From the Frozen North

This past Wednesday we descended from 35,000 to land in Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada. That was the last time I saw the sun until today. It just peeked over the horizon for about an hour. It's amazing to watch the sun move for an hour parallel to the horizon and then sink out of sight.

Last Wednesday, after arriving in Inuvik we traveled up the ice road (the frozen McKenzie River) for about 100 miles to the Arctic coastal village of Tuktoyaktuk, population 900. I am making this trip with long time missionary friend Bill Brown and Kerry Kirkwood, one of the young men I grew up with in Amarillo, Texas, who is now pastoring in Tyler, Texas.

It had been ten years since I had been in Tuk and it was great to renew friendships with Pastor Emmanuel Adam and his congregation. We had nightly services through Saturday and then two services on Sunday. God was so good to grace us with his presence with many receiving a visible touch from God. I find that when God's presence comes upon people they respond pretty much the same wherever you are regardless of ethnicity or geography.

In Tuk we "chop" our drinking water. They have running water for washing, laundry, bathing, etc... but it doesn't taste very good so everyone goes out to a fresh water lake near the village and chops their drinking water. You bring in the ice chunks and put them in a barrel until they melt and that is your drinking water.

We also went on a dog sled ride. Eight dogs pulling a big sled with two of us on it. It's amazing how those dogs love to run. It's also amazing that the dogs live outside on chains in this weather. They each get a frozen fish every other day for their food. My dog doesn't know how good he has it!

One of the local hunters went out this week and bagged an 11' polar bear 20 miles outside of Tuk. They can sell the skin for about $3500. It's one of the ways they earn a living, along with fishing and hunting caribou. I have had Canadian goose, caribou stew, muktuk (whale blubber... which is actually pretty good. When you eat it, it actually warms your body up. Amazing!) and coney (a large white fish they catch in nets hung under the ice... there is one in the picture below). Can't find those on the menu back in Arizona.

On Monday we made the trip back up the ice road to Inuvik where we will be in services through this next Sunday at Lighthouse Church. Harold and Darlene Robinson are the pastors. The temperature has hovered aroun -20 degrees Farenheit for most of my time here. However, this Friday they are expecting temperatures to drop to near -40. They told me they won't let the kids in school go out for recess when it gets to -40. Can you imagine?

I find that my heart really bonds with the people here. They so love to worship the Lord and

hear the Word of God taught. They are so gracious and hospitable. It will be difficult to leave them, but I am getting anxious to get home to Janet and my family, as well as my church family. I am so appreciative of the opportunity to worship with the family of God in this part of His world. I will take home many wonderful memories.

Psalm 57:9 "I will praise the Lord among the peoples. I will sing to Him among the nations."

I can do all things...

"I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Phil. 4:10-13

It's amazing how many times you can read a biblical text and miss really key truth; or, perhaps God is simply keeping a savory element of the text for you at a later date when it may have greater meaning.

I had such an experience with the text quoted above while sitting in the St. Croix Vineyard in St. Stephens, New Brunswick. I have certainly heard verse 13 as a text for many sermons as well as quoted by many believers, often when they were faced with a task or assignment that was beyond their ability or intellect to accomplish. It means... I can't do this myself, but I can do it through your help. That is true enough in itself, but it is the context of this verse that I had somehow missed. The context is in regards to the search for contentment.

The preceding verses contain Paul's own testimony regarding his arriving at a place of contentment in his life no matter what the circumstances. He lists some of those circumstances: to be in need and to have plenty, well fed or hungry, want or plenty. He says he has learned to be content in "any and every situation". We could look elsewhere in his writings and discover more about his actual "any and every situation". From 1 Cor. 11 we could add to the list: thirsty, cold, not enough clothing to keep warm, beaten, stoned, left for dead, shipwrecked, etc... The list goes on and on. It is these any and every situations that he has in mind.

We might also want to remember that he is writing these words to the Philippians from a Roman jail. Philippians is part of his prison epistles, those written while he was incarcerated awaiting trial before the Roman judicial system.

How did Paul come to this posture of contentment? He did it through Christ who strengthened him. "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." I fear this passage has been used, or mis-used, in many ways. It has been a popular passage in the so called "faith" movement that was popularized in the past century. However, I don't believe they used it to find contentment in their lack, but rather seeking to find the plenty.

"I can do all things through Christ who strenghtens me." Wonderful. Does that include finding contentment in our present situation? If not, perhaps we need to reevaluate our use of this text.

Today I have fulfilled a lifetime desire. I am going to college. And not just college, but a Masters of Ministry program. Though I have no undergraduate work, they have a way for me to participate in their post graduate program, complete all the required work, and receive a certificate attesting to that. If I ever pursue and complete an undergraduate degree, they will upgrade it to a masters diploma.

So, as of Novmber 21, 2006 I am enrolled at St Stephens Universtiy in St Stephens, New Brunswick. The first two week module is March 12-23, 2007. I have approximately 3500 pages of reading to do prior to attending. So... better quit writing and start reading!

Well, I'm moving into the 21st century. I've started a blog page. Six months ago I didn't even know what a blog was. Who comes up with these words, anyway?