De-Skunked

The best money I've spent in the last little while is $70, to have my car de-skunked. It'd been just over a week since a skunk sprayed my car while I was driving, and the smell in my car afterwards was so unbearable that I stopped driving it all-together.

So I called a car-detailing company (gonna give them a plug while I'm at it), and they sent two people to fix it. The great thing is that they came to my place .. I didn't even have to go there! Two hours later, my car looks and smells like new.

I'm still a bit bitter about the skunk though. My pacifist convictions are being tested...

The Rock That Is Solid: A Prayer

As we quieten our hearts and minds, we invite you Holy Spirit, to continue your presence in and among us. Keep our hearts and minds focused on you and on what you want to say to us.
_____

Heavenly Father, on this cold, crisp night we come to you in a spirit of praise and adoration.
We worship you, for you are worthy to be praised.

You are our refuge.
You are our strong tower against all that troubles us.
You protect us under the shelter of your wings,
And we long to dwell in your tent forever.

We come to you as broken vessels.
We confess and acknowledge our sins before you and one another.

We turn away from you and seek refuge in other people or things.
We lean on the towers of wealth, education, image, or status,
And we pretend we are self-sufficient, in no need of grace.
Indeed, we sometimes live as though things this side of eternity are everlasting and all-important.
And we forget, or more likely, we ignore
the great things you have in store for us in the life hereafter.

With the Psalmist we say “Hear our cry, Oh God!”
And from the ends of the earth we call to you, as our heart grows faint.
Have mercy on us.

Cleanse our hearts and our minds, and restore within us the joy of salvation.
Envelop us with your peace, your love, your gentle care.
Change and mould us into the likeness of your Son Jesus.
That sweet name,
That precious name,
Exalted above all names.

Lord, in your Mercy, hear our prayer!

We live in a beautiful city,
and in a peaceful country.
Thank you Heavenly Father for the opportunities to work, study, and live in a city like ours.
Thank you Heavenly Father for the safety and peace this nation offers; for the robust economic, health, and education systems.

And yet not all is right. Not all is beautiful in our city.
As we sit here comfortably, the homeless wander the streets hungry, thirsty, cold, and without a place to lay their head.

Have mercy on us, Lord, for being cold-hearted.
And teach us to share the blessings you’ve given us with those who don’t have them.

And likewise, not all is well with our country.
We are spiritually bankrupt,
And self-indulgent.

Increase the compassion of our nation Lord.
Increase the days of peace, justice, and reconciliation in the troubled parts of the world.
And Increase godly wisdom on the part of the leaders of our nation.

Lord, in your Mercy, hear our prayer!

Thank you for St. John’s,
and the many ways we are blessed here.
I pray for the clergy, the staff, and the leaders of services, Bible Studies, Ekklesia, Out of the Cold, Living Waters, and the many other ministries through which you draw people to yourself here.

May our fellowship in the gospel grow stronger.
May the name of Jesus be praised in this church.

Lord, in your Mercy, hear our prayer!

And in the final few minutes, we lift to you the following people.
Please name them quietly in your hearts and minds:

Family members and relatives

Friends and co-workers

We think of the sick, the grieving, the lonely, and the brokenhearted

And we think of anyone else the Holy Spirit places on your heart at this time

Lord, in your Mercy, hear our prayer!

You, Heavenly Father, are our God of love.
You, are our strong and gentle shepherd:

“Surely Thy sweet and wondrous love
Shall measure all my days;
And as it never shall remove,
So neither shall my praise.”

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
Amen.

_____

Evening Service Prayer at St. John's Shaughnessy Anglican Church. Prayer is based largely on Psalm 61.

5 Days Later..

..my car still stinks. It's undriveable. I called a car-detailing company today. They will come on Monday and make it "smell like a brand new car" again.

In the meantime, I'm getting great exercise walking and bussing everywhere, even in the cold (-4) temperatures.

Oh and also, I think I will give away my microwave. I rarely use it, and it causes cancer.

Winter Semester

My final winter semester began today. I'm taking 3 courses:

Pastoral Care (blah)
History of Christian Doctrine (yay)
Systematic Theology B (undecided)

Skunks Stink

On my way to church tonight I just about ran over a skunk. I slammed on the breaks so as to avoid hitting the skunk, not realizing that in self-defence, he (maybe it was a she, who knows) would spray my car. Well, spray s/he did.

And boy stink it did. Within 10 seconds the interior of my car smelled like a skunk-infested hell, rather than a Volkswagen Jetta. I turned off the heating, as it was drawing in all the spray from outside, but it was too late. The damage had been done.

I continued driving to church. Once there, I thought to myself hopefully the smell's not on me. Within about 10 minutes, 3 people were talking about "this skunk-infested neighbourhood", and that "someone ought to do something about it."

With great innocence, I agreed, "Yeah, you're right, it smells like skunks around here. I wonder where it's coming from."

After I overheard two more people talk about it, I decided that enough was enough. I'd carried the smell of that bloody skunk with me to church, and while s/he had managed to ruin my evening, I wasn't about to let him/her ruin other people's evening too. I picked up my jacket and left church.

I went home and threw all my clothes in the washing machine. I wanted to throw myself into the machine too, but alas, a I had to be content with a normal shower. My clothes are sitting here now on my drying rack. They smell lovely.

My nostrils, however, are still full of the sheit. Plus, the interior of my car still smells putrid. I will not drive my car for at least a week. Hopefully by then the smell is gone. I may even have to get it cleaned professionally. I never thought I'd spend money on a skunk.

Next time I'm not going to slam on the breaks in mercy. Instead, I'm going to aim for the frickin' thing and hope to hit it. We'll see who has the last laugh then.....

Family Pictures, Betty Apple's, & Risk

11:30am - met with family in Abbotsford to take family pictures.

2pm - went for lunch at Betty Apple's, a buffet lunch ideal for people who like lots of food-options, but not so ideal for people who like to eat good food.

3:30pm - played Risk @ mom and dad's with Ted, Karin, Neal, Tanis, and Terrence.

Bearded: One Year Later

It's been just over a year since I started sporting a beard. Here's a pic from just before Christmas last year:

Distant

I feel distant from God. I've been unable to pray lately, and I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because I'm nearing the end of my studies and I'm unsure where to afterwards.

I don't think I trust God to provide for me.

I'm also a bit angry. Not sure why.

NYE @ Cub's: A New Tradition?

I think a new tradition has birthed: New Year's Eve (NYE) at Cub's!

Last year I had a NYE party, and it was great fun. This year I had a party again, and on all accounts it was as good as last year, I dare say even better: great people, great atmosphere, great music, great dancing --> a great evening.

Thanks in VERY large part to my amazing amiga boliviana Claudia, who helped me plan and organize the party, I have to say it was a smashing success. She even took time out of her busy schedule and went shopping for the party with me yesterday. I'm truly greatful for such a dear friend!

So, without further due, here is how things went:

8:30pm - the "faithful" start to arrive; I use the word purposefully. The faithful were those who not only arrived on time, but upon arriving, noticed that Clau & I weren't quite finished with party preparations yet, so they rolled up their sleeves and in an amazing 30 minutes helped us finish all kinds of stuff: decorations, food & drink prep, lighting the candles, and a few other duties. Thanks to Paul, Glenn, Sanjit, and Linda especially!

10pm - people slowly started to trickle in. Many people contributed food, wine, and beer to the party! Thanks! As well, Clau got out the "party tricks" (masks and wigs), and while at first people were a little hesitant (this being in line with our reserved Canadian nature), once a few of us did it, the rest followed:

Sanjit, Connie, Clau, & Benjamin
















Benjamin, Steve, & Dan
















Connie, Clau, & Cub
















Carla & Clau

11pm - most people arrived by this time; the wine was good, the conversation was loud, and the music was even louder... some began dancing to, what else, Tears for Fears, nohting like music from the 80's...

Benjamin & Carla
















Hugh & Benny

11:30pm - I hauled out the sangria that I'd made yesterday: a mixture of red wine, ginger ale, lemonade, rum, gran marnier, and fruits. We filled everyone's glass, formed a circle, and then one-by-one, about 25 of us shared our joys and sorrows of 2006, and the challenges we hope to meet this upcoming year.

12am, Ano Domine 2007 - Happy New Year!!! Fröhliches Neues Jahr!!! Feliz Año Nuevo!!! Hugs, Prost!, estrellitas, kisses, Cheers!, popping ballons, Salud!....

12:01am - at this point the party kicked into high gear with nothing less than some Paul Oakenfold (Creamfields): Point Zero. Symphonic techno. People moving. The rhythm of life filled the room...

12:30am - after a few Oakenfold songs (I Found You, First Sight, Como Tu, 12, and Living the Dream), we switched gears back to 80's music, first Simply Red, then Tears for Fears (again). [I could've danced to Oakenfold allllllllllllllllll night long, but tragically my friends are not into electronica]. ;) Finally, we made one more switch, to Latin music.






























2am - by now, the crowd had thinned out substantially. Only the hardcore remained, still dancing, still having fun, still enjoying a great beat. The sangria was almost gone, all that was left were the fruits, saturated with wine. Oh yeah, and my apartment, it was a mess.

3:15am - I don't remember what time exactly the last people left. But I do know that around 3:45 I went to bed, totally tired, tollay exhausted, totally satisfied.

The party didn't go as long as I'd hoped, but I'm happy nonetheless, because as long as people were here, they had a good time. We laughed, we cheered, we shared, and we danced. What more is there? We had lots of alcohol, but not a single person was drunk. Isn't this how it shoud be? People enjoying fellowship without compromising God's image in us.

Next year I'd like to have a NYE party that lasts all night. Maybe if I provide a breakfast, people will come.... However, this being my last year in school, and unsure of where to after graduation, I'm not sure there will be a NYE's @ Cub's next year. It was a good but short tradition while it lasted...

Keeping in line with last year's post, here are the highlights of the party:

* people came! (a few more than last year)
* sharing-time
* sangria
* Clau's help --> without her it would never have been the same
* Paul Oakenfold
* Dancing

NYE Party Tonight

I feel much better about tonight's party then I did a few days ago. My friend Claudia told me she's coming, and that pretty much guarantees an element of "life" to the party that would otherwise not be there.

We met up yesterday and did all the shopping in preparation for the party: wigs, masks, streamers, balloons, sparklers; fruits, pop, bread, cheese, and chocolate. We even got some prizes to give-away.

Last night I spent a few hours making fruit-sangria (I found a simple recipe): red wine, ginger ale, lemonade, sugar, brandy (I didn't have any so I used grand marnier and some rum), and fruit slices. I used oranges, lemons, limes, pineapple, peaches, pears, and apples.

I expect people to arrive around 9, and my goal is that the party will still be going strong at 4am. In South America that would be a no-brainer --> stopping a NYE party before 6am there would make the party a yawner; but here, 4am would be quite a feat.

I'm also hoping to play a good variety of music: 80's, Latin, maybe some lounge, and electronica.

Worried

I'm worried about my New Year's party. I invited about 40 people, but so far only 8 have confirmed their attendance.

I'm getting tired of Vancouver's non-commital culture. Sometimes I wonder whether my friendships are real or whether they're just friendships of convenience...

A Meal And A Birthday

Two note-worthy events tonight:

1- I volunteered at Out of the Cold, a weekly meal a baptist church in the east end of the city provides for the homeless. As I helped prepare the meal and saw the guests come inside the dining hall, my heart broke. Some of the men and women coming in were likely in their mid-30's, yet they looked like they were in their 50's. The "elements" - the rain, snow, and wind - has a way of aging us, unless 'protected'. I am so lucky to live in a warm apartment, never having to worry where my next meal comes from. Lord, what did I do to deserve growing up in a wealthy family?

On an aside .. I wonder if God is calling me to serve the disadvantaged .. am I able to give up the "riches" I have and embrace a simple life for the sake of the kingdom? Is this in part what Jesus talks about in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3-11)?

2- Later on, around 8:30pm, I went to visit Connie. It was her birthday today, and she had a small gathering. It was small and intimate, a good thing, becuase her bachelor suite is tiny, but it was good to get together with some friends (Claudia, Terri, Brett) and meet some new ones. Below is a picture we took towards the end of the night:

From left to right: Terri, Juan, Benjamin, Sanjit, Connie, Lucia, Claudia, & Cub

Christmas (In Pijamas)

After waking up at around 9:30 in the morning, I went upstairs in my pj's to see what was going on, and I found mom cooking. Shortly afterwards, my nephew Ralph and my niece Tanis came up, also in their pj's, prompting a pijama breakfast-party:
















From left to right: Ralph, Tanis, & Cub

Mom made such a great breakfast: belgian waffles with a french vanilla sauce (who needs syrup when you've got french vanilla!). Eating such an amazing breakfast reminded me of my childhood. There was a period of time when mom made waffles for breakfast every single day! I find that incredible...

We spent the rest of the day with the family, eating, drinking mate, more eating, and just generally being lazy. Actually, we took a family picture too, but I posted it yesterday already (I'm writing this on January 3rd, backdating it as my memory serves).

During picture-taking, my sis managed to explode with anger at one of her kids who was annoying her. Not good. I've also been sensing a tension within the family from various angles: between my brother and my sister (and their spouses), between mom and my sis, beween dad and some of the kids, between my sis and her son Ralph, between mom and me, and between my sis and me.

A typical Christmas indeed! Gotta get me some boxing gloves for next Christmas....

A Family Christmas

After a crazy day yesterday (lunch with James, shopping, a quick get-together with Cindy, and packing for my 2-day trip to Abbotsford), I drove to Abbotsford today at around 5pm. I arrived at my parents' church at 6:10pm, about 20 minutes before the family Christmas service began. The service was fine, with lots of music, as is the tradition in their church. My nephews and nieces were very involved in the program, which was great to see.

After church we went to my parents' home and continued the tradition there: dinner, openening of presents, and dessert. We also took a family picture:
















From left to right: Ted, Karin, Cub, Dylan, Mom, Neal, Natasha, Dad, Priscila, Tanis, Heinz, Terence, Melanie, Ralph, and Derek.

At around 10:45, after all the presents were opened and gift wrapping-paper covered the living-room carpet, I took off to the Benedictine Monastery in Mission, for midnight mass. It was a long and beautiful mass, almost 2 hours. I arrived back at my parents' at around 2am.

10:21pm

I finally finished and mailed my final assignment of the semester: the notebook on I. Corinthians. It ended up being a 50+ page-notebook. I mailed it from the 7/11 post-office on Alma. It was stampted with today's date at 10:21pm - 39 minutes before the post office closed. Man, I had so much time left over, I coulda stopped somewhere for a quick drink...!

I like I. Corinthians .. even though it pulls into so many seemingly contradicting directions. Now if I only had an idea what Saint Paul tries to say in it ... hahaha!!!

I'm glad it's all done. Now I can finally focus on Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas, I dread tomorrow: it's going to be shopping-hell. I have yet to buy a present, and the malls will be full.

Christmas Potluck Dinner

Tonight we had a Christmas potluck dinner with my Bible Study group. We met at Dan's place, each of us with a dish to share. It was a simple but beautiful evening. These kind of evenings, characterized by friends, food, and fun, are at the heart of the Christian life: sharing joys and sorrows in community and fellowship with our brothers and sisters in the faith.

Everyone in our group - all 11 people - came. We also invited two guests, so 13 came in total.

2nd Annual Dopplebock

After spending the morning working on my notebook for I. Corinthians, and the afternoon with my nephew Ralph who came over for a day, I capped off the day with an evening with the boys: the 2nd annual "Dobbelbock" beer night.

Six of us - Rudy, Mike, Eric, Paul, Trevor, and Mike's friend Ashley - got together and partook of the annual Dopplebock beer, a Christmas-release by Granville Island Brewing. The Dopplebock is a double strength beer originally brewed by monks to help sustain them through the fasting of lent. As it says on the bottles: "Now that is worship!" ;)

't was a good evening.

Exegesis Paper

Today I handed in my 2nd-to-last assignment for the semester: an exegesis paper on I. Corinthians 9:1-14. Having preached on this passge a few days ago, it was not that difficult to put this paper together, but it was still a good process to go through .. mulling over this passage one last time.

In the paper I included aspects of the historical and literary context; form, structure, and movement; then a detailed analysis (9:1-3 --> authority), (9:4-12a, 13-14 --> rights), (9:12b --> relinquishment), before moving on to a synthesis and application for today.

Now .. all I have left to do for next Friday is a massive "notebook" on I. Corinthians.

A Ministry Of Freedom

Today I preached in my preaching class again. It was my last sermon of this semester - thank God! I preached on I. Corinthians 9:1-14, a tough passage in my estimation.

Sandwiched between chapters 8 and 10, two chapters about "Christian restraint" --> giving up our freedoms (rights) for the sake of our brother and/or sister, chapter 9 talks about how Saint Paul used his "rights." Not only was he an apostle, he was the apostle who brought the gospel to the Corinthians, yet he gave up his "right" to be financially and materially supported by the church, because he thought doing otherwise would prove an obstacle or hindrance the gospel.

To be sure, Saint Paul wasn't advocating that all Christians in ministry deny support from their churches, but in his situation he felt it was the best thing to do. I wonder what it would look like if some Christian ministers of the West would give up their rights. Christianity has become a religion of the rich, and contrast this with the poverty that Jesus took on when he became a helpless babe in a manger, compare the weakness and humility he displayed at the cross, compare this with the compassion he had for the poor and neglected, and I begin to wonder whether the church of the West isn't missing the point of the gospel to a great extent.

Regardless, it was a good and painful experience to preach to my classmates. I have a whole new perspective on preaching. I have a whole new respect for preachers. Examining my own life as I prepared the sermon was horrible. Doing so on a weekly basis would be absolutely terrifying. Preaching is an unbelievable responsibility not to be taken for granted, and the preachers that serve us week in and week out deserve not only our deepest respect and admiration, but our regular and heartfelt prayers, so that they continue to live - as well as preach - the gospel of grace in Christ.

$404

Today I deposited $404 in change (twoonies, loonies, quarters, nickels, dimes, and yes, even pennies!) into my bank account. Not sure what I'm gonna do with it yet.

It pays to have a piggybank!