Author Archive: Craig

Do small things with great love.

April 20, 2018 0 Comments

Waiting for Spring ~ Central Park, March 2018

 

While preparing for the talk coming up this weekend, I’ve been reflecting on a favourite saying of Mother Teresa, “Do small things with great love.” Our stewardship of the stuff of Creation must be rooted in the love of Jesus. Without confidence in His love our efforts become slavish and our patience becomes apathy. Soon we easily reduce ourselves to the roll of consumers. But, we are consumed.

 

 

In our great affection for celebrity we are as mindless as the kids that want to be famous. Why? They do not know. How? Most cannot imagine small things first. We are too limited. So we look only for what seems great and worthy of applause. We confirm by our longing that we need to be loved. Our hearts need a thaw. We need the Spirit’s spring and warmth to remind us that though we are a small thing in the universe we have not escaped the affectionate eye of the Father.

 

In 2017 a group of musicians, artists, scholars, and pastors gathered in New York City to collaborate. The Porter’s Gate Worship Project has released some wonderful music since then. Here’s another: Little Things with Great Love. Jesus often spoke of little things, acknowledge the little people, and always acted loved.

 

 

 

In the garden of our Savior no flower grows unseen

His kindness rains like water on every humble seed

No simple act of mercy escapes His watchful eye

For there is One who loves me

His hand is over mine

 

In the kingdom of the heavens no suffering is unknown

Each tear that falls is holy, each breaking heart a throne

There is a song of beauty in every weeping eye

For there is One who loves me

His heart, it breaks with mine

 

O the deeds forgotten, O the works unseen

Every drink of water flowing graciously

Every tender mercy You’re making glorious

This You have asked of us:

Do little things with great love

Little things with great love

 

At the table of our Savior, no mouth will go unfed

And His children in the shadows stream in and raise their heads

O give us ears to hear them, and give us eyes that see

For there is One who loves them. I am His hands and feet

 

 

 

Discipleship, Leadership

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Craig’s List for Reading in Summer 2018

April 20, 2018 0 Comments

 

As students in our crowd head out I’ve usually made a recommendation of some books that may prove helpful for growth.

 

Read a book. I’m shocked still, and perhaps I should not be, but I keep hearing from students who get to graduation and haven’t read a book.

 

Did you know people who read books live longer?

 

Change

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Remembering to Serve People on the Journey to Refuge

April 19, 2018 0 Comments

Origin in Athens

Photo Cred: Reed Eaglesham

Dear Readers,

I’m doing something new, using my blog to ask for help.

 

Origin is headed back to Greece. We will be in Athens in May to serve alongside our friends with Canadian Global Response. Ten of us will be going to “remember the poor.” You can help them too. People on the journey for refuge have had to run, to leave, to survive, to witness. Its not a pretty experience and its worse than most of us can imagine.

 

Artist and activist Ai Weiwei, wants you to know that “Over 65 Million people have been forcibly displaced from their homes.” I watched the film and cried. This is what many of the dear people we met last year have gone through. What will our compassion do? Compassion comes alongside the human flow not to judge but to give hope. Though we are tempted to, I’m learning we must not underestimate the power of a cup of water, a smile, a listening ear, a gift, and a moment of care and kindness in a safe environment. We believe these are the small gestures affirming the incredible worth of each person.

 

Our team of ten is going to Athens but we cannot accomplish this alone. We need your help to extend the ministry of our friends there in city. We will be assisting with what they want to do in order to serve folks who had hoped to pass through the city but have gotten stuck there and who find themselves to be intensely vulnerable. Our strategy for supporting and extending the ministry of our partners on the ground in Athens requires about 1000 euro’s per day in ministry funds.

 

Help us serve people on the refugee journey in Athens, Greece.

Let’s move remembering the poor into real presence and action. Here’s how you can give. By clicking on the Origin in Greece button you will land on our Canadian Global Response project and giving page. Follow the instructions, making sure to to note “Origin in Athens.”

Thanks so much.

Craig

 

 

 

Change, Leadership

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What’s on your summer reading list for 2018?

April 12, 2018 0 Comments

As Winter term ends for students and we get ready for summer term, the church I’m a part of at UBC publishes a summer reading list.

Our list of books seeks to get at our desire to be a Gospel-Shaped, Disciples-Making, City-Blessing church. So we know we have to get in touch with authors who help us engage some aspect of the four relationships of Christian discipleship — with God, with self, with people, and with the stuff of Creation.

You can see our 2017 Summer Reading list above.

I’m curious — what would you recommend for a summer reading list?

 

 

Change, Discipleship, Education, Leadership

Worship: The Question Everyone Must Answer

April 9, 2018 0 Comments

Here’s the latest talk from the Sunday Gathering of Origin Church

Live Loved: The Question Everyone Must Answer

Change, Discipleship

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