It's time to integrate

integrate v. 1 combine (parts) into a whole

Our brief time at Regent College has taught us the importance of adapting a holistic approach to life. This means abandoning the unhelpful distinction between our ‘Christian’ and our ‘other’ lives, and moving to a place where study is worship, worship is play, and play is work. This is why at Regent you will find courses on Christianity and Capitalism, Jesus in Literature and Everyday (not just Sunday) Spirituality. This ‘summer’ (July/August) courses won’t just be offered in a lecture theatre, but the teaching and learning will be integrated into Vancouver’s poor Downtown Eastside and on a sail boat amongst Vancouver’s Gulf Islands. The integration reaches beyond the classroom to Regents’ art gallery, kitchen, and the new, environmentally friendly wind tower that is about to be unveiled (more to blog on this!). Of course, when you study with people from six continents and a range of church backgrounds a picture of an integrated church emerges, and this further shapes and challenges the idea of living holistically as a Christian.

We have had several emails from people asking about what our experience here has been like. While we were active on our blog toward the end of last year, it focused primarily on one aspect of our life in Vancouver, rather than sharing about the rain, slush, snow, wind, and ice that make up the rest of our lives (or maybe it only seems that way in January).

So for those who are keen to share in our journey a little more, we are aiming to blog more “holistically.” We will continue to write seriously, but also to share with you more of the people, places, ponderings, pictures and possibilities that we experience here in Vancouver. For a fully holistic experience to be possible, we of course need you who have shared in and helped shape our whole journey to be a part of it, so please add your comments.

We don’t yet think that we have even fully grasped (or lived out) what it means to live wholly in Christ. We hope this blog will be a start, and that the process of learning to live holistically will bring honour and glory to our Lord as we journey.