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Inflection. Sunshine & Sovereign is God.

April 7, 2021 0 Comments

One day spent in your house, this beautiful place of worship,
beats thousands spent on Greek island beaches.
I’d rather scrub floors in the house of my God
than be honored as a guest in the palace of sin.

All sunshine and sovereign is God,
generous in gifts and glory.
He doesn’t scrimp with his traveling companions.
It’s smooth sailing all the way with God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
Psalm 84:11-12, The Message

I remember feeling shock when those words went from my eyes to my mind to my mouth for the first time, “All sunshine and sovereign is God, generous in gifts and glory. He doesn’t scrimp with his traveling companions…” Who writes this way? Is this ok? This is the Bible! I don’t know why I started reading The Message in the Psalms, but that’s where I cracked it open. Dr. Peterson would have approved.

The writers of the Psalms wrote for the dramatic conveyance of their souls and Eugene Peterson did too. I was a slow fan of Eugene Peterson. After reading, A Burning In my Bones, The Authorized Biography of Eugene H. Peterson, by Winn Collier, I am assured that Dr. Peterson would have been happy with that — with the slow warm up.

Dr. Peterson was not a fan of celebrity life. He would have rather been with the Lord, alone in Montana, with his wife and family, with his church, intently present and listening to another person sort their soul with Jesus. Peterson knew that affection for the rave was toxic for the soul. He was not a fan.

Throughout my years of service to Jesus and His church I have felt tension between pastoral care and active entrepreneurial mission leadership. Sometimes I created an internal voice of condemnation and would alternate between these two ways of being in search of some kind of recipe for success.

Over the last week while reading Winn’s account of Eugene’s life I became aware that the Lord has helped me bring what might be considered “opposite” ways of being together. Loving people and joining Jesus in building a congregation in a university setting has let me grow pastoral roots in community while simultaneously entering into the annual renewal and experimental aspects of mission.

I was glad for this realization. So there it is even in Psalm 84: A house and a journey, a life and people of worship. My life with Christ doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s, nor does anyone else’s need to look like mine. The same God-of-the-Angel-Armies is sunshine and sovereign for us all! One of the benefits of reading biography is the inflection made possible by observing another person’s life. The words I had been using to describe my own life are given a new voice and new perspective as I listen into the other person’s journey with God.

I never met Dr. Peterson when he was teaching at Regent in Vancouver. But his influence has been all around me. While I completed a Doctorate of Ministry through Golden Gate Seminary, two of the students in my cohort had Dr. Peterson as their field supervisor. They met regularly with him at his home in Montana. I was so impressed and I was so happy. From a distance our whole cohort benefited from the realism provided by his hospitality. Because a “celebrity” made time for two very normal fellows we were all reminded to keep it real: love Jesus, love people.

Every normal life in Christ is meant to be a new song. I have come to believe that one of the evidences of new life in a local congregation are new songs. While pastoring at Cityview, previous to Origin, my friend Lalpi wrote new songs. Here’s one — I offer it again in honour of Dr. Peterson, “Sing to the Lord a New Song.” The lyrics written and performed by Lalpi Guite include this phrase that took my breath away: sunshine and sovereign.

Change, Work

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Prayer of the People, 2 April 2021

April 6, 2021 0 Comments

Heavenly Father,

In a year in which so many have felt alone in their losses and griefs we call out to you with the faith formed in the testimony of Easter. Christ is Risen!  

We ask that you would pour your love into us again through your Spirit so we may have hope. Remind us of Jesus’ victory over death and His victory over the alienation of the cross so we may rejoice in your salvation again. 

Praise the Lord. We praise you for this wonderful grace in which we stand.
Praise the Father, Son and Holy Spirit! We praise You — for all blessings flow from You.

Your triumph is our humble plea. 
Your songs are our resistance to despair.
Your communion is our circle of comfort.

Heal us Lord. Heal us of spiritual dullness.
Heal us of spiritual inertia.
Fill us — that we might love our neighbours boldly.
Fill us — that we might speak your Gospel boldly.

Grant to us the holy initiative that rises up in all your servants who say YES to You.

We lift up the dear people of Myanmar. Please bring a true peace to this land. Empower your church to witness through service and through winsome speech to the promises of your Kingdom. Oh Lord preserve lives from the evil one and grant the wisdom of restraint to those who govern and to those who have taken up arms. Comfort many who have lost loved ones in the violence. Comfort them and call them back from the trap created by vengeance. We ask for your intervention and plead that the life of our Resurrected Lord, Jesus Christ would bring healing to many.

We lift up our congregation and pray that you would show us how to keep the fire of love and devotion hot. May our love for you not grow cold. May our service to you and our neighbours be refreshing. We know we need you so we pray as you taught us:

Please join me in the Lord’s Prayer.

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one;
for yours is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory, 
forever. 
Amen.

This prayer was part of the Origin Church Weekend Broadcast on 2 April 2021.

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Prayer of the People, 26 March 2021

March 29, 2021 0 Comments

Heavenly Father,

You have set eternity into the heart of every person. It seems like we are but a blip in time as we live together on the planet but may the reality of You, the everlasting Triune God, draw us ever closer and into your genuine love and joy.

Thank you for the grace of knowing you. Jesus set His face toward the City of Jerusalem knowing full well, the cross that awaited Him. But He set His heart toward You, knowing the joy that awaited His friends. We are His friends if we obey His Word.

You have invited us to come. And Lord, your words are not a burden. But we confess that apart from your Spirit we have no power on our own to create eternal fruit. So we come, Lord Jesus, we come.

When we set our hands and our minds to work may our hearts continue to abide with Your Spirit. When we suspend what we want in the moment in order to serve another may Your songs fill our heart. When we resist the evil one may Your love fill our spirits.

Father we cry out to you on behalf of people hoping, searching for a life with more security, peace, and opportunity. Many are fleeing heartache and oppressive violence and abuse. Yet, they are confounded by borders and those tending them. Oh Lord we know you see. But we do not always want to see desperation. Awaken in us the compassion of Jesus and move us according to your ways to be present with the poor as friends.

We cry Hosanna — help us Lord. Blessed be your name!

Please join me in the Lord’s Prayer.

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one;
for yours is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory, 
forever. 
Amen.

This prayer was part of the Origin Church Weekend Broadcast on 26 March 2021.

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Prayer of the People, 19 March 2021

March 22, 2021 0 Comments

Heavenly Father,

You are Lord of lords and King of kings. No one in all Creation can thwart your plans and purposes. Whether we feel stuck in the past or insecure about the future, you are one who remains the same. You have been our refuge and you will be our refuge. Today, we abide in you and entrust our lives to you.

You have welcomed us through the life of Jesus Christ and the gracious gift of the Spirit into this grace in which we stand. Now we pray that your grace would work powerfully among us. 

Protect us from the evil one.
Forgive our hidden faults.
And let not wilful sin rule over us.

Revive us Lord! Transform us by your Word and empower us by your Spirit that we might maintain the peculiar distinctives of holiness into which you have called us. Fill us with wisdom that we might yet remain warm and present to each other in this anxious world. 

We lift up to you the people of Syria who have suffered dehumanizing atrocities and hate in the last ten years. We plead with you for peace and for the transformation of even on person who has become hard-hearted. Violence stalks its victims through the dark places and even in broad daylight in order to traumatize them. The neighbours are weary and compassion for the refugee has grown cold. Help us Lord. How long Lord? Fortify your church to be lovingly present and to boldly confess your good news to poor and to the powerful.

We lift up to you our campus community and pray that every ministry and church would thrive according to your call. We reside in a place of many words, many plans, and many hopeful masters of their own destinies; pride has cast its spell. So Come Lord Jesus, Come and set the captives free.

Please join me in the Lord’s Prayer.

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one;
for yours is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory, 
forever. 
Amen.

This prayer of the people was part of the Origin Church Weekend Broadcast on 19 March 2021.

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Where are the desperate prayers?

March 19, 2021 0 Comments

The fridge is empty and a friend has arrived at midnight. He’s hungry. You know your neighbour had loads of pizza delivered so you go and knock on the door thinking surely he has leftovers. So with shameless audacity you go, knock, and knock, and knock, till he awakens, and then you ask. He gives you a box of pizza — so he can go back to sleep.

Jesus told this story first. Luke 11:5-10.

Jesus is describing something we don’t really believe to be true. We don’t really believe our spiritual cupboards are empty, barren, and lacking. Every time our friends arrive in their night asking for help we offer them something from our north american affluence, rather than from the zone of our poverty. We would rather not admit our barren spiritual cupboards. We would rather deny the spiritual dependency of our hearts because we don’t like to admit our emptiness. Somehow we have turned a reality of the spiritual life, depleted spiritual cupboards, into something shameful, something to be denied.

Jesus doesn’t treat reality that way. Nor does He treat us that way.

One disciple was willing to confess their spiritual poverty (Luke 11:1) so he asked, “Lord teach us to pray.” Jesus doesn’t just teach the “Lord’s Prayer; He is offering us a pathway to regular renewal. Jesus reveals that our Heavenly Father delights to give the good gift of the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him! (See Luke 11:11-13)

Every now and then we may throw up a quick “Oh Lord fill me with your Spirit.” But where are the desperate prayers? Desperate prayers are founded in a desperate realization: “I have neighbours asking for real help and my spiritual cupboard is empty. The daily bread has been eaten. It’s the middle of their night and Lord we need help! Come Lord fill us with your Spirit!”

Many neighbours, many friends, are in a long night of longing, having been ransacked by the world and the evil one. Dear Church they are not sure they can still come to you for help.

Are you persisting and longing in prayer before the Father who loves you and is willing to fill you?
In the asking we are positioned to receive.
In the seeking we are positioned to find.
In the knocking we are positioned to be welcomed.

Praise be to God. He is our good Father! Jesus says He will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.

“‘Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’ Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit…” Ephesians 5:14-18

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