Scot McKnight over at Jesus Creed is prompting his readers to read along and discuss Alan Hirsch’s book The Forgotten Ways and I was moved to join the discussion. Hirsch tells the story of moving a moribund body backwards in time and tradition to a Church in which all participated, all were held to account, and all were so significantly countercultural that their lives became attractional, living invitations to other to follow Christ with them. Our church set out to do this and it has been quite an adventure. As we set forth, some found themselves too attached to the 10/90 model and dropped off. Others challenged the map we were following, slowing the mission but not stopping it. Meeting people where they are rather than demanding that they join us where we want to be is the most spiritually satisfying thing our group has ever done.
Author: Warren Rachele
We Failed Arrested Teen
18 year old Addie Kubisiak sits in a Douglas County jail this morning, insulated from the bitter cold outside, but colder inside as she faces the consequences of a decision she made in the past (story here). Though the details about the birth and subsequent death of her baby have yet to be reported, her actions that followed and resulted in her arrest and being charged with first degree murder should reflect back on the Church with the intensity of the glare of the sun reflecting off of the icy snow. The abortion industry will point to the enormous shame and stress of the apparently secret pregnancy as justification for even greater access to their services.
Where were we? Babies do not spontaneously appear. A gestation period of nine months gave us more than adequate time for a follower of Christ to love as we are loved. How does a troubled woman like this fail to gain our attention? Is it possible that the circle she ran in was totally bereft of Christians and their influence? The Church, especially those among us who adhere to the missional ideals, must apply ourselves to countering the historic judgmentalism that shunned people rather than loving them. All it would have taken is one Christian to come alongside this woman and shown her love and acceptance while supporting her through the trouble she was facing and we might not have been following this story today.
Where was I…
Jesus Loves Osama
The red words of the Sermon on the Mount pose an incredible challenge, don’t they? Platitudes or a way of life for followers of Jesus? Read the article here. With the high regard for scripture that exists in the missional church, the Sermon on the Mount demands that we be counter cultural since nearly every verse runs in opposition to the modern world into which we’ve been sent. Though we use many cultural accoutrements to reach our community, eventually we are confronted by the One that we follow with demands that cannot be softened by candles, video, or louder praise music.
Don’t Walk Alone
Lunching with my Barnabas (cf. Acts 4:36) yesterday reminded me of his value in my life. Walking the difficult, sometimes lonely road of mission church planting must not be done alone. The ups and downs, temptations and triumphs all need to be shared with someone other than your spouse. A true Barnabas is one who can speak into your life about these things and not just about them. It is a person whom you have total trust and respect in giving their words gravity and weight in your soul. Though the time we get to spend together one on one is short, its infusion of encouragement is immeasurable. Don’t walk any path in life alone…find your Barnabas.
Green Grass and High Tides Forever
Should this technically be called a reunion, even making concessions for the deceased? Who cares, it’s the Florida Guitar Army, the only band to take the stage of the Oakland Coliseum after an earthquake made the lighting truss swing like a first grader, the only band with enough cool to bring back the twin drummer setup…
Hope Springs Eternal II
Helton stays, the axis of the earth has not shifted. The Rockies may not be any better this year than last but just thinking about watching the sun set over the Rocky Mountains beyond left field next summer will make facing the frozen tundra that is outside my windows today will be just a little bit easier.
Peace like a river…
The river/stream/creek/rivulet has provided writers with a grand source of metaphor for centuries. It flows from the mystery of its source, passing out of our sight to vanish into the sands or to empty itself anonymously into a larger body of life. When hymnists borrowed the phrase from Isaiah they brought to the celebration a beautiful metaphor for the peace that humanity can enjoy through the Spirit. Peace does not inhabit a man or woman in whole all at once, but it flows from its divine source to wash over day to day life, constantly refreshing the soul with a never ending supply of tranquility. Our mission is to remember that we were not meant to be the basin into which the river of peace empties; it is meant to flow through and over us into the larger basin of the world carrying our contribution to others in desperate need of peace. Can your peace nourish someone today?
Peace in the midst of conflict
Peace is most often thought of as the absence of conflict and the Bible includes this definition. When peace is referred to as a fruit of the spirit though, it has a different connotation. Here it references a lack of internal axiety which is replaced by a state of tranquility amidst the external chaos of the world. The red letters say it best in John 16:33, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” As we live in the middle of madness (to steal an old Earthquake song) the source of our calm is our connection to the Peacemaker. Can you help another know this same peace today?
Peace is the word, is the word, is the word…
My sermon today was on Peace, as we talk in our celebration gatherings about the fruit of the spirit. My text was from Philippians 4 but it dawned on me at about 22 minutes in that what I should have been talking about was the Beatitude in Matthew 5:9 where the red letters say Blessed are the peacemakers. I wondered on the way home what I had done this past week to contribute to someone else’s peace. Had my fruit been ready for harvest? Was I willing to give someone else the benefit of my fruit in order for them to gain a measure of tranquility or did I hoard it all for myself? My prayer for this week will be for my eyes to be opened to opportunities in peacemaking. How about you?
Montrose: A Reunion I’d Rather See
If you were there in the 70’s, this was it:
LOVE | ACCEPT | FORGIVE 