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Tag Archives: Holy Spirit
Rebuilding Ancient Ruins sermon (Isaiah 61:1-6)
March 10th 2024 sermon: Rebuilding Ancient Ruins (Isaiah 61:1-6)
by Rev. Dr. Ed Hird, All Saints Community Church Crescent Beach
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. Strangers will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast.”
Isaiah 61:1-6 NIV
Anita McBride sang her Isaiah 61 song.
You will notice that Isaiah 61 begins by saying: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me. The Hebrew and Greek words for the Holy Spirit is Ruach and Pneuma, which is the same word used for wind or breath. Think of a pneumatic drill powered by the air, the wind. Everything about Jesus is related to the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is also called the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of Jesus, the Spirit of the Father, the Spirit of Truth, the Paraclete our comforter and counsellor, and the Holy Ghost, from the German Geist for Spirit. The Holy Spirit is compared metaphorically to Clothing and a higher power in Luke 24:49), to a Dove in Matthew 3:16, to a Pledge and Earnest Money in 2 Corinthians 1:22, to a seal in Ephesians 1:13, to Fire in Acts 2:3, to Oil in Acts 10:38, to water in John 7:38, to Wind in John 3:8, to breath in John 20:22, and to wine in Ephesians 5:18. What is your favorite biblical image for the Holy Spirit?
Matthew 1:20 tells us that Jesus, born of the Virgin Mary, was conceived by the Holy Spirit. Matthew 3:16 tells us that the Holy Spirit descended like a dove upon Jesus during his water baptism by John the Baptist. Luke 4 tells us that Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil for the forty days of Lent. In John 14:26, Jesus told us that the Holy Spirit would be his representative on earth when he returned to heaven. The Holy Spirit is mentioned over 90 times in the New Testament. In recent history, the Holy Spirit was often the forgotten third person of the Trinity. As the Nicene Creed puts it, the Holy Spirit is worshipped and glorified with the Father and the Son. He is not an impersonal Star Wars force. He is God. The Holy Spirit is not a something. He’s a someone, a person. The Holy Spirit has an amazing personality that you would enjoy getting to know.
Do any of you, by the way, know who Muslims think that the Holy Spirit is? Because they reject the Trinity, they shrink the Holy Spirit into just being the Angel Gabriel.
John 14: 16 tells that the world (and often many of us church folks) neither sees or knows the Spirit of Truth. Many of us had accurate theology about the Holy Spirit without personal experience of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:17-18 quotes Joel 2:28-32 that God in the last days will pour out his Spirit upon all people, on both men and women, young and old, even upon the servants. The Good News is that hundreds of millions of people, especially in Africa, are experiencing a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit. Most Anglican Christians live in Africa, well over forty to fifty million where they are experiencing a wonderful Spirit-led revival. Each of the three times that Janice and I have ministered in Africa, we have come back refreshed and renewed in the Spirit.
You will remember how in Luke 4, Jesus preached from Isaiah 61 in Nazareth. It did not end well, as his home town rose up, attempting to throw him headfirst off a cliff. What is it about Isaiah 61 that was so upsetting to his home town crowd?
To say that the Spirit of the Lord has anointed Jesus is to affirm him as the Messiah, the anointed one, in Greek the Christ.
Jesus’ mandate from the Holy spirit in Isaiah 61 is to proclaim good news to the poor. The term gospel means good news. The term evangelism or evangelical means to share good news. Historically, the poor are the most open to the good news. The poor can be those economically poor, but also poor in spirit. You will remember that Jesus said in the beatitudes ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of God.’ Blessed are those who know their need.
Isaiah 61 vs tells us that the Holy Spirit sent Jesus on mission. Part of that apostolic sending is to bind up the broken-hearted. Has Jesus ever done that for you? Has he ever used you to bind up the broken hearted? Why is it so essential to the gospel to bind up the broken hearted?
Isaiah 61 tells us that through the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus will proclaim freedom for the captives. E. Stanley Jones describe these captives as those who have been disinherited and exploited because of race, class, social standing, and lack of education. 2nd Corinthians 3:17 tells us that where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Romans 8:15 tells us that through the Holy Spirit, we as children of God are no longer slaves to fear. The Holy Spirit set my hero E. Stanley Jones free from a sense of inferiority. His father was an alcoholic who had sold most of his family’s furniture to feed his addiction. God reminded Jones according to 2nd Timothy 1:7 that God has not given me a spirit of fear but of power and love and a sound mind. The baptism or soaking in the Spirit is a baptism of God’s love. Has anyone experienced freedom from captivity in their Christian walk? Has anyone experienced a baptism of God’s love in your life? What was that like for you?
Has anyone been released through the Holy Spirit from darkness, as Isaiah 61 talks about? This reminds me of Isaiah 60 “Arise and Shine for your Light has come”. The Holy Spirit is vital in our being released from all forms of darkness, including physical and emotional sickness. Often the inner healing happens before the physical healing. Forgiveness of deep inner hurts often results in remarkable physical healings. Countless millions in Africa, Asia, and South America have come to know Jesus personally when they experienced the healing power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus told us in Acts 1:8 that we shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us, and we shall be witnesses in Jerusalem and Judea, and Samaria and to the ends of the earth, including Crescent Beach.
I am so grateful that this is the year of the Lord’s favor. How many appreciate the favour of the Lord in your life? In the creeds, the Holy Spirit is called the Lord of Life. Judaism and Christianity are all about embracing the gift of abundant life. We live in a culture of abundant death where abortion and MAID attempt to remove suffering through eliminating human beings. Romans 8:6 tells us that the mind governed by the Holy Spirit is life and peace. Romans 15:13 describes our being filled with joy and peace so that we may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Does anyone need less peace and joy in their lives?
You will notice that Jesus did not quote the second half of the verse, which refers to the Judgment of the Lord which awaits his second coming. As we say in the Creed, he, Jesus, shall come again to judge the living and the dead.
I love how Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit, comforts all who mourn, and provides for those who grieve in Zion. We are very aware of how many Israelis have been deeply grieving since the October 7th massacre. Jesus said in Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.” We are called in 1 Corinthians 12:15 to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. 2 Corinthians 1:4 says that the Father comforts us in our sorrow that we can comfort others with the comfort that He has given us.
Has God the Holy Spirit ever given you beauty for ashes, as mentioned in Isaiah 61:3? What did that look like for you? The oil of joy is such a gift where life is weighing us down. That is why Paul reaffirmed in Philippians 3:3 that the joy of the Lord is our true security. What are we tempted to trust in for our security?
How many have ever put on a garment of grumbling? How did that work for you? Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit, puts on us a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. There is something very radical when we give thanks while others curse. E. Stanley Jones said after a massive stroke that he still could give thanks, sometimes because of, and sometimes in spite of. How has giving thanks and praise brought breakthrough in your life? Has anyone ever heard of Merlin Carother’s book Prison to Praise?
How many of us want to be oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor? In this world of chaos and destruction, we need to be deeply rooted in a way that displays his splendor.
We live in a difficult time when everything that can be shaken is being shaken. Hebrews 12:28 tells us that only the unshakable Kingdom will remain. The Spirit of Jesus is helping us to rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; The Spirit of the Father is enabling us to renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. That is incredibly good news in this time of gross darkness, particularly in BC.
Jesus in Luke 11:11-13 said: “What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? So, if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” God only gives good gifts. We don’t need to fear giving over our will to the Holy Spirit, who is a good and loving God. Galatians 5:25 teaches us that since we live by the Spirit, we need to keep in step with the Spirit. I Corinthians 6:19 reminds us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit.
All born-again Christians have the Holy Spirit living inside of them, but it is still too easy according to 1 Thessalonians 5:19 to quench the Spirit, Ephesians 4:30 to grieve the Spirit, Act 7:51 to resist the Spirit, and Isaiah 63:10 vex the Spirit.
It is such a joy, as Romans 8:26 puts it, that the Holy Spirit helps us in our weaknesses, that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us through wordless groans. Many scholars see this as an allusion to praying in the Spirit, to speaking in tongues. Nicky Gumbel calls it a love language. Some have the misunderstanding that speaking in tongues is always an ecstatic experience, and so they seldom speak in tongues unless they are a spiritual high. Rev. Dennis Bennett, the author of the best-selling book Nine O’Clock in the Morning and one of my Anglican heroes, recommended that people pray in tongues in their prayer closet on a daily basis. I compare speaking in tongues to flossing one’s teeth. It is best done on a daily basis, whether one feels like it or not. Over the past forty-five years, I have observed that daily speaking in tongues does not guarantee spiritual maturity, but it can help one grow in their prayer lives.
Nicky Gumbel says that you can be filled with the Holy Spirit without speaking in tongues. There are no first-class and second-class Christians. Nicky also says that all Christians can potentially speak in tongues. How many of you have ever heard of Vicar Alexander Boddy from All Saints Anglican Church in Sunderland? Janice and I visited there on our last trip to England. The Holy Spirit poured out on that church in 1907, and for the 25 years, countless people came at Whitsuntide/the Day of Pentecost to receive an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Perhaps the most famous recipient was the Bradford plumber Smith Wigglesworth, who after receiving his prayer language, went on to have a world-wide healing ministry. Has anyone heard of Smith Wigglesworth?
Being filled with the Holy Spirit again and again, according to Ephesians 5:18, makes us more fully Trinitarian, not just conceptually, but also experientially. It is not mere coincidence that we are water-baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. At the end of every worship service, we are blessed in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Healthy revival and renewal is always deeply Trinitarian. Jesus lays down his will to the Father. John 16:13-14 tells us that the Spirit of Truth points not to himself but to Jesus. The Spirit helps us experience intimacy with Jesus, making us more Christocentric and therefore less eccentric, as in off-centered. As Nicky Gumbel puts it, it is the Holy Spirit who makes Jesus real to us. That is why the Alpha Course weekend with the three talks on the Holy Spirit is such a gift. More than 24 mi E. Stanley Jones said that ‘every rediscovery and re-emphasis on Jesus has brought and still brings revival and renewal. This Lent, we all need to more fully receive the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Bishop Peter often says that breakthrough comes through surrendering our will. What if this Lent we actually surrendered to the Holy Spirit? What if we let go and let God the Holy Spirit take control? How many are willing to ask God for a fresh Isaiah 61 outpouring of the Holy Spirit this Lent? Let us pray. Come Holy Spirit and fill us afresh with abundant life. Amen.
The Discipline of Seeking a Rebuke
March 5th 2023
All Saints Crescent Beach
The Lenten Discipline of Seeking a rebuke (Proverbs 27:1-13) (video)
By Rev. Dr. Ed Hird
Dreams are funny things. Last night I dreamt that I was doing substitute teaching, but left early without checking with the principal. Today, as I substitute teach for Bishop Peter, I will make sure not to check out early 😉
A great Lenten discipline can be to do prayer walking. As many of you know, I am in a Christian walking group that walks Mondays & Wednesdays on the White Rock Promenade and on Fridays at Crescent Beach. While we were walking, we discussed about President Eisenhower being raised JW before being converted to Christ by Billy Graham. Out of the blue, I saw two JWs standing by the Beecher street turnaround. I had a wonderful chance to share with them about Jesus being our Lord and God (John 20:28). We even chatted about the meaning of Proverbs 27, today’s passage.
I have a question for you related to today’s Proverbs teaching. What happens when politicians surround themselves with yes men? Have you ever noticed that it never ends well. What might happen if Putin or perhaps Canadian federal leaders surrounded themselves with people who could constructively disagree with them without losing their jobs or perhaps even their necks?
You may have noticed that those who always agree with us, those who celebrate our sinful, destructive behaviours, are not true friends. You will remember Bishop Peter’s excellent series on spiritual friendship. Genuine spiritual friends want the best for us. Real spiritual friends will even risk a friendship if it means saving us from destruction. Do you have a spiritual friend that you can trust to tell you the truth in love? Does anyone have permission to speak honestly into your life? Can any one disagree with you and even privately challenge you without losing your friendship? Without the rebuke of such spiritual friends, we can easily become dangerous, particularly if we are in positions of power.
Many Christians switch churches every time anyone gets close and speaks into their life. We are a culture on the run. So many even as Christians are in hiding, sometimes in plain view. Some husbands have been hiding from their wives for years, even when they are in the same room, perhaps hiding behind a newspaper, tv, cell phone, or video games. Instead of seeking, we are isolating and hiding from the Lord and one another.
Proverbs 18:1 says that “whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgement.” To isolate ourself against such friends robs us of life-giving wisdom. So many of us, even as Christ followers, are scared to death of vulnerability, of letting others speak into our lives. How many of you, as Proverbs 27:17 puts it, want iron to sharpen iron in your relationships?
You may remember when the prophet Nathan rebuked David after he killed Uriah. Who can forget Jesus rebuking his disciples in Matthew 18 when they bickered about who was the greatest? His rebuke was to show them a child. The least is the greatest. Jesus rebuked lovingly, kindly, and gently. Matthew 12:20 , quoting Isaiah 42, says of Jesus “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.” Jesus did not crush people with his words. Jesus’ rebuke is not rejection.
Be careful who you seek a rebuke or feedback from. Don’t go to gossips or bad tempered people to seek a rebuke. Go to someone who respects and loves you enough to tell you the truth.
You will also remember in Luke 9:56 when James & John, Zebedee’s sons of thunder, wanted to call fire down to destroy an unfriendly Samaritan village, and Jesus rebuked them. Jesus’ rebukes flipped everything on its head. Significantly, Jesus in Revelation 3:9 said to the Laodiceans, “As many as I love, I rebuke”. Proverbs 3:11-12 says: “Don’t resent his rebuke for the Lord disciplines those he loves.” Don’t harden your hearts to Jesus’ rebukes. When we receive his easier rebukes, then he won’t need to turn over our tables or rebuke us like he did when Peter forbid Jesus from going to the cross.
Proverbs 29:1 says that whoever remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.” How many of us have struggled with being stiff-necked? You may remember that the resurrected Jesus rebuked his disciples in Mark 16:14 for their slowness to belief and their hardness of heart. Has Jesus ever rebuked you? Do any of you want to share? (Pause)
Seeking a rebuke may feel very countercultural. We live in a cancel culture that so easily takes offense, and then cuts other people off. Have you ever felt like you have to walk on eggs shells around certain relatives or friends? What if we stopped resenting and despising other people’s advice? What if we admitted, as Proverbs 19:20 teaches, that we actually need their wisdom to live a more godly healthy life? No Christian is a solitary island. We need God’s family. Part of belonging to a Christian community is about learning about the Lenten discipline of seeking a rebuke. Titus 1:13 says that such rebukes will make us healthy and sound in the faith.
I first learned about seeking a rebuke from our first Anglican Coach Dr Gil Stieglitz who emphasized how key this was for husbands who want a healthy marriage. Gil suggested that for those who don’t like the biblical word ‘rebuke’, think of the word ‘feedback’. Ask your wife for feedback on how you can improve and grow. Your wife already knows what it will take. You just need to have the courage to ask her. If you non-defensively listen and apply her wisdom, you will be amazed how the intimacy in your marriage will increase.
As Proverbs 15:4 puts it, a Christlike rebuke, needs to be with a gentle tongue. Gentleness is a tree of life. Colossians 4:6 says that our speech needs to always be gracious and seasoned with salt. Galatians 6:1 calls us to restore people in a spirit of gentleness. 1 Peter 3:15 likewise calls us to gentleness and respect. 2 Timothy 2:25 speaks of gently instructing others. A Christ-centered rebuke is quietly and kindly spoken. It is not about yelling, accusing, or finger-wagging. The receiver would not necessarily realize that they had been rebuked. It is too easy to win an argument and lose the person. You will notice when Jesus rebuked and challenged people, he often used a question. You may remember Jesus’ probing question in Luke 9:41 when the disciples couldn’t heal the convulsing boy: “How long shall I stay with you and put up with you?” Have you ever noticed how patient Bishop Peter is with how slow we often are to get things? Have you noticed how from time to time, he will repeat key concepts like the importance of self-awareness, waiting for the penny to drop? Bishop Peter’s rebukes are very gentle. We often don’t even realize when Bishop Peter is rebuking us.
The most effective questions are not usually angry why questions, but rather observational who, what, where, when and how questions.
While doing my doctoral thesis, my professor asked me two breakthrough questions: Have you ever thought of including a glossary? Have you ever thought of including colour pie charts for my data results? On both occasions, I defensively deflected, saying that it wasn’t needed. The rebuke was a very gentle “you might want to think of it.” The gentleness stopped me in my tracks. Why was I so resistant? I decided to do both changes which became the two most complimented parts of my thesis.
Matthew 18:15 suggests that privacy is key, initially just between you and him alone. One of the most loving things anyone can do for you is tell you when you’re wrong. A true friend tells you the truth, even when it hurts. A loving friend will help you identify and remove any logs in your eyes.
How many of you love the Bible? Is it really only full of warm fuzzies? Have you ever heard this verse from Woke 3:16? “Thus says the Inclusive One, I’m ok and you’re OK and that’s Ok. Go and sin some more.”
2nd Timothy 3:16-17 however says “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (…)” Is it okay for the Bible to not only affirm us but also rebuke and correct us? As 2 Timothy 4:2 puts it, correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
In our highly secular culture, we have lost sight that a Christ-like rebuke is an act of great love that may turn us back from a destructive path. How many of you have ever embraced a rebuke as a blessing?
How defensive are you? Can you welcome a rebuke? Are you willing to seek one from a trusted friend? It takes humility to receive a rebuke.
Proverbs 1:23, 10:17, & 15:10 both teach that correction and rebuke are actually the way to life.
Proverbs 5:12-14 tells us that those who spurn correction will soon be in serious trouble.
Proverbs 6:23 says that if we repent at God’s rebuke, He will pour out his spirit to us.
Proverbs 9:7-9 says that rebuking mockers is a waste of time because they will hatefully insult and abuse you. The wise however will love you when you rebuke them, and become even wiser and learned. How many of you today are willing to learn how to love being rebuked? This has to come through surrendering our will to the power of the Holy Spirit.
Proverbs 10:17 teaches that those who ignore the rebuke of correction will lead others astray from the way of life to death. Seeking a rebuke is actually a life and death Lenten discipline.
Proverbs 12:1 teaches that those who hate the rebuke of correction are stupid.
Proverbs 13:1 teaches that mockers do not respond to rebukes.
Proverbs 13:8 says whoever heeds the rebuke of correction receives honour. Few people make a positive correlation between seeking a rebuke and being honoured.
Proverbs 15:5 teaches that whoever heeds the rebuke of correction shows prudence.
Proverbs 15:32 teaches that those who disregard the rebuke of correction actually despise themselves. Self-hatred cripples us from becoming more self aware & Christlike.
Proverbs 17:10 teaches that a discerning person is actually impressed by a rebuke.
Proverbs 25:12 poetically tells us that like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold is the rebuke of a wise judge to a listening ear. Have we ever turned a deaf ear to God’s golden wisdom?
The book of Proverbs teaches again and again that the wise welcome a rebuke. Fools however despise reproof while welcoming flattery.
In this key passage of Proverbs 27:5-6, we are told that “Better is open rebuke than hidden love.
Some people deeply appreciate and value you, but they will never tell you. It is hidden love.
Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.”
The more open and honest, the more effective is the rebuke. Enemies wound you to hurt you. It takes a genuine friend to wound us in a way that heals and brings greater Christlikeness. A healthy rebuke is like healthy surgery.
Proverbs 28:23 teaches that “whoever rebukes a person will in the end gain favor rather than one who has a flattering tongue.” Flattery initially feels very pleasant. Proverbs 26:28 tells us that A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin.
Proverbs 29:5 says that those who flatter their neighbors are spreading nets for their feet.
Romans 16:18 says that divisive people deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting with smooth talk and flattering words.
How many of you remember the unctuous clergy William Collins in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, who was always flattering and buttering up Lady Catherine De Bourgh?
The well-known evangelist DL Moody said that there are more people ruined by flattery than by telling them their faults. The Holy Spirit never flatters, but convicts us of sin, and that is the reason, said Moody, that many don’t like Him.
Psalm 141: says that for a righteous man to rebuke us is kindness like oil on our heads. How many of us today are willing to seek such a kind anointing?
Let us pray.
Proverbs 27:1-13 NIV https://bible.com/bible/111/pro.27.1-13.NIV
1. “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.
2. Let someone else praise you, and not your own mouth; an outsider, and not your own lips.
3. Stone is heavy and sand a burden, but a fool’s provocation is heavier than both.
4. Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?
5. Better is open rebuke than hidden love.
6. Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.
7. One who is full loathes honey from the comb, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.
8. Like a bird that flees its nest is anyone who flees from home.
9. Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.
10. Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family, and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster strikes you—
11. better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away. Be wise, my son, and bring joy to my heart; then I can answer anyone who treats me with contempt.
12. The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.
13. Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger; hold it in pledge if it is done for an outsider.”
Messy Healing
Advent is the season of “anticipation.” It is the start of a new liturgical year, and we have much planned for our service: we’re blessing and lighting the Advent Wreath; we’re celebrating a baby dedication; and I’ll be preaching an Advent series on “Spiritual Friendship.” I’m looking forward to celebrating with you.
So come, join us as we worship the triune God together.
In case you missed it, you can find the Healing service (Rev Ed Hird preached on ‘Messy Healing: Why Does it sometimes take too long? Mark 8:22-26) from last week by clicking HERE.
Important Dates:
Ladies’ “Refresh” this Tuesday 10:30am.
Thursday Support Group this week: 6:00pm dinner together; Prayer Vigil at 7:00pm.
Remember we are a fragrance-free community.
Advent preaching series: “Spiritual Friendship.”
All Saints Christmas Party and Community Lunch: next Sunday the 4th of December (after the service). Bring some food and enjoy the fellowship. (Please note that until our renovations are complete, we do not have facilities for either heating or cooling food.) Everyone welcome.
“9 Lessons and Carols” Sunday the 18th of Dec. Hot mince pies and hot apple juice after the service. Everyone welcome.
Christmas Eve Candlelight Family Service 7:00pm Christmas Eve. Everyone welcome
Christmas Day Family Service 10:00am Christmas Day
If you want to see our monthly church schedule, you can find that on our website.
If you have any further questions, or need help in any way, don’t hesitate to contact me.
Thank you Church.
Stay vigilant and prayerful.
Love each other deeply and keep Jesus at the very centre of everything you do.
Blessings on all you do.
The peace of our Lord,
Peter Klenner
Bishop and Pastor
All Saints Community Church
Crescent Beach
604.209.5570
Growing in Fruitfulness
This article, which was recently published in the Light Magazine print version, just came out in the online magazine. You are invited to read and repost this to others. What if you chose to never retire from making a difference in other people’s lives?
Finishing Well, Growing in Fruitfulness
An article published in the October 2022 Light Magazine
By Rev. Dr. Ed & Janice Hird
C.S. Lewis memorably commented, “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” God wants each of us to finish well, not peter out.
As we age, self-surrender to God and his Kingdom purposes is always the way forward. If there is breath in their lungs, God still has something for his servants to do. We are never to stop serving others until the Lord takes us home. Never stop learning, reading and listening. Do you still have fire in your bones to make a difference? Would you like to get your fire, your zest for living, back?
Ed has taken many funerals over the past decades of ordained ministry. When we hear the funeral eulogies from family members, it often makes us wish that we had known the deceased better. Many people often wait until the loved one is dead to say how much they loved him. We often wonder: “Why wait?’ Part of finishing well is having a faithful team cheer as you aim for the finish line.
One of Ed’s favorite mentors, Dr. E. Stanley Jones, entered his 50’s by deciding that it would be the most fruitful decade of his life, and it was. When he became age 60, age 70, and then age 80, he decided the decade was once again the best, and it was. While he was officially ‘retired’ by the Methodist Board of Missions in 1954, he went on to have a remarkable fruitful phase of ministry for almost two more decades. In 1963, for instance, he preached 736 times. Jones deeply lived out Psalm 92:14: “They still shall bring forth fruit to old age, they are ever full of sap and green.”
E. Stanley Jones reminds people in his 28 books that there is no such thing as retirement from a biblical perspective. Retreading, recycling, repositioning, yes. But we can never retire from being fruitful in life and making a lasting difference. “Never retire”, said Jones, “change your work. The human personality is made for creation; and when it ceases to create, it creaks, and cracks, and crashes.”Creativity is at the heart of staying fully alive.Without growing in creativity, we shrink and become less human, less Christlike.
Secular retirement is often sold to people as getting something that they deserve. This is their time to focus on themselves first. E. Stanley Jones commented that
Those who come in ‘to enjoy themselves’ the balance of their days wither prematurely and become inane and empty…Where there is no creative purpose, there is nothing but the creation of frustration.
When Ed left St. Simon’s North Vancouver after serving for 31 years, he intentionally did not have a retirement party, but rather a ‘new chapter of ministry’ party. In our current culture, we don’t often do transitions well. What new chapter are you currently writing in the book of your life? Are you stuck in any way? Is it time to turn the page? Paul says, I have fought the fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Paul did that till the end.
A number of pastors when they get older don’t finish well. They may become grumpy, critical, and negative. With aging, we have our aches and pains, and we have to work harder at being positive. When you’re older, it is easier to be negative, to be a no-centered person. E. Stanley Jones said that we are not as old as our arteries, but rather as our attitudes. Are you growing in becoming a more positive, thankful person?
Dr. Martin Gumpert in his book You are Younger than You Think says that ‘idleness is the greatest enemy of the aged and presents them with their ticket to death.’ When the retirement age of 65 was invented by the USA in the 1930s, the average manonly lived 18 months after retirement. It was too much of a shock to their system in ceasingproductive activity. The AA Big Book comments that many people never become alcoholic until they retire. They say to themselves “I’ve worked hard all my life. Now I will do what I want to do with my life.” In contrast, those, who seek first Christ’s Kingdom, say no to idleness and addiction.
As we age, it is too easy to succumb nostalgia, resenting newer expressions. Are you still passionate about God’s future revivals? Many people involved in an earlier revival resist a newer revival because it doesn’t look like the older revival. That is tragic. What we admire about Bill Prankard,even though he’s a classic, old-school Pentecostal, is that he’s aged well. John Arnott invited Bill Prankard to speak at the Toronto Airport Fellowship/Catch the Fire. Bill initially refused, saying that he was too old-school Pentecostal. John pushed back, saying that we need your healing anointing. You can see that their friendship was a win-win. Those who say no to nostalgia are those who can say yes to the next revival.
A key verse that can help us finish well is “He who has begun the good work in you will carry it onuntil the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phil 1:6) We need to never settle down, never get stuck in a rut, never give up on life. E. Stanley Jones commented: “We don’t grow old. We get older by not growing.” Are you growing older gracefully? Are you still growingin creativity? As Christians, we grow from the inside out. God cares about producing true beauty of character. It is a good work that God has begun in us, and will continue to carry out until he takes us home. There is no retirement from growing in Christ in the Christian life.
Winston Churchill, when he turned 77, commented, “We are happier in many ways when we grow old than when we were young. The young men sow wild oats. The old grow sage.” In a study of four hundred outstanding people as reported by Sunshine Magazine, they discovered that people in their sixties accomplish 35% of the world’s greatest achievements, people in their seventies 23%, and people after age eighty produced 8 percent. This means that 64% of the greatest achievements have be done by people age sixty and over. Think of Michaelangelo who was writing poetry and designing buildings up to the time of his death at ninety.
Finishing well is about growing daily in gratitude. E. Stanley Jones said:
To grow old, not only gracefully, but gratefully, is the Christian’s privilege. For the Christian is not to bear old age but to use it. Is there any more utterly beautiful than a face, now grown old, but chiseled into tenderness and sympathy and experience?
There is a beauty of holiness into which we can all grow in Christ. Think of Mother Theresa as she poured out her life sacrificially for the least, the last and the lost. Her gray hair truly was a crown of splendor. (Proverbs 16:31) Those who finish well live for others. Is it all about you, and getting your way, or do others come first? Those who live for others grow perpetually young in spirit. As Psalm 103:5 puts it, he renews our youth like an eagle. They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, mounting up with wings like eagles. (Psalm 40:31)
Every season of our lives has beautiful possibilities for fruitfulness. Think of Revelation 22:2 where it describes the tree of life having unique fruit for each month. Don’t fight the current season that you are in. Embrace it and use it for God’s glory. Your current season of life is full of adventure if you have eyes to see it. May the Lord give us the courage and strength to bring forth lasting fruit even into our older age. Everyone can finish well.
Rev. Dr. Ed & Janice Hird
Co-authors of God’s Firestarters
Archbishop Masimango
We are having a delightful in-person Anglican Mission Clergy Retreat at Richmond Emmanuel Church for the first time since COViD 19. Archbishop Masimango, the Anglican Primate of the Congo who licenses us and is doing ordinations, is here for both the Clergy Retreat and the AMIC Summit.
Word Guild Award
It was fun to write about Phil Callaway, our greatest Canadian comedian. Janice P Hird and I were also Word Guild finalists for our God’s Firestarters book 📕.
Shortlisted three times for the Write! Canada awards
My wife Janice and I are grateful to have been short-listed three times in the Annual Word Guild ‘Write Canada’ Awards. Two times, our God’s Firestarters book was shortlisted under the categories of “LIFE STORIES–BIOGRAPHY” and “DEBRA FIEGUTH SOCIAL JUSTICE AWARD”. It can be purchased on Amazon.
Our Light Magazine article “Phil Callaway: Missionary Comedian” was shortlisted under the “COLUMN SINGLE” category.
The YouTube chats by Pastors Giulio & Lina Gabeli
Dear friends in Christ,
The 2022 BC Christian Ashram talks were such a blessing. You are encouraged to watch them and pass them on to others.
Here are the Youtube links your excellent talks with subtitlles:
#1 Opening Talk by Giulio Gabeli
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c_fb5JeVMY
#2 First Talk by Lina Gabeli
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXiRwUXfqkw
#3 Giulio Gabeli: Thy Will Be Done on This Earth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDzsXjx0OyA
#4 Lina Gabeli: The Goodness of God’s Will for Us
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPnd1js9mR0
#5 Giulio & Lina Gabeli Leading the BC Christian Ashram Healing Service https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aA5NrQKuaVM
#6 Guilo Gabellio: Living in the Atmosphere of Heaven’s Will
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1d0M0VEYPI
7# Catherine Morris’ Witness at the BC Christian Ashram retreat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptKCcgw9Nwo
8# Ed Hird leading the BC Christian Ashram Communion & Commissioning https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0D_VUxl41w
Ed Hird, Director
https://bcchristianashram.com
Edhird's Blog 