Slow Reader?

I sat down at the dining table this morning with my coffee and toast, and did my usual - reading with breakfast. Emily looked up from her fruit loops and started in with, 'Daddy...' I thought I was going to get the 'no reading at the table' lecture. Instead it was just a simple, innocent question: 'How come you still haven't finished that book yet?'

Emily, who devours books, has observed me every day opening this little white book and was probably thinking that I have some reading difficulties. After Pamela stopped laughing, she explained to Emily that the book is 'The Pocket Bible in One Year' and that it's supposed to take a long time.

Well, I guess there's worse things that I could be observed reading, but I'll have to work hard now at convincing our daughter that I'm not that bad of a reader after all!

Best Ever

24 medals (7 gold, 10 silver, 7 bronze) - that's the best showing for Canada at the Winter Olympics. Ironically, if the men's hockey team had managed to get their act together it would have been the 25 that the Canadian Olympic Committee had predicted.

Another Golden Day

Forget the hockey, it was a golden day anyway

Gold and silver in the speed skating

Gold in the cross country skiing

Silver in the speed skating relay.

It was a good day after all!

Going home...

Now the crying begins...

Bring on Russia

Well, that was better today, although it was only Brodeur that kept them in it at the end. Russia tomorrow - lose and get on the flight back home!

Evolution? Where is your church?

I read this last year at deeper and shared it with a few friends. My guess is that too many of our churches are at Stage 5 and will be unable to enter the rebirth stage. Any thoughts or comments?

Church Evolution

Here is a short theory on the evolution of the traditional church. This is really just from observation and dicussion--not a scientific study, so I am sure this may only apply to different churches in some points--not all. But here are some thoughts--take them for what they're worth.

Stage One: [Origins]A small group of believers meet together and start to talk about starting a new church for like-minded worshippers. They begin to look for a location to meet and they dream about the future--what God will do.

Stage Two: [The Creative stage] The location is found and there is a freshness to the conversation--many people have input and new ideas are accepted. Many programs are started--some stop, others continue for years. 90% of the attenders are involved in serving and the focus is still somewhat on the future and a little on the present. God works in incredible ways and there is always something "new" to talk about and to pray about.

Stage Three: [The worship debate] As more people come--it is quickly evident that many people worship in different ways. As families grow older and new, younger attenders visit--there is a debate about the "old ways" and the "new ways". Style and tradition clash to force the conversation into the present. This stage may even last the longevity of the church.

Stage Four:[Nostalgic Stage] The leaders who were there at the beginning are a little older and if they have not passed on the leadership--there is a big focus on the past. The things that God did and the stories that connect the church are relegated to the past victories. The conversation is stilted to the way God worked when they had very little resources. When new ideas are suggested--the answer is usually, "we've already tried that."

Stage Five: [The Maintenance Stage] Throughout the years there have been many additions added to the church--extra rooms and annexes to make room for the new ideas and new people--and now the building needs a lot of upkeep and care. Soon--the talk begins about repairs that need to take place--what needs fixed and what needs replaced. The conversation turns to furnaces, roofs and driveways(the present)--instead of mission, community, movement and risk. The discussion about "maintaining" is symbolic about the mindset of the church.

Stage Six: [Two possible scenarios] In this stage the church can slip into the "remnant" phase where the church dwindles to a small remnant because of the lack of mission and the failure to pass the torch and focus on the future. Or it can enter into the "rebirth" phase--where younger leaders are garnished with the roles that the veteran leaders hold. If this takes place--there is a new sense of vision and conversation about the future again with great hope and risk and mystery. The rebirth phase can be long and painful but the end is a chance at new life.

Movies

I saw this idea on another blog and liked the idea, so here goes. These movies were posted on imdb.com. They're the top 100 movies of all time, according to that website. Red indicates movies I've seen, Green indicates movies I own.

1. CITIZEN KANE (1941)
2. CASABLANCA (1942)
3. THE GODFATHER (1972)
4. GONE WITH THE WIND (1939)
5. LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962)
6. THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)
7. THE GRADUATE (1967)
8. ON THE WATERFRONT (1954)
9. SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993)
10. SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1952)
11. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)
12. SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950)
13. THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (1957)
14. SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959)
15. STAR WARS (1977)
16. ALL ABOUT EVE (1950)
17. THE AFRICAN QUEEN (1951)
18. PSYCHO (1960)
19. CHINATOWN (1974)
20. ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (1975)
21. THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1940)
22. 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)
23. THE MALTESE FALCON (1941)
24. RAGING BULL (1980)
25. E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982)
26. DR. STRANGELOVE (1964)
27. BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967)
28. APOCALYPSE NOW (1979)
29. MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (1939)
30. THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE (1948)
31. ANNIE HALL (1977)
32. THE GODFATHER PART II (1974)
33. HIGH NOON (1952)
34. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962)
35. IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934)
36. MIDNIGHT COWBOY (1969)
37. THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946)
38. DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944)
39. DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (1965)
40. NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)
41. WEST SIDE STORY (1961)
42. REAR WINDOW (1954)
43. KING KONG (1933)
44. THE BIRTH OF A NATION (1915)
45. A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (1951)
46. A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971)
47. TAXI DRIVER (1976)
48. JAWS (1975)
49. SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937)
50. BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969)
51. THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940)
52. FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (1953)
53. AMADEUS (1984)
54. ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (1930)
55. THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965)
56. M*A*S*H (1970)
57. THE THIRD MAN (1949)
58. FANTASIA (1940)
59. REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE (1955)
60. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981)
61. VERTIGO (1958)
62. TOOTSIE (1982)
63. STAGECOACH (1939)
64. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977)
65. THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991)
66. NETWORK (1976)
67. THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962)
68. AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951)
69. SHANE (1953)
70. THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971)
71. FORREST GUMP (1994)
72. BEN-HUR (1959)
73. WUTHERING HEIGHTS (1939)
74. THE GOLD RUSH (1925)
75. DANCES WITH WOLVES (1990)
76. CITY LIGHTS (1931)
77. AMERICAN GRAFFITI (1973)
78. ROCKY (1976)
79. THE DEER HUNTER (1978)
80. THE WILD BUNCH (1969)
81. MODERN TIMES (1936)
82. GIANT (1956)
83. PLATOON (1986)
84. FARGO (1996)
85. DUCK SOUP (1933)
86. MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY (1935)
87. FRANKENSTEIN (1931)
88. EASY RIDER (1969)
89. PATTON (1970)
90. THE JAZZ SINGER (1927)
91. MY FAIR LADY (1964)
92. A PLACE IN THE SUN (1951)
93. THE APARTMENT (1960)
94. GOODFELLAS (1990)
95. PULP FICTION (1994)
96. THE SEARCHERS (1956)
97. BRINGING UP BABY (1938)
98. UNFORGIVEN (1992)
99. GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER (1967)
100. YANKEE DOODLE DANDY (1942)

As Pamela constantly tells me - I need to get out more often!

snowflake haiku

We were supposed to get home last night, but instead watched the snow fall steadily outside through the window of our hotel room. Hence the snowflake haiku...

A loss free two weeks

Well, at least we can guarantee that the Leafs will remain unbeaten for the next couple of weeks. Things can only get better.

Off to retreat today. Back on Thursday.

I live next door to a time machine

Yes that's right, I live next door to a time machine - not the one above (I wish it was, because it goes back and forward in time), but the one below.

Unfortunately this time machine only goes back 50 years and there's no control over it. Every Sunday morning I enter the building and am immediately transported back to the '50s.

I guess I'm not alone as I recently read the following quote in 'Red Moon Rising' (Pete Greig and Dave roberts):

"Teenagers and young adults are finding the Church increasingly irrelevant. Every Sunday thousands of our contemporaries leave the pew, never to return. But statistics mask the real story. A fifty-year time warp often separates Saturday night from Sunday morning. Faced with such alienation, some of our peers have simply retreated from the world, taking up residence in a protective Christian bubble. Others may send their bodies faithfully to church, but they keep their brains in a jar at home and their hearts at the Saturday night party, the bar, or the cinema. And of course many of our friends just avoid church altogether." (p.8)

After our worship service today (in the above pictured time machine) we had a lunch followed by an open business meeting. We knew it would be a tough one because it was going to be a reality check. The reality is that unless we get out of the time warp that we are in our church will be gone in less than 5 years. It's one thing to admit this, but it's another to do something about it.

We presented a few things that our board had agreed to in principle. There were mixed reactions, but there seemed to be a general concensus that we cannot continue in the way we are going. Interesting times ahead...

Somebody stop this guy...NOW!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Steve Martin at one time make some decent movies? 'Leap of Faith', 'Roxanne' and 'Planes, Trains and Automobiles' come to mind, but what's with his latest abomination? Have you seen the trailer for the remake of 'The Pink Panther'? If not, then count yourself lucky. It is embarassingly bad, and that's being kind. I think the rot set in in the 90's when he did an updated version of 'Sergeant Bilko'. He's no Phil Silvers that's for sure, and he's definitely not Peter Sellers. Either he's so hard up for ideas or he has some really bad advisers. Someone should tell him now. This is a disgrace to the memory of the one and only worthy Inspector Clouseau. The cartoon was better than this.

That's my rant for today. Had to get it out of my system.

The end of the church as we know it?

While surfing last night I came upon a great thought-provoking article called 'The end of Christendom'. It's posted at opensourcetheology.net and is well worth the read.

The two opening stories made me chuckle, but what made me sit up and think is that they are true stories. I post them here in the hope that they may inspire you to read the rest of the article. Here they are:

"In a London school a teenager with no church connections hears the Christmas story for the first time. His teacher tells it well and he is fascinated by this amazing story. Risking his friends’ mockery, after the lesson he thanks her for the story. One thing had disturbed him, so he asks: ‘Why did they give the baby a swear-word for his name?’

"One Sunday in Oxford a man visits a church building to collect something for his partner who works during the week in a creative-arts project the church runs. He arrives as the morning congregation is leaving and recognises the minister, whom he knows. Surprised, he asks: ‘What are all these people doing here? I didn’t know churches were open on Sundays!’"

making sense of church

Making Sense of Church is the topic in this week's element series over at deeper. The discussion there will deal with the Apostle's creed and the raw basics of church - why it exists, how we become a part, and the real purpose of church. Looks like it will be an excellent discussion.

Bono preaching again

Bono was the guest speaker at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., this week. He gave lots of food for thought, but here is the part that caught my attention the most:

"A number of years ago, I met a wise man who changed my life. In countless ways, large and small, I was always seeking the Lord’s blessing. I was saying, you know, I have a new song, look after it… I have a family, please look after them… I have this crazy idea…

"And this wise man said: stop.

"He said, stop asking God to bless what you’re doing.

"Get involved in what God is doing—because it’s already blessed.

"Well, God, as I said, is with the poor. That, I believe, is what God is doing. And that is what He’s calling us to do."

Something to think about. Check out the whole speech here.

This is the life...

You can't beat a good winter barbecue!

The Hour

If you are in Canada, then maybe you have caught 'The Hour' on CBC Nesworld. It's not your regular news show, and that's just fine. The CBC website describes it as follows:

'An irreverent, 'round-the-world, mile-a-minute look at news and current affairs that's actually fun to watch. Hosted by George Stroumboulopoulos.'

I already mentioned the show on my blog, and because of this I got a mention on 'The Hour' website bloglist. If you don't get the show where you are, there are lots of great clips in the archive that you could check out. One of my favourites is with Rick Mercer (check out his blog here). Watch the show if you can.