It's ALL Just a Ride ...

It's funny ... in the coming days I begin a new job in a new area of MINISTRY that lies beyond the structure of the Church ... while my heart yearns to be in the day to day ministry of preaching and pastoral care, I know that this is simply not possible for me right now in my life ... I am a round peg being forced into a square hole ...

And so my departure is bitter sweet ... I will miss the "WORK" that is the day to day reality of Pastoral Charge ministry ... but I have become increasingly aware that my theological take and my insistence (thanks to Martin Luther King) that the ENDS and the MEANS must not just connect but be in synche with each other, as pushed me from the fold of the United Church ... My read of the Gospels and the source material that motivates us is that the nice words are pointless if we fail to live them out ...

I do, as I've said a dozen or more times here - believe that we can change the world ...

We just have to believe it is possible ... and make BETTER choices as we journey forward ...

To me the greatest irony is that THIS SIMPLE message is running rampant ALL OVER THE world - voices raise this cry over and over and over ... BUT in the institutions we have become defenders of the Status Quo, and we resist change while speaking hollow words that proport to be transformative ...

I AM A BELIEVER IN THE RESURRECTION ... not a narrow view of "Get Right With Jesus" and have your life altered ... but a BROAD COURAGEOUS view that says - "With GOD all things are indeed possible ..." and we then open ourselves up to the transformative power that comes from THAT kind of FAITH.

The Resurrection is about rocking the boat and getting those in the boat wet while we tray to make our way to a safe harbour and pull in those floating on the waves around us ...

The Resurrection is about comforting the afflicted and offering them more than empty words ...

The Resurrection is about afflicting the comfortable and like the Biblical Prophets of Yor, calling the wealthy to task, particularly when they sit in their comfortable pews and nod to the words that call us to DO MORE ...

The Resurrection is about LIVING YOUR FAITH ... clothing the naked, caring for the sick, picking up the downtrodden, sheltering the widows and orphans and seeking justice, compassion and love in ALL THINGS ...

These concepts have been said in countless ways by countless people ... and sadly, our world still struggles ...

Today I realized that perhaps the clearest message of "FAITH" comes from a voice outside the Church ... I've used this clip before ... but in the coming days, I will hear these words in a different way ...

When Bill Hicks says - "It's all just a ride ..." and goes on to elaborate on this ... he speaks a profound (and for many: uncomfortable) truth ... the power of Hick's vision comes when at the VERY end he speaks of HOW we can change the world ... it really IS that simple ...

With over 400 BILLION Dollars spent in Iraq alone by the US Government, we can't help but pause and consider what incredible transformations COULD be possible if that money was used for health, education, food and shelter around the world ... but instead the ride continues ...

Maybe one day we'll have the courage to listen and follow these prophetic voices instead of setting out to destroy those who can see what life really is

Bill Hicks - "It's ALL just a ride ..."