Library Quotes, etc.

When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, 

also the books, and above all the parchments. 

(2 Timothy 4:13)

St. Paul Writing His Epistles (1620) 

by Valentin de Boulogne (1591 – 1632)

+++

The love of learning, the sequestered nooks, 

And all the sweet serenity of books.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

We read to know we are not alone.
~C.S. Lewis

You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.
~C.S. Lewis

Books can be dangerous. The best ones should be labeled "This could change your life."
~Helen Exley

Make thy books thy companions, let thy bookcases and shelves be thy gardens and pleasure-grounds. Pluck the fruit that grows therein, gather the roses, the spices, and the myrrh.
~Samuel Ben Judah Ibn Tibbon (12th century)

Libraries are my church. They comfort, inspire, offer community, and make us  ask big questions.
~Clifford Henderson

The dearest ones of time, the strongest friends of the soul--BOOKS.
~Emily Dickinson

To Homer, libraries were holy places like churches, and the priestly librarians a blessed race, a saving remnant in a world of sin. Whenever God grew impatient and decided to destroy the world he remembered the librarians and stayed his hand.
~Jane Langton

+++

Thank you for your patronage. 
~M.C.

Church Library Closed for the Summer

The Church Library will be closed during for the summer. 


Meanwhile, I recommend a solid 10-part video series to watch, in honour of theologian Dr. Francis Schaeffer's (1912-1984) 100th Year Anniversary:

 

If you did not view this on television back in the late 1970's, it is worth a look at in light of world events, today. It holds a powerful message. It is also available for purchase on DVD, online. I would love to see this series viewed by every church... Its message is timeless.

 

"How Should We Then Live?" Ten Part series

(Parts 1 to 8) Best quality video available

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3E65A1D7EFB91A7B&feature=plcp

Parts 9 and 10 (scroll down to start at 9#1) Not the best quality video, but sufficient

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7C1A83B0551BDD84&feature=plcp

Have a safe and blessed Summer! 

Billy Graham's "World Aflame" Online Book

It seems that this Billy Graham's book, predicting what the world may be like in the year 2000, and beyond, is closer to the reality than one would have thought back in 1965. 

It is food for a thought, for any serious Christian, with a warning to us all. 

This is a "very different" kind of Billy Graham book that should be reading or every person who calls himself/herself a Christian-

WORLD AFLAME
http://www.ccel.us/worldaflame.toc.html

WORLD AFLAME is frightening. It fully accepts the Biblical prophecy that the world as we know it will come to an end before a new world of peace and righteousness comes into being.

   WORLD AFLAME is hard-hitting. Billy Graham minces no words in describing the morass of modern morality, the inadequacy of modern theology, the idolatry of men and nations worshipping false gods like Technology and Sex, which forebode a climactic end.

   WORLD AFLAME is forthright. Billy Graham warns that Christians, if they really want to live up to the teachings of Christ, must act on social issues like desegregation as well as on matters of personal ethics.

   WORLD AFLAME is controversial. "This book," states Billy Graham, "is intentionally controversial. I hope that something of what I have written will shock readers out of apathy into the reality of our desperate condition individually and socially."

Updates

from the Lent 2012 newsletter

St. Timothy's Church Library:

Bright new changes coming soon to your Church Library, and the Library Blog --You can find the blog linked on the church website: Click on "Links" in the sidebar! We're #1. The Library blog also continues to include the Film Ministry updates.

The upcoming new and improved changes should help you "check out" the books before you check them out. And, soon, you will be able to even "reserve" a book from the Church Library. We have books for everybody, feeding the Christian soul and mind!

Is there a wish list of books you would like to see placed in our library? Do you have any newer or classic books that you would like to donate?

Some recent donations to the Church Library include:
"Have a Little Faith: A True Story", by Mitch Albom - The story of two incredible men whose lives demonstrate what faith is all about.
"Becoming a Prayer Warrior: A Guide to Effective and Powerful Prayer", by Elizabeth Alves - Written by the founder and president of "Intercessors International", a Texas-based ministry. Join her at the feet of Jesus and you, too, will become a mighty prayer warrior.

Blessings during the Holy Lenten season.
-MC

Film Ministry:

The film ministry provides opportunities for parishioners to borrow films each Sunday after worship. The DVD includes questions for thought and discussion. A wide variety of films are available such as documentaries, comedies, dramatic presentations and even some historical films. New films to come on board soon, include; “Of Gods and Men” a fictional film based upon the true story of a group of Trappist monks stationed within an impoverished Algerian community and their decision whether to leave or stay when threatened by fundamentalist terrorists. Also joining the collection will be the film, “Courageous” which is about four police officers who struggle with their faith and their roles as husbands and fathers when tragedy strikes home. Please come and visit the film collection after church and borrow a film!
-PY

Virtual Book - "In The Wake of the War Canoe", by W.H. Collison

A St.Timothy's member (and a regular Church Library borrower) had informed me of this historical, out of print book, published in 1915. Thank you, Ursula.

In the Wake of the War Canoe is the Venerable William Henry Collison's memoir of his life setting up missions on the B.C. coast. He was the Archdeacon of Metlakahtla, in British Columbia.

The excellent virtual pdf book link, page by page...:
http://www.archive.org/stream/wakewarcanoe00collrich#page/18/mode/2up

This is an amazing story of high adventure, which is surprising, as it's written by an Anglican missionary. The Venerable H.W.Collison's missionary adventures among the Haidas and Tsimshians of British Columbia are exciting and fascinating.

A good review of the book, by Adele Case, Britannia Secondary School, Vancouver, BC. -

"Collison introduced the natives of the Queen Charlotte Islands to civilizing influences, and his life appears a testimonial to many virtues: fortitude, devotion to duty, honesty, fairness, and indomitability. Mrs. Collison, too, must have been admired by the many people she nursed and helped. At times there is a sermonistic, almost smug note (especially when heathen Indians reject old evil practices to die as voluble Christians)... this tone was common in serious works of the Victorian era writers.

The book deserves a careful reading by all who are fascinated by Northwest coast history. Whether he is writing about the hunting of sea otters, trading voyages with his Haida friends, struggles against the "demon alcohol" or smallpox, or the factional disputes between tribes, one is again and again surprised at the versatility of the man. Realizing that he must instruct the tribesmen in their own language, he quickly became a fluent linguist, often mediating in tribal disputes. Shamans and necromancers tried to scoff at his message, but his white man's medicine was strong, his converts increased, and his own sterling character acted like a magnet to lead many natives toward Christian rites.

The chapters dealing with the complexities of the crest system, the potlatch ceremony, and the symbolism of swans-down, will fascinate anyone who appreciates the art and traditions of the Pacific coast original peoples. If only there had been more illustrations!" (http://umanitoba.ca/cm/cmarchive/vol11no1/inthewake.html)

Other "virtual read" versions of this book can be found here: (ie. text,Daisy, Kindle, etc...)
http://openlibrary.org/books/OL7132133M/In_the_wake_of_the_war_canoe

Heavenly Departures...

from the Advent 2011 newsletter

Films are displayed on a table in the coffee area each Sunday after services. Please feel welcome to browse the collection and borrow a film to watch with friends and family. Here are a couple of new films recently added to the collection.

Departures: This is a Japanese film with English subtitles, which won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2009. Departures is surely the gentlest, sweetest movie about death that you will ever see. A cellist named Diago, comes to the rueful conclusion that he’s not talented enough to make a career as a musician; having just returned to his hometown with his wife, he answers a job ad for what he thinks must be a travel agency... only to discover that company prepares bodies to be placed in coffins. Fearful of his wife’s response, he hides his new job--but as he grows to appreciate his boss and the affect that the humbling ceremony of cleaning and dressing the deceased has on their families, Diago discovers that he might have a calling. Though it starts out quietly and even seems slight, it gradually builds in emotional power, layer by layer, until scene after scene at the end is richly moving. Particularly affecting is the performance of Kimiko Yo, the secretary of the company, who harbors a troubling secret. A few moments of overt symbolism push the movie from compassion to sentimentality--but every time Departures seems to have lost its footing, a scene follows that strikes all the right notes so deftly it resonates like a bell. A truly marvelous movie. – (This review is from Amazon Canada).

Children of Heaven: Nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film in 1998. CHILDREN OF HEAVEN is winsome, poignant, life-affirming, and moral. This beautiful film tells the story of a brother and sister who live in a poor section of Teheran and have to make do with one pair of shoes between them. In the midst of poverty, this movie affirms life, love, family, perseverance, and compassion.

P.Y.

In Praise of Churches...

from the Advent 2011 newsletter

While I was browsing the web, one day, I came across a wonderful blog written by a local "Church Lady", Suzanne Wilson, who has compiled a history of churches in North America, Monaco and the Vatican. Her concise, but thoroughly researched blog is called, "Churches on Sundays". A blessing for us all. http://www.churchesonsundays.blogspot.com/

Our Library also has some very good books on churches, and Church, history. There have been more than a few of these books donated by various church members. Here is just a small selection of what you can find on our Library shelf:
Pacific Pilgrims, by Lyndon Grove (1979): A 120 history of the Anglican Church in BC and its "pilgrims".
In Praise of Churches, by John Betjeman and Paul Hogarth (1996): A wonderfully illustrated guide and evocation of the church and church life -- High and Low, Matins, Evensong, etc.
The English Parish Church, by Gerald Randall (1988): A summary of the evolution of parish churches in England, from Pre-Gothic to the present day.
Cathedrals and Abbeys of England, by the Very Reverend Stephen Platten, Dean of Norwich (1999): A guide to over 60 of England's most visited cathedrals and abbeys.

These books, and more, along with Suzanne Wilson's blog would make for excellent Christmas reading, with plenty of pictures to enjoy.

I love thy Church, O God!
Her walls before thee stand.
Dear as the apple of thine eye,
And graven on thy hand.
Beyond my highest joy
I prize her heavenly ways,
Her sweet communion, solemn vows,
Her hymns of love and praise.

~from the hymn, "I Love Thy Kingdom Lord" by Timothy Dwight, 1752-1817

"So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit." (Ephesians 2:19-22)

Have a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year 2012.

~submitted by M.C.

"The Pursuit of God", by A.W.Tozer

UPDATE: We now have a paperback copy of this book in the Church Library!

from the Fall 2011 newsletter

St. Timothy's Church Library will be open the Sunday, September 25th, after a couple summer months of renovations at Sutherland Church. Every year I have an "amnesty" on long over-due books. If you have any books that were borrowed prior to June please return them soon! More new books have been added to the growing church library collection. Check them out!

During the summer I read a "life-changing" book by A.W.Tozer, "The Pursuit of God". This book was written by Tozer in 1948, and is said to be one of his best writings. You could almost say that this book was written by Tozer while on his knees in worship before God. It is timeless. Aiden Wilson Tozer (April 21, 1897 - May 12, 1963) was an American pastor with the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church.

Here is an online link to Tozer's classic book that can be read online, or printed on a printer, which ever you prefer. I believe every member of St. Timothy's should read this book at least once in their lifetime. It could prove life-changing for you, also:
http://www.ntslibrary.com/PDF%20Books/Tozer_Pursuit_of_God.pdf

"Faith is the gaze of a soul upon a saving God."~A.W. Tozer

Blessed reading!

~M.C.

Film Ministry News

from the Fall 2011 newsletter

The Film Ministry at St Timothy’s continues to be well utilized. Films are usually available each Sunday after the service. Many are borrowed each Sunday and as new ones are added more interest is generated. Each year I hope to add at least new 10 new films. Films for the ministry are chosen using the following criteria:

• Connection or disconnection with the Gospel
• Engaging with others, to communicate God’s love and hope in non-threatening ways
• Remembering always that God has been and will continue to be there in the culture and in the people with whom we engage, working in the most surprising ways to transform his good yet tarnished creation

I have recently placed an order for a PBS Documentary titled: “The Better Hour: The Legacy of William Wilberforce”. The Better Hour is the story of Wilberforce who, inspired by faith, used his political and social influence to change the world for the better. At the beginning of the 19th century, almost a third of the British economy depended on the trade of human beings. William Wilberforce was determined to end this horrific practice, by persuading both Parliament and British society to abolish slavery in the British Empire.

~P.Y.

Book Review: "What Good is God?

from the Lent 2011 newsletter

While searching through the books at my local library on religion and faith, I recently came across a newly published book by well-respected author, Philip Yancey, "What Good is God? - In Search of a Faith That Matters".

I enjoy Philip's books as I find that they are usually a fairly "easy" read and they attempt to answer questions that I often have about my own personal faith struggles.

To quote the book cover, "What good is a God in a world where terrorists attack tourist sites in Mumbai, where women and children are sold into slavery, where a gunman kills 32 students and staff on a college campus, an where six million people in South Africa alone suffer with HIV/AIDS." Each chapter of the book introduces this question in light of different situations and places around the world where Philip is visiting and then Philip includes the "speech" that he delivered while he was visiting in this area.

I particularly enjoyed the chapters on the church in China and in the Middle East. Consider reading this book, it will provide some answers to your questions and it will give you lots of "food for thought".

"'What good is God?' is an open question whole answer God has invested in us his followers. We are the ones called to demonstrate a faith that matters to a watching world." - Philip Yancey

Submitted by P.Y., our Film Ministry Librarian

UPDATE:
This book, given by donation, is now available to borrow from the Church Library

More updates! God at the Movies...

Catching up on this Holy Easter weekend to update the Church Library blog:
from the Lent 2011 newsletter

Acts 17: ²²So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: "Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. ²³For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, 'To the unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. ²⁴The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, ²⁵nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. ²⁶And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, ²⁷that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, ²⁸for 'In him we live and move and have our being';as even some of your own poets have said,'For we are indeed his offspring.'"

I was recently given an interesting article to read from "The Anglican Planet" on film and faith titled "Meeting God at the Movies."
http://www.anglicanplanet.net/canadian-news/2010/11/3/film-faith-meeting-god-at-the-movies.html
The authors, Steve Page and Julie Golding Page, (Priests-in-Charge of Mission of Hudson Bay and Arborfield in Saskatchewan), suggest that Paul's stirring evangelistic speech to the Athenians (Acts 17 - see quote above) reveals how their own culture, through the thoughts of their poets and their buildings to an unknown God actually anticipates a relationship with God. Paul also sensitively and clearly points our linkages with God's love and desire for these people to know Him. From this premise the authors propose that film is one way contemporary Christians can follow in Paul's footsteps. "To do so is not to accept the greater culture wholesale, nor to reject it wholesale". Instead they suggest a different approach. To look at film as a cultural artifact and evaluate the film for the following:

• Connection or disconnection with the Gospel
• Engaging with others, to communicate God's love and hope in non-threatening ways
• Remembering always that God has been and will continue to be there in the culture and in the people with whom we engage, working in the most surprising ways to transform his goo yet tarnished creation

UPDATE: The following films have recently been added to the collection. They are actually all fairly old films, but as the saying goes, "they are oldies but goldies".

Chocolat (2000) A woman and her daughter open a chocolate shop in a small French village that shakes up the rigid morality of the community.

Chariots of Fire (1981) The story of two British track athletes, one a determined Jew, and the other a devout Christian who compete in the 1924 Olympics. This DVD includes a second DVD with some phenomenal special features.

Grand Canyon (1991) The story revolves around six residents from different backgrounds whose lives intertwine in modern day Los Angeles.

Films of Faith

from the Advent 2010 newsletter

“But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.”

Matthew 5:44

“To look at art by people of different experiences – whether cultural, religious, economic, or otherwise – is a way of stepping outside of what is comfortable and familiar in order to become more compassionate. It cultivates understanding, and thus sympathy, with people who are different than us. This is an especially powerful endeavor if we are willing to consider how our enemies experience the world – what a giant step it takes us toward loving them as Christ requires” [1]

One of the purposes of the Film Ministry at St Timothy’s is to do just this. To have films available to watch which allow us to enter into the experiences of people different then us, sometimes radically different then us. This is not easy. It is difficult, sometimes very difficult and often it is almost easier just to say, “I don’t want to know. I don’t need to know” but Jesus calls us to love them and to do this we need to try and understand where they are coming from and what they have experienced. Films can allow us this experience. Good films are authentic and enlightening and have a “Christlike perspective” which is concerned with more than justice. To love one’s enemy is to consider and care what happens to him.[2]

I have some new films in the Ministry.

The first one is titled, “Faith Like Potatoes”. This is a film produced by Affirm Films, a division of Sony this is a motion picture label launched in 2008 to release gospel and Christian films. Based on the novel Faith Like Potatoes, this inspiring film tells the story of Angus Buchan, a South African farmer who suffers a series of seemingly insurmountable losses, but through an unlikely friendship with his Zulu farmhand and divine interventions, discovers the key to healing himself and learning to accept others lies in his unwavering belief in the power of faith. This powerful DVD includes a gripping 54 minute documentary on the real life Angus Buchan, the making of Faith Like Potatoes, director and cast commentary, deleted scenes and more.

Another new film to the Ministry is “The Necessities of Life”. This film was Canada's submission for Best Foreign Language Film at the 81st Academy Awards. Set in the early 1950s, the movie tells the story of Tivii (Natar Ungalaaq), an Inuit in the Far North who is diagnosed with tuberculosis by a doctor on a visiting hospital ship and promptly sent south to a sanatorium in Quebec. Separated from his family and unable to communicate with the concerned but condescending staff or his chain-smoking fellow patients, he is devastated by the effects of his isolation. Yet tentative connections with a nurse (Éveline Gélinas) and an orphaned Inuit boy (Paul-André Brasseur) help reintroduce him to the real necessities. This film is in French with English subtitles.

---

[1] Overstreet, Jeffrey, Through A Screen Darkly (California: Regal Books, 2007), 123.

[2] Overstreet, Jeffrey, Through A Screen Darkly (California: Regal Books, 2007), 175.

The Spirit of Wildness

From the March 2011 newsletter

One of my favourite reads during the past year has been Trevor Herriot's poetically written book: "Jacob's Wound: A Search for the Spirit of Wildness", so much so, that I have placed a copy of this wonderful book into our Church Library. I believe many who love spirituality and nature will enjoy reading it. I do hope to be able to be able to also acquire a copy of Trevor Herriot's first book, the multiple-award winning "River in a Dry Land: A Prairie Passage", for the library, as the book is clearly the forerunner to "Jacob's Wound."

Trevor Herriot's first book about the Qu'Appelle River Valley, "River in a Dry Land," was highly acclaimed by reviewers when it was first published in 2000 and went on to win four awards: the Writers' Trust Drainie-Taylor Biography Prize, the Libris Award for Best First-Time Author, the Saskatchewan Book of the Year Award, and the Regina Book Award. It was also shortlisted for the Governor General's Award for Non-fiction.

Here is a short book review from Publishers Weekly on "Jacob's Wound" -
http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-55591-616-9
In a series of meditations on nature and wildness, religion and spirituality, sojourning and home, Trevor Herriot demonstrates both the contemplative mysticism that returned him to his Catholic roots and the sharp eye of a naturalist distinctly aware of his physical surroundings. In the first half of the book, “Ascending Hakkarmel,” Herriot describes the intimate practice of living occasionally in a tipi on “the Land,” his family's retreat, in chapters alternating with meditations on the Bible, such as the conflict between Jacob and Esau, and religious or spiritual teachings and experiences, such as Teilhard de Chardin's.

In the book's second half, titled “From Mount Carmel,” the author continues, in writing that is lush and evocative, to toggle between personal anecdote and thoughts on scripture and religious tradition. The chapter titles of this half, such as “Wild Grace,” “Scapular 1” and “Into the Presence of God—1. Descend,” belie the author's poetic style. Herriot provides, rather than a sustained ecological or theological argument, an engaged reflection on nature and God.

"Jacob's Wound is an extended posture of supplication, a benediction voiced into the wind. Trevor Herriot stands, extends his arms toward heaven and earth, and draws the spirit toward its home in the heart." ~Ross A. Laird, "Globe & Mail, October 30, 2004"

Official New Library Opening!

From the Advent 2010 newsletter

The "new" St. Timothy's Library has officially opened -- with many thanks to the graciousness of Sutherland Church to offer us a large eight shelf book case that can be closed and locked when not in use. What seemed like "boxes of books" at one time suddenly became much smaller once placed on the new bookcase shelves!

There is room to Grow our Library! There is still quite a few more books and videos to catalogue and place on those shelves. But, for the first time in many years, there is a wide and varied selection of books for borrowing. The Library also has a small collection of Biblical-based VHS videos (does anybody watch those anymore?) and DVD's for children, youth, and adults. Check out your "new" library this Sunday...

"Make thy books thy companions. Let thy cases and shelves be thy pleasure grounds and gardens." ~Judah ibn-Tibbon (12th century)

Hold a Movie Night!

from the September 2010 Newsletter

With the nights becoming cooler and darker earlier, this is the perfect time to get caught up with watching some new films. Please consider coming over to the “film table” and borrowing a film to watch. Even better, consider having a “movie night” and inviting some friends over to watch a film!

Invictus: This film tells the story of how Nelson Mandela uses the 1995 Rugby World Cup to unite and inspire a post apartheid South Africa. After 27 years of imprisonment for his activism against apartheid Mandela has been elected as president. Although it was the end of apartheid, the nation remains deeply divided. Mandela’s top priority is reconciliation and he sees an opportunity in the Springboks, the national rugby team. The 1995 World Cup is to be hosted by South Africa and Mandela wants everyone to get behind their national team and unite the country. Will the team win? Will the country unite? An entertaining and extremely well acted film starring Morgan Freeman as Mandela and Matt Daman as the captain of the Springbok

Blind Side: Based on the true story of Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy who take in a homeless teenage African-American, Michael "Big Mike" Oher. Michael has no idea who is father is and his mother is a crack head. Michael has had little formal education and few skills to help him learn. Leigh Anne soon takes charge however, as is her nature, ensuring that the young man has every opportunity to succeed. When he expresses an interest in football, she goes all out to help him, including giving the coach a few ideas on how best to use Michael's skills. They not only provide him with a loving home, but hire a tutor to help him improve his grades to the point where he would qualify for an NCAA Division I athletic scholarship. Michael Oher was the first-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in the 2009 NFL draft.

Shake Hands with the Devil: Shake Hands with the Devil is a Canadian drama feature film starring Roy Dupuis as Roméo Dallaire, which premièred at the Toronto International Film Festival in August 2007. Based on Dallaire's autobiographical book Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda, the film recounts Dallaire's harrowing personal journey during the 1994 Rwandan Genocide and how the United Nations failed to heed Dallaire's urgent pleas for further assistance to halt the massacre. An important film for us at St Timothy’s to watch because of our close ties with Rwanda.

New Beginnings!

From the September 2010 Newsletter

When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. (2 Timothy 4:13)

With the recent move to Sutherland Church, soon all of the St. Timothy’s Church Library books will become easily accessible to our members. I do hope to be able to set up our Library before the end of September, perhaps sharing ideas and resources with Sutherland Church’s librarian. With newfound freedom, I wish to make our Church Library more attractive and exciting for all ages!

Stay tuned for big changes ahead! Your ideas and comments will be most welcome during the Library's transition.

Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?

from the June 2010 Newsletter

Prayer? Prayer is both the most exhilarating and the most frustrating experience in life.
When God answers your prayer, it's a feeling like no other. So often our prayers don't get answered the way we want. When that's the case, it can be so disappointing it drives you to tears.

We believe praying is like baking with an easy, three-step cake mix, coming out perfect every time. Despite all the books that promise such a thing, there is no secret formula we can use to guarantee the results we want. Still, we keep looking for it. We think about times we got exactly what we wanted and try to recall everything we did. Is there a secret formula we can follow to control how God answers our prayers?

"If prayer stands as the place where human beings meet, then I must learn about prayer," writes Philip Yancey. The Church Library has added Philip Yancey's, "Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?"to its collection. His book circles around two themes: "Why God doesn't act the way we want God to, and why (we) don't act the way God wants (us) to. Prayer is the precise point where those two themes converge. In his most powerful book, Philip Yancey probes the very heartbeat---the most fundamental, challenging, perplexing, and deeply rewarding aspect---of our relationship with God. His book "...explores the questions surrounding prayer that many of us wonder but few of us know how to express."

Philip Yancey, in an interview with Christian Odyssey Magazine (Dec. '06-Jan '07) http://www.christianodyssey.com/06/0612prayer.htm, added this powerful gem about Prayer:

"Don't fake it. A lot of us are like children playing 'peek-a-boo,' hiding their faces in their hands so you can't see them. They are the only ones being fooled. But a lot of us do that in prayer. We come to God, put on a smile and make ourselves look good, but we aren't fooling God. God knows the secrets. The more we put on a mask, the more we misrepresent ourselves. I heard a great sermon about Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5. You don't hear much about them, except in sermons on Stewardship Sunday. But this preacher asked what it was that they did wrong. It was not that they did not give their money away. Peter said they didn't have to. But they misrepresented themselves to God. The whole Bible is full of what God puts up with from us—complaints, anger, remorse, repentance. But if you pretend to be something you are not, he can't work with you."

Yancey writes in "Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?"-

"Prayer is cooperation with God, a consent that opens the way for grace to work. Most of the time the Counsellor communicates subtly: feeding ideas into my mind, bringing to awareness a caustic comment I just made, inspiring me to choose better than I would have done otherwise, shedding light on the hidden dangers of temptation, sensitizing me to another's needs. God's Spirit whispers rather than shouts, and brings peace not turmoil." (p. 103)

Everything in this world that we put our faith in has the potential to fail. God does not. He is consistently reliable, even if we do not agree with his decisions. He always leads us in the right direction if we give in to his will. In the "Lord's Prayer," Jesus said to his Father, "…your will be done." (Matthew 6:10, NIV) I believe that only when we reach the place where we are willing to do or accept God's will instead of our own, we will have reached the turning point in our prayers.

~M C

New Film added: The New World

from the June 2010 newsletter

“If we are to love God, we must first stop, look, and listen for Him in what is happening around us and inside us. If we are to love our neighbours, before doing anything else we must see our neighbours we must see not just their faces but the life behind and within their faces.”

New Film:

"The New World"

From the celebrated writer/director Terrence Malick this is an epic story of love and change, As the Europeans arrive on North American Shores in 1607, we watch history unfold through the eyes of two characters on opposite sides of a cultural divide; John Smith and Pocahontas.

This is a long film (2 ½ hours) and it quite different from the usual “Hollywood” films. The director has a meditative style that may aggravate you, especially if you prefer to watch straightforward narrative, fast moving and conventional Hollywood flourishes, but it is a very good film. Terrence Malick is more of a poet who uses pictures instead of words.” Creation itself pours forth speech”, as the psalmist says, and Malick invites those with eyes to see to look closer and listen carefully.

After Sunday church services come and explore our collection of films. There are all sorts of films and I am sure I can find one that you will enjoy watching.

~P Y

Lost and found...

from the Easter 2010 newsletter

Spring is finally here, and it is time for a "Spring cleaning", again. I have noted a few Church Library books missing for some time. Could you please check your shelves, closets, under the couch, etc. to see if there are any books that may have been forgotten or misplaced?

There are a couple children's books missing --- notably, "Joseph and His Amazing Coat" and "Daniel and the Lion's Den" (both are Usborne paperback books). Another is the Christian Classic pocket book fiction, part of a series missing for quite a while --"The Curate's Awakening", by George S. McDonald -- the first book of two in the series (book two is "The Lady's Confession" which is still in the library). Thank you.

Happy Easter, and happy reading for the Soul. Nothing beats reading a Christian book! Please check out our books for all ages any Sunday!

-submitted by M C

Update: "Daniel" has been found... "Joseph" and the "Curate" are still lost...)

St. Timothy's Film Ministry:

from the Easter 2010 newsletter

Most of us watch films to be entertained. We enjoy seeing a film with a good sense of humor, a film with a satisfying love story, a film with a happy ending, an inspirational story. Less often, perhaps, we watch a film for educational purposes. I am not referring to the documentary films from the National Film Board that I remember as a child (although I do admit to remembering a real sense of excitement when the teacher rolled in the 16mm film projector!), but rather films, which allow us to explore different perspectives on life and situations that we encounter during a normal day.

Jeffrey Overstreet, a Christian film critic who lives in Seattle, best known for his work with the magazine “Christianity Today”, writes film reviews, which encourage me to watch films with a Christian perspective. His opinions on film challenge and encourage me to ask questions and learn more about what it means to be a Christian.

Overstreet believes that Christian film reviews in the past have focused on the dangers of movie going. For example, it might have been suggested to avoid a film because it was “too worldly, might lure people into temptation and could be a stumbling block to the Christian faith”. Jeffrey believes that focusing on the dangers of a film can prevent us from realizing that a good film is like telling a story; it can allow us to encounter a different perspective and enter into someone else's world. Unfortunately, some films do “celebrate” the darkness and make it look very appealing. Think of horror films that exploit “ugly” things just to sell tickets; this is not excellence in film. A good film is real and should enable us to engage with, listen to, and understand our neighbours.

An example of a film, which may be difficult to watch, is “Juno”. A film about teenage pregnancy, it accurately portrays the painful challenges of the situation. Overstreet believes that the film shows how the characters think the challenges through, how they make choices that are “sometimes admirable and sometimes dismaying.” “Some wise decisions lead to trouble, some of the foolish decisions lead to blessings. In that way, Juno resembles real life.”

As much as we all like happy endings, try considering that a good film might not have a happy ending. Life doesn't always turn out the way we want. Our prayers aren't always answered. Christians don't always win. In fact if we are to believe in Scripture, we should believe that Christians are more likely to suffer more than others. A good film will explore what happens when the character doesn't get what he wants. It will explore the good and the bad choices that people make and the resulting consequences.

A good example of this is the film, “Into the Wild”, based on the true story of Chris McCandless a young man who leaves his home and family and essentially abandons life to live as a recluse in the wilderness of Alaska. Throughout the story God reaches out to him through many different people, only for Chris to refuse to “open” the door. In the end, he realizes too late, the missed “golden” opportunities. The film is true to life in so many ways.

In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 5, verse14, Jesus tells us we are “the light of the world”. The world that Jesus is referring to, is a world with people with real problems; a world with the worst human behaviour, the greatest depravity; a world with people who are truly lost. This is the world where God's love and grace needs to shine brightly. This is what Jesus calls us to be and do. A good film will accurately portray this “broken” world and allow us to enter it and consider what we as Christians might or might not do.

Ultimately film choices are of course a very personal matter. What “works” for one person, may have no effect on another at all. Choose your films wisely, analyze the film for accuracy in relation to life and try and avoid always wanting the happy ending. Overstreet reminds us to “look for moments where you can see the glory of God at work in people's lives and in creation. Watch the film through the lens of faith and allow your faith to be strengthened by the awe-inspiring beauty and power of what God has made.”

-submitted by P Y