The most wonderful project has just been made public and I’m sure readers of this blog will want to know about it. It is a digital, all-Canadian, daily devotional that will take you through the Bible in about a four-year cycle.

Scripture Union says this will be the first Canadian daily devotional series. It is written entirely by Canadian Christian leaders and thought leaders. I am so excited not only to have participated as a writer in this project (Genesis 12-18 and John 12), but to be able to read what my peers across the country have to say on their portions of scripture!

You will likely either know or know of many of the writers. I’ve included the writers list at the bottom of this post so you can check out who’s writing. You won’t have to wait long to get started because the launch will be May 19, 2013 and you can subscribe now.

You can follow theStory on Facebook and Twitter.

Here’s a short teaser video:

The writers are:

• Jeff Anderson (President, The Evangelical Covenant Church of Canada)
• Kent Anderson (President, Northwest Baptist Seminary)
• Carolyn Arends (Singer, song writer)
• Laura Barron (Evangelist, Jews for Jesus)
• Bob Beasley (Conference Speaker, Broadcaster, Bible League)
• Glynis Belec (Writer)
• Jeremy Bell (Executive Director, Canadian Baptists of Western Canada)
• Jim Beverley (Prof. Christian Thought and Ethics, Tyndale Seminary)
• Peter Black (Writer)
• Denys Blackmore (CEO, Every Home for Christ International)
• Arthur Boers (Associate Professor, Chair of Leadership, Tyndale University)
• Bill Bonikowsky (Writer, Alpha Canada)
• Deborah C. Bowen (Professor of English, Redeemer University)
• William Brackney (Prof. Christian Thought and Ethics, Acadia Divinity School)
• Mark Buchanan (Pastor, Writer)
• Merv Budd (National Director of Equipping Evangelists)
• Phil Callaway (Humorist, International Speaker)
• Jim Cantelon (Host, 100 Huntley Street)
• Pierre Constant (Chair of New Testament Studies, TBS)
• Laurie Cook (CEO, World Relief Canada)
• Carla Anne Coroy (Speaker, author)
• Jody Cross (Singer, song writer)
• Lorna Dueck (Host and Executive Producer Listen Up TV)
• Jacqueline Dugas (Every Home for Christ)
• Donna Dyck (Author, speaker)
• Keith Elford (Bishop, The Free Methodist Church in Canada)
• Janet Epp-Buckingam (Director Leadership Centre, Trinity Western University)
• Roy Eyre (President, Wycliffe Canada)
• Bill Fietje (President, Associated Gospel Churches)
• Mel Finlay (Nation at Prayer)
• Susan Finlay (Nation at Prayer)
• Grace Fox (Author, International Speaker, Co-Director International Messengers Canada)
• John Franklin (Executive Director, Imago)
• Lola French (CEO, Canadian Association of Pregnancy Support Services)
• Thomas Froese (Reporter, author)
• Margaret Gibb (President, Women Together)
• Kathleen Gibson (Author, speaker)
• Sheila Wray Gregoire (Author, speaker)
• Wendy Gritter (Executive Director, New Direction Ministries)
• Bill Hockin (Retired Anglican Bishop, Writer)
• Ron Hughes (President, FBH International)
• Renee James (Canadian Baptist Women of Ontario and Quebec, Editor The Link & Visitor)
• Paul Johnson (Executive Director, Open Doors)
• Wayne Johnson (President, OneBook)
• Stephen Kennedy (Editor “Testimony” PAOC)
• David Kitz (Bible Dramatist, author, storyteller)
• Doug Koop (Writer, Former Editor Christian Week)
• Marcia Laycock (Author, speaker)
• Claire MacMillan (National Director, Church of the Nazarene Canada)
• Peter Marshall (Executive Director, Gideons)
• Gord Martin (Executive Director, Vision Ministries Canada)
• Scott Masson (Professor of English, Tyndale University)
• Roy Matheson (Prof. Emeritus Theology, Tyndale Seminary)
• Jamie McIntosh (Executive Director, International Justice Mission)
• Heidi McLaughlin (Author, speaker)
• Dorene Meyer (Author)
• Scott Moore (Area Director, Youth Unlimited)
• Gary Nelson (President, Tyndale University/College/Seminary)
• Jon Ohlhauser (Hope College, Previously President of Prairie Bible Institute)
• Patricia Paddey (Freelance Writer)
• Jim Patterson (Artist, Writer)
• John Pellowe (CEO, Canadian Council Christian Charities)
• Larry Perkins (Professor of New Testament, Northwest Baptist Seminary/ACTS)
• Elaine Pountney (International Speaker and Author)
• Michael Pountney (Former Principal Wycliffe College, University of Toronto)
• Carson Pue (Executive Director, First Baptist Vancouver)
• Murray Pura (Author, Pastor)
• Franklin Pyles (President, The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada)
• Annabel Robinson (University Regina, Prof. Emeritus Classics)
• Geri Rodman (President, Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship)
• Terence Rolston (President, Focus on the Family Canada)
• Denise Rumble (Director, The Word Guild)
• Jayne Self (Author)
• Ted Seres (Executive Director, Canadian Bible Society)
• Jo Lynn Sheane (CBC Journalist and Reporter)
• Adele Simmons (Speaker, writer, musician)
• Barry Slauenwhite (President and CEO, Compassion International)
• Lynn Smith (Next Level)
• Karen Stiller (Editor, Faith Today)
• Mags Storey (Editor, Christian Week)
• Bill Taylor (Executive Director, Evangelical Free Church of Canada)
• T.V. Thomas (Director, Centre of Evangelism and World Mission)
• Dave Toycen (President and CEO, World Vision)
• Rikk Watts (Professor New Testament, Regent College)
• David Wells (General Superintendant, Pentecostal Assemblies Of Canada)
• Kirk Wellum (Principal, Toronto Baptist Seminary)
• Steve West (Adjunct Prof, Toronto Baptist Seminary)
• Irving Whitt (PAOC Global Educational Coordinator)
• Mim Wickett (Writer)
• David Williams (President, Taylor College and Seminary)
• Rod Wilson (President, Regent College)
• Ray Wiseman (Author, Editor)

Some of the CCCC staff members grow moustaches in November (all of them of the male persuasion), and Derek Ross has grown a fine moustache and beard combo that should have him in Hollywood, but I remain free of whiskers on my visage each year. Not that I don’t care about Movember or the cause that it supports – awareness of prostate cancer. It’s just that I always thought I would grow old with my loving wife. And for that, I remain baby-faced smooth.

So, aside from making a contribution to support my son Harley’s fine moustache (he’s part of the Movember team at exactEarth Ltd), here’s how I can participate in Movember. I am posting photos from when I did have facial hair. It doesn’t meet the Movember rules because you can only grow a moustache, not a beard or goatee. The problem is, I look AWFUL with just a moustache.

My original beard was inspired by William Riker’s on Star Trek: The Next Generation. I grew the beard in August 1994 and still had it when my daughter Marilyn was born. I realized after a bit that I couldn’t shave the beard off because she wouldn’t know who I was without it. So I kept it for about four years and decided to have fun with it. I wasn’t trying to look anything in particular, but in hindsight I’ve added some descriptive captions. Have a good laugh!

William Riker

“Professor” John Pellowe

John “Al Borland” Pellowe

“Amish” John

Pastor John Richardson and myself on July 15, 2012. He was born July 12, 1912!

The man I look up to as a model for successful Christian living, Pastor John Richardson, turns 100 years old this week. He was born July 12, 1912! And as he’s done every year for the last 25-30 years, he preached a sermon on his birthday week. I’ve told you the story of his conversion, and that he gave a rousing banquet speech at the CCCC conference when he was 95, but today’s sermon celebrating 100 years of life, and 80 years as a believer, marks a high point for sure. And, to add to the specialness of the day, he was presented just before the sermon with a nicely written letter of birthday greetings from Queen Elizabeth.

Here is about a 3½ minute video excerpt from his 30 minute sermon this morning at Waterloo Pentecostal Assembly on Isaiah 40:30-31. You can hear the audio of his whole sermon at the church’s website.

Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,
Yet those who wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.

Enjoy the video, and Happy Birthday John! He just might see this, because he is tech-savvy (the church gave him a birthday present – a keyboard for his Playbook!) and he’s online.

But which version should a seeker read? I recently received an evaluation copy of The Voice New Testament — newly revised and updated. The complete Bible will be released in April 2012. This version was created specifically to help people “step into the story of scripture.” I have read eight books in The Voice to sample the different biblical writers and genres. There is much to commend it, although I did find some things that cause me concern, enough that I can recommend it for specialized use only. I think as a first introduction to Jesus it will work well. It is engagingly written and people will likely read a gospel right through. It is also a good resource for believers who want a “we were there” reading experience.

The publishers

Probably the biggest surprise about The Voice is that it is the project of a single church. Ecclesia Bible Society is a ministry of Ecclesia Church in Houston. The idea for the book was born out of the ministry needs of the church, and the church partnered with Thomas Nelson to bring the project to fruition. I would feel more comfortable had the effort been a more broad-based project, but the book needs to be reviewed based on its own merits, not that of its origins.

The scholars and contributing writers

Twenty-seven scholars worked on the translation. There are another 53 contributing writers; a combination of artists, musicians, and writers.

I must say that with so many biblical scholars involved, I was surprised at the following statement in a note to Luke 1:

“Luke is especially skilled as a storyteller, so he isn’t presenting a theological treatise (as good and important as theological treatises may be); he’s telling the story of Jesus.”

Ever since I. Howard Marshall’s groundbreaking 1971 book  Luke: Historian & Theologian, Lukan scholars have recognized Luke’s theological agenda as the foundation on which the gospel was written. (Darrel Bock, one of the 27 scholars, apparently is among them since his new book coming out next month is entitled A Theology of Luke & Acts.) In fact, New Testament scholarship today accepts each gospel writer as a theologian. Why then was this gospel, and none of the others, singled out for such a note? Yes, Luke is a masterful storyteller, but he is also a first-rate theologian. It makes me wonder how much of a particular theological bent is being inserted into the edition.

The goal of the translation

A translation can be reviewed on two levels:

1. How well does it convey the accepted meaning of the original documents? and
2. How well does it achieve its own stated goals?

The stated goal for this translation is “to help believers experience the joy and wonder of God’s revelation,” but there is a secondary goal — to introduce people to Jesus. As the president of the Ecclesia Bible Society writes: “This is the story of God’s relentless pursuit of us…You will hear God as He whispers of His love to you.”

 Unique features

This New Testament has quite a few innovations in it that make it come alive in a fresh way:

• It describes its translation method as ‘contextual equivalence.’ The editorial team followed a standard translation process and then edited the work into a readable literary structure using contemporary language.
• The Voice retains the author’s meaning while using modern, rather than ancient, literary conventions. For instance, if Paul writes “Brothers…”, he did not mean only men needed to heed his instruction, so that phrase is translated gender-neutral. However, other passages clearly refer to only men or women, and gender-based language is retained. These contextualizations are well done and help modern readers get to the real points being made by the biblical authors.
• There are words such as baptism and Christ that are actually not English words, but transliterations of Greek words. The Voice translates these words just as all the other words are translated. Thus Jesus Christ becomes Jesus, the Anointed. While it takes getting used to, these translations are helpful. Even though I know what Christ means, The Voice forces me to not gloss over its meaning.
• All narratives are told in the present tense using a screenplay format. I think this is probably the best feature of the book. It makes it very exciting to read, and it puts the reader right into the action.
• Scenes are introduced by a phrase such as “Imagine this…” or ”Picture this…”
• Instead of saying “Jesus said…Peter replied…John said”, the text looks like a script
  Jesus:
  Peter:
  John:
  Not only is it clear at a glance who said what, but it takes fewer words to record the conversation and the reader can focus on the flow of the conversation. There is a greater immediacy and vividness with the screenplay format than there is with the usual narrative style
• Closely related to the screenplay layout for speaking parts are the lists. They allow people to read faster and highlight what is being said. An example is Luke 9:3-5:
• These were His instructions:
1. Travel light…
2. When you enter a house, stay there…
3. If a town rejects you…
• Material that would normally be found in footnotes is included right in the text, but clearly distinguished by position and colour from the actual biblical text. This makes for a very smooth reading experience (you don’t have to find the note and then find your place again). There are some things that a first-time Bible reader might find very confusing and this way they get the explanation at the same time they have the thought.
• In Mark 3:1-6 Jesus heals a man with a withered hand on a Sabbath in front of the Pharisees. The biblical text says Jesus asked them what the Law says about doing good or evil on the Sabbath and that he was grieved by their hard hearts. In a separate paragraph in a different colour, The Voice editorializes, “How can anyone care so much about the words of the Law and so little about the spirit of it?” The addition drives home the point of the story, which may not be obvious to a new reader.
• More extensive notes are also in a different colour, but are separated from the text by solid lines. Mark 3:31-35 is the story of how Jesus’ family comes to get him but can’t get into the crowded house. Jesus gives a short teaching that his true family is whoever does the will of God. Just before this passage, there is a note that explains why family and friends would become more concerned as Jesus’ ministry and fame grows. They are concerned for Jesus’ welfare and that Jesus will attract unwanted attention from the occupying Roman forces that can only end badly for him.
• Some words are added to the text in italic type to provide nuance to the text or to complete the idea of the original text. These additions put the modern reader on par with the ancient readers, who would have understood the nuances and thoughts.
• Luke 11:34 has an addition in italics that helps explain the meaning of the verse.
• The NASB reads: “The eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is clear, your whole body also is full of light; but when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness.”
• The Voice’s translation is: “Listen, your eye, your outlook, the way you see is your lamp. If your way of seeing is functioning well, then your whole life will be enlightened. But if your way of seeing is darkened, then your life will be a dark, dark place.” Although The Voice translates soma as “outlook” and “whole life” when it actually means “body”, I think there is justification for this translation. The plural of soma means “corporate life” and even though this is not a meaning for the singular in Danker’s Greek-English Lexicon, it is a reasonable use based on the context and the meaning of the plural.
• Acts 2:45 has a more debatable insertion. The NIV is almost a word-for-word translation of the Greek and it reads: “They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.” The only improvement on this is a Greek word in the sentence that means “to the extent.” So it could read ”They sold property and possessions to give to the extent that anyone had a need.” However, The Voice translates the verse as: “They sold any possessions and goods that did not benefit the community and used the money to help everyone in need.” This seems an unwarranted limitation on the sacrificial generosity of the believers. The Greek does not say anything about whether or not the assets sold benefitted the community in their present form. The Voice’s version may be a reasonable assumption, but it should be a note rather than italics in the text.
• By involving artists, poets and writers in the project, the publishers have tried to recapture “the passion, grit, humor and beauty” of the original language and culture.
• A great example of recapturing the passion and the sarcastic humour of the original text is 1 Corinthians 15:55. The familiar reading is “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”. The Voice says “Hey, Death! What happened to your big win? Hey, Death! What happened to your sting?” I loved this ‘in-your-face’ triumphal cry of the redeemed.
• One example where there is a surprisingly bland translation that misses the thought of the original text is Romans 8:37. The NASB translates it as “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us,” accurately conveying the superlative nature of the conquest. The Voice has a rather anemic choice of words that gives no hint of the extent of the conquest: “But no matter what comes, we will always taste victory through Him who loved us.” Now, let me say there is victory, and then there is VICTORY! The Greek verb is hypernikao, which is a heightened form of the verb nikao. Nikao means to prevail, conquer, overcome or be victorious. Hypernikao means to prevail completely. It was used by secular authors writing in biblical times to mean “we are winning a most glorious victory” and “victory and more than victory.” To translate this word as mildly as “to taste victory” is to miss the overwhelming, comprehensive nature of our victory in Christ. It lacks the emotional intensity of the Greek.

Conclusions

Let me answer the two questions posed above.

How well does The Voice convey the accepted meaning of the original documents?

After reading eight books, I thought it was a fresh and very meaningful translation that I would use for reflective and meditative reading rather than for study. Christians who already know the Bible well will find it ideal for this purpose.

The reason I would not use it as a study Bible or for regular Bible reading is due to the number of times I read a verse and thought “Does it really say that?” An example is Luke 11:3, which the NIV and NASB translated exactly the same, “Give us each day our daily bread.” The NKJV says, “Give us day by day our daily bread.” Ten other versions all say either daily, day-by-day, or each day. These are all correct translations of the Greek word kata which means, in this context, x period by x period (eg., year by year, month by month, day by day). Yet The Voice translates it as “Give us the food we need for tomorrow.” The Greek word for tomorrow is aurion, which is not in this verse. It appears the translators are using kata in one of its other meanings, which is as a marker for a definite time (at, on, or during a specific time) while everyone else translates it in its distributive meaning (over time). The translation team included experts in biblical Greek, so I’m sure they had their reasons, but they are not explained in a footnote. I’m no Greek scholar (although I took two years of Greek at seminary so I know the basics), but it seems the editors have taken a ground-breaking position on translating this verse that subtly changes the focus from our needs today to our needs tomorrow. When it comes to caring for ourselves, scripture tends to say “Pray for what you need right now, not what you will need tomorrow” (eg., Mat 6:34). Is this a significant issue? I’m not sure. Praying for our food to be provided day-by-day is also praying for the future, so maybe it’s nothing to get worked up over. It’s just that there were a few places where I had the same question about why they had an unusual interpretation. That is why I suggest this version not be used as a study Bible.

How well does it achieve its own stated goals?

The Voice has to be rated an ‘A’ for achieving the publishers’ goals. Will believers “experience the joy and wonder of God’s revelation?” Absolutely! It’s like his revelation is unfolding in your presence.  Will seekers find a good introduction to Jesus? Absolutely! He comes alive in this version.

Reading the gospels was a delight. I can’t overstate the significance of putting the narrative in the present tense. This is a powerful technique that bridges two thousand years to draw us closer to Jesus. Combine that technique with the in-line explanatory notes, and the reader will see Jesus in a fresh way that will invigorate the spiritual life of both experienced believers and neophyte seekers. The love of God permeates this version – the notes constantly remind the reader that God’s love is behind every verse.

I recommend The Voice to believers as a Bible that will make scripture fresh and draw them right into the action. It will be good for lectio divina and meditation.  But they still need a study Bible such as the NASB and perhaps a Bible for daily reading such as the NIV (although I’m fine with the NASB for that purpose too).

I also recommend The Voice to seekers as an introduction to Jesus and the Christian faith. They will find it an easy and enjoyable read that piques their desire to seek God. Just be sure to let them know that words in italics are explanatory and not in the original text. I doubt they will read the Preface where that is explained.

“Book has been provided courtesy of Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available now at your favourite bookseller.”

Sunday night in Kenya, I received an invitation to preach the following Sunday morning in Malawi.  Now, one of the delights in traveling the world is hearing pastors from other cultures preach, so I was a a bit disappointed.   But the pastor of the church I would be attending had been invited to preach in northern Malawi, and he had heard I was coming.   So, always ready to tell others about the goodness of God, I replied ‘Yes!’ right away.

I’m travelling light and have no preaching resources nor any sermons with me.  That turned out to be a very good thing, as you’ll see.  But I also discovered that generally you should be prepared to preach at a moment’s notice, because I’ve been told that in some rural areas of Africa, if you come to a service and are white, then man or woman, you are the preacher that day.  One lay woman told me she has one sermon that she always carries with her, just in case.

But here I was, committed to preaching the next Sunday.  So, I thought, how to create a sermon on the fly?  It usually takes me a long time, but I didn’t have much time.  Here’s what worked well for me, and maybe it will work well for you.  I think I remembered the basic outline from Haddon Robinson’s book Biblical Preaching: The Development and Delivery of Expository Messages.  Of course, he has a lot more to say than what I’m about to say!

I prayed first for a topic, which came fairly readily.   I simply asked, “What would God have this congregation hear on Sunday?”  The answer was to speak about being angry with God.

Next, I asked myself, “What theological truth do they need to know about this topic?” and the answer was, “God cares for you.”

What should be the human response to the truth?  “Therefore, you can trust God.”

In which doctrines do we see God’s care for us?  I thought of four:

1. Creation (showing God’s care and good intentions for humanity),
   1. The related promise is Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
2. Eschatology (showing God will ultimately fulfill his intention for humanity),
   1. The related promise is Hebrews 13:5b “God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
3. Salvation (showing God took decisive action to fulfill his good intentions even before the final completion of history),
   1. The related promise is Mat 11:28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” and
4. Pneumatology (showing that God is actively at work in you right now),
   1. The related promise is Mat 6:8b “your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

I added an opening story and explored the faulty image of God that results from being angry with him.  The four doctrines presented a correct picture of God, I added some ideas from Christian spirituality for getting through anger with God, added a closing story to tie it all together, and finished with an altar call.

The sermon came together very quickly (on the 1.5 hour flight to Berundi en route to Rwanda).  The delivery was good because it was an outline and not the complete ‘script’.  And the results were good.  People came forward who were blaming God for all kinds of misfortunes, including getting AIDS from someone who didn’t tell her he was HIV positive and others who felt distant from God because of the perceived lack of an answer to prayer.

I left the church (Capital City Pentecostal Church) feeling good about the sermon and how easy it was to pull it together without any resources but my personal thoughts and the leading of the Holy Spirit.  I hope this helps if you have trouble putting a sermon together quickly.

I am in Bangkok and will be writing later about my ministry visits, Thailand, and my visit to Compassion in particular, but today I need to write about my daughter, who is teaching at International Community School in Bangkok. She is about 8 months through a two year assignment teaching grade four. I spent today with her at school and my buttons are popping!

Having a coffee after church

Every parent lives anticipating the day when they will see their children grown up and living as independent adults, doing what they love to do. Skyping, email, Facebook and phone calls are great for staying in touch, but nothing substitutes for actually going and seeing firsthand what their situations are.

So, here I am in Thailand and seeing Jessica for the first time on her turf, in her world, with her friends and workmates, and staying as her guest in her apartment. My little girl, my firstborn, has grown up!

• I went to her cell group, where she is the only non-Thai, and she participated quite well in the Thai language. They love her. I went to her church, Jaisamarn Full Gospel Church, and met one of her pastors, and he said the church thinks very highly of her too. It is most gratifying to see a child who has developed a godly character and who is well-esteemed by other believers and the general public.
  

  Jaisamarn Full Gospel Church

• Today I met her principal, fellow teachers and her students, and they all speak glowingly of her. Professionally she is exactly in line with her gifts and call. It is a joy to see someone working within their call because they do it so well. The students love her and their affection for her spilled over to me.
  

  Primary school – morning prayer and national anthem

• As an aside, half of her students called me “Mr. John,” while the other half called me “Uncle John.” One of them seemed to know that I’m Dr. John.I was deluged with requests that I play with them at recess. So I played soccer at the first and four-square at the second. These kids are great soccer players, even at 10 or 11 years old! You should see their fancy footwork! I managed to score one goal, so I wasn’t completely useless. I have never played four-square before, but I made it to the third square. One student laid me flat on the ground as I tried desperately to return his very low and fast spin ball! Batting it back would be easy, but the rule is you have to hit it back the same way it was sent – so in this case, I had to put my own spin on it. (That’s a lot more difficult to do with a ball than to put a spin on something with words and that’s what put me on my back!)
  

  Every morning, students draw on the board before class

  

  The students thought I would like tacos

• As I watched the way Jessica introduced an entirely new concept to her class today (arrays), I marveled at how she got their attention, simplified the concepts to start with math ideas they already knew, and then built on prior knowledge to introduce brand new concepts. She made it look easy.
  
  

Where is the girl whose diapers I used to change? Who I taught to ride a bike and drive a car? Who I took to see the symphony for her first dress-up formal event? The one I took to Montreal? The years have flown by so quickly! And now we enter a new relationship with each other not just as parent-child, but as adults on more or less equal terms.

As I think about all this, I appreciate all the more the wonderful job my incredible wife did as she chose to stay at home and do the hardest and most significant work of all – be the primary caregiver to our children. “Well done,” say I.

On Wednesday the 22nd, I posted about my Dad’s rapidly deteriorating condition and what we were both thinking about as we faced the prospect of his death within the next few months.  I asked you for prayer that his passing would be a peaceful and painless transition from this life to the next.  That prayer was answered unexpectedly just two days later when the Lord responded with a magnificent divine orchestration of events that leaves me praising God for his lovingkindness.  I feel that I must share his goodness so that you can praise him too.

Two days later on Friday night (the 24th) I suddenly had an overwhelming Spirit-inspired sense of urgency to see him as fast as I could.  When my wife came home from grocery shopping, she found me pacing on the sidewalk in front of our house.  I said, “Just drop the cold stuff in the fridge and forget the rest.  We’ve got to see Dad as fast as possible.”  I did not know that he would die that night, but I’ve learned to pay attention to feelings like this!  I took some things with me to show Dad what I had found while cleaning out his house.  We arrived at 7:30 and he died at 8:15.  But what happened in that 45 minutes is unforgettable, and it gave me the peace that is sustaining me in my grief.  From 7:30 to 8:00, as he lay in bed, I

• read two letters written to Dad by his parents in 1950 and a love letter from Mom;
• showed Dad the program from a music recital in 1905 in which his father sang a solo; and
• looked at some pictures he took of Mom while they were dating and a few other pictures he took of his mom, dad and grandmother.

Dad smiled and chuckled as he listened and looked at all these items, and I heard many “My, my, mys” and other approving comments from him.  He lingered over the pictures, held the letters to see his parents’ signatures, and gazed at his father’s name (“Master Alfred Pellowe”) in the program.  Then my daughter Jessica called at 8:00 from Bangkok, where she is serving in a Christian school for two years.  She told Dad she loves him.  Dad was so touched that she had called all the way from Thailand.

Next I assured Dad that his wishes would be carried out after he was gone.  I reminded him of the “No heroic measures” provision of his Power of Attorney for Personal Care, and his wishes as far as his funeral and burial are concerned.  He said they were all still what he wanted.  I mentioned a person whom Dad had said years ago he wanted to officiate at the memorial service, and he said he still wanted him.

Then I was suddenly inspired to pray for him, and I asked if that would be okay.  He said “Yes, John, I’d like that” and folded his hands.  I don’t think I have ever prayed for Dad out loud in front of Dad before.  He’s heard me pray a lot, but not like this.  I prayed that Jesus would be his comfort, give him peace, help him feel the fullness of Christ’s love for him, and that Jesus would take care of him.  Dad said “Amen,” and that turned out to be his last word.

Dad started to cough and according to the doctor, ruptured a tumor in his chest that poured blood into his lungs.  I used the phone to call for help right away, and then held Dad up from his pillow, thinking this might help him.  He was gone very quickly.  I could not have scripted a better 45 minutes as Dad’s last 45 minutes.

I am completely at peace about Dad because of how this last visit went, and because I know (as described in my previous post) how satisfied Dad was with his own life and the lives of his children and grandchildren.  All praise to God who loves us all.

If your relationship with your parent or your child is not what you wish it would be, take heart that it is never too late to make a change.  In my family, as I suspect it probably was in most families of that era, the family revolved around my Mom.  And I could write a huge tribute to her too, she was a great mother.  Dad was part of the family, and he came to recitals and other things that involved the kids.  He did interesting things.  But I have to say that he was sort of peripheral to family life.  He was there, but it was Mom to whom we would go.  It wasn’t until Mom’s stroke in 1989 that I began to really appreciate Dad.  He did double duty to care for Mom in the last year of her life.  He did everything for her.  He stepped up to it and did an outstanding job of standing by his wife in her time of need.

When Mom died in September 1990, Dad suddenly came into the spotlight as a parent.  And it is only in the last twenty years of his life that I came to really love him deeply, and care for him, and appreciate him.  A very warm and loving relationship blossomed that I never expected.  My three siblings have all said their experience was exactly the same as mine.  We all feel the same way about Dad.  So, you can’t undo the past, but you can change the future.  All it takes is to make a decision and start now.

Dr. Raymond Douglas Pellowe
July 22, 1922 – September 24, 2010
Obituary and Guest Book

Finally, here’s how Dad would like to be remembered - surrounded by his family!!!

The Pellowe family at Dad’s house

I love you Dad!

PELLOWE, Dr. Raymond Douglas – Peacefully at Chartwell Classic Retirement Residence Oakville, Ontario on Friday, September 24, 2010.  Dr. Raymond Pellowe, formerly of Toronto in his 89th year, beloved husband of the late Shirley Eileen Neilson, R.N.,  Beloved son of the late Alfred and Elsie Pellowe.  Loving father of David (Betsy), Bruce (Cathy), Vicki Toole (Patrick), John (Loron), and Murray (Bea).  Lovingly remembered by his six grandchildren and two great- grandchildren.  Predeceased by his sister, Audrey DeMille.  The family greatly appreciates the loving support of Ray’s niece, Patricia DeMille.  A service of remembrance will be held at the HUMPHREY FUNERAL HOME – A.W. MILES CHAPEL, 1403 Bayview Avenue (south of Davisville Avenue) on Saturday, November 6, 2010 at 11 o’clock.  Reception to follow.  If desired, memorial donations may be made to the charity of your choice.  Condolences and memories may be forwarded through www.humphreymiles.com

We live in “living groups” of 8 people here at Harvard, which means we have 8 bedrooms and a huge living/meeting room/kitchenette.  At breakfast today, one of my living group members told of a potentially life-changing moment that occured thirty or so years ago.  I’ll call him Ben.

Today, Ben is CEO of an almost US$10 million children and youth agency in Illinois.  Ben is also black.  He told us that he never encountered racism in his life until after he graduated from college.  When he was in his early twenties, his grandmother died and Ben had to drive from New York City to Atlanta by himself to attend her funeral.  He put $100 in his sock and $25 in his pocket.  That was his worldly wealth.

He couldn’t afford to stay in a motel, so at 3AM he pulled into a parking lot and went to sleep.  At 4:15 he felt the car shaking and he woke up to see a shotgun barrel pointed at him on one side and a revolver on the other side.  Two white policemen were yelling at him to get out of the car.  He got out and they told him that he had been speeding.  When he said he had been asleep since 3AM, one officer said, “Are you calling me a liar, boy?”   

Ben was so angry at the unfairness of this that he wanted to hit one of them.  He thought if he was going to die, he should do what he could to go down fighting.  But he held back.  An officer said that if he gave them $50 they’d let him go with a ticket marked paid.  He said he only had $25, so they made him empty all of his pockets.  Seeing that’s all that he had, they took the $25 and issued him a speeding ticket for that amount.  Ben was seething and thought again of hitting them, but he thought better of it.

He wrote a complaint letter to the state’s Attorney General and got a cheque for $350 with an apology.  He never cashed that cheque and has it to this day.

The way Ben told the story, it felt like we were there with him and I’m sure the seven of us could feel our hearts beating faster from the sensation.  Several of us actually had tears to wipe away.  One of my group said that she was ashamed to be white. 

And then, there occured… a beautiful moment. 

A moment when we saw what the end of racism looks like.

Ben said to her, “You don’t need to be ashamed.  You’re a nice person.  Why, you’d have been one of the white folk who held lanterns to welcome us into one of the underground railroad stations.”

Beautiful.  That’s the end of racism when people are considered as people.  Although those white police officers were corrupt, Ben just thought of them as corrupt police officers.  And the one who was ashamed was not white in his eyes, just a nice human being.

My parting thought – what if Ben had taken a swing at one of the officers to satisfy his rage?  For sure he’d have been sent to jail and I’m pretty sure it would have been a fairly long time and for absolutely certain it would have changed his life forever and he would not be doing the good work he is doing today.  He had strong emotions, but he mastered them.  A lesson for us all.