May 9, 2010 - Mother's Day

A few days ago I was talking to a lady whose granddaughter had just given birth to her first child.   She was remarking on the fact that new mothers almost always need their mothers around to help them with all the adjustments.
It seems that it is very difficult for new mothers.  All the crying, waking up in the middle of the night, the constant demands for attention, the seemingly insatiable appetite for food - and that’s just from the new Dads.
When the baby also is seeking to have his/her needs met, the new mother can be easily overwhelmed.  It's a good thing that it’s just for a short time that children are dependent - only about 30 or 40 years.
Thanks be to God that most mothers have the patience and grace to deal with the challenges they face every day from the time a child is conceived: months of pregnancy, hours of labour, years of nurturing and tending children through illnesses, temper tantrums, disobedience, bad choices, broken hearts, disappointments. 
A mother is a teacher, a coach, a mentor, a counselor, a friend, a safe haven, a trusted confidant, a bus driver, a driving instructor and many more helpers all rolled into one.  Yet she is still Mom, with an open heart and a couple of hours in her schedule even for an adult child who has long ago flown the nest.
Proverbs 31:28 says, “Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her ...”
Let that be so today, on this Mother’s Day, and many more days as we acknowledge God’s gifts to us through the lives of mothers.
Rev. Colin

May 2, 2010

Not long after I committed my life to Jesus Christ in 1970, my pastor gave me “The Cross and the Switchblade”.  Of course, that book tells the story of David Wilkerson and his ministry among street gangs in New York beginning in the late 1950's, which led to the Teen Challenge ministry.  God called Wilkerson from a little country parish in Pennsylvania into an “urban jungle”.  He seemed ill-equipped and unprepared for the task, yet God gave him wisdom, courage and power to overcome great obstacles to reach people who were nothing at all like him.  It is a wonderful story.
The book also introduced me to the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  David Wilkerson writes of “praying in the Spirit” and asking the Holy Spirit for guidance through “fleeces”, and sensing the Holy Spirit’s leading and anointing.  This was all new to me.  I had heard about Jesus.  I knew what it meant to know God personally through Christ.  But David Wilkerson was talking about another dimension of the Christian life.
I was a bit nervous about this.  What was I getting myself into?  I asked tons of questions, and was assured that coming to Christ included receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit.  I read more things about “the baptism in the Holy Spirit”, including much Scripture.  One night at a Bible study, a group of people laid hands on me and asked the Holy Spirit to fill me.  I did not hear nor see nor speak anything strange.  Yet I knew that God had touched me, just as I had sensed His presence when I received Christ as my Saviour.  I also believe the Holy Spirit began to work in and through me in new ways.  I believe God desires to move in each of us through the Holy Spirit and His gifts.  Are you prepared for Him to work in you?
Rev. Colin

April 25, 2010

I once had a colleague who did not like the term “evangelical”.  Actually, the first time I met him, we got into a bit of an argument about it, since I had identified myself as an evangelical and asked him about his theology.
As it turned out, we were very much in agreement about our beliefs.  We both held strongly to the view that the Bible is the word of God.  We agreed that people need to come to Jesus Christ by faith, and know Him personally as their Saviour and Lord.  We also agreed that it is the task of the Church to present this “good news” to all.  So I asked him a logical question, since I considered all of these things to be the primary evangelical beliefs: “Why don’t you like to call yourself an evangelical?”
In answer, he said that most of the “evangelicals” he knew were preaching bad news instead of the good news of Jesus Christ.  Their messages were diatribes of condemnation, blasting their congregations about their shortcomings and failures.  They spent a lot of time talking about sins and immorality, and the collapse of our moral “Christian” society.  They warned people that the devil had a firm hold on many people, and was constantly trying to lure more into his grip.
I have to admit that he had a point.  Sometimes we behave as if we are personally responsible for convicting people of their sin and judging them for their sinful behaviour.  But that is not our job.  That is the job of the Holy Spirit.  He will convict the world, utilizing us and the gifts He gives us.
We can proclaim the Word of God, pointing out God’s holy standard in His law.  We can testify to the grace and mercy of God in Jesus.  But unless the Holy Spirit convicts people, opening their ears and their hearts, they will remain in their sins, and any ranting and raving we do will only reinforce their reticence or rebellion.  
Let’s just yield to Him, listen for His direction, and take the opportunities He gives to tell God’s Truth.  The Holy Spirit will do the rest.
Rev. Colin

April 18, 2010

In his teaching “The Spirit and the Glory”, Jack Hayford says, “Before the fall, mankind enjoyed a special relationship with God through: 
1. A Special Perspective - “clarity”
2. A Distinct Ability - “dominion”
3. Unique Communion - “daily talks” ”
That perspective of clarity involved their vision of God.  Adam and Eve could see His face and know His heart.  God communicated His will to them and they understood Him clearly, with no fear, pride or rebellion blocking their vision, their hearing or their minds.
The ability they had involved their vision of the created universe.  They were given a unique place in creation, as stewards and rulers of all that God had made.  They experienced multiple blessings in the enjoyment and appreciation of all that they saw around them.
Their communion with God was unbroken, and they daily walked and talked with Him in a relationship of intimacy.  It was not all commands and orders, but deep, heart-to-heart, Spirit-to-spirit communion.
All this was lost in the fall.  Sin broke the wonderful relationship we enjoyed with God, and “mankind experienced devastation.”
But God has given us His Son, to die on the cross and to rise from the grave, breaking the power and the hold of sin over every individual.  He is also restoring humanity to our place of unique relationship with God, through the power and the infilling of the Holy Spirit.  We can receive a restored perspective, restored ability and restored communion with Him, as we are filled with the Holy Spirit of God.
Rev. Colin

April 11, 2010

“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” - Galatians 5:25
What does Paul mean when he says “let us keep in step with the Spirit”?
I remember the first time I ever met someone who had a heart pacemaker.  I was attending a conference and shared a room with another, older pastor.  He told me that his pacemaker  kept him alive physically by keeping his heart beating normally and regularly.  He would die without it.  He also said that before he had the pacemaker, he had hardly been able to get out of bed in the morning, and spent many days just sitting, unable to exert himself in any way.  His pacemaker allowed him to live a full and active life.
But he said he had to choose that life, to step out and live it.  He could have remained in his chair or in his bed, afraid to move, afraid to trust the pacemaker to ensure him life and energy.  But instead, he lived life to the fullest, the new life he was offered by this little piece of technology.  He “kept in step” with his pacemaker.
In the same way, we as Christians have been given life through the Holy Spirit.  He is our “pacemaker”.  We cannot just sit down or lie down and do nothing, squandering the life we have been given.  Instead, we must embrace the new life, walking step by step as the Spirit leads us forward and energizes us: daring, risking, living life to the full in relationship with our Lord, bearing fruit in the Kingdom of God, and becoming walking testimonies of His transforming power.
Rev. Colin

April 4, 2010 - Easter Sunday

“I wonder if you have been confronted by the power of the resurrection.  The chief priests and Pharisees tried to secure their ecclesiastical world against Jesus.  Saul [of Tarsus] tried to secure his religious traditions.  Satan has been trying to secure his own evil kingdom.  Perhaps you have been trying to secure your own way of doing things or your own values or your own mastery of your time.  You have heard Christ’s gospel, but you have tried to keep Him politely in His place.
Jesus is not that easily contained.  You push Him back, but He comes forward again.  You banish Him but He intrudes when you are least expecting it.  What are you going to do against the resurrection power of the one so many call Lord?  How are you going to make yourself secure against Jesus?
Let me suggest what you can do.  You can begin with activity...Fill your time...Above all, fill your evenings with television programs or the latest best seller.  Then you will not have to read the Bible.
Second, you can fill your life with pleasure, particularly if it is of the sinful kind.  Jesus is the sinless Son of God, and sin will keep you from Him....
[Or] You can become religious.  Religion is a great defense against true godliness...
Alas, I am afraid it will not be enough.  Jesus has broken seals before.  He has scattered countless guards....What will you do when the tomb springs open and Jesus of Nazareth confronts you in resurrected splendour?
I will tell you what I would do.  I would give up fighting.  I would lay down my seals and stones and guards and feverish activity.  I would lay aside my sins.  I would fall down before Him and say, as Thomas said, ‘My Lord and my God.’  Then He will make you His, and He will tell you what you are to do and be for His sake.”
Adapted from James Montgomery Boice, “The Christ of the Empty Tomb”

March 7, 2010

About 30 years ago, Time magazine ran a feature article on the devil and the power of evil.  The cover art showed a sinister figure with glowing red eyes, lurking in shadow.  One of the members of our church at the time told me that her daughter had made a very astute comment on that particular cover.   The teenage girl said that she did not believe the devil looked like that at all, but that he must look very attractive, to fool people into buying into his schemes.  Of course, her response has a biblical basis.  In its commentary on Genesis 3:1, the Scofield Study Bible says of the serpent - “The creature which lent itself to Satan may well have been the most beautiful as it was the most “cunning” of creatures less than man.”  In 2 Cor. 11:14-15 we read “...for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.”
Most of us would run from an ugly, evil-looking presence trying to pull us into death-dealing temptation.  Most of us would resist an idea that was patently harmful to ourselves and others.  That is why Satan is a deceiver.  He makes his way seem good on the surface.  His ideas often make sense, or allow us to justify ourselves if we follow them.  He told Adam and Eve they could be like God.  People today are still buying that old lie.
Jesus saw through the temptations set before Him, and resisted the tempter with the Word of God.  We need discernment from the Holy Spirit and a knowledge of God’s Word to recognize the evil behind attractive temptations, and power from God to resist them.
Rev. Colin

February 28, 2010

“What is your vision for the church?”  That is a question that I have been asked often over the time I have spent in ministry.  Many of the books pastors read and seminars pastors attend will also put the focus on that same question.  It is often stressed that there is a need for unifying vision, goals and purposes, so that members of the Body of Christ can work together and see fruit from their ministry.
For me, this has always been a difficult question.  On at least two occasions (not here in Dresden) I have presented a vision to a church Board and then been told by individuals on that Board “that’s not a vision”.  I think they really meant “that’s not my vision” but I don’t like to be cynical.
During last week’s consultation, Jack Hayford said something that resonated deeply within me: “‘What is your vision for the church?’ is the wrong question.  We need to understand the vision that Jesus has for His church, and spend our ministry seeking to fulfill it.”  This is something I have believed for some time, and have pursued with mixed success.  It is why every vision I have ever presented has included these 3 elements: ministry to God (worship), ministry to believers (discipleship) and ministry to the world (evangelism and missions).  Jesus summed up His vision when He said “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength”, “Love your neighbour as yourself” and “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations ....”  Every church, or rather the whole church in every place,  needs to do these things.  How we go about it may vary from place to place, but that is His vision.  We want to see it, believe it, embrace it and pursue it.
Rev. Colin

February 7, 2010

I pulled a book off my shelves this week called “Taking Hold of Tomorrow”.  I reached for it because we are at the beginning of a new year of ministry, and tomorrow is here.  I feel that God is calling us into a new challenge, is desiring us to grow in Him in ways which will require change and therefore pain, but a great deal of long-term gain.  I also picked up the book because it is written by Jack Hayford, a pastor and mentor to pastors.  Soon I will be spending a week with him, along with 40 other pastors, and I thought it would be good to re-acquaint myself with some of his teaching.
When I opened the book, I saw a sticker inside with Lois Sawyer’s name, and it made me smile.  Lois was a dear friend of ours in London.  Janice always called Lois our “Barnabas” because she was such an encourager to us and to many in our congregation.  She had been a pastor’s wife and knew a lot about the struggles that accompany life in the ministry.  She also had a serious heart condition which left her physically weak, and ultimately took her home to the Lord..  However, spiritually, she was mighty, a prayer warrior who loved to devour the word of God, and embraced the “fellowship of the saints” in worship.
As I read Jack Hayford’s words, based on the book of Joshua, I found several places underlined by Lois, and it is as if she is still encouraging me.  Here is one of those paragraphs:
“He wants to enlarge your inheritance in order that you might share it with others.  “Joshua, I’m giving you a bright tomorrow so that you can lead others into one, too.!”
Let’s take hold of this and believe God for His future for DCC.
Rev. Colin

January 31, 2010

“Who is the LORD that I should obey him...?” - Exodus 5:2
This question was voiced by the Pharaoh when Moses and Aaron approached him and asked him to let the Israelites go into the desert to worship God.  It has been echoed by many people down through the centuries.
The Pharaoh was a powerful ruler in the powerful nation of Egypt, who held the people of Israel in slavery.  It is easy to understand how he might think that he was answerable to no one, especially a God represented by the stammering Moses and his preacher brother.  Egypt had many “gods”, demons and idols.  Even some of the Pharaohs were regarded as god-like figures who held the power of life and death, and even the afterlife, over their people.
But really, people like the Pharaoh did not worship and serve the “gods” as much as they called upon the “gods” to serve them and grant them fertility and prosperity.  Their religion consisted in manipulating the “gods” for their own wants and needs.
This is very similar to the approach to religion and “spirituality” that many people take today.  They are trying to find a “secret”, a way of “doing life” that will grant them success and happiness.  They follow “spiritual” exercises that, in one sense, amount to little more than “psyching themselves up”.  Some people actually believe they are seeking the true God in all of this, but that is the deception.
These systems, like the religion of ancient Egypt, are controlled by demons bent on the ultimate destruction of humanity.  Rather than manipulating the "gods", followers of these religions or spiritual paths have actually relinquished their lives to spiritual forces bent on keeping them in bondage.
Pharaoh discovered who the LORD is when he hardened his heart repeatedly and refused to let Israel go.  He saw the power of the true God, who had created him, through miracles and signs.  He also saw the cost of disobedience in the loss of all the firstborn sons of Egypt.  Only then did he obey the LORD.
God alone holds the power of life and death, and blessing.  He is merciful and loving toward those who come to Him in obedience and worship.  Isn’t it better to know Him in this way and find His blessing rather than to face His judgment?
Rev. Colin

January 24, 2010

“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” - Ps. 119:105
For all the negative things we have to say to ourselves, God has a positive answer for us! 

When you say, “It’s impossible.”
God says, “All things are possible.” (Luke 18:27)

When you say, “I’m too tired.”
God says “I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28-30

When you say, “Nobody really loves me.”
God says,“I love you.”(Jn 3:16,13:34)

When you say, “I can’t go on.”
God says, “My grace is sufficient.” (2 Cor. 12:9, Psalm 91:5)

When you say, “I can’t figure things out.”
God says, “I will direct your steps.” (Prov. 3:5-6)

When you say, “I can’t do it.”
God says, “You can do all things in Me.” (Phil. 4:13)

When you say, “It’s not worth it.”
God says, “It will be worth it.”   (Rom. 8:28)

When you say, “I can’t forgive myself.”
God says, “I forgive you.” (1 Jn. 1:9, Rom. 8:1)

When you say, “I can’t manage.”
God says, “I will supply all your needs.” (Phil. 4:19)

When you say, “I’m afraid.”
God says, “I have not given you a spirit of fear." (2 Tim. 1:7)

When you say, “I’m always worried and frustrated.”
God says, “Cast all your cares on Me.” (1 Peter 5:7)

When you say, “I don’t have enough faith.”
God says, “I’ve given everyone a measure of faith.” (Romans 12:3)

When you say,“I’m not smart enough”
God says, “I give you wisdom.” (1 Cor. 1:30)

When you say, “I feel all alone.”
God says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Heb. 13:5)

Always remember that “Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.” (Prov. 30:5)

“The Word of God is living and active ...” (Heb. 4:12)

- From Rev. Linda’s files

January 17, 2010

Before I came to Dresden, I was pastor of Faith Congregational Christian Church in London.  In our church ad in the newspaper, we quoted Hebrews 11:1 from the King James Version - “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
We actually got hate mail about this.  A fellow sent me a letter telling me how stupid I was.  “Faith is not a substance,” he wrote, “it’s just your silly dreams about a being that doesn’t exist.”
Obviously this man had issues.  Perhaps he had at one time trusted in God for something and had been disappointed.  Perhaps he was afraid to trust God, and had to defend himself against faith by saying that it was meaningless and baseless.
I know that faith is not a material thing.  The NIV translation says that “faith is being sure of what we hope for”.  But I like the idea of substance.  It gives me a picture of something that is real and tangible and reliable.  True faith is a trust in God, based on His Word, that cannot be shaken, cannot be denied.  It reminds me of the old saying, “God says it, I believe it, that settles it ... forever.”  We can rely on God.  He is real, has created us, and knows exactly what we need.  When we ask Him, according to His Word and in His name and character, we will see the answer to our prayers.  You can be sure of it.  It’s got real substance, because it is backed up by the Creator of all substance.
Rev. Colin

January 10, 2010

During the last week of 2009 we had the opportunity to visit some friends in upstate New York, and to travel down to New York City for 2 days.  There, people were bustling about, many of them tourists arriving to spend New Year's Eve in "the city that never sleeps".  This is the third time we have visited New York, and we all remarked on the changes that have taken place in the city.  The people seem so much more patient and tolerant of each other and of tourists than I remember from before.  Except for a few taxi drivers who angrily honked their horns and one policeman who became frustrated with a woman who crossed a barrier and walked out in front of a line of traffic, we saw very few displays of ill-temper or the infamous New York City aggressiveness.  Our friends, who have made many trips to the city, feel that the 9/11 attacks in 2001 changed the attitude of the people. 
They have experienced a shared trial, undergone a fearful shock to their system.  They have discovered their vulnerability and their need to depend upon others, especially upon their protectors in the police and fire departments. 
There is also a sense of dependence and faith in God.  We visited a couple of churches and found people sitting in them and meditating or saying a quiet prayer, not just gawking at the art of the stained glass windows.  Although the "tourist" attitude is still present, there seemed to be a sense of reverence for the holy.  We also took in the Christmas spectacular at the Radio City Music Hall.  The nativity at the end surprised us.  Not only was it elaborately staged with live sheep and 3 live camels, but it was undoubtedly Christian, with the full text of Luke 2:1-20 and some of Matthew 2 read out loud on stage, and hymns of faith being sung to the Lord Jesus.  I am thinking:  If a secular entertainment company can pay such rich tribute to the Lord, why are God's people tip-toeing around the message of the Gospel? 
I pray that the Lord may shake our complacency and bring us to depend upon Him alone.
Rev. Colin

December 27, 2009

An older lady once told the Youth Pastor at one of our churches that she felt the role of her generation was to "Pray, pay and stay out of the way".  Profoundly poetic, but I think slightly overstated.  She was a woman who, along with several others, did indeed form a strong prayer team for our church, especially for the youth.  She and her husband not only did that but they strongly supported the ministry with their financial gifts (that's the "pay" part).  Plus, they provided a sounding board for the Youth Pastor and me, on many issues, so I really don't think that qualifies as "staying out of the way".  I think what she meant, though, was that she didn't intend to interfere with the vision for ministry, or hold back any new initiatives because they didn't fit her more traditional view of worship or evangelism.  Most of the people in our older generations are very enthusiastic about younger generations and their growth in relationship to Jesus Christ.  They are willing to pray and support any ministry dedicated to reaching young people.  I know that one of the major factors in my commitment to Christ at age 17 was the prayer and Godly example of a group of senior women in our home church.  When I read the stories of Anna and Simeon in Luke, I see two biblical examples of individuals who long for the coming of the Saviour, and the salvation of the world.  I would like to challenge our older generations to be prayer warriors, supporters and mentors for our children and youth.  Bring your desires into line with God's will for them.
Rev. Colin

December 20, 2009

This has been a very meaningful Advent season, as we have been witness to the ongoing drama of “As Heaven Watches”.  Once again Lorna Marek has been inspired by the Holy Spirit to write a script with just the right blend of humour and truth.  She has also done a great job of recruiting and mobilizing a capable drama troupe from within our congregation.  Lorna has a knack for discovering talent, and an ability to convince us that we really can do it after all.  Thanks, Lorna, and thank You, Lord.
“As Heaven Watches” has given us a different perspective on the ministry and “personality” of angels.  I’m pretty certain that angels are really not like the ones we have seen over the past couple of weeks.  It’s likely that there are no angels with names like Violet and Winston.  Doesn’t Violet seem a little “tightly wound” for a being who is constantly in the presence of the Lord?  And Winston is awfully laid-back and a bit of a “smart Alec” for an angel. What about Eliza and her “newsy” excitement?  It all goes together to help us relate to those who serve the Lord by watching over individuals here on earth. Perhaps guardian angels begin to reflect the personalities of the people they are guarding.  Surely, too, they communicate the love and compassion of God.  They are “messengers” (the meaning of the Greek word angelos) in their ministrations as well as in their occasional pronouncements.
We too are called to be the messengers of God.  He will use our redeemed personalities along with our words to communicate His Good News.
Rev. Colin

December 13, 2009

Lord Jesus, we thank You for the spirit shed abroad in human hearts at Christmas.  Even as we invite You at Christmas to be born again in our hearts, now go with us throughout the days ahead, to be our Companion in all we do.  Help each one of us to keep Christmas alive in our hearts and in our homes, that it may continue to glow, to shed it warmth, to speak its message during all the bleak days of winter.
May we hold to that spirit, that we may as gentle and as kindly each day as we are on Christmas Eve, as generous always as we are on Christmas morning.
Then if – by Your help – we should live through a whole week in that spirit, it may be we can go into another week, and thus be encouraged and gladdened by the discovery that Christmas can last the year round.
So give us joyful, cheerful hearts to the glory of Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Amen.
– adapted from “The Prayers of Peter Marshall”

December 6, 2009

When John the Baptist was born, the neighbours asked with excitement, “What then is this child going to be?”  This was in response to the amazing events that attended his birth.
John could have been many things.  For instance, he could have been a spoiled brat.  Born during his parents’ senior years, he may have been doted on.  Zechariah and Elizabeth were so happy to have a child after the many years of barrenness, which was seen as a curse and a great shame in those times.  This child was a sign of God’s favour, and his parents may have favoured him greatly.
John may also have thought highly of himself for other reasons.  After all, he was an important figure in the coming of the Messiah.  He was the prophet of the Kingdom.  He was the messenger.  He might easily have been tempted to believe that he was the message himself, or to be jealous of his younger cousin Jesus.  He could have resented the fact that he had to give up the pleasant surroundings of his parents’ home and go to live in the wilderness for his adult life, preaching repentance and righteousness to a people who spent little time listening to him.  But John did none of these things.  Instead, he lived in obedience and submission to the will of God, and did exactly what he was meant to do.  He fulfilled his life’s purpose and prepared God’s people for the coming of Jesus.
Each of us has a purpose, a part in God’s plan for the world.  Who are you going to be?  Don’t compare yourself to anyone else.  Listen to God’s Word, and do His will.  You will find the ultimate fulfilment.
Rev. Colin

November 29, 2009

In 2003 Janice and I went to Newfoundland for the annual conference of the CCCC.  Of course, while we were there, we made sure that we travelled out to our former pastoral charge and had a visit with some of our old friends there.  We enjoyed a few days just driving around the island, seeing the changes in the communities, and stopping to talk to people.  It was a real homecoming.
While we enjoyed our planned visits, there was a special treat for us.  One day when we were in St. John’s, we were walking into a Tim Horton’s and we saw a lady who had been a fellow teacher with Janice at the Random Island school.  We had a nice “catch-up” conversation with her, and then she told us of some other folks who happened to be living in St. John’s.   This was a couple who had been among our closest friends during our time in Newfoundland.  At the end of our second year, they had moved to the Arctic to take on a new teaching challenge, and we had lost touch with them.  We called them and arranged to have dinner with them.  What a beautiful evening we had talking about our lives since our last meeting, how God had taken us to many different places and blessed us. 
At one point, the man said, “I can’t believe that after all these years, you are sitting here in our living room.”  He went on to say that during a particularly nasty church fight (when he was trying to chair the church board) he had decided to give up on the faith.  If God couldn’t keep His own people together, what hope was there for the world?  Our presence at his house reminded him of the days when we were all young in faith, and working together to help young people in our community to worship and walk with Jesus.  As we talked, they both said that they had considered dropping in to the church just around the corner from them (which I knew to be a strong gospel-oriented church).  They seemed to see our visit as a divine appointment to encourage them in their somewhat dormant faith.
Jesus Christ, by divine plan, has come into our “living room” to bring us life and love and to reveal our purpose.  That is the meaning of Advent.
Rev. Colin

November 22, 2009

We live in a part of the world which is blessed in terms of our agriculture.  Our climate conditions and arable land allow us to grow a great variety of crops, especially food products which can go directly to the table from the field.  These blessings include many kinds of fruit, including tomatoes, apples, cherries, peaches, strawberries, raspberries and blueberries among others.  This fruit is not only nourishing but it is also nice to look at, providing rich colour and beauty on store shelves and on our tables.
We should remember, though, that fruit has a higher purpose than beauty, or even nourishment.  The main purpose of fruit is the multiplication of the species.  The fruit carries the seeds of the next generation of the plant.  As Christian Schwarz says in his book Natural Church Development, the real fruit of an oak tree is not an acorn, but another oak tree.
As Christians, we should recognize that the fruit God wants to see in our lives is not just growth in ourselves.
The real fruit of Christian lives and the Christian church is new Christians.  The fruit of the Spirit, the character of Christ, and the fruit of our faithfulness to Christ, should bring other people to Him.
If the ministries in which we participate and the ministries we birth and nurture do not produce new lives touched by the grace of God, then we need to seriously consider the future of those ministries.  God would have us pour our prayers and our energies into the programs and ministries that are producing fruit for today and for tomorrow.
Rev. Colin

November 1, 2009

Last Tuesday evening, we completed our “Roamin’ through Romans” study, a 7-week fast-track which barely scratched the surface in digging into this gold mine of scriptural truth.
As we were doing our study, I was reminded of Martin Luther.  On October 31, 1517, Luther posted his 95 theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenburg, Germany, where Luther was a university lecturer and a monk.  Luther had been dealing with an ongoing personal struggle for many years.  He was besieged by guilt and the condemnation of the Devil.  He saw God as an angry tyrant.  Luther seemed to alternate between trying to appease God and hating Him.  Between 1515 and 1517, Luther studied and taught from the Psalms, Galatians and Romans.  It was in preparation for his lectures that he recognized a totally different aspect of God’s character.  In Psalm 22 he saw the alienation that Jesus suffered on the Cross and realized that He was there on behalf of sinners.  In Romans 1:17 he saw that “the just shall live by his faith”.  He later wrote: “If you have a true faith that Christ is your Saviour, then at once you have a gracious God, for faith leads you in an opens God’s heart and will, that you should see pure grace and overflowing love.”  This faith, given and sustained by God’s grace alone, became Luther’s message.  His 95 theses challenged the prevailing climate of the Church of his day, which played on the kind of personal struggles Luther himself had endured.  He called for debate on the issues he was presenting.  Instead, the Church asserted its authority, put him on trial and the Reformation began.  Through almost 500 years of subsequent church history, Christians have benefited from the fact that Luther “rediscovered” the Gospel in Romans.
Rev. Colin

October 25,2009 

Ineffective communication and not talking together is the cause of much stress and misunderstanding. The silent treatment between people is deadly for their relationship.

Silence is also deafening to God’s ears, not to mention it hinders our relationship with Him as well. The New Testament letter written by James points out that the reason we don’t have what we want is because we don’t ask God for it (4:2). We give God the silent treatment. 

Over and over the Bible tells us to ask for what we need, to pray for healing, for strength, for wisdom, for the Holy Spirit to teach us and fill us. God the Father willingly gives good things to those who ask him in Jesus’ name (Matt. 7:11).   

It seems that prayer isn’t optional. Jesus tells us to “keep watch and pray” for no one knows the day or hour of his return; and to “watch and pray” lest we enter into temptation (Mark 13:37; 14:38). 

Let us not be silent. May Paul’s commitment be ours. He prayed constantly for God to give spiritual wisdom and understanding so that all who believe in Jesus might know the hope, the inheritance, the supernatural power available to us, and “know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge” (Ephesians 3:19).
Rev. Linda

October 18, 2009

I have often thought that, among the spiritual gifts,  leadership is one of the most difficult to recognize and to exercise within the Body of Christ.  How does an individual approach his/her brothers and sisters and tell them, “I believe God has called and gifted me to be a leader among you?”  That kind of a declaration is not always well-received.  A lot of it has to do with one’s approach.  Joseph was seen as an upstart and a braggart when he told his brothers of his dreams of leading them (Genesis 37:5-11).  There is no doubt his dreams were from God, and He used the brothers’ (extremely!) negative reaction to place Joseph exactly where he needed to be to become their leader (Gen. 45:5-8; 50:20).  However, Joseph was not in a good position to assert his leadership when he received the revelation from the Lord.  He was a favoured, spoiled child who had “tattled” on his brothers in the past.  He also saw his leadership in terms of an exalted position in which his brothers (and his father and mother) would bow down to him.  At that point, he did not yet understand that he must first become a servant, learn maturity and wisdom, and stifle his own conceit and ambition in order to fulfill the call of God.  The way to the palace led through the pit and the prison.  It was the mature Joseph, fully yielded to God’s plan and under God’s anointing, who could not only lead his family but rule Egypt and advise the Pharaoh.
Those who are called to leadership will be tested.  Sometimes, they will not be recognized right away.  But as they humble themselves in service and allow God to mature them, they will find their place and bring great benefit to the Body.
Rev. Colin

October 4, 2009

One thing I regretted leaving behind when we left London, was the set of shelves I built in our basement.  It was a project I thought about and planned for a long time, and it was one of the few successful ones I have undertaken (there have been many spectacular failures).  I built two frames, lagged them into the concrete floor and then built “ladder”frames to hold the shelves in place.  I screwed the whole thing together with 2.5" wood screws.  It was so solid that it would hold my weight very easily, and was able to contain everything we wanted to store there.
The key to the whole structure was the 2 by 4 frame being solidly attached to both the floor and the joists above.  This was the solid foundation, secure in place so that nothing would give way or fail.  Everything that was built from there on relied on the strength of the foundation.
It is the same thing with life.  Jesus Himself, His teaching, His sacrifice and His resurrection life, is the only foundation upon which we can build.  He is solidly rooted, will never be shaken, will never slide out from under us.  He is totally true and strong.  As we build upon Him, we rely on His strength, and will find that our lives will be able to sustain and contain all that is put into them: burdens, suffering, work, challenges, accomplishment.  We need never be afraid to build, because we have the Rock as our foundation.
Rev. Colin

September 27, 2009

As we celebrate our 21st anniversary today, let’s review our vision as a congregation and renew our commitment to our calling as a church.  The word translated “church” in the New Testament literally means “called out”.  There are at least four aspects of that call from God.
We are “called out”: out of sin, out of the world, out of worldly patterns and thinking.  We are called out of the kingdom of self and into the kingdom of God.
We are also “called up”: up to a new life in Christ, up into fellowship with our heavenly Father, up to new minds which are able to think and dream great things, up to lofty goals to be achieved, up to the high calling to worship in Spirit and in truth.
We are “called in”: in to the Body of Christ, the temple of the Holy Spirit, into the “fellowship of kindred minds” as the old hymn says.  We belong to one another as we belong to the Lord, and we are called in to be equipped, strengthened, and encouraged.
We are “called forth”: from our comfort zone to the battlefield of daily living, to the warfare that is raging for the souls and the eternal lives of our neighbours.  We are called forth to communicate Christ: His truth, His love, His mercy.
Dresden Community Church, “A Worshipping Community Helping People to Follow Jesus” is called and blessed, in order to bring glory to God and blessing to those He loves.
Rev. Colin

September 20, 2009

Recently a friend of mine visited a man in hospital.  He had known this man for many years and they had many things in common.  The man in the hospital is experiencing some severe health problems.  In the course of their conversation, my friend shared his faith in Jesus Christ.  He asked his old friend if he had ever invited Jesus into his life.  The man said, “Nobody ever asked me”, but said that he would like to.  So the two men prayed together and, very simply, the old friend committed his life to Jesus Christ.
We are praying for this man to be healed.  We believe God is able and we believe that God will receive great glory as this man is raised up.  However, we also know that he is now prepared to meet the Lord at the end of his life, whenever that may come.  And he knows it too, and is rejoicing over it, along with an old friend who followed God’s prompting to bring his friend the Good News.
The man’s words strike me as a challenge, however.  “Nobody ever asked me”.  I wonder why.  Did most Christians who knew him think that he would not be interested?  Did they assume that he had already received Christ because he is a good man who has acknowledged that God has made many big changes in his life?  Either way, we judged him, either as not redeemable or already redeemed.  That’s not our job.  And that man may have faced eternity without Christ if his friend had not asked him that important question.  Is there someone in your life who may be waiting for you to ask him/her to receive Christ?  Has God been speaking to you about that person?  Ask Him for the courage, the love, and the words to approach that person, and let His joy overflow in you as you see another child of God find his/her true home.
Rev. Colin

September 13, 2009

When I was a teenager, I was involved in a youth choir called the Soul Survivors.  In the beginning the group was all guys, and we sang contemporary (for the late 60's and early 70"s) folk and Christian music.  Our leader was Jack Cooper, who had a great talent for playing piano (mostly by ear) and also could take a folk or rock or country song and revise the words to bring out a Christian message, so that we could sing “our” music in church.  Jack also had a great love and compassion for teenagers.  He seemed to know what to say and do for many of us as we  faced those turbulent years.
Many of us, myself included, were singing songs that we didn’t believe and didn’t fully understand.  They talked about “knowing Jesus” and “salvation”.  I remember one song for which Jack asked me to sing a solo part.  It was called “Turn it over to Jesus” and it spoke of a simple surrender to God, a trust that Jesus would lift burdens and give meaning to life.  I had never surrendered anything to God at that point.  I thought I was in charge of my own life, and “religion” was not for me, even though I had always gone to church.  But as I sang the song over a couple of years, and through other events, the message finally soaked down through my pride and brought me to Jesus. 
Now I find myself thinking, “Is it really that simple, to just turn it over to Jesus?”  A few years of seminary and several years of ministry have taken my eyes off this basic truth.  But it is the truth.  Jesus Christ will take our sin and every burden from us, and give us new life.  He really will.  Just turn it over to Jesus.
Rev. Colin

September 6, 2009

When we checked in to Algonquin Park last week, we were warned that there had been a bear in the campground several times over the past month.  We were told to make sure that all food was locked away in our vehicle, and not to leave any foodstuffs out at night, even to avoid putting cooking grease in the firepit unless we were burning it all before bedtime.  I was a little skeptical of all of this because in about 20 years of visiting Algonquin we have never heard of a bear coming in to that particular campground, which is the busiest in the park.  In my mind, it is too close to the road and too open for a bear to just walk in and start foraging in campers’ coolers.
Then on our second night in the park, somebody’s car alarm went off, and we heard people yelling.  I got up and looked out the window, and I could see flashlight beams scanning the bush about 100 metres from our campsite (which was quite close to the parking lot and the campground office).   Then I saw a dark shape walking toward our trailer, between our truck and the picnic table, only about 20 feet from where I was standing (safely hidden inside the trailer).  It gave me a bit of a thrill (and a slight scare.  How thick are these fibreglass walls?) But the bear just walked through our site on his way to another buffet.
It turned out that one of our neighbours had not taken the bear warning seriously and had left a portable fridge on his picnic table, and a cooler and other food in a dining tent.  The bear had helped himself, ripping through the tent, tearing the door off the fridge and trashing the cooler.  Fortunately he had not decided to check out the tent in which the family was sleeping.
The interesting thing about this is that the bear was scared away by the car alarms and the loud shouts.  But he kept coming back to places where there was an easy opportunity for food.
I believe the Bible tells us that Satan is like this.  If we will speak the name of Jesus, even in a whisper, but with the Lord’s authority, the evil one will run from us.  If we trust in our own defences, he can tear through them like a bear through a flimsy tent or even a steel fridge door.
He will also take advantage of any situation in which we make ourselves an easy target for evil and temptation.  And he’ll not only eat us up but do all kinds of senseless damage in the process.
Be prepared to resist him in the Lord’s strength, and don’t present him with an opportunity like a resentful heart or a covetous eye, idle hands or an idle mind.
Rev. Colin

August 16, 2009

“Music hath powers to soothe the savage breast” -  William Congreve
These words refer to human emotions that have overflowed in sadness or anger.  Ironic, isn’t it, that music can also produce (provoke?) violent emotions in us?
We often disagree about music in church.  Some want more.  Some want a lot less.  I remember helping to plan a men’s event several years ago.  One of our deacons wanted an extended prayer time, and I offered to lead some singing as we prepared to pray.  He said no, that the music would be a distraction, and he would prefer to concentrate on prayer instead.  I considered the music to be part of the prayer, but he disagreed.
Matt Redman has told the story of his song “The Heart of Worship”.  The pastor of his church had received a strong sense from the Lord that the church was focusing too much on the great worship music being written and played there, and he initiated a “fast” from all music in worship.  Instead the people were to focus on silence, prayer and intimacy with God.
Though he is a committed Christian musician, Matt Redman accepted the “fast” and meditated on the Lord during this time.  As he did, God gave him a powerful song which contains these words,
“When the music fades, all is swept away, and I simply come,
longing just to bring something that’s of worth, that will bless Your heart.
I’m coming back to the heart of worship, and it’s all about You, Jesus.”
© 1997 Thank You Music CCLI #256822
We who value music must be careful not to make it an idol, in place of the One who is to be the subject and the Audience for our song.
Rev. Colin

August 9,2009

I don’t think there is any doubt that my wife strongly resembles her mother. When we first moved to Dresden, Janice could hardly go anywhere without somebody stopping her and asking, "Are you Leah Richards’ daughter?" It was a little tough on her at the time, since it had only been a couple of years since her Mom had passed away. But Janice is very happy that she is like her mother. I can’t think of a finer example of a strong, caring person than my late mother-in-law, and Janice resembles her in that as well. In fact, I discovered during our vacation that Janice even plays golf like her mother. Unfortunately, neither of them resembled Lorie Kane on the golf course.

Sometimes people work hard to try to be like another person. I once saw a mother and daughter on television who bore an obvious familial similarity, but the mother had gone through several surgeries, exercise programs and other procedures like Botox injections, in order to be her daughter’s "twin". She looked a lot like a 50-year-old trying to appear 30.

The best imitation is unintentional, like my wife’s resemblance to her mother. She just "naturally" came to hold the same values and maintain the same principles as the person she loved.

I think that’s what Paul means in Eph. 5:1 when he says, "Be imitators of God." We could make a big "to do" list from Eph. 4 and 5, and wear ourselves out trying to keep up. But the way we truly imitate God is by having His Holy Spirit life within us, and "naturally" living out His life and love on a daily basis.
Rev. Colin

August 2,2009

How blessed we are to have a range of choices. We can decide to take time away from the daily routine for family fun or for time alone with God. It may be possible to take a vacation far away or your limits may be a picnic in the park this year.

Choice becomes more critical when need-based decisions come up. Do you make a purchase or pay down the credit cards? What is the best way to manage unexpected illness? The title of a book, ‘Happiness is a choice’ makes a point that the things we choose to do, think, and believe affect us in long lasting ways.

Someone has said, “We make choices then our choices turn around and make us.” How true! Deciding to compromise your values to keep someone else happy or to fit in has a cost to faith, reputation and well being. On the other hand, choosing to please God provides security and inner peace. Important choices become more clear-cut when God is given the place of reverence and honour every day. He is the source of wisdom, love and protection. “Those who fear the Lord are secure; he will be a place of refuge for their children. Fear of the Lord is a life-giving fountain” (Proverbs 14: 26,27). To fear the Lord is to hold Him in high esteem, to know Him personally, and to act on the wise counsel in His
word.
Rev. Linda

July 26,2009

The expectation of a grain harvest hoped for at planting time has become a reality. New seasons bring hope, not only for the productivity of the earth, but also for life purposes. “Life is a continued story of hope adjustment.” (L. Smedes). What you hope for at a young age is vastly different than what you hope for in the later years. 

The story books of childhood which ended with “and they lived happily ever after” fade into the reality of working to plant seeds of love and faith that will produce a measure of contentment and fulfillment. Some hopes and dreams are never realized. Time may prove that they weren’t worthy hopes. Instead,
they were merely ‘fair weather’ dreams dependent upon sunny skies.

A little rain must fall for growth in plants and it is the same for us. Job experienced more than a little rain; he endured torrents of cruel spiritual attacks and unkind blame. Through it all he clung to his faith in God.Recognizing that God is on higher ground and can see farther ahead, may be all there is to cling to in stormy seasons.

From God’s vantage point He knows that we have a future and a hope because He has prepared it for us. Joining our hopes to faith in Jesus is the right amount of sunshine and rain to keep us striving for a future that is honourable, life-changing and life-giving with the confident expectation of a “joyous ever after” when we see Jesus face to face. Job was not disappointed by relying fully on God; we won’t be either.
Rev. Linda

July 19,2009

Last week I spent a few days in beautiful British Columbia. Streets were lined with flowering rose bushes. Skies were sunny, after the first day and a half of rain. The campus of Trinity Western University was well maintained; the food was good; the worship and teaching were great; the stories of what God is doing in communities from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland were encouraging.

In Campbell River, B.C. 75-100 people experience the gospel in action through the Radiant Life soup kitchen. In Saskatoon, children of struggling single mothers are invited to know Jesus through the ministry of Hosanna House. In Tillsonburg, ON street people are welcomed, given counsel and support to find freedom in Christ. In Quebec, the seeds of faith and hope are growing and resulting in a harvest of new life in the Lord. In St. John’s, Newfoundland, encouragement and salvation through faith in Jesus is offered and received by several who have mental health issues. Little churches are hanging on in remote areas and a new one is taking root in a city known as the capital of false religion in Canada.

And this is only a small piece of what God is doing throughout our land and the world. The body of Christ fulfilling the Great Commission is awesome news because our times are not so different from the spiritual climate in ancient Israel where God was pushed aside, rejected, and replaced with the practice of idolatry which led to immorality and calamity. The word of the Lord given through Elisha was, "Make this valley full of ditches." (2 Kings 3:16, NKJV). Digging ditches must have seemed like a strange thing to do but God filled the whole valley with water to sustain his people.

Today the body of Christ is sustained by the spring of His truth and the water of life that He provides as we become willing reservoirs and faithful followers of Jesus.
Rev. Linda

July 5, 2009 

“But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.  That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.” - James 1:6-8

James is certainly placing an emphasis on faith here, in the sense that if we ask God for wisdom (in the context of James’ letter) that He will give it to us as long as we ask unwaveringly.  But I wonder if this applies to every prayer we have, for everything?  There are many promises like this in Scripture that seem to say that whatever we ask or need, God will do for us or give us.  Look at John 14:13-14 and Matthew 18:19 and Phil. 4:19 (where we don’t even have to ask!)
I wonder if there is a line between faith and presumption.  To me, faith in God says that He will take care of us, will give us what we need as we live in relationship to Him, will supply all that we need to be His disciples and His witnesses, will protect us in spiritual warfare when we encounter the enemy along our daily journey.
Presumption says that God will give us what we ask for, even if we don’t need it, like riches or luxuries.  Presumption demands that God speak His word through us when we have not spent time immersing ourselves in the Scriptures.  Presumption expects the Holy Spirit to show up when we need Him, but to turn away when we are doing something we don’t want Him to see, to provide us with spiritual gifts but not to convict us of our wrong attitudes.  Presumption expects spiritual covering and protection even when we willingly walk into the Devil’s home, not to snatch someone from him but to sit on his couch and watch his TV or check out his website.
I believe we are to be bold in faith, believing and asking God, and not doubt His ability or willingness to answer.  I also believe in the spiritual gift of faith, in which the Holy Spirit inspires and enables us to ask for things that would be impossible without Him.  But we must ask in God’s will, in His way, in a daily walk of faith and trust, giving Him the glory.
Rev. Colin 

June 28, 2009

In one of our previous churches, there was a young couple who were living together, and asked me to perform their marriage ceremony.  As is my usual response to such a request, I told them that living together before marriage is not God’s will for establishing the foundation of family relationships.  I also told them that statistics reinforce the spiritual truth, in that couples who live together before marriage are far more likely to separate and divorce than couples who wait until after marriage to move in together and consummate their relationship.  I also urged them to live apart for at least 6 months before their marriage, and to meet with me several times as marriage preparation.
They went beyond my request.  The young man began to look deeper into his spiritual life, made a sincere commitment to Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour, and joined a group of men in Bible study and prayer.  The young woman sought out the counsel of one of the older ladies in the church, a real prayer warrior who had a thorough knowledge of Scripture and a faithful walk with the Lord.  I had several conversations with this older Christian during the six months before the wedding was to take place.  She shared with me some of the wisdom she was passing on to the bride-to-be.  The thing that surprised me most was that she told the young couple that they should begin tithing right away.
I didn’t understand what difference their financial giving made to their growth in relationship.  This wise woman pointed out that commitment of finances is one of the most challenging areas in the Christian life.  If you will give God control of your finances, it usually means you are committed and submitted to Him in other areas of your life.  Open hands are a sign of an open heart and open spirit.  Perhaps that is why Paul refers to “this grace of giving” in 2 Cor. 8:7.
Rev. Colin  

June 21, 2009

Why Women Think Men Are Blessed

Your last name stays put.
The garage is all yours.
Wedding plans take care of themselves.
Chocolate is just another snack.
Car mechanics tell you the truth.
Same work, more pay.
Wrinkles add character.
Wedding dress - $5000. Tux rental-$100.
New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.
One mood all the time.
Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
A 5-day trip requires only 1 suitcase.
You can open all your own jars.
You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.
If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.
Your underwear is $8.95 for a 3-pack.
2 pairs of shoes are more than enough.
You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.
Everything on your face stays its original color.
The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.
You only have to shave your face and neck.
You can play with toys all your life.
Your belly usually hides your big hips.
One wallet and one pair of shoes, one colour for all seasons.
You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look.
You can "do" your nails with a pocket knife.
You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.

Count your blessings on Father’s Day!
Rev. Colin  

June 14, 2009

“If you look back across the history of the Christian Church, you immediately find that the ....  history of the Church has been a history of ups and downs .... you find that there have been periods in the history of the Church when she has been full of life, and vigour, and power.  The statistics prove that people crowded to the house of God, whole numbers of people who were anxious and eager to belong to the Christian Church.  Then the Church was filled with life, and she had great power; the Gospel was preached with authority, large numbers of people were converted regularly, day by day, and week by week.  Christian people delighted in prayer.  You did not have to whip them up to prayer meetings, you could not keep them away.  They did not want to go home, they would stay all night praying.  The whole Church was alive and full of power, and of vigour and of might.  And men and women were able to tell of rich experiences of the grace of God, visitations of His Spirit, a knowledge of the love of God that thrilled them, and moved them, and made them feel that it was more precious than the whole world.  And, as a consequence of all that, the whole life of the country was affected and changed....Ah yes, but what you also notice – and this is why it is so encouraging to look back – is that these glorious periods of revival and of re-awakening have often followed periods of great drought, great deadness, apathy and lifelessness in the history of the Church.” 
adapted from “Revival” by Martin Lloyd-Jones from a message in 1959.
Lloyd-Jones encouraged his listeners to recognize their desperate need of God and cry out to Him for revival.  Good plan!
Rev. Colin

June 7, 2009

My brother Bob was born with cerebral palsy in 1936.  He was the second child born to my parents, and his condition was a factor in their family life almost throughout their marriage.  It is difficult to imagine what life was like for them in those days.  There was little awareness or concern for the needs of the “differently-abled” then, and very little opportunity for such things as education for my brother.  That is a shame, because he was a highly intelligent, able thinker with a memory that was outstanding.
He was born in an era when people with handicaps were all lumped in together, basically written off and institutionalized.  My parents chose not to go that route with Bob.  They were determined that he would have as normal a life as possible, though he could not walk or talk.  When I was born in 1952, four other boys later, it was just an accepted fact that Bob was family.  I vaguely remember my Dad making a large wooden key for Bob’s 21st birthday as the “key to the house” for a young man who had reached maturity.  My Dad lugged and pushed Bob in his wheelchair on family trips to Niagara Falls (annually), the CNE, the Western Fair, to the East Coast, West Coast.  Wherever we went, Bob went.  My parents even took him to Scotland with them twice, and the three of them flew to Newfoundland one year to spend Christmas with us.
With a great smile and a ready laugh, and a wonderful ability to get a joke, Bob made friends everywhere.  After my Dad’s passing, Bob lived with my mother for several years, until it became impossible for her to care for him, and he moved to Copper Terrace in 1993, when he was 57.  My mother was then 84.  Again, Bob made friends and was an instant hit in the nursing home.  He had more of a life of his own there than he had ever had, and blossomed in a new way.  He attended all the chapel services and participated in Bible studies, demonstrating a deep faith and trust in Jesus Christ.
Though his life was limited in the physical sense, in the intellectual, spiritual and emotional spheres there was abundance from the Lord.  And his life blessed, not hindered, the life of my parents, my family, and myself.  To me this is a great example of God’s grace, mercy and wisdom.
Rev. Colin

May 31, 2009

I’ll never forget the shock I experienced when I discovered that my wife talks to herself.  And not only does she talk to herself, she talks about me!  And not in a very complimentary fashion either.
I found out about this only a few months into our marriage.  We were at a Canadian Tire store and I ran in “just for a second” to buy an item we needed.  That’s what men do at stores.  Women go in to see if there is anything in the store they might need or want later, or that might match that pair of capris you bought 3 years ago last Tuesday.
Any way, for some reason, I was “delayed” in the store.  When I came out, I could see Janice in the car, but she couldn’t see me.  And I saw that her lips were moving.  There was no one else in the car and nobody standing at the window talking to her.  So I decided to sneak around behind the car and listen to her “conversation”.  Here’s what I heard: “Where is he?  What is he doing?  He’s probably picked up the same thing and put it back on the shelf 3 or 4 times.  It always takes him half an hour to run a 5-minute errand.”  I’m glad to know that after 35 years of marriage, she thinks I’m much quicker and more efficient than I was in my younger days. (I can hear her saying, “Right, Buddy” under her breath right now.)
It seems that Janice “thinks out loud” to relieve the boredom of waiting for me.
I wonder what it was like for the followers of Jesus during those ten days between the Ascension and Pentecost.  They were waiting in great anticipation, for Someone far more important than Colin Paterson.  They were waiting for the fulfilment of the promise of God, for the “power from on high”, for the Holy Spirit who would launch them out into the mission of world evangelism.
As they waited, they met, prayed, worshipped and chose leaders.  They were ready for revival.
Are we ready for God to move among us?  We need to be doing something more than just talking to ourselves.  Let’s worship and pray and look for His opportunities and His power.
Rev. Colin

May 17, 2009

A few months ago, I started taking violin lessons.  This has been an ambition of mine since I inherited my father’s violins in 1989, though I admit I delayed it far too long.  I should have started while my mother and my brother Bob were still alive, so they could see and hear me play, in about 50 years or so when I may actually produce some decent sound.  I also wish I had inherited a bit more of my Dad’s talent and dexterity.  He made it look so easy, as does my violin teacher.  I, on the other hand, find it extremely difficult.
The closest thing I can compare it to is golf:  There are so many things to remember, so many things that can go wrong.  Am I supporting the violin properly between my chin and shoulder (not with my hand!)?  Is my hand positioned properly, not laid out flat under the neck of the violin?  Is my thumb staying in place?  Are my fingers placed properly on the fingerboard to make the right notes?  Those are just some of the questions for the left hand, without even considering the impossible task of learning to play vibrato.  For the right hand: am I holding the bow properly?  Is my arm bending at both the elbow and the wrist?  Is the bow moving straight across the strings?  Is the bow crossing the strings close enough to the bridge (but not too close?)  Am I using the downbow and the upbow properly and at the right time?  Then I have to read the notes and count the time and get the tempo right.  Many times I am tempted to put the violin away again for another 20 years, just like I have “retired” from golf several times.
I guess I won’t quit, for several reasons.  I want to honour the memory of my family and continue in our musical heritage.
And every once in a while there is a series of notes that sounds so sweet (just like that 250-yard drive down the middle of the fairway) and it makes me think I really can do it more often, and become more consistent as I keep at it.
It’s like another thing: love.  There are many things that can go wrong in relationships, especially because at least two people are involved.  So many things we need to remember.  So many bad habits to be broken.  But if we keep at it, we will learn to be more consistent, and will produce the sweetest music in life, in the love of God.
Rev. Colin

May 10, 2009 Mother's Day

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

When Jesus spoke these words, it was part of a whole conversation He was having with His disciples, preparing them for His crucifixion.  He was initially referring to Himself and His love for His “friends” (the Greek word actually means “loved ones”). 
We recognize the unique sacrifice made by Jesus on the cross as the ultimate expression of agape love.
We have also applied His words, quite fittingly, to the sacrifice of life made for us in wartime by those who served their country in the defence of freedom.
I also believe we can apply this message to mothers.  It seems to me that mothers are the embodiment of “laying down her life”. 
Loving mothers are willing to live for their children. 
They lay down their lives in many ways. 
They give their bodies, sometimes at the risk of their own health, certainly at the risk of their comfort, in order to nurture a new life within and bring that child to birth.
They sacrifice careers and hobbies and pastimes in order to spend time with their children, thereby providing the foundation of a child’s learning and growth. 
They give of their sleeping hours and their peace of mind as they wait up for teenagers (and other young adults) to come home, or as they live in concern for children who are away at school or traveling or just embarking on the voyage of marriage. 
Finally, they give up a large part of their own lives as they release their children to independence and responsibility.
Generous, selfless love.  The kind that Jesus shows us.  It comes through mothers too.  Thanks be to God.
Rev. Colin

May 3, 2009  

“The LORD is my Shepherd ...” - Psalm 23:1
David, who knew about being a shepherd, gives us a picture of God’s love and care.  Shepherds in David’s time kept a very small flock.  They knew each one by name and understood their individual “personalities” and quirks.  They did not keep their sheep penned up in one place, but moved with them constantly, leading them to good grazing land (“green pastures”) and “quiet waters”, and protecting them from predators and from their own stupidity and gluttony (which could lead to overgrazing, bloating and death).  David affirms that God is looking after him in the same way.  The LORD, the great “I Am” cares for each of His followers.  He knows each of us by name.  He leads us, protects us, feeds us and tends us. He makes sure we are cleansed and free of “parasites” - thoughts and attitudes, relationships, habits, even curses, that latch on to us and suck the life and joy out of us.
The Lord goes ahead of us and shows us the path of righteousness, which is life and peace.  He gives us times of rest, when our energy and strength can be renewed.  He goes with us through the times of trial, danger and even death.  We look to Him in dependence, and we can be assured that our God is mighty to save us from every enemy (“your rod and your staff, they comfort me”) Yet we also know that the same staff is used to gently lift the sheep over obstacles and out of danger, and to gently steer us along the path of safety.  Our God is faithful, so that where He is, we will also be, surrounded by His loving presence.  “And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”
Rev. Colin

April 26, 2009

Close to 20 years ago, when I was a member of the Credentials Committee of the CCCC, I interviewed Jeff and Sherri Balfour, as Jeff was a candidate for ministerial credentials.  They impressed me with their solid faith in the Lord and sincere willingness to serve Him. When a door of ministry closed for them, Jeff enrolled at Tyndale Seminary.  Sherri worked full time and Jeff became a “hired hand” on a local farm.   They never wavered in their trust, nor shrank from doing whatever was necessary to follow the Lord’s leading.
When we at DCC were searching for a Youth Pastor, Jeff’s training and experience made a strong impression on our committee and congregation, and they arrived here in the fall of 2000.  Within a couple of months, the Lord gave them the desire of their hearts and they were soon expecting the arrival of Joshua, who we now see as a young man of intelligence and talent.  In 2004, Alicia joined their family, and no one can deny her energy and wit.  We have truly been blessed to have the Balfour family with us these 9 years.  Pastor Jeff has been a mentor and leader.  Sherri has lent her abundant artistic talents, her creativity and her godly wisdom.  They have been active members of the wider community as well.  I am sure that Joshua and Alicia hold the record for appearances on the front page of the Dresden Leader.
Now this family is doing what they have done before and will continue to do: stepping out in faith to seek God’s leading for the future.  As they go from us, we pray God’s blessing on all they do, and ask that He will continue to provide for them and open the door to their next ministry adventure.
Rev. Colin

April 19, 2009  

What a glorious Easter weekend we had!  Thursday evening over 100 people shared in a meal and fellowship which reminded us of the Jewish Passover roots of Jesus’ Last Supper.  We learned of each individual’s part in the Exodus rescue from Egypt, which helps us understand that Jesus died on the cross for each and every one of us.  We also enjoyed the “covenant” fellowship around the Passover table as we shared in the meal and in our relationship with the Lord.
Good Friday was phenomenal.  Lorna Marek rightly divided the Word of Truth in a script that taught us again the love of Jesus. We were drawn in to the emotion of that terrible day in which Jesus took our sins upon Himself and won the battle to set us free.  The creative gifts of Jim Tricker, among many others, aided our imaginations in providing the backdrop for the greatest drama in history.  The acting talent in our congregation came to the fore, bringing to life the character, fears and struggles of the disciples of Jesus.
Then came the “triumphant holy day” of resurrection.  Jesus is alive! And He lives within us, bringing us to new life, abundant life in Him!  This is the message that should linger with us throughout our lives, the message we have to share with the world.
I was reminded once again of the joy of joining in a team effort to accomplish a worthy goal.  We worked hard but we had fun, and derived great satisfaction in bringing the message of Christ to our community.  As we do the Lord’s work, we may face challenges, but we will always see His blessing.
Rev. Colin 

March 29, 2009 

Once again this year we made our trek to Florida for March break.  We just got in the car, drove for 21 straight hours and arrived in Kissimmee on Saturday afternoon (thanks greatly to our son-in-law Mark, who is “going places fast” if you know what I mean).  Surprisingly, we were fairly alert, and after getting settled in our condo, we ventured out to see “Old Town”.  It is a collection of little shops along an old-fashioned street, with some amusements for kids, but the main attraction on many nights is the “Cruise” of vintage and restored cars.  On this night, there were more than I had ever seen before.  Lots of 60's era Mustangs, Corvettes going back to the 50's, one beautiful T-Bird, and about 100 Malibus (the real SS, not the new hybrid putt-putt).  We even saw 2 old El Caminos.  It really was nice to see some real cars, though I must admit that Janice and Kelly and Mark were not as thrilled or interested as I was.
Many people had come to see all the cars, and the parking lot overflowed out into all the narrow streets around Old Town.  As we were leaving, we noticed a large semi truck (a specialty trailer for a couple of the vintage cars) trying to maneuver around a corner.  Someone had parked an SUV too close to the corner, and the truck got halfway around, came to within an inch of scraping the SUV and stopped.  He could neither go forward or back.  A crowd gathered around, with some people shouting out directions and encouragement, but others just watching.  Obviously, the problem was the SUV.  Someone said if it could be moved about a foot, the truck driver would be able to get through.  About 5 of us decided we could move it.  First we tried pushing, but it was in “Park” and the transmission would not allow it.  So we decided to pick up the rear end and move it sideways.  Some of the spectators said that would never work, but we counted 3, lifted and pushed it right.  It moved about 4 inches.  We lifted again, another 6 inches to the right, and the truck driver had enough room to get by.  He blew his air horn as he went off down the street, and a few people cheered.  Those of us who had done the lifting were exhilarated at our accomplishment.  By teamwork we had overcome an obstacle and helped somebody else. We also noted the bystanders who had just watched us “foolishly” toiling at a difficult task.  Some just continued to stare blankly.  Others seemed disappointed that they had not joined in and succeeded along with us.
It can happen like this in ministry as well.  John Maxwell has said there are 3 types of people: Those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who ask “What happened?”  I believe as we follow the Lord, He will make things happen through us, even if it involves heavy lifting.
Rev. Colin 

March 15, 2009 

The Sunday School story about the monk who sat on top of a pole to be in closer communion with God so impressed 5 year old Danny that he climbed up on a step stool which he positioned on the kitchen table. His mother, seeing him there, demanded, “Danny get down before you fall and get hurt”. Disgruntled, Danny stormed out of the kitchen saying, “A guy can’t even be a saint in his own home”.

How does a person qualify for sainthood? The Bible’s definition is: everyone who is faithful to God (Psalm 50:5) and has Jesus as their Lord (1Corinthians 1:2). Saints do more than climb up on high places to seek God.

Psalm 145 confidently states that all of the Lord’s saints shall bless him; they shall speak of the glory of His kingdom and talk of this power so all may know of His mighty acts and His glorious, everlasting kingdom (10-12).
Saints respond with thanks- giving to the goodness of God, “my mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord” (21). And they have good reason, for the Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love; he upholds all who fall, and raises up all those who are bowed down... He is near to all who call upon Him... He fulfills the desires of those who reverence Him... He watches over all who love him. (8, 14, 18-20).

Let us praise Him for these blessings & speak of His goodness & love this week.
Rev. Linda

March 8, 2009

I got a card this week from a wonderful lady who was a member of our congregation at Faith Congregational Christian Church in London.  She had been visiting with some mutual friends who are missionaries, and they had told her about my snowmobile accident and my leg injury.  What was amazing to me was that this missionary couple would be concerned to tell her about me, when they are dealing with so many things in their own lives as he recovers from his heart surgery, infection and nerve damage.  Their burden is great.  It will be some time before he is able to travel and continue his teaching ministry.  Their financial support is not at a sustaining level. Yet they think of others. 
I also had a “pastoral call” on the phone with one of our prayer warriors.  She is undergoing treatment for cancer (and doing very well), yet she also took the time to ask about my recovery from my minor injury, and to encourage me in my role in the ministry here at DCC.
These two reminders, as well as the “Helping Hands” deliveries to our front door, have made me appreciate again the strength and the beauty of the body of Christ.  We can care for one another and lift each other up, in prayer, in words of encouragement and in deeds of love and mercy.  These are the things that are truly “priceless”, that leave a deposit of goodwill and well-being that can help us through the anxious moments we often have, and even the dark and dire trials we sometimes face.  The cost is very small in terms of our resources and time, yet their worth is great.  Let us never cease to share the love of God in practical ways.
Rev. Colin  

March 1, 2009 

This season of Lent is 40 days, recalling the time that Jesus spent in the wilderness, fasting and praying and preparing for His public ministry, and being tempted by the Devil.  It is a marvelous truth that the Holy Spirit led (the Greek in Mark 1:12 says “drove”) Jesus to the temptation.  This is in keeping with God’s whole approach in sending His Son into the world, giving Himself with total abandon, risking everything for our sake.
The temptation also points out the fact that Jesus was not only fully God but also fully human.  Matthew 4:2 is one of the great understatements of the Bible - “After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry.”  If He was just masquerading as a man, He would not have been affected by any human condition.
Jesus became one of us, not only in His physical hunger, but in the reality of the temptation that He faced.  He had a real choice as to whether He would yield to Satan and to His own desires and needs, or whether He would obey the Father and fulfill our salvation.  Not only in those forty days, but throughout His ministry, especially in Gethsemane, there was always the opportunity for Jesus to abandon us and spare Himself.  He did not.  The human Jesus, in the power of the Holy Spirit, resisted and overcame temptation.  In this He made a way for us, in our humanity.  Hebrews tells us that Jesus “... has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet was without sin” (Heb. 4:15) and “Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Heb. 2:18).
Thanks be to God for this grace that He has given us.
Rev. Colin 

February 22, 2009 

“..so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”- Romans 12:5
Obviously, the NIV translation is using the word “member” here to convey Paul’s reference to the parts of the body, and not in the formal sense of church membership.  In fact, formal membership in a local church is not seen in the New Testament.  Each person was understood to be a member of the whole body of Christ, if that person had repented, professed faith in Christ, and been baptized.
That fact leads some Christians today to avoid “joining” a particular church, and to claim membership in the universal church as sufficient.  However, local church membership is a good idea.  In our legal context as a Canadian charitable corporation, membership identifies the individual as a voting, decision-making partner in the entity known as Dresden Community Church.
More importantly, membership expresses and affirms an individual’s commitment to Christ, to a particular group of believers, to a specific vision and to a certain style of church leadership.  In becoming a member of Dresden Community Church, you are stating publicly and declaring legally and in writing that you believe in the faith, standards and ideals of this church, that you are committed to sharing in the ministry of the church, and that you are willing to share life, worship and service with the other members of DCC.  I think of our membership as a covenant that we make with each other and with the Lord.  This covenant binds us to one another in the love and grace of Christ, and keeps us together even in tough times and conflicts.
Rev. Colin 

February 15, 2009 

This past Wednesday, at our Seniors’ Luncheon, we had two excellent presentations based on Black History month.  Immediately after lunch, our own Ruth Dudley spoke about the Underground Railroad, and particularly about a quilt she had made containing some of the symbols that escaping slaves and their helpers used to communicate.  These symbols enabled “travelers” to find safe routes, safe houses, and help along the way to freedom in places like Dresden.  The codes and symbols were amazingly complex, enabling escaping slaves to stay “under the radar” of masters and pursuing slave catchers.  It was interesting to know that even something as simple as a quilt with these symbols, hung on a clothesline at a certain time and place, could be the difference between freedom and capture.  The courage and cooperation of many was needed to get some to their goal, but all seemed to work together because freedom even for one was another step toward freedom for all.
Later, Gwen Robinson and Rev. Leona Wright shared the story of the role that music has played in black history.  Maintaining the complex rhythms and harmonies of Africa, slaves sang songs of longing and of hope.  Blending their music with a deep biblical Christian faith, they composed spirituals which built on Scripture passages, and wove a message of finding true freedom and overcoming adversity.
Again, we see the blend of courage and cooperation, forming a community in which God was praised and honoured, and His will was accomplished in spite of the oppressive inhumanity of slavery and discrimination.
We pay tribute to our brothers and sisters who have much to teach us about true faith, forgiveness, and perseverance.
Rev. Colin 

February 8, 2009  

On Monday this week, I drove a snowmobile into a tree, and accomplished several things.  Unfortunately, I did a fair bit of damage to the snowmobile, though it is still running.  I also managed to turn my right leg into one huge bruise that will be with me for some time as a reminder of my poor driving.  And, of course, I proved once again that my wife was right when she told me to be careful.  But there were many more things I learned.
It is great to have brothers in the Lord like John Finley and Greg Scott, who came to my rescue.  They showed genuine concern for me and didn't care that the machine was damaged or that their enjoyment of the trip was curtailed by my accident.  I also learned that our medical care system is very valuable.  To be able to limp into a well-equipped, well-staffed hospital in a small community like Lion's Head, present my health card and get immediate and expert attention was a great blessing.  We have heard this week that the closing of Sydenham Hospital Emergency Room is being considered.  Bad idea.  After my accident, and the care I received in an even smaller community, I really think Sydenham should stay.
Finally, because I was not able to go back out on the trails on Tuesday, I had the chance to read "The Shack". It is a pretty good book, and I would encourage you to read it.  Don't read it as a textbook on theology, because it is somewhat confusing in the way it portrays the Trinity.  Its imagery and concepts challenge many of our accepted traditions, but I believe it communicates an important message that I have long believed: Our life is about relationship - with God and with others.  It encourages each of us to be loved by God, and thus to find our true destiny as God's children.
Rev. Colin

February 1, 2009 

One of the convictions included in my vision for Dresden Community Church is: “The Church is a community in which believers encourage one another and grow together in their discipleship.”
The key words in this sentence are “community” and “together”.  For some reason, we often approach our relationship with the Lord as an individual matter.  Certainly it is true that we all need to come to a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  The faith that was held and lived by your ancestors will not save you, unless you personally believe and live it out as well.  You will not be saved because you have friends and neighbours or family members who are sincere believers.
At the same time, there is a strength in a spiritual community that we cannot find on our own.  The New Testament letters are written to churches, not to individual Christians, with the exception of Philemon.  The letters to Timothy and Titus were written not for their personal benefit but for their ministry as pastors in their churches.  From the earliest days of the believers in Acts 2, Christians have lived in community.  We are called to follow the Lord, but we are also to depend on each other, sharing our spiritual, emotional and material gifts as members of one Body.  It is difficult for Christian faith to survive outside of a believing community.  Within true Christian community, there is growth and blessing for all.
Rev. Colin 

January 25, 2009

"Worship isn’t a showcase for talented performers, a lecture on textual criticism, or a social occasion. It’s the most intimate relationship you can have with your Saviour." These words are taken from a review of the late Robert Webber’s book, "Worship is a verb." Webber was a seminary professor who took a deep interest in worship, in studying the ways in which people encounter God, even though they come from various backgrounds, times and places.
I once attended a seminar led by Robert Webber. The closing session was an actual worship "experience". As the above quotation indicates, the focus was not on the music, whether loud or soft, fast or slow, complex or simple. The emphasis was on drawing near to God, the intimate relationship. I know that the "congregation" that day was composed of old and young, pastors and lay people, traditional and contemporary. Yet Webber led us all with an easy grace. Using gestures and brief exhortations (not "lectures on textual criticism"), he elicited responses from that group of people which to me were unexpected. I knew some of the people involved, and knew them to be very reserved and private in their worship. Yet under Webber’s direction (and certainly under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) all took an active part in singing, in simple movements, and in verbal responses.
When such "real" worship happens, it leaves us desiring more, and seeking a way to re-create it next time. There really isn’t a formula, however, other than humility and openness to the Holy Spirit, to give God what He desires and deserves: worshippers. That’s you. And me.
Rev. Colin  

January 18, 2009

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last.  Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.  This is my command: Love each other.” (John 15:16-17)
In the grocery store, you will often see the words “Canada Choice” on a label.  This means that the product has been examined for quality, size and appearance, and meets a certain standard.  Generally, it is the best that Canada has to offer, and you can be confident in buying and using it.
Sometimes we like to think that we are “Choice” because God has chosen and called us.  However, the fact that Jesus Christ has chosen us has nothing to do with our intrinsic quality and everything to do with his grace, sovereignty and mercy.  Jesus has chosen us for His own.  He loves us and has given Himself for us.  As we read in John 15, He has chosen us for a purpose – to bear fruit.
What is the fruit that is to come from our lives?  Obviously it is certain qualities, like the fruit of the Spirit listed in Gal. 5:22-23.  Jesus talks in John 15 about love for one another and also about His joy and our joy in John 15:11.
Fruit has a very distinct connection to reproduction.  Its purpose is not just to look nice, be the right size and shape, and have the best quality.  Real fruit has within it the seeds of new life, the potential for more and more fruit.  That means that our lives must touch and influence the lives of others, that the life of Christ in us might implant the seed of His life in them.  The only way that can happen is if our relationship with Christ is alive and growing, and our hearts are open to the flow of His life in and through us, in worship and prayer and serving.
Rev. Colin  

January 11, 2009

In his book "The Prayer of Jesus", Hank Hanegraaff speaks of developing the practice of prayer:  

I have had the experience eight times now, and every time it was a struggle.  As my children began to outgrow their diapers, I would try to talk them into leaving the kiddie pool and launching out into the deep.  For them the kiddie pool was all there was and ever would be.  That is, of course, until they experienced the deep.  Once they learned how to swim in the ocean, they forever lost their appetite for shallow water.
As I led each one of my children into an experience with the vastness of the ocean, so too Jesus led His disciples out of the shallow tidepools of prayer into an ever deepening relationship with their heavenly Father.
Here are some practical guidelines for diving in:
One - Make the paradigm shift.  Stop seeing prayer merely as a means of obtaining your requests.  Start seeing prayer as a means of enjoying the riches of a relationship with God.
Two - Confess your sins daily.  Every single prayer ... will bounce right off the ceiling if there is unforgiveness in your heart, which is precisely why Jesus ended His public sermon on prayer with these words: "For if your forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins" (Matthew 6:14-15)
Three - Get into the Bible.  God's will is revealed in His Word.  Thus the only way you can know His will is to know His Word.  The more we meditate upon God's Word, the clearer His voice will be as we daily commune with Him in prayer.
Four - Discover your secret place.  The secret to prayer is secret prayer.  Your public presence is a direct reflection of your private prayer life. If you spend time in the secret place, you will exude peace in the midst of life's storms.  If you do not, you will be a poster child for Busy-anity rather than Christianity.
Five - Make prayer a priority.  Wisdom is the application of knowledge.  As the Master put it, "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice [or applies them] is like a wise man who built his house on the rock (Matthew 7:24).  My experience in teaching memory for over two decades demonstrates that, if you faithfully practice a new discipline for twenty-one days, it may well stay with you for the rest of your life.

My prayer is that we will "dive in" to prayer as a congregation and as individual Christians over this next year.
Rev. Colin  

January 4, 2009

In Scotland there is a tradition called “first-footin”.  The idea is that people will go from door to door on “Hogmanay” (New Year’s Eve) and, once midnight has come and the new year has begun, try to be the first person to visit a friend or relative.  The “first foot” that crosses your threshold in the New Year is thought to be a sign.  Usually people try to bring gifts with them, some food and refreshment for greeting the new year in proper fashion.  Those who are home and expecting visitors also need to be prepared to provide a warm welcome to the “first footer”.  To be rude to that first guest is said to set the year off badly, and create “bad luck” for the entire year.
While this is a silly superstition, it does encourage us to “put our best foot forward” and welcome the new year with love, hope and a good attitude.  Not everything nor everyone that comes through the “door” of our lives during the course of a year will be bringing good.  There may be heartbreak and trouble along with some joys and triumphs.  If the current trends continue, it may be that the year 2009 will not begin well, and your “first foot” could be a bill collector or a tax man.
The key for us is to be prepared to face all circumstances with faith and trust in God, to know that He will be with us in the midst of our greatest challenges.  We can learn and grow through adversity, and we must learn to share generously when we prosper.
That is how we can start the New Year off right and stay right throughout the year.
Rev. Colin  

December 28, 2008

Prayer for the Last Day of the Year
O God our Father,
today we are remembering all the way in which You have brought us to this present hour,
and we thank You for every step of it.
We thank You for every experience which has come to us,
because we know that in it and through it all
You have loved us with an everlasting love.
For gladness and for grief;
for sorrow and for joy;
for laughter and for tears;
for silence and for song:
We give You thanks, O God.
That You have kept us in our going out and our coming in;
That You have enabled us to do our work, and to earn our living;
That You have brought us in safety to this present hour:
We give You thanks, O God.
For any new things that we have learned,
and for any new experiences through which we have passed;
If we can do our work a little better, and if we know life a little better;
For friends who are still closer to us, and for loved ones who are still more dear:
We give You thanks, O God.
Help us to go on, certain that, as You have blessed the past,
so the future is also for ever in Your hands: through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

(Adapted from “The Plain Man’s Book of Prayers” - William Barclay  

December 21, 2008 

At our Senior’s Luncheon the other day, someone reminded me of one of the silly things I did in my youth.  One year we heard that there was going to be a unique phenomenon in the skies on Christmas Eve.  A star and a couple of planets were going to be in very close alignment, giving the appearance of one very large, bright star.  Astronomers speculated that this same phenomenon had occurred above Bethlehem at the time of Jesus’ birth, thereby giving a naturalistic explanation for the star that led the Magi and the shepherds to the baby.
Four or five of us decided there was only one thing to do: stay up all night and drive around looking for the “Star”.  After the Christmas Eve services at the church, we set out ... to Wallaceburg, back through Dresden to Ridgetown, out to Kenesserie Camp (a great place to look out over the Lake Erie with nothing to obstruct our view of the sky).  The only problem:  it was a cloudy night, and we couldn’t see a thing ... until we had decided to give up and go home, and then one of us was looking out the back window of the car and there it was!  The clouds opened up and the light was shining bright and clear, with the appearance of a long tail pointing down, just like on Christmas card pictures.
We only had a minute or so to marvel at it, then the clouds filled in again.  It seemed that God gave us a special gift in that Christmas experience.  Yet it wasn’t necessarily the “Star”.
It was the realization that the greatest gift is Jesus Christ, and we all knew Him and shared a deep fellowship with one another through Christ.  That bond continues long after the “Star” faded from our view.
Rev. Colin 

December 14, 2008

One of my earliest memories is of a time when my Dad had brought home the family Christmas tree.  He had left it outside leaning against the garage to “open out” a bit before bringing it in and setting it up.  I couldn’t wait to see it, and I remember someone lifting me up to the kitchen window so I could look out and see the special tree.
For me back then, Christmas was all about Santa Claus.  We had a plastic Santa, covered in velvet, with a light inside, which adorned the top of our tree.  I remember feeling sorry for others who were so “religious” that they had a star or an angel atop their tree, and maybe even a manger scene below it, instead of good old Santa.  I thought Santa must feel slighted by this and would probably not bring those kids as many presents.  I always got lots of presents (my older siblings said I was spoiled - sad, but true.)
Though I sang in the church choir and sat through two long Communion services every Christmas Eve, for some reason it took me a long time to figure out that the angel and the star and the manger were actually the meaning of Christmas, not my old red Santa.  Many years later, I met Jesus, and I understood that He came for my sake on that special night.  The gift of Himself that He brought was much greater than all the stuff Santa “delivered” over the years.  I’ve come to realize that Christmas is not one day of the year, coming round annually to fill our toy boxes, wardrobes and sock drawers.
Christmas is really a once and for all event in which “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” to bring us the life of God.
Rev. Colin  

December 7, 2008 

When we moved to Newfoundland in 1976, we found the road to our home on Random Island was one of the worst in the province.  We had to deal with large boulders, “gumbo” potholes, “washboards”, shards of rock that had been blasted out of the side of a cliff, twists and turns, horses and sheep in the middle of the road.  Speeds over 20 mph were almost impossible.  On my first Sunday, I got a flat tire.  I had two more by the end of the next week.
However, help was on the way.  Within a few months, a major road-building project came to Random Island, and the main road was paved by the next summer.  It sounds simple to say the road was paved, but it involved several steps.  More rock was blasted from more cliffs (leaving more razor-sharp shards to pierce my tires).  Some boulders were blasted out of the middle of the roadway.  Bulldozers flattened other bumps and filled potholes.  A foundation of gravel was added on top of the blast rock.  Then a finer “top coat” of gravel was added and smoothed out, before the asphalt pavement was laid down and rolled.  The transformation was amazing.   It was beautiful and functional, and our travel became a pleasure rather than a nightmare.
John the Baptist “paved the way” for Jesus to enter into His earthly ministry.  He showed from Isaiah 40 how God would “make the rough places smooth” and enter into our lives.
That work of preparing the way is still going on today.  As we acknowledge the obstacle of our sin and the boulders of our resistance, Jesus Christ will make our lives ready and come in, speedily and smoothly, to bring His love and abundant life.
Rev. Colin

November 30, 2008

The theme of the first Sunday in Advent (and today's Advent candle) is promise.  We certainly need a promise to sustain us in the difficult times in which we are living.  There is little promise in the economic forecasts.  Instead we are being warned of a long period of recession/depression.  Many jobs are being lost.  Investments are faltering. Companies and individuals are facing severe financial cutbacks and reversals.
It seems that promises from politicians are made to be broken.  The promise of "hope" and "change", the centrepiece of the U.S. presidential election, is now being tempered by reality.  Hopefully, now that the election is over, it will not be back to "business as usual" but at least part of that promise will be fulfilled. Meanwhile, here in Canada promises of stability and growth are giving way to predictions of deficits and downturns.
Where can we go to find a promise that is tangible?  Where else but to God?  He promised through His prophets that He would come to our world to bring us real hope and change, that His Son would be given to us.
That promise is gloriously fulfilled in the birth of Jesus Christ.  He came silently, gently to the manger in Bethlehem, but His birth, life, death and resurrection transformed the world.
There is yet a promise from God concerning Jesus Christ.  We who trust Him as Saviour and Lord look for His second Advent, when He will come as King to rule and reign over all creation.  It is a sure promise, as reliable as the One who has made it.
Look for His coming.
Rev. Colin

November 16, 2008

Don't Let This Happen To You!!! 

A farmer who seldom seemed to make it to worship sent his boy to borrow a neighbour's copy of the bulletin.
In his haste, the boy ran over a hive of bees and soon looked like a warty squash.
His father ran to help. Failing to notice the barbed wire fence, he ran into it, cutting a hole in his "anatomy" as well as ruining a pair of trousers.
The old cow took advantage of the gap in the fence and killed herself eating green corn...
The wife ran out, upset a four-gallon churn of cream into a basket of chicks, drowning the entire batch.  In her haste she dropped a set of false teeth, which the family dog picked up and buried, thinking it was a new type of bone.
The baby crawled through the spilled cream into the parlour, ruining a brand new carpet.
During the excitement the oldest daughter ran away with the hired hand, a stray dog broke up eleven sitting hens, the calves got out and chewed the tails off four fine shirts on the clothes line, and the cat had a bunch of kittens.
All this ... because ... the fellow didn't make it to worship.
Don't take a chance on anything like this happening to you.  Be in worship regularly each week and get your own copy of the bulletin.
I'm not sure that little in the above story is actually true, but it does serve to illustrate how one bad decision can have disastrous consequences.  As "children of the day" (1 Thess. 5:5) we need to be where God wants us, in His presence, not just to avoid problems but to enjoy His blessing.
Rev. Colin 

November 9, 2008 - Remembrance Day

"In Flanders’ fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders’ fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw the torch;
Be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders’ fields."
                                       - Lt-Col. John MacCrae 

This poem was written during the First World War, only a few days before John MacCrae was killed. MacCrae was a Canadian, a medical officer. These few lines capture the essence of Remembrance Day.

"In Flanders’ Fields" is not an anti-war poem. It urges the reader to "take up our quarrel with the foe".  Sometimes it is necessary to stand strong against injustice and oppression and the individuals and groups who would seek after world domination: to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves.

It is a sacred trust ("if ye break faith") to remember and recognize those who served: not only the dead, but the wounded, those whose lives and future were sacrificed, those who put themselves at risk for the sake of their "home and native land", for God and country.

We are not only to remember them with ceremony, but with action: to remember their principles, to preserve within our country the values they sought to uphold.
Rev. Colin 

October 26, 2008

A friend of mine, about 25 years old at the time, applied for the job of director for a church summer camping program.  He was asked what he had to offer the camp and the children who would come to spend the summer there.  He reflected for a short time and gave this one-word response: "Christ".
Not only was he dismissed as immature, arrogant and shallow, but the people who were conducting the interview were insulted.  How dare he suggest that their camp was not already offering Christ to the campers?
The truth is that they were not, in fact, offering Christ.  They were offering a mixed bag of fun stuff and social interaction, in a glorious natural setting, with a thin veneer of denominational "spirituality" over it all.   Any encounters with God that happened at that camp were the result of the persistent working of the Holy Spirit in spite of the goal and direction (or lack thereof) of the camp committee.
And they were misjudging my friend. He was not being arrogant, as though he were the only person who could really bring Christ into their situation. He was really echoing the words of Paul to the Corinthians: "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." (1 Cor. 2:2) My friend was a talented, articulate, communicator, with many natural talents and spiritual gifts.  His purpose was not to emphasize his abilities, but rather his utter dependence upon Jesus Christ. Christ was his only message and all that he could bring into any ministry he did.
If we do not bring Christ into everything we do, then nothing we do will have any ultimate meaning or impact.
Rev. Colin

October 19, 2008

Recently I have been thinking a lot about the state of the church in general, and our congregation in particular.  I have been trying to make sense of some of the things that have happened, and the things that are not happening.
As I thought about these things, I was reminded that, in my teen years, some friends and I walked from Kennesserie Camp to Rondeau Park, along the lakeshore.  You may know that the shore is mostly lined with fairly high clay cliffs.  There are places along the way in which it is necessary to walk in the water to get around the jutting cliffs, or around large pieces of clay that have fallen from the cliff above.  In fact, we were told not to walk beneath the cliffs, because often these huge chunks would fall without warning. 
The cliff could look quite normal, completely intact, and suddenly tonnes of clay would just tumble down.  This is partly due to erosion and undermining from wave action on the lake.  That is visible from below the cliffs.  But another factor is the runoff of rain from above the cliffs, and the action of underground currents, which eat away at the cliffs from within.
I am not saying that this is a special revelation or vision from God, but I believe it is a picture of the church.  We try hard to make the church, and our Christian lives,  look "normal" and solid on the surface.  But underneath there are insidious factors eroding the foundation and working toward a dangerous collapse.
What is the solution?  We need to build a "retaining wall", a solid foundation built on the Rock, Jesus Christ.  We need to dig deep into our lives and implant solid "pillars" of faith, worship, study and fellowship that will hold us together in the face of that which would pull us apart.  We need to create a channel for the refreshing rain of the Holy Spirit to move through our lives and our worship, so that spiritual energy is not driven underground where it can become a negative force rather than a source of nourishment and growth.
We must not be fooled by the "normal" surface view and settle for more of the same.  Instead, we must recognize the signs of decay, and rebuild for stability and growth.
Rev. Colin  

October 12, 2008 - Thanksgiving

Canadians are known for being much more low-key than our neighbours in the United States.  That goes for the celebration of Thanksgiving.  Held in late November, their Thanksgiving is regarded as the beginning of the "holiday season" that extends through the next six weeks of feasting, shopping and football.
Though the present focus is on excess, I appreciate the story of the origin of the U.S. Thanksgiving.
When the New England colonies were first planted, the settlers endured many privations and difficulties.  As people of faith, they spent many days before God in fasting and prayer.  Constant meditation upon distress kept their minds gloomy and discontented, and caused them to consider returning to their homeland, with all its persecutions.
One difficult day, a community meeting was held to consider yet another day of fasting and prayer.  However, one man stood and said that he felt they had brooded long enough over their difficulties, and that it seemed high time they should consider some of their mercies; that the colony was growing strong, the fields increasing in harvest, the rivers full of fish, the woods full of game, the air sweet, the climate temperate, the people healthy, the children dutiful; above all, that they possessed what they came for, full civil and religious liberty.  He moved to amend the resolution for a fast, and proposed instead a day of thanksgiving.  His advice was taken and a valuable tradition was created.
True Thanksgiving focuses on God as our Provider, rather than on the things we need or even the gifts we have been given.  Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
Rev. Colin  

October 5, 2008 - World Wide Communion

"How can I remember things that never happened?"
This is a line from a lovely song I once heard.  It reflects on the fact that memory can be an odd thing.  There are things that I "remember" from my childhood, that may or may not be true.  I "remember"  them clearly, probably too clearly considering my very young age when they happened.  I even "remember" things that happened in my family before I was born: houses the family lived in, trips the family took, relatives who visited from England.  My parents and my older siblings told and retold stories of these events at many family gatherings, and so they became part of my memory.
I am sure that we all have the same kind of memories.  Fortunately, most of these memories are good and basically true.  However, we must be aware that our minds are capable of twisting events and changing their meaning.
Even with things that actually happened to us, our memories may be faulty, and may put a sinister twist on events.  The longer you hold an offense in your memory, the more grievous that offense becomes, whether you are the offended or the offender.
In Philippians 3, Paul remembers his past - his great achievements and his shameful deeds.  He takes neither pride nor condemnation from these memories.  In fact, his desire is to leave them behind for the sake of what is ahead – the call of Christ and the prize of life in Him.
There is no better place to "leave behind" our memories - whether good or bad - than at the Lord's Supper.  Let the Holy Spirit sort through it all, and leave it with Jesus.
Rev. Colin  

September 28, 2008 - 20th Anniversary of Dresden Community Church 

Today we welcome Rev. Dr. John Tweedie and his wife Clare to our 20th Anniversary service.
John and Clare are in celebration mode, as last Sunday was the 20th Anniversary of their home congregation, New Covenant Christian Fellowship in Brantford.
John was greatly used by God in the "call to faithfulness" in 1988 that resulted in the founding of many new congregations across Canada, and the formation of the Congregational Christian Churches in Canada.  He has also been a catalyst in the emergence of the Canadian Evangelical Christian Fellowship, following the CCCC's turn away from congregationalism in 2006.
Along with his role as Senior Pastor of New Covenant Christian Fellowship,  John also serves as the Chairman of Christians for Israel-International and CCFI Canada, where he works alongside Dresden Community Church founding Pastor, Rev. Joe Campbell.
In September 2007, John received special recognition for his many years of service to the Christian Church, and for his efforts in support of the people of Israel, when he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree by Canada Christian College.  John also holds a B.A. from the University of Guelph and an M. Div. From Emmanuel College, University of Toronto.
John and Clare have two married children, six grandchildren, one son in Heaven, and another son who has completed post-graduate studies in Toronto.
As John speaks today, we will hear the tones of his native Northern Ireland, but also the clear sound of the Word of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Rev. Colin 

September 21, 2008 

We are in the process of redeveloping the church website.  This has caused me to do some reflection on our ministry and vision.   When we are putting our vision statement in print for the whole world to see, it's important that we say it well and that we speak the truth.
We say that we are "A Worshipping Community Helping People to Follow Jesus".   Is this really what we are all about?
What do we mean by "worshipping"? I find that there are Sundays when many of us seem to be distracted and uninterested.  We have a weekly opportunity to meet with God - mighty, glorious, tender, merciful - how can that possibly get boring?
Conflicts and complaints over worship style and other areas of ministry affect our community identity.  A Christian community, the family of God, is built on loving relationships, forgiveness and grace.  We do need to "honour one another" (Rom. 12:10). That means, not pushing others to do things your way, but together doing things God's way.
How are we helping people to follow Jesus?  This is a double responsibility: to those who are already following, we need to be encouragers and teachers; to those who have not yet met Him, we are to be witnesses, in word and example.  For both of these tasks, we need to grow and change as we follow Jesus ourselves.  As I said last week, we will all stumble on this road.  But the "helping" part means we pick each other up and walk on together.
I believe we need to pray, together, for "fresh wind, fresh fire" as Jim Cymbala called it, a renewal in our hearts from the Holy Spirit, of our vision and purpose as a church.
Rev. Colin 

September 14, 2008 

The other night a friend of ours called and greeted me as "The old man with two married kids."  She was joking of course (I think) but it is true that Janice and I have really been missing our kids lately.  We find ourselves remembering fondly the days when they were little children: watching them grow, hearing their first words, taking their first steps.
Trevor never crawled on all fours.  He just dragged himself by his arms until he was about 14 months old, then started to walk.  He seemed to watch others for a while until he figured it all out, then just got up and did it.
Kelly, two years younger, seemed to feel that because Trevor could walk on two feet, she should also, so she got up at 9 months and started running ...  into walls, furniture, other people, down stairs head first.  We were always picking her up, comforting her, and setting her down on her seat.  She'd just get up again, unsteadily, and move on to the next crash.
She scared us a lot with her headlong approach to locomotion.
Trevor concerned us because we occasionally wondered if he would ever start to walk.  We could get frustrated with both of them, and fearful for their safety, but we didn't get angry with them for not making steady progress in their walking.
New Christians are like children learning to walk.  Some move very tentatively and deliberately.  Some go too fast, get into scrapes and get hurt. We can be concerned about their progress and worry about their stumbles, but we should not get angry or give up on them if they are not walking as steadily as we are.  Most of us forget what it was like to take those first few steps.  It's good to remember that, and have mercy and grace for those who are struggling with their spiritual balance.
Rev. Colin

August 31, 2008

I have found that I am in a constant battle to get and stay "in shape". I have tried many things: low-fat, & low-carb diets, the "cabbage soup" diet (that didn’t last long), skipping, jogging (several times) and many other things.
During one phase, I bought a set of weights and spent several weeks diligently pressing & stretching and raising my heart rate. One night as I was working out, we had a visitor arrive at the house. He came down to our basement and watched me for a while. I asked him what he did for exercise.
His reply was, "I like to work." "I find that I can put in a few hours of walking, lifting and packing, and I not only feel satisfied that the job is done, but I have had a good physical workout as well." As a department manager in a grocery store, his job provided him with a good opportunity to stay "in shape" physically. But he also had an "in shape" attitude about his work. It brought him a sense of accomplishment.
We trust in God’s grace, and we are not to work for our salvation. Yet the Lord is clear in His word that "idleness" and indolence is sin. Ephesians 2:10 says we are "created in Christ Jesus to do good works".
Our work in Him, as He works in us, brings us our greatest satisfaction, and will keep us in shape spiritually, emotionally, mentally and even physically.
Rev. Colin