SEVEN PROMISE KEEPERS CANADA
FEET ON THE GROUND, TOP OF THEIR CLASS
A LOOK AT THE WORK OF EDUDEO
MEN / GOD / LIFE
How to Change the World YOU TOO CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
LIFE IN EXILE FINDING OUR PLACE IN POST-CHRISTENDOM
MAR / A PR 2017 ISSUE 53 NEWSSTAND PRICE CDN $4.95
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CONTENTS
16
COLUMNS 6 // PK Podium Citizens of Heaven, First and Foremost 8 // Lives Worth Leading Called to Lead Globally 30 // Sports Scene Clemson coach, QB, offer praises after historic win
FEATURES 16 THE ART OF LIVING IN EXILE There is general consensus today that we live in a post-Christian North America. For some, this is experienced as a greater resistance, unpopularity, and disfavour aimed at Christians. Others see it as moving past institutional forms of Christianity. Just how do we remain relevant as 21st Century believers?
22 FOUNDATIONAL MISSIONS Around the world, Christian schools serve a huge purpose in advancing the gospel. It is this opportunity that Hamilton-based EduDeo Ministries has leapt into as a way of fulfilling the Great Commission.
22 26
26 JUST. DO. SOMETHING.
32 // The Single Life Peace Upon Israel 33 // Out of My Depth Men Who Scream
DEPARTMENTS 10 // The Pulse Bits. Blips. Beats. Blurbs. 14 // Music Reviews Breaking the Chains, Coming Up for Air 34 // Power Play Toys. Tools. Technology.
With so many volunteer options out there, you’d think changing the world would be a cinch. But sometimes having too many choices can make things more difficult. Often, with so much at our disposal, there comes a tendency to keep still—to choose ‘none of the above’ when we can’t make up our minds on just one mission. But that’s no excuse.
MARCH / APRIL 2017 SEVEN 3
ON THE COVER
SEVEN is a Christian magazine for Canadian men that exists to help men lead more fulfilling lives and leave enduring legacies.
HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD Whether you’re already on the ground serving, or feeling as though you’ve been left behind, the world is in need of people to change it for the better. While finding time to do so and knowing where to start can be daunting, we’re surrounded by examples of people doing their best to make a difference in the world today.
The name reflects the seven promises that form the basis of the Promise Keepers organization, which works with churches to minister to men across Canada. 1 // A promise keeper is committed to honouring Jesus Christ through worship, prayer, and obedience to God’s Word in the power of the Spirit. 2 // A promise keeper is committed to pursuing Christ-centred friendships with a few other men, connecting regularly, understanding that he needs brothers to help him keep his promises. 3 // A promise keeper is committed to practicing biblical integrity: spiritually, morally, ethically and sexually. 4 // A promise keeper is committed to strengthening families and marriages through love, honour, protection, and biblical values. 5 // A promise keeper is committed to supporting the mission of his church by honouring and praying for his pastor, and by actively giving his time and resources. 6 // A promise keeper is committed to reaching beyond racial, social, economic, generational, and denominational barriers to demonstrate that power of biblical unity. 7 // A promise keeper is committed to influencing the world by his fervent love for God while loving his neighbour, seeking justice for the poor and oppressed, and making disciples of Jesus Christ.
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KIRK GILES
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The PK Canada logo features a maple leaf, indicating our dedication to serve the men of Canada. An arrow breaks into the maple leaf symbolizing the impact we believe God wants to see Promise Keepers and men making in our nation. A special thank-you to all the pastors who continually encourage us to communicate God’s truth with grace and love.
4 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2017
THE FAITHLIFE FINANCIAL DIFFERENCE
A lot is riding on your shoulders... Have you PROTECTED your family’s financial future? FaithLife Financial is a financial services organization that helps Christians blend faith and finances to be wise with money and live generously – strengthening families and communities.
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INCOME PRODUCTS
INVESTMENT PROTECTION
MEMBER BENEFITS
CHARITABLE OUTREACH
Our Financial Representatives make it easy to have a conversation about money. They offer insurance and investment solutions with sound financial guidance to help Christians protect their financial futures and feel confident about their finances. With FaithLife Financial it’s not just about making more – it’s about doing more to build a better world for Members, families and communities. We invite you to be part of a financial services organization that blends faith, finances and generosity.
Take the online FINANCIAL FITNESS Do I have enough life insurance to protect my family’s financial future?
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LIVING YOUR CHRISTIAN VALUES
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MARCH APRIL 2017 SEVEN 5 BUILDING A /BETTER WORLD
PK PODIUM
CITIZENS OF HEAVEN, FIRST AND FOREMOST THE CALL TO BE AMBASSADORS BY KIRK GILES
O
ur world is rapidly changing, and everything feels very unsettled. Around the world, there is economic uncertainty. We are witnesses to governments who are murdering their own citizens, and terrorists who have no concern for the borders of nations or the lives they destroy. The issues facing our world seem to be overwhelming, and everyone seems to have their own idea as to what the solutions are. To the average person, we have our opinions on how to fix the problems, but we also feel powerless to actually do anything about it. Should we just shrug our shoulders and hope for the best? Should we become active in any way to bring about change? Should we care? As followers of Jesus, our starting point needs to be that we belong to Him. In Philippians 3:20, we are told that “our citizenship is in heaven.” In other words, Christians are not first and foremost citizens of a country or citizens of earth. We are citizens of God’s Kingdom. In Romans 8:20 and 21 we read a description of the realities of the world we live in, and a vision for what Jesus came to bring us: “For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.” In 2 Corinthians 5:20 we are told what our role is in this vision of the Kingdom of God: “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” I hope these words strike a healthy fear for the responsibility given to us as children of God. We are ambassadors of Jesus Christ. In the chaos all around us, in the midst of the fear and uncertainty, and in the pain and the darkness that many are experiencing, we are His ambassadors. This leaves no room for ignoring the challenges the world is facing, and leaves no room for our own agenda or opinions to be pursued. This role of ambassador first and foremost requires a thorough understanding of the wishes and desires of our King. Then, it requires an allegiance to faithfully represent His heart and His commands towards those who are both friend and stranger—allies and enemies. In this edition of SEVEN, we explore world issues. As you read through the articles in the magazine, I urge you to examine your own heart to discern what your attitudes and actions say about where you see your primary citizenship.
6 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2017
KIRK GILES is the president of Promise Keepers Canada. However, his most important roles as a man are husband to Shannon and father to Carter, Joshua, Sydney and Samuel.
MARCH / APRIL 2017 SEVEN 7
LIVES WORTH LEADING
CALLED TO LEAD GLOBALLY
THE ‘EXPLOSIVE’ MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL BY COLIN MCCARTNEY
W
hen I was a child, my extended family would gather together for our annual camping trip to the United States. My family were immigrants from Northern Ireland, so when more than 40 loud and boisterous Irish folks passed through customs…let’s just say the U.S.A. didn’t know what hit them. These camping trips were unforgettable for us—and all the Americans that crossed our path. I remember one particular trip to Virginia Beach, when my cousin and I wandered away from our campground onto a sandy field. As we embarked on one of our many childhood adventures, we came across a wire fence with a sign that said; “Warning: Explosive Material — Authorized Personnel Only.” We had stumbled across a military training base! Thankfully for me my cousin, being more intelligent than I (and less adventurous), was able to talk me out of doing something stupid. Because for me, this sign was an invitation to fun! As we consider being global Christians we need to be reminded that God has authorized us to be able to utilize His ‘explosive material’ everywhere we go. Jesus says; “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) This word “power” in the original biblical language is “dunamis”—which is where our English word “dynamite” comes from. Jesus is giving us a spiritual equation: Filled with the Holy Spirit + Power
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(dunamis), = witnesses everywhere you go. To be a global witness is not something we conjure up in our own strength. It’s not something you need a PhD to understand. Jesus is telling us that we cannot help but be His dynamic witnesses when we are filled with the Holy Spirit. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit we automatically become ‘Jesus bombs’ and we ‘explode’ Jesus everywhere we go. I love that Jesus works His way from the easiest mission field to the most difficult. He’s telling His followers that when the Holy Spirit comes on them “dunamis” will empower them so they can break barriers separating them from other cultures and peoples. Take the example of the Great Commission: • JERUSALEM – We can relate to Jerusalem. It’s about being witnesses to people at the office, in your school, friendship cluster, on your kids’ soccer team, on your street. These are people just like you, who look, think, eat, and act like you. • JUDEA – Jesus also wants us to go to those somewhat different than us. Those in Judea were rough around the edges. They were struggling to make ends meet and scraping through day to day. • SAMARIA – This is more difficult. The Jews hated Samaritans. They were mixed-up people with a mixed-up religion. They’re kind of like us, but different. They’re outside the walls of our church. They’re gay. They’re transgender. They’re homeless. They’re Muslim.
Jesus wants us to go to Samaria. • ENDS OF THE EARTH – Jesus wants us to go to those we have no clue about. Those people way out there. Syrians refugees fearful for their lives. Haitian poor. Palestinians caught behind a giant wall. The list goes on. How do we reach these types of people? Remember what Jesus said; “You will receive power (dunamis) when the Holy Spirit comes on you; & you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, & in all Judea & Samaria, & to the ends of the earth.” “Dunamis” tears down barriers and empowers you to go to all peoples, in all places—to share the love of Jesus in word and deed. “Dunamis” comes on you to explode barriers so you can join Jesus in His work in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. So, let me ask you a question. Are you a carrier of the Good News—or a barrier of the Good News? Spend time with the Lord. Spend time weekly worshipping God with your church. Then you can’t help but ‘explode Jesus’ all over the place! With the lonely and hurting, with the poor and oppressed, with struggling single mothers, with Syrian refugee families. ‘Explode Jesus’ everywhere you go.
/ COLIN MCCARTNEY is an ordained minister, speaker, and a bestselling author. He is also the founder of UrbanPromise Toronto and now leads Connect Ministries in Toronto where he, his wife Judith, and their two children reside. For information in booking Colin as a speaker, please visit www.connectministries.org.
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THE PULSE
BITS / BLIPS / BEATS / BLURBS THE LATEST NEWS FROM PROMISE KEEPERS CANADA
BITS / BLIPS / BEATS / BLURBS
GO AND MAKE DISCIPLES
10 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2017
For more than 20 years, Promise Keepers Canada has been at the forefront of calling men to follow Jesus Christ, and to be men who will have a godly impact in their families, workplaces, churches, and communities. The history of the ministry has been about seeing men come to us—primarily through our men’s conferences. The future is about expanding our impact and influence by being faithful to Jesus’ command to “go and make disciples.”
THE ELEMENTS OF DISCIPLESHIP / THERE ARE THREE essential elements required to see change happen in the life of a man: capture his heart, renew his mind, and engage his hands. When these elements are repeated again and again, transformation begins to occur and a man continues his growth towards becoming the man God has designed him to be. Each of our core ministry programs are designed to help men develop in at least one of these areas.
> CONFERENCES DESIGNED to gather men together in an environment where they are ignited and equipped to be godly men. EVENTS
PK@HOME
PK@CHURCH
> RESOURCES PROVIDED directly to men with the goal of equipping men to live as God has designed them. These resources include: SEVEN Magazine, Men of Integrity daily devotional, PK Canada Podcast, and This is Me TV (an online video series for young men). > SUPPORT TO HELP local churches effectively disciple their men. Resources include: Blueprint Men’s Ministry Leadership Training, Blueprint for Men Small Group Series, live workshops, and special devotionals on Father’s Day and Valentine’s Day. > A NEW INITIATIVE designed to assist Christian business leaders to address the spiritual needs of the people who work for them.
PK@WORK
MISSIONS
> CONNECTING MEN with opportunities to have a godly impact in the world. These include short term mission trips to build safe schools for children and becoming mentors to young men who are fatherless or who are viewers of This Is Me TV.
>> Learn more about resources for your spiritual growth at: www.PromiseKeepers.ca.
PODCASTS HONOURING YOUR WIFE / AS A HUSBAND, you are uniquely able to honour your wife in ways no one else can. Whether you have a great relationship with your wife or a difficult one, David Chadwick talks about why it is so important to honour our wives, and some of the practical ways we can do so. Dr. David Chadwick has been the pastor of Forest Hill Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, since 1980. Before becoming a pastor, he played basketball for several years (1969 NCAA Men’s Final Four). He and his wife recently co-authored Eight Great Ways to Honor Your Wife.
STEPPING UP
/ WHETHER IT IS New Year’s Eve or the middle of March, it is always a good time to reflect and determine how we can continue to grow. Recorded at the Toronto Stronger conference, Bill Farrel talks about how to begin again and step up our game. Bill Farrel is a favourite PK Canada speaker and can be seen live at most of the Quest conferences this year. Along with his wife Pam, he is the author of many books including Men are Like Waffles, Women are Like Spaghetti, The 10 Best Decisions a Man Can Make and 7 Simple Skills for Every Man. During their 25 years of experience in church ministry, Bill and Pam’s quest to discover “how” has motivated them to write books and speak at conferences around the globe. >> Find these and other podcasts at: www.promisekeepers.ca/podcast.
MARCH / APRIL 2017 SEVEN 11
THIS IS ME TV MARK MUÑOZ / SEVEN-YEAR UFC veteran Mark Muñoz takes us back to a life defining moment when he was bullied as a child. Choosing to step up to the challenge, Mark eventually became the Oklahoma State Cowboy NCAA Division I wrestling champion, a UFC fighter, coach, motivational speaker, anti-bullying activist, Family man, Humanitarian and most importantly, a follower of Jesus.
GAWVI / GAWVI IS best known as producing chart-topping singles for Lecrae, Andy Mineo, and Trip Lee, including his hefty contribution to Lecrae’s Anomaly, which made history by debuting at number one on The Billboard 200. After years of maneuvering behind the scenes and masterminding a host of albums and hit singles, Gawvi is set to venture out as a solo artist. We sat down with him to talk about his journey of faith and the friends that never gave up on him when he was ready to give up on himself.
RICHARD AND BRITTNI DE LA MORA (COMING SOON) Today Richard and Brittni have found freedom in Christ and a marriage that God has used to bring healing to their lives.
/ JESUS IS in the business of redeeming broken lives. Sitting in a strip club with friends, Richard knew there had to be more to life than this. Working in the porn industry, Brittni knew this was not the life she wanted. Enter Jesus. Today Richard and Brittni have found freedom in Christ and a marriage that God has used to bring healing to their lives. We talk with them about the sex industry, redemption and how God still uses broken people. >> Visit www.ThisIsMeTV.com for the latest episodes.
WORKSHOP PUTTING WORK IN PERSPECTIVE When we meet someone new, one of the first questions is usually, “What do you do for a living?” In our culture, there is a lot of pressure to be defined by our jobs. Add to that the amount of time we spend commuting, working, and even responding to email, after hours, and it can feel like our careers are taking over. This workshop is focused on equipping men to be a follower of Jesus in their workplace. Topics addressed include: addressing the lies men believe about their work and replacing them with the truth, how to be a good employee or employer, and balancing work and family. >> Find a workshop in your area or bring this workshop to your church. Visit www.promisekeepers.ca/events for more information.
12 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2017
GOD HAS A PLAN GOD HAS A PLAN GOD GOD HAS HAS A A PLAN PLAN FOR YOU! FOR YOU! What will be your legacy? FOR FOR YOU! YOU! What will be your legacy? What Whatwill willbe beyour yourlegacy? legacy?
www.reachbeyond.ca www.reachbeyond.ca Be the voice and hands of Jesus www.reachbeyond.ca www.reachbeyond.ca Be the voice and hands of Jesus
BeBethe thevoice voiceand andhands handsofofJesus Jesus
MARCH MARCH / APRIL / APRIL 2015 2017 SEVEN 13
MUSIC REVIEWS
BY STEVEN SUKKAU
RELIENT K
ZACH WILLIAMS
DANNY GOKEY
AIR FOR FREE (Mono Vs Stereo)
CHAIN BREAKER (Sony/ATV Music Publishing)
RISE (BMG)
Relient K continues to adapt and mature, pouring their musical evolution into their latest album, without losing their witty tongue-in-cheek sensibilities. After 2013’s somewhat divisive Collapsible Lung broke from their traditional punk-pop sound for something more electronic, the band’s return to its roots with Air For Free may delight longtime listeners. But while many songs are airy and upbeat, songwriter Matt Thiessen is no stranger to introspective piano ballads. ‘Empty House’ is classic Thiessen— though the auto-tuned vocals are perhaps more distracting than affecting. Elsewhere, Thiessen tackles heavier themes like responsibility and maturity on songs like ‘Man,’ with lines like: “The clock is ticking faster now, and I’m too old to be growing up.” Relient K also has a rich discography of tracks that have entered the worship music scene. ‘God’ is one such track, and brings a worshipful tone to the album. “I yelled at the wind. He came rolling back to sweep me off my feet.” Overall, Air For Free is like a welltraveled passport, you can hear the band’s many musical styles and detours from the past 20 years. The many eras of Relient K layer here to create a full satisfying album that shows the band still has many more musical vistas to explore.
A powerful voice, soaring and soulful, Zach Williams bursts onto the Christian music scene after a decade in the secular southern rock world. Chain Breaker is Williams’ declaration of freedom from the rock and roll lifestyle of drugs and alcohol. In his testimony, Williams has said he eventually came to see that even material success couldn’t dull the pain and unhappiness he felt. It wasn’t until hearing Big Daddy Weave’s ‘Redeemed’ that the Holy Spirit finally caught his attention—and turned everything around. And almost every track on his new album speaks to that redemption found in Christ. As he sings on the title track, “If you have pain He’s a pain taker, if you’re lost He is the way maker, if you’ve got chains, He’s the chain breaker.” Elsewhere, ‘To the Table’ and ‘So Good to Me’ pull back to Williams and an acoustic guitar, finding the stripped down emotional core of the album. Overall the southern rock is heavy and heartfelt throughout, mixed with Williams’ honest reflection on the nature of grace and forgiveness, and the joy that his old life couldn’t provide. As he sings on ‘Old Church Choir’, “It’s the rhythm of a gospel song, oh once you choose it, you can’t lose it.”
Danny Gokey became a household name in 2009, rising to third place on American Idol. Viewers sat transfixed as they heard his story of heartbreak after losing his wife mere months before taking the national stage. Even though he didn’t take first place in the competition, Gokey continues to find success, recently releasing his second album, Rise. Moving away from country music, Gokey says the new album crystallizes his journey so far. “I feel like I’ve really figured out how to connect my message with the music,” he said after the album’s release. “I feel that I’ve found my voice and my sound… it’s never too late to become what you’re supposed to be.” Energetic and uplifting, the album is a showcase for Gokey's soaring voice. Title track ‘Rise’ is hopeful and soulful. Elsewhere the album employs a number of dance-worthy songs like ‘If You Ain’t In it’ and ‘Never Be the Same’. Rounding out Rise are a couple of great collaborations, one including fellow American Idol alum Jordin Sparks on the stripped down piano driven track ‘Chasing’. In the end, the album’s message, and Gokey’s journey is summed up as Gokey sings, “I’ve been chasing things, but all this time, Lord, You’ve been chasing me.”
/ STEVEN SUKKAU works for Golden West Radio and resides in Winkler, Manitoba.
14 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2017
THE FAITHLIFE FINANCIAL DIFFERENCE
All of life is ministry
“I think every believer is called to be in fulltime ministry whatever their life situation.”
A lot is riding on your shoulders... Caleb Courtney [MTS] is a husband, father Have you PROTECTED your family’s financial future? of four, high school teacher, worship leader and just completed the Master of Theological FaithLife Financial is a financial services organization thatStudies helps Christians faithhe andcould finances program. blend He knew only to be wise with money and live generously – strengthening afford families and communities. a one-year leave to complete his
masters, so he began planning a few years ago. Caleb has seen God open every door the BENEFITS way. A percentage of Caleb’s salary LIFE INSURANCE INCOME PRODUCTS INVESTMENT PROTECTION along MEMBER CHARITABLE OUTREACH was saved tooffer fundinsurance a leaveand from his teaching Our Financial Representatives make it easy to have a conversation about money. They investment solutions job, and he received scholarships and with sound financial guidance to help Christians protect their financial futures and feel confident about their finances. With awards. also world took for advantage of flexible FaithLife Financial it’s not just about making more – it’s about doing more to buildHe a better Members, families and course modes such as online, evening and communities. We invite you to be part of a financial services organization that blends faith, finances and generosity. one-week intensives. This made it possible for him to still put his family time first.
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Caleb is now returning to work and plans to take on more of a teaching role at his church. “People have this idea of full-time ministry Do I have enough Will my current being he says. savings inas case of full-time in a church,”savings plan “I think be inmy fullan emergency or every believer is called tomeet needs job loss? time ministry whatever their life situation.” in retirement?
Do I have enough life insurance to protect my family’s financial future?
Tyndale offers flexible full-time part-time Visit faithlifefinancial.ca toand learn more! study options to meet your needs. Learn more. Visit Tyndale.ca or call 1.877.TYNDALE. PROTECTING YOUR FINANCIAL FUTURE
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LIVING YOUR CHRISTIAN VALUES
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MARCH / APRIL 2017 SEVEN 15
BUILDING A BETTER WORLD
FEATURE
THE ART OF LIVING IN EXILE BY TIM KEENER
16 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2017
FINDING HOME IN
I
t was a beautiful hike up the mountain. My wife and I were in Canmore for a retreat, and we had just enough time for a late afternoon hike. We’d fallen in love with the colour pallette of the Rockies in the autumn, which is very different from home in Quebec. The terrain was relatively easy and the route well marked. But coming down, the trail became unfamiliar and we struggled to get good footing in the only casual shoes we brought with us. Suddenly we realized that we were off the trail and had to backtrack. Finally we found some other hikers who assured us of the best way down. Life can be like that—the trip up the mountain exhilarating and rewarding, but the trip down exhausting and often disorienting. After all, it’s easy to set your bearings to the top of a mountain, but much harder to find a parking lot hidden in the canopy of the trees. When we turn the pages of Scripture, we find God’s people in times of orientation and disorientation too. On some pages, we see mountaintop experiences, times of exodus out of slavery. On other pages, we read of valleys and desperate captivity. In both, in exodus and in exile, God leads his people to live faithfully in their circumstances.
POST-CHRISTIAN CANADA
MARCH / APRIL 2017 SEVEN 17
AT THE CENTER OF TENSION, NOT THE CENTER OF POWER
THE CHURCH TODAY IS LESS UNDERSTOOD AND IT NO LONGER ENJOYS A ROLE IN ESTABLISHING BOUNDARIES OR DEFINITIONS.
There is general consensus today that we live in a post-Christian North America. For some, this is experienced as a greater resistance, unpopularity, and disfavour aimed at Christians. Others see it as moving past institutional forms of Christianity and as a response to their misuse of power and influence. It seems that our experience in Canada today is shaped more by exile than by exodus. In North America, and in much of Europe, a majority of people still self-identify as Christians, yet only a minority of people would say they are practicing believers. Our history, our culture and much of our ethics are rooted in our Christian heritage in Canada. Particular beliefs and practices, however, are
18 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2017
as lost or abandoned as the many empty religious edifices that dot our neighbourhoods. I frequently meet people in Montreal who seem to have ‘inherited’ Christianity. Their parents or grandparents were Catholic, Anglican, or a part of the United Church. Some were baptized and confirmed in the Church. And while Christianity remains a facet of many Canadians’ stories, it ceases to define the type of person someone is, or the way they decide to live their lives. The Church today is less understood and it no longer enjoys a role in establishing boundaries or definitions. Once closer to the centre of Canadian life and society, it now inhabits the periphery. It has tried both firm separation from the world
and also conforming to the culture that surrounds it. But in the end, the Church finds itself today at the center of tension, not the center of power. In Quebec, post-Christianity à la Quebecoise largely interprets as “post-Catholic.” Institutional Catholicism (and in some places, Anglicanism) has left a lasting disdain in the imagination of Quebecers. Evangelicals at times benefited as a “post-Catholic” option. But for the first time, a majority of Quebecers have been brought up without any significant Catholic or Christian experience. It remains to be seen if the Church can reach not only their post-Christian neighbours, but their post-secular ones as well. But do God’s people have a genetic disposition for exile? In his excellent
book, The Church in Exile: Living Hope after Christendom, Canadian theologian Lee Beach argues that ‘exile’ may be precisely the motif that offers the most hope for the Church today. Our hope lies not in regaining lost power, influence, or privilege in society, but active participation in the Mission of God. The Church today must present convincing reasons and a compelling witness of Christ in the land of post-Christianity. The Church must rediscover the art of living in exile.
THE MORAL AND ETHICAL CAUSES OF EXILE Jeremiah was a prophet and community leader when his nation was enveloped into the NeoBabylonian Empire. When we hear
the word “prophet” we often think of ‘future-telling.’ But, it is probably more accurate to say that prophecy was about ‘present-telling’ and ‘truth-telling.’ Jeremiah’s task was to reorient the people’s theological vision in the midst of exile. Israel had been literally torn in two. The northern kingdom had been conquered by the Assyrians 125 years earlier. The southern kingdom of Judah remained, and Jerusalem was its chief city. By the time of Jeremiah, the Babylonians had become the dominant regional power, filling a power vacuum after the implosion of the Assyrian empire. When Judah revolted against the Babylonian rule, King Nebuchadnezzar responded with three invasions and a siege of Jerusalem. The city ultimately fell, and the deportation of survivors followed. Jeremiah witnessed this devastation, which was much more than just a geopolitical death. It was the death of a people. The survivors faced an unimaginable reality. God had promised them: 1) their land of Israel 2) a King of their own 3) the city of Jerusalem and 4) their sacred temple. Cut off from their land, the people were cut off from their identity. How could Yahweh (God) abandon His people and abandon His own promises? Jeremiah had to make sense of this theological crisis. This required confronting their view of national exceptionalism and deterministic view of their future. A sense of entitlement and power, mainly vested among the religious elites, allowed the nation to drift away from the moral and ethical commitments required of God’s people. We have all read Christian cards that quote Jeremiah 29: “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans to prosper you, plans
to give you a hope and a future.” It’s often in the context of a graduation card or a note of encouragement. It might be more accurate if it included a warning, “These plans include the destruction of your homeland and your mass deportation into a foreign land.” God certainly wants what’s best for His people, but this never comes divorced from personifying His compassion, justice, and mercy (in the words of the prophet Micah).
THE ART OF LIVING IN EXILE Jeremiah used the extreme pain of his people to reorient their theology and their spirituality. If the Church is in exile today—if Christians are living in an increasingly marginalized reality—then we should listen intently to how Jeremiah instructs his people. In chapter 29 he lays out the art of living in exile for his people. First Jeremiah says, “Move in.” Settle in the land. Make it your own. This can seem counterintuitive for Christians today. In Cadences of Faith, Walter Brueggeman describes exile in the following way: “[Exile] is a cultural, spiritual condition that is experienced when one finds themselves in an alien environment and where conforming to the norms of that environment would mean to adopt values that are incongruent with one’s own faith.” But Jeremiah understood that the people needed to detach their sense of identity from the land and reconnect it with their living. The Church today must ask: what does it mean for us to make this society our home? Participating in and engaging in secular society is a crucial part of participating in God’s mission even as we cultivate our sense of “otherness” as God’s people in the way we live. Secondly, Jeremiah encouraged the
MARCH / APRIL 2017 SEVEN 19
THE CHURCH HAS A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNIT Y IN POST-CHRISTIAN CANADA, BUT IT MAY REQUIRE A SHIFT IN OUR THEOLOGICAL VISION.
people to “plant something.” Planting gardens requires a certain amount of permanence. When neighbours start planting gardens, we know they will be around for at least a season. We must be a planting people, not only taking from the land we live in, but cultivating and contributing to it as well. Gardening is a larger image for being people with a social contribution, even in the context of a society that often derides our faith. Jeremiah follows this with the strange instruction to “marry and have sons and daughters.” He even says to marry them off so that they can have more sons and daughters. Certainly marriage is a greater commitment than moving in and planting a garden. It goes beyond simply contributing to society. Literally, it requires the synthesis of language, culture, and ethnicity. When we espouse others, we espouse their ideas as well as invite them to espouse ours. This certainly requires discernment and is the most difficult part of living in exile. Jeremiah insisted that the people’s
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identity was tied to “their ways and their actions.” “Deal with one another justly, do not oppress the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow…do not shed innocent blood, and do not follow other gods to your own harm.” But he was also calling them to the tension of living out their faith, while integrating to a foreign land. We must ask today: what are we willing to commit to that actually changes a part of us so that we can become rooted in this new land that God has strangely led us to? Jeremiah challenged the people to write a new chapter for themselves and their children, even among those who had taken everything from them. Jeremiah finalized this prophetic vision with a fundamental theological argument—“Pray for the wellbeing of the city…for your wellbeing depends on the wellbeing of the ‘others’ in your city.” They will not be like you. They will not believe the same things you do. But hope and pray for their wellbeing because their wellbeing and yours is interdependent and a
part of God’s larger mission. So often the Church in North America has responded to secularization and post-Christianity by separating itself rather than engaging the culture within which we live. This protective impulse attempts to assure us of our survival in exile. But it does not place us in a position to flourish because it ignores our interconnectedness with the wellbeing of the others in our community. It also ignores the greater mission of God in the world and that He is not only working in us, but also through us, for the good of others. The Church has a wonderful opportunity in post-Christian Canada, but it may require a shift in our theological vision. Pastor David Swanson, working in a South Side neighborhood of Chicago captured this shift perfectly: “Rather than thinking that we’ve settled into the land of God’s promise – or even that it’s around the corner, attainable by a bit more hard work or strategic ministry—we instead accept the foreign land to which we’ve been led by God. From this vantage point we begin to ask different questions about community, friendship, work, family, and church. We worship and work for the good of this foreign land without looking to it for approval or permission.” We can flourish in this new land if we learn the art of living in Exile, if we learn to move in, get planting, and marry ourselves to the good of our community.
/ TIM KEENER is a pastor with the Evangelical Covenant Church of Canada. He lives with his wife and four children in Montreal, Quebec, and has also lived and worked in the United States and France. Tim and his wife love to cook together and host others around their table.
It’s why we do it. It’s simple really . . . We do it because others can’t or won’t. We do it because liking something on Facebook just won’t get it done. And we do it because we’re serious about fulfilling the Great Commission.
We do it BECAUSE WE CAN.
Learn more about Mission Aviation Fellowship and our vision of seeing isolated people physically and spiritually transformed in Christ’s name.
www.mafc.org 1.877.351.9344 MARCH / APRIL 2017 SEVEN 21
FEATURE
FOUNDATIONAL
MISSIONS FOR EDUDEO, SHORT TERM PROJECTS BUILD LONG-TERM SUCCESS
BY CRAIG MACARTNEY
I
n Western culture, Christian schools usually fill a niche, providing Christ-centred education for children from Christian families. Around the world, however, they fulfil a much larger purpose in advancing the gospel. It is this opportunity that Hamilton-based EduDeo Ministries has leapt into as a way of fulfilling the Great Commission. “The Church is spreading very quickly in a lot of other countries,” states Hank de Jong, EduDeo’s executive director. “In my experience, soon to follow the growth of the Church are these Christian schools that are springing up all over the world. In some cases Christian schools are the only options for kids in these areas and only 20 or 30 percent of the students are Christians. What an incredible platform to share the love of Christ with students who otherwise would never hear it.” EduDeo’s name comes from combining “Edu” for education and “Deo”, the Latin word for God. De Jong explains they wanted their name to reflect their vision of seeing every community transformed by the gospel. They do this by providing infrastructure improvement (building and expanding school facilities), teacher training, and financial support to indigenous partner ministries in the developing world. “One of the criticisms of mission teams is that unemployment rates are really high in these countries, so why are we sending people to go build a school? We take that very seriously. There are lots of short-term mission trips that are done poorly. Our perspective is that if they are done well, there is a place for them.” In EduDeo’s case, de Jong says short-term mission trips actually
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MARCH / APRIL 2017 SEVEN 23
provide long-term employment for the local economies. “We don’t try to be competitive from a price standpoint because we want to bring tremendous value to our partners. Every team raises $5,000 to $8,000 for the construction project.” That money far outlasts the teams’ stay. The main criticism of short-term missions can actually be a benefit, de Jong says, when trips are planned well. “In Nicaragua we work with an association of 92 Christian schools. It’s a huge network and the needs are phenomenal. We have a crew of Nicaraguans who work year round, just based on the funding raised by these short-term teams.” But the trips are not just a means to an end. De Jong says the benefit, very much, goes both ways. DeWayne Fry says until three years ago he really resisted going on a mission trip. He says he didn’t want the inconvenience, but he felt God clearly speaking to him while attending a Promise Keepers event. Fry signed up for an EduDeo trip “partly because of the tremendous work EduDeo does, working with Promise Keepers. I am most impressed with the integrity that EduDeo operates under. God is using them to impact the lives of thousands of children, drawing them to Him through education.” Despite his initial hesitance, Fry says, “The three trips I have been on have been the most rewarding things I have ever done in my life.” Another person who was powerfully impacted is Abe Thiessen, the owner
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of a small construction company from Manitoba. Thiessen says he used to think short-term mission trips were a waste of time. That changed when he was invited, through Promise Keepers, on an EduDeo trip. “I went to help with the construction project. I never really thought about it impacting me. I was supervising the jobsite, so I was more focused on the job than what was happening around me.” At one point the team leader asked Thiessen to put down his tools and spend some time with the local kids. While he was playing with them, the school principal told him a bit about the community and mentioned that the kids probably had not eaten that day. “It hit me really hard that I was playing with these kids who aren’t eating. We were eating fairly well, so I approached the other guys and we ended up giving our lunch to the kids instead of eating it. Some of them took us to their home to meet their mother. As we were walking through the garbage and the raw sewage, we saw the conditions they were living in. It was really life-changing.” Thiessen has been on six trips now. As he helps organize the outings, he is very intentional about getting team members to spend time with the kids. The experience also completely reversed his perspective on shortterm missions. “When youth would come to me looking for money to go on these missions trips, I just thought it was a big vacation. After going on one, I never refuse someone. I’m 100 per cent
behind them. They are life-changing.” De Jong says these trips, when done well, can humanize the struggles of the developing world. “The poor in our world are often a statistic,” he says. “When it comes with a posture of humility and servanthood, going to visit a community, meet the people, and pray with them can do wonders in providing dignity to the poor.” Many EduDeo participants say that impact affects them even after they return. Thiessen, for example, got involved with a community outreach group in downtown Winnipeg. “These trips encourage a missional perspective,” de Jong states. “We’ve seen individuals who go, and it lights a fire for local missional living. It makes people ask what it looks like to live out their faith in their local community. “We’ve all heard a young guy get up in church and say, ‘That was awesome!’ but then two weeks later he has forgotten all about it. The secret in short-term missions is the amount of follow up and debrief that teams have.” One way EduDeo does that is by having every participant, whether they are a construction worker or a youth group member, write a letter to themselves before leaving. “We send those letters out three months later. The letters are designed to be an accountability piece that reminds them what happened.” EduDeo also builds devotional times into the trips so they can become a kind of spiritual retreat for participants. Calvin Douma has gone on a
short-term mission trip with EduDeo since 2009. He works for Slotegraaf Construction. Every year, he organizes a group of fellow construction workers to volunteer their time, while Slotegraaf Construction covers the
aspect of the work EduDeo does. “One thing they do well is they aren’t just focused on building the physical schools. They have curriculum teacher training. Rather than sending people in, giving them a
THE BIGGER THING PEOPLE NEED IS A DESIRE TO SERVE. YOU AREN’T JUST BUILDING A SCHOOL. YOU ARE ACTUALLY BUILDING HOPE IN A STUDENT’S LIFE. costs. For the past seven years, the team has returned to the same school. “Everyone who goes along are skilled trades or skilled labourers. When we got there the school was using a church building that shared the site. They had three classrooms. Our team has been part of adding three more on the main floor and six on the second floor.” The team devotional times are something that really stands out to Douma. “The Bible studies and devotions we do together, as a group of guys who you typically don’t spend that time doing Bible studies with, that’s a real impact. That’s been a big part of the trips for us.” As to the value for the community, Douma says, “Building a school, you’re doing more than building a house for one family. You’re helping a whole community and it starts with Christcentred education for the students.” While infrastructure is important, Douma is also impressed with another
building, and leaving, it’s an ongoing process that they continue to support throughout.” In 2011, EduDeo went through a rebrand and began investing heavily in helping their partners train teachers to lead from a biblical perspective. “Buildings are important, money is important, but neither of those of themselves transforms lives,” de Jong explains. “It’s the gospel of Jesus Christ that changes lives. We believe real transformation happens when teachers know how to teach from a Christian perspective. That was our commitment and our desire to incorporate Christ into everything, into every subject.” When Christian teachers recognize the narrative of Scripture, how the whole story points back to Christ, and when they have help translating that into their work, it changes lives. “It impacts the way they teach. It impacts how they interact with students. It helps them see their work as a calling from God, as opposed to a
job. Even the way they treat the kids, they understand these kids are made in the image of God. It hugely impacts how they interact with them. It frames everything they do in a much bigger context.” By providing their partners with training as well as physical infrastructure and support, EduDeo believes whole communities can be transformed. “The needs are tremendous. We take skilled people, but there are also many opportunities for unskilled people to help out. The bigger thing people need is a desire to serve. You aren’t just building a school. You are actually building hope in a student’s life. This is a real, tangible opportunity to help students to learn about the love of Jesus through Christ-centred education.”
/ CRAIG MACARTNEY is a freelance writer who lives in Ottawa, and is the former Eastern Correspondent for ChristianWeek. For more information or to get involved with EduDeo Ministries, email info@edudeo.com.
Watch for upcoming trips at: www.promisekeepers.ca
MARCH / APRIL 2017 SEVEN 25
FEATURE
Just. Do. Something. FOR THOSE WITH NO TIME, DON’T MAKE EXCUSES—MAKE A DIFFERENCE BY ROB HORSLEY
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I
f you were to do a quick Google search of the terms “places in need of volunteers” it would net you a long list of results—mostly web pages of companies and volunteer directories that will gladly sign you up for service. With seemingly a limitless amount of opportunities out there, you’d think changing the world would be a cinch…right? Think about it: there are literally thousands of options of places and projects to lend a hand—surely, you can pick just one…
CHOOSING NOTHING, WHEN WE CAN DO ANYTHING But sometimes having so many options isn’t such a good thing. Often, with too much at our disposal, there comes a tendency to keep still—to choose ‘none of the above’ when we can’t make up our minds on just one mission. Such feelings are not limited to charitable giving and recruiting volunteers. A 2012 report from CNBC explains how the idea of ‘choosing nothing when there’s too much to choose from’ can apply to a retail grocery setting, and why warehouse giant Costco Wholesale offers, by comparison, far fewer options than its competitors. “There was a research study in marketing that if you offer people 24 different types of jellies, you’re not going to sell as many as if you offer them six,” says Pam Danziger, owner and founder of Unity Marketing, based out of southern Pennsylvania. “Making people decide, that causes confusion, and they ultimately decide to walk away. At Costco, you don’t have to make those decisions.” But of course…we’re not talking about buying soup or potato chips here. At the end of the day, people’s needs go unmet when we waffle on where to direct our good intentions. That’s a real problem, and throwing
up our hands and saying “there’s just too much need out there; I can’t decide who to help,” doesn’t seem like an appropriate response.
STARTING POINTS So why is it, that when we’re told ‘we can do anything,’ our response is all too often to do nothing? What, if anything, can be done to change our way of thinking, and seek a better response? Jim Bell, recently-named CEO of Siloam Mission, a Winnipegbased Christian outreach ministry, agrees that knowing where to begin ‘changing the world’ can be daunting—even on a local level. “In trying to make a difference, I know sometimes I have wondered where to start because needs are so tremendous,” he says. “My advice would be to listen and learn as much as one can in order to try and understand the needs.” Angie Draskovic, president and CEO of Yonge Street Mission in Toronto, echoes the sentiment of not knowing where to start helping. “I can remember the exact moment and place I was when I was given clarity on whom I was to advocate for, those living in poverty—and, in that same moment saying to God, ‘Well that’s great, I’m not a missionary or a social worker. What on earth is a sales/marketing executive supposed to be able to do to help the poor?’”
RACE AGAINST TIME Much of the time, it can seem as though there simply isn’t enough time for people to actually make a difference. We often feel tied down by other commitments, such as family and home life, something that can understandably dissuade people from seeking worthy donation causes, or knowing how they can play a part in changing the world around them. It’s not as though we don’t want to help— but it’s not like we can just abandon our families and join a cause, whether locally or internationally.
Kari Henley, a blog editor at SilverNest and self-described wife and busy mom, understands these concerns. She says the feeling of having no time is among the top reasons a lot of people list for not volunteering or giving, in addition to not feeling qualified, the affordability of donations, or not being able to decide on a particular cause. Such feelings are not uncommon—but are still no excuse for thinking there’s nothing we can do. “Most of us walk down the streets, lattes in hand, self-absorbed in our tweets and general activism apathy,” she writes in a 2011 column from Huffington Post. “We have to feel a calling. We have to be pulled. Bottom line, we have to care.” But perhaps it’s more a matter of priority than an actual lack of time. Statistics Canada reports that “top volunteers,” a group comprising ten per cent of all people who volunteered in 2010, contributed to roughly 53 per cent of all volunteer hours for the entire year. These people put in “more than 390 hours to their volunteer activities, the equivalent of at least 10 weeks in a full time job.” On average, ‘top volunteers’ spend about sevenand-a-half hours each week working for their respective causes. At the same time, a survey from online database Statista reports that the average Canadian spends somewhere between 16 and 39 hours each week watching television, with people aged 55 and above being on the high end of that spectrum. So while there’s no doubt that the hours can fill up quickly and slip away from would-be volunteers, it might not be unreasonable to suggest a little restructuring of the day planner can go a long way towards finding the time to make an impact—on any level. And doing so can actually change the world of the people involved—not only those being helped, but also for the people doing the helping. Henley says that in addition to meeting new people, people
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we wouldn’t typically encounter outside the realms of service work, volunteering can help to provide perspective on your own life circumstances, something that’s helpful for people to realize that “there is always someone worse off than you are.” “Getting out of our personal mire for a while is healthy and therapeutic,” she says.
DITCHING EXCUSES, MOVING FORWARD But beyond the benefits of selfimprovement, donations and volunteering can have a real world, life-changing impact for the people those groups attempt to serve. Potential volunteers need to be encouraged that they can have an impact, says Draskovic. “We don’t have to do this all by ourselves, but we do have to do it together—all of us,” she says. “The biggest problem is that we don’t believe we can change things. The apathy of our society toward our community problems is the fuel that continues to make our challenges insurmountable.” Draskovic adds that everyone, no matter what their skill set, can play a part in changing the world, even if only on a small scale. The key, she says, is discernment. “I think the key is in self reflection on two things, your passion and how your gifts, experiences, and skills can be applied to advance that cause. “If everyone sought God’s direction on what He is doing in their midst, took one step forward to be a part of it and brought their expertise to the table, I believe that we could bring great change. I think that is actually God’s plan for community.” Bell adds that while there’s often a tendency for volunteers to feel stuck as individuals, being involved in communal forms of service can be an effective solution as well. “They don’t need to necessarily volunteer alone,” he says. “They can
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[also] come as a group. As well, Bell says that not every person needs to be the one changing the world on a ground level. Not everyone is called to a life of handson service, and certain individuals might genuinely lack the needed skills to do so. Still, there is a place for everyone, even if it’s only to offer support for the ones getting their hands dirty. “Encouragement goes a long way whether it be given to our present volunteers or those considering it. And they need to know that they are in fact making a huge difference by serving,” he says.
KEEP IT SIMPLE Changing the world is a big job, but
shouldn’t feel the need to ‘have it all together’ before they decide to take the plunge. “Nobody really brings this up,” he says, “but we sometimes feel as if we have to act differently when we’re helping people—pulled together, positive and cheerful at every moment.” It’s okay to be real, he says. In fact, that’s part of the experience. “That’s the secret of service,” says Ziolkowski. “It’s about both people receiving.” Lastly, he says that teaching children from a young age to see service as a virtue. Doing so creates a “chain reaction,” he says. “By donating their time and efforts, they realize that even if they don’t have an Xbox or a car or, in some cases, a house, they can contribute something, be it time or kindness or experience.”
CONCLUSION
it doesn’t have to be complex or grandiose—starting small is a good thing. In his book Walk In Their Shoes: One Person Can Change the World?, author Jim Ziolkowski lists several tangible starting points for people unsure of what they themselves can do. Starting with your own family can be a good first step. “We forget how many isolated, needy members of society exist in our immediate circle,” he says. “Is there a nephew in your life without anyone to take him to (or pay for) his school? Is there an elderly aunt whose car needs an oil change? Compassion…isn’t just for strangers.” He also notes that volunteering isn’t always easy, and people
But most of all, pray about it. We’re called to love God, as well as each other. Part of how we do that is stepping up to help when the world calls out for it. God has gifted each one of us in different ways, and no one gets a free pass when it comes to serving. “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” (1 Peter 4:10) There are lots of little things we can do to help. Whatever it is you think you should be doing…talk it through with friends. Ask God for clarity. Look into how feasible it might actually be to carve out a large chunk of time and effort to work abroad or join a service project here at home. But in the meantime, just do something. Yes, every one of us is just one person. But to the people we’re helping, it can be a world of difference.
/ ROB HORSLEY is the Managing Editor of SEVEN, and resides in Saskatoon.
Impact lives with the gospel Join the movement!
gideons.ca/join MARCH / APRIL 2017 SEVEN 29
SPORTS SCENE
CLEMSON COACH, QB, OFFER PRAISES AFTER HISTORIC WIN
“WE’RE GOING TO WIN IT BECAUSE WE LOVE EACH OTHER.” BY CARTER BROOKS
I
t was a storybook ending for Deshaun Watson and the Clemson Tigers this past January. Winning a 35-31 nail biter, Clemson rallied from behind against the number one seed, Alabama Crimson Tide, to score a game-winning touchdown with one second left on the clock in the National Championship Game. Never before had another college football team defeated Alabama head coach, Nick Saban in a title match—Saban was a perfect 5-0 in championship games heading into the 2016-17 season. Although quite the spectacle to take in, the most meaningful play of the game occurred long after the final seconds ticked off the clock. No, it wasn’t in the celebratory high fives, hugs, or in even some cases, kisses. It wasn’t in the traditional handshakes among opponents, nor was it in the reception of the college football playoff national championship trophy. It was on the field in the post-game interviews where both Clemson quarterback, Deshaun Watson and head coach, Dabo Swinney openly praised their Saviour, capturing the hearts of roughly 26,000,000 viewers internationally. “I’m speechless right now,” Watson admitted jubilantly on live television. “This is what God wanted; He put us here for a reason. I talked with one of my coaches (before the game) and
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he said that this is just like a movie, and it is going to end the right way. He told me to just keep believing in God and believing in my teammates. If I did all of that, then everything would
He told me to just keep believing in God and believing in my teammates. fall into place. And that is exactly what happened; now we are national champs and it’s amazing.” For a 21-year-old, third-year college quarterback who completed 36 of 56 passes throwing for 420 yards and three touchdowns, even having the wherewithal to put together comprehendible sentences moments after winning the country’s college football championship is one thing, but to do so in an uplifting manner is certainly another. Watson—who claims to model parts of his faith after his coach— didn’t have to look too far down the field to see his coach giving an interview of his own. “Only God can do this,” Swinney said. “Winning a national championship against the best team in the country up until the last second of this game…I told my guys tonight
that the difference in the game was going to be love. It’s been my word, and my word all year has been love. I said that tonight we’re going to win it because we love each other.” Praising the Lord is nothing new for either the future National Football League quarterback or his accomplished play-caller. Watson’s faith even played a part in his decision to attend Clemson University, and play for coach Swinney. Although it may not have been the number one deciding factor in how Watson chose a recruiting school to spend his college days at, it did hold enough significance to be mentioned in an interview Watson held with the Associated Press. “It was a part of (my decision), of course,” Watson says. “Knowing that my coach is a man of God.” His coach has spoken many times at length about his deep rooted faith, and how he encourages a certain mentality and atmosphere amongst those who play in his program. “As a Christian, I hope a light shines through me,” Swinney says. “I don’t want to be persecuted for that, and I don’t try to persecute somebody else because they have different beliefs. I try to be who I am, and I try to be transparent; I try to live my life in a way that I hope is pleasing to my maker. As a program, we try to challenge these guys to be the best that they can be every day.”
Not only does Swinney talk the talk, he, along with Clemson University as a whole, walks the walk as well. It wasn’t too long ago that Clemson alumnus and current NFL standout receiver, DeAndre Hopkins was baptized in front of his teammates on the practice field. This move was highly publicized and found itself front and centre in the media for quite some time. But much like his attitude towards that event, coach Swinney remains firm in his beliefs. “If I can have a positive influence on somebody’s life, I think that’s great, I really do,” he says. “I think if my faith is inspiring to other people, that’s pleasing to God. Because according to my faith, you’re not supposed to hide it. You’re supposed to live it. My job is to coach and win football games. I’m very thankful to my maker because I know how blessed I am just to have today and to have the opportunities that I have.” After spending three seasons under the watchful eye of head coach Swinney, Deshaun Watson has declared for the 2017 NFL Draft. In doing so, Watson has made it apparent that he will bring his talents and spiritual outlook to the grandest of stages. His college career was but a foretaste of a great feast to come. And without a doubt, that feast will include the partnership of his football abilities paired with his
open spirituality — a considerably influential mix. Although constantly facing new obstacles and challenges, Watson will continue to remain faithful in his pursuit, sticking boldly to the fact that God remains at the centre of his life.
/ CARTER BROOKS is a news writer and sports columnist situated in Winnipeg, Manitoba. On top of reading and writing, coaching hockey is his favourite pastime. Carter can be reached at carterbrooks1994@gmail.com.
Photos courtesy of Clemson Tigers Photography
MARCH / APRIL 2017 SEVEN 31
THE SINGLE LIFE
PEACE UPON ISRAEL
TRUE CHANGE-OF-HEART COMES FROM CHRIST ALONE BY PAUL BOGE
T
he ongoing issues Israel faces in the Middle East can make it seem as though the region will be a never-ending cycle of conflict and struggle. And yet the Bible gives us keys as we seek to demonstrate the love of Christ to all people in that wonderful and troubled area. First, we need to remember that every person and every nation needs Jesus Christ. The Bible says there can be no peace without the Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6, the famous passage which is also sung in Handel’s Messiah says, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” If the Middle East, the world in general, and each of us individually, want peace, it is only going to happen through Jesus Christ. We also need to remember that governments, though established by God, are not in and of themselves capable of ushering the true change of heart that Christ came to bring. We have to be careful not to assume that a political victory is synonymous
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with a spiritual one. To that end, we as followers of Jesus need to show the truth in love to all peoples and be witnesses as Jesus commanded us in Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Second, even though Israel rejected the Messiah, God still has a plan for the Jewish people. In Deuteronomy 7:6 God chose Israel out of all the nations to be His. “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.” God promised land to Abraham and His descendants. Genesis 15:18 says: “On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, ‘To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates.’” But is this promise and other promises made to physical descendants of Abraham or to spiritual descendants?
Romans 9:6-8 tells us: “But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but ‘Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.’ This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.” Israel’s general rejection of Jesus as the Messiah is truly heartbreaking. As the people group from which came the Patriarchs, Jesus, the disciples, the early Church, and most if not all writers of the Bible, we have an incredible debt of gratitude to the Jewish people. We are to love all people, and God wants all people to get saved (1 Timothy 2:4). And we need to remember to show our support to Israel. Romans 15:27 says: “For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings.” No doubt, God has a plan for Israel. And in the end times he will fulfill his word as it says in Romans 11:26 “and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.” “Peace be upon Israel.” (Psalm 128:6.)
/ PAUL BOGE is the author of Father to the Fatherless: The Charles Mulli Story and five other books. He is single and works as an engineer in Winnipeg.
OUT OF MY DEPTH
MEN WHO SCREAM
VOICE FOR THE VOICELESS BY PHIL WAGLER
A
few months ago I was on a layover at an Asian aiport. My friend and I were standing near the ticket counters when a man nearby started screaming. “Call police! Call police!” Over and over in Asiatic English, the bright, blue-suited man hollered these disconcerting appeals. “Peculiar,” I thought. “Why is he calling out in English in this most non-western place?” It was all rather confusing, given that we were on the only non-Asians around. The man kept pleading. My friend and I stood within four meters of this drama-king and were looking around for police to come running, this being a major international airport in the age of terrorism, after all. Nothing. Nobody came. In fact, no one even stopped. People drifted by, looking over their shoulders, but no one did anything. Well, neither did we exactly. We just stood there trying to figure out what was going on. Then we saw her. Boxed in protectively behind the pleading man and two of his comrades was a young woman—perhaps 18 to 20 years of age; it was hard to tell—her eyes darting with fear. Then to our left approached a well-dressed couple. The closer they got to the small cloister, the louder came the cry for help. The couple would then back off and the screamer would bow in oriental honour to the
increasingly agitated couple. Clearly they had an interest in the girl, and clearly the men were not interested in cooperating. Who were the “bad guys” in this scenario? The strange tussle playing out in front of us suddenly changed because we two westerners hadn’t moved. Now the bellower approached us, asking us to call security. This, we noticed, made the couple retreat. Yet, when the blue suit returned to the young girl, the other party approached us, seemingly seeking to justify himself in a language we could not follow. Finally, another of the men surrounding the terrified daughter came our way and through piecemeal English explained they needed help, had discovered this girl on her way from their homeland because she had found “work” with this couple, and they were now her posse, a wall around her, and would buy her a ticket home and out of the clutches of whatever unknown exploitations lay outside these wide, generic, echoing airport halls. So, we stepped a bit closer, her terrorized eyes now clearer to view. The determined couple tried one last ditch effort, but with more of us now unrelenting they angrily protested with flailing arms and huffed off disgusted. The man in the blue suit bowed in their direction one last
time. Then, he bowed toward us, and his group shepherded the girl off into the long ticket line. My colleague and I stood in silence for quite some time. Would they get to the counter? They did. We breathed. And, it suddenly struck me, almost overwhelmingly, that this same scenario could happen in countless airports around the world, and nobody would be the wiser, if not for a man who screamed. To the prophet in Israel’s broken times the LORD said, “I looked for someone among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found no one” (Ezekiel 22:30). “Speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves,” calls the wisdom of Proverbs 31:8. And, in sparkling clarity, Jesus speaks, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me’” (Matthew 25:40). The world is a messy, broken place, and sometimes we find ourselves in the middle of the confusion. What is to be done? Well, perhaps, we just need some men who scream.
/ PHIL WAGLER serves the area of training with MB Mission and lives in Surrey, BC.
MARCH / APRIL 2017 SEVEN 33
POWER PLAY
TOYS / TOOLS / TECHNOLOGY BIG BUCKS AND BIG SCREENS BY SANDY MCMURRAY
WOODSNAP
// woodsnap.com What’s a WoodSnap? It’s your photo, printed on wood. WoodSnap takes your photos and prints them directly on premium baltic birch wood. You provide the photo, you pick the shapes and sizes, and WoodSnap reproduces your photos on wood. The result is a unique keepsake that preserves the colour, clarity, and quality of your photo in a print, wall hanging, or personalized gift. WoodSnaps start at $25.
WoodSnap takes your photos and prints them directly on premium baltic birch wood.
34 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2017
PERSONAL SUBMARINE
// ortega-submersibles.com/mk-1c It’s not easy to get started as a Bond villain. It takes time, patience, and a lot of money to build your organization. You don’t just get a giant base with hundreds of henchmen on day one. Start small. For your first submersible craft, consider the MK.1C from Ortega. It’s a little more than 21 feet long, so you can store in your own boat house or at the cottage until you get your own underwater lair. It has no weapons and it only seats three, but it’s black, and it looks cool. You get a variety of dopplers, sonars, INSs and other sensors to suit your needs. All on-board equipment supports dive depths of up to 95 meters/310 feet, and it has a range of 80 nautical miles. The cost? If you have to ask you can’t afford it.
NINTENDO SWITCH
// nintendo.com/switch Nintendo Switch is the next big thing from Nintendo. Switch is a multi-purpose game machine that travels with you, so you can start a game in your living room and take it wherever you go. At home, Nintendo Switch rests in a dock that connects to your big screen TV. To switch to handheld mode, just lift Nintendo Switch from the dock and connect the controllers to the left and right sides. Depending on the game, you may hold one Joy-Con controller in each hand, or connect them both to the included Joy-Con grip and use as a traditional controller. In portable mode, you can open the built-in kickstand, remove the controllers, and share the game with a friend. Connect up to eight Nintendo Switch systems to play with friends, or go online to play with other Nintendo Switch users. Nintendo Switch goes on sale in March for about $400. Extra Joy-Con controllers cost about $50 each.
ELASTIC LACES
// xpandlaces.com How many hours of your life have you spent tying your shoes? Xpand’s elastic lacing system turns any pair of shoes into slip-ons that flex when you move but stay in place. Get comfort, style, and performance and never tie your shoes again. Xpand offers flexible shoelaces for every style, with neutral colours for day and dress shoes or bright neons if you want to attract attention. Lace up your favourite shoes then clip the end of the lace into place. That’s it. You tie it once and never have to tie it again. Xpand laces cost about $10 per set. One size fits all.
COAT HEATER
// torchcoatheater.com Torch is a battery-powered heater designed to fit inside any style coat. It uses three thin, lightweight heating pads that wrap around your body’s core, providing enough heat to keep you toasty warm. To add Torch to your coat, you just peel and stick on three Velcro pads (included) that hold the Torch in place. Each Torch heater comes with three installation kits so you can immediately use Torch with three different coats as needed. The Torch coat heater uses a rechargeable lithium ion battery, with four heat settings that make it easy to control your temperature. Torch radiates heat for up to five hours. The Torch coat heater is great for skiing, hunting, fishing, hiking, snowmobiling, and any other situation where your coat might not provide enough protection. It sells for about $80.
It uses three thin, lightweight heating pads that wrap around your body’s core,
HEATED GLOVES
// japantrendshop.com Now your core is warm. What about your hands? Thanko Heated Gloves uses standard 9-volt batteries to power the tiny hand-warming heater in each glove. The control for the heater is located on the outside, so you don’t need to take off the gloves to control the temperature. Cold hands? Warm heart. Or low batteries. Thanko Heated Gloves sell for about US$75.
36 SEVEN MARCH / APRIL 2017
STEALTH SHOVEL
// dmoscollective.com The Stealth Shovel is tough, strong, and portable. Heavy load? No problem. Aircraft quality aluminum alloy won’t bend or break. It’s been stress tested in lab and field conditions in temperatures ranging from -40 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit, and it can take a beating. When you don’t need it, the handle telescopes into itself, leaving a package that’s just 18 inches wide, 9 inches long and 3 inches deep. Stash in your vehicle for emergencies or pack with your gear when you go hiking, camping, ice fishing, or cross country skiing. The Stealth Shovel sells for about $100.
BOOK BY CADILLAC
// bookbycadillac.com Book by Cadillac is a new way to lease a car. For a flat monthly fee, subscribers get access to the latest Cadillac vehicles, from the 2017 Escalade SUV to the CTS-V luxury sedan, plus the ability to exchange vehicles up to 18 times per year. No need to worry about insurance, taxes, maintenance, or mileage restrictions. All the costs (except gas) are built into the monthly fee of US$1,500. All vehicles come with OnStar, Wi-Fi, and Sirius XM radio. And did we mention that they’re all Cadillacs? When you want to swap vehicles you just fire up the iPhone app and contact your personal concierge to arrange delivery. You just gas up the old car and swap for another one. Book By Cadillac is available only in the US so far. If it’s successful, we may soon see this subscription model spread to other countries (and other makes and models of cars).
/ SANDY MCMURRAY writes about games, toys, and gadgets at funspot.ca.
NEXT ISSUE
Making melody is about more than music and words—it’s about finding inspiration. What’s the source behind the songs? Next issue, we take a look at what drives the work of some of today’s up-andcoming Christian artists, and some of the other topics surrounding music in the world today. Don’t miss it!
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