Remember the Good Old Days?

I am as bad as anyone when it comes to thinking about the past and finding joy in old memories.  But I am also very aware of the dangers.  Last week at church we looked at the book of Haggai.  In this book, the Jews have returned to Jerusalem after the exile and have rebuilt the Temple destroyed by the Babylonians.  The problem was that the new Temple was a far cry from the glory of Solomon's Temple.  There were those who were longing for the good old days.  There are two things for us to keep in mind.

1) The Good Old Days Are Not as Good as You Remember - Think about the good old days of the Jews.  Most of their kings were bad.  There was conflict between Israel and Judah.  There was war with other nations and even empires.  Their worship was impure, taking on the worship of idols.  Things were far from ideal.  The fact is that we idealize our memories so that we can create a sanctuary to hide from the troubles of the present or the uncertainties of the future.  The fact is that the good old days were not near as good as what we remember.  In fact, there were people in our good old days that themselves were looking back to their good old days.

2) The Good Old Days Are Not as Good as the Better New Days - God promises the people that the latter glory would be greater than the former.  This happened in a couple of ways.  Herod rebuilt this Temple and made it much more glorious.  But even more than that, Jesus became the replacement for the Temple as our way of connecting with God.  Not to mention, the church as the body of Christ has become the new Temple as we have the Spirit within us.  Central to being a Christian is being a people of hope.  We have to believe that in some way things will get better and that the latter days will be better than the former.

The audio for this message can be found at www.stephenjbedard.podbean.com.

How Not to Reach Out to Muslims

A Christian preacher has decided to dedicate September 11 for burning Qur'ans.  You can watch the video here.  Watching this I am dumbfounded.  I understand that there is anger and frustration toward Muslim extremists and terrorists.  But this is not the way to respond, it certainly is not the way for a Christian preacher to respond.  Why not reach out in love?  Why not follow Paul's example in Acts when he visited Athens and although he disagreed with their religion, he sought to build bridges?  Christians would be horrified by people burning Bibles.  As a wise Man once said. do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Anne Rice Quits Christianity

Anne Rice, famous for writing novels about vampires, made a well known conversion from atheism to Catholicism a number of years ago.  This transformation was so great that she focused her writing on tales about Christ.  However, Rice has now announced that she is quitting Christianity.  You can read the article here.  This is not a return to atheism but a rejection of "organized religion."  I find this announcement a bit strange.  Much of what she rejects about Christianity has no place in my Christian faith.  Is she aware that there are other traditions than Roman Catholicism?  And how can one remain faithful to Christ but reject Christianity or the label Christian?  I suspect Rice is more venting her frustration with certain positions of the Roman Catholic church than anything.  It is easy to make such statements but the fact is following Christ is about being in fellowship with other followers of Christ, which in essence is Christianity.

Me and My Music

I recently received a nice email from someone on my web-site www.stephenjbedard.com.  It was very encouraging but expressed some concern about my choices of music as shown in a slideshow of the books, movies and music I like.  I thought it was a good question and deserved a more public response.

I grew up attending an Anglican church where there were no expectations about the music one listened to.  I was not very personal in my faith, so it would not have mattered anyway.  In my teen years, some of my favourite music was Iron Maiden (both my first tape and first record were Iron Maiden's Number of the Beast), Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Scorpions and so on.  The more shocking, the better as far as I was concerned in those days.  In the later days of my time at high school and into my university years, I moved beyond heavy metal and more into progressive rock such as Rush and Yes.

During my time in university, I made a personal commitment to Christ.  Some of the Christians that I got to know as a young Christian made it clear that the type of music I listened to was very important.  It was not a minor issue but was rather one of the bigger issues that God was interested in.  I was not to listen to any secular music, but only Christian music.  One pastor suggested that it would be better if I did not even listen to contemporary Christian music (not even just Christian rock).  I took this very seriously and even participated in a good old-fashioned record and CD burning to get rid of the "devil's music."

I eventually got a job at a distributor of Christian music.  This was a great opportunity to get to know more Christian music and to get it at a very reasonable price.  I discovered that there was some great Christian music, rivaling the quality of many of the secular artists.  But I also discovered that things were a bit more complicated than I thought.  There were some nominal Christians that were in the Christian music industry because it was an easier market to break into.  Their lyrics had very little Christian content.  There were other Christian artists who were sincere in their faith and who were good enough that they were able to transition into the secular market.  Then again, there were other Christian artists who never were in the Christian market and were just making good music in the secular market that reflected their Christian values.

All during this time there was something else going on in my mind.  Some of my Christian friends that were most dead set against secular music did not hesitate to watch sports, watch television, go to movies, play video games and participate in all sorts of "secular" entertainment.  I began to question why music was the one area that had to be "Christian" (technically only people and not music can be Christian, but you know what I mean) while every other area of life can be open.

That brings me to where I am now.  I enjoy Christian and secular (I hate both labels, but I have to use something) music.  I love Christian bands like Third Day and Casting Crowns.  But I still listen to my progressive rock like Rush, Yes and Pink Floyd.  I enjoy U2, who people debate as to whether or not they are Christian.  What I look for are good music and thoughtful lyrics.  I do not have to agree with the lyrics (I think Pink Floyd's The Wall is a masterpiece of the inner life, even though I disagree with the lifestyle of the person being described).

I do not suggest that Christians should listen to secular music.  I do encourage discernment.  I do not hesitate to change the station on the radio or skip a track on a CD if I feel the song is bringing me down. This is simply the journey I have taken and each must go their own way.

A New Chapter

A new chapter of our life has now begun.  This morning we brought our daughter Abby to a group home called Avalon.  This will be her new home for the foreseeable future.  It is interesting that Avalon was a mythological isle of the blessed where King Arthur found healing.  We hope this will be a place where our family will find healing.  We were very impressed with the facilities and the staff.  It was a miracle (literally) that this placed opened up so soon.  Abby seemed to really like it, although she was not that happy about us leaving.  Our prayers are that this will be a place where Abby will thrive.  We already miss her terribly and look forward to visiting her.  She is an awesome little girl and she deserves only the best.

Prayer for Our Family

We would like to ask for you for your prayers and support for our family as we begin a new chapter of our lives. As you may know, for some time we have had struggles with our daughter Abby. Because of the severity of her autism, she presents with many difficult and challenging behaviours.
After much prayer, reflection and consultation with our care providers, we have made the difficult decision to place Abby permanently in a group home. Through miraculous circumstances, this will take place on Tuesday. Abby will be living 15 minutes outside of Orangeville at a facility that will provide her with the structure and routine that is impossible to give her in our home environment. Being there will allow her to thrive, learn and live her life to the fullest.
So again, as a family we covet your prayers. We ask you to pray specifically for Abby and the staff that will be caring for her. Please remember our family in your prayers as we make this difficult transition.

Is God Just a Nice Guy?

I am the first person to affirm God as love and to stress his grace and mercy.  But the Bible (for example Nahum 1:2-3) does present another part of God, a side that is about holiness, righteousness and justice and that God is very firm with these attributes.  Last Sunday we looked at three issues regarding this side of God.

1) First of all we looked at the comparison of the Old Testament and New Testament pictures of God as if one presents a God of wrath and one a God of love.  The fact is both testaments present both sides of God. There is vengeance and mercy throughout the entire Bible.
2) We also looked at the idea of "holy war" in the Bible.  People have accused God of advocating genocide.  While I am uncomfortable with some of what we find in Joshua, God definitely did not command genocide.  The plan was for Israel to possess the promised land, not to exterminate an entire race.  Throughout the Old Testament we find God speaking of driving out the inhabitants rather than killing them all.  Israel never pursued the Canaanites if they left the land.
3) People often ask how a loving God could condemn people to hell.  First of all, we have to get rid of the idea of demons ruling hell and systematically torturing damned souls.  That is Dante and not the Bible.  Hell is the eternal absence of God.  Would it really be just if God took those who rejected him in this life and forced them to spend eternity in his presence?  Hell is about giving people what they want.  The problem is that people do not realize how bad things will be when they lose the amount of God's presence in this life that they are currently experiencing.

We might wish that God was just a God of love.  The truth is that he is a fuller being.  We can not ignore this side of God but at the same time we must see him as the Bible presents him and not how critics suggest.  You can find this message at www.stephenjbedard.podbean.com.

Autism and Voice Analysis

There is an interesting study that has looked at the voice (cooing) patterns of young children and has been able to distinguish those who have autism or other speech delays.  The hope is that this will lead to an earlier diagnosis.  Early diagnosis is key to proper treatment.  You can read the story here.

People Get Ready

I love the song People Get Ready.  I heard it years ago by Rod Stewart and Jeff Beck, but this version by Jeff Beck and Joss Stone is also very good.



Here are the lyrics:

People get ready, there's a train comin'
You don't need no baggage, you just get on board
All you need is faith to hear the diesels hummin'
You don't need no ticket you just thank the lord

People get ready, there's a train to Jordan
Picking up passengers coast to coast
Faith is the key, open the doors and board them
There's hope for all among those loved the most
There ain't no room for the hopeless sinner whom would hurt all mankind
Just to save his own
Have pity on those whose chances grow thinner
For there is no hiding place against the kingdoms throne

People get ready there's a train comin'
You don't need no baggage, just get on board
All you need is faith to hear the diesels hummin'
You don't need no ticket, just thank the Lord.

Interview With Donald Miller

CNN has an interesting interview with author Donald Miller.  Miller is quite honest about his story and experience.  It is worth checking out.  You can find the interview here.

Rock of Ages

Amanda and I are not really going away much this summer (a cruise and a trip to Belgium have already given us a pretty good year).  But we are going to take a couple of days this week in Toronto.  One of the things we are going to do is see a musical.  I must confess that I am not really into musicals but Amanda has been more than flexible in finding ones that I would enjoy.  A couple of years ago we went to see the Lord of the Rings musical and I quite liked it.  This week we are going to see Rock of Ages.  I grew up in the 80's and the music of this show is the soundtrack to my teen years.  It looks like a fun time and I am looking forward to seeing it.

Fun With the Boys

Last week I did something that I wanted to do for a long time.  I actually took Logan and Justus camping.  Now, it was just in the backyard but it still was very important.  We have some strange dynamics in our family and "normal" always seems like a distant dream.  But having a night to hang out with my boys, start a fire, eat smores (I was the only one interested in the smores, but they ate their share of cookies) and to sleep in a tent, was like a dream come true.  Logan and Justus are pals and it was great to watch them interact.  We had a blast even with very little sleep.  This was something that I never was able to do with my dad and I was excited to be able to do it with my boys.  I am very thankful for this opportunity.

God, What Do Want From Me?

Expectations are always difficult to comprehend.  How much more when it comes to the expectations that God has for us?  One of the most helpful passages is that of Micah 6:8.
“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
(Micah 6:8 NIV)
We looked at this passage last Sunday as part of our Genesis to Revelation series.  What God wants is:
1) Justice.  Justice is when reality lines up with the way things are supposed to be.  We are to fight against injustice and there is plenty of it to fight against.
2) Mercy.  If justice is giving people what they deserve, mercy is giving them what they do not deserve, that is helping people not based on what they have done or who they are.
3) Humble Walk.  As important as it is to treat people right, it is just as important to be in a right relationship with God.  That relationship is a humble walk, letting God take the lead and making the decisions of where to turn.
We also looked at Jonah and how he compares with this.  Jonah was all for justice (as long as that included the destruction of his enemies) but he did not love mercy.  Nor did he walk humbly with his God as he predetermined how God should act toward the people of Nineveh.  Jonah is our negative example and we should shape our lives according to Micah 6:8.
The audio of this message can be found at www.stephenjbedard.podbean.com and can also be found on iTunes.

Extreme Makeover: Soul Edition

Last week at church we looked at the Christian life as a sort of extreme makeover that needs to take place.
1) First of all there is some need of demolition to take place first.  There are certain areas of our life that just have to go in order for something better to be built up.
2) When the renovation begins, it must be built on the foundation of Jesus Christ.  There are lots of good things out there but they all vary from generation to generation.  Jesus Christ is the only one who is the same yesterday, today and forever.  Because of this, he is the firm foundation on which we can build.
3) The frame of our house must be made of love.  God is love and Jesus summarized the faith as love for God and love for people.  Only love, the love described in 1 Corinthians 13, will last for eternity.
4) A roof is that which is between you and what is above.  For the Christian, that is faith.  Faith, in the sense of trust, is vital to have a relationship with an invisible God.
5) Windows allow us to look out into the world without allowing that which is unwanted, such as insects or bad weather, from getting in.  For the Christian, our windows are hope.  We need to look out into the world but hope protects us from being overcome with despair.
We need to build a house of love, faith and hope built on a foundation of Jesus Christ.
You can find this message at www.stephenjbedard.podbean.com.

Life With Autism

I try very hard not to complain.  This is especially true about our kids.  We are blessed with five incredible kids and I am extremely proud to have them in our family.  But the truth is that autism is difficult.  Logan and Abby are very different and yet their autism affects them greatly.  This is especially true in the summer when school is done and their schedules are all out of whack.  We often get accused of being "super-parents" but in fact we are normal parents who have days when life in general and dealing with kids in particular is difficult.  We have a number of "I hate autism" days, recently more than we would like.  I say all this not to complain or seek pity or sympathy.  This is our life and we have to deal with it.  But if you know parents of autistic or other special needs children, say a prayer for them.  Don't be afraid to ask if there is something you can do.  Encourage them on the dark days.  Parenting for anyone is not for the faint of heart, parenting with special needs requires just a little more.  We are always thankful for our kids, but we are also thankful that not every day is like today.

The Last Airbender

Amanda and I went tonight to see the Last Airbender, the latest movie by M. Night Shyamalan.  I was excited to see this movie as I am a fan of Shyamalan (especially Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Village and Lady in the Water), and the previews looked really good.  However, as I looked into it, I noticed that the movie was getting dismal reviews.  Some of the concerns were too many white people, disappointment from fans of the series and sub-par acting by some of the young actors.  Well as someone completely unfamiliar with the series, I very much enjoyed the movie.  I actually thought that the movie was very multi-ethnic and did not see the problem with a few white people.  Being unfamiliar with the series, I had no expectations and so was not disappointed.  As for the acting, there were a few actors that were perhaps not the best but this really is not a character piece.  This movie is an epic and the story is about the big picture of the appearance of the avatar and the impact on the elemental nations.  I was able to endure a few bad lines, being caught in the larger story.  Overall I really enjoyed the movie and I hope that somehow it does well enough for them to make the sequel.  If you are intrigued by the movie, do not listen the critics, go and check it our yourself.  The special effects alone are worth the price of admission.

A Closer Reading of Job

I have been reading the book of Job in my Bible devotions.  The summary that most people give of this book is that Job loses everything but remains faithful to his God even though his friends come and try to bring him down.  While there is some truth to this, it is more complicated than that.  As you read the speeches by Job's friends, especially the earlier ones, it becomes obvious that there is a lot of truth in them.  The problem is not their lack of orthodoxy but rather their attempts to impose good theology on Job without a thought of how it connects with his situation.  Job on the other hand does little that is commendable than to refuse to give up (which is still pretty good).  We speak of the patience of Job but if you read his speeches, he does not seem all that patient.  He speaks very negatively toward God in these speeches.  In fact as a pastor, it would be easier for to write a good sermon on the speeches of Job's friends than it would be on Job's speeches.  I say all this just to encourage people to not rely on pious summaries of books of the Bible but to actually take a close reading of the text to discover what is really going on.

Toy Story 3

We went to see Toy Story 3 yesterday.  Our workers Erin and Nikki took Logan and Abby and Amanda and I took Emma (Justus was supposed to go but he wanted to stay with Nana).  All the kids did fine which was nice.  It is amazing what large amounts of popcorn do to help kids behave in public.

The movie was great.  I have been consistently impressed with Pixar.  Not only are they the best at computer animation, they have the best stories.  Other companies have tried to compete with Pixar with animation (with varying degrees of success) but none have come close in the quality of stories.

Toy Story 3 continues the story of the living toys from the previous two movies.  However, now Andy is grown and is ready for college.  The toys, through some interesting circumstances, end up at a daycare.  Here they are introduced to the toys that live (and rule) the day care.  The scenes with Ken are hilarious.  They soon find that not everything is as sunny as they thought and they attempt their escape.  One of the funniest parts is when Mr. Potato head takes the body of a soft taco and then a cucumber (I personally think this is a reference to Larry the Cucumber from Veggie Tales).  The movie has lots of what make Pixar  movies classics: action, laughs, emotion and a genuine interest in what happens to the characters.  Toy Story 3 is not about the hype, it is about a really good movie.

Woodford Baptist Church's Anniversary

I am the pastor of two churches: First Baptist Church Meaford and Woodford Baptist Church.  On Sunday, it was Woodford Baptist Church's 155th anniversary.  We had a very nice service with music by Dave Randall and a message by Paul Hansen.  Paul was Woodford and Meaford's pastor for almost thirteen years (the longest of any pastor at both churches) in the 80's and 90's.  It was great to have him back and see the strong relationships that remain.  I have been the pastor for almost seven years (already I am in the top five for longest serving pastors) and I am proud of Woodford Baptist Church.  We are a small congregation but we are an active Christian presence in our community.  Although many small country churches in our area have shut down, I see Woodford going on for many years.  My message to Woodford is: thanks for being faithful servants of Christ and have a very happy anniversary!