Church

Ever had one of those conversations?  You are just discussing business and ideas.  And one of the ideas just strikes you — bowls you over and you are pinned to the floor trying to figure it out.

I was talking with a missionary we are working closely with (Note the positionally challenged preposition).  We talked of a visit they will have here shortly.  And of the structure for the weekend.  Talked of religions in their country of Japan.

Then, he was just speculating on returning to Canada.  He noted that perhaps larger centers could use the small church model more effectively to reach their mega-populations.  And the small town churches (whose churches often comprise 5 – 10 percent of the population of the town) should look to mega-church structures for guidance.

Now, I’ve been in church leadership on one level or another for over thirty years.  I’ve heard of small churches trying to do what mega-churches do — and the wreckage has been horrendous. But what if we approached this backwards.  What if small town churches considered themselves mega-churches already. 

How would they approach things differently?  Would they begin to be teaching churches for all the mega-churches around?  Would they start to provide worship teams (slightly different in makeup but equally effective) to the mega-churches?  Would the small town church begin to shape their communities without feeling inferior?

A whole bunch of questions for those of you who have seen the transitioning of the church in the last few years.  The emerging church in large centers is fighting for a small town model of church.  I wonder how we in small centers will respond?

We graduated together from Campbell Collegiate in Regina.  The year book had Dave down as “He wears Army boots.”  Dave was one of those who lived life to the full — extreme sports would be his approach!  He became a committed Christian in high school.  His life was one of reaching out to others.  These last few years he has been in Cairo — pastoring a church.

There are many memories that I cherish — no one else could take an Austin Mini around a corner on two wheels quite the way Dave could.  No one else just attracted other people quite like Dave could — they just wanted to be with him.  My parents considered him as part of the “gang” who arrived at our house quite often for “fun, food and fellowship.”  And, if you were walking with Dave, you knew there was another companion on the road with you, his friend Jesus.    

Yesterday Dave accidentally fell from a balcony. 

Today he walks with his friend, Jesus.

Today I took off!  OK, I didn’t go anywhere, but I was off in my own world!  I even declined a coffee which I would usually take (Lester, we’ll get together another day!).

After doing a little vacuuming, I headed to my computer to work on an audio recording clip — a verse of the song, “Before the Throne of God.”  My wife was sick of it by the end of the day.

What can you do?  You an increase volume, change voice pitch,slow down sections, move other sections, even change the sound of a voice.  And you thought that all these CD’s were the original voice that came out of Celine Dion!!

Since this is an experiment, I have not included it on the blog.  Suffice it to say that it does sound good — not perfect, but good.

In Saskatchewan, die-hard football fans look forward to an annual extravaganza.  Saskatchewan Roughriders play the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Labour Day weekend.  This year was warm, sunny and the type of environment bound to produce results.

There was another game, equally important and certainly a classic.  It had Swan dives, half-Baked plays and Johnny come-lately’s.  The grass had been groomed by a hail storm in the past few days.  The football was inflatable (more than once during the game).  The players were young and old (and the old ones were pretending they were young).

Two hand touch (or was that tackle?) with no rules.  The goal lines were firmly indistinguishable.  Whichever team felt they had gotten near the end of the field was awarded a touchdown.  Four downs for the field or first down after ten yards (Oh — sorry — meters!).

I witnessed (although I’m not sure I would want to sign an affidavit) some of the most spectacular athletic feats I have seen in some time.  There was the end zone pass that floated into the arms of the awaiting receiver.  And the blocking wall that crumbled the opposition (or did they crumble?).  The great story is yet to be told of all that was accomplished.

In the end our team won (that’s the story and we’re sticking to it!).  We went back to the arms of the adoring women who had so faithfully watched, cheering us at every spectacular movement (I think I need a hearing aid — I must have missed that cheering), letting us know how much they looked forward to hearing more of these tales in coming days (something about “no whining allowed”), and all of them waiting to see the results published to the world on this blogsite!

I understand our official photographer, Peggy Kornelson, has pictures available for your viewing — or for bribery!

Thanks all — for Labour Day Classic 2006!!