The Cactii are Blooming and Michael Green on Evangelism

From my iPhone. Prickly Pear bloom on the right. Don't know what the orange ones on the left are. 

Michael Green
Something I wrote down in one of my notebooks:

We must not offer a sort of Christian icing on the unchanged cake of many of the idols people worship. Jesus Christ is not the sugar for the coffee of your life. Jesus Christ is the Bread of Life and without it people are starving! He is the Light of Life and without him people are stumbling in the dark. 

We need to come out of our holes and courteously, humourously, firmly and intelligently commend the faith. We should at times have debates in church—with an unbeliever or with youth—and let the congregation chip in. We have nothing to be afraid of.

From "St Paul in Athens," Anglican Renewal Canada, Vol. 7, No. 2, Summer 1992, p8.

Happy New Year

This post didn't happen yesterday because we were driving through the blizzard between here and Swift Current (twice!) to give the granddaughters back.

Come and See Evangelism

I can't think of anything deeply theological to write, but my Morning Prayer reading this morning was from John 1 where Nathanael says, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Many are asking the same question about the Anglican Church.
Philip's answer to Nathanael was a simple one and a good one: "Come and see," he said. It's a response many Anglican parishes and individuals can, and should, still say often, and with confidence.

A Bit of Fluff

Jude got a new NZ lambskin steering wheel cover for her beloved red Neon, Cloe, for Christmas.

It's a bit like driving a bedroom slipper. Cosy, though.

A New Bishop

Fraser Lawton is being consecrated Bishop of Athabasca this evening. A good one. God bless him and his family.

A Couple of Lines from "Revealed: Hip 2B Holy"; on Global Last Night

A good, even-handed look at Canadian young evangelicals last night on Global. These two lines caught my attention: first, from Jim Pattison, who bank-rolls the Alpha advertising campaign:

The message doesn't change, but the presentation should.

Something we Anglicans need to take to heart.

The other thought that connected with me was expressed by Connexus Community Church lead pastor Carey Nieuwhof, who said something like this at one point on the subject of welcoming all comers:

It's not so much about getting people to change so that God will love them; they are more likely to change because God loves them.

O yes!

Epiphany: Finding Jesus and What To Do With That

Some thoughts arising from the Epiphany readings and this morning's A Guide to Prayer reading: John 1.35-42.

The wise men had to search for Jesus. I don't know whether Andrew was searching but when he found Jesus, he told his brother, Peter (v41), and brought him to Jesus (v42).

Four Epiphany questions:

1. Have I found Jesus?


2. If not, have I been looking? 


3. To whom shall I say, "I have found the Messiah"? 


4. Who shall I bring to Jesus? 

To say "I have found the Messiah" sounds pretty religious and grandiose in this day and age. Most people would not understand the terminology. It doesn't have to be said that way. We need to say it more naturally. For example, we could say something as simple as , "I've found the meaning of life," to use Alpha course language, or "I've found someone and something that makes sense out of my life and helps me to live it with more peace and joy, even in the midst of troubles, than I ever thought possible."

People are hungry, many are desperate, for answers, for solutions to their problems. All sorts of people have built followings and fortunes touting empty or downright false someones and somethings.

Our job as Light Emitting Disciples (LEDs…see here) is to find ways of saying and demonstrating that Jesus is the only, the ultimate, answer, solution and someone. His Church is the something.

Then, who shall we bring to meet him?