This Church, found on the road to Volgograd (Stalingrad) drew us again and again to its' haunting loneliness...
Monday, December 21, 2009
Russian Thoughts
This Church, found on the road to Volgograd (Stalingrad) drew us again and again to its' haunting loneliness...
Thursday, December 17, 2009
O Sapientia - O Wisdom
Come, O Wisdom!
December 17: Eight more days: O Sapientia (O Wisdom)
O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodiisti,
attingens a fine usque ad finem,
fortiter suaviterque disponens omnia:
veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.
(translation from Fr. Britt)
O Wisdom, that proceedest from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end mightily, and sweetly disposing all things, COME and teach us the way of prudence.
(another version)
Wisdom, O holy Word of God,
you govern all creation with your strong yet tender care.
Come and show your people the way to salvation.
(The circle circumscribing an equilateral triangle around the eye stands for the Godhead; the seven flames emanating are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit - "I will ask the Father and He will send another Advocate" - the large central one at the bottom is "wisdom". But the Word is also called Wisdom.)
"Get wisdom, get understanding." [from the book of Proverbs]
But how is wisdom to be gotten?
As I mentioned in my prelude to these seven days, wonderful details have been written about these seven antiphons. But I wish to meditate on the hints they reveal about the role of Rome in Salvation History.
And, since you are most likely sitting in front of a computer as you read this, I will call your attention to that most amazing gift of Ancient Rome which sits just in front of you.
I mean the twenty-six capital letters on your keyboard, which (except for the J and the U and W) have been in use for over 2,000 years. Here they are: look at them:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
I don't have room, or the background, to explain the entire history of this most amazing gift. But we must note several points: It is not the Greek alphabet (though most of those symbols are Greek letters also!) - but there is no "chalice or great saturn" as GKC called the capital Psi and Theta, and no Omega, no Pi, no Sigma, no Gamma, no Xi... Nor are there the Aleph and Beth and Gimel and Daleth, of the Hebrew - written, moreover, from right to left.
It is a strange thing to think, too, that the Latin tongue, still in use by the Church, serves as a universal language: not only indeed for the Church, but for the Law, for Medicine, and for Science. Granted, few write their doctoral dissertations in Latin now. But so it was for well over a thousand years. And Latin is still the basis for many terms in these fields - even for ones in more distant realms, such as the hilarious "multiculturalism" which cannot but bow to Rome, and exalt her high above other civilizations!
Indeed, with the computer age, and ASCII or any other character set, this Roman gift has become even more strongly bound to the important field of communications. And communication is somehow linked with wisdom - for it reaches "from end to end"... And it was not a picture or a pictogram or hieroglyph which was to be the distinguishing symbol of Jesus the God-Man: no, it was the Word - and the word is the essence of communication.
A note: lest it seem that I slight Hebrew, may I point out the very strange truth that the Hebrew word typically has THREE consonants which form a "root" - and so the very language has a trinitarian character! Moreover, the Watson-Crick "Genetic Code" has been show to use three letters of DNA to indicate each amino acid to be built into the protein. Nor do I slight Greek, for as I said many of the Latin letters are Greek ones: but also almost as many words are still used even in this electronic and technical age! "...we have to go on using the Greek name of amber as the only name of electricity because we have no notion what is the real name or nature of electricity." [GKC, The Common Man 170]
But one more point about Latin: when I read about the martyrs of Rome, I think how they would laugh in their pain if they would be able to see the characters and language of their persecutors preserved primarily by the Church! Indeed, not just the city (where the Vatican is, and all those churches built on top of or inside pagan temples) and the Roman garments (which the priest wears to offer Holy Mass) but the very tongue of the Romans is now the martyrs' spoils of victory!
"Until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter, not the smallest part of a letter, will pass away..."
"The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us."
Come O Wisdom.
December 17: Eight more days: O Sapientia (O Wisdom)
O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodiisti,
attingens a fine usque ad finem,
fortiter suaviterque disponens omnia:
veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae.
(translation from Fr. Britt)
O Wisdom, that proceedest from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end mightily, and sweetly disposing all things, COME and teach us the way of prudence.
(another version)
Wisdom, O holy Word of God,
you govern all creation with your strong yet tender care.
Come and show your people the way to salvation.
(The circle circumscribing an equilateral triangle around the eye stands for the Godhead; the seven flames emanating are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit - "I will ask the Father and He will send another Advocate" - the large central one at the bottom is "wisdom". But the Word is also called Wisdom.)
"Get wisdom, get understanding." [from the book of Proverbs]
But how is wisdom to be gotten?
As I mentioned in my prelude to these seven days, wonderful details have been written about these seven antiphons. But I wish to meditate on the hints they reveal about the role of Rome in Salvation History.
And, since you are most likely sitting in front of a computer as you read this, I will call your attention to that most amazing gift of Ancient Rome which sits just in front of you.
I mean the twenty-six capital letters on your keyboard, which (except for the J and the U and W) have been in use for over 2,000 years. Here they are: look at them:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
I don't have room, or the background, to explain the entire history of this most amazing gift. But we must note several points: It is not the Greek alphabet (though most of those symbols are Greek letters also!) - but there is no "chalice or great saturn" as GKC called the capital Psi and Theta, and no Omega, no Pi, no Sigma, no Gamma, no Xi... Nor are there the Aleph and Beth and Gimel and Daleth, of the Hebrew - written, moreover, from right to left.
It is a strange thing to think, too, that the Latin tongue, still in use by the Church, serves as a universal language: not only indeed for the Church, but for the Law, for Medicine, and for Science. Granted, few write their doctoral dissertations in Latin now. But so it was for well over a thousand years. And Latin is still the basis for many terms in these fields - even for ones in more distant realms, such as the hilarious "multiculturalism" which cannot but bow to Rome, and exalt her high above other civilizations!
Indeed, with the computer age, and ASCII or any other character set, this Roman gift has become even more strongly bound to the important field of communications. And communication is somehow linked with wisdom - for it reaches "from end to end"... And it was not a picture or a pictogram or hieroglyph which was to be the distinguishing symbol of Jesus the God-Man: no, it was the Word - and the word is the essence of communication.
A note: lest it seem that I slight Hebrew, may I point out the very strange truth that the Hebrew word typically has THREE consonants which form a "root" - and so the very language has a trinitarian character! Moreover, the Watson-Crick "Genetic Code" has been show to use three letters of DNA to indicate each amino acid to be built into the protein. Nor do I slight Greek, for as I said many of the Latin letters are Greek ones: but also almost as many words are still used even in this electronic and technical age! "...we have to go on using the Greek name of amber as the only name of electricity because we have no notion what is the real name or nature of electricity." [GKC, The Common Man 170]
But one more point about Latin: when I read about the martyrs of Rome, I think how they would laugh in their pain if they would be able to see the characters and language of their persecutors preserved primarily by the Church! Indeed, not just the city (where the Vatican is, and all those churches built on top of or inside pagan temples) and the Roman garments (which the priest wears to offer Holy Mass) but the very tongue of the Romans is now the martyrs' spoils of victory!
"Until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter, not the smallest part of a letter, will pass away..."
"The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us."
Come O Wisdom.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Campaign on the go....
I'm spending my spare time (haha) on a campaign to see censorship on the topic of abortion, ended in my lifetime.
It includes a blog, Stop Abortion Censorship, a Facebook group and even Twitter.
I've already been approached by a pro-life group in the US for assistance on some of their social media campaigns.
But for now, since the ban on abortion-related data was put in place largely to stop my work at the time, I will continue to find a way to expose the dark and hidden secrets that government in BC does not want us to know!
Monday, November 09, 2009
I Remember those who have left the Way....
A song that is truly inspiring.... and tells the small story that often plays out in my own life...
Beautiful Ending
Oh, tragedy
Has taken so many
Love lost cause they all
Forgot who You were
And it scares me to think
That I would choose
My life over You
My selfish heart
Divides me from You
It tears us apart
So tell me
What is our ending?
Will it be beautiful
So beautiful?
Oh, why do I
Let myself let go
Of hands that painted the stars
And hold tears that fall?
And the pride of my heart
Makes me forget
It's not me but You
Who makes the heart beat
I'm lost without You
And dying from me
[ BarlowGirl Lyrics are found on www.songlyrics.com ]
So tell me
What is our ending?
Will it be beautiful
So beautiful?
Will my life
Find me by Your side?
Your love is beautiful
So beautiful
At the end of it all
I wanna be in Your arms
At the end of it all
I wanna be in Your arms
At the end of it all
I wanna be in Your arms
At the end of it all
I wanna be in Your arms
So tell me
What is our ending?
Will it be beautiful
So beautiful?
Will my life
Find me by Your side?
Your love is beautiful
So beautiful
Beautiful Ending
Oh, tragedy
Has taken so many
Love lost cause they all
Forgot who You were
And it scares me to think
That I would choose
My life over You
My selfish heart
Divides me from You
It tears us apart
So tell me
What is our ending?
Will it be beautiful
So beautiful?
Oh, why do I
Let myself let go
Of hands that painted the stars
And hold tears that fall?
And the pride of my heart
Makes me forget
It's not me but You
Who makes the heart beat
I'm lost without You
And dying from me
[ BarlowGirl Lyrics are found on www.songlyrics.com ]
So tell me
What is our ending?
Will it be beautiful
So beautiful?
Will my life
Find me by Your side?
Your love is beautiful
So beautiful
At the end of it all
I wanna be in Your arms
At the end of it all
I wanna be in Your arms
At the end of it all
I wanna be in Your arms
At the end of it all
I wanna be in Your arms
So tell me
What is our ending?
Will it be beautiful
So beautiful?
Will my life
Find me by Your side?
Your love is beautiful
So beautiful
Friday, November 06, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Thoughts
I am forever annoyed at my fellow Christians who smugly judge people who have fallen. I know I have done it myself, directed to those I was close to...which makes it even more annoying. God forgive us for the barriers we ourselves put up, hindering people from seeing the love of Christ!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
The Perils of Safety
2009-10-11 Ron Rolheiser
I was raised to be cautious, physically and morally: "Be careful! Don't make a mistake! Be safe! Don't do anything for which you'll be sorry!" I inhaled those words, literally, through my years of childhood, my years of seminary training, and through most of my years in the priesthood.
In fact they were the last words that my father, one of the truly moral men I have known, spoke to me. He was dying of cancer in a hospital and as my brother and I left for the night, not knowing that he would die before morning, he cautioned us: "Be careful!" He was referring to our driving on icy winter roads. But this caution marked his character, his moral sensitivity, and his healthy solicitude for us, his children, and it was meant morally: "Be careful! Be safe!" This was his habitual warning.
Those words are now part of my genetic make-up. You inherit more than simple biology from your father, especially if you are lucky enough to have one who was uncompromisingly moral. And that caution has served me well. I'm grateful for it. I've made it through more than half a century essentially intact, physically and morally. No small gift.
But that caution sometimes brings with it other things for which I am less grateful. One can be intact, but so cautious and timid that fear rather than love becomes the compass for one's life. The occupational hazard in always being scrupulously safe is that one can easily end up like the older brother of the prodigal son, that is, rigidly faithful in all things, but judgmental, jealous, and bitter of heart, dogmatically and morally uncompromising, while envying the amoral and being too paralyzed internally to truly dance. Sometimes a long, practiced caution in our actions makes for a heart that is more cautious than generous, more envious than affirming, and more judgmental than forgiving. Sometimes too it makes for a heart that understands love and forgiveness as things that must be merited rather than freely given and received. Too often too it results in a heart that is secretly gleeful when things go wrong for those who aren't living as we are. That isn't always the case, but it can easily be, and, speaking frankly and humbly, it has sometimes been the case in my own life.
The German poet, Goethe, once wrote: The dangers of life are many, and safety is one of those dangers. For some people perhaps the reverse warning might be more appropriate. But for those of us who were raised to be good and religious persons there is a disturbing truth in Goethe's words.
Are we living too safely? Do we have the courage to look at our inhibitions, jealousies, and religiously-sanctioned angers with real honesty? Are our lives driven more by fear than by love? Can we enter the dance without judgment and bitterness? Do others perceive us as rigid? When is the last time we could truly forgive someone who hurt us? Are our lives really about love and generosity rather than fear and self-protection?
The danger in living too safely is that sometimes when we think we are defending life we are really defending the poverty of our own lives, sometimes when we think we are defending virtue we are really defending our inhibitions and fears, and sometimes when we think we are speaking for God's healthy concern for the world we are, like the older brother of the prodigal son, really speaking of our own hidden jealousy.
The hero of the movie, Chariots of Fire, Eric Liddell, a wonderfully moral young man, was an Olympic runner who because of religious sensibilities refused to run an Olympic race on Sunday, even though he was heavily favored to win the gold medal. It would be easy to judge his action as stemming from moral and religious rigidity. In somebody else's case that might be true. It wasn't for Eric Liddell. Why? Because he wasn't driven by fear or rigidity. He was driven by love. "When I run," he famously said, "I feel God's pleasure."
Sometimes I ask myself that same question in relation to my religious and moral inhibitions: Does God take pleasure in my caution? Does God take pleasure in my sacrifices? Does God take pleasure in my anxieties about the world's moral failings? Or is the Father standing with me, outside the celebration, pleading with me, as he once pleaded with the older brother of the prodigal son, to let up a little and come inside and join the dance?
I am grateful for my upbringing, despite the congenital reticence with which it has left me. It's good to be careful. It's a responsible and loving way to live. But I am growing more honest about its dangers. I am pretty intact much of the time, but sometimes I'm more fearful than generous, more self-protective than loving, more jealous than healthily solicitous. Sometimes caution doesn't leave me with a big heart. Safety too has its dangers.
I was raised to be cautious, physically and morally: "Be careful! Don't make a mistake! Be safe! Don't do anything for which you'll be sorry!" I inhaled those words, literally, through my years of childhood, my years of seminary training, and through most of my years in the priesthood.
In fact they were the last words that my father, one of the truly moral men I have known, spoke to me. He was dying of cancer in a hospital and as my brother and I left for the night, not knowing that he would die before morning, he cautioned us: "Be careful!" He was referring to our driving on icy winter roads. But this caution marked his character, his moral sensitivity, and his healthy solicitude for us, his children, and it was meant morally: "Be careful! Be safe!" This was his habitual warning.
Those words are now part of my genetic make-up. You inherit more than simple biology from your father, especially if you are lucky enough to have one who was uncompromisingly moral. And that caution has served me well. I'm grateful for it. I've made it through more than half a century essentially intact, physically and morally. No small gift.
But that caution sometimes brings with it other things for which I am less grateful. One can be intact, but so cautious and timid that fear rather than love becomes the compass for one's life. The occupational hazard in always being scrupulously safe is that one can easily end up like the older brother of the prodigal son, that is, rigidly faithful in all things, but judgmental, jealous, and bitter of heart, dogmatically and morally uncompromising, while envying the amoral and being too paralyzed internally to truly dance. Sometimes a long, practiced caution in our actions makes for a heart that is more cautious than generous, more envious than affirming, and more judgmental than forgiving. Sometimes too it makes for a heart that understands love and forgiveness as things that must be merited rather than freely given and received. Too often too it results in a heart that is secretly gleeful when things go wrong for those who aren't living as we are. That isn't always the case, but it can easily be, and, speaking frankly and humbly, it has sometimes been the case in my own life.
The German poet, Goethe, once wrote: The dangers of life are many, and safety is one of those dangers. For some people perhaps the reverse warning might be more appropriate. But for those of us who were raised to be good and religious persons there is a disturbing truth in Goethe's words.
Are we living too safely? Do we have the courage to look at our inhibitions, jealousies, and religiously-sanctioned angers with real honesty? Are our lives driven more by fear than by love? Can we enter the dance without judgment and bitterness? Do others perceive us as rigid? When is the last time we could truly forgive someone who hurt us? Are our lives really about love and generosity rather than fear and self-protection?
The danger in living too safely is that sometimes when we think we are defending life we are really defending the poverty of our own lives, sometimes when we think we are defending virtue we are really defending our inhibitions and fears, and sometimes when we think we are speaking for God's healthy concern for the world we are, like the older brother of the prodigal son, really speaking of our own hidden jealousy.
The hero of the movie, Chariots of Fire, Eric Liddell, a wonderfully moral young man, was an Olympic runner who because of religious sensibilities refused to run an Olympic race on Sunday, even though he was heavily favored to win the gold medal. It would be easy to judge his action as stemming from moral and religious rigidity. In somebody else's case that might be true. It wasn't for Eric Liddell. Why? Because he wasn't driven by fear or rigidity. He was driven by love. "When I run," he famously said, "I feel God's pleasure."
Sometimes I ask myself that same question in relation to my religious and moral inhibitions: Does God take pleasure in my caution? Does God take pleasure in my sacrifices? Does God take pleasure in my anxieties about the world's moral failings? Or is the Father standing with me, outside the celebration, pleading with me, as he once pleaded with the older brother of the prodigal son, to let up a little and come inside and join the dance?
I am grateful for my upbringing, despite the congenital reticence with which it has left me. It's good to be careful. It's a responsible and loving way to live. But I am growing more honest about its dangers. I am pretty intact much of the time, but sometimes I'm more fearful than generous, more self-protective than loving, more jealous than healthily solicitous. Sometimes caution doesn't leave me with a big heart. Safety too has its dangers.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Россия
Our trip to Russia was once again a fascinating adventure. I had the honour of being present for the ribbon cutting for an Online school in Moscow. As well, got to spend some great time with our daughter Stephanie who now lives in Moscow.
We had an additional adventure when we travelled over 1000 km and visited the Volgograd area, visiting a school in the small village of Kupsovo, formerly the Volga German village of Oberdorf. In all my Russian travels, I don't think I ever left with such optimism as i did on this trip. This small school in the midst of so much poverty is a beacon of light! More later along with some photos.
We had an additional adventure when we travelled over 1000 km and visited the Volgograd area, visiting a school in the small village of Kupsovo, formerly the Volga German village of Oberdorf. In all my Russian travels, I don't think I ever left with such optimism as i did on this trip. This small school in the midst of so much poverty is a beacon of light! More later along with some photos.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Sunday, August 09, 2009
Updates
After a few days of up and down news, much like a roller-coaster, Natalie has been allowed to go home! Not out of the woods yet, but she is doing much better and was allowed to leave the hospital.
Baby Tatyana will remain in hospital for about another week.
Our daughter Rebecca is getting married in less than two weeks, and Steph is preparing her Russian adventure, and it looks like I'll be there a few days later for a few days.
Life is busy...interesting. Who says being a Christ Follower is boring. Life gets thrown your way...and how you handle it is the real test. As C.S Lewis once wrote:
Baby Tatyana will remain in hospital for about another week.
Our daughter Rebecca is getting married in less than two weeks, and Steph is preparing her Russian adventure, and it looks like I'll be there a few days later for a few days.
Life is busy...interesting. Who says being a Christ Follower is boring. Life gets thrown your way...and how you handle it is the real test. As C.S Lewis once wrote:
“We're not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are
wondering how painful the best will turn out to be"
Monday, August 03, 2009
Life is precious
Made a quick trip to Calgary to see Tatyana, but also to see our daughter Natalie. Please continue to pray for her, as her kidney's and bladder are still not functioning properly....one of her kidney's is bleeding and they are trying to discover, on a long weekend, why this is happening. Taty is doing well....sleep, eat, you know the routine. It was hard to leave Natalie today.
Saturday, August 01, 2009
Our first grandchild....beautiful!
.JPG)
This is, you realize, probably the most beautiful baby in the entire world!
More photos later....
Baby and Mom are both doing very well!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Tatyana
She's here among us! Daughter Natalie gave birth to Tatyana Ashley this afternoon at 1:45 pm, coming in at 1.8kg.
Baby is doing fine...Mom is out - do to the surgery and will wake soon to meet her little angel face to face. Dad Mike is already snapping pictures with his Blackberry.
Thanks to anyone who prayed. I can breathe again.
Baby is doing fine...Mom is out - do to the surgery and will wake soon to meet her little angel face to face. Dad Mike is already snapping pictures with his Blackberry.
Thanks to anyone who prayed. I can breathe again.
Nat & Baby
As I write this we are waiting word on our daughter, Natalie. Her kidney's have been progressively getting worse and has had high-blood pressure. This morning the doctors decided that they needed to deliver her baby early, so a c-section is taking place right now.
Yes, it's frustrating not being there...but I can pray. That's all I got. But it's all I know to do.
If you can spare it, could you offer up a prayer too?
Yes, it's frustrating not being there...but I can pray. That's all I got. But it's all I know to do.
If you can spare it, could you offer up a prayer too?
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Everything We Need
Everything We Need – Music and Lyric by Gord Johnson
In the morning Lord we do look to you
For the strength we need just to make it through
Have mercy
In the evening Lord we look back and say
It was in your strength that we made our way
Have mercy
You are everything we need
Feed us Lord
In the morning Lord we do look to you
For the strength we need just to make it through
Have mercy
In the evening Lord we look back and say
It was in your strength that we made our way
Have mercy
You are everything we need
Feed us Lord
Sunday, July 19, 2009
You're not allowed to know this....
By Paul Schratz, BC Catholic July 20, 2009
Ted Gerk is not a fan of secrecy, especially when it comes to government involvement in totalitarian behaviour.
He and his wife are of Russian heritage, and his research for a 2003 book on Soviet Catholic persecution helped reveal horrific stories of government oppression.
Hide Me Within Thy Wounds: The Persecution of the Catholic Church in the USSR, detailed the history of persecution of the Catholic Church in Russia from 1918 to its almost complete annihilation in 1939.
Now, with his cousin, Gerk is working on a book about the small village north of Stalingrad where his family originated. Their research in the archives of the former Soviet Union has produced accounts from labour camp files of his grandfather’s brothers perishing in the Gulag.
All of this helps explain why Gerk has “little patience” with governments withholding information. That, and his commitment to human life, is why he’s been such a thorn in the side of various B.C. governments.
The former president of the Pro-Life Society of B.C. has been hounding B.C. governments since the 1990s, not only opposing abortion laws, but fighting for access to abortion data that governments would prefer to keep buried.
Speaking with The B.C. Catholic, Gerk said, “The only governments that have ever tried do this are totalitarian governments.”
So in 1995 he requested a copy of the report from the province’s Criminal Harassment Unit, set up to investigate alleged persecution of abortionists and women seeking abortions after the shooting of Vancouver abortionist Dr. Garson Romalis.
B.C. Attorney General Paul Ramsay refused to release the report, but it leaked out anyway, confirming what police had said: there was no link between the pro-life movement and the shooting, and there had been no increase in any form of harassment of health-care workers and abortionists in B.C.
In 1999, Gerk requested a coroner’s investigation into live births in B.C. following mid- to late-term abortions.
His persistence led to the release of shocking information that at least several times a year, babies in B.C. were surviving abortions and living as long as six hours before dying and being issued death certificates.
Until now, Gerk’s targets have been pro-abortion NDP governments that in the 1990s introduced the abortion laws still in place today. When the NDP was ousted in 2001, many pro-lifers, including Gerk, thought there might be some change.
Instead, the Liberals have been as bound as the NDP to the unrestricted approach to abortion, and the very restricted approach to abortion information. This is despite the fact that every time abortion information has come out, there has been no evidence of increased risk to abortion staff or breaches of confidentiality, the major excuses given for secrecy.
So now Gerk says it’s “pay the piper time” for the B.C. Liberals, who were elected after the NDP made abortion secrecy an election issue.
Gerk and Campaign Life Coalition British Columbia are using B.C.’s Freedom of Information Law to show it is in the “public interest” for the Information and Privacy Commissioner to override the censorship provisions of Bill 21 and order the release of abortion-related information.
The information they’re looking for would seem completely reasonable: how many abortions are done in B.C. and where? How often do women undergo more than one abortion? How often are abortions performed on underage girls? How often do abortions result in complications?
There’s absolutely no reason that information shouldn’t be available to the public.
Their initiative deserves support, and that includes financial aid. To find out more or to contribute, visit http://stopabortioncensorship.wordpress.com or go to Facebook and search for Stop Abortion Censorship.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
A Letter to our daughter Stephanie for her grad
Stephanie Grace Gerk;
Your name Stephanie means “Crowned One”, because Christ holds for you a crown of victory, waiting for you in the next world. You were named this because of the story of Stephen in the Bible. He was loyal to the Faith…and was so stubborn about it he was even willing to die for what he believed in.
Your second name, Grace, was given to you because both your Mom and I were so mindful of God’s goodness and His grace extended over our family…we felt it was important to acknowledge that Grace by giving you a name that would proclaim it to the world, and when you were dedicated, our prayer that Grace would not only be part of your name, but be an integral part of your life.
That is your calling Stephanie. Crowned one suggests royalty…a vision of who you are in Christ. Grace is the gift that God gives to each of us, and then desires that we share it and have it as our banner over the entire world.
Wherever you go, whether Russia, or another city, your duty and calling is to proclaim the gift of Grace to all that will listen. Among the many gifts, Stephanie, that God has given you are an ability to see injustice, a stubbornness to do what you have set your mind on – gifts that when allowed to be molded by God, will make you an unstoppable force for the Kingdom of God. Use your gifs wisely, for God has a destiny for you, that only you will be able to fulfill – no one else!
We leave you with these words, taken from the Message Translation of Scripture:
God Bless you Stephanie…we are very very proud of you and what you have managed to accomplish! Love, Mom & Dad
Your name Stephanie means “Crowned One”, because Christ holds for you a crown of victory, waiting for you in the next world. You were named this because of the story of Stephen in the Bible. He was loyal to the Faith…and was so stubborn about it he was even willing to die for what he believed in.
Your second name, Grace, was given to you because both your Mom and I were so mindful of God’s goodness and His grace extended over our family…we felt it was important to acknowledge that Grace by giving you a name that would proclaim it to the world, and when you were dedicated, our prayer that Grace would not only be part of your name, but be an integral part of your life.
That is your calling Stephanie. Crowned one suggests royalty…a vision of who you are in Christ. Grace is the gift that God gives to each of us, and then desires that we share it and have it as our banner over the entire world.
Wherever you go, whether Russia, or another city, your duty and calling is to proclaim the gift of Grace to all that will listen. Among the many gifts, Stephanie, that God has given you are an ability to see injustice, a stubbornness to do what you have set your mind on – gifts that when allowed to be molded by God, will make you an unstoppable force for the Kingdom of God. Use your gifs wisely, for God has a destiny for you, that only you will be able to fulfill – no one else!
We leave you with these words, taken from the Message Translation of Scripture:
Proverbs 3
1-2 Good friend, don't forget all I've taught you; take
to heart my commands.
They'll help you live a long, long time,
a long life lived full and well.
3-4 Don't lose your grip on Love and Loyalty.
Tie them around your neck;
carve their initials on your heart.
Earn a reputation for living well
in God's eyes and the eyes of the people.
5-12 Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don't try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he's the one who will keep you on track.
Don't assume that you know it all.
Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health,
your very bones will vibrate with life!
Honor God with everything you own;
give him the first and the best.
Your barns will burst,
your wine vats will brim over.
But don't, dear friend, resent God's discipline;
don't sulk under his loving correction.
It's the child he loves that GOD corrects;
a father's delight is behind all this.
The Very Tree of Life
13-18 You're blessed when you meet Lady Wisdom,
when you make friends with Madame Insight.
She's worth far more than money in
the bank; her friendship is better than a big salary.
Her value exceeds all the trappings of wealth;
nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her.
With one hand she gives long life,
with the other she confers recognition.
Her manner is beautiful,
her life wonderfully complete.
She's the very Tree of Life to those who embrace her.
Hold her tight—and be blessed!
19-20 With Lady Wisdom, GOD formed Earth;
with Madame Insight, he raised Heaven.
They knew when to signal rivers and springs to the surface,
and dew to descend from the night skies.
Never Walk Away
21-26 Dear friend, guard
Clear Thinking and Common Sense with your life;
don't for a minute lose sight of them.
They'll keep your soul alive and well,
they'll keep you fit and attractive.
You'll travel safely, you'll neither tire nor trip.
You'll take afternoon naps without a worry,
you'll enjoy a good night's sleep.
No need to panic over alarms or surprises,
or predictions that doomsday's just around the corner,
Because GOD will be right there with you;
he'll keep you safe and sound.
27-29 Never walk away from someone who deserves help;
your hand is God's hand for that person.
Don't tell your neighbor "Maybe some other time"
or "Try me tomorrow" when the money's right
there in your pocket.
Don't figure ways of taking advantage of your neighbor
when he's sitting there trusting and unsuspecting.
30-32 Don't walk around with a chip on your shoulder,
always spoiling for a fight.
Don't try to be like those who
shoulder their way through life.
Why be a bully?
"Why not?" you say. Because GOD can't stand twisted souls.
It's the straightforward who get his respect.
33-35 GOD's curse blights the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the home of the
righteous.
He gives proud skeptics a cold shoulder,
but if you're down on your luck, he's right there to help.
Wise living gets rewarded with honor;
stupid living gets the booby prize.
God Bless you Stephanie…we are very very proud of you and what you have managed to accomplish! Love, Mom & Dad
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Привольное (Варенбург \ Warenburg)
This snap is of the remains of the cemetery in the former Volga German village of Warenburg. I've seen many of these on my travels, but none so lonely and massive as this.
Soviets removed any grave markers and so you have row upon row of unmarked graves...I guess kinda reminding me they're all waiting for something.
As was the case for all the Volga Germans, everyone from this village was deported to Siberia in September of 1941.
A chap from Russia has visited a number of the old villages and placed his photos online, hence this fascinating and lonely photo.
Monday, June 01, 2009
On the death of the wicked
World Magazine
Written by Tony Woodlief
June 1, 8:32 AM
My wife wept when she heard that abortionist George Tiller had been murdered. She cried out and left the sanctuary of our church, perhaps for fear of hearing that God had ordained it, that it was all part of His plan. When a tidal wave kills thousands, or when a child is stricken with cancer, or even when a wicked killer is struck down with unlawful violence, it is hard to hear that this is part of God’s plan to glorify Himself, as if all this bloodshed and misery is what He intended from the beginning.
“‘Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?’ says the Lord God, ‘and not that he should turn from his ways and live’?” Perhaps more chilling, for a Bible-toting assassin, would be Christ’s promise: “For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” Perhaps this is why George Tiller’s murderer did not stand beside his freshly fallen corpse, but fled like a coward. Perhaps as he saw firsthand what it feels like to unjustly take up the Judge’s sword, he felt the cold shadow of it cross over his own neck.
And so now a killer is dead and a murderer imprisoned and God knows how many people grief-stricken or furious or—God have mercy on their souls—exultant. A gunshot took a death merchant from the earth, but who knows what evil it has unleashed?
But worst of all, which is what grieved my wife, is that George Tiller was sent to fall before the judgment seat of God, where even a righteous man must tremble. Whatever might have been for him is ended. Perhaps he would have continued to shed the blood of innocents. Perhaps he would have repented, to the rejoicing of angels. None of that is for us to know.
We can know this, however: George Tiller was fashioned in the image of God and he was cut down by the unlawful hand of man. He is no martyr. But he is not so different from you or I. And where might we go, God have mercy on our souls, were we slaughtered in the midst of our unrepentance?
It is an awful thing indeed to slay a wicked man. Who dares claim that authority? Who aspires to sit in the judgment seat of the Living God? Better instead to pray, all of us, for ourselves and our loved ones and our enemies alike, because all of us will one day give an accounting. God have mercy on those of us who must give that accounting with bloody hands.
Written by Tony Woodlief
June 1, 8:32 AM
My wife wept when she heard that abortionist George Tiller had been murdered. She cried out and left the sanctuary of our church, perhaps for fear of hearing that God had ordained it, that it was all part of His plan. When a tidal wave kills thousands, or when a child is stricken with cancer, or even when a wicked killer is struck down with unlawful violence, it is hard to hear that this is part of God’s plan to glorify Himself, as if all this bloodshed and misery is what He intended from the beginning.
“‘Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?’ says the Lord God, ‘and not that he should turn from his ways and live’?” Perhaps more chilling, for a Bible-toting assassin, would be Christ’s promise: “For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” Perhaps this is why George Tiller’s murderer did not stand beside his freshly fallen corpse, but fled like a coward. Perhaps as he saw firsthand what it feels like to unjustly take up the Judge’s sword, he felt the cold shadow of it cross over his own neck.
And so now a killer is dead and a murderer imprisoned and God knows how many people grief-stricken or furious or—God have mercy on their souls—exultant. A gunshot took a death merchant from the earth, but who knows what evil it has unleashed?
But worst of all, which is what grieved my wife, is that George Tiller was sent to fall before the judgment seat of God, where even a righteous man must tremble. Whatever might have been for him is ended. Perhaps he would have continued to shed the blood of innocents. Perhaps he would have repented, to the rejoicing of angels. None of that is for us to know.
We can know this, however: George Tiller was fashioned in the image of God and he was cut down by the unlawful hand of man. He is no martyr. But he is not so different from you or I. And where might we go, God have mercy on our souls, were we slaughtered in the midst of our unrepentance?
It is an awful thing indeed to slay a wicked man. Who dares claim that authority? Who aspires to sit in the judgment seat of the Living God? Better instead to pray, all of us, for ourselves and our loved ones and our enemies alike, because all of us will one day give an accounting. God have mercy on those of us who must give that accounting with bloody hands.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Remember to Vote!
Well, it's that time again. Time for eveyone to get out there and vote! We live in a democracy, and for that very reason, all of us have a responsibility to vote. Once again I'm running the web site for a couple of groups that ask some very important questions of the candidates running. That web site is located here.
See you at the polls!
Thursday, May 07, 2009
The colourful life of Canada’s Johnny Appleseed
BCCN’s series of faith profiles marking the 150th anniversary of the founding of the province continues, with the story of one of the province’s more colourful missionaries. Taken from Canada: Portraits of Faith (Reel to Real), edited by Michael Clarke.
BC Christian News October 2008
By Ted Gerk
OLD-TIMERS in the Okanagan who knew him well remembered Father Charles Pandosy as a huge, powerfully built man, capable of amazing feats of strength, with a big booming voice and a ready wit.
Although a deeply religious Oblate missionary, Pandosy was also known to settle an argument by challenging his opponent to a fistfight. Today, Pandosy is best remembered as Canada’s Johnny Appleseed.
Charles John Felix Adolph Pandosy was born in Marseilles, France, in 1824 to Marguerite Josephine Marie Dallest and Etienne Charles Henry Pandosy.
His father was a navy captain and a landowner and was thus able to provide comfortable living conditions and a good education for his family It was his father’s navy career that drew Pandosy to the adventure of distant ports.
As a step in this direction, while attending the Bourbon College at Aries, France, Pandosy decided to enter the Oblate Juniorate of Lumineres, a seminary for men seeking ordination into the Oblate Order of priesthood in the Roman Catholic Church. He took his final religious vows in 1845.
Bishop de Mazenod, founder of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, provided him with an inspiring admonition: “There are in this world but two loves: the love of God extending to the contempt of self; and the love of self extending to the contempt of God. All other loves are but degrees between these two extremes. Do not fear, you obey the One who rules the world.”
This wisdom would guide Pandosy’s missionary endeavours in the Pacific Northwest for more than four decades. In February 1847, the 23 year old Pandosy and four others were sent from France to the mission fields of the Oregon Territory.
It was an arduous eight-month journey, culminating in their arrival at Fort Walla Walla. Here, the men began to fulfill the objective of their journey: the evangelization of the Yakima Indians.
Pandosy and the others quickly discovered the violence of the region. On November 29, 1847, the Marcus Whitman Massacre took place, in which several Cayuse Indians killed 13 people and took more than 40 hostages. In February 1848, American troops were dispatched, and the Cayuse War began. The war was to last two-and a half years.
Motivated by these perilous events, Pandosy’s superiors allowed for early ordination. Pandosy and a colleague officially entered the Oblate Order in early January 1848, the first priests ordained in what was to become Washington State. Pandosy altered his name at this point to Charles Marie Pandosy.
The missionaries not only cared for the spiritual needs of the natives, they also served as translators and as peacekeepers. Pandosy and his co-workers managed to keep the Yakimas from entering the war. Pandosy became fluent in the Yakima language and eventually compiled its first dictionary. He later acted as a mediator and an interpreter between the Yakimas and the white man while continuing his missionary work among the Indians and serving as an army chaplain.
In March 1859, war flared between the U.S. Army and the Spokane and Yakima Indians, and the Oblates made the difficult decision to close their missions among the Yakimas and the Cayuses.
In summer 1859, Pandosy was sent to the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, where he established a mission known as L’Anse au Sable, the Cove of Sand, in an area that is now the City of Kelowna. Pandosy quickly recognized the agricultural potential of the Okanagan’s temperate setting and planted its first apple trees, encouraging new settlers to do the same.
A friend of Pandosy wrote: “The first trees planted by the missionary produced a beautiful apple, deep red, shaped like a Delicious – a good winter apple.” Pandosy’s orchards eventually established the Okanagan Valley as one of Canada’s chief fruit-growing areas.
Pandosy was a devout pastor who also served his flock as doctor; teacher; lawyer; orator; botanist; agriculturist; musician (he played the French horn); voice instructor; and sports coach. He fast became known as a troubleshooter, a peacemaker, a defender of justice, a champion of the underdog – and, above all else, a great humanitarian.
But Pandosy was not your typical priest. Once, when his young Indian interpreter and guide gambled away Pandosy’s brand new saddle, Pandosy immediately challenged him to a fight.
Love and respect for his priest kept the native man’s hands down by his side, causing Pandosy to grab the culprit by the scruff of the neck and demand that he put up his fists and defend himself. Pandosy, however, tripped on his cassock, allowing his opponent to jump on top of him.
Those who observed the spectacle were surprised at Pandosy’s unpriestly behaviour. Dusting himself off, Pandosy thundered: “I’m not mad at him, I’m mad about the saddle.”
Pandosy, who experienced other missions throughout British Columbia – Esquimalt, Fort Rupert, Fort St. James, the lower Fraser, Stuart Lake, Mission City and New Westminster – was among those who believed that Indians and their culture should be respected, and that the ways of the white man were largely responsible for the indifference that many Indians displayed toward Christianity.
He wrote to a superior in the 1850s: “But I shiver, Reverend Father, when I think of the miserable state of the Savages, as I cannot delude myself, at least in the country where we live, the Savages around us are what the Whites have made them and what we have let them become instead of working hard and generously to make them otherwise with the help of the grace of God.”
On February 6, 1891, Father Pandosy died near Penticton, after a pastoral visit during cold weather to Keremeos. His body was brought to the mission that he had founded on the site of present-day Kelowna, and lovingly laid to rest.
Pandosy influenced whites and natives alike and saved the lives of thousands during the various wars between natives and settlers. He taught that two cultures and two worlds could live together peacefully based on mutual trust and respect.
Pandosy’s life of faith and sacrifice are evidenced by the missions he founded and so diligently served. On his own behalf he said, “I expend myself and over this is spent God’s grace.”
Ted Gerk is director of operations at Heritage Christian Online School in Kelowna.
Note: This was a fun article to do for my friend Michael Clarke. We even manged to track down a little viewed updated photograph of Pandosy. Thought I would share ut with you.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Ok
Nat is ok...thanks for your prayers. For those of you who know Dan & Bonnie Baskill, their little girl Hannah is seriously ill with a heart problem....and things don't look too good at this point. Please pray for them all....they will need all of us to be there over the next few weeks as Hannah has surgery. It rests in God's hands...
Monday, April 13, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Mom & Easter....
Margaret Gerk, left, and Marcelle Sayers carry the cross along Leon Avenue during the annual Way of the Cross procession as it wound its way through Kelowna’s downtown on Good Friday‘ The cross was carried by volunteers and made scheduled stops at social agencies for speeches and prayers‘
GARY NYLANDER/The Daily Courier
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Monday, April 06, 2009
Thoughts....
Finally Home
by Mercy Me
I’m gonna wrap my arms around my daddy’s neck
And tell him that I’ve missed him.
And tell him all about the man that I became
And hope that it pleased him
There’s so much I want to say
There’s so much I want you to know
When I finally make it home
When I finally make it home
Then I’ll gaze upon the throne of the King
Frozen in my steps
And all the questions that I swore I would ask
Words just won’t come yet
So amazed at what I’ve seen
So much more than this old mind can hold
And the sweetest sound my ears have yet to hear
Voices of the angels
by Mercy Me
I’m gonna wrap my arms around my daddy’s neck
And tell him that I’ve missed him.
And tell him all about the man that I became
And hope that it pleased him
There’s so much I want to say
There’s so much I want you to know
When I finally make it home
When I finally make it home
Then I’ll gaze upon the throne of the King
Frozen in my steps
And all the questions that I swore I would ask
Words just won’t come yet
So amazed at what I’ve seen
So much more than this old mind can hold
And the sweetest sound my ears have yet to hear
Voices of the angels
Friday, March 13, 2009
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Surgery Successful!
Many thanks to those that prayed for Kristina. Her knee surgery seemed to have gone well. Now, all we have to do is to convince her to be careful for the next few weeks and not overdo it...she should be up playing basketball in no time!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Pause for reflection
Pause for reflectionBeing out of power and out of fashion has advantages
Tony Woodlief
I'm looking forward to Time in the Wilderness. It's a phrase one must now capitalize, so often has it been repeated about American conservatives, and American Christians, and especially those American conservatives who call themselves Christians. The party that most claimed to represent these crowds has been thrashed at the polls. Milton Friedman is dead; John Maynard Keynes is reborn. King James is out; The Message is in. And so the various strains of conservatives and Christians with political aspirations are headed to the wilderness, as the narrative goes, to find themselves.
In truth, most of the people who make their living from politics will do no such thing. Temporarily deposed, they will write campaign manifestos thinly disguised as memoirs, or become lobbyists or consultants or television talking heads. They might slim down, or buff up, or get a tan. They will await the gradual unfolding of slip-ups and scandals that signal the impending downfall of their opponents. Surveying American politics is, in this regard, like watching a game of musical chairs between two surly teenagers with one chair. The kid on the chair puffs out his chest; the kid without the chair sulks and bides his time.
But just because the professionals are unlikely to take advantage of this opportunity for reflection doesn't mean the rest of us shouldn't. I've given some thought to what the wandering time might look like. One blessed power of wilderness, for example, is that it shuts people up. Even the chattiest of chatterboxes finds words inadequate when he is surrounded by towering sequoias, or scrambling up a rocky slope in thinning air. We could use less chatter, I think. Especially the chatter that is in essential agreement with itself, and convinced that those who disagree are Of The Devil. When you find yourself surrounded by people who agree with everything you say, you're headed for a fall. No wonder the Bible warns against idle talk.
Another thing about wilderness is that it simplifies, which is, as the artist Hans Hoffman explained, "to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak." You forget about your petty grievances when you are tensely waiting for a mother bear and her cubs to cross the trail up ahead. Whatever disagreements may have been festering among your small band of brothers disappear in that moment, because you are reminded that there are no animal cages out here, no ambulances, no one to look after you but these people here alongside you. The unnecessary has gone; there are only the necessities of brotherhood and faith.
A dissipation of chatter and the renewal of brotherhood are overdue. And so I'm encouraged by two small endeavors. In one instance, a young Christian friend has started a series of dinners to bring people in Washington, D.C., together to discuss not politics but ideas. He's modeling it on "The Other Club," which Winston Churchill and a friend started in response to being snubbed by the mainstream London political club of their day, "The Club." The Other Club's original membership was one-third Liberal and one-third Conservative, with the last third consisting of accomplished people outside politics. They were bound by rules of civility and thoughtfulness, but not commonality of thought.
Other friends have started a Hall of Men, which meets fortnightly in Wichita, Kan., to share a meal, discuss great men of the Christian faith, and sample homemade brews. Here Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestants come together to learn about the feats and writings of men like Athanasius and G.K. Chesterton, closing each meeting with Compline—evening prayers. The conversations here run much deeper than politics, to faith, culture, art, and civilization. I suspect these are the concepts to which we need to return, during our stint in the wilderness, if only to remind ourselves why we cared so much about politics in the first place. And who knows, maybe some struggle and reflection might change the mind even of someone like me, who is always right.
There's something more important going on here than intellectualism. For all the talk in conservative circles about a need for "fresh ideas," what's even more imperative is renewed hearts.
Copyright © 2009 WORLD MagazineFebruary 14, 2009, Vol. 24, No. 3
Monday, January 26, 2009
Happy Birthday Natalie!
It seems like only yesterday that a dear little one was given to us from Heaven. This little bundle was so small and fragile that we almost lost her the day she came into the world. Despite the medical challenges, our daughter Natalie has grown into a fine young woman! She is a testimony to the goodness and grace of God.
Natalie, we love you and we wish you many Blessings from on high...Happy Birthday!
Ouch.....
Silent betrayal
Public confession may be difficult, but it's half the gospel
Andrée Seu
I have made the Word of God complicated. I have taken the Psalms—"I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations" (Psalm 89:1)—and rendered them inert. One can do that in at least two ways: Regard them as prophetic ecstasy; regard them as bygone liturgical recitations.
A day is coming when we will groan at how simple this all was: You do not tell your lover in private how awesome he is, and then act embarrassed about him in public. This would not be called discretion but betrayal. And yet I have called discretion my public silences about God, and have spun Byzantine rules for the when, where, and how of it, until my sledge has bogged down in the mud and I hardly speak of God at all. No wonder Jesus loves children best.
Talking about "God" can be a form of cowardice. Some give public nods to "God," knowing that generic confession does not invite reproach. No one is won to faith in Christ by mention of "God." Even presidents every four Januaries lisp "so help me God," and except for Michael Newdow, it produces a yawn. "I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins"—That's what gets you in trouble; that's what saves.
While I am busy betraying God in a restaurant, people at the next table are chatting with abandon about their Reiki class, appointments with a psychic, the Buddhist temple they discovered last week, and their Trans-Life Regression therapy.
For 30 years I have missed half the gospel. Here is the whole: "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9). Even a mediocre grammar student can parse it: The "If" governs both "confess with your mouth" and "believe in your heart," both clauses being the condition of "be saved." I had shrunk the "confess with your mouth" part to responsive reading in worship services, or a rote response on church membership Sunday. This is eisegesis, not exegesis.
Speaking of which, I know a man who used to be on the membership interview committee in my church. He once told me that it is remarkable that you can always tell a seminarian. Every other candidate, when you ask why he desires to be a member, will talk about what Christ has done for him. The seminarian wants to talk about theology. Paul Simon said it rightly: "There must be 50 ways to leave your lover."
My anecdotal experience is that, in general, the higher the level of Christian education, the less likely the person will publicly praise God. Sit next to a degreed Bible student on an airplane, and ask about his life, and he will say he is a theologian. Or is working toward an M.Div. Or plans to be a pastor. That's fine as an entrée, I suppose. But I should think he has warmer things to say about his wife.
What finally prompted this essay was a eureka moment during my blessed insomnia. There is a man I have lost touch with who boasts about Jesus all day long—Jesus this and Jesus that, Jesus his hope, Jesus his deliverer from addiction, Jesus his healer. My end of the conversation was more of the defeated and whiny variety. I am ashamed to admit that I thought him quaint, which is a way of feeling superior to someone. What dawned on me in the wee hours is the way God has exalted him. Whatever sins the man has, he honors God with his mouth, and so God honors him.
The Lord is willing to overlook a lot when a child of His continually praises Him publicly from a joyful heart. Your wife may have foibles aplenty, but if she loves and respects you—and everybody knows it—it doesn't matter so much to you if she stands the knives the wrong side up in the dish drainer. I think God is like that.
I don't consider this column public confession, by the way. It takes no courage whatsoever to type alone in my study. Especially when I'm typing for a safe audience.
If you have a question or comment for Andrée Seu, send it to aseu@worldmag.com.
Copyright © 2009 WORLD MagazineJanuary 31, 2009, Vol. 24, No. 2
Public confession may be difficult, but it's half the gospel
Andrée Seu
I have made the Word of God complicated. I have taken the Psalms—"I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations" (Psalm 89:1)—and rendered them inert. One can do that in at least two ways: Regard them as prophetic ecstasy; regard them as bygone liturgical recitations.
A day is coming when we will groan at how simple this all was: You do not tell your lover in private how awesome he is, and then act embarrassed about him in public. This would not be called discretion but betrayal. And yet I have called discretion my public silences about God, and have spun Byzantine rules for the when, where, and how of it, until my sledge has bogged down in the mud and I hardly speak of God at all. No wonder Jesus loves children best.
Talking about "God" can be a form of cowardice. Some give public nods to "God," knowing that generic confession does not invite reproach. No one is won to faith in Christ by mention of "God." Even presidents every four Januaries lisp "so help me God," and except for Michael Newdow, it produces a yawn. "I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins"—That's what gets you in trouble; that's what saves.
While I am busy betraying God in a restaurant, people at the next table are chatting with abandon about their Reiki class, appointments with a psychic, the Buddhist temple they discovered last week, and their Trans-Life Regression therapy.
For 30 years I have missed half the gospel. Here is the whole: "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9). Even a mediocre grammar student can parse it: The "If" governs both "confess with your mouth" and "believe in your heart," both clauses being the condition of "be saved." I had shrunk the "confess with your mouth" part to responsive reading in worship services, or a rote response on church membership Sunday. This is eisegesis, not exegesis.
Speaking of which, I know a man who used to be on the membership interview committee in my church. He once told me that it is remarkable that you can always tell a seminarian. Every other candidate, when you ask why he desires to be a member, will talk about what Christ has done for him. The seminarian wants to talk about theology. Paul Simon said it rightly: "There must be 50 ways to leave your lover."
My anecdotal experience is that, in general, the higher the level of Christian education, the less likely the person will publicly praise God. Sit next to a degreed Bible student on an airplane, and ask about his life, and he will say he is a theologian. Or is working toward an M.Div. Or plans to be a pastor. That's fine as an entrée, I suppose. But I should think he has warmer things to say about his wife.
What finally prompted this essay was a eureka moment during my blessed insomnia. There is a man I have lost touch with who boasts about Jesus all day long—Jesus this and Jesus that, Jesus his hope, Jesus his deliverer from addiction, Jesus his healer. My end of the conversation was more of the defeated and whiny variety. I am ashamed to admit that I thought him quaint, which is a way of feeling superior to someone. What dawned on me in the wee hours is the way God has exalted him. Whatever sins the man has, he honors God with his mouth, and so God honors him.
The Lord is willing to overlook a lot when a child of His continually praises Him publicly from a joyful heart. Your wife may have foibles aplenty, but if she loves and respects you—and everybody knows it—it doesn't matter so much to you if she stands the knives the wrong side up in the dish drainer. I think God is like that.
I don't consider this column public confession, by the way. It takes no courage whatsoever to type alone in my study. Especially when I'm typing for a safe audience.
If you have a question or comment for Andrée Seu, send it to aseu@worldmag.com.
Copyright © 2009 WORLD MagazineJanuary 31, 2009, Vol. 24, No. 2
Monday, January 19, 2009
Happy Birthday David!
Our son David is 19 today! May God richly Bless him and continue to reveal His destiny for you. We love you so much David!!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Concerned and frightened for our country
My grandparents escaped from Communist Russia in the 1920's. The lived through the revolution and civil war...they experienced the wonder of the "Red Terror".
They didn't come to this country to have a bunch of morons march in our streets to the chants of "Death to Israel"!
I am astounded...I am even more astounded that the Canadian news media, ever so eager to make front-page news of any anti-semitic right winger, stand silent as folks march in the streets with their pathetic Hezbollah flags and their anti-semitic slogans.
This is MY country. Anti-Jewish crap has no business in this country...
Monday, January 05, 2009
Happy Birthday Kimmy!
Wow...this young lady is now 14 years old! Her beautiful smile (like her Mom's) and her wonderful disposition is such a blessing to our family!We love you Kimmy!
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Together at last...
Christmas morning found all 11 of our children together in one room! Natalie had arrived this morning from Calgary, making the family complete. Presents and breakfast before Becky had to leave for her responsibilities to her future in-laws.
But for a few hours, our family was together. I above all men am truly blest! It was for me, the best Christmas present!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Oh Bother....
I know the federal election has come and gone. I wrote a letter for our local daily newspaper, which was published, lamenting the fact that we actually allow people to run for the Communist Party in our elections...when we would never allow anyone to run for the Nazi party.
While I am speechless that there are actually 218 people in Kelowna who obviously had no family members who were sent to concentration camps or starved to death under Communism, I guess their "socialist revolution" is small enough that they won't be uniting with other "workers of the world" anytime soon.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Life after Death....
Just a few days after I posted that great song by Steve Camp, There will be a Day, we get word that a friend of ours, Marina Thomas, went home to be with Jesus this morning. This mother of 10 had a nursing baby just 3 months old.
Ron Rolheiser comments about the book, "The Shack", and how it deals with pain, evil and suffering:
Roheiser also wrote in another column:
I post all of this because we are all in a state of shock.
Why? Death is indeed a regular occurance. It happens. But when it involved people you know, or the situation is one of a Mom with 10 children, you look up and ask the question, Why?
So I ask. Why? The answer is not what I am looking for...but it is an answer that involves trust and redemption. And for now, I have no alternative but to accept it.
Ron Rolheiser comments about the book, "The Shack", and how it deals with pain, evil and suffering:
How does the God we meet in The Shack answer the question of evil? Pretty much like Jesus at the death of Lazarus, when he is asked: Where is God when bad things happen to good people? God, Jesus tells us there, does not necessarily rescue us from suffering and death. Rather He enters into them with us and ultimately, though not immediately, redeems them. Asked if he could have prevented Mack's daughter's death, God answers: Yes. First, by not creating at all. ... Or secondly, I could have chosen to actively interfere in her circumstance. The first was never a consideration and the latter was not an option for purposes you cannot possibly understand now.
So what is God's answer to the problem of evil? The God we meet in The Shack replies: At this point all I have to offer you as an answer is my love and goodness, and my relationship with you; essentially what Jesus offers us in the Gospels, not an intellectual answer but a relationship.
Roheiser also wrote in another column:
The sisters of Lazarus, Martha and Mary, send a message to Jesus telling him that "the man you love" is gravely ill. Curiously though Jesus does not immediately rush off to see Lazarus. Instead he stays where he is for two more days, until Lazarus is dead, and then sets off to see him. When he arrives near the house, he is met by Martha who says to him: "If you had been here, my brother would not have died!"
Basically her question is: "Where were you? Why didn't you come and heal him?" Jesus does not answer her question but instead assures her that Lazarus will live in some deeper way. Martha then goes and calls her sister, Mary. When Mary arrives she repeats the identical words to Jesus that
Martha had spoken: "If you had been here my brother would not have died!" However, coming out of Mary's mouth, these words mean something else, something deeper. Mary is asking the universal, timeless question about suffering and God's seeming absence. Her query ("Where were you when my brother died?") asks that question for everyone: Where is God when innocent people suffer? Where was God during the holocaust? Where is God when anyone's brother dies?
But, curiously, Jesus does not engage the question in theory; instead he becomes distressed and asks: "Where have you put him?" And when they offer to show him, he begins to weep. His answer to suffering: He enters into peoples' helplessness and pain.
Afterwards, he raises Lazarus from the dead. And what we see here will occur in the same way between Jesus and his Father. The Father does not save Jesus from death on the cross even when he is jeered and mocked there. Instead the Father allows him to die on the cross and then raises him up afterwards.
The lesson in both these deaths and raisings might be put this way: The God we believe in doesn't necessarily intervene and rescue us from suffering and death (although we are invited to pray for that). Instead he redeems our suffering afterwards. God's seeming indifference to suffering is not so much a mystery that leaves the mind befuddled as a mystery that makes sense only if you give yourself over in a certain level of trust.
Forgiveness and faith work the same. You have to roll the dice in trust. Nothing else can give you an answer. And I do not say this glibly. I know too many people who have been hurt, brutally and unfairly, in ways that make it difficult for them to accept that there is an all-powerful God who cares.
But sometimes the only answer to the question of suffering and evil is the one Jesus gave to Mary and Martha - shared helplessness, shared distress, and shared tears, with no attempt to try to explain God's seeming absence, but rather a trusting that, because God is all-loving and all-powerful, in the end all will be well and our pain will someday be redeemed in God's embrace.
I post all of this because we are all in a state of shock.
Why? Death is indeed a regular occurance. It happens. But when it involved people you know, or the situation is one of a Mom with 10 children, you look up and ask the question, Why?
So I ask. Why? The answer is not what I am looking for...but it is an answer that involves trust and redemption. And for now, I have no alternative but to accept it.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Happy Birthday Becky!!
For some reason, I'm not able to upload any photos...I'll keep trying...in the meantime:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BECKY!
Such a jewel, she is engaged to be married next August. She has brought us so much joy over the years, we are proud to have her as our daughter!!
Love you Becky-Boos!
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Jeremy Camp: There will be a day
I try to hold on to this world with everything I have
But I feel the weight of what it brings, and the hurt that tries to grab
The many trials that seem to never end, His word declares this truth,
that we will enter in this rest with wonders anew
But I hold on to this hope and the promise that He brings
That there will be a place with no more suffering
(Chorus)
There will be a day with no more tears, no more pain, and no more fears
There will be a day when the burdens of this place, will be no more, we'll see Jesus face to face
But until that day, we'll hold on to you always
I know the journey seems so long
You feel you’re walking on your own
But there has never been a step
Where you’ve walked out all alone
(Chorus)
Troubled soul don’t lose your heart
Cause joy and peace he brings
And the beauty that’s in store
Outweighs the hurt of life’s sting
I can’t wait until that day where the very one I’ve lived for always will wipe away the sorrow that I’ve faced
To touch the scars that rescued me from a life of shame and misery this is why this is why I sing
But I feel the weight of what it brings, and the hurt that tries to grab
The many trials that seem to never end, His word declares this truth,
that we will enter in this rest with wonders anew
But I hold on to this hope and the promise that He brings
That there will be a place with no more suffering
(Chorus)
There will be a day with no more tears, no more pain, and no more fears
There will be a day when the burdens of this place, will be no more, we'll see Jesus face to face
But until that day, we'll hold on to you always
I know the journey seems so long
You feel you’re walking on your own
But there has never been a step
Where you’ve walked out all alone
(Chorus)
Troubled soul don’t lose your heart
Cause joy and peace he brings
And the beauty that’s in store
Outweighs the hurt of life’s sting
I can’t wait until that day where the very one I’ve lived for always will wipe away the sorrow that I’ve faced
To touch the scars that rescued me from a life of shame and misery this is why this is why I sing