Dreams Unlocked

In 1983 I saw a photograph that deeply moved me. Two men sitting in a stark cell. One man wearing sneakers, jeans and a blue sweatshirt. The other man dressed all in white, belying his angelic presence Pope John Paul visited the man who had earlier attempted to assassinate him He held the hand that had previously held a gun aimed at him. Stunning, moving, heart-breaking. The power of love and forgiveness. And now 30 years later, I come across another picture that draws out similar feelings of pathos. It again includes a pope and a man also exiled by society. Pope Francis is embracing a severely disfigured man suffering from neurofibromatosis. This ailment leaves the patient covered in large disfiguring tumors. The result is a grotesque distortion of normal human facial features. Most of us would avert our gaze away from such a man, and then perhaps steal furtive glances to satisfy our curiosity. Instead the Pope see, moves, embraces and blesses. See the man. He i...

I am preaching tomorrow on 2 Cor. 6. In this chapter Paul tells the Corinthian church that he has opened up his heart to them, and he want them to "open wide their hearts" also. He is wanting to forge stronger relational ties with this church but their shielded hearts are preventing this. So, part of my sermon will be on authentic community - something every church says they want, but very few achieve. Today I read this excellent article today in Leadership magazine: http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2013/fall/going-to-church-alone.html The writer bemoans the isolation of most congregants in churches in America. He tells an interesting story of he and his wife being ignored 4 weeks in a row in a new church they were trying to get involved with. When we lived in Port Moody, we also attended a couple of mid-sized churches. These were churches in size of between 300-400 worshippers each. All the indications of church health were there: good worship decent pre...