J.W. Fulbright once said, “In a democracy dissent is an act of faith. Like medicine, the test of its value is not in its taste, but in its effects.” Finding and defining social action in the midst of the greatest challenges can be difficult at times when you consider the needs of Canada today; particularly in political institutions. Allowing our faith to shape those actions as well as our leaders must be our central focus and priority if we are to truly Seek Expressions of Jesus as Lord in Life and Community.
Come join us for dinner on Saturday January 16th when our guest MLA Kent Hehr will come and share his story as well as vision to social action in Canadian politics. Together we can discover accountability and inspiration with one another’s roles in shaping our community as social activists and followers of Jesus Christ.
For more information please email erik@expressionscommunity.org or visit www.expressionscommunity.org.
“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” – Romans 13:1
Cost: Donations to cover the cost of food. – Please RSVP to Ensure Enough Food
Date: Saturday March 20th, 2010
Time: 4 pm — 7:30 pm
Location: McKenzie Towne Church—#7 McKenzie Towne Gate SE Calgary, AB.
9 comments
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January 6, 2010 at 11:54 am
Erik
Please RSVP by Wednesday January 13th 2010 in order to assure enough food.
January 12, 2010 at 12:10 pm
Myles
Hi Erik
I am working on a presentation called Parliamentary Procedure in Action for my Toastmaster’s club. I have a passion for the topic, but do not profess to be an expert at it (yet). I think Canadians are to complacent and illiterate when it comes to an understanding of the Crown and our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. I also would like people to reflect on it’s opening statement:
“Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law: …”
Who is the God that promotes freedom of conscience and religion? Who is the God that invites and tolerates freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, even to the point of “taking it on the chin” ( Ravi Zacharias see his website and listen to today’s message on world views!)
My efforts at promoting parliamentary procedure for the masses is my contribution to the effort of educating myself and others.
On one hand people need to remember that we can rest like sheep when we know that the Good Shepherd is always caring for us, but when we are subject to authorities we at to be meek, not but weak.
Thank you for organizing this. however, I have to check with the authority (Gina) to see if I can attend!
January 17, 2010 at 6:56 am
Myles
Hi Erik
I really enjoyed the Re-Genesis evening and Tim’s presentation. The lasanga, salad, garlic toast and desserts were delicious.
Tim asked me what I learned, and I shared with him that I am of his mind when it comes to witnessing. I think the timing is always by God’s will. For some of us, that is more often less direct. For others God’s timing is more often right away and straight into praying for the person.
I am also reminded of Matthew 9 “Jesus Heals the Paralyitic” which I recently read with my daughter as we read the new covenant together over the course of the next year.
“Which is easier: to say ‘Your sins are forgiven’, or to say ‘Get up and walk?’”
None of us in that room can golf like Tiger Woods, but all who are born again will be at the dance with Jesus. Let’s pray that Tiger will be able to realize where true riches are to be found, and then he will be able to join us!
January 17, 2010 at 5:14 pm
Erik
It was great to have you there also Myles and I’m glad you enjoyed our gathering. I hope you are able to come to many more!
I think you may have read more into my comment about praying for others then I had expressed last night. Tim and I are very close too in our ideas of “witnessing”. That stated, the expressions we find of Jesus’ Lordship in our lives are communicated through many diverse and different mediums; both in physical presence/actions; intellectual, emotional, and verbal communications; and spiritual interactions such as praying for people. I do not quantify any one act of another.
That said, I do not believe Jesus calls us to hide behind a stance of political correctness in our expression of faith either. It is important not to rush others to conclusions but to be direct in our own stance of who we are. More to the point, I am a follower of Jesus in all aspects of my life and I do not hide that fact.
Each moment in our relationships with others (strangers or not) opens doors of opportunity. What is important is to listen for those opportunities with our hearts and not just our heads. In that sense as I am both a physical being and spiritual being, when I see a situation with someone and my heart says “ask them if I can pray for them.” I listen to my heart and I ask that person if I can pray for them whether they are “Christians” or not. I am not asking them to become anything then what they already are; I am simply being who I am in that exact same moment.
You used the passage of the healing of the paralytic in your last comment. It might be interesting to consider the fact that Jesus forgave the man’s sins for what reason? Because the man’s friends acted upon their faith (Luke 5:20) and not because the paralyzed man believed himself. It was after they acted in faith that the paralyzed man believed in Jesus and was healed.
January 18, 2010 at 9:36 am
Myles
Good morning Erik
Actually my thoughts were not just regarding what you said, but what others said as well regarding how they witness. The observation I make is that there are always going to be different approaches, because we are all different personalities.
I like the point you make about not being politically correct. It is often a compromise of what we hold in our heart. Being politically correct might appear at the moment to be the easier path, but:
“If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” Gal 5:25
My thoughts and prayers are that you will soon hear from you friends Ricot and Mandy.
January 19, 2010 at 12:48 pm
Tim Bits
Hey there Myles
I’m glad you enjoyed and benefited from what I shared on Saturday. I agree with your comment about people dancing with Jesus in heaven and am glad that is one of the many benefits of being in relationship with him.
If you ask me, it would be great if Jesus healed all paralytics telling them to take their mats and walk. However, for people like Erik and me, the reality is we are not healed (at least we are not PHYSICALLY healed).
Although there is a lesson learned in the story of Jesus healing the paralytic, I take greater comfort and solace in examples from Paul (2 cor 12) where God tells him that Paul’s weakness can be used for God’s glory because when we are weak he is strong; giving our witness to others more of a lasting impact, then if we were not healed.
I can only speak for myself here, but I believe if Erik and I were alive in Jesus day, his words to us would be more along the lines of “take up your cross and follow me” rather then “take up your mat and walk.”
January 19, 2010 at 5:17 pm
Erik
Hey Guy’s, I’ve been thinking about this line of conversation for a few days now and relating it to Expressions ideas towards discipleship. It is hard to write about here because I recognize it is a lot to take in through a simple write up and not end up with an entire book! Let me quickly try to outline it and maybe we can meet for coffee sometime and discuss it further.
Evangelism is really a perspective towards discipleship in the truest sense. In those regards Expressions follows a practice we call (i)Living (please see: Who is Expressions?).
In short we consider (i)nvitational Living a first beginnings. That is to been open and inviting to all people we find our selves connect too as it relates to our life activities; particularly Expressions activities. Who or what they believe in is not a factor in the (i)nvitation.
Secondly, Expressions seeks those who would covenant with us as members of our community to embody our values as followers of Jesus through (i)ncarnational Living. This is the practice of Confessing Jesus as our Lord, Baptism, and living out our values holistically. This is really where our conversation is at. How do we communicate our values here in Expressions “evangelistically”?
As an answer I would like to pose four characteristics which I learned from Alan Hirsch. He painted a picture of (i)ncarnational Living looking like Presence, Proximity, Powerlessness, and Proclamation. I’d really like to detail it more and illustrate how we do that here in Expressions but that would be a whole book’s worth of postings!
Lastly, Expressions focuses on (i)nspirational Living. That is the way in which we approach and develop leadership. Tim you will have experienced this already through how I was trying to encourage you on a mission’s statement development.
All that to say I’d like to talk more about this with everyone in Expressions and with the two of you. If it works best maybe we can set up a time to meet over coffee and we can discuss it more then. What do you think?
January 20, 2010 at 9:31 pm
Myles
Good evening Erik and Tim
I copied this from your explaination of Who is Expressions:
“Who do you say that I am?” (Matt. 16:13-20) The answers to which we give are not so much in the words we share or the spoken statements we make but rather shown in the lives we live and the community which we journey with.
I find it quite a coincidence that these are the words you have chosen Erik for explaining Expressions. I am in agreement.
It has been revealed to me as my contemplation on the New Covenant, that Christians and everyone else who tries to explain who He is, other than the authors of the Bible, are very likely to be tarnishing the Truth when we speak. Myself included! My spoken statements are very likely inadequate and probably damaging to myself and others. Jesus said, “I am”. There is an enormity to that which is beyond our capacity to fully grasp let alone explain. I am not saying that we can’t talk about Him, but we have to be very mindful of our inadequacy.
Who was it that said, “I think, therefore I am”. I say, “No, you are not. Until we have Jesus we are nothing.”
I look forward to coffee anytime – and I have quite a lot of time at the moment.
Myles
January 22, 2010 at 12:38 am
Tim Bits
sounds like a good idea erik. i could always do coffee. lol