Premier - The Link

The premier of the Link went off with a blast on Saturday November 18, 2006. A link represents a strong connection that unites an object and that definition was exemplified through the connection of 3 different St. Stephen youth groups. We were brought together as a body of people, adolescence, leaders, young adults, and adults in the name of love, fun and God. We are one - And the world is flawed But these scars will heal "Switchfoot".

The Link: Intro Video - "We Are One"

Prints of Colour

The minds-eye is what I see
To see a world, and be amused
But what do I really view
My perspective on life is skewed

I view the prints of colour
Trees, birds, people and mothers
Who all bring life into creation
Could we include all into one nation

This is all, all that unites us
A fallen being, fighting, fleeing
From the simple to something other
Bring back, the prints of colour

The Road To Emmaus:

Recognizing The Resurrection Of The Physical Jesus

The story of Jesus' resurrection is one that is rarely thought about, except for special occasions. Evangelical Christians love to skip right to the good stuff: our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is risen, Halleluia. This joyous story seems to finish without a glitch. After a challenging 'Tim course' in New Testament Theology, I realized that I had never learned about the significance of the time Jesus spent on earth after he rose from the dead. In this little reflection, I want to think about the revealing of the physical Jesus but know that there are a number of neat and new truths in this part of the gospels.
I find this part of Luke 24 very fascinating. The disciples are going to the village of Emmaus, a stranger approaches them and conversation begins. These disciples had just lost the one they had believed in and consequently they were questioning his existence, the prophets and his message. Jesus challenges the disciples in their disbelief and they like him so much that they ask him to stay for dinner, beautiful eh? While they are beginning to eat dinner, Jesus breaks bread. The disciples finally realize that this is the Jesus they had been following before his death. Their eyes were opened to his being but he disappears from their sight. Like the story of Peter walking on water, why does Jesus disappear every time we seem to catch a real glimpse of his truth, reality and power?
I think both of these stories about Jesus are not about the character of Christ but about a message he is trying to tell his followers: you are ready to embody the life I have and bring. I believe that the point of knowing the truth of Jesus is that we turn to our fellow brothers and sisters and show them what we have seen. But telling them is not the method that Jesus used. I think we need to break bread with our neighbours, in a loving service without an agenda. Too often, I think that I can share Jesus by talking about him but when we have seen him, like the disciples we have the opportunity to follow him by doing what he did - breaking bread.
Today a couple named Ben and Jen visited our school from Minnesota. They are a vibrant, like-able and intellegent team. They shared their story, which turned out to be a living example of what I am trying to express in the thoughts above. The couple is learning valuable truths about humanity, love and themselves because of a move into the most diverse, poor, and crime ridden neighbourhood. They do not have an agenda but they simply want to break bread with their neighbours in more ways then food. Their goal is to set up a economy of love: serving each other instead of paying for things that take money away from the community. Please pray for them as they try to introduce revolutionary ideas into the neighbourhood.

What if the disciples knew they were walking on water as they went to Emmaus? I think Ben and Jen have challenged me to realize that we walk on water when we do what Jesus did and break bread with our neighbours. What a privaledge they have.