Yearly Archives: 2011

Pastors are said to be on call 24/7.

When I hear that appellation, “on call”, I cringe.  We have had doctors lately who found that their family lives were devastated by the suffocation of constant accessibility.  Oil crew workers get the same call and the divorce rate can attest to the problems that arise.

Today I was called to an unscheduled hospital visit.  The patient is fine – the rush to the hospital a wise precaution. 

The call came in the midst of other duties.  My reaction almost surprised me!  “This is what I’m here for!”  No sense of infringement, or dislike or even reluctance.  Of course, it doesn’t hurt when my wife was also eager to attend a visit to the hospital.

So we sat, chatted with relatives, prayed and provided what service we could.  Perhaps this is really a case of “listening for the call” rather than feeling that I am “on call!”

In marriage counseling sessions recently I’ve come to realize how little we do together when we are together.  Couples complain that “we don’t spend enough time together!”

After a few minutes of discussion the obvious becomes obvious.  Most couples are together in the same room or the same building or the same vicinity for extended periods of time each day.  But when confronted about how long they spend together each day, the tally is often perceived as only mere minutes, if at all.

So, what are we really saying when we say “we don’t really spend time together?”  How do you understand this statement?

In a gesture of good will, our local Extra Foods has been allowing us to bring our own bags for grocery shopping – and even reward us!  The number of bags that we have brought to use is charged to the bill and then debited off the bill.  In that way, we receive “points” based on the original charge. 

At least, that’s my understanding.

Today, the amount was charged, but the cashier could not debit the charge afterwards (didn’t have automatic authorization). 

As we see it, we were charged a penny for each bag that we brought!  The store did not sell us a bag.  The store did not provide a bag for us. 

We brought the bag.  And we were charged for bringing the bag (OK, our helpful cashier was able to void the charge with a little direction from us).

So now, instead of receiving a reward for bringing our own bags, we are penalized, and charged money for bags that we own.

Something doesn’t seem right here!

Steve Bell – musician, Canadian, Christian.

I met Steve more than a decade ago when we ran an arts show called “Circling the Son.”  He sang, spoke, and generally charmed us all as a soft spoken, opinionated, loveable, down home gentleman.  Some of our church people became constant followers – and still do to this day.

So, it was no surprise to me when a cancer patient took to memory and heart one of the songs he sang (written by Gord Johnson). 

In the morning Lord we do look to you for the strength we need just to make it through, have mercy.  In the evening Lord we look back and say it was in your strength that we made our way, have mercy.  You are our everything we need, feed us Lord.

Check out the version he does with Fresh I.E. (folk meets hip hop).

Everything We Need – Steve Bell & Fresh I.E.