Comments for Brentwood Presbyterian Church, Burnaby, BC

Comment on Read & Reflect – Mark 1:14-20 – Belong, Believe, and Become by silver clip on earrings

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Comment on Read & Reflect 1 John 1:1 – 2:2 – Living Together in Harmony – April 13 & 15 by Suryodhan

Suryodhan — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:49:07 +0000

A simple and intelilegnt point, well made. Thanks!

Comment on Read & Reflect – 1 John 5:1-6 – Faith in the World – May 13 by Brian Fraser

Brian Fraser — Fri, 11 May 2012 02:07:40 +0000

We no longer live in a world where Christian faith can be taken for granted or is commonly held. We live in a world much more like that in which John was writing to his fellow disciples. Belief or faith or trust (all connotations of the Greek word ‘pistis’), as John saw it, is the recpetion and living of the love that God offers in Jesus Christ. It involves abiding in Jesus Christ by God’s grace and being that kind of energy in and for the world. We are known to each other and to everyone we encounter in our communities by our love. It’s not primarily about doctrine or piety, but about love. What we believe and how we act out our faith must – no exceptions – be determined by the love of God as seen in Jesus Christ. That’s what we strive to understand and practice more faithfully week after week at Brentwood. You would bless our community by your presence.

Comment on Read & Reflect 1 John 1:1 – 2:2 – Living Together in Harmony – April 13 & 15 by Brian Fraser

Brian Fraser — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:39:54 +0000

Living together and seeking the harmony that we see in the Holy Trinity brings joy. It’s the true source of joy. The mutual affection, care, and understanding that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit enjoy in their relationship is the model for all human communities, particularly the church. This harmony is both a gift to receive and a goal to seek. We can manage, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, our attitudes and behaviours to build harmony that honours all voices and seeks the best alignment of our talents in the service of the Commonwealth of God. When we fail to contribute to harmony, when we interfer with harmony, we are invited to confess, repent, and move on to live more fully in the light of God’s love in Jesus Christ. Harmony does not mean not have arguments. It does mean having and resolving arguments that are concerned with the best ways of serving the Commonwealth of God.

Comment on Read & Reflect – John 2:13-22 – The New Temple by Brian Fraser

Brian Fraser — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 04:54:57 +0000

Jesus moves the focus of the core of faith from the rituals that take place in a building to the relationships that take place with a person – the person of the risen Jesus Christ. There’s more of Jesus as a disrupting presence in this passage. Here, he disrupts the commercialization of the Temple. His devotion is to the encounter with God that takes place in that sacred space, not to the marketplace of animals for sacrifice that had grown up in the courts of the Temple during Passover. The core of the Christian faith lies in our day-to-day relationship with Jesus Christ. It can be mor deeply understood by reflecting further on Paul’s idea of “living in Christ.” Jesus Christ is himself the new temple in which God forms and fortifies our faith and flourishing.

Comment on Jazz Vespers in March – Mar 18 – 4:00PM – Cory Weeds on sax and Oliver Gannon on Guitar by Charles Lee

Charles Lee — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 18:17:41 +0000

Brian, at this point I’m going to let others comment on the Scripture while I’d like to focus for a moment on the question you posed. It’s more about how you word the question. I have known you for many years and we have spent a considerable amount of time discussing “religious” matters. Because of our similar backgrounds in the community of faith, we understand each other and the way we use the language. It was only when I read the question did it occur to me that you were using theological terminology that the average layman could not understand or relate to. If your goal is to get people to interract with you and eventually be drawn to Brentwood, I think you need to revisit the world of “people-speak. ” You are such a gifted teacher, I’d hate to see people miss your life-giving message because they couldn’t relate to the language and terminology you use. Bless you my friend and brother.

Comment on Jazz Vespers in March – Mar 18 – 4:00PM – Cory Weeds on sax and Oliver Gannon on Guitar by Alice Lee

Alice Lee — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 04:09:09 +0000

To use a metaphor: Jesus says if we would follow him and his way of living, we must “climb into the chariot not just walk leisurely along behind.” TakIng the reins of our lives and purposely orchestrating our life agenda to think and act as Jesus teaches, instead of thinking and reacting in the way of our “survivor” instincts. There will be consequences both good and bad. But living a life dedicated to “love even as he loved” is beyond comparison to anything we can create on our own without Him.

Comment on Read and Reflect – Mark 8:31-38 – Loss and Gain by Brian Fraser

Brian Fraser — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 18:42:50 +0000

What is it that is lost and what is it that is saved? As I see it currently, we lose a way of understanding the purpose of our lives, a perspective on what’s important. That way of seeing things can become very comfortable. It is filled with safety and security, no matter how dysfunctional it may be. The influence of Jesus Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit shatters that particular narrow sense of security and replaces it with an expanded sense of significance grounded in the way God views things – from a perspective of love, beauty, justice, and community. We are ‘re-deemed’ – seen differently so we can see differently, loved so that we can be loving, saved so that we can be a blessing. Our safety and security are now seen to reside in our relationship with God in Jesus Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit. That’s the dream of changing for the greater good, of losing our old ways of seeing things and gaining a new perspective on our life and work as humans being equipped to bless the creation.

Comment on Read and Reflect – Mark 8:31-38 – Loss and Gain by Wayne Reid

Wayne Reid — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:42:46 +0000

This text is interesting in this season of Lent. I think that Jesus is speaking about the cost of discipleship “losing to gain”. My mind went to The Rev.Dr. Martin Luther King”s “I have a dream speech” he dreamt of a more racial friendly America, but was very aware of the great personal sacrafice. Yet he was prepared to loose his life for the greater good. Did he want to die? no, but he was prepared. We somtimes find this level of commitment offensive like Peter, yes Brian it was too disruptive for him as is is for most of us today. During his final week in Jerusalem Jesus was very disruptive, physically in the temple and theologicaly in his teachings. The process of change for the greater good cannot be achieved without disruption and personal sacrafice, or some of us would still be working as slaves today.

Comment on Read and Reflect – Mark 8:31-38 – Loss and Gain by Wayne Reid

Wayne Reid — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:37:17 +0000

This text is interesting in this season of Lent. I think that Jesus is speaking about the cost of discipleship “losing to gain”. My mind went to The Rev.Dr. Martin Luther King”s “I have a dream speech” he dreamt of a more racial friendly America, but was very aware of the great personal sacrafice. yet he was prepared to loose his life for the greater good. Did he want to die? no, but he was prepared. We somtimes find this level of commitment offensive like Peter, yes Brian it was too disruptive for him as is is for most of us today. During his final week in Jerusalem Jesus was very disruptive, physically in the temple and theologicaly in his teachings. The process of change for the gaeater good cannot be achieved without disruption and personal sacrafice, or some of us would still be working as slaves today.