Dedication of the Vine – we are now open for business!

We sat in a circle.  Mostly.  Some leaned against the freshly painted walls.  Others sat on the floor.  Friends old and new. It felt like a living room.  Warm, friendly.  You could feel the “good vibrations.”  Lots of love in the air. Lori hovered over the food and coffee table, making sure that everything was [...]

Where am I going to be on Kony Day? Kampala, Uganda

Last night I was at the Freeway Church at a Kony Public Conversation event, and listened with interest as Ugandans shared their perspectives on the media storm and it’s actual impact and effectiveness on the complex issues around the abuse of power and the use of child soldiers in Africa.  I’ve been fascinated with the [...]

Dreaming of a Prayer Saturated City

In my oh so humble opinion, Richard Long’s daily blog www.togethercanada.wordpress.com is a must read for any serious practicioner in the prayer and city transformation movement. Here is a recent post shares a brainstorming session from Mission Ottawa where they gather 75 ideas for saturating their city in prayer! Dreams we have for a prayer-saturated [...]

A Day in the Life of an Urban Monastic

5 am – Wake at the crack of dawn.  Grumble at my inexorable body clock.  Stumble downstairs for coffee and my morning paper.  Gather prayer fuel for the day over the Hamilton Spec ~ this morning it’s the shortage of supportive housing for women facing domestic violence.  Love the Spectator and am pleasantly surprised at [...]

But such as I have I give you…

My daughter’s friend Natalie, is sick with a mysterious auto immune disease whose main symptom is severe anaphylactic reactions.  Last year she went to emergency 30 times.  The doctors can’t figure it out, and are presently treating it with chemotherapy. The problem is that the chemotherapy and the anti-nausea drugs required to help her keep [...]

Divine Synergy: The Art of Collaboration ~ Genetic Engineering

I can remember the first time I saw the “Harp & Bowl Model” of intercessory worship.  A team had come up from the International House of Prayer in Kansas City (IHOP) and was demonstrating this dynamic fusion of worship and prayer at Little Trinity Anglican Church in Toronto.  As the ancient beams of the church [...]

Divine Synergy – the Art of Collaboration II ~ Growing in Favor with God and Man

Let’s assume that we are in agreement that collaboration is good, and of some benefit to us.  We launch  from that starting place and encounter our first obstacle.  What if nobody wants to collaborate with us?  We feel that in the melee of the multitudes of ministries, our voice goes unnoticed and unheard.  In my [...]

Divine Synergy ~ the Art of Collaboration (Part 1)

God never did anything alone. As practitioner, not a theologian, unpacking the intricacies of Trinitarian fellowship and collaboration is beyond the reach of my little brain and the scope of this article.  Simply put, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were always up to something together.  “The Son can do nothing by himself” Jesus declared, [...]