Fear vs Faith

His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.

-- Matthew 25:21 --

Matthew 25:14-30 has got to be one of my favourite passages in the bible.  It talks all about being faithful with what little God has given you and not being motivated by fear.  As our Core Witness Team studies the Gospel of Matthew in preparation for Urbana, this theme of fear vs faith keeps coming up.

A time of fear for out community can be best shared through this story.  I presented an opportunity for the community to help support one of their own to go to Urbana.  This would mean that they would probably have to each invest $100/person to help this person to go.  Indeed, it was a high call.  However, I expected that they would jump at the opportunity because of what we have been learning around Radical Hospitality and what we have been studying in Matthew.  Instead of receiving excitement, I was met with fear filled why's and reasoning's around why they can't do it.  If there wasn't talking, tension filled silence filled the room, even from the ones who agreed that it was a good idea.  This community has hit the wall, and they hit it hard.   I tried to hide the disappointment in my face but that was near impossible.  The team saw it and we proceeded to do a couple of weeks of tension filled bible studies and events.  The dryness and deadness we were experiencing over the next couple of weeks was a result of both midterms and fear.

Two weeks later, I confronted the team after the bible study regarding this situation and said,

"During that moment, we let fear dictate our actions.  If we choose into fear, what sets us apart from the others?  We didn't fail as individuals, we failed as an IVCF SFU Community and we failed to represent the Kingdom of God to even our own.  We need to choose into faith.  It doesn't mean that we will be getting it perfect all the time and we will probably fail more that we succeed.  That's why we are doing this together, so that we can better represent the Kingdom of God as a community.  Let's choose into faith together."

Their response, silence, but it was truth being spoken.  I don't know how much it sank in.  I guess only time will tell.

After, I shared of times when we as a community did choose into faith together.  The fundraiser, the party train, ski retreats.  We had lots of experiences of choosing into faith together and then experiencing our master saying, "Well done, good and faithful servant."


A time of faith our community stepped into faith literally happened the day after our community chose into fear.  It was the Find Your Life Fundraiser for SFU/Emily Carr Scholarships.  This was a vision that we decided to do in the summer and it was organized and lead by the students.

After the disappointing Core Witness Team, I was unsure of how this fundraiser event was going to go.  Prior to the event, Sam rallied a group of students (all going to Urbana) to my place to prep the food.  It was amazing seeing 6 students investing their afternoon to organize and help with the food prep.  Afterwards, we went to Willingdon Church to set everything up.  The majority of the SFU/Emily Carr students going to Urbana came early to help out.  From decorations, to food set-up, to worship.  All hands were on deck.

7:00 rolled around and the attendees were starting to trickle in.  We were hoping for the range of 200 people but ended up with a disappointing 40.  However, we wanted to steward these people well so we trusted that God would provide.  The event started and as I looked around the room, I didn't not recognize about 3/4 of the room (which is pretty cool).  I'll save the specifics but between the worship, MCing, and preparation.  I saw the SFU community rally together.  I saw the Holy Spirit impressing on the few people that were there to give generously, and I saw the students experiencing the joy of being faithful.

Out of the 30 people that gave that night and including the unknown amount of online donations, we raised over $3000!  On average, each person gave over $100!  That was better than any of the other Metro Vancouver fundraisers that we as staff put on.  God choose to bless us for our faithfulness.  God is indeed good!

Upcoming Events & Prayer Requests

Upcoming Events

• IVCF Fall Fundraiser - November 21
• Fran in town for VUP Site Visit - December 9 - 12
• Urbana 15 - December 26 - January 1

Students & Campus

• Pray for the SFU Interns (Alan, Sanjana, & Xenia) as they are pioneering new ministries on the SFU Campus
• Pray for Urbana recruitment for SFU.
• Pray for VUP recruitment for SFU.
• Pray for students to not choose into fear but to choose into faith.
• Pray for open hears for our leaders to receive the deeper calls into faith.
• Pray for the change in culture of our Core Witness Team and some of the tough calls that will need to be made
• Pray for more student buy-in to lead
• Pray for the IVCF Party Train and for students to choose into it more.
• Pray for the scholarships that are being raised for SFU/Emily Carr students ($15,000)

Personal

• Pray for my growth as a leader and mentor.
• Pray for me as I continue to network and connect with other Churches in the Lower Mainland.
• Pray for the Inter-Generational Dialogue between 1st and 2nd Generation Chinese Pastors.
• Pray for mine & April's relationship in our marriage and a deeper understanding of God's Love for each other.
• Pray for more opportunities and clients for April in her field of work.
• Pray for me that I will rest well during my Sabbaths.
• Pray for me that I will be exercising more regularly.
• Pray for the regular rhythms of time with God for both April and I
• Pray for wisdom and discernment around us being more missional in our everyday lives.

Praise Item

• Praise the Lord for providing my full support in monthly donations
• Praise the Lord that April and I are coming to a deeper understand of God's love for each other.
• Praise the Lord for a really successful AMMiC Conference.
• Praise the Lord for April's short term missions experience in Cambodia & Vietnam.  

Josh's Reflections on Radical Hospitality

1. What have you been learning about Radical Hospitality this summer that you didn't know before?

IVCF SFU Welcome BBQ!!

I think a lesson that shocked me as we learned about radical hospitality is how simple yet, how difficult it was to demonstrate radical hospitality. In many ways it was simple because hospitality could include inviting people to join you for lunch, offering to buy someone a coffee, going to an event someone has asked you to join or opening your home to people. Yet, this simplicity is complicated by so many excuses that stop us, and I believe this is where difficulty arises because there are so many excuses to why we should not be hospitable. One thing I have always wrestled with was meeting new people. I always worried about giving off the right impression, not wanting to associate with certain people or worried about awkwardness that it stopped me from even trying to approach the person. However in our meetings with Servant Partners they taught us about their openness to welcome strangers into their home and to accept them lovingly, the joy it brings but also some of the challenges. One thing that really stuck with me after our meetings with Servant Partners was realizing how caught up I was about my self-image and my own possessions that I valued it over a relationship with another person. It is not easy to value the human connection amidst all the worries one can have, however I believe that this is when we lean into trusting in God and love as Jesus loved others.

2. How have you been applying Radical Hospitality in the way you serve and also in your everyday life?

Denman Island Leaders Retreat

I think the way I have applied Radical Hospitality to my life related to a prayer I asked before this summer semester. During fellowship at my church I prayed with one of my friends that God would move me from a life of convenience. It was one of the big excuses I was using when it came to why I did not want to be hospitable. I live about 2 hours away from campus by transit and so I only go up to campus for class and that was how my schedule worked. However this semester as I have been serving on the executive team for InterVarsity at SFU I have had to come up on days when I do not have classes, come earlier or stay later than my class schedule requires me. It means late transits home when I sometimes do not even get home till midnight. However the times I spend with other people whether it be through meetings or simply eating lunch together reminds me of how unique and fascinating each individual can be. Whether it be their personality or their stories, I am intrigued over and over again by the differences each person brings to the table yet we can still connect together in those moments. Now, I am excited for each lunch time in which I get to spend with friends and whoever decides to join around the table that week.

3. Where does Radical Hospitality fit into the bigger picture of God's Kingdom?

Hosting Servant Partners.  I wasn't allowed to help.

I believe that Radical Hospitality fits into the bigger picture because Jesus demonstrated it himself. I believe that Jesus demonstrated an unconditional love to those whom society would deem the lowest of low. Jesus loved the children (Mark 9:37), the women (Mark 10:1-12), the crippled, the blind and those with diseases. These were the outcasts in the time and culture when Jesus was around. Going through the book of Mark, Jesus does something incredible for those whom society would ignore or glance over. Jesus acknowledges their presence, accepts them and loves them, and in turn gives their humanity back to them. Therefore I believe we are called to do the same, I believe there are many people that are outcasts, and as we learn and develop the gift of hospitality, we will become more aware of those who do not fit in. I believe that radical hospitality requires us to extend to places where we may feel uncomfortable, and sometimes unsafe. However, the desire to feel wanted and loved are things that everyone desires and if we have the desire to demonstrate Jesus’ love for others it should be more than enough to give us reason to push through the uncomfortable situations and love those around us. There are those who are on the fringes, or fallen through the cracks of society. I believe as Christians as we continue in radical hospitality we are called to love those around us whether it be simply talking to them, giving them a meal, or letting them sleep at your house for the night.

4. Where do you hope the community will be at the end of the summer around Radical Hospitality?

I hope the community will be at a place in which even in the uncomfortable situations we will push through to love and accept those around us. To notice those who fall through the cracks and are in need of community. Amidst all the worries or concerns people would have, to push through and lean into trusting God and to be able to set aside judgment and love those others would deem weird, awkward or disgusting and to just love them and see them for who they truly are just as Jesus loved and accepted them. 

My Reflections on Radical Hospitality

Since coming to Vancouver, I came hoping for the expectation of being able to show and receive hospitality in the same way that I experienced back in Saskatchewan.  Yet, to my surprise, it was extremely difficult to practice and receive that.  A great majority of people kept to themselves and I was rarely invited to anyone's home to just hang out or even invited out to coffee.  I was really confused of this and thought that the Christian circles would change this, but to my surprise, it didn't.  In fact, I felt it was somewhat worse.  Also, to throw another challenge into it, SFU is a commuter campus so no one stays around long enough to build community.

After living here for 4 years, I have come to realize that Vancouver (along with the rest of Canada) suffers from hyper individualism and loneliness.  In short, the depth of friendship just isn't here.  This plays into the fact when I (and others) invite people into deeper community, they tend to say "No" and not for any good particular reason.  Most of the reasons are:  "It's too far to travel" or "I'm too tired", which I completely understand, but it doesn't help with the loneliness and these excuses are getting a little old.  With this in mind about Vancouver, how is it that we as an SFU community can properly witness to our friends when we ourselves are not willing to extend hospitality to others?  In my opinion... it is impossible to witness effectively without hospitality.

I had a chance to attend IVCF's GROW Training in Toronto and learned that the pillars of growing a community/fellowship is Vision and Hospitality.  I evaluated where the SFU community was and noticed that the vast majority of my students understood the vision, Yet, even though they had vision, that vision was not being put to action because hospitality was not being practised on a regular basis.  I knew that the next cultural focus of our community was going to have to be on Radical Hospitality.

For my students though, I have a feeling that this is going to be even tougher than sharing their faith with their friends.  The reason is that everything about Vancouver, SFU, and sometimes ethnic culture could go against the Kingdom value of hospitality, especially if it inconveniences them.  In the context of scripture, there is an underlying assumption of Jewish culture that has hospitality built right into it.  When hospitality is extended, it is very rarely for the benefit of the one hosting.  In some cases, it requires great sacrifice, risk, and cost for the host to help and include the guest/stranger as a part of their family.  Extending hospitality will most definitely inconvenience us in some way.  It is one of the best ways we can be showing the love of Christ to the friends, strangers, family, etc.  So as Catherine and I prayed and brainstormed around what this could look like, we realized that it was going to be very difficult because this goes against our very culture and everything seemed to be working against this.

With the help of Servant Partners (http://www.servantpartners.org/), the SFU Core Witness Team have taken leaps and bounds in understanding and practicing Radical Hospitality over these past couple of months.  The leaders are now hosting the weekly Core Witness Team events by taking turns hosting and regularly thinking and wrestling with how to be more hospitable with the gifts God has given them.  This also challenges the other student leaders to have to travel (and sometimes very long distances) for the sake of the community.

Please continue to be praying for our community as they wrestle with how to be hospitable and how to put the Radical in Radical Hospitality.

The Challenges of Change

When I think about change, I would like to think that I enjoy change.  Yet, when I see how I respond to changes, see how families respond to their kids growing up, and observe how the world engages with change, I realize that no one likes change.  Change is something that we need and is part of the natural progression of life despite the discomfort it causes us.

Barron's Last Hurrah at MARKwest Pacific

This season in ministry has not only been a season of lament, but a season of change.  Barron, who was my ministry partner of 4 years has now officially concluded his time with the SFU ministry.  He will be pursuing his Masters in Architecture at the University of Toronto.  Julianna, a student who I have been mentoring and who has had a profound impact on our ministry has now graduated.  Catherine, who has had to step down from serving in IVCF to better care for her family.  Transferring supervisors from Mike to Dave.  Interns coming to SFU.  These are the changes that have happened and are going to happen over these next couple of months.

Initially, as I reflect on all of these changes, I realize that my reaction is that of only thinking of positive things.  I was really happy to hear about the opportunities God is giving Barron, I was really happy to hear about Julianna graduting as an Extraordinary Kingdom Leader, I was really happy to have Dave as my supervisor and SFU getting interns.  I could only think of the positive.  Yet as I sat in it more and thought about what changes this would bring, my joy seemed to turn to despair and sorrow.  I had to now think about all the loses and changes that will have to be made in ministry and life and it was painful to think and act on these changes.  

I honestly thought with all of my experience in moving to different cities that I was immune to the effects of change.  This past year has proven me wrong about that.  Change is a part of our lives and anything that challenges us to step outside of our comfort zones, it will always be challenging.  Change is normal and it is difficult.  I have to accept that especially as someone in a ministry that has such a high turnover rate (both in students and staff).  

An ever changing Exec Team.  Celebration Time!!

So as I share with you in this update.  I can update you on the joys and positives experiences in ministry, but if I am honest, I can't say that everything is alright.  What I can say is that I am navigating through these changes the best way I know how and I want to invite you to walk with me in navigating through this.  Also, if you are also navigating through change as well, I would love to hear and journey with you through this.  The joy about being a follower of Jesus is that our family is not restricted to just our blood family.  Jesus has called us to be family for each other and I want to extend that invitation out to all of you.  

While you are praying for me in how I navigate these changes, please remember to pray for those who are also going through changes as well.

Pray for...

Barron as he transitions from ministry to student life again.

Julianna as she transitions from school life to employment

Catherine as she transitions from leadership to family

Mike and Dave as they transition from being my supervisor
Dave and Kim as they look to move closer to the Emily Carr and SFU.

The interns as they all relocate to Vancouver for a year long internship of constant change

Upcoming Events and Prayer Request

Upcoming Events

• Vacation - July 1-24
• Alberta Trip - July 10-18
• 30th Birthday!! - July 7
• To Whom Shall We Go Interview - July 8

Students & Campus

• Pray for this summer as the students to apply what they have learned from the Servant Partners around Radical Hospitality.
• Pray that God empower the students to lead during my time away for vacation.
• Pray that the students will be able to continue to lead regular socials to better invite their Non-Christian friends into a loving community.
• Pray for perseverance for students as they are finishing midterms
• Pray for rest for the students that they will be able to set appropriate boundaries
• Pray specifically for Catherine and her family as they work through some challenges. 
• Pray for more Urbana registrations
• Pray for the logistics of travel and a fundraising event.
• Pray for my funding.  I will be raising an additional $12,000 ($1,000/month) this year of monthly donations.  Pray that God would place on the hearts of donors to come on as supporters
• Pray for Barron as he will be transitioning to Grad School this summer.
• Pray for Dave as he transitions into being the new Team Leader of the Van East Team
• Pray for the interns as they transition to life in Vancouver and ministry.
• Pray for the discernment of students as they are wrestling with the idea of a community house.

Personal

• Pray for my growth as a leader and mentor.
• Pray for me as I continue to network and connect with other Churches in the Lower Mainland.
• Pray for the Inter-Generational Dialogue between 1st and 2nd Generation Chinese Pastors.
• Pray for mine & April's relationship in our marriage and a deeper understanding of God's Love for each other.
• Pray for more opportunities and clients for April in her field of work.
• Pray for our general finances.  We are asking God to allow us to break even each month.
• Pray for me that I will rest well during my Sabbaths.
• Pray for me that I will rest well during my vacation.
• Pray for me that I will be exercising more regularly.
• Pray for the regular rhythms of time with God for both April and I

Praise Item

• Praise the Lord for being able to partner with Servant Partners and to learn about Radical Hospitality
• Praise the Lord that April and I are coming to a deeper understand of God's love for each other.

From Lament to Joy (Student Reflections)

Question for you:

Out of CCLI's top 100 used Christian songs in North America, which songs are songs of Lament?

Answer:

3 (and this is being VERY liberal)

When Soong-Chan Rah shared this fact at Missions Fest, I was completely floored.  If 40% of the Bible focuses on lamenting, why are we, as a North American Christian movement, only focusing 3% of our worship on lament?

The whole first half of the Gospel of Mark focuses on Jesus as good news and the coming messiah and is worth following.  Jesus is the healer, provider, care giver, listener.  He is indeed exciting to follow.  However, when you get into the second half, it talks all about the cost of following Jesus.  Denying yourself, leaving family, leaving households, servant of all, death.  When we get to this, we start to realize that following Jesus is not at all easy, but it is HARD and we don't like hard.  Part of counting the cost of Jesus is learning and knowing how to lament well.

This loss that we experience in following Jesus is indeed great and if we don't actually take the time to acknowledge it, we fail to see the reason why we follow Jesus in the first place.  We are then, only but shallow soil that receives the word, receives it with joy, but when trials and persecutions come, we fall away.

This 3% disturbs me quite a bit.  I feel that because of our inability to experience and navigate suffering well, it is stifling our passion and followship of Jesus.  I've been seeing this a lot and have noticed that this generation of SFU IVCF students are starting to experience the cost of following Jesus.  Most however, have not been equipped to deal with the cost and the loss associated with it.  So Anika and I started to spend some time in how to lament well with our community.  To our surprise, the passion of these students started to blossom and their followship of Jesus was starting to become more real to them.  As they continue to count the cost of following Jesus and as they lament well along the way, the joy associated with it has been growing and increasing.

Core Witness Team, songwriter, singer, student, Grace Swain shared some interesting thoughts on lament.

Serious question, when was the last time you heard your pastor preach on Lamentations? Seriously. It's not a book of the Bible that's commonly talked about and yet it's important to God because it's there in his Word. If we believe that all scripture is God-breathed then clearly lamenting is important to God. How much more should we be open to experiencing these emotions that are so dear to

the heart of our father.

At IVCF @ SFU, we have had the privilege of sharing in a short season of lamenting and mourning together. We lament the brokenness we see on our campus. We lament our inadequacies and fears of sharing this faith that we hold so dear with those who so desperately crave Him. We lament our own brokenness which reveals our vulnerabilities that we shelter so fiercely. 

Yet even in our season of lamenting, we rejoice because God is faithful to heal, save and restore. We rejoice in the stories we have heard of God softening the hearts of those around us. We rejoice in the healing of our weaknesses for we have made the inner parts of our hearts open to our Father, Who longs to lavish his love upon us. 

As a singer and songwriter, I have written many songs of lament.  I personally have lamented our children's loss of innocence, inequality and injustice towards the marginalized, and the celebration and glorification of lascivious living. I often have questioned why it is that I write these songs — largely rooted in the fact that songs of lament are not usually celebrated within societies and church communities. Many times this is done on my own and often remains between me and God. Yet it has truly been a privilege to lament with the IVCF community. It has been a privilege to hear each other's hearts and to be let into the innermost thoughts of my fellow students and brothers and sisters in Christ. I have rejoiced when others have rejoiced and I have mourned when others have mourned. I have able to come to know such a tender part of my Father's heart — and that brings me joy. 

Exec Team, prayer warrior, puddle jumper, Anika Barlow also has some insightful thoughts on lament.

“It’s all good.” This is our collective mantra. This is what we say to each other, what we try to convince ourselves of...even when the evidence is stacked up on the contrary.

As part of the collective Church, I believe we are especially guilty of this. It’s apparent in the truncated scope of our conversations, our sermons, and our gospel. We are happy to talk openly about the goodness of God and the grace of God, but our doubts in that same grace and that same goodness are better left unspoken. We’ve got a ‘GMO gospel’, as I heard someone say recently; in our words and our actions we’ve stripped the gospel of some of its core DNA - sacrifice, repentance, long-suffering, obedience - and replaced it with something a little more marketable and a little more palatable.

I long for a true taste of the gospel - as rich in joy as it is in lament. David, stringed instrument in hand, writes “cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you”, but not before crying out “my heart is in anguish within me”. I wonder if we’re doing ourselves a real disservice by neglecting the call to lament - if by circumventing the dark places we’re also sidestepping the heights of joy. Maybe our hallelujah choruses are drowning out that voice of one calling in the desert.

These are some thoughts that have come out of my experience with our little community of IVCF at SFU in the past few months. In our practices of prayer Jesus has been inviting us to take an honest inventory of our surroundings - to really get a handle on the burdens of our friends, to mourn over the lifelessness of our campus and the extent of our own sinfulness. Full stop.

When we allow ourselves to be in this place we give the Spirit freedom to be our one source of joy, and not the joy we conjure up with “it’s all good”. And how much more powerful, how much more hopeful, how much more credible of a witness to see a Church with eyes open, with hearts broken and yet...somehow…despite all the odds...hopeful.

On lament? ...lament on.