Project Contempo Blog » 2009

February 2009

As I write this newsletter, I am recovering from my ablation procedure that took place on January 27^th at the Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria. My heart has been experiencing irregular rhythms and rates over the past few years. Although, the condition is not bothersome to me symptomatically, I have had to take medications to control the rate and to prevent any risk of a stroke. The ablation procedure is a minimally invasive procedure intended to correct this condition and take me off the medications. Why Victoria? Well, I was referred by my cardiologist at St. Paul’s Hospital to go to Victoria because the wait list is much shorter (8 months there vs. 12-14 months here) and the sooner I get the procedure done, the higher the success rate, which is generally about 70%.

First of all, I want to give God all the praise and honour! According to the electro-physiologist (EP) that performed the procedure, the ablation procedure went well. He was able to map out the circuits in my heart that were causing the irregular rhythms/rates and ablated them. In fact, as he was finishing up, a flutter flared up and he was able to track it down and correct that as well. If he had not caught this, I may have to go back for a second procedure later. God is good! The EP felt quite confident that my condition has been corrected and I should be able to maintain normal sinus rhythm when my heart heals during the next few months. I want to thank you for your thoughts and prayers during this time. It’s an uplifting experience to know so many of you are praying for me.

Reflections of a Christian in the Marketplace:

Periodically I think it’s important for us to stop long enough to measure where we are in life and to assess the true significance of what we are devoting our time and attention to. And it’s often during times when we’re facing life or health issues that we somehow find the time to do it. Although the risks involved with the ablation procedure are small (2% chance of life-threatening complications), they are real. It’s during the days prior to my ablation procedure that I found myself reflecting on my own life and how I want to reduce the regrets of life and to envision myself standing before Jesus with as much in my hands for Him as possible. While we often think of regrets in terms of the sinful things in our lives, it’s important to remember that many regrets can be directly attributed to things that are good but may have no lasting value.

At the end of our earthly life, I’m sure we don’t want the inevitable regrets of striving for power, possessions, prestige and position to haunt our memories. The world defines greatness in terms of these things, but they really offer us nothing more than the empty shell of things that don’t last and can’t satisfy. It’s also important to keep our self-centredness in check, because preoccupation with our personal advancement and gains will evaporate in the all-consuming celebration of God’s pre-eminent presence in heaven.

Imagine yourself stepping onto the shore on the other side and realizing that you’ve brought nothing of eternal worth with you. Imagine looking into the face of our eternal God and realizing that our lives reflect only the wood, hay and straw of earthly stuff but little for the Kingdom (1 Corinthians 3:10-15). If we’re not careful, life can be poured into the bottomless bucket of all this world offers, and after all is said and done, the bucket will still be empty.

So, how do we avoid getting into this situation? The key will be to live this life with eternity as the driving force of our decisions and desires. While it’s easy to think of “life here on earth now and heaven later,” as authentic followers, we need to see all of life in the long-range view, and to do things here in the light of there.

May I suggest making the switch and refusing to sacrifice the permanent on the altar of the temporary? And in case you think that you just might become so heavenly-minded that you will not do any earthly good – think again. You’ll be surprised at how much “earthly good” you’ll do when heaven is on your mind.

Blessings and shalom,
Bill Wong

The last time I wrote a blog for the Contempo website, all the busy-ness going on in my life was strictly in my head. After all, I was on the job hunt, so my post-school-pre-job days mainly consisted of sleeping late, sleeping in late and puttering around the house shooting off an emailed resume every other day or so. Which left me plenty of time to gather my thoughts about practicing my faith while trying to find a job. (Re: subject of my last posting!!)

Half a year later, things are different. I have a busy job at a magazine (which means I have at least five deadlines to meet a day) and … I’m engaged. Now typically, this kind of news should be uplifting, right?

I have to admit though, that in the past five months, I have read and re-read the following verses more often than I’d like to admit:

“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” Romans 5: 3-5

I won’t go as far as to say that wedding planning is my own form of “suffering,” because that would take away from the people who actually have true suffering and not trivial pains like my own; but I find that I’m not quite as happy as I thought I would be, once I had the fulltime job nailed down and once the long awaited proposal from the boyfriend materialized on my finger.

Perhaps it’s the stress of it all. The endless after work meetings and appointments with realtors, photographers, restaurant managers, etc. But I’m not looking to explain why I’m not ridiculously happy. I suppose lately, I’ve been trying to remind myself why I should be ridiculously joyful.

At church several months ago, a speaker said something that reminded me of myself. He talked about how it’s possible to be blessed and joyful, but still be unhappy. While it sounds like an oxymoron, after a bit of thinking, I, at least, completely agree with his view. Happiness to me can be a very human fleeting emotion – I can be happy that the long weekend is coming (which it is as I’m writing this!) and I can be happy about eating some pizza (which I will be in another two nights – the countdown has already started!). But happiness comes to an end, it fizzles at some point, and sadness is inevitably a part of the human range of emotions.

But joy, in all its variations, is different to me. Apostle Paul – who went through quite a bit of real suffering in his lifetime, likes to use the word. In Philippians 4:4, he cries, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Several verses later, he explains why he can rejoice or take joy in the Lord: “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (13). Paul is content and joyful in all situations because of his deep sense of living in Christ. Through God, he has the strength to overcome all obstacles and so even when he is shipwrecked, beaten, imprisoned and ridiculed (how can a person possibly be “happy” in those situations?!), he is still able to rejoice in the Lord.

So obviously, I’m nowhere near a shipwreck or a prison so I’ve got it waaaay easier than Paul. And I do believe with all my heart that the Holy Spirt will give me strength to handle every bump that comes into my life – no matter how much smaller and trivial they may seem compared to Paul’s mountain of troubles! And so I’ll continue to learn to be joyful in all situations.

“And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.” Romans 5:2

Esther Au, Calgary

The world watched in awe how the first Black president in the US was installed in Jan. One may wonder: How Obama found his purpose in life? The following is how he recounted his journey, and how he was influenced by Christians who reached out to others…….Whatever his real faith stand is, we need to pray for those in authority to make wise and Godly deicision to tackle the financial meltdown.

Ed from Ottawa

+++++++++++++++
I was not raised in a particularly religious household. I had a father who was born a Muslim but became an atheist, grandparents who were non-practicing Methodists and Baptists, and a mother who was skeptical of organized religion, even as she was the kindest, most spiritual person I’ve ever known. She was the one who taught me as a child to love, and to understand, and to do unto others as I would want done.

I didn’t become a Christian until many years later, when I moved to the South Side of Chicago after college. It happened not because of indoctrination or a sudden revelation, but because I spent month after month working with church folks who simply wanted to help neighbors who were down on their luck - no matter what they looked like, or where they came from, or who they prayed to. It was on those streets, in those neighborhoods, that I first heard God’s spirit beckon me. It was there that I felt called to a higher purpose - His purpose.

In different ways and different forms, it is that spirit and sense of purpose that drew friends and neighbors to that first prayer breakfast in Seattle all those years ago, during another trying time for our nation. It is what led friends and neighbors from so many faiths and nations here today. We come to break bread and give thanks and seek guidance, but also to rededicate ourselves to the mission of love and service that lies at the heart of all humanity. As St. Augustine once said, “Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.”

So let us pray together on this February morning, but let us also work together in all the days and months ahead. For it is only through common struggle and common effort, as brothers and sisters, that we fulfill our highest purpose as beloved children of God. I ask you to join me in that effort, and I also ask that you pray for me, for my family, and for the continued perfection of our union. Thank you.

So yesterday was Superbowl Sunday. The malls were abandoned, the streets, traffic free, and the restaurants, void of life… unless the restaurant had a TV showing the Superbowl. BBC news reported 97.5 million viewers.

I have a few friends who watch American Football religiously. Most of my friends do not watch NFL but it got me think-asking, “What other shows do my friends watch religiously?” Heroes, Lost, 24, House, Grey’s Anatomy, CSI Miami, Dancing with the Stars, and Two and a half Men are a few. What exactly does it mean to watch a TV show “religiously”?

Is a prayer guy normally on his hands and knees while watching his favorite show religiously? Do I analyze hidden Christian themes within the shows I watch religiously? Watching a show religiously means you won’t miss an episode. Every time there is an opportunity to watch, you take it.

Let’s apply this definition back to our Christian walk. What opportunities have you been given lately? Did you miss an episode? What show is scheduled to be on today? -Or this week? Will you be waiting for it to start?

Can a Christian be more religious about following a TV show that following Christ?

BBC news reported 97.5 million viewers watching the Superbowl yesterday. That’s almost 3 times the population of Canada. Staggering. I heard the full game was roughly 4 hours with the beginning coverage, the ending coverage, the commercials, the half-time show and the actual game itself. That’s almost 400 million man hours.

Imagine if 97.5 million North American Christians spent 4 hours today, religiously tuning into God. Touchdown!!!!

Have a good week!

Jackson, Calgary

February 2009

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