Just got back from Hockey and it’s 2am. This post is almost like Drunk History, except i’m not drunk, just overly tired.

Here are a couple comments from a person who is tired and reading the bible a little differently these days… but I hesitate to say that I am adding anything new. This is from James 1:2-8. I have been facing some trials, so it seemed fitting.

James 1:2-3: Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

I think when I read “perseverance” I used to think it meant “no matter what anyone says against what I believe don’t back down.” Almost like a good Tom Petty song. But instead I see this saying that challenges are good and it’s important to be challenged. In fact I encourage you to read counter opinions of your beliefs and experience them. It is those experiences that allow you to truly know that you know.

James 1:4: Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

And it’s this statement that needs to be included for my point to be complete itself. Almost like you have to let the challenge sink in.

James 1:5: If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

What I love about this statement is that James doesn’t let up. He first says let the trials come, then he encourages us to work them out. Not run. Not believe blindly. But gain access to wisdom so that you know that you know. Brilliant! And God won’t fault you for working it out. In fact he applauds you.

James 1:6-8: But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

This just gets so good. James looks you in the eye and says, “guess what there is an answer.” Don’t give up and walk away. You must believe the answer is real and available and not just give it a “ho hum” and go back to believing what you have already believed. You must fight through and work it out. This is not good doubt, this is lazy doubt. Lazy doubt says “ah the answer is too hard, I’m going to just believe what I have been told all my life.”

So don’t just blindly believe. Challenge and grow so that you know what you know.

Version 1.0 of Sleepless Theology.

Just recently I decided to share my role with the open house with my friend Deric. It has been 3 official days and it is already the best decision I could have made. We are sharing the role as leaders of the open house and although I am still the recipient of “info @” I feel like the weight of the world is off my shoulders. Not only do I feel more free in my role, but Deric is already exceeding my expectations!

I have been working at this alone for a while now, and I am keen that you should never do things alone. I thought that I wasn’t alone (I did have a leadership team and a network), but I didn’t have someone to bounce off ideas, share tasks and simply hang out with. For all of you who are seeking to plant a church or to start anything, I say this emphatically… put a teammate on the top of your list and I encourage that teammate to be a friend.

So the open house now has 2 staff members (both at 25% time) and I am already seeing positive repercussions. I don’t believe that a church should be lead (staff wise) by just one person, as there is so much to see that one person will miss. (Thanks Deric for pointing out things yesterday). I tried to do it alone but I was burning out and was on the verge of organizational and personal failure, but now I am alive again. Be willing to give up your sole possession of leadership for a more balanced approach… but be really considerate of who that person is.

I am reading through John as our church is going to be teaching through the book for the next (ahem) year, and I came across this great passage in John 11. Jesus is going to go back to Judea because his friend Lazarus is dead and his disciples are reminding Jesus that the Jews are trying to kill him there, but out of love Jesus says he must still go.

‘Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”‘

That is someone I want on my team.

I carry this burden sometimes that in my desire to truly create a church that reflects the best of my neighbourhood and (in some way) my country (this would be an entirely different conversation on how you would actually define Canada, and where would that be found in a universal way) I hurt and/ or frustrate many of the people who are on this journey with me.

So here is my first question…

Is it worth changing things up over and over in hopes of taking steps (I know that I can’t in essence create it perfectly) toward this end of a christian community that truly reflects the best of my neighbourhood and thus bringing effect a change to make it in fact even better?

Maybe I am giving myself too much credit. Maybe the changes I bring into being are really not that big a deal and everyone is really enjoying the ride, but I wonder if sooner than later, one of my “changes” is going to bring about a controversy.

Now, with that said I believe another change is coming, and to be honest and to settle my very small readership down, this change is really not that big. But in light of a few of my posts concerning being an exile, and my hope of creating a church that reflects the “best” of a neighbourhood I have begun dreaming (with anna) about a different type of gathering all together. A gathering that teaches what it means to be a way of life, rather than a system of belief. (Quick disclaimer here: I have many thoughts on why both are important, but we default to the system far too often and so I am going to speak plainly on practice, rather than the system).

I have been inspired of late by TED talks. I was first introduced to these when I was in the Bahamas at Soularize a year ago and I want to share some thoughts that I have gleaned through their inspiring ideas and through some of my own philosophy’s for teaching.

My philosophy for a long time has been that the more I read, reflect on the bible/Jesus and other thoughts and ideas about various concepts, the better equipped I am for generating conversation. And at the end, conversation (with eventual action) is my goal.

As I read the bible more and more I realizing that the letters in the NT weren’t commentaries on the OT scriptures but instead the NT letters are real life issues addressed by Paul with support from what Jesus taught and some OT references. My thought is this… Should we perhaps spend more time addressing issues from a practical theology stand point (how the bible journey’s through real life issues we encounter), instead of teaching it plainly. I am sure both are true and maybe this entire post is one of those experiences were I talk through an issue until I know what I was look for.

So amongst my aimless thoughts I am wondering if perhaps to inspire creativity, imagination,and ideas we should allow the bible to inspire these ideas instead of teaching the bible plainly. And as a teacher, should I be much more inspired than I am?

Okay, this post is a mess, but I am going to leave it up anyway because it reminds me of my own process and my hope that all that i do in this church has been well thought through and hopefully inspired by God.

Is anybody tracking with me?