SEVEN PROMISE KEEPERS CANADA
MEN / GOD / LIFE
SUCCESS
THE ART OF STAYING CLOSELY BEHIND
Faith in the
Workplace WHERE CAREERS AND CHRIST COLLIDE
SEP / OCT 2017 ISSUE 56 NEWSSTAND PRICE CDN $4.95
CLOSE QUARTERS LEARNING TO LOVE THE ANNOYING CO-WORKER
PROMISE KEEPERS CANADA NATIONAL MEN’S CONFERENCE
REGISTER NOW Calgary: Oct 21, 2017
Ottawa: Feb 23-24, 2018
Grande Prairie: Oct 28, 2017
Winnipeg: March 9-10, 2018
Toronto: Nov 17-18, 2017
Edmonton: March 16-17, 2018
Simulcast: Nov 17-18, 2017
Regina: March 23-24, 2018
F o u r - t i m e Wo r l d S e r i e s C h a m p i o n D a r r y l S t r a w b e r r y s p e a k i n g i n To ro n t o , W i n n i p e g , a n d E d m o n t o n !
promisekeepers.ca/all-in 2 SEVEN SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017
#AllInMensConf
CONTENTS
16
COLUMNS 6 // PK Podium A Greater Vision for Work 8 // Lives Worth Leading Innovation and Risk Taking 30 // Sports Scene The Voice of Dodger Baseball
FEATURES 16 SUCCESS: THE ART OF STAYING CLOSELY BEHIND In business we’ve been geared to think of success as becoming the top dog, dominating our industry and competition. But what if we’ve got the wrong model? If success, quite literally, means to succeed or follow in succession, it’s not about getting ahead, but for recording artist and entrepreneur Steve Bell, it’s following closely behind.
22 LEARNING TO LOVE THAT IDIOT AT WORK
22
They will find you. It doesn’t matter where you go, every office, every jobsite will have that one person you can’t stand. Whether you cope like the Avoider or confront like the Fighter, you’ll never make peace until you realize what you really want from that coworker.
32 // The Single Life Work as a Form of Worship 33 // Out of My Depth Witnessing at Work
DEPARTMENTS 10 // The Pulse Bits. Blips. Beats. Blurbs. 14 // Music Reviews Hello Maker, Out of the Dust, Revival 34 // Power Play Toys. Tools. Technology.
26 LIKE YOUR WORK, LOVE YOUR WIFE
26
A man’s work is so core to his identity, it’s in his DNA. And for many it’s easier to feel competent at work where boundaries, achievement and goals are clearly defined, than in the ambiguous web of relationships. So how do we navigate the balancing act of family time and overtime?
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 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.
FAITH IN THE WORKPLACE Following Jesus isn’t reserved for the Sabbath—it’s meant to be a “whole-life” thing. But when it comes to work, many of us are guilty of checking our beliefs at the door. Whether it’s for reasons of fear, reasons of embarrassment, or we’re just ‘too polite’ to tell people who we really are, we need to bring our faith with us in whatever we do.
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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EDITORIAL
PROMISE KEEPERS CANADA
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KIRK GILES
Questions and comments
Box 20099 RPO Brant Hills
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Promise Keepers Canada
regarding editorial can be sent
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to ssukkau@promisekeepers.ca,
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Promise Keepers Canada
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 SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017
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LIVING CHRISTIAN VALUES
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BUILDING A BETTER WORLD
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017 SEVEN 5
PK PODIUM
A GREATER VISION FOR WORK PERCEIVING WORK AS A BLESSING BY KIRK GILES
H
ow happy are you with your job? Earlier this spring, Angus Reid released the results of a poll about faith in Canada, and this question was a part of that poll. Approximately 75% of Canadian men would say they are happy with their current job. To be honest, I was somewhat surprised by this result, but I also think this is exciting news. I do not know where you would fall in the “happiness” scale in regards to your work, but I know that work is a good gift from God. Let me ask you a question—why do you work? Over the years, I have heard many answers to this question: We work because we need to pay the bills, help to provide for our family, find our own sense of purpose and achievement, reach dreams and goals we have for life, and sometimes even to avoid other problems that we have in life. Most of these answers are reasonable and good, but they are also missing something. As men, we tend to compartmentalize our lives. Life is just easier when we are only focused on one thing at a time. Unfortunately, this means that sometimes when we work, we are not considering the impact of our work (or how we approach our work) on our relationships, time, and ultimately our relationship with God. Work is a good gift from God—created by God before sin ever entered the world. While work has benefits for us personally, it was always designed to be an activity that reflects who God is and ultimately to bring glory to God. When you go to work—you have the opportunity to reflect the God who works, so do your work with excellence, creativity, and in a way that brings life to others. When you go to work—you have the opportunity to interact with people who desperately need to encounter the grace of God in their own life, so treat your co-workers with respect and love. When you go to work—you have the opportunity to serve others—so serve in a way that shows the greatness of a God who serves us through sacrifice and kindness. Work should never be separated from our faith. Our faith should shape our work. In whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God (Colossians 3:23). In this edition of SEVEN magazine, we are going to explore the idea of faith at work. I want to challenge you to expand your vision for your workplace, and see your work through the eyes of God. If you are a Christian business leader or business owner, I want to encourage you to check out our new PK@Work ministry program. God has entrusted staff to you for more than just the bottom line of your business. If you want to know how you can build an intentional effort to spiritually invest in the lives of your team, we would love to serve and support you in this process. If you are interested in more information, please email info@promisekeepers.ca and we will have one of our team members contact you with more information.
6 SEVEN SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 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.
All of life is ministry “I think every believer is called to be in fulltime ministry whatever their life situation.” Caleb Courtney [MTS] is a husband, father of four, high school teacher, worship leader and just completed the Master of Theological Studies program. He knew he could only afford a one-year leave to complete his masters, so he began planning a few years ago. Caleb has seen God open every door along the way. A percentage of Caleb’s salary was saved to fund a leave from his teaching job, and he received scholarships and awards. He also took advantage of flexible course modes such as online, evening and one-week intensives. This made it possible for him to still put his family time first. 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 as being full-time in a church,” he says. “I think every believer is called to be in fulltime ministry whatever their life situation.”
Tyndale offers flexible full-time and part-time study options to meet your needs. Learn more. Visit Tyndale.ca or call 1.877.TYNDALE. SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017 SEVEN 7
LIVES WORTH LEADING
INNOVATION AND RISK-TAKING
A PICTURE OF FAITH ALIVE IN THE WORKPLACE BY COLIN MCCARTNEY
A
while ago I had the opportunity to attend a job creation conference in Memphis. I’d been doing some church planting work for the Mennonites in low-income, urban, neighbourhoods. They wanted me to look into creating micro-businesses that would employ people in our jobdepleted urban communities. So, off I went to the land of Elvis to learn the ins and outs of creating businesses. At the first session, I listened to a panel of entrepreneurs who shared about their business ventures. I was exhausted within twenty minutes of listening to them, and it wasn’t from jet lag. Hearing them talk about their businesses and all the work they put into starting (and now running) their companies was thoroughly draining on me. As an urban missionary, I already have enough on my plate. Recruiting, training, caring for and raising money for our inner-city church planters is hard enough. You can imagine how I felt being told to create micro-businesses to employ our people on top of everything else I was doing. As I continued to listen to a successful business owner share about his work I felt the Holy Spirit speak to me. In my mind, I heard a quiet voice say:
"Don't do it. Don't create businesses. That’s not your calling. I already have people who I have been calling to create businesses and they own successful companies. You go out and find them. You tell them that it’s their
8 SEVEN SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017
responsibility to employ your people. Your job is to train your people up to be great employees that they will hire." Wow. That thought was so wise I knew I couldn't have come up with it on my own; it must’ve been from God! Why should I create businesses when they already exist? Let someone gifted and called to business creation build businesses—I can recruit employees! The rest of my time in Memphis I kept thinking and planning a strategy of how I could start an effective jobtraining program that would empower the people in our neighbourhoods to be employable. I realized that most churches are great at providing short-term solutions to real-time needs by handing out food, clothing, or even providing shelter to people in need. In our ministry here at Connect City, we don't want to replicate this important model. We want to take it a step further; instead of giving out food, clothing and shelter, why not give out jobs to people so that they can buy their own food, clothing and shelter? We want to empower our people to take care of themselves and their families while keeping their dignity and self-confidence in place. This was the beginning of a partnership that some of my business friends and I hatched up between Christian business owners and the poor we serve. And I have to say, it's beautiful. We just graduated out our first
job-training cohort. Nine out of ten students are working. We also have a mentoring team of business people who journey alongside of our grads sharing life struggles and encouraging one another. This has been an incredible thing to experience as rich and poor, male and female, young and old and a variety of cultures gather regularly to learn from each other's lives. We even had mentors weep while praying for our students after getting to know what they’d already gone through in life. What a quality of an amazing mentor. It's truly been a blessing for both our mentors and mentees; I can't wait for our second class starting in a few months! Faith alive in the work place, this is God’s will for his creation. Never forget, God has called us to serve. How we live out our calling will look different in accordance to how God created each one of us. God's future for you is waiting. All it takes for your faith to impact your workplace is a listening ear to the Spirit, an innovative and risk-taking faith and a heart after God's kingdom reign.
/ 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.
Impact lives with the gospel Join the movement!
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THE PULSE
BITS / BLIPS / BEATS / BLURBS THE LATEST NEWS FROM PROMISE KEEPERS CANADA
BITS / BLIPS / BEATS / BLURBS
ALL IN NATIONAL CONFERENCES
10 SEVEN SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017
/ THE PK CONFERENCE is not just a great weekend for me every year but something special for my son and dad. For years, my son would hear about the conference—the excitement, speakers, music—and beg to come. As a staff member, I worked during the event and couldn’t bring him with me but when he was 12 my dad stepped up and volunteered to take Ray with him. That began a tradition they both look forward to. Every year Ray goes to the PK conference with his grandpa. Beyond the experience of the event, I am grateful for the time they spend together and the opportunity for my dad to build into Ray’s life. Who are the young men you know? The All In National Conferences will help men, young and old, explore God’s plan for leading significant lives. Whether you are exploring faith or have been a Christian longer than you can remember, All In will challenge, motivate and equip you to stand firm and navigate the world around us. This year all conferences have a special youth breakout session on Love, Sex and Dating. Which young men will you bring? / Jeff Stearns, Priomise Keepers Canada
OCT 21, 2017
National Conference
>> Calgary, AB
OCT 28, 2017
National Conference
>> Grande Prairie, AB
NOV 17/18, 2017
National Conference
>> Toronto, ON
FEB 23/24, 2018
National Conference
>> Ottawa, ON
MAR 9/10, 2018
National Conference
>> Winnipeg, MB
MAR 16/17, 2018
National Conference
>> Edmonton, AB
MAR 23/24, 2018
National Conference
>> Regina, SK
>> Registration is now open! >> Visit for more info or to register: www.promisekeepers.ca/all-in.
THIS IS ME TV THIS IS ME TV AND THE BIBLE APP / PROMISE KEEPERS CANADA is partnering with YouVersion to create devotionals based on episodes of This Is Me TV. Our first devotion, Lecrae—The Unashamed Devotional, went up on the app in July and was completed over 25,000 times in the first month! Based on His interview with This Is Me TV, Lecrae guides us through this 6-day video devo on the essentials of "manning up" to live the unashamed life. Each day has a video, scripture and a challenge. The Bible App is completely free, with no advertising, no in-app purchases and has been installed on over 280,000,000 unique devices (so far). Choose from more than 1,200 Bible versions in over 900 languages on your computer, phone, or tablet— with many available as audio Bibles. Highlight or bookmark your favorite verses, make Verse Images that you can share, and attach public or private notes to Bible passages. It also features Bible Plans to help you engage with God's Word every day, a little at a time. >> Find the Unashamed Devotional on the Bible App or at www.bible.com.
LEAVING PORN AND FINDING LOVE / RELATIONSHIPS CAN BE complicated. And starting a relationship takes a lot of nerves. What would you do if you discovered someone you were interested in once had an intense drug addiction, a train wreck of relationships, attempted suicide and once was a porn star— featured in over 300 adult films? All this might scare you off from asking them out. And who could blame you? The past paints the future, right? Wrong. The past doesn’t always dictate what’s to come, especially when God’s involved. But you can’t ignore it, you need to walk through the past. Richard says it best. “If I couldn’t embrace her past… I couldn’t walk into the future with her.” This is the incredible story of two very brave individuals who worked through their past and are living to the fullest today. >> Find more amazing episodes at www.thisismetv.com.
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017 SEVEN 11
PODCASTS LIVING WITH SEXUAL INTEGRITY
LIVING IN EXILE
/ PORN IS A destructive force that leads to all sorts of addictions and unhealthy relationships. And yet, our culture tells us that porn—among many other things—is completely normal and healthy. How do we protect ourselves and our children from the dangers of sex addiction? Dr. Doug Weiss is a bestselling author and conference speaker who has been the Executive Director at Heart to Heart Counseling Center for more than 20 years. In this interview with Kirk, he shares practical advice on how we can live with sexual integrity, and empower others to do so as well.
CUTTING THROUGH THE NOISE: EXPLORING GOD'S HEART FOR SEXUALITY
/ THERE’S AN INCREASING amount of noise in our culture around the subject of sexuality, and as a result, a lot of confusion. Is there “right” and “wrong”? What does God say about sex and sexuality? How we do we help our children navigate this increasingly complex world of changing norms? Kirk shares a timely message from a recent workshop that helps us walk through the Bible to provide some clarity.
/ THERE WAS A time when the church was at the center of culture and society. Increasingly, however, the church is being pushed to the sidelines, and there's growing tension between these two worlds that were once so tightly intertwined. As author Lee Beach explains, this is an experience that's not new to God's people: the nation of Israel was pushed out of their land in the Old Testament, and even the Early Church identified with the reality that they were not a people of power and influence in their culture. Lee discusses how looking at our present reality through the lens of scripture can help us navigate how to live faithfully in this context.
>> Find these and other podcasts at: www.promisekeepers.ca/podcast.
12 SEVEN SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017 SEVEN 13
MUSIC REVIEWS
BY STEVEN SUKKAU
BRIGHT CITY
OUT OF THE DUST
THIRD DAY
HELLO MAKER (Bright City Collective)
OUT OF THE DUST (Discovery House Music)
REVIVAL (Provident Label Group)
/ BRIGHT CITY Collective, a worship movement out of Brighton, UK, has released their second album, Hello Maker; ten dreamy, synth-laden tracks of soaring worship music. Self-described as a family of artists who serve and lead the worship life of St Peter's Brighton, their sound is utterly powerful and mesmerizing. While many secular bands try and tap into these soundscapes for an emotional payoff, it’s uplifting to be grounded in biblical declarations, never wavering or sliding into simply vaguely spiritual territory. Tracks like, ‘Rock of our Salvation’, leave no room for misinterpretation, “My life is built forever in You Jesus, Faithful One, You're strong when I am weak. You are my hope, and You're the rock I'm standing on.” At the same time, I found their lyrics and images refreshing. On ‘Maker of the Moon’, “You’re the science in the stars, there is beauty, there is fire in Your eyes” There is a wonderful balance of unfettered creativity that moves without regard of popular CCM characteristics, yet unabashedly reverberating with the Gospel message. If you enjoy something like Coldplay but lament the pseudo-religious imagery, definitely check out Bright City.
/ THE FIRST thing that strikes you about husband and wife duo, Out of the Dust, after their haunting folk music is their story; married, divorced, reconciled and remarried. Their testimony lends a depth to their music that most pop love songs can’t plumb. As they sing on Make Us Whole, “through every trial we are grateful, nothing is wasted… take our story, let our lives be a sign of hope, You redeem all of our suffering.” Mixed with strings and acoustic stylings, Chris and Stephanie Teague’s voices blend beautifully, and each stand alone on their own strengths, even as their voices come together in subtle harmonies, oftentimes without the listener noticing. Moving through pop to folk, the singer/songwriters, while young, carry a weight of wisdom and experience. Their experience tells of a God who searches us out in the dark and the cold, “even if I wanted to, I can’t escape from you, even when I’m falling far, God you pursue.” The Teague’s story is one of second chances, and they’ve the scars to prove it. If we’re honest, it resonates because we all live a story of a desperate need for redemption.
/ THIRD DAY, the legendary Christian rock band that coalesced in the 1990’s around lead singer Mac Powell still has some gas left in the tank with 13th studio album, Revival. The album begins with full-on Southern Gospel Rock and its bombastic tone pairs perfectly with Powell’s iconic booming country crooning. The throwback to Gospel music is built on a bed of old fashioned values only a Southern preacher could espouse. ‘New Creations’ especially sounds like it was recorded at a tent revival meeting half a century ago, and yes that’s a good thing. Those who are looking for more of the praise and worship offerings Third Day has become known for (and collected shelves of music awards for) will rejoice over tracks like ‘In Your Hands’ and ‘Devotion’. In the end, Revival is an album of musicians at the top of their game playing the exact kind of music they loved and idolized growing up, the music that stirred their hearts and caught them up into the ministry they continue to touch millions through. “Anybody looking for revival?” Powell sings on the title track. “Only by the Spirit and the Word of God.” I believe music fans everyone will answer with a chorus of “amen”.
/ STEVEN SUKKAU works in radio on the prairies of Southern Manitoba.
14 SEVEN SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017
PROMISE KEEPERS CANADA NATIONAL MEN’S CONFERENCE
REGISTER NOW Calgary: Oct 21, 2017
Ottawa: Feb 23-24, 2018
Grande Prairie: Oct 28, 2017
Winnipeg: March 9-10, 2018
Toronto: Nov 17-18, 2017
Edmonton: March 16-17, 2018
Simulcast: Nov 17-18, 2017
Regina: March 23-24, 2018
F o u r - t i m e Wo r l d S e r i e s C h a m p i o n D a r r y l S t r a w b e r r y s p e a k i n g i n To ro n t o , W i n n i p e g , a n d E d m o n t o n !
promisekeepers.ca/all-in
#AllInMensConf SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017 SEVEN 15
FEATURE
C C U S
16 SEVEN SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017
: S S E C D N I H E B Y L E S O L C G N I Y A ST BY ST
F O T R A E TH
EVE B
ELL
I
was taken aback after being asked to write on the meaning of success. My first reaction was incredulity. Do folks perceive me as successful? Enough to write on it? I’m a singer/songwriter who, after decades of work, still only sells a pittance of recordings compared to the truly successful. Most of my concerts are performed to between two and three hundred people—not thousands, or tens of thousands. I still need to raise about half of my operational costs from patrons every year. I still set up and tear down my own PA because I can’t afford someone else to do it. And given the speed of change in the music industry, it’s not a given that I’ll be able to monetize my work enough to transition comfortably into retirement.
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017 SEVEN 17
But there are other metrics for success of course. There is the metric of integrity and character. And here again, although I’m a relatively decent guy, I certainly wouldn’t be happy to see an accurate public posting of my vanities and vices. I could easily spend this entire article discussing personal deficiencies that can sometimes rob me of sleep. But I suppose one can think of oneself as successful or not depending on whether one is looking up the ladder, or looking down. And so if we can allow that I have had some success, there are a few things I can say about it. Friedrich Nietzsche, of all people, famously wrote that success comes to those committed to “a long obedience in the same direction.” I suppose I’ve done that. I’ve stuck at this vocation in a focused way for almost three decades, and from all indications, it’s been meaningful to many. And I have, for the most part, derived deep satisfaction from the work. Early on, I developed the practice of asking for help when I needed it, which has served me well. Indeed, many have come alongside to help me do what I could not do by myself. Most notable is my business partner/ manager Dave Zeglinski who shares equally in the successes and failings of this enterprise. It was a bit of a personal struggle to give power away in those early years, but it was one of the best decisions of my life, as Dave brings to the table a unique suite of skills and gifts that do not reside naturally in me, freeing me up to develop those things that do come more naturally to me. Another thing that has served me well is the practice of surrounding myself with folks who are really good at what they do. In truth, whenever I put a touring band together, I quite consciously make sure I’m the weakest link in the band. I don’t
18 SEVEN SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017
mean that in an immodestly selfdeprecating way. I know I have good skills. But surrounding yourself with greatness will never do you harm. Quite the opposite, it floats your own boat. Simply put, I’m a better musician because I surround myself with better musicians. One other principle I would advocate is the discipline of always making sure that at some place in your life, you are tilling new soil. As
a couple more, I might have the outline for the next best selling book: An Aging Songwriter’s Sure Steps to Moderate Success. But given the ethos of this publication, and indeed of my own ministry, we would be remiss not to ask the question, is there a way to think Christianly about success? And as much as any good preacher might be able to glean several steps from Jesus’ teachings— enough to satisfy
SURROUNDING YOURSELF WITH GREATNESS WILL NEVER DO YOU HARM. early success comes, it’s tempting to spend a lot of one’s energy on what has worked in the past. But the boredom will kill you. I think it’s important to be a life-long learner, which means always, in some way, to be disquieted by the unfamiliarity and risk of new territory. This means you can’t always stay in the most flattering light. Okay, stop there. I’ve quickly listed four things that I think might be helpful to ponder from my own experience. If I took time to add
our insatiable need for fail-proof linear pathways to the good life—I’m not so sure Jesus himself would be impressed. Jesus simply said, “Follow me,” and then went on to conduct himself in a manner that got him rejected by his own kin, abandoned by his friends, and tortured to death by the Imperial state. Not that he didn’t offer helpful insights as to what it means to live into the fullness of our humanity, but you have to admit, in a modern context divorced from postcrucifixion theological reckonings of
“GREATER LOVE HAS NO ONE THAN THIS, THAN TO LAY DOWN ONE’S LIFE FOR A FRIEND.”
his life, he’d be about the last person one would ask to write this article. Whenever I am asked to write about a particular topic, I always spend a bit of time researching key words. It can be somewhat revealing to discover archaic meanings and notice how words change over time under the press of history. So, before I wrote what I was going to write—which was to suggest that Jesus didn’t have anything to say whatsoever about success as we understand it in a modern context—I paused and simply looked it up. It turns out that the word “success” belongs to a suite of words including succession and succeed, all derived from the Latin succedere, which means to “follow closely after.” My goodness, how words change! While modernity mostly conceives of success as the art of getting ahead, an archaic understanding would think of it as the art of staying closely behind. In this light, the more interesting question isn’t how does
one succeed, but rather who does one succeed. To echo Robert Frost, the distinction can make all the difference. It seems to me that we all quite naturally succeed (follow closely after) someone, or some thing, whether it’s a hero, an ideology, or a vision of the good life propagated by the surrounding culture or subculture. But Jesus here was pretty specific in his counsel. He didn’t say, “Choose carefully who or what you follow and then give a list of acceptable options.” He said, quite specifically, “Follow me.” And what can be clearly demonstrated by his life was a resolute commitment to the way of love defined by a giving oneself away for the sake of the other. He said it in no uncertain terms: “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for a friend.” Then he demonstrated that way as completely as a person can. What is success? Perhaps the more significant question is, whom do
we succeed? Jesus bids us to succeed (follow closely after) him. And given our present culture’s commitment to accumulation and self-preservation, a commitment to succeed Jesus is about as counter-intuitive as it can get. So how do we do it? I suspect we learn to do it like we learn to become successful in any other aspect of our life. Here we could again take time to list several sure steps to success, as we are wont to do. But in the end, nothing beats practice.
/ STEVE BELL is a Winnipeg based singer/songwriter, blogger and conference speaker. Steve is the lead author of PilgrimYear, a unique multimedia experience through the seasons of “theological time”— Advent, Christmastide, Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, Eastertide, and Ordinarytide, available now for download on mobile, web and tablets at pilgrimyear.com. Steve’s music can be found online at stevebell.com.
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017 SEVEN 19
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GARY HAUGEN
FREDRIK HÄRÉN
ANDY STANLEY
Advocate for Peace and Forgiveness; Bestselling Author
Founder & CEO, International Justice Mission
Author; Business Creativity Expert
Leadership Author; Communicator; Pastor
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FEATURE
LEARNING TO LOVE
That Idiot AT WORK BY BRAD HUEBERT
22 SEVEN SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017
THEY WILL FIND YOU. I
t doesn’t matter where you work. It doesn’t matter how amazing the company is, how much you enjoy your job there, or how well the staff team gels during a crisis. You will eventually have to work with that one guy—or woman—who makes you want to jump into a propeller. It’s almost like you’re an idiot magnet. It could be their personal habits, or maybe the sound of their voice. It could be how they treat others or the way their humour always delivers a little jab. Maybe it’s all the above, plus bad breath, a competitive spirit, and sweat stains crawling out of their armpits. You’re not totally sure why they annoy you, but they do—and you’re getting a little stirred up just thinking about them. Am I right? When I was a Youth Pastor I led a handful of mission trips to Mexico. One year a guy named Dave (not his real name) signed up for the adventure. It might have been the heat, but I kid you not, by the time we were two days into Orientation the little pirate had already worn me down to a quivering mass of neural spaghetti. By day four, I wanted to lure him behind a shed while no one was looking, and . . . pray for him, of course. We all know people like that— irritating folks we’re stuck with for whatever reason. So the question is, how should we deal with annoying co-workers? If you’re an Avoider, you probably try to keep your head down and focus on your work. When you hear them having conversations with others you pretend not to care, but you sit there judging every word, rolling your eyes and muttering to yourself. You
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017 SEVEN 23
“…BUT THE REASON OUR ANNOYING CO-WORKER BUGS US SO MUCH IS THAT WE’RE LOOKING TO GET SOMETHING FROM THEM.”
24 SEVEN SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017
rarely say anything, but you internalize your angst, practice telling them off in your head, and complain about them when you get home: “Honey, you’ll never believe what he did today.” If you’re a Fighter, you probably feel like it’s your God-ordained calling to make sure they don’t get away with their usual garbage. You spar with them during coffee break, gossip about them when they’re not around, seek out people who feel the same way you do, and might even do little things throughout the week to sabotage their success. The Avoider drinks their poison in secret; the fighter passes it around like a communion cup. Whether you’re an Avoider, a Fighter, or a special mix of the two, typical advice for dealing with an annoying person sounds the same: Try focusing on the good you see in them. Find one thing per day you can affirm them for. Ask about their personal life and try to get a sense for what it would be like to walk in their shoes. Pray for them every morning before work. Even better, try praying, “Lord, please help me see Dave the way you see him.” If you’ve tried any of these
approaches, you can probably tell a story or three about how doing simple things transformed your relationship and work environment. They’re not bad ideas per se. The problem is, these solutions don’t focus on the real issue. They’re focused on easing the tension to make things more comfortable for you. Even if you manage to ‘fix’ that one relationship, you haven’t fixed yourself. Mark my words, another idiot will find you, your boss will pair you up, and you’ll find yourself pulling your hair out again. Remember ‘Dave’ on my Mission Trip? One morning I gave Jesus an earful of my frustration, informing him that I needed annoying Dave to chill out. Unfortunately, God helped me see Dave wasn’t the problem. In a stunning revelation, I realized Dave was just being Dave and it was my heart that needed changing. I repented with tears and apologized to Dave for my lousy attitude. You know what? My heart filled up with genuine love for him, and he returned the favour. To this day, I have a soft spot in my heart with his name on it. “Well, I’m glad that worked out for you,” you might protest, “but my life
isn’t a youth mission trip. My ‘guy’ continually belittles me and I feel like I can never do anything right. You have no idea.” That may be true, but why does his behaviour drive you crazy instead of stirring up compassion, love, or even just pity? I get it, I do: The jerks in your life are squishing your spiritual fruit. The thing is, it’s not Jesus juice coming out. It’s rancid brown stuff with chunks of who knows what floating in it that no one should be drinking. The hardball truth is that before God helps you “deal with” them, he wants to deal with you. I’m old enough that I used to own one of those stereo systems you adjusted with actual dials instead of touch screens. I like to think of my life as one of those retro dials, with two possible settings: Give and Get. In any given moment our hearts are either set to Give something or to Get something. If our heart is set on Give, we’re postured to let heaven flow into us and through us. If our heart is set on Get, we’ve reversed the flow; we’re looking to someone or something other than God to fill us. A truly self-aware King David confessed, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (Psalm 51:5). He knew the truth: We’re ‘set on Get’ right out of the box. Most of us know being totally selfish is a bad thing, so we try to set the dial somewhere between Give and Get, maybe a little more towards the Give side. In other words, we like to Give… if we get a little something in
return. I Give you a pat on the back, for example, because I expect you’ll return the favour. When you don’t, it irks me. It may be hard to admit, but the reason our annoying co-worker bugs us so much is that we’re looking to Get something from them. It could be anything—respect, a smile, teamwork, or something as silly as laughing at our jokes. When they don’t like us it feels like they’re withholding
something from us. They make us acutely aware of our restless quest for validation, approval, acceptance, success, significance, satisfaction, and security. When we’re ‘set on Get,’ we’re living as though it’s other people’s jobs to meet those needs. The thing is, they can’t. But Jesus can, because he already has. Christ lived a perfectly righteous life so we could “become the
righteousness of God,” eternally validated and approved by him (II Corinthians 5:21). We’re totally loved, forgiven, and one with the Father because Jesus died in our place (Romans 5:8). When Christ rose from the grave he shared his resurrection power, empowering us to live as overcomers who “count (ourselves) dead to sin but alive to God” (Romans 6:11). Even more, his Spirit gives us significance and ultimate satisfaction by filling us and turning us loose as his witnesses (Acts 1:8). Beyond this life, our “Jesus inheritance” gives us the ultimate security in heaven (Col. 1:12). Your heavenly Father doesn’t just want to help you “deal with” your annoying coworker. He wants to help you come fully alive in Jesus. When you find your needs met in Christ, his peace in your heart will release people from being responsible to satisfy you. As you live in Christ’s love, no one will be able to invalidate, reject, or undermine you. When you realize your needs are not only met but overflowing, you’ll be free to set your internal dial from Get to Give so you’re ready to share the boundless love you’ve been given. Especially with that annoying co-worker.
/ BRAD HUEBERT is the happily married father of three children who won’t stop growing up. He lives in Calgary, Alberta where he planted Manifest Church to embody his passion to help everyone everywhere discover true life in Christ.
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017 SEVEN 25
FEATURE
Like Your Work, Love Your Wife: WHEN CAREERS AND FAMILY COLLIDE RICK JOHNSON
26 SEVEN SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017
T
he great Canadian philosopher, John Candy, sums up the greatest challenge men will ever face in the classic movie, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. Candy’s character, Del Griffith, puts it simply: “You know, the finest line a man will walk is between success at work and success at home. I have a motto: Like your work, love your wife.” Work satisfies two basic needs in a man—the need to provide for his family and the need to protect his family. A woman might think a man’s work is just a J-O-B, but it is much more than that. Work allows a man to direct his creative energies into productive outlets. It also fulfills physical, mental, psychological, and emotional needs. Work often also defines a man’s sense of identity and purpose. When a man says “I am a physician” or “I am a businessman” or “I am an ironworker,” that expresses part of who he is, not just what he does. Looking back to Genesis, men were meant to work—it is part of their DNA. It is how God made them. Genesis 2:15 says, “The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.” Clearly, God knew man needed something to do, something to shape, build, create, and He knew that would satisfy man’s heart. But when God’s curse fell on Adam work became both a blessing and a bane; men would derive both satisfaction and frustration from their work in the fallen world. “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return” (Gen. 3:17–19).
“YOU KNOW, THE FINEST LINE A MAN WILL WALK IS BETWEEN SUCCESS AT WORK AND SUCCESS AT HOME. I HAVE A MOTTO: LIKE YOUR WORK, LOVE YOUR WIFE.”
In fact, men have a burden to provide that always weighs on their shoulders. Men who work but who are unable to provide adequately are often very frustrated and angered by those circumstances. Men who are unable to work at all often suffer from many different kinds of debilitating psychological problems. And men who choose not to work can have an unhealthy self-image or self-esteem. Because of this overwhelming compulsion for men to identify and validate themselves through their work, it’s easy for us to become obsessed with our work and distracted at home or not fully engaged in our relationships. When unbalanced a man’s work life can easily become unhealthy, and internal wounds or feelings of inadequacy often drive it. We can quickly fall into the trap that if we can be successful and make enough money in our career, then it will somehow prove to everyone that we are worthy of respect. In our minds,
that will make our wives love us more and lead to a good relationship. When that motivation is brought into the light, it’s easy to see how inaccurate and untrue it really is. But it’s how many men unconsciously process the interaction between work and their self-image. Another allure for workaholics is work is easier than relationships. It’s why so many consciously or even unconsciously spend more time at work than is healthy for their family. Work has boundaries and rules that are clearly defined and tell people when they succeed or fail. It is much easier than the ambiguous and more challenging duties of interacting with a family, which tend to be messier. Men gets kudos all the time for their performance at work, but they seldom get a pat on the back for being a good husband, father, or friend. Additionally, if things are rough at home, the workplace can be a haven of peace for many men. They know how to be competent at their job,
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017 SEVEN 27
something they don’t always know how to be at home. Now, men, before you go justifying your long work hours to your wife by telling her that God made you this way and you can’t help it, let’s look at how the enemy is at work in this area. The evil one, like all great liars, likes to use portions of the truth to deceive us. His goal is to destroy what he hates more than anything else— the image of God as portrayed by a man and woman in marriage. And again, because it is easier for guys to get gratification through achievements and accomplishments than it is through relationships, we tend to overdo it, especially if we are feeling inadequate in those interpersonal areas.
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Spending too much time at work, or being preoccupied with it when not there, is a trap we fall into that is destructive both to our relationships and ourselves. We mistakenly believe that the better we provide for our wives and children, the more we are showing we love them. In reality, most wives and children feel a steady income and time with dad is a more important indicator of a man’s love than material goods (although diamonds seem to be an exception). Last summer, our beloved son unexpectedly passed away. It was every parent’s nightmare. I give you my word that when something like this happens, the very last thing you care about is work or your job. (Perhaps
the only reason we men might look to work in a situation like this is the solace it brings to a man by throwing himself into his work in order to avoid dealing with his grief.) The death of a loved one brings into perspective the value of life and of one’s family. It’s been nearly a year now and I still have not gotten back the old “fire” towards my work that I used to relish. Frankly, it just doesn’t seem all that important any more. My point is, don’t take your family for granted guys. If something happens you’ll have plenty of regrets for the rest of your life about things you did or didn’t do without having to also worry about the times you put your work before your wife and kids. I’m not lecturing here, I’m just hoping you’ll gain from the benefit of my experiences. As Psalms 127:3-5 says, “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!” Don’t take God’s blessings for granted by placing work ahead of them. No man ever went to his grave wishing he had spent more time at the job. While work is an important role in providing for our families, it’s just that—one role among many that we have as fathers, husbands, and men. Portions of this article contain excerpts from Rick’s bestselling book, Becoming Your Spouse’s Better Half, by Revell Publishing.
/ RICK JOHNSON is a bestselling author and popular international speaker. He is also the founder of Better Dads Ministries. Rick’s books include Better Dads Stronger Sons, 10 Things Great Dads Do, and Becoming the Dad Your Daughter Needs. Rick, his wife Suzanne, and their adopted granddaughter live in Oregon.
EMPOWERING THE ONLINE GENERATION WITH STORIES
THAT MATTER
WATCH FULL EPISODES AT
THISISMETV.COM SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017 SEVEN 29
SPORTS SCENE
THE VOICE OF DODGER BASEBALL THE BLESSED CAREER OF VIN SCULLY BY CARTER BROOKS
"It's time for Dodger baseball! Hi, everybody, and a very pleasant good evening to you, wherever you may be"
O
n October 2nd, 2016, Vin Scully ended his baseball play-by-play career as the consensus number one commentator in Major League Baseball history. According to an online fan vote, Scully beat out names such as Bob Uecker, Harry Caray, Jack Buck and Ernie Harwell. His 67-year tenure with the Los Angeles Dodgers is the longest career of any broadcaster with a single team in all of professional sports. Easily recognized for his soft, yet illustrative play calling, Scully has worked his way into the hearts of many North American baseball fans. His trademark pre-game welcome, "It's time for Dodger baseball! Hi, everybody, and a very pleasant good evening to you, wherever you may be" in which he begins every broadcast with, has encapsulated Dodger nation for countless decades. Through retirement—at the age of 88—Scully walked away from the
30 SEVEN SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017
game of baseball as a well-travelled lifelong fan, a true gentleman, and a Christian. Growing up in The Bronx, Scully realized his affinity for the game of baseball while walking by a laundromat one October evening. It was out of the corner of his eye that he caught the lopsided score of the second game of the 1936 World Series, featuring the dominant New York Yankees and the lowly San Francisco Giants. It was then, right there, standing outside the local laundry shop that eight-year-old Vin Scully decided that he would pursue a career announcing baseball. A handful of years later, following a brief stint in the military, Scully went off to broadcasting school to begin the pursuit of his childhood dream. It didn’t take long for the young New Yorker to land his first gig in the majors. 1950 was Scully’s first
year with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and 1953 was his first World Series broadcast. Scully was 25 at the time—a record that still stands to this day. Scully called his final game in early October of 2016. Fittingly, it was against those same San Francisco Giants who had tugged at his heartstrings in 1936 at the laudromat—exactly 80 years prior, to the day. Following his final broadcast, Scully offered a goodbye message and prayer to his listening audience, speaking of God’s many gifts for every circumstance. In October of 2013, Scully spoke with the National Catholic Register about his life and his reliance on faith and the church. “I feel a tremendous degree of comfort in the Catholic Church,” Scully said. “It’s where I’ve grown
up and where I’ve had the most important moments of my life. I’ve benefitted from the dedication of the nuns in grammar school, the reception of the sacraments and a rich tradition of prayer that you can take with you no matter where you are.” The most significant lesson that Scully learned from his Christian upbringing is one that he has been able to carry with him every day. “There are so many good things about the Church,” he reflected. “But the most essential thing that I’ve learned from it is the importance of continual communication with God. That’s what all the kneelers, candles, incense, stained-glass windows, holy water and other things are about: directing our minds and hearts to God.” Scully was featured as the recipient of the Icon Award at the 2017 ESPY
Award Show in Los Angeles in early July. And in typical Vin Scully fashion, he began his acceptance speech with a line he had been practicing for upwards of 65 years, “Hi everybody, and a very pleasant good evening to you.” Although stirring up the emotions in the crowd with his trademarked line, it didn’t take long for the 88-year-old to remind the crowd of his important lesson from church. Scully went on to speak of his career as a broadcaster, and what God has been able to do for him, through the support he has received. In a day and age where nearly every sentence and word are thrown under the microscope, Scully was able to address the audience with grace and humility, showcasing exactly why he was chosen as the honourary Icon Award winner. The Icon Award recognizes a recipient whose career
has left a lasting impression on the sporting world. “God gave us memories, so we can have roses in December,” Scully said near the conclusion of his acceptance speech. “And in the December of my years, I have collected so many roses, and cherished each and every one of them. And you give me a rose tonight, to join my collection for all of those years. I am humbled, I am honoured, and I know another thing—my work was never, ever a burden. I have considered it always to be a blessing.” Incredible words to live by, from the Icon himself, Vin Scully.
/ 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.
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017 SEVEN 31
THE SINGLE LIFE
WORK AS A FORM OF WORSHIP
SETTING AN EXAMPLE OF EXCELLENCE BY PAUL BOGE
H
ow we work is a testimony to our relationship with God. A good employer/employee is a good witness for Christ. Our conduct in the workplace honours God and builds trust with those around us. But what makes a person’s work good? Three of the many keys the Bible gives us are having a good attitude, doing our very best, and being honest. First, a good attitude towards work can be summed up in one word: enthusiasm. “Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.” (Ephesians 6:7) What if you were working for God? How would that impact your day? Working with a good attitude and being thankful for work honours God and sets a good example. Part of a good attitude means showing up for work early. Not simply on time. It means serving people around us with our whole heart. It means being positive and trusting God in both good and difficult circumstances. It means trusting results to God, and seeing every day as a gift from Him. It means seeing 9-5 as ordained by God as much as every other time frame of the week. We should encourage
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each other to see our work as an opportunity for worshipping God and serving those around us. Trusting Christ with the pressures of work, the uncertainty of the future, and with the outcome of our efforts, helps us grow as His followers. And this attitude will encourage others to consider Christ. Second, the Bible calls us to do our very best. “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might (Ecclesiastes 9:10a)” We need to set an example for excellence in the workplace. We should be characterized as people who not only try hard but who do excellent work. While we can’t be expected to be perfect, people should come to expect us to be continually striving for excellence, and to give one hundred percent. Sometimes those who are single are able to better serve or take on tasks that married people are not able to do. Offering to work later, work out of town, or work a weekend, are ways single people can serve God, and show love to other employees who have family commitments. Third, we must be completely honest.
“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.” (Ephesians 4:25). There is pressure at work (as in other areas of life) to lie. Two of the reasons people lie is to avoid punishment, and to portray themselves as a person they wish they were instead of who they are. But lying does not work. “A lying tongue hates those it hurts.” (Proverbs 26:28). The devil is the father of lies. And we need to be honest about what we have done right, and what we have done wrong. Honesty is very disarming. People should know us to be truth-tellers. Let’s be encouraged to set an example for people in our work: in our good attitude to our employers and/or our employees, in being an example of a solid work ethic striving for excellence, and to be honest and fair in absolutely everything. And in so doing we can reflect God’s light in us.
/ PAUL BOGE is an author and engineer. He lives in Winnipeg.as an engineer in Winnipeg.
OUT OF MY DEPTH
WITNESSING AT WORK
HOW TO BE WEIRD AT WORK FOR JESUS BY PAUL CARTER
W
itnessing at work can be a little tricky. You can’t use your position as a platform for evangelism, but you are usually allowed to answer questions. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. (1 Peter 3:15 NIV11) Peter assumes that your life and conduct will be unusual enough to inspire curiosity. He assumes that rather than trying to fit in with culture, Christians will be maintaining a strategic gap. Therefore he commends the following strategy: Be weird. Answer questions. These five simple things are just strange enough to get noticed.
1. GET MARRIED AND STAY MARRIED A beautiful marriage makes a compelling argument for the goodness and wisdom of God. Investing in your wife is a form of “pre-evangelism”. Show your co-workers what it looks like to love your wife as Christ loves the church. Let them know that you wash her car and get it vacuumed every Saturday and never let them hear you grumble about her. And when your buddies ask you why you can’t get a new snowmobile explain to them that it is because you don’t want your wife to have to work or you want to make sure she’s got a safe vehicle. Simple little things can attract a lot of attention. A healthy, happy, stable marriage is weird and it will get noticed.
2. HAVE AND ENJOY BABIES A number of studies have pointed out
recently that many millennials are not planning on having children. One article I read recently had the title “10 Brutally Real Reasons Why Millennials Refuse To Have Kids”.1 Among the “brutally real” reasons were the following: 1. The world is a scary place 2. We're all dirt poor. 3. There are already too many people on the planet. You want to get noticed? Have and love your kids. And be sure to raise them well. Bad kids are not a good argument for the goodness and wisdom of God. But good kids are; kids that you love and lead.
3. LIVE BELOW YOUR MEANS— TITHE/SAVE/GIVE As several studies have recently indicated, Canadians are no longer a nation of savers.2 We owe $165 for every $100 that we make. We live in more house than we can afford. We drive more car than we can afford. Do you want to get noticed? Learn to live on 75% of your income. Tithe to your church, save 10% a year for retirement and keep 5% in reserve for spontaneous generosity. Your friends will ask you questions and when they do, you are on your way to talking about Jesus.
4. SERVE SELFLESSLY, IN YOUR CHURCH AND IN YOUR COMMUNITY Most of your work colleagues will be spending their weekends on four wheelers or at the cottage. When they hear that you can’t join them because you are doing your shift at the clothing
exchange, that will get noticed. There are few things more disruptive than regular service. It pretty much ruins your life—if your life is about four-wheeling and cottages. The fact that you do it— faithfully, joyfully, gladly, seems almost incomprehensible to regular people. They will notice. They might even be concerned. They will certainly ask questions. And when they do you may quickly find yourself talking about Jesus.
5. WORSHIP FAITHFULLY Worship is weird all on its own. Some churches try really hard to take the edges off the weirdness but they eventually realize that the crazy is baked in. It’s weird. Especially if it looks like you believe it. If you worship every Sunday, and if you legitimately love it, your friends and co-workers will eventually notice. They’ll be interested, maybe even compelled. They’ll ask you questions and you will very soon find yourself talking about Jesus. Being weird at work is about living Biblically and accessibly in an increasingly dysfunctional world. If you do that, people will see. They will be curious. They’ll ask questions and when they do, you tell them about Jesus. http://www.therooster.com/blog/10-brutally-real-reasons-whymillennials-refuse-have-kids 1
http://w w w.savespendsplurge.com/canadians-are-spendingmore-than-they-earn/ 2
/ PAUL CARTER is a husband, father, and the lead pastor at First Baptist Church in Orillia, Ontario. He sits on the Executive Council for The Gospel Coalition Canada. He hosts a devotional podcast called Into The Word that you can find on iTunes or at www.intotheword.ca.
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017 SEVEN 33
POWER PLAY
TOYS / TOOLS / TECHNOLOGY FROM HERE TO THERE AND FUN ALONG THE WAY BY SANDY MCMURRAY
MIGHTY
// bemighty.com Spotify Premium is a music service that gives you access to millions of songs for a monthly fee. You can make your own playlists of favourite songs or select playlists created by Spotify staff and by other subscribers. The problem with Spotify is that it requires a constant Internet connection to play. That means you have to use cellular data if you want to listen to music while you jog or travel. Mighty is a portable music player that can download and play Spotify Premium playlists. You load the player by syncing with your Spotify account when you have an Internet connection. Once your playlist songs are loaded on Mighty, you can disconnect and play back anywhere, any time, without an Internet connection. Mighty can hold 1,000 songs and has a battery that lasts up to 5 hours per charge. It pairs with Bluetooh headsets and speakers, and it's water and drop resistant. Mighty is available in white, black, and orange, and sells for about $100.
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SELF-DRIVING STORE
// themobymart.com It's late. You feel like a snack. You could call a taxi to go to the store, but what if the store could come to you? Moby Mart is an autonomous, staffless, mobile store that can turn any parking lot into a giant vending machine. You enter the store and shop using a smart phone app and take what you want. The store notes your selections and sends you the bill. The company behind Moby Mart, Wheely's Inc, already operates the world's first system of staffless stores in Sweden. Moby Marts are in development now, and might be the convenience store of the future.
RUBBER BAND ENGINEER
// amazon.ca Rubber Band Engineer shows you how to turn ordinary household objects into exciting toys and contraptions that will fly, shoot, and startle cats and small dogs. Projects include a robot arm, a rubber band helicopter, slingshotpowered rockets, and a propeller-powered car. In addition to pencils, paper clips, popsicle sticks, and rubber bands, some projects require additional materials you may need to purchase, such as PVC piping, wooden dowels, and metal washers. Fair warning. That said, clear instructions, simple materials, and creative ideas make this book a perfect gift for MacGyvers of all ages. If you like this book, check out Duct Tape Engineer, also by Lance Akiyama.
MEAT FRIDGE
// dry-ager.com Have you ever seen the phrase "dry-aged beef" on a menu? Do you know what it means? Dry aging is a process that helps steak develop flavour. Large cuts of beef are aged for weeks or months in extreme cold before they are trimmed and cut into steaks. This reduces moisture near the muscle and breaks down connective tissue. The result is steak that is tender and delicious. So forget the big screen TV. What your man cave needs is a giant super-fridge full of meat. The Dry Ager comes in two sizes: 20 kg capacity ($4,000) and 100 kg ($6,000). Tell your family you want one of these for your birthday. Keep talking about it. Then suggest something less ridiculous instead.
VALKYRIE
// astonmartin.com/valkyrie
Aston Martin is probably best known as James Bond's car. The Aston Martin DB5 became famous when Sean Connery drove one in Goldfinger and Thunderball. The company's latest design is the Aston Martin Valkyrie, a luxury "hypercar" that looks more suitable for Batman than for James Bond. The Valkyrie's design is based in part on the Red Bull X series of sports cars that appeared in the Gran Turismo series of video games. The Valkyrie is a work in progress, a co-production of Aston Martin, Red Bull Racing, AF Racing, and several other partners. This is a toy for grownups—super-rich grownups—who love race cars. Seats are mounted directly to the frame, so driver and passenger recline in a posture similar to Formula One and Le Mans racers. A four-point harness seat belt comes as standard, while an optional six-point harness will be offered for those who intend to do more track driving. The Valkyrie is expected to debut in 2019. Approximately 150 cars will be made available at a cost of about $3 million each. (That Tesla you thought was too expensive suddenly seems like a bargain, doesn't it?)
SUREFLY HELICOPTER
// workhorse.com/surefly SureFly is a hybrid electric vehicle designed for vertical takeoff and landing. It looks like an oversized drone with a passenger cabin attached, but it's a serious attempt to reinvent the helicopter. SureFly uses a gas-powered generator to charge batteries in-flight, eliminating the need for long recharge times on the ground. Eight independent motors drive a single carbon fiber propeller. You steer with a joystick that changes the rotation speed of the individual rotors while rotor pairs rotate in opposite directions to counteract torque. SureFly is designed for a short hop flights, with an estimated range of 110 kilometres or 70 miles. Safety features include a backup battery system, and a ballistic parachute to safely land in the event of emergency. Four carbon fiber arms fold down when not in use, so you can store inside a standard garage. Although ground testing is nearly complete, you can't buy a SureFly just yet. Flight testing is planned for later this year, with Federal Aviation Administration certification expected in 2019.
36 SEVEN SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017
BLUETOOTH REMOTE CONTROL
// o6app.com O6 is a portable Bluetooth remote that lets you answer phone calls, listen to texts, control music, take pictures and more, without touching your phone. The makers of O6 call their concept "eyes-free browsing" and they want to change the way we interact with our devices when we're in motion, especially in moving vehicles. You can use O6 to snap a picture from across the room, or turn up the volume of your music or podcasts, all without seeing or touching the screen of your device. O6 provides audio feedback (speech) in response to your commands so there's no need to look at the screen. You get one O6 device and charger for $100. Optional steering wheel mount and pocket clip accessories cost $20 each.
CLASSIC CONSOLE
// nintendo.ca The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo’s follow-up to the original NES, launched in 1991 and introduced classic games such as Super Mario World, Super Mario Kart, Super Metroid, and F-ZERO. On September 29, Nintendo will release the Super NES Classic Edition. This new mini console comes with 21 games pre-installed, including Donkey Kong Country, The Legend of Zelda, Street Fighter II, and Starfox 2, the never-released sequel to Starfox. Super NES Classic Edition comes with one HDMI cable, one USB charging cable with AC adapter, and two wired Super NES Classic Controllers. Suggested retail price is $99.
STRONGER TOGETHER
// nerdstronggym.com Nerd Strong Gym offers fitness training for people who describe themselves as nerds. It's a real gym, located in Los Angeles, but it's also a nerd community. Fans of comic books, Harry Potter, and Star Wars gather here together, and they get ripped. Nerd Strong staff lead "narrative-based" workouts designed for groups. You can be a bunch of superheroes fighting crime, a party of treasure hunters exploring a dungeon, or a spaceship crew defending the universe. Likeminded nerds attend workout sessions with names like Boss Fight, Power Up, and Blacksmith. Sign up for adventure, not just squats and crunches. Exercise is better when you do it with friends. Nerd Strong makes it fun.
/ SANDY MCMURRAY writes about games, toys, and gadgets at funspot.ca.
NEXT ISSUE
N E M D O G FE I L
LOT E L O WHORTS A P AN D OF S
Few things grab our imagination and passion like sports. We wear the clothing, cheer our heroes and look forward to the next event. From grade school to the senior’s league—the backyard to the playing field—some of our best memories are forged in the heat of competition. Next SEVEN magazine we throw open the doors and let the Sports column take over the whole issue. Join us as we explore Men / God / Life . . . and a whole lot of sports.
38 SEVEN SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2017
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