Wednesday, November 08, 2006

How can we respond to the Ted Haggard scandal? With purity.

Everyone is talking about Ted Haggard and the scandal he has been embroiled in. Although much damage has been done, I wondered if at least our small community might turn this defeat into a victory.

How? By remembering that Christ's name does not depend on any one man. By seeking to live in the light and having a real fear of hypocrisy in our lives. By stopping to ask if we are trusting in people instead of God. By coming back to and renewing our trust in the Word.

And, perhaps most importantly, may we desire and then genuinely live lives of greater purity ourselves. Let us renew our commitment to purity. May we turn on all the lights, admit to ourselves what needs to be admitted, be accountable, help each other, have abundant grace, and settle for nothing less than lives of holiness.

Let us heed the warning of II Timothy 4 and, in response, desire the weakest consciences we can get, instead of "consciences [that] have been seared as with a hot iron."

And let us claim the victory of Hebrews 9:14, "How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!"

Christ has already won the victory! Now may we walk in it.
ar TORONTO, CANADA | 2023+

APRIL


MAY

27 Sat (1) 11am Commencement speaker at R. University, (2) ~3pm+ time w/ V/AR+
29 Mon (1) 9:30am VT prayer, (2) 3pm mtg DerCh - Mississauga
30 Tue (1) 10am ph call (AA), (2) 5:30pm video mtg (IsTan), (3) 8pm neighbourhood prayer mtg

JUNE
1 Thu (1) 11:30am Zoom mtg (LM), (2) 4pm mtg (VS,KBr)
2 Fri (1) 10:30am ph call (PVDW; SL w/ boys; ~J working)
3 Sat SL w/ boys and MG
5 Mon (1) 9:30am VT prayer mtg, (2) 2pm Europe call, (3) 4pm mtg/walk (YM)
6 Tue 7:30pm worship night
9 Fri ~J's b'day
10 Sat North Bay trip
13 Tue ~J school trip w/ ~Co | (text BD)
14 Thu 11am mtg (DAy) - Unionville
16 Fri (1) 9am video med appt, (2) 15-km run (Prayer Journey "warm-up")
17 Sat Prayer Journey (my own: 50km GTA bike-ride) and GTA after-party
29 ... July 7 Thu-Fri poss. holiday in Arkansas

JULY
... 7 Thu-Fri poss. holiday in Arkansas
~8-17 SA+ in Toronto; P/H Bell likely visiting too
17-21 Mon-Fri Kids Kapers camp
24 Mon 2:45pm med. appt
26 Wed (1) 3pm Zoom mtg (SMa,SB), (2) 7pm ~J speaking at Greenhouse/Zoe - UofT downtown
27 Thu 10am video MVT board mtg
31 Mon 3:05pm med. appt
July/Aug CCWM board mtg / AGM

AUGUST
6-12 Sun-Fri Cottage w/ O/DN+ and UB/AC - Windermere; plus Muskoka
19 Sat poss. ~J fam beach day - Brighton area
25-29 Fri-Tue MoveIn staff retreat - southern Ontario

2023+
Sep 21 Thu - MVT board mtg
Sep 23 Sat poss. date of GV memorial
Sep 24 Sun ~Ch's b'day
Sep ~26-28 Poss. time in Lushnjë, Albania
Sep 29 - Oct 6 MoveIn Europe Conference+ - Durrës, Albania
Oct 21 Sat poss./unlikely date of GV memorial
Oct 21-27 Dollar-a-Day week
Early Nov Poss. fundraising event - Niagara
Nov-Jan Poss. time in India - Goa; Philippines - Manila+; Indonesia - Jakarta/Bali; LA/San Diego