I must begin with words of congratulations and deep appreciation. Congratulations to our men’s volleyball team for an outstanding performance this weekend earning a Silver medal. Well done men! I must also extend gratitude to all who were a part of making our hosting of Nationals such an enormous success – for the CCAA, for the province of Saskatchewan, for the city of Moose Jaw, for the mission of Briercrest, and for the reputation of the Lord Jesus. Many of you worked very hard – and all of you cheered your voices hoarse. The energy in the Yara Centre was incredible. Indeed, it was a great week. Now, to this week…

“And who is my neighbour?” asked the self-righteous lawyer. We know the story well, found in Luke 10:25-37. Jesus answers the question as He so often did, with a story – the story of the Good Samaritan. While there are numerous insights that emerge out of this narrative, perhaps the most significant one is that a neighbor is anyone who has a need that we see and a need we could somehow meet. Sometimes we feel overwhelmed with the unending needs that we hear about and we become paralyzed. The thrust of this simple story is that we should be sensitive to the needs we see right in front of us.

This week at Briercrest we have an opportunity to learn more about some neighbours. This week is Aboriginal Awareness Week and I invite you to enter into this week with an openness to learn and discover how we can be good neighbours. Many of us are relatively uninformed with the plight of our First Nations in the last half of the last century. Pain was inflicted on an entire generation and we need to increase our understanding, enlarge our heart, and increase our prayers for our neighbours.

This week join us in Chapel and for additional events which will increase our awareness of the richness and the tragedy of our First Nations. Listen, learn, and let God stir you in ways that would prompt you to be a good neighbour.

Partnering together,
Michael