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Well, as of yesterday, the talks are finalized.  I will be headed into a new era of life.

I have a new title:  Director of the Small Church Ministry Centre – originating out of Small Church Connections in Ontario (www.smallchurchconnections.com).

The job is being suited to what I want to do:  resource small churches and provide assistance as is possible.

Small churches is a real anomoly – which basically means you have a hard time defining what the name means.

For our purposes, the majority of churches in Canada would be “small churches”.  If you have stepped inside a church where about 100 people or less have been in attendance at their meetings, you were in a small church.

In rural areas of Canada – where populations are sparse – most of the church exposure will have been small churches.

So, what do we do for small churches?

Stay tuned!

Guilt is about action with a clear path to redemption. Shame leaves us stuck in our sin. – Bonnie Kristian

I’m always interested in language – particularly the progress of words and meaning within a language.

I serve as an accountability partner with another man – we use a web based program to assist in this venture together.  Up until the last few days, we have been partners in this adventure. 

Now I am labelled as an ally.  My definition of an ally has been one who joins with another in a common purpose.  This has been generally understood as on an equal basis. 

Recently I came across an article designed for business leaders.  The title related the idea that this article would deal with “words on race and gender and diversity you should know.”  (published by www.businessinsider.com)

I appreciate the heads up the article provided – 16 words that are becoming more prominent in our diverse world.

The first word was “allyship”.  I remember this being the term “fellowship” in a long ago time and space.  But now an ally takes on greater meaning than just being a fellow human (as understood in a past day and age).  An ally means “learning from and listening to marginalized groups, empowering them, advocating for them and looking forward to recognizing your own bias and privilege.”

This is not new ground for me.  As a pastor I dealt with a multiplicity of backgrounds, seeking to love my neighbour and my enemies. 

But, and maybe I am grasping at straws, this definition implies that my privilege (whatever that may be in the situation) is a distinguishing point that creates opportunity to right wrongs done based in my position of privilege and power.  The ally must listen to the other.  Then take action.  Based on acceptance of the other’s truth as valid.

Which brings me to a recurring theme.  A friend of mine, almost a half century ago, told me that you can be sincere in what you believe, but you can also be sincerely wrong in what you believe.  The important thing is true truth. 

God help us!

And yes – God has!

Just a new word I am learning.

The World Health Organization says we are in an infodemic.  There are too many words out there, put out by too many people, saying too many things.

Some things are true, some are biased, some are false.

Sounds a bit like the age old problem of fake news and proper assessment of what we are offered as information.

I wonder why the WHO is proclaiming an infodemic?  What makes this particular season of time an infodemic?

Just some of the questions I’m beginning to ask myself.  As a trained librarian, the question of Information has always interested me!