Eastside

Tonight I went to Grandview Calvary Baptist Church (GCBC) on 1st Ave, almost Commercial, to help out with Out of the Cold. It's the 2nd time I've gone. The first time I went was about 3 months ago.

I was really blessed by the evening. Fifteen of us, from various churches, prepared a meal for approximately 100 homeless people from the eastside of the city. GCBC does it year-round, every Thursday night. The last Thursday of each month our church sends a team to help out.

The evening progresses as follows:
1pm - Head cook goes grocery shopping.
4-6:30pm - Assistant cooks & setup crew arrive: meal is cooked, tables are set.
6:30-7pm - People start lining up outside the church.
7-8pm - Dinner is served.
8-10pm - Clean-up crew arrives: wash dishes, clean up.

Four things struck me as I observed (while working of course...) the environment around me:

1 - "Why do we call the poor 'downtrodden'?" Because they look it! They look, act, and smell like someone's been stepping on them. I'm not talking about someone stepping on their toe and then saying "Ooops, sorry," but more like someone continuously stepping on their head while saying "How does that feel, loser?"

2 - "If Jesus visited Vancouver today, where would he visit first?" I can't help but think that he'd avoid Stanly Park, Granville Island, Yaletown, or Pacific Centre. In these places people are much too settled, too comfortable, too cool. Jesus would make these people feel way too uncomfortable. Instead, he'd go to the east end. There, the locals would welcome him with open arms. They'd treat him as one of their own. Why? Because he'd treat them as one of his own.

3 - "Where does the gospel fit in here?" The gospel fits here like a glove. It has to. Otherwise it's not the gospel. Otherwise it's not the good news. Jesus said: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour." (Luke 4:18-19).

4 - "Where is God calling me to minister?" Part of me wants to say 'Help the poor, help the poor', but I'm not sure it's genuine. It probably has more to do with self-righteousness than with genuine care. It's hard to care for someone who stinks, has dirty fingernails and leather-like skin, is missing most teeth, and walks funny.

Lord, forgive my shallow, self-centred self-righteousness.

You've welcomed me as your own.

Enable me to welcome others as your own also.

Interim Solution

Currently I'm reading Orthodoxy, and St. Francis of Assisi, Evelasting Man, & St. Thomas Aquinas, part of the Collected Works Collection (Volume II), both by G. K. Chesterton. A little more information about both of these books can be found on cubsseeds.

Of course, I'm still reading my beloved TinTin too.

Tech-Challenged

Over the past few days I've been doing a ton of research online, on how to add a 'currently reading' section to my online journal. I've seen it on other sites, and it's a pretty cool way of letting you know how I exercise my brain.

But so far, I've encountered several problems. 1- Blogger instructions on how to add this sort of link to one's blog are .. well, lame-ass weak. I sent them two emails asking them how to do it, and their reply was "go to our help section". Well .. your help section's great .. if you're a web-whiz! Thx for nothing. 2 - Besides looking on the blogger website, I also did a general search on the internet. I found some suggestions, but well, I didn't like them.

You see, most people suggest using Amazon as a link, but I don't want to do that, because then I'd direct everyone to their website. I'd rather send people directly to the publishing company website, or better yet, the small, forgotten bookstore around the corner.

Maybe I'm an anti-corporate snob, or better yet, an anti-American-corporate snob; or maybe I'm just a snob .. period! But I don't care, I'm standing my ground.

I'll continue researching the matter. In the long run though, I think I'll have to learn more about web-developing. It'll make my life much simpler. I have so many ideas I'd like to implement on my site here, but my technical knowledge just doesn't cut it.

The Higher Rock: A Prayer

Almighty and Everlasting Father,
Loving Son Jesus,
Guiding Holy Spirit:

We come to you on this Sunday evening,

each of us in our own unique situation:
some of us joyful, some of us burdened with sorrow.
We come to you as a community of believers,
for we know that you listen to our prayers,
you hear the cries of your people.

You, Oh God, lead us to the higher rock,
In you we take refuge, for you are a strong tower against evil.
We take shelter under your wings, we dwell in your love.
We praise you, and we sing glories to your name.
We repent for our wrongdoings, give thanks for forgiving us our sins,
and ask for your help in renewing our vows to serve you in truth each day.
_____

We are grateful for yesterday’s Envision Evening.
We are strengthened by the example of the early church:
Followers of Jesus devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship,
to the breaking of bread and prayer.

Teach us to care for one another, and to love one another selflessly, sacrificially.
Teach us to fellowship, to be a community, having “all things in common.”
We pray that through genuine community, you would draw us to yourself,
adding to your numbers “day by day those who are being saved” into your kingdom.

Enable us to serve you by serving others.
May we devote ourselves to community, rather than follow our own individualistic desires.
Reveal to us which community you are calling us to serve in,
and help us to leave behind the consumerism of our culture.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
_____

We turn our attention to a hurting world:

We pray that you would restore to health the injured,
and comfort those who lost family members or loved ones in the recent bombings in England and Egypt.
We pray for restoration of peace and order in Iraq and Afghanistan.
We pray for reconciliation in Israel and Palestine.
We pray against government corruption in the Philippines and here in our own nation.

Lord Jesus, we know that you are the only source of Peace,
You are the only hope of reconciliation,
You are the way, the truth, and the life.

Holy Spirit, guide those who are in positions of influence away from lies, and towards salvation in Jesus Christ.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We pray for the Global Church:

We marvel at the growth of your church.
People are coming to know and serve you, the living God,
in China, south east Asia, and Africa.

In many places people suffer persecution:
they lose their families, they lose their jobs,
and yet they respond to the prompting of your Holy Spirit with joy and thanksgiving.

We praise you for the resilience and strength you give in these circumstances.
We ask for continued protection and courage.
Hear their cries, oh God. Spare them.

Continue to raise people who are willing to preach the gospel in these contexts.

Shake us – the church of the west - out of our own comfort and complacency.
May we be encouraged to rejoice in your “steadfast love and faithfulness”,
and turn our back on the cultural values of relativism.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
_____

We pray for St. John’s:

We are thankful for today’s visitors: bless them, Lord.
May they walk away encouraged,
may their hearts be gladdened by the realization that you love and care for them.

Thank you for the musicians, the greeters, the various committee and staff members and the many others who faithfully serve here,
and for the interns whom you are raising to do your work.

We pray for the parish that was recently planted in Richmond.
May many fruits grow from this small seed,
to the glory and honour of your name.

We pray for those who minister to children and young people,
for those who serve in Evangelism,
And for those who faithfully preach the word each week.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers.
_____

Finally, in a moment of silence, we bring to you the things you have placed on our hearts:
personal struggles, stories of thanksgiving,
friends or family,
the sick, the grieving, the lonely, and the needy.
_____

We pray all of these things in the name of the Father, in the name of the Son, and in the name of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

_______________

Evening Service Prayer at St. John’s Anglican Church, based on Psalm 61, and Acts 2:42-47.

How Appropriate

My last post was about The Adventures of TinTin, my favourite comic character. I've been reading The Black Island periodically, in between my Greek studies. It's been a good way to relax while in the storm.

Today, as I was checking out the news online, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that in Brussels, Belgium, they're having the first ever TinTin Festival, "celebrating one of the world's most enduring comic book characters."

There's more information about the festival at this link.

Tim Und Struppi

With all the busyness of studying Greek, I've been looking for something to give my mind a break from all the memorizing of nouns, adjectives, verbal paradigms, and prepositions. Last week after my exam on Thursday I went for a walk at the UBC campus, and I discovered a neat little store not more than 100 metres away from Regent.

The name of the store is Damask, and they sell all kinds of goodies - cards, candles, soaps, journals, bags, etc. But most importantly, they sell officially licensed Tim Und Struppi (TinTin in English) stuff: books, keychains, bookmarks, t-shirts, figurines, and posters.

When I first saw all the paraphenelia they had, my heart jumped for joy, because as a child I read sooooooooooooo much Tin Tin - in fact, along with Fix Und Foxi, and Asterix, these were probably the comics I read most. It was such a nostalgic moment - bringing up all kinds of childhood memories from Paraguay.

I ended up buying one of the comics: Die Schwarze Insel (The Black Island). Unfortunately, they did not have them in German. It would have been good to brush up on my German. The store owner said that she might be able to order some for me in German, so maybe after I finish my course I will reward myself with a few German comic books.

I also found a website that has cool TinTin wallpapers for my laptop. :-D

Boys

Tonight I went out with a few of my buddies - PC, RS, and JW. Had a geat time .. I'm glad that even though I spend lots of time with AEK, I still find time to spend with the boys.

Women are so complicated. Spending an hour or two with a few guys is so relaxing. It's almost therapeutic, like drinking fresh water on a hot day.

Travelbug

The highlight of the day today was definitely when I invited a few of my friends over to my place for the afternoon. AJ&CL just recently returned from their trip to Russia, Mongolia, and China, and they had great stories to share - it made me want to travel again!!!

MB, JH, RS, and AEK also came, and we had a really good time together. I sense that we understand one another well, which is quite rare nowadays.

In addition to catching up, we also watched an F1 race using my dad's video projector. Who needs a tv when you can project an image 10 times the size of a tv screen to the wall!

God And Beauty

I went to the Greek Orthodox Church again today, with AEK and a few other friends from Regent College. We'd arranged for a tour of the church, and a brief introduction to Orthodox Theology.

We were a little disappointed upon our arrival, because we discovered that the priest of the church was not available to give us the tour, but one of the parishoners was kind enough to give us a tour, and he did his best to inform us of some of the Orthodox viewpoints.

The best way to summarize the Orthodox beliefs is by going to the Orthodox Research Institute.
I took some pictures inside the church:

Saints: Peter and Paul:


Saints: Nektarios, Anasdacia, and Athanasios:


Telling the Biblical stories in pictures:




Stained Windows:


Christ watching over his flock:


I'm realizing that worshipping God is not something we do with our minds only, but with all our being, all our senses: seeing the icons, smelling the insense. Entering the church felt like entering the very presence of God, because we were surrounded by so much beauty.

It leaves me wondering about my own faith heritage. I am thankful that I grew up attending churches that focused on preaching the word. However, I feel like I've only been told half of the story, the "mental" part. The "body" part is missing. It seems that we have allowed the Enlightenment - with its arrogant disregard for beauty and it's dismissal of the sacred - to infiltrate our places of worship. That's why churches in the western world look more like hospitals or gymnasiums - plain, white, practical, efficient, lacking any sort of creativity and beauty.

I yearn to worship God with all my being, not just with my head.

Gyros, Spanakopitas, and Loukomades

AEK and I went to the Greek Summer Festival this evening.

We were there for about three hours, and it was well worth it, because we had great fun. Upon our arrival, we immediately set out to go inside the Greek Orthodox Church of Saints Nicholas and Demetrius. Simply amazing! The beautiful icons inside were rich in meaning and colour. Candles lit the entrance, and quiet chants could be heard in the background.

Afterwards, we ate a simple but delicious Greek meal: gyros (pita with beef and lamb meat and tzatziki sauce), spanakopita (spinach pie), loukomades (greek mini-donuts), and a strong greek coffee.

Then we people-watched: men and women, boys and girls, danced to the tune of traditional Greek music. Families sat around tables and enjoyed each other. The smell of great food was everywhere. The music was loud. The atmosphere festive. Laughter was everywhere.

Somehow, it reminded me of what Jewish festivals must be like. I felt like we were witnessing genuine community.

On Saturday we plan to go there again, this time with some more friends. We've also arranged to get a tour of the church. Looking forward to it. Hopefully they'll allow us to take pictures inside the church.

Full Table

Studying Greek.



Tomorrow's my second exam. To date I've had 3 quizzes, and 1 exam. My quizzes have gone very well, but my test was difficult. Languages are meant to be learned over a long period of time, not 7 weeks!

Regardless, all's well.

Whistler - Part 2

So here are the details of our excursion to Whistler.

I picked up AEK at 9:30am, and we left immediately after, arriving in Whistler at around 11:45. We checked into her favourite restaurant in Whistler, Chef Bernard's Ciao-Thyme Bistro, for lunch. Our meal was so delicious!

AEK's Lunch: Wild Salmon Omelette:



Cub's Lunch: Chicken Salad Sandwich with Salad and Yam Fries



Afterwards, I had a coffee.



Then we went on a 2 hour hike. The view of the mountains, the valleys, the trees, and the wild flowers never cease to amaze me. They are evidence of a master designer-creator, and they remind me of the beauty and fragility of life. Oh, and yes, the woman in the picture is also quite a masterpiece!



Towards the end of our hike we were a little disappointed because we ran into the many construction sites for the Olympics of 2010. What a contrast .. the beauty of God's creation, marred by bulldozers, trucks, and concrete. On the other hand, I look forward to what this will look like 5 years from now when the Olypmics are held.

We left for home around 5:30pm. We arrived tired and cranky, but not before taking a good long last look at the Squamish Chief on our way home. What a rock!

Whistler - Part 1

I spent all day at Whistler today with AEK. I just got home a few minutes ago, and I'm too tired to write anything, so I'll just post some pictures for now. I'll write about the day later this week.

Flowers


Lunch


Hiking


AEK & Cub

O Canada!

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!

From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.