The other day I saw this Border Patrol truck on the US side with lights flashing madly.  As I got closer, I saw a pick up truck on the Canadian side with 3 or 4 mattresses in the back.  The border partol guy had a mattress too!  He was setting it on the borderline for the Canadian guy to take back.  I imagine the mattress flew off the back of the Canadian guy’s truck and crossed the border to the US.  It’s a rough life patrolling that border!

I also recently say a flock of birds flying over the border just like it was normal.  Occasionally I see a Canadian dog just running across the border at any old place, and then coming back later.  They’re lucky, ‘cuz we can’t do that – we’d be in big trouble.  I often think, when I am riding motorcycle along Zero Avenue, that if I got up enough speed I could just fly straight over that ditch that separates the two countries and be on the road on the other side – easy – but big trouble.  Don’t worry, it’s just a thought – I know better.  Birds, dogs and mattresses – they get away with it without any trouble.  Oh well, such is life.

I don’t know much about Whitney Houston, and I wouldn’t recognise any songs that she sang, because I don’t pay much attention to famous people; I just know some of their names.  Apparently the folks singing and speaking at her funeral tomorrow include: Aretha Franklin (her godmother), Dionne Warwick (her cousin), Alicia Keys, Kevin Costner (co-star in a movie), and Stevie Wonder.  The funeral will be in the church where she grew up and learned to sing in the choir.  Almost all famous black singers began their singing in the church.  What is it about fame and fortune that gets the better of some of these folks?  Maybe it gets the better of us too.

Today the home church of Milan Lucic in Burnaby was defaced with very offensive graffiti by some despicable Vancouver Canucks fans.  Milan is a Vancouver boy playing for the Boston Bruins.  Hatred.  When disappointment turns to anger and then to hatred, we have this kind of stuff.  It was really good to see all the people that volunteered time to clean up that church – much like after last June’s riot.

Another question is how does a hockey team choose to play an intimidating, in-your-face style of game?  I guess the whatever-it-takes to win mindset has not limitations.   How does a player, such as Milan Lucic, buy into this hard-nosed style of play, especially someone who’s grown up in the church?

I have a friend; although he is a few years older than I, we have had occasions along life’s way to be friends.  He grew up in my home church, the Rosthern Mennonite Church in Saskatchewan.  His parents were very committed Anabaptist Christians, and his commitment was there too.  He made it in hockey.  He was in the Philadelphia Flyers organisation back int the ’70′s when the Flyers were the tough-guy team in the NHL.  He was on their farm team, the Philadelphia Firebirds.  He was expected to be a tough-guy, to hit hard and fight.  He did this for a couple of years, until he and his wife finally said, “no.”  He became a fireman for the City of Calgary and is now retired.  He has been active in the Mennonite Church all these years.

This past summer 3 NHL players snapped and said, “I can’t do this anymore.”  Instead of saying, “I’m out of here,” and start a new life, they (intentionally or unintentionally) took their own lives.

Jesus has the power to change us from the inside out.  Let us align with his ways so that we don’t get turned inside out ourselves, caught in a downward spiral before we know it and can stop it.

I have a candle burning tonight in memory of these tragedies.

We talked about the big revenge-fest brawl early in the first period.  We agreed that we sometimes give our heads a shake as to why we even watch the game.  I watched the brawl, just because I was wondering how it would all turn out – as the symbolic act of evening the score.  When the second fight broke out, I said, “Seriously?”  Then I muted the television and took the opportunity to go to the bathroom!

My excuse to watch is that I love the game of hockey, especially when I am playing it.  Watching the game at the highest level is a lot of fun.  I think Sven and I agree on enjoying the game for the “hockey” that’s played.  I also make the point that everything that is penalised is not actually part of the game – otherwise it wouldn’t be penalised.

Revenge, also known as Retributive Justice, or maybe even Vigilante Justice, is what movies are made of, is energising for many hockey fans, and is what Satan would like us to think of as “sweet.”  Since revenge usually is overdone, God said in the Old Testament that they should limit it to “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.”  God doesn’t believe in revenge, but limits it.  Jesus comes along and identifies what the folks know from the Old Testament and then corrects it to the real intentions of Kingdom living.  He responds to this text with, “turn the other cheek.”

Restorative Justice is a bit much for many people to get their minds around.  It means making things right with the person who was offended – not easy, but it sure beats going to jail – I would say!  It even means for the offender and the offended person to be reconciled.  I think one needs to have a pretty good grasp of who Jesus is and what he is all about to appreciate restorative justice.  When we get it, “sweet” is taken to a whole new level.  To know the sweetness of reconciliation, and to know the healing and hope that it brings, is to really know Jesus!

In hockey - well, it’s a game.  There are referees to deal with the misdemeanours.  If the referees aren’t doing their job, then you can lodge a complaint.  If the infraction is too severe, the league can step in.  Revenge is swift and simple – it takes a lot of maturity for Christian players to back down and just play the game.

We will have two more training days through the spring, plus we will study in small groups the workbook, “Tending God’s Flock: Pastoral Care and Counselling, Administration.”

Last year we did, “Anabaptist History and Thought.”

Phone: 604.856.8454

Service Times: Sunday 10:30 am

Language: English

Area: Langley

Youth Group:
Junior (Grades 6–8): Tuesday, 7–9 pm @ Bethel Church
Senior (Grades 9–12): Thursday 7–9 pm @ Bethel Church

Young Adult Group:
Wednesdays @ 7:30 pm | Contact Matt & Lisa Wolgram 604–533–5270

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Phone: 604.826.2445

Service Times: Sunday 10:30 am

Language: English

Area: Mission

Youth Group:
Junior (Grades 6–8): Wednesday, 7–9 pm @ Cedar Valley Church
Senior (Grades 9–12): Wednesday 7–9 pm @ Cedar Valley Church

Young Adult Group:
Tuesday 7:30 pm | Contact Doug Pankratz 604.826.2445

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Phone: 604.254.2772

Service Times: Sunday 11:00 am [Cantonese] | Sunday 11:30 am [English]

Language: Cantonese, English

Area: Vancouver

Youth Group: None at this time.

Young Adult Group: None at this time

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Phone: 250.697.6334

Service Times: Sunday 11:00 am

Language: English

Area: Granisle

Youth Group: 
Saturday 7–9pm @ Church of the Way (Grades 7–12)

Young Adult Group: None at this time.

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Phone: 604.859.4132

Service Times: Sunday 10:00 am

Language: German

Area: Abbotsford

Youth Group: None at this time.

Young Adult Group: None at this time.

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