“Real” Church

Brett McCracken is a managing editor for Biola magazine. He also writes a blog called “The Search” (http://stillsearching.wordpress.com/)in which he reflects on things cultural and things Christian from a twentysomething perspective.

Toxic Leadership

In a recent column Al Jazeer’s Marwan Bishara offered a frightening picture of a leader gone awry. http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/02/2011222181341136101.html#

Muammar Gaddafi appears to exemplify the worst characteristics of self-interested tyrannical leadership. He has a grandiose vision of himself as a self-sacrificing hero of the people and has surrounded himself with people who support his vision of reality without question.

His rule is based on a toxic mix of delusion, denial, dishonesty, deceit, and duplicity.

Fragile

Thanks Michael for this song.

Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, better known by his professional name “Sting”, is an English musician, singer-songwriter, activist, actor and philanthropist. I do not know Sting’s music but was recently sent a song he performs called “Fragile.”

Follow Your Bliss

Yesterday morning I walked to the church. It is not that I need the exercise. My fancy new bike is not broken and our car is running fine. But, early yesterday morning when I looked out the window to survey the world, it was snowing. Two hours later, when it was time to head to work, 13 cms. of white stuff had accumulated on the ground.

This is Victoria. In Victoria when it snows, if you do not absolutely have to drive, it is always wise to stay out of your car. So, I walked forty minutes to work. On my way, I helped push a car through the intersection at Richmond and Lansdowne and observed many other cars spinning their wheels on various hills.

Death

I am not sure how I let myself get talked into it… maybe in a moment of madness I volunteered – five weeks in Lent talking about death!

It is not that I object to the exercise of discussing the end of our lives. It is not that I find the prospect of discussing death particularly frightening.

Laid to Rest

Please visit http://communities.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/blogs/spirituallyspeaking/default.aspx to read “Laid to Rest”

What am I doing standing here at this graveside?

Earthquake

I feel the people of New Zealand deeply in my heart this morning after they suffered the devastation of another terrible earthquake centred in Christchurch.

This quake was smaller than the last one that struck on September 4, 2010 when a 7.1 magnitude quake inflicted enormous damage particularly in Christchurc h. Yesterday’s earthquake measured 6.3 but was much closer to the surface of the earth and therefore far more dangerous.

Heather and I were in Christchurch in November. We walked around the city and saw many buildings, even two months after the quake, still in terrible shape. Piles of rubble remained on the ground behind wire fencing in the city; areas of the downtown core remained impassable. Large office buildings, churches, and schools stood boarded up and empty.

Rules or Relationship

One of the drawbacks to being a preacher is that most of the sermons I get to hear are ones I preach. It is not that my sermons are so bad; but when I preach, I usually have a pretty good idea what the preacher is going to say before he speaks.

The power of preaching is hearing truth we already know articulated in another voice.

A New Reformation

Please visit http://communities.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/blogs/spirituallyspeaking/default.aspx to view “A New Reformation.”

The Miracle of Facebook

Please visit http://communities.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/blogs/spirituallyspeaking/default.aspx
to see “The Miracle of Facebook.”