Iranian Pastor's Letter!

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http://bcrain.wordpress.com/2011/09/30/pastor-imprisoned-by-the-iranians/

From Proving Christianity to Living It.

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This is the link to the new post at the new blog.

Blog has moved

New Post http://bcrain.wordpress.com/2011/09/13/hope-in-the-curse/ Hope in the Curse.

Moving this Blog

Hey Everyone. I would like to say thanks so much for reading my blog! I have been working on something exciting and would like to invite you to join me on my new blog. It is again called Frequent Thoughts, but the layout is better and such. For now I will be posting the links to the new blog each time I write one, but soon I will be archiving this blog for the sake of the new and improved one. So go ahead, take a look bcrain.wordpress.com Read the intro blog and enter in to everything.

The benefit of this new one is that you can comment using your Facebook account! So I am looking forward to my blog being a bit more interactive! Click here to go there!!

Old People - What good are they?

 Old people are Old. It sounds fitting for a children's story. When we think old people we think Dentures, grey hair, wrinkles, decay, illness, doctor visits, extra care. All in all, old people consume time and money. Just think of all the baby boomers and their children whom will be and are cashing in on old age pension while we flip the bill. Let's admit, there are a lot of old people. In most of our communities in canada there are large populations of elderly. 

When we age we often think, "I am a whole year older," and before we know it we are 65 and complaining about it. One time, I ran into someone who said it like this: "I have live 50 years." A simple change, but their birthday was a celebration of a life, of a history, of a story. 

Let's think for a moment all us young-ins (cause let's admit, not many old people will be reading this), what does it mean to be old? It means we have a story. It means that the 65 year old lady has had the privilege of living 65 years of a story. What is that story?

You've seen them. They are in grocery stores or malls, or even walking down the street with a walker or taking baby steps to get around. Instead of thinking of Euthanasia, have you thought, "I wonder what their story is?" Next time you go out, do just that. Instead of thinking how they are slowing you up in line because they forgot their pin number or don't know how to use their debit card, wonder. Wonder where they have been and what they have seen. 

In the past year I was recently surprised when talking to an elderly lady who I lived close to. One day we finally had a conversation and I found out she was a world traveler. I am not sure her age, but she has lived a full life story. 

I worked at a church in New Brunswick for a summer and had prayer meetings every Tuesday morning. They ended up being Tuesday's with Chester. Chester was this kind elderly man who sat near the back of the church. I remember praying for his wife, only to find that she passed away. He is a gentleman who has story after story of seeing God work in his life and of traveling around to preach. I am sure we did more talking than praying, but at the end of the summer I looked back to see the rich experience I had in community with this gentleman pushing 80 years, 80 years of life! 

So is this an argument for the elderly? Yea, in a way. But, it's also a reflection on a view we hold of age. What does it mean to get old? Does it mean to get dentures, grey hair, and life in a retirement home? No. It means more opportunities for life. More opportunities to build upon your life. We often will say, "That'll be a great story for the grandchildren." What legacy will we leave behind?

My thoughts regard the church and the christian. First, the community of the church needs all ages. Like I needed Chester, Chester needed me. Together we grew. I saw his experience, he saw my vigour for experience. We stirred one another in the faith. How often do we ask people to tell their story? Second, each christian has a story. A story to share and story to live. What is your story? 

At one point, Paul was asking if he needed a letter of recommendation for the Corinthians or if they needed a letter. Paul has been here before. This is his second letter to the Corinthians! Imagine the letter of recommendation, "Dear Ariniastus, Paul is legit man! Welcome him." Paul says this, "You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ" (1 Cor 3:2-3a). 

As we walk our christian walk, we are forming a letter of recommendation, a letter from Christ to each other and to the world. This means, we have something to offer. A bit later, Paul tells us more of this letter but calls it a jar. This jar holds a treasure. The jar is nothing and can easily brake. Its privilege is holding the treasure. The letter's privilege is what is written on it. We have a story. If we have Christ in our lives who has given us life, then our story is pretty legit. It is one full of hope. Often we look at our lives forgetting where we have been. We think we have nothing to offer, but as christians and the church we do. In fact we have more than something, we have the message of Christ. So again I ask, What is your story?