Monthly Archives: April 2009

Two community meetings in one week — both with an unnoticed but prophetic tone.

The first was a meeting of a regional group called DAWN — Drug and Alcohol Wellness Network.  The group is attempting to get local communities to stem the destruction of drug and alcohol in their respective areas.

The team has worked on various general directions and now is into strategies.  As we are now talking about initiating local committees, a theme is and will emerge. 

Unless you have a champion(s) to lead the charge, the hill will never be taken.

We’ve seen that in our town.  Two leaders are emerging.  Without that central coordination the effort would have died a few months ago.  Without that driving force our community would still be lounging in indifference.  Without that personal contact person(s) the facelessness would have made the effort impersonal and merely professional.  Instead, though the effort is slow, there is progress.

The second was a meeting of youth and youth leaders with our town leadership.  The forum was an opportunity for youth to express their thoughts — particularly as it pertains to what our town should do for youth.

Out of the meeting arose a common theme — we need a coordinator who knows what is going on in various youth areas around the town.  A coordinator who can motivate the various agencies to work collaboratively together.  A coordinator who carries the concern for youth deep in their bones.  Not someone just hired to do a job, not someone just hired to manage, not someone just hired to fill out the administrative chart.

A few weeks ago, the arts, culture and heritage section of the town said the same thing.  “We need a coordinator.” 

Now, not to turn this into a matter of semantics, but each group was asking for a Messiah.  Someone to serve as the leader, the coordinator, the facilitator. 

Years ago, people were in the same mood.  They saw a possibility in a man called Jesus.  They enlisted him.  He agreed that they needed, and that they had a Messiah in him.  He just had a different job description than the one they had tucked away in their minds. 

As he rolled out His job description in stark words over one short week, one of his own closest disciples turned on him.  Those who had always been opposed to him, thinking previously about what they should do to him, now began to ask how they could eliminate him — kill him.

At the end of the week, the people upheld their need for a Messiah. 

If he couldn’t fulfil their expectations, the best idea was to shelve him and look for another Messiah.  One week was long enough to figure that out.  “Crucify him” was a logical next step towards finding that next Messiah.

For those who stood with him, even though not sure of the final outcome, the Messiah began to infiltrate their whole being — some immediately, others little by little. 

Their lives began to take on a mirror image of the Messiah.  Their lives began to reflect Messiah to their communities.  They became little Messiah’s wherever they walked and talked. 

Everyone is looking for a Messiah.

That’s the title of a youth event planned for Saskatoon on Saturday, May 9th.  Great Canadian bands, Will Graham as speaker, all held at Credit Union Centre.

Out of our youth planning meeting last night, we decided to take our youth into this event.  The behind the scenes push for the event is the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.  Some of you will remember Billy Graham crusades from years back.  This is an updated version especially for youth.  The music will not appeal to those who like southern gospel music (one is a rapper).  The speaker will relate more to the facebook generation than the boomer gang.  But the purpose, to know Jesus, has not changed.

So, if you know a youth in the Kindersley area (or Saskatoon area for that matter) that would like to go, have them contact me at the Kindersley Alliance church.  We are all for getting youth out, so if cost is a factor, we can work with that!! The website for the event is http://www.epiccanada.com.

One of the enjoyable parts of my pastoral role is working with dedicated volunteers.  Tonight was spent with one of our youth leaders.  She and I worked over a schedule.  We will complete official activities on June 19th.  But we’re already planning into July and August.  Those things that just happen and are remembered for a lifetime.  Like, maybe, a trip to the sandhills, or to Drumheller, or helping at a Bible Camp, or doing renovations for a church in Prince Albert.

All looks good!  And I look forward to the actual activities.

We have a regional group called the Drug and Alcohol Wellness Network  — attended by health workers, addictions counselors, ministerial, education personnel, RCMP, town administrators and interested parties.  We meet every month or so — attempting to forward a strategy to combat the “dis-ease” our society is feeling over the noticeable addictions of drugs and alcohol.  Today we spent a few hours together — breaking down great statements into manageable steps.

I still remember the day I was confronted with the fact that the top three drugs are nicotine, alcohol and caffeine.  All of them are legal in our society.

We talked about denormalizing the use of drugs and alcohol in our culture.

Then I listened to the news about changes in liquor laws.  Things are getting easier to get alcohol delivery and to brew liquor.  The idea is to promote responsible alcohol use.  I’ll have to research the actual changes that are being made, but I guess I’m a little colored by walking from a preventative meeting into an enabling atmosphere. 

I wonder how those involved in drugs and alcohol addictions counselling see some of these changes?  As I’m standing in the hallway, I’m also overhearing the preparations for some of the addictions counselors to attend a seminar on gambling addictions.  Perhaps the liquor and gaming ministry in this province’s political cabinet needs to have a red X placed through it’s title??