It is understandable that the descriptive term generous spaciousness creates some inherent challenges. Some people resonate with it and seem to have a gut sense of what it is all about. For others, it is a term that fails to bring clarity to an already complex conversation. Part of the thinking behind coining such a…
The weekend before I went to Cambodia, I had the opportunity to go down to Denver to speak at the 3rd Symposium on the Evangelical Church & Homosexuality hosted by Highlands Church. Mark Tidd is the pastor there – and some of you may remember that Mark came to Toronto to participate in New Direction’s…
I wanted to take a bit of time for reflection before posting some final thoughts on the Cambodia experience. It has been so interesting to me how God interweaves experiences and conversations together to help us grasp some of the bigger picture. I’m grateful to those who have listened and reflected with me. I went…
Cambodia is known to be a place where human trafficking is a tremendous issue. Perhaps you have heard about rescues from brothels and tragic stories of very young girls enslaved by the sex trade. In an earlier post I wrote about going to a café run by the organization, Daughters of Cambodia. Later in the…
This morning I had the good fortune of meeting with Dr. Glenn Miles. Glenn’s journey in Cambodia began more than 25 years ago when he worked in the camps just over the Thailand border. 200,000 Cambodians were living in this camp after the Khmer regime had ended and the Vietnamese entered Cambodia. Through the years,…
My third full day here in Cambodia provided moving glimpses of restoration. After getting some computer work done on my terrace, I hopped in a tuk-tuk to head over to the hotel where my friends Karen and Mark are staying. It was farther than I thought and I was able to see a part of…
Cambodia is a place of great contrasts. It is a place where beauty and ugliness stand beside one another. Where wealth and poverty shake hands. Where ancient art mingles with cheap imitation. Where dignity and desperation dance. Where serenity and trauma jostle together. I went to the royal palace today. The monarchy and the religion…
For those who are friends on Facebook, you may have already heard that I am currently in Cambodia. And some have already asked why on earth I am here. No, it is not a vacation, although it is beautiful, sunny and warm here. For the last year, I have been developing the idea of a…
The blog has been pretty quiet lately …. and all the typical excuses apply …. it has been super busy at the ministry of New Direction! First: I’m thrilled to announce the release of the “Pastors’ Conversation: Navigating LGBT Issues and Questions” DVD resource. You may have had the opportunity to watch the live stream…
In the latest edition of the New Direction newsletter, Pathway, I referred to Jesus’ parable about the workers in the vineyard. Some of you may remember this story from Matthew 20 where Jesus describes a group of temp workers hired to work in the vineyard. The eager beavers get hired first thing in the morning…