John Stackhouse on the Westside Church in Vancouver

Saturday afternoon. It is a beautiful sunny and warm day and a great day for upward thoughts. Earlier in the day, I was reading a short book on prayer by Paul E Billheimer, Destined For the Throne. It's a remarkable portrayal of the church, not as a building or a denomination, but as the body of Christ. He describes the Church as "an organic unity" and how the church has been the direct object of all of Satan's efforts for it's destruction. As we recall early church history, especially from the first century to the fourth century, the Roman Empire unleashed it's most ferocious and cruel persecution on the church. But, as Christ assured his disciples, "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" - the church. And throughout history, it has been a clear and deliberate strategy of the powers of evil to create divisions within the church. And this is not a unique battle strategy, it is a very common and effective scheme to divide and conquer. But as much as Satan has inspired the "savage wolves" within to attack the church, as Paul exhorts the elders at Ephesus, "Acts-20-28" Be shepherds of the church of God,which he bought with his own blood.I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them - Acts 20:25-31.

Now with these truths still stirring within me, I pass a newspaper box, where I pick up the latest copy of the Vancouver Courier. I'm immediately drawn to the huge white text on the front page, "New Testament - Every Sunday on Granville Island, Westside Church pastors such as James Bonney offer a traditional, potentially controversial, brand of evangelical Chrisianity using iPads, big screens and electric guitars", an article written by Sandra Thomas. 'Wow!', I think to myself. 'I didn't know God was moving in such powerful way in down town Vancouver'. I'm a wee bit leery, as I've seen many fringe, cult-like groups spring up with questionable theology, so I read on. As it turns out, it's a church plant under the auspices of the Willingdon Mennonite Brethren Church in Burnaby. I happened to have had attended a Mennonite Bible college in my earlier years and have a good idea of their theology. I personally found the college a bit too liberal for my taste, but I also am knowledgeable about the Mennonite Brethren, which is a more conservative and evangelical branch of the Mennonites. Conservative, meaning they adhere to the literal meaning of the scriptures, believing it to be the inspired Word of God, as is stated in 2 Timothy 3:16, "All scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness". Now, when it comes to our understanding of Christianity and it's Judaic roots, it's not our secular history books we turn to, but to the scriptures themselves. But as soon as we swerve from the firm ground of the Bible, as the inspired word of God, we find ourselves in a quagmire of metaphysical arguments that often result in further confusion and existential despondency. Of which, Paul also warned us against. "But shun foolish controversies...and strife and disputes...for they are unprofitable and worthless. Reject a factious man...knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self condemned." - Titus 3:9,10.

As I continue through the article, which, for the most part is encouraging and a positive portrayal of a new church plant here in the city. The Westside Church is described as a church where everyone feels welcome, whether you have tattoos, piercings and come to church in your jeans. The emphasis is on their praise music and indicate that they are attracting hundreds of young adults and baptizing them in the waters off Kits Beach. They consider themselves, "forward thinking", and show it with the use of iPads, big screens for the words of the songs, and the use of contemporary instruments, like electric guitars. I am personally warmed and jubilant with this latest blowing of the Holy Spirit in our midst. I have this impression because, as I read on, young people, who were previously addicted to drugs, are now coming to a saving knowledge of Christ as their saviour, as documented in the article. When I see throngs of young adults, who normally would not be in church, now, with lifted hands in praise, I know this is Christ in our midst.

Then, as the article comes to a conclusion, I turn the page and read the large print title, Theology Professor Slams Westside Approach. I'm disheartened. Not just because of some heady prof's critical slur, but because it comes from a professor of theology at Regent College. This was a school that I had dreamed of going to since I was in my twenties. It was once known internationally as one of the top seminaries with such eminent professors as J.I. Packer, the author of the Christian best seller, Knowing God, as well as James Houston, Gordon Fee, Maxine Hancock, Bruce Waltke and Eugene Peterson the translator of the hugely popular new modern version, The Message, and Darrell Johnson, the current pastor of First Baptist Church in down town Vancouver, just to name a few. As a matter of fact, I was recently thinking of applying for registration there after all these years. Then I read the negative comments spilling out from the factious mind of John Stackhouse, professor of Theology and Culture at Regent College.

You would think that a man of such learning and prestigious status would recognize the spiritual significance of what the Westside Church is doing in our midst. And instead of focusing on the positive spiritual initiative of this new church plant, I read, "...they have real trouble even recognizing certain kinds of intellectual issues, let alone resolving them". And in regards to the conservative stand of the Mennonite Brethren Church, he adds, "Why do you treat women this way when no one else does in Canada today?", referring to their adherence to the teachings of Paul in Ephesians and in Timothy regarding the roles of women as wives and their role in the church, where Paul exhorts that wives should submit themselves to their husbands as the Church submits to Christ. All through the Bible, we see a comparison of the marriage between a man and a woman to Christ and His bride, the church. Paul also tells us to submit to each other; considering others as more important than ourselves. I'm particularly pricked by John Stackhouse's public criticism, as in my own church, we've been studying the Sermon on the Mount, and more recently in Matthew chapter 7 where Jesus teaches us not to be critical of others, "seeing the speck in another's eye but blind to the beam in our own, and further in Matthew 7:12 we find one of the most loved and quoted verses, "do unto others as you would have them do unto you". I'm saddened by how the article concludes. And I'm also concerned for Regent College. Where once, students, filled with the Spirit of God and earnestly desiring to be trained for Christian ministry and missionary work would finish their education spiritually renewed. Now, however, I'm not so sure. As a matter of fact, this was one of my own personal concerns regarding registering at Regent College, at this time. Over the years, I've been seeing men and women, who were once filled with the Spirit desiring more, but coming out as dry bones filled with, "foolish controversies...and strife and disputes". John Stackhouse has further confirmed these concerns. I have recently heard that Regent College is having the problem of a dropping enrolment rate. No surprise.

As John Stackhouse noted in the article, many traditional churches are in a state of decline, especially, the more liberal church denominations, like the Anglican church and the United church. I would venture to say that their liberal position regarding the Bible is a dominant cause of falling attendance. People, today, are looking for something that makes sense of today's cultural and ethical degradation and are finding it in Bible believing churches, that actually resemble the Christian churches before the liberal slide, when attendance was at its peak and the moral fibre of society was strong and government leaders held fast to their fundamental Christian values. For the most part, unfortunately, our churches have become lukewarm; questioning conservative Christian ethics. It's the vibrant and "forward thinking" churches that are growing. For the most part, represented by the Pentecostal, Baptist, Vineyard and the many non-denominational churches that do take the Bible literally.

And so, on this beautiful warm Saturday afternoon, I close the paper and am satisfied with my reflections and opinions. I am even bolstered in my own faith. I believe, I have also arrived at a decision regarding my own further Christian studies. I can see a new form of Christianity emerging from the apathy of our current traditional Christianity. Where the leaders and pastors have not been poisoned by the intellectual and Bible critical schools, but by prayerfully immersing themselves in the Scriptures and by reading Spiritually inspired writings of many pastors and teachers who have steadfastly held to the literal teachings of the Bible, like Paul E Billheimer, a former Radio pastor and Bible College President during the seventies. I also hope that Sandra Thomas, of the Courier, has been moved by God's Holy Spirit to return to the Granville Island Stage Theatre, this time on a Sunday, and find more than a topic for a newspaper article.

Post Easter Post

I attended an Easter service last week. It was unsurprisingly "celebratory". Unlike an earlier post commenting on celebrating Vancouver's 100th anniversary, this time of remembering was indeed celebration worthy. I can imagine the many readers now thinking, "and what is so celebratory about a religion that has caused more wars than any other cause?" It's really the person, we're celebrating, not the religiosity that has been spawned from the very evil that Christ, himself, spoke out against – the Pharisaic self righteousness that we see in - well, virtually every church, congregation and denomination. No, this is not a celebration of any of these, but of a person, much like our 100 year old grandfather, that we've come to love and admire - in one very thin sense. The sense that he was loved, he wore wisdom like a cloak and spoke the truth: And the rabble murmuring gets louder.

Ok, so, now let's get down to it. What is so celebratory about Easter? I guess, it depends on how you would define Easter. The word Easter is not a bible word, but comes from the old English word, Eastre, which is turn, is derived from the spring goddess of the Celts, Oestre. And for the majority of Easter celebrants, it's a time for really bad hollow chocolate rabbits and eggs and baskets of plastic streamers, no doubt all made in China, but that's not the Easter that is part of our western culture. The Easter that we enjoy as a long weekend, remembers the time in history when one solitary life entered our world and transformed it like none other as so poignantly depicted by another solitary life in 1926:


One Solitary Life
He was born in an obscure village
The child of a peasant woman
He grew up in another obscure village
Where he worked in a carpenter shop
Until he was thirty

He never wrote a book
He never held an office
He never went to college
He never visited a big city
He never travelled more than two hundred miles
From the place where he was born
He did none of the things
Usually associated with greatness
He had no credentials but himself

He was only thirty three

His friends ran away
One of them denied him
He was turned over to his enemies
And went through the mockery of a trial
He was nailed to a cross between two thieves
While dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing
The only property he had on earth

When he was dead
He was laid in a borrowed grave
Through the pity of a friend

Over twenty centuries have come and gone
And today Jesus is the central figure of the human race
And the leader of mankind's progress
All the armies that have ever marched
All the navies that have ever sailed
All the parliaments that have ever sat
All the kings that ever reigned put together
Have not affected the life of mankind on earth
As powerfully as that one solitary life

Dr James Allan © 1926.


And as we ponder these statements, we really need to make some kind of a decision about this man. Who is He really? He said that he was a king, but not of this world. He said that He and God are one and the same. No wonder the Jews of the day cried, "crucify Him". Now, if he is indeed who He said He was, then our only response can be to fall on our knees and worship Him. We cannot say that he was a prophet, for no prophet would ever make those claims. We cannot even say that he was a wise man, for no one who is really wise would make those claims. Our only alternative is to say that He was either the King of all kings, and Lord of all lords, the true creator and master of universes upon universes, or that he was a liar or a raving lunatic. Our minds, however, become enlightened when we actually take the time and read the whole Bible, old and new testaments. It is then that we see emerging a common theme woven through each chapter - the coming Messiah. There are types of His person and advent in every book of the Bible. It truly is an amazing work, incomparable to any other book, As a matter of fact, the Bible is the world's best seller and always has been. Countless individuals have given their lives to protect and preserve this one book over the millennia.

And so, we again come to this past weekend of Easter and perhaps are piqued to ponder it a little further. The real time that was remembered and is represented by our time of Easter is the Passover as remembered by Jews worldwide. This was a time when the Hebrews were enslaved in Egypt and God raised up another man to set His people free. You may remember the story of the baby that was found floating in a basket down the Nile and rescued by one of Pharaoh's daughters. Well, after he grew up, he came back and told Pharaoh that plagues would come upon him if he refused to free the Hebrews. He refused each time and the tenth plague was to kill all the first born of Egypt. But God told Moses to have the Hebrews select a spring lamb and on this eve of the tenth plague to kill it and paint the door posts and lintel with the blood of the lamb. Then, as the Spirit of God moved through the land, every first born child died, but those who were protected  by the blood of this lamb were spared.

I know it's a bit confusing, but when Jesus first enters the scene near Jerusalem, His cousin, John the Baptist, cried out, "Behold the Lamb of God, that takes away the sin of the world". Much later in life, John, again writes, in the Gospel of John, that God loved this world so very much, that He gave up His own Son, and that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but obtain eternal life. This is truly a time to celebrate. Not only in remembering this one solitary life, but to own Him as who He really is - The King of kings, Lord of Lords and Prince of Peace. As one notable pastor once preached:


The Bible says my King is a seven way King.  He’s the King of the Jews – that’s a racial King; He’s the King of Israel – that’s a national King; He’s the King of Righteousness, He’s the King of the ages, He’s the King of Heaven, He’s the King of Glory, He’s the King of Kings and He’s the Lord of Lords!
He’s my King, I wonder – do you know Him?
David said the Heaven’s declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork. My King is a sovereign King. No means of measure can define His limitless love, no far seeing telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shore-less supply, no barrier can hinder Him from pouring out His blessings
He’s enduringly strong, He’s entirely sincere, He’s eternally steadfast, He’s immortally graceful, He’s imperially powerful, He’s impartially merciful.
Do you know Him?
He’s the greatest phenomenon that has ever crossed the horizon of this world! He’s God’s son, He’s the sinners Savior, He’s the centerpiece of civilization, He stands in the solitude of Himself, He’s august and He’s unique! He’s unparalleled, He’s unprecedented, He’s the loftiest idea in literature, He’s the highest personality in philosophy,
He’s the supreme problem in higher criticism, He’s the fundamental doctrine of true theology, He’s the miracle of the age, He is – yes He is, He is the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him, He’s the only one who qualified to be an all sufficient Savior;
Do you know Him?
He supplies strength for the weak, He’s available for the tempted and the tried, He sympathizes and He saves, He strengthens and sustains, He guards and He guides, He heals the sick, He cleansed the lepers, He forgives sinners, He discharges debtors, He delivers the captives, He defends the feeble, He blesses the young, He serves the unfortunate, He regards the aged, He rewards the diligent and He beautifies the meek.
Do you know Him?
My King is the key to knowledge: The wellspring of wisdom; the doorway of deliverance; the pathway of peace; the roadway of righteousness; the highway of holiness, and the gateway of glory!
His office is manifold: His promise is sure. His light is matchless. His goodness is limitless. His mercy is everlasting. His reign is Righteous. His yoke is easy, and His burden is light.
I wish I could describe Him for you, but He’s indescribable! He’s Incomprehensible! He’s invincible! He’s Irresistible!
You can’t get Him out of your mind or off your hands! You can’t out-live Him and you can’t live without Him! The Pharisees couldn’t stand Him, but they found out they couldn’t stop Him. Pilate couldn’t find any fault in Him. The witnesses couldn’t agree. Herod couldn’t kill Him. Death couldn’t handle Him, and the grave couldn’t hold Him!
That’s my King, That’s my King, That’s my King, and His is the kingdom and the power and the glory – Forever. Amen.
Do you know Him?

- Dr S.M. Lockridge

So, this is what Easter is really all about. This is why this one solitary life has so transformed civilizations, transformed lives, transformed my life, and I'm sincerely hoping, that it will also transform your life.

Vancouver's 125th Anniversary

125 years later and Vancouver decides to celebrate. I'm interested in knowing what it is that is so celebratory. For example, if our great grandfather turns 100, we throw him a huge party because we are celebrating him, as the one we've grown to love and adore over the years. It is his life that is celebratory. We're showing him how much we appreciate him. On the other hand, Clifford Olson also has a birthday each year, but not one Canadian cares. We're just glad that he's still behind bars. So the question begs: what is so celebratory about Vancouver? To begin to answer this question, we need to take a close look at the history of Vancouver and then determine if our fair city is worthy of being celebrated.

As we stroll down the busy streets of down-town Vancouver today, we are awestruck with by it's grandeur, the smiling faces of international shoppers, majestic towering office buildings and a clear sense of security and well-being. But that's today and that's only one picture we see. I believe that, like any city, there's also the reality of the life of the city that we don't see that makes the city what it truly is. I don't have to paint a picture of the beauty of Stanley Park in the springtime, or the pristine bubbling streams of North Vancouver. The abundance of colour and fragrance of roses, rhododendrons and azaleas also fill the air. But not at night. At night, there's a different picture. Vancouver has a different face at night.

Not only the night of Vancouver today, but the night of its history as well. The chiefs of the Musqueam have heard of the stories of their ancestors of how their land was stolen from them; how their women were raped and young men murdered. They also have stories of disease that spread through their villages from the the white invaders. The Chinese community also has their ancestral stories of how the government and wealthy landowners virtually enslaved them and treated them worse than their animals. The East Indian community as well has its stories of Vancouver's shameful past. Even our renowned David Suzuki harbours hurtful memories of when his parents had their home, land and possessions confiscated and sold and then they became incarcerated for the crime of simply being Japanese during the second world war.

Yes, it's the night that brings on the real face of a city. We witnessed this as recently as after the 2011 hockey play-offs here in Vancouver, when the darkness of our citizens' hearts became stirred and they smashed store windows, looting and setting cars aflame. And we shriek foul and decry them as hooligans. But they were, as we found, not anarchists, but our everyday working and seemingly honest and honourable Vancouverites that were the culprits.

And now an even darker side of our city emerges, not in our minds as much as in the minds of our city's police officers, who are confronted daily by the horrific and evil that is rampant in dark places and behind closed doors. Yes, we smirk and even giggle about the the extent of grow-ops in the city, but seldom hear of the ghastly effects the cannabis industry engenders. We seldom hear of the frequent home invasions and gruesome violence it spawns. We seldom hear of the childhood prostitution and human trafficking that is endemic and profused by organized crime; a system, much like a government, or the structure of a large corporation which is mostly responsible for the proliferation of Vancouver's drug industry - which, by the way, far exceeds any other industry in BC, including our lumber and mining industries.

We pride ourselves as being one of the most beautiful and liveable cities in the world, but we've covered our ears and shut our eyes to the suffering and humiliation of the vast population of the impoverished. Yes, we love our trendy shopping districts, but don't want to hear about those expected to live on a meagre $610.00 a month after becoming unemployed and thrust on income assistance. No, we'd rather not think about the homeless, but rather vote for the next government that will promise to lower our taxes.

I don't think much has changed over the last 125 years. The rich still get richer at the expense of the those less able to defend their own rights. The gap between the rich and poor is still widening. Corporations still get to do whatever they want without thought of the environment or our hard-working taxpaying citizenry. We just have to go down to the beaches off Stanley Park to see it first hand. The ever-increasing megalithic freighters in English Bay and the oily foam from their bilge dumping and oily sheens collecting where our children swim as clear evidence of who wields the power of influence.

It's a stark and shocking analogy, but our 125th year celebrations remind me of the blue-eyed, fair-skinned children playing and laughing gleefully in a quaint neighbourhood around the corner from the walled segregation of those with the yellow stars sewn to their clothing. The smiling children were oblivious to the reality and plight of their Jewish neighbours much as we are today, here in beautiful Vancouver.

Oh, listen! The fireworks are going off at Canada Place; the bands are playing in the park and cheering is heard as thousands celebrate Vancouver's 125th birthday. Oh, and happy birthday to you too, Clifford. As we celebrated the New Year, Clifford Olsen turned 71. And, by the way, another famed personality would have turned 125 in just a few years on April 20th, 2014: Adolf Hitler. Of course, it's absurd to draw these stark comparisons; but, like remembering the atrocities of infamous serial killers, it's more important to "never let it happen again", than to celebrate a city with deep and ongoing ignominy.

Sustainable Living Justified - Scenario 1

The life of the average Canadian suburbanite, unlike the jocular circus clown, this frowning clown enters our stage juggling work with family and household responsibilities. We first see him rising at 5 am to be bathroom-groomed, suit-dressed, family-kissed (or not), to embark on the 75 minute aggravating, nerve-fraying, exasperating commute to the office. Here our 83K income earner spends the next 10-14 hours making sure his numbers are up. Of course, he's only supposed to work 8 hours a day, but his quota has been set just high enough that to be attained he'll need to spend at least 10-40 percent additional hours in unpaid overtime.  The children all have their own house key and mom is often the last one home.

With the current home values averaging out at a million, even two incomes is hardly enough. There are the cars and expenses including insurance wolfing down almost two grand a month, food costs for 4, another two grand, and after the mortgage, insurance, clothes and various incidentals, they always seem to be running at a deficit. Assets? Well, with 4 credit cards and the line of credit maxed, a thirty-thousand dollar loan for two cars, now seven years old and consistently in need of some expensive repairs - those money-grabbing unscrupulous mechanics, like they can smell your vulnerability like a child predator out to steal candy - yes, the assets are as ethereal as the memories of what the money was spent on.  Ironically, because he's perceived to have money, he's targeted by every bilking scheme imaginable and  unimaginable.

Our poor everyday Canadian sap is lured by the golden gleam.  As some lose all sensibility at the mere smile and wink of the eye, he is unable to resist what he considers to be real wealth. Unfortunately, he's not unlike the other poor sap working in the mines of Canada during the turn of the century for exactly what the company store was charging him and his family to live from month to month.

Vancouver 2010 Olympics and Nuclear What?

Yes, the world is currently focused on the pomp and hoopla of the Vancouver Olympics, and yes, I was there and it was absolutely magnificent.  Somewhat subduing our elation, we're peripherally and anxiously alert to the escalating tension between China and the US with China sidling up to Iran and North Korea and their nuclear sabre-rattling.  Have we not learned anything from history?  Nation heads continue to use their citizens as pawns for their own interests and corporate driven agendas. Let's hit pause for a moment and collect our senses. Really! Can it be morally conscionable to even consider the development of a nuclear weapon, and even having one in existence, knowing what horror lies in its deployment? So, what's the answer?  It's like the scene in a number of action flicks where three or more, in close proximity, hold cocked revolvers to each other's head.  In this scenario, it's expected that each in turn will calmly lay down their weapon, as the alternative is insanely disastrous. Of course when one or more is insane with greed or delusion, like we have now, the situation becomes incendiary. This may be a natural and practical way of dealing with over-population, somewhat akin to culling a herd - wait, reader, before you recoil and shudder, here's another analogy: perhaps we could liken this tension to a school-yard brawl. In this scenario we can expect the playground monitor to appear within minutes scolding and prying pugilists apart by the ears.

In the words of Eminem, "snap - back to reality...", who is our world playground monitor? Hmm...maybe it's time to consider implementing a one-world government? And then there are those (myself included) who believe that the demise of the world, by fire, no less, will herald in a new world with a government headed by none other than God Himself. However the outcome, I'm sure only the deranged Christian adherents would promptly commit hari kari to precipitate this rapturous event. We are still the Earth's caretakers. We still have a responsibility to do what's right.

Now, back to the present, with so many new threats, its like we're living in a three dimensional chess game. The imminence of mass-annihilation has, in the last ten years, increased exponentially; still we have time to pause, to clear the cobwebs of opportunistic self-interests and prejudices. The leaders have before them an historically unique and timely opportunity to steer our planet towards a healthy sustainable future, not only for us, but for the generations to follow, opportunities like: eliminating weapons of mass destruction, reducing green house gases, ending our reliance on non-renewable fossil fuels, eliminating world hunger and rewriting our global economic strategy so every global citizen has clean water, healthy and nutritious food, decent shelter and a minimum livable income. Our land needs to be protected from over-harvesting and depletion. We need to halt all future development of  our resources without first protecting the air, water and surrounding habitats.  We have a huge challenge ahead.  For us, in the developed world, it means significantly lowering our standard of living and doing without. The cost of not doing what is necessary, however, will, undoubtedly, be catastrophic for future generations. We can either change their world or acquiesce to it's demise.

Oh, and by the way, Canada really did own the podium during the Olympic games of 2010, right here in Vancouver. I hope that our grandchildren will still have many opportunities to feel proud of their country with overflowing hope for the future, times of joyful laughter and celebration.