Weekend Past

We were in Batawa, Ontario on Friday night singing for a YFC fundraiser. We like the folk there - Pat & Dan Koets are very helpful and encouraging. We like Colin Leaver as well, the worker for the area; he has a high Q factor and is obviously passionate about the evangelism of youth. They also had some terrifically honest and real kids giving testimony (the highlight for sure) and their take on what it means to be a youth in today's culture (my favourite line - "we're into gruesome"!)
One question that always emerges for me at events like these is around the word 'challenge'. It was the theme of the night: challenging youth to become all that they can be, challenging supporters to get on board with the ministry. There's room for that word, but, I didn't hear the word invitation all night! Is the gospel more about challenge or invitation? Is it outcome based or presence based? I for one lean to presence that engages and invites. Challenge is too easily co-opted into judgment and condemnation; and we have more of that than we need! Bless these folk on their journey in Christ.

We then ended up in Peterborough on Saturday for a workshop on Sabbath for the Lindsay-Peterborough Presbytery. It was amazing to see how JP Smit and I were in the same zone on our presentations (without previous discussion). The folk were very open and receptive, and joined in heartily in worship. Best moment was in the closing worship, when I told the old 'Anointing with oil/Burning through' story from St. David's. Carey Johnston from Bobcaygeon in a Spirit led moment came up and gave me some oil she had with her, and I invited people to linger for prayer if they felt the need to be anointed. We had two people stay whom we laid hands on and prayed for - it was very cool.

We then drove over to the home of Bert and Tracey-Ann Van Brenk for a house concert. What a great home! Doug and Michelle Fisher graciously arranged this at fairly short notice, and we were grateful to them for getting about twenty people there. Everyone seemed to enjoy the music and stories, as well as the wine and cheese! We are so amazed at the community of friends out there who believe in what MFR is about, and who help us in keeping the ship afloat - God is good.
Finally got into bed in Rockwood by 2:15 AM after fighting traffic through the top of Toronto because of lane closures at 1 PM. Aaargh!!

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Something Jean Vanier Said

In his marvellous reflection on John's gospel, Jean Vanier suggests that the healthy and mature community will be one ( I paraphrase) where no one deems themselves as unworthy of God's love nor deems the other as unworthy of God's love. Clearly the barrier to true community is the disease of self-hatred which then distorts our view of the other. If only our churches could learn this truth and be credible witnesses to it.

Songwriting

I have had the great privilege of co-writing with Steve Bell and Jacob Moon in the last few months, with some very satisfying results. You can hear the song that Steve and I wrote which is called 'These are the Ones' at the SignpostVillage theatre here.
Jacob and I wrote the title track for his new Christmas album called 'This Christmas'. It won't be released for a little while yet, but I'm pleased as to how it turned out; I also contributed some background vocals to it. I enjoy the process of writing with someone else. You wrestle over words and melodies, but, in the end the process can really work. It always helps to have some objectivity! Look for these tunes on future Signpost releases.

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George MacDonald

I've just been revisiting George MacDonald's collection of poems "Diary of an Old Soul' which offers an eight line poem for each day of the year. The poem from July 10 gave me the title for my second album 'By Faint Degrees'. He was such a wonderful writer, and his writing was grounded in a beautiful (though not uncontroversial) theology. In the first part of these poems from July he deals with the importance of small things and I'll reproduce here the verses of July 4 & 5:

Master, thou workest with such common things-
Low souls, weak hearts, I mean - and hast to use
Therefore, such common means and rescuings,
That hard we find it, as we sit and muse,
To think thou workest in us verily:
Bad sea-boats we, and manned with wretched crews-
That doubt the captain, watch the storm spray flee.

Thou art hampered in thy natural working then
When beings designed on freedom' holy plan
Will not be free: with thy poor, foolish men,
Thou therefore hast to work just like a man.
But when, tangling thyself in their sore need,
Thou has to freedom fashioned them indeed,
Then wilt thou grandly move, and godlike speed.

Amazing stuff. Hope that whets you appetites.

Life Transitions

There are events that become significant markers on one's life journey and I have just been involved with two of them. Last week we celebrated my Mom and Dad's 50th Wedding anniversary - wow! What a legacy! It was a wonderful afternoon at the splendid Nassagweya Farm retreat centre, where approximately 90 family and friends passed through to wish my folks well. I know they were thrilled with the day, and I appreciate all those who took the time to come out.
The second event is that tomorrow we will be driving our oldest daughter Danielle to Ottawa to begin university. She will be going to Carleton U. to study Public Affairs and Policy Management, and we're thrilled for her. It will be strange not having her around here, and her sister Julia will miss her especially, but it is the new phase in Danielle's expanding map of the world. We pray that she will find solid friends, and be able to make sense of what she's learning from the perspective of a Christian worldview.
I don't whether all this stuff has heightened my senses or what, but the muse has come upon me strongly this last week, and I'm writing some new songs. It feels good to nurture the imagination and see what emerges; hopefully some work that will last!

News

We had a great time in Thunder Bay, Ontario this past weekend. Our friends James and Inez Collie had us up to sing at a 25th Wedding Anniversary house concert. We were joined by our friends Brad & Greg Woods (of the Great Wooden Trio) and had a marvellous time telling stories, singing songs, and enjoying fine beverages and food.
We flew out of T-Bay at 6:30 in the morning to get back to Monck, Ontario for an afternoon concert at the Baptist church there. Thanks to Tim Medhurst and his folk for being gracious hosts.
I have been in correspondence with folk from New Zealand and Australia who are starting to use 'The Peace of Christ' in their worship down there. It's cool to see where these songs end up being offered in worship!
Our good friend and producer Roy Salmond has been involved in the latest project from Leigh Nash (voice of Sixpence None the Richer "Kiss Me" fame) called Fauxliage. He co-wrote 8 of the tunes and seems pretty pumped about it; check it out on her web-site.

I'm Back

My sister in law Bonnie Filipchuk lovingly admonished me for neglecting this blog. I can't fully explain why I drifted so far out of the communication orbit, but like anything, this has to become a discipline if it's going to work; so I will try to be more responsible at keeping interested parties up to date.
We're all doing pretty well this summer.
Highlights for the last month include hearing Jean Vanier speak at the Prison Fellowship International convocation; I have tremendous admiration for this modern day saint. He probably broke every modern communication rule going, but his integrity and the fact that he didn't need for us to like him (you could just tell), freed him to communicate a word from God that was deep and profound. I was very moved.
Those of you who get our MFR newsletter know that we had informed our support base that we needed $10,000 in donations to make our budget work for the summer (and whole year really). Well, I'm thrilled to report that as of today, $9,000 has come in so far. Wow! I am filled with gratitude to God our provider and the many friends who have come through. Of course, the need doesn't end there, but, I think people realize that this is a good kingdom work which is worth getting behind. That's real encouragement to David and myself.