Mid-February Buffet

Some weeks the Overflow is fairly focused on one theme or area. Not this week! This week you’ll find a smorgasbord of things instead. Feel free to skip around.

Remember these? May they soon return!

This Sunday - Practicing The Presence Through Interruptions

I was looking forward to a week when all the Scotts might finally be done with the cold that has been plaguing us a for a while now, and on that front we are coming around. Kicking off with a Valentine’s day snow day isn’t my idea of a good time, but, to be fair I could use the exercise that’s coming tonight when I get out the shovel to starting clearing out the fluffy white mess that’s building up. That’s just one more interruption in a series of them that has come with this Omicron-wave winter. Interruptions will be the focus this coming Sunday in what I hope will be our final online-only service as we continue our theme of practicing the presence of God. I hope you’ll give that your attention and see what we can learn from Jesus’ response to interruptions, because interruptions were the start of many of His most gracious miracles. What could that mean for us in these times?

Last Sunday - Faith and CBM

That’s next week. Last week we heard from our regional representative from Canadian Baptist Ministries, Randy Stanton. Randy preached on the most famous passage from the book of Micah while also telling us about our new partner in mission, Kathryn Scott, who is beginning her work as Central American field staff, and about the Grow Hope project where we can fund local farmers to produce extra crops that are sold with the profits being multiplied through the Canada Foodgrains bank. You can find all that on our online worship page from this week. You'll hear more about all of this in the future, but Randy helped set the stage for why these partnerships matter and allow us to make a real difference across the world.

Getting The Better Of Evil

A couple of weeks ago I shared some information on social media about a soup kitchen and assistive housing organization in Ottawa that had seen its clients and staff harassed by some of the protestors who were part of the anti-COVID-rules convoy. Well, lots of people took notice and sent donations in to them - $750,000 worth! It's nice to read a good news story - here’s the full article from CBC news.

Words Have Meaning. So what Is "Freedom"?

A big rallying cry for the protests that began in Ottawa (which is now arguably more of an occupation than a protest) and have now included many cities, including Halifax, has been the cause of "freedom." Some protestors feel that I should be thankful that, even if I can’t be bothered, they are fighting for my freedom against the tyranny of COVID-19 health measures and vaccine mandates.

I’m glad to live in a country that makes room for protest and dissent, but I’m not impressed by the notion that my freedom is being fought for against the tyranny of… lawful public health measures put in place by legitimately elected governments?

It makes sense to claim that you are protesting for “freedom”, because who doesn’t like freedom? But what do we mean when we use that word? The way I see it being used, “freedom” means “license to do whatever I please.” This is very different from what I consider freedom to be from a Biblical standpoint. From the Bible’s perspective freedom is the ability to do what is good or right without being hindered. It’s not about doing whatever I desire at any particular time, but the ability to pursue righteousness for the sake of others.

This is not freedom where we gleeful avoid responsibility for our actions, but where we find the liberty to bless others.

Consider the words of 1st Corinthians 10:23-24 here: “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others."

This isn’t the freedom I see the convoy folks pursuing, so I’d rather they not claim to be trying to help me out, especially as they seek an outcome the overwhelming majority of Canadians don't want (or don't want until an appropriate time, at least.) I’m eager for when it is possible to resume more of a normal life without leaving the vulnerable behind and burning out our hospital staff, and I anticipate our government and public health officials doing just that without any streets needing to be blockaded.

From what I can see the end goal of these protests is not actually any kind of "freedom" (the organizers know that their stated demands won't be met), but an attempt to gain political power by building an anti-government coalition, often using blatant lies and misinformation as recruitment tools. That coalition includes Christians and people being drawn in by the language of faith being woven into this movement's messaging. Nothing about what we're seeing is going to make Canadians more free, and in time it might easily lead in to the opposite.

Simpson Lectures

I’m expecting some insightful thoughts out of this year’s Simpson Lectures from Acadia Divinity College. The subject being taken on is "How Then Shall We Live? Racism in the Church." The speakers are both local - Rev. Dr. Rhonda Britton from New Horizons Baptist Church in Halifax and Rev. Dr. Lennett Anderson from Emmanuel Baptist Church in Upper Hammonds Plains. You can use this link to see the schedule and register (at no charge) to watch online - they'll email you the appropriate link. These are two dynamic speakers from our own communities who I'm sure will bring some valuable thoughts to the question of how we can better live up to our calling to love our brothers and sisters and our neighbours. Recordings of the lectures will also be made available online in the coming weeks.

Darian David’s Chapel Message

Faith Baptist has two members who are Mentored Ministry students at Acadia Divinity College, but only one who is doing her Mentored Ministry work through our church (Erica).

Our other student, Darian David, is doing his placement at Emmanuel Baptist Church, which is why he hasn’t been around when we’ve been in-person since the fall of last year. Darian preached a short message entitled “The Skin That I’m In” as part of his preaching class at Acadia Divinity College and the college is highlighting it in connection to African Heritage Month. You can watch it here.

Darian reflects on his life and upbringing as an African Nova Scotian man with a call to listen and understand the different experiences in our shared community.

Devotional

One devotional resource I use from time to time is Sacred Space. If you would like to give a few minutes to consider a piece of scripture and be encouraged to focus on God and what He might want to say you can follow this link to a devotional there.