Even where I cannot see, God continuously provides - Rohadi

Even where I cannot see, God continuously provides.

I know this is true because it’s happened over and over again. You would think I’d be less surprised when it happens now, but there’s always a layer of stubbornness that eventually gives way to awesome wonder.

I remember a recent season when my first church plant was coming to a close. (Actually, I should say it was changing, not closing, since most of the people remain connected in community.)

I thought to myself, what am I supposed to do now? I wasn't worried about it, but I knew change that I could not see was coming. A new door was about to open.

Some context first. For a couple of years prior, a friend and I were having conversations about a new church community in our city for the, "outsiders". You know the ones, the people that surrounded Jesus, yet were simultaneously outcasts in their regular society. What would a church for the outsiders look like in the here and now?

For me, I had always advocated for a church plant; she wasn't on board for that size of commitment...yet.

Two days before Christmas I got a message from her, "let's do an event.” Basically, an idea for a kind of a service, once a month, to make inroads to the outsider community.

Let me think about it, I replied.

Inside I knew I wasn’t interested in doing an event. It’s easy for a church to do cool events/services to cater to a particular demographic. That wasn’t very appealing, it lacked a level of depth I think is necessary for any community, especially one for the outsiders. We needed depth for longevity, an event wasn't going to cut it.

Two days after Christmas I replied, "I'm not interested in an event, anybody can do something cool. But I'd do a church plant."

This time a surprising reply, "Ok, let’s do it...."

I don’t know what changed in either of us, other than the timing was God ordained. Right when my first church plant closed a new one came out of nowhere to begin.

Two months later Cypher Church launched and we've been figuring out how to live out community with the “outsiders” who’d otherwise never fit into contemporary churches ever since.

God always has a plan. Sometimes we can’t see how far it goes, but we get signposts along the way confirming we’re on the right track. The transformations seen in Cypher Church in our brief time have been miraculous to say the least. The pursuit without a known path has yielded incredible moments.

How did this experience impacted my writing? For one, instead of preaching (which I’ve never really done in a traditional sense) I changed to accommodate a new way of communicating. Rather than 30 minute teaching sessions, I had to distill my ideas down to 5 minute spoken word projects instead. A good challenge to communicate effectively.

The other is the one I cannot see. The work to translate beliefs and language we take for granted in church culture for the next generation who have no religious memory. This work seems to be shaping a future book. Where it goes I don't know because I can't see that far ahead. But even where I cannot see, God can, and I'm happy to meander down the path looking for signposts along the way to confirm I'm headed in a good direction.

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Let's connect. My blog on church and culture. Check out my adult colouring book too.

Notebooks for every occasion - by Rohadi

Notebooks for every occasion. Never leave home without one. That and pens. Never leave home without a pen. The last thing you want to do is scrounge up a pencil from your car, or a ballpoint from the bank. 

When it comes to notebook selection some things matter and others don't. I’m more lenient on what qualifies as a “notebook” as I've been in the past, opting to accept the electronic variety in a pinch. 

Here’s a snapshot of of both process and hobby when it comes to selecting my writing tools.

• Every new book project gets it’s own notebook. Not just any notebook mind you. Utility has to outweigh beauty. Thick pages that can take ink from the fountain pen (usually the quickest pen so long as it doesn't skip) without bleeding through. They can be short, 48 pages maybe, and small, 5x5 perhaps.
• Meandering thoughts can go in notebooks that have a certain stylish flair. I’m not picky with quality, albeit the pen needs to run well along the pages. 
• I tend to have different notebooks for different tasks. For example, one devoted to ideas on faith and ministry, another for random reflections. 
• Then there’s the tiny notepad, the one I can fit in a coat pocket or briefcase. It’s for jotting down random thoughts. You know the ones that find you out of thin air. I got tired of using the napkin or grocery receipt, so I have some little pages at my disposal.
• If all that fails, I’ll pull out my phone and use the Evernote app (that syncs with my desktop). I’ve tried OneNote but simply didn’t get the hang of it. Evernote has been useful to organize thoughts in broad categories. That makes returning to an idea and following through a little bit easier. 
• Category use in the app is also why I chose Scrivener to complete writing projects. It's critical to organize ideas, and Word can't match the power and features in Scrivener. 

What I haven’t yet mastered is what to do with all the ideas. Most of them turn into nothing, ideas jotted down that I never revisit. I wonder if some “spring cleaning” would de-clutter the list and increase creative use? 

Finally, how do I approach the regular rhythm of journalling? I don't. In fact, I’ve never consistently journaled. I do it, but merely as a way to reduce the noise in my head by transferring it to paper. I rarely go back into my journals, mostly because I write too fast while journalling. Which is fine because that’s not the point. Journalling is a necessary outlet to keep the writing mind, and the soul, healthy. Rarely do thoughts escape into projects, or new ideas emerge. It's merely a release, a dump of letters to complete the day or season.

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P.S. I would love to reply to comments but I've been unable due to login issues (that I don't know how to remedy).....so thanks for all of your thoughts! 

Visit Rohadi at his blog. Check out his adult coloring book Soul Coats.

The Ordinary Nowhere - By Rohadi

When Lucy first emerged from the wardrobe into the land of Narnia, her first encounter was a lit lamp post, out of place in the middle of the forest. It didn’t matter which direction Lucy took beyond the lamp, it served as confirmation for the path home when she decided to return.

Christians often dwell in the tension of direction, especially when it comes to making important decisions. It’s human nature to consider all of the options in the wake of potential change. It’s also human nature to preserve status quo than to branch out into the unknown. It’s safer to do nothing. That’s why most potential heroines are just that, potential heroines, opting to remain in the confines of the Ordinary World over the risk of crossing the threshold into the Special World.

We want to make the “right” choice, ensuring we hear clearly from God before moving. But unfortunately, this leads to a space where we become frozen in place, never venturing beyond, “I’ll pray about it”.

We pray for the obvious, the proverbial “call" from God, to confirm beyond doubt where we go next. We’re hoping for a literal voice, a phone call from the heavens, something so obvious it makes our decision and direction easy. In our wait for ease we stay put. 

It’s so easy to stay put.

There are certain times of pause and wait, but we must balance these times with the consistent drive to move forward. The mere act of movement, not necessarily the "right" move, is a key to biblical calling. There are a few literal callings in scripture. The church receives one in Ephesians 4. You and I receive a calling at the end of Matthew 28. Then we have the foundational call as believers in John, to love one another. 

What if we’ve received all the calling we need, and what’s left is the movement to “Go”? Could it be that God's already given the pieces we need to make choices as we go? And that our equipping is reliant upon us taking the first step along the new path? 

Maybe we make change harder than it has to be? 

But then doubt emerges and we invariably ask again and again, “which path is the right path?!” So we await confirmation from God and the cyclical cycle of staying put begins again. 

I suppose we can wait. God does speak in mysterious ways but consider this. The next time you’re facing the fork in the road mulling the options consider Lucy. She had no path.

What if we’ve been given all of the pieces we need to choose direction and all that’s left is to, “go”? What if all we get as we go are tantalizing lamp posts along the way confirming that regardless of which path we take God will follow our choice?

She had no path, only the will to move into the allure of the unknown. 

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Rohadi blogs at his website www.rohadi.com. He released an adult coloring book last year called, Soul Coats. Recently, he co-launched a new church plant in Calgary called, Cypher Church. 

The Cross For All - by Rohadi

This Lenten season I’ve made my way through a formidable book called, “The Day the Revolution Began,” by N.T. Wright. Everyone has the handful of books that have been formative, those watershed moments, for either skill or faith. This one fits the bill for me. Surprised by Hope, another title by Wright, would be another, but the former book has redefined my approach to critical questions of our faith—why the cross, and how does it solve anything?

The typical reformed answer would be, to deliver us from our sins by taking the penalty of death on the cross. The Sunday school answer, however, only works within a context of an already churched person, someone who knows the church language and stories. I am curious to know how someone would explain the why and how of the cross without using church language. 

Could you do it? Explain the value of the cross without using words like ‘sin’, ‘wrath’, ‘fallen’, ‘blood sacrifice’. It was a challenge for me, questions I was asking because my ministry tends to operate outside of the confines communities full of career Christians, and towards those who’ve never heard the stories. These people hear, ‘Easter’ and think bunnies, chocolate, and a stat holiday. 

Isn’t there something more? And can I even make sense of it?

Of course, there’s an answer. Actually, let me rephrase. An ‘answer’ to the cross implies a level of formula that we try to impose to make sense of something that cannot be placed into a formula. The cross cannot be fully explained, which is part of the point, there is a mystery that one must discover on their own accord. It would be better to say, of course there’s a story, and the cross sits as the fundamental climax of that story, one where the church picks up the unfolding pieces. 

The cross makes no sense if it’s taken out of God’s story for creation and shoehorned into theological preferences. 

Writers are acutely aware of the formation and power of story, and the scriptures point to a grand unfolding narrative. God begins with a purpose for creation—to bear the image of the creator—and it is our return to this purpose (or ‘vocation’ as Wright uses) that God is fundamentally trying to restore. This story has remained unchanged since creation, unfolded with the nation of Israel throughout history, yet was never fully realized in their care. Jesus becomes the fulfillment of God’s promise to reconcile humanity back to the covenant made with Abraham—a blessing for a multitude—an uncountable sin-forgiven family. Jesus does this through the work on the cross, choosing to take the powers of evil, both seen and unseen, to prove they could be beaten, at the cross and at the empty tomb. 

There were so many moments of, ‘oh wow’, in this year’s Lenten journey, connected with the devotions through Wright’s writing. I’ll trail off with a mere, Happy Easter to all, and a hearty encouragement to read the book! It will challenge you in the least, and change you for the best.

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Catch Rohadi as his blog, and check out his adult coloring book with Biblical themes. 

The weird love for writing - by Rohadi

“What do you love about writing?” This month’s writing prompt.

I had to think about this, and then think about it again, then think about it some more. But every time I tried to think about my ‘love’ for writing all that came up was how writing was/is work. Work that beckons me to participate most days. Work that I couldn’t live without, but work that requires constant struggle through resistance to complete. 

I don't always like my work.

Not only is writing work, but it’s also a part of me. I can't get away. It’s how I get my ideas out, and I don’t really have a choice in the matter. I either write something or become a discombobulated mess as ideas amass themselves in the limited space between my ears. 

Ah, the 'joys' of writing….

But then it dawns on me. If writing was an instant success where every word came naturally and perfectly, what would the point be? What kind of love measures itself on whimsy and ease? A love that’s fleeting, that’s what.

Most of us would know that the quality of love is rooted in its substantive essence. The choosing you have to do day, by day, by day, to love. This is why even on those days you don’t like to write, you still love writing. Then one day, sometimes by chance or miracle, the love offering of words produces the reward—the book, the perfect sonnet, beautiful paragraphs…. 

It's why we keep returning, we choose to love writing. An odd kind of love, no doubt, since I may need writing, but writing doesn’t need me. 

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Connect with Rohadi on his website, and check out his adult colouring book.

Give Thanks? Fake it till you make it - by Rohadi

I remember sitting in a service of a rather large church and couldn't help but notice how repetitive the lead preacher was. On three separate occasions he reminded people to smile, not to anybody in particular, seemingly suggesting it was somehow reflective of a superior faith.

“As my grandpa used to always say, you don't want to look like you've been baptized in lemon juice!” noted the preacher.

Why did this bug me? It struck me as disingenuous but it also alluded to the notion if someone didn’t meet the smile quota then something was wrong with their faith. I didn't roll my eyes, but I did make a mental note to frown for the remainder of the service.

Why did I respond in this way?

Maybe I indeed lacked joy and needed to smile more like the preacher said. Or more likely, maybe I prefer when someone reflects their authentic spirit in the moment, and many times we just don’t feel like smiling. 

We've all gone through, or are going through, present or past struggles. No faith is worth its salt if it hasn’t travelled through the ‘valley of death’ once or twice. In those experiences smiling is hard and sometimes forced. We give the illusion of joy but it's fake.

While traveling through tough times you may have heard something like this, “fake it till you make it.” Advice used to maintain momentum when picking up a new skill or beating an old habit.

Does it work? Have you 'faked it until you made it?'

I have. I think it does work, but the mantra is a bit of a misnomer. 

When we walk into the valleys, when joy seems far from us, it requires real intention to constantly remind ourselves about joy and practice habits of joy.

If you’re ‘faking’ you’re actually entering into an activity—you’re doing something. Doing is participating, an activity that’s less ‘faking’ as it is a liturgy of reclamation. This kind of liturgy practices joy in an attempt to discover joy. In this sense, the rhythm of ‘faking it till you make it’ is a spiritual act of worship! Soon enough (God willing) joy emerges as a prominent reflection of our authentic selves.

Whether you want to smile about that or not is up to you.

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 You can catch Rohadi online at his blog on church innovation. Check out his adult colouring book, Soul Coats, now available. 

Hidden Gifts Locked Away Inside of You - by Rohadi

Christmas is the season of hustle and bustle. Thankfully, the measure of our Christian faith isn’t how many things we can do. In fact, we have no measure at all. Rather, our call is to be faithful with what we’ve been given.

The fourth chapter of Ephesians had significant implications and applications for the early church, ones that remain critical for you and me today. 

In verses 1-3, how a Christian faith should pragmatically look like is described. Verses 4-6 are a brief theology in what many call one of the earliest church creeds.

Then in verse seven a statement--a reminder almost--that everyone (all believers) have a gift….

“But the grace was given to each one of us, according to the measure of the king used when he was distributing gifts.” Ephesians 4:7.

What gifts are these? Verse 11...Some to apostles, prophets, pastors/shepherds, teachers, and evangelists. 

Verse seven already said you have at least one of these gifts (I believe you have all 5, some merely more prominent than others). Not only do you have one, your gift specifically is critical to the function of a healthy church (v. 12).

Christmas is a time to gift others, which is wonderful in itself. But let’s stop to reflect how we can enter the New Year and go deeper with gifts we already have. The ones that when lived out become real and tangible glimpses of the reason for this season—the gift of hope here and now and to come. 

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Rohadi is a bi-vocational pastor in Calgary. His first publication is an adult colouring book called: "Soul Coats: Restoration", available on Amazon.

Smashing (into) the writing wall - by Rohadi

I’d hit the wall. It was a recent Spring, the unofficial kick-off to ‘fun' when activities ramp up and outdoor adventures begin. You hibernate and slow down in Winter, that’s acceptable, but Spring/Summer?! Creativity should be at your fingertips! Just look at the trees, that sun is shining, BBQs are in full swing! 

After publishing my colouring book project everything in my writing life ground to a halt. There were things to do—there are always things to do—but finding momentum and inspiration to do the work was nascent at best. 

I'd hit the wall and could do anything but write.

In that space I knew something needed to change, I needed to change, anything needed change. So I tried to make some changes to shed the weight of nothing. 

I thought, maybe I should buy a new computer, that’ll get me writing. (I’ve run out of rooms to put the old ones….) What about a trip to the pen store? That might inspire me. Maybe I’ll start drinking in the morning? I’m sure some famous writer needed a shot of something to start the day? Even without a morning mimosa I wasn’t thinking clearly.

Writing is work, and sometimes you don’t want to go to work. In fact, there are seasons, particularly when you’re not a daily professional with outlined deadlines that someone else depends on, when doing nothing is easy. We've all faced these kinds of struggles, but this time was a different somehow.... Lots to do but so little desire to do them. 

Maybe I'll quit?

Too harsh.

Maybe I'll take a break.

I took a break from it all and rested. Rather than being mopey all Summer I paused to reflect on the past and what was coming in the future. In that time I did a few little things on purpose to prepare for a fresh start even when I couldn't say when that would be. I re-arranged my office; better to look out the window rather than an empty wall. I found a new notebook and some books to read. I took a vacation.

Change and pause are instrumental to capture the new while balancing the old routines. (In case you're wondering, there's no timetable when a 'pause' should end.)

Think about this: nobody walks into a winery or liquor store and exclaims, “Where’s your newest bottle of wine?! I’m looking for a 2016 vintage!” Ignoring the fact '2016' and 'vintage' don’t go together until 2066, the notion remains ridiculous. Nobody values new wine.

There’s a parable where Jesus talks about old wine and new wine skins. The two don’t mix. But the thing is, neither is regarded as better than the other. Old wine has vintage and value. New wine is fresh with possibility although requires the new package for accommodation. 

Balancing new habits with a combination of the necessary ‘old’ is a constant rhythm in my writing journey. I have to re-articulate goals, remind myself of my necessary writing routine (and stick with it), commit to deadlines, read voraciously, and constantly improve my prose through input and review, find new challenges, (for the record there’s no pen store), and take moments (or seasons) to get away from it all. 

Then, and maybe then, I'll break through the wall.



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Visit rohadi on his blog and check out his adult bible colouring book.