What is your dream?

I have never heard this whole speech until today. Martin Luther King's words are such words of the kingdom of God. Words that long for and predict the kingdom of God. "Let freedom reign". How can someone not love these words.

The interesting thing is that Martin Luther King is not saying we have to simply wait for this freedom. It is not something that will eventually come on its own. Freedom is something we need to let happen. Actively and passively we stand in its way.

I cannot help but think of Winnipeg when I hear this. I cannot help but think of the racial inequality that still exists in this world, that exists in my beloved Winnipeg.

Belts

Whats the deal with yuppies and belts. I wish I had a gut (or a tummy perhaps) so that I could properly rebel against these former dudes who stand outside Starbucks on Broadway. Coffee in hand, slacks firmly held in place, hair clean and groomed, and pants that somehow don't have wrinkles.

I don't get these people. Don't they remember the freedom of dirty, shaggy hair and sweat pants? Can they really be happy?

I'm assuming they go home and cry a little at the fact they have sold out to the man. Oh, those former dudes who have lost all sense of freedom. Perhaps one day they will again pump the Mega Deth and relax in some pants that have a draw string.

Wisdom from Saint Norbert of Langside

A wise prophet once wrote...

"As my hair gets longer and longer, I realize that people with short hair have it rough...
I mean, who doesn't love the feeling of running their fingers through beautiful locks of perfect harmony? Who enjoys dancing more I ask you, the short haired brute, or the long haired free-thinking creatively passionate psychedelic folk hero/legend? -which is obviously me by the way...

Who can side with the ridiculous militantly short haired bike rider. Look at you, your so organized, so put together, what a joke! I wonder if people with short hair think that they somehow have it better. What idiots. Have they ever felt the wind in their hair from the seat of a classy bicycle? Clearly they just want to please their mothers and fathers, maybe it's a Freudian thing.... I say to all those lame asses out there GROW IT OUT.
I'm sure someday I will cut my un washed, perfectly clean, amazingly sexy mat of good natured hair. That time will come, but I, unlike you short haired lifers, will have earned the choice. You will only ever be a machine, a cog in the mighty wheel of society! You capitalists! -just thought I'd throw that in there for good measure..."


So wise.

Forsaken!

Boo yeah

Community of Invitation

I was pondering today the church as a community of invitation. A community that follows the example of Jesus Christ by inviting people to something better. The words of Jesus to Peter and Andrew, "Come, be my disciples, and I will show you how to fish for people!" (Matt. 4:19) The response of Peter and Andrew to this invitation is one of obedience. They simply leave their nets and follow. A simple response to a seemingly simple invitation. There is also an invitation from Jesus to his disciples which invites them to partake of bread and wine. Another seemingly simple invitation that invites the disciples to something that is bigger than themselves. The response of the disciples is the simple act of obedience.

From what I can tell there is something profoundly power in this simple invitation. Christ invites people to himself in a very unhuman manner, it is an invitation from the other. Christ's invitation does not contain requirements. It is not, "Better yourself and follow me" or "Acknowledge your faults and follow me." Christ simply invites his disciples to follow him, to eat with him, to partake of something better and bigger than themselves. I think that there is something the church should glean from this.

I'm thinking the church probably needs to be a community of invitation. A community that invites people to dinner, to relationships, to the Body of Christ. Regardless of where people are at. Do we demand people to be perfect and then invite them? Or, is it after this invitation to this life that is better, that is more than the individual, that people encounter God and then learn of themselves? The gospel is profoundly good and perhaps we should spent more time inviting people to this, and I'm thinking this invitation probably looks a bit different than an altar call.

Oh the wonders of stuff

So lately I have been thinking. That isn't anything to special in itself. But what is special is the topic of my ponderings. I have been thinking a lot lately about obedience. Obedience to God, obedience to Christ who calls us to follow him. I have a feeling that we (Western Evangelicals) forget about this thing called obedience. We probably speak a little too much about faith, particularly personal faith. Now don't get me wrong I think faith is something that is important, in fact necessary, but I think obedience is also necessary. Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it sort of like this....

We often talk about the faithful being obedient but we need to remember that it is also the obedient who are faithful.

To say that obedience is simply a byproduct of faith seems to miss a large part of the gospels. I don't know. There are much wiser people who have thought about this and written on it. I look forward to reading more and studying more about this.

Old Maurice

Man, do I love Paul Maurice. What a classy coach. He clearly puts his heart into coaching. The Leafs are lucky to have him.