Thanks for the patience. www.cityviewchurch.ca is back up as well as our emails. Many thanks to Ben at Cityview and Jeff at www.memlink.com for working on it.
Gospel
cityviewchurch.ca is down
My apologies to all who have tried to connect with the office or any of the staff through the www.cityviewchurch.ca website. We are down while we sort out our domain registration. This means that while the sight is down all emails directed through the cityviewchurch site are going to come back to you. Hopefully we will be back up and in action in a few days. In the meantime, please use the alternate emails for staff that you may have, facebook us or phone us.
the sound of many waters
cheakamus lake, 28 July 2008
After all the Sunday service and gatherings my family with our friends Ryan and Andrea headed north into Beautiful BC. In spite of our anxiety about traffic and the Pemberton Music Festival it was smooth sailing all the way to the parking lot for the trail into Cheakamus Lake in the Garibaldi Park. We went in about 4 km before setting up our tents right on the lake in front of spectacular mountain views. I was in awe! Now I must confess that our plastic children’s wagon being pulled, dragged and cajoled over this trail was quite the sight! We have been car-campers up until now, so all of our stuff is BIG, and weighs a lot! Our guides were very kind!
In the morning as I awakened I was delighted to hear the roar of many waters–a small stream, a waterfall on the other side of the lake, and the Cheakamus River. I was reminded of the Elder John’s description of Jesus’ voice, “His voice was like the roar of many waters.” (Revelation 1:15) When you are right in the midst of such a sound it is all you can hear. It drowns out any other sound. However it is not an overwhelming sound; rather it is comforting, soothing, peaceful–but ever-present and even commanding. This is the voice of the Resurrected Jesus, familiar yet bigger. John says, “I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me.” (Revelation 1:12) John’s experience is not something just happening in his head; rather this is an experience of Jesus’ revelation that occurs outside of him; it is real.
Day in and day out the spiritual discipline of making space to meet with Jesus means that I must clear out, turn down, and even turn off the many other voices that compete for my heart. The moments of great clarity are not as frequent as I would like. However, I am confident that Jesus still speaks and that He is guiding His church into fellowship with Him.
ki’motion
We are full on into our Ki’Motion week at Cityview. I am so thankful for Richmond Hill Baptist Church from Calgary for helping us put on the camp; we couldn’t do it without them. I was thrilled as well today to see these kids having a great time, enjoying each other, and getting to explore what its like to know God. These kids are definitely in motion. My own kids had plenty to say about how much fun they had through the morning and were thankful for the pace that they kept. Please pray for us this week.
worship exiles
The dominance of Jesus in John’s heart and mind confronts my own preoccupation with problems. Even as John, the exile of Patmos, took up the pen to write the letter and record the revelation he was aware of Jesus’ concern and correction for the churches. However, in writing the letter the dominant concern of John was not in providing solutions to their problems. John is absolutely gushing with praise for God. Jesus’ revelation in John’s letter invokes worship in John even as he writes to the churches. The revelation pulls back the curtain so that Jesus may be seen. “Look, he is coming and ever eye will see him, even those who pierced him.” (Rev 1:7)
John erupts into worship just as he greets the seven churches declaring that Jesus would have glory and power forever. Notice how John’s worship is in response to God. “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father.” (Rev 1:5-6) Then as if to punctuate how Jesus is their very life–God greets them in the letter: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, who is and was, and is to come, the Almighty.”
I am too easily occupied with my own voice and contemplation of problems and challenges. When I lean into those problems I too often lean in first–with a sense of aloneness. I realize that problems can turn us into worship exiles. Without a compelling and truthful vision of who God is and what He has done for us, problems usher us into a void in which we become functional atheists. We act as if God is dead, inattentive to our situations, unable or unwilling to act. Perhaps this was part of the danger attendant to John’ audience who might have felt that the persecution of Domitian or the pressures of gaining or creating wealth were more present than God.
John was physically exiled to the Island of Patmos. But the churches were in danger of self-generated spiritual exile from the presence of God. The danger remains for us as well. If we cease to respond in thanks and praise to the One who has loved us, freed us from our sins, and made citizens in His Kingdom with purposeful intent we will become worship exiles.
urbanfoot 