Painted Deserts

Romans 5

2012-01-21T19:03:00.000-08:00

As I was reading Romans 5 today, I was struck that there actually DOES seem to be a formulaic aspect to our walk with God - it just isn't the formula I grew up with. Also, I was struck by the strange things we are supposed to rejoice about -- and i t made me wonder anew if God and I are on the same page, and I am indeed where I need to be!

Hope you have had a GREAT week, and I look forward to seeing you in the morning!

Retreat Recap

2012-01-14T09:58:00.000-08:00

So, another retreat has gone by! It was a wonderful weekend and I was thankful to share it with all of you! We missed having some of you, but we also welcomed folks who had never been to a retreat before. The singing and music were great, the food and conversation engaging and the times of study and sharing deep and rich.

I got a lot of flack from some of you from Sunday morning, which going in, I knew would not be a tasty cup of tea for some of you. But it is good for us feelers to be reminded that there ARE thinkers among us! They might even ENJOY such rituals (horrors)! I believe it is also very good for us to stretch different muscles than the ones we use each and every week (this is a basic building block of any personal training regimen). And finally, our greatest strength can also be our weakness. Our informality, which is what draws most people to us, when taken too far leads any (and I do mean ANY) pause or moment of silence to be a performance platform for all those comedians among us (and we have MANY).

I love it when the Words of the Gospel come in and we stand to recognize the power and authority of the words of Christ. I love the congregation being deeply involved in the sacrament of baptism. And while I am not suggesting in any way we adopt High Mass rituals and customs, I am glad we had the opportunity to experience something very different than our weekly norm together!

All that being said, Natalie typed up our memories from the first couple of years of House Church, and I wanted to share them with you (especially if you didn't get a chance to be present on the retreat)!

Favorite Memories of House Church (January 2012 Retreat)

The most meaningful memory I’ve had at House Church is the constant sense that God has a purpose in bringing this unique group of people together. My observations of our gatherings always bring a genuine joy to my life and cause me to question the priorities I set for myself. It has shown me that going out of your comfort zone can bring you to new comforts you might not have experienced otherwise. Considering the majority of the group is older than myself, I have begun to learn to listen more actively instead of being lost in my own head, because there is a lot of wisdom spoken week after week.

I don’t think I could come up with just one. Every Sunday I look around and feel so richly blessed by my H.C. family. I tell people it’s like Christmas with the family every week—without the baggage. Y’all are my family in every sense of the word. I enjoy hearing everyone’s point of view. I love when Donna and Betty bless us with their vast wisdom; Earl and Corwin’s take on things; Amy’s (both of them) gentle, thoughtful words; Ryan’s relentless prodding. Great music, beautiful singing, heartfelt prayers.

I remember a Sunday that I stayed late and we played cards. It was a great memory because it felt like family. Going through a tough time was really eased with some cards and conversation.

My favorite memories are all the little things over time. Every cup of tea Amy and Cyndi have offered me when I’m sad. Every time Ryan has made me laugh so hard I stopped breathing. Every hug from good friends. Every prayer received when it was hard for me to ask for it. Every delicious meal shared. Every encouraging word from DeeDee and so ma ny others. I love you all!!

I remember the time when the kids came from Arkansas and they said we have “real old people”!

I remember the first Sunday we met there were so many mixed emotions. One of my favorite memories is some of us cleaning up after lunch and breaking out in spontaneous singing. We started singing “Blessed Be Your Name” and I have never sung those words and meant them more.

My favorite memory of House Church was that first time Bill and Donna were there—about several months after we started. I just remember feeling such a relief that they had felt something I had felt and wanted to be somewhere else too! It was just confirmation that we weren’t just a bunch of rebels.

I will never forget Ryan using a “big” word and Donna saying, “What the hell does that mean?” I knew it was my kind of church.

Baby singing, visiting teens—“real” old people, “what the H does that mean?”, the common meal, getting to know our younger people one on one.

Common meal (especially banana pudding) [insert drawing here]

The first time I got to go to Moni’s with the Gibbons, Needels, and Fosters was magical. Saul is the man.

The Axis I first tasted Ryan’s sangria...mmm....

My first time at House Church, January 29, 2011. I looked around—saw and heard everyone singing in beautiful harmony praising God with voice, djembe, guitar, and mandolin. Then the active Bible discussion that followed where thoughts were shared and feelings discussed…it was beautiful and I knew I’d found my place home.

Getting to really know people I ordinarily wouldn’t have gotten to know: DeeDee, Amy Foster, Bill & Donna. Feeling loved and accepted and truly concerned for.

First visit to House Church and I felt like I was at home with my family.

The first Sunday Annie came to House Church was a pretty good sign for me in knowing what kind of woman she really is. The second Sunday she was in House Church, however, I wasn’t even there, and the way she described how included she felt, that was a particularly happy feeling for me.

The Sunday when my grandparents came to H.C. Ryan and Daniel led worship, my grandpa whistled harmony and my family enjoyed worshipping in the presence of the Lord with all of you. Then we took up a collection for Rhonda which was enough money to get her back on her feet, give her food, gas, money to pay bills (she then industriously found a job soon after that!). It was just a really beautiful day from morning to night—full of heart, and I remember driving back home that night and crying tears of joy because I hadn’t had a day like that in a long time.

When Corwin was going through his divorce and he shared with the group and everyone wept with him and shared his grief and heartache.

My favorite memory is a collection of memories based around one event that I feel really defined the year for me. The amount of support I have received in physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional capacities has been overwhelming. For me this year, you have been my family—in more ways than the usual “church family” has meant to me in any previous body of believers. I specifically remember being surrounded by all of you with hands, hugs, and words of encouragement. It felt like being placed in another world for a few minutes. I believe this group of Jesus followers has really carried me through the year 2011. I could say more…

Eucatastrophe Retreat

2012-01-04T13:06:00.000-08:00

Eucatastrophe is a term coined by J.R.R. Tolkien which refers to the sudden turn of events at the end of a story which ensure that the protagonist does not meet some terrible, impending, and very plausible doom. He formed the word by affixing the Greek prefix eu, meaning good, to catastrophe, the word traditionally used in classically-inspired literary criticism to refer to the "unraveling" or conclusion of a drama's plot.

For the past nearly three years we have been sharing, serving and worshipping together...and it is time to CELEBRATE! I had hoped to have a larger number of our folks on this retreat...because I think it is important to celebrate what God has done, is doing and will CONTINUE to do in the future.

Friday night is going to be focused on dinner and sharing. Saturday we will be doing a variety of activities, and I am not completely sure what order they will take place in. For those of you who have been berating me for details, you may be disappointed to learn I have not even created a schedule for this gathering. I have a loose idea in my head, and the materials to cover, but that is all. Some of you will be very excited about this, because schedule's mean very little to you, and some of you are hiving up thinking about not having a printed schedule. Whichever camp you fall into, (the Chronos group or Kairos group) I trust that this weekend will remind you of how amazing God truly is!

So, Where Are We?

2011-10-30T11:38:00.000-07:00

I have spent these last weeks looking at some difficult passages of scripture. Let me summarize some thoughts after looking at these passages.

* Genesis 4 -- The story of Cain & Abel. The Hebrew word Timshel. Meaning MAYBE. It MAY BE that you will make a good choice, Cain, but it MAY NOT. And remember, sin is crouching at your door.

* Philippians 1/2 -- You should have the SAME mind as Christ Jesus -- who EMPTIED Himself and became obedient, even to death ON A CROSS. Oh, and work out your salvation with fear and trembling.

* Ephesians 2 -- Salvation is GRACE. PERIOD. YOU DID NOT EARN THIS. You were ALL dead in your sins when Christ saved you. Yet you also are God's POIEMA, or masterpiece of craftsmanship.

* I Corinthians 5/6 -- So, there is this guy. Part of your community. Doing bad stuff. Seriously bad stuff. You have allowed him to continue in that. Even encouraged it, because we are all 'free'. NO. Drive him out. Root and branch. I MEAN IT. GONE. And about that whole taking other believers to court thing? NO. If you do, you have already lost. WHY NOT SUFFER WRONG? WHY NOT RATHER BE DEFRAUDED?

* II Timothy 4 -- Do what I have taught you. Forget that you are young, because when folks are not doing what God wants them to do (and he provides an EXHAUSTIVE list), then I want you to REPROVE...REBUKE and EXHORT them. But do so with complete patience. Now that is a new twist on Church leadership. Totalitarian authority combined with TOTAL patience. Hmmm....

* Galatians 5/6 -- So don't allow FORMS of religion, such as CIRCUMCISION, to become more important than GOD. DON'T do these things, such as...anger, rivalry, dissension, envy, drunkenness. But RATHER be FILLED with the Spirit and its fruit...peace, joy, love, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness. For when we make the FORM more important than the FUNCTION, we REMOVE THE OFFENSE OF THE CROSS.

* Finally, Acts 15 -- where there is a problem about believers being circumcised. And as hard as it is for us to realize today, the word of the Apostle Paul could not carry the day. So Paul and Barnabas are sent to Jerusalem, where they lay their case before Peter and the other Disciples. At the end of an extended period of debate, James, whichever James this is, stands up and renders his 'judgment'. No sexual immorality, no blood, no food sacrificed to idols. But what about the rest of the Torah? NO COMMENT. And this seemed good to everyone, so they sent letters to the Churches...WHAT? Where are the rest of the laws and commands? Why does James get to render judgment? Why aren't Peter or Paul or even Barnabas elected to this job?

So, as we segue back into Romans, it is with this backdrop:

1. There clearly are things we should do and some we shouldn't. (Galatians 5 & I Cor. 5)

2. While this is set against a backdrop of grace (Ephesians 2) and a sense of humility modeled upon Christ (Philippians 2) -- there is still a strong sense that we should step in when folks are out of line (I Corinthians 5 & II Timothy 4).

3. And why do you think you should be relieved from suffering? Why would you not think it better to suffer for Christ? (I Corinthians 6)

4. Because at the end of the day, man apparently has a consistent problem with holding up a particular pattern of worship as being more important than the worship itself. Whether that problem stems from circumcision (Acts 15 & Galatians 5) or clapping or instrumental music, the tide of the Church seems to constantly deposit us on this same beach. And how do we choose who gets to make the final choice, or be the one who rebukes us back on the right path? How do we choose between Peter, Paul and James? Because TIMSHEL is still in place, and it MAY BE that we make the right choice, but even if we don't, sin is still crouching at our door. So, Goebel Music, where is the PATTERN for us to behold?

The Eucatastrophe

2011-10-22T20:25:00.000-07:00

Eucatastrophe is a term coined by JRR Tolkien which refers to the sudden turn of events at the end of a story which result in the lead character's well-being. He formed the word by affixing the Greek prefix eu, meaning good, to catastrophe, the word traditionally used in classically-inspired literary criticism to refer to the "unraveling" or conclusion of a drama's plot. It is a surprise, and a joyous surprise at that. I can think of no word that better sums up my experience with this House Church. Born from the most difficult period of my life, I had no idea what to expect. Yet when Greg, Cyndi, Anne and I decided to go be with Crystal Jones at the passing of her father, Natalie, DeeDee, Amy Foster and Bill / Donna all pitched in to help get the kids to / from school. This retreat will focus on the joy that can be found in community, as we celebrate today and look to the future. I hope that everyone will come and join us for a wonderful weekend! Click the graphic to enlarge the poster and print it if you didn't get one of the copies on card stock!

Sunday Morning

2011-10-22T17:34:00.000-07:00

What is the role of pastor / teacher? Elder? Mature Christians within the body? Further, how do we handle it when someone does something that clearly is against what God wants for our lives? When that thing is called sin? How can we call one another into accountability without wagging a finger of judgment? How can we live humbly within our community so that if someone does question us we will respond in a way that God would approve of? We will look at II Timothy 4 and Paul's comments to the young preacher Timothy, his 'son in the faith'.

Randy Harris Audio

2011-10-17T08:02:00.000-07:00

This year at the ACU Summit (that artist formerly known as the Lectureship), Jonathan, Amanda and I took in a most amazing three day class taught by one of the foremost thinkers and orators of our movement, Dr. Randy Harris. Dr. Harris is decidedly monk-like, perpetually single and dresses in black (head-to-toe) every day. But the monastic lifestyle which he pursues each Summer seems to give him abundant time to think critically and hopefully about the kingdom of God. The class was entitled Cruciformity, and took place in three parts. The first two days were very good, leading to the crowning jewel, which took place on Wednesday! Here they are for your edification...they will be available soon as a free download on Itunes...

Click the Title to go to the audio...or right click it to download the audio file...

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

All Things Are Lawful...

2011-10-15T21:41:00.000-07:00

Well, between Robotics Competition, The PS 150 Benefit Concert I emceed for tonight and the Rangers going to the World Series, it has been quite a day. And we are continuing through a list of scriptures I gave you a couple of weeks ago.

All that being said, however, I did want to briefly comment on the scripture for tomorrow. We will follow up our study of Ephesians 2, and the emphasis Paul places there on the power and necessity of grace by looking at I Corinthians 5/6...where Paul tells the Corinthians most strongly to avoid tempting things, and to realize that we are free, and all things are lawful...but many of them are still not helpful.

How do we balance this sense of gracious living with the reality that God still has expectations for our lives, and he still wants us to avoid living in certain ways? It is almost midnight, so I am not going to try and comment further...but we will pick up there in the AM...see you then!

Thoughts on Grace

2011-10-08T19:43:00.000-07:00

I found an article that I thought was particularly good on the concept of grace. Click HERE to access the article. I think it is such a hard concept to grasp that we have received unmerited favor from a Holy God, and then trying to decide what our response to that Grace should be...confidence -- humility -- power -- thankfulness? How can you be confident in your status with God while maintaining a healthy understanding of what the book of Isaiah tells us about the difference between God and us...

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:9)

If you haven't done so already, make sure you read the blog article below for the passages we will be studying tomorrow...and enjoy the rainfall!

How can we keep this thing between the lines?

2011-10-05T07:12:00.001-07:00

It is difficult to read the words penned by Isaac Watts in the hymn, 'Alas and Did My Savior Bleed' that Christ died 'for such a worm as I', and not begin to feel really badly about yourself. It is ironic that posturing ourselves in a correct relationship with a Holy, Almighty God puts us in a place that may make it difficult to remember that God also sent his one and only Son to die on our behalf.

We need to balance the reality that we are sinful, fallen beings who have been called to a life of freedom through slavery to Christ with the entire canon of scripture. For instance in Hebrews ch. 5 the author, in telling us about our great high priest, Jesus Christ, says that because of Him we may '....with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.'

Paul tells the Ephesian believers that they are God's 'Poiemá', his one-of-a-kind masterpiece(s). His workmanship, like that of a master carver. So even though we aren't God, we ARE made in His image, intended to reflect His glory to those around us.

So, as we continue our study, let's look at the length and breadth of scripture...Sunday we looked at the following verses:

Genesis 4
Matthew 5
Philippians 2
James 1

This Sunday we will cover all or part of the following verses:

I Corinthians 5/6
Galatians 5
Ephesians 2
I Peter 2
John 8
II Timothy 4

DeeDee wrote a song recently that seems to hold these 'opposing' views of us, both wretched and desperately loved in a song entitled 'You Don't See Me As I Am'. I was particularly moved by this verse / chorus combination:

On the outside I impress

On the inside, I'm a wreck, a mess

They can't see past this mask

They can't see that deep inside I'm dying

Inside I'm crying

Worthless, spent and sick of trying

Hoping no one sees me as I am

But, YOU don't see me as I am

Filthy, stained and so unworthy

Undeserving of your Love

You don't see me as I am.

Beautiful, Dee...and I will close with these words by Lady Julian of Norwich, with an addendum by Madeleine L'Engle:

'All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well (no matter what).'

Romans 1

2011-09-28T21:21:00.001-07:00

As we began our study of Romans this past Sunday, the thing that Corey and Connie brought up that caught their attention was, what does it mean to be a 'slave for Christ' (Romans1:1) in our culture in the year of our Lord 2011?

It can be deeply troubling to realize that these words might very well apply to us as they did for Paul...because in Paul's life it meant that God often changed his schedule and prevented him from going the places he wanted to go; it also meant shipwreck, imprisonment and persecution.

So, what does it mean for us today?

This coming Sunday will mark the shift in the discussion toward handling of sin. The online dictionaries define sin in the following manner...An immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law.

Paul says that we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, but Christ prays that we might be perfect, even as He is perfect. What does this mean? Are we 'once saved, always saved?' Or are we working out our salvation with 'fear and trembling'?

Look at II Timothy 4 and Paul's instructions to what must have been a teenage / young adult Timothy...do those instructions still hold true today? This is deep material and we may spend a few (Sun) days on it!

Tomorrow's Lesson

2011-09-17T19:25:00.000-07:00

As we turn our minds to the book of Romans, let us prepare by looking at some related passages from the New Testament:

* Philippians 1

* I Corinthians 2

* II Corinthians 3

Do you hear any themes that are playing out in all these passages? Does Paul seem to be repeating himself at any point? What might that indicate about how important he thinks these ideas are?

Finally turn and read Romans 12:1-2...do you hear anything different in this passage than the ones we looked at above? What do you think the core of Paul's message about the kingdom may be? What does that mean for us today? How does my life have to be different because I beieve God's word to be true?

Life in the Kingdom

2011-09-04T18:18:00.000-07:00

I would highly recommend this series of books by author James Bryan Smith...

* The Good and Beautiful God: Falling in Love With the God Jesus Knows

* The Good and Beautiful Life: Putting on the Character of Christ

* The Good and Beautiful Community: Following the Spirit, Extending Grace, Demonstrating Love

His material has been the source of our recent series on the kingdom of God...and we are studying The Good and Beautiful God in our book club discussions on Tuesday evenings...

Smith's final take on the kingdom, translated by yours truly goes something like this...The Kingdom of God is a life lived out in the context of a community of others that exists for the good of others in the world rather than their own interests. It is a radical lifestyle that is foreign in SO many ways to the culture of 'going to Church' found in many American Churches.

We will now turn to study the book of Romans on Sundays, as well as its role in defining the Kingdom of God. It was Romans that transformed the thinking of Martin Luther, who started the reformation which led to the eventual creation and proliferation of nearly every denomination within Evangelical Christianity. Click HERE to link to Luther's preface to the Book of Romans, which is a crucial document in the thinking and spiritual formation of the church in the last several centuries.

Text for Sunday, September 4th

2011-09-03T17:35:00.000-07:00

The text for tomorrow morning comes from Acts 4:23-5:16 and involves lying, greed, death, signs, wonders, communal living and prayer. Should be a good morning!

The image is from some work we did at the Mansfield Church of Christ, along with our interior decorator, Cheri Williams!

Matthew 11

2011-08-13T12:05:00.000-07:00

The text for tomorrow morning is from Matthew chapter 11...where we find John the Baptist in prison, asking Jesus if he is indeed the one who is to come...

You might also read Malachi 3-4, which is where scholars think John's reference of 'the one who is to come' is found...

Then go back and look at the Magnificat (Luke 1), Jesus opening sermon (Luke 4) and the Beatitudes (Luke 6) and notice...what are the similarities in the kingdom references in these places?

See you in the morning!

The Beatitudes of Luke

2011-08-06T14:32:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning we will be looking at the kingdom perspective of Luke found in his version of the Beatitudes (chapter 6)...

They hold significant differences from those found in Matthew, particularly in that there are groups who will be blessed and 'woe unto' certain groups.

Is this simply a list of virtues, an unattainable value system to aim at, or is Christ drawing us a picture of how He wants things to run within His kingdom?

See you in the morning!

I'm Alive!

2011-07-29T20:20:00.000-07:00

I always find it the hardest to blog and stay on top of things when we are traveling in the Summer! Yet, it is always a time of tremendous growth and renewal as well! This Sunday we will be looking at Luke chapter 4 (esp. verses 16-19) which is Jesus opening 'sermon' to his hometown congregation.

Read through Luke, chapter four and consider:

* What did Jesus mean by the kingdom of God? Not only in idealogical form, but also in everyday, real world living when he is using this expression? What things does he want to get across here in his 'first sermon'? Why do you think He chose to begin with this lesson?

The Kingdom of God

2011-06-27T08:26:00.000-07:00

Jesus never mentions going to Church. Over and over again he instead uses the metaphor of the coming kingdom. We looked yesterday briefly at Luke 11:20, where Jesus indicates that the kingdom may have erupted already.

Next week we will look at the song of Mary from the end of the first chapter of Luke. Often called the Magnificat, I believe it has some things to teach us about the meaning of the kingdom.

I have been influenced greatly in recent months by the work of a professor named Scot McKnight. I would highly recommend two of his books...The Blue Parakeet:Rethinking how you read the Bible and One.Life: Jesus calls, We Follow.

Heaven?

2011-06-18T21:50:00.001-07:00

My daughter, Lily, is a wonderful, amazing disciple of Christ (even though she is only 6) . She spoke in reverent awe yesterday of her uncle Greg and aunt Cyndi, as she came to realize that they weren't going to be home this Summer because they were going to Romania to be 'missionaries'. She spoke that word 'missionaries' in a hushed whisper as if saying the name of some male heartthrob she realized that she was in love with.

On our recent vacation to Washington D.C., she decided to write a book about Heaven, which is one of her favorite topics. Amy helped her write the book, and Lily served as the chief storyteller and illustrator. It is a wonderful little book, and if I can convince her, I will share it on this blog.

My problem is this: I don't know exactly what I think and feel about Heaven. Here are some of my questions: if Heaven is where I want to go, why don't I want to go right now? Second, are all those descriptions of Heaven in Revelation just metaphors, or is it really going to be that cool? What will my existence be like (I have heard it said by some who can't carry a tune in a bucket that standing around all day singing hymns doesn't sound like a goo time to them)? Finally, is Heaven my ultimate goal, or is a byproduct of a life lived for the king today, making that life my ultimate goal.

Click HERE to read a cool blog article on this topic, and respond if you have deep meaningful answers to my questions or if you have other questions you want to add to the list!

Aaron and Corwin

2011-05-14T12:33:00.000-07:00

So, Aaron and Corwin.

What can you say? Are they crazy? Are they out of their minds for the Lord?

It reminds me of what the Apostle Paul says in II Corinthians 11...Whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about. ²² Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I. ²³ Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.

The apostle Paul has been driven in this passage into talking "crazy" -- but it is crazy for a purpose...helping the folks in Corinth understand exactly who he is and what he is all about.

Aaron has come to plant a second House Church. One that will share the same spirit as the Gibbons House Church, but will probably look nothing like it, and will certainly not be targeted toward the same individuals.

Currently, Aaron and Corwin (in their spare time) are wandering around the parks and bars of Arlington, actively seeking out the lost and hurting of our community to befriend in the name of Christ. Their methodology is different from most 'ministers', as they are different in personality and temperament from most ministers. You do not need to endorse or support all of their views, as long as you recognize that there IS a kingdom purpose behind their ideas and activities.

Aaron has come here from Bon Aqua, Tennessee with the express purpose of starting a new work....you can click HERE to understand more about this new work. He is close to landing a full time job with Lone Star Comics to help support himself as a tentmaker. Please pray that God will lead them to what they need and who they need as they seek out the 'lost causes' of Arlington.

Syble Dawson, In Memorium

2011-05-11T12:21:00.001-07:00

Syble Dawson

Amy Foster's mom, Syble, went to be with the Lord a week ago Sunday. It had been an incredibly traumatic week for the family, as the previous Wednesday had seen a record number of tornadoes sweep across Northern Alabama, destroying nearby communities, uprooting giant trees and knocking power out in a huge radius around Fyffe.

Inside the Dawson home, Amy and her sister Karen were continuing to minister to their mama, who needed morphine every 30 minutes around the clock to keep the pain down. Amy, Karen and Gail stayed up all night, administering the necessary meds.

I was privileged to take part in her funeral...doing music along with Greg and DeeDee, and leading the closing prayer by the graveside. My experience at funerals is that it ALL comes out When you are the minister...whatever feelings are left unresolved, feuds between family members, resentments from long ago events -- you get to hear it all.

But this is what I heard about Syble -- she NEVER said a bad word about anyone. I want you to understand something -- NEVER. I heard it so often that I even began to ask the family members closest to her -- they all swore this was true. And so, when her time came after a life lived this way, nobody had a bad word to say about Syble, either.

You see, the reality is, there are any number of people who will say good things about me. But you will not have to take more than just a few steps to find people who have conflicting views about me (and be more than willing to share them with you). Perhaps living her life this way made it easier for Syble to die well, and to be lovingly cared for and served by those closest to her. One of her caretakers referred to her as 'an angel', and perhaps that is what she was.

How can you and I live our lives well so that we may end them well in addition? All I can tell you is what I learned from Syble.

Happy Anniversary!

2011-04-30T20:33:00.001-07:00

Well, here we are, April 30, 2011. Two years ago today I was receiving paperwork that indicated that I was terminated, and several of us were preparing for a congregational meeting. That seems many worlds away in so many ways, and yet the wounds and scars from that experience can become visible in just a nano second.

I love all of you and am so thankful for the lessons that God has taught me in the last two years in your midst. But I still mourn for the lost relationships, and the lack of trust for fellow Christians that still creeps into my heart. I mourn for a Church that can never again be mine, and an innocence and purity about life and community and Church that is forever gone to me.

It is interesting that our scripture tomorrow is about David and Bathsheba. I didn't plan it that way, but here we are. The chapter begins by stating that in the Spring when Kings went off to war, David stayed behind. Exactly what that signals in David's life, I can't tell you, but I know that if he had been where he was supposed to be, he would never have looked over that balcony at Bathsheba, and the course of his life would have been changed. By the same token, had I not been fired from Park Row, I would never be where I am today, surrounded by such a wonderful community of believers.

So much of what it means to be a follower of Christ is being where we need to be...which is in the company of Christ. To go where He goes, to say what He says, to do what He does...to follow our rabbi in all things. Almost all the problems I have experienced in churches over the years have stemmed from people not obeying these simple 'rules.' Folks may have had all the 'right' answers about Acappella music, or the role of baptism, or how often to attend worship services or take communion, but they did NOT have hearts that were in tune with Christ's heart...who, though being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God as something to be clung to (Philippians).

And so as we move forward, may we be in concert with the Father, the Son and the Spirit, and seek to do ONLY the things that they would have us do.

Videos to make you think

2011-04-24T20:50:00.000-07:00

Bill and Greg shared a couple of really cool videos on their FB pages yesterday and I wanted to share them with you, in case you missed them! Thanks for sharing today in an awesome and joyous time as we celebrated the resurrection power of Christ.

Resurrection

2011-04-23T18:05:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is the biggest day within the Christian faith. The acceptance, and trust in, the physical resurrection of Christ is the peripety of the faithful life. To quote the homework my friends from the PUMP Church of Christ in Portland gave their kids each Sunday: God loves me, Jesus died for me, and I can have hope in the resurrection. (This is simply a restatement of Paul's words in I Corinthians 15)

Tomorrow we will be discussing the resurrection of Christ as well as the resurrection of another Old Testament family (King Saul) in the form of his crippled grandson Mephibosheth. We will consider the times when we all, like Thomas, have troubles remaining faithful when all seems lost.

This will be a jubilant, triumphant time...as we welcome back Bill and Donna, and also Daniel's mom, Marilyn. If you are a bluegrass fan, click here to see a video of a great song called I am the Man, Thomas! See you tomorrow!

Some notes from Jessica about Spiritual Disciplines...

2011-04-09T18:18:00.000-07:00

Thoughts from Jessica Colvin...

I went with my sister to her church. She’s becoming an Antiochian Orthodox. The Orthodox church is known for its de-emphasis in evangelizing. There was a guest speaker that day, however, that was speaking on missiology. He said that the main way he believes evangelism should be done is through living a life with Godly character, and by our example, people will come to want to know Christ. And what they do in the Orthodox church is eat and breathe spiritual disciplines—not at all that that’s what we should become but they may have something to teach as (as might many other denominations).

If we are transformed by the renewing of our minds through meditations, prayer, and ancient disciplines, we are working closer to the goal of loving God with all of our hearts, minds and souls and loving one another as ourselves.

For more info on the Antiochian Movement, click HERE!

Thankfulness

2011-03-16T09:56:00.001-07:00

Once you being studying something, or deeply considering it, the topic seems to pop up everywhere. So it is with me right now and the concept of thankfulness.

There was a back page article in the NY Times magazine last week entitled 'The Tire Iron and the Tamale' by Justin Horner. He had broken down on the highway three times and had been 'disgusted with the way people didn't bother to help.'

The last time he had been waiting for close to three hours, holding up signs for things like 'NEED A JACK' and even offered money. As he was about to give up, a van pulled over and a man hopped out. He motioned for his daughter to come out and translate for him.

As he was helping me, things got worse...I broke his tire iron. But no worries for this man: he ran to the van and handed money to his wife and she was gone in a flash to buy a new tire iron.

Seems they lived in Mexico and were currently in Oregon so they could pick cherries and then peaches and head home. They were...illegal immigrants! Soon his wife returned with the new tire iron and we finished the job. I tried to give them $20 for the new jack and the 90 minutes out of their day, but they refused, so I snuck it to their daughter instead.

She came back in a moment, and asked if I was hungry, and I said I was...so she ran to the van and came back with a tamale, wrapped in foil. Can you imagine what I found when I opened it up? My $20 bill! I ran to the guy's van, and held out the money, saying por favor, por favor...

The guy just smiled and, with what looked like great concentration, said in English: 'Today you, tomorrow me.'

Anne Lamott once compared the Church to an emergency room waiting room, where those who were more or less OK brought graham crackers and juice to those who were in really bad shape. And on days when the ones who had been bad are better, they switch roles.

When have you really needed something that was provided in an unexpected way? Have you paused today to thank God for those times?

Imaginary Jesus Book

2011-02-13T11:15:00.000-08:00

For those who read books on their smartphone or ipad, or on their computer, follow this LINK to got to Amazon.com and download Matt Mikalatos' book Imaginary Jesus absolutely free! It is an excellent novelization about the 'Imaginary Jesuses' we have constructed in our lives and how we can see our way clear to the real Messiah who wants to be our Savior and Lord.

And if you are just passionate about these things, you can also download The Dirty Parts of the Bible, which is a contemporary version of the Apocryphal story of Sarah and Tobias by the author Sam Torode. You can follow this LINK to download the book for 99 cents!

David

2011-02-08T08:35:00.000-08:00

The next character we will be studying is King David. The reality is we probably have more details and back story about David than anyone we do in the entire Bible. Because of this, we will be looking at several different episodes from David's life...if you are a reader and want an excellent book on David, then I would highly recommend 'Leap Over A Wall' by Eugene Peterson (the man who brought you the Message). It was a formative book in my own faith journey, and would be a good companion to our study over the next 3-4 weeks. I will certainly be pulling information from there.

The author Roy L. Laurin said this of David:

'Few men can stand to be great even as few men can stand to be rich. It is easier to bear mediocrity than magnificence...David's greatness began in smallness. It began at a time when he was overshadowed by seven brothers, all bigger than he. He was a pigmy among giants. He was a boy among men. He was small among the strong and stalwart. On the basis of assumption he did not have a chance.'

And so, here our story begins...

'Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminidab, Amminidab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, Obed fathered Jesse and Jesse fathered David.' (Ruth 4:18-22)

So, turn the page and keep reading in I Samuel 1...

Rahab?

2011-01-29T18:52:00.001-08:00

So, how DOES a prostitute show up in the 'Hall of Faith' in Hebrews 11? A prostitute who actually gets there by LYING? Check out Joshua chapters 1 and 2, and then Hebrews chapter 1 for the story and the legacy of Rahab, the Canaanite prostitute.

Warrior of Light

2011-01-22T21:06:00.001-08:00

What is a warrior of light? Warriors of light keep the spark in their eyes. They are in the world, are part of other people’s lives, and began their journey without a rucksack and sandals. They are often cowards. They don’t always act right.

Warriors of light suffer over useless things, have some petty attitudes, and at times feel they are incapable of growing. They frequently believe they are unworthy of any blessing or miracle.

Warriors of light are not always sure what they are doing here. Often they stay up all night thinking that their lives have no meaning.

Every warrior of light has felt the fear of joining in battle. Every warrior of light has once lost faith in the future.

Every warrior of light has once trodden a path that was not his/hers. Every warrior of light has once felt that he/she was not a warrior of light. Every warrior of light has once failed in his/her spiritual obligations. That is what makes them warriors of light; because they have been through all this and have not lost the hope of becoming better.

That is why they are warriors of light. Because they make mistakes. Because they wonder. Because they look for a reason – and they will certainly find one.

-- Paulo Coelho, from his blog, January 15, 2011

I'm Back

2011-01-22T20:48:00.000-08:00

"During the difficult period when I was struggling through my 'cloud of unknowing' to return to the Church and to Christ, the largest thing which deterred me was that I saw so little clear light coming from those Christians who sought to bring me back to the fold.

But I'm back, and I'm glad to be back, because through God's loving grace, I did meet enough people who showed me that light of love which the darkness cannot extinguish. One of the things I learned on the road back is that I do not have to be right. I have to try to do what is right, but when it turns out, as happens with all of us, to be wrong, then I am free to accept that it was wrong, to say "I'm sorry" and to try, if possible, to make reparation. But I have to accept the fact that I am often unwise; that I am not always loving; that I make mistakes; that I am, in fact, human. And as Christians we are not meant to be less human than other people, but to be more human, just as Jesus of Nazareth was more human."

- Madeleine L'Engle, 'Walking on Water'

I love this quote from one of my favorite authors. And I love the initiatives that we have begun in regard to ministering in our own league. May we indeed be the light of love that the darkness cannot extinguish.

A Note from Melonie Brown

2011-01-22T12:50:00.000-08:00

Dear House Church Members:

This is a note of heartfelt thankfulness and gratitude for all the acts of kindness and love shown to me during my visit with Corwin in November and December. It began with being picked up at the airport and then taken out for dinner and grocery shopping. A bed was loaned to us so i didn't have to sleep on the couch. We were invited into family gatherings for wonderful food, great fellowship and games galore. We were given the use of a van (with a tape player in it:-)_

so I wouldn't need to walk all over Texas. So many new teas to 'sip' and enjoy talking and laughter stirred into the mix. A trip to a Christmas Tree Farm enjoying God's beauty all around us. Being able to play and be a kid again. Given gas money for our trip to Colorado (that trip was a true blessing and I'm so thankful for it's healing touch :-)

Thank you again for the love and support! Melonie Brown

To be truly Christian...

2011-01-14T11:42:00.000-08:00

'To be truly Christian means to see Christ everywhere, to know Him as all in all.

I don't mean to water down my Christianity into a vague kind of universalism, with Buddha and Mohammed all being more or less equal to Jesus--not at all! But neither do I want to tell God (or my friends) where he can and cannot be seen! We human beings far too often tend to codify God, to fell that we know where He is and where He is not, and this arrogance leads to such things as the Spanish Inquisition, the Salem Witch Burnings, and has the result of further fragmenting an already broken Christendom.

Unamuno might be describing the artist as well as the Christian as he writes, "Those who believe they believe in God, but without passion in the heart, without anguish of mind, without uncertainty, without doubt, and even at times without despair, believe only in the idea of God, and not in God himself." ' -- Madeleine L'Engle, Walking on Water

It is interesting that the ultimate event in Christianity, the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, is referred to as his 'passion'. This from the Catholic Encyclopedia:

The sufferings of Our Lord, which culminated in His death upon the cross, seem to have been conceived of as one inseparable whole from a very early period. Even in the Acts of the Apostles (i, 3) St. Luke speaks of those to whom Christ "shewed himself alive after his passion"

How is your 'passion'? What moves you to tears? To shouts of joy, or indignation? What 'causes' would you be willing to die for? Are you willing to pick up your cross this week and follow Christ?

Ministering in our own league

2011-01-11T09:37:00.001-08:00

1. A prayer of praise for God’s constant blessing and provision:
Psalm 145 “1 I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.
2 Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever.
3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.
4 One generation commends your works to another;
they tell of your mighty acts.
5 They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—
and I will meditate on your wonderful works.[b]
6 They tell of the power of your awesome works—
and I will proclaim your great deeds.
7 They celebrate your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your righteousness.
8 The LORD is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.
9 The LORD is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.
10 All your works praise you, LORD;
your faithful people extol you.
11 They tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,
12 so that all people may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The LORD is trustworthy in all he promises
and faithful in all he does.[c]
14 The LORD upholds all who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.
16 You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.
17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and faithful in all he does.
18 The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.
20 The LORD watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.
Let every creature praise his holy name
for ever and ever.

2. A prayer for wisdom and direction
Psalm 143:8-10
8 Let the morning bring us word of your unfailing love,
for we have put our trust in you.
Show us the way we should go,
for to you we entrust our lives.
9 Rescue us from the enemy, LORD,
for we hide ourselves in you.
10 Teach us to do your will,
for you are our God;
may your good Spirit
lead us on level ground.

3. A prayer for God to use us
II Tim 2:20-21
20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. God, cleanse us from the latter and make us instruments for special purposes. Make us holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

4. A prayer that God will use us to bless those who are in our family and those who are not
Gal 6:9-10
9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Col 4:5
5 Father, help us to be wise in the way we act toward outsiders; may we make the most of every opportunity.

5. A prayer for opportunities to rebuild, repair, restore, renew and raise up!
Isaiah 58:6-12
6 “Is not this the kind of fasting You have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share our food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—
when we see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from our own flesh and blood?

Help us to do away with the yoke of oppression,
with the pointing finger and malicious talk,
10 help us to spend ourselves in behalf of the hungry
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,
so our light will rise in the darkness,
and our night will become like the noonday.
11 LORD please guide us always;
please satisfy our needs in a sun-scorched land
and strengthen our frames.
May we be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
12 May our people rebuild the ancient ruins
and raise up the age-old foundations;
Let us be called Repairer of Broken Walls,
Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.
Isaiah 61:1-4
God, may your Spirit, the Spirit of the Sovereign LORD be on us,
Please anoint us to proclaim good news to the poor.
Send us to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]
2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
the oil of joy instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.
May we be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.
4 Show us how to rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
help us to renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.

WOW!

2010-12-20T19:11:00.000-08:00

It is an awesome privilege to worship and live in community with people who really want to be like Christ! Over the last few weeks, I saw you give almost 100 coats, sweaters and sweatshirts away to the needy in the Metroplex. Then Sunday, we brought some further needs...friends who were homeless, inner city kids who need to go to Summer Camp, needy kids in Nicaragua who need shoes...and I asked everyone to bring $5 per person, so we could put at least $20-25 in each envelope.

Well, lo and behold some of you don't know the difference between 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 dollar bills (yeah, that's right $50!). So, every envelope had $100 or more in it when I was done sorting and we will be able to send three kids to camp in addition to all the other needs. Thanks for your generosity...and be prepared that Bill, Amy and Cyndi will be bringing us some thoughts in a couple of weeks on how we can continue to minister 'in our own league'.

Much love to all of you, and may you have a very Merry and Blessed Christmas!

The Power of Community

2010-12-07T20:36:00.000-08:00

I love being in community with people who love Christ and seek to be like him. We can have fun at the Akins on Sunday night, while we serve others by bringing coats and sweaters that will be desperately needed this Winter. Yet, I can also get a call from Holden this afternoon that he needs some sound equipment so that Greg can perform some Elvis Christmas tunes at the PRCA teachers banquet this evening, so Jonathan just jumps in the car with me, and we go to help out, and even end up helping to clean the room for the banquet. Then Corwin and his mom show up with more stuff, and I believe Daniel was following along behind...I love these people!

Some Advent Thoughts

2010-12-02T13:00:00.000-08:00

Take a few moments to read the following scriptures:

* Isaiah 11:1-10; Matthew 3:1-12; Romans 15:4-13

Advent is about preparation and expectancy. The season of Advent reminds us that we all need to prepare to meet God, to expect this coming encounter. Moses prepared the people -- if you read Exodus 19, you will find the Israelites spent a great deal of time getting ready to come into the presence of God. John told his listeners to prepare in just one word "Repent!"

Advent also reminds us that our world was forever changed with the coming of Jesus. But the entry of Jesus into our world will happen again. Paul used the word transformed in telling the Romans how they must prepare for the second coming. (Romans 12:2) Advent reminds each of us that preparation is still needed.

After reading Matthew 3:1-12, consider:

* By his dress and actions, John stands out. How do you stand out for Christ?

* What was John's message?

* How can you and I prepare this Advent Season to stand out for Christ?

What I Believe Is What I DO!

2010-11-27T20:34:00.000-08:00

So, after much study and thought about the pattern for organization, worship and community in the early Church, I find myself disappointed. Disappointed that 'the pattern' I had always been taught existed within those first followers has vanished like a mist between my fingertips. It seems to me that the early Church did whatever was expedient for the building up of the Kingdom of God, and didn't necessarily repeat that 'system' in other places as the Gospel spread throughout the globe.

So, to borrow a phrase from the book Blue Like Jazz..."what I say I believe is not what I believe. What I believe is what I do!" What DO these characters from the Bible DO? For good and / or bad, how do they follow God on a daily basis? So, for the next few weeks, I plan to consider some of these 'character studies' from the Old and New Testaments...some will be familiar to you, and some may not. But we will to endeavor to see life within the kingdom from their eyes, their point of view.

Jacob

Joseph

Shiprah & Puah

Hannah

Rahab

Ruth

David

Nathan

Solomon

Simeon

Matthew

Simon Magus

Christians who bless others

2010-11-20T21:17:00.000-08:00

The Black Death

Catherine of Siena was born in 1347. That year, according to writer Charles L. Mee, Jr., “in all likelihood, a flea riding on the hide of a black rat entered the Italian port of Messina.… The flea had a gut full of the bacillus Yersinia pestis.” With that rat, flea, and bacillus, came the most feared plague on record. In just three years, 1348 to 1350, the Black Death killed more than one-third of the entire population between Iceland and India. Remarkably, the young Catherine survived the onslaught.

Symptoms of the Black Death

What was this plague like, this unseen killer which so changed the fourteenth-century world? “The first symptoms of bubonic plague often appear within several days,” writes Mee in Smithsonian (February 1990). They include “headache and a general feeling of weakness, followed by aches and chills in the upper leg and groin, a white coating on the tongue, rapid pulse, slurred speech confusion, fatigue, apathy, and a staggering gait. A blackish pustule usually will form at the point of the flea bite. By the third day, the lymph nodes begin to swell … The heart begins to flutter rapidly as it tries to pump blood through swollen, suffocating tissues. Subcutaneous hemorrhaging occurs, causing purplish blotches on the skin. The victim’s nervous system begins to collapse, causing dreadul pain and bizarre neurological disorders.… By the fourth or fifth day, wild anxiety and terror overtake the sufferer—and then a sense of resignation, as the skin blackens and the rictus of death settles on the body.”

Society Unraveling

“It is hard to grasp the strain that the plague put on the physical and spiritual fabric of society,” Mee concludes. “People went to bed perfectly healthy and were found dead in the morning. Priests and doctors who came to minister to the sick, so the wild stories ran, would contract the plague with a single touch and die sooner than the person they had come to help.” People barred themselves in their houses or fled to the country. A fourteenth-century writer, Jean le Bel, wrote that “one caught it from another, which is why few people dared to help or visit the sick.”

Yet when another wave of the plague struck Catherine’s hometown of Siena in 1374, she determined to stay. Following the example of the early Franciscans and Dominicans, she and her followers stayed to nurse the ill and bury the dead. Respected nineteenth-century historian Philip Schaff wrote that during the plague Catherine “was indefatigable by day and night, healed those of whom the physicians despaired, and she even raised the dead.”

Such courageous service was nothing new to Catherine. When she began her ministry, writes Caroline Marshall, “she performed the most distressing nursing chores among those incurably ill of cancer and leprosy. Her patients were in pain and often abusive. She believed that these experiences helped her to share in the suffering of the crucified Christ and were, therefore, a great help along her path to the mystical union with God, which was her ultimate goal.”

The Path

2010-11-11T18:38:00.000-08:00

The author Goebel Music once wrote a book that was intended to be the Mishnah for the Churches of Christ. The title was 'Behold The Pattern' and detailed how the New Testament creates an exact picture of how we should 'do' Church, and that anyone that wasn't following this pattern clearly was not serious about the life of faith.

After studying the New Testament over many years, and especially some of our in-depth studies of the last 18 months, I cannot find said pattern. There are almost no 'snapshots' of life in the early Church, only one-sided eavesdropping sessions on conversations between Paul and some the early communities of faith. Further, I find no New Testament evidence that Paul intended his letters to be normative in any way for 'the church' throughout all times and ages. Evidence certainly points to the contrary. He gives Timothy and Titus different lists for how to choose their leaders, based on the unique situations that Timothy faced in Ephesus and Titus on the Island of Crete. At the end of the book of Romans Paul points out Phoebe, a deaconess from Cenchrea, who his readers were to follow: both in word and example. But one finds it hard to believe that he would have said the same for Phoebe if the scene was shifted to Corinth, where there must have been some women causing trouble.

In the last few weeks as we have looked at leadership, I have been looking for those scriptural signposts that would point the way that we are to follow today. But in Acts 1, when replacing Judas Iscariot, they roll the dice, trusting God to give them the person they should choose. I think we would have a hard time convincing anyone to follow this path today. In Acts 6, when workers were needed to mediate a dispute about the widows and to distribute food, the community was directed to choose seven men so that the Apostles could continue teaching and preaching. Did these 7 guys have any say in the matter? Or were they simply volunteered whether they liked it or not? In Acts 15, when there is a large schism amongst the growing kingdom of believers regarding the role of circumcision, they apply to the elders and apostles in Jerusalem, rather than listen to Paul, who is with them. That is ironic because the writings of Paul has certainly become the arbiter of right and wrong for Church life today. And then, it is not Peter or Paul who solves this dispute, but rather James (Jacob?) who stands up and sums up his decision. Was this the Son of Boanerges or the brother of Christ or someone else all together? And why was it HIS role to speak the definitive word, instead of Peter or Paul?

Then, later, when giving Timothy and Titus instructions on choosing leaders...there are these qualities / qualifications that seem to most of us to be impossibly better than most of the folks we know. Titus, in particular, is told by Paul simply to choose these leaders. Not consult the community, create a committee, or hold a vote.

So, what is the pattern...roll the dice, give the community the choice, or have the obvious leader (Titus) or the not so obvious leader (James) the final voice? Behold, the pattern seems to me to be hidden in a foggy mist of variety.

So, I go back to ground that seems more solid. We are to be disciples. Followers of Christ. Ministers of Reconciliation. A holy priesthood. A royal nation. To love God, love others as we love ourselves, and allow the rest to flow out of this simple philosophy. To BE the people God called us to be. However we go about organizing ourselves as a people.

To You

2010-11-10T09:34:00.000-08:00

One of the songs we sang during evening vespers at St. Meinrad Abbey contained these lyrics:

To you all time belong;

To you this day belongs;

To you all praise belongs.

Amen.

Be still and KNOW that He is God.

Pilgrimage

2010-11-04T08:29:00.000-07:00

"According to the dictionary, the word pilgrimage derives from the Latin peligrinus, foreigner or wayfarer, the journey of a person who travels to a shrine or holy place. Another older derivation, more poetic, reveals that pilgrim has its roots in the Latin per agrum, 'through the field.' This ancient image suggests a curious soul who walks beyond known boundaries, crosses fields, touching the earth with a destination in mind and a purpose in heart.

In Richard Niebuhr's elegant description,

'Pilgrims are person in motion--passing through territories not their own--seeking something we might call completion, or perhaps the word clarity will do as well, a goal to which only the spirit's compass points the way.' "

Let's seek to be pilgrims today, crossing boundaries and fields in the name of Jesus Christ!

Come Awake

2010-11-01T20:37:00.000-07:00

Sacred is the pause that draws us into stillness. Nourishing are the moments when we step away from busyness. Lord, teach us the wisdom of pausing. Reveal to us the goodness of stopping to breathe...

Eternal God, I want to stop trying to control the hours so that new paths of inspiration are free to unfold within me. I want to remember that I have the potential to be a blessing in the lives of those with whom I live and work. Take my scattered thoughts, my fragmented moments. Breathe into them and draw them into YOUR heart. Open my eyes that I may see your grace that waits for me in every moment. You are the source of every moment's blessing. TEACH ME TO LIVE AWAKE!

Anoint the moments of my day -- may you make this prayer true in my life. Amen.

Acts 6 Leadership

2010-10-29T20:02:00.000-07:00

Let's try and get this back by Wednesday...

You can just send me a message and I won't post it, just keep track of the results.

Some things aren't new...

2010-10-29T13:31:00.000-07:00

'We should never be afraid of adventurous thought. If there is such a person as the Holy Spirit, God must ever be leading us into new truth. How would medicine fare if doctors were restricted to drugs and methods and techniques three hundred years old? And yet our standards of orthodoxy are far older than that. The ma with something new to say has always to fight. Galileo, the 7th century astronomer and physicist, was branded a heretic when he held that the earth moved around the sun. Lister, the surgeon, had to fight for antiseptic technique in surgical operations. Simpson, also a surgeon, had to battle against opposition in the merciful use of chloroform. Let us have a care that when we resent new ideas we are not simply demonstrating that our minds are grown old and inelastic; and let us never shirk the adventure of thought.

We should never be afraid of new methods. That a thing has always been done may very well be the best reason for stopping doing it. That a thing has never been done may very well be the best reason for trying it. No business could exist on outworn methods - and yet the Church tries to. Any business which had lost as many customers as the Church has would have tried new ways long ago - but the Church tends to resent all that is new.

There is a wise and an unwise conservatism. Let us have a care that in thought and in action we are not hidebound reactionaries when we ought, as Christians, to be gallant adventurers.'

-- William Barclay

Scrap

2010-10-22T10:13:00.000-07:00

No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins and so both are preserved. -- Matthew 9:16-17, ESV

William Barclay, the famous Anglican scholar had this commentary regarding that passage from the book of Matthew...

"Throughout all its history the Church has clung to the old. What Jesus is saying is that there comes a time when patching is folly, and when the only thing to do is scrap something entirely and to begin again. There are forms of church governance, there are forms of church service, there are forms of words expressing our beliefs, which we do often try to adjust and tinker with in order to bring them up to date; we try to patch them. No one would willingly, or recklessly or callously abandon what has stood the test of time and of the years in which former generations have found their comfort and put their trust; but the fact remains that this is a growing, expanding universe: and there comes a time when patches are useless, and when a man and a church have to accept the adventure of the new, or withdraw into the backwater, where they worship, not God, but the past." -- William Barclay, Daily Study Bible

Consider that the man who penned those words died long before the world wide web, or cell phones, or even personal computers. What an amazing statement this is, and how forward thinking from a man who had not even seen some of the most amazing ideas of his century come to pass! What do you and I need to stop tinkering with, and scrap completely -- not only as a community of faith, but in our own personal lives, as well?

Guide Us, Oh Lord

2010-10-20T20:54:00.000-07:00

One of my dearest friends just texted me with terrible news. I was just fading out into sleepy oblivion when I saw the text, and it jolted me awake. Amy and I prayed and grieved and I went to retrieve the book of common prayer from my shelf, for words to pray seemed to fail me.

I opened to one of my favorite compline prayers...

Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work or watch or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your Love's sake. Amen.

So, dear Friends, wherever you are, remember that you are loved...this night...

So guide us waking, O Lord, and guard us sleeping; that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Personalities

2010-10-20T13:19:00.001-07:00

Well, as promised, here are the personality types of our group, according to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator:

ESFP: Becky B, Bobby H, Greg F

ENFP: Corwin B, Ryan G

ENFJ: Amanda M

ESFJ: DeeDee E, Bill A, Donna A

ENTJ: Deanne

ESTJ: Corey, Betty

ISTJ: Earl B, Greg N, Jamie, Jeremy

INTJ: Randy C

ISTP: Kara E

ISFJ: Connie B, Amy F, Amy G, Jessica C, Taylor P

ISFP: Cheri W, Anne S, Holden F

INFP: Jonathan P, Daniel S, Cyndi N, Stacy B

Check out these links...

2010-10-19T13:22:00.000-07:00

Hey, click here to access a great link about a group of 'villages' (house churches) in the Denver area. The author's of the book 'The Tangible Kingdom' are the leaders of this group. I think the book and the website would both prove interesting for you.

Secondly, especially for those of you who are interested in the ancient disciplines and monastic life, you may be interested in a faith community known as 'Small Boat, Big Sea' located in Sydney, Australia. They have weekly rhythms focused around 'blessing, eating, listening and learning.' Click here to access their site.

Next up: the breakdown of all the Myers Briggs data for our group!

Robert Fulghum Article

2010-10-18T13:01:00.000-07:00

Here is that article I mentioned yesterday. If you weren't with us on the retreat or didn't have a chance to read it, I think it is especially pertinent to our discussions of the moment.

Click here to access that article.

Feedback

2010-10-17T11:13:00.001-07:00

One of the dangers in having a group of folks who are so feelings focused (roughly 90% of our folks our feelers, not thinkers) is it makes it difficult to have a focused conversation. You only need to attend one of our house church gatherings to understand the implications of this. We chase rabbits endlessly and often you will end up with a statement about, "well, that is just something I don't need to understand."

Now that is a feeler position, NOT a thinker position. A thinker will lie awake at night pondering these things, while the feeler, having shared his/her feelings on the subject will sleep like a baby. So, rather than throwing things open this past weekend, I decided to have a focused discussion, using the 'Creative Whack Pack.' This did two things. First, it gave a funnel to our discussion time, which as it was still required Saturday Night and Sunday Morning for everyone to share. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, it encouraged everyone not to take the first right answer. Usually the first right answer is our teddy bear, that thing we reach for when we don't know what else to do. I wanted to avoid that and encourage everyone to listen and stretch farther.

In looking over the results of our brainstorming, it seemed to me that three categories were clearly invoked. I heard a sense of greater personal discipleship, which I am sure would manifest itself within the greater group in powerful ways.

Second, the challenge to be Christ in our own league, in our own backyard. Earl is scanning an article by Robert Fulghum that might help you understand the flavor of what we discussed at the retreat.

The third focus seems to be on the integration of rhythm of life wed together with ancient disciplines. The interweaving of a rhythm of spirituality into our ongoing life, as an individual and as a community.

Acts 7 says that they chose up from among them those filled with the Holy Spirit, and gave them the job of caring for the widows and the orphans. I would like to ask each of you to pray this week over these three areas and see if God might lead you to a name within our group that might be a good choice to help us be involved in these areas in a larger way.

Here are the statements that were brought up during our brainstorming time...

GREATER PERSONAL DISCIPLESHIP:

* Our faith life needs to be a path of transformation to a person we are BEING -- to see our walk with God as a way of life.

* These changes are NOT A QUICK FIX

* To KNOW = CHANGE

* The Church has had an overemphasis on the conversion moment, and not enough emphasis on what type of person we are becoming!

* We need to slay the dragons of fear, especially regarding our own personal comfort zones

* Avoid the blind spots as we use our imagination

* Reduce our personal stuff

* We need to BE the metaphor and find the relatability

* What is out of whack? ME (Anne)

* We need to approach as a lifestyle as opposed to something we sign up for

* Ask ourselves the question - what are we doing personally in the kingdom? Not only $, but also time, and share with the group.

* Need to seek out unknown relationships, even within the group (Corwin)

* Need to consider the difference between want and need -- for ourselves as well as others.

* FOCUS: truth, acceptance and seek what the word really says, not what we want it to say

BE CHRIST IN OUR OWN LEAGUE:

* We need to give back (tithe - Donna), make a commitment to simple service

* Determine what we can do and DO IT

* Leave the house and leave a trail

* Cultivate an awareness of real life, and the struggles and blessings within our community and those around us

* Cultivate and talk about reality, even when it involves panties and boogers

* Develop an ear to listen and help those in need

* Be there for others and inspire confidence

* Relationship - find the metaphor that speaks to this person?

* Cultivate a different perspective as we ask what can we do for our neighborhood

* Take our common meal outside

* We need to combine our ideas (ex. nursing home) and bring together people of different strengths

* We need to fight for it...we may be small, but through God we can be mighty! We need to address needs in our community, like drops in the ocean.

* We need to help people find the aha - change venues, make our own videos, use creative talents of our group (Greg F)

* We need to stay and play in our league and neighborhood

* Can you sell it (Donna) - we are selling ourselves, and what God is doing among us. How does reaching out meet the needs of the group.

* We need to focus on one thing while allowing people to be who they are - where they are

* We need to decide how will we handle it when God brings us a black hole of neediness...and figure out what it means to truly love our neighbor. How will we handle it when the most loving response is to say no?

RHYTHM OF LIFE AND DISCIPLINES

* Develop a rhythm of disciplines

* Put ancient practices into our daily life

* Be attentive to the Holy Spirit and join God

* Look to nature to define systems that can help us: consider spiritual disciplines, mentoring and transparency. How can we create systems that nurture these.

* LOOK - LISTEN - RESPOND

* We need to conform to God’s rhythm

* We need to do the unexpected and live it, be in the moment.

* We need to let the word of God speak as we are involved in other folks lives

* We need to do something because God is calling us. To daily be aware and be Jesus.

MISCELLANEOUS:

* Think through the instincts of a child

* We need to dream, and not allow the fear of the unknown or our comfort zones

* Pig at an islamic funeral (bobby h) - no idea what the context was, but that was hilarious

* BEWARE - there are positive as well as negative results of implementing an idea.

HOMEWORK:

1. Check out http://www.adullamdenver.com/

2. Pray over these lists as we prepare to choose leaders

The Retreat

2010-10-16T21:20:00.000-07:00

So, some of you may have looked for something from me after our retreat this past weekend...if so, I have sorely disappointed you. I am sorry if that is true for you.

One of the hurdles for me to overcome is my own institutional church learned behaviors. And the first of those is that as a leader, I act. I speak, I talk, I coach up. So this week, instead, Jonathan and I went to the monastery up at St. Meinrad (Indiana). And I refused to allow myself to make blog posts or in general work on house church stuff all week. Because that 'action' is my teddy bear. I want people to be happy, and feel fulfilled, and have a sense of purpose. So I challenged myself this week instead to read, pray and listen for God's voice.

I believe that God uses our strengths, but I also believe that God can use our areas of weakness. I had a polaroid camera when I was a kid. And even in the 1970's, I would stand there holding that photo, and practically shake it, willing it to turn out faster so I could see the finished product. Most of my faith life and church work has been the same way, with mixed results. Sometimes that drive has been a wonderful thing, and spurred myself and others on to greater things for God. Sometimes, however, it has caused me to be unwilling to listen and wait for God's timing. To rush ahead when it wasn't prudent, and spoil what God was trying to birth through me.

For the first time in my life, I think, I am truly listening and open to God. The past 18 months have brought many, many lessons home to me. But the greatest lesson has been a greater understanding of the kairos time, God's time, which is ALWAYS perfect.

In reality, I needed to get fired so God could do some things. It was hard, it was painful, and it was RIGHT. Some of those things God needed to do were within me, and some were within those around me. Our first retreat this past January was the first time that I thought, hmm...this house church is going to make it. And right then, I turned to my teddy bear of leadership and action. Almost immediately I sensed I had made the wrong move (again). Things started to go wrong in everyone's life, and I reluctantly switched on my listening ears again.

Things improved and we had a wonderful retreat this past weekend. I was so thankful to be with you, and to watch you share with one another and with God, and to hear all of the ideas that were rattling around inside your heads.

I think the polaroid is taking shape. The picture is forming, and I encourage you, as we build on this retreat over the next few weeks, to do everything you can to be a part of our weekly gatherings. Your input is vital, and I truly believe we are missing something when you aren't present! I love you all and missed you this week!

Rituals

2010-10-07T17:08:00.000-07:00

"Religious rituals often develop out of mystical experimentation. Some brave scout goes looking for a new path to the divine, has a transcendent experience and returns home a prophet. He or she brings back to the community tales of heaven and maps of how to get there.

Then others repeat the words, the works, the prayers, or the acts of this prophet, in order to cross over, too. Sometimes this is successful--sometimes the same familiar combination of syllables and devotional practices repeated generation after generation might carry many people to the other side. Sometimes it doesn't work, though. Inevitable even the most original new ideas will eventually harden into dogma or stop working for everybody." -- Excerpt from 'Eat, Pray, Love'

The canvas is wide open. What rituals would God have us paint week in and week out...and how can we prevent these from becoming stale and without purpose?

Renewal

2010-10-06T20:01:00.000-07:00

In preparation for our upcoming retreat, I have been working through a book entitled "Houses That Changed The World." Here is a quote that I found especially meaningful in recent days:

"Many churches which are desperate for renewal - or at least change - tend to overlook the fact that you cannot produce a new quality in the church by changing the structures...Changing a church by changing some outward forms is as futile as trying to change your mentality by changing your clothes or walking backwards...Adding a new mission statement or some other cosmetic alteration without a radical genetic reformation of the church will only lead to frustration - like sewing a patch of new cloth onto old cloth, which, Jesus says, is bad advice.

Revival and reformation truly start with a complete rediscovery and reconstruction of the core essence of the church, with New Testament DNA, the genetic code of God, supernaturally empowered with growth potential from within."

As we have grown closer to the retreat this weekend, all the excuses have started to trickle in...I have this Friday night or my brother has this deal or this other thing has come up. I can't tell you what a bummer that is as I try to prepare for an event. It has always been disappointing to work hard on something that you want to share with everyone and not see folks match that excitement, passion and discipline.

But that disappointment seems all the more acute now that I don't work for 'the Church'. My time is now much like yours. Peripetee business has had to slow to a near standstill this week (thanks, JP for giving me that time) in order for me to be ready for this retreat. And the reality is, this IS an important weekend for our little community. We only have 30 folks, so there is no guarantee someone is out there waiting to step into your shoes if you aren't present. The theme of the retreat is 'wide open' - which I think is what the future is for us -- wide open. But we need you to be there in order to hear from everyone in our community -- there is not a later date to 'catch everyone up'. There are no do-overs or spark notes.

So my encouragement to you is to not allow the things of this world to crowd out the things of God. Be open. Be receptive. Be willing to share. And come. Come ready...to listen, to worship and to share life together.

Colossians 3...

¹Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. ²Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ³For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

Receipients of the Bibles in Panama

2010-09-30T16:30:00.000-07:00

Several months ago, Cyndi collected money to send Bibles to Panama. Here is what she said:

Here is a picture of some of the people in Panama who received the bibles that house church people purchased and sent. Also the message that came with the picture.

Hey Cyndi! How are you? I wanted to send you the picture we took of the family/church that needed Bibles. They were SO excited! Please pass on our huge thanks to everyone who contributed to getting the Bibles and materials to us! We love you guys!

Miriam

The Color of Her Eyes

2010-09-28T13:48:00.000-07:00

NOTE: To understand the subtlety of this story, you need to know that my wife and I are extremely caucasion, but almost five years ago we adopted a most beautiful daughter of Asian descent.

I have been trying to get a handle on all of these new friends Lily has made in Kindergarten. She has 20 children in her class and not many of them have been in class with her before. Nicole was a name I had heard often, and I asked Lily, "Is Nicole the other Chinese girl that sits at your table?" Lily responded, "I don't know, dad."

Trying to help her, I added, "well, you know, does she look like you?" Lily screwed up her face in intense concentration and said, "no, dad, she has different color eyes."

I had tried to help her identify her friend by the color of her skin and country of origin, but Lily saw deeper, someone who she had considered long enough to notice what color her eyes were.

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit has to say to His church.

The Handout, thanks to Earl!

2010-09-27T13:41:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Earl B...for scanning the handout from Sunday...

Click the image to download a copy of the handout if you want to read the scriptures before next Sunday...

Have a GREAT week!

What I Learned at ACU Summit

2010-09-24T19:23:00.000-07:00

As we were taking classes this past week at the ACU Summit, I was also doing a lot of reading. I find it helpful and even refreshing that these questions that we have been addressing for the last 18 months or so are also weighing on the minds and hearts of other believers.

Here are some results of what 'house churches' bring a community of faith that statistics reveal are different from that of the 'traditional church'.

1. Community members stop doing church and start being church

2. Church touches all of life and be 'holistic'

3. The house church model...ends the money problem

4. And the leadership problem

5. And the building problem

6. House churches bring a new quality of conversions

7. They redefiner the mission of the Church

8. Create church members who are doing less acting and more acting

9. Excitement levels rise

I believe all of these are AWESOME things to consider. This Sunday, I plan to survey what the New Testament has to say about the role of houses in the early Church - so BRING YOUR BIBLE!

Houses That Change The World

2010-09-21T20:13:00.000-07:00

"Our bookshelves are full of Christian books and videos. We have churches on every major street, more staff workers than ever before, large Sunday school departments, cell systems, mega- and meta-church seminars. We have Christian bumper stickers, political action groups, huge parachurch ministries - and in the midst of it all, we have lost every major city in North America. Rather than rethinking our methods and challenging our own effectiveness, we try to escape responsibility for the eternal damnation of those in our communities by blaming others for our own spiritual ineffectiveness." (Page 10, Houses That Change The World)

"The image of much contemporary Christianity could be summarized as holy people coming regularly to a holy place on a holy day at a holy hour to participate in a holy ritual led by a holy man dressed in holy clothes for a holy fee. Since this regular performance-oriented enterprise called a 'worship service' requires a lot of organizational talent and administrative bureaucracy, formalized and institutionalized patterns developed quickly into rigid traditions. Statistically, a one- or two-hour 'worship service' is very resource-hungry but produces very little fruit in terms of discipling people (changing their lives)...Do we need to change from being powerful actors and start acting powerfully?" (Page xxi, Houses That Change The World)

It has been a stretching week for Jonathan and I. Much of the discussion here at the Abilene Lectures has centered around new forms of Church and the call to take Christ's call to discipleship more seriously.

Reg Cox spoke this morning from I Peter 3 about the necessity that Christians be willing to suffer for our faith, and our need to follow Jesus not only because He is our Savior, but also because he is our LORD! I am more impassioned that at any point in my 41 years about the need to be an apprentice to my Rabbi Jesus and follow Him wherever He may go. Will you join me? Are you also impassioned? What might the Spirit of God be leading you to RIGHT NOW?

More from Artemis

2010-09-18T21:06:00.000-07:00

I looked at Acts 19 a couple of weeks ago during our study time, but in watching some Ray VanderLaan videos this week, I realized how much I had NOT mined from the passage. That info seems particularly relevant to our discussion is to our situation at the moment.

If you are reading your Bible tonight or in the morning, check out Acts 19, Ephesians 1 and Revelations 2! See you tomorrow!

Metanoia

2010-09-15T12:19:00.000-07:00

I bought some books off of Amazon.com to be used as giveways for our retreat. But, if you know me, and you know how much I love to read, so, when the box of books showed up I just had to sneak a peek into a couple that I haven't read yet. This quote comes from a book entitled "From Nomads to Pilgrims", by Diana Butler Bass. It is a collection of essays from people who are involved in little communities like ours, striving to 'do church' the way the early disciples did. I was so taken by what she said in her introduction:

"The stories that follow are stories of metanoia, of individual and congregational change, of people on pilgrimage. The pastors who share these stories will be the first to say that their congregations are not perfect, and they, as leaders, are not perfect, either. They often struggled and were surprised by the Spirit along with their congregations as the communities changed through practice. Indeed, in their stories, they share their metanoias.

From these pastors and the people they served, we learned that two practices are foundational to pilgrim communities: discernment and hospitality. Having FIRST learned to listen and welcome, congregations THEN embarked on the unique practices which God had called them."

Have we learned to listen and welcome? If so, then perhaps it is indeed time to consider what practices will drive our little community.

Fordlandia

2010-09-12T15:57:00.000-07:00

Interestingly enough, Earl brought me a clipping about a new book called Fordlandia...it is a tome about a jungle utopia that Henry Ford tried to create in the early part of the 20th century in Brazil.

Ford created a town of wide thoroughfares to accommodate Model T's and A's and ice cream shops and bandstands that eventually disintegrated into riots and a boomtown filled with saloons and brothels. The picture above is part of the ghost town that is left. What happens when man tries to create utopia on his own?

Thou art Peter, and upon this rock...

2010-09-11T21:54:00.000-07:00

Our text this morning comes from Matthew 16:13-ff (also found in Mark chapter 8)...and deals with whether or not the church is on the offensive or defensive in the battle against evil.

After Christ has spoken to his apostles, and asked them who people say that He is, He goes on to tell them (Mark 8 indicates he spoke to the assembled crowd, as well) that they must "come after him". After that, what does Jesus tell them they must do?

In what ways do you think people who worshipped Pan and other gods would have to "deny themselves" in order to follow Jesus? (Also note I Peter 4:3-4 and I John 2:15-17)

How do you think the disciples felt when Jesus suddenly calls out to this pagan crowd? What impact do you think His strong words about being ashamed of him had on his disciples that day and in the future when they went out into the pagan cultures of Asia Minor?

Flat Leadership

2010-09-04T22:33:00.001-07:00

Hey, I really think you should all check out this article about 'flat' leadership.

Click here to access the article!

Making a Difference

2010-09-01T20:51:00.001-07:00

This past Sunday in the New York Times Bruce Feiler wrote an article entitled 'The Joys of Vicarious Divorce'. Here is an excerpt from his column:

"Turn on the television. Visit a bookstore. Pick up a magazine. Head to a multiplex. Divorce is everywhere these days. The culture is practically gorging on it.

The biggest film for adults of the summer centers on a divorce (Eat, Pray, Love), the most talked about television series of the moment revolves around a divorced couple ("Mad Men"), the hottest revivals on Broadway of the season pivots on divorce ("Promises, Promises"), the bawdiest memoir of the year chronicles an affair that eventually led to a high profile divorce (Andrew Young's "The Politician).

With the notable exception of Chelsea Clinton, the biggest celebrity news stories of the year have all involved breakups, from movie stars (Sandra Bullock, Susan Sarandon), to television stars (Kelsey Grammar, "The Bachelor"), to sports stars (Tiger Woods, Frank McCourt) to political stars (the Edwardses, the Gores). Forty-three years after the Summer of Love, one can be forgiven for thinking we're in the Summer of Divorce.

In a world where everything seems to be spinning madly on, I wonder exactly what it means to be 'the Church' in the midst of this culture. We have become a very tight knit group of people who share in one another's joys, as well as their sorrows. We have the added blessing of sharing in a time of honest searching and finding. But what has God intended for us to be and say and do within our greater community? For the next few weeks, as we approach our retreat October 8-10, I will be examining more in depth what it means to be 'The Church'. It might be instructive for you to check out the following links:

* The Ecclesia Network

* Ecclesia Church: Houston

* The meaning of ecclesia and other links

How Much Did Christ Understand?

2010-08-30T19:38:00.000-07:00

I am reading a novel right now by Anne Rice. Interestingly enough, the novel is about the life of Christ. Anne Rice has enjoyed a very successful career as an author, primarily about vampires. Interview with the Vampire may be her most well known book, but in these last days, all of her writing has been centered around her faith.

This book, entitled The Road to Cana, details the life of Christ as he begins his ministry. In an early scene Mary asks her son, "Are you sure this is God's will?"

His answer (as envisioned by Rice) goes as follows: "Mother, there are things I know , and things I don't know. Sometimes knowledge comes to me unexpectedly -- in moments of surprise. Sometimes it comes when I'm pressed, and in my sudden answers to those who press me. Sometimes, this knowledge comes in pain. Always, there's the certainty that the knowledge is more then I will let myself know. It's just beyond where I choose to reach, just beyond what I choose to ask. I know it will come when I have need of it. I know it may come, as I said, on its own. But some things I know certainly and have always known. There's no surprise. There's no doubt."

It is interesting to consider that Christ may have known more than he allowed himself to understand. That sometimes he may have thought or said something that he hadn't planned ahead of time, or that he would have a sudden burst of understanding, yet feel as if he had always known it. And yet, perhaps there were other things, things that were exceptionally clear to him...

The Artist Donray

2010-08-27T12:08:00.001-07:00

For those of you who attended Park Row Church or have been involved in the Park Row Christian Academy, you may have heard the name Don Ray. Don is an artist / lawyer who is a long time member at Park Row and also someone who has donated his skills as a lawyer pro bono to folks who needed it. He is a wonderful man, and his daughter, Roussy, is in Nate's 6th grade class at PRCA.

Interestingly enough, he is also a world renowned artist. Donray (his artist name) can be googled with a deep list of results. He called me recently and told me that anyone I knew could buy his paintings or pastels at a reduced rate, and also said I could have a commission for anyone I referred to him (my thought was money for the bucket!).

Now, he is a fine artist, and a picture is going to run you from $300 + up to a lot more than that. However, if you or anyone you know would like to buy something, I would be happy to bring you two together. He is a wonderful Christian brother and also a dynamic artist. So, if you are interested, click here and here to see some of Don's work!

2010-08-24T21:07:00.000-07:00

We have been preparing for the past couple of weeks to begin studying a new book in book club entitled "Finding Our Way Again" by Brian McLaren. It is a book about spiritual practices, and I felt it was particularly relevant for the current season in our faith community. We would invite anyone and everyone to come join us, Tuesdays at 6:30pm at our house. Here is an excerpt from the book...

"You can't take an epidural shot to ease the pain of giving birth to character. In a sense, every day of your life is labor: the rhythmic agony of producing the person who will wake up in your body tomorrow and will influence your family, friends, colleagues, neighbors, and countless strangers for better or worse.

In a wild world like ours, your character, left untended, will become a stale room, an obnoxious child, a vacant lot filled with thorns, weeds, broken bottles, raggedy grocery bags and dog droppings...But well tended, your character will be a fragrant garden, an artist's home, with walls and halls full of memories and beauty, a party with live music and pleasant conversations in every corner. You'll be good and deep company for yourself and others.

The question is: how will the experiences of your life form you?"

How do we KNOW something?

2010-08-20T21:40:00.000-07:00

One of the questions that comes up when we are discussing the concept of understanding Jesus' parables, is how do we KNOW something? Mark 4 is where Jesus says to his disciples that they have already been given the key to understanding his parables, and yet, they don't understand them. In my last blog post, I quoted Cyril of Alexandria, a Christian Scholar from the 4th century who said that we understand the parables with the eyes of our mind and not the eyes of our body. But what does that mean?

I got thinking this week that the answer to this question may be somewhat like understanding why we love our spouses. I can give you lots of answers as to the reasons I love Amy, but they full short of the complete answer. She is beautiful and loving and compassionate. She is an incredible teacher, she loves children, and is someone all people love. She has great patience and incredible spiritual insight. And while all of those answers are true, they somehow fall short of the answer. I love her because there is noone else on earth for me, nobody who completes me like she does. Deanne recently said of Corey, "he brings out a better me." Perhaps that is understanding with the eyes of our mind.

We will discuss this topic more on Sunday, as we consider the ways in which we 'understand' the Word of God.

The Eyes of the Mind

2010-08-14T20:32:00.000-07:00

"Parables are word pictures not of visible things, but rather of things of the mind and the spirit. That which cannot be seen with the eyes of the body, a parable will reveal to the eyes of the mind, informing the subtlety of the intellect by means of things perceivable by the senses, and as it were tangible."

-- Cyril of Alexandria, c. 376-444 A.D.

How do we 'get' parables? Cyril argues that we understand them with the eyes of our mind, rather than the eyes of our body. Where are the eyes of our mind and how do we understand something in this way? We will finish our discussion next week on how we can understand the parables!

Thanks for a wonderful day filled with new friends and old - hope you have a wonderful week!

The Power of Parable

2010-08-13T20:40:00.000-07:00

"Images are concrete expressions of abstract ideas, the existential embodiment of the rational word. Images, whether they are stories, pictures or music, are incarnations of ideas--words made flesh." -- Pg. 102, Word Pictures by Brian Godawa

Why does Jesus teach using so many images and metaphors? Why can't he simply answer a straight question? Why does he ask so many questions and tell so many stories? Why does he perform so many miracles? Why doesn't he perform more miracles?

These questions and many more abound regarding the sayings and teachings of Christ. But I think they all revolve around an understanding of the nature and design of parables. Before Sunday, take a moment to read Mark 4, carefully noting vs. 11: "To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God; but those who are outside get everything in parables."

How to use subversion today...

2010-08-10T18:11:00.000-07:00

One last case for subversion, following our discussion at House Church this past Sunday...

"The apostle Peter subverts hellenistic imagery when he writes about the cataclysmic spiritual events surrounding God's judgment in the Noachian flood. 'God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment.' (II Peter 2:4)" -- quote from Word Pictures, by Brian Godawa

What is important to realize is that the word translated as "hell" in this English translation is not the usual Greek word, gehenna, but tartarus, a well-known Greek mythic location written about by Plato:

"The very wicked are cast for ever into Tartarus, the traditional place of punishment in Hades surrounded by a brazen wall and encircled by impenetrable darkness. Here, they received terrible torture (Republic 626)."

The Greek poet Hesiod, writing around 700 B.C., described Tartarus as the underworld pit of darkness and gloom where the Olympic Titan giants were banished following their war with Zeus. I think it would be much the same as a reference to "sin city" being universally recognized here in America as a reference to Las Vegas.

If this is truly another case of subversion by a New Testament writer...how can we or should we subvert the culture today in the greater cause of Christ? How can we be in, but not of, the world? How can we somehow quote the Benny Hill's of our day, and maintain a viable witness as a light for Christ?

Subversion vs. Syncretism

2010-08-07T16:25:00.000-07:00

Take a look at Acts 17:16-34 for this week's House Church gathering before you come. This is a scene from the Areopagus, where Paul makes his case before the Athenians regarding their 'unknown God.' As you read, look at the arguments Paul makes, and what things he uses and those things he doesn't use in making his points. What rhetorical arguments does he make as he seeks to win over his audience? It may help you to know that the Areopagus was the place where 'new' religions were brought to 'trial' in Athens.

I want to talk tomorrow about a concept known as subversion. The definition of subversion is: Action designed to undermine the military, economic, psychological or political strength of a regime.

This is different from syncretism: A: the combination of different forms of belief or practice; B: the fusion of two or more originally different intellectual forms.

One is using something from a culture or viewpoint to bring about a change in that same culture; the second is abandoning something in order to fit in with the culture around us. The word syncretism originates with the Greek Island of Crete, which has a series of city states which fused together, and brought all of their varying cultures and dialects and fused them into an integrated whole.

Now read back over this section from Acts 17...was Paul engaging in subversion or syncretism?

Through Him everything was created...

2010-08-07T16:14:00.000-07:00

Corey and Jonathan...SERIOUS artists!

I loved this past Sunday! Thanks to all who participated in the 'creative' activity...I loved it so much I wanted to share a few pictures with you!

Donna was pleased with the activity, but Bill, well...?*%&...give him credit, though, he DID participate...

Amanda, Taylor and Greg N - 'artsying' away!

Jamie used her songbook as a sort of 'flannel graph' for her sculptures!

Cool Article on House Churches

2010-08-03T21:00:00.000-07:00

Thought you all would want to see...this was first published here in the metroplex, and then down in Houston...

House Church: Skip the sermon, worship at home

By LINDA STEWART BALL Associated Press Writer © 2010 The Associated Press

July 21, 2010, 12:30PM

DALLAS — To get to church on a recent Sunday morning, the Yeldell family walked no farther than their own living room to greet fellow worshippers.

The members of this "house church" are part of what experts say is a fundamental shift in the way U.S. Christians think about church. Skip the sermons, costly church buildings and large, faceless crowds, they say. House church is about relationships forged in small faith communities.

In general, house churches consist of 12 to 15 people who share what's going on in their lives, often turning to Scriptures for guidance. They rely on the Holy Spirit or spontaneity to lead the direction of their weekly gatherings.

"I think part of the appeal for some in the house church movement is the desire to return to a simpler expression of church," said Ed Stetzer, a seminary professor and president of Lifeway Research, which is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. "For many, church has become too much (like a) business while they just want to live like the Bible."

House church proponents claim their small groups are sort of a throwback to the early Christian church in that they have no clergy and everyone is expected to contribute to the teaching, singing and praying.

They are more commonly seen in countries where Christianity is not the dominant religion. Organizers say they're just starting to take off in the U.S.

A study by the Barna Group, a firm specializing in data on religion and society, estimates that 6 million to 12 million Americans attend house churches. A survey last year by the Pew Forum found that 9 percent of American Protestants only attended home services.

"The only consistent thing about house church is that each one is different," said Robin Yeldell, who, in 2006, left a traditional church where he was a missions committee chairman.

The gathering at the Yeldell's home is a lively, sometimes chaotic event, with noisy and mostly happy young children flitting about.

After a time of fellowship, everyone gravitates to the kitchen table to observe the Eucharist with prayer, pinched-off pieces of sourdough bread and red wine in plastic cups. There's grape juice for the kids.

The celebration continues with a potluck meal. When they return to the living room, one member picks up a guitar to strum praise-and-worship songs that others softly sing.

Sparked by a previous discussion about whether they should start collecting an offering for the needy, Yeldell shares a Power Point presentation he created about "corporate giving" on his big screen TV.

The majority seems averse to a regular offering, preferring to take up a collection only when a need or charitable cause arises.

As if on cue, Sean Allen, a laid-off welder who is now homeless with health issues, joined their gathering late. The soft-spoken 39-year-old said he had been sick and struggling to pay some bills.

"I'm just here," Allen told fellow worshippers. "Do what you want. Let the Lord lead your heart."

Allen, who recently converted to Christianity from Islam, said a friend at a traditional church introduced him to the house church, which he prefers and occasionally attends because "they're more down to earth."

A few people agreed to write checks directly to the companies Allen owes while some debated whether money is the best way to help the man. A couple with five young children told him they couldn't afford to assist financially but he was always welcome to join them in their home for meals.

"I'd say the vast majority of house churches we know are Christians honestly trying to live 24-7 for Jesus," said Tony Dale of Austin. He and his wife, Felicity, are pioneers in the American house church movement which is also referred to as home church, organic church or simple church.

There aren't any signs out front so house churches are difficult to find. Prospective worshippers usually locate them by searching the Internet or through word of mouth.

Members rotate the services from house to house and take turns facilitating the gatherings. Anything more than about 15 people and the small group loses its ability to interact with each person, churchgoers say.

When they get too large, they divide and multiply.

"We view it as natural to grow, flourish and disband into three or four new ones," Dale said. "Not everything multiplies. Sometimes it shrinks and dies."

Sometimes congregations with diverse religious backgrounds break up over doctrinal issues or personality conflicts, moving on until they find or create a better fit.

In Texas, home to several megachurches, the house church movement is beginning to catch on, judging from the chatter on social networking sites and interest in a national house church conference organized by House2House Ministries held in the Dallas area in recent years.

"Often when you see a trend (like the growing number of megachurches) you see a counter-trend, like the proliferation of micro-churches," Stetzer said.

The Dales are among those actively working to bring mega- and micro-churches together.

Tony Dale cites the Apex Community Church in Dayton, Ohio, and The Austin Stone Community Church in Austin as examples of the complementary approach. They operate a network of dozens of small house churches, which can band together to become big.

Some who embrace the concept "have become kind of disillusioned, maybe bored with what's going on in traditional church and looking for a way to be more passionate in church," said Dale, who co-founded House2House magazine.

Bill Benninghoff of Arlington, a former pastor of charismatic churches in Texas and North Carolina, has been attending house churches exclusively since 2005.

"You get to know people in their good and bad times," said Benninghoff, a software engineer. "You get to pray with one another and have an incredible sense of camaraderie and community."

Benninghoff said he and his wife "felt lost in the big church on Sunday."

Reggie McNeal, a church leadership consultant based in South Carolina, said many people experimenting with house church have been doing so "under the radar," especially in Bible Belt states.

"It's kind of seen as an alternative or radical kind or approach," he said. "An increasing number of people are saying that they don't want to go to (any) church so there better be a way for church to just be where people already are."

Although house churches emphasize shared leadership and lack hierarchy, there doesn't seem to be a backlash from accredited seminaries devoted to training clergy to take leadership roles in traditional churches.

Dr. Nancy Ramsay, executive vice president and dean of Brite Divinity School in Fort Worth said interpreting Scripture for people of faith is an important responsibility but they respect those who see it differently.

"I wouldn't want to say that we feel threatened by that," Ramsay said. "We are concerned."

She stressed that a greater challenge for various denominations is being able to financially support a full-time religious leader during these tough economic times.

House church advocates say that's not an issue for them because they don't have paid professional leaders.

"You don't have to be dependent upon someone you hear at church to translate for you," said author Neil Cole, who directs Church Multiplication Associates in Southern California, which has helped start hundreds of organic churches in the U.S. and abroad.

"God is capable of speaking your language and talking to you where you live and I think that's attractive to people," Cole said.

Bobby on Video

2010-08-03T20:56:00.001-07:00

I am using part of this interview with Bobby for a Peripetee video project, but I wanted to share the whole thing with you...I thought you might enjoy it!

The question was about someone who made a difference in his life, and I thought his answer was outstanding, and teaches you about the role of leadership in someone's life. Ralph Bumpus made a huge difference in Bobby's life...even 30 years later!

Images of God in the Old Testament

2010-07-26T20:17:00.000-07:00

Consider some of the images God uses to reveal himself in the Old Testament:

* A burning bush (Exodus 3:2)

* A pillar of cloud and fire (Exodus 13:21-22)

* A glory cloud that covered the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34-35)

* An angelic male messenger (Joshua 6:12)

* A lion (Hosea 5:14)

* A shepherd (Psalm 78:71)

* A farmer (Psalm 80:8)

* A vinegrower (Isaiah 15)

* A lover (Jeremiah 3:20)

* Even a drunken soldier (Psalm 78:65)

Why so many images? What do they all mean? Why can't God just declare Himself to be God?

The Spoken Word

2010-07-24T20:05:00.000-07:00

'In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.'

Origen says about the first few words of the book of John: 'The Word does not COME to be. The same verb, "was" is predicated of the Word when he "was in the beginning" and when he "was with God." He is neither separated from the beginning, nor does he depart from the father.'

It is interesting to me that the earliest Christian scholars focused upon the word 'was' in this first chapter of John. They find it to be a word of permanence and transcendence, assuring us of the presence of Christ throughout time.

In a similar vein of thought, Ephrem the Syrian comments that: 'Our Lord is called the word because those things that were hidden were revealed through him, just as it is through a word that the hidden things of the heart are made known.'

This shift from the Old Testament, where God spoke through his created beings to speaking through his own son, is commented on at the beginning of the book of Hebrews:

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, ²but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. ³The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. ⁴So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.

The Word in 3D

2010-07-24T19:27:00.000-07:00

OK, the texts for tomorrow will be Genesis 1 and John 1, and maybe a few more sprinkled in :-) We will be discussing the image of the three dimensional word found in scripture.

Woman at the Well

2010-07-16T20:24:00.001-07:00

It is an interesting story found in John chapter 4 that highlights the importance of the image of water in the New Testament. Jesus comes upon a Samaritan woman at a well, and engages her in conversation. That is interesting in itself, as the woman herself notes when she responds to his request for a drink of water. But then the discussion drifts from well water to 'living water.'

¹⁰Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

Do we understand what living water truly is? Do we live as if we are being nourished by living water? Consider these questions and I will see ya Sunday...don't forget to look at Romans 4-6 as well!

Some thoughts on beer

2010-07-16T12:08:00.000-07:00

DeeDee mentioned to me recently that she thought it was time to hear some more about beer (please note the subtitle of blog). So, DeeDee, this one's for you!

For many years now Greg Foster and I have been holding these guy-only events called Strange Brew. The event goes like this: we share a meal that is cooked on the grill (heavy on the meat, light on the vegetables - we are guys, after all!); then we get a cooler of beers from some place like Central Market, which has a great selection. Then we get 'em good and cold and sit around, smoking cigars and tasting beers. Everyone gets a slug of the beer in their 'high class' red solo cup, and we partake together. Then, everyone gives the beer a rating from 1-5.

A few interesting notes...this is not a highly scientific process, because we all have hugely different tastes. Because of my advanced age, when I bought the beers this last time when I went to Central Market I accidentally bought the same one twice. Intriguingly enough, it was the second beer we rated, and it received a bad rating...1.88. Then once I realized my mistake I held it the extra one to the end, and wouldn't tell them which one it was, and we rated it again. This time...2.5! Just shows the more we have the better it tastes!

I would highly recommend the Orval Trappist Ale. It is from a Cistercian Abbey located in Luxembourg, and we actually have rated it before (in '08 according to this blog). We rated it a 2.64 that night, which was the highest rating we gave a beer that evening. I'll tell ya...the monks know their alcohol.

Those present:

* Greg Foster, Host

* Ryan Gibbons, Cook

* Robert Ortega

* Jonathan Pratt

* Corwin Brown

* Jeremy Williams

* Eric Nelson

* Corey Frey

The Top Beers and Cider we rated:

* Orval Trappist Ale - 3.50

* Woodchuck Summer Cider - 3.50

* Shiner Smokehouse Beer - 3.44

* Augustinian Ale - 3.44

* Ace Joker Hard Cider - 3.44

The Average Ones:

* White Rascal Beer - 2.69

* Undercover Shut Down Ale - 2.50

* Redbridge Gluten Free Beer - 2.25

* Klassik Lager - 2.38

* Hop Wallop IPA Beer - 2.25

The Bad Ones:

* Wailua Limited Release Wheat Beer - 1.88

* Undercover Shut Down Ale - 1.88 (First Time)

* Wernesgruner Pilsner - 1.75

* Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale - 1.69

STRANGE BREW NOTES FROM 07-09-10

I love these times at AXIS

2010-07-11T19:55:00.001-07:00

This is one of those evenings at AXIS that I love. First of all, there are 24 of us, and it is always better when there are a lot of us. Second, I am looking around the room, and all kinds of wonderful, deep, meaningful conversations are happening. Anthony and Amanda are on one couch having brother - sister time; Stacy, Jamie and Taylor are having a deep conversation about relationships, Deanne and Kimberly are talking about trips they would like to take with their husbands; Corwin is teaching Jeremy Walraven guitar and Eric and Jeremy Williams are having a deep cousin conversation in the dining room.

This is the power of true community. People who might not ordinarily come together, sharing life. We had a very good devo and a lot of sharing and now everyone has settled into companionable conversation.

If you ever want to come and partake (even if you aren't 20 something) - please do! It is a simple formula...eat, hear the word, share life and pray. But God shows up. Sometimes powerfully. I love it!!!!

Borrowing a page from Wild, Wild West

2010-07-06T14:04:00.000-07:00

So, the first image in the picture was the temple...Jesus telling the Jews that he would rebuild this enormous temple in three days, as he painted himself, as the new high priest of a new kind of temple.

So this week will look at the image of water, from the parting of the red sea to a new definition in the New Testament...

Take a look at these passages tonight before we study together in the morning...II Kings 5, Ex 12-15, Matt. 3:16, Romans 4, 6, 10.

Fall Retreat

2010-07-05T22:48:00.000-07:00

Because Betty and Bill and Donna will be gone most of the month of September, I have scheduled a retreat the 2nd weekend in October. I realize this is a holiday weekend, but I was hoping that this would give us a nice, leisurely weekend together.

We had a wonderful retreat in January, made all the more powerful because roughly 90% of our community was involved. I think there are some important decisions we need to make as a community regarding our future, and it will be imperative to have as many of us as possible present for this important retreat.

So, sound off! Check your calendars, and let me know how that date works in your calendars! Then click the picture, enlarge it, print it and post it on the fridge! Make a solemn commitment to be a part of the present and future of our faith community!

Gratefulness

2010-07-05T22:35:00.000-07:00

I love being together with the folks in my faith community. First of all because our relationships have been forged in the fires of real life, and I know that I can depend on you implicitly.

Second, because you are some of the most real people I know of. Yesterday at the end of house church, Nathan decided that he wanted to lead everyone in the pledge of allegiance because it was the 4th of July. He was not trying to make a political / theological statement about war or Christians attitude towards war, he simply wanted to honor his country. He didn't even realize their were two veterans sitting in the room with him, rather this was simply something he had learned and we should do. The most powerful part was that everyone dutifully rose as my eleven year old boy led us in the recitation of the pledge.

It is not only the indulgence of those in my faith community that I am thankful for, but the place my son has been granted within that community. He did not fear condemnation for speaking up and sharing his view. Also, he assumed that a rational suggestion would be followed by those who were older than he, even if the suggestion was made by an 11 year old. Finally, he felt perfectly safe and loved to make his request, and then take the lead.

On our recent trip to Colorado, he told his uncle Greg, "these AXIS folks are like my family." I love that. I am so thankful that he is loved for the quirky kid he is in spite of that quirkiness. He brought us all out on the porch Sunday night to set off those little 'poppers' which spray confetti everywhere. Nobody said boo too him. We just all went out on the porch and shared in what was an important moment for Nathan, regardless of whether or not anyone could care less about fireworks.

For the first time in my life, I feel as if I am restoring that first century Church from Acts chapter 2...42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

The Temple Part 2

2010-07-03T17:26:00.000-07:00

Since the destruction of the Second Temple in AD 70, religious Jews have expressed their desire to see the building of a Third Temple on the Temple Mount. Prayer for this cause has been a formal part of the Jewish tradition of thrice daily Jewish prayer services. Though it remains unbuilt, the notion of and desire for a Third Temple is sacred in Judaism, particularly Orthodox Judaism, as an unrealized place of worship.

It may be hard for us, who now gather in a living room for our weekly gatherings, to understand how important this site was and is to the Jewish people. So, when Jesus said that he was going to rebuild this in 3 days, that was a truly unbelievable statement.

Consider this poem from the rabbinic teachings:

"As the navel is set in the centre of the human body,

so is the land of Israel the navel of the world...
situated in the centre of the world,
and Jerusalem in the centre of the land of Israel,
and the sanctuary in the centre of Jerusalem,
and the holy place in the centre of the sanctuary,
and the ark in the centre of the holy place,
and the foundation stone before the holy place,
because from it the world was founded."

Midrash Tanchuma, Qedoshim.

Image of the Temple

2010-06-29T22:01:00.001-07:00

JOHN CHAPTER TWO:
¹⁸So the Jews said to him, "What sign do you show us for doing these things?" ¹⁹Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." ²⁰The Jews then said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?" ²¹But he was speaking about the temple of his body. ²²When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

One of the dominant Biblical images is of the Temple. Jerusalem was a city on a hill, and the Temple was on a mount within that city. It could be seen from miles away. Jerusalem was seen as THE place of worship for all Jews. They traveled to Jerusalem from far and wide on pilgrimage. There were at least two versions of the temple, as the first was destroyed by marauding invaders under Nebuchadnezzar. To build this incredible artifice took roughly seven years of labor by thousands of Israelites. Jesus says He alone will rebuild it in three days...what do you think He was trying to say here? What would you imagine the reaction of the Jews to be who knew the history of the original Temple?

Thinking Eastern Pt. 3

2010-06-13T12:15:00.000-07:00

We have been looking at this study of 'thinking Eastern' for the last 3 weeks. It has captured my attention and my thoughts for several weeks now. When I was growing up in Church as a child, we rarely dealt with the Old Testament. As children we were taught the stories of Creation, Noah and the Flood, Samson, and the Boy David slaying Goliath. But we ignored completely the Levitical Law, The Song of Solomon and those little books at the end of the Old Testament.

Perhaps because of this background the fact that Jesus was most often referred to as Rabbi never really struck me until I read "The Jesus I Never Knew" by Philip Yancey. In this book Yancey argues convincingly that we can only truly understand Jesus within his backdrop of Judaism.

I have been mulling this over for several years now, and as we walked through the words of Christ this past year, it seemed to me that there was a hidden key within Judaism that I had overlooked. Now, as I am seeking to put together the pieces of what it truly means to be the community of God, I have returned to these scriptures as a means of understanding the early disciples. As I was studying this week's lesson, I was looking at Mark 2:20-ff., where Christ is discussing the Sabbath. I went to my Early Christian Commentary, and found to my surprise that the early Church Fathers did not deal at all with the Sabbath, but instead focused on the fact that since Jesus was eating he was a real man, and what it meant for his followers to be true disciples. Consider this quote:

"Now every week has seven days. Six days God has given to us for work, and one for prayer, rest, and making reparation for our sins, so that on the Lord's Day we may atone to God for any sins we have committed on the other six days. Therefore, arrive early at the church of God; draw near to the Lord for confess your sins to him, repenting in prayer and with a contrite heart. Attend the holy and divine liturgy ; finish your prayer and do not leave before dismissal. Contemplate your master as he is broken and distributed, yet not consumed. If you have a clear conscience, go forward and partake of the body and blood of the Lord." -- First Century Sermon recorded by the Historian Josephus.

Thinking Eastern, Part 2

2010-06-12T13:29:00.000-07:00

OK, tomorrow will be the second lesson on thinking 'Eastern', and I wanted to include some links that you might find helpful!

Click HERE to access an excellent site about the tabernacle...

Click HERE to access a site about the history of the Eastern Orthodox faith...

Click HERE to access a site about icons of the Eastern Orthodox faith...

See you tomorrow!

One of my heroes, Craig Tullis

2010-06-12T11:38:00.001-07:00

I sometimes use this space to highlight individuals that I find to be very inspiring. Today I would like to share with you about my friend, Craig Tullis. Craig is the Pulpit Minister at the Pilot Point Church of Christ, just east of Denton. He has been there about 6 years now, and been very faithful in following God's voice. He is a quiet, unassuming man, and you might be tempted to underestimate him. But that would be a mistake. He is a very deep thinker and serious about his desire to follow the Lord no matter where that path may lead.

Many ministers would move on from Pilot Point after a couple of years to a Church closer to the freeway, or where new rooftops are appearing. Who could blame Craig if he wanted to move to a larger Church that could offer a higher salary, more benefits, and other staff members to work alongside?

But instead Craig has been faithful in his ministry to the people of Pilot Point. He brings thoughtful, insightful lessons from God's Word. He reads widely in an effort to be the best minister he can be. He has pioneered a new 'program' called 'Be The Church Nights'. These happen once a quarter on Sunday nights, and this little Church has been able to bring the healing power of Christ to their small community in big ways. They have brought school supplies to nearly 100 needy children as well as provided shoes and diapers for needy children, and cared for shut-ins and orphans.

And Craig delivered one of his greatest sermons a couple of years ago, when he and Jennifer gave up their parsonage because they felt the kingdom needed it more. They have had a steadily growing number of kids attending on Wednesday nights in the last few years, and they felt they needed to have the necessary space, so Craig and Jennifer decided to find someplace else to move and let the youth group use the parsonage as their home base. Thus, he surrendered one of the great benefits

Sunday

2010-06-02T09:20:00.000-07:00

Don't forget we are joining the Pilot Point Church of Christ for worship this Sunday Morning, and a fellowship meal to follow!

We will meet at my house at 9:15am and caravan up to the east side of Denton...unless you want to go up yourselves, and if so, click HERE to go to their website (created by the Peripetee Creative Resource Group!) which has a map!

I am headed to Chicago with Kara and Taylor for the next three days (Kara's graduation present!), so I will see you Sunday!

Grace and Peace,

Ryan

Ministry

2010-05-30T11:57:00.001-07:00

I was reading a new book this week entitled 'Earthy Mysticism' by Tex Sample. In it he describes his 'choice to pursue a ministry career' in a unique way.

"I absolutely hated the idea of doing such a thing. The very thought that I would have to go through life as some sanctimonious mouther of platitudes drove me crazy. That I would have to tell people things they already knew and fill their ears with a bunch of musts, oughts and shoulds was about as exciting as standing on a corner telling people they ought to look both ways before crossing the street. I later learned, however, that the call to go into ministry is a lot like throwing up. You can put it off for a while, but there comes a time when you have to do it."

This past year I have learned many things about myself. The first and foremost of these lessons is that I am not drawn into ministry for a paycheck or even for more altruistic reasons, but as a call from God. I love people, and I love befriending people and showing them the love of Christ. I am also loud, showy, sometimes downright obnoxious. My quote that has kept Greg Needels chuckling all week was this: "The sad reality is, I'm just not even a very nice person." I could go on and on about the things I can't do or don't do well. But for all my foibles, God has granted me a welcoming heart and a love for His people that transcends where they have been or what they have done. I really do not remember people's lowest moments.

The factor that ties all this together is the book I quoted from above. Actually, it is the bookshop from which the book came. Connections bookstore has resided on Forest Park Blvd in Ft. Worth for almost 30 years. Its current owner, a gal named Peggy, is a retired librarian who has never owned a computer or cell phone. But she knows books. And specifically, she knows religious books. For the couple of years we lived on Forest Park, I frequented Connections and got to know Peggy well. We would have deep theological discussions, share about our lives (her friend Jenny also worked in the store until she had to take care of her invalid husband) and shared wonderful times together.

I haven't been in Connections for years, but this past Thursday, Jonathan and I went to the Colonial Golf Tournament in Fort Worth. We passed Connections, and I saw a 'Sale-Going Out of Business' sign in the window. So, after the temperature became unbearable, we left the golf tournament and headed over to Connections. I was very surprised to realize that after not having been there for nearly ten years, Peggy still remembered me. And our 'deep theological discussions' as she termed it; and our common love for Madeleine L'Engle. I reminded her that she was the first to introduce me to the wonderful Catholic writer Edward Hays, and Jonathan and I looked together at Henri Nouwen books we both love.

I was reminded of the good things that can happen when people love God, His words, and sharing life together. That a shopkeeper is not only a shopkeeper, but can be the voice of God in your life. That no interaction is unimportant - we must be aware of our each of them, as the writer of Hebrews points out in Chapter 13, verse 2: "Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!"

First Importance

2010-05-06T21:24:00.000-07:00

In the beginning of I Corinthians 15, after alternately ranting at the Corinthians and defending his honor for many chapters, Paul switches gears. He wants to remind them, he says, of the gospel which is their salvation. This prompts him to say in V. 3: 'For what I received I passed on to you as of FIRST importance.' He then goes on to detail the facts regarding the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.

But those words: 'first importance' they keep ringing in my head. If a teacher tells you something is of first importance for an upcoming test, what will you do? Of course, you will focus on those subjects above other areas.

Is it possible, then, that certain scriptures or commandments or statutes or principles carry more weight than others? Is that why John tells us in the 20th chapter of his gospel...that Jesus did many other signs and wonders than are recorded in his gospel, but that he wrote these particular stories down 'so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the Living God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.' Does that mean that those other stories or signs or wonders are of no account? Certainly not, but John has chosen those which, by the prompting of the Spirit, seem to be the most convicting...

Read Matthew 22:34-40...what do you think Jesus is trying to say here? And what does it mean for how we study the rest of scripture?

Upcoming Calendar!

2010-05-06T20:58:00.000-07:00

Gibbons House Church Spring 2010...

* Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 9th

-- We will meet at the Elliott’s on this day at 10:30am, and there will be no common meal, so that we can enjoy some family time.

* Sunday, May 23rd

-- We will be heading to the Greenville Oaks Church of Christ to help them care for their kids during ‘Vision Sunday’. We will meet to leave at the Gibbons at 9am...all hands will be needed this day. They need 30+ folks in order to take care of the number of children they have and are counting on us...so WE NEED YOU!

* Sunday, June 6th

-- We have been invited to join the Pilot Point Church of Christ, just outside of Denton for worship and dinner on the grounds down on the lake. We will meet to leave at 9:30am at the Gibbons, and be back around 5pm. Each family needs to bring a covered dish to share...

* Friday, June 18th - Saturday, June 26th

-- AXIS trip to Colorado. We will leave at 8am, Friday morning the 18th and head to see our friends the MacKenzie’s in Colorado Springs, for a couple of days. On Sunday we will head over to Vail, Colorado and spend some time with the Trappist Monks at Snowmass as well as enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Rocky Mountains.

A MINISTRY INTERN!

-- JP and I have an intern coming this Summer named Megan MacKenzie. She is currently a student at York College in Nebraska, and is the daughter of some of Amy and I’s oldest friends in ministry. In addition to her work with Peripetee, we are allotting a certain number of her hours each week to help with house church. Megan is a very capable gal who has a heart for ministry and people. More info to follow on her specific duties...

Studying the Bible Wisely

2010-05-02T07:37:00.000-07:00

So, I think the question for me has to become...how can I study the Bible wisely and profitably? For a long time in my life, I have read the Bible because it tells me about God, and because it teaches me how to live.

But, as we have studied more deeply the scriptures, things seem more complex to me. I realize that even when Jesus is teaching or speaking, things seem murkier at then end of his talk than at the beginning. And I have known for a long time that many, many conscientious followers of Jesus disagree about certain passages of scripture and what they mean for our lives. (Consider I Corinthians 14)

So, I have gone back to the basic building blocks to understand what role scripture needs to play in my life. I am considering two questions: 1) How should I read the Bible and what role should the Bible play in my life?

For the next few weeks at House Church I am going to us some materials to prod our thinking in this direction...for those of you who are readers, you may want to access these materials:

* Reading the Bible Wisely, by Richard Briggs

* How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart

* Word Pictures, Brian Godawa

I believe we will profit from challenging one another to consider the role God's word should play in our lives...

The Burning Question

2010-04-11T21:14:00.000-07:00

Most of you do not sit around reading Bible Commentaries...I know this. However, if you have spent any time teaching the Bible to people you may have spent some time comparing commentaries...it is an occupational hazard to those of us who teach the Bible 'professionally.' And the choice of a good commentary series is very important, because the price tag for such a set is typically very high. A few years ago, a 'new' series came out that quickly became my favorite. It is called the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture Series, and features the writings of Augustine, John Chrysostom, Gregory of Nyssa, Athanasius and many other writers from the first few centuries of Christian thought which have been collected in these volumes.

There is something I find very comforting about hearing from these writers, who were so much closer historically to the time of Christ. Somehow I can't get as excited about someone's perspective from my own generation. Because most of these writers only left scraps of writing behind, the editors of this commentary series have grouped their writing by chapter and verse, which offers an excellent overview from a variety of early scholars.

One of the things I find most interesting from our recent discussions is this...I Corinthians 14, which today would be viewed as a much more controversial chapter than I Corinthians 15 is left virtually untouched. While the early Fathers offer almost no commentary on I Corinthians 14, they go to voluminous lengths in discussing I Corinthians 15. While we might file the questions addressed in this chapter under that deep theological category of 'I Don't Know', these early scholars go to great lengths to discuss such things as...what version of ourselves will be resurrected? Will we be 'with' our spouses when we are resurrected? What is the difference between our physical bodies and our spiritual bodies (v. 44)? How long is the twinkling of an eye (v. 52)?

Things that we might simply throw up our hands and say 'I don't know' to, Paul and the early Church Fathers spend lots of time addressing. So instead of throwing up our hands, lets spend some time looking through their eyes...why might this have been so important to them? Why spend so much time discussing things which seem to be so minute? See you next Sunday as we ramp up toward the end of I Corinthians...

A Quote from St. Augustine

2010-03-31T20:52:00.000-07:00

OK, so I thought I would put the quote out there that seemed to capture everyone's attention this past Sunday...

"Those who make dissensions and disturbances in the church are the ones who seem to be what they are not." -- St. Augustine

Prophecy, Interpretation, Tongues?

2010-03-31T20:42:00.000-07:00

OK, so before our discussion on Sunday, you might want to read Acts chapter 2, especially the first 13 verses, and consider...

* What was the power of hearing the words in their native tongue?

* Why didn't God pull out this particular stunt again in the course of the New Testament narrative?

Then, go over to I Corinthians 14, and consider verse 18...what is Paul trying to say here?

* Look at verse 28 - is interpretation necessary? If there is not an interpreter, what should the speaker do? Why?

Then look at verses 29-33...how is prophecy different than what we typically call preaching?

Awakening

2010-03-26T11:35:00.000-07:00

In those days,

we finally chose to walk like giants

& hold the world

in arms grown strong

with love

& there may be

many things we forget

in the days to come,

but this

will not be

one of them.

- Brian Andreas

As I was trying to look ahead in regard to our house church, I looked around the room at folks who have a lot on their plates right now. Facing grave illnesses to themselves or close family members, starting new seasons in their lives, beginning jobs or looking for jobs, seeking healing and wholeness of mind and body, dealing with nests that are rapidly emptying. It seems as if perhaps this is a time to remember to hold on tightly to one another with arms grown strong through loving embrace.

Grace and Peace

Ryan

Book Club Schedule

2010-03-23T16:14:00.000-07:00

For my regular book club people and others who might want to join us (you are ALWAYS welcome!), here is our upcoming schedule...

Because several have read Donald Miller's Book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, we will look at that coming up on March 30th, April 6th and April 13th. I think it is a wonderful book, and I know several have ready it on their own!!

We will then take a one week break and pick up with a new book entitled The Year of Living Like Jesus ISBN: 0310247772. The author, Ed Dobson, is a pastor has been diagnosed with ALS and been given 2-5 years to live. He decides to embark on a year long quest to truly live like Jesus. His book is a memoir that chronicles that year. You can check out more about Ed Dobson here...

www.livingjesusly.com

We will pick that book up on April 27th...we meet at 6:30pm and would welcome one and all...