Day4 Christmas Dinner

Tonight was our work Christmas party, and although I wasn't thrilled about having the event at a casino in Richmond, the event turned out to be a good one.

The food was very good. I was one of the only persons at our table to go for seconds. This is my customary practise at such events: the first round is a sampler round, where I get small portions of any and all food that looks promising. The second round is more specific, where I get more of the food I liked in the first round. The picture below was taken at the beginning of round two. My plate's full, whereas my neighbours are empty-plated. My neighbours are Jen to my left, and Darren and Rochelle, to my right.

Below are some more pictures of the evening. The first one is of Jennifer and I towards the end of the night. I like the picture, even though my cheeks seem a tad red. Jennifer's smile, on the other hand, is one of the most genuine smiles of hers I've ever seen. I think it's the best picture of her I've seen. She really has a lovely smile when she lets her guard down.

The final two pictures were taken on our way back home. I'm wearing my new blue sports jacket I got for my birthday.

Picking Up

Work seems to be picking up. Since May I've been on workshare, working 2.5 days a week. I've had to curtail expenses, which is a good discipline to keep up, but the past few weeks I've been working 3 or even 4 days a week, which has been nice on the pocket book.

I hope that things will keep picking up. Maybe the economy's improving...

Longing For Home

One of the best-loved, and most widely read books in English literature is The Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyan. It’s a classic: the story of Christian, who encounters many enemies, and goes through countless dangerous places, in his pilgrimage from the city of destruction to the heavenly city. It’s a story of longing and endurance. Christian endures the pain and suffering of the journey, because he knows it does not compare with the Joy and Peace that await him in the Celestial City.

Psalm 84 is also about longing: a strong desire or yearning. The Psalmist, the writer of this Psalm, is on pilgrimage towards Jerusalem, perhaps on his way to a Jewish festival. He’s on his way to the Temple, where God lives. And as he journeys towards the Temple, he ponders with great anticipation his arrival. Once there, once at the Temple, he will be able to worship God in his own home, he will be able to worship in the very place where God lives.1

As we take a closer look at this Psalm, we will notice that this holy longing by the pilgrim revolves around three beatitudes, three states of happiness, we might say: 1- Blessed is the one who loves the house God (84:1-4); 2- Blessed is the one who journeys to the house of God (84:5-8); and 3- Blessed is the one who lives in the house of God (84:9-13).2

We begin with the first theme: Happy is the one who loves the house of God (84:1-4). Notice the language of love used here: “O how lovely are thy dwellings” (84:1); “lovely” here does not mean that the temple is beautiful, but that it is beloved: it is dearly loved by the pilgrim. In verse 2 we read, “My soul hath a desire and longing to enter into the courts of the LORD”: the Psalmist is completely taken up with the house of God.

But - and this is central - the pilgrim loves the house, because of who owns the house: he yearns for the temple, because of the Lord who owns it and lives in it. In the 12 verses of Psalm 84, the Psalmist cries out to God 18 times: 12 verses, 18 times! The second part of verse 2 says it all: “...my heart and my flesh rejoice in [or cry out to] the living God”. Blessed is the one who loves the house of God...

The next beatitude is a summary of verses 5-8: Fortunate is the one who journeys to the house of God. The journey is not an easy one, it goes through what the Book of Common Prayer calls the “Vale of Misery” (84:6). The New English Bible calls it “the thirsty valley”, and most other versions call it the “Valley of Baca” (RSV, ESV). But whatever the differences, all versions point to the same thing: dry, hostile, deserted lands. The journey is difficult.

But it’s in these moments of uncertainty and deep soul-thirst, that God meets the pilgrim. He gives “strength to the feeble, refreshment to the thirsty, blessings on the way, and the promise of meeting him at the end.” (84:6-7).3 Blessed is the one who journeys to the house of God...

Our final beatitude is found in verses 9-12: Blessed is the one who lives in the house of the Lord. In these verses we get a vision of who God is, and what he does for those who trust him (84:13). The Lord God is all that is “positive and outgoing”: He is a light - joy, warmth, and energy. He’s a shield - he protects from fear of defeat (84:12a).4

God is also the great giver of gifts: he showers those with an undivided heart for him with favour and honour (84:12b). We as Christians, living in the light of the resurrection of Jesus, are witnesses of this grace and glory. Our access to God’s presence is guaranteed - we benefit from the passion of Jesus - that’s grace. And as for glory, as we behold the glory of our Lord, as we look into the face of Jesus - we “are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another...” (II Corinthians 3:18). True to his character, God gifts his people with all those things that are good for them (84:12c).

It’s for this reason - because of who God is and what he does for his people - that we can make the following extravagant statement, along with the pilgrim Psalmist: “For one day in thy courts is better than a thousand [elsewhere]. I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of ungodliness” (84:10-11).

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

Amen ✠

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1- Michael Wilcock, The Message of Psalms 73-150. The Bible Speaks Today. J. A. Motyer, ed., (Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2001), 47.

2- Michael Wilcock, The Message of Psalms 73-150. The Bible Speaks Today. J. A. Motyer, ed., (Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2001), 48.

3- Michael Wilcock, The Message of Psalms 73-150. The Bible Speaks Today. J. A. Motyer, ed., (Downers Grove, IL: IVP, 2001), 49.

4- Derek Kidner, Psalms 73-150: An Introduction & Commentary. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. D. J. Wiseman, ed., (Leicester, England: IVP, 1973), 307.

Happy Is The One Who...

...loves the house of God (v1-4)
...journeys to the house of God (v5-8)
...lives in the house of God (v9-12)

These are the three points of Psalm 84.

She Seems Happier Now...

...then when we went out.

I went over to Jennifer's tonight, for dinner. She cooked: mashed potatoes, ground chicken (with a German-ish gravy), and a salad. My contribution was dessert, a tres leches cake, from Salsa and Agave. We had a very good meal, a very good evening. By the end of the evening we kissed, which, given our breakup, is not a good scenario. But kissing her again was nice, no doubt....

I've noticed that she seems happier, more at ease, more relaxed, the last few times I've spoken with her. She smiles more, she jokes around more, she even laughs out loud. She jumps, to try to surprise me, all jovial. I asked her why that was. She was surprised that I thought she was happier now than when we were together. But after I gave her the (above) examples, she agreed.

But then, she noted that I am also more relaxed, more easy-going. Very true. I am more relaxed now then I've been in recent months.

Perhaps we're relaxed because a heavy weight - the weight of an ambiguous, uncertain future - has been lifted from our shoulders. Perhaps we're breathing a sigh of relief, because the "heavy" issues are out of the way and we can just get on with things. If that's the case, that's a good thing.

However, I've also noticed that we get along spectacularly well, when we're relaxed. And this leads me to believe if only these "heavy" issues could be resolved, we would be very good together.

Preaching the Psalms

I'm leading Evensong next week, and have decided that it's time to preach on the Old Testament. Joyce asked me a while ago how come I always preach on the New Testament - and particularly the gospels - and not the "whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27).

She's right. The New Testament, and particularly the gospels, are the culmination of God's revelation to us, but part of the reason our knowledge of the faith in the church today is so limited is because we don't plumb the whole depth and breadth of Scripture. We're content to get our feet wet by wading in the shallow pools, rather than immersing ourselves fully into the depths of wisdom found in Scripture.

My first Old Testament text will be from the Psalms, #84.

Slow Like A Turtle...

I'm moving forward. At least I think I am.

Over the past month I've been meeting with the Pastors at church, seeking advice, seeking their wisdom. The blessing I'm seeking from them is for a way forward: a way to continue walking into the mystery of vocational calling. And truly, my experience, has been that vocational calling is a mystery that unfolds little by little, rather than all at once. But then, that's just my experience.

My first meeting was with Jim, over lunch at Al Watan, on August 14. We used to speak more often, back in the Regent days, so for the first 30 minutes or so of our conversation was more or less catching each other up on the going ons of our lives. But afterwards we got down to business, and we were able to speak meaningfully about vocations. We had too much ground to cover, however, so we decided to reconvene a few weeks later. Here are, in summary, the points I took away from our meeting:
* I mentioned to Jim that I feel called to gospel-work in the church, including, and perhaps especially, ordained ministry.
* By conviction, I feel more Eastern Orthodox or Roman Catholic than Anglican, but for entirely practical reasons I've decided to stay within Anglicanism. For me, making a vocational decision based on practicality seems entirely wrong-headed, but what can I do?
* In light of the above, Jim challenged me to read over the 39 Articles of Religion in the Book of Common Prayer and see if I can submit to those. If I can, the Anglican Church is still the right place for me.
* I also made clear that I am definitely a sacramentalist, and as such I have a strong preference to work within a high church context. However, I am still committed to the evangelical cause. In short, I wish to proclaim the "one, holy, catholic, apostolic" faith, within a sacramentalist framework.

On August 31, I met with Dan. I shared with him my conviction that I believe I'm called to do ministry in the church. I presented 3 potential avenues to pursue, and asked for his feedback. Option #1: ordained ministry within the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC); option #2: hospitality work in Cairo, Egypt, as a guest house manager, with a possibility of teaching and/or ministry training alongside, with the goal of eventual ordination as priest; option #3: openness to whatever suggestions he or other clergy at church consider appropriate. His response was essentially as follows:
* ACC (option #1): good opportunity, although pursuing this option would likely entail living in a small town in northern Canada for a good 5 years, and as a single man, this might be difficult for me. Loneliness may be a real issue. However, there are positive factors to this option, including: high sense of community in small towns, high church context, and small congregation.
* Egypt (option #2): this is also a good option, especially given my previous interest in Islam. However, the road to ordination seems quite indirect, via hospitality work, and also, am I prepared to live in the Middle East for the rest of my life?
* Regarding option #3, Dan did not make any additional suggestions. However, he did express full support for either of the first two options. He and the church would stand behind me on both options.

On September 1 I met again with Jim. This time we got right to the point. I mentioned to him the 3 options listed above; here's how he responded.
* He explained the differences between a bishop, a priest, and a deacon. A bishop protects, guards. A priest proclaims, preaches. A deacon administers help to the "widows" (Acts 6:1) within the church.
* Jim felt - quite strongly - that I belong to the deacon category. Therefore, he had a firm preference for option #2, Egypt.
* In addition to my gifts as a deacon, Jim also felt that I have the cultural background to move to Egypt. As a Paraguayan-German-Canadian, I'm already a citizen of the world...

And finally, today, I met with Dave. This was a long-awaited meeting, and it's a meeting that went over well, much better than I expected, actually. I mentioned to him the same options, and here are a few things that emerged.
* Vocations within the church (maybe also outside?) are along the following three lines: prophetic, priestly, and kingly. Jesus fulfilled these three, and we do too, although obviously not anywhere to the degree that he did. The king is an administrator, the prophet is a preacher, and the priest is a lover of souls. He did not indicate or suggest which category I belong to. I place myself within the priestly category.
* The main gist of his wisdom can be summarized in a question: Options #1 or #2 are fine, but in terms of option #3, why not add Paraguay to the list? Gulp....
* David decided that he will contact bishop Harvey, who knows, maybe he knows the bishop of Asuncion. Maybe there's a possibility to pursue there. He may also have other suggestions that David does not have access to.

Yikes. Before beginning this process of interviewing clergy at my church, I decided to submit myself to their counsel. What have I done!!!!!?????!!!!!????

Una Gran Hazaña!!!

A great feat!!!! Paraguay beat Argentina today, 1-0, in Asunción. That's it, we're in the World Cup!!! South Africa, here I come!

We played a magnificent first half. Nelson Valdez scored a golazo, assisted by Edgar Barreto, and of course, Salvador Cabañas, who was the mastermind behind the goal, beating 3 players before laying it off to Valdez for a great finish. Here are the highlights of the game:

Albirrooooo!!!!!!!! Albirrooooo!!!!!!! Albirrooooooo!!!!!!!

Seb's, Abruzzo, Marcello's .. And An Angel

Jennifer and I went for breakfast this morning at Seb's Market on West Broadway (almost Fraser). It's one of my favourite places, because it's one of the few restaurants that serves decent coffee. My experiences with the food there have been good, overall, but I don't think she was very impressed with her food this morning. To her it was good, but it didn't stand out. After breakfast I walked her back to her apartment, a good 45 minute walk.

Then I made my way to Abruzzo, on Commercial, for a full day of qualifying games for the World Cup of 2010 in South Africa. I saw the following games: Uruguay 3 - Colombia 1, Paraguay 1 - Bolivia 0, Argentina 1 - Brasil 3, Chile 2 - Venezuela 2, and Costa Rica 0 - Mexico 3. Paraguay played horrible, but they won. It's been over a year - June of last year, when they beat Brasil lin Asuncion - since they've palyed a great game from beginning to end. Next week Wednesday they play against Argentina, in Asuncion. They need a win to qualify. A tie will get them a tiny step closer towards qualification, but wont guarantee it.

After the games, Ruth, Marty and I walked over to Marcello's for a good dinner. I've never been disappointed with the food there. I shared Ruth and Marty about my breakup with Jennifer and got teary-eyed. They were both very good to me.

An interesting conversation "happened" on the way to Abruzzo in the afternoon. I ran into a man, Jonathan, who was looking for some bus directions. I gave him the help he needed, but afterwards, rather than continuing on our way, we began to talk. Turns out he got off at he wrong bus stop before we met (he'd been on another bus), and in frustration, he asked God if there was a purpose for him getting off at the wrong stop. The Holy Spirit told him to seek out a discouraged Christian. Two blocks-walk, and 5 minutes later, he met me.

By the end of the conversation, about 40 minutes later, he prayed for me on the sidewalk of the Commercial Drive skytrain station. He gave me advice, fatherly advice, wise spiritual advice, about vocation, about life direction, and about relationships. More than that, he just encouraged me. He was an angel, truly, in the flesh. We exchanged emails. I may need lots of angel-presence over the next little while.

Gipsy Kings

Tonight I saw the Gipsy Kings live at the PNE. They played some of their classics - Volare, Bamboleo, Djobi Djoba, Mujer, as well as some of the lesser known (slower) songs: Tu Quieres Volver, Un Amor, and Caminando por la Calle.

The didn't play my favourite song, Triste Pena, which may be a good thing, because it's a sad song, and today was the first time I saw or spoke with Jennifer since Sunday, the day we broke up.

We were with a group of about 10 other friends from the futbol team, and it worked out that we didn't interact much at the beginning of the evening. But even without talking, we both saw each other, making eye contact a few times. I've never felt so awkward around her as I did tonight.

It wasn't until just before the concert started that we talked. At first pleasantries, and then a little more substance. By the end of the evening the nervousness was gone, and we smiled at each other a few times.

After the concert, she left almost immediately with some others. I stayed behind with some friends for a beer.

Tomorrow I'm going out for breakfast with her.

Acedia & Me

I was going to wait until I could get Kathleen Norris' book, Acedia & Me: A Marriage, Monks and a Writer’s Life, on paperback (hardcovers are so expensive), but I may need to curb that wish and buy a copy sooner rather than later. The reason being, that I feel she may have some words of wisdom for me, concerning acedia. Ace-what?

Acedia.

Acedia is defined as "spiritual or mental sloth, apathy", and is rooted in the greek akedia, meaning "listlessness, without care." According to a description found here, acedia is "the state of those who have ceased to care or who are in the process of ceasing to care. It is the death of desire, and so also of knowledge, and hope." Indeed, according to Dorothy L. Sayers in The Other Six Deadly Sins, the breadth and depth of acedia is all-encompassing, because it's "the sin that believes in nothing, cares for nothing, seeks to know nothing, interferes with nothing, enjoys nothing, loves nothing, hates nothing, finds purpose in nothing, lives for nothing and remains alive only because there is nothing it would die for." No wonder the desert fathers called acedia the enemy of the soul!

At present, I can certainly identify with at least some of the symptoms just described. I'm only working part-time, I am still unsure of my vocational direction, I'm fighting with family, and now, Jennifer and I broke up: all these events, if they can be called such, make me feel like I'm a ship - raft? - without a rudder, disoriented, aimless, purposeless, undecided, unsure, and sometimes even unhappy. I feel a profound lack of motivation in my life, a lack of care. Time seems to "fly", in a sense, because minutes turn into hours, hours turn into days, days turn into nights, and on occasion days even turn into a sequence of days - 2, 3, or even 4 - of inactivity and wasted time, with no accomplishment or sense of having used time productively or usefully at all. Instead of sanctifying time, making it holy, I "kill" it, quite literally, either by surfing the internet, watching a dvd (is it a coincidence that technology adds to my slothfulness?), or by taking naps at times when I should be actively engaged in matters of this world. Sometimes I feel like I'm stuck in mud and the harder I try to get out, the deeper I sink.

But, not all is bad. There are rays of hope to hang on to, signs of Redemption, even Salvation. There is blessing amidst pain. Here are at least 5 signs of Grace:

1- prayer life. The past few days have been fruitful in prayer. As always, we go to God in our pain, not in our joys, and as usual, He's always there, no matter when we call upon Him....

2- stimulation of heart, mind and body: I've been doing a lot of reading, very good reading. At the moment, I'm reading 4 (!) books on topics ranging from sexual ethics to economics to reflections on the Psalms to science fiction. I'm also still hiking the Grouse Grind twice a week.

3- waking up: I'm still eager to get up every morning. A very good sign indeed.

4- proactive planning: I've met with 2 of my 3 church pastors about vocational ways forward. I think I'm on the right track.

5- keeping it clean: my apartment's still clean. Once there's no more room in the kitchen because dirty dishes are taking up all the space, then yes, I think I'm beginning to lose the battle...

Maybe I can hold out until Norris' book comes out on paperback after all.....

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have Mercy on me, a Sinner.

10+ Months Later

Tonight Jennifer and I broke up. It was a mutual decision: we'd been together for 10+ months, and it was time to decide whether this relationship was going somewhere significant or not.

We decided that since we see the world very differently, it was best to go our separate ways. I'm Christian, she's not. I want to marry a Christian, she does not want to become one.

We didn't use a "sharp knife" though, in our split; I'm not sure if that's wise or if that will come back to haunt us.

I'm thankful for Jennifer, and for all that God's taught me through her. She's a lovely woman. I hope and pray that she will find Salvation.

As for me, I'll be laying low for a bit, patching up my wounds.

Prayer Works

Prayer works.

Today my co-worker Darren asked if I could get him a Bible. Apparently his girlfriend wants one too: they both want to begin reading Scripture.

Also, I found out that Omar, a friend I'd met in the Philippines is now a follower of Isa-al-Masih, Jesus the Messiah.

God works in the lives of people through his church, and particularly, through prayer.

Al Watan...Again!

I've been visiting my favourite restaurant in Vancouver a lot lately. Today will be the third time in the last 10 days, and, I may go again Friday.

Today I'm having lunch with James. On Friday, with James and Scott. Last Friday I was there with Jim.

And last week Wednesday I was there with Jennifer and two of her friends, Kari and Cristina. Here's a pic Jennifer took afterwards. Note the new lunch special prices: at $6.99, it's still the best lunch in the city.

And of course, the short conversations with Khalid and Noor are always pleasant too!

The Life Of Beatitude

After spending a few weeks in the book of Acts, we return to the gospel of Matthew (4:23-5:20). The background to our reading is that Jesus has been baptized, he has endured severe testing in the desert, and his ministry has begun: great crowds follow him wherever he goes (4:23-25), and whatever he does, whether it is preaching, or teaching, or healing, or expelling demons, whatever he does, he does with great authority (7:28-29).

With this in mind, we arrive at the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus is on a mountain, preaching repentance and the kingdom of God (4:17b). The setting would’ve stirred the imagination of all those present: it was on a mountain that Moses received the law which revealed God’s will for his people. Is Jesus a prophet in line with Moses? What does he have to say about the Messiah, God’s Anointed One who will come and save Israel?

And in this setting, Jesus reveals to us that he is both, in line with Moses and the prophets, and yet, he’s distinct, unique: Jesus is introducing something new. And the theme that he uses to make his point is ‘the beatitudes’ (5:3-10): qualities of persons and actions that will receive their full reward when God’s kingdom comes.”1

Virtually all of the beatitudes are drawn from the Old Testament. The 3rd beatitude, for example, “Blessed” are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth” (5:5): this verse has Psalm 37:11 as its background: “But the meek shall possess the land, and delight themselves in abundant prosperity.” Or the 6th beatitude, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (5:8): this is taken from Psalm 24:3-4, which describes among those who can climb ‘the hill of the Lord’ ... the one who has “clean hands and a pure heart”, the one who does not lift up his soul “to what is false...”.

And the same can be said about being the “salt of the earth” (5:13), “the light of the world”, and “the city set on a hill (5:14). These phrases express in pictorial terms what it means to be God’s people: we are to be pure, holy, and set apart. Jesus was completely ‘in line’ with the law and the prophets.

However, Jesus also introduced something new because he made an audacious claim: he claimed that he fulfilled the Scriptures. Verse 17: “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them” (5:17).

There are various translations or interpretations of the word “fulfill”, but the most appropriate one seems to be “completion”: Christ brought the law to its destined end. The Hebrew Scriptures pointed beyond themselves, they pointed forward to someone else. This someone else was Christ, who inaugurated the kingdom of God. “His ministry [brought the Scriptures] to full measure by supplying the final revelation of the will of God.”2 That is why Jesus speaks of the kingdom of God as being ‘at hand’ or ‘near’. Jesus brings in that which the Old Testament looked forward to; he transcends the Old Testament, but far from abolishing it, the Old Testament culminates in him.3

This audacious claim - to be the fulfillment of Scriptures - was what brought revilement upon Jesus, and it was what ultimately led to his death on the cross. How could salvation possibly come from someone who embodied the beatitudes! And for that matter, this is the reason we as Christians experience revilement today. We’re called “backward”: we do not claim loyalty to the powers and principalities of this world (Ephesians 6:12), precisely because power and pride are their mantra. We know that this can only result in death.

Instead, we rejoice (5:11). We rejoice because we are saved into a kingdom that brings wholeness and peace; saved by a Servant who gave up the very seat of heaven to identify with the death of this world, and thereby bring life.

We rejoice, because as we live this new life, God by his Spirit draws others into this heavenly community, and as that happens, the Father is glorified. Living the Kingdom-life brings glory to the Father (5:14).

And finally, our hearts are gladdened (5:12), because living a life of beatitude comes with great rewards; rewards not necessarily realized today, but guaranteed in the future: the promise to co-inherit God’s kingdom, the promise to vindicate the just, and the promise of the establishment of God’s perfect kingdom.4 We are indeed fortunate. We are indeed blessed.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,

Amen ✠

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1- Daniel J. Harrington (S. J), The Gospel of Matthew. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 1. (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1991), 84.

2- R. T. France. The Gospel according to Matthew. An Introduction and Commentary. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1985), 114.

3- R. T. France. The Gospel according to Matthew. An Introduction and Commentary. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1985), 114.

4- Daniel J. Harrington (S. J), The Gospel of Matthew. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 1. (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1991), 82-83.

Blessing

I've noticed that whenever I sneeze, she doesn't say "Bless you", much less "God bless you." I think it's because she realizes that the minute she says or wishes a blessing, she has a conundrum on her hands: "Who will bless?", "What is a blessing?", "What is there to bless?", and "Can I wish a blessing?"

Give her credit: for being true to her colours. She doesn't believe in someone bigger, wiser, stronger, and smarter than us who speaks into the everyday situations and happenings of this world, and therefore, to speak of blessings is a mute point. It's a lie.

Give her credit for staying true to her convictions.

But what a world that leaves us with: no blessings to give, no blessings to receive, no hope, faith, or love to give or receive. No mystery...just a cold, hard, flat, shallow, isolated, and above all, empty and meaningless world.

Such a world I want no part of.

A New People: The Watershed Moment

A watershed moment is an important period, time, or event that marks a change or division. It’s a critical turning point, as when on June 20th earlier this year, a young woman bystander was shot dead while watching protests against the presidential election results in her country Iran. Her death was a watershed moment, because someone captured it on video, and broadcast it around the globe. It fueled the protests that were already ongoing, and it provoked outrage throughout the world.

In a similar way, the controversy of Acts 15:1-31 is a watershed moment in the life of the church. It’s a critical moment because it changed the focus of attention of the church profoundly. Before this point, the mission to the Jews was the first priority; but after this point, after the Apostolic Council of Jerusalem, “attention [was] given unequivocally to the establishment of Gentile [faith] communities.”1 That’s why the Apostle Paul is the central character in the rest of the book of Acts.

God’s activity among the Gentiles was categorical, it was unambiguous and undeniable. And what made all of God’s actions so undeniable were the stories of conversion, Gentile conversions.

Paul and Barnabas report these conversion stories in various places on their way to the church in Jerusalem (15:3). And once in Jerusalem, the storytelling continues: they tell of all that God is doing (15:4), relating his signs and wonders among the Gentiles (15:12).

The Apostle Peter’s stories are telling also. In our present text, he re-tells - albeit indirectly - the story of Cornelius’ conversion. It’s to our benefit, that we read it again for the 3rd time (Acts 10, 11, 15): “Brethren, you know that in the early days God made choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God who knows the heart bore witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us; and he made no distinction between us and them, but cleansed their hearts by faith.” (15:7b-9).

And finally, James reiterates Peter’s words; he relates how God visited Gentiles, “to take out of them a people for his name” (15:14). One thing stands out in James’ words: the word “people”, laos, was until then only applicable to Israel. James here expands this definition beyond Israel: God visited the Gentiles, adding to himself anyone who would call upon his name.2

The early church bore witness to God’s activity among them as they experienced these stories of salvation: these stories shaped their understanding of God and their interpretation of Scripture, both, the Old and the New Testament, the Torah and Jesus.3 And we too are witnesses of Christ, made real to us through the Holy Spirit; we too experience salvation stories, whether our own, or our neighbour’s. They teach us who God is and how he acts in this world.

And so, taking these wonderful conversion stories, handed down from Luke’s generation all the way to our own, and based on our experiences of the resurrected Christ in our lives and in the life of the church, we can say along with James and the rest of the apostles: “And with this the words of the prophets agree...” (15:15); ‘God is doing something new!’

And how true the words of the prophet Amos, that “After this I will return, and I will rebuild the dwelling of David, which has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up, that the rest of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who has made these things known from of old.” (15:15-17, Amos 9:11-12).

God continues to make for himself, a laos, a people. And this nation is based not on ethnic origin or ritual observance, or for that matter, this nation is not based on economic status, or any other kind of status or hobby horse we value or grasp for; rather, God’s nation is a people of faith: faith in the risen Lord Jesus; or in the words of Peter, faith that “...we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus...” (15:11). And since God has shown himself to be without discrimination, we, the Church, must do likewise.4 This is something we need to take very serious: do we welcome everyone, or do we only welcome those who are like us...?

This then was that critical moment: the church caught up or got on board with the work God was doing in the world: “For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us...” (15:28). May these be our words also.

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

Amen ✠

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1- Luke Timothy Johnson. The Acts of the Apostles. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 5. Ed. Daniel J. Harrington (S. J.), (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1992), 268.

2- Luke Timothy Johnson. The Acts of the Apostles. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 5. Ed. Daniel J. Harrington (S. J.), (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1992), 264-265.

3- Luke Timothy Johnson. The Acts of the Apostles. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 5. Ed. Daniel J. Harrington (S. J.), (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1992), 278-279.

4- Luke Timothy Johnson. The Acts of the Apostles. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 5. Ed. Daniel J. Harrington (S. J.), (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1992), 280.

2 Kilos!

I hiked the Grouse Grind 4 times in the past 10 days, and I've lost 2 kilograms.

Who needs a diet program when you've got a mountain to climb 45 minutes from your doorstep?

I love Vancouver.

And They Were Silenced

The first few chapters of Acts witness the geographical expansion of the Gospel, as the Holy Spirit led outward from Jerusalem and to the surrounding regions. But Luke has been equally diligent in pointing out specific details of events, giving personal testimonies of people who were overjoyed when they came to faith.

At the end of chapter 8, we saw the conversion of the Samaritan magician Simon. In chapter 9 the Ethiopian Eunuch believes, and in Chapter 10, Cornelius the Roman centurion and his entire household come to faith. In addition to teaching us geography, Luke has helped us understand the demographical impact of the good news of Jesus.

In Acts 11:1-18, Luke gives us insight into the struggle between Jewish and Gentile Christians, as they seek to make sense of the new spiritual unity they have in Christ. Jewish Christians - who believed in the risen Jesus, who received the Holy Spirit and were baptized - criticized the Apostle Peter for entering the home of the Gentile Cornelius, and sharing a meal with him there (11:3).

The problem was that Peter as a Jew should know better than to eat a meal in the home of a Gentile. In the ancient symbolism of table-fellowship, “to eat with someone is to share spiritually with them as well”1, and therefore, by implication, to eat with a Gentile was not only unclean and a rejection of holiness, it was downright idolatrous.

The practical questions of how to work out the common faith now became relevant. Can Jewish and Gentile Christians eat together? Are all of God’s people equal in status?

The question of food and holiness may seem absurd to us because it’s quite common to think of food as either fuel for the body: food's just something we need in order to survive; or, it’s something to consume: we eat because it gives us pleasure, and that’s about it. But something powerful happens when we eat together. There is great spiritual value in sharing a meal: communion with our neighbour and with God ‘happens’, when we eat together.

So, what does Peter make of this? How does he defend himself. Well, he does what most of us love doing, and some of us do it often! He blames someone else, he blames God. And to his credit, that is the right thing to do, because God was behind the event, he orchestrated it. Peter’s visit with Cornelius was not the result of his own calculation; it was a response to God’s “divine initiative.”2

The sequence of events is quite telling: God first spoke to the pious Cornelius in a vision: send some men to look for Peter, he is told (10:5); Cornelius obeys, and sends for Peter (10:8). Meanwhile, Peter also has a vision (10:11-16), and as he ponders his vision (10:19), Cornelius’ men arrive, and then Peter gets it, he understands the vision.

He goes along with them, and then, in a wonderful narrative at the end of chapter 10, Peter enters Cornelius’ home, he proclaims the risen Jesus to him, the Holy Spirit comes upon Cornelius and his household, and he is baptized. And as the Holy Spirit fell upon Cornelius, Peter remembers Jesus’ words: “John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (11:16). It’s a wonderful account of a household coming to faith.

And that’s why upon being criticized, Peter says bluntly: “...who was I that I could withstand God?” (11:15b) Another version says “was I powerful enough to prevent God?”3 Peter realized that God was doing something extraordinary, and after catching on, he no longer remained fixated “at the stage of table-fellowship.”4 He began to think in terms of God’s gift of salvation.

The outpouring of the Spirit upon Cornelius showed that God’s gift of salvation was available to all. “If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?” (11:17)

God is not partial like we are; he cares much less about appearances than we do. “He accepts the righteous from every nation.”5 Peter’s actions were purely in response to God’s divine initiative. God acts in the world, and we spend our time catching up to him.

And how did those who criticized Peter respond? In the same way that I hope we respond: “when they heard this they were silenced. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance unto life” (11:18).

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

Amen ✠

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1- Luke Timothy Johnson. The Acts of the Apostles. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 5. Ed. Daniel J. Harrington (S. J.), (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1992), 197.

2- Luke Timothy Johnson. The Acts of the Apostles. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 5. Ed. Daniel J. Harrington (S. J.), (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1992), 200.

3- Luke Timothy Johnson. The Acts of the Apostles. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 5. Ed. Daniel J. Harrington (S. J.), (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1992), 196.

4- Luke Timothy Johnson. The Acts of the Apostles. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 5. Ed. Daniel J. Harrington (S. J.), (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1992), 201.

5- Luke Timothy Johnson. The Acts of the Apostles. Sacra Pagina Series. Volume 5. Ed. Daniel J. Harrington (S. J.), (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 1992), 201.

Cloud 9

Tonight Jennifer and I went to the Cloud 9 revolving restaurant on Robson Street. Here are a few of the pictures I took.

Over the past week or so, we've had spectacular sunsets here in Vancouver: the sky's graced us with various shades of reds, oranges, and yellow, flooding our senses with beauty, and our soul with awe and reverence.




































































The view from Cloud 9 is breathaking. However, the other revolving restaurant in the city, the Harbour Centre, has better food, and the facilities seem either newer or better taken care of.