the duck dynasty story christians and creation— why you should care surviving family vacations a call to action in the midst of disaster
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Preaching in Primetime
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july – august, 2013
The great outdoors
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on the cover
God in the environment, responding to disaster, and of course— ducks. This month’s issue looks at all things ‘outdoorsy’ and how God is at the heart of everything. SEVEN is a Christian magazine for Canadian men that exists to help men lead more fulfilling lives and leave enduring legacies.
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Preaching in Primetime the duck dynasty story christians and creation— why you should care
Glory in the Skies
| steve bell Singer-songwriter Steve Bell’s recent flight to Montreal was the source of timely reflection—on creation, generosity, and the overwhelming gratitude as declared by the Psalms. A solid reminder, and a good primer to this month’s issue.
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Stewards Over Creation
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Preaching in Primetime: The Duck Dynasty Story
surviving family vacations a call to action in the midst of disaster
| q+a with arthur walker-jones Christianity. Environmentalism. They’re two words that often seem to speak from opposite sides of the political and ideological spectrum. Whatever the reasons, the two camps have been hesitant to join forces, something that should be cause for concern. | rob horsley For Louisiana’s Robertson family, it’s faith—not fame and fortune— that comes first. Continuing to be outspoken about Jesus is priority number one for all members of the Duck Commander empire.
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The Real Man’s Guide to Holidaying
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Faithful in many forms
30 What Women Want It’s all in her head…
25 Sports Scene Blue Bomber brothers talk faith and football
departments 8 Pulse Bits. Blips. Beats. Blurbs.
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four – A promise keeper is committed to strengthening families and marriages through love, honour, protection, and biblical values.
seven – 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.
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.
9 Reviews What’s on your shelf?
A special thank-you to all the pastors who continually encourage us to communicate God's truth with grace and love.
28 Power Play Tools. Toys. Technology.
Publisher: Brian Koldyk Editorial Director: Jeff Stearns Managing Editor: Rob Horsley Copyeditor: Kelly Rempel
advertising
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three – A promise keeper is committed to practicing biblical integrity: spiritually, morally, ethically and sexually.
27 Out of My Depth Is your church in need of a checkup?
6 Man to Man What are you investing yourself into?
26 Money Matters Make sure your money goes the distance for you
two – 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.
six – A promise keeper is committed to reaching beyond racial, social, economic, generational, and denominational barriers to demonstrate that power of biblical unity.
| thomas guenther When disaster strikes—often without explanation—we’re often tempted to respond with “Why?” But as Christian men, trying times call for faith in action.
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one – A promise keeper is committed to honouring Jesus Christ through worship, prayer, and obedience to God’s Word in the power of the Spirit.
five – 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.
| gary bowler Family vacations can be a nightmare. Jerry Bowler weighs in with some handy tips for surviving your next adventure..
5 PK Podium Enjoy the summer1
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.
John Steadman jsteadman@promisekeepers.ca 1-888-901-9700
editorial advisory board MARC BRULE: WellSpring Community Church ROB HORSLEY: ChristianWeek KIRK GILES: Promise Keepers Canada JEFF STEARNS: Promise Keepers Canada MATT BREIMER: Promise Keepers Canada
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ISSN 1916-8403 Cover Photo: courtesy of A&E Network
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Visit our PromiseKeepers.ca for the latest info, videos, audio messages, men’s articles, books and other resources.
SEVEN Magazine Men. God. Life. A Christian magazine for Canadian men. Relevant, exciting and biblical.
Men of Integrity Devotional Especially written for men, personally challenging, eternally rewarding. Available in a 60 page booklet or as an email devotional.
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PK Podium
Enjoy the sun! Make summer a time to acknowledge God’s greatness by Kirk Giles
A couple of years ago, I had the privilege of taking my family on a vacation to British Columbia and Alberta. I grew up in the Lower Mainland of B.C., and felt like I was taking my family back to my home. It was an amazing experience to show them the sights and sounds of this beautiful area of Canada. They even survived days of driving seven or eight hours (without seriously hurting each other) because the majesty of what they were seeing was so overwhelming. The moment that sealed the importance of this trip came one day while we were driving through the mountains. As we turned a corner on the highway, you could see the glorious, snow covered peaks of a couple of mountains directly in front of us. My daughter gasped and said, “Oh wow, Dad!” What a priceless moment that was. All across the country, men are enjoying the great outdoors—and you should! Some in Canada experienced an incredibly long winter this year. This is your time to enjoy the sunshine. We live in a beautiful land that has so much to experience and enjoy. Whether you go kayaking down a river, go on a road trip on your motorcycle, play baseball with your kids, or spend time relaxing at a cottage—getting out of our normal routine and enjoying the splendour of God’s creation is important physically, mentally, and spiritually. In the midst of enjoying the sun and mountains and water, make sure that you are also enjoying their Creator. It is very easy to be having so much fun
playing in the sun that we forget to acknowledge, thank, and worship the One who has given these good gifts to us. As a husband and father, your family may not naturally connect what they are enjoying with the Father who gives every good and perfect gift. You need to be the man who will initiate these conversations. It is not difficult to thank and worship God in these moments. Creation is a glorious reminder of the majesty and power of God. Thank Him when praying together as a family. When you see or experience something spectacular make statements like “Imagine what God must have been thinking when He created that,” or “Look at how creative God is.” Be diligent to take the lead in pointing your family back to God. Men need to care for the spiritual health of their family, but also need to care for their own spiritual health. The Scriptures are filled with verses that show how powerful and creative God is. I know men who will just go and sit beside a river— watching the water flow and hearing the birds chirping—while opening up God’s Word and meditating on His greatness. This is an important discipline that will renew your mind and your spirit. We are a blessed people to live in this land, but we are even more blessed to be able to know the Creator of the great outdoors. May this summer be a time where you experience and are reminded of how our God is greater!
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.
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man to man
Who are you investing in? The time we invest in others reaps eternal rewards By Steve Sonderman
Gentleman, I want to ask you a simple question. Into whom or what are you investing your life? The stock market, your hobby, your favourite team, your work or something else? All you have to do is look at where you spend your time, treasure, and talents and you will have the answer. I want to suggest another option, and that is the investment you make in people. For the past 35 years, my favourite ministry verse has been 1 Thessalonians 2:8 where Paul says, “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.” The apostle Paul was not just interested in riding into a town and dropping some gospel bombs; what he really wanted to do was invest his life into the life of others. As he worked alongside these people, took walks with them and had meals with them, he was making investments in eternity. He understood the principle that more time spent with fewer people results in greater impact for Christ. The book that has influenced me the most over the years is The Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert Coleman. He writes, “One must decide where he wants his ministry to count—in the momentary applause of popular recognition or the reproduction of his life in a few chosen men who will carry on his work after he is gone. Really it is a question of which generation we are living for.” Every one of us has to decide in what and in whom we are going to invest. For Paul the answer was simple, it was people. This is also the story of the Bible. For example: • Moses investing in Joshua; • Ezra investing in Nehemiah; • Barnabas investing in Paul and Mark; • Paul investing in Timothy.
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The greatest example is Jesus investing in the 12 disciples. Two-thirds of His public ministry was with the 12. He called them to be with Him, and for three years He invested His life in them. He was not interested in programs to reach the multitudes, but with men whom the multitudes would follow. Dietrich Bonheoffer, the great German theologian who spent much time in Nazi prison camp wrote these words: “The righteous person lives for the next generation.” Each of us is going to die at some time, and when we do we will live on in two ways: First in eternity with Jesus, and second, in the men and women, boys and girls we influence for Jesus. Each one of us must decide how we want our lives to count—is it for the momentary applause of popular recognition or in the reproduction of your life in a few chosen people who will carry on His work after you are gone? Which generation are you living for—this or the next? Almost 15 years ago, Dick, a pharmacist by trade, was invited by his college-age daughter to attend our Christmas Eve services. He was struck by the whole service and decided to come back a second and third time and eventually came to Christ. Dick wanted to know what to do next. I told him he should get into our men’s discipleship course. He went through the first year with 10 other men and then the second year. At the completion of this training I encouraged him to lead a basic training group, which he did. This went on for several years with Dick leading multiple groups at a time. Several years ago he called to tell me that he had been diagnosed with a brain tumour and the prognosis was not good. After one surgery and lots of therapy the
doctors said there was not much more they could do, and Dick went downhill fairly quickly. In the final months I asked Dick if he would do something for me. Each year we have an evangelistic breakfast that men can bring their friends to. At that event we give out a Service Award to the man we believe has served the men of our church in a big way the past year. I wanted to honour Dick for all he had done. When the day came his family dressed him up and we wheeled him up onto the platform. I spoke about his ministry over the year and had a leading from the Spirit. There were about 550 men in the room. I asked everyone who had come to Christ through Dick or had been discipled by Dick to stand. I watched in amazement as one man after another stood all over the banquet hall. My eyes were too tearfilled to count them, but a couple of my leaders said there were more than 100 men standing in the room. All because one man decided to invest his life in others. Dick died just a couple of months later but he lives on in two ways, in eternity with Jesus and in the men in whom he invested his life. The question you have to ask yourself is this: Who are you investing your life into?
Steve Sonderman is Pastor at Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin and founder of No Regrets Men’s Ministries. He consults widely with churches worldwide, sharing his passion for ministry to men in every local church. He makes his home in Borrokfield with his wife, Colleen.
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Bits + Blips. Beats + Blurbs.
BEATS
by Rob Horsley, PULSE Editor with special guest writer Robert White
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IS THE GREEN BIBLE GUILTY OF BAD FRUIT? The Christian environmental movement is one that has gained traction in recent years, with many faithdriven advocates actively lobbying for governments care for creation and practice better stewardship, citing their understanding of Scripture as the key reason for their concerns. But what does the Bible really have to say about environmentalism? According to The Green Bible—quite a bit. Published by Harper Bibles and featuring a foreword by former Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu, The Green Bible is printed on recycled paper and with soy-based ink for a truly ‘environmentally-friendly’ experience. The New Revised Standard Versio also functions as a study guide, with a number of essays from notable leaders like Brian McLaren, N.T. Wright, and the late Pope John Paul II. But most notably, The Green Bible features more than 1,000 verses pertaining to stewardship and care for creation, highlighted in green, like this verse from Numbers, for example. “You shall not pollute the land in which you live…you shall not defile the land in which you live, in which I also dwell.” (Numbers 35: 33-34) The Green Bible is no doubt a tad gimmicky, and so it’s questionable how seriously Christians ought to take it. And while it’s good to realize that the Bible does in fact have a lot to say about practicing good stewardship, critics have pointed out that the greatest
commandment is still to love God with everything, and “love your neighbour as yourself,” and so an environmentally-themed Bible might not be the best resource for communicating the central message of the gospel. Still, it’s hard to conceive of how Christians can be effective in “loving their neighbours” if they don’t show care to the “environments” that a lot of their neighbours happen to live in.
(For more on the intersection of faith and environmentalism, check out Seven’s Q+A chat with eco-theologian Arthur Walker-Jones on page 13.)
reviews
Jesus and jumping jacks— the real deal on Christian health guides Reviews by Jeff Stearns
EVERY BODY MATTERS by Gary Thomas I’m pretty cynical when it comes to health books—especially Christian health books. Regular health or exercise guides are bad enough. Usually poorly written, they’re often vain attempts by some fitness instructor or actor to profit off our desire (or doctor’s orders) to lose a few pounds. Their focus fluctuates as quickly as the fashion trends and over the years I have seen a long parade of self-appointed gurus march by, all proudly wearing the emperor’s new clothes—or close enough to it. Okay, so maybe I’m just a bit jaded… Many of the Christian books take the same elements, and usually insert a few bible verses here and there to make it applicable to Christian audiences—something that often gives the impression of good marketing, rather than good Bible application. Like I said, maybe I’m just a bit jaded. Surely, it’s not all bad…is it? When I first saw the book Every Body Matters, I almost tossed it on the pile with the others, until I saw the name of the writer. An author of several books, Gary Thomas is a writer-in-residence at Second Baptist Church, Houston, and an adjunct faculty member at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon, where he teaches on spiritual formation. His other books are well written and thought provoking. Given his reputation as an author, I realized his book deserved a second look. Every Body Matters is a serious exploration of how a healthy lifestyle can affect our ability to serve God. A pleasure to read, his points are well illustrated with compelling stories and clear challenges. Finally—a health book I am more than happy to recommend. If your curiosity is piqued, I would recommend first reading the article Gary wrote for the our recent May/June issue of SEVEN magazine (which focuses on health), entitled “Heavy Faith.” You can read past issues of SEVEN online at www.promisekeepers.ca/seven
ALSO ON THE SHELF… MEN OF COURAGE Dr. Larry Crabb Previously released as “The Silence of Adam” this new edition includes an epilogue from Dr. Crabb and a study guide for individual or group use.
MAN OF GOD By Charles F. Stanley “You don’t have to be perfect to be a man of God.” Stanley’s Man of God challenges the common perceptions of manhood with examples from the Bible, and includes a helpful guide for individual or group study.
REAL VALOR By Steve Farrar Fans of PK Canada speaker and noted author Steve Farrar’s will be eager to get their hands on the latest release in his series of books. Real Valor (other than being spelt wrong) explores what it means to “nurture and protect your family” based on the story of Ruth and Boaz.
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features
Glory in the skies WestJet Flight 318, Seat 3D: An Anishinaabeg tale and a Hebrew Psalm
Canadian Singer-songwriter Steve Bell has made a career out of telling stories. Whether through music and lyrics, or in his betweensong anecdotes, the Winnipeg-based, friendly-neighbourhood troubadour has always recognized the power of story as a way of connecting audiences to the deeper themes of music, Christianity, and life in general. A recent flight to Montreal was the source of timely reflection—on creation, generosity, and the overwhelming gratitude as declared by the Psalms—a reflection shared with you by the master storyteller himself, Steve Bell.
By Steve Bell
I am currently in the skies somewhere between Winnipeg and Montreal. When we land, Dave (my manager) and I will rent a vehicle and drive down into New York state for a short swing of concerts that begins in Glens Falls, New York and ends in Newtown, Connecticut. I’m quite mindful that the concert in Newtown has a certain weight to it. Newtown is the site of the horrific shooting where the lives of 20 children and six adults were lost. I’ll be singing in a church that held several of the funerals. Earlier this week I was lying on my living room sofa, wondering what I might be able to say in response to the tragedy, when my imagination suddenly caught a glimmer of God out of the corner of my eye. Seriously. A figure was suddenly standing there with arms crossed, and a furrowed brow: “Exactly what wisdom do you have to bring to the situation Steve Bell? I’m keen to hear.”
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My soul blushed in embarrassment. “Just sing and tell your stories as you always do. If I choose to speak into the situation, I’ll do so despite whatever words happen to tumble out of your mouth.” I have no doubt. Forgive my presumption. Yesterday, I was back on the same sofa reading a book I recently picked up: Centering Anishinaabeg Studies / Understanding the World Through Stories. I’ve long been intrigued with how sacred stories function in Indigenous cultures. This book is a collection of essays about just that—how stories hold and transmit deep knowledge about perceptions, values and worldviews. My own faith culture has stories too. But sometimes I think that we (of European descent) have inherited an inordinate rationalism that has knocked the stuffing out of our stories. We believe them to be true, but we don’t trust them.
We tend to want to fortify our stories with doctrine and dogma. Indigenous peoples, it seems, don’t necessarily believe, or need their stories to be true, but they trust them implicitly. Here’s one of the stories from the book. It’s very simple, but it caught me off guard and stuck to me like glue. I’ll just tell it like I remember it, which may be different than the words I actually read: A hunter’s arrow found and downed a moose. As the hunter was gathering wood for a fire to prepare the meat, the hunter discovered all sorts of wild vegetables and fruits as well. Overwhelmed by the bounty, the hunter didn’t know who to thank, but felt a bursting need to thank someone. So he simply looked around, and said thank you. This is where giving honour (religion) came from.
features
Insert another fine teller of tales. From William Shakespeare: Such tricks hath strong imagination That if it would but apprehend some joy It comprehends some bringer of that joy Ah… gratitude. Someone once said that the tragedy of the atheist is that he/she has no one to thank. I know atheists who would probably disagree with this statement, but the point is well made: heartfelt gratitude is foundational to human wellbeing. As I’ve been sitting here on the plane, thinking about the story of the hunter, I suddenly detect a voice in my spirit saying (quite distinctly), “Read Psalm 8.” I know I’ve read the Psalm before several times, but I can’t remember a single word of it. The voice is very particular—Psalm 8. So I open my iPad, and find the Psalm. Whoever wrote this ancient poem was clearly experiencing something similar to the hunter in the Anishinaabeg tale. And as I read, I too begin to tear up in gratitude for my own life—for my wife and children; for parents and grandkids; for songs and dances and poems; for cumin and celery and carrots; for pets and neighbours and friends; for kisses and tears and the memories of such things to sustain us in our twilight years. As I sit here, high above the fray, I am not unaware of tragedy. And there will certainly be deep disappointment and loss to face in my future. But at this moment, it is the weight of goodness I feel. And I have to respond. I have to say something to someone. So here is my version of the Psalm as it imprinted itself on my heart:
ON READING PSALM 8 | Steve Bell Oh my… I can hardly breathe… Your name, oh God… There is none like you in the whole of the cosmos! Since all creation is your creation, nothing in creation can compare. That would be a logical impossibility. Your glory is far beyond anything knowable to the senses. Yet the mere babble of infants is enough to shame your adversaries; the joy of children enough to silence your foes. As reason begins to comprehend the heavens (ie: your handiwork: the moon and the stars, which you have placed and set like a master jeweler), imagination begins to apprehend the mind behind your glimmering craft. And we are utterly astonished you have a mind/ heart for us at all. We too (humankind, that is) have been established and crowned by your will. Not quite the same as angels, but close. You have entrusted to us the loving care of your handiwork: all flocks and herds, the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea, and all that nourishes and sustains them. You have invited us to be a mindful part of the whole. How can we respond to this unique honour? What words are adequate to voice our humbled thank you? Oh Creator, forgive our inadequacies. Redeem our errors. Ennoble our efforts. Again… your name… I can hardly breathe… Thank you.
Let me offer, as well, a song I wrote a few years ago having had a similar experience. My friend, Heather Bishop, made her cabin available to me for a week to retreat and write. One day I sat out in the tall-grass prairie that surrounds the humble hay-bale abode. I sat for hours, absorbing the thrum of creation. When the sun finally fell, and the light retreated, the deep cosmos became visible, and this song (inspired in part by a Richard Wilbur poem) came bubbling up with an insuppressible force: GOOD FRIEND Lyrics adapted in part from Richard Wilbur’s poem: Mayflies On somber night When shivering clouds bemoan The aching of souls alone Then stars appeared One arc of their dance showed clear And glittering song intoned Be but your own good friend And be good to the other Cherish those sisters and brothers On the road And to the earth extend Every reverence and wonder Tend to the wounds of your blunders And honour God who formed our home When sun is low Bright bands in forest glow Fair fiats of love. Behold! See shimmering flies In their quadrillions rise Weaving a cloth of gold Be but your own good friend…
Steve Bell is one of Canada’s most loved and widely recognized Christian musical artists, and blogs regularly at stevebell.com, on which this article originally appeared. When he’s not sharing stories all over the world, Steve resides in Winnipeg.
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The Multiplying Effect Curtis Hartshorn [BA 2015] grew up having a passionate heart for God. He would encourage his friends to live for Jesus— which meant he became a target for bullies. Feeling hurt and alone, Curtis started high school determined to fit in—whatever it took. For years his life revolved around partying and Curtis wanted a change. One Sunday he went to church with his mother and begged God to help him. That day God sent help through Pastor Jon Thompson [BRS 1999, MTS 2005]. Pastor Jon prayed with Curtis, cared for him and continues to mentor him today. Today Curtis is studying Biblical Studies and Theology at Tyndale in Toronto, ON.
He hopes to one day become an evangelist and have an impact on the lives of other people the same way Pastor Jon impacts him. Pastor Jon was equipped to care for Curtis in his time of crisis. He was equipped because he came to Tyndale. This is what happens at Tyndale, the impact of a Tyndale education is multiplied in the lives of the people our graduates meet. We know that this is what will happen with Curtis’ life—whatever career he is called to, he will go out equipped and prepared to serve the people in his world. Wherever God leads you, be prepared. Come to Tyndale.
www.tyndale.ca
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features
Stewards Over Creation Thinking environmentally as Christians
Christianity. Environmentalism. They’re two words that often seem to speak from opposite sides of the political and ideological spectrum. Whether it’s for reasons of negative association, intentional indifference or simply being unaware of the issues, many (but not all) Christians have been reluctant to link themselves to environmental movements. However, a growing number of Christian congregants, ministers, scholars and activists have spoken in favour of being environmentally conscious, saying that Christians, perhaps more than anyone, have a divine responsibility to be good stewards over creation. Among those who have spoken on the topic is Arthur Walker-Jones, a Winnipeg-based biblical studies professor and author of The Green Psalter: Resources for an Ecological Spirituality, in which he explores the environment as it relates to the Book of Psalms. Walker-Jones believes that Christianity and environmentalism need not only be unopposed to one another, but that faith can inform the way we live in and care for the world that God has given us.
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features
The Christian call to care…
SM: Why should Christians feel inclined to care for the environment and practise good stewardship over Creation? AWJ: For me, it’s a huge ethical issue. It’s a sad thing if the Church can’t speak on major ethical issues of our age. It’s disturbing to me that it’s been slow to respond to [environmental concerns], though in fairness there were some Christians that were among the earliest [to speak up]…in the 1960s. Whatever you think of climate change, it’s a scenario that looks at massive destruction of animal habitats, and of humankind. Some scientists think [climate change] threatens the extinction of humankind. At minimum it will cause a huge amount of suffering which will be borne most heavily by the poor. So for me, the ethical questions are, “What right do we have to do that kind of damage to the poor, to future generations? What kind of world are we leaving for our children and grandchildren? Is it right to be using [so much of] the Earth’s resources that we cause that kind of suffering and devastation in this and future generations?” SM: Some might argue that our first and foremost concern should be people, and that environmental concerns are at best secondary. How do you see caring for Creation as being integral to helping people thrive? AWJ: It’s actually social conditioning that’s developed through our language, our imagery, through the stories that we tell, through the ways we’ve interpreted Scripture that our society has come to see the word ‘environment’ as something that’s around us and unrelated to us. People live in denial—they don’t even think about it. They think that you can pollute the air, pollute the water, destroy habitats and somehow human beings can be separate from all of that. As the Bible often tells us, the Israelites lived in a very fragile ecology of preserving water and scarce resources, so they had a much better sense of that. Many people, especially urban people in modern cultures, are detached from the many ways we’re actually dependent on the air we breathe, the trees that clean the air that we breathe, all the animals and plants that provide food for us, the ecosystems that make those possible. I think we’re starting to get to a point where more and more people are recognizing that we have actually been damaging ourselves and risking our future by the way we’ve been behaving. SM: Why do you think Christians are often hesitant or even resistant to think about the environment as something that we should care about?
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AWJ: I think it’s a deeply frightening thing. It’s easier to be in denial than look at [the issues]. Sometimes I’ve asked people at workshops to think of a natural place they knew when they were young but that is now gone. You get a tremendous amount of grief. For some of us more wealthy people it’s the cottage that’s gone. For Aboriginal people it’s the whole landscape of their childhood that’s been flooded, or lost species, etc. So there’s a huge grief. To start thinking seriously about the implications becomes quite frightening. It’s often easier just to say, “I don’t want to worry about that—I don’t have to worry about that.” In the West in particular, we’ve developed interpretations of the Bible and Christianity that legitimize our exploitation of the environment. For instance, we understand Christianity with having just to do with going to heaven and not having to do with how we treat the Earth and Earth’s creatures. Or we hear what the first chapter of Genesis says about creation being good but then we understand that as being largely negated by sin instead of holding the two together. SM: What’s your biggest frustration with Christianity and environmental ethics? AWJ: The lack of action, personal and institutional. We have lots of nice statements by Evangelicals, by liberals…but not a lot of action by those churches as a whole. There are individual churches and people that are exemplary and probably leading the way, but the message hasn’t really gotten to the grassroots in a lot of denominations. SM: How do you respond when you hear the environmental counter-arguments of “we shouldn’t be focused on worldly things like the environment,” or “this place is not our home, so it doesn’t matter how we treat it,” or other similar points? AWJ: I’ll give you a biblical response. I think we’ve misinterpreted the New Testament. In the Lord’s Prayer Jesus prays, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” not “take us to heaven.” And in the Book of Revelation, the New Jerusalem comes down from heaven to Earth, and God lives with people on Earth. So among New Testament scholars, there’s pretty widespread agreement that the early Christian understanding was actually that their actions were creating heaven on earth. It’s more of a Greek idea that the reason to be a Christian is you’re going to go to heaven, which is someplace up there, separate from this world. I think the reason that [the Apostle] Paul was so committed to the resurrection was because it was part of his understanding that our bodies and the whole world was going to be transformed, not that we were some spirit that was going off somewhere.
features
SM: Some Christians have been turned off of environmentalism, due to the perceived links to things like evolution, Al Gore, hippies, etc, and other stereotypical “evils” that are often a cause for disassociation. What would you say to Christians who avoid thinking environmentally for reasons of association? AWJ: What comes to mind immediately is that they might want to think how culturally bound their Christianity is if it’s so tightly identified with a particular political position. And how odd, in a way, because Jesus was a homeless person wandering around in the hills. (laughs) I’m a child of the ‘60s and ‘70s, so Jesus as a hippie works for me. But that’s my politics too. I’m encouraged that those kinds of things seem to be breaking down, because to me these issues have the sort of urgency as a World War. We need to realize that it’s in all our interests, no matter what particular stripe of Christianity or political affiliation you’re associated with. Somehow we have to work out ways that we can work together and we have to do it pretty quickly. SM: What steps can Christians take in becoming more environmentally conscious? What’s needed from the Christian community at this point, in your opinion? AWJ: There are so many ways. I think everyone has their own interests, their own callings, so just figure out what you, with your gifts and interests and passions, can best be involved in. Whether that’s planting trees, or working with an environmental
organization, or getting people in your church organized to get geo-thermal heating for the church or solar panels, or whatever. There are so many things that you can do. Different people will have different gifts and passions. SM: Why is it important that Christians see the Earth as more than just fallen, imperfect, and set for impending judgment/destruction? What are the practical implications of such a mindset? AWJ: Thinking of the Earth as sinful and set for impending destruction leads to attitudes towards the Earth and other people and other creatures that, to me, are just violent, destructive and immoral. If you think of the resurrection, that’s the resurrection of both your body and spirit. Your body needs to be redeemed, and the Earth needs to be redeemed, too. If the Earth is a creation and gift of God, and even if you think that Christianity is just about going to heaven, when you get there what is God going to say about the way you trashed the gift? If this life is practice for heaven, then we should be practising care for creation—God’s creation.
Arthur Walker-Jones is a member of the University of Winnipeg Faculty of Theology and is author of The Green Psalter: Resources for an Ecological Spirituality.
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features
Preaching in primetime: The Duck Dynasty story Faith and family still come first for America’s most famous outdoor family By Rob Horsley
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features
A modern-day, real-life, rags-to-riches story featuring the Robertson family of West Monroe, Louisiana, “Duck Dynasty” is what “The Beverly Hillbillies” might have been like if they existed in real life. Since its debut in 2012, the popular reality television show has been a smash hit, breaking ratings records for the A&E Network, with its recent season finale bringing in nearly 10 million viewers, beating the long-running “American Idol” by 34 per cent, according to a report by The Huffington Post. The Robertsons made their fortune as proprietors of Duck Commander, founded by family patriarch Phil Robertson, a company best known for its best-selling duck call of the same name. Originally operated in a dilapidated shed, Duck Commander eventually hit the big time thanks to business-savvy son Willie Robertson who took the family business and transformed it into a multimillion-dollar enterprise, as well as stepping into the spotlight as the lead cast member for North America’s most popular outdoor life family. Despite being the recipients of immense fame and financial fortune, the Robertsons have remained humble and constantly outspoken about the importance of their Christian faith and its role in their lives as a family. For all members of the Robertson family, which includes father Phil and mother Marsha “Miss Kay” Robertson, sons Alan, Jase, Willie and Jep, their wives and children, and fan favourite, Uncle Si, faith is still the most important part of their lives, and part of a set of family values rarely given the primetime recognition that “Duck Dynasty” has earned for itself. “They have been consistently evangelistic,” says Mike Kellett, minister and elder at White’s Ferry Road Church of Christ, in an interview with The Christian Chronicle. The Robertson family continues to be actively involved in Kellet’s congregation, a place they’ve attended as a family for years. “Jase and Willie were both in my youth group years ago and were reaching out to the lost as teens,” he adds. As well as serving as a prime example of the family values that many Christian families continue to strive for, the show’s cast has also been very outspoken about the current culture of North America, and specifically how far it has fallen in terms of providing family-friendly programming for the general population. “What is this world coming to when we can’t even count on teddy bears to give us wholesome entertainment?” says Si Robertson. In the show’s season finale, Si accidently sees Ted, a film rife with sex, drugs and crude language, directed by “Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane. Phil agrees. “The Founding Fathers would be shocked that there was not biblical instruction in our schools,” he said at a recent press conference in Colorado. “We have a God-given right to live free…” But despite their outspoken nature and intentions to keep their faith at the forefront of their public image, some have alleged that the show’s editors are often quick to downplay the
Christian aspect of their lives as a family. “They pretty much cut out most of the spiritual things,” says Phil in the interview for The Christian Chronicle. “We say them, but they just don’t run them on the show. Members of the Robertson family see “Duck Dynasty” as a platform for sharing their faith with a wider audience, something they’ve done a lot of. But as second-eldest son Jase points out, it’s not always easy to break through Hollywood’s tendency to downplay their Christian values. “It’s a slippery slope when you’re holding Hollywood’s hand and you’re trying to accomplish something,” he says in a speech to members of White Ferry Road church, “when deep down all you want to do is proclaim that Jesus is Lord.” “We don’t have godly people and followers of Jesus owning the channel that we’re on or filming what we do,” Phil adds. “So what you see [on TV] is a functional, godly family, but there’s not a whole lot of gospel and Bible verses. Often the strongest-spoken member of the Robertson clan, Phil has been the most critical in the network’s portrayal of his family and its tendency to water down the message of the gospel that he continues to actively share to all who come to hear him speak. “Hollywood has run upon the Kingdom of God, and there’s a rub there… we have to be as harmless as a dove and as shrewd as a snake in the way we deal with them,” he says, remarking on the tension that has sometimes been the case between the family and the show’s producers, though his business-minded son Willie says that some of the reports of “editing out Jesus” may be overblown. “Here’s the deal,” he says in an interview with Joe Hight of Colorado’s The Gazette. “The network—they’ve been supportive of our faith. You wouldn’t think they would [be], but they are— and 9.6 million viewers, they ain’t going to mess with that show.” And indeed, the success of “Duck Dynasty,” as well as the Duck Commander business, has reached epic proportions, something the Robertsons chalk up to nothing but God’s blessing on their family. In an interview for Christian Broadcasting Network’s (CBN) “The 700 Club,” Phil recalls the initial family discussions about launching a reality television series chronicling the life of the family, an idea that he was initially skeptical of. “I said, ‘This won’t work. However, if God is behind it, it’ll go all the way to the top,” he says. “If He’s behind this, [there’s] no telling where it’ll go. That’s what it’s all about.” Phil, perhaps more than anyone in the Robertson family, recognizes the value of divine influence and God’s ability to lead people to greater things and higher callings. Phil famously lived a hard life of “sex, drugs and rock and roll,” before eventually accepting Christ at the age of 28, eight years after his marriage to Kay and with three young sons at home. At first, Phil wanted nothing to do with the Bible or Christianity, even when approached by his younger sister and a friend who also happened to be a minister. seven – issue thirty-one july – august, 2013 page 17
features
The Duck Dynasty Story
“I was in a beer joint, and a preacher came in with a Bible, and my little sister’s up in the front handing out [religious] tracts,” he recalls. “And some of the old guys drinking beer started romping on her a little bit, so I walked to the front and I said, ‘Listen. My little sister is one of these Holy Roller types and she’s passing out tracts. Leave her alone or I’ll break your legs,’” he adds with a laugh. “When the preacher got outside, he looked at her and said ‘I don’t think he’s ready yet.’” Even though Phil and Kay can laugh about some of the darker moments of life years later, the impact of those early years of their marriage still sticks with their children, something that Willie says has led to a greater appreciation of the patience his mother had during those trying times. “He wasn’t just away from the Lord, he was just horribly away and so he did a bunch of horrible things that were just terrible and, you know, for my mom to stick with him through all that was incredible,” he says. “I found myself becoming stronger because God was telling me, ‘You gotta stand up here,’” says Kay on those difficult years. Having converted to Christianity one year prior, she says that a lot of people were praying that Phil would eventually do the same, a prayer that was answered after he hit rock bottom decided to clean up his act for the good of the family. And despite the sometimes-difficult transition from ‘sinner-tosaved,’ Phil says that the years since finding Jesus have been a true blessing, one that he’s never reconsidered, even in the midst of new fame and fortune. “When you get right down to it, you’re talking about the rarest of commodities when you come to Jesus,” he says. “[You get] Peace of mind, all your sins removed, none of your future ones counted against you if you trust God and try, and at the end, the resurrection of the dead. When you really look at it, you say, ‘Can fame or money top the ressurection of the bodies from the earth?’ [sic] I don’t think so. “I ran without Jesus for the first 28 years, and I’ve run with Jesus for the last 38. Trust me—the last 38 have been far better.” Though he and Kay often joke that their family fortune has led to better times in their marriage, they’re quick to recognize that they’ve never forgotten where they’ve been as a couple, and as a family. “We never forget where we came from,” says Kay. “And if something happened tomorrow…and we went back to the shaggy trailer that we lived in at one time, it wouldn’t matter. We would just be fine.” The A&E promotional tagline for “Duck Dynasty” reads “Money. Family. Ducks.” But at the Duck Commander store in West Monroe, the “Money” has been scratched out with the word
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www.webfilter.onlinesupply.ca “Faith” written in its place. And truly, it’s that genuine, down-toearth Christian faith that has perhaps made the show, and the Robertson family, into household names among North American audiences. “Duck Dynasty” works because it brings Christianity into an everyday cultural experience, says Christopher Smit, associate professor of media studies at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in an interview with Heidi Hall of The Tennessean. “Even though these guys on Duck Dynasty have a very bizarre life, the show does try to represent these characters as simple, real life people,” he says. “Christianity doesn’t become the spectacle of the show, it simply becomes an element of authenticity. And that would certainly appeal to anyone who is a Christian.”
Photo by Vladimir Mucibabic
features
The “real man’s” guide to holidaying A few helpful hints for the perfect summer vacation By Gerry Bowler
WARNING: The following article contains humour and therefore should only be taken somewhat seriously. A while back the Mormon church ran a series of ads encouraging domestic togetherness. In one of them a family, tired of being neglected by the workaholic father, lures the busy man into a camper and kidnaps him. As they drive away they giggle at their own daring and tell Dad that he really has no choice but to accompany them. Though some viewers might have been left with a warm glow of appreciation for the notion of mandatory conviviality, I was less impressed. I wanted the Mormons to show us the sequel about the inevitable consequences of making a family travel together: the father cursing by the side of the road in a downpour as he tries to fix a flat tire while the rest of the clan merrily plays cribbage in the van; the teenage daughter, wearying of her younger brother, ditching him at Canada’s Wonderland so she can text her boyfriend in private. There’s Mom, hours overdue for a rendezvous at the food court as she is caught up in a frenzy of shoe-buying at the Mall of America;
Junior disappears with new friends at the beach leaving his tearstricken parents convinced he has drowned. And finally we have the long, sullen drive home as each family member nurses his or her grievances and vows never to do this sort of thing again. The idea of family vacations is a relatively new one in human history. There is no record of ancient Egyptian parents packing up the brood and hiking off to Giza to watch the Hebrew slaves erecting the new pyramids and boasting, “Someday, little Imenhotep, this plateau will be packed with tourists from far-off lands having their pockets picked and being cheated by swarms of touts.” When the Roman emperor Tiberius vacationed on the isle of Capri, you may be sure that he took pains to leave the family at home—the one time he didn’t, he ended up murdered by his kinfolk. It is worth noting that Laura Secord left her kids with her husband when she embarked on her cross-country jaunt in 1813. Only with the post-war Baby Boom and the affordability of Detroit’s chrome-bedizened land yachts did it occur to families that they might journey together to amusement parks, snake
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features
The real man’s guide
farms and sundry tourist traps around North America. It is with no fondness that I recall the hours of tedium in the vast back seat of a 1959 Chevrolet Biscayne, exchanging sly pokes with my little brother, playing license-plate Bingo and badgering my parents to stay only at motels with swimming pools and beds that vibrated when you inserted a 25-cent piece. My father must have spent the entire vacation budget on those magic beds because when, after days of driving in the summer heat, we arrived at Mount Rushmore he refused to pay the price of admission to the car park and we had to view the monument from miles away. (Apparently there is now a high fence at that spot to prevent similarly thrifty visitors from imitating my dad.) With this history in mind, I offer the following tips for fathers considering creating the perfect family vacation: • Always pack less than you think you need. If this means leaving behind an extra shirt, the baby or the surly teenager, so be it. • If you are travelling by car, invest in a conversation mirror. Nothing induces good back-seat behaviour like the parental Eye of Sauron monitoring every infant maneuver. • Should noisy and quarrelsome activity continue, or should the question “Are we there yet?” be repeated every two minutes, resist the desire to threaten to stop the car and leave the annoying children by the side of the road—kids know you are unlikely to do so and vain threats diminish parental authority. • However, if you decide to carry out your ultimatum, make sure your abandoned offspring are equipped with a road map, sunscreen and enough small change to call Social Services.
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• If you are travelling by airplane, remember that the quickest way to make to exciting new acquaintances is to allow your toddler to incessantly kick the seat the in front of him. • Child psychologists are divided on the question of sleepinducing drugs when travelling with small children on long flights. That old stand-by, the gin-soaked rag, has given way to patent medicines such as Gravol or Dramamine but doctors recommend that you not take too much or you will be unable to wake at the end of the journey and deal with the damage done by the kids during your blissful unconsciousness. • If you are the sort of hearty chap who enjoys camping; who yearns to abandon the blessings of indoor plumbing and airconditioning; who considers blood-sucking insects to be all part of God’s wonderful plan for the universe; who willingly places himself in the path of cougars, poison ivy, skunks, lightning strikes, rabid raccoons, rock slides, outdoor privies and the drunken antics of the yahoos in the next campsite; in short, a man who rejects the very fabric of civilization which humanity spent centuries building—ask yourself why you are willing to inflict your unhealthy obsession with the dangers of Mother Nature on your loved ones. No child ever caught Lyme Disease from an afternoon at the public library; no mother ever had to pluck leeches from the legs of a kid at the municipal swimming pool; there have been no verifiable reports of grizzly bear attacks at the 7-11. • If in a moment of loving optimism you once promised your children you would treat them to a family holiday at one of North America’s famous vacation parks, reconsider your rash gesture. The cost of a trip to Disney World is going to take at least $5,000
Photo by Frédéric Prochasson
out of your budget and leave you with only memories of endless lineups, a collection of novelty straws from over-priced theme restaurants and a complimentary shower cap that you scarfed from the Caribbean Beach Resort. If your children protest about your broken promise, do as I once did when my kids complained that I hadn’t ever taken them to the Magic Kingdom: I reminded them that I had many years left to live and that I wasn’t yet through with not taking them to Disneyland. • A final word of advice about family holidays: grandparents. If you are lucky enough to have surviving parents or in-laws, treat them to a lengthy visit from their grandchildren. The oldsters love nothing better than indulging the little dears in their every unreasonable wish, ice cream at all hours of the day and night, extended bedtimes and heart-warming tales about how wicked you were as a child. This will enable you to take the best possible vacation of your own—time away from the kids with the woman that you love (which is to say, your wife). Stay at home and just enjoy the peace; go to Paris unencumbered by kids who don’t yet understand how wonderful the place is; take a road trip to places from your own youth. Listen to audiobooks, hold hands, recover your equilibrium and smile. That’s what a real holiday is for.
Gerry Bowler is a cultural historian who teaches at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg.
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Official U.S. Navy Imagery/Flickr
features
Faithful in many forms Responding to natural disasters as Christian men
By Thomas Guenther
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There are few phenomena which shake our world more than a natural disaster. Tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis, and other forces of nature ravage the land and our cities, killing people and marring lives. Recently, tornadoes ran a jagged swath through Oklahoma; the pictures online and in newspapers have been stunning. Entire neighbourhoods became piles of rubble and 24 people, including children, are dead. And surely, the recent floods in Calgary, Alberta have given many of us a new perspective on how disaster can often hit close to home. I’ve never seen a tornado or a landslide or an erupting volcano but I’ve been close enough to severe weather to be afraid of what nature can do. It makes me feel small and very fragile. As I remember my experiences with major storms I understand a macabre truth: all the control I think I have is pure imagination. I can no more command the weather than I can dig my way to China. Now comes the reassurance. “God is in complete control.” “He sees and knows everything that is happening in the world and in each one of our hearts.” “He’s in the big picture and in the details: the storm and the response.”
When I see the devastation left behind by recent floods, tornadoes and earthquakes I sometimes wonder, “Why did this happen?” Though I am stunned and straining for answers, God has all the power and He is a good God. I know God is good because He says so and multitudes of people say so. Consider these biblical truths: • God made the world (Genesis 1-2:2); • God stopped the Earth from rotating around the Sun (Joshua 10:12-14); • Jesus calmed a storm by speaking to it (Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25). • God sent His Son to die for us when we wanted nothing to do with Him (Romans 5:8; Ephesians 2:4-5;8-9). Pain and trouble are inevitable and persistent realities. And just because we suffer tribulation doesn’t mean God isn’t present or loving. It actually fulfills his promise to us through Christ, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33b). It’s not God’s job to make life a bowl of glazed peaches; he’s never promised an easy, crisis-free existence. He has, however, guaranteed to be with us forever and faithful throughout every part of our lives: the disaster and the rebuilding.
Though it's difficult to admit given the recent floods that have occurred in Alberta, our country is a relatively safer place to live, compared to much of the world. Many regions are commonly impacted by tsunamis, earthquakes, massive floods, tornadoes, and volcanos all the time. Perhaps because we in Canada do avoid most serious natural calamities we can’t really empathize with the plethora of victims they create. If men want to be serious about Jesus’ call to clothe the naked, feed the hungry, and care for the ill we cannot ignore God’s children who suffer because of where they live. Several organizations are on the ground, helping those who survive such calamity and are forced to McGyver their lives back to a sustainable level. Abe Kauenhofen, who volunteers with Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) says many are incapable of recovering their livelihood because their insurance can’t or won’t pay enough to even rebuild their house. “The work was good,” says Kauenhofen, who has worked as a plumber to rebuild homes in the wake of Hurricane Isaac. “But, the people we encountered were broken-hearted, they didn’t know what they could do. We were able to give them hope.” As men, we often want to help with this sort of practical assistance, even if we’re not tradespeople. We want to do more than write a cheque. God made us highly visual and I believe
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we feel more comfortable and more satisfied if we can see the difference we’re making. MDS only works in North America, and does accept volunteers to serve at its reconstruction projects. But it’s an exception to the norm—very few organizations let people actually get involved in person, especially if the disaster or crisis is overseas. Andrew Burditt, communications director for The Salvation Army in Canada and Bermuda, says that often, best thing to do is send money. The Salvation Army does take volunteers but they have specific requests and requirements for the people they select. It isn’t as simple as showing up and signing on. John Longhurst of Canadian Foodgrains Bank (a partnership of churches and church-based agencies which work to end global hunger) agrees. “We don’t send volunteers overseas because the last thing a devastated area needs is 20 North Americans who aren’t used to the climate, food, customs, or language. They just get in the way and take up more resources.” Longhurst says the best thing people can do is to find a solid agency and open their wallets. “Donate generously. CFB partners with locals to rebuild their towns and cities themselves. The best thing we can do is ask the locals, ‘What do you need?’ because they will know best.” It may seem counter-intuitive to us, that we can help the most by staying away. Most men want to get their hands dirty: find a problem and fix it at the source. How can men really help if they’re not present? If you believe God is calling you to go and help, pray about it. If not, sending money is an effective way to help those working directly with the suffering. Whether you are led to go or stay, connect with an organization you trust. Don’t assume you and a couple of friends can just show up with your tool belts and save the day. It’s more complicated than that. Don’t worry, if God really wants you there, He’ll make it happen. He is good and He is faithful. Thomas Guenther works, writes freelance, and lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba seven – issue thirty-one july – august, 2013 page 24
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sports scene
Blub Bomber brothers talk faith and football Prayer plays a part in hard-hitting playing style By Scott Taylor Henoc Muamba won’t say that his own coaxing might have brought brother Cauchy to the Winnipeg Blue Brothers from the B.C. Lions this season, but he will admit he probably mentioned something to the Bombers coaching staff. Regardless, the Blue Bombers middle linebacker is so happy to have his younger brother in town—playing on the same team—that he looks at it more as a gift from God than a series of fortunate occurrences. “It’s going to be exciting this season,” says Henoc. “As brothers go, we are very close. When Cauchy was playing in B.C. last season, we spoke on the phone every day. We talked a little about football but, really, we talked about everything. “This year, we can talk football all we want together. We can talk about our team and our playbook. It’s the first time we’ve played together as professionals and it’s going to be fun.” Henoc and Cauchy Muamba, both born in Kinshasa, Congo, are two of the hardest-hitting, most physically devastating young players in the Canadian Football League. Cauchy, 25, was selected by B.C. in the fifth round of the 2010 CFL draft and arrived in Winnipeg as an off-season free agent, signing this past February. A fivefoot, 11-inch, 196-pound safety out of St. Francis Xavier University, he is one of the hardest-hitting defensive backs in the game. Henoc, 24, was the first overall pick of the 2011 CFL draft by the Bombers. In his rookie season in 2011, he earned the Bombers starting middle linebacker’s job. At six-feet, 228-pounds, he is one of the most feared players at one of the most violent positions in football. Twice, he was CFL Player of the Week in 2012 and was named the team’s most valuable
defensive player at the end of the season. The brothers grew up in a Christian home in Mississauga, Ontario, and attended Kingdom Covenant Church. Both take part in Blue Bombers Football Chapel with pastor Lorne Korol and are deeply committed to their faith. So how do two of the hardest-hitting defensive players in the CFL come to terms with the teachings of Jesus Christ and physical brutality of professional football? “It’s not that hard for me,” says Henoc, via telephone from Halifax where he was conducting a football camp for high school players. “I understand football is a very violent game, but it’s also a game that teaches us so many things about teamwork, loyalty, dedication and commitment. My faith has always been a part of my life and I believe that all the good things that come from the game
have helped me along the way.” Cauchy’s feelings aren’t much different. “We grew up in a Christian home and our faith has always been a large part of our lives,” he said. “Yes, we know football is violent, but we don’t go into a game to injure other players. In fact, we put our faith first. We pray before and after the game and in our prayers before the game, we pray that no one is injured. After the game, we give thanks for the opportunity to have played the game. Our faith is part of us and it’s part of the way we play the game.” There is little question that the brothers play the game very well. Both are big, strong, hardnosed, fearless and fast and they’ve been given physical and mental skills not offered to every person. They also believe that despite the fact their Blue Bombers have not won a Grey Cup since 1990—the CFL’s longest drought—they just might have the team capable of winning it all in 2013. “We have a very good young team and we’re looking forward to what this season will bring,” Cauchy says. “Our goal is to win a championship. We have faith in that.” That’s another wonderful thing about faith. Having it also includes the positive outlook that makes handling the ups and downs of a game like professional football a whole lot easier. It doesn’t hurt to have your brother by your side, either.
Scott Taylor is a Winnipeg-based sportswriter and broadcaster.
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money matters
Does your money keep going and going? Careful budgeting keeps you on track for saving—and giving—more and spending less
by Karen Bjerland
So where is the money going? In a recent study, Statistics Canada stated that Canadian households are spending more and saving less. According to the Bank of Canada, we are piling on debt more than twice as fast as our income is growing. How do Christians avoid the influences of a materialistic society that encourages us to live beyond our means? There must be a way to enjoy what we’ve earned while preparing for the future and still meeting our day-to-day financial responsibilities. And let’s not forget about our desire to also be generous givers— faithfully supporting God’s work. Budgeting will help YOU keep going: Determine your available monthly household income. “Available” income means your after-tax income, not your gross salary or earnings. You can find this number on your pay stub. If you operate on a non-fixed monthly income, use a yearly average divided by months.
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List monthly expenses: • Determine your actual spending by recording all your expenses—yes, even those $2 trips to Tim Hortons. • Separate expenses into the categories of fixed or variable expenses. • Fixed expenses are items that don’t
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change much from month to month, such as your mortgage payment, your insurance premiums and contributions to your church. • Variable expenses are items that fluctuate over time. But they are expenses that you have more control over such as food, new clothing and entertainment. Make an income vs. expenses comparison: • If your income is greater than your total expenses, then you have a positive net household income. You only have to continue to monitor your expenses to ensure you effectively manage what God has given you by continuing to live within your means. Now you can work toward retirement and charitable giving goals. • If your expenses are greater then your income, you will need to bring your spending into line with a budget. Stop money from going to the wrong places: • Identify the problem areas that drain your money. • Find out why you overspend in these particular areas. (i.e. peer pressure, too much dining out, clothes shopping etc.)
• Work with a financial representative to create a financial plan to prevent overspending. • Be determined to stick to your budget. The first two months won’t be easy but by month three, things will get much easier. • Watch for good patterns to form by the third month. The difficulty of determining actual expenses in each category will melt away. In Proverbs 27:23-24 we are reminded to take stock of what we own and to care for it, “Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds, for riches do not last forever…” God provides us with the tools to build a good life. These include a job, skills and the knowledge and ability to learn. Our job is to make the most of the resources that He has provided—not only for our own benefit, but also to further God’s work on the earth by giving to others. Budgeting will help you become more organized, gain financial control and grow your resources so you can keep going, growing and giving!
Karen Bjerland is the president and CEO of FaithLife Financial.
Out of my depth
The Earth is the Lord’s Three key ways to appreciate what He has made
By Phil Wagler
So we’re watching some animated movie when a dancing deer amazes my kids. One blurts, “That is soooo cool!” Their older brother, having moved beyond such immaturity yet unable to turn his eyes away, corrects, “It’s a CARTOON! Animals can’t really do that.” Thanks, Einstein. A few weeks later we’ve graduated from the Disneyfication of the world and are watching that stunning documentary, Planet Earth. The amazing cinematography follows a chase to the death. A wolf pursues a young caribou calf across the rugged tundra, eventually overtaking the vulnerable one in a disturbing image of the brutality of life. Our youngest son watches silently then declares, “He got him.” He is neither celebratory nor sad. This just is and someone needed to say it. Uncommon familial silence follows and a strange wonder hangs in the air. The moment surpasses the giddy detachment from reality stirred by that other cuddly façade of talking critters. It seems to me this second experience is closer to what ought to be the human response to the vastness and wildness of the created world. Our First Nations neighbours and friends have much to teach about living in the unavoidable and codependent relationship that exists between we bipeds and the flora, fauna, and cosmos. While many of us can’t avoid drooling over technology—the world created by human hands—we would do well to take a long walk in the unpredictable wilderness where there is no cell coverage, animals don’t play fair,
the wind can blow us into submission, and we find our place beside Job as he hears from the Lord, “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me if you have understanding” (Job 38:4). So, this leads me to consider three positions of the heart and hands as I consider my relationship to the world around me as a follower of Jesus. First, awe. I have the privilege of driving a road every day that provides a stunning and knee-bending view of British Columbia’s coastal mountains. Occasionally a Bald Eagle stares down on me from a broken tree branch. And, when there’s a full moon on a clear night over all this, well, it leads to awe. “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers…” (Psalm 8:3) crooned King David. Everywhere we look there is reason for awe. Science is a daughter of faith because awe leads not only to worship, but discovery and query. We seek to understand what amazes us. The fact that we’ve taught our kids to laugh at rather than wonder at what surrounds us cannot bode well for the future of humility or true knowledge of the Holy One. Second, respect. Milking cows and shoveling other bovine products taught me more than appreciation for where my food comes from, it taught me respect. You don’t know respect until you’ve been cornered by a 600-pound bull who thinks you’re his play toy. “Is the wild ox willing to serve you?”(Job 39:9) asked the Lord. It’s a fair question. There’s no guarantee he will. At the same time, the ox can be
brought in line more easily than a mosquito! Isn’t it amazing how the smallest bug can control you? Respect must be added to awe. Could it be that our abuse of the earth that is the locale of the resurrection is rooted in a lack of respect for what we have been given dominion over, yet can be thoroughly dominated by? Which leads to a third position: concern. Awe and respect are nice but incomplete without active concern. This is not about sentimentality, but dirty-hands. “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof…” (Psalm 24:1). It’s all His and if we know Him we should share His concern. Paul quotes Psalm 24 in 1 Corinthians to justify the eating of meat sacrificed to idols. He’s not defending rabid consumption of steak (though I am suddenly hungry), but pointing out that avoiding something because it was deemed belonging to an idol is not a Christ-centered position. The earth and everything in it belongs to the Creator. No idol, demon, or even human can claim ownership. And so, we receive all with thanksgiving and never approach the world as consumers. We become concerned enough to care well, steward well, use well, and live in that tenuous, but glorious space God has placed us in as the crown of His creation.
Phil Wagler is a pastor, husband, father and former farm hand living in Surrey, BC.
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power play
Great games. Great toys. Great gadgets. Reviews by Sandy McMurray
HAVE A BALL thinkgeek.com
Warm weather means fun in the sun, including swimming, surfing, playing in the sand, and tossing around the old beach ball. What could be more fun? Try tossing around a GIANT beach ball! The Giant Inflatable Beach Ball from Think Geek is big. Reallly big! It weighs about 14 pounds and measures 10 feet in diameter when fully inflated. Recommended for ages six and up (because it could crush a smaller person), the Giant Inflatable Beach Ball is best enjoyed in large groups, in wide open spaces, on calm waters during quiet days when the weather forecast does not mention high winds. Pump not included, but highly recommended. Do not attempt to inflate with just your own hot air.
Boat Pack
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BOATPACK
HOT SAUCE COOKBOOK
boatpack.com.au
robbwalsh.com
Is it a roof rack or a boat? It’s both! BoatPack is a high capacity travel storage box that can also be used as a boat. BoatPack comes with a wooden seat, folding oars, and rowlocks. When you reach your destination, you can flip it over and take it out on the lake. BoatPack can be used as a rowboat or fitted with a standard electric motor. BoatPack can also be used for secure and watertight storage on land. Just remove the base unit from your vehicle and lock it on the boat as a lid. “A boat upside down so your gear’s safe and sound!” That’s BoatPack.
If you want to know about hot sauces, the guy to ask is Robb Walsh. He’s the former editor-in-chief of Chile Pepper Magazine and the founder of the Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival. He’s also the author of several books including Texas Eats and the Tex Mex Cookbook. Robb’s latest book, The Hot Sauce Cookbook, contains instructions for fermenting your own pepper mash, plus dozens of recipes for homemade pepper sauces and salsas, including variations on popular brands like Frank’s RedHot and Sriracha.
MAKE YOUR OWN BACON COLON CLEANER HOT SAUCE amazon.com
Some hot sauces sell because they have funny names. Other are popular because of their extreme heat. Still others have a unique flavour. Introducing Professor Phardtpounders Colon Cleaner hot sauce. Funny name? Check. Carribbean mustard flavor? Check. Scotch Bell Peppers with heat level 8? Yow! Fans of hot peppers and mustard recommend adding Colon Cleaner to burgers, eggs, and potato salad. Enjoy this elixir of capsaicin extremus responsibly.
Colon Cleaner Hot Sauce
baconkit.com
Charcuterie is the branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat such as bacon, sausage, ham, terrines, and confit. It usually involves adding salt and other preservatives to pork. It’s less necessary now, thanks to modern refrigeration, but it’s still practiced today because we still enjoy the flavours created by the process of preserving meat. Baconkit brings the experience of charcuterie home. This handy kit includes cure (salt and spices), a curing bag, maple sugar, a meat thermometer, and instructions. All you need is pork belly and Baconkit and you can make five
Hot Sauce Cookbook
power play
pounds of bacon at home. Don’t fret if you don’t have a fancy smoker at home. You can cook your bacon in the oven if you like. The makers of Baconkit promise that the finished product will taste better than store bought bacon, and it won’t shrivel, shrink, or release water when you cook it. Yum!
BALCONY GRILL connox.com
If you don’t have a patio or a backyard, you might think you don’t have a space for a grill. You would be wrong. The Bruce Handrail Grill is perfect for small spaces like apartment balconies. It’s shaped like a flower box, and it’s designed to mount wherever flower boxes can go. With proper ventilation (and permission from your building) you can now enjoy summer grilling without bumping into your guests (or the bicycles, snow tires, etc.) every time you turn around.
Make Your Own Bacon
Balcony Grill
S’MORE TO LOVE amazon.com
It’s fun to roast marshmallows over an open fire. No one minds if the first few catch fire or drop in the dirt. As long as one or two make it to your mouth. S’mores, on the other hand, can get really messy. Melted chocolate is great in your mouth, but not on the ground. The S’More to Love s’more maker provides a neat and tidy way to prepare half a dozen s’mores at once. Just prepare your ingredients, stack ‘em, lock, and place on the grill or in the oven.
WATER PISTOLS hasbro.com, buzzbeetoys.com
When I was a kid, water pistols were tiny, useless little things with zero range and triggers that broke soon after you started pumping. Not today. Super Soakers and Water Warriors now offer a wide range of wet weaponry designed for kids of all ages who love to get wet. The Gorgon is a popular choice for
S’more to Love
water warriors who want the power to drench an opponent with just a few shots. This pump action gun uses pressurized air to launch short bursts containing large streams of water. It’s big and heavy to carry because the water reservoir is designed to hold a lot of water. The Super Soaker Thunderstorm is a better choice for younger kids who lack the strength or patience to pump. The combination of battery power and removable clips makes it easy to soak an opponent then retreat to safely reload. Although the Thunderstorm lacks power, it can fire a steady stream of water that lasts longer than many pump-action water guns. On a hot day, what could be better than a good soaking? Enjoy the summer!
Sandy McMurray writes about games, toys, and gadgets at funspot.ca
Water Pistols
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What women want
The colour of a woman’s libido Don’t grab her body—touch her heart by Sheila Wray Gregoire
Your beloved is at the sink, arms elbowdeep in suds, scrubbing a pot. Her body is shaking in all the right places. She looks luscious. As you walk by you grab a bit, just to let her know how sexy she is. If you’re lucky, all that gets bitten off is your head. Why can’t she just appreciate a compliment? When it comes to sex, your wife may have the same reaction to arousal as a colour blind guy does to the colour green. The vast majority of time, it makes no sense to her. With sex, many women are often incapable of feeling, or even wanting to feel, aroused. It’s a foreign concept. Most women have two distinct states: “Sex? What’s that? Leave me alone,” and “Come and get me, baby.” In about 30 per cent of marriages the wife actually has the higher sex drive, but in most marriages the big tension is that he wants to make love more frequently than she does. And he can’t figure out why she isn’t more interested, especially if she has a good time when she does surrender. Can’t she hold on to that? Nope. When women are in the “no” state, we can’t imagine what it feels like to be in the “yes” state. It doesn’t compute. It’s like we know intellectually that at one point we were in raptures, but our bodies forget. Our bodies are colour blind—or at least sex blind. Often, everything a woman loves when she’s in the “yes” state are total turn-offs if she’s in the “no” state. When we’re doing dishes, and you walk by and
seven – issue thirty-one july – august, 2013 page 30
grab a bit of flesh south of the neckline, that’s not sexy. That’s annoying. Telling her she’s hot? Demeaning. Whispering “I know what I’d love to do to you”? Pesky. “Let’s get it on!” Presumptuous. While you may enjoy certain parts of your body being touched whenever we get the itch, we don’t return the sentiment. The parts of our bodies that we enjoy being touched when we say “yes” are the very parts that, should you reach out to them when we’re in the “no” state, will rebel and erect a chain link fence, with barbed wire to boot. Yet isn’t touching exactly what is supposed to get us aroused? Actually, no. A man’s body parts may be hardwired into his arousal process, but a woman’s aren’t. Her arousal process has a gatekeeper, and she’s more vicious than a secretary trying to protect her doctor employer from new patients. She doesn’t want to let anything through. And that gatekeeper is her brain. A woman’s sex drive is ruled by her brain; a man’s is ruled by something a little farther south. If the brain is not engaged, her body won’t follow. Touch the body before the brain says yes, and everything snaps, like a giant mousetrap. But it’s not that we never like these things. On the contrary, they work wonderfully well—if we’re already in the “yes” state. But don’t treat her like all engines are revved when they’re not. That leaves guys with a bit of a dilemma. You want to move her from “no” to “yes”, but you’re not allowed to touch anything or say anything that
screams of sex. What do you do? Remember the key to passion isn’t a body part; it’s intimacy. Don’t grab her body; touch her heart. There’s a reason make-up sex is often so passionate; you’ve had a fight, and you’ve made up, and so you’ve both shared very emotional things. You feel heard. You feel validated. You’ve been intimate, even if it’s been through a difficult experience. And it’s that intimacy, even more than the reconciliation, that she’s reacting to. God designed sex to be a man’s doorway to intimacy, but He designed intimacy to be woman’s doorway into sex. Marriage unites two people with very different drives, and in order to create real harmony, we have to become unselfish and reach out to meet each other’s needs. She’s not weird or strange or frigid. She just needs to feel like she’s one with you before she physically becomes one with you. What do you do if you turn to mush and she’s still a “no”? Talk to her about it. Ask her what would help her to feel more intimate. Certainly explain your frustration. But also spend more time with her away from a screen just having fun. Nurture your relationship. Love the whole person. And whatever you do, keep your hands to yourself.
Sheila is the author of seven books, including The Good Girl’s Guide to Great Sex and 31 Days to Great Sex, a fun challenge couples can take together. You can find her at www.SheilaWrayGregoire.com.
“Be strong and courageous.”
Joshua 1:9
MEN’S CONFERENCE
Join men from all across Canada for Promise Keepers Canada’s Stronger men’s conferences. Fantastic speakers, live music and resources to equip you for life.
“There’s a place in every man’s heart that longs to be courageous, to be bold and gutsy and etch a masculine mark of bravery on the human landscape. In our hearts, we know that a part of the core of true manhood is courage.” – STEPPING UP, AUTHOR DENNIS RAINEY
“Nehemiah’s life is a testament to courage. God is looking for leaders like Nehemiah to fight moral, physical, political, and spiritual battles. He is looking for those who possess the spiritual courage to trust Him and take their faith in him into the daily battles of life.” – A LEADER AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART, AUTHOR JIM GEORGE “The man who claims he’s never done anything courageous doesn’t understand what courage really is – or how often he faces decisions that require courage.” – STEPPING UP, AUTHOR DENNIS RAINEY
“A real man rejects passivity, accepts responsibility, leads courageously, and expects God’s greater reward.” – MEN’S FRATERNITY CURRICULUM, AUTHOR ROBERT LEWIS
www.PromiseKeepers.ca
“There comes into the life of every man a task for which he and he alone is uniquely suited. What a shame if that moment finds him either unwilling or unprepared for that which would become his finest hour.” – WINSTON CHURCHILL
FOR INFORMATION ON PK CANADA’S ISRAEL TRIP ON FEB 19 – MAR 1, 2014
visit: www.PromiseKeepers.ca/JourneyToIsrael