Are You Hungry?

They say that mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun. Well, this Englishman loves the sun. I love the brightness it brings to everything; I love the heat it produces so you can wear t-shirts and shorts; and I love the fact that you can eat outside. On Sunday evening we went to Stanley Park for a Mother's Day BBQ. It was the perfect evening and the perfect setting. We fired up our small portable BBQ and started to cook the burgers. Within minutes, the smell started to drift around us and so many people came up and said, "Wow, that smells good." I thought about the money I could make by selling the burgers!

People were hungry for the burgers. Their mouths were watering with the thought of those big juicy burgers. Their minds became focused on those Angus beef burgers. They would not be satisfied until they had one of my sizzling delights. 

Have you ever had that feeling? When you have hungered for something so bad? And nothing else will satisfy that craving? 

When I was away recently, the Lord in many ways reminded me that I needed to feel hungry once more. Not for food or burgers but for Him. I needed to smell the aroma of His presence and hunger after Him. Not to fill myself up with junk food but yearn and desire His Bread of Life. The Lord also reveled that this hunger needed to be developed now. There is an urgency. It cannot be put off. 

So, I would encourage you to join me as I hunger after Jesus. To hunger after his Word. To hunger after His Presence. To hunger after His Kingdom. To hunger after His peace. To hunger after His justice and mercy. To hunger after His grace and forgiveness.

For we know that ultimately it will only be Him who can truly satisfy.

Listen to this song as you reflect on your hunger. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrZETO6DiEQ&feature=related

Blessings,

Trevor

Are You Alive?

Don't you just love days like this? You wake up to sun streaming through the window. The colours of a Vancouver spring jump out at you as you turn every corner. You feel rested and rejuvenated after some time away. And then you get to the church and the office is brightly painted with a wonderful new floor laid. Wow......you feel just so alive!

However, there are plenty of days when this isn't the case.  It's raining, you're exhausted and the cat's been sick in the kitchen. You feel as though life is one dimensional, black and white. You are merely going through the motions. Basically life has been sucked from you.

When we were in the Netherlands last week we saw many beautiful churches. Unfortunately, 95% of them are no longer used for worship. They are either tourist attractions or been converted inside to offices or museums. Christianity, which was once flourishing in the Netherlands producing such radical ministries as the Anabaptists and Mennonites, is now dying if not dead. The Netherlands is now considered one of the least Christian countries in Europe (and that is a pretty damning statement considering the competition!).

Where did the life go? People started to look inward instead of upward. Secularism and humanism became the god. They detached themselves from Jesus, they forgot to commune with the Living God and they withered. Real life left when the true Source of Life was ignored.

Are you dead or alive? I want life. I want the life that Jesus promised when he said, "I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of." That's the life I want.

And my prayer is that Cityview will be known as a community that has that life. People will walk into our church and sense that life. People will see the vibrancy in our worship; that life will be shared as we meet for Open table; our neighbours will see that life as we interact with the community around us. 

How do we get that life? By developing an intimate relationship with a God who is alive. Come this Sunday as we start a new series, Praying to Change the World. We will be looking at how we can touch heaven and change earth by the way we commune with Our Father.

This week, don't just go through the motions. Seek the life that is full to overflowing that is promised to you by Jesus. Be alive!!

Where to Start........?

"There is so much to do." How often do we say this? At work we have meetings to attend, projects to work on, and a hundred emails to reply to. At home the washing needs to be done, meals to cook, plans to be made, and kids to sort out. Where do we start?

I have been with you now for little over two weeks and my mind is buzzing. It's buzzing with excitement and expectation. I have seen and heard the passion this church has for Jesus, His Word, and His mission and there are so many opportunities. I have 101 ideas to grow the church both numerically and spiritually, and numerous things we can do to reach out with the love of Jesus to our neighbourhood. Where do we start?

Although this is obviously an exciting time, it can also be a dangerous time. We could try to start a number of initiatives, or plan to cover all the bases of church ministry. Make sure we have a program for every group of people. We could react and run around like the proverbial headless chicken. Unfortunately (and I know this from bitter experience) this will end in frustration and eventual burn out.

We would do well to remember that Jesus was never too busy. He didn't have a Personal Assistant or an electronic planner and yet he was able to complete his mission in his time and in his way. How did he do this? 

Jesus explained to his followers, "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does." John 5:19 

God has a wonderful plan and vision for Cityview. Our job is to discern what He is doing and then, quite simply, be obedient by joining Him. This may mean that we have to focus on a few things and put others to one side. It will mean that we cannot do everything at once. 

Linda and I will be away for a couple of weeks from Monday visiting our daughter in the Netherlands. This was arranged some time ago and I was disappointed I would be taking time away from you so soon after starting. However, this will allow me some space to process all that I have seen and heard. It will allow me to spend time to pray and discern. It will also help me to answer that ever pressing question........where to start! I would encourage you to join me in discovering what the Father is doing. The adventure awaits!

Dear Cityview, It has been my great privilege to serve these past few months as our transitional pastor. Thank you for the grace you showed me in that role. It is my prayer that we continue to "be" the body of Christ - serving from the gifts He has given to each of us; serving with a servants heart just as Jesus modeled; and serving those in our midst and in the neighborhood. Praise to our Father who has watched over us these past eighteen months and praise for His presence as the head of the church. Kevin Sigsby

This week we have a special opportunity in LIFE at Cityview. Friday Night Lite is this week and I hope you`ll make time to join in.  We will be watching a video presentation on ``Vulnerability`` by Patrick Lencioni. He leads a management-consulting firm focused on organizational health.  This presentation is funny, engaging, and will challenge you to live a transparent life.  We`ll share the video, some dinner, and some good discussion too.  So plan on being a part of Friday Night Lite beginning at 7pm this Friday in our fellowship hall.  PS – Have you experienced sanctuary this week?