sagartan

The last time I wrote here was January – not that I haven’t been inspired since then, in fact a whole lot has happened since then.  I’ve played a bunch more gigs, not played others, worked a lot, felt like I haven’t been working – did my first Lent and Easter with the parish, tried to go winter camping (that did not go so well),  went to three conferences, went to Sin City (Las Vegas) for a Rockabilly show, re-insured my motorcycle, and lots of stuff. There are a lot of pictures that I should post. So I will try and catch up on that.

June 10 – 15 I was in London Ontario for a conference. I think it was one of the best church conferences I have ever been to. It was on ministry with youth, but the implications are so much bigger than that. Community building, faith in action, moving deeper in spirituality and relationship with God – and a lot more, and all things that apply to everyone – not just the wider church, but the wider community at large. I met some very cool people there.

Over the last year I have been introduced to the “Emerging Church” – which is really just a catch phrase way of referring to a movement that is happening in various places with a quite varied group of people who are trying to take their faith, spirituality and sense of vision / mission and critically engage the world around them through the use of all available means – social action, arts, relationships, and so on and so forth. The people involved in this are trying to make it all real and lived, not just the comfortable status quo.

I am becoming increasingly interested in these projects / collectives / movements / churches / etc. because they are doing what my heart wants to do so badly.

My initial introduction was Rob Bell and the Mars Hill Bible Church. I read Velvet Elvis, am in the long slow process of reading Sex God.  Rob Bell and the Mars Hill community have also produced the NOOMA series, which I have also started using. I also very much enjoyed his Everything Is Spiritual DVD.

Now it probably seems like I am having some kind of creep-on stalking thing for Rob Bell, or maybe that I am trying to sell you a bunch of crap – no. I have just been impressed with his delivery of the material.

He is doing it with the support of a mega church in the states.

As I am getting more curious and looking around, there are a lot of smaller projects that are equally interesting and engaging. Jumping back to the conference, I met some people there who are a part of some communities that are trying to do these things. Empire Remixed is pretty interesting. Ecclesiax is a community in Ottawa that is trying to do these kinds of things. Emergemontreal is in…. well, Montreal!

In the States (USA) there are some very interesting projects all over the place. Some on the net, some communities, some both. This site has a lot on it – Angliemergent, and there is tons and tons of others and more information out there.

This past Saturday I was in Vancouver for a workshop put on by Ian Mobsby. He was talking about Trinitarian theology and what it has to say and contribute to the whole emerging church conversation. Really good stuff. And he isn’t just talking about it he is living it – he is part of the MOOT community in London, UK.

On Friday the 06th of June, myself, three other musicians and my girlfriend with some help from a whole bunch of others managed to put on the fifth in a series of services known as U2charists – Eucharists (mass) with the music of U2, the theme of the Millenium Development Goals, and the gathering at the table of the bread and wine (ask if you need to know more).  An attempt to do worship differently – partly to catch those who might like U2 but not the church so much, but more importantly to try and have that active engagement between faith, spirituality and the world around us.

The thing is – there is a lot of stuff going on out there – some of it I understand is way out in left field (admittedly that is a totally subjective and judgemental statement). I have yet to see anything that really strikes me that way, but I see people trying to do something, anything to bring their hope and faith alive.

It also strikes me that its not something that you can force. It happens where there is relationship built up, and where there is a desire and want for that critical engagement.

I want to start calling on friends to act on their want and desire for that critical engagement – I know its out there, I know they want something, so we are going to have to get up off our asses and make it happen!

+ In nómine Patris, et Fílii, et Spíritus Sancti. Amen.

Besides the new place, things have been busy in the new year. This past week I was inducted (not a medical procedure FYI) – I officially became the rector of the parish that I have been working in since September. That all went pretty well, and I’m feeling pretty good about it all. There are many challenges that need to be met, and as I will probably continue to say, I hope I’m up for the challenge. A lot of people have faith in me which makes me believe that I can. We all need faith and support. This is also the “Week of Prayer for Christian Unity” and we hosted a service, which was great, but I realize that I need to learn more about, and work more at advertising. Lent is coming toward us like a freight truck bearing down… it feels early this year….. But I’m hoping it is going to be a really good lent! In a nutshell that’s the week, and that in a way has been the month. Preparing for and trying to do these services etc.

My bike is off the road until the weather gets nicer and I get a little richer. Hahaha. Hopefully in the spring I can at least get 6 months of insurance. That would be cool.

I’m falling asleep. More soon, I hope! Thanks.

Hmm.. doing this well, at least I am doing other things better… I think.

Well, I’ve moved house anyway. After an uncomfortable fall in a place that never really felt like home in a lot of ways, I am finally in a place that A) I like, and B) feels like home. I’m broke, but that totally beats craptacular feelings of unrootedness. Better. Its a duplex, so I literally have half a house. Not bad all in all. You can look at some pictures if you like! Here>>

Wow… 2 months. That’s really good! So much for my intentions of “jumping back on the wagon!” oops.

So the great new place I moved into last July, well, its turned out not so great. I am going to be moving again. I have just found a place, and it looks like a much better situation in many ways! Pictures to come when I get em.

I am out of practice here. I think I will post sermons, again. Must use int-or-net to communicate!

At any rate, at this moment in time, a blessed Advent to you, and Happy Christmas and New Year (as they are coming up pretty quick!)

pax.

Hi. How’s it going. Good, good… yeah I’m ok, thanks for asking…. and so on and such forth as the light banter of conversation usually goes.

I was talking to a friend on the phone last week, trying to answer a question (a religious question – badly I might add) and he and his wife had company coming over. It must have been something in my voice, because at the end right as he had to go, he asked me how I was doing… Being me and the way I am, I told him… which comes back to the title. Let me explain a little more.

I am now in charge of a parish, responsible for the spiritual health of a community, as such, in my role as go to leader of this parish community. The easiest way to explain the next part is something I heard said last week as well. Seminary, and largely the Anglican church (at least in Canada, but parts of elsewhere I’m sure) exists sometime in the 19th century – we struggle with relevancy and here I am all trained and edumacated up to do this, and now that I’m here and supposed to be doing it, I feel as though I have no freakin clue as to what where when or why. I’m not interested in putting up some false image of “Oh I’ve got it all covered!” cause that is a flat out lie. So, ideas as to how to deal not only with myself, but with the very real challenges and issues that face individuals and ask questions as to what exactly does it mean to A) be a Christian here and now, and B) how to go about doing that effectively.

No small questions here, nope – maybe I should just go back to talking about pirates and motorcycles… I got a new back tire cause I wore the old one out – largely on that California trip I’m sure…

Anyway. This is, I found out thanks to the work of the ecumenical group Kairos , the Week to End Poverty – Oct 14-21. It is also the Trade Week of Action. And let’s not forget the Week of Global Action against Debt and IFIs (that’s international financial institutions – I’m guessing world bank and international monetary fund etc.) Seize this moment for change! – they say… I’m interested in seizing every moment for change, I’m also interested in having that manifest in a community way that this parish can embrace, and everyone else for that matter! Today and tomorrow are the days to Stand Up against poverty and for the Millenium Development Goals ,  the Make Poverty History Campaign, and tomorrow is also officially the United Nations International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.  So why when there is so much going on is it so hard to get people to be interested and care?

That’s a lot of links up there. I’m feeling kind of overwhelmed myself. And yet… I know its all the right thing to do – there are just so many damn right things to do, and seemingly not enough people to do them, and certainly I don’t have as much money as Iwould like to be able to endlessly fund all the work they do and to help everyone. So we can only do this all together… so why is it so hard, and why is everyone, myself included, tired?

I don’t have answers, but a phrase I have stolen and taken to using – I’m trying to live into all those questions and figure it out as I go – that’s all I got to try and make sense of it all right now. No magic pills or pearls. Hope and faith. Somedays, maybe the more delusional ones, I don’t know, I would like to think vision too.

How’s that for neglect.

Lots…. way too much – will have to catch up over multiple posts. Who knew being your own boss could be so time consuming. Now not that I haven’t had time to update this, because lets be honest, I have….and it has crossed my mind multiple times… but…. time passes. No excuses, no bs, just … time passes. I can hardly believe that October is almost half over. Scary. So… I am working on my own in a church. That is daunting and great all at the same time. I have fish with a fish tank.. that’s cool. I am quite busy trying to figure out what the hell I am doing. Such is life some times. A lot of my time does not even feel like my own. I am going to ride my bicycle now. I will post more catch up.  Bikes, trips, job, girlfriend….  I surfed in Tofino – that was a first and fun! I’ll get some pictures . Cool.

I am more or less moved. I have until the end of the month to finish the last odds and ends, and clean, but the major stuff is all moved. Some pictures, finally, to follow below. Phone and net are all hooked up, so as soon as I get some things set up, I’ll update with some more interesting stuff. Velvet Elvis – a book I was given recently and have only just started reading for instance…. looks very cool – should make for some interesting posts. I think, and hope.

I haven’t been riding. Anything. My SuperHawk needs a new rear tire, almost worn down. My bicycle got a flat, and because the wheel is an odd size, they had to order in a tire. So waiting for that. Haven’t even ordered the motorcycle tire yet. Yay being broke – or more correctly said, not having as much money as I need to cover everything all at once.

Played a show last week with the Island Devils – we played with a band called the McGillicuddys. It was a fun show, and Hank said, Bo concurred, and I might just have to agree with them, that it may have been the best show we’ve played… ever. We had Dean playing lead guitar again – he played with the band when I first started playing, and then left. And then agreed to play for this show last week . Music is fun!
In other news, its official. As of the 1st of September I will be the rector of All Saints, View Royal. After months of waiting, and waiting, and then meetings, and an interview and some more waiting, I start in about 3 weeks. That doesn’t seem very long from now! Its exciting and nerve wracking all at the same time. Nerves are nerves, they are gonna be there. So I am trying to focus on the exciting part – this is THE opportunity to see what I can do in parish ministry – not that I haven’t done anything up until now, just that without a safety net of other staff to work with, and dealing with every aspect. We shall see!

Times of transition and change – new church, new house, new relationship – it feels like a lot all at once, and it feels good. Changes and challenges – keeps it all interesting!

Pictures – new house!

Its been a busy 10 days. My bike needs a new back tire. I’ve got maybe a couple of hundred sorta safe km’s left on it. yay. I’m going to start moving next week. That will also be fun. Everyone loves moving! I take possession on the first, and will get some pictures then. I’m going to be sad to move and leave my room-mate, and the animals, and the place, but it will be much closer to new work ( I hope…), and overall a good change for my head.

I had an interview Friday morning, that I thought went really quite well. I’m hoping to hear back on Monday, but probably Tuesday. And then…. blammo – everything changes! Well, not really, but hopefully I’ll have a better idea of what I’ll be doing come September 1st.

My friends Ryan and Fei came to visit! It was fun! I even have proof, that they dragged their asses all the way from China, to here on the West Coast to hang out! check it out:

And if anyone is interested, Hank Angel and his Island Devils are opening up for the McGillicuddy’s at Steamers on Friday night. Come out, it should be a blast!

Still having fun, its still summer, and I’m still happy! I’ve been hanging out with lots of people lately, but one in particular I would like to thank. Thank you Su.

I’m impressed with how more of things like this seem to be popping up. I just started checking it out, but it looks good, as far as supporting things, and making sure donations and money get to where they are supposed to go and are needed – Living Generously – livinggnerously.com

And, I’m putting up a sermon. Check it out and let me know what you think, if you want. The readings that it is based on are Amos 8:1-12, Colossians 1:15-28, Luke 10:38-42. You can look them up at bible.oremus.org .

Its in PDF format, and you can download it from here

send me an email or leave a comment. Thanks.

moving. waiting on info about potential new job. summertime fun. weddings. There is lots to do these days! And it is good.I saw Transformers last week – AWESOME! Sure its cheezy and sure they did things differently than the original, and sure this that and the other… .nothing stopped the awesomeness of Transformers! Autobots… roll out! …yeah that’s right!

Last weekend was my room-mate’s girlfriend’s birthday! That was esepcially fun because it was followed by an awesome Moonlight Midnight Mystery Ride (bicycles – see pictures!). I brought along a couple of friends and introduced them to the greatness that is these rides! Lots of fun – always good people to meet and chat with.

Saturday was the VanIsleHardcore Victoria HardCore fest! 13 bands – it kicked ass – link to pictures here – http://picasaweb.google.com/lionheart.mcleod/VictoriaHardcoreFest2007
They aren’t all good, but a lot of them are pretty good…. mostly!

Then Sunday after work I headed off to Vancouver to meet up with long lost friends who are visiting from China! YEAH! And go to a wedding! It was pretty good – a clergy heavy wedding – the two people getting married, the bride = priest, the groom = soon to be ordained, their fathers = priests…. lots of clergy with the guests! Good times good times! Congrats robin and liz! You guys rock! – those pictures here = http://picasaweb.google.com/lionheart.mcleod/VancouverWeddingTrip

And amongst other things… today, I am really damn happy! Why? well… you’ll have to wait and find out! HA! That’s for me to tell at my convenience! But things are pretty much just about as good as they could be in the present moment. Yay summer.
I am moving soon, and I need a new back tire for my motorad… there is never enough money for everything all at once! But still… good good good. Can’t say it enough.. spring came late this year… which is good, cause if if it came earlier, I would have missed it! And that, would not be good!
yabadayabadayabadaya-that’s all for now folks! Enjoy.