Musings with PWC

  On Joe and the Stanley Cup Joe Thornton is coming to Toronto!  Everyone is pumped!  A few days ago I  was listening to a radio interview with Joe as the special guest. Talk of the Stanley cup came up.  This question was asked:  “Why the Stanley cup?  What’s so important about it?”   Joe’s response was as follows.  ‘You know even as kids, playing road hockey, you all imagine you are playing for the Stanley Cup.’ Then Joe said, “…the Stanley Cup, that’s why you play the game…it’s the big magical thing.”  Wow—that’s why you play the game!  I thought about that statement—that’s why you play the game!  That rang in my spirit because I realize that illustrates my spirituality and my spiritual life.  Here it is:  The reason I am able to live for Christ in a pretty much God-less culture that is more and more permeated with evil, selfishness, hatred, etc. is because of the prize—eternal intimacy with Jesus. Hu...

  I was looking for a place to do some work while waiting for my wife who was having her eyes checked at a hospital in downtown London.   I’m not a fan of finding a parking space in down-town anywhere.   I did however find a place at King’s University.   I read carefully the no parking signs and parked my van.   After Ruth was finished, she texted me and I left my outdoor picnic table study zone, packed my briefcase and got into the van and started driving over to St Josephs to pick her up.   Waiting at a stop sign, trying to get onto Richmond —which had all the signs of being the 401—I noticed something under my wiper blade.   Hmm.   Well as I had lots of time to wait, I jumped out and picked off a parking zone violation!   What!   They are wrong! After picking up Ruth I went back to the place I parked and took a picture of where I thought I had parked—-as evidence!  This was injustice at its finest.  Well, I read the tic...

In some religious orders, graduates of the ‘program’ take what is called a vow of obedience.  Part of that vow of obedience is submission to and obedience to a superior who will give appropriate direction in people’s lives.   After ‘handing yourself over to someone else’s directions,’ you will potentially have issues or concerns with what you are being told to do or, where you are being told to go.  It has been suggested that if you look at life as a series of hoops to jump through, you are always looking at the end as your ultimate goal. What about this approach?  Each event in life.  Every pain in life.  Every mistake.  Every victory.  Every decision.  Every trial.  Every hurt.  Every love.  Every enemy.  EVERYTHING is something used by God to form you! What if God is more interested in forming you into the person he needs you to be rather than achieving your end goal?  I have recently had the conversation w...

  Three gifts you have been given: Desire Openness Receptivity Thesis:  You will never receive anything from God except by revelation.  You are not looking for God—God is looking for you.  If God had chosen NOT to reveal himself, NO ONE would seek him nor find him.  God is a self-revealer. Definition:  Revelation—this means disclosure, making fully known. God cannot be found, located, known—unless he chooses first to reveal himself. What then is your responsibility?  If you cannot know God unless he reveals himself, what are you supposed to do? Three gifts God in grace has given you: Gift # 1:  Desire:  God has placed desire in your heart for himself.  There is deep inside EVERY human being a heart that is beating for God! Ecclesiastes 3:11 “ He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end.”  You...

  Do you know the easiest place from which to play a sport?   On your easy chair drinking a soft drink and eating a bag of potato chips.   You sound like you know what you are doing!   You sound like a real professional.   You sound like you’ve played the sport for years, have been inducted into the hockey hall of fame and have the first puck you scored with in your first game as a professional.   But let’s face it, we fans really don’t know a whole lot.   We’ve never been hit with a puck that is flying at you 160 kilometres an hour.   We’ve never swung a bat at a ball traveling at that same speed   We’ve never been body checked by someone 225 pounds skating at you at 32 kilometres an hour!   Let’s face it—we haven’t a clue.   We don’t know the average hockey player works out 2 to 3 hours every day—that’s in the gym prior to getting on the ice!  So, as we sit in our easy chairs cat calling, tossing pop corn, yelling at the...

  I grew up as a pentecostal, and to be honest with you looked questioningly at groups or churches who had written prayers, followed a prescribed written order in a bulletin, or basically did anything connected to their spirituality that wasn’t free wheeling and spontaneous.   Now, however I’m not so sure!   Research is telling us that only 5 percent of our behaviours are consciously self-directed while 95 percent of our behaviour arises either automatically or reactionary.  “We are creatures of habit.” (Resilient Ministry:  Bob Burns, Tasha D. Chapman and Donald C. Guthrie, IVP Books p 40) So, now I want to ask myself what kind of spiritual habits have I developed that are automatic and simply kick in without notice?   I now think it becomes imperative in our spiritual journeys that we train ourselves, force ourselves, or in some way routine ourselves in spiritual activities. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (WEB) 24 Don't you know that those who run in a race...

  Jesus is 12 years old and in Jewish culture is about one year away from his Bar Mitzvah—his entrance into adult life. He and his family have gone on their annual pilgrimage to celebrate passover in Jerusalem.  I’m sure you know the story. Mary and Joseph, when it came time to return home, left Jerusalem assuming 12 year old Jesus was with relatives or friend.  After a day of travel Mary and Joseph  thought they’d better find their son and so they started looking for him.  Well, no Jesus.  They travelled back to Jerusalem and three days later found Jesus in the temple discussing theology! The parents were giving Jesus some ‘space’ to mature and grow. When they find Jesus they are delighted but also upset. Mary: “Why are you treating us like this?” Jesus:  “Why are you searching for me… Didn’t you know?” Answer nope!  Mary and Joseph had not yet received the entire revelation of who Jesus was nor did they understand his mission in life. T...