Resuming a resume

  • Post author:
  • Reading time:2 mins read

I was asked the other day what my resume would look like?

As one who is approaching my retirement, I’m a little less likely to talk about achievements (which is what most resumes are about), and rather to talk about what I have learned through my activities.

Although I may need a source of income as I look towards retirement, I’m not so sure I need a job.  For that reason, I am reviewing my life.

What fun!  One of my first thoughts is about a mousetrap I helped my brother build.  He was the creative one.  I was the one who took the plans and made it happen (grade eight).  Rather reflective of much of the rest of my life.

We often talk about spiritual gifts as though they were to help achieve something – and in reality a church thrives upon the activities of those who are gifted.  But this is a gift, not an activity.  The core of the nuclear reactor contains the essence of power.  What happens after that is an effect of the power and looks like activity.  But you can’t have the activity without first having the core.

So, I’ve been more inclined to think in terms of a profile than a resume.  When you look at my profile – when you see a picture of me, what is it that strikes you?  At funerals we talk about the love of a person – and then about the activity that shows that love.  Perhaps our profiles are more about our core than our activity.

Just some thoughts on resumes!

Psalm 134 in a workaday context

  • Post author:
  • Reading time:2 mins read

These past few days I have been working on a scripture passage for my sermon this morning.  Psalm 134 is the last in what are called the Psalms of Ascent.  Pilgrims (actually those headed up for a festival or party) sang this as they got very close to their destination.  I kind of see this as the climax of their singing.

But as I read it, I found myself saying, “this is more about the party than about some vague great psalm of praise.” 

The Psalm begins saying we should bless the LORD.  As I studied “bless”, I began to see the word as relating to doing!  The word for bless in this particular context is BARAK.  The picture is of someone bowing down – in Deuteronomy 24 this is camels bowing down to drink water.

So we bless by being obedient.  The next verse in the psalm tells us that the particular people (those who minister/work in the temple) are asked to lift up (which means get active) their hands (in the Old Testament your hands were used in work, in helping others and protecting them) in the “holy” (which seems to refer to the temple where the night shift was working). 

So the Psalm is really party-ers telling the people who are preparing the parade ground to get to work.  And they say that God will bless them – that will be their reward.

So, stick to the work God asks you to do. 

Simple psalm, not so simple to do!

Providence and garage packages

  • Post author:
  • Reading time:1 mins read

The phone called arrived at 11:45 am.  Just before lunch.  Just as I am about to leave, but with other projects in mind.

A friend, whom I haven’t seen in a few years, was on the line. He’s currently trucking.

I’m here unloading a garage package.  There was a mixup in the dates and no one is able to give me a hand.  Can you find some people to help me out?

I immediately phoned another friend to help and off we went.  The delivery sight was just a few blocks from our homes.  As it happened, the one receiving the garage package had just spent a banquet meal with my helper friend. 

Afterwards we sat over lunch at a local restaurant.  I was encouraged both by the testimony my helper friend as he talked of his recent life journey in Christ, and by the encouragement of my trucker friend.

My plan had been to eat lunch alone.  Rather, I spent time with others whose lives encouraged me. 

How good is that!  God knows!!

Coming off the past week

  • Post author:
  • Reading time:2 mins read

When two deaths in a congregation happen within a week. 

When various peace officers are in our congregation and are affected by the death of officers in Moncton.  W

hen time rolls along at a pace faster than the previous week.

I am tired.  The tug of war of ministry, the desire to maintain family relations, and even the want to have spare time pull upon me.

I learned as a child to back up the boat when I am tired.  Of course, I never knew quite what that picture meant.  We didn’t have enough water in the area to float a boat, let alone back it up.

But, if I were to back up the boat, that would mean taking some time before making decisions.  As well it means giving yourself space before heading into the ocean!

Hopefully heading into this week will provide some rest.  I look forward to continued renovations being done on our kitchen (backsplash tiles to be put in today!).  There is a  grad banquet with our high school grads the end of the week.  And in between and afterwards time to gaze on God!

May God grant us all a week of peace – not necessarily extracting us from our circumstances but providing us peace in God in those circumstances.