Home Posts

Prayer Challenge Day 5: David, prayer and art

Posted on by

It’s not that some kind of people are artists, the truth is that everyone is some kind of artist.

It is also true that the way that we see good in the world – our artists eye – influences what we love to do. Shepherd-boy David became a king that would have many earmarks of shepherding, and all because as a young man he saw that God himself was a shepherd. He created a vivid picture in his mind through his songwriting that portrayed the beauty that he saw in God as a shepherd. This stayed with him and influenced him all his life.

As you pray for your friend, ask God to show you the way you that your friend has an artist’s eye. How do they see beauty in God’s world? It can be anything from the way a math equation is solved, to the way that mechanics work, to the way that they love movies, or music, or cooking. Think of your friends most loved moments in whatever might be there way of enjoyment. What does this tell you about the good that they have seen in God? Do they love cooking because they love hospitality, and ultimately they love the warm hospitality given by God? Do they love the beautiful plays of a hockey team in the Stanley Cup, because they love teamwork or the ability to conquer a challenge? Perhaps ultimately they have a heart of a challenger of injustice, or for facilitating community in a house group?

Always write down what you see in your friend. Share with them.

 

Prayer Challenge Day 4: Our lives are part of a larger battle

Posted on by

Think about your friend, and any struggles you know about that they have.

David had his own struggles. He was constantly harassed by the dangers to his sheep. He had the struggle of staying warm and dry out in the fields. He had to endure physical hardship. But one day he heard the voice of a giant threatening things bigger than his own situation. He was able to lift his eyes and see the bigger picture of his times, the challenges that they all faced together. And he knew that his personal challenges were real but very secondary to the bigger ones facing his nation at the moment. So he gave himself to those bigger purposes as well.

What do you see in your friend’s life that are challenges they are concerned about that are larger than themselves? Are there issues of justice or compassion in the world that tug at their heart? As you pray for them, ask God to connect them to his larger purposes in this world, and ask God to show them potential for service or leadership in these ways.

 

Prayer Challenge Day 3: Saul’s Armor – One size doesn’t fit all

Posted on by

When David faced a huge challenge – a huge warrior was defying his God and his nation – the King gave him his armor. It was the best armor available, but the problem was that it didn’t fit David. David had to say no to this great piece of armor in order to find his own style… Which was no more than shepherd’s clothes with a sling and five stones. But… it worked for him!

Just like David, we have to face our own unique strengths and weaknesses, and what works for other people will not necessarily work for us. This brings us to the problem of comparison. Today, pray that your friend will not suffer from comparing themselves to others in ways that keeps them from embracing their own uniqueness. Pray that they will be uninhibited in seeing the ways that they are to shine, without spending time on the question of whether it’s better or worse than the way that others do. Pray that they will have the courage to take off Saul’s armor, and find their own unique style and gifting that God has put in them.

It is true that sometimes we have to try on someone else’s style before we find our own. Pray for your friend, that if they’ve had situations where they have been forced into doing something that doesn’t work for them, that these experiences will result in learning not wounds.

 

Prayer Challenge Day 2: Low-stakes risk-taking

Posted on by

As you think about your friend today, can you recall any times of them taking risks in their life to do something they thought was worth doing?

David took a risk to protect his sheep from a bear, and survived. It gave him confidence to do the same again, this time from a lion.  His confidence built up to challenge a giant warrior, and finally, to challenge the enemies of his country with fierceness and love for his people.

Before God leads us to the higher-stakes challenges of our lives, he prepares us at a lower level of risk.  Perhaps the risks we see our friends taking, or that we know about in their past, show us something of the greater challenges up ahead.  Did they ever risk all to form a relationship?  Did they ever stand up to some injustice as a kid?  Did they ever organize something small that could be beginnings of a broader calling to carry out larger visions?  Notice any patterns that might be emerging, and encourage your friend, blessing them for the risks they have taken that could grow and larger things in their life.

 

Prayer Challenge Day 1: Seeing the Oak in the Acorn

Posted on by

Every tree begins from a small seed that bears little outward resemblance to the tree it will someday become. It’s usually difficult to tell much about a baby’s future from its personality at birth, as well.  But not long afterwards, both saplings and toddlers demonstrate some of their uniqueness.

Not long after I transplanted an oak tree into my yard, the nearby bonfire withered the leaves, and taking it for dead, I chopped it down.  I was surprised to see that, months afterwards, leaves were springing up from the tiny stump.  The oak tree is a very strong wood, and hardy.  I recognized the strength in the sapling that will one day make a strong and resilient tree in my back yard – and it is once again on its way to being a mighty oak. But the amazing qualities of a mature oak tree can be seen when it is still small.

Though even Jesse, David’s dad, was surprised to see David chosen to be future king, Samuel had the insight to see that God had found “a man after his own heart,” who was a young shepherd – but would one day become a shepherd king.

Now hold your friend up in prayer, and picture them. Pray for insight into them. If it’s true that God formed us even before birth, there must often be indications from our earliest years that he has established some unique things for each of us, to do and to be.  Do you know stories of the younger years of your friend’s life?  Are there any that seem to you to have prophetic significance of God’s calling on their life?  Think about what you know of their early years, and ask God for insight into them, blessing them, and giving thanks. Write down what you get, for later sharing in person, or a quick text to encourage their day.

 

Who Do You Say I Am? Prayer Challenge Intro

Posted on by

For two weeks, those of us who want to take The Vineyard’s prayer challenge will find a friend to pray for everyday till February 26th. Have courage to ask people if you can pray for them! Be bold, and if no one asks you, don’t take it as a sign that no one cares about you! Our main way of doing this kind of thing is in Triads in the Outer Circle, so if you like doing this kind of thing, that is the way that anyone can find friends do this with. If these two weeks don’t work for you, consider joining the Outer Circle at our next Feast on March 18th.

Once you have found someone to do this with, find a time and a place once a day where you can be by yourself in an undistracted way. Hold your friend before God in a posture of intercession. Ask God to remind you of the stories of their life, interests and passions, and experiences of success and failure you know they have had. Ask God to give you insight into their life, always knowing that you will not see perfectly, and therefore have to present your insights with some humility and uncertainty. They are the experts before God on how much of what you tell them actually fits.

Some of these meditations require a fair bit of knowledge of your friend’s life.  If you don’t know something, perhaps God will show you things directly you don’t know naturally.  Be open to the working of God’s spirit in this way.  As well, some of these deep questions here might prompt you to actually just ask each other about them.

The people doing this will need to find their own way of sharing insights with each other. For some it might be a short encouraging text message, others will want to meet together for a coffee and sharing what they have written as they prayed for each other. If you aren’t sharing immediately after you pray for them, write down your insights. Also, keep track of what is being spoken to you. Please be warm and open with each other. This whole exercise is to serve and encourage each other not put each other in little constricting boxes.

On the Sunday of February 26th, there will be opportunity for people to share how God has spoken to them through this prayer challenge.

Have fun, and let God spirit encourage your friend through you!

Why are we doing this?:

  • To gain more clarity on our personal callings so that we can live them out more fully.
  • To apply what we’ve learned through our series on David.

Where can I get the daily meditations?:

  • The meditation for each day will be posted here on the website (and shared via email and Facebook).
  • Physical copies of all the meditations will also be available at the info table.

When is it?:

  • February 12 – 26th.
  • On Sunday, February 26 we’ll hear personal stories to encourage each other.

 Other Notes:

 

Who Do You Say I Am? – a Challenge

Posted on by

Jesus once asked his disciples this pointed question: “Who do you say I am?” (Mark 8:29)  It was, of course, Peter who blurted out the answer: “You are the Christ!”  This question can be equally powerful when we ask God for his answer for ourselves and others.  He may not blurt out the answer like Peter did, but he will gently and surely lead us to the best answers for ourselves and our community.

We hope you’ve been stirred in this direction through our “Why On Earth: David, calling and the pursuit of God” series.  But we want you to be more than stirred!  Toward answering this question of calling and identity, we want to end with a practical challenge.  From February 12 – 26 we will shine a light on the question of calling with the purpose of gaining more clarity regarding our vocations.  It will be a two week prayer challenge during which time we’ll have daily meditations designed to help orient your prayers along the lines we’ve been exploring.  We encourage you to team up with one or two other people (others in your Triad, House Group, a mentor, or a friend) and commit to praying for each other along the lines of the daily meditations.  The end goal is for everyone involved to have more clarity in their calling so we can more fully live them out.

To help facilitate this we are going to devote most of our normal teaching times on February 12 and 19 to praying for each other.  There will be just one service on both these Sundays that will be curated in a way to help us hear from God for each other.

Why:

  • To gain more clarity on our personal callings so that we can live them out more fully.
  • To apply what we’ve learned through our series on David.

What:

  • Two-week Prayer Challenge – praying for clarity in your calling with one or two others.
  • Asking God the question “who do you say I am?” and listening for his answer in a variety of ways.

When:

  • We’ll kick it off on Sunday, February 12.  On Sunday, February 26 we’ll hear personal stories to encourage each other.

How Should You Prepare?:

  • Find one or two people and commit to praying for each other during the Prayer Challenge along the lines of the daily meditations.

 

Membership, OC & AGM

Posted on by

We want to be a community in which nobody gets left out or left behind.  This means relationship – lots of relationship!  There are many organized venues for encouraging community (think Outer Circle, House Groups, Service opportunities, etc) and there are many organic opportunities (think lunch invitations, parties, farm days, etc).  Both are valuable, however what follows concerns the organized variety…

Every year we keep an active membership roster.  This is partly because we are required to by the government but it’s also a helpful way of keeping track of everyone who wants to be part of the Vineyard in this way.  Currently our formal membership is defined in two ways:

  1. Everyone who is in a Triad in the Outer Circle process.  This doesn’t mean you need to come to the gatherings – but it does mean you participate in the process as outlined here.
  2. Anyone else who is doing something similar to what is supposed to happen in Triads (House Groups are the best example of this).  People who are doing something similar to the Outer Circle will: 1) intentionally and regularly get together with a small group of people, 2) know and be known by those people, and 3) actively engage in spiritual growth as described in our Core Practices.

You can read more about membership in the Vineyard here.

If you haven’t already done so for 2017, please submit your name to the office if want to be a formal member for 2017 as defined above.  Count yourself in!

Our next Annual General Meeting will take place during our next Outer Circle gathering on March 18.  Everyone is welcome to come, but only formal members are able to vote on items that require ratification by the membership.  This year we’ll be presenting our budget for 2017 and our financial report for 2016, ratifying new Board of Director appointments and some constitutional amendments.  We’ll communicate more about each of these items prior to the AGM.

In Memory of Cherilyn Leveque

Posted on by

To my loving niece Cherilynn Leveque:

I never realized the love you left behind.
How kind and sharing you’d had been.
We all miss you dearly.
We all wish we could have you back
So we can sit and talk to you so dearly.
You left us all a life’s lesson, we commend you so dearly.
Live, Love, Laugh and Hug and give someone a smile.
Friendships and families are important
And cherish them so dearly.
Remember the less fortunate, the impoverished and the low
Because they may have been like you…
A niece we lost long ago.
Who was dealt life’s difficult blows.
Through it all you choose to smile to be that example indeed.
Live, Love, Laugh and Hug and give someone a smile.
Oh how I miss you so
I know you’re in heaven
Because there’s a savior who knows our deepest soul.
I know that you’re with me, I can feel you in my heart!
You’re now in the bosom of Jesus, safely in his arms!
Until we meet again my niece! Oh how I love you so!

~ Susan Henry, Cheri’s aunt

Cheri has managed to wiggle her head through the window of the bus. She’s gazing forward, smiling. It’s the end of farm day; we’ve had barbecued hot dogs and potato chips for lunch, and spent the afternoon swimming. The day is pleasant, filled with sunshine. I am waiting outside the bus, making sure we haven’t missed anyone. People are smiling at me and making faces through the windows. We are laughing at each other. I take out my phone to take pictures. Cheri wants me to take hers.

Of all the things I remember about Cheri, this is most vivid: she loved having her picture taken. She had a gift for recognizing and savouring joy. She was grateful. When she asked for a picture, it was her way of saying that she was delighted and that she was thankful.

I can still hear her laugh and see the way it illuminated her. She had kind eyes. She loved bingo and taco salad. Pictures don’t quite capture all that.

There was pain in her life, too. She was humble and vulnerable about it, unafraid to ask for help and to share when she was struggling. Her body was fragile and there were times we could only lightly lay hands on her as we prayed for her. Once, I remember kneeling down beside her at drop-in when she was having a seizure. She was shaking on the floor, in a fetal position, and couldn’t say a word. A few of us were alongside her, speaking quietly and reassuring her that we were there and that help was on the way.

WCV, and particularly Drop-In, was a home and family for Cheri. During one Celebration Sunday, she was even proposed to in the middle of a contemplative prayer exercise! I have no doubt that she knew that she was wanted here. On another Sunday, she took the microphone and, in front of everyone, gave WCV a framed sign as a gift and then proceeded to share some very personal things about her life with our congregation. It was a holy moment. A few people gathered around to pray for her. Our community was better because of her, and it was a privilege and an honour to be entrusted with her over these years.

Just before Christmas, on our last Drop-In gathering of the year, we took a picture. Amazingly, it wasn’t Cheri’s idea though I’m sure she was in hearty agreement. We all huddled together on stage, trying to fit into the frame. Cheri is front and centre, wearing a bright red Coca-Cola t-shirt, smiling at the camera. Sunlight is radiating through the windows behind us. Before the picture was taken, Cheri went and got the sign that she gave us that particular Sunday – it had been hanging in our sanctuary ever since, on stage. She’s holding the sign with both of her hands. “Friends.” That’s what the sign says. This is our last picture together, with her. In January of this year, Cheri took her own life.

Today, Cheri is with Jesus in paradise. I can only imagine what enduring vision of joy she is beholding now, how illuminated she is, and how amazing it must feel to at last be free of pain. We thank God for her life. And we look forward to gazing upon the beauty of our Lord together one day; the day to which every picture of joy, gratitude, and friendship points.

A Surplus of Gratitude

Posted on by

We’ve said it verbally for the past few Sundays but we’ll write it here too, just in case you missed it – 2017 turned out to be another year of amazing provision which we’re humbled by and thankful for.  We even ended the year with a small surplus.  Thank you to those who joined with us in prayer and fasting, and thank you for your generosity in supporting WCV financially.  God always seems to provide for us in unexpected ways through unexpected gifts as well as through regular giving from people like you.  It has been noted before, but WCV is a generous church, both in what we accomplish and the people who are the church – we know that, which is why we never posture our communication to be about “digging deeper”.  Rather, we acknowledge that God is the source of every good gift.  He partners with his people in accomplishing his will.  What each of us does with the money we have is a good indication of our discipleship.  These are all reasons to say “thank you!” to you, and to God, our generous Father.

You can expect a full financial report for 2016 and a presentation of the budget for 2017 leading up to our Annual General Meeting on March 18.  This meeting will be during our regular Outer Circle gathering, but anyone can come.  All members (those involved in the Outer Circle, a House Group or a similar group – more info here) are especially encouraged to come to this meeting.  You can also look for your 2016 tax receipts during the next few Sundays.

An Invitation to Travel… to the Himalayas!

Posted on by

Here’s a very special invitation for everyone at WCV.  September 27 – 30 the Himalayan Region Vineyard is hosting a big conference during which they will be commissioned to be their own Association of Vineyard Churches.  This is an exciting and normal part of the growth process for groups of Vineyard churches.  This release as their own association won’t change their relationship with us – we will still be family – but it is significant and cause for celebration.  Vineyardites from around the world will gather in Siliguri, India (see map below) in what we expect will be the largest gathering of Himalayan Region Vineyard people ever.   It will be a big deal.  Of course, it would be wonderful to have as many WCVers there as possible – and we want to help make that happen.

There will be limited travel subsidies available to help get WCVers there.  If you’ve always wanted to go to the Himalayas, perhaps this is an opportunity that would work of you!  If you are interested in going and if you would need a subsidy please contact the office.  Amounts of subsidies will be determined later but please note they will only cover a portion of the travel.

Depending on interest from the group, we may add on a trip to Kathmandu after the conference in Siliguri.

  • Himalayan Vineyard’s AVC (Association of Vineyard Churches) Release Gathering
  • September 27 – 30, 2017
  • Siliguri, India

Contact the Office.

 

Vineyard Prayer Summit (Edmonton)

Posted on by

Coming up very soon is the Prayer Summit and Worship Symposium in Edmonton, hosted by the Harvest Vineyard!

The Vineyard Prayer Summit is a two day event dedicated to prayer and worship, and to seeking the face of God. In addition to the Summit, there will be three pre-Summit Symposiums: David Ruis, National Director of Vineyard Canada, will be speaking; Andy Park, worship leader, will be leading the Worship Symposium; and Dr. Rik Berry, professional artist, will be leading a hands-on track about the “Confluence of the Arts.”

March 1-2: Pre-Summit Symposiums.

March 3-4: Prayer Summit.

For more details and to register for one or both of these events, visit the summit website.

Please let us know if you’re planning on attending – we can coordinate!

A New Year Celebration – stomping on snake heads and other reasons to party

Posted on by

I came across this painting by Sister Grace Remington a few years ago while doing research for a sermon.  I can’t recall what the sermon was on but this painting has stayed with me, lingering in my inbox.  It moved me then and it still moves me now.  I find myself in it – perhaps you will too.

unnamed

Painting by Sister Grace Remington, OCSO Sisters of the Mississippi Abbey in Dubuque, Iowa

This painting speaks with a simple eloquence of the hope that Christmas points to.   But more than that it speaks to me of my condition as a descendant of Eve – as one who has been infected by the serpent’s venom – as one who has been tripped up too many times by the cunning temptations hung before me like plump juicy fruit (pears by the look of it in this rendition – I love pears…).  It reminds me that the rebellion of my ancient biblical ancestors lives in me too.

This painting also speaks to me of another reality I’m learning to live into.  It calls me to recall my position and identity within God’s family.  The snake has bitten my foot (“bruised” as the Hebrew puts it).  It hurts and the venom is deadly.  However, the head of that very same snake has been struck (again, bruised) by the baby in that womb.  The prophecy spoken to the serpent in Genesis 3 has been fulfilled in the coming of Jesus (he will bruise your head, you will bruise his heel).  In other words, the snake will go down fighting, but he will go down (technically he already has, but that’s for another post).  This picture is pregnant with this promise.  It beckons me to live up to this hope and to allow my life to be infused and transformed by it.

This is worth celebrating.  Not the shallow kind of celebration that denies the difficult parts of my reality, but the authentic and genuine praise that erupts from the throats of worshippers who have tasted of freedom and are longing for more!  The kind of deep celebration that happens when the one stuck in pain and loneliness feels hope communicated to them through the loving embrace of community.  It’s the joyful tears of forgiveness, and the melodies that well up from within when the sweet tastes of hope and freedom replace the bitter flavours of sin.  We have reason for hope and we have reason to celebrate!

Jesus has come.  Jesus is with us.  Jesus has the last word (and the word after that too).  

 

Let’s party.

This Sunday, January 1, 2017.  10am.

P.S.  We will start on time (as usual) – don’t miss out by being late.