Our New Black & White TV



I have said that I grew up in a small town in Southern Ontario. My walk to and from school was about a kilometer. I remember in 1953 coming home from school and, from a distance, seeing something brand new - a television aerial on the roof of our house. My whole family had been talking about getting a TV and looking forward to it for weeks. Finally it was here. We were so excited. It was a grainy little black and white TV, as deep as it was wide, on four spindly legs, but we loved it. We got three channels. My brothers and I huddled around it watching all our favourite movies and shows.

I now have a 42” colour flat screen on my wall. Larger and larger ones seem to be becoming available all the time. As much as I loved that first TV, I would never want to go back to it. To me, the Christian life is like the flat screen, and my life before knowing God in the way I do now was like that old grainy black and white. As much as we loved it at the time, I would never want to go back.

I think that trying to explain the existence of God to someone who doesn't know Him,  and the relationship that is available with Him, is like trying to tell someone in 1953 about the colour LCD flat screen. You could insist that there was something better than what they have now, but they might scoff at you in disbelief. "Nah, I don't believe it!" As I have also said, I came to faith late enough in life that I can remember both sides of the fence, so to speak. The person without that relationship knows only one. Some people are still living with that old black and white when the flat screen is available to them just through faith in Jesus Christ.

If you don't yet have that relationship, but wonder what it might be like, I encourage you to look for it. Check out the claims of the Christian faith. An Alpha course is one way of investigating - only one, but a very good one. If knowing God is your goal, take a first step. Then take the next. God promises that anyone who truly and honestly looks for Him will find Him (Jeremiah 29:11, Luke 11:10)

And don't be nervous; God gives His children only good gifts, never bad.

Blessings,
John 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Wonderful People

Image
Anglican Diocese of Athabasca Synod - Peace River Alberta  Friday Oct 13 I drove 5 hours to Peace River to make a presentation at the Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Athabasca. Bishop Fraser Lawton would love to see as many of his parishes as possible running Alphas. Many of the delegates are actually familiar with Alpha, although, having run it often in the moderately distant past, may not be so familiar with all of our new materials. So Friday evening's dinner was turned into a model Alpha supper, including jokes and the showing of the invitational first video of the relatively recent Alpha Film Series. This version is hosted by Toby and Gemma, a hip young pair of presenters, and targeted at the Millennial generation, the 18 - 35-year-olds. I always say that baby boomers like it too because they too like to pretend they can still be young and hip. Between Friday evening and Saturday morning I met many great people and found quite a bit of enthusiasm for Alpha. If all comes ...
Read more

Whirlwind Tours

Image
Because, as the title of this blog indicates, this is a diary, it will not always contain great theological or philosophical revelations. Sometimes it will be just what a diary is - a record of my thoughts and/or activities. I have set myself a bit of a busy schedule over the next two weeks, but that's the whole point, isn't it. Even though this is my retirement career, I still treat it as a full-time job. Basically, I do my best to devote 9-5, five days a week to my Alpha duties, and Saturday and Sunday are never ruled out if Alpha stuff needs attention. So... my schedule as it stands so far for the next couple of weeks includes two presentations at St Paul's Anglican Church in Edmonton this Sunday, trips to Westlock and Morinville, AB, a Pastors' lunch presentation in Whitecourt and visits to churches in Provost, Wainwright and Lloydminster. One thing I like to do wherever I go is check out a bit of each town's history and sources of local pride. Many Alberta comm...
Read more

On the Road Again

Image
I'm in Grande Prairie this week, ostensibly to attend  a dance competition where my daughter, Jen's dance studio is competing, and doing very well, if I may say so with a bit of fatherly pride. However, as I do not yet have a travel budget, I stole the opportunity to make calls on the churches in town, with some very encouraging results. I have previously visited most of them during my time with Alpha, so this was a matter of renewing relationships and re-introducing myself in my new capacity with Christianity Explored . Most calls just involved friendly conversation and ministry updates. I have also told all my churches that I am happy to encourage them with Alpha as well, so I shared the joy of what is probably the main Grande Prairie Alpha church, over the number of new believers coming to faith through their Alphas. Then, however, without my having even mentioned it, he produced material on a new discipleship program they are considering - Discipleship Explored - ...
Read more