Embracing the Sea of Mystery

One Body

2007-10-03T19:15:00.000-07:00

Our church had a community art project. People from the church were encouraged to bring in small objects that they felt represented themselves. We collaborated these objects onto seven panels, done with encaustic (bees wax) and using oil paints. The motive behind this project was to have art the symbolized "We as a community."

Here is a few of us painting while listening to talented musicians. I wish I could paint to live music everytime!

Here are people sticking their objects onto the panels...

The project underway... of course the artist's table is messy!

The finished project. We are "One Body."
We shared later about why we brought in the objects that we did. The diversity was beautiful.
We are a community, we are one body, sealed together in unity and bound by the love of Christ.

Just for fun...

2007-03-12T19:23:00.000-07:00

Meet my fiance Josiah Bokma...

My always-good-for-a-laugh cousin Caroline...

My wonderful friend Candice...

The juggling fanatic fiance... (and no, I'm not marrying him for the 'dough')...

New family members...

More new family members... (just kidding!)...
My pet roomate...

My fun beer guzzlin' sista... (actually she hates beer)...

My dance-partna roomate...

Just a couple of special people in my life...

Artistic Creation

2007-03-05T20:03:00.000-08:00

"My art is an attempt to reach beyond the surface appearance. I want to see growth in wood, time in stone, nature in a city, and I do not mean its parks but a deeper understanding that a city is nature too-the ground upon which it is built, the stone with which it is made."
~Andy Goldsworthy

Check out some work by Andy Goldsworthy:

To Goldsworthy, art is a form of nourishment. In his documentary "Tides and Rivers", he says that he is fairly sure that nature does not needs him, but that he desperately needs nature, even for the case of survival. The link to our relationship with God is very powerful. He does not need our work, our art, our sermons, our thoughts... He does not need us to survive, just like Creation does not need Goldsworthy's work. God does not need us, but we desperately need Him.

How amazing to know that God does not need us, but how humbling it is to know that He desires us. Even though God doesn't need us, He still desires us! Let us bask in Creation, responding in a 'goldworthy' way... actively seeking out the beauty in our God, the beauty in His Creation, and the beauty in the city.

Christian Stuff

2007-02-27T18:03:00.000-08:00

If often seems as if there is a Christian alternative to everything. Check out some things on the Christian market:

Today you can buy plastic hands pierced with a nail to serve as a type of coat hanger. Are we just leaving our coat at the cross, instead of our whole self?

Here's a great sweater gift idea for your teenage daughter! I wonder what message will get across...

Holy Mints!
Is this illustrating that whenever we open the Bible, we want to receive something sweet? Are we trying to be sugar of the earth instead of salt?

Product Features

A Monopoly version where cooperation—not accumulation—is the key
Be the first player to build a church in one of the Bible cities to win
You cannot win by destroying your opponents—you can only win by assisting fellow players

"It's all fun and games until someone lands on 'Go Meditate' - and has to 'meditate' for 3 turns! In 'Bibleopoly' good deeds are rewarded, but look out for the 'Faith' cards - you might end up as the new caretaker of Jerusalem...or be swallowed by a great fish!"

Alright mom and dad, get rid of the original monopoly! Monopoly has now turned Christian!

"Now, the Modern Worship Expansion Pack is available FREE with your purchase of Dance Praise. You’ll get 35 extra songs, from top artists including Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, David Crowder Band, delirious?, Newsboys and more."

Now there's Christian DDR... don't have to worry about dancing to ungodly music! PLUS, dancing to good wholesome Christian music can make you loose calories!

When things are labeled 'Christian' or have some reference to Christ, does it has the validity of selling? We can now have Christian toys, Christian candy, Christian games, Christian wardrobes, etc. Why do we need all this stuff? Do these things really lead us closer to Christ, or is the motivation behind these productions simply for market? Are we selling Jesus? Are we making money off of Jesus?

There is a tremendous market for Christian 'stuff'. We don't like the secular stuff, so we Christianize it. Perhaps this greats a wider divide between secular culture and Christian culture.

Denial

2006-08-14T18:07:00.000-07:00

It's the perfect love story
Damsel in distress,
Prince charming.
Whisks her off her feet
Saves her with a love so sweet

Too bad it's not 'happily ever after'
She rejects their love,
Starts running.
But with every step He's near
As she keeps running in fear.

She'd tired now, wrestling in vain
Braves to look back
He's weeping.
She stops in her retreat,
In regret, falls at His feet.

He doesn't point or condemn,
He lifts her chin,
He's singing.
A love song just for her
About a love that will endure:

"More than three times,
You've denied me.
I have just one question:
'Do you love me?'"

The mystery of a love unreturned
The mystery of a love rejected
That overlooks our fear, our pride,
Overlooks our denial.

2006-07-09T18:21:00.000-07:00

2006-06-24T19:19:00.001-07:00

Take to the World

Aaron Tate

Go in peace to love and to serve

Let your ears ring long with what you have heard.

May the bread on your tongue

Leave a trail of crumbs

To lead the hungry back to the place that you are from

And take to the world this love, this hope and faith

Take to the world this rare, relentless grace

And like the three in one

Know you must become what you want to save

‘Cause that’s still the way

He takes to the world

Go and go far

Take light deep in the dark

Believe what’s true

He uses all, even you

May the bread on your tongue

Leave a trail of crumbs

To lead the hungry back to the place that you are from

Congratulations Luke and Tanya!

2006-06-18T18:20:00.000-07:00

My older brother Luke got married this weekend. It was beautiful! Twenty some odd years of prayer has gone into this day... what an awesome thing for two families, rooted and established in God, be joined together to continue this faithful legacy. And I quote from the maid-of-honour's speech: "May this day, the day of your wedding, be the day you loved each other least."

Sasquatches...

2006-05-14T12:10:00.000-07:00

I'm reading a book that tells a wild tale of a woman and her husband attacked by sasquatches, leaving the man crawling through the woods to safety and the woman carried away by the vicious animals. Although extremely dangerous creatures, the woman is not eaten, but taken care of, tended to as if she were one of their young. The book describes her interaction with the sasquatches, and the husband's pursuit in rescuing his wife. A far fetch tale.

I will admit that I was cynical when I started reading it... and just about put it down. I felt like I was reading a story for a much younger audience. However, I came to a part in the book where the woman reflects her time with the sasquatches. It was still crazy for her to think that she was actually living in the company of sasquatches!! She was thinking about how weeks earlier, she would never have believed a tale... never would have believed it while in her comfortable home. And that's just it... who would believe that sasquatches ever lived, breathed, ate, attacked, marked their prints in the forest floor... unless you actually interacted with them? Like I said... it's such a far fetched tale... soooo way out there.

But then again, who would believe the message of the gospel? In our comfortable homes, I could see that it would be difficult to believe such a message. Who would believe that Christ lived, breathed, ate, marked his print on the earth and in people's lives... died and rose from the dead? Yup... it's a far fetched tale.... soooo way out there.

But in the story, the woman comes out of her comfortable home and makes a connection with this far fetch tale. And it radically changes her life. What a challenge to me and hopefully to you who read this... that perhaps the far fetched message of the gospel is only considered foolish when looking at it from the inside of our comfortable homes. Yet, when we allow ourselves to be led outside the walls of our comfort and interact with this gospel, radical things happen... we change...we begin to live, breathe and eat the Truth... perhaps something we would have previously considered so foolish.

"The next day John was there with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"
When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, "What do you want?"
They said, "Rabbi" (which means Teacher), "where are you staying?"
"Come," he replied, "and you will see."

Weeds never die...

2006-05-05T18:15:00.000-07:00

My 90 year old Grandma was remembering her father one day and how whenever they worked outside, her father would always exasperate and say "Weeds never die!" And with a sparkle in her eye, my Grandma said: "And that's what I am... just like a weed!"

I love the sky...

2006-05-03T19:10:00.000-07:00

(Taken by my little bro Sidney one night at my house... thanks Sidney!)

I love the sky. It's so huge- such a mysterious expansion. It makes my eyes go crazy... I want to be able to look at the sky and take it all in... but I can't. When I focus on one section, I feel as if I am missing out on the rest.

Tonight the sky is beautiful. It is completely pitch black, with a smithering of little bright stars and a slice of a moon. It is serene, peaceful.

The cool thing about the sky is that it covers every single person that walks this planet. Every nation, country, place and people live under this blanket, this amazing part of creation. My boyfriend Josiah and I were looking over the lights of the city of Hamiton one night, from the quiet little lookout point at the top of the mountain. As we were enjoying the view, it struck me that the sky does not have preference over any part of the earth... village, urban, rural, desert, ocean, you name it... the sky is there. The sky covers all- and God governs all.

God revels Himself through this wonderful part of creation. It is a mark of His faithfulness because the sky is consitent- the sun faithfully rises in the morning and faithfully tucks away to bed in the evening. God revels His character through the sky- God is peaceful, but also firey and stormy... and always beautiful!

"God's glory is on tour in the skies, God-craft on exhibit across the horizon. Madame Day holds classes every morning, Professor Night lectures each evening. Their words aren't heard, their voices aren't recorded, but their silence filles the earth: unspoken truth is spoken everywhere. God makes a huge dome for the sun- a superdome! The morning sun's a new husband leaping from his honeymoon bed, the daybreaking sun an athlete racing to the tape. That's how God's Word vaults across the skies from sunrise to sunset, melting ice, scorching deserts, warming hearts to faith." (first part of Psalm 19 from The Message)

I met a homeless man...

2006-04-30T18:02:00.000-07:00

He wore a big blue coat, warm and cozy, for it would need to keep his body warm on many cold nights. His hang out spot was behind two dumpsters, under the balcony of a factory. It is here he hides away in more ways than one. He carries with him one of his greatest comforts, a bottle that will warm him and help him in his hiding away. As I approach him, he smiles, welcoming me gladly into his home. As I step into his home, he begins to share with me his life. Who is he? His name is Winter. Where does he live? Here, the back of this parking lot. He shakes my hand and bows slightly, touching my hand to his forehead. He is a gentleman, one without the suit and tie. We talk, we laugh and then he asks me a question: "Can I take you out for coffee sometime?" Me, the girl who lives up the mountain, who lives in a well established apartment, who regularly gets to dive a car, go shopping, go for dinner and does not have to worry about the next meal. I don't have a hideaway or a need to seek refuge. But he would consider it an honour to take me out. I fumble for a response, what am I to say? I feel uncomfortable, taken aback. Shouldn't I have offered the coffee date instead? He realizes that I am discreetly rejecting him. The mood snaps and he gets tears in his eyes. He tells me he was in a total of 28 foster homes growing up and is used to rejection. The tears roll down his face and he feels slightly embarassed. He hasn't lost his heart to the streets. He's crying and I begin to cry. I've made him feel rejected. I can't think of a response and I cry with him. His pain is so obvious. He stands up to give me a hug. I can't reject him so I hug him back, giving him a quick pat on the back in an impersonal manner. He looks at me and tells me that pats make hugs seem unreal and encourages me to try again. So, I hug him. Right there, inside his home, the place he tries to hide away, the place he opened to me, he hugs me. Am I the noble one? No, he is. He was Christ to me. I rejected him and he hugged me. What love is this? Only Christ.

Risking to Embrace the Sea of Fog

2006-04-29T17:44:00.000-07:00

As I was researching Caspar Friedrich (1774-1840), a Romantic artist, I stumbled upon one of his paintings: "The Sea of Fog". It depicts a man standing at the top of a mountain, gazing out at the scenery that lays before him. He is looking at a series of mountains but can hardly make them out because a thick fog has woven its way in and around the mountains.

As I was looking at this work of art, I was so challenged by it because I could relate to it. Like this man, I was metaphorically standing on the top of a mountain, feeling as if I had climbed my way up in the world. As I was making my way up my 'mountain', I was stumbling deep into pride, anticipating seeing a clear horizon at the top. However, when I came to the top, what lay before me was nothing I expected. I was mistaken. When I looked at this painting, I was at a a point in my life where I was so confused, frustrated and unable to rely on my own rationale. I felt like I couldn't completely rely on my faith in God either, because He wasn't giving me clear cut answers. But in this painting, the fog was depicted so richly beautiful. Instead of expecting to see a clear horizon, expecting to receive clear answers, I began to see that there is beauty in mystery.

I want my life to be that of trust... to strive to enjoy mystery instead of striving to always understand. I can't even begin to understand our great and awesome God, and I can't completely understand the journey that He has lead me on thus far. But it's wonderful, it's beautiful and I love it! So... here's to the first blog (cheers!)... may it mark the life of one striving to trust God, to cling to His leadership, and not to comprise for any other.