the McKenzies

I heard the voice of Jesus

2011-03-01T15:38:00.004Z

I heard the voice of Jesus say,

"Come unto me and rest;

Lay down, thou weary one, lay down

Thy head upon my breast."

I came to Jesus as I was,

Weary and worn and sad,

I found Him in a resting-place

And He has made me glad.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,

"Behold, I freely give

The living water, thirsty soul,

Stoop down and drink and live."

I came to Jesus and I drank

Of that life-giving stream;

My thirst was quenched, my soul revived,

And now I live in Him.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,

"I am this dark world's Light;

Look unto me, my morn shall rise,

And all the day be bright.

I looked to Jesus and I found

In Him my Star, my Sun;

And in that light of life I'll walk,

Till traveling days are done.

~Horatius Bonar, 1808-1889

This is only a Test

2011-02-13T22:39:00.002Z

Test entry to see if this is still linked to my facebook wall.

Is God Dead?

2010-08-13T20:03:00.007+01:00

“God is Dead” – Nietzsche

“Nietzsche is Dead” – God

...or so bumper-sticker theology goes (nearly as famous as “To Do is To Be” – Plato; “To Be is To Do” – Aristotle; “Do Be Do Be Do” – Sinatra).

Do any of you remember this TIME Magazine cover? Or to rephrase, have any of you ever seen it? Currently, it’s the most famous TIME cover published, dated 8 August, 1966. Naturally, I don’t remember it, but I do remember seeing it as a point of discussion when I was younger… and it disturbed me; the idea that GOD could be… DEAD.

I now understand that it was a philosophical question and not a literal one, but that provides little more comfort than my initial misinterpreted misstep… culturally speaking.

This return to blogging addresses the rise in the so-called ‘New Atheism’ movement. Why? Because I live and minister in a (so-called) secular society, and I find myself engaging in passionate, civil discourse with a growing number of atheists. (I know… things ain’t what they used to be, huh?)

Attempting to understand what many of it’s own prominent members find difficult to quantitatively define, has been an important step in reaching common ground with my atheist friends, toward fostering healthy productive discussion about life, God, meaning, and the universe.

Again… why? A common Christian sentiment today is, “If we just start acting more like Jesus then people will want what we have.” I’m sorry, but what the (expletive deleted) does that mean? I certainly won’t argue that if we, as the people of God, began engaging culture with the truth and grace that Jesus personified, then yes, some people might want to know more about this God we follow… but it might also get us (expletive deleted) killed! Am I prepared for that? Are you? The authentic answers to those two questions carry with them an inherent weight of significance far greater than any ethereal, ambiguous call to ‘be Jesus’ to our neighbours.

Freud said that we have battled Nature to advance Western Civilization. A theological perspective on that might be that we’ve battled God for the sake of (western culture’s) progress; or more relevant to the people of God, for our place amidst the progress of western culture. However, that’s the topic for a future entry.

So, back to the ‘why’ question; Starting in 2004, a rash of bestselling ‘pop-atheism’ books (Sam Harris’ The End of Faith; Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion; Daniel C. Dennett’s Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon; and Christopher Hitchens’ God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything) launched an ongoing public debate over faith versus reason, with Harris, Dawkins, Dennett and Hitchens being dubbed ‘The Four Horsemen of Atheism.’

Public debates as such are certainly not new in recent times, and the media has definitely emphasized the ugliest side(s) of this debate, but while atheism, as an intellectual concern, has been a time-honored aspect of philosophy, it has never been generally popular (as Socrates learned when he was put on trial for impiety).

It should be noted that as recently as 1985 one of the most common dictionary definitions of “atheism” was “immoral.” At that time, disbelievers in a supreme deity tended to be identified with the Soviet Union as ‘godless commies,’ or with so-called ‘village atheists’, caricatures of petulance who reveled in offending the sensibilities of religious believers.

But there appears to be a resurgence of interest in atheism – both as a philosophical theory and as a life-commitment; disbelief has come out of the closet, so to speak. Faith in the Holy Spirit’s transformational power notwithstanding, I’ve discovered that listening patiently, and responding with grace and respect dispels the debate and paves the way for discussion… which I wholeheartedly believe, is paramount in challenging disbelief and skepticism.

If the Old Atheism was met by believers with resentment and dismissal, the way forward with the New Atheism is a patient willingness to LISTEN to its fundamental claims and try to understand why they are so embraced by those who uphold them. ‘Being Jesus,’ is becoming harder and harder to quantify in secular, western culture, and if we’re to reach our friends who don’t share our faith, it begins with our recognition of the significant backlash against religious fundamentalism, and as such, we must engage New Atheism with a new approach to it as a philosophical paradigm.

If the question is asked today, “Is God Still Dead?,” the overwhelming majority of the secular world would most likely be in the affirmative. This reality precedes a ‘being Jesus’ approach and necessitates civil discourse getting back to the relevance of ‘atonement’ for a society that no longer even considers it necessary.

I’m certainly not challenging the precept, ‘actions speak louder than words’; I still believe in preaching the gospel, using words when necessary. I’m simply saying that in some cases, our expression of the gospel may begin with a willingness to listen to beliefs and convictions contrary to our own, with an authentic desire to understand, so that we may be invited into and participate in ongoing discussions about faith, reason, grace, atonement and eternity.

Quotes List

2010-01-08T12:28:00.014Z

I'll be adding to this periodically... mostly for my own point of reference.

Our Lord never lays down the conditions of discipleship as the conditions of salvation... Discipleship has an option with it - "If any man...."

~ Oswald Chambers

An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching.

~ M.K. Ghandi-

I simply argue that the cross should be raised at the centre of the marketplace as well as on the steeple of the church. I am recovering the claim that Jesus was not crucified in a cathedral between two candles, but on a cross between two thieves; on the town's garbage heap; at a crossroad, so cosmopolitan they had to write His title in Hebrew, Latin and Greek... at the kind of place where cynics talk smut, and thieves curse, and soldiers gamble. Because that is where He died. And that is what He died for. And that is what He died about. That is where church-men ought to be and what church-men ought to be about.

~ George MacLeod of Scotland (1895-1991)

God is looking for those with whom He can do the impossible. What a pity that we plan only the things that we can do by ourselves.

~ A. W. Tozer

"There is one vice of which no man in the world is free; which everyone in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else; and of which hardly any people except Christians ever imagine that they are guilty themselves.

The vice I am talking about is pride. Pride leads to every other vice; it is the complete anti-God state of mind... for pride is a spiritual cancer; it eats up the very possibility of love or contentment, or even common sense."

~ C.S. Lewis

"Humans are the only creatures that blush... or need to."

~ Friedrich Nietzsche

A Warning List for Those Who Would Join a Missional Church Gathering

2009-10-29T10:20:00.046Z

Heaven knows that Mosaic has had its fair share of challenges establishing itself as a viable, thriving church community over the years. There are enough reasons, theories and rational explanations to write a book on the common variables Mosaic shares with many fresh expressions of church (wait... hundreds of books have already been written on the subject); these variables have, for better or worse, shaped Mosaic into the delicate yet resilient, vacillating yet enduring, joyful yet exhausted community that we are.

There are myriad obstacles that have challenged Mosaic's growth, depth and presence in the west end of Glasgow. Some of these obstacles are cultural; some are circumstantial; but some come from within. I wouldn't identify it as 'in-fighting,' per se. I think it's more clearly associated with a misunderstanding of what our church's vision is, and where Mosaic is going.

In my limited experience, I've come to learn that 'broken fellowship,' or relational fallout among members of the Church community, can often be linked to differences in the understanding of common values and vision, combined with the definition and application (or living-out) of those shared values and vision. What ultimately results is the loss of faith, trust and respect in one another's leadership or role within the church/community - wounding, bitterness and blame may potentially follow.

I suppose this could now become a 5-Point rhetorical analysis on the areas of character, responsibility, biblical behaviour and such, but I'd prefer to take this opportunity to prehab the issue by addressing the root of such problems, particularly as it relates to our existing community at Mosaic.

David Finch is the pastor of a missional church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago called Life on the Vine Christian Community. He's also the author of The Great Giveaway, and writes regularly on his blog, Reclaiming the Mission. Almost three years ago he wrote a post entitled A Warning List for Those Who Would Join a Missional Church Gathering. Although he admits to having written it during a time of frustration with his own church-plant, and the fact that "some people (NOT ALL!) weren't connecting with where the church was going," I found much of what he was frustrated with to be similar to that which we have encountered as a church pioneering as a missional community.

In order to make some of the core points on the list more relevant to Mosaic, some of the content has been adjusted, and as I am not currently writing from a place of frustration, the tone of the list will most definitely be different. The overall ethos of it, however, will remain true to the general message of what people can and should expect when joining a missional community church.

Like some members at Dan Finch's church, Mosaic has struggled at times to get people on the same page with where we're headed as a church. Are we a Bible-teaching church for mature Christians? Are we a 'seeker' church for first-time churchgoers? Should people feel like they're in church when they're at Mosaic, or should it feel more like a café, a pub or a living room? Is Mosaic a place where people will grow deep into their faith in Jesus, or is it a place where they will explore spirituality and participate in ongoing discussions about God and culture and Creationism and Intelligent Design? Of course, the hope is that the answer to all of these is, Both, or Yes, or All! We could talk ad nauseum about when 'church' happens and what it means to 'be the church.' We could talk about the purpose of the Sunday gathering and who it's for and who it should really serve. But really, all I want to do is help the folks that I do life, church and community with understand what to expect in a missional church/community... which may be the best place to start...

EXPECTATIONS - Many people bring with them (from previous churches) expectations that certain things will be in place when they come to church. One of the expectations that has been an ongoing topic of discussion at Mosaic has been an established youth program that is consistently in place every week that parents can count on for their kids. You know the kind - it's the only kind that most of us know - arrive, give kids hugs, kisses and name badges, and then leave them with qualified childcare providers until returning after church to collect them before going home - the Sundays of my youth in a nutshell.

I'll be the first to admit that participating in the childcare at Mosaic can be exhausting some weeks; and sometimes I fall into the trap of believing that church shouldn't be so draining. One of the concepts that some are having great difficulty grasping, is something that many of us are convinced of... that the best way to raise children is in vital community where we encounter Christ together in worship and mission; where youth are asked to join in mission with adults (of course, we also have a high value of mentoring and educating the youth so we're not chucking the baby out with the bath water when we seek to adjust the norm when it comes to youth programs).

The following list could be read and viewed as somewhat harsh, or perhaps a bit off-putting - typically anything that rings with some level of absolution (especially when it conflicts with other points of view) can be interpreted as unsettling to say the least, and downright threatening at worst. Nevertheless, it's important to be wary of expectations at the outset of a missional community. Most missional gatherings begin by calling out already existing Christians to gather in a time and place to give witness to the Kingdom of God (so that God might expand it). Most seasoned Christians come from somewhere else with perspectives and expectations about what church is. I think a warning list, therefore, serves a good purpose for both the beginning stages of a community's planning, as well as for a church community (like ours) that has struggled since its inception to truly land on a common understanding of what it means to be a missional community.

I believe an important posture to have is that of a learner, or someone that is teachable. I'm not saying that on my authority this is the official missional community list. As always, these things should be unpacked, sifted through and shaped by those in the community that call Mosaic home.

Is this list necessary? What would you add or subtract from the list?

TEN THINGS ANYONE JOINING A 21ST CENTURY MISSIONAL CHURCH-PLANT SHOULD NOT EXPECT:

Should not expect to come to church each week as a consumer - getting what you need for your own personal growth and development, and your kids needs, and then leave until next Sunday. Expect mission to change your life - however, expect a richer, fuller life than you ever imagined.
Should not expect that Jesus will fit in to our conditioned capitalist assumptions, lifestyle, schedule or accoutrement that may have been adopted before coming to Mosaic.
Should not expect to be anonymous, unknown or able to disappear in this church community. Expect to be known, loved and supported in a glorious journey.
Should not expect production style excellence all the time at Sunday worship gatherings. Expect organic, simple, creative and authentic.
Should not expect a cracking youth program that puts on a show every week and really gets the kids 'pumped up,' without parental involvement. Instead, as the years go by, with our children as a part of our lives, worship and mission (after the hype would have died down), expect our youth to have an authentic relationship with God through Christ that carries them through a lifetime of journeying with God.
Should not expect every Sunday to be a 'feel good' experience, or leave feeling ecstatic. Expect that there will ALSO be times of pain, lament, exhaustion, self-examination, and just plain silence. At the same time, never let us get away with allowing you to leave unchallenged to dig deeper in your faith, worship or mission.
Should not expect sermons that promise that God will prosper you with 'the life you've always wanted' if you just believe him and step out on faith and give more money. This is a life that Jesus promised would be filled with loneliness, trials and persecution.
Should not expect rapid growth whereby we grow this church from 10 to 1,000 in three years. Expect slower, organic, inefficient growth that engages peoples lives where they are at, and sees troubled people who would have nothing to do with the gospel marvelously saved.
Should not expect that all meetings will happen where we meet for church (The Annexe). Expect a lot of the gatherings to be in homes, out in culture, or sites of mission.
Should not expect arguments over style of music, teaching or even outlying doctrinal issues like dispensationalism. Expect mission to drive conversation.

Oh yeah... and one more thing: you should not expect that community comes to you. The truth is, real community in Christ requires effort and a reshuffling of priorities for you and your kids. I understand that you want people to come to you and reach out to you and that you're hurting and busy - we all feel that at times - but assuming that you are a follower of Jesus Christ (this message is for the people who would claim that), you must learn that the answer to all those things is to enter into the practices of "being the Body" of Christ, including sitting, eating, sharing and praying together.

As I read and reread this before posting it, I'm reminded of the struggles we have to contend with by choosing to be part of a missional church. There are certainly easier models that I could be a part of as a leader or as member, and maybe more importantly, there are a number of churches out there that may have more mass appeal, that people may feel more comfortable in. I'm not criticizing those models, I'm simply saying that I have chosen to be part of something more organic, something messier. We'll never be program-driven or teaching-driven. We'll likely never be able to compete with youth programs that attract kids like magnets to a frenzied collision of enthusiasm and energy every week. We're not likely to volunteer how many people 'attend our church.' When we gather, we don't gather for the sake of church, and we don't gather for the sake of community. But when we gather to worship God and love people, we are the Church... and we're in community.

It may be cliché to say we are Christ-driven, but what impassions us is shaping those in our community to know and love God more deeply, and in turn, to bring His Kingdom to a hurting world through mission.

...these two things

2009-10-18T15:35:00.006+01:00

I don’t know that I would necessarily say that I’m slow on the uptake, but I’m definitely slow on documenting or publicizing my ‘original’ thoughts, theories and ideas before someone else does.

Among other examples, the name of my personal blog, PunkMonk – the title of a book released several years after I used the expression in casual conversation, having no real notion how to capitalize on the semi-clever self-description at the time. I’ve also been toying with the idea of documenting some personal perspectives and experiences that I’ve developed and learned from throughout the past 10 years in ministry, and wanted to call it, Memoirs of a Bad Christian, only to discover that there’s a blog with a very similar title already… though I don’t think it’s copyrighted (Ha!).

I’m pretty sure that the majority of lessons I have to teach will come from poor choices, ‘bad’ decisions, and failures I’ve made or participated in over the course of my life. There will be no references to Chris McKenzie when developing models for success. Mine may be more of a retrospective in trial and error - in truth, grace and forgiveness. In other words, being perfected, not perfect.

It would be nigh impossible to draw from the majority of my learning experiences without directly referencing our first 4½ years in Glasgow with NieuCommunities (a leadership development program that actually failed before it began. It just took some of us a little longer than others to face that painful truth). I could attempt to write generally and elusively, alluding to vague concepts and veiled accusations, but that would be unproductive and unedifying, and would just frustrate you and me both. Probably the best way to engage this period of our lives (when relevant), and the way that is most consistent with who I am, would be to take the band-aid removal approach – just yank it off quick and get it over with and out in the open.

It’s been more than two years since we left NieuCommunities, and a lot of healing and growing has happened in that time. I mention this because I genuinely believe that I’ve arrived at a place where I can write on this subject from a healthy perspective that, while may not be all Sunday-morning-smiles and pleasantries, will be an open, authentic and fair account of what in hindsight was a colossal train-wreck; a tragic study in dysfunctional Christian community.

Because I have no desire or inclination to make this an accusation-laden rant to assign blame or responsibility to anyone involved, I will simply say that Jasheen and I left NieuCommunities under extremely painful and confusing circumstances where words like allegedly, dismissal, betrayal, communication ban, distrust, and ex-communication would largely sum up the experience for us. Despite all that, we are now healthy and even grateful for how everything unfolded (this may be unpacked in a later post if I ever discuss what a dear friend has pointed out as one of my biggest flaws – ‘terminal loyalty’ or ‘loyalty to a fault’).

I recently read a fantastic comparison between the simplicity of baseball, as presented in the film Bull Durham, and the passage in Mark 12 where Jesus answers the question, “Which is the most important commandment?”

The Greatest Commandment

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'There is no commandment greater than these."

In a frustrated shower-room rant in the film Bull Durham, the manager of the minor league baseball team, the Durham Bulls, explodes in a fury over their recent losing streak, cornering the team in the showers and throwing baseball bats all over the shower floor.

“This is a very simple game,” he shouts. “You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and sometimes… it rains.”

When Jesus was asked by a regional scholar what the most important commandment was, his answer was so wonderfully simple, yet summed up the entire essence of what it means to live the Christian life: “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart and with all of your soul and with all of your mind and with all of your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.”

At its core, Christianity is a very simple faith that we have a tendency to make excruciatingly complex and difficult. I’m not saying that it’s easy. I’m saying that it’s simple. To paraphrase and intertwine the description of baseball from Bull Durham, and the response Jesus gave in Mark 12: Love God. Love others. Sometimes it’ll be easy. Sometimes it’ll be hard. Sometimes… life rains on you. Or my personal interpretation (and mantra, perhaps), “Love God – Love others – Do what you like.”

Why do we always make it so annoyingly complicated? Jesus said that there was nothing more important than these two things. Not church, not community, not baptism, not worship music, not programmes, not position, not curriculum, not strategies. Nothing is more important than loving God and loving others.

Why do we try and make it about anything else???

(I’ll come back to this)

I reflect on the last 6+ years of ministry here in Glasgow, and I can’t help but recognize the lopsided measure of failures and trials to successes and triumphs. Almost every aspect of ministry in this place has been laden with challenging pitfalls along the way, from team dynamics to cultural adaptation; from missional living to cult-level expectations/requirements; from weak leadership to no leadership; from apathy and indifference to exhaustion and frustration; from NieuCommunities to Mosaic.

And as I reflect, I wonder how the Church would look if we simply concentrated on these two things. I wonder how differently things with NieuCommunities would have turned out if these two things had been preeminent in the handling of a delicate and complicated situation. I wonder how many wounds and how much disillusionment could have been avoided. Would we really care that much about worship and teaching style? Would we concern ourselves so much with thoughts and discussions about other people, and what they’re doing or saying? Would we care so much what people think about us, or whether they agree with us? Would we worship at the alter of Community, or would we worship at the throne of Jesus?

If we simply concerned ourselves with these two things, we would have so much more joy and enthusiasm about living out our faith. We would give and receive so much more grace. We would be a part of something that as of yet we only stage countless meetings and read hundreds of thousands of words about.

These two things, folks, are what it’s all about.

Love God.

Love others.

Six Years!

2009-09-23T23:12:00.006+01:00

On this day six years ago I boarded a plane at LAX bound for Glasgow, Scotland. I didn't know how long I would be here, but if I'd have placed a bet then, I would have lost. Seeing as I've never lived in one place for more than six years (and that was back in elementary school), I couldn't imagine that Glasgow would be the next time I repeated that home-stand.

It's almost cliché (not to mention impossible to quantify) to say that far more than six years worth of experiences have transpired in that time. Growth, grief, faith and development largely describe the past six years of my family's lives.

In many ways it's been harder than I could have ever anticipated; an uphill struggle all the way. But at the same time, I've never felt that I belonged anywhere other than here... going through exactly what I've gone through here. And I feel today precisely as I did two days after arriving... that inasmuch as I can say about anywhere else in the world, it's home.

Since we've lived here for six years without a car, I wish that my shoes could tell the many stories of the places I've been and the people I've met; the streets I've walked and the cafés and pubs I've frequented. I've walked to Yorkhill Hospital to visit Jasheen in the Queen Mother's maternity ward both times that she was admitted there - for Gabrielle and Isabelle's births. Yes, we've had two little girls during our time here, both of which are as much Scottish as they are anything else. I dragged Jasheen onto a start-up ministry team that I will spend the rest of my days trying to convince her wasn't a cult. We've made friends that will be that for our lifetime, and said goodbye to folks we may never see or speak to again. We've cared for friends through marriages of infidelity, abuse and gross neglect - and walked through divorce with some of those same friends. From the elderly to budding teens, we've allowed our home to be a place of safety, comfort and refuge - be it play dates, movie nights, afternoon tea or bed & breakfast. And now I've turned Jasheen into a pastor's wife - by no fault of her own (ha!).

These past six years have been everything but dull. Life hasn't been easy. Being married to me (I'm sure) hasn't been easy. I'm sure even working with me has been challenging for some, to say the least. When we think of what might have been, had we stayed in California near friends and family, in beautiful weather and extreme convenience and relative luxury, we simply can't imagine doing life anywhere else. Glasgow isn't perfect, but it's perfectly suited to us... for such a time as this.

Six years... eligible for citizenship... a blink in light of eternity... just the beginning?

To Münster, with... love?

2009-08-13T22:49:00.010+01:00

As departure time for an upcoming trip draws nearer and nearer, life begins to blur a bit; tunnel vision sets in; anxiety flares; lists are made and items are checked off; and then ultimately, after staying up for two hours longer than you should’ve, nothing else exists in the world except for leaving on time, and remembering to bring everything.

That’s about the time that I start playing a little game that has developed over the course of my extensive travel experience (I’m not boasting. My parents live in the U.S. and Jasheen’s parents live in Singapore.; We have to travel to a staff conference once a year that’s typically somewhere that’s not Britain; we have good friends in different parts of Europe that we can usually get to for pretty inexpensive airfare – like £0.01 sometimes – all that to say, we have a lot of stamps in our passports). Anyway, as I was saying… It’s about that time that I start playing a little game called, “How far into the trip will we get before I come completely unglued and make Jasheen revisit her reasons for marrying me.” It’s not nearly as fun as it sounds.

Before I share at which point in our travels the wheels came off, I’ll just detail the outbound leg of our journey:

· Taxi (from home to Glasgow Central Train Station – 10min)

· Train (from Glasgow to Prestwick Airport – 45min)

· Airplane (Glasgow/Prestwick to Frankfurt – 1 hr 30min)

· Foot (Frankfurt-Hahn Airport to My Place hotel – 20min)

· SLEEP – 5 hrs

· Car (Frankfurt to Münster – 3 hrs 11min – not including stops)

This journey began at about 5.30p on Tuesday evening and commenced at about 4.30p on Wednesday afternoon. And in case you’re wondering, we wash, rinse and repeat on Saturday – yippee. To be fair, our little girls were amazing. I mean, amazing in the way that makes you look at your kids, then look at your spouse, then look back at your kids, then look straight at the audience and ask in external narrative, “who are they and what have they done with my kids?”

(Right before we left the flat, I jumped on the computer and frantically sent out an email to our beloved eNewsletter list requesting prayer for the conference we’re at, and travel mercies for our girls – who typically are NOT good travelers. It wasn’t very far into the trip that I noticed that people had responded. The way Gabrielle and Isabelle held up on the journey is inexplicable apart from being bathed in prayer.)

Ok.. so now that you know the timeline of the trip, we can get back to where this all started, my fun little game. I won’t keep you in suspense any longer. I left the flat feeling surprisingly good considering the upcoming journey that lay ahead. Jasheen even made a point to say, “Wow, you’re relatively relaxed,” something that was clearly uncharacteristic. And I felt good. What could go wrong?

When we arrived at Glasgow Central and were about 30 yards into the station, Jasheen exclaimed, “Oh! I don’t have my license!!!” (for the record, this is the point in the trip where my little game ended – I made it about 15 minutes into the journey) The license she was referring to was her driver’s license; the driver’s license that we would need in order to collect the rental car because we rented the car in her name since my license is expired; the driver’s license that was, at that moment, in her purse at home behind our locked front door. And there wasn’t enough time to return home, get the license and get back to the station to catch our train.

“Seriously,” I asked, “you don’t have it???” I wasn’t angry at Jasheen, let’s get that straight right off. I began to play out the potential scenarios of how this could effect our trip, none of which ended with us actually getting the car. So with the first leg of our trip done and dusted (the taxi), I launch with this zinger, “I’m honestly considering punting the trip and just going home.” Jasheen’s eyes got really big, but not in that ecstatic, you-just-gave-me-a-diamond-ring kind of big… more like that, I-know-donkeys-with-more-sense-and-class-than-you kind of big. And at that point I had effectively ruined Jasheen’s trip until around the time we landed in Germany. It’s a gift.

Needless to say, we carried on with our trip with the plan that we hoped the person at the rental car desk simply wouldn’t notice that my license expired in 2007. No such luck. After spending the night in Frankfurt, we proceeded to the car rental desk… and after being denied we were once again faced with the option to return home early.

Having assessed our options, Mike and Carol Kurtyka, whom we were traveling with, offered to rent the car with one of them as the driver. Problem solved. Reflecting back on the journey, I can’t help but review the trip in Billy Joel style, a la We Didn’t Start the fire fashion:

Got a taxi, Got a train,

Forgot a license, went insane,

Caught the airplane, Ryan Air,

Walked to hotel, didn't care

Gabrielle wet the bed,

Jasheen started seeing red

Tried to rent a car, got blanked

Thought the trip had finally tanked

Carol drove, Sophie chucked

Now our trip was really… well, not that bad.

Arrived in Münster half past four

Room was on the 2nd floor,

Now we’re here, where we belong

Traveled safe, but a bit too long.

Can’t rent a car you liar!

Your license is expired

Your ruse is oh so tired.

Well, we're here... in the land of bier, schnitzel, bratwurst, and the autobahn. It's so great to be back in Germany after so long. I revisited Munich in 1990 after returning to the States in 1989, but have long waited to return. Two more days and then we're back to Glasgow. Can't to see what adventure that brings!

Something from this past Sunday

2009-06-24T15:10:00.003+01:00

St. Ignatius of Loyola's Examen

The Examen traditionally has five steps:

1. Recall you are in the presence of God. No matter where you are, you are a creature in the midst of creation and the Creator who called you forth is concerned for you.

2. Give thanks to God for favours received. Pause and spend a moment looking at this day's gifts. Take stock of what you received and gave. Notice these clues that guide living.

3. Ask for awareness of the Holy Spirit's aid. Before you explore the mystery of the human heart, ask to receive the Holy Spirit so that you can look upon your actions and motives with honesty and patience. The Spirit gives a freedom to look upon yourself without condemnation and without complacency and thus be open to growth.

4. Now examine how you are living this day. Recalling the events of your day, explore the context of your actions. Review the day, hour by hour, searching for the internal events of your life. Look through the hours to see your interaction with what was before you. Ask what you were involved in and who you were with, and review your hopes and hesitations. What moved you to act the way you did?

5. Pray words of reconciliation and resolve. Having reviewed this day of your life, look upon yourself with compassion and see your need for God and try to realize God's manifestations of concern for you. Express sorrow for sin, give thanks for grace, and praise God for the times you responded in ways that allowed you to better see God's life.

Online Catharsis

2009-06-16T19:46:00.020+01:00

Purging My Emotions Regarding Online Absence

I don't know why it's been so difficult to maintain my blog. Of course, life is busy, but I used to find the time to sit down and type out my thoughts and experiences, and keep people relatively up to date with what was going on with the McKenzie Clan.

I have had so many things I've wanted to share on this blog, from... blogging to facebook; from family sickness (I have a throat infection and both girls have chicken pox in varied stages) to pub theology; from books I've read, to ministering in a pluralistic society; from missional community to intimacy with Jesus; from homosexual ministers to dialoguing with Mormons.

The thing about blogging though, is that if you don't do it in a timely manner, the potency of the moment is kind of lost, and then it's just a process of recapturing the moment and manufacturing an appropriate level of passion for whatever that particular subject or experience was. I suppose a blog could be a simple report on what's going on... but seriously (and I'm not being cynical), very few people's lives are really interesting enough to chronicle daily, or even weekly, accounts of what's happening in, to or around them.

Which brings me to my next point. I've begun to see blogging, like facebook, MySpace, online journaling and personal profiles, as another extension of the social networking phenomena that is sweeping... nay... has swept the planet, that really amounts to nothing more than a serious case of global narcissism. We create entire online personas of ourselves - profile pictures, interests and activities, friends lists, favorites lists - all carefully and strategically thought out to showcase to the world the very best version of ourselves; the best looking; the most spiritual; the most interesting.

I was reading in Adbusters Magazine a few months ago about a person who decided to commit 'facebook suicide' (delete their account). Ironically, the decision came about as they were trying to enhance their profile. They were looking for a new, clever quote that would show depth and introspection, when they came across a quote from Aristotle on a quotes website:

"We are what we repeatedly do."

What then are we? If all of our time is spent changing our profile pictures on facebook, thinking of clever status updates for facebook, checking our profile pages multiple times in a day to see if anyone has commented or responded to our most recent posts, is this what we are? People who revisit their own thoughts and images for hours each day? Have we become the most narcissistic people the world has ever known? The most voyeuristic? The most egotistic?

(click on link to examine this question further)

Now consider this cultural trend of self-obsession in light of missionaries. A big part of a missionary's ministry is "donor relations," the job of keeping up with and maintaining communication with one's support base. But I've discovered that my recent view of online personas has permeated my view of missionary personas, as well. On our websites, blogs and in newsletters, we too can create the best versions of ourselves. Missionaries are often compelled to sensationalize their ministry experiences or random encounters with people in their neighborhoods or in coffee shops - making them sound more dynamic than the lives of the 'normal' people that support our ministries. We may feel the need to create context or share statistics such as, "Glasgow is the most violent city in western Europe," and "Two of Europe's 10 worst neighborhoods are in Glasgow." These are true statements, but I don't know many people other than missionaries who discuss that kind of data... in newsletters and on blogs.

I guess what I'm saying is that, in the same way that I grew tired of constantly enhancing the online version of myself, I grew tired of enhancing the missionary version of myself, too. Yes, I'm one of the pastors of a church-plant, but to be honest with you, I really don't feel much like a missionary at all. I feel kind of like a guy that has been blessed with enough time during the week to reach out and share God with as many people as I can; to meet people where they're at and when they're available to talk about their spiritual journey; to process through pain and loss with folks at any given time of day or night.

I guess I just got tired of sensationalizing those encounters and exploiting the people involved. So I kind of stopped writing newsletters or blogging about daily life encounters. I'm certainly not saying that was the answer. I feel I've done a grave injustice to my donors and a disservice to my family by not communicating more regularly with supporters. I guess I'm just recognizing how the self-obsessed online culture has affected me over time and how I'm trying to gain proper perspective in how to balance the good with the bad

...because there is good...

For all the pitfalls and delusions of connection that accompanies facebook, there is, indeed, a positive side to all of it, too. Facebook is a remarkable tool for reconnecting you with people you may have otherwise lost touch with forever... especially those people you lost touch with before the days of email and the internet. I have found or been found by friends I lost touch with 20+ years ago when I moved from Munich, Germany to California. I may never have rekindled those friendships if not for facebook. Now I may have the opportunity to visit some of those old friends in Munich this summer when I'm scheduled to attend a conference in Muenster.

Being a third-culture kid living away from friends and family in the U.S., I'm also able to stay connected with people better through facebook than if I relied on the telephone or email. And thankfully, I haven't had any of those awkward or inappropriate online reunions with girlfriends-past. Probably the worst thing I do on facebook is brag about my kids through pictures. I love posting picture updates of my girls. I think they're beautiful and so naturally, I assume that everyone else will, too. It's sort of like, "Look what I made!!!"

To be honest, I expected to do a mini-rundown on what's gone on with us these last few months, and what's going on with us for the next few (how funny is that?), but it sort of turned into this cathartic process of understanding and describing why I've struggled to write newsletters or blog posts for the past six months.

I'll keep trying to do better... while maintaining journalistic integrity and respect for the people I encounter every day.

Definition of the New Testament experience of church (ekklesia)

2009-06-02T14:48:00.002+01:00

Organic church life is profoundly simple yet endlessly complicated. It satisfies the deepest longings of the human spirit but frustrates the soul and bids death to the flesh. It’s at the same time rewarding and maddening–it is without a doubt the greatest spiritual experience a mortal can know. Why? Simply because God has chosen the ekklesia in her organic expression to reveal the glories and the riches of His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and to bring to this earth the fellowship that exists within the Trinity.

-Frank Viola

Comedian Steve Harvey's Introduction to Jesus

2009-05-12T16:53:00.001+01:00

Life in the Fast Lane

2009-03-11T11:26:00.007Z

Once again, my blog updates have fallen victim to the Tyranny of the Urgent. Our lives have had so little margin since the beginning of the year that 'normal life' seems a distant reality. We just can't seem to slow down... and in some cases, it appears we don't want to.

For the past several years we've used the analogy of having a revolving door installed to our flat to accommodate the coming and going of all our visitors. Never has it seemed more appropriate than now. Since December, we've had house guests every month... usually multiple guests per month, and it looks as though that trend will continue until at least August.

In addition, we have and host more dinners, meetings, birthday parties, baby showers, gatherings, and general hangout times than we've ever done before. Yes, that includes when we had apprentices/students filing in and out on a weekly basis for 3 years.

The thing is, this exercise of hospitality is simultaneously life-giving and taxing. We can honestly say that each of our house guests have been a blessing; they've been encouraging, helpful and gracious - playing with our kids, babysitting them, and helping out around the flat. In most cases, they simply jump into our routines with us.

As good as it's been to host these great folks - friends and family - we're loving the family time that we're getting for the next couple of weeks. Our girls are so used to having folks in the house, that when a bathroom door is closed or the curtains are drawn, they call out for the guest they think is responsible for that.

It has been good, however, to really concentrate on giving Gabrielle and Isabelle our undivided attention.

Aside from the hospitality, Jasheen and I have some pretty exciting things in the cooker right now, not the least being a new missional endeavor for me. I've taken the point on a project that would see Mosaic launch and indoor skateboard park in the city of Glasgow. In a place that sees so much rain, this could be a great place for local kids to skate during the cold, winter months. We anticipated the park being built and ready by the end of the year, but research showed that the project will take much longer than that. In addition to acquiring the necessary funding for the park, we also need time to find the right facility and get all of the certifications and permissions needed to launch and operate such a business. It will be a business. It will need to be at least profitable enough to cover the costs required to keep it open. No margin, no mission.

I'm in the process of raising a team of folks to help with the administrative legwork for the project - not my strongest suit. Jasheen has been vital to much of this on the front end. Her business knowledge and experience has really helped me grasp a realistic timeframe for this endeavor. We're praying about how all of this is going to come together, but one thing I would LOVE is if someone would catch the passion and vision of this project and take a year of their life to join us over here and commit to the project until it's ready to open. But that's just a dream and prayer of mine.

In the meantime, I'm continuing to serve at Mosaic and Jasheen continues to be supermom and piano teacher.

The girls are growing so fast. At 3 1/2, Gabrielle is still a relational dynamo... making friends hand over fist at nursery school. Isabelle turns 2 this month, and she is doing well to keep up with her sister in all their playful adventures.

I will try to be more diligent in keeping the blog current. Several folks have been encouraging me to write a book (subject of said book is still coming together), and some of the most important exercises for writing is... well, writing... and reading. I'm going to try and write a little everyday, perhaps in blog posts, and perhaps in my own journal. Either way, it should help me keep up with the blog better.

2008 Reading List

2008-12-31T14:08:00.003Z

It was kind of a slow year for reading. Maybe I'll get back into a reading rhythm this year!

Gregory A. Boyd: Letters from a Skeptic

Sam Harris: Letter to a Christian Nation

William P. Young: The Shack

Andy Freeman & Pete Greig: Punkmonk - New Monasticism and the Ancient Art of Breathing

Philip Yancey: Soul Survivor

Miroslav Volf: Free of Charge

Mike Erre: The Jesus of Suburbia

Gilbert Bilezikian: Community 101

Greg Spencer: The Welkening - A Three Dimensional Tale

John Twelve Hawks: The Traveler

Fire in the... bins?

2008-12-15T15:47:00.005Z

As Mosaic was about to get started yesterday, and I was just switching my mobile phone to silent, Jasheen (ill at home) rang frantically, "Chris, the bins are on fire!!!"

The bins she was referring to sit unattractively to the left of our front window. Due to the increased size of todays' waste bins, the excessive rubbish produced by an average family, and the fact that there are three families that occupy our building, we have three large brown plastic bins for organic garden waste, three large blue plastic bins for recyclables, and five large green plastic bins for other rubbish - scratch that - we HAD five large green plastic bins for other rubbish.

"Chris, the bins are on fire!!!"

There's pretty much only one response to that phrase, "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT??? WHAT BINS?!?!?"

"The green bins. They're on fire," Jasheen repeated.

What followed was a realtime report of what was happening, from dialing 999 (Emergency), to attempting to douse the 6' flames with a bucket of water (which seemed only to make the blaze spit sparks in all directions), to a description of the trail the fire was blazing, to the arrival of the hunky firemen who finally conquered the inferno.

We were left with a hunk of molten plastic, ash and charred debris. Remember the Simpson's episode when Bart accidently burned down their Christmas tree and all their presents, and then buried the evidence in the snow? Well, our bins look like that; one solid piece of melted gunk.

It's oddly funny, actually. On Saturday we woke to discover that our boiler wasn't working properly and we could not heat our flat - it's winter here and the temperature outside is literally freezing. Being an old, drafty structure, our flat gets really cold really fast if there is no heat. We spent most of the entire day in the lounge with a space heater while the rest of the flat was a meat locker. Needless to say, it was challenging to have a good attitude... especially since we've all been sick.

So we watched TV... and what did we watch? Extreme Makeover: Home Edition - that show where a disadvantaged family goes from a shack to a mansion in a massive exhibition of compassion, goodwill and free advertising. It really helped put things in perspective, and by the end of the fourth episode - yeah, it was on back-to-back all day long - we were very grateful for our freezing, drafty, old flat.

Our gratefulness extended through Sunday as we thanked God for the couple who came knocking on our door to tell us that the bins were on fire right next to our living room window. Who knows how bad it could have been if no one was home to call 999?

St. Andrews Day

2008-12-01T01:42:00.005Z

Today we celebrated Scotland's main national holiday, St. Andrews Day. While I won't go into detail about the history of the holiday, I thought I'd share a St. Andrews prayer:

O Christ, our Lord,

Who didst beautify the most blessed Andrew

with the grace of apostleship,

and the crown of martyrdom,

by granting to him this special gift,

that by preaching the mystery of the cross,

he should merit death on the cross;

grant us to become most true lovers of Thy holy cross,

and deny ourselves,

to take up your cross

and follow Thee;

that by sharing Thy sufferings in this life,

we may deserve the happiness

of obtaining life everlasting.

Amen. (Attributed to Eusebius, 263-339 c.e.)

Me, teaching on St. Andrews Day Sunday, wearing my kilt.

(the lighting was bad so treating it has made the photo look a little washed-out)

Halloween: The Holiday of Good & Evil

2008-11-02T14:24:00.009Z

There are several different takes that people have on Halloween. Some argue its pagan roots, while others claim its Christian origins. Either way, I thought I'd share a brief blurb on our first real Halloween to speak of in Glasgow.

Until this year, we really didn't have much reason to celebrate Halloween (i.e. We didn't have kids old enough to grasp the concept of free candy).

Just before going out for some trick-or-treating, Isabelle, our little Angel (costumed and otherwise), decided to projectile vomit all over the hallway of our flat. Funny... I thought that happened after the excessive candy ingestion. So Gabrielle and I joined some of the neighborhood kids for a little door-to-door begging.

We discovered, however, that it's not begging at all. There was none of this ring the doorbell, say 'trick-or-treat,' and get a free handout, no. The children are invited in - sometimes as far as into the living room, but usually into the entry way - and asked to perform their 'party piece,' which may be anything from a song, a dance, or a joke. These kids have to work for their treats.

This is really a very cool tradition. It fosters deeper connection within the neighborhood. After living in our new flat for exactly a month, Halloween couldn't have come at a better time. We've already been in our neighbors' flats. We've met them in more intimate ways than just a passing hello on the street. And I got to show off my kid... the one not covered in puke, for now.

For a holiday that catches a lot of flack from some, and is an excuse to be a menace to a few (our flat was also egged by some local youths that decided to hit just about every flat on our block), and is just a downright celebration of evil to others, our first experience trick or treating proved to be a great way to meet our neighbors, and have some good clean fun.

Skateboarding in Scotland: An Enoch Magazine Webisode

2008-10-27T12:38:00.003Z

This is just a little video some friends of mine made when they came over to Scotland to document a skateboarding ministry here. This was made almost a year-and-a-half ago, but they just sent me the link... I think this is one of several videos made of the trip, and the first one that I'm in.

Some 'splaining

2008-10-19T00:54:00.010+01:00

A little over a week ago I posted an entry entitled "failure." I've been contacted privately by several readers asking me to explain (or elaborate on) the demise of nieuCommunities in Glasgow.

First off, I must say that I'm not going to write and open-letter addressing this subject. I am willing to speak personally/one-on-one about it, but I'm not going to publicly address it. I feel I should also point out that the purpose of the post was not to emphasize that nieuCommunities failed. I was simply using a conversation that I'd had earlier in the week as a launching pad into the processing I'd begun on the issue of failure in general.

I simply found it intriguing that I had already begun the internal process of evaluating personal and group failures during my time in Glasgow, when the conversation with my friend spontaneously occurred one evening while we were out.

As I mentioned in the post, I can only speak for Jasheen and myself regarding these matters, but to understand what 'failure' meant in this context, one would have to understand and consider the vision, values and purpose of nieuCommunities as a whole. nieuCommunities endeavored to be a missional community, thus, failure was a collaborative effort. The operative words there are 'missional' and 'community.' While 'missional' is not a recognized word in English dictionaries, its generally understood to mean, "relating to or connected to a religious mission."

'Community,' on the other hand is easy to define, and it's key characteristics are commonality, social group, shared location, etc.

The 'failure' I alluded to in the original post had to do with our failure as a community, and the subsequent withdrawal of nieuCommunities from Glasgow. Despite the end result, Jasheen and I have experienced and enjoyed a flourishing five years of ministry here. Our place and calling in Glasgow has never been in question, and as the smoke has settled, we remain right where we belong. We may never fully understand God's hand in what happened during our time with nieuCommunities, but for now, we can humbly accept that He used it as a vehicle to get us here, and perhaps it will serve further as the vehicle that leads us into further works in Europe and/or beyond.

I'm not sure that this serves as a satisfactory 'elaboration,' but I feel it's the best I can do as a public address.

New York State of Mind

2008-10-16T01:32:00.003+01:00

Here's a little trip that sort of snuck up on me, but Jasheen will be leaving me and the girls this Friday and flying to New York City. This is all part of the process we're going through to finalize her permanent residence in the U.S. since she married an American. Although we live in Scotland, this is necessary for future trips to the U.S., and of course, in the event that we relocate there.

This trip almost seems like a game show prize. Airline miles were given to her for the flight; a hotel is being covered by a friend that I went to Westmont with who is a flight attendant, who is also meeting her there and spending a girly weekend in The Big Apple with her... and taking her for a spa day!

The whole purpose of the trip is so that Jasheen can get a stamp in her passport that proves she was in the continental U.S. before 1 November... everything else is just bonus.

This trip to New York caps a month that has brought with it several 'firsts.' We just made our first move as a family unit into a new flat; we watched our 3-year-old go to her first day of nursery school on 1 October; I built our first outdoor play apparatus - a wooden playhouse - and Jasheen is going on her first trip away from our girls for the first time since either of them was born (Bali doesn't count b/c we did that together). Incidentally, Jasheen's trip brings with it my first stay-at-home experience with the girls, too.

If you are of the praying persuasion, toss one up for all of us this weekend. Jasheen leaves on Friday and returns Tuesday. I'll have the girls for five days without the help and security of mommy. Something tells me that Jasheen is in for a more relaxing weekend than I am.

"failure"

2008-10-11T11:55:00.012+01:00

When one door closes another door opens; but we often look so long
and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the ones
that open for us. - Alexander Graham Bell

"NieuCommunities was a complete and utter failure," insists the bloke sitting across from me in The Chip, a local pub on Ashton Lane in Glasgow's west end. More than a year and a half removed from nieuCommunities and I still find myself haunted by conversations like this.
The 'bloke' I'm with is a good friend whom I join down the pub once a week with a few others for some good chat (usually), and to be fair, he's earned the right to have an opinion. I've known him since the first month I moved here, and though he's "not particularly religious," he became quite familiar with nieuCommunities from very early on.
"I could have told you it was going to fail within six months of your arrival," he adds. Oh, I think to myself, it took me a little longer.
"It's not that it wasn't a good plan," he continues, "it's just that the wrong people came."

Hindsight is 20/20.

Thank goodness he regulalrly inserts the phrase, "except for you and Jasheen," otherwise I'd probably be feeling pretty worthless about now. He continued to share with me his thoughts on how and why the organization I originally came to Glasgow with has since pulled up stakes and closed shop - or in his words, "failed." His thoughts are not personal; they're not emotionally charged. In fact, he has little to no personal agenda at all. He's just astute, and afterall, we did come to his town.

The west end is a relatively small place for being home to a couple of hundred thousand people. I would have expected by now that these conversations would have run their course, and Jasheen and I would just be... Jasheen and I, working with Mosaic, teaching piano, etc. But no. In many ways we are still called upon to account for and explain the whos, whats and whys of nieuCommunities.

In any case, the idea of examining 'failure' began while I was in Geneva a few weeks ago at a Coaching Leaders workshop provided by CAI and led by longtime friend, Keith Webb (Creative Results Management). I began thinking of 'failure' beyond the arena of life-coaching. This wasn't an exercise in self-deprecation, but of self-examination; of reflection.

Last week I dropped Gabrielle off at her nursery and adjourned to a little coffee shop down the street to wait. As I sat in Chapter One, I began reflecting on my own personal failures over the past five years in Glasgow - my failures as a husband, as a father, as a leader, and as a follower. My thoughts then turned to the failures of my team... probably because of the previous night's conversation with my friend.

At the coaches training workshop, Keith Webb stated, "Failure is an emotionally-charged word. Discouragement is its constant companion. 'Failure' also has a note of finality or completeness. Black or white. Bad or good. Fail or succeed."

As I continued to reflect on these things, I considered the end result of nieuCommunities in Glasgow. To put it in a black and white context, we appear to have failed, at least to local onlookers. However, while the overall result may not have been what was hoped for, many of the individual actions may have actually moved us closer to our ultimate calling and goal. I can't speak for the leaders or other members of the original team, but I can speak for Jasheen and me. On the way to 'failure,' there were individual successes over the course of our time with nieuCommunities. I mean, we must have done something right, right?
We still have great, ongoing relationships with a large number of the apprentices that passed through Glasgow. In fact, we still see many of them when we're in their neck of the woods or they return to Glasgow. And one mark of success may be the support we recieve from them. Of the three groups of apprentices that we've led, nine of them have supported or are currently supporting us, in addition to some of their parents. We have also continued coaching several of them after their departure. And many of the relationships that were developed while we were a part of nieuCommunities are still thriving.

So yeah, 'failure' happened, but I think it's important to look at every individual step taken, and the success that came as a result of those steps before writing off the entire endeavor as a complete failure.
Although I anticipate more provocative conversations about nieuCommunities, the leadership, and the impact (or lack thereof) it had on the west end of Glasgow, I think I'll be better equipped to shoulder and process my role and responsibility in the whole ordeal by recognizing that not all measures of success or failure can be ascertained by the ultimate outcome of a project.

On Saying Goodbye

2008-09-30T00:51:00.017+01:00

I'm sitting here blogging one last time in what doesn't really look like our flat anymore, before unplugging, packing our computer, and placing it in the pile of things I don't want things stacked on.

...and I'm feeling a bit emotional.

Blogs are used in a range of ways, often unleashing the would-be journalist, the reporter, the contemplative, the theologian, or the philosopher hidden inside the blogger. Sometimes I even write as if there's an internal monologue tracking with hip theme music. This entry will undoubtedly be reflective of the four years Jasheen and I have spent in the only home we have known as a married couple... and the one each of us have lived in for the longest stretch of time... ever.

We both grew up moving around a lot. Our journeys have taken us from Singapore to London to California to Germany to Arizona to Australia, and finally, to Glasgow, Scotland. Between the two of us, we've lived on four of the seven continents, and saying goodbye to each place has never been easy.

Jasheen and I began our married life in this flat four years ago. We've welcomed two additions to our family (Gabrielle & Isabelle), hosted people who have become life-long friends, led leadership, and marriage classes, hosted jewelry launch parties, youth clubs, movie nights, Super Bowls, tea parties, Thanksgiving dinners, Christmas' and birthday parties for literally hundreds of people. We've experienced some of our highest highs and our lowest lows in this flat. We've been a part of discoveries, heartbreaks, celebrations and failures in this flat. We've watched two seasons of Heroes, four seasons of 24, and are in our fourth season of Prison Break in this flat.

And if it were the right choice for our family, we'd stay. We love our flat. It's been perfectly situated in the west end of Glasgow to be right in the middle of where LIFE happens. But as our girls are growing, other needs are superceding this prime location. For one, we're situated on a main road running through the heart of the west end - not ideal for two toddlers eager to run instead of riding passively in the stroller.

We discovered our new flat by chance. I was over at my friend an colleague's flat and noticed that the door downstairs from them was open. Some men were working inside and the flat has been uninhabited for more than a year. I snuck in to take a peak and liked what I saw. In addition to being much closer to my teammates, the flat has a front yard for our girls to play safely in away from constant traffic. It's not as ideally located as the one we've been in, but as I said... new priorities.

While we won't be welcoming any new arrivals to the family in the new flat, we're confident that many new and cherished memories await us.

But still... saying goodbye to the only home our girls have ever known; to our friends and neighbors whom we have grown quite fond of; and to corner shops, pubs, parks and coffee shops, is going to be hard... even though we're only a 12-15 minute walk away.

We've grown so much in this flat, as a family, spiritually, maritally, emotionally, and socially. One of the byproducts of being third-culture-kids is that we love new beginnings, new adventures and new settings.

...but still, saying goodbye is hard.

Busy... No, Full Week

2008-09-01T18:21:00.014+01:00

I won't say it was the busiest week we've ever had, but this past week was the fullest we've had in a long time. I make the distinction because there's a difference between busy and full. Busyness is often a self-induced state; a byproduct of poor scheduling and time management. Fullness, on the other hand, is complete, rich, gratifying, productive.
Although the week was physically, spiritually and emotionally draining, it was also life-giving.

The backdrop of our week is set against preparing for and taking the Life in the UK test that is a prerequisite when applying for permanent residence. Having been here for five years now, we're eligible to apply for permanent residence which will allow me to find part-time work in the marketplace, fostering a deeper connection with locals, as well as providing financial stability for our family. One of the reasons that this is a critical step in our ministry, is that permanent residence is the last step before gaining British citizenship, and by becoming British citizens, we will also be gaining European Union (EU) citizenship. This would allow us to move into countries that are becoming more difficult for church-planting missionaries to move into should the Lord lead that direction in the future.

All of this to say, Jasheen and I both passed the 24-question True/False - Either/Or - Multiple Choice test. The test itself wasn't so difficult, but preparing for it was the primary contributor to our full and draining week. Unlike students that have time allotted for studying, we have our regularly scheduled week that we have to incorporate study-time into.

Throw in a friend visiting from the States, a friend moving down to London this week, and the start of Mosaic's youth group ministry, and that's a recipe for very little sleep. My friend Sharon (former Westmont classmate) was visiting her parents here for a couple of weeks. And our good friend and babysitter (one of the few that refuses payment) from Kember & Jones, Becca, is heading down to London to attend Uni - that's the second K&J pal we're losing in as many months. (For those of you unfamiliar with Kember & Jones, it's our favorite little patisserie/food emporium around the corner). Anyway, between quality time with Sharon and Becca, attending Becca's going away party with her work colleagues, and hosting a youth group pizza & movie kickoff... not to mention squeezing studies into our already chaotic schedule(s)... we had a VERY... FULL... WEEK.

Pub Theology

2008-08-20T12:06:00.005+01:00

You may notice from the On My Nightstand list that I'm reading a couple of new books. It's only coincidence that they're both positioned as 'letters.' Before anyone starts worrying... yes, Letter to a Christian Nation is written by popular philosopher/atheist, Sam Harris. I've been getting together with a guy in my neighborhood lately and discussing faith, religion(s), God/Jesus, and the universe. This certainly isn't a book that I would have pushed to the top of my To Read list, but in the interest of connecting with him where he's at, and furthering the ongoing conversation, I agreed to check it out.
He and I usually get together at the pub down on the corner and share our stories, views and experiences over a pint. Before I moved here five years ago, a friend who'd been a missionary to Scotland for seven years told me that if I wanted to connect with people here I needed to engage the pub culture. So I have been. And to my utter dismay... my fun, relational, fraternal time down at the pub has been hijacked by deep theological conversations lately. Oh wait... that was the idea.

The last few times I've been down at the pub with some guys I get together with weekly, I have been taken aside for some pretty intense chat. I was speaking with one guy that currently lives and works in Africa who shared passionately how much he would love to believe all that I was saying and all that he's heard, but he just can't get past the way he has experienced Christians living/behaving... especially missionaries.
The next guy that cornered me just couldn't get his head around a God that was supposedly "merciful," yet says that 'all these people over here are going to hell.'
And yet another guy had issues with Jesus' claims to be the son of God.

Our conversations generally center around rugby, kids and work, but I found myself fielding the toughest (most common) issues the world has with Christianity: Christians, justice and Jesus. It's taken a long time for the conversations to turn to these topics, but I've discovered that I've grown into the role of the pastor they reference for all their queries and doubts.

I really do enjoy the lighthearted boys-night-out atmosphere that we typically have on a Tuesday night down at the pub, but at the same time, I am incredibly encouraged that these times are becoming seasoned with more depth and authenticity.

There and Back Again: Thoughts and Reflection from Glasgow to Hungary

2008-08-07T11:21:00.008+01:00

There's nothing like returning home from a week away to the shrieks and squeals of, "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!!!" This was a first for me as I recently returned from Christian Associates' CONNECT conference in Sopron, Hungary.
But perhaps I'm getting a little ahead of myself. In the past six weeks I've been commissioned as a pastor at Mosaic, operated on twice, and in Hungary for the conference... and it looks as though things are just starting to get busy.

I've been extended the honor of serving as the shepherding pastor in Mosaic. What exactly does this mean? Are we one of those churches that has a different "pastor" for every area of ministry? No (not that there's anything wrong with that). It simply means that I will be living out my passion, gifting and calling in a leadership role within our missional community. Being a pastor has never been an ambition of mine. Nor is it something that I thought I was coming to Glasgow to do. However, after further reflection, it is precisely what I'm here to do... or more accurately, to be.
A pastor isn't a pastor because of his/her title. And many without the title are, indeed, pastors. There are those that serve as preachers and teachers, or as healers, prophets or servants. And there are those that serve as shepherds. Shepherds exhort, disciple, equip, coach, mourn, lead, etc.
There is one thing that's been confirmed amidst the peeks and valleys of a tumultuous five years in ministry here: People Need Jesus. I need Him. You need Him. Everyone we know needs Him. Whether I have been exalted or maligned, excommunicated or embraced, celebrated or vilified, depressed or encouraged, mocked or respected, isolated or enfolded, accepted or rejected, abandoned or surrounded; the one thing that I can honestly say has kept my eyes forward, is the simple truth that I want everyone I know to know Jesus, or to know Him better.
My (new) title doesn't define me. On the contrary, I hope and pray to live up to what it means to shepherd the people God entrusts to me.

The CONNECT conference in Hungary is the first staff conference I've attended since joining CAI just over a year ago... and it was amazing! With speakers like Greg Boyd (Sr. pastor, Woodland Hills Church, St. Paul, MN) and Alan & Deb Hirsch, how could it not be?
There were so many highlights from the conference, but I think I'll touch on just a few... for now.
One of the best things about my experience was connecting with people doing what I'm doing, but in different parts of the world. In Scotland, it's easy to feel removed at times. We're on an island. We're in a relatively small, humble country. We have a growing, yet small church community. And we are breaking new ground in the areas of church-life and missional living. Sometimes, it feels like we're downright alone. But it was encouraging to get to know and hear the stories, trials, and victories that other teams are experiencing in Paris, Lisbon, Amsterdam, and Brussels (to name a few). I was both ministered to, as well as having the opportunity to share some insight and experience with teams going through some typical team dysfunctions. Hey, the Lord redeems even life's toughest experiences.

Another cool (and somewhat surreal) experience happened during a commissioning ceremony held for all of us new to staff in the past year. A couple of years ago I was assigning a book by Alan Hirsch to a group of young leaders. On this night, I was standing next to Alan Hirsch and his lovely bride, Deb, as we were being commissioned. What a trip!

I can't express how at home I felt among the staff at CONNECT. Although there are people of all ages on staff, it has a very young and energetic vibe. It's a group full of explorers, adventurers and risk-takers.

The next few months are as busy as these past two... if not more so. I have a Coaching Leaders Workshop to attend in Geneva in late September, as well as Field Orientation to attend for Christian Associates in the Hague in early October. And these trips fall just prior to our family moving flats. Hectic times call for fervent prayer.

London Layover

2008-07-28T15:51:00.004+01:00

So I’m sitting here at Caffé Nero in London’s Heathrow Airport at 9:55pm. Thank God they’re open all night because my flight doesn’t depart for another 9 ½ hours.

Wait, scratch that. I was just asked to move to the front, as they are closing the back part of the café… the part with the comfy sofas and electrical outlets. Looks like it’s going to be a long night on marble tile.

That’s right, believe it or not, after all the traveling I’ve done, I’m experiencing my first overnight layover in an airport… and it’s not starting out too well. Of course, the caliber of overnight air travelers does appear to be a little less dodgy than that of rail travelers. ☺

Anyway, I’ve been meaning to submit another entry, but have simply not had the time to sit down and crank it out. And it seems I have nothing but time at the moment. Given some of the things going on in and around our ministry in Glasgow, I found myself reflecting on where I was at about 2 ½ years ago. The common denominator(s): Re-Entry to Glasgow after visiting family in Singapore; the challenges of leaders transitioning out/away from a place of partnership/community; finding myself in the familiar place of leaning on and trusting God to continue to guide and sustain our family as we forge ahead in ministry… often times in uncharted territories.

Two-and-a-half years ago, Jasheen, Gabrielle and I went to visit Jasheen’s folks in Singapore. Leading into that trip I had begun having serious concerns about my fit with the team/organization I was with. It had nothing to do with my specific ministry in Glasgow, but with the direction I sensed we were headed as a team, and how that was beginning to conflict with my vision, values and calling… and my original understanding of what we were doing here in the first place.
When we returned to Glasgow, for the first time since I’d arrived, it felt… unfamiliar. It didn’t feel like home. I remember walking around in a haze – not jetlag – a haze of uncertainty. I felt like I didn’t know my teammates; I felt like I didn’t get my teammates; I felt like I was no longer one of my teammates. In retrospect, I think I missed a pretty big word from the Lord back then. Ain’t grace a gas?!?

Now, for the record, I believe that relational dynamics are so infinitely complex that you can’t pinpoint exactly what makes people gel and what makes them… not. But you can usually ballpark it.
The significant relevance of this story, however, is not to focus on my first re-entry to Glasgow, but on my second, this most recent one.

Without going into too much detail, my experience upon this return was inversely proportionate to the first. I felt as if I was coming HOME… not just to where we dwell, but to where we BELONG. I was diving back into a ministry I’m excited and passionate about. I knew I was coming home to some challenging circumstances within our ministry, but I was confident and hopeful that we would emerge a stronger, healthier, tighter community… and we have.

One of the more difficult things that we’re facing as a community right now is the departure of a colleague and good friend from our leadership team. It’s always hard to say goodbye to friends. Yes, we’re disappointed. Yes, we’re grieving. But we are also leaning into our Father and discovering that His direction has not changed. His desire for relationship is still as strong as ever. He is still on His throne. Mosaic is HIS church, and nothing we do can change that. We don’t serve the perfect model. We don’t worship the perfect community. We serve and worship a perfect GOD!

Amidst the backdrop of a changing landscape for our community, Mosaic has invited and commissioned me to serve as the shepherding pastor. I have been “cut loose” to come alongside folks in our community in the areas of coaching, discipleship, small/home groups and missional living. This is an exciting part of my vision for serving here in Glasgow… as well as an integral part of my calling. I’m humbled and grateful to serve in such a role.

I’ve got to tell you, I feel pretty privileged to be a part of our unique little church. I’ve recently been meeting with a professor from ICC (International Christian College), and this guy is pretty amazing. He’s incredibly dialed-in to the Church in Scotland. At our last meeting he told me that Mosaic is the only ‘emergent’ church that he knows of in the country; the only church that is genuinely modeling church as a missional community. That’s exciting… and encouraging!

Man, there are a lot of messages in this entry: Re-Entry can be good or bad; pay attention to the words God speaks to you; in ministry, friends and colleagues come and go, but God is always the foundation we build our hope on… the list goes on.

I just want to leave Terminal 5 and get the second leg of my journey underway. I need a shower.

A Return to Blogging (Singapore & Community)

2008-07-07T11:31:00.004+01:00

So what do you lead with when breaking such a long period of silence? Whether it's inspiration, newsworthy events, or simply extra time, I've found that blogging is something I do in spurts. I wish I could blog everyday. I always feel like I have something to write about. I envy those people that blog regularly... either they don't have a family, don't have a job, or blog when they should be working.

Jasheen and I recently returned from an amazing holiday in Singapore and Bali. While there, we experienced heat like we haven't in a long time, we experienced the joy of life and parenting with the assistance of family, we walked painfully through the loss of a child with dear friends in California, and we celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary.

While I could write pages about our time in Southeast Asia, I'm not sure I could do it justice through written word, and I'm not sure I could hold your interest for very long. I think I'd rather share some thoughts and observations I had along the way.

COMMUNITY

Many of you have heard my take on community before. While I see it as a vital part of our Christian life together, I've also experienced the downside(s) of the pursuit of authentic community. Many, it seems, long for community for selfish reasons - perhaps subconsciously. It may provide safety, security or even purpose. Often times, community is manufactured to achieve a goal - usually in a ministry context. Rarely have I found that community is authentically executed for the sole purpose of living out the Kingdom of God on earth.

One of the things that occurred to me on this trip was that through all the efforts that our generation chases after community, they don't seem to think to research cultures and societies that do it naturally. I think it's obvious that Western culture does not do community very well. Our societies foster individualism, boundaries and isolation. We're consumed with personal time, personal space and personal autonomy. We've even reduced the gospel to a "personal relationship with Jesus Christ."

In Singapore, and more specifically, through Jasheen's extended family, I discovered that Asian cultures and families live in community effortlessly, without thought, intention or strategy. They don't map out community values, maxims or behaviors. Their lives are truly intertwined and they don't rely on permission or courtesy to speak into each others lives. Whether it's commenting on ones appearance, or sharing approval or disapproval on parenting style or a family member's choice of girlfriend or boyfriend, they engage one another authentically. Raising children is truly a village's responsibility.

This all may seem intrusive at times, but that's because of our conditioning. In every other facet of life and learning, people research environments relevant to their field. It seems incredibly arrogant (in my humble opinion) to pursue and provide community without studying and understanding how to really do it. Applied theory can't compare with observed and experienced reality.

At Mosaic, we are trying to cultivate a missional community - a community that practices the elements seen in the communities of the Bible, and more specifically, the communities that Jesus was a part of. By observing societies that live in community naturally, and applying biblical foundations to those models, I believe that we can more effectively achieve the Kingdom-minded communities that we are pursuing. But simply extracting biblical principals and incorporating them into our western cultures - or making them relevant to our conditioned lifestyles - I think we're spinning our wheels... and doing more harm than good.

We cannot succeed by making biblical principles relevant to our environment. We MUST make our environment(s) relevant to biblical principles. Inasmuch as I will make every effort to live in biblical community here in the West End of Glasgow, I remain unconvinced that true community can be done in such a context. We're talking radical abandonment of conditioned paradigms; surrendering the "personal" in areas of space and time; letting go of expectations afforded us by a modern western mindset.

This does not mean that we eliminate times alone with God. As Jesus took these times, so should we, for the recharging of our souls so that we can effectively engage the community and world around us.

Wedded Bliss

2008-06-27T09:00:00.003+01:00

There are a number of things that could bring me out of my blogging silence, but the most important one is my four-year wedding anniversary.
Jasheen and I were able to celebrate our anniversary in Bali (Indonesia), a special gift from her folks. We left Gabrielle and Isabelle in Singapore with my in-laws for four days. It was the first time we'd been away from either of them for even close to that amount of time... and... they... LOVED IT! They never once cried for us or indicated that they missed us in the least (I knew we should have planned on staying longer!!!).

From Singapore to Bali, poverty to being a millionaire, and community to living in HEAT, I have so much to blog about. But I think I'm going to stagger my entries to make them more palatable - I mean, no one reads long blogs, right?

Anyway, Jasheen and I had an amazing time in Bali, soaking up the sun, the sights, the beach and each other. I'll blog more later, but for now... we're ready to start year five.

Living Room Gig with LDL

2008-03-17T15:10:00.003Z

Ever heard of a Living Room Gig? It's pretty much exactly what it sounds like. Jasheen and I were invited to attend a living room gig at some friends' flat on Saturday night, and I have to say, it was brilliant.

Having shortened their name to LDL, Lies Damned Lies is a Glasgow-based-three piece consisting of two of our friends. They've released five albums on their own Sticky Music label and have chosen to tour the UK playing the intimate settings of living rooms.

Their dreamy, jazzy, bluesy melancholy offers far more than one might expect. I found myself quite moved by their thoughtful meanderings about the essence of life, the relationship between man and man, and God and man. It's hard to imagine that one can walk away from one of their gigs without taking on the knowledge that your life somehow has more depth.

During the 20-minute intermission, I chatted with a former Episcopalian minister and mentioned how spiritual I found their lyrics to be. "Well Steve (the lead vocalist) is an Anglican priest," he said. Steve is the one member of the band that we didn't know, and having discovered this, it all made more sense.

Throughout the evening, in both song and speech, words like, "lamentations, mercy, peace, beloved, walk-on-water, and God," popped up. Despite the spiritual nature of their songs, their music is less a proclamation, and more an invitation of exploration.

As I surveyed the room, I saw deep contemplation as well as tears... from some I knew not to be Christian. It was refreshing to witness a different approach to reaching people at a soul-level. I have seen "gigs" that filled the likes of Dodger Stadium, and gigs that failed to fill the Hollywood Palladium, but rarely have I been so moved as I was in this quaint living room in Glasgow's west end.

If you get the chance to attend a living room gig in your area I highly recommend it. It may not be U2; it may not be Green Day; it may not even be [insert hometown band makes it big], but the intimacy experienced is unmatched.

For bands resisting the artistic compromise that often accompanies the popular music machine, self-produced living room gigs are the way to go!

Book Review: The Jesus of Suburbia

2008-02-28T16:34:00.006Z

Have We Tamed the Son of God to Fit Our Lifestyle?

I picked this book up off of my dad's bookshelf when I was there this past December/January. It first caught my eye because of the title.
In the Acknowledgments section, Mike Erre states that he is no longer under the assumption that he has ever had an original thought. He attributes all of his thinking and insights to mentors and writers that have shaped his approach to life and ministry. Fair enough. I appreciate that kind of candor and authenticity... mostly because I think that's the case more often than not these days... be it in film, music or academics. I mean really, when was the last time we saw some really original innovations in the world of mathematics??? (I digress).

True to his admission, there isn't a whole lot of new material in here if you've already read the authors' works that he credits in his acknowledgments: Erwin McManus, Rob Bell, Dallas Willard, JP Moreland, etc. Even the title (what grabbed my attention initially) is the name of a Green Day song from the American Idiot album.

I know Mike... by that I mean that I've met him, we've played some pick-up basketball together, and we probably have known each others' names from the pre-Mariners/South Coast Community Church days. I also really like Mike and think he's doing a great job at Rock Harbor.

While the message presented here isn't radically new, it is a radical call to really knowing Jesus, rather than "simply knowing about him." Mike attacks American Christianity as it tends to present Jesus as "the purveyor of the American Dream," a predictable and safe Jesus that has more or less been reduced to the study of risk management.

The Jesus of Suburbia joins a collection of emergent works that are calling the next generation to a radical re-commitment to their faith... and more importantly, to live that faith out in today's culture.

If Donald (Blue Like Jazz) Miller's works focus on Christian spirituality as an explanation for beauty, meaning, and the human struggle, and Erwin (The Barbarian Way) McManus' goal is to maximize the divine potential in every human being, then Mike Erre's message is a call to the American church to begin "demonstrating the message of Christ," not merely explaining it.

This is a simple, straightforward retrospective on what it means to live out our faith in today's society; a good read worth picking up.

Basic Evangelism

2008-02-26T11:45:00.009Z

One of the things that I try to be aware of is patterns. If I begin to recognize patterns in ministry, relationships or culture, I tend to take notice, and often times, those are the things that I will share on this blog. However, in the interest of privacy and anonymity, I'll refrain from using the names of people that I encounter.

One of the patterns that I've recently recognized is the challenge that Christians have with evangelism - sharing their faith with people in their everyday lives. I've had no less than six conversations in the last two years with young Christians admitting that this is a struggle for them. The people I've had these conversations with range from new believers to full-time missionaries (if you can believe that).

As best I can tell, the struggle primarily lies in the ability to naturally incorporate their faith into their relationships with non-believers. They either don't know how to share their faith in relation to the Gospel narratives, or they don't know how to naturally engage people who don't share their same beliefs, background or upbringing.

At least two of the people I've talked with simply stated that they don't know how to share their faith without the appearance of having "an agenda," or making the other person feel like a project. The missionaries I've spoken with confessed that they "don't know how to cultivate missional relationships with non-believers." When I heard this, the beast in me writhed and seethed; teeth bared, muscles clinched, knuckles white - missionaries who don't know how to build relationships with non-believers?!?!?

(I'll refrain from addressing the obvious topic of the church's responsibility to train and develop her people for the Great Commission... at least for now).

...The still, quiet Spirit in me, however, wept; broken-hearted, exhausted, defeated - missionaries who don't know how to build relationships with non-believers. Isn't that why we're here? Nevermind the fact that we're ALL called to live out the Gospel and share Jesus... missionaries leave their homes and their families; obedient to a call to go preach the Gospel to a foreign land.

For a long time I didn't understand this struggle. Not that I'm an evangelistic dynamo, but I've never really experienced difficulty in making friends with non-Christians. As Jasheen says, "They're not monsters. They're not mutants. They're just people, like you and me." Here's where much of the rub likely lies: the us-and-them approach. I've even heard missionaries refer to non-believers as "neo-barbarians." I don't know a person here who wouldn't take offense at that. As far as I can tell, there is no us-and-them until judgment day, where the Lord separates the sheep from the goat. There's just US, inasmuch as we are all inhabitants of a fallen world... and we all need Jesus (whether we know Him or not).

Lately though, I think I've discovered what the problem may be. I think that Christians, often times, over-think their approach to evangelism. They consider strategies, systems and methods for connecting with non-Christians. I'm not suggesting that we just float through our days and engage people at random. I think there is purpose and merit to recognizing where God is moving and getting involved. I also agree with being intentional about seeking out relationships with people who don't yet know Jesus.
But instead of operating from a recipe of one part fear, one part ignorance, and one part passivity, I suggest that we look to the people that we observe in scripture. Of course, there are accounts of evangelism in scripture, but lately I've been looking at the people that encountered Jesus personally for the first time.

There is one pattern that I see in almost every account of someone encountering Jesus: they went and told others what they saw, who they met, what they experienced. They just said, "Come and see." Whether it was Andrew (John 1:41-42) who stopped what he was doing and at once, found his brother Simon and told him that he'd found the Messiah, and brought him to see Jesus; or the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4) who left her water jug, rushed from her encounter with Christ and said to the men, "Come and see a man..."; or Mary Magdalene (Mark 16) who after seeing Jesus risen from the dead, went and reported what she'd seen; all of these accounts and more reveal the most basic form of evangelism: I've seen Jesus. Come and see Him for yourself.

People were compelled to share Jesus with others. Aren't we? There were no long discussions about how to tell people about the Messiah. They just rushed out and said, "Come and see." Three little words that leave the rest up to the Spirit and the free will of those sought out.

It's not rocket science. It's not brain surgery. It's not a military surgical strike. Sometimes people may think you're nuts. They may think you're a fool. They may say, "NO! I don't want to," but our job is to simply bring people to see Jesus. It's certainly not the only form of evangelism. There are countless ways to share your faith... through words and action; through apologetics and discourse; through mercy and generosity.
But if you struggle getting to know non-believers; if you have a hard time cultivating missional relationships with people at work or in your neighborhood, perhaps you could apply the most basic approach we know:

OPERATION: ANDREW - Come and see the Messiah! He changed my life... perhaps He'll change yours.

Sunday Worship

2008-02-25T14:12:00.006Z

The most valuable thing the Psalms do for me is to express the same delight in God which made David dance. - C.S. Lewis

Early last week my friend/colleague, Stuart, rang me to ask if Jasheen and I would be willing to lead Mosaic in worship that upcoming Sunday (yesterday). Jasheen and I have been on Mosaic's worship team before, but as she, Gabrielle and Isabelle were all recovering from some sort of virus that's been circulating, I told Stuart that we could not commit to that since we had no idea what the week would look like as far as practice and preparation went.

I suggested an alternative style of worship (since there were no available musicians for the gathering). After sharing my thoughts, Stuart promptly asked if I would facilitate it. So I did.

With Easter approaching, and coinciding with the passage this week (Mark 16), I put together a playlist of worship songs with a resurrection theme. Instead of standing and singing together as we usually do, I provided an art station, a writing wall, and the freedom & encouragement to assume whatever physical position people might prefer when worshiping God.

To be honest, I wasn't quite sure how it would go over. As the first song began to play, people slowly began moving about to different stations. One of the highlights of the set was the way it engaged the children in our community. One of our core values in our Sunday expression of worship is including the children in as much of the gathering as possible. Worship is fundamental aspect of our faith and practice, and I love including the children in a way that invites them into the experience.

Some of the artistic expressions and written words were deeply moving and profound (from children and adults alike). As people talked at their tables, I wasn't sure that they weren't just socially catching up with one another, but in today's team meeting and debrief, I was so blessed to hear the impact that it had on several of the people there.

For some, it was a refreshing detour from the conventional style of worship we're accustomed to. For others, it was a completely new and eye-opening experience. One young woman who has been attending Mosaic, but is still very much in a seeking/exploring posture, was at first frozen, unsure of what she was "supposed to be doing." As the worship time unfolded though, she was moved to tears by the words of some of the songs and gained an appreciation for worshiping God in a fresh, new way.
The experience led others to openly discuss worship at their tables and their paradigm(s) of worship were expanded.
Gabrielle blessed and entertained the community by both dancing and praying out-loud during an instrumental piece played during a time of verbal prayer and thanksgiving.

I really wasn't sure how the whole thing came off, but I was so encouraged to hear that it's an experience the community would like to incorporate periodically at Mosaic.

The whole purpose of the alternative worship set was not simply an alternative to not having available musicians, but it was to provide an opportunity for people to connect with God in a new way. I believe that God has designed each of us to connect with Him in unique ways. Some connect with Him outdoors, through natural revelation; others may experience Him best in silent solitude; still others may require a visceral experience, holding a cross or a Bible... or perhaps the smell of incense helps bring them into a posture of worship. Some may even express worship best through giving - a service offering, a word, or a monetary gift.

The important thing is that we take opportunities to experience God in different ways. Corporate singing is good, it may be the best way for some to connect with God, but as each of us are uniquely and wonderfully made, it stands to reason that there are multiple ways for us to encounter Him in worship.

I hope this entry will stimulate your hearts and minds, and encourage you to explore the different ways to worship our King!

Enough!

2008-02-17T20:11:00.006Z

For the first time since we moved into our flat, we're lighting the No Vacancy sign. Upon reflection, we have either hosted or been hosts in other homes every month since last September, barely getting three or four nights strung together in row to have with just our family. We're resilient, but not seven-straight-months-resilient.

When we moved into our flat we offered it to the Lord to use as He saw fit. And we committed to be generous and hospitable with it. What followed was the installation of the proverbial revolving door. From people 'coincidentally' popping in around meal-time, to folks camping out in our lounge for free wireless internet, to people crashing in the guest room because it's either too late or too cold (or both) to go home, our flat has become a safe-haven, home-away-from-home for many... and we're happy to provide that. The Lord has blessed us to be a blessing.

Jasheen and I love having people in our home. It gives it flavor and texture and life. But we also understand that it comes at a cost... especially to our still relatively young marriage.

We are thrilled to have Jasheen's dad coming to visit next month... and hopefully my brother (Patch) the following month. That leaves one month before those arrivals to hang the No Vacancy sign and gather in close together to recover and recharge. Our marriage and our kids need this time and we are grateful to God for it.

As Rudyard Kipling said, "Now I lay me down to bleed a while, only to get up later and fight again."

every city should have one

2008-02-14T16:28:00.002Z

So what are we doing now?

2008-02-12T21:48:00.003Z

We left CRM more than seven months ago to join staff with Christian Associates International (CAI). Technically, that means that we transitioned out of a role in leadership development, and into the role of church-planters.

...but what does that really mean?

A trip back to California this past Christmas season helped me realize something... and may explain why we've had such a difficult time recuperating monthly donations to our ministry that were lost in the transition... people aren't really sure what we're doing.

I'm hoping to share a bit about CAI and Mosaic and perhaps enlighten you as to what it is that the McKenzies are currently up to.

Christian Associates is an organization committed to the movement of establishing communities of Christ-followers all across Europe, who seek authentic relationships with God and with each other. By extending Christ's love, grace and truth, combined with the deep desire to impact our cities by generating hope, serving needs and seeking justice, we believe that the multiplication of similar missional communities can spread throughout Europe in a grassroots movement.

Jasheen and I are now a part of one such community of faith. Mosaic is the developing church-plant that we have joined. Mosaic is an international group that gathers regularly and informally. As a community, we are committed primarily to engaging the unchurched people of our city. Our desire is to provide the opportunity for every man, woman and child in the west end of Glasgow to hear the gospel message clearly communicated and to see it dynamically expressed through loving, missional, reproducing bodies of believers.

We share an appreciation for festal and celebratory gatherings in harmony with times of quiet reflection. One of our core values is learning and exploring ways to live out our faith and express Christian community in ways relevant and practical to the 21st century. We do this through our Sunday expressions of worship, as well as in the ways we seek to missionally serve those in our surrounding neighborhoods.

As with many young churches, we strive to establish our identity as a community of Jesus Christ. And as many young churches, we are almost in a constant state of flux - be it growth, mission, or shared, sacrificial roles of responsibility and service to the community. Jasheen and I are entering Mosaic at a time that seems primed for the gifts and contributions that we have to offer.

Jasheen is a natural evangelist, and she thrives in roles of relationship-building with people in our neighborhood. God has used her personal experience of coming to Christ in a dynamic way to connect with people who have the same questions and skepticism that she once had toward the Bible and 'organized religion.'

My passions also lie in building relationships with those outside the church, as well as in the areas of spiritual formation, discipleship and spiritual growth. As our roles develop and solidify with Mosaic, we are seeing opportunities to exercise these gifts and passions in several ways that will supplement the work already begun through Mosaic in these areas. We are wading in to help in areas of discipleship groups, home groups and coaching/mentoring relationships.

As a couple, we seek to strike a healthy balance between body life and missional life in our community - both bringing people to a safe place to explore who Jesus is and what it means to enter into relationship with him, as well as helping those already in relationship with Him discover a deeper, more intimate knowledge of a life in Him.

Growth in the size of Mosaic is not a primary concern for us, as much as growth in depth of relationship with Christ for those already a part of our community of faith. We know that numbers will increase if we simply endeavor to bring people to Christ in the same way we see people do that throughout the Gospels. When people encountered Jesus, their first response was almost always to go and tell people who they saw and bring them to see for themselves. We have no overly developed strategy of reaching the world beyond living out God's truth and love and giving people the opportunity to discover Jesus in the same way we have.

One of my favorite expressions in scripture is, "Come and see." It's the simplest, most basic approach to evangelism. When Jesus encountered the woman at the well (John 4), she left what she was doing and went to tell those in her town about the man who knew everything about her. She simply invited people to come and see this man who could be the Messiah.

As Jasheen and I grow into our roles at Mosaic, we continue our ministry of inviting people to come and see Jesus. And now, as a part of a Christian community, we're also able to take part in helping others discover the depths of joy that can be found in authentic intimacy with our Savior.

I hope this clears up any questions that may have been out there about our new organization and new roles in ministry. As always, we appreciate your prayers and support, and we are so very grateful for those of you that have partnered and will partner with us in these areas.

Book Review: Community 101

2008-02-11T17:29:00.000Z

"Whether community happens or not may not be left to chance. Christians are under obligation to make it happen, and to make it happen as God intends it to be, not according to their own traditions and preferences, and certainly not according to alien patterns of non-community imported into the church from a world that is itself bereft of the joy of authentic community and yearning for it." -- Community 101 (p.44)

com-mu-ni-ty [kuh-myoo-ni-tee] - noun

a social group of any size whose members reside in a specific locality, share government, and often have a common cultural and historical heritage.
a social, religious, occupational, or other group sharing common characteristics or interests and perceived or perceiving itself as distinct in some respect from the larger society within which it exists.
Ecclesiastical. a group of men or women leading a common life according to a rule.

Community 101, by Gilbert Bilezikian, is one of those books that if you'd asked me if I've read, I would reply, "Parts of it." It's been on my shelf for years and I have regularly referenced it during my experience(s) with community life, but I figured it was time to read it in its entirety.

In essence, Bilezikian is making a rational and passionate cry for the church to fulfill its essential nature and calling. A backwards way of saying that would be, the church is not fulfilling its essential nature and calling in the current conventional model that most of us are accustomed to.

In the past I've groaned a bit about how the word community has become one of those overused (and misused) Christian buzzwords. Like any word in the English language, it is nothing more than a principal carrier of meaning that we use to communicate or express sentiment and emotion.

Bilezikian states that authentic community is absolutely critical if the church is to fulfill the mission that God intended for it. The first third of the book focuses on the commutual interrelationship between oneness and community, resting firmly on the concept that the Trinity (Father, Son & Holy Spirit) is the original community of oneness.

Bilezikian does a wonderfully thorough job of laying a biblical foundation to all of his talk on the importance of community. As stated before, he draws on the centrality of community, as well as siting the story of the Fall when community was lost, how community was once again reclaimed through Jesus Christ, and ultimately the community of oneness created by God - the Holy City, the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:2).

In addition to the extensive commentary on the community of oneness, Bilezikian goes on to address how community can be expressed within the ministry and leadership of the church.

If you have never given serious thought to what it means to be a member of the bride of Christ; to belong to the body of believers... not just by way of salvation, but by way of obedient, submissive, sacrificial living, I urge you to pick up this book and read it now. You'll discover that living in community cannot be a side issue or optional for Christians. It is as important to God as one's salvation. Without community, there is no Christianity. Community is central to God's purposes for humankind - not manufactured community; not selective community; not exclusive community; not mandatory community - biblical community, as described, defined and demonstrated in scripture, found at the intersection of the two segments of the cross, where those who are reconciled with God can be reconciled together.

There is a rebellious nature in all of us. There is no place for lone rangers in the fellowship of the unashamed. I know this firsthand. When I have been a lone ranger in my own ministry life, I have found myself apart from the community, isolated and separated from the oneness that God intends for all of us to have. No one has the right to claim exemption from community for being different (I Corinthians 12:14-16). Nor does the body consist of only one kind of element or one kind of member - sameness is not a prerequisite for membership in the fellowship.

There are myriad examples of unhealthy, imbalanced communities all over the place. Nevertheless, as stated earlier, without community there is no Christianity. I encourage you to discover the importance of life in community as stated in Bilezikian's Community 101.

There and Back Again

2008-01-30T00:38:00.000Z

When we set out for California in December, I had no idea that it would be so long between posts. I thought I would keep up with my entries regularly, but life happened... and it happened a lot.
When you only return home once every two years or so, there are so many people to see and things to do. We didn't get nearly as much time with some folks that we thought we would, and didn't see a number of folks that we were sure to.

We've been back for a little more than a week now and it seems that jet-lag is finally subsiding. The first few nights were really hard. I once heard someone say that it takes one day for every hour difference in your time zone than the one you've come from. Whomever said that clearly didn't have two toddlers. Gabrielle and Isabelle were waking two to three times a night for a few nights... and when they were awake, they were AWAKE. They wanted to play, sing, etc. Fortunately, our team (of which we have the fewest kids) were very patient and sympathetic regarding how quickly we re-submerged into ministry. Naturally, they've been through this a few times with their own travel-weary kids.

Despite the hectic schedule and unorthodox living arrangements, we had a wonderful visit in California. We had a fantastic Christmas with the family. Last time I spent Christmas in CA with my family, I was single and my sister and brother-in-law only had one one-year-old. Now they have two and we have two and Christmas morning was an onslaught of laughter, excitement, and flying wrapping paper. Along with their cousins (Nico & Molly), our girls had a blast and were showered with gifts from family friends - one of which was a day-pass to Disneyland. Gabrielle was in awe. Her first ride ever? It's a Small World... and she sang her lungs out. Her experience on that first ride was worth the whole trip to California.

One of the best experiences I had while home was sitting in on some of my dad's weekly meetings/groups. I got to step into his ministry for a spell and connect with some great men/pastors. It was enriching sharing ministry stories, experiences, vision and paradigms with these guys... and it was always accompanied with great food and bottomless cups of coffee.

Another cool treat was that we were able to connect with about half of the participants that were over here last year... and even a few that came on brief visits to check out our ministry in Glasgow. It was great to reconnect with them and hear how they're doing, what they're up to, and share about our new life in ministry with Christian Associates.

Sadly, as much as we needed space and relaxation, we had very little. We actually returned more tired than we'd arrived. We've spent the last week catching up on sleep and energy wherever we get the chance. Jasheen has marveled at my ability to knockout at any given moment when the opportunities present themselves. In fact, whenever I become sedentary for even a moment, I'm likely to shut my eyes and doze - reading, watching TV... even in mid-conversation. She's afraid I have chronic fatigue or something like that, but I think my body has just said, "ENOUGH ALREADY - SLEEP NOW!"

One of the other highlights of the trip was living in $US. The dollar is so weak right now and trying to stretch what we have in the UK is always a challenge. For a brief period, we enjoyed paying for the real value of our food and goods, instead of almost double.

As we return to what has become "normal life," we have realized that for the past six months we have either had house-guests or stayed in someone else's home. We have not had a moment to settle in anywhere as a family. We're hosting a friend now, and when she leaves, another friend from Amsterdam is coming to stay with us for a week, and after that we'll be hosting my brother for a week or two. While we love exercising hospitality and each and every person that stays here, we also long for some down time where we can just be a family. Please pray that the Lord would give us strength and discernment when it comes to boundaries for the health of our family and marriage. And pray that as we love on these guests, that we would also be enriched and blessed by their stay.

Oh! There are new pictures up on our flickr site if you'd like to see photos from our trip.
We're grateful for the time we got in CA and for all the love we received from the folks back there. Now it's back to the grind for us. Looking forward to sharing more things as ministry continues to develop here.

Here we Goooooo

2007-12-17T23:39:00.000Z

We're mere hours away from our departure. Clan McKenzie will be spending the next month in California. In addition to visiting for Christmas and New Years, we will be connecting with many, many friends and family members. We are praying for relaxation and productivity as we catch up with all the people we hope to see. Some of the highlights we're hoping to have:

Quality time with parents/grandparents/siblings/aunts & uncles/cousins
Quality time with old and new friends
Isabelle Sophia's baby dedication
BOWL GAMES!!!
Disneyland: Gabrielle will get her first taste
Productive fundraising initiative
Living for a month in $US, instead of £UK
Did I mention BOWL GAMES???
Mexican food
Sushi

One thing we're not looking forward to, but trusting God's abundant grace:

18 hours of travel with a 2-year-old and a 9-month-old :)

California here we come... right back where we started from!

The Sacrifice of Fools

2007-12-07T12:40:00.000Z

For the past few months our (Mosaic) community has been examining the Bible's Wisdom Literature. Most recently we've been looking at Wise Worship as described by the Biblical writer in Ecclesiastes 5 as The Sacrifice of Fools:
Ecclesiastes 5:1-15

The Old Testament refers to several different words and translations for the word "FOOL." Fools are described in these different ways:

one who is morally and philosophically gullible - they believe anything easily
one whose mind is closed to God (Ps 14 - "the fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.'")
one who believes in God, but doesn't take Him very seriously - such as in this passage. The text specifically says, "When you go to the House of God..." It is admonishing some in the company of worshippers

Regardless of how we publicly acknowledge God, our LIFESTYLE reveals whether or not we really (Really) take God seriously.

Verse 1 concludes with this description of the “FOOL” as one whose Lifestyle betrays just how serious they really are about God:
“Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than offer the sacrifice of fools, WHO DO NOT KNOW THAT THEY DO WRONG.”

The term “Wrong” literally means “EVIL.” This Person does not even realize that he/she is doing evil!

What is the evil they are perpetrating which they are not even conscious of?

It can be found in their lifestyle, which does not back-up their public acknowledgement of God. This is perhaps the greatest deterrent to someone else, and it never seriously considers God either. And that, my friends, is Wrong. And the biblical translation of wrong is literally "evil." And our simple understanding of evil is that it is designed in Hell itself, to prevent the world at large from ever giving serious consideration to God.

Friedrich Nietzsche states in his literary work, The Anti-Christ, "His disciples will have to look much more saved if I am ever to believe in their Savior."

This passage begins with the metaphor of FEET (or our STEPS) in verse 1. In verses 2-7 it moves to the metaphor of our MOUTHS, admonishing us to let our words be few when in the presence of the Almighty. The passage then ends with an address of our HEART, out of which issues the focus of our love.

Verse 10 records it, “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied in his income."

How can we possibly portend to worship God and not have it change the way we live out our entire lives, and make our LIFESTYLE altogether different... even in the common, everyday workplace?
It is ONLY POSSIBLE IF WE REALLY DON’T TAKE GOD VERY SERIOUSLY.

And THAT, friends, according to Ecclesiastes is the mark of A FOOL!

2000 HITS

2007-11-26T00:40:00.001Z

On June 25, 2007 I installed ClusterMaps, a hit counter that accurately shows the locations of all visitors to this site on a thumbnail map embedded in my page. You may have noticed it at the bottom of the left-hand column of my page. While I can't tell who visited our blog, I can tell where they were when they looked at it.

As of today, We've had 2,001 hits. That's about 500 hits per month. We've had visitors from every continent except South America - the U.S., Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia, but none from S. America. Hey Chile, Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador... Where are you?

It's kind of weird to think that that many people are checking in with us. It's also kinda' cool.

CATWALK Fashion Show Benefit for Maggie's Centre Struts Successfully

2007-11-16T00:11:00.000Z

After more than six months of dreaming, planning, coordinating and preparing, CATWALK only had one thing left to do - happen.

Jasheen and her capable and creative team pulled something off on Tuesday night that exceeded even their expectations. What began as a small event to promote her friend's custom made jewelry line, grew into one of the hippest events the West End has seen this season. A sold out crowd of more than 300 people were in attendance at Oran Mor to see arrangements from Glasgow's up-and-coming young designers.
And they did not fail to impress. The designs were definitely bold and fashion-forward from Harris Tweed's youthful, urban reinvention, to ethereal Celtic wedding gowns that would not look out of place on the Rivendell set of The Lord of the Rings.

The evening's host was Sanjeev Kohli, star of television sitcom Still Game. Kohli was joined on stage throughout the evening by television presenter, journalist and Patron of Glasgow's Maggie's Centre, Kirsty Wark, as well as by television presenter and BBC Radio journalist, Shereen Nanjiani. In addition, two film crews and photo journalists were also covering the event.

On this memorable evening I played proud husband to event producer and beautiful wife, Jasheen. Watching her dash elegantly about the auditorium, walkie-talkie in hand and business expression on her face, I truly felt like a VIP by association. I was the recipient of countless praises for the job she'd done and the exquisite beauty that she is. Truth be told, Jasheen missed the majority of the show due to her coordinating responsibilities... even the unplanned and unwanted pyrotechnics that lit one model's teased afro up like a roman candle.

Small side-story: when one of the young models took her place at the rear of the runway she failed to notice the tea lights positioned on a banister directly behind her. As flames began to dance up from behind her head, the audience gasped and began pointing and shouting. Utterly confused she tried to work out what all the commotion was about. When she finally figured it out, a heroic man in the front row was descending upon her as she was exiting stage left. He began swiping at the flames and quickly extinguished them. The heroic man happened to be one of our sponsors, a director/producer from Sgiandubh Productions.
All of our thoughts went immediately to the young woman and how she must be reacting backstage. Of course she's distraught! Of course she's crying! Of course she views this as the end of her career! We were all wrong! The young model never missed a step. The show continued on after the spectacle with barely a break in rhythm... and so did she. She was in the next designer's line and she reappeared to a packed house of cheers and whistles. In fact, when all of the evenings' models made one last appearance in traditional catwalk format, she was the last model to exit, twirling gracefully and blowing the audience a kiss.

CATWALK's musical guest was friend and recording artist Ashley Ballard, whom Jasheen has known for more than a decade. Ashley sang at our wedding and was all too eager to join Jasheen in this charitable cause.
Ashley opened and closed the evening with musical sets, and will also be performing at next week's STOP THE TRAFFIK benefit to raise awareness about human trafficking.

As the evening came to a close, Sanjeev Kohli asked Jasheen to come up to the stage. Reluctantly, she did and was presented with a floral arrangement large enough to completely hide behind... which is exactly how she preferred it. As the crowd cheered Jasheen's accomplishments, Sanjeev announced that CATWALK had generated nearly £15,000 to contribute to Maggie's Cancer Caring Centre. The event itself generated more than £20,000, but after costs and overhead, the actual figure donated will likely be closer to £13,000. Either way, CATWALK will be making the second largest single donation of the year to the Glasgow Maggie's Centre.

One of the strong undercurrents seen through the various developmental stages of CATWALK is God's hand in all of it. People have been so amazed at what has been accomplished. They have praised Jasheen and I for our hard work and personal sacrifices. They couldn't believe how smoothly the event went. Jasheen and I have had ample opportunity to use the phrase, "It's a God thing." We usually offer the precursor, "I know this may not make sense to you, but..."
Throughout this process, as things have come together; as the unlikely has become likely; as the impossible became possible, Jasheen and I have had the privilege of explaining that a lot of prayer has gone into this and a lot of people, not even involved, have been praying. The only answer we can come up with is that God has blessed our efforts and this event. Apart from Christ we are nothing and can do nothing. In addition to offering financial aid to a worthy cause, relationships have been developed, friendships have been made, and God has looked good through it all.

We are grateful that we had the opportunity to participate in this fantastic event!

Glasgow Wins Bid for 2014 Commonwealth Games

2007-11-10T11:57:00.000Z

In an instant, a city went from quiet, nervous anticipation to roars of absolute jubilation. Glasgow celebrated yesterday as the city landed the 2014 Commonwealth Games with a convincing 47-24 majority vote over Nigerian capital Abuja.
This is a huge boost for Glasgow, both in morale and financially. After years of visits and formidable opposition, the city has won hearts and minds around the world. Not only does this give Glaswegians something to celebrate and look forward to, but it also gives a strong sense of national and civic pride.
The games are also predicted to give a £1 billion boost to Scotland's economy.

To read more about the 2014 Commonwealth Games click here.

Book Review: TrueFaced

2007-10-23T15:44:00.000+01:00

I'm going to do something that I've never done before in a book review. Actually, I'm going to to do a couple of things I've never done, but the first thing I'm going to do is say:

Whatever you're reading right now, put it down. Get yourself a copy of TrueFaced and make it the very next book you read. Dallas Willard says, "TrueFaced is one of the best books on practical theology I have ever seen."

TrueFaced, by Bill Thrall, Bruce McNicol, and John Lynch, addresses the most basic motives faced by every follower of Jesus: the distinction between our determination to please God or to trust Him. Thrall and Co. draw on the metaphor of two rooms in our pursuit of God.

The first, at the end of a well-traveled road, is the Room of Good Intentions, entered by turning the knob of Effort. This room is filled to capacity with tired, cynical, well-intended Christians sporting various masks, who are determined to work on their sin to achieve an intimate relationship with God. These folks are sincerely determined to be godly. No one in this room is interested in hearing about your struggles, trials or failures. To be welcome here, one must hold their cards pretty close to their chest and give the appearance of sufficiency and that everything is fine. I'm fine, you're fine, we're all fine, fine, fine all the time, time, time.

The second room lies at the end of life's path with the motive of Trusting God. The path to this room is definitely less worn than the other. In this room, inhabitants have embraced the concept of Living Out of Who God Says I Am. To enter the Room of Grace, one only needs turn the doorknob of Humility. In this room, people have cried out, "Alright, listen! I'm not fine! I haven't been fine for a long time. I feel guilty, lonely and depressed. I'm sad most of the time and I can't make my life work. And if any of you knew half of my daily thoughts, you'd want me out of your little club. So there, I'm doing not fine! Thanks for asking!"
Instead of working on one's own sin to achieve intamacy with God, in this room, people stand with God, with their sin in front of them, working on it together with Him.

The goal of TrueFaced is to help us discover the freedom that lies in allowing ourselves to be authentic before God and others, trusting them with who we really are. A prayer one might pray before entering the Room of Grace might go something like this:
God, if anything good is to come out of this whole deal, you will have to do it. I can't. I'm so tired. Please God, you will have to give me the life I am dreaming of. I can't keep doing this anymore. I'm losing confidence that this life in you is even possible. Help me. You must make it happen or I am doomed.

We've all been part of a community, a church, or a small group where we've felt the pressure of presenting a strong, fine front. One where we don't have the freedom to share sin or failures; where we have to put on appearances and pretend we've got it all together. Sadly, these groups are far more common than the alternative. The effect is subtle, but grossly counterproductive to introducing people to the Kingdom of God. For reasons too numerous to count, Christians have fallen prey to the lie that we must appear fine, strong, good and often, productive. We don't want people to know we're flawed. I've said this before, however, that in my experience, my flaws and imperfections serve only to draw attention to the fact that I NEED a perfect father. Those that appear flawless, often draw perceptions that something's not entirely right, and make genuine, authentic connection near impossible.

One of the primary postures you must take when reading TrueFaced is to understand that this book is for YOU. Don't read it with others in mind. God can do precious little in establishing an intimate relationship with you if you're thinking of others while reading this book... that I can almost guarantee will, at times, feel like it's reading directly to you.

I mentioned that I was going to do a couple of things that I've not done before in a book review. The second is that I am going to follow my own suggestion and pick it up... again. I'm going to re-read TrueFaced with you. Do you have any of those books where you've worn a highlighter out reading it? This is one for me. This is the kind of book that I could read over and over again. I want to so thoroughly grasp the concept of a truly trusting, grace-filled relationship with the Father, that I will read, read and re-read this one for years to come. I hope you get the same from it that I do.

The Week in Review

2007-10-08T20:09:00.001+01:00

Wow, what a week! This entry is going to be all over the place as so many different things are happening in so many different arenas.

First of all, Grandmother McKenzie is here in Glasgow offering her help and support... but really just soaking up precious time with her granddaughters. She arrived just in time for Gabrielle's 2nd birthday. That's right... we have a terrible-two (year-old) and she had a cracking good birthday. On a day that called for rain, we stayed dry as Gabrielle and friends enjoyed a party at the park. Friends from church, toddler's group and the neighborhood joined the celebration of her birth. Mommy made lots of yummy sandwiches and chocolate truffles and... (get ready for it) daddy made the cake!!! It may not have been quite the extravaganza that her 1st birthday was (60+ people in our little flat), but it was loads of fun, nonetheless.

You may also remember an entry I posted over a month ago about our friend Sally, the woman who was struggling with the prospect of losing custody of her son, Nathan. When I spoke to Sally I prayed with her that day and then told her that I would continue to do so until we saw each other again. Last week Jasheen and I were out on date-night and we were strolling on one of our favorite little streets in Glasgow (Ashton Lane), when we bumped in to none other than Sally. Upon recognizing us, the first thing out of her mouth was, "Are you still praying for me?" We told Sally that we were and then she tearfully shared how things were going. We asked Sally to come to church with us the next day just to get around some people that could genuinely care for her and perhaps pray for her circumstances. She did... and she really enjoyed it. She was immediately welcomed and embraced and within moments of arriving was in the middle of a prayer circle. What a blessing and answer to prayer! Not only is Sally enthusiastic about coming back, but she's also going to get involved in our monthly river clean-up of the Kelvin River through FORK (Friends Of the River Kelvin).

Which leads nicely into this next segment. FORK is a small way for our church to both connect with and appreciate God's creation, as well as forge relationships within the community with like-minded people. Because we believe that God made the world, loves it, and entrusts it to the care of the human society, we as a church through this missional expression are eager to support care for creation. One of the things we're trying to do as leaders is cultivate active participants in the Christian community. It's so easy to fall prey to a consumer mindset and become content attending church as passive observers (I know I've slipped into that from time-to-time), but we want the Christian community to be vibrantly active in engaging the culture around us. FORK is one way that we, as a collective, can do that. Gabrielle and I have been going on Saturdays and have thoroughly enjoyed it. In addition to countless bags of rubbish, we also extract the likes of partially submerged shopping carts and car tires. This past week Gabrielle enjoyed her time with friend, Sophia Kurtyka. Getting dirty can be pretty fun... even for a couple of dainty little girls.

As you can read in my previous blog entry, CATWALK continues to blossom as November 13th draws near. In addition to sponsorship, CATWALK is already receiving media exposure as Scottish newspaper, The Herald, ran two related articles in last Wednesday's paper. By 9:00am on the day the articles hit news stands, phone call orders for tickets began coming in. Jasheen picked up the promotional posters yesterday, but they will only serve as publicity now as there are only 32 tickets left for purchase. AMAZING! Almost 270 tickets have sold for the event before advertising has begun. The things that have come together for this event are nothing short of miraculous.

Possibly the most abstract and bizarre event currently going on with our family involves Gabrielle. I'm acquainted with a local casting agent (Gail) that deals mostly in modeling and television. Upon seeing pictures of Gabrielle earlier this week, she has cast her in a local television program called River City that shoots here in Glasgow. Following in the footsteps of her Uncle Patch, Gabrielle will be throwing her hat into the acting ring and making her small screen debut in River City's Christmas episode as one of the children going to sit on Santa's knee. That is... if she doesn't take one look at Santa, scream and run off the set. When dealing with two-year-old actors, you never know what you're going to get. Gabrielle and I ran into Gail this afternoon and after seeing Gaby in person, Gail stated with excitement, "I'm going to make a star out of you. You're good enough to eat!"

Please pray for grandmother's health during the next two weeks that she's here. She has been battling a pretty bad cough, fever and sinus infection. She came to offer assistance to us, and feels awful that she hasn't had the energy to do as much as she would like. We love her all the same and she probably has no idea how much assistance her mere presence provides. We do want her to thoroughly enjoy her time with the girls though. These are precious seasons for grandparents and we want her to enjoy every minute of it.

To see more photos of Gabrielle's birthday, grandmother's visit or FORK clean-up, you can go to our flickr site by clicking on the Photo Album link in our LINKS section to the left of this entry - or just click here.

CATWALK Update

2007-09-26T19:29:00.000+01:00

There are several new developments in the upcoming benefit that Jasheen is directing. First of all, the event has been fashionably named, CATWALK. Secondly, and more importantly, CATWALK now has full-fledged corporate sponsorship! Harris Tweed Textiles will be co-sponsoring the event along with Sgian Dubh Productions Ltd. (pronounced: skee(a)n doo). Iain McLean, a producer with Whisky Galore Films Ltd. and Sgian Dubh Productions Ltd. is a friend that I get together with every Tuesday night. After weeks of pitching the event with he and several of his colleagues, they have agreed to be the primary sponsor of CATWALK. This is a huge answer to prayer.

To recap, CATWALK is a fashion show for up-and-coming young designers in the west end of Glasgow, and 100% of the profits will go to Maggie's Cancer Caring Centre, a non-profit organization that provides care for anyone who has, or has had cancer. They also assist their families, their friends and their care-givers.

Here is a first look of the poster that will be going up around the west end to promote the event:

It has been exciting to watch all of this come together. Jasheen has put forth so much time and effort into this event, and with full sponsorship, the fruits of her labors are beginning to show. I must confess that there were times I thought she'd taken on more than she could handle, but I should never have doubted her gifts, talents and resourcefulness.

Jasheen, along with her team, has already sold 150 tickets for the November 13th event... and advertising hasn't even begun. At £25 per ticket, it's already a success.

Attendants of CATWALK will enjoy a live musical performance by singer/songwriter Ashley Ballard, a guest appearance by actor/comic Sanjeev Kohli (star of sitcom Still Game), and will be hosted by Scottish journalist/television presenter Kirsty Wark, and Scottish television presenter Kaye Adams. Attendants will also receive a free door gift, and have the opportunity to participate in a silent auction and a raffle. Auction and raffle prizes include two tickets to the 2008 T In The Park, round trip airline tickets on Zoom Airlines, and free dinners at local west end eateries, to name a few.

Other contributors and participants of CATWALK include: Elements Productions, Origins Skincare, Model Team Scotland, All Talent UK, Oran Mor, Colours Management/The Look, Starbucks Coffee, and Raspberry Design.

For information on ticket purchases, contact Elements Productions on 0790 096 8530

Post-Christendom Christianity

2007-09-24T14:46:00.000+01:00

A young pastor I know here in Glasgow is preparing to give a talk at his church on Post-Christendom Christianity. I'm not sure how relevant this topic is in the North American church, as I'm not quite sure that America has become a Post-Christian culture yet, but Scotland (and Europe, for that matter) is very much in the throes of it.

To begin with, "Post-Christendom" is a term used to describe a personal world view, ideology or society that is no longer rooted in the language and assumptions of Christianity. Thus defined, a post-Christian world is one where Christianity is no longer the dominant civil religion, but one that has, gradually over extended periods of time, assumed values, culture, and worldviews that are not necessarily Christian.

The pastor is reflecting on where we've been:

Constantinian Christianity - a Christianity which operates from a Christendom mindset with the key characteristic being POWER

...to where we are:

Post-Christendom Christianity - a Christianity which operates from an early church mindset with the key characteristic being ????

He has had an abundance of input and feedback to fill in the ????, and is still wondering what Christ-followers of today would say the key characteristics of Post-Christendom Christianity should contain, some being: authenticity, community, flexibility, relational, intergenerational, marginal, sacrificial and subversive.

I rang in with my tuppence and shared that for some time, the emerging Christian generation has been banging on about 'community,' something I've had extensive involvement with. During my ministry I've been a part of the post-modern generation discussion that has occupied the thoughts, books and seminars/conferences of emerging pastors and missionaries. I have had the notion that in 50 years time, the post-modern, post-Christian, post-whatever generation of that time will reflect back on our generation as the era where Christians worshiped at the altar of 'Community' as a self-serving, self-fulfilling clique that promoted safety and sameness. I appreciate the value of 'community' for its biblical context, but often wonder if it's run its course as a definitive term for Christian togetherness.

The key characteristics that seem most relevant to me are authenticity, relational, mission and fundamental.

When operating in a post-modern context it is crucial that we, as leaders, be authentic. One friend that I've worked closely with in the last year put it like this, "Post-modern youth are born with authenticity radar and won't put up with people who don't live what they preach." Our words have a very short shelf-life with people of the post-modern generation. If they don't see words accompanied by action, the power of the Gospel is lost on them. Erwin McManus catches this fundamental issue when he says, "What I said on Sunday wasn't nearly as important as what I did."
Our grand vision, values and inspiration are for naught if they're not lived-out in the context of mission. We can even learn some things from pop-culture. Why are characters like Harry Potter and Jason Bourne so endearing? Why has James Bond's character been reinvented? Why were audiences so taken with Frodo and Aragorn? People are drawn to and relate with flawed heroes. Perfection in any context is not believable.

Closely related to authenticity, is the need for us to be relational. This means believers, saints, brothers and sisters of the faith inviting non-believers into the intimacy of our home setting; breaking bread with them; intertwining our lives with theirs. This means being transparent before them. If we keep people at arms length, we may be able to maintain the veneer of perfection, but we will make precious little headway when it comes to inviting them into a life with Christ. We must be comfortable with our weaknesses, our fears and our failures. This is how people will best relate to us and understand our need for a perfect Father... and theirs.

I said fundamental in the context of the fundamentals of our faith - scripture, prayer, discipleship and mission - as in Acts 2. In a post-Christian society where we model our lives and practices after the early church, we must, as a collective, dive into God's word together; worship and cry out to God together; and build-up and equip one another for the purpose of returning to the battlefield together on mission.
Reading scripture together is good. Worshiping and praying together is good. Discipling and equipping others is good. But none of it is GREAT unless it is for the purpose of sending one another out to love and minister to a lost world. Collective reading and praying is the equivalent of a farmer tilling the soil. It's only necessary if he is then going to plant the seeds, work the land and harvest the crops. The tilling (praying) is necessary, but if it's not followed by action, all he's done is turn the soil over and let it breathe. It's still just dirt. 'Community' is impotent if it does not culminate with MISSION.

So these are my thoughts on ministering as the church in a post-Christian culture. I'd love to hear yours!

Parenting & Helplessness are Virtually Synonymous

2007-09-22T13:19:00.000+01:00

Few things reveal our cracks, flaws and inadequacies as much as marriage and parenting. When Gabrielle was born I had a glimpse of how God loves His children. Holding that precious, fragile life in my hands and knowing that her need for me was so great... even if she herself had no idea. I was reminded of our Father's love again when Isabelle was born 18 months later. But recently I got to identify with another of God's parenting attributes - Grief... amidst his children's suffering.

Isabelle was admitted to Glasgow's Yorkhill Children's Hospital on Thursday afternoon and diagnosed with croup, a respiratory virus/disease that afflicts infants and young children. The symptoms (fever, sinus infection, "barking cough") are caused by inflammation of the larynx and upper airway, which restrict breathing and lower oxygen levels. The doctors decided that it was best to keep her overnight for observation and make sure that she didn't take a turn for the worse.

Nearly seven months old and already spending the night in hospital - not a place parents expect to find themselves so soon after their birth. What made it even harder was watching Isabelle labor to breathe and struggle to get sound sleep. Her wheezing and subsequent pain in her throat when she coughed was heartbreaking.

Being the primary source of food, Jasheen elected to stay overnight with Isabelle. The isolation unit they kept Isabelle in was furnished with a bed for parents. I had to return home with Gabrielle so she could eat, sleep and question where mommy and sissy were. "Mommy and Sissy have to stay at the hospital," I explained, "but we can pray for them and ask God to heal sissy and let her come home tomorrow." There's nothing sweeter than the prayer of a two-year-old... even if it's relatively unintelligible and scattered with distractions of hiding behind the curtains and feeding dolly a sip of milk.
Jasheen's evening was less endearing... and less restful.

The prayer chain extended beyond our immediate prayer warriors and we received multiple email-words of encouragement and prayer. Thankfully, Isabelle is resting here at home now and showing marked improvement in both her breathing and her emotional health. She's smiling, sleeping and feeding again. Praise God!

It's these experiences that put life into perspective. All the petty things that occupy our thoughts and fuel our anxieties fall to the wayside, and we discover the things that really matter... and are reminded how grateful we should be. I have a wife that LOVES me and her children very much. I have two beautiful, healthy girls that light up whatever rooms they're in. I have a God that loves me even more than I love each of them... and He anguishes when I suffer. I have family and friends that love, care and support us... and they are there for us whenever we need.

Thank you all for your prayers and well-wishes. It was a real source of comfort and encouragement.

Book Review: Pagan Christianity

2007-08-31T21:49:00.000+01:00

The Origins of Our Modern Church Practices

An explosive treatment of the history of church traditions

syn • cre • tism [sing-kri-tiz-uh m]
-noun

the attempted reconciliation or union of different or opposing principles, practices, or parties, as in philosophy or religion.

If you've ever wondered why we Christians do what we do for church every Sunday morning, then this is the book for you. I'm not talking about the theological reason(s) that we do what we do. I'm talking about the traditions, the methods, the practices.

Why do we "dress up" for church? Why is there a sermon every week? Why are their pews, pulpits, church buildings, choirs, and seminaries? Where did all these things originate?

The unofficial title of this book could have been, The Book No Pastor or Priest Wants You to Read, partly because it challenges just about every facet of what we've come to know church to be, but not to be overlooked is the chapter entitled, "The Pastor: Thief of Every-Member Functioning." Frank Viola makes a bold proposal: That most of what we Christians do in our churches has no root in the New Testament, but rather has been borrowed or adapted from pagan culture long after the 1st century church was established.

If you really consider Viola's claims, it makes sense. The persecuted followers of Jesus, establishing a movement that met in house-churches and catacombs, surely didn't just think up the idea of a pulpit or a steeple... or even a building to meet in for that matter. It wasn't until Constantine mainstreamed Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire did the practices we're familiar with begin to take shape.

One of the reasons I would recommend this book is that it's scholarly without the magniloquence of a text book, and it offers a fair assessment of church history - corroborated by some of the most extensive footnoting I've ever seen. Viola clearly did his homework on this, and has done the body of Christ a huge service by providing a truthful glimpse at things we've come to consider "sacred" or "holy," that are only considered as such because man dared call his own concepts "ordained by God," when there is no such biblical evidence.

Personally, I don't think Viola is condemning all of our practices in and of themselves, but more presenting a challenge to those Christians who are content with status quo "churchianity," as he puts it. And ultimately I think he's calling us to look at what the church has become as a result of some of our practices. In essences, his claim is that the model that we've embraced and accepted as the biblical church model has actually yielded some pretty unbiblical looking results. A refreshing aspect to Pagan Christianity is that Viola doesn't stop with exposing the truth about the church and it's potential flaws, but offers biblical alternatives to how we can participate in a powerful movement as the body of believers.

Reading Pagan Christianity will help equip you with the knowledge necessary to recognize potential religious manipulation and deception. But more than anything, it will remind you that nothing other than Christ should be at the center of your individual and body life - not religious institutions, traditions, programs, clergy, or formulas. Christ alone must be preeminent.

Pagan Christianity is the third book in a five book series on radical church reform that examines the modern church, church-planting, apostolic ministry, and spiritual training for Christian service.

Taliban free all Korean hostages

2007-08-31T17:39:00.000+01:00

The last seven South Korean hostages held by the Taleban in Afghanistan have been handed over to the International Committee of the Red Cross.
They were released in two groups, within the space of a few hours, late on Thursday.
On Wednesday, 12 of their fellow Christian charity workers were released after a six-week ordeal.

The Taleban seized the group of 23 last month as they traveled by bus on the main highway from Kandahar to Kabul. Two male hostages were subsequently killed.

Again... I don't know what else to say other than praise the Lord!

A Typical Day in the West End...

2007-08-29T11:23:00.000+01:00

Yesterday began as a relatively typical day in the West End of Glasgow. Not that my girls are usually sick, but I awoke to a couple of sick girls in our flat. Jasheen was struggling with a sinus infection and Gabrielle wasn't herself. I decided to stay home for the morning and lend a helping hand.

I took Gabrielle to Yorkhill Children's Hospital in the afternoon to see an orthopedic doctor to discuss her in-toe (pigeon toes) to discover if it's more serious than we think and can explain her incessant attraction to the ground - she falls a lot... she's almost two. All is fine with her legs... turns out, two-year-olds fall quite often and about 90% of in-toeing corrects itself as leg-strength increases.

While we were out I decided to stop by the local post office to pick up a package that they weren't able to deliver initially. On our way we crossed paths with my friend, Charlie, who manages the local Starbucks. We stopped to chat for a bit and we lingered as Charlie dotes on my girls and I tend to like that. A little further up the road we ran into my friend Nigel from the gym. We chatted about his work (doctor) and his dying car, and promised to hook up for a chat soon.

Once we arrived at the PO I realized why they were unable to deliver the box - we were home, mind you, but we've discovered that when packages are large, the postmen don't even bother bringing them with them. They just slide a slip through your mail slot that says, "Sorry we were unable to deliver your package - No Answer." We received a large box of clothes from a dear supporter who has kept my daughters dressed to impressed since Gabrielle was born. I had the tandem stroller and a massive box to trek about a half-mile home. Behind me in line was Sally. Sally is a sweet woman we know from the park. She has a couple of dogs that love Cole and they romp about in the park together regularly. Sally observed my struggle and caught up with me at the cross-walk and said, "Give me the box. I'll walk it home with you." I responded, "How about you push the pram, and I'll carry the box." She agreed.

I silently thanked God for providing help at this point and thought how wonderful it was to have Sally cross my path for this very occasion. Typical. God hadn't brought Sally across my path... He'd brought me across hers. She proceeded to share with me (fighting tears and anger) that the government was forcing her 17-year-old son to move out of her flat. He suffers from a mild case of autism and living with her increases his stress levels (according to counselors) and he needed to live on his own - with a disability at 17!!!! In short, she shared that they can't find a place that will approve him as a tennent, he's unable to stay with her and is temporarily staying with his aunt (Sally's sister) where he is subjected to pornography on television and his days have become nights and vice versa. If they're unable to find suitable accommodations for him he will soon be homeless... apparently that's more appropriate to the government than living with his mother. She described every single angle she'd worked, to no avail. She loves him dearly and can't bare the thought of him being homeless - a very common condition for many in Glasgow.

"It sounds to me like you've made every logical, legal and practical effort to sort this out," I said to her. "Perhaps the only thing to do now is pray."

"I've tried that," she said. "I don't think God hears me."

"He hears you, Sally." She started to cry.

"I think God has a plan for me," she said, "but I just don't know what it could be. Why is He not answering my prayer?"

I briefly explained to her my understanding of God's plans versus our plans and how despite their differences at times, He is always working for our good... to bring us closer to Him, not necessarily to sort out our problems.

"Can I pray for you now?" I asked. She really began to cry. "Please," she said through tears. I prayed for her and committed to continue to do so until the next time I see her. "When I see you next, I trust that your report will be better," I closed. I told her that Jasheen and I are available to talk whenever she'd like... and to pray more with her too.

I dropped off the box at home and took the girls to a local coffee shop for some daddy/daughter(s) time and to feed Isabelle - yeah, I'm ambitious and a little stupid. Two girls out with dad at meal time. I got us some drinks and settled into feeding Isabelle when out of the corner of my eye I saw Gabrielle tumble from her perch atop a chair and use her head to break her fall on the coffee table. It's the hardest fall I've seen her take, and everyone in the coffee shop heard it. Panicked, I set Isabelle into the pram and rushed to a screaming Gabrielle. I fully expected to see blood, but to my surprise and relief, there was just a terrible knot over her right eye.

After some consoling and cuddling, Gabrielle calmed down and I continued feeding Isabelle - she ate ALL of her baby rice.

Doctors offices, local friends, a prayer for the faint-hearted and a coffee shop catastrophe... just another day in the life of the West End.

Secularists, what happened to reason?

2007-08-23T11:30:00.000+01:00

I recently participated in the online comment chat roll following the story about the Skate Church (Deeper) in my last blog. I wasn't surprised at the negativity surrounding the
issue of American missionaries operating in Scotland. What got me was the approach taken by the anti-religious, atheist and secularist participants in the chat.

Critical thinking might be to secularism what faith is to devout religious believers. Thinking rationally, questioning assumptions, tolerating differences and rebuffing the black-and-white - these are the cornerstones of the secular world view and a pivotal part of what separates them from religious people.

Why then, when it comes to discussions of religion, do so many secularists abandon critical thinking altogether?

Renowned atheist writer, religion scholar and Georgetown professor, Jacques Berlinerblau, recently put it, "Can an atheist or agnostic commentator discuss any aspect of religion for more than 30 seconds without referring to religious people as imbeciles, extremists, mental deficients, fascists, enemies of the common good... conjure men (or) irrationalists?"

My recent experience would have to reveal that no, they're incapable of such a feat. A common thread throughout the discussion was to send these manipulative yank, do-gooders back to the colonies.

One such comment stated: "Watch out for Evangelicals. They're extremely simplistic and very emotional... they're against same-sex marriage, abortion and thinking." The American missionaries were referred to as "ignorant charlatans, a plague, eejits/idiots, deluded superstitious fools, morons, pestilential priests," among other such descriptors.

For a group of thinkers that pride themselves on rational thought and civil discourse, this behavior is inconsistent and unbecoming of a school of thought that emphasizes rational complex thinking - and has little to offer its practitioners when it comes to the value of an open mind. And trust me when I say that this comment roll was not populated by the denizens of ignorance. References or quotes from the likes of Karl Marx, Daniel Dennett, Albert Einstein and John Knox were included. In fact, one guy even got into a dispute with me because I challenged his claim that Daniel Dennett (prominent American philosopher at Tufts University) developed the concept of (the) skyhook... when everyone knows that it was Kareem Abdul-Jabaar's indefensible basketball shot. :)

But sadly, this is how this conversation (and others) tend to go when secularists take up the conversation of religion. The tendency has, perhaps, reached an all-time low with the appearance of best-selling book, Christopher Hitchens', God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything.

My point is not to demonize secularists or atheists. There is enough of that already. According to a USA Today/Gallup Poll conducted last February, fewer people would vote for a well-qualified atheist for president (45%) than an African-American (94%), a Jew (92%), a woman (88%), a Hispanic (87%), a Mormon (72%), a thrice-married person (67%) or a homosexual (55%).

It would be unfair and unreasonable to equate secularism with immorality or insufficient patriotism. Though secularists would do well to listen to Berlinerblau, one of the few atheist voices calling for secular engagement with religious believers and more rigorous understanding of their religions/beliefs.

True, many religious people behave in foolish and obnoxious ways, and some do cause harm in the name of their belief system. But stereotyping and generalizing on either side is not going to fulfill a productive agenda for anyone - for Christians, it's not going to reflect the love of Jesus; and for secularists, it's not going to challenge unthinking idealists to examine what's truly behind their faith.

It's not my place or authority to hold secularists to their own ideologies any more than it is their place to hold me to a biblical standard, but is it too much to ask that we simply engage one another with a bit of passion AND civility? Although it defines itself in opposition to religion, surely secularism is capable of understanding that religion is more than simply irrational indulgence and supernatural fantasy.

Secularists put their "faith" not in God, but in the sound aptitude of the human mind. It's disappointing when they discard their defining faculties and resort to thoughtless name-calling and brutish intolerance. It's a shame to see them throw out their greatest tool.

Skate Church Makes the Front Page

2007-08-12T22:51:00.000+01:00

Several months ago I was in Tinderbox, a local coffee place near our flat, and I met Dave Reasbeck. He overheard my American accent and decided to engage by asking what I was drinking. It was a Vanilla Icebox and they're awesome! I began telling him what I was doing in Glasgow and Dave responded very enthusiastically. "I'm a missionary too, dude!!!"

Dave has been here in Scotland for the last seven months, and he only just left this morning to return to the States to work out his visa situation so he can stay in the UK indefinitely. Dave is a semi-pro skateboarder who has been working alongside Bob Hill, a missionary-pastor ministering in Scotland for the past 13 years. Together they share the teaching times at Deeper, a skate church planted to reach Scotland's youth culture.

But as I said, I met Dave a few months ago and we hit it off almost instantly. We began meeting together pretty regularly once, sometimes twice a week. Much of our time is spent discussing the Bible, a book we're reading together (Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola), or ministry. But I think the thing we love to talk most about is the shape and shaping of the future church. Not church in the sense of a building or model, but the bride itself... the body of Christ. We can chat for hours about our love for those that don't yet have a relationship with Jesus; how we feel most fulfilled and most utilized when submersed in the culture around us, looking to bring Jesus into every encounter we have.

The Lord has really been blessing Dave's ministry. It's not uncommon for 120 young people to show up on a Thursday night to skate the largest indoor skate park in Britain and hear stories about a guy called Jesus. The real reason for this post, though, is to mention that The Scotsman, a Scottish newspaper (obviously) ran a Sunday Edition front page story on Bob, Dave and Deeper. Just thought there might be some interest in a story about one of the young guys I'm hanging with, discipling, coaching, etc.

That's Bob Hill in the center of the picture (above), and Dave is behind him "bustin' some fat air."

Picture of me and Dave at Kelvingrove skate park. Gabrielle in foreground.

Incidentally, our first meeting at Tinderbox was a significant encounter for Dave that made an impact that has stayed with him to this very day. The only thing he orders there is the Vanilla Icebox.

Isabelle is 20 Weeks

2007-08-07T01:27:00.000+01:00

Isabelle Sophia turned 20 weeks old on Sunday - wow, five months! She continues to be our angel baby. She is so full of joy and peace. Like her sister, she is a routine child, but that may be the only similarity they share. Never does she wake from a nap without a smile. She is always so happy to see us standing over her cot.

She is getting stronger and more aware of her surroundings every day. She is grabbing things and studying her hands a lot. She loves to kick and punch when she gets excited, and she also loves when we help her stand. We can leave her on her mat or in her rocker for extended periods with scarcely a sound from her. Although she loves engaging us, she is very content entertaining herself.

It's hard to describe in words, but holding her is like holding love. Even when I pick her up to take her to her mother for a feed, I don't want to give her up. The other day she received the third and final round of her infant immunization shots. The following day she struggled to keep milk down and she ran a fever, but even then she was pleasant. Many babies become irritable and difficult to console when running a fever, but all it takes with Isabelle is holding her.

We praise God daily for both of our girls. They are healthy, bright, beautiful and full of joy. We are also grateful to those of you that keep them and us lifted in prayer.

Blessings and Thanks!

Christian Aid Workers Killed by Taliban

2007-07-31T14:12:00.000+01:00

Twenty three South Korean Christian aid workers are being held hostage in Afghanistan. Two of them have been executed; more details here. I don't really know what else to say at the moment apart from pray that they would be set free. And yes, pray for other hostages that don't make the news.

A Little More on Jasheen & the Benefit

2007-07-30T11:45:00.000+01:00

In light of the developments surrounding the benefit that Jasheen is organizing (see entry below entitled, 'An Event Worth Talking About'), I thought I'd share this brief email that she received from one of the women working closest with her on the event:

Hi J,
I feel so guilty leaving you for a few days with the mountain of work you are doing for the benefit. Don't tire yourself out please, but it is truly amazing what you are doing. The others have no idea of the effort you are throwing at this event.
Take care and I will phone you next Monday to see how things are.
Love Bridge

The Lord seems to be showing Jasheen so much favor as she moves forward with this exciting event. She has won the hearts of some pretty amazing women in the West End. Last Tuesday night she gathered with six of them to discuss details surrounding the event, and the conversation led to what we're doing here. Once it was established that I am a "God Man," Jasheen shared with them our ministry and what we're doing here. It's been so cool to see her weave in and out of conversations about the event and our faith. It's interesting to hear their impressions of Christianity (and Christians) and observe as they learn that some of their own preconceptions may not be entirely accurate.

Jasheen still needs much prayer surrounding all aspects of this event. She is in the process of raising the necessary funds from local businesses and philanthropists in order to pull the whole thing off, as well as serving as a representative of Jesus. The Lord has truly provided the avenues and settings for Jasheen to shine in her gifting and in her faith.

I continue to be so impressed with and proud of her. I have come to know my wife as... my wife, and a wonderful mother, and it's been easy to forget that she is an incredibly accomplished and intelligent entrepreneur. Please keep praying for her and the women she's working alongside.

Eastern Orthodox Prayer

2007-07-26T23:51:00.000+01:00

O Lord our God,
at your coming you set men free
from the worship of other gods;
by your miracles you taught us to
acknowledge you as the one creator
and only maker of all things living,
and to place our hope in you;
protect us by the power of your Name,
sanctify us by your truth
and pour out your mercy upon us
and upon all your people.

For you are our God,
the God of mercy and salvation,
and we glorify you,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
now and forever,
to the ages of ages. Amen.

An Event Worth Talking About

2007-07-20T00:04:00.000+01:00

You know those people that can just make things happen? They put their minds to something and regardless of the scale, they can convert dreams into reality. I'm not talking about a snazzy seasonal party or a modest music recital, I'm talking about a shin-dig that draws local TV networks, journalists and even celebrities. I am not one of those people, but my wife is.

A few months back Jasheen began sharing an idea with me to help promote her friend Ann's individually handmade jewelry. She saw that Ann had a lot of potential, and wanted to help her friend stand on her own two feet. Last November we hosted a jewelry party for Ann and she sold £500 worth of rings, necklaces and brooches. Far more than she ever expected. That was nice for an in-home gathering, but Jasheen wanted to really get Ann's name and product out there. She imagined a proper gala to showcase Ann's creations to all the West End of Glasgow.

What began as a relatively small, but public function (with me as the emcee) has literally exploded into what may turn out to be the largest single event of its kind that the west end sees this year. Jasheen began building her team to execute the necessary functions required for the event - mostly local women in our neighborhood and a couple of her piano students that have turned out to be very well networked and very resourceful. Brainstorming sessions led to a much larger scale event, and instead of promoting Ann exclusively, they decided to help launch the West End's new, young faces in fashion design, as well. Further brainstorming and networking led to the event becoming a full-scale benefit for a local West End Cancer Caring Center. The goal is to keep it all local; to bring in the arts, creativity, and really show Glasgow's potential as Scotland's cultural epicenter.

Jasheen's team consists of two well-known local journalists, a charismatic actress, and a successful marketing guru. They have grand visions of a formal event including food, drink, designers, models, hair & makeup artists, celebrity guests & entertainers, door prizes, raffles, and of course, corporate sponsorship. And as it is her brainchild, Jasheen is organizing and overseeing the entire production.

One thing after another has fallen into place. Oran Mor, meaning the 'great melody of life' or 'big song', is a cultural center and meeting place in the heart of Glasgow's West End that has agreed to comp the use of their venue for the function. BBC Scotland will be contacted to cover the event, and models are already responding to Jasheen's request to lend their services free of charge. Several agents of Scottish actors have been or will be contacted to discuss their clients' appearances and involvment in the event, and an up and coming recording artist from the States has already agreed to come and perform. And so much more is still in the works. It seems that every time Jasheen shares her vision with someone, the Lord has already paved the way for their involvement or their network.

The event will take place on November 13th and has already garnered the interest of print and television media. It is a benefit for Maggie's Centre, a non-profit organization committed to helping people living with, through and beyond cancer.

A strange and pleasant phenomena has occurred since Jasheen began this journey... I've met the young woman I fell in love with, dated and eventually married. This has breathed new life into her. I see her passion and excitement growing everyday. Jasheen is a philanthropist at heart. She has always loved serving others and helping them achieve their potential.

There is an awful lot of effort and leg-work that needs to happen for this to be successful, and although it has completely re-energized her, Jasheen could use a lot of help, prayer and support. This is more than a benefit for people with cancer. It's more than a showcase for local talent. It's more than a project for Jasheen. This is an occasion to bring people we've grown to know and love together; to work in synergy with our friends in the community; and for God to be glorified in a missional endeavor to love on and serve all those involved.

When she began sharing all of this with me, I thought it was a beautiful dream, but it would take an exceptional kind of person to pull it off. Realistically, it's just not going to happen. I mean, I'm certainly not one of those people that makes these things happen...

... but then, we're not talking about me, are we?

PS: As more aspects of the event are confirmed, I will be sharing and updating as to the who's and the what's involved. Until then, I'll not speculate or titillate with big names or personalities. :)

An Apology

2007-07-16T10:18:00.000+01:00

Someone left a comment on my last post that I feel should be addressed. I've removed it because I think allowing readers to post anonymously sets a bad precedent and is irresponsible. However, I also believe in the blogger interface and want readers to have the freedom to share their views. I just don't want to endorse cowardice, and when there is no accountability people can 'courageously' share anything they wish.

The following comment was in reference to the last point on my "Glasgow: What's (not) to Love?," entry:

"maybe if you took some time to talk to them, you'd find out that's not the statement they're making at all. stereotyping is a great way to do ministry. nice job."

It was not my intent to stereotype the youth I mentioned in this point. And despite the immature, self-righteous and sarcastic tone of the comment left on my blog, there truly is no place for generalized assumptions in ministry. Incidentally, I have spoken with several of these kids and quite honestly, my heart breaks for them. For that reason alone, I issue this formal apology to them:

To the numerous "death-rocker, goth-kids" faithfully reading my blog that I alluded to in my previous entry,

I apologize for making such a crass generalization about the statement(s) you may be making through your attire. It was reckless of me to assume that sporting T-shirts of bands like, Cannibal Corpse, Christian Death, Obituary, Napalm Death, Suffocation, Slayer, Nuclear Death, Rigor Mortis and Massacre, could in any way be considered a preoccupation with death or evil.
Although music is one of the most prevalent methods of establishing identity among youth today, I should have been more sensitive to you as a collective.

Just because someone wears a crucifix does not necessarily mean that they are a follower of Jesus. In the same sense, perhaps your pentagrams don't indicate a fascination with Satan. Either way, it's not for me to ascertain.

Please accept my apology and know that I value you as a part of this culture and society. In this day and age of political correctness and cultural sensitivity, I will try to be more careful when addressing specific genres of people.

That is all.

:p

Glasgow: What's (not) to Love?

2007-07-15T23:54:00.000+01:00

My last entry outlined some of the things I love about this city, but like any major metropolitan city, there's plenty not to like too. Something I read in today's Sunday Times (Scotland) reminded me that there's a flip side to this city as well. The following list ranges from the petty to the downright tragic:

1) It would be negligent not to mention that Glaswegians smoke and drink too much. Scotland tops most lists in these two addictions, and as a result are among Europe's leaders in health related illnesses.

2) There is still a fairly heavy undercurrent of sectarianism in this city, and it can usually be identified by which local football side you support - Rangers (protestant) or Celtic (catholic). I was advised early in my stay here not to support either side... for my own health. The separation along protestant and roman catholic lines isn't as strong as it used to be, but it still very much exists, and it defines a large part of what is bad about this city.

3) I'm annoyed at all the trash and dog poo on the walkways and streets. Glasgow really is a beautiful city, and it's clear that civic hygiene is not much of a priority to its inhabitants.

4) While we're not exposed to this side of its underbelly on a day-to-day basis, Glasgow is an extremely violent city. The article I read today branded Scotland as western Europe's "murder hotspot," and two-thirds of those murders happen in Strathclyde (Glasgow's county). The ratio of stabbing incidents in Glasgow compared to those in London is 19:1, and if you're stabbed in Glasgow you're more likely to die from your wound than in any other city in Europe. There is no scientific explanation for this, but theories state that it's likely due to the force and aggression behind the assaults that make it so serious.

5) The separation between the haves and have-nots seems to be increasing here. While there is no shortage of good, quality housing in the city, there is a shortage of good, affordable housing, and this leads to many people still living in poor, cold, damp conditions.

6) There is a very dark presence among the youth in this city. I've never seen so many death-rockers, or goth-kids gathered so numerously in one location. On any given day (especially weekends) it's not uncommon to see hordes of teenage kids gathered together in city center donning black clothing from head to foot, adorned with skulls, pentagrams, and black makeup. There is no question that the desired statement they're trying to make is, "I am evil and I'm consumed with death."

Glasgow: What's To Love?

2007-07-05T13:54:00.000+01:00

"Glasgow: a place where some are born great; where some become great by living here; and where some still chuck spears at buses." - Anonymous

Inspired by an online blog-chat, I thought I'd take a few moments to share with you what I love about the place we've called home for the past four years.

1. First and foremost, I love the people. Glaswegians, as they're called, are renowned for their hospitality and friendliness. They tend to be very approachable, and are just as eager to give you directions as they are to walk you to your destination themselves. They love to laugh and possess a sharp wit. There is definitely a sense of social justice amongst the people, as could be seen when the tsunami decimated the Indonesian islands, and with the mass involvement and awareness surrounding ONE: The Campaign to Make Poverty History.

2. Glasgow has some great museums - the best of which is the Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum. There's also the Museum of Transport, and the People's Palace and Winter Gardens. All of which contain hours of intrigue and entertainment! And the best part - they're FREE!

3. Glasgow is not known as the "dear green place" for nothing. It has more gardens/parks per square foot than any other city in Britain. A huge part of the west end is taken up by the Botanic Gardens, a favorite place for our family to go on a nice day.

4. I love that Glasgow is so centrally located. Get on the train in any direction and before long you'll find yourself at the ocean, Hadrian's Wall, Stirling Castle or in the Highlands. We're a mere hour's flight from London, and 45 minutes from Edinburgh by rail.

5. I love the feel of the city. Glasgow is Britain's third most populated city, but I've come to describe it as having a "village feel" to it. I don't know of any other city where you can stroll around the city centre (downtown) area and regularly run into people you know. This aspect creates an intimate sense of community among the inhabitants.

6. At first glance you wouldn't think that the urban context would be all that child-friendly, which makes this another reason why I love Glasgow - particularly the west end. In order to create a place where families can flourish in urban-life, people have to go to greater lengths than they do in suburban contexts. We've found Glasgow to be very accommodating to young families... or more specifically, families with young children. Other than ample opportunities to plug into mum's groups, toddler groups, and children's music classes (all of which we have greatly benefited from), there are also places like The Loft and The Grosvenor that cater to families with young children. On the surface, The Loft is just another hip restaurant/bar for the upwardly mobile elite. Converted from the west end's old theater house, The Loft is now a thriving hot-spot on evenings and weekends, but during the day, The Loft creates a great environment for parents to bring their kids... going so far as to provide Fisher-Price cars for the kids to tear around the giant wooden floor on. The Grosvenor, a theater sharing the same building, offers a "watch with baby" feature every Thursday for the first showing of the day. This provides an opportunity for parents to see movies too (provided their infant is 12-months or younger).

7. When praising Glasgow, you can't avoid highlighting its music scene. From 80s rock-legends David Byrne and Simple Minds, to contemporary alt-rockers Teenage Fanclub and Snow Patrol, to indie pop bands Belle and Sebastian and The Fratellis, to post-punk quartet Franz Ferdinand, and post-rock instrumentalists Mogwai, Glasgow has been producing a vast array of musicians and bands that have left their mark on today's music scene.

"Terror Related" Attack on Glasgow International Airport

2007-07-01T00:09:00.000+01:00

It's sobering when something like this happens in your own city. I've never really considered Glasgow to be much of a target for terrorist activity. London, sure. New York, a given. Los Angeles, of course. But Glasgow? Scotland???

Two men were arrested after ramming a burning car into the airport's main terminal, a day after police thwarted two attempted bombings in the capital.

Police said one of the men wore a "suspect device" and the incident was being treated as terror related.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown urged the public to remain vigilant.

"I know the British people will stand together, united and resolute," he added.

More on this story can be found at the BBC NEWS website.

Weir Good Lads Gather

2007-06-29T00:50:00.000+01:00

I met Dave Weir about four years ago at the gym. He was just a wee 17 year old student at Glasgow University, and was recovering from a major shoulder injury. Our friendship eventually grew out of the gym and into going to movies and hanging out every once in a while. I asked Dave to start going to church with me and ultimately to join a Bible study at my flat with another friend (Johan) from the gym. That was about two years ago, and we've been going strong ever since. Dave recently graduated from Glasgow Uni and is about to embark on an extraordinary adventure. Tomorrow morning he will leave Glasgow for about a month and head to France to cycle the Tour de France route. Since we met, Dave has lost nearly 8 Stone (about 112 lbs.) and has become an avid endurance athlete. Over the past month we've been spending time studying the Psalms and Dave has adopted several passages as motivation to endure and overcome difficulties and trials. He'll find a way to fix some of these passages to his bike for those moments in his ride when he feels like giving up or slowing down.

This morning was perhaps our final Bible time together for a long time. When he returns he'll only be here for a week before heading down to England to begin his post-graduate studies. As our time came to a close my friend Stuart Weir arrived for my second meeting of the morning. "Maybe you guys are related," I joked. As they made their introductions they discovered that, in fact, they are 2nd cousins. How bizarre... two young Scots livng in Glasgow's west end all this time and they only just met and discovered they're related. It was pretty cool to see this happen in my kitchen... cool and mildly sad since Dave leaves tomorrow and only returns to Glasgow for a brief stay. I will be tracking Dave's journey through his blog on MySpace, and will be praying for him daily. Dave has come a long way as both an athlete and a young man, and I'm very proud of him, but I'll miss him too.

Here's a few pictures from our flat, Weir good lads gather.

Me & Dave

Me & Stuart

ANNIVERSARY: Three Years Down, Forever to Go!

2007-06-26T15:39:00.000+01:00

Jasheen and I celebrate three years of marriage today! And what a three years it's been. From our first month of marriage, it has been non-stop. An international move, two beautiful daughters, and a change in ministry later, we feel like we've crammed about 10 years worth into three.
An anniversary means celebrating the gifts and blessings of another year; growing together through the trials and challenges of another year; reflecting back on the really good memories (and some not so good) of another year; and most importantly, it means another year shared with the love of my life.
Marriage is likely never what one would expect; you're probably never exactly where you thought you'd be, but the truth is, it's better and more rewarding than you ever imagined, AND it's harder and more challenging than you'd ever have thought.
Throw parenting in to a young marriage and you have some of the most significant growth and learning opportunities known to man.

...and we're still here... loving, crying, laughing, playing, praying and growing together.
But one thing's for sure, there is no way that I'd be the man or the father that I am, nor would I be able to do the things I do without my loving, tolerant, gracious and gorgeous bride.

Thank you all for your care, concern and prayer for our marriage, our ministry, and our family!

Three years and counting...

McKenzie Blog Back Online!

2007-06-24T13:35:00.002+01:00

After more than six months of internet silence, our family blog is back online. We've undergone some serious transformations and transitions since our last entry, not the least of which, the arrival of Isabelle Sophia. Born at the Queen Mother's Hospital on 18 March at 10:15am, Isabelle is a healthy and happy baby. Gabrielle has welcomed her new little sister with joy and enthusiasm, as have her mother and I. You can find pictures of this glorious occasion at our online photo album, in the March set.

Another big change, in case you haven't heard, is that after serving with CRM/nieuCommunities for more than seven years (four here in Glasgow), we've made a transition to Christian Associates International, the organization we originally came here to partner with four years ago. We're excited to continue our ministry calling to Scotland with CAI, and we believe that from a gifting and philosophical standpoint, we are more capable to fully carry out the ministry that God has called us to do.

Jasheen and I are grateful for the invaluable learning and growth experiences we've had with CRM, and for the opportunity they have given us to serve the Lord with them in Scotland.

Our transition will be complete as of 31 July, and CRM will process our funds until 9 August. All gifts received thereafter will be returned. To continue supporting us in ministry and transition your current giving from CRM to CAI, or to begin partnering with us financially, please visit CAI's Giving page for instruction on how and where to begin sending your gifts. And of course, we are more than happy to answer any questions that you may have if you'd like to email them directly to us.

Jasheen and I are deeply grateful for the loving and faithful ministry that we receive from our generous donors and prayer warriors. One would have to be in a situation like ours to truly know how precious and valuable those gifts and prayers are that allow us to fulfill our ministry in this spiritually desperate place. We're so grateful for the friendships, care, and willingness of others to be involved in our lives and ministry.

Book Review: A Tale of Three Kings

2007-06-23T22:53:00.000+01:00

A Tale of Three Kings: A Study in Brokenness - Gene Edwards

One glance at the back cover and I wondered, "Why haven't I read this yet???"

"Many Christians have experienced pain, loss, and heartache at the hands of other believers. To those believers, this compelling story offers comfort, healing and hope."

This story addresses those facing the pain and brokenness that result from unfair treatment by other believers, and promises to provide encouragement through this powerful story about David, Saul, and Absalom.

This book is a very insightful retrospective examining the contrast in character quality found in three Old Testament kings: Saul, David and Absalom. You may be familiar with the story of these three kings (found in 1 & 2 Samuel), and you'll be surprised at how relevant the lessons learned from these character studies are today.

Reviewing how David coped with an insane king that tried to kill him, and a vain, narcissistic son that tried to usurp him (both of which nearly succeeded), is an amazing study in God's love, grace and wisdom.

But keep in mind, this IS a case study in brokenness. This is next-level-faith type stuff. The patience, surrender, reverence for God and faith in His will that David displays in these situations is not easily attained or executed. In fact, it's completely counterintuitive to how we (and those around us) may expect us to behave.

At the same time, the revelations that wash over you as you read this book and the profound perspective this story can offer you will likely change your life. As Edwards says himself, you may not like the questions this book raises, and you'll probably like the answers even less, but this book is a must-read for anyone interested in any kind of leadership in Kingdom-minded service.

2006: The Year in Review

2007-01-04T11:04:00.000Z

We received a Christmas letter from some friends this year and they let their son write it. Mommy and daddy were inspired so they thought it would be neat if I did it too. So this is our year in review in my (Gabrielle's) words:

January: We started off the year with an amazing trip to Singapore to see my Nai-nai and Tha-tha - that's mommy's parents. One of our dear friends gave us something called frequent flier miles for daddy's ticket, and grandmother & granddaddy in California bought mommy's ticket as a Christmas present. It was so fun and I got to fly on my first airplane. I don't think mommy and daddy had very much fun though b/c I didn't sleep very much. But I loved it and got to know everyone on the plane because daddy walked me up and down the aisles for most of the flight. I'm a Glasgow girl, so Singapore was very hot for me. All of my friends and relatives there were so nice and generous with me and gave me lots of nice gifts. My favorite part was celebrating Chinese New Year!!!

February: We returned from Singapore to very cold weather - which I'm used too. Daddy did something very crazy... he fasted for two weeks!!! He lost 16 lbs. and weighed the same as he did when he graduated from high school. He was skinnier and looked much younger.

March: Mommy did something new this month. Daddy had to go away for three days up to Inverness for a meeting for his ministry's curriculum. Mommy took care of me all by herself, and though it was hard, she did a good job and we really enjoyed girl-time while daddy was gone. It also snowed really hard this month and Glasgow got its most snow in 30 years. I didn't really know what to think about it though... it was very cold and wet.

April: Mommy enrolled me in my first music class called Colour Strings. We had so much fun. We listened to music and did fun exercises to the music. I think I'm going to be like mommy and be a musician. I love music and singing! We also went to Amsterdam to see our good friends, the Grafs. They're missionaries there and mommy and daddy got married at their farm. That was my second airplane ride and it was better because it wasn't as long as to Singapore. The Grafs loved on me and mommy and daddy a lot and we had a great time. I can't wait to go back!

May: The weather started getting warmer and mommy and daddy took me and Cole to the park a lot. I loved watching all the kids play on the playground and all the doggies running around.

June: Mommy and daddy took me on another airplane ride to California where I got to see grandmother, granddaddy, Aunt Jenny, Uncle Tom and my cousins, Nico & Molly. We went there to attend CRM's world wide staff conference at daddy's alma mater, Westmont. Mommy and daddy also got to go to something called a Romance Conference at Hume Lake. Granddaddy was the speaker, but I don't know very much about romance.

July: Mommy and daddy had so much fun showing me off to all their friends in California. Everyone was so nice to me and loved on me a lot. We also got to go out to Palm Desert w/ Troy and Kristina Pierce and I got to play with their son, Owen. He's BIG! Oh! We also had my dedication. Granddaddy performed my baby dedication and lots of people came to celebrate. We had a Bar-B-Q and there were lots of kids and presents for me!!! I loved California. I woke up every morning and hung out with grandmother for about an hour while everyone else slept in. We really bonded and she showed me how to point at things and water all her plants. Oh! And one more thing: mommy and daddy found out that I'm going to have a little brother or sister. Yea!!! I could really use a playmate. Cole keeps running away from me.

August: We had to leave California and go back home to Glasgow, but the weather was really nice and we got to go to the park some more. This time, mommy and daddy let me get in the little-girl's swing. I love to swing. It's so fun! Daddy had to start preparing for the new participants. He got a promotion and became the Glasgow Director. He really loves his ministry!

September: This was a big month. I turned one-year-old and mommy and daddy had a big party for me. More than 60 people came to celebrate with me and I got tons of presents. I also got to eat a fruit tart - which was the first time I had something called SUGAR. I really liked it and smeared it all over my face. I got some of it in my mouth too. The participants also showed up this month and daddy was working a lot. Mommy had to watch me by herself again for three days when daddy went on a Listening Retreat with the new participants. They spent three days in silence listening to God. I don't even know how to spend three minutes in silence, so that's impressive to me.

October: Yea!!! I started walking this month. I love to walk. I also love to dance to the Fimbles on TV. Mommy also started letting me play the piano. I love the noise it makes when I bang on the keys. The days got shorter and it started getting cold. But that's okay with me because I have lots of warm clothes to bundle up in. People have been so kind to give me lots of clothes! Daddy got to fly back to California for a wedding. His friend Nate and his wife, Becky, flew him home so that he could co-officiate the wedding - whatever that means. He was home for a week and mommy had to take care of me by herself for the longest time yet. Oh yeah, and mommy's belly started to get big. The doctor said that she thinks it's a girl, but only 75% sure... boy will mommy be shocked if it's a little boy!

November: This was a really special month because grandmother came to visit from California. She didn't even tell us that she was coming. She just surprised us by showing up at the front door. Mommy and daddy were shocked! Mommy even started crying... but she was happy. I don't get that, but I guess it's a good thing. Grandmother bought me a rocking horse as an early Christmas present and I love it! This was a big food month. Mommy and daddy hosted an evening for all the staff and participants and they made Pad-Thai. We also celebrated Thanksgiving, even though it's not a holiday in Scotland. We had a huge turkey and grandmother made a delicious thing called cranberry sauce. We invited lots of Scottish friends to celebrate with us and they really enjoyed it.

December: I really like December. I didn't remember Christmas last year, but I really like it! I love all the decorations and the lights. Daddy also turned 34 this month - which means that he's older than Jesus. He had a nice birthday party with some of his friends here. I got a stocking for Christmas and a little table and chairs that me and mommy sit at to color and read books. I say lots of words now... my favorite words (other than 'Momma' and 'Daddy') are: Nose, Eye, Hot, No, Hi, Bye, Daggy (for Cole), Shees (shoes), Moe (more), and Ubiquitous... just kidding. I also just string a bunch of sounds together that sound like talking, but mommy and daddy have no idea what I'm saying. Mommy's tummy is HUGE... daddy says she's as big as a house, but mommy just smiles and shakes her head. I can't wait for my little sister or brother to come in March!

Well, that's the year through my eyes. It was a really good year and mommy and daddy say that it was filled with God's goodness and his blessings. If you want to see pictures from our year - lots of me getting bigger - you can click the link on the right side of this page that says, "Photo Album," or you can log on to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisandjasheen// to see all the pictures we took this year.

Thanks for checking out my first Blog entry. We're looking forward to another great year and can't wait to share it with you again!

Bye-bye!

Catching Up with the McKenzies

2006-10-17T15:49:00.001+01:00

My goodness, where to begin???
Since we returned to Glasgow from our furlough in the States our schedule has been more than hectic. I know it seems like a stretch, but I've been waiting for the time to actually sit down and update the Blog, and insodoing I've waited far too long.

In the past two-and-a-half months we've seen our latest group of participants/students arrive for their nieuCommunities training/mission year; Gabrielle turned one-year-old; Jasheen's "bump" is growing; and our church (plant) has been displaced from the building we've been renting since it's up for sale.

nieuCommunities:

The latest batch of young, emerging leaders have officially settled in and are underway in their training and development. I've embraced the new role of director and am thoroughly enjoying the new responsibility of leading our team. We have a wonderfully diverse group of young leaders hailing from California, Ohio, Canada and Texas... and ranging from ages 21 to 34. The group, as a whole, is very engaging and has started the year full of hope and enthusiasm.

Gabrielle:

We were so excited to celebrate Gabrielle's 1st birthday last month. But even more than that, we were amazed at the turnout for her party. Of course, we know that a child's first birthday party is more for the parents than the child, but she had an impressive turnout nonetheless. We hosted more than 60 people in our flat for the festive soiree. It was a true testament to the relational and missional investment we've made here since arriving. We were graced by the elderly ladies from the park, families and kids from our prenatal class and from Gabrielle's music class, our neighbors, some of Jasheen's piano students, our own teammates, and some of our local friends here... even Jasheen's hair-dresser made an appearance.
The kindness and generosity lavished upon Gabrielle was truly humbling. And to cap it all off, Gabrielle got her first taste of sugar - a small, but tasty fruit torte that she bathed herself in thoroughly (check out the Photo Album link on this page to see pictures).
Gabrielle has also started walking!!! She's still more proficient on her knees, but she has loads of fun walking back-and-forth between mommy and daddy in the lounge. her arrival to our arms is always accompanied by a shriek of jubilation as she beams with pride at her latest accomplishment.
Aside from the obvious joy that she brings to our lives, Gabrielle has been as effective a ministry tool as anything else we have. She is the consumate conversation starter and Jasheen has made many relationships with other 'mums' as a result. We praise the Lord daily for her and couldn't be more excited than we are as we watch her develop.

Jasheen:

Jasheen is nearing her 18th week of pregnancy and all is good. She's been battling back from a bout with bronchitis, but she's on the mend and feeling better. One exciting development for her is that she will be 'coaching' two of the participant young women this year (Kathi & Melody). Jasheen is ever humble in her ability to pour into the lives of other young women, but she has proven to be very effective in this area thus far and we're excited to see her in this role. Please be praying for her as she seeks the Lord's wisdom and guidance in shaping and coaching these young leaders.

Me (Chris):

As I mentioned, my responsibilities have changed this year as I have accepted the role of director. Accompanied by an extremely capable staff, this transition has been easier to adjust to than I'd expected. In addition to the teaching that I'll be doing, I will also be coaching one of the young men here (Johnvir) and would also appreciate your prayers.
I'm also leading a Bible study with some guys I've met at the gym (pictured) - Johan, Dave and Drastic. This has proven to be a rich and rewarding experience for us all.

Re:Hope

Our church-plant will be two-years-old this January and we've just been asked to vacate the building we've been using as it's gone on the market for sale. We've been talking with our ministry back home (CRM) about the possibility of being the buyers, and Lord willing that will happen. Please be praying that if it's the Lord's will, He'll provide the necessary funds to make this happen. At the very least we're hoping that if we're not the buyers, that whomever purchases the building will allow us to continue using the facility as it really is perfect for our needs.
In the meantime, another local church in the area is allowing us to use their building on Sunday afternoons for our gathering.

We continually praise God for the way He moves hearts to support us in ministry here in the city of Glasgow. We look forward to keeping you posted on the events and experiences that unfold this year.

Blessings and love!

The Long Journey Home

2006-08-17T00:11:00.000+01:00

It's got to be a record: Los Angeles to Glasgow in 43 hours: one car, two planes, one subway, four trains, 3 buses, 4 cabs, and a ferry - over 100 lbs. of luggage, one set of clothes and no shower. All of this for a little dog named Cole.
Britain doesn't allow pets in the cabin of an airplane on inbound flights. That's what kicked this whole amazing journey off.
Since we didn't really want to subject Cole to 11+ hours in the cargo hold of two airplanes we decided that I would fly through Paris and take the EuroStar (the chunnel train that goes from Paris to London under the English Channel). However, upon arriving in Paris I discovered that pets were not allowed on that train either - this would have been extremely good information to have received from our travel agent when planning the journey.
Consequently, I had to take a train from Paris to Lille, and then another train from Lille to Calaise where I could take the ferry across the channel to Dover (England). I took a train from Dover to Victoria Station (London) and cabbed over to Euston Station (London) to catch my final (sleeper) train from London to Glasgow... getting in at just past 7:00am the next morning. It only added about 16 hours to my journey.
It would probably have served me well to eat more than three meals the entire journey (two of which were airplane meals and one Whopper w/ cheese).
My shoulders felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to them by the time I got home... partly b/c the pack I was using weighed in around 60 lbs.
I don't think my anxiety subsided until I was actually on the ferry with the security of knowing that if I had to spend the night sleeping on the ground, at least it would be in Britain.
Jasheen and Gabrielle arrived a little later that day and we were all finally back home in our own flat in Glasgow.

There was not much rest for the weary, though. Three days after arriving home we were planning to host another "Road Trip" for a small group of young people exploring our ministry. And on top of that, we had less than a month before our next group of 'students' arrive for the coming year. God has been most gracious though. The group has been here for several days and they're a great group of folks (mostly from Rock Harbor Church in Costa Mesa).

Jasheen and I continue to settle back into our life here in Glasgow and prepare for the upcoming year. As many of you know, I have taken a new role here as the director for the 'students' that are coming and I'm experiencing a new kind of pressure as we await their arrival. But with the help of a very competent, capable and gifted team, I think we're going to be more than ready to welcome the incoming group.

On an encouraging note, our first Sunday back in our church-plant (Regarding Hope) we had more than 60 people at the service... and the local students that make up the majority of our parishioners aren't even back in town yet!

We've posted a lot of new pictures from our furlough/trip in California so please click over to the online photo album and check them out.

Thanks again for all your prayer, care and support!

Road Trip & Furlough

2006-06-05T00:42:00.000+01:00

The first of three Beyond Borders Road Trips (BBRT) has come to a close. A group of six young leaders came for a little more than a week to explore nieuCommunities as we took them through a microcosm of what a full, 42-week nC term looks like. They experienced our learning environments, our outreach to the west end of Glasgow, our involvment at the Glasgow City Mission and our weekly rhythm as a community here in Scotland.
The visitors (all from Rock Harbor Church in Costa Mesa, CA) ranged in age from 22 to 39 so we had ourselves a pretty diverse group.
This particular BBRT comes just as we're preparing to leave Glasgow on furlough to California. Jasheen, Gabrielle and I leave tomorrow for London where we'll visit some dear friends for a couple of days before flying to L.A. on Wednesday.
We have an incredibly hectic schedule ahead of us and would appreciate your prayers. After arriving in SoCal on the 7th, I attend the Influencers men's retreat June 9-11 in Lake Arrowhead, CA. We then hit the CRM worldwide staff conference June 15-21 at Westmont College in Santa Barbara. After leaving the staff conference we head up to Hume Lake for another conference June 22-25.
Although we land in CA on the 7th, it won't feel like we're home until around the 26th.
Please pray for travel mercies (especially with Gabrielle), and for pockets of rest and recharging. This will also mark the first time that we leave Gabrielle for more than a couple of hours at a time. We will not be taking her to Hume Lake with us so please, please, please pray for us and her as our dear friends care for her while we're away.
Our time home will be a time of retreats/conferences, fundraising, catching up with people we haven't seen in two years, and spending much time with family and friends.
I'm actually curious as to how we're going to do being away from Glasgow for two months. Being with family and friends will be great, but being away from home for that long can be challenging.
Oh... and for those of you that are wondering, we're taking Cole with us. He has his own passport and everything. Not sure he's going to like the 10+ hour flight from London to LAX, but he'll have two months to decompress and enjoy the warm California sun.

The Da Vinci Dudd

2006-05-21T14:03:00.000+01:00

This weekend Sony Pictures released the highly anticipated, highly controversial film version of author Dan Brown's bestselling book, The Da Vinci Code, starring Tom Hanks, Audrey Tautou and Sir Ian McKellen. The phenomenon that this book has engendered has effectively divided the world into halves: those who've read it and either love it or begrudgingly admit that it's "quite a good read", and those who haven't, but are bored of it already and just waiting for everyone to shut up about it. How much more semi-educational diversions on art, pop-conspiracy-theory history, cryptology and symbology can the book-reading, movie-going world possibly talk about???

Due to the heretical teaching contradicting the Biblical story of Jesus Christ, The Da Vinci Code has been scrutinized and berated by Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant Christians alike. I attended the film last night with a small group of friends, intent on watching the film for the purpose of an after-discussion at a nearby cafe... a movie club, so to speak (I know, kinda' geeky). I know this film is one that many feel every Christ-follower should boycott, but I have a very strong conviction about why (some) Christians should be watching and reading the same things the general public is. In this case, the world is having a conversation about the historical accuracy of Jesus Christ. As a Christian I can either boycott the book and film and remain completely out of the 'conversation,' or I can read the book and see the film and participate in the conversation - bringing to it a Christian perspective.

Having read the book already, I must confess that I watched the film, for the most part, with an eye for the adaptation, not the message. I couldn't imagine how this particular story could possibly be told effectively within its 149 minute running time. I was, sadly, correct in my scepticism.
With great films such as Backdraft, Apollo 13, Ransom and A Beautiful Mind to his credit, The Da Vinci Code was sure to be a hit with director Ron Howard at the helm. Unfortunately, not even little Opie Cunningham could do this justice.
In stark contrast to the page-turning thrills of the novel, the movie dragged painfully at times... provoking thoughts of, "Did I leave the iron on?"

Despite the hype, the controversy and the cast, this film was all but set-up to bomb. As if it weren't enough that the entire Christian world was maligning the message of both book and film, the movie-going public will now attack the adaptation from page to screen.
The film quite simply did not deliver like the book did. I know, I know... big surprise. When has a film ever lived up to the book before... ever heard of The Lord of the Rings?
I digress.

So what really is all the fuss about? Has everyone completely missed that this is, in fact, fiction we're talking about? The evangelical community has always attacked fiction titles that in one way or another contradict Biblical truth, from Huckleberry Finn to Harry Potter. Why should this be any different? The interesting thing is, that this kind of thing has been going on since Jesus, Himself, walked the earth. He was falsely accused, labled a liar, and judged for the company he kept. There were religious and non-religious groups alike desperately trying to discredit his name and his claims while he was here. Why would that change? The fact is, Jesus still poses a threat to many people who refuse to accept him as the Son of God... as Lord and Savior.

By my best estimation, based on what little research I've done, Dan Brown took someone else's theory (Holy Blood, Holy Grail by Michael Baigent & Richard Leigh, that they claimed to be fact) and made a riveting story out of it. The fact that the Christian/Catholic community takes such offense only exposes what I see to be a deeper issue... a crisis of faith issue. If Christians are so sure of the TRUTH, then why get so hung-up on a piece of writing that is simply inaccurate? If someone wrote a compelling bestseller supporting the existence of Santa Claus or Smurfs would your beliefs... would your knowledge of the truth be compromised? Of course not, so what is the origin of this fear?

The most common fear I hear is on behalf of people who may mistake The Davinci Code's fictional historical account of who Jesus is... or more importantly, who He isn't, with the Truth. But there are countless religions, philosophies and faiths out there that contradict the Bible that have been around for much longer and that have far more followers than Brown's book is accumulating. If we're really afraid of people being misled, why such a fuss over this book that primarily resides within the scope of entertainment? Why not launch full-scale assaults on Buddhism, Islam, Mormonism or Hinduism? The church seems far more enthusiastic about standing against something that makes a claim against its central figure. I don't buy the argument that we need to debunk this claim for the sake of the lost. I think the church has established a personal vindetta against Brown's story because it paints an alternate picture of who we know Jesus to be. In contrast to its recent outcry, the church, in the past, has remained relatively silent about books/films that are equally disputable regarding, for instance, redemptive violence.

If anything, I'm excited about a story, however innacurate it may be, that invites me (Christians) to talk about Jesus. We have a green light, not to solely attack this point of view, but to discuss the True story of Jesus Christ and his ministry. Make no mistake though. I'm about as interested in discussing historical facts about this as I am in performing retinal surgery on myself. The Bible doesn't need my defense. The Bible doesn't attempt to prove the existence of God. It already establishes that in the first verse of the first book - Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." We're talking faith here, not historical proof.

The church's public outcry and outrage directed at this book/film doesn't reveal the church's strength of faith, but rather portrays it as looking spooked. Santa Claus doesn't exist. If you say that he does, that doesn't threaten my resolve on the matter. Furthermore, in the church's relentless pursuit of Truth, it has jettisoned Grace. Attacks on Dan Brown are just wrong. Here is an opportunity to speak openly about our Lord AND show grace to those who may have a different point of view.

If the whole point is to win as many to Christ before our time here is finished, won't we be more effective by being full of grace, truth and love? If the church were to "win" this argument, will She have "won" any to Christ insodoing? The old axiom, "win an argument, lose a friend," comes to mind here.

Okay, so that's my soapbox on the issue. As far as The Da Vinci Code goes, I recommend reading the book rather than seeing the movie. The film just leaves too much to interpretation and also just leaves too much out.

Afterword:
As I was reading the book I was suspicious that amidst all the cryptologic inclusions within the story, I was sure that Dan Brown would likely have his own nods to some of his inspirations. I was quite pleased with myself to discover that the character who embodied the whole controversial message (Leigh Teabing) was an homage to Holy Blood, Holy Grail authors, Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh. LEIGH, being the first name, and TEABING, being une annagramme, a la the scrambled Fibonacci sequence -- Baigent. Did anyone else catch that?

Afterword 2:
Dan Brown answering "the big question" on his website -
IS THIS BOOK ANTI-CHRISTIAN?
No. This book is not anti-anything. It's a novel. I wrote this story in an effort to explore certain aspects of Christian history that interest me. The vast majority of devout Christians understand this fact and consider The Da Vinci Code an entertaining story that promotes spiritual discussion and debate. Even so, a small but vocal group of individuals has proclaimed the story dangerous, heretical, and anti-Christian. While I regret having offended those individuals, I should mention that priests, nuns, and clergy contact me all the time to thank me for writing the novel. Many church officials are celebrating The Da Vinci Code because it has sparked renewed interest in important topics of faith and Christian history. It is important to remember that a reader does not have to agree with every word in the novel to use the book as a positive catalyst for introspection and exploration of our faith.

More from Dan Brown can be found at: www.danbrown.com/novels/davinci_code/faqs.html

Top 10 Comic Book Movies

2006-05-06T21:31:00.000+01:00

With the arrival of this summer's X3: The Last Stand, a slue of adapted-for-cinema graphic novels and comic book series that have littered theaters for the past three decades, and several upcoming blockbusters set for release over the next year or so already in production, I thought it would be a good time to reveal my Top 10 Comic Book Movies list.
Agree, disagree, or indifferent, the following entries have proven to be more than just fodder for fanboys/girls and comic shop geeks. This is the lowdown on the best movies from the funkiest, funniest and coolest genre around.
Entries are not judged merely on their superior f/x or the accuracy of their adaptation, but again, their impact on cinema and the movie-going public at the time of their release. That's not to say that those attributes have been ignored, just not solely based upon.
I won't take the time or energy to breakdown each film in depth, but will give a satisfactory synopsis of each.

Here we go...

1. BATMAN BEGINS (2005): Although the previous four Batman releases thoroughly beat the Dark Knight franchise with the camp stick, this rendition redeems our hero by maintaining the same dark malevolence and coarse credibility that fuelled Frank Miller's revamp of the comic book franchise with The Dark Knight Returns (DC Comics, 1986). Despite the enigmatic title, this film gave us a cooler Batmobile, a killer cast and great villain in Cillian Murphy's Scarecrow.

2. SUPERMAN THE MOVIE (1978): Richard Donner's adaptation of the most iconic superhero of all time (Spidey and Bats are phenoms, but the Man Of Steel is the big kahuna) is a fantastical story that gave viewers the sense that the story was actually happening - that one would believe a man really could fly. Sure, the effects have dated considerably since the near-30 years that Christopher Reeves soared around the globe (reversing time), but it still has a sense of scale that impresses.

3. X-MEN 2 (2003): Bryan Singer's second stab at the X franchise is the perfect comic book entree which is exciting (Nightcrawler's attempt to assassinate the President), moving (Wolverine's anguish over his past), topical (a feared minority starts global conflict), and intimate (Iceman's 'coming-out' to his family). This edition was smart, funny and complex... and hugely successful for Singer, which bodes well for us as he is responsible for Superman's return later this year.

4. SPIDER-MAN (2002): A by-the-book origin movie that invites viewers to journey with Spidey every step of the way, as he faces off with a giggling Green Goblin. Getting to see the softer side of Spider-Man (Peter Parker) hit such a chord with movie-goers that this film is still the highest-grossing superhero flick of all time.

5. SIN CITY (2005): It was only a matter of time before someone attempted a direct rendering of the bold framing of comic book panels to film. Robert Rodriguez partnered with SIN CITY creator, Frank Miller, in this neo-noir release to produce the most accurate adaptation of graphic-novel-to-big-screen that's ever been done. SIN CITY oozes with style and its black and white film only adds to the style-over-substance design.

6. BLADE (1998): Predating the Matrix's leather chic by a year, BLADE is a slamming slice of high-quality action, dripping with attitude and cool. We see a reinvented BLADE (from the comic book) as a vampire hunter with a serious penchant for kung fu - the opening scene, in which BLADE lays waste to a nightclub full of bloodsuckers, is a veritable classic!

7. X-MEN (2000): This was the first Marvel masterpiece which sees a team of mutant superheroes protecting the very people who fear them. Riddled with spectacular special f/x, X-MEN is a wonderful story that single-handedly relaunched the comic-book-to-film genre after Warner Brothers effectively destroyed it with the horrific "Batman & Robin."

8. THE ROAD TO PERDITION (2002): Didn't know this one was a graphic novel, did ya? Without a cape or pair of tights in sight, TRTP is a classic gangster graphic novel, infusing the violence with fantastic cinematography
- the shootout in the rain is dazzling
- and finding emotional depths in the crux of father-son relationships. TRTP is a meditation on the effects of violence and a heart-wrenching family drama.

9. SUPERMAN II (1980): A multi-layered, multi-toned movie in which Supes falls in love, faces his own mortality and takes on three evil Kryptonians, each as powerful as him. With these three sub-plots in the mix, SUPERMAN II should never have worked... not to mention the fact that director Richard Donner was fired with 70% of the movie in the can, and replaced by Richard Lester, known for his playful streak that by all rights should not have meshed with Donner's straight-faced Americana.
But it did work.

10. HELLBOY (2004): Monstrous, horned and sporting an arm made of solid rock, for all intents and purposes, HELLBOY is the antithesis of almost every superhero you can imagine (save for, possibly, Ghost Rider or Lobo... but most of you have probably never heard of him). He's the spawn of the devil, for one thing, which may be why this labor of love is so appealing - spooky, exciting and romantic. Yes, romantic.

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order):

- A History of Violence
- V For Vendetta
- Conan the Barbarian
- The Punisher (w/ Thomas Jane)
- Ghost World

The Five Worst Comic Movies (in no particular order):

- Superman IV: The Quest
- Batman & Robin
- Tank Girl
- Dick Tracy
- The Punisher (w/ Dolph Lundgren)

Amsterdam

2006-04-26T23:32:00.000+01:00

We arrived in Amsterdam on Thursday afternoon, with only the instructions to "dress warm." Laina Graf picked Jasheen, Gabrielle and I up at Schiphol Airport and drove for about 15 minutes before handing me an envelope, dropping me off at a cross-walk across the street from Amsterdam ArenA and saying, "Phil is in there. Go find him." They had a surprise for me. The most coveted ticket in the country was inside that envelope: AFC Ajax v. Feyenoord (Rotterdam) in the first of two matches for a place in the second round of the playoffs.
As I moved closer to the ArenA, it dawned on me that I was in a foreign city without an address or a phone number to where I was staying, and nothing but a ticket to a European football match between me and homelessness. Better not get mugged. I found Phil at our seats and thoroughly enjoyed an electric atmosphere and a fantastic match where we watched Ajax dismantle the higher-seeded Feyenoord 3-0. Yes, I did see the infamous hooligans of Euro-football, but no, no fights.
Being in Glasgow for the last two years and not attending any high-energy sporting event in the entirety of that time, it seriously gave me my sporting fix. I hadn't realized how badly I needed to high-five, chest bump, and jump up shouting. Aaahh... now if they Angels can only give me something to shout about this summer.
Phil and Laina Graf are amongst our favorite people in the world. They're missionaries on staff with Christian Associates International serving as church-planters in Amsterdam. Jasheen and I were married at their farm in Oxnard, CA almost two years ago and we decided to take advantage of some of the cheapest tickets possible (only 13 Euros a piece each way) to go visit them in their new city.
We had such an amazing time catching up with them, sharing our minsitry experiences and checking out what they're up to in the NL (no, not the National League, the Netherlands).
It was as if we were visiting family. The Grafs have an amazing gift of hospitality... making one feel instantly at home in their home. The trip was both refreshing and inspirational as we visited with their family.
One of the highlights of the trip for us was how their family of seven swarmed to Gabrielle, jostling for position over who would hold her, babysit her, push her pram, etc.
Jasheen was an instant hit in their home, leading impromptu worship at their keyboard for their family and other guests, and also cutting/styling each of the kids hair (Branson, the youngest, with dreadlocks).

We spent most of the time with the family, but on Sunday morning (the Grafs go to a church that starts at 4pm) Jasheen and I were able to go into the city and have a look around Amsterdam. It was a great time for us to scout around alone and spend some time together, but we had another highlight moment on our tram ride back. As we were riding and talking, Jasheen blurted out, "Patrick! Patrick! There's Patrick!!!" Atop one of the buildings was a two-story sized billboard of a Wrangler ad featuring my brother Patrick, front and center. There wasn't one, but two. A second one beside it had him in it too. It was unexpected and I wasn't able to get to my camera before we'd passed, so I'm disappointed that I don't have a shot to share. In a strange way, it was kind of like getting to see my brother... I mean it was getting to see him, but I felt that I'd gotten a chance to connect with him.
On a side note, there was something comfortably familiar about being at their house. Only Phil could make 'yard work' sound so inviting... and only Phil would have that be a part of our bonding time. We did some work on Saturday, and then on Monday (before we went to the airport) Phil and I made two runs to the city dump to unload all the branches, stumps and vines that we ripped out of their backyard. I think when they come to visit I'll have Phil help me wash the outside of my windows - on our third story flat!!! It'll be bonding, I'll wash the inside windows while he washes the outside ones. We'll be able to talk and catch up. Ha!!! Actually, I'd love to take him to a Rangers/Celtic match to return the favor.
All in all, it was a fantastic trip and we really look forward to the next time we get to visit their family... wherever they may be.

Another fun shot of Jasheen and Laina downtown (check out that sign)... they couldn't just pose nicely, could they?

To see pictures from our trip and more of Gabrielle and our life here in Glasgow, check out our Photo Album link!

Writers Block

2006-04-14T17:14:00.000+01:00

(How sweet is this picture? The casual high school senior portrait pose!)

I'm sitting here at our blog site realizing that I haven't updated the content nor shared any news in a good while. I've been communicating via email and newsletters for the most part, but haven't utilized this site the way I'd intended.

Upon reflection, I know that I have so much to report, be thankful for, and 'soap-box' about, but my mind's a blank. Gabrielle, ministry, marriage/parenting, Easter, the newly discovered Gnostic Gospel of Judas, life-circumstances, team, relationships, conferences, upcoming events/travels, the start of the Major League Baseball season... all swimming around in my head furiously, but what do I write about?

I got a haircut the other day. I cut my thumb slicing an onion two nights ago. Just found out that the only couple on our team without kids is pregnant (that will bring our team total to 11 kids, all 6 or younger).

I think if there's one thing that the Lord has been impressing on my heart for the past two years it's to cultivate a thankful heart. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 has become my theme verse for this season of my life - "Be joyful always; pray without ceasing; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

Now I don't want anyone breaking out the violin to 'My Heart Bleeds for You,' or anything. I don't mean to sound forlorn, but when I think about my circumstances sometimes, I can see the value of this scripture passage. Don't get me wrong... I have a beautiful wife. I have a brilliant, healthy and gorgeous baby girl (just check out our online photo album). I'm a part of a ministry team committed to changing lives and changing the world as we try to usher in the Kingdom of God here on earth. Things could be worse...
but marriage is hard; parenting is hard; ministry is hard. I mean it... it's not like the Cosby Show. My wife needs all of me. Gabrielle depends on all of me. Sometimes ministry drags... then there's that fundraising thing.

So how do I rejoice always? How do I pray without ceasing? How do I give thanks in everything? The only answer I've discovered: BY FAITH! Hebrews 12 says that without faith it's impossible to please God. If 1 Thessalonians 5 states that doing these things is God's will for my life, then doing them is pleasing to Him, right?

I'm not usually one of those speakers that gives you a PowerPoint presentation with 5 points that begin with the letter P, but I do have a list on what happens when we give thanks:

1. We enter the presence of God
2. We start seeing our circumstances through God's eyes
3. We don't allow our perception of reality to be controled by our circumstances
4. We start to link our situation(s) with the promises of God
5. We see ourselves and others from God's perspective
6. Our relationships become healthier because they are shaped by faith

As I said, marriage, parenting and ministry can be and have been challenging. It would be easy to stay discouraged and focus on the difficulties and failures that we've been experiencing, but I am now convinced that whatever I might think are the best actions and scenarios for our lives and ministry, God's plan for us is to give us circumstances that will most purify us towards holiness and love, as He selectively gives us the things that will be best for the good of our souls.

"Don't be afraid."
"Cast into the deep."

These are the words of Scripture to inspire the people of God around the globe to trust fully in the Lord and to continue forward in their faith. Don't be afraid of the concrete, practical realities that God will bring your way in the future. If our plans and dreams go radically awry, God's hand is in it all. All for the good of my soul, my family and for all those around me. God loves our obedience, loving trust and surrender.
God just likes to broaden and deepen those who will allow themselves to be expanded because of their loving surrender, submission, and docility to His movements. I despise the darkness, but He desires me to learn to be at peace within the pitch black. I despise my crosses, but God desires me to learn to love each cross He asks me to bear in His name. He shouts to me loudest, I am learning, when I am in pain. I am continually learning how to listen.

My teammates have learned to ask me what I'm thankful for when they see me. I'm thankful that the Lord loves me enough to mold me in darkness and strengthen me with crosses.

Take up your cross and GIVE THANKS!

Where in the World have We Been?

2006-02-20T09:35:00.000Z

create your own visited countries map

This is a pretty cool little program that lets you track what countries in the world you've visited. Between the both of us we've only hit 11% of the countries in the world... and I thought we were well traveled!

W2W4

2006-02-14T16:13:00.000Z

I thought a good addition to our blog would be a W2W4 entry (What To Watch For). It'll be a way that we can keep people up to date on what we have upcoming and what can be prayed for.

Upon returning from Singapore I was struck ill with a viral infection that pretty well wiped me out for about a week -- recurring fevers, fatigue, dizziness... the works. I was sleeping 10 hours a night and then staggering around half-asleep during the day(s). I could manage little more than reading or watching TV on the sofa.

I'd say I'm back at about 90% now and it's certainly none-too-soon. It's good to be healthy and kicking in time for Valentine's Day (hubba-hubba). Principles aside, Valentine's Day has provided the perfect vehicle for Jasheen and I to reignite the fires and rekindle the romance that has been impeded over the past month or so by travels, pranethood and recent illness. Thank you Herseys and Hallmark for pimping another over-commercialized holiday that celebrates little more than the almighty $$$ - how else do you explain roses at triple the cost?

But, I digress... Jasheen and I returned to a full ministry plate and schedule. As we were looking over our calendar for the next few months we couldn't believe how much is happening between now and when we head to California in June for the CRM Worldwide Staff Conference.

Please keep us in prayer over the following months with regards to The Project (our local leadership development course). I'm a part of a small teaching team that is committed to calling this generation of young Scottish leaders to give up their lives for the Kingdom. We have been witnessing God's work in the hearts and lives of those that attend and it's been so exciting. I've also become involved in a student organization at Glasgow University called CMF (Christian Medical Fellowship) and will be speaking this Friday night (2/17) at their weekly gathering on the topic of Tools for Evangelism. I would appreciate your prayer for that too.

Jasheen and I will be traveling to Portugal in May for our team retreat and then will be home for about a month before we head to California for the conference and our furlough.

Well, for now that's what's in the cooker and what you can keep in prayer.

Until next time...
Blessings, Chris

Gabrielle Rae Reaches 16-Weeks in Singapore

2006-01-20T10:33:00.000Z

Jasheen, Gabrielle and I are enjoying our visit here in hot, humid Singapore. Gabrielle has been showered with love, affection and attention from family, friends and strangers alike.
Singapore is such a huge contrast to Glasgow, from the weather to the people. We left freezing temperatures in Glasgow to come to a blazing, tropical climate. Whereas Glasgow is made up of more than 95% Caucasians, Singapore is vastly diverse hosting Chinese, Malay, Indian, Eurasian and an assortment of ex-pats. It's been quite an experience. We've also enjoyed the diverse culinary cuisines that Singapore offers (though we've already planned our 3-day extreme detox program for when we return home - we're consuming spices and seasonings that we never even sniff in the UK).
Eating is a huge part of their hospitality. They give new meaning to the slogan, "If we don't eat, we don't meet." You just don't visit someone's home without eating a meal. We left from lunch with one of Jasheen's father's friends to visit an old friend Jasheen knew in school. Upon arrival they set the table and brought out a huge meal (knowing that we'd just come from lunch!!!). "Aaaahhh, you have to eat," they said, "Just a little." Needless to say, our clothes are fitting a wee bit tighter than when we arrived.

Gabrielle has reached a few milestones. The 2nd day we were here she turned over from her stomach to her back. She does that all the time now. She can also rotate a complete 360 degrees on her mat. She's giggling and singing a lot... oh, and she HATES riding in her car seat.

Leaving will be hard b/c Gabby has gotten so used to her new routine with her Nai-nai and Tha-tha (Chinese for grandma and Indian for grandpa). They fuss over her like you wouldn't believe. I think the only thing Gabby won't miss is the muggy heat.

For more visual insight into our trip, go to our online photo album from the link on the right side of this page. There is a Singapore set with more than 100 pictures already in it.

Bye for now!

End of the Year Newsletter

2005-12-16T04:24:00.000Z

Merry Christmas!

I just thought that I would touch base one last time this year before kicking off what is sure to be an exciting 2006!
Many of you have been tracking with us through our 'blog and our online photo album, but I figured I'd let you all know what else is going on other than all things Gabrielle Rae.

To begin with, Jasheen, Gabrielle and I are preparing to visit Jasheen's family in Singapore this January. We leave New Year's Day and are very excited about introducing Jasheen's parents to their granddaughter. This trip is truly a gift from the Lord. One of our dear friends and donors offered Jasheen and I enough frequent flyer miles to cover one of our tickets. When mom and dad heard about the trip, they decided to give us an early Christmas present by paying for the other one. That only left Gabrielle's ticket for us to purchase. Have you ever heard of a family of three flying roundtrip from the UK to Singapore for $84.00? What a blessing!

The new year is not even here yet and there are already some very exciting things happening for us to look forward to. One of the things that we have literally heard pastors here ask is, "How do we disciple people?" Recognizing that there is a great need for discipleship training and equipping, two of my teammates and I will be launching a leadership training program for local Christian leaders here in Glasgow at the end of January. It will be a microcosm of our nieuCommunities 42-week intensive experience in that it will last about 13 weeks and contain three 1-2 day retreats. Although the experience will be more brief, it should prove more than helpful for a generation of young church leaders here in Glasgow. I look forward to sharing about this in the future.

Members of my team are also looking forward to a pastor's conference being held in Geneva next May. Beginning next spring and carrying on through the summer we will be playing host to a number of groups that come to Glasgow on a "Beyond Borders Road Trip." This is effectively a two week version of the 10 month experience. Groups will be coming to learn and minister alongside us, getting a taste of whether or not this is something the Lord is calling them to do on a larger scale.

But perhaps the biggest and most exciting event we're looking forward to is happening in June. Every four years CRM has a worldwide staff conference that all staff around the world come to. There will be more than 500 people attending so it always has to be at an affordable, but big location. In the past it's been in cities such as Budapest, Hungary and Caracas, Venezuela, but this year it's in beautiful, sunny Santa Barbara, California... at Westmont College, no less (my alma mater). While this isn't the most exotic of locations, it does mean that we will be coming home and able to make a bit of a vacation out of the trip.

Some of you may recall that last January members of our team planted a church here called Regarding Hope (http://www.rehope.co.uk/). We're almost one year old and we have truly seen the Lord move in the lives of the people who come. In the last five weeks we've seen seven young adults become followers of Jesus. We are finding that while relationship is a very large part of introducing someone to a life devoted to Jesus, sometimes it's the simplest of things that ultimately gets them through the door... like just asking them if they want to. Some of the ways the Lord is reaching these people is astonishing. One guy picked up one of the church's cards that was left in his building's entry way and thought to himself, "I should go to this." That Sunday, knowing no one at the church, he came and gave his life to Christ. Another guy was sitting in one of his university classes (an Evolution class) and thought to himself, "This can't be right." He knew another guy who attends our church and asked if he could come along. On his first visit to re:hope he, too, gave his life to Jesus. Hallelujah! Amazing, huh?!? There are two teenage girls that have been coming to church since we started - never professing faith, but feeling a sense of belonging all the while. They're kind of affectionately known as the punk-girls (mainly b/c they're hair changes color every week - pink, blue, zebra, etc.). After spending a year in fellowship with us, within a week of each other they prayed to receive Christ.

It's funny, but it's things like this that show me how weak my faith is. It's weak b/c it surprises me so much when these kinds of things happen. Given all that I know about our God, I should be expecting these kinds of life-changing events to take place. I should be thanking God in advance for them... instead, I'm shocked when I hear that a teenage punk-rock chick who has spent a year with our community decides to accept Jesus. WHY WOULDN'T SHE??? Anyone who meets with Jesus every week for a year is either going to love him or hate him. And I think that through our love and acceptance she has been meeting with Jesus. Please pray for me and my team that our faith would increase and that we would continue to be Jesus in the lives of the young people that find their way to re:hope.

It may be noticeable that I'm not sharing much about Gabrielle. She is 11 weeks old today and is doing great! Jasheen and I love her to bits and probably kiss her more than she likes. I think I do a pretty good job of keeping the online photo album current so feel free to check that out from time to time - in fact, there are new photos up now. The web addresses to our photos and our online journal (or blog) are at the bottom of this email below my signature.

Please have a wonderful Christmas holiday this season. Don't get lost in the husltle. Remember that Jesus came to bring PEACE ON EARTH. It would be a shame to miss out on the very thing that he came to bring b/c we're so overwhelmed packing our schedules, shopping 'til we drop and worrying about... uh... the in-laws. ;)

Jasheen and I feel so very loved and prayed for and we thank all of you for your contributions to our lives.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The McKenzie Clan

http://chrisandjasheen.blogspot.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisandjasheen/

Thanksgiving

2005-11-30T00:21:00.000Z

Every year our team celebrates Thanksgiving together. It's always nice and offers a wee taste of home, but being in Scotland for Turkey Day and NOT being able to watch some great college and NFL match-ups always leaves something to be desired.
This year we decided to broaden our invitation list and invite all of our local friends to join us... and I mean ALL of them.
Because of our relationship with the Glasgow City Mission, we were able to use their facility to host our new, annual Thanksgiving with the Locals. We had over 80 people show up in all... and believe it or not, we didn't run out of food! In fact, there was enough for most to have seconds, and about three helpings of dessert - including pumpkin pie (a relatively repulsive thought to most Brits) - and they loved it!
Next year we thought we'd add a little to the festivities and dress up as Pilgrims and Indians (er... native Americans).

We're thinking we're going to do the same thing for Easter!

PS: Be sure to check out the photo link at the bottom right hand side of this page to see our online photo album - plenty of pics of Gabrielle, plus our wedding photos and some general fun from here in Glasgow!
You can also check out my most recent posts under the Previous Post header.

Two Months Old

2005-11-24T01:30:00.000Z

Gabrielle is now eight weeks old!
She's settled into a pretty good schedule and is sleeping a lot... as you'll see in the photo album. We're really beginning to learn her cries (the only way babies communicate) and are able to assist her much more quickly and efficiently. The fog is beginning to lift as we're getting more sleep and time to get things done. Jasheen is also doing a great job as she spends more time on her own with Gabrielle.
We're coming to the conclusion that we really do have a 'good' baby. She's more often than not very content and happy. She's giggling and coo-ing up a storm now. It even seems as though she's singing at times - exactly what a voice-coach mommy wants!

Be sure to check out the photo link at the bottom right hand side of this page to see our online photo album - plenty of pics of Gabrielle, plus our wedding photos and some general fun from here in Glasgow!

One Month Old!

2005-10-27T01:07:00.000+01:00

Gabrielle is now one month old and what a month it's been. We thank you all for your prayers and emails/notes of encourgement and congrats.
Please continue to keep us all in your thoughts and prayers as Jasheen and I are trying our best to parent well and love one another and Gabrielle as best we can!

(Don't forget to link to our online photo album - found at the bottom right side of this page)

ONLINE PHOTO ALBUM!!!

2005-10-11T17:29:00.000+01:00

If you'll scroll down to the lower right hand corner of this page, you'll see a link to our online photo album. This is going to allow me to post photos in a much larger quantity. Not only that, but the photos posted are interactive (in that you can leave comments for individual photos if you want). I can also title and give brief descriptions of the photos, and on some of them I've added a note. If you see a small, hollow square in the top left hand corner of a photo you've opened, scroll your cursor over that square and read the more detailed note. The easiest way to look at a particular picture set is to locate the folder on the left side of the page and click on that. Then you don't have to scroll through 53 pictures when you only want to see pictures of Gabrielle.
You'll see this picture here and many more like it!!!
Cheers!

One Week with Gabrielle Rae

2005-10-04T23:58:00.000+01:00

Gabrielle is a week old today and we have had an amazing time getting to know each other. She sleeps a lot... and does that other thing that they say babies do a lot of. Jasheen and I both still look at each other and say, 'I can't believe we actually have a baby!' I am going to try and avoid the mushy parent plugs of, 'Isn't she so beautiful,' and 'Is this not the best looking baby you've ever seen,' but as you can see, she is quite gorgeous! She's doing very well. In Britain, the National Health Society provides daily mid-wife visits for the first week, and then they will come as often as you'd like for the first year. This has been and amazing blessing as they have helped us with a lot of the practical baby-care stuff. All of their reports have been great. She's feeding, sleeping, crying, and growing as she should be. Please feel free to post comments if you like. We love reading them! By for now!

The Stork has Landed

2005-09-20T22:46:00.000+01:00

On September 27th, 2005 at 3:45pm (GMT), Gabrielle Rae McKenzie came into this world. She weighs 8lbs-4oz and is 22 1/2 inches long. Jasheen's labor was a difficult one... in that it technically lasted for almost three days. She was in the early stages of labor for more than 48hrs before she actually began pushing. That part, however, went very quickly and smoothly. She only pushed for about a half-hour. I actually assisted the delivery (in that I was helping Jasheen during the pushing), and I didn't even pass out!
Both Mommy and baby are beautiful and healthy... and getting some much needed rest. As I am able to, I will post more pictures. Thank you for all your prayers!!!