I doubt that I’m the only one who experiences writer’s block. I am grateful that it comes only rarely into my work. Another prevalent occurrence for me is to get an idea or a single word stuck in my head that renders writing about anything else virtually impossible.

Well, the word inhabiting my brain as I ponder renewal this month is “transcendence.” For me it is the elevation of natural experience to a spiritual level above the physical plane of sight, sound and touch. Times that seem more important, and the presence of God more palpable; times when the practice of my faith in corporate worship, personal devotion, ministry or mission take on a power and a meaning that builds up and reinforces my faith and my Christian commitment.

I cannot claim that transcendence exists only in the realm of Christian experience. I have witnessed others who had no visible or claimed connection to Christ’s church experience transcendence in very special ways. It could be in experiencing great music, being part of a charity drive that makes a meaningful goal, coming to the aid of a neighbour or a stranger or even witnessing the first moments of life.

I certainly would not want us to chase that feeling as if we are transcendence junkies, but I do think there is something in understanding that where it is absent, renewal may also be lacking. For me, the church should be a place where transcendence is not rare.

Can we plan for transcendence? I am not sure. But I suspect we can open ourselves to great possibility if we work on the following ideas:

Focus on the wonder of God in our worship. His creation is amazing. His salvation is extravagant. His love is overwhelming. The triune God draws from us our love and response that can reach transcendence.

Seek to make a Kingdom difference. Love neighbour. Love enemy. Love justice, the widow, the orphan and the poor. Work together with extraordinary generosity of time and treasure. Make a difference in your local or global community. Then watch God bless your efforts and your hearts.

Broaden your Christian experience. Find ministry you can share cross – denominationally. Learn to celebrate the great things Christians share in common. Learn how to walk with people who have a different take on things that you think you have right. Listen humbly with a generosity of spirit and then work together in the name of Christ.

And when you experience God showing up in powerful and significant ways and when transcendence happens, renewal follows.

The more I pray for, study, and seek renewal for the church, the more I realize that personal renewal is a necessary part of what happens corporately. I am not completely sure if it is a precedent condition, a coincident condition, or a result of the other. I am pretty sure there is reason to ask a “Chicken and Egg; which came first?” type of question about many of the past times of renewal.

In thinking about Thanksgiving holiday observances, I was drawn along a path that is relevant to personal renewal. It started with wondering why we needed a holiday to remind us and focus us on thanksgiving. It’s a good idea to attach thanksgiving thoughts to the time of harvest. It is good to thank God for all the earth gives us, especially at harvest time.

It is also good to remind us to show gratitude. I can remember many times someone at the Thanksgiving meal stopping to remind all gathered souls that it is good and right to be thankful. But why then shouldn’t we be reminded more often? That leads us to worship.

Much of what we know of the ancient worship of our God comes from the Psalms. It is pretty clear that giving thanks was an important and regular part of the songs and prayers of God’s people. Additionally, thanksgiving was a key component of the annual festivals that were commanded so that the people of God would remember what our faithful God had done in history and continue to be grateful.

This carried into the Christian worship that was marked with prayers of thanksgiving and Christ’s Holy Meal, which was instituted so that we would remember God’s great loving gift in His sacrifice. Couple that with countless prayers in worship and in private over the millennia giving thanks for God’s love and activity. Clearly gratitude is an important part of the rhythm of the Christian life. Many Christians start each day and each meal with thanksgiving. But I wonder how grateful we really are.

I wonder how grateful I am. If I truly believed and lived like all I am and have comes from God and needs to be daily surrendered to Him, how could I be caught up in the materialism and self-seeking culture of our age?

All of these thoughts, which I had to sort through to fit into this column, led me to the big question: “How do I know how thankful I really am?” The answer hit me pretty hard. Gratitude leads to generosity. It naturally flows.

In fact, when I realized it, I felt quite simple because it actually is a fairly self-evident truth. Almost all generosity is accompanied with an acknowledgement that we are giving back.

So, are you concerned with selfish and entitlement-based behaviour? If so, learn to be more thankful. Want to be more generous? Be more thankful. Coupled with that, I suspect another truth: Want to be more thankful? Be more generous.

Happy Thanksgiving!

September, for many of our churches, is a month of ministry startups for the school year. Some of our congregations close for part of the summer. Many of our youth and children’s programs stop during July and August. Probably most of our committees and groups also take a break.

So there is the challenge of calling people back into our activities and programs. Anecdotal evidence and personal observation lead me to believe that many of us experience greater difficulty year by year in getting people back and engaged during early September.

Notwithstanding various events like “Rally Sundays” and special startup services and programs, the return of many folks has drifted later and later into October. Many churches have their “normal” attendance delayed until November.

There are some who don’t return. They move away, they get involved in other things, they lose interest or they just drift away. For many congregations, this can be a significant loss as each family and each person has such importance in small churches.

There can be a loss of momentum because volunteers draw back from their previous commitments for health reasons, burnout or outside involvements. Unfortunately this sometimes has a domino effect.

I hope I can encourage us by trying to imagine all this from God’s perspective. If He was to hold a “Rally Sunday” to what would He be calling us back? I believe that the renewal and revival of Christ’s church is more about the Lord calling us back to His priorities than the church calling us back to its programs.

I believe God would call us back to prayer. I think a lot of us would admit that during summer activities and vacations, our prayer life is diminished or even nonexistent. Making prayer a priority as we restart so many things in September will allow God to direct us and empower us to be the people He calls us to be.

I believe God would call us back to His written word. Bible engagement slips during the summer and doesn’t automatically return in September. Having an emphasis on daily Bible reading could make a great difference. Might I suggest each congregation commit to one of the many reading plans available. Start with something not too daunting. If you need a resource I would suggest the excellent E100 Challenge idea that Scripture Union developed. Not only is the reading plan well done, the supporting resources will make it fun and doable.

I believe that God would call us back to the Living Word: Jesus Christ the Son. The fall is a great time to remind us all who Jesus is and what he has done. If you have the opportunity to experience sermon series in your congregation, one of the most meaningful I have heard about lately is one based on the “I am” statements of Jesus. If Jesus is who he says he is, our faith and practice will both be inspired.

Of no less importance, I believe God would call us back to His mission in the world. How can we, the church, work for peace and justice and strive to reduce suffering and poverty in our neighbourhoods and our world? How can we involve all of our congregants in being Christ to all and Christ – like in all things?

Every General Assembly I have attended has revealed a unique personality. Although complex to describe, it is much like a very interesting friend, with many nuances and subtleties. Each also has a dominant emotion. I am not sure if it becomes better known via the various issues or if it is simply developed and enhanced.

The 140th General Assembly appeared to have an increasing level of frustration as the days went on. I am not sure if it was from the failed vision statement recommendation or the amount of time spent on the biennial assembly debate. It was likely different for each commissioner, but somehow as the assembly was drawing to a close, there was a similar feeling that not much had changed and expectations were left unrealized.

It was very similar to the 138th assembly when Rev. Dr. Clyde Ervine rose to introduce, with the most eloquent of preambles, his additional motion; it asked that the assembly and the church’s agencies give priority to the renewal of congregations. This year, in a similar moment, as the Assembly Council’s report was coming to completion, Rev. Sean Howard rose to make an additional motion, asking “that we remember, reaffirm and carry forward” the 138th assembly’s statement and make congregations a priority for all the church’s agencies, national committees and staff. It was bold and clear and took Dr. Ervine’s motion to another level. However, it was more significant because it addressed the frustrations and disappointments of so many. It was passed almost unanimously. (See page 49 to read the motion.)

During the Life and Mission Agency’s report, the convener properly recited the many initiatives and opportunities it has created to assist congregations. You could sense the frustration from that quarter as well. The staff and the committee may well ask the question, “What else would you have us do?” It may be a good question but I would suggest it is not the most important question. Might I suggest that congregations be asked, “Why are you so frustrated?”

Remember that the assembly that passed the Howard motion was almost a completely different body of commissioners than the assembly that passed the one by Ervine. I would say that together, they represent a significant sample of our church across Canada. The church has spoken. What then will be the response of the agencies and committees of the church?

I would think it very human to respond with disappointment, if not anger, that the work and creativity invested to satisfy Ervine’s motion simply resulted in another directive motion. While understandable, it will at best accomplish nothing and at worst drive the church to greater frustration. How about a different approach?

I had the joy and privilege to minister, as the executive director of the Renewal Fellowship, in nine of our provinces over the past year. I got to share our ideas of renewal with congregations, sessions, presbyteries and even a synod. That is not my most important work. I have experienced, and have received enough positive feedback, to realize I do more good and encourage more readily when I am listening.

I believe that at the core, the frustrations we are experiencing stem from the fact that congregations and their ministers, in large numbers, do not believe anyone is listening. And because they do not feel heard, they believe that the agencies and committees of the church do not care enough about them to help them succeed. It will not be another resource, another workshop or another program that convinces them. It will be a radical reaching out to them with listening ears.

Can this be accomplished by a survey? Was this not the attempt of the Haynes visitations and report? (See the Record’s June 2013 issue.) How can this be done with the current limited staff and resources?

I don’t know. I do know that unless and until the folks on the front lines are convinced that they have been heard and that the response will accurately measure the needs and desires of congregations, we will continue to experience great frustration.

The motion of the highest court of our church sets out a priority, a palpable intentionality, a clear methodology and significant accountability. It is the will of the church. Let us work together to figure out how to do this together, with God’s help, as we all move forward together in our Kingdom work.

The Master said to love our God, to love our neighbour and to go and make disciples. The Master created his church as the vehicle of his healing and reconciliation to the world. Each congregation is a vital part of his mission. Ultimately it is the source of the human and financial resources that allow us, the church, to be Christ to our communities and the world.

My wife Ruth and I recently spent three weeks in Ecuador as guests of my sister who had been there several times before and was there ahead of us for this visit. We spent most of our time in Cuenca, a colonial city and UNESCO Heritage Site. It is also a modernizing city in a rapidly developing country.

I get great satisfaction from observing different cultures and attempting to learn from them. As this was my first visit to South America and to rare excursions beyond tourist areas and cruise ship ports, the experience was even richer. I could go on and on about the many things we learned on our adventures.

One specific observation led us to an in-depth discussion of the difference between their culture and ours. This, in turn, led to an “aha moment” concerning our spiritual culture and renewal.

We observed the almost complete lack of baby strollers and carriages. In fact, in three weeks, with the exception of tourists and a very few urbanized locals, there were none to be seen. You could see a mom or grandmother with a baby tied to her back or chest and one to three toddlers walking along beside. Children that appeared as young as two years old valiantly struggled to keep up and to keep close.

Even the difficult task of getting on a crowded bus with their bulky market bags was handled with much grace and dexterity by the whole family. The kids had learned to keep up and keep safe at an age where we in North America would completely protect and transport them in the latest equipment.

The cultural observation was powerful and our discussion first turned to the problems of 21st-century child obesity and sedentary trends here in the Western world. Ecuadorean children have a different trajectory, even at a very early age, with respect to activity, mobility, and fitness. They also learn great safety habits and develop instinctive protections in high-traffic situations.

I have spent a good amount of time talking about and learning about discipleship over the last few years. Part of that discussion centres around the need to reinvigorate and renew our making of disciples.

So here is my point: Could it be that in attempting to make it easier to be a disciple by spoon-feeding and protecting and even insisting that the heavy carrying be done by a select group of leaders and clergy, we have stunted the growth of our flocks? Is the inertia and even decaying of our influence and ministries a result of producing “flabby” and immature followers of Jesus who have been taught to passively receive instead of actively participate?

When was the last time a young person or a young Christian was coached to lead a prayer or a Bible study in your congregation? Or is virtually all prayer led by clergy and a select, small group of veterans, and are all Bible studies led by the same few people year after year? In Ecuador, the toddlers have bruises and scabs on their knees and elbows. The expectations lead to some falls and tears. But the parents think it’s worth it. Maybe our congregations can find it worthwhile, too.

One of the benefits of technology is that you can easily search for words in the Bible. In preparing for a recent sermon, I searched for the word “remember”.

It appears hundreds of times. In studying the various occurrences, I began to see a deep connection to the spiritual renewal of God’s people, corporately and individually.

It begins in Exodus with the commands to remember God and His loving deeds. In Exodus 3:15 after God revealed to Moses His identity as the great “I am”, He instructs Moses that He is to be remembered by this identity. In Exodus 13:3 God commands, the first of many times, that the people remember how they were brought out of the slavery of Egypt by the strong arm of the Lord.

The celebration feasts, as Passover and Purim, were commanded as a way of remembering God’s love and care of His people Israel. It demonstrates God’s plan to keep their spiritual condition strong by keeping them constantly connected to the unfolding of the great story of His love expressed in power on their behalf, generation by generation.

Spiritual amnesia wasn’t far behind. For example, in Judges 8:34, we find that the people no longer remembered the Lord. As the story continues to unfold, we find forgetting and remembering as a significant key to God’s people growing cold and then being renewed in their relationship with the Lord.

Much of the worship modelled in the Psalms is based on giving thanks for all that God has done. Gratitude, to be authentic, requires accurate and thorough remembering. It is in the act of rehearsing in our hearts and minds what God has done that we rightly relate to His power and presence, For Christians, the Lord’s Table is a centrepiece of remembering. Jesus said it clearly. “Do this in remembrance of me.” Gathering around His table is a reviving experience.

But can we restrict remembering and renewal to those who gather there? What about the people who have either forgotten or have never heard what God has done?

The first part of Psalm 78, in addressing the challenge and responsibility of delivering the faith to the following generations, is relevant, I believe, in understanding how we share the faith to the world.

Psalm 78 talks of teaching our kids the requirements of a holy God. God’s way is a particular way. He has not left His people guessing how to live. Jesus, in summing up this requirement, taught to love God with everything and love other people.

Psalm 78 also instructs us to share with our youth and by extension all who have not heard or no longer remember. We are called to rehearse for them all that God has done-in history and currently. We serve a powerful God who continues to do powerful and amazing things in all generations.

The surprise of Psalm 78 is it reverses the order that I reported here. Introducing the powerful deeds of God is commanded in verse four. Instructions in His law are in verse five.

By giving the powerful stories of God’s saving power in history and the present, we introduce people to the loving God they can begin to remember. Then and only then, teaching them His law can be done in a context of His loving care for His people. As one preacher says it, “We are telling about God’s guardrails and not His roadblocks.”

Remember and be renewed. Share your remembering and pray God will allow you to share in the revival of others.

My two rural churches will open their doors to a good number of visitors this Christmas Eve, if history is any predictor of the future. As our context becomes more and more secular and un-churched, there is a growing challenge for us to convey more than a partial story of the greatest event in history to those who come.

Will Farrell is a creator of comedic (some would say, silly) movies and, I believe, an expert on culture and the funny gaps that exist therein. In Talladega Nights, he portrays an over-the-top version of a southern, NASCAR-driving, out-of-touch, self-absorbed redneck named Ricky Bobby.

Farrell zooms in on the character’s simplistic theological understanding of who Jesus is and what He has done. For Ricky Bobby, Jesus is stuck forever as a baby who exists to answer prayers.

“Dear Lord Baby Jesus, we’d also like to thank You for my wife’s father Chip. We hope that You can use your Baby Jesus powers to heal him and his horrible leg. It smells terrible and the dogs are always bothering with it… .” This is but one example of Ricky’s invocation of his version of Jesus.

Of course, this is an exaggerated characterization. Yet there is some truth in Farrell’s character. If folks don’t know the rest of the story or if they simply prefer to ignore the radical call of Jesus to live and love like Him, then picking the Baby Jesus version becomes attractive.

Here is our challenge as we prepare Christmas services that will serve both faithful folks who come to worship many times a year and those who show up once or twice: share the whole gospel. Sing Christmas carols that include Christ’s incarnational mission to redeem humankind. Speak of creation, fall, promised Messiah, perfect life, obedient death, triumphant resurrection, and coming Kingdom. In a phrase, connect the dots.

It was a wonderful night when the dear Saviour was born. But it wasn’t just a beautiful story in itself. It is part of God’s great story. It is a story of the whole written Word and the Living Word. But most importantly, it is a story that the Triune God continues to invite people to be part of. How unfaithful would we be if people came to see the Baby Jesus and left without knowing that they could know the God of Creation, the Redeeming Saviour and the Holy Spirit now and forever?

In the mid-70s, I spent a year working in a TD Bank in one of the Lake Ontario towns east of Toronto. The Toronto Dominion Bank was the coming together of the Bank of Toronto and the Dominion Bank some 20 years earlier. I shouldn’t have been surprised that there was still a divide in the staff between those from each bank. It is one of the countless examples of a “them and us” attitude I have witnessed all my life. I see it readily in others. I am not quite so objective in my own self-appraisal.

In the mid-90s, I did an internship in a church north of Toronto. While there, divisive conflict exploded into open warfare. I’ll never forget the outburst of one of the angriest seniors. “They are doing it again to us; just like 25 years ago!” she cried. The only problem was that all of the folks involved 25 years before were either dead and gone or just plain gone. She hadn’t forgiven them, and all the unresolved anger had festered barely below the surface until another provocation surfaced.

So, what do these two vignettes have to do with renewal? As I pray, study, and talk about renewal with folks from BC to Newfoundland, I keep pressing to identify barriers that keep us from individual and communal renewal. My non-scientific view is that individually, there is no greater category holding us back than our lack of willingness and ability to forgive those who have pained us or the ones we love. Corporately, perhaps the most consistent issue is our divisiveness. I have witnessed this in even small congregations and presbyteries. I wonder if some of the desert island cartoons showing two or three inhabitants divided into camps aren’t windows into our sin-riddled, divisive hearts.

Jesus was front and centre on both our issues of unity and forgiveness. He prayed that we would be one as He and the Father are one. To ensure there was not a cosmic “them and us”, He actually became one of us. The barrier was broken. The bridge was constructed. He taught us to pray these dangerous words: “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.” He was leading us into striving to forgive more generously, not asking God to limit His forgiveness in any way.

The gospel of Jesus Christ includes this truth. He died and rose again to defeat sin and death. His grace is sufficient to help us overcome our human frailty. We can live in unity in His grace. We can forgive even the most hated enemy in His grace. Renewal can be ours. It is our inheritance as children of the High God that we do not have to continue to live in the hopelessness that divisiveness and long-standing grudges can bring.

How freeing that could be. It is good news indeed.

Last month I attempted to make the case for how important it is for our ministers to be part of intimate spiritual communities with their peers. I also shared the priority and focus we at the Renewal Fellowship are prepared to put on encouraging and aiding as many ministers as we can to find or form such a group.

I think it is important to anticipate a few of the challenges that might keep some of our ministers from participating in a group. I don’t think it’s coincidental that I have experienced similar challenges when encouraging congregations to commit to regular small group gatherings. Hopefully what follows will help some overcome things that could be holding them back.

The first challenge I hear is that many are too busy. I am sure many of us do experience time management issues. It is a significant investment to set aside hours on a monthly basis for group gatherings. To those who aren’t sure if this investment of time is wise, we who do participate in intimate spiritual communities have something to say. I have heard my own experience echoed by many. They speak of how significant and life changing their time in a group seems to be. Finding the time and keeping it a priority becomes much more manageable once the value becomes real and personal.

Next, introverts (people who process internally and expel energy in group activities) and those who are shy or socially reticent remind me that for them, this kind of gathering is often neither pleasant nor helpful. (I have had more than one acquaintance explain that this is why they don’t attend church.) I try to understand what it would feel like to be introverted and to not be connecting with others. It’s impossible, as I’m a true extrovert who loves social interaction. But I do know this: as disciples of Christ we are not called to seek comfort zones that reflect our personality and wiring. We are called to love God and each other and it is in small communities that we can grow in faith and grace and encourage each other.

Further, some ministers are not initiators or inviters. The truth is, if it is left to them, they will never become part of an intimate group. This places both responsibility and accountability onto other ministers. We need to be always on the lookout for those who need an invitation. Just as we would encourage our congregations to keep inviting and not give up, the same is true here. Imagine, if you will, your persistence resulting in someone who is lonely and disconnected finding a place of spiritual and emotional healing and refreshment.

Last, I’ll mention an elephant in many small groups: the person who requires extra grace. They may talk too much. They may share inappropriately. They may drag down the group or seem to distract it from its purpose. One famous preacher said that if you think your small group doesn’t have one of these, it’s because it’s you. I think it is enough to realize that God chooses the people placed in our path. Our response requires prayer, divine wisdom and love.

All are worth it. All are valuable.

As I write this, the March issue of the Record has been available for only a couple of weeks. In that time I have had more feedback about my article, Minding the Minister, than I have received for all the things I have ever written for public consumption combined. I hit on something significant: many ministers in our denomination are burning out.

This is a problem worthy of our attention. What is needed is focus and strategy. After consultation with our national board over the past year and a presentation to our annual general meeting at the beginning of March this year, I believe the Renewal Fellowship has both.

While renewal, in all of its facets, can be an overwhelming agenda, focusing on ministers is strategic. Their capacity and potential for renewal impacts congregations directly. Their spiritual health directly influences the spiritual health of their people. Their ability to model discipleship in their own lives gives leadership to their peers and their people.

Our strategy can be simply stated but will need much more than we alone can bring to the table. It needs the help of every part of our church. We need the help of our courts, our national offices, our laity, our theological schools and our ministers themselves. That is still not enough. Our strategy needs the prayers of all of us.

Our goal is to radically increase the number of our ministers who meet regularly with their peers in some form of intimate spiritual community. As a result, spiritual connection can replace isolation, spiritual growth can replace dryness, encouragement can replace despair, friendship can replace loneliness and participation in authentic, intimate and vulnerable community can replace guarded, defensive lives.

I believe renewal in ministers’ lives would be the model for congregations to experience this same kind of community. I believe this can be the spark that begins to spread renewal throughout our entire church.
So what is this strategy that can be simply stated but is so challenging to implement?

Encourage ministers to form a group if none currently exists. This could include anywhere from two to a dozen people. It could meet once or twice a month. It could be initiated by a simple invitation to gather for coffee. Our experience tells us that a personal invitation is the key.

In its first stage, the group may focus on sharing each other’s ministry journeys and praying for each other: their challenges, their congregations and their families. In later stages these communities will seek greater vulnerability, transparency and accountability in their spiritual, parental and congregational lives.

That’s where our work begins. Pray for us. Offer us whatever help you can. Open up existing groups to invite and welcome those not yet included.

We will work with any who wish to create or grow a group of ministers who meet as an intentional spiritual community.