Matthew 11

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

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!

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

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?

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

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

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!

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

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

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...

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

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

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

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?

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

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

"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

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...

'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

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.