Thoughts on Father’s Day

I looked over my past blogs to see if I ever written anything on Father’s day.  Somehow I thought that this will be first, but I did, in 2010. It was entitled “Father’s Influence” and I made an appeal to fathers to consider the legacy we are leaving in our children.  I invited fathers to ask themselves “Have we shown to our children our love for the Bride of Christ, the Church?  Have we treated our wives with affection and self-sacrificing love, as Christ loved the Church (Ephesians 5:25)?”  Kids are watching, learning from us our attitudes, which will impact their character and life.  Our family life, and our stance to the church, that will shape the next generation.  Our priorities must be set right so our kids would know what is important.

I wonder if the significance of the Fathers’ day has been downplayed in our community.  Thanks Don for facilitating the potluck today!  In 2011 I had written a blog on the history of Father’s Day, learning that it was a woman who pushed for the recognition of the date, maybe as a complement top the Mothers’ day celebrated a month earlier.  Our relationships with our fathers affect our attitude toward this celebration.  Yet, when we consider our Heavenly Father, we ought to remember also our duty of honor and respect to our earthly fathers.

After decades of neglect and politicking only in 1972 the day began to be celebrated officially in North America.  So tomorrow will be the 41^st Father’s Day!  I will not get a chance to spend the day with my boys and family as I am required to attend a 5 days-long training at Camp Frenda with a cohort of 40 other pastors, leaving from home at 8 am.  My boys are always in my prayer.  As a shepherd in my home I remind fathers that we must “be diligent to know the state of your flocks, And attend to your herds” (Proverbs 27;23).  Guard all powerful influences in our children’s lives.   

1.       Guard their Friends.  Proverbs 13;20.  Companions of our children mold their attitude!

2.       Guard their Education.  The worldview our children learn in school will become their worldview.  Know what they are taught and who is teaching them.  Get involved in shaping their worldview!

3.       Guard their Music.  Teach your children to discern the messages in music.  Lead by example of what you listen too.  Protect their imagination from the sensual worldly damage.

4.       Guard their Media/movies/TV.  Boys especially are very visual, next generation interprets reality through stories they watch.  Take time to watch edifying programs together.

5.       Guard their internet.  Train your kids to run from evil.  Keep internet access out in the open, prevent secrecy.  Know what is happening in your kids’ “on-line” life.

6.       Guard their Computer Use.  Even secular research warns against addictiveness of video gaming and the negative influence of violent and fantasy world.  Make sure they are masters and not slaves of technology.

Fathers, let’s pray for one another that we may raise together with our wives, together with our church family, a generation of real Christians.

It’s a different world out there....

Last weekend we spent out of town, visiting friends in Niagara Region where we entered ministry 14 years ago.  Seeing kids grown up, becoming young adults, is both interesting and challenging.  We want to see the next generation walk with Christ, and the question that is on my mind are we prepared to mentor this next generation?  They live in a totally different world.  A book I recently read by Leonard Sweet, ‘Viral: how social networking is poised to ignite revival,’made me consider new realities.  A few metaphors I would use are borrowed from his book.

Consider this, cell phones have replaced the automobile as the major way young people create their own identity separate from parents and outside the control of adult dictation.  Digital culture does not think “drive first”; it thinks TGIF (and if you did not recognize acronym – you are an ‘immigrant’ to the digital culture!  à TGIF stands for Twitter, Google, iPhone/Pad, Facebook J).  When we, older folks, grew up, we were eager to get a driver’s license.  One parent was pressuring a teen recently to take a driving test, and the objection was “But Dad, you get fined or arrested for texting while driving!”

Consider two terms used “Gutenbergers” (people of the book era) vs “Googlers” (people of the internet).  Where do you fit in?  Internet was invented in 1994.  My four boys have grown up with internet browsing.  I had to learn that language in my 20s.  So I am an immigrant in the Googler world. Youth under 20 are ‘natives’ to the internet and digital era. If you need to get diagnosed where you fit in, just consider these few questions:

Have you written a cheque to pay a bill in the past two month, or do it online?

Have you mastered enough acronyms for quick and efficient texting?

Have you used a postage stamp in the past two month?

Are you still listed in the phone book in the past 3 years?

Have you looked up a number, an address in Yellow Pages in the past year?

The world has changed.  In 2011 ford revealed their new models first on the Facebook, not the autoshow! If Facebook were be a nation, it would be 3^rd in the world Today 80% of world population has a cell-phone! the handheld device we call “smart-phone’ can double as your wallet, credit card, keys, bank, remote control, airline ticket, video-conferencing centre, photo-camera, office, Bible, library...

How can we, adults, connect and disciple juniors, who live in a different world?  Can we find points of contact to share wisdom, to give guidance and direction? If Jesus would be here today, would he tweet, facebook, send a text?

This new proliferation of social media and technology is connecting the world like never before.  The knowledge is increasing.  Access to the sermons, worship services is at the fingertips of anyone who cares to search.  Could it be that God is orchestrating final movements to communicate the Gospel?  The current generation is driven by a god-given desire to know others and to be known by others.  Can revival be far behind?

150th anniversary of the Adventist Church

Most think of the Great Disappointment of the Millerite movement in October of 1844 as the beginning of the Seventh-day Adventist church.  The historic birthday of our church came much later.  At the time of the Great Disappointment of 1844, the leaders whose names became associated with our church development were mostly young, in their late teens.  John N. Andrews was 15,  Ellen White and Annie Smith were 16; Minerva Loughborough not quite 15. Uriah Smith and John N. Loughborough (brothers of Annie and Minerva) were only 13, and George I. Butler was just 10, James White was 23.

These young men and women, aided by elder statesmen like Joseph Bates, who in 1844 was 52, took the lead in the Bible conferences of the late 1840s and the 1850s.  During this time they met, discussed, debated, published a series of pamphlets, as well as a magazine, The Advent Review and Sabbath Herald (today's Adventist Review), which connected all the widely scattered believers together.  Their work persuasively communicated six key beliefs:

1.   Literal imminent Second Coming of Christ
2. ‚  Seventh-day is God’s Sabbath and a sign of obedience to God
3. ƒ “Sleep” as a state of the dead until resurrection, and no eternal torment but annihilation of the wicked after Judgment
4. „  Sanctuary on earth was a revelation of God’s Plan of Salvation pointing to the work of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary
5. …  God’s remnant church of last days will communicate the Three Angels Message of Revelation 14:6-12
6. †  The remnant are identified by the spirit of Prophecy, a prophetic guidance.

These beliefs led early pioneers to mission.  They transform a network of small groups into an organization that would unite all Seventh-day Adventists for mission. It October of 1860 the name “Seventh-day Adventist” was suggested by David Hewitt of Battle Creek.  On May 20 and 21, 1863, at a special meeting, delegates from all those American states with Seventh-day Adventist congregations formed the "General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists" — an organized church focused on the Mission to the whole world.  The founding pioneers did not think that the church would still be on this earth 150 years later.  Believers through generations expected Jesus to return and make the earth anew.  This ‘anniversary’ is a time to reflect, repent, give thanks for God’s mercy and renew our personal commitment to the purpose for which we are called – mission to all the world.

This Sabbath, May 18, 2013 is designated worldwide as a day of prayer, remembrance, and recommitment to mission. We must consider how God has led us here in London as a congregation, consider where we must go from here as the work to which we are called is not finished.  We must pledge ourselves anew to preaching "the everlasting gospel … to every nation, tribe, tongue and people" (Rev. 14:6).

Taking seriously Mothers’ Day

This week I looked over my past blogs and realized that I missed many mothers’ days.  (our church bulletin blogs are archived on our website J)

It was only in 2008 that I paid attention to the Mothers’ Day celebration.  In the years prior my focus was more on other things, evangelism, evaluating church, things to do in community.  I remember it was Don Topper talking to me that we must not ignore opportunities in the civic calendar to connect with people.   2008 blog was more an appeal for mothers to make our church more loving J. The next mother’s day blog I wrote was in 2011, sharing some history and the roots of celebrating mothers, and inviting all not to forget preparing for mother’s day.  Last year our blogs were focused on praying for the world, giving info on countries each week, so mothers’ day was skipped.  I hope today’s reflections would encourage you to invest in spending time with your mom, to give more attention to a mother in your life tomorrow.

Tomorrow is the 99^th Mothers Day, officially.   When in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed the orders that made Mother's Day a national holiday, it was not something new.  In England during the 1600's, a day was called ‘Mothering Sunday.’  Even servants would go home to see their families, bringing cakes and sweets to their moms. This custom was called "going a-mothering". Each mother would receive a simnel-cake (Latin for "fine flour") and mothers would give a blessing to their children.    In France children Mother's Day is referred to as Fete des Meres. It provides children and adults to honour their mothers and give her gifts and treats. It is celebrated on the last Sunday in May, and treated more like a family birthday. Everyone in the family gathers for a special meal.  Notice the truth – “family birthday”!  It reminds me of Biblical name meaning for Eve – ‘mother of all living’ (Genesis 3:20).  In many European countries, people on Mother's Day honor their mothers as well as the church. They respect the "Mother Church"- the spiritual power that gave them life and protected them from harm. Thus, the church festival got blended with the Mothering Sunday celebration.  Someone said “God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers,” as if comparing the work of the omnipresent Holy Spirit of God with motherly love.

A recent survey was done “what do mothers want?” to discover that the most popular gift – roses – are 5^th spot!  The top wishes were: do household work, fix whatever you promised and needs to be fixed J; ‚ give a gift card, and let her go shopping JJ; ƒcook a meal, or take her for lunch to a nice treat; „ spend time together, let her tell stories from the past, talk!!!

This short poem (anonymous) spells the most significant word after God:

M... is for the million things she gave me,

O... means only that she's growing old,

T... is for the tears she shed to save me,

H... is for her heart of purest gold;

E... is for her eyes, with love-light shining, 

R... means right, and right she'll always be