It’s Easter time, and sermons are now discussing stories surrounding the Passion. One of these that I’ve always had a lot of difficulty with is the story of Jesus being anointed with perfume. It actually appears in all four gospels (with some rather significant variations), but let’s just take a quick look at the account given at the [beginning of John 12](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%2012:1-11;&version=65;):

>Lazarus and his sisters invited Jesus to dinner at their home. Martha served. Lazarus was one of those sitting at the table with them. Mary came in with a jar of very expensive aromatic oils, anointed and massaged Jesus’ feet, and then wiped them with her hair. The fragrance of the oils filled the house.
>
>Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, even then getting ready to betray him, said, “Why wasn’t this oil sold and the money given to the poor? It would have easily brought three hundred silver pieces.” He said this not because he cared two cents about the poor but because he was a thief. He was in charge of their common funds, but also embezzled them.
>
>Jesus said, “Let her alone. She’s anticipating and honoring the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you. You don’t always have me.”

Part of the problem here is that there’s a *ton* of stuff going on, both on the surface and at the more figurative level. Read on…

A passage this morning [at Community](http://communityfellowship.org/) was from the [letter of James](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%204:13-17;&version=31;), about looking to our futures:

> Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.

I always feel kind of conflicted about these kind of messages. Waterloo charges me a ridiculously high tuition, but I also make a lot of money working on co-op. Even though I’m basically a pretty typical broke 21-year-old student, I have a larger cash flow and less debt than many my age.

But in saving during work terms and spending during school, where’s the line between attentiveness and worry? What constitutes reasonable planning for the future, and what is man’s folly in making his own plans? King David, in [Psalm 33](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2033:10-11;&version=47;) says:

> The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations.

Read on…

It’s getting quiet here. Time to [bust out some controversy](http://sinfest.net/d/20000124.html).

[*Prayer*](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer). Pretty major part of Christianity, being the means by which we can talk to God. The natural extension from talking to God is to *listen back*. So lets talk about listening to God.

For starters, the Bible’s pretty clear about *seeking out* two-way communication with the spiritual realm. Saul’s last mistake was to [contact Samuel through a witch](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Samuel%2028:5-10;&version=31;), an error which cost him [the battle at hand, the kingship, and his life](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Chronicles%2010:2-14;&version=31;).

Nonetheless—according to scripture—it’s clear that God does *occasionally* reveal himself to select individuals (Joseph, Moses, Paul, Elijah, other prophets, etc.) in very explicit ways.

I’ve been thinking about the topic recently, in light of three things:

1. A intriguing sermon series at CFC entitled [*Which Way To Go*](http://communityfellowship.org/resources/audios.asp),
2. The speakers at a [recent Christian retreat](http://shift.subversion.ca/), and
3. The television series [*Wonderfalls*](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonderfalls).

The first two were messages given at Christian gatherings, quite different from each other, and the third is a very (very) secular show which explores some of the themes. Read on…

It’s Christmas season.

Family time, gift-giving, cold weather, and delicious food. It seems we’re also faithfully observing another annual tradition: That of **fighting over the season’s name**.

The Globe and Mail serves up [this year's main installment](http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20051125.wtreeptr1125/BNStory/Front/):

“Regarding the Christmas tree generously donated by Nova Scotia, I hope we can all celebrate it. Nonetheless, this tree is on public property and supported largely by tax dollars from many who vehemently support the separation of church and state,” said another in an e-mail.

Read on…

Joy seems to be back.

It’s one of those words that sort of *fell out of favour* for a while. Are we too cool to be joyful? No one pretends that most of life isn’t the relentless pursuit of *happiness*, so what about Joy?

What are car commercials? Get the car, get the girl. Girl + car = happiness.

Happiness is a feeling. But joyfulness is a state of mind, perhaps even of *being*. Joy made the cut for the nine fruits of the spirit, and happiness didn’t. And Joy certainly fits better with the likes of Patience and Faithfulness. Read on…

I simply love [Watership Down](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0380002930/).

In the middle of the story, one of the rabbits tries to explain the miracle that allowed him to escape from an extraordinarly powerful foe:

“It’s going to be very hard to describe what happened next. Although all four of us were there, we don’t understand it ourselves. But what I’m going to say now is the cold truth. Lord Frith sent one of his great Messengers to save us from [our pursuers]. Each one of us had fallen over the edge of the bank in one place or another … And then–then an enormous thing–I can’t give you any idea of it–as big as a thousand hrududil–bigger–came rushing out of the night. It was full of fire and smoke and light and it roared and beat on the metal lines until the ground shook beneath it. It drove between us and [the enemy] like a thousand thunderstorms with lightning. I tell you, I was beyond being afraid. I couldn’t move. The flashing and the noise … they split the whole night apart.”

Read on…

Lewis’ book [The Great Divorce](http://www.cslewisclassics.com/books/great_divorce-excerpt.html) is a compelling hypothesis on the nature of Hell. There’s really not much about the afterlife in the Bible, but it’s fun to speculate, at least in moderation.

I’d love to think that Heaven is like an enormous never-ending dinner-party. Read on…

A fellow from ISCF at my high school MSNed me like last night about it. I’m normally not too thrilled about going to random people’s youth groups midweek… but Frannie and I decided to go anyways.

It really was fantastic. It was being hosted by the youth group of a Korean church in Northern Toronto, but the event itself was run by a group from Philadelphia that does some training in New Jersey and then brings their people up to Canadian cities to run services at different churches.

The speaker and worship were very… I dunno… spirit-filled, I guess. Sometimes these sort of events can get way too tied up in how loud the amps are and how many obscure Bible connections can be made, but these guys just seemed very very *honest*.

The group is called SOR, but it seems their fantastic-looking website badly wants an update. Anyhow, if you hear of them doing anything at a local church, definitely give it a look.

Mike