SEVEN PROMISE KEEPERS CANADA
FINDING FAITH AFTER 150
THE STORY OF CHRISTIAN CANADA
MEN / GOD / LIFE
Summer
Spectacular JUL / AUG 2017 ISSUE 55 NEWSSTAND PRICE CDN $4.95
BLOCKBUSTER SEASON WHY ARE SUPER HERO MOVIES STILL SO POPULAR?
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t’s simple really . . .
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nd we do it because we’re serious And we do it because we’re serious boutabout fulfilling thethe Great Commission. fulfilling Great Commission.
We it doBECAUSE it BECAUSEWE WECAN. CAN. We do 2 SEVEN JULY / AUGUST 2017
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CONTENTS
COLUMNS
18
6 // PK Podium More than Words 8 // Lives Worth Leading Enjoy Summer…Before It’s Too Late 30 // Sports Scene Predators Captain Leans on Faith and Family
FEATURES 18 THE RISE AND FALL OF CHRISTIAN CANADA While a century and a half ago Canada might have very obviously been described as a “Christian” nation, that label seems to be becoming more dated with each passing day. Historian Gerry Bowler walks us through our Christian heritage, as well as where he thinks we might be headed.
22 HEROES AND VILLAINS: A CULTURAL LONGING
22
Stories about super-powered heroes have captured young minds for nearly a century. But recently, that fascination has also burst onto the mainstream through Hollywood movies. Why do these pictures continue to be so popular? And what Christian value, if any, do they serve?
32 // The Single Life Every Single Thought 33 // Out of My Depth A Five-Year-Old’s 50 Cents
DEPARTMENTS 10 // The Pulse Bits. Blips. Beats. Blurbs. 14 // Music Reviews Souvenir, Unstoppable, Beatitudes 34 // Power Play Toys. Tools. Technology.
26 SELF-CARE AND SELFISHNESS
26
There are two sides to every problem, and while it may be important that we make time to take care of ourselves before we burn out completely, there exists a danger of taking things too far. Have we really neglected time for ourselves as much as we think we have?
JULY / AUGUST 2017 SEVEN 3
ON THE COVER
SEVEN is a Christian magazine for Canadian men that exists to help men lead more fulfilling lives and leave enduring legacies.
SUMMER SPECTACULAR Summer is a time for letting off steam. A time celebrating with friends, maybe catching a movie, and…self-indulgence? No, wait, that can’t be right. This issue, we take a look at the issue of ‘self-care’ and whether or not we as Christians might sometimes be guilty of taking that too far. And if that doesn’t ruin your vacation, we’ll also walk through the past, present, and future of faith in Canada, and what roles Christians still have in it. Plus…superheroes! It’s our SEVEN summer special—we’re glad you’re here to read it.
The name reflects the seven promises that form the basis of the Promise Keepers organization, which works with churches to minister to men across Canada. 1 // A promise keeper is committed to honouring Jesus Christ through worship, prayer, and obedience to God’s Word in the power of the Spirit. 2 // A promise keeper is committed to pursuing Christ-centred friendships with a few other men, connecting regularly, understanding that he needs brothers to help him keep his promises. 3 // A promise keeper is committed to practicing biblical integrity: spiritually, morally, ethically and sexually. 4 // A promise keeper is committed to strengthening families and marriages through love, honour, protection, and biblical values. 5 // A promise keeper is committed to supporting the mission of his church by honouring and praying for his pastor, and by actively giving his time and resources. 6 // A promise keeper is committed to reaching beyond racial, social, economic, generational, and denominational barriers to demonstrate that power of biblical unity. 7 // A promise keeper is committed to influencing the world by his fervent love for God while loving his neighbour, seeking justice for the poor and oppressed, and making disciples of Jesus Christ.
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The PK Canada logo features a maple leaf, indicating our dedication to serve the men of Canada. An arrow breaks into the maple leaf symbolizing the impact we believe God wants to see Promise Keepers and men making in our nation. A special thank-you to all the pastors who continually encourage us to communicate God’s truth with grace and love.
4 SEVEN JULY / AUGUST 2017
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LIVING CHRISTIAN VALUES
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BUILDING A BETTER WORLD
JULY / AUGUST 2017 SEVEN 5
PK PODIUM
MORE THAN WORDS SEE THE GOODNESS IS GOD’S GLORIOUS LAND BY KIRK GILES
G
od keep our land—glorious and free. These words are more than lyrics to a song; they’re a prayer to God for the country in which we are privileged to live. It’s common knowledge that many Canadian Christians are feeling marginalized or even outright attacked by others within the country. This tension leads to a variety of emotions from anger to fear, but it rarely leads to gratitude. Yes, I know that many of you may not like the government that is in power in Ottawa, or maybe even in your own province. I know that you may have serious concerns about the education system, healthcare, taxes, cost of living, or jobs. I also know that you may wonder what the moral compass is for Canadians, or when religious freedoms may slide away. I am fully convinced that every concern I have for Canada pales in comparison to the incredible blessings that we get to experience by being a part of this country. It’s a beautiful and diverse nation where we can experience the creativity of God as expressed in nature and in a group of people who are all image bearers of their Creator. It’s a country where we are free to meet with other Christians to worship Jesus and pray, rather than living in fear of going to prison or an act of terrorism on Sunday morning. God has abundantly blessed us in Canada. We should never take that for granted or assume that we are immune to the experiences of people in other nations. We should also guard against arrogance to believe that we are better or more important than others who are living in much, much worse circumstances. And this is where we come back to this prayer that is found in our national anthem. Every time we sing these words as a prayer, we are not just asking God to keep our land, but we are also acknowledging that God is the One who made our land glorious and free in the first place. This is a prayer of gratitude for what we already have and surrender, depend, and trust in God for our future. This prayer is also a call to action. As we recognize how much God has blessed us, may we also recognize the tremendous responsibility we have to be a blessing to others. As Jesus taught, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be expected.” (Luke 12:48)
6 SEVEN JULY / AUGUST 2017
KIRK GILES is the president of Promise Keepers Canada. However, his most important roles as a man are husband to Shannon and father to Carter, Joshua, Sydney and Samuel.
All of life is ministry “I think every believer is called to be in fulltime ministry whatever their life situation.” Caleb Courtney [MTS] is a husband, father of four, high school teacher, worship leader and just completed the Master of Theological Studies program. He knew he could only afford a one-year leave to complete his masters, so he began planning a few years ago. Caleb has seen God open every door along the way. A percentage of Caleb’s salary was saved to fund a leave from his teaching job, and he received scholarships and awards. He also took advantage of flexible course modes such as online, evening and one-week intensives. This made it possible for him to still put his family time first. Caleb is now returning to work and plans to take on more of a teaching role at his church. “People have this idea of full-time ministry as being full-time in a church,” he says. “I think every believer is called to be in fulltime ministry whatever their life situation.”
Tyndale offers flexible full-time and part-time study options to meet your needs. Learn more. Visit Tyndale.ca or call 1.877.TYNDALE. JULY / AUGUST 2017 SEVEN 7
LIVES WORTH LEADING
ENJOY SUMMER… BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE
A LITTLE PLANNING GOES A LONG WAY BY COLIN MCCARTNEY
S
ummer is finally here! Go get your barbeque ready and your golf clubs polished. Wash your car and make sure you go out and buy some new shorts because, if you’re like me, your old ones probably don’t fit anymore. You can thank your need for a new summer wardrobe on the winter months of hibernation and the time spent in front of your TV with a steady diet of chips and pop. However, now you have a new start! A new rhythm is to be enjoyed. It’s time to get a healthy lifestyle back. With all the busyness in your life, do not forget to do one thing this summer—enjoy it. Yes, enjoy it with your family. Enjoy it with your friends. Just plain enjoy it! One of the best things about writing articles like this is that they remind me of what’s important and help to clarify what are the central things that need to be prioritized in my life. In this way, writing for SEVEN is very therapeutic for me. While thinking about what to write in this “summer” issue I quickly realized how much I wasted last summer. For me, last summer was one I did not fully enjoy. The reason was simple. I invested my precious time (and it is precious) in being too busy at work that I neglected my soul.
8 SEVEN JULY / AUGUST 2017
I allowed outside pressures and work demands command my time and steal my joy away from my family, friends and from having some plain old fun in the sun. Looking back on last summer I realized that I won’t ever get that time back again. Let’s face it, there’s always plenty of work to be done and there are always outside demands on our time, but sunny, warm days are not a given—especially in Canada. Before you know it, you will be shovelling your car out of snowdrifts. So, take this from me—enjoy the good summer days when you can. However, remember this one thing—in order to be in the position of receiving God’s blessings that are waiting for you this summer you must plan ahead for them. We read in Proverbs 16:3 that we need to: “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” This verse tells us something very interesting about our lives. Did you notice it? It mentions the word “plans.” In other words, God wants us to make plans. In fact, it is clear that this verse of wisdom is telling us to make prayerful planning so that we know what we can commit to
God in order to receive His blessings. So, take some time and make some prayerful plans for yourself, your family and friends regarding how to use your time wisely this summer. Then commit them to God. Both you and God will have a great summer together. That’s the benefit of prayerbased planning. Go right now. Do not delay. Take time to plan your next few months and then enjoy them. God gives you permission to enjoy your summer. Prepare for a great family vacation or camping trip. Take advantage of our wonderful national parks that are free in celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday! Plan to take time out to enjoy a patio in your city, hit the links or swing some tennis racquets this summer. God wants you to enjoy his blessings waiting for you this summer—you just have to plan the time to embrace all he has in store for you.
/ COLIN MCCARTNEY is an ordained minister, speaker, and a bestselling author. He is also the founder of UrbanPromise Toronto and now leads Connect Ministries in Toronto where he, his wife Judith, and their two children reside. For information in booking Colin as a speaker, please visit www.connectministries.org.
Impact lives with the gospel Join the movement!
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THE PULSE
BITS / BLIPS / BEATS / BLURBS THE LATEST NEWS FROM PROMISE KEEPERS CANADA
BITS / BLIPS / BEATS / BLURBS
ALL IN NATIONAL CONFERENCES
10 SEVEN JULY / AUGUST 2017
/ DANIEL, SHADRACH, MESHACH, and Abednego found themselves far from home, in a strange land. The customs, language and food were all different from what they had grown up with. Conscripted into the service of the king and under pressure to conform, they had to decide what cultural practices to adopt and when to stand firm. God used them to impact their society but it was not without moments of conflict. From the lion’s den to the fiery furnace, God was with them. We have always been exiles, aliens and strangers in this world—longing for our real home in heaven. As our culture continues to change around us, that sense of alienation grows. Like Daniel and his friends, we wonder what God’s will for us is, where to draw the line between two kingdoms. Standing up for what is right may mean criticism, personal attacks or even persecution. God has not left us alone. He is greater than all of this. God will guide us and equip us to stand firm. Jesus asks us to be All In. At the All In National Conferences we will explore God’s plan for leading significant lives. Whether you are exploring faith or have been a Christian longer than you can remember, All In will challenge, motivate and equip you to stand firm and navigate the world around us. The two-day conferences will also include a session on Holy Marriage and a special youth breakout session on Love, Sex and Dating.
OCT 21, 2017
National Conference
>> Calgary, AB
OCT 28, 2017
National Conference
>> Grande Prairie, AB
NOV 17/18, 2017
National Conference
>> Toronto, ON
FEB 23/24, 2018
National Conference
>> Ottawa, ON
MAR 9/10, 2018
National Conference
>> Winnipeg, MB
MAR 16/17, 2018
National Conference
>> Edmonton, AB
MAR 23/24, 2018
National Conference
>> Regina, SK
>> REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! >> Visit for more info or to register: www.promisekeepers.ca/all-in.
THIS IS ME TV GAWVI / IN JUST A few short weeks this episode has quickly become our most viewed of all time! Gawvi is best known as producing chart-topping singles for Lecrae, Andy Mineo, and Trip Lee, including his hefty contribution to Lecrae’s Anomaly, which made history by debuting at top spot on the Billboard 200. After years of maneuvering behind the scenes and masterminding a host of albums and Billboard-charting singles, Gawvi is set to venture out as a solo artist. We sat down with him to talk about his journey of faith and the friends that never gave up on him when he was ready to give up on himself.
BRITTNI AND RICHARD
/ YOU THINK IT’S a struggle to deal with your partner’s sexual history? What if you married a sex industry survivor, who had starred in hundreds of adult films? Brittni tells her story of journeying from exploitation and despair in the porn industry to healing through the love of Jesus. Richard talks about the grace that allows each of us to live with hope. Powerful stories such as these show that God can still use broken people for His glory.
>> Find these and other episodes at www.thisismetv.com.
JULY / AUGUST 2017 SEVEN 11
PODCASTS BEING A VOICE FOR THE VOICELESS / IN AN AGE of terror threats, airport security is thorough and vigilant. It’s hard to imagine standing in a crowded airport, while a man is yelling for someone to call the police, but no one responds. This happened to SEVEN magazine columnist Phil Wagler on a recent trip to Asia. The man noticed Phil was watching and turned to Phil for help. What would you have done? Phil joins us to discuss the bizarre experience, its ultimate connection to human trafficking victims, and the cries for help that go on around us.
THE INFLUENCE OF A GRANDPARENT / GRANDPARENTS HAVE A fantastic opportunity to bless their families and share the love of Jesus in a powerful way. Popular PK Canada speaker, Rick Johnson, speaks out of his own experience as a father and grandfather to encourage men to be a positive influence in their families and in the lives of their grandchildren.
PRACTICAL WISDOM FOR THE SANDWICH GENERATION / JUST WHEN YOU think you’re out—you get pulled back in. According to the PEW Research Center, nearly half of adults in their 40s and 50s have a parent over the age of 65 and are simultaneously either raising a young child, or financially supporting a grown child. The reality is similar here in Canada. We call this the “Sandwich Generation.” Bill Farrel shares his experiences in caring for parents and adult kids at the same time, and the joys that can occur at this unique, and sometimes peculiar stage of life.
EVERY WOMAN’S DESIRE / HAVE YOU NOTICED that men and women are different? With humour, Vince D’Acchioli shares an insightful message about our relationships with women, understanding woman and how they think, and why we sometimes have conflict. Whether you're single, newlywed, or you've married for 50 years, you'll find this message very relevant.
>> Find these and other podcasts at: www.promisekeepers.ca/podcast.
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JULY / AUGUST 2017 SEVEN 13
MUSIC REVIEWS
BY STEVEN SUKKAU
DREW HOLCOMB AND THE NEIGHBORS
MATTY MULLINS
STU GARRARD
SOUVENIR (Magnolia Music)
UNSTOPPABLE (BEC Recordings)
BEATITUDES (Stugiology Music)
/ FOLK ROCK band from Tennessee, Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors continue to channel legends like Johnny Cash with 2017’s Souvenir. Grappling with themes of making peace in a wild world, Holcomb points to the grace we need to give both to ourselves and others. On subdued, stripped down folk track, ’Rowdy Heart, Broken Wing’ Holcomb sings of our time and the anxiety between cultures, “I’ve made friends, enemies, another refugee looking for some peace.” He points especially to the universal brokenness we all feel in our relationships on ‘New Year’ as Holcomb sings, “we talk about your brother, stories left unheard, you share blood but you don’t share words…” Holcomb feels deeply the “void between strangers” that permeates our culture. As he sings, “it’s a long way from paradise and Eden’s tree.” That gulf between people exists both in disparity in wealth, difference of politics and religion in an age where everyone is on a mission “to hear their own voice”. The solution can be found on ‘Wild World.’ “We all have the same blood running through our veins, whether or not you pray, black or white, straight or gay, you still deserve the love of your neighbours.” In the end, Holcomb puts it simply, “Love is all I’ve got to give away.”
/ THE NEW sound for Matty Mullins’ 2017 solo album Unstoppable is a stark transition from Mullins’ metal core band Memphis May Fire as he immerses himself fully here in pop rock. While fans of Memphis May Fire may not make the jump with Mullins, he may find plenty of new fans on the new slick, upbeat offering. Chock-full of synths and bombastic drumbeats that recall the height of 80s pop, the album has a number of standout tracks like ‘I Choose You’ even if the lyrics often falter in terms of originality. While mostly straightforward, the theme of God’s unfathomable love still rings true. On ‘Go the Distance’ Mullins sings, “Who am I? That a King would set his eyes on a cross for me… that You would leave Heaven and glory to write me back into Your story.” Elsewhere, Mullins dabbles in fullon praise and worship with ‘Christ Be Magnified’, a stirring track that showcases Mullins’ soaring voice. I almost wished he would ditch the electronic beats and synth for a stripped down piano ballad, putting his vocals full in the spotlight. The closest we get is the solid, ‘Until I Need You’ which trades some of the synth for an infusion of acoustic guitar. The lyrics are more thoughtful and poignant here as well, even if Mullins cheats a little by cribbing ‘On Christ the solid rock I stand’ for one verse. As he sings, “Pour me out so you can fill this cup… Take it all away, until I need you and nothing else…”
/ STUART GARRARD (better known as Stu G) is behind some of the most influential Christian music of the late 90’s and early 2000’s. Much of his work was kept on repeat in my shockresistant discman as the lead guitarist on Delirious? However, 2017’s Beatitudes is his first major solo debut, an expansive 20 track saga of an album, featuring collaborations with everyone from Michael W. Smith and John Mark McMillan to Amy Grant and Delirious? alumni Martin Smith. Beatitudes is perhaps a more old-school album, one that not only carries the fingerprint of the great Christian music of the past three decades, but also harkens back to the way we used to listen to new releases from cover to cover in sequential order (on a shockresistant discman). Tr ying to listen to Beatitudes by simply curating a few of your favourite out-of-order tracks, without taking in the spoken word tracks or the extended instrumental sections, just doesn’t do the album justice. While it’s a lot to ask for today’s listeners for an hour of their time to listen to just one album, the emotional and spiritual payoff is one you don’t find very often.
/ STEVEN SUKKAU works for Golden West Radio and resides in Winkler, Manitoba.
14 SEVEN JULY / AUGUST 2017
PROMISE KEEPERS CANADA NATIONAL MEN’S CONFERENCE
REGISTER NOW Calgary: Oct 21, 2017
Ottawa: Feb 23-24, 2018
Grande Prairie: Oct 28, 2017
Winnipeg: March 9-10, 2018
Toronto: Nov 17-18, 2017
Edmonton: March 16-17, 2018
Simulcast: Nov 17-18, 2017
Regina: March 23-24, 2018
F o u r - t i m e Wo r l d S e r i e s C h a m p i o n D a r r y l S t r a w b e r r y s p e a k i n g i n To r o n t o , W i n n i p e g , a n d E d m o n t o n !
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#AllInMensConf JULY / AUGUST 2017 SEVEN 15
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FEATURE
WHERE WE’VE BEEN, WHERE WE CAN GO FROM HERE BY GERRY BOWLER
18 SEVEN JULY / AUGUST 2017
150 YEARS AGO, CANADA WAS A CHRISTIAN NATION. On July 1, 1867, the newest country in the world rejoiced in the title “Dominion” and took as its motto “A Mari Usque Ad Mare,” (From Sea to Sea), terms plucked from Psalm 72. Religion infused politics, culture and everyday life; it guided one’s vote, one’s choice of spouse, and place of education. To be a respectable citizen, one had to be a church-goer.
T
he last half of the 19 th Century saw Canadian Christianity fuel a drive for social and spiritual reform; churches founded schools and training centres, hospitals, asylums, seniors’ homes and orphanages. Many of the country’s universities were established by religious denominations—McMaster, for example, sprang from the Baptists, Laval from the Roman Catholics, and Western from Anglican roots. Christians provided most of the nation’s social safety net: they battled prostitution, domestic violence, drunkenness, and tried to enforce the Sabbath as a day of rest. The capital of Ontario was known as “Toronto the Good”, a place where streetcars did not run on Sunday, and where the mayor flew a banner reading “Except the Lord Build the City, the Watchman Wakes but in Vain.” In the opinion of the principal of Queen’s University (a Presbyterian foundation), “Church-going habits are universal. Family worship is generally observed. Family life is pure”. When Canada entered the Great War in 1914, many of the hundreds of thousands of volunteers were motivated by their Christian faith and felt that their enlistment was serving God. Newspapers, monuments, and poets equated their battlefield deaths with that of Jesus on the cross. They died, said one writer, as “joint heirs with Christ because they bled to save His loved ones.” (On the other hand, the Catholic Church in Quebec lent its considerable support to anti-war and anti-conscription efforts). Though the horrors of trench warfare coupled with compulsory church attendance seemed to
have disillusioned many veterans, religious enthusiasm in the postwar years continued, often finding its outlet in politics. The push for the prohibition of alcohol sales was led by the Women’s Christian Temperance Union while the new socialist party, the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation (the CCF, forerunner of today’s NDP), found leaders in Methodist minister J.S. Woodworth, Baptist preacher Tommy Douglas, and Stanley Knowles of the United Church. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the voters of Alberta turned to the Social Credit Party, led by radio evangelist “Bible Bill” Aberhart, founder of the Calgary Prophetic Bible Institute. Unlike the aftermath of the First World War, the end of the second global conflict in 1945 signalled a rise in the fortunes of Canadian Christianity. Veterans who flocked home to build their families overwhelmingly took them to church. A Gallup poll of the time reported that 67 per cent of Canadians had attended a worship service in the past week (in Quebec the figure was an astonishing 90 per cent). As the active loins of the nation produced the Baby Boom, the biggest generational cohort in human history, Sunday School classes were jam-packed. From 1945 to 1965 the United Church of Canada built 1,500 new churches. Evangelistic crusades, led by Billy Graham or Canadians like Charles Templeton and Leighton
Ford, were well attended, while on TV viewers saw overtly Christian programs like Bishop Fulton J. Sheen’s Life is Worth Living or the Lutheran This Is the Life. Membership in mainline Protestant denominations reached a peak in the 1960s—but then the wheels fell off the Christian bandwagon. Canadians started a b a n d o n i n g their churches in increasingly greater numbers, a trend that has not stopped in the 21st century. What happened in the 1960s to provoke the decline of Canadian Christianity? Historians and sociologists can point to any number of reasons. The secularisation theory holds that as societies grow increasingly modern, urban, and industrial they will abandon religion; the European experience since the 1940's may well bear that out as churchgoing Christians on that continent are now a minority of the population. Others point to the adoption of new liberal theology. A study commissioned for Anglican Church in 1965 claimed that society had left the churches behind: they were boring, tired and wed to the status quo. The future lay in social action, the embrace of science, and a moral relativism. Doctrine was no longer important, said The Comfortable Pew; tolerance and being “relevant” were what mattered. The clergy of the major Protestant denominations
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE 1960s TO PROVOKE THE DECLINE OF CANADIAN CHRISTIANITY?
JULY / AUGUST 2017 SEVEN 19
agreed and new church curricula were adopted that challenged old truth claims and abandoned the importance of evangelisation in favour of social reform. Baby Boomers of those churches heard the siren call of sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll and began to leave the churches that frowned on such a lifestyle. The Catholic Church (particularly in Quebec) suffered from being viewed as rural and paternalistic and its believers were challenged by the Vatican’s ban on artificial contraception that was stated so definitively in the decree Humanae Vitae in 1968. Though most Catholics continued to still claim to be members, attendance at masses dropped sharply and the numbers
of young people who chose to be priests or nuns almost evaporated. Only in some conservative Protestant churches did the decline not occur. A few numbers should illustrate the plight of Christianity in the 21st Century. In the 1991 census, 83 per cent of Canadians identified themselves as Christian; that number was 77 per cent in 2001; in 2011, it was 67 per cent. Over that 20-year span the United Church of Canada lost a million members while the Anglicans shrank from 2.1 million to 1.6 million. Mainline Protestants in 1991 made up 25 per cent of the population; in 2011 that was 14 per cent. The 3.4 million claiming no religion in 1991 grew to 7.8 million in 2001, almost a
quarter of the nation’s inhabitants. Muslims outnumber the combined total of Presbyterians and Lutherans. Conservative and evangelical
TEN WAYS EVERY CHRISTIAN MAN CAN INFLUENCE CANADA
How can we be “fewer but better” Christians who build the foundations for spiritual renewal in Canada? 11. STRENGTHEN YOUR OWN WALK WITH GOD As a man, you will only have real eternal influence in the world if your own walk with God is healthy and growing stronger. Grow in spending time with God in prayer and in meditating and studying His Word. Be shaped more by God than you are by the world. 22. BUILD A STRONG MARRIAGE Marriage was always designed by God to be a picture of the love Jesus has for His Bride—the Church. When we pursue a stronger marriage with our wife, we are doing so much more than just building a strong marriage—we are being witnesses to the grace of God who makes us one with Himself. Strong marriages model for our neighbours what love, grace, forgiveness, passion, and joy were always meant to look like—and they point people to the God who had this whole idea in the first place. 33. BE A GREAT DAD Fatherless children are increasing in our country. When a child comes from a fatherless home, they are more likely to face a very difficult life including poverty, homelessness, and temptations towards suicide. By being a great dad, you will help create a healthier and stronger future for Canada.
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44. TRAIN YOUR CHILDREN TO BE INFLUENCERS Every day our children are influenced by the education system in our country. Jesus sent us into the world to be salt and light. Imagine if we trained our children to love Jesus and be ambassadors for Jesus—right where they are. Teach them to ask difficult questions that show the places where their education has obvious holes in it. Teach them to represent the heart of God and the truth of God; support them to be influencers in the world. 55. SEEK THE BENEFIT OF YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD What can you do to be a benefit and blessing in your neighbourhood? Can you throw a neighbourhood BBQ party this summer? Can you help a family in need? Influence happens through relationships, and too many of us don’t even know our neighbors—so how else are we going to influence them and point them to Jesus? 66. BE GENEROUS The world has many priorities on how to spend time and money. As Christians, we are called to a life of generosity in response to the generosity God has shown us. Do not just give the bare minimum—be generous. Support causes that are both Christian
denominations, however, increased their membership from 353,000 to 960,00—good news, but it represents only 3 per cent of the population.
Inasmuch as the membership of the mainline denominations is an aging one (the average United Church member is 65), we can anticipate no halt to the decline of the numbers of Canadians professing the religion of Jesus. Those of you reading this magazine can expect to be part of a minority sect for the rest of your life. What is the future of Canadian Christianity? There is some good news. Christianity is doing exceedingly well outside of North American and Europe and we can look to many of the immigrants from Africa, Asia, and South America to be enthusiastic believers. We will also find that as there is little social incentive to be a Christian, the
and causes that will benefit the whole of society beyond the Christian community. When you eat out —Christians are often known as the worst tippers. Change that reputation and bless the waitress or waiter who served you. 77. WORK WITH OTHER BELIEVERS The Bible teaches that we are the Body of Christ—it teaches that we all need each other. Make sure you are a regular participant in the life of a local church. Many of us are not very good at reaching beyond our own doctrinal or ethnic huddles. Jesus said that the world would know we are His disciples by our love for one another. Would the non-believer in your community see the love that exists in your own church or between the churches in your community? 88. RECONNECT FAITH AND WORK Work and faith are often seen as two different spaces. We need men who cross that divide – who allow Jesus to shape how they work, why they work, and where they work. Your mission field is not on a short term trip to a third world country—your mission field is where you are at any given moment of the day. We need Christians working as politicians, lawyers, teachers, doctors, journalists, construction
quality of genuine adherents will rise. Perhaps our future will be like the situation described by Greta Garbo in the 1939 movie Ninotchka where she plays a grim Soviet commissar visiting Paris. When asked how things are back in the USSR, she replies that the latest purges have been a great success and that there are now going to be “fewer but better Russians.”
/ GERRY BOWLER is a historian and writer living in Winnipeg. Check out his latest book, regarding the 2,000 years of arguing about Christmas, published last year by Oxford University Press.
contractors, musicians—and every other area of society where there is employment. 99. BE EXCELLENT There are too many moments where Christians will use language like “I’m being a good steward”—and many times it is just code for “I’m too cheap” or “I don’t want to do more work than this.” We serve a God who is worthy of our very best—every time—all the time. Imagine if Christians were known as the best business leaders, the best lawyers, the best workers, or the best mechanics in town. 10 BE PREPARED TO SUFFER … BUT KEEP LOVING ANYWAYS When you are living out your faith, you will be marginalized and maybe even threatened by people. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” Our brothers and sisters in the New Testament considered it a blessing to suffer—because it helped them identify even more with the One who suffered for them. When you do suffer, the Bible teaches us to keep loving anyways. It’s what will help people see that Jesus truly is different—that Jesus really is the way, truth, and the life.
JULY / AUGUST 2017 SEVEN 21
FEATURE
A CULTURAL LONGING / BY ROB HORSLEY /
W
hile a trip to the movies may not be as commonplace is in years past, box office records continue to be smashed yearover-year—particularly in summer months. Summer and winter are the two seasons in which movie attendance typically jumps up. Think about it— it’s too cold in the winter, and too hot in the summer, so where’s a guy to go for a couple hours of some outof-the-house, indoor entertainment? Movies are the perfect getaway for folks looking to escape the elements. But whereas the colder months have come to be known as “Oscarbait” season, when studios release their ‘best’ films—movies made largely to garner as much critical
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attention as possible—in summer, the big-budget blockbuster reigns supreme. And for a good part of the last two decades, it’s been the ‘supermovies’ leading the way.
SUPER SUCCESSFUL Superheroes, as well as the comic books they appear in, have been a huge part of popular culture for decades, but it’s only in relatively recent times that their influence and popularity has spilled over into the more mainstream world of film. Though there are some notable exceptions, such as Superman (1978) and Batman (1989), movies based on comic books have, historically and as a whole, been pretty awful. But more recently, beginning with Bryan Singer’s X-Men (2000), the ‘super-movie’ has gone
from being wildly inconsistent (and sometimes laughably bad) to one of the movie industry’s most bankable genres. In 2008, Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, the second installment of Warner Bros.’ rebooted Batman series, was released to universal critical acclaim and was a box office smash, earning more than $1 billion in ticket sales and becoming the fourth highest-grossing picture of all time. But more importantly, this was perhaps the first instance where audiences as a whole were treated to a movie that could be watched and enjoyed by adult audiences everywhere—not just fans of comic books. If Bryan Singer cultivated the soil with X-Men, and Christopher Nolan
SEARCHING FOR SOMETHING BEYOND THE BLOCKBUSTER
planted the seed with The Dark Knight, then it was Joss Whedon who reaped the harvest with The Avengers in 2012, a film that pushed the superhero genre into the stratosphere, showing that not only could movies based on comics be widely popular and critically well-received, without having to resort to the ‘dark and gritty’ approach to do so. The Avengers was at one point the third-highest grossing movie in history, behind only Avatar (2010) and Titanic (1997).
TIRED OF TIGHTS Even more recently however, some moviegoers have expressed feelings of weariness with the comic-book/ superhero genre. Almost about everyone has a friend who’s just flatout tired of seeing movies about guys in colourful tights, solving problems with their fists. I mean, if nothing else, it’s not setting a real good example for our kids. The tights, I mean. Gross. On some level, I get the fatigue. Depending when you read this, we’ll only be a couple days removed from the launch of the third Sony Picturesdistributed Spider-Man series in fifteen years! That means that in less than two decades, we’ve seen three different actors (Tobey Maguire,
Andrew Garfield and most recently Tom Holland) don the spidey-suit suit and swing from threads on the big screen. I’ll give you another example: earlier this year, the 17-year-long cinematic saga of “Wolverine” came to its conclusion with the ultraviolent Logan. That means that people who had just become teenagers the first time they saw Hugh Jackman retract his adamantium claws would have entered their 30s this year. If you were one of these kids (like me), you’re probably feeling pretty old right now. If you’re a parent of one of these kids…well, I can’t imagine you feel much different. Since the early to mid-2000s, the pace at which these movies have been released has picked up dramatically. We’ve had 15 films released in the Marvel Cinematic Universe since Robert Downey Jr. first assumed his now-iconic titular role in Iron Man (2008). Fifteen! In less than a decade! And to top it off, we have nine more coming between now and the end of 2019! And all that is to say nothing about DC Comics and Warner Bros. Studios, who have publicly declared they’re not planning on standing idly by and
letting their rivals at Marvel/Disney gobble up all the box office pie—five films are set to release by 2020 in the DC Extended Universe.
BIG MONEY To say we’ve been inundated would be an insult to understatements. One could forgive even the most hardcore of comic book fans if they said they were “a little tired” of superhero movies at this point. Just writing about the sheer volume of these movies is enough for me, a super-movie superfan, to say, “Hmm, maybe we should pump the brakes on this.” But then, I’d have to convince a bunch of Hollywood executives to stop loving money. The reality is that these movies continue to clean up at the box office. No matter how many people anecdotally say they’re tired of seeing movies about superheroes, the fact is, they’re still making enough money to keep getting made. And as long as we keep buying tickets, that’s not about to change anytime soon. So why are these movies so popular, even after all these years and so, so many releases? And for Christians, what value do these works serve, if any? Are they any more than
JULY / AUGUST 2017 SEVEN 23
just a distraction? Or might they provide some insight into mainstream culture that could be useful?
SAVVY STORYTELLERS There are many explanations as to why movies based on comic books have seen such enormous popularity in recent years, but it’s probably best to start with the simplest. Erin Free, a writer at Australiabased FilmInk.com argues that
actually seen some quality franchise care on the part of production companies commissioning these projects. We actually have real comic book fans sitting in the filmmakers’ chairs! And this is undeniably a good thing, not just for fans of comic books, but also for fans of movies in general. The best superhero movies are the ones that can nearly make you forget you’re watching a movie about superheroes:
A LOT COULD BE WRITTEN ABOUT THE BIBLICAL PARALLELS BETWEEN SUPERHERO STORIES AND THE LIFE OF CHRIST. basically, superhero films “fit the mold” of the type of movies that studios are most likely to greenlight— the “tent pole movie”—properties with name recognition, flashy effects,, and most importantly, something they can take to the bank. Movie-making on a Hollywood level is not cheap, and because comic book films come with a built-in audience of fans, studio executives are willing to bet big bucks that a sizeable number of geeks, fanboys/girls, or (more politely) people with an existing interest in the source material will flock to check out the movie version—even if they only come out to complain about how the director “got it all wrong.” But unlike in years past when movies about superheroes were seen as a quick cash grab by some aloof studio boss, in recent times we’ve
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The Dark Knight is a hard-boiled crime drama that just so happens to have Batman as its main character. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a terrific spy thriller that just so happens to star one of Marvel’s most iconic heroes. Guardians of the Galaxy would stand on its own as a pretty solid comedy, if that were all it was aiming to be. But it also holds up pretty well as a quirky space opera with some solid special effects. These are just good, entertaining movies that happen to star comic book characters. Gone are the days when studios would pawn off ‘super-films’ on accomplished but unacquainted writers and directors, who might have been talented as filmmakers but were unaware and unequipped to craft
compelling films, based on the source materials at hand. We now have men and women making movies that are familiar with the stories they’re adapting, who know the stories and the characters well enough not just to appeal to the hardcore fans, but to general moviegoers as well. It’s sort of like finding a preacher who’s knowledgeable enough about preaching the Bible to know that not everyone is on the same level when it comes to hearing the Bible. We need experts to dig for the most compelling parts of these stories and present them in a way that’s not alienating to non-insiders—a very Christian notion, if you think about it.
AND ON THAT NOTE… A lot could be written about the biblical parallels between superhero stories and the life of Christ. Smarter people than me have written far more extensively than I could hope to achieve here, so I won’t bore you with another “Batman = Jesus” style of article. What I will say is that I think there are compelling components present within these ‘super-good versus super-evil’ stories that we, as Christians, may be able to contextualize a little more deeply for our spiritually uninitiated friends. Christians, like everyone else, want to be difference makers. Perhaps not to a greater extent than our non-Christian or even nonbelieving friends, but in a way that seems to carry some extra weight or considerations. There’s an inherent ‘looking outside ourselves’ aspect to our desire to be difference makers
that we as believers have a much easier time articulating. It’s about wanting to be do-gooders in big ways, and to know that injustice can be met and conquered by people like us—to know that we can do good for the sake of itself, and that ‘good’ as a concept is self-apparent and something worth striving after. And while perhaps stories about superheroes don’t give us the most realistic depictions of what that looks like, or more specifically what it can look like for us as everyday guys, I think it does tap into a need that we have as men to know that right is right and that doing good isn’t just something we do for no reason.
PREPARE FOR TURBULENCE Comics writer Mark Millar (Swamp Thing, Superman: Red Son, Ultimate X-Men, and Marvel’s Civil War miniseries, to name a few) says that the popularity of superheroes seems to coincide with turbulent economic times as much as anything else. “Superheroes were huge in the thirties during The Great Depression,” he says. “The worldwide recession will probably last until the end of the decade. You’ve gotta entertain everyone through it!” While this might be an overly reductive way of assessing the megapopularity of the superhero genre, I would argue that Millar is on the right track. Perhaps in some part we are just looking for something to help us forget about harsh economic times, crowded job markets, and mounting debt realities. Maybe superheroes are an extension of the same way we’ve
always turned to big dumb action movies for a bit of escapism in times of trouble. But perhaps there’s a deeper (and at the same time simpler) reason for these stories being such a big part of our current cultural imagination: maybe believing in super-powered heroes helps us to fulfill a fantasy of being looked after and cared for. In the same article from Filmink.com, actor Michael Shannon (ie. General Zod in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel [2013]) tells Erin Free that troubling times make the idea of superheroes that much more comforting. “Whether it’s random terrorist attacks, over-population, rising crime rates, the threat of financial collapse, the mental hangover of the Global Financial Crisis, prejudice, ignorance, infectious killer viruses, or just traffic congestion, our world is on a constant knife edge,” Free writes. “And in troubled times, people enjoy escapism, and perhaps secretly wish that there were superheroes around to hose down all of the horrors of the world.”
“FACE FRONT, TRUE BELIEVERS!” Look, I get it—superheroes aren’t everyone’s thing, and maybe at the end of the day they are just a silly fantasy that we manbabies like to escape to from time to time. But we, like the heroes that culture has come to idolize (and maybe now more than ever), have a choice to make: we can adopt a posture of indifference and dismiss what’s happening as just a silly hobby from a bunch of easilydistracted automatons. Or, we could wake ourselves up to the fact that movies based on comic books and their starring superheroes are more than just a fringe movement. This is clearly something that people are interested in, evidenced by the reality that they’re obviously still
making a pile of money. So the question we need to ask ourselves is “why?” And is there something present within that fascination that can open up a conversation about longing, insecurity, or the need for Jesus? I’m not saying that that’s an easy conversation. Clearly, somewhere between “boy that Incredible Hulk sure is incredible,” and “hey, can I tell you about my personal Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ?” there’s at least one, probably two, transitional conversations. But if nothing else, at least it gives you a common interest, and deepening friendships, even non-spiritual ones, is never a wasted exercise. One final thought: once upon a time, there used to exist a small corner of Hollywood that would produce a genre of films called ‘The Biblical Epic.’ From it, we got movies like The Ten Commandments, Ben Hur, and later on The Prince of Egypt—generally well-made films that could attract a mainstream audience. Times are not the same. Biblically based movies of usually fall into either secularized Hollywood ‘reimaginings’ that draw more protests than praise, or low budget fringe films that do a better job of preaching to the choir than reaching the un-churched. Perhaps in today’s growing postChristian society, stories of beings with mythical powers and larger-thanlife personas are a signal that people are looking for something bigger than themselves in which to find inspiration. Maybe we can lead them there—and it’s not like we shouldn’t have been doing that anyway.
/ ROB HORSLEY is the Managing Editor of SEVEN and is looking forward to watching Hulk smash later this year in Marvel’s upcoming Thor: Ragnarok. He lives in Saskatoon.
JULY / AUGUST 2017 SEVEN 25
FEATURE
Self-Care and Selfishness Self-Care and
Selfishness WHEN ‘LOOKING INWARD’ GOES TOO FAR… BY GAVIN JENSEN
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I
t’s summertime and the livin’ is easy… finally. For many, if not most, the warmer weather of these festival months cues vacation season. School lets out, and the kids are set free. No more pencils, no more books, etc. Now is the time for canoe trips, camping, golf, and family time at the cabin. We may carve out time for a road trip, or just while away some hours swinging in a hammock, or lounging on the deck in an Adirondack chair with a cold mug of something in hand. When summer arrives we look for leisure and rest— some “me time.” After all, self-care is important, isn’t it? Self-care. It has become a watchword of contemporary culture; the term refers to those things one does in an effort to nurture the self physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Getting enough sleep, finding rest and leisure, eating well, regular exercise, and sustaining spiritual practices are all considered a part of consistent and proper self-care. There are myriad specific examples and expressions of self-care that are suggested and recommended by various sources, but let’s just leave juice cleanses and lavender infused bubble baths out of this for now. It’s not a secret that we often live our lives at a hectic pace, giving in to the pressures to achieve more and acquire more. The recent movement toward embracing self-care has come as a corrective to this driven, monomaniacal, and sometimes dehumanizing rhythm that has become the norm in our society. God created human beings with finite interior resources. We require rest. We need to eat. We don’t have an everlasting battery that is able to power us for the whole course of our existence. We need to take care of ourselves by the means the Lord has knowingly and graciously provided. God himself gifted His people with holy
Sabbath—one whole day of deep, true to it. When you are discouraged, you rest following six days of work and should seek out encouragement. Some toil. Why? Because humans required churches (and even whole Christian it (incidentally, that cycle was the traditions) have not been very good origin of what we now about embracing have as the seven day this inference, rather THE RECENT week)! This reality has levying upon wouldMOVEMENT TOWARD not changed in the be followers of Christ EMBRACING SELF21st century; we still a way of life that is need to break from burdensome, joyless, CARE HAS COME our toil regularly. “The and ultimately AS A CORRECTIVE Sabbath was made for unsustainable. TO THIS DRIVEN, man,” Jesus said (Mark If you are given MONOMANIACAL, 2:27). to workaholism to a AND SOMETIMES When Jesus frenzied and frantic presented his disciples pace, or to generally DEHUMANIZING with the summary neglecting your basic RHY THM THAT HAS of the law—the great physical, emotional, BECOME THE NORM commandment s — He relational, and spiritual IN OUR SOCIET Y. said, “You shall love needs, you need to the Lord your God with hear Jesus’ words as all your heart, and with all your soul, an invitation to slow down, and to be and with all your mind, and with all refreshed and rejuvenated. your strength,” and “You shall love “Come to me, all you that are weary your neighbour as yourself.” and are carrying heavy burdens, and I If you are attentive in reading the will give you rest. Take my yoke upon Master’s words, perhaps you noticed you, and learn from me; for I am gentle that the second half of that teaching and humble in heart, and you will find carries with it the implication that rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, one would and should show some love and my burden is light.” (Matthew and care for himself—“as yourself.” 11:28-30). When you are tired, you rest. When Self-care is not innately selfish; it you are hungry, you eat. When your is profoundly necessary. To disregard body is in disrepair, you should tend your very real limitations and needs
JULY / AUGUST 2017 SEVEN 27
is short-sighted and unwise. So rest, enjoy the warm weather and beauty of creation this summer, spend time with your family and friends, read a few good books, dedicate time to prayer and cultivating some closeness with God, eat well, stretch it out. But… (Yes, there’s always a “but.”) While it is true that many tend toward an overcrowded and unsustainable way of living, neglecting to take proper care of themselves and find holy rest, it can and does often happen that others compulsively and consistently indulge their love of comfort and pleasure under the guise of “self-care.” In fact, it seems that the pendulum has started to swing that direction—from a propensity in our culture (and in the Church) for working hard to the neglect of selfcare, to chronically obsessing about self-care. Self-care, as stated previously, is not innately selfish, but it can quickly become selfish if we’re not on our guard. Here’s an exercise. Do an honest time audit of your week. Take stock of how much time is dedicated to work and other outside-of-self obligations, and how much is dedicated to yourself, your leisure, your comfort, and all things that could be considered self-care. Each week is made up of one hundred and sixty-eight hours—that’s
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the same for everyone. When you add up the tallies of the hours spent, is it the “me time” that has been neglected over those seven days? Recent statistics estimate the average Canadian is watching somewhere around 30 hours of TV each week. Other stats point to weekly averages of over thirty-six hours a week spent browsing internet sites. Binge watching Netflix? (That’s a term now.) In these summer months, days and weeks at a time are marked for R&R. Is it possible that we’re being dishonest about how much time we’re actually taking for ourselves? Moreover, is it possible that much of our time is wasted on things that are neither productive and fruitful work, nor are they truly rejuvenating? Are we unwittingly mistaking selfishness for self-care? The theologian and church reformer Martin Luther described the essence and nature of sin as the self turned inward (homo incurvatus in se). Luther was picking up on an older tradition descended from church fathers like Augustine (Luther himself was an Augustinian monk). When humans curve inward, they use God and His resources for their own purposes, rather than for God’s glory and the good of their neighbours. But
God has created and designed humans to look outward—to look and act in love toward Him and toward those around them. Sounds like the greatest commandment… We are not intended to be the end users of the resource and health and wellness that God supplies us; we are made to give it away. God fills us so that we can be emptied, not hoarding His provision and care that we take hold of (at least in part) through selfcare practices, but generously sharing it with others in need. The analogy of the oxygen mask dropping from the bulkhead of the airplane during an emergency is one commonly referenced in regard to self-care. “Be sure to secure your own mask before assisting others.” Unfortunately, we often make a habit of metaphorically securing our own oxygen mask, and then, after taking a few deep breaths, we go back to casually flipping through the pages of SkyMall, unconcerned with the person in the seat next to us, fumbling with their mask and struggling for air. We need to embrace the “assisting others” part of the metaphor as well. Our calling as disciples of Jesus Christ and members of His Body is not just to be healthy and well; it is to function as an operational part of the Body! As God resources us—as he fills us, and refreshes us, and makes us well—we are set to be put to use doing God’s work. My encouragement to you would be that you find a holy and sane rhythm that includes the kind of selfcare which makes you ready and able to care for others in all the ways God has gifted and resourced you… even during these lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer.
/ GAVIN JENSEN is a husband, father, church-planter/pastor and local amateur wrestling enthusiast who lives in Winnipeg.
EMPOWERING THE ONLINE GENERATION WITH STORIES
THAT MATTER
WATCH FULL EPISODES AT
THISISMETV.COM JULY / AUGUST 2017 SEVEN 29
SPORTS SCENE
PREDATORS CAPTAIN LEANS ON FAITH AND FAMILY
FISHER STILL A ‘DIFFERENCE-MAKER’ ON- AND OFF-ICE BY CARTER BROOKS
M
ake the NHL—check. Date a celebrity country music star— check. Stay involved in the community and promote the Christian faith—check. Marry Carrie Underwood and become a proud husband—check. Get traded to the very important country music city of Nashville that your wife calls home—check. Become the captain of that new team—check.
hockey in the NHL was there ever since his first time on skates. But as time moved on, Fisher found himself modeling both his game and his lifestyle choices after a certain kind of hockey player. “I grew up being a big fan of other Christian hockey players,” the now 36-year-old Fisher says. “Guys like Mark Osborne, Laurie Boschman and Stu Grimson were really fundamental to my beliefs and growth, both as a hockey player and as a person. And now that time has moved on, hopefully I have been able to encourage young kids along the way, in a similar fashion to how those guys helped shape me.” According to almost anybody’s standards, the word “encourage” would be a major understatement. Fisher has spoken openly about his faith in numerous televised interviews, radio shows and media
Be glad for all God is planning, be patient in trouble and always be prayerful Become a father—check. Serve as an ambassador within the Christian sports organization Hockey Ministries International (HMI)—check. Guide the Nashville Predators to the franchise’s first appearance in the Stanley Cup—check. Mike Fisher has had himself quite the career. For the Peterborough, Ontario native, the dream to play
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scrums. He is very commonly heard on both Canadian and American radio commercials advertising anything from HMI to the Fight to End Modern Day Slavery. As a devout Christian, Fisher may see things differently than some, but now serving the Nashville Predators as team captain, the 6-foot-1, 216 pound centreman has made it clear that he has not changed his game or mindset in this new leadership role. “I don’t know that I have changed a whole lot now as captain,” Fisher reflects. “I just try to be a positive role model and encourage the guys. I know that I am here playing this game for a reason, and there is greater purpose than just on the ice too. Positivity is definitely something that I try to bring as much as I can, and my faith definitely helps as far as perspective; keeping things within perspective is so important.” Whatever it is that he has done within the Predators’ organization, it sure has worked. After winning a total of just one
playoff round in the previous four seasons, Nashville—under Fisher’s leadership—did the unthinkable and swept the cup-favourite Chicago Blackhawks in four games in the opening round of this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Preds showed no signs of slowing down, and beat out both the St. Louis Blues and Anaheim Ducks in six games in the second and third rounds respectively, en route to the Stanley Cup Finals. Nashville made franchise history in the process, as it was the team’s first time making it past the second round of the playoffs. Not only has Fisher been active within his hockey team, but also within his city, and more importantly, his family. On February 27, 2015, Fisher and his wife of seven years, Carrie Underwood gave birth to a baby boy, Isaiah Michael Fisher. Now two years old, Isaiah has already made his rounds on both the country music and hockey themed social media feeds—often finding himself the main attraction in Carrie’s home workout videos or her #GoPredsGo pump up pictures. Although living a very rare family lifestyle in which Mike and Carrie may go weeks without seeing one another, Fisher knows just how important it is to both he and his wife that their toddler is raised in a way indicative of their beliefs. “There definitely has to be some balance for sure, but we know that our faith is number one, and managing that properly within our family is so important,” Fisher says. “As far as being a dad, it is amazing what changes when that happens in your
perspective. Your goal and calling becomes just raising him to become the man that God created him to be, and that is so exciting. It has been fun so far and it’s obviously not always going to be easy I’m sure, but I am really enjoying family life.” Captaining a playoff-bound NHL hockey team, raising a son, and taking in a celebrity lifestyle with a seven-time Grammy-Award-winning wife may seem like a dream for any young Canadian boy. But the reality of it is that it can be an arduous lifestyle. But much like the Bible verse found on Fisher’s hockey sticks, taken from Romans 12:12, he knows that it is his duty to “Be glad for all God is planning, be patient in trouble and always be prayerful”. Fisher is the first to admit that his fast-paced way of life can become labourious at times, but the captain of the Nashville Predators is also quick to point out that he couldn’t do it without the support of so many of his friends and family. “The biggest thing for me is that I have had so many great role models in my life that have come alongside and
mentored me,” he says. “It’s one of those things that is hard to do alone. The support and prayers that I have received throughout my whole career has been amazing, and serves as a huge difference for me. Hopefully I have been able to make a difference for others as well. I know that there have been lots of people in my life that have helped me on and off the ice, so hopefully I can pay that back a little bit.”
/ CARTER BROOKS is a news writer and sports columnist situated in Winnipeg, Manitoba. On top of reading and writing, coaching hockey is his favourite pastime. Carter can be reached at carterbrooks1994@gmail.com.
Photos courtesy of James Carey Lauder
JULY / AUGUST 2017 SEVEN 31
THE SINGLE LIFE
EVERY SINGLE THOUGHT
WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND? BY PAUL BOGE
DO OUR THOUGHTS LINE UP WITH SCRIPTURE? If we think of our mind as a massive piece of real estate, there’s an unending number of thoughts looking to build on every acre. Maybe they’re cultural thoughts, or thoughts passed down through generations. Similarly, the media, our friends, our families, and our workplaces all provide thoughts that we can choose to either accept or reject. Our thoughts have tremendous influence in how we act—either positive or negative.
SO HOW DO WE CHOOSE WHAT STAYS AND WHAT GOES? AND WHY DOES IT MATTER? Philippians 4:8 says: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Paul is instructing us to pass every thought through the filter of the Bible. If the thought entering our mind at any given time could be shown on a movie screen, would Christ approve of it or disprove it?
32 SEVEN JULY / AUGUST 2017
SO WHY SHOULD WE THINK GODLY THOUGHTS? WHY SHOULD WE TAKE CARE ABOUT WHAT WE THINK ABOUT?
SO HOW DO WE DEVELOP GODLY THOUGHTS?
by reading and praying God’s word, spending time meditating on the word, and discussing the word with other believers. Over time, God will change us, mold us, root out wrong thoughts, and make our heart attentive to picking out false doctrine. In Matthew 15, verses 11, 18, and 19 Jesus says: “A man is not defiled by what enters his mouth, but by what comes out of it…But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.” We bring glory to God by allowing His thoughts to form in our minds. By taking every thought captive and making them obedient to Christ, we will see His abundant life formed in us, resulting in godly actions and godly attitudes.
Developing a godly thought life does not simply happen because we want one. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. A godly thought life needs be built on a solid, regular intake of connecting with God
/ PAUL BOGE is the author of Father to the Fatherless: The Charles Mulli Story and five other books. He is single and works as an engineer in Winnipeg.
Our Christian culture is in a danger of becoming individualistic—we are in danger of thinking our faith is all about us and how we can get a better life. No doubt, God makes many promises for those who follow His Word, and gives many warnings about what will happen to those who don’t. But a person who is primarily concerned with themselves—that is, one who seeks after God for their own benefit—is missing the purpose of Christ in their life. We should think godly thoughts not because it makes our lives better, but because it glorifies God. We are created in His image (Genesis 1:27), and Christ in us glorifies God (Colossians 1:27).
OUT OF MY DEPTH
A FIVE-YEAR-OLD’S FIFTY CENTS
GIVE—WITH ALL YOU HAVE BY PHIL WAGLER
W
ould you take fifty cents from a five-year-old?
My youngest son overheard a conversation I was having with a friend who is a collegiate-level hockey coach. My friend is coaching his team to win at life, not just on the ice. As a follower of Jesus he sees his coaching as an opportunity to make disciples who will be leaders and men of character long after their hockey career comes to a screeching halt. There on our deck we were conversing about sports, discipleship, and the challenges he was facing. The inspiring vision of forming young men was up against the financial realities of running a topnotch program. My five-year-old was listening in up to that point, but then suddenly disappeared into the house. Attention-span limit reached, I deduced. Wrong. A few minutes later he reemerged looking rather serious and with his summer-dirtied hands clutched something tightly. “Here you go!” he blurted. His young hand opened and produced two quarters. “This is so you have money for your team,” he said with innocent conviction. My friend was silent. Should he take this money? His first
response was to resist the offer. How can you take a five-year-old’s fifty cents for a college hockey program, and besides, this amount was less than a drop in the bucket anyway? As Dad in this scene being played out, I was wrestling through these same thoughts, when it struck me: this is exactly what I want to raise him to be! My deck was transformed into holy ground, and it was good I had my shoes off. My son’s heart had been stirred by the Spirit of God toward a selfless generosity that can only come from the heart of his Heavenly Father. He was giving pretty much all he had. I smiled. I was being schooled. “You have to receive that,” I said leaning toward my friend’s ear. “This is an act of obedience to the Spirit and neither you or I should quench this moment.” So it was, that a grownup college hockey coach obediently received fifty cents from a five year old. Later he quipped that perhaps those two quarters need to be framed on his wall. In 1 Timothy 6 Paul encourages his protégé to call those who are rich in this world to be generous in the work of the Kingdom. When we lay up treasures in heaven by opening our often too-clutched hands and share
what God has put there, we discover a wonder of wonders: we grasp life that is truly life. Let’s face it, no matter how much we have to give— $10, $1,000, $10,000—at the end of the day it’s really just the equivalent of a five-year-old’s fifty cents to the King of the Universe who owns it all. The issue is not the amount; it’s about our fundamental values, vision, and who (or what) has our heart. Do we respond with generosity when the Holy Spirit stirs, startled that we have an opportunity and even the slightest capacity to bring heaven a little closer to earth through sharing what has been put in our hands? The speedy selflessness that day on my deck is too often in sharp contrast with how we live as grownups with our grown-up priorities. Isn’t the responsive heart I witnessed in my child what we want our sons and daughters to have? Of course we do. It’s beautiful. It’s humbling. And, it’s worth emulating.
/ PHIL WAGLER lives in Surrey, BC with his amazing wife Jen and their 6 kids. It probably goes without saying that his five-year-old has become a rabid hockey fan.
JULY / AUGUST 2017 SEVEN 33
POWER PLAY
TOYS / TOOLS / TECHNOLOGY SHOCK CLOCKS AND GUARD BOTS…THE FUTURE IS HERE BY SANDY MCMURRAY
KNIGHTSCOPE SECURITY ROBOTS
// knightscope.com The future of automated security is here, and it’s robots. Autonomous Data Machines (ADMs) from a company called Knightscope are being tested for routine security jobs like guarding office buildings, malls, and data centres. Their autonomous guidance systems can navigate complex environments, sending live video streams back to HQ as they roll silently along their appointed route. Why send a human security guard on a routine foot patrol when you can send an ADM instead? At first they will assist human security guards, but we all know how this movie ends. They take our jobs, we take them for granted, then something goes terribly wrong and we have to send a cyborg back in time to prevent the end of the world. Or maybe they will be friendly. We’ll see. For more information, see knightscope.com.
34 SEVEN JULY / AUGUST 2017
BIG BOBBER FLOATING COOLER
// bedbathandbeyond.ca The Big Bobber floating cooler goes great with fishing and relaxing. When the sun gets hot, open the insulated case and help yourself to a cold drink. There’s room for a dozen cans plus enough ice to keep everything cool. The bright red and white design of the Big Bobber looks right at home in water, whether you’re at the lake or in a swimming pool, or at the beach. When the sun is setting, a built-in handle flips out of the top, so you can carry your cooler home. The Big Bobber sells for about $40.
CAMPUS CHECKLIST
// bedbathandbeyond.ca/store/registry/campuschecklist/ When we drove our son to his first year of university, we thought we had everything packed that he would need. We were wrong. And so began an afternoon of driving around Ottawa looking for coat hangers. If your son or daughter is headed for college or university residence, you can help them prepare with the Campus Checklist from Bed Bath & Beyond. It covers everything from the obvious (bedding, kitchen stuff, laundry) to things you might not think of, like a power bar or extension cord, batteries, and a first aid kit. You can find the Campus Checklist at bedbathandbeyond.ca/store/registry/campuschecklist/.
HOLD THE PHONE
// studioneat.com The Glif is an adjustable clamp designed to hold your smart phone while you take pictures. The quick release lever makes it easy to load or remove a device as small as an iPhone SE or as big as an iPhone 7 Plus in a clunky case. The Glif will hold your phone sideways or vertically, so you can use it for traditional landscape photos or portrait and panorama shots. It has three tripod mounts, so you can connect additional accessories like a light or a microphone, or the optional handle and wrist strap. The Glif alone costs US $28. The “full set,” which includes a solid cherry wood hand grip and leather wrist strap, goes for US $55.
SHOCKING ALARM CLOCK
// pavlok.com Most alarms just remind you to wake up. Pavlok trains you to wake up, or else. Set the alarm for the time you want to get up, then choose the type feedback you want, and how strong it will be. (Sound, vibration, and zap are all adjustable from zero to 100 per cent.) “Vibrate” is a silent alarm that gently shakes your wrist at the chosen time. “Vibrate then zap” will gently vibrate you awake then give you a mild shock if you don’t respond right away. If you select “Zap only” there's no warning, just a zap at the appointed time. If you're prone to snoozing you can select to ensure you will get up. If you're tired of alarm clocks that wake everyone but you, check out Pavlok, the shocking alarm clock. It sells for about $150.
These Sensory Inputs Will Change Your Behavior
The Shock Clock begins training by first vibrating. Then beeping, then zapping.
MARC NEWSON HOURGLASS
After the first few days, your brain recognizes that the vibration means a zap will be coming. You'll wake up, alert, just to the simple vibration.
Within a few weeks, you'll naturally fall asleep earlier and wake up earlier—even if you forget to strap the device on. Your converision from night owl to moring person is complete.
// shop.hodinkee.com Have you ever seen a real hourglass? The passage of time is measured literally as particles fall from top to bottom through a small hole in the centre. How much would you pay for a big, beautiful hourglass? Don’t answer yet. The Marc Newson Hourglass stands 150mm tall, and is 125mm across at the widest point. The glass is actually durable hand-blown borosilicate (aka Pyrex). Every hourglass is filled with approximately 1,249,996 tiny spheres called “nanoballs,” to measure the passing of 10 minutes. At just 0.6mm in diameter, each nanoball is made of stainless steel covered with a fine copper coating, plus an anti-corrosion layer to ensure that it will not turn green over time. Watching the nanoballs flow, fall, and bounce around the bottom chamber is mesmerizing. One complete cycle from top to bottom takes 10 minutes. It’s not just a timepiece—it’s a beautifully designed object. The custom orange foam case comes with a special leather coaster and white gloves to help ensure that the Hourglass isn’t scratched. Now how much would you expect to pay? If you said US $12,000— you’re right. Place your orders now. Time is slipping away.
36 SEVEN JULY / AUGUST 2017
FORE ARMS
// tomtom.com Last year's “wearable technology” trend seems to have stopped at watches. Fitbit and Apple Watch are the best-known activity tracking devices, but there are many niche versions that cater to a specific audience. Case in point: the TomTom Golfer 2, a watch and activity tracker designed for golfers. With features like automatic shot detection and a database of golf courses worldwide, its ability to also measures your steps, active minutes, and calories burned are more “nice to have” than core features. Data collected while you play connects to a smart phone app that provides post-game analysis including shot patterns and a hole-by-hole review of your performance. TomTom Golfer 2 sells for $329. The entry level Golfer 2 SE goes for $249.
TOASTY ROASTING SKEWERS
// fredandfriends.com Nothing says summer like roasting marshmallows by a campfire. For s’more fun, try Toasty Marshmallow Skewers—a fun and silly alternative to sharpened sticks and straightened coat hangers. Toasty skewers telescope from 30cm to 80cm so you can stay cool while the marshmallows get crispy and brown. Puffy soft touch handles provide a sturdy and stable grip while you roast. Get Toasty! A set of four sells for $20.
/ SANDY MCMURRAY writes about games, toys, and gadgets at funspot.ca.
NEXT ISSUE
A Faith that
Works Following Jesus isn’t reserved for the Sabbath—it’s meant to be a “whole-life” thing. But when it comes to work, many of us are guilty of checking our beliefs at the door. Whether it’s for reasons of fear, reasons of embarrassment, or we’re just ‘too polite’ to tell people who we really are, we need to bring our faith with us in whatever we do. For a look at how we do that, catch it next time!
GOD HAS A PLAN GOD HAS A PLAN GOD GOD HAS HAS A A PLAN PLAN FOR YOU! FOR YOU! What will be your legacy? FOR FOR YOU! YOU! What will be your legacy? What Whatwill willbe beyour yourlegacy? legacy?
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