!!

Peace

Conversations

Lately God has really been impressing on me the value of relationships and through those relationships the life changing conversations you can have. In a society where everything has to be fast, immediate and fit to a schedule, good conversations are hard to find. I believe God is calling us back to friendship and back to conversations. We can probably all remember a conversation we have had with a loved one or a good friend when we were upset or depressed. A conversation where you knew they were supposed to be somewhere else yet they chose to stay with you. Those conversations build true/strong relationships. God has really been impressing on me the importance of giving of my time to people even if that means being late for work, church, whatever but I need to be willing to take that time. I guess the challenge is, are you making time to have those conversations with loved ones, neighbors, friends?

An eye opening Birthday

So it turns out I am a quarter century today (not that I feel any different), most years my birthdays come and go with little excitement. This year I had the amazing privilege of spending my birthday at the Cultivate Missional Living Conference @ the Freeway. The conference was an amazing opportunity to share with some other crazy Jesus follower types pursuing this idea of what the Church should look like in a Post modern world. For a guy like me who really likes to hear himself speak it was amazing to just sit back for a change and be humbled as others shared the stories of how God is moving where they are, and how they are actively impacting their various communities in a very real and authentic way. This event showed me again the importance of conversation both to affirm us in our paths, but also to impact our communities. And best of all God continued to confirm the vision he has placed on my heart.

After the conference my parents took Kristen and I out to "Tuckers Market Place" and for once I didn't eat till I puked (sorry inside joke) in all seriousness it was a great way to spend my birthday. My prayer is that God continues to challenge me in my Kingdom pursuits and that he continues to bless me with opportunities to spend time with my beautiful wife, our soon to be here baby girl and my wonderful family!

Many Blessings

An Interesting Finding

Hey everyone, I was searching the net and I came across this initiative Kiva, I haven't had a chance to investigate it in too much depth but at first glance it looks like an amazing opportunity to help specific needs in the developing world.

Routes Youth Centre - Summer student positions

Hey everyone just wanted to let you know that we are starting the process of hiring summer staff. If you enjoy working with youth and have a knack for relationship building this is an opportunity you should look into. We can only hire two students so if you are interested get your resume in quickly (you have to be returning to school in the fall to qualify).

We are going to be doing some amazing stuff this summer and it is sure to be a summer you will always remember. Plus you get to work with me all summer lol!

Look forward to hearing from you. If you aren't looking for a summer job but will be working/living in Hamilton this summer we are always looking for passionate volunteers!

Drop me an email if you are interested,

jdock68@hotmail.com

"Much of the church is stuck in the 50's and what isn't is stuck in the 60's" - Jamie Potter-Miller

I have been thinking about the role of the church in the 21st century a lot lately as a result of conversations with Pernell Goodyear (freeway) and reading through a lot of interesting stuff from authors like Leonard Sweet and Shane Claiborne. All of that discussion has lead me to the conclusion that there is no single answer to what the church should look like. What might work in Hamilton may not work in Brooklyn, and probably wouldn't work in Silicone Valley, yet there is something different that will work everywhere. Something that God is calling someone to do, something that may cause other "Christians" to shake their head at, but something that is authentic and specific to the community in which it is spawned.

Over the years we have seen churches try some pretty whacky and unbibilical things to try and bring non-Christians into their churches. Such as, wavering on their theology, questioning basic principles of faith such as the emaculate conception and the Easter story. Leanard Sweet in his book Aqua Church argues that we need to change the container in which we dispense the message but the message needs to remain the same today as it has always been. I have realized that we need to be authentic and socially conscious but in that we need to protect the sanctity of the message. In Pauls letters he tells us that we need to be everything to everyone, in order for us to fulfill that calling we may need to do somethings that we would never have thought of doing and may not want to do in order to share the message of Christ and his love. For example, in the 18o0's that call call lead William Booth (founder of the Salvation Army) to share the message of Christ in the Pubs. For the Apostle Paul it meant taking the message to the Gentiles and doing things like eating food he would never have dreamed of eating. For the Meeting House it means worshiping in Movie Theatres, and for the Freeway it means sharing the message of God and building community through a Cafe. In all of these cases the message of Gods love and grace is the same but the "Church" or "Container" looks different. I believe more today then I ever have that Jesus came to get rid the world of "Religion" and that is why it is often easier to see Jesus outside of the traditional Church then it is inside.

I know this rant may offend some people, my hope in this is not to offend but rather to challenge you and me. Ponder this, if everything in the world is changing and changing at a rapid pace does it make sense to do church the same way as we always have and expect people to accept it? Would you expect some one to buy a cassette tape if all they had in their house was a CD player? Things change and somethings become obsolete.

Peace

PS Let me know if you think I am completely out to lunch or if you are feeling the same way. I certainly haven't got it all put together but I find it is in the conversations that I really start to figure things out!

LAST REMINDER **** SCRAP METAL DRIVE

Hey everyone just wanted to remind you one last time, Routes is hosting its 2nd annual spring scrap metal drive this saturday, if you have a couple hours please come and help out tomorrow morning at the Dundas Arena!!! All of the fun starts at 8 am.

Church?

What is church? What should Church be? These and others are the questions I have been asking myself for a while now, and I am starting to realize more then ever that the answers to these questions are always changing and they really should always be changing. Paul writes in his letters that we should be everything to everyone, this great calling is impossible if try to reach out to our communities the same ways that were effective 50/60/100 years ago. Things have to change, that being said it is essential that the message doesn't change. We need to be authentic and relevant with how we deliver the message but the message itself is just as relevant today as it has always been.

Just some random thoughts I am working through these days, get ready for some more I as attempt to read my mountain of books.

Scrap Metal News paper article

It turns out the Dundas Star has online articles, check me out advertising for our Scrap Metal drive this Saturday, and help out if you can!!!! http://www.dundasstarnews.com/dsn/news/news_758453.html

"If I were president" (Prime Minister)

Words of wisdom from Wyclef Jean "If I were president I would stop this war and use the money to feed the poor." We as Christians need to bond together and work to create Social Justice and hold our Government accountable for the money it spends and the decisions it makes. Lets shake things up, if we don't who will?

Scrap Metal Drive for Routes Youth Centre

Hey friends if you are living in the Hamilton area and have some time you can spare on Saturday April 14, Routes Youth Centre is running a scrap metal drive and we need some help picking up metal and sorting it.

If you have any interest in helping out by donating metal or your time please drop me an email jdock68@hotmail.com!

I hope everyone had a great Easter and that you were able to reflect on the wonderful gift that is Easter!!!

An Inconvenient Truth (2006)

Kristen and I sat down to watch "An inconvenient Truth" which is Al Gores documentary on Global warming. I really wasn't excited about watching the movie, and to be honest I had studied the effects of Global warming in a first year environmental Geography course and I managed to quite easily push it out of mind. I decided to watch this movie in the midst of a "God Poke," a poke that has been continually telling me that one of my roles as a Christian is to take care of God's creation. Like all things in life I don't believe I stumbled on this video by accident. I challenge you especially those of you who call yourselves "Christians" to take the environment seriously and to do your part to try and reverse the effects of "Global Warming." If you need a little motivation as to why this is an urgent matter check out the movie, its hard to argue with the evidence.

An easter Email from My Mom

I know this is corny but I laughed.

_______________________________________________



I hope everyone has a great Easter and has a chance to reflect on the greatest sacrifice of all time. And remember the most remarkable thing he [Jesus] went through all of that for me and you.

PEACE!

Celebrity look a likes

So it turns out I look like Elton too bad I can't sing like him!

A great read

If you are like me and interested in this whole idea of social justice and what it means to live an authentic Christian life then you may be interested in Shane Claiborne and some of his ideas. Shane offers some amazing insights into what he deems "The Simple Way;" Kristen (my wife) found a cool link where you can read a chapter of his book for free, its a pretty smart marketing plan b/c it is impossible to just read that chapter, he certainly leaves you wanting more. In a mere 39 pages Shane offers some pretty intense challenges to the way we as Christians live. Check out this link and prepare to rethink the way you follow Christ. http://www.thesimpleway.org/shane/sampler.pdf

Social Justice cont'd

Something that made me go hmmm.

He has shown all you people what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly ^[a] with your God. (Micah 6:8)

A social justice challenge

Hey everyone I was exporing Youtube today and came across this great video, its Tony Campolo pushing an upcoming conference but in the midst of pushing the conference he offers some great challenges. check it out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bk7cQPOnrf4

It challenge me hopefully it does the same for you!

Why a Donkey? Because I'm an Ass

Another palm Sunday has come and for me it is a great chance for personal reflection and a time to really reflect on the importance of Easter. Today Allan preached on Jesus' triumphant procession (probably the same text that has been preached in every church by every minister every year since that glorious day). To be honest I really didn't expect to take anything new from this very familiar passage, I know I should have known better considering how many times God has done that to me over the years. Allan emphasized the importance of the Donkey, something that I thought was not overly important to the event. He discussed how the Donkey was symbolic of us before we come to a relationship with God. The Donkey in Bible times was dirty and unworthy of being sacrificed. Jesus chose the Donkey just like he chooses us. He made something that was unworthy of any status and gave it a truly prominent role carrying around a King! God has an amazing ability to turn our weaknesses into something beautiful!

This week as we approach Easter consider what God has/is or could be transforming you into!