My Blessing Today

I led a memorial service today for a wonderful lady named Carol Bahn from our church who passed away a couple of weeks ago.  Carol was especially fond of her grandson Josh who has Down's Syndrome.  After the service, Josh came up to me and introduced himself to me.  He said to me: "Grandma sick, Grandma with God.  Why?"  I told Josh that God did not want his Grandma to be sick and that is why she is now with God.  Josh looked at me with tears in his eyes and told me: "Tell God to give Grandma back!"  He then grabbed a hold of me with both arms and sobbed into me.  If you know me, you know that I am not a huggy person.  But something about the love this young man had for his Grandma really touched me.  When he was done holding on to me, he looked up and said: "Hey, I had a big cry."  I assured him it was a good thing to have a big cry.  Thanks Josh for the hug and for loving your Grandma so much.  Thanks Carol for helping to teach Josh to love by your example.  I was greatly blessed today.

Woodford Anniversary Service

Woodford Baptist Church will be celebrating their 156th Anniversary Service on Sunday, June 26 at 7:30 pm.  Our guest speaker will be Rev. Sharon Chapman from First Baptist Church Thornbury and music will be by Sonrise & Co.  Refreshments to follow.  Everyone is welcome!

Ministry to Special Needs Families

Last week, I led a workshop at the CBOQ Assembly on ministry to special needs families.  Here is just a short summary of ways churches can support special needs families.

1. There is tremendous strain on marriages within special needs families.  Reach out to the parents.  Do not assume that they are too busy for some adult company.  Bring some dessert, get them to provide coffee and have a visit after the kids go to bed.  Arrange for some babysitting for some respite so the parents can go out.  If you are not comfortable babysitting special needs children, hang out at the house after they go to bed and let the parents go out.
2. Reach out to the siblings.  You might not be comfortable reaching out to special needs children, but you can reach out to the brothers and sisters.  Parents do not always have the time to give the attention they want to the other children.  Take the other kids out for some fun.  It will be great for everyone.
3. Reach out to special needs children.  They are not so scary.  Really. Trust me.  Just try.  There may be a learning curve, but you can do it.  Do not assume limitations on the kids based on what you see and hear.  Let the children teach you what they can do.
4. If you don't have special needs families in your church (if you don't you should be asking why), reach out to the special needs families in your community.  Trust me, there are many out there no matter where you live.
5. Reconsider what reverent worship looks like.  Does it always have to be calm and quiet?  Maybe a special needs kid squawking is exactly what you need.  We want peace for worship.  But the Hebrew idea of peace (shalom) is not about quietness but wholeness.  The presence of special needs families can actually bring shalom to your congregation. 

Happy Birthday Amanda!

Today is Amanda's birthday.  I am so thankful for Amanda.  She is an awesome wife and mother.  As you may know, there is an age difference between Amanda and I.  When we got married, some people were concerned with difference in maturity.  However, after eleven years I am beginning to slowly catch up to Amanda.  I love hanging out with Amanda.  She puts up with my classic rock and superhero movies.  She is always doing special little things to show her love to me and the kids.  Amanda, I hope you have a great birthday!  We love you very much!

How to Get to Heaven

There is a story about a new pastor in town.  The pastor walks up to a boy and asks directions to the post office.  Once the directions are given, the pastor invites the boy to church to find out how to get to heaven.  The boy replies "If you can't find the post office, what makes you think you can tell me how to get to heaven?"

Recently I was talking with a man that I have known for some time.  He just recently found out that Christians believe that people get to heaven, not by being good people, but by having faith in Jesus.  This really took him off guard.  This made me wonder how many other people I know are unaware of this.  So here it is.  Christianity teaches that one can receive eternal life only through accepting the price Jesus paid on the cross for our sins by faith.  Is this fair?  Would it not be better to just let the good people in to heaven and not worry about who you believe in?  First of all, it is not about how fair it is.  If you jump out of an airplane with a parachute, there is no point in being offended that the only way to save your life is to pull the chord someone told you to.  You just do what you have to do.  Secondly, I believe faith in Jesus is preferable than relying on how good we are.  The Bible teaches that none of us are good enough.  But even if it was possible to be good enough, would you really want your last thought to be wondering if you had tipped the scales enough?  You could never know for sure this side of the grave.  I would rather face death knowing that my afterlife depended on who I know rather than what I had done. 

So there it is, that is the way to heaven.  And by the way, I do know where the post office is.  It helps that it is right beside our church.

Books We Bought

Had a great time at our denominational Assembly.  Sometimes people ask what books we bought.  Here you go.  You can purchase any of these from Christian Books Distributors by clicking on the links below.

Spiritual Rhythm: Being with Jesus Every Season of Your Soul By Mark Buchanan / Zondervan How do you measure your spiritual growth? By how much time you spend in prayer? How often you read the Bible? How many times you share your testimony? Rather than becoming frustrated trying to keep track of your Christian "to-do" list, Mark Buchanan believes that your spirit grows depending on what season you're in. Using the four seasons--winter, spring, summer and fall as living parables, Buchanan explores what each has to offer with biblical insight and pastoral experience. Discover what season your heart is in, and find the rhythm in your spiritual walk.

The Jesus Wars By Philip Jenkins / HarperOne * Was Jesus fully divine and fully human? This question convulsed the Roman Empire during the fifth century. Jenkins offers a detailed---and bloody---survey of the theologians and the imperial family, conspiracies and court factions, riots and rebellions involved in a decades-long civil war over the nature of Christ and "right belief." 336 pages, hardcover from HarperOne.

The Last Word: Beyond the Bible Wars to a New Understanding of the Authority of Scripture By N.T. Wright / HarperOne According to Wright, evangelicals and liberals are misreading the Bible. He explains why both overly literal and politically correct positions are indefensible, then sheds light on how Christians have grappled with the authority of Scripture over the centuries. Crucial reading for guiding the church through its many controversies. 144 pages, hardcover from HarperSanFrancisco.

Small Faith-Great God By N.T. Wright / Inter-varsity Press Sometimes our faith doesn't seem up to life's challenges. But Wright says it's not how much we believe but Who we believe in that matters! In these uplifting messages, Wright calls us to be constructive citizens of the world, speak the truth without hypocrisy, and submit to one another in love as we focus on God. 176 pages, hardcover from InterVarsity.

Grace Notes: Daily Readings with a Fellow Pilgrim By Philip Yancey / Zondervan Gathering a year's worth of reflections from the expanse of his writing---and some never-before-published works---Yancey invites you on a journey that reveals his understanding of God, the world, and faith. You'll explore the wonders of God in nature, music, and romantic love; the practice of prayer; the spiritual in unexpected places; and more. 384 pages, hardcover from Zondervan.

One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are By Ann Voskamp / Zondervan Drawing heartbreaking beauty out of the simplest of details, Ann Voskamp invites you into her grace-bathed life of farming, parenting, and writing---and deeper still into your own life. Here you will discover a way of seeing that opens your eyes to ordinary amazing grace, a way of living that is fully alive, and a way of becoming present to God that brings you deep and lasting joy.

Spotlight on Hugh Halter

I am currently at the annual Assembly of the Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec.  Our speaker is Hugh Halter and he has been great.  I really appreciate his emphasis on the kingdom of God.  I thought I would include some links to his books on Christian Book Distributors for you to check out.

The Tangible Kingdom: Creating Incarnational Community By Hugh Halter & Matt Smay / Jossey-Bass Looking for ways to be a practicing believer apart from the traditional church model? Halter and Smay sought to create communities of faith that remained true to the ancient church traditions but existed on a real-world setting that was assimilated into today's culture. Their model for mission is presented here.

And: The Gathered and Scattered Church By Hugh Halter & Matt Smay / Zondervan Much has been written about members leaving institutional churches for organic faith communities . . . but who is meeting the needs of non-believers who aren't moving toward any church? Halter and Smay seek to mobilize Christians from traditional and non-traditional congregations, encouraging them to work together to reach the world for Christ. 208 pages, softcover from Zondervan.

Sacrilege: Finding Life in the Unorthodox Ways of Jesus By Hugh Halter / Baker Books

I Have Not Been Completely Honest With You

If you have been following me on one of my blogs or on Facebook or Twitter, you would have thought that this has just been a normal time for the Bedard family.  Playing with the kids, doing some reading, attempting some writing.

The truth is that the month of May was one of the hardest times ever in our family.  On April 28 my wife was admitted into the hospital due to a mental breakdown.  She was not discharged until May 30.  The full reasons are none of your business but I will say that we have had some ongoing stresses.  Autism and the sending of our daughter to a group home played a part.  A chemical imbalance also had a significant role.  My wife has suffered from depression for some time and things became overwhelming.

For my own part, taking care of the kids by myself has been a challenge.  Still God has used them to greatly to encourage me.  The kids did not know why mommy was "at the doctor," all they knew was that they missed their mom.  I have been on leave from Woodford Baptist Church and First Baptist Church Meaford since Mother's Day and will continue to be off until Father's Day (just worked out that way but there is some meaning to this).

I am thankful for my church families that have been supportive of us.  We have received many meals and words of encouragement and prayer.  I am thankful for our school, which has been very supportive.  I am thankful for Andrew Scholl and Jim Neale who have been taking the pulpit for me while I have been on leave.  I am thankful for the ongoing support of Bill and Sharon Chapman.

Most of all, I am thankful for Amanda.  I am thankful that she sought the help she needed when she did.  I am thankful that she did not allow a social stigma to prevent her from taking the road to recovery.  I have tremendous respect and love for Amanda.  Even while she was in the hospital, she was firm with me in terms of making sure I was taking care of myself.  I have seen great improvement in Amanda and am confident that she will make a full recovery.  I have realized how deeply I love her and how much I need her as my life partner.

You are welcome to pray with our family as we transition toward a healthy balance in our home, family and church life.    

Yes!

One of the other albums that I recently picked up was Fragile by Yes.  Yes is one of the most incredible bands out there.  The sheer amount of musical talent is just scary.  As I listen to Fragile I get excited at what people are able to do musically.  It is not just about finding a catchy beat but experimenting and seeing what new frontiers can be discovered.  I would highly recommend Fragile and if you are looking for some other great albums, I would also recommend the Yes Album and Close to the Edge.