JFP Thank-Yous

by Andrew Stephens-Rennie

We had a great time with Shane, Chris the Psalters and Jon Brooks on the only Canadian stop of the Jesus for Prime Minister tour, just one day before Canada Day.

Again, we can’t thank our friends and partners enough for helping to make this event happen: PWRDF, The Meeting House, Church of the Redeemer and Freedomize Toronto. Thank-you all for all your contributions to the event’s success.

Despite some delays at the Border, some questions as to whether the bus was really powered by veggie oil (and was not, instead, a travelling meth lab), the JFP Crew made it for an incredible, packed evening at Church of the Redeemer in the heart of downtown Toronto.

“What are 400 people doing,” more than a few passers-by asked, “crowded on the front steps of a church in the heart of Yorkville?” It was quite the scene, to be sure! But why were we there?

We were there to listen to stories. We were there to listen to the story of the scriptures, and stories of living those stories out in 21st Century North America. We were there not only to listen, but to be inspired.

The spirit’s breath was with us, as we were challenged to think of Christians’ role in effecting change in this world. Faith means nothing without faithful living, and we were challenged to respond faithfully to the story of the scriptures, and God’s call on our lives to seek others’ welfare before we seek our own.

Monday evening featured three local groups - Sanctuary, The Gateway, and Sketch - we were invited to come alongside, and put faith into action. These are only three examples in the GTA, but they’re good ones - and so we’d encourage you again to call them up and get involved.

We’re reprinting the backs of programs below for those who weren’t able to attend, and for those who forgot their programs at the church:

Jesus for President - Toronto

Details for the Toronto stop of the Jesus for President tour with Chris Haw, Shane Claiborne and special musical guest Jon Brooks are now published. You can connect with others attending the event through our facebook group and event page.

Romans Disarmed :: Tickets Now Available

Tickets for our upcoming Romans Disarmed Salon Discussion featuring Marva Dawn and Sylvia Keesmaat are now available for $12 through Crux Books in Toronto. Drop by or give them a call to reserve yours today:

Crux Books
5 Hoskin Avenue
Toronto Ontario
416.599.2749

Rodney Clapp Book Launch

The Man in Black at UofT!

Crux Books Inc. & CRC Campus Ministries, with “Music, Prophecy and Culture” are presenting Rodney Clapp on Tuesday March 11, 2008 from 7-10pm at Wycliffe College.

Clapp will be in town to promote the launch of his most recent book, Johnny Cash And The Great American Contradiction: Christianity And The Battle For The Soul Of A Nation. The book is published by Westminster Press.

Clapp will present a guest lecture, and the presentation will be interspersed with guest performances of Johnny Cash classics by Toronto-based musicians Michael Iafrate, Zoe Neuman, Tom Reynolds and Felicity Williams.

Wycliffe College is located at 5 Hoskin Avenue, Toronto Ontario, M5S 1H7. You can contact Crux Books at 416.599.2749 for more details.

Thanks!

Thanks to everyone who came out to last night’s empireremixed event in Parkdale. We feel exceedingly blessed to have had over 175 people out to share in stories from front line workers both in Philadelphia and Toronto.

For those who have read Shane’s book, and came to hear him speak last night, we hope that you were encouraged not only by what he had to say, but also by the words, the stories, the music and the drama shared by some of our own, homegrown, irresistable revolutionaries.

Thanks to Erinn Oxford, Sam Sunder Singh, and Julia Churchill for sharing in music. Thanks to Joe Abbey-Colborne, Michael Blair, Shane Claiborne, Jacqueline Daley and Phyllis Novak for sharing their stories. Thanks to Dion Oxford for hosting the evening.

Thank-you to the many volunteers who helped to make this evening possible, and who helped us all get home earlier by helping to clean up. Thank-you to the people of Bonar-Parkdale Presbyterian Church for allowing us to host the event there.

We know that some of you took some pictures, and we’d love it if you’d either email them to us, or share them on our FLICKR group.

We’d also like to hear your feedback from the event, so post comments, get in touch with us, and let us know what you thought. If you found yourself challenged by the stories, and are looking for places to serve in that Irresistable way, here in the GTA, we’ll be collecting a list of opportunities over the next little while, and make that available as soon as possible.

Thank-you to all who attended, to all who helped, and to all who continue to praying for and seek the spirit’s movement in our city.

Announcing MC Dion Oxford

As time progresses, the event is shaping up quite nicely. Dion Oxford, the founding director of the Salvation Army Gateway Men’s Shelter in Toronto has agreed to host and act as the Master of Ceremonies for the event.

We know Dion from a variety of contexts. Some of us have worked with him. Some have worshiped alongside him. Some have been in classes with him. Whatever the context for our first encounter with Dion, we have found him to be an incredibly dedicated and passionate man with a heart for the diverse people of this city. Such passion and dedication shows in his ongoing work at the Gateway. Here’s a little more background on our Master of Ceremonies from the Gateway website:

Dion Oxford is the founding and current Director of the Salvation Army Gateway. Dion has been working amongst Toronto’s homeless community for the past 16 years in a number of different capacities. He has traveled across Canada as a speaker and musician with a vision of informing and educating the church and the public about issues related to poverty and homelessness. He has a BRE (Bachelor of Religious Education) from Tyndale College and is currently finishing his Masters degree at Wycliffe College. Dion is a member of the EFC’s Roundtable on Poverty and Homelessness and was a part of the steering committee for Street Level 2006.

Urban Ghosts

The second thread of conversation was inspired by a story told by Greg Paul, the founder and director of Sanctuary Ministries in Toronto. Contained in Greg’s book, “God in the Alley,” the story goes something like this:

“I’m afraid to meet Jesus because I don’t got an answer.”

“Oh, that’s easy, man! The answer is, he loves you” I can’t believe I’m saying this. I wonder again if I’m being set up. I definitely don’t want to go there. But what else could I say? And him-you’d think I’d just thrown him a lifelines. He cocks an eye at me, bright and hard as a marble, from beneath an eyebrow like a shrub.

“D’ya think?” he says sharply, his whole body suddenly tense and expectant as a diver on the high board…

“Jesus loves you, man. So much-he died for you to prove it. You don’t need to be afraid.” His arm tightens even more for a moment, then he releases me entirely. Stepping back, he shakes hands with both of us, solemn as a penguin, then he smiles, spins away, and tumbles off along the sidewalk. Joe and I are watching him go, a little stunned by the unexpectedness of it. Part of me is still waitin for him to experience a miracle conversion, followed by a request for five bucks.

He is perhaps fifteen or twenty yards away when he stops, tilts his head back and laughs, a hearty, happy laugh, big enough to hang in the air despite the nasty wind whipping along Carlton Street. Now he is sauntering away, and I find myself elated, wondering who’s been witnessing to whom.

“There are angels everywhere,” I say to Joe as we cross the street.

Ghost Stories

A few people have been asking, so perhaps it’s time to explain. Why “Ghost Stories?” The first reason is simple, the second, perhaps less-so. This post focuses on the first reason. Tomorrow we’ll concentrate on the second. If you follow the liturgical calendar, you’ll know that Sunday May 27th is Pentecost Sunday.

Pentecost is celebrated 50 days after Passover, and 10 days after the Thursday that marks Jesus’ ascension. This is the day on which we, as the church, celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and the followers of Jesus. The story is described in the book of Acts, Chapter 2:1-13

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, ‘Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.’ All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But others sneered and said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’

What better day to gather together, as a community of faith - as members of a variety of communities of faith - and to tell and to receive stories of the Spirit’s work in the midst of our city?

Empire Remixed Returns

Ghost Stories :: Local Pain, Local Hope is the second in our series of Empire Remixed events. If you recall, last time ’round we met with a Lord Bishop who lives in a castle in a land far-away. This time we’ve invited a man living in intentional community, ministering in inner-city Philadelphia.

On May 27, 2007, Empire Remixed is pleased to welcome Shane Claiborne to engage with local leaders working along Toronto’s margins.

Jacqueline Daley (Toronto Community Housing), Joe Abbey-Colborne (Parkdale Neighbourhood Church), Michael Blair (Toronto Christian Resource Centre) and Phyllis Novak (Sketch) will all tell stories of their ministry amongst and alongside the marginalized in Toronto.

In poetry and prose, in art, drama and music, we will join together in support of those already engaged in urban ministry in this city.

And as we interact with these stories of pain and stories of hope, we seek inspiration as we seek to live out our call.

“Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you,” Jeremiah relates, “for in its welfare, you will have your welfare.” (Jer 29.7)

Sunday May 27, 2007 | 7:00 pm
Bonar-Parkdale Presbyterian Church
250 Dunn Avenue
Toronto, Ontario

Suggested Donation $10