From the Pastor

September 2008

Moses addresses the Israelites as they prepare to enter the Promised Land: “I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life…” (Deuteronomy 31:19)

“If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.” (“Freewill” by Rush)

When I was a child I had a paper route, and so I had some of my own money that I could spend as I chose. Each month I would collect money for the paper from each household I delivered to and the newspaper would send me a bill based on the number of papers I had delivered. The money left over was what I earned for the month. I took great pride realizing my profits each month. Occasionally, I would spend some of that money, mostly under pressure from friends to fit in and have the right toys or eat the coolest candies from the variety store. More often than not, I would soon be angry with myself for having wasted my hard-earned money. Eventually I became a bit of a hoarder. I hated wasting money and I loved watching my bank account grow.

Then in the summer after Grade 8, after intense inner turmoil and a lot of encouragement from my parents who could see that my hoarding was bordering on pathological, I made two large purchases: a ten-speed bicycle and a truly ‘hi-fi’ audio system. What a joy these purchases proved to be. The bicycle gave me wonderful mobility. I could come and go whenever I pleased. I would spend days exploring the trails and back roads for miles and miles around my hometown. Likewise, my stereo fueled my passion for music. These were life-giving (maybe even life-saving) purchases; purchases I never once regretted even though making them dwindled my bank account to almost zero.

Choices are constantly being thrust upon us by friends and family, by advertisers – even by the church. Many decisions prove to be life draining, ultimately failing to live up to their promise. Other choices fuel our passions, bring joy to our lives, push and challenge us, and make life a blessing. The decision is not between whether to spend our money, our time, and our life-energy; the decision is about how we will spend it.

I dream of a church that is life-giving. A church that has meetings that energize us for the possibilities of ministry. A church whose buildings not only facilitate ministry, but are the very symbol of grace and rest that are possible in the gospel. A church where the gifts of all “from one to ninety-two” are received with gratitude. A church where the effectiveness of its worship is judged, not on the style of music chosen, but on the grace of God experienced. A church supported by members based, not on their fare share of the budget, but upon the resources with which they are blessed to give, because in giving of their money, time and life-energy, they find the abundant life that Jesus himself said he came to give. And finally, a church that is not afraid of dying because it is a church that truly believes in resurrection to new life and trusts God to fulfill that promise.

I can imagine a church where we want to choose to give of ourselves because it is God’s church and the life God promises through its word and sacrament is both real and abundant. But, I can also imagine how hard it is to choose this church when there are so many alternative choices that also promise life. Choosing this church is, no doubt, the harder choice. The life promised by the gospel isn’t always obvious to us or it isn’t immediate in arriving. The benefits of the big-screen TV, the cruise, or the extra hour of sleep on Sunday morning seem far more apparent.

Still, I have to believe that, like the bike and the stereo system purchases I chose as a child, choosing this church is the life-giving choice. And so, it is the choice I will make. I hope you do to.

Peace,
Pastor Brian