We Have Promises to Keep

I experienced a "butt-kicking" event in my early twenties and I mention it because it changed my life. It came from my pastor at the time when I was a youth pastor, full of zeal and excited about an opportunity to take on the leadership of a moderately sized youth group of 15-20 teens. Over the next few years, we saw a significant move of God that resulted in more teens and young adults giving their lives to Christ, many of whom went on into church leadership and other forms of ministry. 

"YOU CAN'T WALK"

My pastor at the time happened to also be my Uncle, Dave Lagore. You need to understand that growing up as a kid, Dave was one of my favourite adults. He was funny, energetic, and generous to a fault. I always looked forward to our visits. He always seemed to have Wrigley’s Spearmint Gum handy for me when I came around asking for one. He had a great knack for relating to children and youth. He had an energy and charisma about him that always made me feel like the world was a lot better than it had been before he arrived. As a child, Dave was born with club feet. The prognosis was that he would spend his life in a wheelchair. However, his dad, my grandpa, took him to every healing meeting imaginable on the Canadian prairies, including an Oral Roberts tent revival. There was no healing but my grandpa refused to quit. One day, a relatively unknown woman evangelist came to town and my grandpa took Dave to get prayer from her. She laid her hands on Dave and she told him to run. He began to run around the building, completely healed! He went on to be a great athlete, playing football, hockey and baseball. He not only played well, he was also a great team leader inspiring others to up their game, which was evident in his pastoral leadership. 

Fast-forwarding about 60 years to a year ago, Dave had to get an X-ray for calcium deposits on his feet. The doctor took a look at the X-rays and asked for another one. He looked again, and called Dave into his office. He said to him, “You have no tendons in your feet. It is physically impossible for you to walk.” The doctor now has this standing joke every time Dave visits him by saying, “Oh, you’re the guy who can’t walk.” For all these years, Dave had been walking, running, working, playing, with no tendons! He’s literally a walking miracle. He continues to live his life in simple faith and trust in God’s supernatural power to heal the sick. I’ve seen him face unimaginable obstacles and setbacks, and continue to live worshipfully and faithfully. 

THE GREATEST GIFT

So, certainly the greatest gift that Dave gave me was the gift of faith. This was not only faith in God, although it included that, but a faith in me. I know this sounds humanistic, but it was because of his faith in God that he believed in me. He made room for me. He trusted me. He entrusted this youth group, which included his own kids into my care. I was allowed to stretch my wings, and fly, and develop as a young leader. On the weekends, as a youth leader, I would take the youth out to Stephen Avenue Mall in downtown Calgary to share about Jesus. This was actually where we met Gordie Guiboche, the founder of our chili-wagon for the very first time. Kathleen and I and our small group would first meet at the church, pray, and then head downtown. While there was always the expected resistance, we never failed to find people who were hungry and open to discuss spiritual things, and through the years, we saw a significant number of people come to faith in Christ. 

One time, I had planned to meet a group of teens on a Saturday afternoon at the church and head downtown. However, for some reason, only one or two showed up, so I cancelled it. A little while later, Dave asked me how it went. I told him that I had cancelled it. I’ll never forget what he said to me. “Gordie, never do that again. If you only have one person show up, you go.” He wasn’t harsh or judgmental, but I remember his words went like a scalpel through my heart. Yes, they were strong words, indeed, a clear rebuke, but they were infused with faith, the kind of faith that my grandpa had demonstrated in refusing to give up in seeing my uncle healed. They were words that came from the same faith that Dave had demonstrated towards me in giving me room to grow. It was a faith that demonstrated that God was just as concerned about one person as he was with hundreds. If I wasn’t faithful with one or two, how could I be faithful with more? 

UNDER-PROMISE - OVER-DELIVER

I decided from that day on, I would, by the grace of God, be faithful with whatever God entrusted me and never despise the day of small beginnings.  I decided that I would be a person who, by the grace of God, would endeavor to keep my promises. I decided that I would always do my best, by the grace of God, to under-promise, and over-deliver.  While I couldn't commit to everything, what I did commit to, I would do with all my heart. During my sabbatical, I was reading through the books of Joshua, Judges, Kings, and Chronicles, and it struck me how important it was for people to "just show up" when called upon. Over and over this came up in the narratives. Just show up!

Presently, now as a lead pastor, as I engage with our kids and youth at VEV, one of the things I’ve found them most sensitive to is broken promises. Their hearts that were made to trust can stop trusting because they often can't believe what adults say they will do. They don’t need bling, pizazz, or the latest flavour of the month. They need integrity, credibility, and people who keep their commitments. Only God can help us do that and God knows that sometimes it’s difficult to keep a commitment even when we have had the best of intentions. We can get sick, something can go sideways beyond our control, and circumstances can change drastically. But, we can still keep the spirit of our commitment. We can find creative alternatives like, “Hey, it’s impossible for me to do this now, but how about if I do this instead...?" In that spirit, there is much grace to be found. Yes, we need to under-promise and over-deliver. We need to be slow and careful about making promises, but we must make them none-the-less. Then, when we do make them, we must fulfill what we've said we would do. 

Perhaps the greatest "sign and wonder" in our day is credibility and integrity. Thank you Dave, because your loving butt-kicking rebuke formatively changed my life!  

Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?  Who may live on your holy mountain? ² The one…     keeps an oath even when it hurts, and does not change their mind; Whoever does these things will never be shaken (Psalm 15).

What is Centering Prayer?

Throughout Christian history, there have been two major traditions of prayer: kataphatic and apophatic. Big words, I know. However, most of us were raised in the kataphatic tradition of prayer, that is, the use of words, thoughts, and symbols in the practice of prayer. It was only in seminary that I was introduced to the concept of apophatic prayer, namely, prayer without the use of words, thoughts, and symbols, or prayer of the heart, as the Eastern Orthodox have called it. Such prayer, based on the incomprehensibleness of God, includes renouncing our tendency to control or define God on human terms and the acknowledgement that we can do nothing without him. However, I could not grasp how this kind of prayer was even possible, let alone relevant, as I had grown up in a ministry orientation with a bias towards activity. To me, success, often misidentified as “fruitfulness,” was attributed to the result of zeal and hard work. In this orientation, spirituality was equated with “doing,” rather than “being.” Because kataphatic prayer fit well with this ministry orientation, “prayer” became just another aspect of “doing” for me. If I prayed well and long enough, I believed that this would lead me into “fruitfulness” as defined above. It seemed like apophatic prayer would lead me in the opposite direction, as to empty my mind of all thoughts seemed like a wasting of valuable time.

The title of Thomas Keating’s classic book, Open Heart, Open Mind,[1] provides a summary description for apophatic prayer or “centering prayer” as he calls it. Rather than trying to lift one’s heart and mind to God in prayer, centering prayer is an act of letting go in trust and surrender. It requires the placing of a person’s mind and heart in a posture of receptivity. In my kataphatic tradition, the focus of prayer still seemed to be on my efforts. This is not entirely wrong in itself; for example, Jesus said, “Ask… and you will receive,” but I was out of balance. In this vein, Keating introduced centering prayer to me not as antithetical to my kataphatic tradition, but as complementary. Indeed, Keating’s involvement in the Catholic Charismatic tradition affirmed the kinds of prayer I had practiced much of my life. However, Keating argues strongly that without the apophatic tradition, the Charismatic movement would wither. He, along with Henri Nouwen in his book, The Way of the Heart,[2] attribute the loss of the apophatic tradition in western Christianity to the “anti-contemplative climate” of the enlightenment era where the mind was exalted to an undue degree. Nouwen likens the recovery of centering prayer to the monastic movement of the early Christian centuries where the desert fathers and mothers had to flee from the “compulsive socialization”[3] of their society in order to know who they really were. Similarly, my lack of contemplation results in me being more enamoured with “selfies” and “Instagram photos” of life, rather than simply enjoying real life for itself. I’ve sometimes fought the tendency in ministry where the world becomes a stage.  In contrast, centering prayer, through solitude and silence, has provided a “portable cell,” that is, a way of escape from this stage and a means for me to die to the false selves that tend to emerge.   

SO HOW DO WE PRACTICE CENTERING PRAYER?

Keating’s introduction to the actual practice of centering prayer is most helpful because he provides practical advice that can help us overcome the common discouragements that occur when embarking on this kind of prayer. What I have regarded as my “wandering mind,” he describes as a “stream of consciousness,” that is, a constant flow of thoughts that are passing through my mind that I have little control over. He likens them to “boats” that are floating by me as I stand on the bank of a river. For example, today at our East Van Ministerial, there was some light construction going on in the same room where we were meeting. I had to work hard to focus on the speaker with the sounds of hammering and sawing in the background. Every time I heard a new sound, it was tempting to be distracted. I have often passed the whole time of centering prayer with my imagination moving from one scenario to another. These scenarios have included:  grappling with an issue or problem, planning for events, thinking of details such as calls I need to make or people I need to see, or imagining a good sermon illustration, and so on. It was tempting for me to have a pen and paper in hand because it seemed I could get some good planning done while trying to practice centering prayer!

To help me return to the “unknowing” loving adoration of God in my heart when I became aware that my mind was wandering, Keating encouraged me to employ the use of a “sacred word” that I return to. I have found that this return by means of the sacred word at these moments involves a profound act of surrender and letting go of my need to control. It has required a volitional choice for me that has been surprisingly difficult due to the “delicious” nature of the distractions. Wonderful theological insights can come that can “bait” me away from my loving attention to God. I may even feel that I need to pray for someone even though this is not the time for it. One of the most difficult struggles I have had is something which seems “all important” may come to my mind that I need to attend to accompanied by the fear that I will forget to attend to it. Then, there are “glamourous problem solving thoughts!” Keating likens these distractions to the temptation to “climb on board a flashy boat on the river and have a look around,” rather than allowing the boat to pass by. I am learning that these distractions are simply expressions of my false self, propped up by an instinct to possess or control. I have often finished my prayer time feeling that I have wasted the whole 20 minutes in daydreaming. However, even here, Keating encourages loving self-acceptance, which is in itself another act of surrender from my need to perform well in spiritual practices. Even if those moments of being free from my thoughts seem few and far between, I am learning to enjoy them “like a balloon gently landing” and then bouncing again.

I am finding that the practice of centering prayer is having an impact on my whole life. I am feeling more quiet and present to the moment. With less effort, my heart is feeling more surrendered to God in loving adoration. I am feeling a deeper peace even amidst the greatest times of stress when everything that can go wrong, does go wrong. Anger, reaction, and frustration are loosening their tentacles around my heart as I surrender to the loving and unearned embrace of God, an embrace that has always been there for everyone, but was often unperceived by me. 

None of us have time for this practice. We have to make time.  May I encourage you to flee from the compulsions of our culture through this rich tradition that goes back to the desert fathers and mothers. Keating has posted this centering prayer summary link with instructions on how to get started. As you do, may you be filled with all the blessings of this holy week. 

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[1] Keating, Thomas, Open Heart Open Mind: The Contemplative Dimension of the Gospel, Continuum International Publishing, Inc., New York, NY, 2002.           

[2] Nouwen, Henri J.M., The Way of the Heart: Connecting With God Through Prayer, Wisdom, and Silence, Ballantine, Toronto, 1981.

[3] Thomas Merton, quoted by Nouwen in The Way of the Heart

A Tribute to Garry Lefebvre: My Hero, My Friend

I first “knew” Garry Lefebvre from the media when as a teen in northern Alberta, I was struggling with the insecurity and identity issues of a normal teenager. I felt stuck in a “no-man’s land” between the church and the world. I could neither identify with the church nor the lifestyle of my peers, which included a lot of drug-soaked parties and alcohol-influenced car accidents. We were a half-step behind the boomer generation of drugs, sex, and rock and roll, and it felt like my generation was always trying to “catch up” to the boomers. This wasn’t for me, so I went into sports, both participating and watching them. I dreamed of being a future star quarterback or receiver for my favourite football team at the time, the Edmonton Eskimos. I wanted to help lead them out of their severe drought of Grey Cup championships. However, as I approached my mid-teens, the team began to improve. One of the stars at that time was Garry Lefebvre. Shortly after his arrival, the Eskimos were finally in a Grey Cup Championship game, and even though they lost in that final, Garry won the Canadian Player of the Game award.

Because of Garry's award, a lot of the “post-game” microphones were on him. To my surprise, he mostly spoke of his faith in Jesus. Indeed, one of his achievements in that Grey Cup final was that he kicked one of the longest punts in CFL history. He later testified that when he kicked the ball, a gust of wind caught it and carried it downfield. It then bounced off an opposing player’s helmet and continued its trajectory into the end zone, which the opposition didn’t bother even trying to return.  This was back in the day when no pop star or sports hero ever spoke about God or Jesus, as is common today. There was no describing the impact Garry’s witness had on me. Following Jesus was just “not cool” in my circle of peers. However, being a star football player was cool. So, in Garry Lefebvre, following Jesus and “cool” came together in a remarkably attractive package which had a powerful influence in drawing me towards Christ. In my heart of hearts, I really did want to follow Jesus for myself, so Garry’s courage inspired me. But, his witness didn’t stop there. Garry continued to give public testimony of Christ in the media and other venues for the remainder of his career.

In an age where there is a lot of talk not matched by walk, Garry’s witness and testimony were remarkably consistent. He lived his faith. His life and actions backed up everything he said. He was a genuine loving and caring human being. His authenticity had a profound impact on his fellow-players and coaches. Almost half the Edmonton Eskimo team became involved in prayer and Bible studies.

Aware of the impact of sports stars on the young, Garry founded Athletes in Action, and after he retired from the CFL, he and his wife, Sandi, founded Circle Square Ranch in Halkirk, Alberta, where thousands of teens came for summer camps. These teens were profoundly touched by Garry’s faith and witness in the context of the beautiful outdoors.  

A HERO BECOMES A FRIEND

The story doesn’t end there for Garry and me. I became a youth pastor in Calgary, and due to significant growth in our youth group, I began to receive invitations to speak at youth camps, retreats, and rallies across the country. One of the invitations received was from my hero, Garry Lefebvre and his wife, Sandi to speak at their Circle Square Ranch. Garry had heard about my ministry in Calgary so he wanted me to speak to the teens at Circle Square Ranch. As in a lot of summer camp programs, the teens at Circle Square Ranch engaged in a lot of healthy outdoor activities, including horseback riding. It seemed being close to nature opened these teens up to spiritual things. Some of the most moving and powerful times of speaking to youth that I can remember occurred for me at these Circle Square Ranch meetings. It seemed like God came down and camped with us! I believe it was because Garry and Sandi did such a fantastic job of “setting the table,” that the hearts of the teens were softened and receptive to the message of the Good News. They had set this table by providing a loving and wholesome environment where the teens felt safe and connected, and of course they prayed earnestly for each one of them. I still remember vividly those nights were kids would jump up in response to my sermons in tears, crying out, “I take the Cross!” as a declaration that they were following Jesus. Much healing and deliverance occurred. 

Just as special were the times at Circle Square Ranch when Kathleen and I would sit around the breakfast table with Garry and Sandi, while we were enjoying our morning coffee, and we would reflect on the evening prior and the wonderful things we had been seeing God do in the kids. We would talk for hours about Jesus and the kingdom of God and God’s heart for our generation as well as for Canada. My hero, Garry Lefebvre, had become my friend. With great joy, I was able to reciprocate his invitation. Shortly after, he came to speak at our church in Calgary.

Garry and I stayed in touch throughout the years, including my “post-breakdown” Kelowna days during which time Garry and Sandi founded a small church in that city. Again, I preached for them but most enjoyable was our continuing friendship. One of my favourite moments was the time we were hanging out at Gyro beach, and we were throwing a football around. Garry always preferred to kick the ball than to throw it, so he began kicking sky-high punts for me to catch. A man was observing us and he came up to Garry and said to him, “You kick well. Did you play high school ball?” I grinned at Garry, and he grinned back at me. Typical of Garry, he acknowledged that he indeed, played high school ball, but he never offered any further information to the fellow. That was just his way. He was always so humble, gentle, joyful and unassuming. His life wasn’t about Garry. It was about knowing Jesus, and making him known to others in word and in deed. I believe that was his greatest success. Still, in that moment, I knew I had to interject, so I said to the man watching us, “Excuse me, this is Garry Lefebvre, a former CFL star with the Edmonton Eskimos.” I’m sure the man must’ve felt a bit sheepish, but I had to say it. I had to brag about my friend and hero!

Well, let me brag some more. Garry has just won his greatest achievement, and I know it’s the one I know means the most to him. Early Wednesday morning, he passed from this life. He has now heard Jesus say to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” With a lump in my throat, I say, farewell dear friend, until we meet again. Thank you for the legacy of your courage and faith that continues to inspire me and give me courage to finish my race.  “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith...” (2 Timothy 4:7). 

See Edmonton Eskimos mourn the passing of Garry Lefebvre and thanks to Todd Rutkowski, Garry's nephew, for the FB pics. 

A Spiritual Companion, Not Obi-Wan Kinobe

I was first introduced to the concept of spiritual direction as an essential element of “self-care,” at a Regent pastoral care course I took about ten years ago. As student-pastors, we were instructed that we could not take good care of others if we did not take good care of ourselves, and spiritual direction was a part of this. Up to that time, having a spiritual director was not a concept I was familiar with. It seemed like something akin to having a Christian version of Obi-Wan Kinobe, a kind of spiritual master! At the same time, while reading the novel, Glittering Images  by Susan Howatch, I identified deeply with the story’s main protagonist who, during a personal crisis, discovered his need to shed layers of “false selves,” and I was struck by the role of a spiritual director in helping him to do so. I, then, determined to acquire a spiritual director for myself and with the help of the course professor, I was happily able to do so. I found someone who was not in my immediate sphere of ministry or denomination. He had no “organizational agenda” so he could simply be a spiritual companion for my journey. Since that time, this relationship has given me so many wonderful gifts. Here are some of them.    

The Gift of Slowing Down

When it has been time for my regular spiritual direction session, about once every month or two, I have often felt inner resistance to attending. It has felt like an interruption to “far more important” tasks that were demanding my attention. Yet, after ten years of practicing this, I look back and realize that my sessions in spiritual direction have been essential in helping me slow down. They have invited me to become more attentive to the presence of God in the midst of intense seasons, both spiritually and emotionally. I am convinced that they have provided me with vital protection from spiritual, emotional, and even moral derailment. Amidst all the demands, expectations, and deadlines that I have faced, I have always been reminded in the sessions that my true self is simply being a beloved child of God and a recipient of his delight. My spiritual director has constantly communicated this to me, by his warm welcome, by his caring and listening posture, and by his words of encouragement. In spiritual direction, I have consistently felt listened to, not only by my director, but by God. In all of this, my false selves born out of insecurity and fear, have been exposed and shed.  

Encountering God in My Current Reality

At the beginning of every spiritual direction session, the lighting of the candle by my spiritual director has always helped me to become centred and focused on the presence of Jesus. Sometimes, a classic prayer has been offered that has helped me gather my scattered thoughts. My spiritual director and I have then waited and listened together so that I could become attentive to what was emerging in me. In this regard, I have been allowed to “set the agenda,” or rather, as I have been attentive to my current reality, I then have shared out of that place. I have learned not to be ashamed of this, but rather, to more and more actually welcome and embrace my current reality as the only place God could meet me. Without spiritual direction in the past, those kinds of realities often seemed to obstruct my capacity to connect with God. Now, through spiritual direction, my current realities, whatever they are – fear, anger, frustration, temptation, confusion, elation - have become doorways to meet the God who then embraces me in them all. Indeed, I have been instructed to welcome the presence of Jesus into the midst of my reality. My spiritual director has often asked me as to what I am hearing Jesus say, or, how I am seeing Jesus’s heart towards me. Over and over again, my mind has been renewed afresh to see Jesus as my advocate and not as my judge, helping me overcome negative emotional images of God that can still bite me after all these years. The caring presence of a spiritual director has had a significant role in helping me do this.

The Gift of Discernment

Another significant contribution of spiritual direction has been to help me with discerning the leading of God at various decision-making points in my life. For example, a number of years ago, I was faced with a significant crossroads about whether I would stay here in Vancouver or pursue a pastoral opportunity in Luzern, Switzerland. It was huge. In addition to living and working in Switzerland, I was attracted by an opportunity to be near my daughter and family who were living near Luzern at the time. My spiritual director wisely sensed that this was not an issue of a “right or wrong decision.” Rather, God would bless either decision! He encouraged me to take two weeks for a discernment process. The first week, I was to live and orient my life as if I had planned on moving to Switzerland. For the second week, I was to do the same, but, do so as if I had planned on staying in Vancouver. For the first week, while contemplating the possibility of moving to Luzern, I felt a good degree of peace and joy. Surprisingly, I felt a similar peace and joy about staying in Vancouver as I started the second week. But, in the middle of the second week, during prayer, I felt an overwhelming sorrow for the city of Vancouver. I literally was on the floor, wailing in a puddle of tears for the city.  I was reminded of the costly investment I had made for the past 15 years. I knew that both decisions of either living in Vancouver or living in Luzern were open to me, but I sensed that I wanted to be in a place for which I felt fire and passion. As a result, I chose to stay in Vancouver, and did so in much peace. I cannot say enough about how such spiritual direction has helped me keep in touch with “the fire within.” Thankfully, my daughter and family are living much closer now, too!

The Gift of Good Questions

Another gift that my spiritual director has given me has been the gift of asking good questions. The questions have sometimes been so insightful that I’ve almost gasped in surprise. Recently, while wrestling with a very divisive ethical issue in the church at large, I was feeling accused of “undermining and questioning the word of God.” The serpent’s phrase, “Has God said…?” in the Genesis 3 account of the temptation of Eve seemed to hold me under a paralyzing spell of condemnation, as if it applied to me. Was I compromising God’s word on this ethical issue? In my best moments, I felt that I was simply seeking to interact with “various interpretations of God’s Word,” all held by people I loved who were equally committed to the authority of Christ through Scripture. In my worst moments, I felt that I had defaulted to shades of ambiguity.  My director asked me, “What if ‘Has God said…?’ has to do with the enemy undermining and questioning all the hard work of prayerful, loving process and deliberation you’ve been doing on this issue?” This question so turned the tables on the accusation I was struggling with that I gasped in relief. My director affirmed the heart of Christ that he saw in me – a heart that was willing to engage in the messiness of our world as a friend of sinners who came to seek and save the lost, willing to be misunderstood as a heretic in order to welcome the prodigal home. The question and ensuing insights brought me back into the light of God’s mercy, shining through the gifts God had given me to serve the body of Christ regarding this divisive ethical issue, among others.  I left that session feeling that a mountain had been lifted from me.  

The Gift of Vulnerability

One last example of how spiritual direction has been so valuable for me is when I have been facing moments of strong temptation and/or sin. Just being able to share everything with my spiritual director has been an indescribably wonderful gift. I believe in being open and vulnerable in general, because it is the way of Christ, but, one must always discern the best context to share struggles. Trying to decide “who can handle what?” can be excruciating. The setting of spiritual direction has greatly reduced the anxiety about what I “should or should not share.” This freedom to be vulnerable has been such a precious gift.

With regards to my own struggles with temptation and sin, my spiritual director has been remarkable. Based on the premise that all desire is good and is only corrupted by sin and brokenness, I have never felt shame, but complete acceptance and grace from my spiritual director. He has gently walked me through severe times of temptation. I have been helped many times, not only to refrain from sinful actions in thought, word, and deed, but also, to refrain from perhaps a worse sin, that of, artificial and pharisaical righteousness where desires were suppressed. As a result, I have been able to tap into and find a deeper passion for life.  When there has been sin, I’ve been gently forgiven and restored. Only wise, discerning, patient spiritual direction has been able to navigate me through these minefields of overwhelming temptation and sin, and for that I am forever grateful.

A Post-Sabbatical Decision

In conclusion, a spiritual director has been a companion for my journey who has helped me to see the movements of the Holy Spirit in my life, through prayerful listening, paying attention, and asking good questions. This has been an important investment for our church congregation, who, for the most part, have funded my monthly spiritual direction sessions, for which I am supremely grateful. Last year, I took my pastoral sabbatical under the care of my spiritual director, which made the sabbatical a much more enriching experience than it would have been otherwise. It was on this same sabbatical that both Kathleen and I sensed that acquiring training in spiritual direction was to be an important step for me in this next season of ministry. This past fall of 2015, soon after I had returned from sabbatical, I embarked on a path towards developing skills for becoming a spiritual director myself. A new journey has begun that will take a number of years to complete, but I believe it can bring much enrichment to to our local church and beyond. By God's grace, having so freely received, I want to give this gift to others in God's timing and plan.   

An Invitation to Pay Attention

In the Vineyard, we have a strong priority of “doing what the Father is doing.” What this means practically is that because we believe that God is always working, our role is to be attentive so that we can join him in this work, rather than coming up with our own projects and trying to get his blessing. Our capacity for being attentive to what God is doing is greatly enhanced when we obey the biblical injunction to, “[keep on being] filled with the Spirit…” (Ephesians 5:18-19). I sense that God’s first invitation to us in this post-sabbatical year is to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit, resting from our work and entering more fully into His work. Implied is the willingness to slow down, to wait, and to listen.  

Communal Contemplation

Related to this, I hear the Spirit’s invitation to communal contemplation. What do we mean by that? Contemplation is the art of paying attention, to God, to ourselves, and to others. It means paying attention to how you listen, even while you are listening to others. We are in a culture that is not good at listening. We are bombarded with so much media and so many distractions while trying to get a word in edgewise. We suffer communal attention deficit disorder. It is costing us our health - in mind, in body, and in relationship. Added to this is the lack of margin for meaningful conversations and relational time due to the high cost of living in our major cities. Given the times we are in, we can’t afford not to slow down - as Bill Hybels wrote, we are "too busy not to pray." 

Practically, this means continuing in appropriate soul training practices as well as setting aside one night a month where we continue to come together for corporate listening prayer, sometimes joining with other congregations in the city. A lot of these corporate listening events will be spent in communal silence and contemplation, but we will include some time for liturgy, spoken prayer and worship. The goal is to simply pay attention to what the Father is doing and to then respond accordingly. Being faithful to do this is a humble acknowledgement of Jesus’ words, “Without me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

Last but not least, let's not forget that it also means holding the tension between an expectation of the kingdom breaking in at any moment, while refusing to manipulate or trying to make it happen.

A deeper sense of “place” and putting down our roots.

The second invitation is also related to paying attention, but specifically to where God has placed us, including our current physical placement at St. David of Wales. There has been such a sense of us coming “home” since our move here in 2014. This has been evident in so many ways, including the “Let’s Grow Together” community garden team, led by Gloria and Will, giving us favour and deeper connection to the neighbourhood. It has been evident in the rapport we have enjoyed with the Anglican diocese and the St. David's warden, Dan Attridge, as we have sought to be faithful to the story that they began here a long time before we ever arrived. It has been evident in a much greater sense of pride and ownership that our congregation has experienced in taking up residence here. I have enjoyed a greater sense of connection with pastors of churches within a few blocks of us. These factors alone have greatly increased our sense of “place” as a community. 

As we move forward together, we want to implement and encourage practices that will help us as a congregation to be more attentive to our place. This raises a dilemma for us as a community. What does having this “sense of place” look like for those of us who love to worship here, but do not live in the neighbourhood? Some of us commute from as far as North Delta! Yet, as a congregation, as we are faithful to be attentive to our sense of place with those of us who live in this neighbourhood (Hastings Sunrise), this will cultivate practices that will help all of us be more attentive to where we live in our own neighbourhood. Indeed, this will provide a model or “prototype” that will encourage each member of our congregation to be more rooted and attentive to where they live while being faithful to our church home. This will include continuing to “beautify our worship space,” while we develop our vision for the “art of neighbouring” where each of us live.  Indeed, our vision is for numerous communal expressions to be birthed from our church around the city and region, each of which becoming a faithful presence to their surrounding neighbourhood, yet closely connected to other neighbourhood hubs.   

St David of Wales – Honoring the Place and the Story

Related to the first two invitations, we want to be attentive to God’s invitation to lovingly steward the remarkable heritage building and property that he has entrusted to us. We have a remarkable window of opportunity before us. We have already had community work bees with plans for more. Another exciting development in progress is that the first six months of this year are being devoted to prayerfully gathering a team that can take responsibility for the care and the upkeep of the property on behalf of the diocese. We have already had our first team gathering. This team will engage in a season of mentoring under the church warden, Dan Attridge, with a view to full stewardship of the property by September 1, 2016. 

"Stewardship" in the biblical sense is the acknowledgement that we own nothing, but are simply stewards of all that God has entrusted to us. This is his strong invitation to us this year. "And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else's property, who will give you property of your own" (Luke 16:12)? 

"Lord, awaken us, make us aware, and help us to be attentive to the remarkable invitations you are extending to us this year, and to respond appropriately. Amen." 

Conclusion and Reflection: 

As you reflect on this invitation to pay attention, what are the biggest barriers to your own listening – to God, others, as well as to yourself? What are the biggest challenges to your being attentive to your place? What are signs of God at work in your neighbourhood?