jonathan manafo

long boards, parenting & the gospel...

2012-01-30T12:32:00.001-08:00

Our son Jacob just turned 10. My wife and I can't believe that he's in the double digit era - there's no turning back. We are officially parents of a double digit child and we're ok with that. We've never been over exuberant with our gifts and have always tried to keep the budgets down. Two reasons: one is that we don't want to spoil our kids and give them too much, and two, we simply don't have the money to spoil them even if we wanted too.

A few months back Jake asked if we could get him a long board; a longer scale skateboard that is more for cruising than it is for stunts and tricks. My cousin had a few in his entrance last time we visited them and Jake thought that they were quite cool. Well not only did he want one, but he wanted me to get one as well. Why you ask, because he figured that we could spend time together skating the days away. (He probably also thought that it was one way of assuring I'd agree to buying one :)

Here's the thing: I've never bought or had a skateboard in my life. As cool as the first 'Back to the Future' movie was (you know the scene with Michael J Fox riding his board to school while holding on the back of a truck), I was never drawn to skateboarding. But I was faced with a decision: my son asked me to do something with him, and it would cost me something - do I chicken out or do I pick up two long boards and learn to ride with Jacob. Well the decision was made easy on Boxing Day. I was in Yorkdale Mall, and for the record it was only because we were coming back from a hockey game and got off at the Subway station there, otherwise I wouldn't be in the mall on Boxing Day, and happened to walk into West 49. They had a sale going on - 75% off the second item. I asked if that included long boards, and to my surprise it did. (If you know me, this was a very happy moment)

Since Jake was with me I had to discretely let the sales person know that I'd be back and to hold two boards for me. I returned a few hours later and picked up, not one, but two long boards. Thankfully, for our budget, my board was much less money. And there I was, a 38 year old dad, who has never bought and hardly ever skated before, buying myself my first skate board. Pretty crazy, I know. Kind of cool too. (The young girl at the counter said, in classic teenager mode, 'pretty cool, you just bought a long board for $38)

Why share this story? Well we've been out on the boards twice already (it's winter eh!) and the short rides were not only fun, but meaningful. I'm spending time with me son - quality time - doing something he likes (something I've never done). I'm guessing this won't only get me brownie points as a Dad (and Husband ;), but it will contribute to the on going relationship that Jacob and I are developing.

And what about the gospel? I can't help but think that this is, in a small way, what Jesus did to develop our relationship with God. He moved into our neighbourhood, grew up as boy, took up a trade, lived life with us, and did things that we like (i.e. went to parties, ate & drank, hung out in public spaces, etc.)...all so we could know him, his Father, and the ways of his Kingdom. If he thought picking up long boarding would get me closer to him and God, then I imagine he would've done that too.

what's going on at '_______' church

2012-01-30T08:07:00.001-08:00

check out the latest post at '______' church.

If Jesus ran for the Republican nomination | The Pangea Blog

2012-01-20T21:00:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year...plans & goals...

2012-01-05T08:17:00.000-08:00

We're already a few days into this new year. Can't believe, as we often say, that 2012 is here and moving forward. As we all know, time keeps moving, it doesn't stop for anyone or anything.

I have many dreams & hopes for 2012. Our family has transitioned into a new reality. We are officially 'church planters' and like most planters, are both very excited and scared to death about what we're doing and what God's called us to.

Here are somethings I want to resolve in 2012. Let's call them goals :)

Plant a church
I realize that it doesn't take a year to plant a church. It'll take a lot longer. We're in this for the long hull; 10-15-20 years! However, this is the year that it'll all get up and running. Our hope is that by years end we will have and be part of a community of people that form a fresh expression of the Gospel story in North Whitby.
This will include many other goals and activity that can be tracked and found HERE.

Be a better Father & Husband
I'm not a bad husband or father, but I know that I can be better. Last night as I laid my head on the pillow I felt very strongly that God wants me to be the best Father that our beautiful children can possibly have. That means sacrifice and commitment, plus lots of love of grace. Jacob & Madison need me more than anyone else; more than our new church does & more than my neighbours do. They, along with Janet are my most important and intimate neighbours.

Continue to improve on my musical craft.
As I've transitioned to planting a church, I realized that I'm letting go of some of the things I used to do in ministry; that includes leading worship regularly and playing lots of music. However, I also know that music, both playing and writing, are very close to my heart and gifts that God has given me. It can never be a distraction to our church plant, but it can be a healthy distraction at times. One main musical goal is that I move beyond the worship arena and begin to worship God through music in other circles. I would love to find a band to play bass with: An adele/nora jones feeling band that I focus on playing the bottom end with.

Read more.
I do read regularly, but I want to be more structured and strategic about it. I have a list of books that I've purchased and been given (a huge blessing I might add). Here are some titles I'll be going through:
- The Bible (continual reading)
- Divine Commodity (Skye Jethani)
- King Gospel Jesus (Scot Mcknight)
- Simply Jesus (NT Wright)
- Road to Missional (M. Frost)
- Focusing our Faith (BIC)
- Onward (Howard Schultz)
- Body Politics (John Howard Yoder)
- The Sabbath (A. J. Heschel)
- Telling the Truth (Frederick Buechner)
- The Holy Longing (Ronald Rolheiser)
- The Jesus Way (E. Peterson)
- Practice Resurrection (E. Peterson)

Create a few financial plans
I want to put together a 2, 7 & 13 year financial plan that includes eliminating dept, saving for future...investments, travel and giving.

Fast & Pray
Can't say more otherwise it will lose it's effectiveness.
This will include our family trying to memorize a scripture verse weekly. Something we've never done, but want to try. This will mean that every morning before we start our hectic days, we'll take time to read that verse & pray. I'm probably looking forward to this the most.

That's all I got. Probably ambitious, but better to plan high than not plan at all. May God be in the middle of this - the middle of our lives.

hoping to raise money for WATER in December...

2011-12-04T19:37:00.000-08:00

My daughter challenged me to give more this Christmas, so I made a deal with her.

I normally donate $1 from every CD I sell to Water Ambassadors Canada. They help developing countries by providing tools to clean the water and make it drinkable. This is one of the biggest needs in our world today.

Well, after a wonderful conversation before bed, my 7 year old daughter challenged me to up the donation to $5 a CD. So, in December, I no matter how much I sell my worship CDs for, I will be donating $5 to WAC for every CD I sell.

If you're interested, please email me at jonathanmanafo@gmail.com All you have to do is send me your mailing address, I will then email back you a PayPal invoice and mail out the CD ASAP.

For more info on the Worship CD, you can go to www.jonathanmanafo.com

tips to be a more proficient musician...

2011-11-29T09:00:00.001-08:00

Below you'll find a link to a very helpful article I came across through the Taylor Guitar Website. It inspired me to continue to develop better habits and disciplines for practicing my instruments (bass & guitar).

Hope this can help you too.

http://www.taylorguitars.com/woodandsteel/articles/WSfall2011-how-to-become-a-natural.pdf?utm_source=insider&utm_medium=email&utm_content=free-giftcard-promo&utm_campaign=Nov2011

the village: church-in-formation

2011-11-22T08:18:00.000-08:00

the village: church-in-formation: I've been reading through Eugene Peterson's book, "The Pastor". This is has been a very timely read for our situation. There are many ways...

foy vance & mark ashbridge

2011-11-14T10:02:00.000-08:00

worth watching...the words, the change of tempo in the middle of the tune, and the calling for an 'amen' before the last verse...it's classic...

gathering & scattering...

2011-11-04T17:13:00.000-07:00

Heard this guy speak many years ago when he led students at a large church in the states. It's amazing to hear this language used to describe mission and the church. Words like 'gathering' & 'sent' & 'missionary' all connected to local presence and not something we do overseas. Take a look & a listen...

Soma Communities - Tacoma, WA from Verge Network on Vimeo.

love the church

2011-10-27T06:50:00.001-07:00

I'm the first to agree that the church has its flaws and is far from perfect. That being said, the church, well or not, witnesses to what is central to faith in God - Jesus. You see, as Scot McKnight says so well, "Jesus comes with the church and the Church comes with Jesus"

We weren't meant to be perfect on earth. God is designing a city that will reflect perfection; Revelation 21 tells us that. However, we were meant to find Christ, the perfect one, in the middle of a community that follows him. Let's realize that none of us is perfect and everyone that is part or is becoming part of the church is on a journey with and towards God. McKnight also says, "Instead of despising the church because of its weaknesses, perhaps we should learn to love the church because it welcomes the weak and offers healing over time by simply gathering around Jesus."

Our new church is in the very early beginnings of 'who knows what'. I hope that as we journey towards becoming a new expression of HIS church in Whitby, we will keep this truth in mind - we are imperfect people following a perfect Saviour & the church is only beautiful because her Lord is beautiful.

I want to gather around that...around Him!

we gather to scatter...to be on mission

2011-10-24T20:10:00.000-07:00

This video is our the biblical inspiration I have in my heart for planting a new expression of church in Whitby. We gather to encourage mission.

http://www.vergenetwork.org/2011/09/13/francis-chan-how-to-have-real-community-video/

http://vimeo.com/30772195

Worrying...thoughts from Set Godin

2011-10-24T08:04:00.000-07:00

When is it okay to start worrying?

A friend was waiting to hear about the results of a job interview. He hadn't heard in a while and he asked me, "how long before I should start worrying?"

Of course, the answer is, "you should never start worrying."

Worrying is not a useful output. Worrying doesn't change outcomes. Worrying ruins your day. Worrying distracts you from the work at hand. You may have fooled yourself into thinking that it's useful or unavoidable, but it's not. Now you've got one more thing to worry about.

next steps...

2011-10-11T16:22:00.000-07:00

A number of months ago we began a journey that would lead us to a place where only God had mapped out. If you've followed, you may remember my post on the decision we made to resign from our ministry role at CLC after 8 significant and fruitful years. That was back in July and we had no clarity as to what we would be doing next. Just a few weeks ago, on August 28, my family and I said good bye to Christian Life Centre. The wonderful people of CLC said farewell to us and us to them. It was an emotional day to say the least, but it was also a very affirming day as many friends left us with encouraging words. At that point, things still hadn't been settled, but we did sense that God was moving us into a direction that would change the way we do church ministry, not because it's so different, but because of the nature of this call.

Some really good opportunities with great churches came our way. I met wonderful, godly leaders who care for people and want those who are far from God to find relationship with Jesus. As good as all those opportunities were, we really felt that God had some other plans for us. After much prayer and discernment, we sensed that God was not calling us out of Durham, but wants us to remain here and plant a new church expression in North Whitby.

We have lived in this area for more than 7 years and have really fell in love with Whitby and Durham. God has put this city and region on our hearts and we sense that He wants us to plant ourselves in this location to lead and develop a community of people (neighbours, friends & soon to be friends) who will make our world a better place by the way we follow Jesus. We know that this endeavour is the biggest and craziest thing we've ever attempted, but we also know that God will enable us by his spirit to do all that he wants. North Whitby, along with other parts of Durham, is growing rapidly. With the this in mind, and the plans for the 407 highway coming together, there is no better time to plant a church in this area than the present. My friend and mentor, Bill Morrow, said in reference to an ancient proverb, "the best time to plant a (tree) church was 20 years ago, the second best time is today".

This month we will start worshiping and doing community with Brooklin Village Church. They will be the Mother Church of our new baby church. We are so glad that the leaders of BVC have a heart to reproduce themselves. Planting and reproduction is in their DNA. We look forward to a healthy relationship with them as our Mother Church. The sponsoring Denomination is the Canadian Brethren in Christ (BIC). This is the same denomination the The Meeting House (Oakville & other sites) are a part of. They have a vision to plant churches in Ontario and we feel privileged to have their support and confidence in this Kingdom project. This is a hybrid of sorts: a PAOC church birthing a BIC church plant - then you have a pastor (me) with pentecostal roots who feels comfortable with a BIC denomination that is evangelical and holds high the value of a Spirit led life/ministry. I'll still be in partnership with the PAOC, maybe not on paper, but in our mission and in our hearts. I have many valuable friendships there and will continue to keep those relationships as we work together to reach and care for our world. I'll be praying for my fellow churches. If they win, we win; if they do well, we do well. My prayer is that all churches cheer each other on in our mission to make disciples. For the next number of months we will hang around and do life with Brooklin Village Church while we plan & prepare for a church launch sometime in 2012.

Janet, Jacob, Madison & I are up to the task at hand, but will need lots of prayer and support. I know this much - if God doesn't show up, we are toast. Because of that, your prayers and support are appreciated. If you'd like to know more about how someone can participate, please feel free to contact me at jonathanmanafo@gmail.com and I'll fill you in on the details. As you can imagine, planting a church requires lots of things to come into place; prayer and support are two very key ingredients to this equation.

I'll be posting more in the the coming weeks; updates, a church name, website, vision and mission, needs of the community and needs of the church, etc.

We are really looking forward to seeing what God has in store. Thanks for following our journey the last few months.

everyone has a liturgy...

2011-10-01T19:50:00.000-07:00

The last number of weeks I've had the opportunity to be in a variety of church settings. From August 28 - October 16 I would have been in 10+ venues and churches, 6 different denominations and 7 different cities. I've worked with a number of worship teams and served just as many pastors. I preached, led worship, taught workshops, played bass, etc.

I've come to a conclusion I knew, but now confirm, every church is so different. We evangelical or free churches say we have no liturgy, but we all follow a different way of doing things. Liturgy is simply a form we use to worship God. Evangelicals think they don't have one, but they've simply made up their own. Pentecostals may not want one, but they can't help but follow a pattern. We all create or adopt some form of liturgy, if we didn't we wouldn't be human.

My simple thoughts are these, each church must develop a liturgy that fits their context, their church and their culture. The reason we have different forms and ways of worshiping is that the world around us needs different expressions to be drawn into faith in Jesus. We ministers may think that it's simply about what tradition we align ourselves to, but there's got to be more to it. There are people in our communities, those who are far from God, that just like us Christians, will gravitate to a certain kind of church expression. We may think that Pentecostals, Anglicans, Baptists, Brethren in Christ and the like, are ways for Christians to express their faith, but they are also paths in which unbelievers find God and God's community.

So what am I saying? Discern what liturgy you are to use in your worship context; allow God to use it for both the worship of Christians and the witness to the lost child of God who needs to find a way home. Just as the local church is a body made up of many parts, so is the catholic (universal) church a body made up of many parts. The neighbour on my right may be attracted by a hand and the neighbour on my left by a foot, my desire is that they connect with the body of Christ, which ever liturgical/expressive path they may take.

What do you think?

doodling found to be very beneficial in processing info...

2011-09-23T10:03:00.001-07:00

been busy...

2011-09-18T16:16:00.000-07:00

As my last written post said, I finished up at CLC on August 28. I've taken a bit of time off, but not that much. Not sure how it happened, but from Labour day to the end of October I have 10 worship, playing or teaching engagements. You can see them on my GIGS page. It's been good being at a few different places leading worship and teaching. I look forward to all these opportunities and hope to serve each church and/or organization well.

At the home front I've done a few things around the house, but not enough. We went to Sarnia to visit my cousin Joe and his family. Spending time with them was wonderful. I hope to paint a few sections of the house and do some work in my yard before my next assignment begins. I have tried to golf at least once a week. Not that it matters, but I'm hitting the ball well and hope to have a few good scoring rounds before the cold weather :)

Speaking of my next assignment, I hope to have some news to share in the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned...

Sidney Crosby SportChek Commercial - Name Game - Summer 2011

2011-09-06T13:05:00.000-07:00

My buddy Kedar is acting on this commercial. He's a gifted guy who's involved in lots of different ventures. Congrats on landing this gig pal...

moving on #2...a chapter closed...a letter for Christian Life Centre

2011-08-30T21:22:00.001-07:00

Well, we shared our last Sunday with Christian Life Centre. It was quite the day. I arrived, as I normally do, sometime before 8am. Finished up a few last minute things for the worship set; printed off my 'talk' (visual instructions) for the tech team; rehearsed with the worship team for the last time - prayed with them - cried a little.

The service was great. It's harder to judge because I both led worship and taught, but I thought we hit it out of the park. Our team did so well and God gave me some grace to share some final thoughts with a community of people that we truly love.

There was a song by Janay E, a photo collage (video), another video (with many people sharing, the last of which was Mark Macknight, my former colleague and lead pastor), some gifts, and a lunch to follow (packed I might add)

Both before the service, after the service and during our church lunch, people were so nice. Their words of kindness and appreciation were much appreciated. Actually, since our announcement people have been so good. They've commended us for our step of faith, thanked us for all that we did, shared some personal thoughts and words, and made us feel so glad to be a part of their lives.

CLC is a great church. Why? Because we've become a family; a community of people who discover life together and embrace one another in the name of Christ. It has been a joy for Janet and I to have served and lived among such wonderful people. Like any church, nothing is perfect. But when the church is perusing God's dream for themselves and their local community, it really is a beautiful place...a beautiful people.

For my final talk I tried to remind us all that the church is beautiful. There are so many reasons why, but we focused on, 1) the way we worship 2) the community we are becoming & 3) the story that we share. I'm not ignorant of the fact that the church is messy and that we've done some really stupid things. I've seen my brothers and sister in Christ be foolish and I've also partaken in my fair share of foolishness, but the fact is that the church is beautiful because Christ makes us beautiful, never more so then when we worship in spirit and in truth; with one hand up (to God) and one hand out (to our neighbour) - when we serve as and for our community - when we share our story with a world that desperately needs it.

I've seen so many people come to know God and grow closer to Him the last 8 years. I've watched people become followers of Jesus and then watched them 'be Jesus' to their world'. My family and I have become so connected to people there that we really did feel like family.

All I can say is, so long CLC. Thank you for your love and affection; thank you for allowing us to graft ourselves to you; thank you for giving me freedom to express myself; to lead, to grow, to teach, to sing, to create, etc. My wife (Janet) thanks you as well, for giving her a place to share her gifts; with kids, with moms, with volunteers and in various programs. My kids thank you for helping them grow in God and building community. And thank you for your willingness to be stretched and move towards God's purposes.

This is not goodbye, but see you later.

At this point we still don't know exactly where we will be and in what capacity we will be serving the kingdom. What we do know is that God is faithful and he is working while we are waiting. This step of faith we took is one that we can all take. It will look different for all of us, but the feelings and emotions may be similar. Our fruit doesn't always show in the outcome, but in the obedience. We
are excited to see how God brings this all together. That's the fun part.

Stay tuned for part 3 of this story...

missionaries or church planters...or both...

2011-08-18T14:24:00.000-07:00

You may have seen David Fitch's recent post about how we should be funding plants. I find it an interesting debate, which (as he notes in this post) is really about our view of culture & church. What kind of world do we live in and how can the gospel best be shared in today's world.

David's response highlighted below is part of a conversation many of us need to start having if we are going to live out the gospel.

http://www.reclaimingthemission.com/me-and-alex-mcmanus-take-2-heres-an-bothand-i-can-live-with/

I just started reading 'The Naked Anabaptist' and in the forward, Greg Boyd addresses some similar issues. Manly, we must accept the fact that the Christendom era is over and begin to live and minister in that reality.

Bill Hybels Addresses Speaker Change at The Global Leadership Summit

2011-08-14T19:28:00.000-07:00

As expected, Bill Hybels and Willow Creek showed lots of Grace, Wisdom and Christian Love with a sensitive issue at their leadership summit. I so appreciate the way they do things. God Bless them for that.

It's too bad that some people in the Christian community had to start something like this, but I realize that we all have our faults and misinterpretations of the Scriptures.

focus on the grass, not the clubhouse

2011-08-10T10:50:00.000-07:00

As some may know I'm quite into golf. Notice I didn't say I'm good at golf. No one is really good, except those who are aspiring to make it a living, other than that there are golfers who are worse and golfers who are better. I'm trying to get better every season.

I tried a new golf course in Durham this week. I've been wanting to try this track for a while, but haven't gotten out there. Stonehenge Golf Club. You show up and drive into an unpaved parking lot. There's a starter's cabin, two washroom cabins, a drink/snack cabin and a tent/patio. That's it. No clubhouse, no locker room, no building, etc.

So I mentioned to the woman who took our payment, 'I guess you guys focus on the grass and not on the building?' She responded with an enthusiastic, 'YES'. As we made our way to the beautiful practice green and then played our way around the course, my partner and I quickly found out that they really do focus on the essentials. The course was immaculate; just gorgeous. The tee boxes, the fairways, bunkers, greens, all beautiful. We will definitely be golfing there again.

I couldn't help but think about what goes into building a church. In our North American culture, we are so fixed on the end product of a building and a parking lot that we can call our own. We seem to get excited about walls and roofs and rooms and flooring. So much so that we forget to focus on the church, the people, the actual structure that we are called to build.

Please don't misunderstand me, I know that there's a time in a church's life when a building and a parking lot and maintaining such things are important and necessary. I have a good friend who's community of believers believe that they must take some time and resources to update their facilities and I know that they're making the right decision for the future growth of their church and their community. However, often, church plants and large churches alike worry about erecting a building and/or maintaining a building, while forgetting that the church is essentially a group of people who are becoming more like Jesus. We are grass that must be nurtured and cared for and encouraged to grow. The club house is useful and convenient and a wonderful tool that God uses, but lets not forget why people show up - to be part of a community; part of a family; to discover life together. The church is a body - a body of people - the body of Christ. The building isn't as essential as the DNA of the body.

Who we are will always be more important then where we meet. The grass is always more important than the club house, and the people, who we are, how we live, how we serve, and how we love will always be more important then the building that holds the church.

smurfs, a village & the body of Christ

2011-08-03T07:24:00.000-07:00

So I succumbed the other night and watched the Smurfs movie with my wife and kids. Truth be told, I too watched this cartoon series when I was a kid and was somewhat interested in what they did with this recent movie.

I'm not a critic, but I thought it was a pretty good movie. If nothing else it bridges generations. To see both my wife and kids into the same movie was kind of cool.

I couldn't help but notice something about these little blue creatures that is very much connected to what makes the church special. There is no Smurf that has the same name or same purpose. Each little guy (one girl) is called by a name that reflects their character and/or personality. Papa Smurf, clumsy, handy, brainy, baker, etc. Each one has a name and a purpose in their village. How wonderful it is to know that you have something very unique to offer your community, your neighbourhood, your city, and even your local church.

When we read 1 Corinthians 12-14 and Romans 9 we see that the church is like a body, everyone being and representing a different part of the body. Hand, Feet, finger, elbow...you get the idea.

As I watched this new version of an old classic I kept thinking about how much more efficient and impacting the church could be if every one in it did their part. Our community needs the church to be the body of Christ, with Jesus as the head. Our neihgbourhoods need the church to be the hands and feet of God. The poor need believers with the gifts of generosity and compassion. We can go on and on. Let these little blue creatures remind us that the church is a village of people who follow God, rely on the Spirit and are the extended hands, feet, eyes and ears of Jesus in our world. We're a village who serves other villages, all by our unique gift, talent, personality and contribution.

making a move...

2011-07-21T05:01:00.000-07:00

Thia past Sunday I announced that my family and I are closing a door and waiting for God to open another one. What does that mean you ask?

We've been serving at and worshiping with Christian Life Centre for almost 8 years. It has been an unbelievable journey up to this point, but the time seems to have come for God to say, 'you're done here - get ready - I have something new for you to do'. Of course, this wasn't a knee jerk reaction or a quick decision. It took months to arrive to this point. I mean, we've felt as a family for a long time that God had something brewing for us to be doing (excuse the rhyme), but we sat with it for a while and waited for the opportunity to present itself. It became very evident that we had to make the first move. God was essentially leading us to close this door and wait for him to open the next.

In many ways this is a step of faith; being sure that there is something ahead even if we can't see it so clearly just yet. As Christians, we need to be willing to take these kinds of steps - at work, with our family, in relationships, etc. God often asks us to risk a little in order for us to experience his future reward. Of course I'm doing my part, diligently working towards our new future, but I am very well aware that no matter how much I work, God is the one who creates and makes the opportunity.

We are so going to miss the people of CLC. They have become family. Because of my wide portfolio (music, worship, young adults, community impact, teaching, small groups, alpha, food bank, etc.) and Janet's involvement with kids ministry and the Kachu Klub we were basically connected to everyone. We love being part of community, especially after many years of building and nurturing. It's after the investment that the relationships become rich. I guess that's why we've only been in 2 churches during our 15 years of ministry, while so many of my colleagues have moved around so much more. But even though in our personality and character, it's easier or desirable to stay, we strongly feel it's time to go.

As of now, I don't have any certainty of where my family will be serving and for that matter where our income will derive from come September. We are confident of this, he who began this work in us will be faithful to complete it. I realize that's more about salvation and righteousness then it is about roads and paths, but I do believe that God uses our paths, our work, our journey, to work his ways and will in us.

One thing I know for sure. I love the church; all kinds of churches. We love being part of and developing community. We believe that God is sketching out another way for us to lead people towards discovering life and hope in Jesus. However that looks or wherever that is, is still up in the air, at least in my mind - BUT God is working that out as we speak.

(more on this...soon...)

Worship Leader Group Therapy: What is worship?

2011-07-18T06:05:00.000-07:00

Worship Leader Group Therapy: What is worship?: "Click below to read a great blog by Scot McKnight & Dan Kimball http://www.patheos.com/community/jesuscreed/2011/07/18/what-is-worship/"

it's not a solo act...

2011-06-30T10:41:00.000-07:00

I found myself reflecting on Mark 2 this week. The story where a paralyzed man is brought to Jesus to be healed. Some of you reading this may know the story well. Others not so much.

Lots of people were wanting to meet or get close to Jesus. He was gathering quite a crowd. So much so that when four men carried their paralyzed friend to Jesus, they couldn't get close enough to get Jesus attention. So they took matters into their own hands (literally) and got into this house where Jesus was, by making a hole right on the roof and lowering the man to Jesus.

I've heard this story preached on many times, and most times the emphasis has been placed on the fact that these four men were so convinced that Jesus could heal their friend that nothing would stop them; not a crowd, not a roof, nothing.

I started to think about the four men. It wasn't one man or two or even three. Four men helped this man get to Jesus. It's not easy to carry one man on your shoulders, not to mention trying to slowly lower him from a roof and safely get him down to the main floor. If safety wasn't a concern any one of us could push a guy over the edge and watch him fall, but then of course he wouldn't only be paralyzed, but he'd have lots of broken bones. (Jesus could heal those things too, but that's not the point)

All to often Christians think that they are the only ones involved in evangelizing their friends and neighbours. We'd call this Lone Ranger Evangelism: I do the praying, I do the talking, I do the inviting, I do the...you get the picture. Where in fact we are all involved in seeing those who are far from God to come close to him. In this story it took four men to bring one person to Jesus. It was a collective effort; a community project if you will. Even Paul says that when it comes to building the community of faith, someone plants, someone waters and God makes us grow.

I wrote a final paper (a thesis) before graduating a degree program a few years ago. I called it, "Evangelism as Community". It describes in much greater detail some of the things that I was (re)inspired with this week. If we are inviting people to be part of community and we fully believe that the church is the most beautiful example of community the world can see, then our evangelism has to reflect community in its approach. Let's be appreciative that it takes a community effort to lead someone to Jesus: living out the gospel compels others to ask questions, which leads us to have conversation, which may lead them to experience your church community with all its worship and teaching and fellowship, which allows others to be hospitable and welcoming, and then in time, after much seed and much water, and many people's graceful influence, someone may be led to Jesus to experience healing, hope and salvation.

It took four people in Mark 2. How many will it take today? 4 is just a number, but it's a number that is greater than 1.

readings during worship...

2011-06-21T11:41:00.001-07:00

The theme of the last couple of weeks has been 'God & Money'. So what I've tried to do was prepare worship sets that lifted up the value and lifestyle of 'trusting in God'. We sang I Surrender All, Surrender, Enough, Rock of Ages, etc.

This past week we included a reading from Psalm 20. In the latter part of our 3rd song, 'I Stand', we inserted this reading. At the tail end of the bridge, I kept playing variations of the 'D' chord. Myself and another team member read the Psalm in increments. It felt like a long crescendo. As we got to the last verses of our text, it's like the people couldn't help but clap and respond. It was beautiful. This part of the text was key,

"⁷Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
⁸They collapse and fall,
but we rise and stand upright."

From that point we went back to the chorus and sang, "I stand, with arms high and hearts abandoned. In awe, of the one who gave it all..." From there, I said a few things that lead us into our last song of the set. The old, but good, 'Draw me Close to You'.

We've read scripture and other prayers before. This is not new, yet still not as common as it should be. For some reason, this particular moment just exploded with response towards a God who can be trusted.

A friend of mine posted about his experience at our church a few weeks ago. Thought you may like to read it too. I was flattered by his comments to say the least. Check it out Here!

A Collection of Notes From Sessions I Attended at Create Conference 2011 | Jon Manna

2011-06-09T04:14:00.000-07:00

I wasn't able to attend Create Conference this week. But...a friend of mine posted his summary notes. Take a look, they're worth reading.

A Collection of Notes From Sessions I Attended at Create Conference 2011 | Jon Manna

SIN vs mistakes

2011-06-06T05:53:00.000-07:00

(a pertinent article from Michael Hyatt)

In recent years, I have noticed an increasing tendency for people to admit to mistakes rather than sins. It happens at every level, whether someone is caught cheating on their spouse, filing false insurance claims, or shoplifting from a clothing store.

Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/NickS

After the National Enquirer broke the news about Senator John Edwards’ affair, he said,

“Two years ago I made a very serious mistake, a mistake that I am responsible for and no one else. In 2006, I told Elizabeth about the mistake, asked her for her forgiveness, asked God for his forgiveness. And we have kept this within our family since that time.”

On the surface, this admission seems humble and contrite. What more could you want?

But when people refer to this kind of behavior as a mistake rather than a sin, they are either consciously or unconsciously evading responsibility.

Why? Because of the fundamental difference between the two. Many people assume they are synonymous. They are not.

The term “mistake” implies an error in judgment—something done unintentionally. For example, a legitimate mistake might be:

Turning onto a one-way street, going the wrong way.
Pouring salt into your coffee, thinking it was sugar.
Mis-typing a web address and ending up on a porn site.

These could all be legitimate mistakes. They happen because we get distracted or careless. But a sin is more than a mistake. It is a deliberate choice to do something you know is wrong.

The word “transgression” is even stronger. It implies deliberately stepping over a boundary. The word “trespass” is similar. It implies entering onto another person’s property without permission.

Unlike a mistake, we choose to sin. Therefore, we must accept responsibility for it—and the consequences that follow. This is the measure of maturity and marks the transition from adolescence into adulthood. It is the foundation of a civilized society.

What can we do to make sure we preserve this distinction between sins and mistakes? I suggest five actions:

Chose your words carefully. Don’t minimize your sin by calling it a mistake. The meaning of the Greek word homologeō—translated confession in 1 John 1:9—is “to speak the same word.” In other words, agree with God. Say the same thing about your sin that He says about it. You can’t be cured of the disease if you continue to deny it.
Take responsibility for your behavior. If you have sinned, own it. (In fact, if you have made a mistake, own that too.) Take the hit. Even if someone provoked you, own your response. If they were 90% responsible, accept 100% responsibility for your 10%. When it comes to sin, there is never a legitimate excuse. None.
Acknowledge your guilt. It is normal to feel guilty when you sin. Guilt is God’s gift, designed to motivate you to initiate reconciliation. The sooner you acknowledge your responsibility, the sooner you can resolve the problem. And never follow your confession with the word “but.” This is the preface to an excuse. It negates everything you have said before.
Change your behavior. Words are cheap. Some people are very adept at saying they are sorry—but then … nothing changes. Repentance is not only a change of mind; it is a change of direction. Unless you change your behavior, you haven’t really repented, no matter how many tears you may have shed.
Ask for forgiveness. You can’t demand it. You are not entitled to it. You can only ask and hope that the person you have sinned against will extend grace. Sometimes, they will wait until you have manifested the fruit of repentance, and that is fine (see Matthew 3:8; Acts 26:19–20).

Yes, we all make mistakes. But more importantly, we all sin. We need to understand the difference between the two and be willing to call it what it is. Until we do, we can’t really repair what has been broken.

3 verbs, 3 nouns & 1 adjective...

2011-06-02T19:57:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday I taught from a very profound text of Scripture. I mean, they're all profound, but this text seems to summarize the missional life that God calls us, the people who follow him, to.

Micah 6:8. Maybe you've seen it. If you've read much scripture you've probably come across it. There's so much that can be said about it, but I love the words and break-up of what they say.

The question really is, 'God, what do you want from me'? the answer is...

Do Justice
Love Mercy
Walk Humbly with God

God wants us to 'DO'. So there's actually something he wants me to DO. He doesn't want me to watch or take in or even to just enjoy, but he wants me to DO.

What does he want me to DO? He wants me to DO JUSTICE. Justice is seeing what is wrong and attempting to make it right. It's the broad meaning behind Righteousness. When I DO JUSTICE, I'm noticing what's wrong with the world, disliking it, and trying to make it right.

God want's me to 'LOVE'. I knew that, but LOVE what? LOVE MERCY. So he wants me to LOVE love. Mercy is a form of Love isn't it. They're definitely related. So God wants me to LOVE loving the unlovely by showing MERCY & grace.

God wants me to 'WALK'. God never saved any of us to sit, but he saved us to serve. What do you think of that church folk? So many people have this idea that God is happy cause we showed up at church and watched a show; most the time on our butts sitting down. Micah says that God wants us to WALK. Not just WALK, but walk with GOD. So I'm not doing this thing alone, God invites me to WALK with him. But how do I walk? With humility; knowing that I am not God - He is! WALK HUMBLY with GOD.

It's simple, yet profound, and very challenging...all the time being very clear.

The question is, how does that work out for YOU? What does God want from YOU? How do those 3 verbs, 3 nouns & 1 adjective play out in your life? Well, that's for you to figure out. The best place to start is asking God what Israel did and he's bound to tell you. He'll even fill in the details that are between the lines and words.

Ask him?

Only God...a photographer's creative video...

2011-06-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

The Arctic Light from TSO Photography on Vimeo.

Forks Over Knives - Official Trailer [HD]

2011-05-28T21:39:00.000-07:00

Create Conference

2011-05-19T08:12:00.001-07:00

Not sure why I'm just getting on this band wagon, but this looks to be a great conference IN Canada.

You should definitely check it out.

http://createconference.ca

Falling out - better or worse for Tiger Woods?

2011-05-18T12:40:00.000-07:00

Tiger Woods to fall out of top 10 in world rankings next week - USATODAY.com

So my favourite golfer will be out of the Top 10 in the World Ranking for the first time in 14 years. First of all, as an athlete, that's an amazing run (as the article points out). For someone to play at that high a level for so long is outstanding. Say what you wish about Tiger Woods, we all know what's happened the last couple of years, but he is an amazing talent and an outstanding athlete.

The question I have is this: will his drop of the top 10 be permanent or simply more incentive to get back to #1. Golf fans will know that the present World #1, Lee Westwood, dropped to as low as #286 in the world. He reworked his game and made it right up to the top spot. Now, some would argue that he wouldn't of achieved that if Tiger hadn't gone through this 18 month slump we're seeing him on. However, give Westwood credit for playing his way to the top.

I really think Tiger will be back. Will he be #1 again? Probably. For the same length of time? Maybe not - too many good players these days. That being said, he's come back before, so why can't he do it again.

If he gets his body issues worked out and keeps moving in the right direction with his swing, there's no reason to think he won't win more. His goal is simple: 20 majors/100 wins. I think he'll be happy with 19 majors & 83 PGA wins. (both records when he gets to them)

So back to the question: will this tumble be part of his comeback story or only the beginning of the end.

My humble opinion goes along with Jack Nicklaus' thoughts - Tiger is too good not to come back. Once he fixes his knee and can get a full handle on his swing again - WATCH OUT!

(for those how normally read my posts on church & faith & life, these were some thoughts from my sports addiction. i normally limit them to conversation, not social media)

don't sit all day...it's not good for you...

2011-05-10T13:10:00.000-07:00

Via: Medical Billing And Coding

"You Are Worthy" - Jonathan Manafo

2011-04-21T15:48:00.000-07:00

"Prayer To The Father" - Jonathan Manafo

2011-04-21T15:47:00.000-07:00

100huntley.com - "You Are Worthy" - Jonathan Manafo

2011-04-21T15:46:00.000-07:00

The band and I were on TV this past week...

100huntley.com - "You Are Worthy" - Jonathan Manafo

100huntley.com - "Prayer To The Father" - Jonathan Manafo

2011-04-21T15:45:00.000-07:00

The band and I were on TV this past week...check it out!

100huntley.com - "Prayer To The Father" - Jonathan Manafo

Death/Resurrection

2011-04-12T10:09:00.000-07:00

I'm sure many of you are thinking and reflecting more these days on the death and resurrection of Christ. I'm been intentionally trying to think about all that God did for the world through this amazing act of love on the cross. My daily readings have helped. Through the gospels and other NT texts, I've been able to remind myself (which we should do often) about my need for a Saviour and God's intention and plan to make this world right. He provided salvation and began the redemption process on a Roman cross and through an empty tomb.

Follow the link below to see what Tim Keller has to say about the resurrection.

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/deeper-walk/features/25243-a-case-for-resurrection

3 books...

2011-04-04T19:17:00.000-07:00

I've had three books on the go these past couple of weeks. Not sure if this is good or not, but I normally am reading more than one book at a time. I feel like I can procrastinate from one by reading the other. Actually, they do serve a purpose in my day.

In the morning, while on my stationary bike (yes-I read while I ride), after reading devotional material and the scriptures, I've been reading through Golf's Sacred Journey. It's a narrative about a teacher and his pupil. A very creative way to help you advance in your understanding of Golf. But it does have a twist to it. There's a definite move towards a salvation message. I think it's done tastefully for sure. If you're inclined to give your golf friends a book that will encourage a journey to Jesus, this is that book. BTW, there's lots of life lessons that shine through the golf lessons. I guess that's one reason I'm so hooked on the game.

Sometime during the day or evening I've reading N.T.Wright's new book, Small Faith-Great God. This is by far NTW's most simplest approach in writing. The reason is because it's a rework of some of his first sermons as a young preacher. If you've never read NTW because you think he's too deep, then start on this and move your way up. There's a wonderful pastoral sense to this book that gently (and intelligently) encourages us, in our limited/small faith, to look to a great and loving God.

Lastly, I'm reading Douglas Copeland's book, Player One. I've read through some of his older stuff and was looking for a novel to read. This one is definitely interesting. The setting is Toronto's International Airport. There are 5 characters who coincidentally meet in one of the airport bars. An oil crisis causes havoc to the airport and travel around the world. The story brings these very diverse characters (Bartender, Pastor, Business Man, Lady looking for love, a 'kind-of' lady looking for love...Oh, and Player One) together and paints a picture for the reader of what culture is like and what it's moving towards. I'm about 1/2 way through and looking forward to how things develop.

If you're reading this, you should know that this is my 100th blog in this new format. I try my best to write as much as possible. Hope you enjoy some of my musings. I wanted to be clever and write down 100 things that either move me, or inspire me or even things that I'd consider important, but I thought it may take a while and I'd never get to it. Maybe I'll write 101 of one of those things in my next post.

ONE.LIFE - book review

2011-03-16T07:56:00.000-07:00

Because both my vocation and passion is to help people connect with Jesus and his Kingdom, it's so good to come across a book that you know will help people in their spiritual journey. When that happens, you can't help but encourage others to pick up a copy and read it for themselves. I've done that a number of times with authors that I can fully trust in the hands of others who may be at the same place or earlier along in their journey.

ONE.LIFE from Scot McKnight is that kind of book. It just seems like every chapter was important, every topic was helpful, every aspect of discipleship was included and taken into consideration. In this book, McKnight helps anyone who is serious about discipleship, dive deeper into an understanding of what it means to follow Jesus. As exhaustive as the book is, its approach is simple: Jesus Calls, We Follow. Can you get any more simple than that?

Some of the topics McKnight included are Love, Peace (shalom), Justice, the Church, Sex, Vocation, etc. Each chapter has both a biblical foundation to it, with much needed application. Of course each one could be a book on its own, but don't let the conciseness fool you. There's just enough material to help the reader engage in a serious dialogue, without adding unnecessary verbiage.

I think this is great reading for a discipleship group, reading club, or even a one on one dialogue with a friend or colleague. And of course, if you're at a place in your Christian journey where you feel you've lost touch with the essentials or basics of what it means to follow Jesus, this is a must read.

Some of Scot McKinght's other books include, Jesus Creed & The Blue Parakeet.

Lent...

2011-03-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

Another season of Lent begins today. I love to think about and prepare for Easter. It's the most pivotal day on the Christian Calendar. Christmas is wonderful, some of the other days are also good, but Easter and the journey to get their is so essential for our faith.

As society gets busier and more hectic, the season of Lent becomes even more significant. A time to let go of something that we may think we need to grab on to someone who is our Saviour and Lord.

During this season, we contemplate our mortality and think about our frailty. We understand that we came from dust, and to dust we will return.

I encourage you do something during the next 40 days that will draw you closer to God. Let go of something and add a little more prayer and a little more scripture. You can even find a devotion online or at the local bookstore and read through that; or maybe a classic book, like Mere Christianity (C.S. Lewis) or NT Wright's Simply Christian.

Here's what I'll be doing:
- no sweets
- no TV shows
- less coffee
- more prayer, more scripture
- I'm presently reading a John Stott devotional/scripture guide that I'll keep plugging away at during this season. (Through the Bible - Through the Year)
- and during HOLY WEEK...no Facebook or Twitter!

Be creative on what you will do as you lead towards Easter.

Jonathan Manafo - Everlasting Love

2011-03-04T09:38:00.000-08:00

Sunday Set Lists & More: Updates/News

2011-03-04T06:54:00.000-08:00

Sunday Set Lists & More: Updates/News: "Christmas is in the rear view mirror and Easter is just around the corner. Some of you may know that Lent is the season that leads us to Ea..."

Esperanza Spalding Performs at the White House Poetry Jam: (5 of 8)

2011-02-15T10:37:00.000-08:00

Lego Wars

2011-02-09T16:46:00.000-08:00

This is a short video that my son and I filmed before bed...on my iphone...

My Blackberry Is Not Working! - The One Ronnie, Preview - BBC One

2011-01-18T10:45:00.000-08:00

Lead by Being Yourself

2011-01-17T11:02:00.000-08:00

really liked what Miller had to say...comforting...

Lead by Being Yourself

shine through us

2011-01-15T15:20:00.000-08:00

using @#$%^&* to communicate your story or God's story in you

2011-01-11T11:55:00.000-08:00

I was reading an article on relevant.com about the use of expletives and/or certain images to convey art (music, writing, images, etc) from a Christian perspective. This can be quite the touchy subject, especially with those who are of an older generation and even those with small kids. Some of the best and most sincere people I've met will use coarse language from time to time. Some of my old professor's will even use them on purpose, to convey raw and honest emotion. It certainly did get the point across.

You can read the whole article for yourself if you wish. I did like how it ended, as we're given some freedom to make the call for our self:

The Gospel I know was not written wholly for children and I cannot, for a second, think it is not God’s truth because some expressions of it are not appropriate for my 7-year-old. Are we willing to step beyond fear and engage culture where it exists, recognizing art is born out of stories happening around us? They are stories that will end in redemption because God said they would. They may show up in our view at the very beginning of the redemptive process, and they may be messy and unrefined, but they are honest. The only thing that should offend us is art that lies.

We all know that even stories with happy endings are filled with junk in the beginning and the middle. An honest reflection of it may sometimes not sit well with you, but it is what it is - honest.

books on the go...

2011-01-07T12:56:00.000-08:00

The New Year is here and I'm excited about the books I have waiting to be cracked open. Besides the ones on my shelf that have yet to be read (there aren't as many as you may think, but still a good number), I did pick up a few before the clock turned to 2011. My shipment from Amazon included, One Life (Scot MacKnight), Rework (Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hanson), The Dip (Seth Godin), Player One (Douglas Coupland) and Revelation (Joe Mangina, who happens to be an old prof of mine from Wycliffe College).

My plan was to get through my Advent reading, which included morning readings from Watch for the Light & evening readings from Through the Bible - Through the Year, as well as finish up NT Wright's latest, After you Believe. Now that that's done, I can move on to some other stuff.

I read The Dip this past week in one sitting. Very insightful little read on prioritizing. The basic premise is to figure out what's worth quitting so you can focus on what makes you your best. We are often afraid to quit because we think it amounts to failure, but quitting something may be the only way to achieve success in your true passion and calling. Needed to read that.

Finishing NTW's book was good. As I normally do with his stuff, I took a while to get through it, as there is a lot to think through. I recommend it to anyone who want's a scholarly (smart/theological) approach or explanation to living right/living christian.

I am planning to move on to Eugene Peterson's Jesus Way, the second book in his Spiritual Theology series, but before that I wanted to read Tim Keller's Generous Justice. Wow, I've only started it, but if you're fired up about social justice and are longing for good teaching on the subject, get this book. Probably going to be a good one to preach through if you need resources on the subject.

Well now you know (if you even cared in the first place) what I've read lately and will be reading the next few months.

2010 CLC review

2011-01-02T20:36:00.000-08:00

Starting off the Year...

2011-01-01T15:43:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from today. I ran in the 'Resolution Run'. There were about 800 other registrants running along with me. I posted a 1/2 decent time, but it was more the fact that I started the year running :) (in the rain I might add)

(this last one is a photo of my 4 basses...just thought I'd include that one too:
03 Lakland 55-02, 91 yamaha BB3000, 77 Fender Jazz Fretless, Squire Jazz Vintage Modified 77 reissue)

Looking Back...

2010-12-31T12:44:00.000-08:00

I gotta say that this year was quite something. I thought I'd list a few key moments and experiences that really shaped me (and continue to shape my family & I).

- Our family headed to Florida for 8 days back in February. This was much needed time away for us and really helped us prepare for what would end up being a full year.

- About the same same, the lead pastor (Mark Macknight) I worked with for 7 years resigned and announced that he was moving out west. We had a great thing going together, but of course, all good things must come to an end. I should say that it was the best working experience I had up to that point.

- After Easter, our church was without a lead pastor. The present staff (Joanne, Don, Maria & Psegga) and I worked together to lead during transition. I was so proud of them and the congregation for all the hard work and humble service that was exhibited. Our church not only didn't fall apart, we actually felt like we took steps forward. That's a big deal for a church in transition. I was humbled to be the team leader during this time and learned lots through it.

- In June I released my first CD - a worship project. The process and work involved was a life time experience. I'm so glad that we did this and made it happen. The great people I worked with deserve honourable mention: Jeff Muir, Matt Smith, Dave Smith, Anthony Silva, Ali Rainy, Aileen Lombardo, Rick Manafo & Aaron Holbrough. I received a ton of support from my wife Janet & kids, Jacob & Madison.

- The worship project brought with it many more opportunities to lead worship and play in various setting outside of my church context. On average I get about 1 gig/month; this year it seemed more like 3-4 gigs a month. You can view them here. Thank God!

- I read through some great books. The highlights were probably Peterson's 'Christ plays in 10,000 places', Wright's 'After you believe', Mitch Albom's 'Have a little faith' & Halter/Smay's 'And'.

I'm looking forward to 2011. My family and I have learned so much through all the experiences that 2010 had to offer. God was faithful and we believe he'll continue to be so this year too. We're praying for God's best in our lives and yours.

Peace & Love,
Jonathan

benefit concert...with phil, marissa & aileen

2010-12-19T16:12:00.001-08:00

Last Friday (Dec 10) CLC hosted it's 4th benefit concert. We've had Jacob Moon the first 2 years and TMC last year. This year Phil & Marissa Aud, along with Aileen Lombardo-Matta graced the stage. What a great night. The music was hopping and the crowd just loved it all. Phil did great as always, plus he and Marissa had a killer band backing them up. This included great Toronto jazz cats, Andrew Stewart & Sean Merrideth-Jones, as well as Mississauga drummer (humber student) Jordan Eldie.

We were able to raise over $1000 for Water Ambassadors Canada, as well as some funds for Helping Hands Food Bank, Ajax.

Here are some pictures (taken by Alvaro Moratoya) to help you get a visual on the night.

my son now knows...

2010-12-15T06:22:00.000-08:00

...that Santa is not real...

Over the years my wife and I have talked about when we will tell our kids that Santa Claus is not real. Well, the other day it happened. Janet told our 8 year old, Jacob, that Santa does not exist and that we've gotten him all the gifts he's received over the years. I wasn't there for the conversation (I was putting our 6 year old daughter to bed), but was told after wards about the profound response that came from my son.

Jacob first admitted that he kind of figured that this was the case; how does one guy do all that anyway? It really doesn't make sense. But then he went on to say something that really spoke to me. Jacob said, 'it was kind of nice to think that someone I didn't know loved me that much and gave me gifts every year'. He never ceases to amaze me with his thoughts and words.

When you really think about it, isn't that why our world keeps this tradition going year after year? Just the thought, even a glimmer of hope, that someone out there loves me, yet has never met me; they know me, yet I've never seen them. I can't help but think, that's why we so desperately, whether we realize it or not, are searching for (a) God in our lives. We all just want to know that we are loved by someone; that there is someone out there who wants to bless us with gifts.

Folks, that's the Christmas story that we find in the gospels. God sends us the greatest gift of all, to those who are both naughty and nice. He never sent coal or a useless toy that we'll grow out of. God sends his son to live and dwell among us, and eventually die for us. Unlike Santa, he knows us, and loves us anyway. That's the story I keep telling my kids; not once a year, but every day (as a family) and every week (as our church gathers). That's a tradition worth keeping - cause it's real!

Merry Christmas...from Jacob & I!

Advent...Waiting...Almost Here...

2010-12-01T12:16:00.000-08:00

The wonderful season of advent is here. Anticipating the coming of Jesus. I love it. I know he's already come and has done what he did, but the season is such a good reminder. I am anxiously waiting for Jesus to come through for the world and for me; to invite me to be part of his kingdom. What a great gift (pun intended).

I've been reading through a little book called, Watch For The Light. It's a collection of advent writings. A recent entry really inspired my talk for this Sunday, as I was planning to speak about what it means to wait for God. Henri Nouwen speaks to that so well as he describes the characters in Luke 1 as those who wait anxiously for God to arrive and do what only he can do.

In preparation I also came across something Rob Bell wrote. Here's a glimpse of it, "Advent confronts the corrosion of the heart (that doesn't hope) with the insistence that God has not abandoned the world, hope is real and something is coming".

Come Lord Jesus, Come!

God's Global Urban Mission - Contextualization | The Lausanne Global Conversation

2010-11-11T16:17:00.000-08:00

My goodness...what a great breakdown of how the church can make a dent in our cities...by Tim Keller!

God's Global Urban Mission - Contextualization | The Lausanne Global Conversation

a worship-ful project from Derek Webb

2010-11-03T10:27:00.000-07:00

Feedback [2.1] from Scott Brignac on Vimeo.

This is what Derek says about his project (from his site)

Worship is a complicated idea. Arguably, it’s what we all do, 24 hours a day (regardless of what we’re worshipping). And I’m aware of a lot of “worship product” in the marketplace I sometimes occupy. So I was cautious when I first started receiving the coordinates that would lead me to make ‘Feedback’. It was immediately conceptual and ambitious, so much so that I genuinely wasn’t sure
I could do it. But this seemed to be the perfect posture in which to create something worthy of being called a “worshipful” piece of art. So I studied, meditated, struggled and prayed my way through this creative process, and it’s easily the most challenging thing I’ve done in my career. But I believe it’s been worth it, even just for the ways it’s stretched both my creative process and my faith
as a follower of the Way.

A mistake that worked out just fine...

2010-10-26T21:04:00.001-07:00

This past weekend I was in Montreal, my old wrecking grounds. I was there to serve in a few worship settings. A student night on Friday, a morning gathering in a church plant, and a more traditional service in the afternoon.

The morning session was at the Westside Gathering - a church that just recently celebrated 7 years of existence, community and ministry.

A little mishap occurred when the school where they meet had entrance exams scheduled. The interesting thing is that this gathering was designed to have a more musical and worshipful theme to it. WSG normally meets in the cafeteria, which is a nice intimate setting. However, with this scheduling problem, the school could only offer them the Gym. Imagine rehearsing the day before, being ready to have a tight musical worship set for adults, and now being forced to be in a huge room, with lots of echo and kids stations in various places (the kids are normally in classrooms for their programs). What took place was a little bit of heaven if you ask me.

The team came together so well and made it all work. But what was beautiful about the whole thing was that worship was enhanced in the midst of the chaos. I think God may have planned this mishap to teach us all a valuable lesson about worship. It doesn't take place on a stage, or through mics and guitars, but through God's people loving him and loving each other. As I led some songs that morning I heard the majestic sounds of kids playing, of people talking, and of course, music and singing too. There were a few benches, the ones you only see in Gymnasiums, so most people sat on the floor or stood up. I've been in many Sunday morning church services, but this Gathering ranks up there as one of my favourites, because a community of people saw past the music, the setting and the expected, and worshiped God in spirit, in truth, and all in a loud, noisy, echo-y Gym. And what's even cooler, is that next week (when Westside thought the school was unavailable), this community of believers will be worshiping God outside their church walls, as they connect with neighbours, love on their family or choose to serve someone in need.

I just wish mistakes like this would happen more often.

p.s. both church communities I was with were (WSG & LCF) so wonderful...very welcoming, loving and missional...all qualities of very healthy churches.

discerning the christian market

2010-10-14T08:48:00.000-07:00

I've often thought about this - what kind of books and music does our Christian Media Industry pump out to us? What I think is great, others think is stupid; what I think is stupid, others think is spiritual and profound. I'm mature enough to know that I don't have the corner on Christianity. I do appreciate people that are different than me: in their approach and the style, as well as in their thinking. I guess what is important is being thoughtful and discerning as we read through people's understanding of Christianity. Brian McLaren said (for the record, I really enjoy Brain's writing, but don't agree with everything he says) that when we say, 'the bible says', what we're really saying is, 'my interpretation of the bible says'.

The best advice I can give myself and others is. Don't just read other people's thoughts on the bible. Read the bible continually so that you have a reference point to compare the things you're reading. Remember that you aren't God and that you don't know everything.

Below is someone's thoughts on this. Enjoy!
http://shaungroves.com/2010/10/read-with-discernment-especially-donald-miller/

prayer to the father | jonathan manafo

2010-10-09T06:33:00.000-07:00

throwing some of my tunes on youtube...here's an example...

downtown...

2010-10-03T17:51:00.000-07:00

I used to go downtown once a week when I was still in school. It's been a while, so this past week was a treat as I had to go down twice in 3 days. I was performing a wedding a few blocks away from the Eaton Centre. Thursday's visit reminded me that corner preaching still happens in 2010. On one corner an elderly man would scream out religious statements as people walked by. Most people would get quite started by the outbursts of "God raised Jesus from the dead" and some people would just chuckle. On another corner you had some guy with a mic hooked up to a speaker and was taking on questions from Muslims. The guy on the mic was engaging some people, but I still strongly believe that both forms of Evangelism don't work. How can they? Evangelism happens best in community. What I mean by that is this: unless one makes a connection between the message of the gospel and the community who lives it, the story will never really make sense. We can't just blurt out the gospel to people who aren't ready to hear it; we've basically prepared a rocky ground before the seed even hits it.

Saturday's visit was wonderful. The wedding I was a part of was scheduled for 4pm. I brought my wife down and turned it into a little date. Before the wedding we had coffee in the lobby of the Delta Hotel. After the wedding (which was very nice and in a beautiful old building; the arts and letters club) we simply walked on Young Street and through the Eaton Centre. They closed Younge for the 'Nuit Blanche' festival, an all night arts festival. It was great to simply hang out with my wife for a few hours.

Well, that's my downtown story!

On to new books...

2010-09-28T09:31:00.000-07:00

I can't seem to read one book at a time...I'm thinking and hoping that's a good thing. I've put Peterson on hold for now and will start 'The Jesus Way' some time in November or later.

I've decided to move to NT Wright's newest book, 'After You Believe'. I thoroughly enjoyed the first 2 in this series (Simple Christian & Surprised by Hope) and it's been too long since I've read something from him (one of my favourite writers). It's interesting to read something from NTW that's a little more practical. Not that his writing isn't practical, but it's not light in any way. That being said, I'm reading it along side John Ortberg's 'The ME I want to BE'. (We're reading this for our small groups this fall at CLC) These are obviously two very different writers, but I'm looking forward to see how the two books will compare. Ortberg is out to help people figure out how they can, in a unique way, grow spiritually & Wright is hoping that his readers will learn how to live out the practical implications of faith and salvation. Sounds like they might connect somewhere. We'll see. If not, I'll at least get some depth from NTW and some light application from Ortberg, both writers that I enjoy reading.

For some more reading on Wright's new book, check out this article from Relevant Magazine.

How to Manipulate God

2010-09-21T16:02:00.000-07:00

How to Manipulate God

Take the time to read this blog from Donald Miller...

Through the Bible with John Stott

2010-09-16T19:38:00.001-07:00

I just started an out of the ordinary devotional book from John Stott. It's called 'Through the Bible - Through the Year'. I saw my brother reading it last year and had to get pick it up for myself.

It's a very simple approach to studying scripture, as most devotional's are, but I must say that Stott's corresponding words to the scripture text are so profound and instructional. Every day starts with a single verse of scripture followed by Stott's commentary and a suggestion for further scripture reading.

The book is meant to be read in seasons. Here's the break down (right from the index)

Part 1: From Creation to Christ: An overview of the Old Testament (Life of Israel) September to December

Part 2: From Christmas to Pentecost: An Overview of the Gospels (The Life of Israel) January to April

Part 3: From Pentecost to the Parousia: An Overview of the Acts, the Letters, and the Revelation (Life of the Spirit) May to August

If you have a hard time being committed to daily devotional reading/study, but long for something deeper than the Joyce Myers & Benny Hinns of the world, this is worth checking out.

(Sorry Joyce and Benny, but there's lots of fluff in your stuff :)

1st & 2nd Decision Communities (modalic/sodalic)

2010-09-07T20:56:00.000-07:00

I'm reading through Hugh Halter & Matt Smay's latest book, 'AND' (also the writers of 'Tangible Kingdom'). In one of the later chapters I came across some terms that were new to me, but made so much sense. They talk about communities that are uniquely described as 'first decision' & 'second decision' communities. First decision communities are churches who invite people to make a decision to follow Jesus. Second decision communities are churches who invite people to take the next step by living missionally/incarnationally in their world. The first community focuses on attracting and feeding, while the second community focuses on equipping and sending.

Both, they say, are vital to the church and both are represented in the New Testament. Hugh & Smay say that two kinds of leaders represent these kinds of communities: modalic (leaning towards the core members and their growth) & sodalic (leaning towards to outsider and how the inner core can engage them). The premise of this book is about connecting the gathered & scattered church, so this particular chapter continues in that theme by encouraging biblical communities to embrace both kinds of leaders. Church history shows that both these 'arms' are needed; the future is begging that both these 'arms' work together.

The hard part is inviting them to blend and intertwine, but without this 'both/and' philosophy, we will either be too comfortable and complacent(fat) or aggressive, yet ineffective (skinny/week).

OH...how to find the balance...of staying in and moving out...?

Jeremy Rifkin on "the empathic civilization" | Video on TED.com

2010-09-02T06:21:00.000-07:00

Just came across this today. It's very much a humanist approach to Empathy, but does say that the Bible gets it right with '2 people starting it all'. Very Interesting. A positive look at our world and humanity and the good that we can all be a part of.
Jeremy Rifkin on "the empathic civilization" | Video on TED.com

reading...

2010-08-11T09:54:00.000-07:00

I've been able to tackle some great books this spring and summer. Here are some highlights.

"Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places"
- this is Peterson's 1st in a 5 volume set that he just completed this year
- I started the year thinking that I'd get to at least 3-4 of them, but there's too much good and thick stuff to rush through, so I took my time and had to put it down sometimes so I could appreciate what Peterson was saying.
- In a quick summary he looks at Christ in Creation, History & Community. Always giving examples from OT & NT.
- I've read his first edition of Eat this Book, before it was part of the series, but will re-read it after I get through 'The Jesus Way', which I imagine will take me another 6 months.

"Have a little Faith"
- the latest of Mitch Albom's books (Tuesday's with Morrie)
- this is great for anyone, but there is so much for Pastor's to learn from Mitch's insights from his relationship with his childhood Rabbi

"One More Day"
- this is an older book from Mitch Albom
- the main character gets one more day with his deceased Mother
- great story for anyone who misses a loved one or simply is reflective of their past

"AND"
- from the writers of 'Tangible Kingdom'
- I'm 1/2 way through this and am enjoying how these guys are trying to connect the Gathered & Scattered Church
- Most people tend to pick sides, this book helps to mend the divide

"The Music Lesson"
- This is a book from one of my favourite musicians - Victor Wooten
- being a bass player I wanted to see what Victor had to say about music in general, while still addressing his instrument
- this is definitely a non-conventional approach to learning music, but a wonderful read so far (again, 1/2 way through it)
- it addresses music essentials in narrative form
- inspiring, encouraging & challenging

I've also been able to read through a couple of Tim Keller's Books (Prodigal God & Counterfeit gods), both very good and helpful for gathering thoughts around teaching/preaching.

CD's now available online...

2010-08-01T20:18:00.000-07:00

I have so much to talk about from the last couple of weeks, but I'll save that for another post.

Just wanted to mention that the CD and/or tunes are available on

itunes
cdbaby.com
amazon

and even at bandcamp.com

Check the site in a few days for some updates!

broken tees are useful too

2010-07-09T06:57:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I was playing golf and found myself on the tee box of a short par 3. As is many golfer's routine, I looked for a broken tee for my shot. It dawned on me that during a round of golf you'll use a variety of clubs for a variety of shots, as well as different tees for different tee shots. Tees come in all sizes - short, medium & tall, but a few times in a round of golf we find ourselves looking down to the ground for a broken tee. You see, broken tees are perfect for short approach shots that only require your ball to be a little bit off the ground. A tall tee would be much too high and even a short tee won't work, but a broken tee seems to be just perfect.

The Bible teaches that God has a place for every one of his children to serve. God's given all of us gifts and personalities that are unique to us as individuals. We're like Tees - some of us are tall, some of us are short, and some (most) of us are even broken. God wants and desires to use us all, and most times he's like a golfer who looks down to the ground for that perfect 'broken' tee; he may even have to dig it out of the ground cause it's been trampled on and kicked into the dirt. It's well worth his searching efforts, cause God knows that even the broken people have something to offer our world. In reality, we are all broken, everyone of us, and God picks us out of the dirt and says, 'There's a shot I need to make, and you're the perfect tee for the job.'

I'm so thankful that God can use everyone, even me!

CD Release Concert & Book Store Appearance...

2010-07-05T13:15:00.000-07:00

Finally able to come up for air after all that's gone on the last few weeks. The CD release went really well. We had a great number show up for it and the vibe was really cool. The band played great (as expected) and the people who came were so supportive. I felt very encouraged by it all. Ben and Tracy started us out that night with a bang. A week later I (along with dave and james) played at Faith Family Books in Scarborough. It wasn't the best day for an in house performance (holiday weekend and great weather), but the feedback was excellent. Sold a few CD's and was asked to come back in the fall. Next week the band and I will be preparing to lead worship at Family Camp (Lakeshore). I'm hoping for another good week there. It'll be our second summer in a row ministering at this Camp. Below you'll see a few pictures of the concert and the Book Store gig. Would you believe that I didn't get any quality pictures at my concert. One of my good friends (who designs and does photography) couldn't make the night; then I forgot to give my camera to someone to take some shots. All that said, I did find a few from the crowd and was able to have some taken this past Saturday.

Influence

2010-06-16T06:42:00.000-07:00

This coming Sunday I'll be speaking on the topic of 'INFLUENCE'. With it being Father's Day I thought it would be appropriate to address a topic that could stand alone, while still being a much needed message to Fathers. If there's anyone who has influence in someone else's life, it's most certainly a Father. As I prepare for this talk I'm looking at a few texts that, in my mind, help build the foundation for how we can be people of influence. We start with foundation and roots; people of influence must be grounded in something deeper than themselves. Psalm 1 talks about a person being planted by streams of living; Ephesians 3:17 & Colossians 2:7 both talk about being rooted in God. As we move to Philippians 2, Paul tells this small church that they are to think of others above themselves, using Jesus as the ultimate example of this. He then goes onto say in Colossians 4:2-6, that if we are going to make any kind of impact in our world, we need to be people of prayer, wisdom, hospitality, grace and mercy.

I realize that there are many in our world who influence in other ways, but Jesus calls us to not simply be people of influence, but those who influence our world for His Sake and not ours. That's why the last piece of the puzzle is so crucial. Before we can influence anyone, we must first be influenced - by Christ. 1 Thessalonians 1:2-10 sheds light on this. Paul boasts about this church in how wonderful they are. He says that they are 'example' Christ followers, but he prefaces it by saying they are 'imitators' of God.

I want to influence others for good; both in my fathering and in my relationships. So my simple prayer this week is that I continually allow the Spirit of Christ to influence me, so that I can in turn influence others for the sake of Him.

Technology is a good servant, but a bad master...

2010-05-31T11:23:00.000-07:00

This is a great line from John Ortberg's recent post. You can read the rest of it here. Or my brothers thoughts on it here.

Mike Myers' take on being Canadian

2010-05-26T10:59:00.000-07:00

In an interview with Relevant Magazine, Mike Myers was asked if being a Canadian gives him a different outlook to his stardom and successes. This is what he had to say,

"...it’s hard to be super full of yourself in Canada. If there was a motto of Canada, it’d be "Who do you think you are, eh?" I think it’s very good training to just be a person growing up in Canada. People say a lot of things about Canada, you know, that it’s boring and stuff, but if you look around the world, I think, in praise of boring. I think it’s a very civilized place to grow up, and I’m very proud of it."

You gotta love this quote if you're Canadian. We do have a unique perspective on life, especially in comparison to our neighbours south of the border. I'm a big fan of boring you know...I refuse to introduce my kids to DVD players in the car for long trips. I think we can learn a lot of things while being bored. They'll thank me later, but for now I'll suffer the loud and painful cries of wanting to be like everyone else.

You can read the whole interview about the latest Shrek movie here. For the record, I saw the movie with my family, and it rivaled being as good as the first one. It was as funny as anything, and had lots of intelligent things to say about life.

crazy weekend...honouring a matriarch

2010-05-18T11:47:00.000-07:00

I came out of the busiest weekend of my life...at least it felt like it.

It was already busy before my grandmother passed away on Thursday. Before I say any more about the weekend let me share a little about my grandmother (nonna)

'La Nonna' (as we often referred to her), was 2 months away from turning 98 years old. She lived a long and adventurous life. She and my grandfather were quite the couple; they were married 66 years. Nonna was so loving and caring. She loved God and her family deeply. I am truly blessed to have had her in my life. I am also very glad that God's taken her home, as this life wasn't so much fun for her any longer.

Here's what my weekend looked like:

Friday: Work, wedding rehearsal, funeral viewing, eulogy writing/editing
Saturday: Funeral service/burial (9am), wedding set-up 11:30, wedding music 12:20-2:30, family events, work (evening) (had to miss my good friend's reception)
Sunday: church in the morning, teach/preach, lunch with family, practice and play bass for another event at 6pm.
Monday: Golf at 8am (amen)

Somehow we made it through...now that I'm looking back, it was a great weekend. Playing golf on Monday morning was definitely a much enjoyable break.

CD release Concert date is set

2010-05-13T08:57:00.000-07:00

Looks like we'll be on time with the final cuts and design for the CD project. So, here's the first posting of the Release Concert. I'll be sending out email announcements and creating a facebook event next week. Our band is set to go and I'm so exited to have Ben Wright opening for me that night.

Yesterday I had a photo shoot with Aaron Holbrough. It was so much fun as we hung out in an old building in Peterborough's downtown core. Aaron & his family are good friends of ours. He's gifted in so many areas: arts, photography, design, communication, etc. You don't find too many people with such a pure and humble character. I'm blessed to know him and Amy.

transition

2010-05-10T12:26:00.001-07:00

Some interesting things have occurred in the last few months that are related to almost every part of my life. It's amazing how one decision can impact so many areas of ones life. My lead pastor took a job out west, which consequently put our church in a tale spin. First let me say that the job that he did in the 7 years that he was lead was excellent. He led our church from a place of crisis to a place of health. It was a joy serving with him these past number of year. I learned a lot from him and the situation we were in.

What we're in now is a season of transition. As difficult as the next few months will be, I do know that I'm going to learn very much from this experience. I couldn't have signed up for an internship like this one. Our lead team is in tact (except from our former pastor of course) and I've been asked to lead them during the transition. All the necessary steps have been put in place for us to move forward to find/choose a new pastor. I believe that God will direct this process and bring the right person for this next season in our church's life.

The ripple effect to all this is that our lives have been effected. Each of us on our staff feels a certain amount of unsettledness, and this of course translates to our families feeling unsettled. We can't help but wonder how different things may look in our life 6-12 months from now.

The amazing thing in this whole process is that we will have to depend on God and see what he has in store. That is both exciting and frightening. So, our family and friends and church will be on an adventure these next few months. If you're reading this and are a friend of mine, we'd appreciate your prayers. If you're reading this and you're experiencing something similar, be encouraged that you're not alone, and that patience and dependence on God are vital for a season like this.

As awkward as this can be for myself and my family, I'm also very excited to see how this all turns out.

movies to watch this summer

2010-04-29T06:37:00.000-07:00

Relevant Magazine always puts out a summer movie review. Thought that maybe some of you may want to check it out. It categorizes them in comedy, action, spiritual, etc. It's worth taking a look at. I'm particularly looking forward to watching 'The A Team' (a childhood favourite of mine) & 'Get Low' (a movie about a man who throws himself a funeral party before he dies).

To read the full review of movies go to Relevant Magazine.

telling the truth...

2010-04-23T07:48:00.000-07:00

...taken from Donald Miller

Read it here!

to tweet or not to tweet?

2010-04-06T12:00:00.000-07:00

I've thought often about the whole twitter/facebook phenomena. They really are wonderful tools that inspire communication and in some ways community. However, as do most advances in technology, we can become too reliant on them and in some cases dependant on how they make 'us' feel, while forgetting they are tools to use.

This of course is coming from a blogger, a member of facebook, and one who recently bought a domain name with his (my) own name (www.jonathanmanafo.com). Now I must admit that I was very weary of having a website attributed to my name. I struggled with the look of it and how it may be perceived. I've now accepted it as a necessary evil which comes with the release of a worship project, but it doesn't mean that I'm happy with it. I just figured it was easier to tell some one to go to myname.com then have them remember some other name that I came up with.

If you've had similar thoughts or even completely disagree with me, you may find this article helpful or interesting. 'Why I don't tweet' was written by Skye Jethani and included on the recent Leadership Journal Newsletter.

Peace!

last session in the books...

2010-03-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

The end of March is here, and as promised by Jeff (my engineer) the bulk of recording is complete. All that is left are some small things (a little percussion, some guitar swells and one vocal section).

Yesterday was a great day of recording. We went from 2pm - 10:30pm. It started out with Aileen Lombardo-Matta for the first hour. Aileen came by to sing the lead line for one of my songs. I won't give away which one it is, but I can say that from the first note everything just felt right. She also added a few sweet lines to one other song. I was reminded of how sweet a voice she has. I know it very well, but in that setting, with record on, it was very, very nice. I took up the rest of the afternoon with some more harmonies and then left the evening session for the great Ali Raney. Ali came by to record violin (3 tracks) in some spots as well as alto parts in a few of the tunes. What a pro she is, and so nice too. Her part so 'completed' one of the songs. It was exactly what we were hoping for. Outside of her excellent violin playing, Ali also has a killer voice. Her tones complimented the melody lines so nicely. Thanks Ali & Aileen for giving your utmost best to this project. What a joy to work with you.

I'm so thankful to have great friends (extremely gifted I might add) who have been willing to be part of this project. What a blessing...seriously.

So the rest of the work is in the very capable hands of Jeff Muir. BTW, a huge shout out to him. Jeff has been so good with everyone, and has been able to help bring all the pieces together. He has such a good musical ear. Can't wait to hear some of the finished pieces of art!

Holy 'WEEK' Batman

2010-03-27T13:27:00.000-07:00

Holy Week is upon us. I've been prepping my for the party we call Easter. How? I've given up something's for lent and have been reading through some devotional style reading through out. I will go the extra mile this week by giving up on all screen's while away from from work. Our family will not watch or be watched by any kind of screen during Holy Week. No TV, computer, cell phone or game console. I'm looking forward to the lack of noise that will be in our life this week.

I've said this before, but we evangelicals don't do Tradition well. We like new things and fresh stuff and renewals or awakenings. That's not bad, except too often it's at the expense of ditching the old stuff that was actually good stuff. I want to take in this week and prepare myself for both Good Friday & Easter Sunday. When I say prepare, I don't mean the song set I'm working on or the service order we're putting together; what I mean is the preparation that my heart and mind need to go through as I reflect on all the Jesus did for this world and all that he has in store for his church.

Not sure what you have in mind for this week, but try in some way shape or form to make it HOLY. Shut some things down, get rid of some noise, find some quiet places and ask God to refresh your heart as you celebrate Jesus' death and resurrection.

what's up with the 'worship project'

2010-03-23T16:53:00.000-07:00

As promised I'm filling you (you being anyone interested) in on the progress of the worship cd project. Things are coming along very well. I've completed all my lead vocals and acoustic guitar parts. This past Sunday & Monday we had some overdub sessions for lead guitar and keys. Anthony Silva did such a great job on the lead lines he contributed. I can't say enough about his playing. He's so tasteful. We even got some Dobro on "Lead me" - so sweet. Rick Manafo gave us such a solid session. He added so much by playing organ and rhodes overdubs. On one song he created a stinkin' orchestra in about 5 minutes - genius (I hope it runs in the family).

One full session left this Monday. We'll have Aileen Lombardo in for one song and Ali Raney in to add her beautiful violin and fiddle playing as well as a bunch of alto lines. I can't wait for that. Once that's done we'll only have a few more little piece's to the puzzle and then the mixing begins.

I'm amazed at how each step adds so much richness to the songs. I've added some photos from the weekend for you to check out.

Free...is it worth it?

2010-03-14T18:26:00.001-07:00

I've always looked for bargains and love when I get stuff for free. Most of my friends graciously call be 'frugal'. However, I'm also very aware that good work is worth something, not just when I do it, but when others do. I have no problem paying a contractor for good work in my home (i.e., my laundry room and deck) or paying a teacher for a great talk, or a musician for good art.

I came across an article that expresses this well. Maybe you'll enjoy it too.

http://www.collidemagazine.com/article/305/the-trouble-with-free

drawing straight lines with a crooked stick...

2010-03-03T19:02:00.000-08:00

I've been reading through Eugene Peterson's 'Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places' and came across a wonderful line that he pulled from a medieval saying. In the section on Christ & History, Peterson writes about Jesus being so connected to real (down to earth) life; that which involved suffering, pain, tension and screw ups. Mid way through he says this, "God...does not require good people to do good work...'God draws straight lines with a crooked stick'. He can and does work with us...no matter the condition he finds us in."

Boy, do I need to hear that. Too often I find myself belittling my abilities and thinking so little of myself. Why wouldn't I, I'm a human being with many faults and even more insecurities - we all are. That does not negate me from being used by God to do good in the world. So if you're like me, and there's a good chance that you are, be reminded that 'God draws straight lines with crooked sticks'.

that's what we do... part 2

2010-02-12T13:25:00.000-08:00

If you read my last quote, this will make lots of sense, if not, take 1 minute and scroll down, then come back to this one.

I was in Costco getting some snacks for our Sunday Morning Coffee time and I ran into a family from our church. Kesner and Ketelie Aristide are missionaries from and to Haiti. Kesner works full time in a factory, leads a small french speaking church in Toronto (keele & wilson) and overseas 4 churches in Haiti. Ketelie was diagnosed with Cancer a few years ago and is now in remission. While she was sick and going through treatments our church family stayed very close to her. We made her meals, our students cleaned their home, we did our best to serve this family in their time of need.

As I was leaving the store, I said bye to her and she said, 'I'll never forget what you did for me'. She was of course referring to our church family. All I could say was, 'that's what we do'.

Thought this story was appropriate, especially after yesterday's post.

that's what we do...

2010-02-11T18:59:00.000-08:00

I was out watching a movie with my family tonight - Tooth Fairy. The kids have a PD day tomorrow so why not. It's not the best flick in the world, but it had a great story line and some funny scenes to it. A few lines really jump at you for sure. One in particular got stuck in my mind.

At a hockey game later in the movie, Dwayne Johnson, the main actor, is hesitant to follow his own advice about attempting your dreams and using your gifts. Previously he encouraged a young boy by saying, 'you'll never score if you never shoot'. While on the ice he has a decision to make; stay down after getting hit or get up and at least try and make the play happen. He looks to the net and sees his 'fairy' counterpart sitting on it...motioning to get up and try. This of course encourages him and...well you can watch the movie to see what happens.

In a conversation later, Johnson tells the fairy, 'it was great that you came to the game tonight' and the fairy responds with, 'that's what we (fairies) do'. It's a simple line, that possibly meant nothing to anyone else, but I couldn't help but think of the church and what (or who) we represent. The best news the world can hear comes through followers of Christ who simply 'do what they do'. When a neighbour is hurt, we help; when a friend is in need, we help; when the poor can use something from us, we give; when our brothers and sisters in another country experience tragedy, we lend our hands to them. This list can go on for a while. The point I'm trying to make is that when the question comes our way, 'why did you do that', I think the best and most profound response we can give is, 'that's what we do'.

Unfortunately the church hasn't always been known for the good they do...at times they've been seen as exclusive, narrow minded, hypocritical and selfish. However, I really believe that many people who follow Christ realize that through our generosity, our hospitality, our selflessness and our acts of love and justice, we cause the world to ask - WHY did you do that? We really don't have to say anything more than, 'that's what we do - that's who we are'.

The early church was known for their acts of kindness, their embracive arms towards outsiders, their hospitality, their work with the poor, the orphan, the widow and the sick.

That's the kind of church I'm a part of. How about you?

The Gospel is Not a Quick-Fix

2010-02-10T09:34:00.001-08:00

Good Article on our North American view of Christianity. Nothing good comes easy and fast...especially faith in God and following Jesus. Read below...

RELEVANT Magazine - The Gospel is Not a Quick-Fix

bed tracks done...

2010-02-08T10:12:00.001-08:00

This weekend we spent about 25-30 hours from Friday to Sunday recording the bed tracks for the worship project I'm working on. What a great time we had...lots of work, but lots of fun too. Jeff was engineering the whole deal, Matt was on kit and helped with production, Dave was on keys and played very tastefully, and Anthony graced us with his electric guitar work. We got through all 11 tunes with very satisfactory results. Next Saturday I start recording my vocals and acoustic guitar parts. The guys put in some serious work and I'm very thankful for their input and gifts. We were also blessed by my wife Janet as she provided lots of good, tasty and healthy food.

A few tracks stood out to me: Psalm 86 turned out really cool. The keyboard sound really contrasted nicely with what the acoustic will be doing; Lead me was also nice to record as we changed up Matt's drums to a small Jazz kit and I played the tune on my 77 Fender Jazz Fretless Bass. Every tune is evolving nicely. Can't wait to hear how they turn out; Anthony's playing was so tasteful...but I also know he can't wait to dig in on the lead lines when we hit the overdub sessions.

Take a look at the pics below...you can also see more pictures here

worship project underway...

2010-01-27T18:40:00.000-08:00

As mentioned in my previous post, I'm working on recording a worship album. I have 11 original songs that will be on this recording, most of them are used regularly in my local church worship setting and other places where I'm privileged to be.

The past few weeks, Matt Smith and I have been putting together demo tracks and charts in preparation for the bed track recording happening in just a little over a week. Next Friday, Saturday & Sunday, we will be recording bass, drums, keys and some electric guitars for the album. Instrumental overdubs will follow and then vocals. I'm really excited about the musicians playing with me, together I believe they'll contribute to turning this into a very special worship & music experience. (a word out to C.R. - my second choice for Bass...looking forward to the live venues ;)

Last Thursday Dave Smith, Matt Smith and I worked on my latest idea for a song. 2 hours later the 11th song was complete. It was such a great experience to work, write and create in community; something that I hope to do more of in the future.

That's all for now. Below you can see some photo's of what we've been up to. I'll post something after our bed track recording next week. 'Til then, please pray that this process goes well and that these songs will be used to both encourage and challenge the church to worship in spirit and truth.

words and people

2010-01-15T10:07:00.000-08:00

E. Peterson, discusses what it means to have a soul and how that makes us who we are. It's amazing that we reduce ourselves to the words that describe us. He says this,

"We cannot be too careful about the words we use; we start using them and then they start using us"

He applies these thoughts by showing that we've been striped of identity in that we are reduced to being defined as consumers. He says,

"To be reduced to a consumer is too leave out most of what I am, of what makes me me. Widespread consumerism results in extensive depersonalization. And every time depersonalization moves in, life leaks out."

Excerpts from here.

ambitious?

2010-01-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

2010 has begun and I'm pumped to see what this year has in store; for my family, for my church, for my community and for me. I thought I'd jot down a few things that I'm hoping to accomplish this year. They're already in process so here's what's in the works in my world for 2010.

RECORDING...

I've been writing music for almost ten years. I have lots of worship songs that we incorporate into our regular worship at my church as well as when I'm out leading other places. With thoughts of putting some half decent demo's together I was convinced, both by my self and some friends that I should do a full-out album. So, in just a few weeks I and some great musicians will enter the studio and record 10-11 of my favourite tunes - all original. I'm really excited to see what happens during this process; how my songs may evolve and what they can become. Stay tuned for a new website or something that will keep you people posted. For now I'll simply use this blog. The completion date is scheduled for April/May of this year.

READING...

Since completing my Masters last spring I've taken a little break from the intense reading that kept me so busy. It was a necessary break for my head and my family. I didn't stop reading all together, just didn't incorporate the heavy theological stuff. One of my goals this year is to read through Eugene Peterson's Spiritual Theology series. The books are, "Christ Plays in 10,000 places", "The Jesus Way", "Eat this Book" & "Tell it Slant". This is Biblical Theology at its best. I may write some thoughts along the way so stay tuned.

FAMILY...

Last year was so busy. With me finishing up school and my wife taking on a year work contract, we don't feel that we gave our kids our best. Don't get me wrong, we spend lots of time with them and love them to death. This year we'd simply like to take that up a notch. They're our most precious gifts from God and deserve all that we can possibly give them. My wife also deserves more of me. I hope that above all things, our family continues to grow stronger this year.

CHURCH...

We have a great community of people that we worship with and share life with. My hopes and prayers for this year are that CLC grows in our sense of belonging to one another - community. Deeper relationships need to be formed and developed for further grow in our local neighbourhood.

ME...

I personally want to go deeper in my knowledge of God and his word and subsequently in how I connect with my world. My prayer is simple; it's the prayer I say with my kids every night, "Everyday, help me to love God & love others".

I also want to improve my over all fitness. I've been consistently exercising for almost 2 years, but the last 6 months have been the best. I run and bike and golf and ... you get the picture. I am presently on week 5 of P90X. I am loving this program because it pushes me to do things I wasn't doing and to be very constant and purposeful with my workouts. It's a full 90 days so watch out world when I'm done :) On a serious note, our bodies are very important. We can't guarantee health, but we can give ourselves the best chance. I do this for 5 people: my wife, my daughter, my son, God and me. God gave me this body and it's my greatest tool.

There you have it. A little ambitious? Yes. Well worth the effort? Yes. Will it all get done? who knows. But if we never strive for anything, we'll never get anywhere!

Happy New Year!

what I learned at best buy on boxing day...

2009-12-31T15:51:00.000-08:00

Yes, I too was at Best Buy on Boxing Day - I too was there at 5am - the difference is that I was there to make money and not spend it. A young adult friend from our church asked if I'd be interested in working Boxing Day and I thought, sure why not. So there I was, walking past all those people in line (all the way around the store I might add) and in the front doors at 5 am. It was a great experience. I was the first person people saw when they walked in. I felt like a church usher/greeter welcoming people and handing out bulletins (sale flyers). 8 hours of, "good morning, welcome to best buy...wii's are in gaming...the cheap memory cards are on the left side of computers...yes, the 36 inch sony bravia for $399.99 is sold out." Some people asked for some advice, so I told them to make sure they didn't buy anything they didn't need. (of course I made sure the manager wasn't in sight)

Things I learned or was reminded of:

- These guys (Best Buy) know how to make money. There goal for the day was $1,000,000.00. From what I understand they always make about that every Boxing Day. They have strategies on how to encourage people to spend more money, although some people don't need any coaxing on that; they're very willing to spend.

- The fear of recession leaves as easy as it comes. Even Costco's sales were up 30% this year (I heard this from a baker friend of mind). I guess everyone's emergency funds are maxed out so they have some extra cash to spend.

- It took me 8 hours to make $114 and 5 minutes to spend it. (kids Jeans were on sale at Old Navy so I stocked up for my two little ones)

- Half way through the day a manager asked me to take a walk around the store and pick up all the flyers that had been dropped or chucked. I guess the bulletin I gave out at the door wasn't as good as they made it out to be. I was reminded of something valuable here: no matter what I do for work (pastor, painter, musician, isle cleaner at best buy) I can and must do it as unto the Lord (Col 3:17). There I was walking the isles picking up trash, initially thinking that I might be seen by a friend or parishioner, but then I went into work mode and was on a mission to have the cleanest isles on boxing day. I don't care what you do - do it with all your heart - and do a good job.

If I'm asked to work next year I'll probably say yes. First of all it's nice to recoup some of the money spent on Christmas. Second, doing something different, even though it's work, can be a vacation, at least for my mind. Third, there are worse things you can be doing on Boxing Day, like shopping.

it's almost here...

2009-12-17T10:52:00.000-08:00

As many of people have noted, this Christmas has really sneaked up on us. It may have been the (warm) weather or inner temptations to avoid preparation for family and/or church functions. Either way, I can't believe Christmas is just around the corner. However, there is still time to prepare for this wonderful season. Have you volunteered somewhere, given something away to someone who needs it more, done some advent reading/prayers? I highly recommend you take advantage of the next few days to read through the Gospel Narrative and prepare your heart to worship the God who became a baby, who then became a Saviour for the world. You may have a last minute gift to buy, and I hope you find what you're looking for. Can I recommend that before you enter the zoo of a shopping mall or go online to make a purchase, take some quiet time to allow God's Spirit to make a deposit in your soul.

I must say, and maybe it's because it's sneaked up on me, but I've enjoyed my ministry role so much theses past few weeks. It's not always easy to get geared up to arrange carols for worship and creatively engage with this time of year. I'm very thankful that this year has been a blessing to my heart and soul and I pray that in the next few days you would experience a similar freshness.

Tiger and the Good Life | LeadershipJournal.net

2009-12-15T10:37:00.000-08:00

Couldn't help but share this as well. John Ortberg does a great job of reminding us what the 'good life' really is. We're so fooled to think that celebrities have it good...what a falsity.

Tiger and the Good Life | LeadershipJournal.net

the danger of fame...

2009-12-11T06:29:00.000-08:00

I read this article from Pat Lencioni and couldn't help but share it. It connects very well to my last post.

http://www.simplewisdomproject.com/archives/archive/?id=7

A response to Tiger's Fall (in comparison to...)

2009-12-10T10:57:00.000-08:00

I've held back from writing this post for a number of days, but thought it was about time I got it out of my head. I am not ashamed to say this (although maybe I should be), "I am a fan of Tiger Woods". I must admit that I've followed this man for most of his career and most weeks I've probably given him (and sports in general) too much of my valuable time. With that in mind the happenings of the last few weeks have been very disturbing. The person I've enjoyed watching beat his competition is now the one being beaten. The ironic thing is that he's beating himself up (with some assistance from the media of course). Even though everyone is calling for public confession and apology, the only people he must really apologize too is his family. As I told my sister after the news came out, 'at least now we know he's not the messiah'.

One thing I find very interesting is the response from 'his own' community, the PGA. The manner of which they speak is very similar to that of churches who have heard similar news of their leader or pastor. We've seen this before haven't we. Jim Baker gets caught doing some immoral things, Jimmy Swaggart is found with some similar issues, most recently Ted Haggard was the one caught with his pants down (excuse the expression, but it's true). What we saw in these cases were communities of people, who sincerely followed their leaders, left in shock because they couldn't believe that the Man they were following (or receiving guidance from) could do such horrible things; things that are contrary the Scriptures in which these men all spoke and taught from.

We've all been let down by someone we trusted; I know that I have. Those moments are very tender and difficult. We've given time and energy in the relationship we have with that person, only to be left in shock with the hypocrisy of the situation. We hoped for more, we believed in more, and in the end we're not sure what to believe in or what to hope for. What I find interesting about this saga that surrounds Tiger Woods, is that he is being spoken of like a Pastor or Spiritual Leader. His followers are in shock that the one they've looked up to has fallen and the world as they knew it is now different. There have been scripture verses thrown around the various commentary as well as very serious and religious words. Tiger used the words 'transgressions' & 'sin' to describe what he did. A writer for the Golf Channel quoted Romans 3 in saying that 'no one is righteous...not one'...not even Tiger. The golf community's blessed one has let them down and they're all wondering what to do next.

When this happens in a church we are told to look to Christ, our real and true leader. We're reminded of our frailty and our own sins and are challenged to be connected to a community of people who long for something more than toys, riches and superficial success. We're reminded that life is about making a difference in our world with the gifts and resources we're given, not use them for selfish gain and momentary pleasures.

As unfortunate as this is for Tiger Woods and his family, I am glad to see (and hopefully we'll see more of it) that the golf community is learning that there is more to life than Tiger Woods; that transgressions & sins will bring horrible consequences; that money and fame can't buy you freedom from bad choices; and that there is still only one that is righteous! What I also hope that they (and we) learn is that you don't kick someone when they're down (even if they tripped over their own mistakes); instead we are to help them through what ever struggle they are facing. The church and the golf world have something in common, they are a community. The golf community is a brotherhood who, even thought they compete against one another, are not to wish calamity on anyone. True community is a place where people can be accepted for who they are, yet encouraged and challenged to be better. Even though Tiger has not been who he should have behind closed doors, lets hope this community he is a part of embraces him back to their fold, while helping him and his family heal the brokenness they are presently experiencing. And lets not be mistaken, there is only ONE who is righteous...it ain't Tiger, it ain't me and it ain't you.

Not sure what you think of this take, but thought I'd throw it out there anyways.

cultural masturbation???

2009-12-02T06:28:00.000-08:00

Some thoughts from NTW on our (possible) lack of balance in how much time we spend in front of a screen...

NT Wright on Blogging/Social Media from Bill Kinnon on Vimeo.

an empty mall with the perfect gift...

2009-11-27T07:40:00.000-08:00

I happend to be in Yorkdale Mall after closing the other night. Yorkdale is my favourite mall in Toronto for a few reasons: it's the mall I walked to as a child with my grandmother and mom on many occasions; my nonna would often buy me ice cream there; I stole my first and last chocolate bar there when I was 4 years old; and it's the best mall of the bunch we have in our huge city.

As my wife and I walked through it, I couldn't help but imagine how crazy it's going to get in the coming days and weeks. But at this specific moment, the mall was empty; only a couple of retail clerks closing up shop, but other than that, the place was a ghost town. No music, no noise, and specifically, no one spending money.

I thought to myself, why is it that we get caught up in this snowball effect of purchasing so many things we don't need. Not only do we buy needless stuff for us, but we do it for others as well. Stuff they don't need. I've been challenged with this more so in the last few years. Please know that I don't write this from the perspective of perfection, but from someone that has fallen prey to these foolish whims from time to time as well. I go through moments of having things in order and then other moments when I spend what I shouldn't spend.

John Mayer's words make some sense here, "Why does everything I think I need, always come with batteries" (Song: Something's Missing)

As we made our way to the exit of the Mall, I couldn't help but notice an advertisement for Tiffany & Co. It was strategically placed between some attractive decor. On it were these words, "The perfect gift for only $295.00". Wow, that's a great deal for the perfect gift. I mean, I can think of a lot of other (more) perfect gifts that would cost me a lot more than that. The acoustic guitar I want is $2899.99; the (2nd) fretless bass I'd like is about the same; a vacation to a warm place for my family would run me more than $4000.00. Yet, Tiffany & Co. thinks that I can get the perfect gift for $295.00. That's quite the assumption.

I'd like to think that the perfect gift for me this season is the empty mall I was so fortunate to be in. Not because I've been wishing for an empty mall since I was a kid, but because in that moment, when no one was around, with no noise and no clutter, I had the opportunity, not to be filled with stuff, but to be emptied of stuff. Our lives are so cluttered as it is, why fill them with more, just so they can get messy and overloaded. And the real tragedy is that with all that full space, there's no space left for God. And last time I checked, the perfect gift was free. Well, free to me, but it cost Jesus his life. So when Jesus read's a sign that says, "the prefect gift for only $295.00" I'm thinking he's a little ticked, 'cause the gift he gave cost him a lot more than that.

I want the perfect gift for me this season to be about nothing & everything. I want nothing in my life to get in the way of everything Jesus has for me. And for that to happen I have to empty myself of some of the junk that's there; the noise and the shopping and the busy-ness; and let God fill that space with his presence and grace!

Look for some empty spaces this Season, your heart being a good place to start, and see if God may want to fill it with something other than an item that requires batteries.