Touching Base! Part 47

A Passion for Stamps

In a bid to give Mark’s aching typing hand a break from all these weekly missives (not to mention his brain… I can actually see smoke coming out of his ears from where I sit here in the office), I offered to write this week’s Touching Base.

Some of you know that in the past little while, I have returned to a childhood hobby of mine, stamp collecting. It simply fascinates me to learn about what events, things and people different countries honour with a stamp (and, quite frankly, just how bad the English can be on North Korean stamps. But I digress.)

Now, I don’t just take my stamps and put them in a stock album. No… I have an album called the World Phoenix Album, about 600 pages, which has black and white illustrations for some of the stamps. You match up the illustration with the stamp you have (but only some of them… the only album in the world that illustrates most stamps is 60 VOLUMES in size and costs $17,000! Somehow I don’t think my husband would go for that…!).

In other words, what I’ve got is a glorified sticker book for grown-ups.

And most of you who know me also know I don’t do things by half either… to get myself “going” again, I bought a bag of 5000 worldwide stamps, as well as an electronic version of the 6-volume Scott Stamp Catalogue (about 8400 pages, full colour - thank goodness for auctions on E-Bay!) and stamp inventorying software called EZStamp. Oh, and if my husband asks, you know nothing :)

So all that to say that I have spent many hours recently just sitting and cataloguing those 5000 stamps. I won’t bore you with the details, but getting a stamp from the bag into my album is not as simple as “take it out and stick it in”. It’s actually a 4- or 5-step process, and not unlike Sherlock Holmes trying to crack a case. That’s why I enjoy it so much, by the way. Oh, and with 5000 stamps to catalogue, it’s also why I’m going to be doing it for the rest of my life.

My aim was to start out with a general worldwide collection, but I’m slowly but surely going to specialize the collection into stamps of Canada, religious stamps, soccer stamps and, believe it or not, stamps about stamps (my husband’s reaction to that one was “they have stamps about stamps? I have now seen it all.”)

May I be honest thought? As much as I’ve enjoyed myself, as the time has passed, I have increasingly been… reminded…? …guilt-complexed…? …convicted by a nagging question (and we know Who convicts, don’t we?)

“Hey Carmen, how about you pursue Me
the way you pursue those stamps?”

Boy, there’s a question for the ages, and for all of us.

I’ve realized how easy it is for me to go off on an obsession and in so doing, give God, (you know…the Almighty Creator of the universe? My only Saviour?) the short shrift. And that does no one any good, least of all me, because in the long term, it can be outright sinful. You see, when God said, “you shall have no other gods before me”, He wasn’t only talking about little statues, folks.

Am I suggesting that hobbies and activities are wrong? That somehow we need to be like cloistered nuns? Of course not! But loving God passionately and serving others significantly (have you heard that somewhere before?) means living a balanced life, and in that balance, God must come first.

So this week, duly chastened, I am going to work on that. May I encourage all of you to take a moment to do a quick life inventory as well? Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you -

-Has God been Number One in my life lately?
-If no, what (or who) has come to be in the way? Has it really been beyond my control, or am I just using it as an excuse?
-What can I do to give God, and the rest of my activities, their proper place?

Well, I have to go now. I need to go catalogue some st… spend some quality time with my Abba Father.

Carmen

PS. A lady walks into the post office and says “May I have 15 Christmas stamps please?”
The clerk replies, “Sure! What denomination?”
The lady sighs and says, “Oh… has it really come to this? Okay... 8 Catholic… 5 Protestant… 2 Jewish.”

:)

Touching Base! Part 46

Seasons of Church Life

As you can tell Bethel has entered into the season of, “Where did everybody go?” People head out, hoping to enjoy some summer sun and down time. With Kingston being a popular tourist destination, we no doubt will see visitors to Kingston in several of our Sunday morning services. Personally, I love the summer season as it allows me some down time but also the summer months are great months of long-term planning and working with leadership to make sure we are ready for the fall rush, the jolt back into reality.

Now don’t misinterpret me, much ministry happens in the summer, but the rpm’s definitely slow down as many people check out. I think the summer represents an excellent time for new people at Bethel to get assimilated into the community. With one service, it is much easier to meet people and establish some key relationships that will be the doorway into deeper community as the Fall approaches. I would strongly encourage you to be looking out for new faces and using the summertime to help these new folks connect. We are all responsible for building community at Bethel.

I just wanted to update you briefly on some of the things on which we are working. You can pray about these issues as God brings them to mind.

Internship. Joanna Moon will be joining us this Fall for eight months. She will work at Bethel ten hours per week, ministering in the areas of compassion and justice. She is a graduate of Queen’s who is taking a year off to serve with us. We are excited about partnering with her and seeing her partner with various organizations in town.

Family Ministries. Jamie Stinson is the newest addition to our staff. As the Family Ministries Director she is busy building teams, painting rooms and settling into her new ministry at Bethel. If you attended her presentation on June 28th then you will know the vision that we are pursuing and praying towards.

Teaching Series. This Fall we are doing two series that I am very excited about, “Faith and Doubt” and “Letters To The Next Generation”. Faith and Doubt will run for three weeks and culminate on Oct 4 with Dr. Craig Evans, a leading apologist, who will address Biblical origins. Letters To The Next Generation will start after Thanksgiving and be a study in Deuteronomy, looking at important themes that Moses felt needed to be passed on to the next generation. Also this Fall, we will be continuing to raise the bar in our prayer focus on Sunday mornings and having people tell the stories of their “God journey”.

Leadership Culture. On September 13th (Sunday) in the evening, we will be running an event called Together for all who are involved in ministry at Bethel. We want this to be a kick-off event that celebrates our partnership in ministry.

Small Groups. It is our desire to see more people involved in some kind of small group outside of Sunday morning. We are putting together a team that will consist of some of the elders to help us grow this very significant ministry.

Building Community. On September 27th (Sunday) we will be having a Potluck dinner at the church for the new people at Bethel to connect with all of us who have been here for a while. We have found Potluck dinners to really help people get better connected. Also on that day for our newcomers, one hour before the Potluck, we will be running a quick class to familiarize new people to Bethel.

Many more things are happening but these are just a few that you can pray about and be aware of. Please also pray for Carmen our administrator as she continues to work on almost anything and everything so as to ensure that we are safe, sound and secure. Also pray for Fred our Youth Director as he is working up at IAWAH this summer. Our partnership with IAWAH continues to be an important one as we seek to make disciples not only of all nations but of all generations.

Please contact me either by email (markkotchapaw@gmail.com) or by phone
(542-2990) or if you have questions. Your input helps contribute to our being a stronger team!


Mark

Touching Base! Part 45

Getting Cracked

Ever had those days where you felt like something was out of alignment? Many are familiar with backs being out of alignment and the discomfort that can bring to the whole body. Some are constantly going to the chiropractor to get cracked back, or snapped back into shape. I always find it amazing when the chiropractor snaps my neck back into alignment. It sounds like someone just set off fireworks in my head. Getting older makes me realize just how much work and care needs to go into keeping this physical house in decent working order.

What is true physically is also true emotionally. There are days where the “tank” feels empty. Possibly the empty “tank” syndrome is because of running fast for a long period of time, or challenging situations that are very draining. Whatever the cause, it can result in waking to a new day and not being sure if you want to face the new day. There are times in my life where I realize I am out of alignment emotionally and I need to get “cracked back” into shape. This is why knowing what fills my tank is incredibly important in order to keep this area of my life aligned.

The most important area for guarding alignment issues is in the area of our walk with God. I find that I must constantly guard the value of being properly aligned with God on a daily basis. There are so many temptations, counterproductive thoughts, and challenging people, and if I let them, they will throw my spiritual alignment out of sync. All it takes is the littlest seed, the smallest word, the quickest glance, a momentary dwelling on a toxic thought to put us out of alignment with the Creator who not only made us but desires to be in fellowship with us. The text in Galatians 5:25 talks about being in alignment:

“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”

Each one of us must take responsibility for this all-important area of alignment. If we know something is not right yet do nothing about it, we grieve God and no doubt will manifest a barbed spirit with those with whom we interact. Be sure to get “cracked back” into shape if you know you are not where you are suppose to be. It will save you much pain, heartache and guard you from complex situations that may be very difficult to “uncomplicate”!

Mark

Touching Base! Part 44

Scar Parties

Being wounded is part of life, right? Wounding others is also part of life. Not only do we sometimes find ourselves on the receiving end, sometimes we are the “bad guy”, the “bully”, the insensitive one. How much “road kill” have you caused by not thinking before speaking, not praying before acting, not processing before approaching? Anyone out there saying, “Not guilty!”? Doubt it… I really, really doubt it. And if in doubt, just look in your rear view mirror and see who is lying in the wake of your path.

Wounds are part of life. Not just wounds to our soul but to our bodies. I heard of an interesting party held once where attendees had to tell the story behind the scar(s) on their body. For me I have a scar on the inside of my wrist that reminds me that several years ago I attempted to use the glass in the glass door instead of the door knob to open the door. The result, a stitched up cut on my wrist and one 8-year-old feeling like a door knob! My other scar is on my bottom lip. It came at the hands of Glen Upton who, during a floor hockey game in grade 9, took a shot and I (pretending to be Börje Salming) took a puck in the mouth. Did he score? Can’t remember! Was I sore? Yes, the stitches reminded me of that!

I am not suggesting anyone have a scar party, but I am saying that (regardless of who you are) we all have wounds of various kinds and we all have wounded people in different ways. From physical wounds to deep wounds not visible to the human eye, we all possess, I am sure, at least one or two. One of the great truths of being a follower of Christ is that as we seek God together and live out His Kingdom truths, we can experience healing, restoration and strength in the areas of our deepest wounds. Some wounds God chooses to heal, others stay with us as a reminder that His grace is sufficient for our weakness. Others go unmentioned! We dare not speak about them to anybody, for fear of what they might think! How unfortunate to be bound by such a lie. God’s Kingdom here on earth means that together we seek the One who knows what it is like to be wounded. Think of the stories Christ would tell at a Scar Party! Hands, feet, head, side - all wounded! However, His wounds were not just physical but deeply embraced His entire being as He took on our sin.

Being part of the body of Christ means following the One who was wounded for us and because of us. Being part of the body of Christ means partnering with others who we may have hurt at times, and for who at times we can be a source of healing as we become wounded healers to each other.

Mark

Touching Base! Part 43

What’s In A Name?

How many names do you go by? You probably do not just have one name but a number of names, nicknames or names that endear you (I am being positive) to certain people. For example at home my wife calls me Honey, and my kids call me Dad. I sometimes wonder what my dog would call me, seeing that we named her Sissy. Outside of the home I get called Mr. Kotchapaw, Mark, Pastor Kotchapaw, Kotch or by strangers “Hey you!”

Names are important. They are a means of self-revelation. They tell people something fundamental about us. What's more, the names people use to address us reveal something about the nature of their connection to us. When we meet someone, one of the first pieces of information we desire is that person's name. The disclosure of the name is the prelude for building a relationship.

In the ancient Near East, great significance was attached to personal names, for they revealed character and identity and signified existence.

“Throughout the Old Testament, God reveals himself to his chosen people through various names or titles—both those that he gave to himself and those that his servants were inspired to ascribe to him or to the place where he appeared to them. These names served to identify and describe God, but they also exhorted God's people to holy living, gave them hope, reminded them of their heritage, and challenged them to continue their pilgrimage of faith.” (Ken Hemphill)

For several Sundays during the summer months we are going to be looking at these various names of God, because we desire to help our people grow in their intimacy with Him, and looking at the various names of God will help us appreciate His character, trust in His leadership and worship Him for who He truly is.

Join us on this adventure. On the back side of this article are some examples of the names of God and the context in which they are found. Why not read through this material as you reflect on Scripture and allow the name of God to prompt your worship and prayer to God?

Mark

EXAMPLES OF GOD’S NAMES

When Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac, God provided a ram for the offering in Isaac's stead, prompting Abraham to declare that he now understood God as Yahweh-Yireh, The Lord Will Provide (Gen. 22:14).

After God empowered Israel's army to defeat the Amalekites, Moses built an altar and named it Yahweh-Nissi, The Lord Is My Banner (Exod. 17:15).

Upon receiving God's call to be an instrument to deliver Israel, Gideon built an altar and named it Yahweh-Shalom, The Lord Is Peace (Judg. 6:24).

Reflecting upon God's faithfulness through both exhilarating victories and depressing defeats, David called him Yahweh-Rohi, The Lord Is My Shepherd (Ps. 23:1).

At the conclusion of the detailed description of the New Jerusalem, speaking for God, Ezekiel prophesied that the place would be called Yahweh-Shammah, The Lord Is There (Ezek. 48:35).

Touching Base! Part 42

Good News?

I have been most encouraged these days with the many comments from a number of individuals about how well things seem to be going at Bethel, and how there seems to be a sense of excitement, anticipation and energy. I hear comments about all the new families and individuals who are attending or about how people are stepping up to help out, or even about how the “friendliness factor” is on the rise here at the church. I think many people are humbly grateful for the many positive things that are happening at Bethel.

To what can we attribute this? God’s blessing and energizing is, first and foremost, the reason. Secondly, God is using people to work His purposes in and through Bethel. As people who have an honest heart to serve Christ step up to the plate, the upside is going to be incredible blessing for the church. Paul makes exactly this point when he says in Ephesians 4:16:

“From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”

I think another reason for increased health is that we have been able to identify what our “business” is (making disciples) and we have engaged in a healthy process of prayerfully figuring out how we are going to go about doing that. Remember the 3G’s?

That having been said, without putting a fly in the soup or raining on the parade, I think we must be increasingly concerned about the priority of touching a needy world that does not know Christ. If it is true that Bethel is growing toward greater health, it should manifest itself by us becoming a church which touches, ministers, intervenes, cares, and comes alongside people who need Christ. In other words, our increased health should make us a bigger blessing to the community around us who are secularists, agnostics, atheists, Muslims, Hindus, and just plain “religious”. Our health should challenge the many that have a low view of the Church and of Jesus Christ. Our health should spill over and transform a needy world.

If our increased health does not result in cultural transformation, if our light does not shine brighter as a result, then what kind of Church health are we experiencing? What kind of condition are we truly in?

Always interested in your response.

Mark

Touching Base! Part 41

PARENTING NEVER ENDS

How many of us who are parents realize that “once a parent, always a parent”? Parenting is definitely not something we do for a season and then “graduate” to the non-parenting season of our lives. I have discovered that once you sign up, you sign up for life, no pencil or erasable ink. The signature is permanent, the task is lifelong, and the prayers are continuous.

One thing that Rhonda and I are discovering is that, on this lifelong parenting track, we have much to learn at every phase. From diapers to playpens, from Sesame Street to Wii, we are learning much as our children have moved through these phases:

• We are learning the art of long-distance parenting. Two of our three children live outside of our home, one in Calgary and the other in Ottawa, and our youngest still eats out of our fridge on a daily basis. We have transitioned with the two oldest from nightly mealtime talks, and regular face-to-face exchanges to weekly phone calls and seasonal visits. For us, long-distance parenting has meant not knowing all of our kids’ friends, not knowing everything about their context, and being on the outside when it comes to a lot of their daily decisions. Yet the weekly phone calls and seasonal visits keep us in tune and in touch with how their lives are unfolding. It is interesting (and challenging) to watch them deal with some of the adult issues that come as one experiences life outside of the nest.

• We are learning to commit them to the care of the Parent who sees them all the time. I often think how “once upon a time in another land far far away”, my children were totally dependent on me and my wife. We held them, changed them, and decided what they would eat. As they grew, independence became a greater part of the equation, but we still had the final vote on many issues. But now, with two of them out of the house, the fact is that we just don’t have that same degree of influence. They must now fly solo on many issues and we trust and pray that their Parent Who sees all things will help and guide them with many of the tough choices and looming temptations of life.

• We are learning that their journey will look different than ours. I left home around 1981, but our kids now are experiencing this transition in the early part of the 21st century. It is fair to say that the world has changed a lot since 1981. And not only has the world changed, but my kids are not me! How they process issues, their career ambitions, their maturity, walk with God and relationships are in some ways similar, but in others very very different. While God is the same yesterday, today and forever, I must prayerfully and patiently realize that their journey will look different. In some ways they may be far more mature than I was when I was their age. In other ways, I was further ahead. I think we have to be careful to give them their space, not preach but encourage and respect the process as being different.

Many who come to Bethel are currently parents. Some are young moms and dads, others have grey hair and are empty-nesters. Why not take a moment in your busy week and pray for parents? It’s a tough job, whether you are changing a diaper or connecting regularly with a grown child who lives miles away. But we are in this for life, or until death do us part!

Mark