Put This on your Bathroom Mirror

The following is a copy of the Thomas Question email devotional. You can subscribe to the email edition from our website.

I love it that I received an email this week from a friend at the Thomas Question and it wasn’t signed “regards” or “cheers” or “let me know” or “take care”. Instead, it was signed “bury the bunny” because that was our key phrase two Sundays ago. (In case you weren’t there it goes something like this: the turtle always wins, so bury the bunny, and Jesus said in the parable of the mustard seed that small seeds actually planted can grow to become the largest plants in your garden – so bury the bunny!)

But even more than that, I’ve been wondering what it would be like to be radically “on the same page” as a group of people trying to build an intentional, sustainable, deliberate practice of Christianity in their lives. It saddens me that Christianity has become something that you “are” apart from what you “do” much like your race is something that you simply “are”. I wonder what would happen if we “reset” our system, reminded ourselves that Christianity is a set of deep convictions attached to a lifestyle art, and began to take small steps to actively practice it.

There’s something known as the “training effect” in athletics. It’s what happens when you subject your body to very specific kinds of stress as part of a strategy to increase performance. Ten to fourteen days later, your body has grown back stronger (or so you hope). This reminds me of the scripture verse where Paul says, “I don’t run like a man running aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air…” In other words, he’s saying, “I don’t do things that don’t matter. I have a strategy. I’m after the training effect.”

I really want to challenge you to participate with us in these small steps to actual change. Build your own spiritual training effect. Make a list to put on your bathroom mirror. Make the steps small enough that you can actually do them. Make them significant enough that they will actually matter, and then turn them into small seeds actually planted. Let’s not be like one running aimlessly – with no pattern or strategy or “training effect’. Rather, let’s put some method to the madness. We’ve seen what happens when we hope for better days and take what comes as an accident of that hope. We’ve seen what happens when we vaguely “try hard”. Now let’s see what happens when we try smart.

Last Sunday, I talked to you about the difference between true and magnetic north. Magnetic north is an observed value and it’s 700 km away from true north. True north, on the other hand, is a calculated value and you can only find it if you try. All of this makes me wonder in what other way our “gages” might be wrong. In what other directions are you being pulled 700 km off the true course? Truth is not a reflex, our eyes don’t tell us all we need to know, and you are always some part wrong. Always. So correct for true north. We need great conversations with people we trust to find out in what ways we are wrong, and we need something like scripture to show us ways in which we are all wrong.

This Sunday we’ll be looking at the two layers of actually knowing people well.

To catch up on any of these messages, feel free to visit our podcast. And remember, you don’t need an Ipod to do so! You just need a computer (and if you don’t have one, then how are you reading this?)

So until then, bury the bunny, correct for true north, bring someone with you, and I hope to see you there.

CSW

THIS SUNDAY
Our last Sunday at the Homewood Suites before we move into our new long-term location on Speers Road. Visit our website for directions. Help us keep everyone informed by spreading the word.

NEXT SUNDAY
Our first service on Speers Road. We’ll be continuing the same teaching series, but we’ll be adding a new musical component. Feel free to visit our website for directions.

PODCASTERS
We’d love to be more than just a sound file. Especially those of you who don’t live close by. We’re experimenting with some new ideas about new ways to think about the church. You can help us by emailing us at info@askthequestion.ca to let us know where you live, how long you’ve been listening and how you found out about it.

I’D LIKE TO MEET AS MANY OF YOU AS ARE WILLING
Before we left our last location, I indicated I would love the chance to have coffee and talk life before September. I just need to know if you’re willing and how to get ahold of you. Email me at info@askthequestion.ca.

WE’RE MOVING FOR SUNDAY AUGUST 6TH
Don’t forget! We’ve been bounced around and so far we’ve stayed in tact. Just one more time and we’re done. Visit our website for directions.