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A friend of mine is on temporary life support.  He collapsed while playing hockey and sustained some injuries.  The official statement of the finality of his life is expected soon.

Eric Greenway was a friend, colleague, mentor and fellow churchman.  His children were the ages of my children.  His love for writing was an inspiration to me as I took up writing.  His quiet spirit was a cloak of righteousness for the right and the just and the true.  He loved and was loved by others.

The excruciating decision to release a life is truly difficult.  Twice I have been placed in such a situation, and there is nothing easy or comfortable about the decision.  For all the reasonableness and quick calculation that must take place, the finality is final.  Blessings on his family at this time.

Each day is a gift.  Use your gifts to love God and love others with a fierceness that cannot be tamed! 

Thanks for your life, Eric! 

I’m working on helping to start a Rural Church Ministries Center – along with a training track for rural church ministry. 

Here are some thoughts about how we might define a rural church.  This is just a start. 

How would you define a rural church?

My own observation of those who use the label rural church would include the following:

• People matter – service oriented, local connection, mentoring, one-on-one, cooperation.

• Change a life – transformation is the goal, flourishing is the economics of the church, world changing starts with one person at a time.

• Small is still beautiful – numbers do not determine success, beauty is enhanced not crafted, unique is admirable.

• Conviction trumps culture – doing the right is more important than applause, an uncompromising culture of Christian love is vital.

I am a person of more than one idea – per minute!!  After many years of various activities and involvements, the ideas seem to come even faster!

Retirement has meant that many of the usual restraints on my time have been “dismissed”.  Except that now I am busier than ever.  I tend to venture further into my explorations of possibilities.

I think a regular job is a joy – in the sense that you have a focused time of attention that allows you to get “something” done.  The focus most often comes from a boss, or a deadline, or the time clock.  Some of my best times were spent in studies at post-secondary schools.   You knew when you had accomplished what was required, and there is real satisfaction in this.

Entering Lent this year, I sought assistance from God.  A still, small voice seemed to say – just do what you are doing.  For most people that is status quo. 

For me, that is plenty.  The activities I am involved in are always turning to new ventures.  The more new ventures, the less likely I am to finish well those adventures that I began a while ago.

So, Lent for me this year is not about giving up things that I’m currently involved in, but giving up those things that I could be involved in.  Maybe that will give me a bit more time to spend with God!

The discussion has been ongoing in centres of academia.  The popular versions are now arriving with force.

Descartes said:  “You are what you think.” 

Did Jesus really say:  “You are what you love.”

The Fundamentalism of the early 20th century fought for proper thinking and doctrine.  Evangelicals were the beneficiaries of this broad ranging study and research.  Nevertheless, as WWII finished, evangelicals were wondering:  Where was the heart?  Where did mission go when all you could see was the bad – and when love was interpreted through the fire of hell?

This was a perspective thing.

Fundamentalists were saving the church from the heresy and rot of an evil generation.  Evangelicals, the children of fundamentalism, wanted a more welcoming stance.

Now evangelicals are back in the old war, as division continues to break within their ranks.  The head that seems to be most notable in terms of a return to the fundamentals is the club that gets called “neo-reformed”.   The other head that seems to be most notable in terms of a return to the heart and inclusion comes from a now fractured emerging church movement.

And now the new buzz word is “flourishing”. 

Flourishing is seen as the whole person being saved, with primary emphasis on the here and now, with eternity an extension of the flourishing begun here.  Whereas church growth proponents looked at calculated numbers (those accepted by Jesus and saved into heaven), the flourishing group looks at heart transformation (those saved by Jesus and accepted into heaven). 

I could get into such things as REVEAL and Rob Bell, and Brian McLaren and John Piper and John McArthur – which are now old news. 

Might I venture to say that too much of a stretch on either side is bringing the elastic of evangelicalism to a breaking point.