Russ Sage

has a good blog here. His heart for connecting the Em with the modern gathering is great. Give him a visit and drop a line to let him know you're dropping in.

Comments...

are currently sleeping. They will awaken soon.

Feeling Generous?

Anonymous generosity here.

Missional or Ministerial?

I was just over at Justin Baeder's blog and enjoying his ideas on the Contemplative Gathering.

One thought I have been struggling with is the degree to which we should expect those outside of the Community of Faith to understand the things we do as Believers. Should we tailor our meeting times to make outsiders comfortable or should they be designed for those who already have some understanding of Christ and the worship of Him?

I am seeing a distinction that needs to be expressed between what we can call Missional meetings and Ministerial meetings. There are those times when we gather that could be relevant to someone who is not a Believer. Having friends over for dinner, watching a movie, going to play Disc Golf, concerts, pub time. But, asking someone who does not yet know Christ to come to a meeting where the thrust of the meeting is the encouragement of the Believers and the ministry of the Holy Spirit might not be the most "relevant" thing to do.

One mentality that we may need to rethink is the idea of getting the "lost" to "church" to get them "saved." I know this has been addressed elsewhere, but I see it as a valid concern. Is it out of seeing what takes place in the Gathering that will lead them to Christ or is it the testimony of our love for one another in the rest of our lives that will win them? (I know I opened a can of worms with that one...) It just seems that Paul held the presupposition that the Gatherings were meant for the Family and to have a non-beilever attend would be the exception, not the norm. (1Cor 14.22-25 tends to lean in the direction of an "if" situation, not a "when" situation.)

Things that make you go "Hmmmm."

Treighn of Thot

Steve and I have begun a new dialogue at the MH2 blog. He's quite the thinking guy. The current topic is the Development of Thought Structures.
Enjoy.

To Ponder

In relation to Church life.

1: What are we doing that is either counter-Scriptural, counter productive, or simply not necessary?
2: What are we doing that is required by the Scriptures?
3: What do we need to do that we are not doing, but is called for in the Scriptures?

I would like to hear you thoughts on this.

Liking This

Anna Aven, fellow Californian (oh how I miss the sand in my toes), has an interesting perspective on Community inspired by a Nissan ad.

Here's something we have been toying with. I like the idea that we are supposed to create community. But what happens in such a quick communication society is that the next latest and greatest idea soon becomes the next commodity with which we sell our views. Starbucks has the slogan "Create... community." When I read that, I wonder if we've fallen into the same mentality: Community is something like a commodity.

Are we communing or are we making a commodity?

Reconsidering Reconsiderations

So, the week in Colorado...

Alowed for some settling in my insides about the things that have been swirling in my head. Things about the Body and the life of it. Things about structure and servanthood. Things about vision and change. Things about life and love.

Much edification and confirming of the direction God is moving me in regarding shepherding his kids. Much completion of ideas regarding purpose and the idea of not deeling guilty for not doing something I was never intended to do or being something I was never intended to be.

So here's to days to come, where God's dreams are played out in my reality.

Talked to Carl tonite about beginning a 6 week discipling intensive at his place on Lake Texoma. I'm eager to see what comes of it. Especially since the discussion at The Thought Blender has taken off. Here's to fleshing out God's heart for the Family.

Back in the Saddle Again

Strange coming back into Dallas last night. Things looked different from when I left, but nothing has really changed.

The gathering was incredible. New family, new relationships, new season.

Won't blog long for today. Gotta let time readjust my thinking into an urban scale. The Colorado mountains make my computer look like a large gaping, sucking hole in my universe that threatens to devour my time to meditate and process.

Its good to be home. I love my wife. It was good to lay down next to her on the bed last night and have her resting next to me. Its good to be home.

Posts to come re: the week in the Mountains.

Love and vinegar...

Springs and things

18 hours on a bus is not designed to be comfortable. It does, however, provide one much time to think.
Got bookoos of reading done. Almolst half way through Blue Like Jazz and almost done with Adventures in Missing the Point. Started reading Houses that Change the World. Good stuff.
Head to the mountain tomorrow for the family gathering. Anticipation.
Much time contemplating scenarios and meditating on situations. Good conversation with Don and Carissa.
The stillness is good. Rehabilitating.
Thanks for your prayers.

Happy Vacation to Me

God is so smart. He ordains times and seasons and He must have known, in the midst of all this transition, I would need some Colorado. I leave tomorrow night on a Greyhound (bus, not dog) to the Springs for a week with the Blue Renaissance familia. Mountain air has this ability to clear foggy mindscapes.

We got the Passports, funds, etc., mailed to CHC Thursday so the process is under way. We pray for God's timing and favor with the Education Ministry in Russia for our Visas. Thank you so much, family, for giving to God's work in this. It is so incredible to watch His story unfold.

All moments of clarity are welcome...

Family Time

I've been dialogueing with Justin Baeder about community, authority, etc. Here is part of his post that got our discussion started. I like the idea of interaction.

___________________________________________________________
Baeder says:
I envision a gathering where people can come in at any time over the course of two or three hours, probably in the late evening. It would feature a variety of stations in a setting where people could read, pray, write, think, and focus on God. Some ideas include:
-A table with bread and wine for communion
-Crosses and other Christian symbols around the room
-Paper and pens for writing reflections and prayers
-A basin of water, with cards and a water-soluble marker, for confession - write on the card, then drop it into the water, which symbolizes forgiveness and reminds us of baptism
-An incense censer where people can offer or place prayers and light various kids of incense
-A station with texts to meditate on and respond to
-A wall with a scripture or quote, with post-it notes for people to post reflections and thoughts on
-A map of the world and a map of the city, with papers to pin up prayers for various people around the world and around town
_________________________________________________

Let me hear your thoughts.

Elevator Musings

I wish I had an elevator for my life.
A box to step into and have buttons for pushing.
Silver and moving.
It would know exactly where to go, with no questions.
Input destination, doors close for travelling privacy, time to think, doors open.
You're there.
Yeah, an elevator would be nice.

That's What I Call Service

We hit Houston Tuesday for Kelly's Passport.
It arrived at her work today.
We'll send all our stuff to Children's Hope Chest today.
That leaves 6 weeks to get the Visas.
Here's to patience and trust!

Timing

It's everything with God.

OC in Utmost speaks of God not wanting to reveal to us what to do, but who he IS. There's also the unfortunate reality that we recieve His blessings and know His word, but rarely question whether we really know Him.

Kempis says "If there is good in you, see more good in others, so that you may remain humble. It does no harm to esteem yourself less than anyone else, but it is very harmful to think yourself better than even one. The humble live in continuous peace, while in the hearts of the proud are envy and frequent anger."

Jesus is humble and God revealed, to us as well as in us.

This is so important for me as we move into the next phase of Mars. We've seen too many times the failings of ministers who manipulate others and force their will.

I pray to be sensitive to God revealing Himself in me and in His Body.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

Welcome to my new year.

Mars will move out of the building in April to homes. (We've learned that each move is almost like starting from scratch.)

Dave stepped down as elder/pastor last nite for a time of personal and family renewal. I am now the lone elder (grins) with one "elder in training" walking with me.

Kelly and I go to Houston tomorrow to get her Passport (4 hrs there, a few hours at the Passport office, 4 hrs home.) Woohoo! Visas are next. Russia, here we come.

It is exciting to see how God has prepared the path for us over the last year for this exact spot. It will be interesting to see how we maneuver the waters from the way we have been doing "church" to the next phase of what God has for us.

I see God raising up teachers. I see God raising up hearts to share the Gospel. I see God solidifying a family.

Lord, make us a healthy family.

Oh, Berry's back! Woohoo!

New Blog

Russ has a new blog running HERE.
Looks to be interesting.

Our Daily Blog

Excellent.

Daily thought on A'Kempis' "Imitation of Christ."

Too Thousand For... and Beyond

Happy New Year!

We met at Dave's house last night and brought in the new year with some good ol fashioned hangin' out and a little LOTR2. Around 11:45 we began the Lord's Supper which has been a tradition since our inception. It was definitely a good time of focusing for the year to come.

Carl had some good things to say Wednesday morning about church life and how the Spirit plays His music (the will of God... as he sees fit 1Cor12) in our midst. We talked about the difference between the institutional model and the organic model and how to maneuver/ transition from the former to the latter.

He sees the next reformation being a Reformation of the Word.
Martin Luther's passage was "The righteous shall live by faith."
The Next Reformation's passage will be "the gifts of the Spirit."

We will move from an understanding of the body as institution to the Body as living organism, moved by the music/breath/wind/Spirit of God.

There is a need for some of us to strip ourselves of the things we have clothed ourselves with, jump into the lake of God's word, and emerge with the desire for Him to clothe us with His word.

May this be a year of stripping and skinny dipping.
May this be a year of Christ's gifts.