the friesen blog

Last week many participated in buy nothing day.  How about buy nothing christmas? In the resource section there is a Buy Nothing Christmas Bible study.  It is worth checking out. 

"Buy Nothing Christmas is a national initiative started by Canadian Mennonites who offer a prophetic "no" to the patterns of over-consumption of middle-class North Americans. They are inviting Christians (and others) all over Canada to join a movement to de-commercialize Christmas and re-design a Christian lifestyle that is richer in meaning, smaller in impact upon the earth, and greater in giving to people less-privileged."

Check out the article about the good folks at the frwy.ca in Christian Week.

If you live in Hamilton and you are looking for a church community to participate in or if you are looking to get a coffee check out the freeway.

"On Sunday nights, the church community meets at the café. The idea is to use public space for worship, rather than separating worship space from public space."

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to hear a presentation by the Social Planning & Research Council regarding poverty in Hamilton.  I would recommend people take a look at the report.  The presentation came during a Neighbour to Neighbour Clergy Breakfast.  If you are looking for a way to tackle poverty on the Mountain I would encourage you to take a look at Neighbour to Neighbour and see how you can get involved. 

One of the things that I think needs to happen is that churches, organizations and the government need to work together to co-ordinate initiatives.  If you know of any communities where these groups have come up with an effective way of working together please let me know.

peace. 

“Unity in Christ marginalizes other dimensions of identity.”
(By the Renewing of Your Minds:The Pastoral Function of Christian Doctrine, Ellen T. Charry 38)

I found this quote and like the simplicity of how it names a tension that I feel.  Identity can feel so fickle.  There are so many unhealthy external forces fighting for me to internalize them.  And more poignant in my life are the internal drives and motivations that I so often accept as my identity.  But in Christ, both the external and internal forces fighting for me to accept them as my identity are pushed to the margins.      

When speaking about human life I don't like to use the term "goal" because it seems so consumerist, modernistic, or something.  But as part of my continued thoughts on human transcendence (the legacy that one leaves on earth), I am curios about what people think is the "goal" of human life.  What are your thoughts on the subject?

Here are what some people have thought or said,

-Saint Augustine said that the goal of life is knowing and enjoying God.

-Francis Bourassa said that the goal of life is the vision of God, or the eternal life.

From Augustine I like the idea of "enjoying God" but I struggle with the "knowing" because it seems so ambiguous.  From Bourassa I like the idea of life being the "vision of God" and although I do agree with the idea of life being about eternal things that doesn't seem to connect with me as much in the here and now.

What are your thoughts?

I found a website with some amazing pictures from the depression.  These two left an impression on me. peace.

I have read all of Douglas Coupland's books.  I just finished reading Eleanor Rigby which came out last year.  I love Coupland.  I didn't have the same love affair with this book as I usually do with his fiction.  I read a review on Amazon.com and the reviewer said it perfectly, "this is by far the least Coupland-esque book I've ever read."  I felt that too.  But I love how he entertains and interacts with the issues of loneliness and relationship.  This book seems more mature or something.

One of the things that I love most about Coupland is how he can capture a moment.  I have often described situations, when I see something in all its color, flavor and life as "a coupland moment."  Those who have read him, instantly understand the moment.  It is something about seeing a situation in for what it is.  I am not sure if it is about seeing a situation as being abstract or if it is about seeing a situation or setting as raw and real.  Maybe its a combination of both.  I do know that I often associate "coupland moments" with my spirituality.  It is almost like a barometer for me.  I know that I am in touch with God when I am able to see the world or a situation for what it is.  I am able to see the connections.  I am able to see the power and abstract nature of human actions and the mysterious reality of the divine. 

Peace.

Dallas          

My mother-in-law and one of Leanne's sisters are here visiting for a few days.  We just moved from our one bedroom apartment into our new place in August so our furniture is sparse in some parts.  We hadn't gotten a bed for the spare bedroom and I kept say, "let's just go out and buy one."  Leanne kept saying, "no, I've been praying about it and I think one will show up before my mom and sister get here."  ...last, night Leanne says to me, you know I am actually suprised that we haven't gotten a bed yet.  Well, at about 9pm someone is at the door with an old double bed.  A wonderful couple from our church community was storing a bed and said, they knew we needed a bed so it would be better to store it at our house then in their garage.