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As I was doing my library studies, I took the opportunity to look at the great reference work called the Oxford Dictionary.  Each word contained some explanation of where that jumble of letters originated.  Some words seemed to ooze out of the ground in primordial days.  Other words were relatively new.  Oxford experts were assigned to follow and assess current usage of words that were not yet in the dictionary.  With an often misguided idea that change is slow and gradual.

With texts and ebooks and memes and Facebook and LinkedIn and . . . people are reading more and writing more than they ever have.  To accompany this trend, there are constantly new aberrations of the “olde” language.  4U and for me, this means having to constantly learn a language that spills out new every morning.

For a moment of reflection.

When you reshape words into new definitions, you create personal and societal insecurity. 

Often a new definition of a word arises out of an attempt to gather the old word’s noble qualities and attach them to the new definition. 

In this attempt, there is a possible explosion of lies and deceit – in order to gain power and authority.   By masking a word with what sounds good to the public, words can actually be reshaped to turn a previous evil into a perceived good.  We sense there is something wrong but can’t immediately pinpoint the lie.

And in the end, we are left seeking for truth. 

Jesus encountered this redefining of terms by those in the current administration.  Finally he was just plain blunt about the reshaping of language by the religious elite for their own gain.  Interestingly he retorted with – You say/but I say. 

And then the clincher!  Imagine how he stirred up the crowd by saying, “I am the truth.”  Imagine how deeply he stirred up commitment in his followers.

No wonder Christians continue to be on the cutting edge of societal change.  No wonder Christians continue to be persecuted.  No wonder Christians continue to love God and love others.  All words of truth that Jesus spoke.

Look at the horizon that a Christian sees – and all you will see is Jesus.

I’ve been thinking about writing an editorial for our local social media outlet.  This is a little bit personal.  I’m starting with this blog – where I have an audience a little more attached to me – THAT’S YOU!!

I have a Master of Library Science degree.  Obtained in 1986.  With a specialty in Archives.  I served as a volunteer archivist for a number of years, but have not been directly employed in the library area for awhile. 

As I watch local libraries – whether public or institutional – I see a great change happening.  In the late 90’s a friend, who was a library IT person, predicted the decline of libraries as warehouses and book distribution centers.

That day is now here. 

I recently read a research paper presented at a conference in Alberta.  The arguments were well written and the logic backed by research,  Of the over 20 books and articles cited and researched, only four were actual bibliographic entries that would indicate a “paper copy”.  All the rest were obtained digitally.

As I was taking my library school studies 30 years ago, there was a tip of the iceberg visible in the distance.  We knew that information was valuable.  Accessibility would be the key.  Google soon stood as the symbol of just that accessibility.

Some were suggesting that libraries expand their mandates – from mere parts departments dispensing books to something else.  The gamut ran to providing reference librarians for expert searching, to storytelling and literacy campaigns, to provision of community meeting space, to provision of internet access, to . . .

Have we lost the pinpoint accuracy of the library’s mandate, or have we expanded to take on the greater social good?  Have libraries become social service centers or are libraries best at doing a more focused service of providing access to information?

I would dare to say that the answer to these question has dictated funding in the most recent Saskatchewan budget.

I’ve spent the last few days doing a venture of over 1100 km to touch base with others about rural church ministry.

This is not my usual posting – more an expression of the fun I’ve had!

Imagine meeting people with a passion the same as mine – that rural areas receive the same pastoral care as anywhere else. 

Imagine discussing how rural churches have much to pass on to other churches.  The relational approach meets our hearts and lives!

Imagine hearing others affirm an impossibility as possible. 

There is much work to come – to even approach a viable rural ministry center.  And that excites me.

This is not about grieving over hurts from being overlooked.  This is all about finding the great strengths that come in rural church ministry.  And humbly offering those treasures to others around the world.

November 6, 1973 should be a date you remember!

That was the day that the official minutes of the 5th Day Adventists outlined the new movement that was beginning (and died as quickly as it started!!).

Some late (and some were often literally late all the time) teens were in a jovial mood.  The more they ventured into the hilarious, the more their discussion generated into degeneration.

To safeguard the innocent (or not so innocent), no names will be mentioned, but I do have the original document.

Here are a few choice (and they are my choice) pieces from the document:

Minutes of the meeting held of Nov. 6, 1973

Present:  [Names withheld to see if you can figure this out!]

I.  Some of the doctrine was discussed:

1) Thursday as a holiday . . .

3) Truth as found in grass [an aside here – this would be related to Nebuchadnezzar approach to grass??]

4) Women are the root of all evil . . .

II. Ways of raising money were considered:

1) Initiation fees

2) Selling of indulgences

3) Government grants

4) Local initiative grant (or LIP)

The meeting was then adjourned when the treasurer decided she was leaving!!

Signed . . .

I love the idealism, cynicism, freshness, naivite, truth seeking,  literary and political allusions, and stupidity of youth!!