Author: Ron Baker

There is a Greek word that has always troubled me.

Or more rightly, the transliteration of the word.

Hagios.  This is a word for a person.  Not to mix this up with all sorts of slang, or politically correct or even totally made up words for a person.  This is a word you might have heard two millenia ago.

Unfortunately the English language makes this word sound a little strange – almost derogatory.

What is a hag?  Which is what you first hear when you speak the word.  To most that is a dishevelled woman looking more like a witch than an upright society lady.  The ending “ios” sort of gets lost.

Now for the good news?  The word actually means “saint”.

Steve Mealey had a legacy.  Music could be you!  His teaching of band in the “middle of somewhere” was the inspiration of a premier of an exquisite piece of music.

As one of his students, Mr. Reece (the “proper” name for the current band teacher where Steve used to teach) said about the piece, that it was “commissioned for Big Band by Band Parents organizations and community members in Steve’s memory. Paul Suchan did a phenomenal job capturing Steve in this piece and transposed directly from recordings and videos of Steve. Vanessa Klassen did an absolutely incredible job performing the solo for this world premier!”

Thanks, Steve, for the great memories and the taste of music that continues to linger on.  Thanks, Vanessa, for your own heartfelt expression through the instrument that Steve loved – the clarinet.  And to the USask Jazz Ensemble and Greystone Singers, thanks for a concert that the “middle of somewhere” will remember for some time!

So, I’m chatting with some other pastors about the word “revival”.  We all have varied experiences and understandings of the word.  The most common seems to be the idea that, as a Christian, you turned your back on a very vibrant life with Jesus.  At some point you realize that life has ebbed.  You need to have that original life back again.

So we start with a word for life – VIVE.  And we added the prefix – RE.  REVIVAL.

But what of a society that is no longer Christian, or has lost the Christian undergirding?  That’s us today!

What we need is VIVE.  Jesus had said that he came to give life – abundantly give life.  For those around us, many don’t need a revival, they need a rescue.  They need to come into the life that they have not experienced before.

In other words, we need a VIVAL in our country. 

I took one of those “self-examination” tests recently.

Reason?  Now that I’m retired you’d think I knew myself well.  No, this “self-examination” was for a class I am teaching and I figured if the class was to take the test, so should I. 

I was reminded that I am good at inspiring people, empowering leadership and generally being a somewhat balanced guy.  At the same time, I need to watch that I don’t become prideful and that I pass on work to others.  Of course, there were other gems I need to examine, but those stood out at first glance.

Sometimes I’d just like to sit in my rocking chair and not care. 

Not my style!  I like to be active.  Even more so, I like to be active in areas that count.

And I thought this Lenten season was going to be easy!