Check out the first entry on this blog for a little history of this song and the River of Joy community.
Great version of a postmodern Psalm.
Friday, February 29, 2008
U2 YAHWEH (Live Chicago 2005 Acoustic)
Thursday, February 28, 2008
religious landscape, marketplace, or God's place?
Click here to view and article based on recent data collected and released about the changing religious landscape in North America. It is an interesting article but I find it a little disturbing that the metaphor/language that is used for describing those who are spiritual is one of consumer/provider. According to the article, we live in a "dynamic religious marketplace" that is "highly competitive."
I guess my point is this, it is only a competitive marketplace if you are by design setting forth a product for public consumption. If we are in the transformation and impact in the world business, then the whole language of competition, marketing, attraction, etc, goes out the window. Anyone else see some mustache hair measuring here?
I guess my point is this, it is only a competitive marketplace if you are by design setting forth a product for public consumption. If we are in the transformation and impact in the world business, then the whole language of competition, marketing, attraction, etc, goes out the window. Anyone else see some mustache hair measuring here?
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
recaps of first three teachings
Find summaries of the teachings we have had in worship the first three weeks of Lent below. If you were not able to attend, didn't understand what I was talking about because I was unclear about something or you were checking out for a while, thought I was crazy and wanted to weigh-in, or just want to see what we are teaching about in this season take few minutes to read below.
I will recap the teachings for weeks four and five during week six as well. Hope that this journey to the cross together is blessing you as you travel.
Our theme in worship has been TURN so we are examining different definitions of this word and how they play out in our journey to the cross.
I will recap the teachings for weeks four and five during week six as well. Hope that this journey to the cross together is blessing you as you travel.
Our theme in worship has been TURN so we are examining different definitions of this word and how they play out in our journey to the cross.
week one recap- Feb 9
Scripture: Matthew 4, Genesis 3 and 4- the temptation of Christ in the wilderness
Turn definition: to change or alter the nature, character, or appearance of
Here we looked at the temptation of Jesus at the beginning of his ministry comparing the three temptations by Satan that Jesus denies to the first three transgressions described in the Bible. At the outset of his ministry, Jesus overcomes three temptations: a temptation of the body (‘change these stones to bread’), a temptation of religious arrogance ‘(throw yourself from the temple and angels will surely save you’), and a temptation of power (‘worship me and all the world’s kingdoms are yours’). These stand juxtaposition to the first three transgressions of the Bible which are: Adam and Eve with the apple (transgression of the body), Cain murdering his brother Abel (a transgression of religious arrogance), and Lamech declaring his power and vengeance to be 10 times more fierce than God’s (a transgression of power).
Nutshell: Jesus comes to overcome the primal brokenness that humanity is unable to mitigate without outside help from God. Jesus comes to change or alter the nature, character, or appearance of humanity.
Turn definition: to change or alter the nature, character, or appearance of
Here we looked at the temptation of Jesus at the beginning of his ministry comparing the three temptations by Satan that Jesus denies to the first three transgressions described in the Bible. At the outset of his ministry, Jesus overcomes three temptations: a temptation of the body (‘change these stones to bread’), a temptation of religious arrogance ‘(throw yourself from the temple and angels will surely save you’), and a temptation of power (‘worship me and all the world’s kingdoms are yours’). These stand juxtaposition to the first three transgressions of the Bible which are: Adam and Eve with the apple (transgression of the body), Cain murdering his brother Abel (a transgression of religious arrogance), and Lamech declaring his power and vengeance to be 10 times more fierce than God’s (a transgression of power).
Nutshell: Jesus comes to overcome the primal brokenness that humanity is unable to mitigate without outside help from God. Jesus comes to change or alter the nature, character, or appearance of humanity.
week two recap- Feb 16
Scripture: John 3- Nicodemus and being born again
Turn definition: to prevail on a person to change or reorder the course of his or her life
Here we took a look at probably the most well know verse in the entire Bible, John 3:16 and the story of Nicodemus that precedes the verse. In response to Jesus’ call for him to be reborn, Nicodemus asks ‘if I have already been born then how can I be born again?’ We looked at the way that we live in an if/then world where we are inundated with choices and decisions that are based on if/then premises. These if/then premises provide an order to life: If I work hard, then I am rewarded; if I make poor decisions, then there are consequences; if someone breaks the law, then they should be punished.
An if/then world provides stability and trustworthiness to our lives. But this world is far from perfect. If my boss is dishonest, then my job is in jeopardy; if a person is born into poverty and does not get an education then their chance for a life of despair increases; if a person has a stroke, then their life and those they love will forever be changed. So while an if/then world is stable, more or less predictable and manageable, it is not God’s intent for the world as it allows for the life-strickening and defeating influence of wickedness, despair, and death.
In contrast to this if/then living is the promise of a new grammar for living that is found in John 3:16. BECAUSE of God’s love of the world, THERFORE God sent his only son Jesus Christ, IN ORDER THAT those who believe in him may have a life eternal. The gospel of Jesus Christ is that the if/then world that we are accustomed to is being replaced by a new kingdom that is based in this new because, therefore, in order that grammar that shapes our common existence as this new kingdom comes. This kingdom living grammar places God’s love as revealed in Christ as the central point in all of history and calls us into a new life (a life eternal, a life for the ages) that is born out of this centrality of Christ in our lives.
Frequently, the gospel is misrepresented and given to us in an if/then construct. In its simplest form this construct of the gospel (that is not the gospel at all) looks like this: If you believe in Jesus Christ, then you will go to heaven when you die. Such a construct ignores the gospel’s essential rootedness in God’s love of the world and replaces the primacy of Christ’s action with our own if/then decision. Further, this construct fails to call us into a rebirthed new life in this world that God loves. This construct allows us to put a check mark by another good if/then decision that we have made and does not call us into the new kingdom reality that is rooted in living our lives in a because, therefore, in order that manner.
Nutshell: The gospel of Jesus Christ prevails upon us to change or reorder the course of our lives in response to Christ's because, therefore, in order that challenge.
Turn definition: to prevail on a person to change or reorder the course of his or her life
Here we took a look at probably the most well know verse in the entire Bible, John 3:16 and the story of Nicodemus that precedes the verse. In response to Jesus’ call for him to be reborn, Nicodemus asks ‘if I have already been born then how can I be born again?’ We looked at the way that we live in an if/then world where we are inundated with choices and decisions that are based on if/then premises. These if/then premises provide an order to life: If I work hard, then I am rewarded; if I make poor decisions, then there are consequences; if someone breaks the law, then they should be punished.
An if/then world provides stability and trustworthiness to our lives. But this world is far from perfect. If my boss is dishonest, then my job is in jeopardy; if a person is born into poverty and does not get an education then their chance for a life of despair increases; if a person has a stroke, then their life and those they love will forever be changed. So while an if/then world is stable, more or less predictable and manageable, it is not God’s intent for the world as it allows for the life-strickening and defeating influence of wickedness, despair, and death.
In contrast to this if/then living is the promise of a new grammar for living that is found in John 3:16. BECAUSE of God’s love of the world, THERFORE God sent his only son Jesus Christ, IN ORDER THAT those who believe in him may have a life eternal. The gospel of Jesus Christ is that the if/then world that we are accustomed to is being replaced by a new kingdom that is based in this new because, therefore, in order that grammar that shapes our common existence as this new kingdom comes. This kingdom living grammar places God’s love as revealed in Christ as the central point in all of history and calls us into a new life (a life eternal, a life for the ages) that is born out of this centrality of Christ in our lives.
Frequently, the gospel is misrepresented and given to us in an if/then construct. In its simplest form this construct of the gospel (that is not the gospel at all) looks like this: If you believe in Jesus Christ, then you will go to heaven when you die. Such a construct ignores the gospel’s essential rootedness in God’s love of the world and replaces the primacy of Christ’s action with our own if/then decision. Further, this construct fails to call us into a rebirthed new life in this world that God loves. This construct allows us to put a check mark by another good if/then decision that we have made and does not call us into the new kingdom reality that is rooted in living our lives in a because, therefore, in order that manner.
Nutshell: The gospel of Jesus Christ prevails upon us to change or reorder the course of our lives in response to Christ's because, therefore, in order that challenge.
week three recap- Feb 23rd
Scripture: John 4- the woman at the well
Turn definition: to direct one's thought, attention, aspiration, etc., toward or away from someone or something
Here we took a look at the story of Jesus with the woman at the well in John chapter four. Our intent was simple, to dwell in this story in order that we would know Jesus more fully. We used an ancient practice of focusing spiritually called Lectio Divina.
The goal of this teaching was to deepen our understanding of the manner in which Christ finds us in the stories that are told about him in scripture. Knowing, experiencing, and living through the stories of Christ that are told in scripture provides us with the necessary lens to discern the activity of God in the world. If we do not know who Christ is, his teachings, his holy take on life and humanity, we cannot begin to make spiritual assessments of the world around us that are in any way authentically Christian. We need to know these stories, which means that we need to read our Bibles.
Nutshell: In order to cultivate and develop our capacity to bear fruit the world as those who are called to action through God’s love in Christ, we are wise to direct our thought, attention, and aspirations toward Christ as revealed in Scripture.
Turn definition: to direct one's thought, attention, aspiration, etc., toward or away from someone or something
Here we took a look at the story of Jesus with the woman at the well in John chapter four. Our intent was simple, to dwell in this story in order that we would know Jesus more fully. We used an ancient practice of focusing spiritually called Lectio Divina.
The goal of this teaching was to deepen our understanding of the manner in which Christ finds us in the stories that are told about him in scripture. Knowing, experiencing, and living through the stories of Christ that are told in scripture provides us with the necessary lens to discern the activity of God in the world. If we do not know who Christ is, his teachings, his holy take on life and humanity, we cannot begin to make spiritual assessments of the world around us that are in any way authentically Christian. We need to know these stories, which means that we need to read our Bibles.
Nutshell: In order to cultivate and develop our capacity to bear fruit the world as those who are called to action through God’s love in Christ, we are wise to direct our thought, attention, and aspirations toward Christ as revealed in Scripture.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
nap time
Could be that you need to take a soul nap in the shade and to give yourself a little more grace.
Here is a link to a site that lifts up a wonderfully gifted missionally engaged child of God.
Here is a link to a site that lifts up a wonderfully gifted missionally engaged child of God.
Monday, February 25, 2008
ancient spirituality
Interested in exploring contemplative prayer like lectio divina or centering prayer as spiritual disciplines? Here is a link to a good website for these ancient practices that are resurgent in 21st century spirituality.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Derek Webb on engaging culture
Some of you have been listening to Derek Webb over the last few weeks. Here is a short interview where he challenges us to dig into who Jesus is and what he says as we posture ourselves in the world.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Jesus Painting
What makes this so powerful? the titles at the beginning? The transformation before your eyes? The talent of the artist? How do you experience it if you hit the mute on your computer and watch without the music that supports the story that sustains the picture itself?
Friday, February 22, 2008
unconquerable grace
One of the characteristics of God’s life changing amazing grace is the manner in which it takes up residence and will not depart from the center of despair, brokenness, and human tragedy.
God’s grace through Christ- resident in the battle against slavery.
God’s grace through Christ- resident in the battle against hunger.
God’s grace through Christ- resident in the battle of patients and families in hospital rooms every day.
God’s grace through Christ- so powerful that absolutely no power of this world is capable of defeating it and separating us from the love of God.
As Paul, a onetime persecutor of followers of Jesus writes, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
God’s grace through Christ- resident in all of life.
God’s grace through Christ- resident in the battle against slavery.
God’s grace through Christ- resident in the battle against hunger.
God’s grace through Christ- resident in the battle of patients and families in hospital rooms every day.
God’s grace through Christ- so powerful that absolutely no power of this world is capable of defeating it and separating us from the love of God.
As Paul, a onetime persecutor of followers of Jesus writes, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
God’s grace through Christ- resident in all of life.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
amazing grace at work in the world
What does God’s amazing grace look like in the world in which we live?
This amazing grace of which we speak and sing wouldn’t be so amazing if it only came out of the closet a few times a century to energize people for the sake of the world on monumental issues like slavery.
What makes God’s grace so amazing is the way that it finds its way into the world in the creative and redemptive work of ordinary people. Check out Project FoodStock, a grassroots effort to stop hunger that took root in Lakeville but whose seeds the Spirit is blowing across Dakota County and the entire metro.
This amazing grace of which we speak and sing wouldn’t be so amazing if it only came out of the closet a few times a century to energize people for the sake of the world on monumental issues like slavery.
What makes God’s grace so amazing is the way that it finds its way into the world in the creative and redemptive work of ordinary people. Check out Project FoodStock, a grassroots effort to stop hunger that took root in Lakeville but whose seeds the Spirit is blowing across Dakota County and the entire metro.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Chris Tomlin - Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)
Have you seen the movie yet? if you have this will testify and witness to the power of the gospel to transform individuals and God's entire creation. If you have not seen the movie, check out this video to get a glimpse of what the gospel at work in the world looks like.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
measuring mustache hair (part two)
The challenge that we face in measuring transformation and life-giving impact in the world as indices related to our effectiveness as church, is that these elements are neither easily quantifiable nor readily visible. You cannot count transformation in the same manner as you count people in pews. You cannot count life-giving impact in the world in the same manner you can count offering, Sunday school children, confirmation students, giving units, number of staff or clergy, or members.
Transformation and life-giving impact rarely carry the criteria of empirical measurement that we are accustomed to having as we assess the world around us. It would be ridiculous to stand up and state, “we had 7 transformations last month.” “We had 4 life-giving impacts.” These goals that we strive to achieve as the church when we engage the world around us, simply do not fall into the realm of the numerically relatable. Oh for sure we can quantify how many meals we served or how many people we clothed but this scarcely captures the depth and profundity of this type of missional engagement.
I think we would be better served in considering a new (or rather very old) measurement matrix. This ancient/future measurement falls into the realm of what could be called the narratively relatable. Transformation always comes with a story. Impact in the world always comes with a story. If our goals as a Christ following community are transformation and life-giving impact, these elements by their very nature must be shared in truth telling story form.
And this truth telling story form is nothing more than what the early church called witness. Biblically, we are not called to be defense attorneys for God, or judge and jury of the world, or prosecutors of all the wicked people around us, or bailiffs bent on keeping world order, or unbiased court reporters, or grieving family in the gallery as the world we know has changed around us.
We are called to be witnesses.
Truth tellers, concerning what is important to Jesus, the one we call Lord.
Truth tellers, concerning Christ’s work in transforming us as individuals and as community.
Truth tellers, concerning the work God does through us in the world.
Transformation and life-giving impact rarely carry the criteria of empirical measurement that we are accustomed to having as we assess the world around us. It would be ridiculous to stand up and state, “we had 7 transformations last month.” “We had 4 life-giving impacts.” These goals that we strive to achieve as the church when we engage the world around us, simply do not fall into the realm of the numerically relatable. Oh for sure we can quantify how many meals we served or how many people we clothed but this scarcely captures the depth and profundity of this type of missional engagement.
I think we would be better served in considering a new (or rather very old) measurement matrix. This ancient/future measurement falls into the realm of what could be called the narratively relatable. Transformation always comes with a story. Impact in the world always comes with a story. If our goals as a Christ following community are transformation and life-giving impact, these elements by their very nature must be shared in truth telling story form.
And this truth telling story form is nothing more than what the early church called witness. Biblically, we are not called to be defense attorneys for God, or judge and jury of the world, or prosecutors of all the wicked people around us, or bailiffs bent on keeping world order, or unbiased court reporters, or grieving family in the gallery as the world we know has changed around us.
We are called to be witnesses.
Truth tellers, concerning what is important to Jesus, the one we call Lord.
Truth tellers, concerning Christ’s work in transforming us as individuals and as community.
Truth tellers, concerning the work God does through us in the world.
Monday, February 18, 2008
measuring mustaches
In a previous lifetime I worked for a large corporation that measured everything. No really, I mean everything. Honestly, EVERYTHING. If an auditor came in to your operation, one of the things that would be evaluated was the length of the mustache hair of your employees. Seriously, demerits for excessive length of mustache hair. IF you bite on this note card and your mustache hair touches the card, THEN your employee, and you, are out of compliance.
In the church we have a whole lot of mustache hair measuring going on. The problem is, we rarely mark it down and review it with our brother or sister for their growth and benefit [I would question if their actually is a benefit, and further argue that such review is defeating for those involved]. In most churches we are too polite and too ‘Christian’ to honestly address our brother’s and sister’s shortcomings so we tend to just store our evaluations up for future use and reference. Sorry for the cynicism so early in the morning, but this is a real problem for us as those who are called to action in the world for the sake of Jesus Christ. We mustache hair measure worship style, music, sermons, staff hours, the behavior of our leaders and colleagues, worship attendance (or lack thereof), positions on 16th century theological arguments, and an assortment of other self determined important elements of community faith life. To what end?
Do any of these indices have anything to do with our primary calling as Jesus following communities or do they reflect our personal histories within faith communities and our own personal preferences?
What would it look like if the two elements that we measured as the church were transformation (of ourselves, of our faith communities, and of our larger communities) and our impact in engaging the world in areas of life-giving and life-sustaining focus?
Transformation and life-giving impact in the world.
Beats measuring mustache hair.
In the church we have a whole lot of mustache hair measuring going on. The problem is, we rarely mark it down and review it with our brother or sister for their growth and benefit [I would question if their actually is a benefit, and further argue that such review is defeating for those involved]. In most churches we are too polite and too ‘Christian’ to honestly address our brother’s and sister’s shortcomings so we tend to just store our evaluations up for future use and reference. Sorry for the cynicism so early in the morning, but this is a real problem for us as those who are called to action in the world for the sake of Jesus Christ. We mustache hair measure worship style, music, sermons, staff hours, the behavior of our leaders and colleagues, worship attendance (or lack thereof), positions on 16th century theological arguments, and an assortment of other self determined important elements of community faith life. To what end?
Do any of these indices have anything to do with our primary calling as Jesus following communities or do they reflect our personal histories within faith communities and our own personal preferences?
What would it look like if the two elements that we measured as the church were transformation (of ourselves, of our faith communities, and of our larger communities) and our impact in engaging the world in areas of life-giving and life-sustaining focus?
Transformation and life-giving impact in the world.
Beats measuring mustache hair.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
turn, turn, turn
Eclessiates 3:1-8
3:1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
centered-set community
So what does a centered-set community look like? Check out Small Boat Big Sea, a missional community in Australia.
This community engages the world with an emphasis on BLESSing people through "EATing with people, LISTENing to God, LEARNing from God, and [strives] to see their life vocation as being SENT by God." The acroynm they use to represent this presence then is BELLS. Poke around a little and see how they seek, sail, float, and fly in New South Wales Australia.
This community engages the world with an emphasis on BLESSing people through "EATing with people, LISTENing to God, LEARNing from God, and [strives] to see their life vocation as being SENT by God." The acroynm they use to represent this presence then is BELLS. Poke around a little and see how they seek, sail, float, and fly in New South Wales Australia.
Friday, February 15, 2008
centered-set locale
So what does a centered-set locale look like?
In the music scene in Fort Wayne it looks like come2go (see below).
In Northern Colorado it looks like Everyday Joe's, a coffeehouse with live music and a focus on the arts that is located in Fort Collins. Poke around their website and see some of what they are up to in an attempt to dig a well in their community.
In the music scene in Fort Wayne it looks like come2go (see below).
In Northern Colorado it looks like Everyday Joe's, a coffeehouse with live music and a focus on the arts that is located in Fort Collins. Poke around their website and see some of what they are up to in an attempt to dig a well in their community.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
hard at the edges or at the core?
Consider these two images: A bounded-set of items where the set is determined by the fact that the items are enclosed within a firm boundary (like a herd of cattle that are enclosed by a fence); or the second image, a centered-set of items where the set is determined by the relationship of each item to a firm center with a soft and permeable exterior boundary (like a group of cattle in a field without a fence but with a well providing water in the middle of the field).
Which of these images sounds more like the church that you know in our North American context? Which of these images sounds more like what Christ has in mind when he asks us to “be light” or to share good news with the world? Click here to visit a good article about having a public presence as a centered-set church vs. a bounded-set church. The article gets pretty academic, but try to stick with it and consider this much needed TURN…
Which of these images sounds more like the church that you know in our North American context? Which of these images sounds more like what Christ has in mind when he asks us to “be light” or to share good news with the world? Click here to visit a good article about having a public presence as a centered-set church vs. a bounded-set church. The article gets pretty academic, but try to stick with it and consider this much needed TURN…
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
called to creativity
It never ceases to amaze me how the creative work of God manifests itself in the world. Not just in art, music, film, poetry, photography and the usual venues, but also in the way that we organize ourselves to extend God’s love into the world. Check out what folks are up to a Come2Go in Fort Wayne, IN with their GO TEAMS:
Go teams are small groups of people who support each other in their faith and go out into the community to share Christ's love. We currently have 12 active go teams and more in the formation process. Everyone is invited to join us in a journey of growing faith through the practice of serving others.
Friends Forever:
A group who meets two Tuesdays a month for 1/2 hour to sing and make friends at University Park nursing home. This is a wonderful group to get comfortable serving in an outreach ministry.
Wood Youth Ministry:
Teams of four are sent out every Tuesday afternoon to minister to incarcerated children at the Allen County Juvenile Center. These groups consist of one musician, one teacher, one personal witness, and a silent individual who has conversations with one or more individuals within the group of youth who gather.
Bar Flies:
Small groups who gather in local taverns to talk about life and apply put their faith in action in a natural setting with a heart of joy and fun. It is the goal of these groups to simply be a point of contact for non-Christians to have a first connection with a person of God.
You can do some exploring of Come2Go by visiting http://www.come2go.org/aboutus/. Pretty creative community serving an ever creating God.
Go teams are small groups of people who support each other in their faith and go out into the community to share Christ's love. We currently have 12 active go teams and more in the formation process. Everyone is invited to join us in a journey of growing faith through the practice of serving others.
Friends Forever:
A group who meets two Tuesdays a month for 1/2 hour to sing and make friends at University Park nursing home. This is a wonderful group to get comfortable serving in an outreach ministry.
Wood Youth Ministry:
Teams of four are sent out every Tuesday afternoon to minister to incarcerated children at the Allen County Juvenile Center. These groups consist of one musician, one teacher, one personal witness, and a silent individual who has conversations with one or more individuals within the group of youth who gather.
Bar Flies:
Small groups who gather in local taverns to talk about life and apply put their faith in action in a natural setting with a heart of joy and fun. It is the goal of these groups to simply be a point of contact for non-Christians to have a first connection with a person of God.
You can do some exploring of Come2Go by visiting http://www.come2go.org/aboutus/. Pretty creative community serving an ever creating God.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
grace and love loose in the world
"So faith, hope, and love abide; but the greatest of these is love."
Paul, 1st Century follower of Jesus
Monday, February 11, 2008
trekking together in faith
What does it mean to walk together in faith? Check out this quote from Luther about stepping out in faith and the change that takes place in us as we travel together with Christ as our guide:
"Faith, however, is a divine work in us which changes us and makes us to be born anew of God, John 1[:12–13]. It kills the old Adam and makes us altogether different men [and women], in heart and spirit and mind and powers; and it brings with it the Holy Spirit. O it is a living, busy, active, mighty thing, this faith. It is impossible for it not to be doing good works incessantly. It does not ask whether good works are to be done, but before the question is asked, it has already done them, and is constantly doing them. Whoever does not do such works, however, is an unbeliever. He [she] gropes and looks around for faith and good works, but knows neither what faith is nor what good works are. Yet he [she] talks and talks, with many words, about faith and good works.
Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that the believer would stake his [her] life on it a thousand times. This knowledge of and confidence in God’s grace makes men glad and bold and happy in dealing with God and with all creatures. And this is the work which the Holy Spirit performs in faith. Because of it, without compulsion, a person is ready and glad to do good to everyone, to serve everyone, to suffer everything, out of love and praise to God who has shown him this grace. Thus it is impossible to separate works from faith, quite as impossible as to separate heat and light from fire. Beware, therefore, of your own false notions and of the idle talkers who imagine themselves wise enough to make decisions about faith and good works, and yet are the greatest fools. Pray God that he may work faith in you. Otherwise you will surely remain forever without faith, regardless of what you may think or do."
Martin Luther, Preface to Romans
Our prayer for faith as we journey
To be one who is on a journey that is marked by gladness, boldness and happiness in our dealings with God and all creatures...
To be one who walks with a living and daring confidence in God's grace....
To be one who shares a living, busy, mighty, and active thing with those we meet along the trail...
To be born anew...
To be...
"Faith, however, is a divine work in us which changes us and makes us to be born anew of God, John 1[:12–13]. It kills the old Adam and makes us altogether different men [and women], in heart and spirit and mind and powers; and it brings with it the Holy Spirit. O it is a living, busy, active, mighty thing, this faith. It is impossible for it not to be doing good works incessantly. It does not ask whether good works are to be done, but before the question is asked, it has already done them, and is constantly doing them. Whoever does not do such works, however, is an unbeliever. He [she] gropes and looks around for faith and good works, but knows neither what faith is nor what good works are. Yet he [she] talks and talks, with many words, about faith and good works.
Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that the believer would stake his [her] life on it a thousand times. This knowledge of and confidence in God’s grace makes men glad and bold and happy in dealing with God and with all creatures. And this is the work which the Holy Spirit performs in faith. Because of it, without compulsion, a person is ready and glad to do good to everyone, to serve everyone, to suffer everything, out of love and praise to God who has shown him this grace. Thus it is impossible to separate works from faith, quite as impossible as to separate heat and light from fire. Beware, therefore, of your own false notions and of the idle talkers who imagine themselves wise enough to make decisions about faith and good works, and yet are the greatest fools. Pray God that he may work faith in you. Otherwise you will surely remain forever without faith, regardless of what you may think or do."
Martin Luther, Preface to Romans
Our prayer for faith as we journey
To be one who is on a journey that is marked by gladness, boldness and happiness in our dealings with God and all creatures...
To be one who walks with a living and daring confidence in God's grace....
To be one who shares a living, busy, mighty, and active thing with those we meet along the trail...
To be born anew...
To be...
Sunday, February 10, 2008
the first turn
Sometimes, we arrive at places in our lives when it seems that a moment of decision has been thrust upon us. Which direction do I go from here? Sometimes we know the turn that we should take. Only to head down the other path with plenty of good and justifiable reasons in our pockets for why we have not listened to that small voice inside of us. Frequently, we make first-rate decisions that are good for us and those around us and bless the world with their outcomes. And on other occasions, we find ourselves standing at a fork in the road and hoping (or praying) that the path we head down is the right one.
It can be easy to get caught up in replaying these personal moments of decision, sometimes for their glory and other times because they don’t seem to leave us alone. Christ comes to the world in order to free us from living (and reliving) these moments. His work on the cross frees us from the guilt of the poor moments of decision and keeps us honest with ourselves when our pride in good decision-making would offend our neighbor or hinder our own spiritual growth.
Christ comes not to equip us for these moments of decision, but rather, to gather us up into the momentum of his life-giving Spirit and the creative and redemptive work of God in the world.
Our true liberty is not found by us in the moment we make an informed, reasoned, prayed about, and contemplated decision. Our true freedom finds us in a life where the momentum of Christ is carrying us down his path. A life where our decisions become inconsequential to the creative and energizing tasks and relationships that he has called us to engage for the sake of God’s mission in the world.
A kingdom building life in Christ is not really about our decisions and the turns we make. Rather, it is about aligning our intentions with the momentum starting turn that God has made toward us in Jesus Christ.
It can be easy to get caught up in replaying these personal moments of decision, sometimes for their glory and other times because they don’t seem to leave us alone. Christ comes to the world in order to free us from living (and reliving) these moments. His work on the cross frees us from the guilt of the poor moments of decision and keeps us honest with ourselves when our pride in good decision-making would offend our neighbor or hinder our own spiritual growth.
Christ comes not to equip us for these moments of decision, but rather, to gather us up into the momentum of his life-giving Spirit and the creative and redemptive work of God in the world.
Our true liberty is not found by us in the moment we make an informed, reasoned, prayed about, and contemplated decision. Our true freedom finds us in a life where the momentum of Christ is carrying us down his path. A life where our decisions become inconsequential to the creative and energizing tasks and relationships that he has called us to engage for the sake of God’s mission in the world.
A kingdom building life in Christ is not really about our decisions and the turns we make. Rather, it is about aligning our intentions with the momentum starting turn that God has made toward us in Jesus Christ.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
sojourners
We don’t travel alone. It is as easy (or perhaps as difficult) as that. I used to think that our spiritual lives were private and self motivated. I have come to understand that depth in our spiritual lives comes from traveling together. It is in our sharing of personal experience and shared vision that we can figure out which way to hold the map, which trail to venture down, and when there is danger lurking in the woods.
Private, no. Personal, certainly. Self motivated, only for short periods. Energized by the company we keep, absolutely.
With whom are you traveling?
Private, no. Personal, certainly. Self motivated, only for short periods. Energized by the company we keep, absolutely.
With whom are you traveling?
Friday, February 8, 2008
need to set a destination
Here is another band where the message of Jesus Christ is loose in their music. Many of us pray “thy kingdom come,” but do we say this as a rote recital of words; or do we seek to be people and communities where we are completely sold out to the journey of seeking this dynamic Jesus-centered kingdom among us? How ‘bout this comment that someone posted: “This is what I wish I could hear as I walk into a church sanctuary. It's more honest and heartfelt than most worship choruses these days.” Honesty in the journey, with who we are and where we have been, it almost seems like a destination unto itself…
Thursday, February 7, 2008
first step in the journey is to know thyself
I have been following Jonny Lang since he was a 13 year old guitar genius splitting time between Fargo and the Twin Cities. Fame and fortune at fifteen followed by a freefall from drugs and alcohol led to a spiritual transformation that is expressed beautifully on his CD Turnaround. Check out Only a Man.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Ashes, Crosses, and New Life
In a few hours I will be standing with many of you with a piece of burned wood in my hand marking your foreheads with the sign of a cross and proclaiming these words, “From dust you have come, and to dust you shall return…”
Pretty grim words. Nearly enough to make you want to run as fast as you can away from the church. Talk about being the one who rains on the parade, nothing like slamming home our own finitude. ‘Yippee, I’m a human being who, just like every other human being is going to die someday.’ Isn't this fantastic news!
But this is the starting point for the journey we take toward the cross. We indeed are human in every sense of the word and live in a temporal and broken world. If in fact we are going to ‘turn’ and be changed in the lives that we live, we need to know that we all begin at the same trailhead and share the same map.
But our God has a plan, and even as we gather to rightly acknowledge our own limitations and our collective ineptitude in carrying out the plan for the world that God has called us to in Christ, God meets us as we turn back toward the one who creates, redeems, and sustains us. The second phrase that I speak tonight will be this, “but the steadfast love of the Lord endures forever.” And as I say those words, I will trace a cross on your forehead in the same spot where many years ago a pastor or priest traced a cross beside a baptismal font and claimed you as a child of God for the sake of Jesus Christ and his redeeming work in the world.
What has happened between those two tracings is of no concern to Christ. He has died to make it all disappear the same way that the ashes will disappear when you wash your face. The questions that we are faced with are these: Do we really believe that this is true for us? Christ has obliterated all of our missteps and we stand as a new creation called to engage the world with purpose and passion? And if we dare to believe what our own experience tells us can hardly be true, are we ready to live into the new life that this good news brings to us?
For seed to take root, it must fall to the ground and die in order to bring forth new life and achieve its purpose of providing fruit for a hungry world.
Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. New life to new life.
Welcome to the journey.
Pretty grim words. Nearly enough to make you want to run as fast as you can away from the church. Talk about being the one who rains on the parade, nothing like slamming home our own finitude. ‘Yippee, I’m a human being who, just like every other human being is going to die someday.’ Isn't this fantastic news!
But this is the starting point for the journey we take toward the cross. We indeed are human in every sense of the word and live in a temporal and broken world. If in fact we are going to ‘turn’ and be changed in the lives that we live, we need to know that we all begin at the same trailhead and share the same map.
But our God has a plan, and even as we gather to rightly acknowledge our own limitations and our collective ineptitude in carrying out the plan for the world that God has called us to in Christ, God meets us as we turn back toward the one who creates, redeems, and sustains us. The second phrase that I speak tonight will be this, “but the steadfast love of the Lord endures forever.” And as I say those words, I will trace a cross on your forehead in the same spot where many years ago a pastor or priest traced a cross beside a baptismal font and claimed you as a child of God for the sake of Jesus Christ and his redeeming work in the world.
What has happened between those two tracings is of no concern to Christ. He has died to make it all disappear the same way that the ashes will disappear when you wash your face. The questions that we are faced with are these: Do we really believe that this is true for us? Christ has obliterated all of our missteps and we stand as a new creation called to engage the world with purpose and passion? And if we dare to believe what our own experience tells us can hardly be true, are we ready to live into the new life that this good news brings to us?
For seed to take root, it must fall to the ground and die in order to bring forth new life and achieve its purpose of providing fruit for a hungry world.
Ashes to ashes. Dust to dust. New life to new life.
Welcome to the journey.
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