Peace Tree

So for some time now a few of us have been giving away Coffee & Chai at the local drum circle. This has been a wonderful time for us as we bless this small community of: Bums, hippies, street kids, & musicians. However, a few months ago the city decided to expand the Farmer’s Market into the drum circle territory; effectively creating a drum circle with no home.

In the midst of this we were left to follow this group around, but I asked our group: “What if we started a booth at the Farmer’s Market?” We got together to brain storm & it was evident this was something we were doing. 2 months later: Shanti Tree (Peace Tree) is an official booth at the local Market.

Our booth offers “Meditative Arts,” meaning: candles (to help one meditate) & prayer flags, which are very popular amongst the hippies, people who are into eastern philosophies & religions, & New Age people; so, really, about 90% of Santa Cruz! The belief is when you hang the flags near your house, each time the wind blows a blessing is put onto you, etc.


We are selling candles & are soon to provide booklets for people to meditate with, which will be a practice in Lectio Divina. Too, our flags are in Tibetan, but a Tibetan translation of 1 Corinthians 13. It’s awesome to have people ask us what they say & we point to an English translation of this scripture. I love watching people read the chapter from beginning to end; some people smile, others agree, & still others walk away perplexed.

Our first week was a trial run & most of the time we spent setting up & moving things around. Sadly we only made $10, which doesn’t cover the cost of the space, but we got to speak to several people about who we are & what we’re up to, which all of us agreed was more than enough incentive to keep going.
Week number 2 was a bit different. We asked to get moved to a corner slot, so we had way more foot traffic. Likewise, we set down two big rugs for people to sit down & visit with us. In no time we were selling things & at one point in time we had 3 people join for a time of prayer/meditation(?).

All of us agree Shanti Tree is a very effective arm of our community into Santa Cruz. We’re always blessed to be the church to those who don’t care to be a part of Christianity.

I recently read an article citing 5 reasons why beer is good for you. Here's reason number 4: "A study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that moderate drinking may be associated with better brain function. Women who consumed up to two drinks a day scored 20 percent higher on a cognitive functioning test than those who had less than one drink."

I must admit I remember feeling pretty smart after a few beers. Well, at least I could drive better...

"The question of forming habits on the basis of the grace of God is a very vital one. To ignore it is to fall into the snare of the Pharisee—the grace of God is praised, Jesus Christ is praised, the Redemption is praised, but the practical everyday life evades working it out. If we refuse to practice it is not God’s grace that fails when a crisis comes, but our own nature. When crisis comes, we ask God to help us, but He cannot if we have not made our nature our ally. The practicing is ours, not God’s. God regenerates us & puts us in contact with all His divine resources, but He cannot make us walk according to His will."

Oswald Chambers

As of late I've been watching some of the footage on YouTube about Lonnie Frisbee. The Jesus Movement, Calvary Church, & the Vineyard movement wouldn't be the same without Lonnie, which is saying a lot! I really recommend checking out Lonnie's story; it is amazing in so many ways.

Within the unreached people groups of the world, there are 1,741,114,000 people who don't even know Jesus exists.

As Laben & I were on the road to our Luxury Suite at the A's game we both agreed: We don't have a lot of money, but living by faith is a rich life. It can be frustrating at times; however, allowing God to give us what we need when we need it is a rich life.

The Church in Santa Cruz

Today was an incredible day. In Santa Cruz we have an incredible group called EMF. It is a group of local ministers or ministries who have been called to reach Santa Cruz. This group has a long history &, from what I've heard, it's slowly changing the spiritual climate of this city. In the past each church was an island unto itself, which sadly set up conflict with other churches; yet that guard is passing, however there are still churches who are islands for one reason or another (bad reasons no doubt).

As relationships have grown 4 pastors, including myself, decided to worship together on July 4 2010. Today: Antioch Church, Trinity Covenant, Gathering by the Bay, & Faith Community Church put their ego's & differences aside & worshiped together. It was incredible. God showed up in a powerful way. God showed up because this is his heart: That the world would know he is real because of our love for one another. We've realized Santa Cruz isn't going to be reached by one church: We affirm THE church will reach Santa Cruz & we are committed to the local church winning; not my church.

Lastly, 5 churches were invited today. There is a new church plant: Missio Dei happening in town & we invited them too. We told them we were going to ask them to share their vision with us, but they didn't know we were going to give them the combined offering of the churches. The planter couldn't be there, but his wife shared with us. When we shared with her our desire to give them our offering she started crying. Why? Because the idea that the big dogs don't want to see the little ones in the yard isn't true with this group. We want everyone (orthodox & healthy) to work together to reach this city.

We affirm THE church will reach Santa Cruz & we are committed to the local church winning; not my church. It sounds like this is gonna' happen quarterly & with the success of this service I can only imagine what other churches will want to participate. Actually we already have the names of 4 churches that do.

My church isn't the answer. God's church is.

Great stuff from N.T. Wright

...we've got to tell the truth about God, that God is not the same as the world, as in Pantheism, nor is God a million miles away from the world, as in many dualistic schemes, but that heaven and earth have overlapped and interlocked once and for all and forever in Jesus, and that ultimately they will overlap and interlock entirely.

Never go near any theology which cannot play out into Isaiah 11, because if you do you'll be colluding with dualism, sure as anything.

We will discover what it means to be genuinely human as we go in the service of the Kingdom of God, should I say the Empire of God.

As I was hanging out with a friend I asked a simple question to point out a clear theological flaw. I drew a picture of a car & explained the possible positions for people to sit or be in, each of which demonstrates a different perspective within the car: The Driver's seat; Shotgun, The back seat, & the trunk. I then told my friend, imagine the car being your life; & then asked, where is Jesus in your car? With a little thought he answered, "In the trunk." After a little bit more dialogue I asked, What can you do to make Jesus love you more as He's riding in the trunk? His answers were well meaning, Christian, & sincere, but all of them fell short of the truth. I realized he was unaware of what he could do to make Jesus love him more as Jesus was stuffed in the trunk of his life.

The answer?

Nothing.

Christ's cross is such a burden as sails are to a ship or wings to a bird.

Samuel Rutherford.

We're going through Colossians right now. Here's what one commentary said about Chapter 1.

(1) The head of the church. If Christ is the head of the church, it means that the destinies of creation and the church are bound together and that God’s purposes for all creation gestate in the church’s congregational life. The church does not exist to meet the needs of its members or to insure its institutional survival, but to fulfill the redemptive purposes of Christ, its head.

Here's my response to what I see as a misunderstanding by church leadership.

"Greetings Church,

Our Spiritual Transformation Class will begin on June 20th from 9:00-9:50am in the Yaks conference room. Make sure to order your book ahead of time. The text we will be using is Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster. The book can be purchased on sites such Amazon.com, Half.com, CBD.com, or by checking out our local Christian book stores.

Blessings,

VCC Staff

....doing the things that Jesus said and did."

My Response:

Isn't a book titled: Celebration of Discipline an oxymoron?

Shouldn't it be: Celebration of my feelings/desires/wants; or something like that?

Sean

“I have seen many men work without praying, though I have never seen any good come out of it; but I have never seen a man pray without working.” - James Hudson Taylor

Edwin Friedman is a well respected Jewish Rabbi. He has written several leadership books. I started reading “Friedman’s Fables,” which is a series of short stories that share a great deal of insight into the complexity of relationships & communication. The fables are separated into four parts & Dr. Friedman desires to reveal these four wrong ideas:

That communication is a cerebral phenomenon rather than an emotional process.
That insight will work with people who are unmotivated to change.
That resistance to your message can be overcome by trying harder.
That seriousness is deeper than playfulness.

Here is the intro to the first set of fables. I thought it was pretty cool!

“Communication does not depend on syntax, or eloquence, or rhetoric, or articulation but on the emotional context in which the message is being heard. People can only hear you when they are moving toward you, & they are not likely to when your words are pursuing them. Even the choicest words lose their power when they are used to overpower. Attitudes are the real figures of speech. “

This is a sample picture from our new church directory.

Prayer requests & cool updates.

This next week I am getting together to brainstorm with some people in our church about the future of our church. We are going to dream & put onto paper 3 key things we feel like God is doing.

1) A DTS here in SC. After talking with some of my coaches we believe inviting 5 people to be a part of a year long DTS, put on by our church, in Santa Cruz is what God is doing. The DTS would be a mix of classroom & outreach into SC. The students would move here in order to be missionaries to our wonderful city, which I believe is on the cutting edge of culture; therefore, it provides an incredible opportunity for someone to grow in their Faith. The primary goal of the DTS wouldn't be church management, but that they would learn how to "know God & make him known" in Santa Cruz, which hopefully would result in some students seeing that they too could start a church.

2) Each Wed. 3 of us head downtown to love on the unlovables & hippy kidz. Through this we are brainstorming about starting a booth at the Farmer's Market in order to create a simple "storefront" where we would engage more people with Jesus. This is no simple task, but not impossible. We're not sure what we're gonna' sell, but there are some options. We've had this idea before & have seen the success with Yaks up in Redding. We'll see...

3) We want to get a college group started on campus. The largest group at UCSC is Inter-Varsity, which has 60-70 students (& we love Inter-Varsity) (Cal Poly...Campus Crusade...over 1000!). UC has roughly 13-15,000 students; so do the math: We need more groups on campus! Wow. I've recently been speaking with an alum who is stoked about getting something going on campus & I'm willing to go with him. Once again this is no simple task, but not impossible either.

Fun to have 3 ideas focused on "Knowing God & Making Him Known," in Surf City. Please pray that God would guide it.

At the age of 63 when his critics told him to go home, that he had done enough, C.T. Studd replied, "God has called me to go to Africa, and I will go. I will blaze the trail though my grave may only become a stepping stone that younger men may follow."

C.T. Studd--a missionary to: China, India, & Africa.

"Our recruits come out from home vastly raw and are largely parrots. They have been crammed with religion as though for an examination, and seem to come out to carry on their education rather than finish it. So many are just taught doctrines without ever having thought them out or searched the Scriptures for themselves. They come out like infants with pop guns. They need to be trained into soldiers with real devil-defying weapons. Some arrive thinking they are the last thing in high-class Christianity and have to find out they know little. That is why I keep the newcomers here at base for a time till I can make them really think out things and settle questions, not from hearsay but from Bible-say."

What do stoners need? Well they need a couple of things: Water, Candy, & Jesus! Each April thousands of UCSC students gather to celebrate 4:20 as a national Marijuana holiday. You see, each day at 4:20pm stoners around the world have adopted England's celebrated time for tea: 4:20pm. So needless to say April 20th is an all day event. As followers of Christ we know there is so much more to life than what the world can offer; including any high drugs can offer. So following the example of our Biblical heroes we took the good news to the streets & headed up on campus to celebrate 4:20. Armed with water, candy, & the gospel, we dialogued with hundreds of students about Jesus.

On campus we stood out with our sign & with our shouts to those who passed by, "4:20 support tent! Get your munchies!" When students approached us they weren't sure what to make of us. Most students asked, "What is this all about?" Our answer: "We're followers of Jesus & He's blessed us beyond compare & we want to share that blessing with you." Most students were taken back; one student named Angel was so struck that she just stood in our tent for a few minutes in awe. I asked her, "What are you thinking?" She replied, "I've never seen anyone do something like this. I mean, what's Jesus got to do with 4:20?" Our answer: "Jesus has everything to do with 4:20. He loves the students at UCSC" Another student approached us & asked for water. When we told her why we were doing this she said, "That's f-----n awesome! I'm a Jew is it still ok?" I said, "heck ya, Jesus is a Jew," which she replied, "was a Jew." Correcting her I mentioned, "Jesus is what it means to be a Jew." Her friend came over moments later for a bottle of water too. Favorite quotes from yesterday: "Smoke that joint bro & you'll just have to roll another one 'cuz the high doesn't last. Get close to Jesus & you'll be high for the rest of your life!" "When you smoke, talk with Jesus, see what He has to say to you. You'll be surprised by what He will say to you."

We also had the opportunity to pray for at least 15-20 students. Many students asked for prayer in regards to their school work, but several others wanted personal prayer. One student when asked, "can we pray for your ankle right now?" allowed us to lay hands on her & pray. Too, as you can see in one of the pictures (Smiling face at the field) a man named Joel joined us. He is the brother of one of the guys who helped all day. What's cool is Joel doesn't believe in Jesus, but helped us all day share the love of Christ with a group he normally hangs around with! Sorry Joel, but the handwriting is on the wall my friend!

Thanks for all of your prayer & financial support. The students at UCSC are eternally grateful.

A question & statement I've been thinking about as of late: Was Jesus a Christian?

My statement: Jesus wasn't a Christian.

To all my 6, & soon to be 7 followers: What do you think?

"It's hard to remember that Jesus did not come to make us safe, but rather to make us disciples, citizens of God's new age, a kingdom of surprise.”
Stanley Hauerwas, Duke University

Yeah, sometimes it's really hard to remember...

"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."

I've been reading through 1 Corinthians lately & it's been good. I appreciate this letter because it's so raw in many ways, which I think reflects real life as opposed to what most people try to do with their lives: Sanitation. One verse keeps popping out to me.

"1Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 2The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. 3But the man who loves God is known by God."

"Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up."

As I look at the hero's in my life, I am starting to see one thing in common: They loved others. As I look for Christ in people I'm starting to realize I see him most in those who give themselves to something other than themselves. They give what they have, which might not be much, to be used by Christ in whatever way he can use them. "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up." One is about me, the other is about others. One NEVER satisfies; the other always satisfies.

Last night we watched a movie about St. Francis of Assisi & he said something that struck me: "If you want to feel loved, go & love. If you want to feel significant, go & serve," & he lived this out! "Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up."

Matt Redman lyrics:

"Dying you destroyed our death. Rising you restored our soul."

I've been singing that a lot lately. Jesus was something "other" than all humanity. He is & was totally unique. It is important to understand WHO Jesus is/was, but it is also important to understand WHAT Jesus is & was. What was Jesus? In part, & a huge part: The Passover Lamb of God. Without this key it's easy describe Jesus as just another "good teacher;" a description of WHO he was. The WHAT in many ways defines the WHO. We should do a better job of telling the story of WHAT Jesus is & was.

"Dying you destroyed our death. Rising you restored our soul."

Every Wed. Jacob & I go & give away coffee, Chai, lemonade, & Jesus to our friends at the drum circle, who by chance congregate next to the weird people at Farmer's Market.

First: This last week I was introduced in what has to be the best introduction ever. As I rolled up & got out of the car one of the guys we talk to on a regular basis shouts, "Check it out everybody Juan Valdez is here!" Doesn't get much better.

Second: A young lady who is hosting youth groups approached Ronee & I to talk to us about how she might be able to bring some youth groups to the circle this summer. We told her that would be great & gave her some easy ways to participate: Bring water, socks, or they could help us make coffee & we could pray together. We mentioned that, "just 'witnessing' to the people in the circle is kinda weird," after she mentioned one of the youth pastor's desire to "witness downtown to people." I'm not sure she understood what a unique group of people we are working with until one of the young hippie chicks took off all of her clothing & started dancing around. I said to her, "kinda crazy here 'cuz just last week somebody died & now this girl (who was in a tree by now) is totally naked." If only someone were willing to tell her she needed Jesus.

This last Wednesday I watched a man die.

Each week a friend & I go to the Farmer’s Market because next door a group of: Hippies, Street Kids, & Homeless people get together to drum &, well, do what they do. However, this week the drum circle stopped for no apparent reason. When I finally noticed the silence I looked over to see the normally noisy group transfixed on the ground. I then walked over to see 3 “street people,” doing CPR on an unconscious man & my friend Jacob praying for him to live. After some time the Firemen arrived & took over; that said, the man was without life.

As I spend each Wednesday afternoon with this group I have been challenged on so many levels. On Wednesdays, within a small patch of land, two groups exist: One, the “normal” Santa Cruz people who go to shop for quality produce; & Two, the “street people,” who, well, do what they do. (We do get the expired Food not Bombs food.) As I’ve spent more time with the “street people,” I have been challenged; there really are some great people in this group. Sadly, I have lumped them all together, but like any group: Christians, Muslims, Gay, Straight, Rich, or poor…there are really honest people & some really funky people. I say all this because when I saw the dead man 3 people, whom our society sees as bad scenery to their otherwise utopian coastal village, were doing CPR on a dead man.

When the police arrived they asked, “Who was this guy?” None of the people in the circle knew; he was a stranger that day. I was stunned because I realized I had watched a man give the dead man mouth to mouth CPR. Moreover, as they were giving the man mouth to mouth he threw up; & after this, as his face was lined with vomit, these “street people,” went right back to work. A person that our society deems a loser put his mouth around the mouth of a stranger; a mouth of a dead man that had just vomited. What kind of man would do such a thing for a stranger? These people, who most of the normal people will never get to know, are incredible people…created in the image of God.

Listening to Dallas Willard's "Hearing God," has been amazingly refreshing. He said something today that really struck me (I listen to him while I run, so he really did say.)

"But in the lives of NT personalities—especially Jesus himself—there is a great preponderance of strictly—nonphysical—communications between God & his people. Vision, dreams & angels continue to play some part—as I think they may do today. It would not be too much to say, however, that where these phenomena were the main, as opposed to the occasional, means of interaction, it indicates a less developed spiritual live both in the individual & the church group. I am not trying to be judgmental here; I am merely trying to be helpful in pointing out the kind of life with God into which we should expect to grow—a life in which one hears from God amid & frequent times of conversational prayer."

I am always troubled by those who NEED another HUGE experience & can't seem to hear him in the daily, which there is nothing normal about it, life. There is no spiritual non-spiritual flesh/spirit dictonomy. Certainly not in the eyes of Jesus. I love what Dallas says in this book.

"some assembly required'

i took the subject title from steve greggs teaching www.thenarrowpath.com "some assembly required"

it is no secret that i am disillusioned with our western evangelical church model. it generally leaves me wondering what am i doing, once again, going thru the motions. and yet, i am in church at least once possibly twice every sunday:) because i am aware that there is "some assembly required"

i attend different churches as i am trying to know the "body of christ" in all of santa cruz and possibly monterey counties. i am achieving that, i think:)

still always in search of finding a place "God shows up, in presence and power" rarely have i observed this. exception of course...the Jesus movement and the after glow of that.

lately tho, and i am going out on a limb here, because i know none of us are perfect, and i have only attended a handful of times, but there is this sweet little group i found (found me) that i can almost think i sense this!!!

they are called "antioch church" and they are a vineyard based church that came here from san luis obispo. although in the early 80's i have visited the slo church too. also we know lonnie frisbee, our ground zero man for the Jesus movement came out of calvary chapel and then vineyard church.

antioch church, left without a building when our vets hall closed it's doors is now meeting in "the next door space" a comfortable space right next door to the rio theatre. santa cruz, soquel ave. they meet at 6:30 pm sunday nights.

i have gotten to know their pastor sean mcmasters as he has come consistently every week, bringing coffee and chai to our wed. drum circle. he also has personally gotten involved in the life of my own kids, simply by spending time with them. sean has also spent personal time with people in and around drum circle. a one on one type a guy!

i have to say this type of "grassroots" outreach is extremely rare for "pastors" and yet they are servants and sheperds biblically speaking.

sean does not know i am writing this, i did not ask, but i am impressed with this little group that has managed to come away enough from the "model" and just be Jesus to people!

God Bless you guys!

I'm going up to UCSC on Monday to pass out a flyer with this info on it. Give me some feedback if you will.

What if you used your spring break to serve in a city where poverty & hopelessness reign? Consider taking 3 days to serve with other groups in Oakland who desire to see a city transformed.



Who: You & some other incredible people.
What: Serving the less fortunate in Oakland; by working with various community groups, serving those groups & the poor.
Why: Because many live without hope & we can choose to help them or ignore them. I vote to help them!
When: March 22, 23, & 24. On Wed. the 24th we will serve in Oakland for the beginning of the day & then serve at the drum-circle that evening in Santa Cruz.
How: We’ll network with a couple of different organizations in Oakland & join them in their work to serve the poor.
How much: $150 for room, gas, & food.

Sponsored by: The Bridge Collective: Bridging the gap between what is & what should be.

Do I have to be a Christian to follow Jesus? Christian historically means: Little Christ; & this title was given by those who were outside of the believing community to describe those within it. You are a Christian...a little Christ. However, as times change, so do definitions of words: Gay for example used to mean happy, now it means, almost exclusively, homosexual; & there are many other examples…stoked, gnarley, bomber, wicked, crazy, bad, sick!

Christian.

It seems as if in our American day & age the term Christian has deviated from its original meaning so far that I feel comfortable asking: Do I have to be a Christian to follow Jesus? Do I have to talk like Christians talk? Act like they act? Behave like they behave? Dress like they dress? Even though they look cool, it all smells the same: Christian. Jesus? No doubt there are many Christ-like aspects to modern day Christianity; yet at the same time, there seems to be a lot that isn’t centered upon the person of Christ, but upon a culture that has been created by his followers called: Christianity.

I believe a great deal of people are turned away from following Jesus not because of who he is & what he stands for, but because of a belief that baptism is a symbolic rite of passage into a club; A Christian Club, & they aren’t attracted to what they see. Maybe in certain places in the U.S. where "Christian" is the norm, but in the Bay the reaction is negative.

Christians, whom God has chosen to reside in by his Spirit, who possess life itself, don’t seem very alive. Don't is more predominate than do. Certain conversational subjects are taboo. Materialism masked behind spiritual language is routine. Spiritual conversation is often Christian gossip. When their faith is pressed we are invited into shallow pools of thought & encouraged to steer clear of deeper waters, where mysterious questions are laid to rest. Do they actually believe everything they claim to believe? Their lack of conviction doesn’t seem very convincing. Too, how could you belong to such a large group of people (Sunday Worship) yet have so few real friends? Who are you? Your confusion is confusing. Sarah Palin?

Do I have to be a Christian to follow Jesus?

One of the things in our culture that disturbs me is: Idol Worship. Not, wooden statue I bow down to, Idol Worship, but Celebrity Worship. It seems as if our culture is driven by the famous: Brad Pitt, Demi Moore, Jack Johnson, Michael Jordon, etc. When we think of what we want to look like, how we want to perform, are we successful or not, we are presented with a who's who in the area we desire to grow in or emulate.

Sadly, church life is little different. As I confront challenges in my vocation I am handed, quite readily by my friends, the shining examples within Christianity who have "risen above the fold." Communication: Rob Bell. Evangelism: Louis Palau. Programmatic church: Rick Warren. Signs & Wonders, Church Growth, Para-Church, Satellite Campuses, etc; These are our celebrities; & not only do we have them, we desire them, emulate them, covet them; but can we think beyond & through them? (I think very highly of our celebrities; they are in fact outstanding people)

In grad school the president, whom I thought a rather weird man, said (paraphrased), “One of the biggest problems I see in churches today is cookie cutter church. Instead of fasting & praying to find out what kind of church God wants in a specific local we latch onto the ‘what worked there, if implemented correctly, will work here.’ Therefore, we cut off God’s creative arm for the local church.” But why would I settle for what God has for me when I can have what Joyce Meyer, or Bill Johnson has? Why be me when I can dress like so & so? Too, when asked about my church I don’t assume people are really asking within the context of what God has for me in Santa Cruz; I think we’d agree we want to know why I’m not enjoying the success of John Ortberg or Dan Kimball. "Haven't I read their books? It describes everything they've done. You can do it to for: 14.99!"

The average church is 85 to 100 people. This is a problem, or so I’m told. This isn’t God’s plan, or so they tell me. Without a shadow of a doubt, those of us with an “average” size church realize we aren’t all that God wants; & who could argue with that? Think of this: when you tell a man he isn’t measuring up, he’s “small,” at some point in time he’ll see the gift of his community not with potential, but with disdain. Why wouldn’t he? We don’t celebrate churches of 85; we celebrate those who have risen above this level. We talk of the famous & they don't have small churches.

Yet only so many of us get to become famous as servants of Christ (paradox?). We idolize the few, while the greatest potential within our movement is relegated to: “Performs below par.” Sad. Combined, the average churches far outweigh the potential of the “rich & famous.” Yet if a man is convinced he needs to be somebody else than he’s probably not gonna’ be who God created him to be.

We love celebrities. We emulate our idols. We judge ourselves by them. We want to be celebrities. They're a part of our life & it's not as fruitful as we think.

God speak to me about me. Let me covet what you have for me & not what another man has.

"In Luke's gospel, Jesus waited until his followers asked him for a prayer; & the reason they asked was because they saw what he was doing. Something tells me there's a lesson there." N.T. Wright: The Lord & His Prayer.

Well after we found out our normal mtg place was shut down, I made one phone call; & that's all it took for God to get us a new place to worship. My friend, Andy, leads another faith community here in SC & they lease a small building next to a theater, which they use for their kids ministry. Without hesitation they allowed us to use it. So from here, until it changes again, we worship God at night; & at no other time. That said, the room is more expensive: $5 more than our previous local, but we'll live.

Thanks God. My ulcer doesn't really reflect how I feel about you.

Planting a church in Santa Cruz is difficult. However, we have been blessed by having a wonderful place to meet, which is very inexpensive. Well, yesterday, that all changed. Yesterday at 5pm the Vets Hall of Santa Cruz was officially closed by the county. Evidently in the very earthquake friendly area we live in, the auditorium would pose a significant health risk during a shake up. So, we are without a meeting place. We're excited to see what God will do, but, as always, things like this are frustrating. It seems as if the wind in Santa Cruz is constantly blowing in the face of those who serve Christ.

Dallas Williard takes on some outstanding questions.

http://mppc.org/toughquestions

As Evangelicals (& especially Pentecostals) have we stressed the divinity of Christ so much that we've downplayed his humanity & by doing so we gloss over the more unfortunate aspects of our humanity as well? "The flesh is evil the spirit is good!" "My flesh made me do it." "Focus on Christ!" Problems normal to all people are seen as obstacles to be solved; opportunities to crucify self...yet again. However, my common problems, are in fact, pretty common: anger, lust, selfishness, loneliness, pride, insecurity, greed, etc. In fact, I find my problems are one of the greatest places we find common ground. Not all of us travel to the 3rd heaven, but we all get angry. No doubt those of us who have the Spirit will produce the fruit of the Spirit, but what of the times when I do not?

6 But I am a worm and not a man.
I am scorned and despised by all!
7 Everyone who sees me mocks me.
They sneer and shake their heads, saying,
8 “Is this the one who relies on the Lord?
Then let the Lord save him!
If the Lord loves him so much,
let the Lord rescue him!”

I was recently invited to go to a prayer retreat for the pastors of the churches in Santa Cruz. To say the least, it was amazing. About 25 of us went & I was really blessed by the humility of all the guys there. We started with a "log-in" time, which is a time to share what has been happening in your life. I was very impressed by what I heard from this group of pastors: honesty, transparency, humility, etc. Only a couple of guys held back, but most were willing to reveal their "thorns."

Too, being the youngest man in the room, I was stunned by our worship. I found myself crying several times as these older awesome men of God belted out songs of thankfulness to Christ. I really lost it today when we sang some hymns & these guys really let it out. I realized these were their songs. These are the songs that encouraged them through the night. I was honored to be in the presence of those who have tarried long before me. It was an encouraging.

I give guitar lessons & that's my "extra" cash. We're spending Christmas in Chester Ca, where my sister-in-law runs a second hand store. Because it's in the mountains, 10F this morning, there are a ton of beanies at her store. In SC a beanie costs $3 at a second hand store. In Chester, today, they're 50 cents. I told my wife, "I'm gonna' go buy 40 beanies today," & of course she said, "Great idea."

Being the godly man I am I told God, "This isn't what I want to spend my money on, but I know it blesses your heart; this is the best use of my money." Two thoughts fought in my head like heavyweight fighters: Selfishness vs. Selflessness. That said, we went & picked out 40 beanies, which was all they had. As we approached the check out line, beanies bulging out of my arms, a woman offered to help me put them in a bag. I thanked her & walked away. She then approached my wife & said, "here's a gift certificate I wanted you to have," which my wife thanked her for. I asked her how much the gift was for: $20...enough for 40 beanies.

Ironic on several levels.

This comes as my friend, Ronee, has come under criticism for her work with the poor in SC. I asked her if she could use more beanies & she said: "absolutely!"

I guess God wants these beanies delivered to SC. I guess God blessed the direction my feet took me & not the direction my heart wanted to go. I guess God is faithful to the unfaithful.

Thanks God.

Return Stolen Bike Part 2

So, we return the bike & needless to say the police officer was totally perplexed. He kinda' looked at my friend & didn't know what to say other than, "You stole this bike 10yrs ago?"; it was great! Well, I get a phone call from my friend because the police officer called him later in the day. Without us knowing it, someone from the Santa Cruz Sentinel (the local paper) was in the room & overheard what was going on. They asked the police officer for my friends info, 'cuz they want to do a write up on an unbelievable story! What would possess a man to give back a bike he stole 10yrs ago without getting caught? Why would a man want make his wrongs right?

Today I get to go to the police station to give back a bike that was stolen 10yrs ago by a man who has committed his life to Christ. It's wonderful to see people being healed by God, taking inventory of their past in order to walk into the future God has for them.

Merry Christmas:
"In other words, eternal life is not the by-product of some enlightenment or knowledge acquired mystically. Eternal life is historically anchored in what we may call the scandal of particularity unique to Christianity. The life of God has been channeled to us through a historical event, an event that John says has been verified by people who saw it."

Formally Winter

Winter Formal Charity Dinner

Good old Mark Twain:
Some men worship rank, some worship heroes, some worship power, some worship God, and over these ideals they dispute and cannot unite -- but they all worship money.

Entitlement:
When your dog sits next to the table waiting for scraps, so you toss him some. Instead of catching it he allows the food to pass by his snout, hit the floor, where he is given enough time to discern if it is worthy. Then, he walks away leaving you to pick the scrap off the floor.
Entitlement.

At the Vets Hall we're never totally sure what room we're going to meet in. We were informed that this week we can't get into a room until 11:45, which is 45min after everyone gets there. What to do? So we're going to have a collective preacher exercise. Break up into groups &...

God left us the Bible in order that we might know him. It helps us to understand who He is, who we are as His children, & how we are supposed to act in our relationships with Him & the world around us. So, reading, appreciating, & applying His word to our lives is a very important responsibility.

Today we, actually you, are going to read, contemplate, & understand how to apply God’s word to our everyday life. We are the collective preacher!
Assign:
Scribe (someone who will write down what you find)
Speaker (someone who will share what you found)

After reading your text:
First: What is the purpose, the heart, or the meaning of the text?
Second: Is there another example from Scripture or life to draw from?
Third: Think of a story, whether personal or not, that relates to this scripture.
Last: How can I apply the truth of the scripture to my life? What does this mean for my everyday life? How does this truth help me to be a disciple of Christ?

When we get together you are going to share what you found. You are going to tell us what this text is about, give us another example from scripture or everyday life, share a story that relates to the truth you discovered & help us recognize how we too can live out the purposes of God by applying His word to our lives.

Gospel of Matthew—Chapter 1
18 This is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But before the marriage took place, while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph, her fiancé, was a good man and did not want to disgrace her publicly, so he decided to break the engagement quietly.

I try. Is that so bad?

I try to convince the blind they can't see; reassure the hungry they aren't full; remind the sick they aren't healthy; warn those with money they aren't rich; notify the lame they aren't walking; inform the successful they aren't important; let the educated know their education isn't informed; advise the dead that they aren't alive.

Such are the complications of my (& yours if you follow Christ) vocation. This vocation was given to my at my baptism; yours was too. It's not a terribly popular message, but...it's part of Christmas gift.

For all the: poor, sick, blind, ignorant, dead, lame, uneducated people in the world--I have good news.

For all the rest--Your good news is at 7pm tonight; & p.s--you've always been in recession.

Why is it that when we talk to God we're said to be praying, but when God talks to us we're a lunatic?

Lily Tomlin

One of the things we've been struggling with in SC is that people think we are a cult. Hopefully this sign helps.

My Super-Hero

Psalm 127
A Pilgrim Song of Solomon
1-2 If God doesn't build the house, the builders only build shacks.
If God doesn't guard the city,
the night watchman might as well nap.
It's useless to rise early and go to bed late,
and work your worried fingers to the bone.
Don't you know he enjoys
giving rest to those he loves?

3-5 Don't you see that children are God's best gift?
the fruit of the womb his generous legacy?
Like a warrior's fistful of arrows
are the children of a vigorous youth.
Oh, how blessed are you parents,
with your quivers full of children!
Your enemies don't stand a chance against you;
you'll sweep them right off your doorstep.

This has been my prayer for many mornings. I can't really build the house & when I do, it doesn't turn out well!

Be thankful: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHn83lm6UCY

"You do not even know a man until you have eaten forty pounds of salt with him."

Russian Proverb

What do you think about this:

I don't think it's sin that ultimately ruins us. We all deal with sin; actually right now you have sin you are dealing with & not dealing with; yet you can still function as a child of God & are able to share in God's Kingdom ministry in spite of our attitudes this morning or lustful thoughts this afternoon. Sin exists within you & won't be removed until we are resurrected with Christ. We are presently Saints who sin.

Sin isn't the issue that ruins us: Secrets are. Of course keeping secrets can be sin, but work with what I'm saying. Lusting after something is sin. However, I have lustful thoughts throughout the day: Nice wave! I wish I was more... Nice smile...etc. That said, when I don't tell anyone I'm wrestling with lust, lust grows & becomes a monster in my life. Keeping secrets is deadly. My daily sin is a spark; keeping my daily sin (constantly) secret (we know when we are) is gas & dry wood; then I have a problem.

My daily sin won't work me over. My daily sin, kept to myself, will grow into a beast I am unable to control, & will therefore ruin me.

I have nothing to gain; nothing to hide; nothing to prove; nothing to lose.

How I wish that were true!!

Secrets kill.

Distance or Speed?

If you want to travel fast...travel alone.
If you want to travel far...travel together.
African Proverb.

Are you built for distance or speed?

Is your life set up for distance or speed?

Just a thought: If you aren't content where you're at, doing what you're doing right now, than you won't ever be content. Is this true? Maybe a nugget of truth, but not totally true? What do you think?

BTW: I'm up at UCSC taking an astronomy class & then headed to the junior college for my Ultimate Frisbee class. Having a mobile office is...what Jesus did!!! "Bad church office, Bad!!" Where the people at?

I'm starting to see a common theme in the lives of people: How we deal with conflict really defines a large portion of our life. Too, how our parents dealt with conflict REALLY has an effect on our lives. As I continue to spend time with people I'm realizing many of their, or my, or our, problems revolve around how we deal with conflict. Therefore, to the degree we have healthy conflict we will have a healthy relationship; likewise, to the degree that we have unhealthy conflict we will have unhealthy relationships. How we deal with conflict defines a large portion of our lives.

Conflict can be huge--a fist fight. Conflict can be small--"What type of toppings do WE want on OUR pizza." No matter how big or small, people really aren't equipped to deal with conflict & therefore create a bunch of coping mechanisms: Work, denial, various drugs, booze, chocolate, hobbies, anger, sex, porn, Facebook, seclusion, crowds, laziness, etc. Instead of actually confronting the conflict we allow it to drive us into various habits & many of them self-destructive; which always means destructive relationships, since no one lives in a relational vacuum (no matter how hard we try). As in a recent sermon I gave: "You either speak out your frustrations or you act out your frustrations; these are the only options." Unresolved conflict doesn't go away until you deal with it.

I am often amazed by people’s ability to not DEAL with the actual problems! If only we applied similar discipline to helpful or Christ-like habits; the world would be a different place. Instead we allow unresolved conflict to run rampant in our souls & relationships. So we see repeated themes throughout our relationships. We literally get stuck on stupid, until we deal with it.

Conflicts almost always start small, like a match. However, if the match isn’t dealt with, “before the sun goes down…” it grows, & grows, & grows, until it is out of proportion & then you need helicopters, fire engines, & state financing in order to put out the fire started by the small, often meaningless match. Dealing with my hurt ASAP is very important: “Before the sun goes down.” If not, when the sun comes up, & the heat of the day presses on, the flames of the previous day's match are joined by the new matches of the new day.

Why is conflict bad? I have conflict with myself & others all day. This isn’t because I’m really picky or mean. It is a result of the Fall, but conflict is a normal part of life.

Healthy people have healthy conflicts. Healthy conflicts make healthy relationships. Unresolved conflicts require medication. Unresolved conflicts create unhealthy relationships. It’s great to have healthy conflict, because I’m creating a real, genuine, healthy friendship with someone. Healthy conflict is the beginning & not the END of a healthy relationship! Sadly, in most cultures, conflict is always bad, so we pretend it isn't there until: "Hey Linda the house is burning down. Wanna' talk?"

Proverbs 27:7
He who is full loathes honey, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet.

This is one of the most difficult things to experience as you walk with others on the Jesus journey. Some people just aren't hungry; or they still believe other things can keep them full. Jesus is just another side-dish in their grand buffet.

However, when you meet someone who is hungry...

I love how Jesus helped people to realize what they hungered for.

The things you can do when you live in Surf City. Check out our new sandwich board signs!! You rock Dan.

Pastors are caught within a wonderful dynamic: On the one hand I need to be an example of what it means to be successful follower of Christ; on the other hand I am not, & never will be totally successful. What makes this more interesting is the neverending appeal of religion; Those who do good are--gooder & I am the gooderest of them all. Right? However, I'm not good.

What is the role of a pastor? To create the "That's it" image? I need to teach Saints & non-saints how to be: Broken, angry, forgive, sexually appropriate, depressed, frustrated, etc. However, do I teach them from the position of: "When I used to..." or "Last week when I..." Don't I have a pious image to uphold, since no one wants to follow a loser? Especially a pastor who wrestles with sin. No doubt there are limits to my involvement with any sin & it's ability to control me vs. my ability to yield to the Spirit. However, we can so easily create a theology of leadership, which says, "Follow me as I follow Christ" because, "I've arrived," vs. "I've been working on this for years, & I'm still walking."

Yesterday at a meeting of pastors I sat & listened for some time as one of our brothers spoke about the pressure of leadership. One of the things I kept hearing was his inability to share his failings. More importantly, share his feelings with this group of pastors who meet monthly & have traveled many miles together. Why?

Aren't the broken blessed? The poor in Spirit happy? The hungry full? We've replaced servant leadership with CEO leadership. We've replaced transparent friendship with church. We've replaced dependence with independence & call it discretion & then wonder why the volcano erupted; we had no warning. You always seemed like you were doing so well; we thought you had everything together; You created an image we all wanted. Sadly you created an image & not reality. You created an image God has never desired.

We create churches where people can't share the very things that would bring them freedom. Why? Because if they did they would be disqualified. From what? Being like the pastor? One of the greatest theological problems people have today about church is this: Church isn't for bad people it's for good people!?!? Go ask 20 people: "Is church filled with good or bad people." Why do they believe this? When's the last time you went to church & saw real people dealing with real stuff? Who starts this crap? I do.

Yesterday I asked a simple question: "After listening to you discuss all of this (transparency) I'm confused as to the reputation I'm trying to uphold & to whom?"

I understand Christians want to follow a leader with the gooderest reputation; however, many of those same Christians aren't cutting the cake. At least not in the Bay Area. Who do I want to relate to/attract: Christians or "He wrestles?"

Jesus didn't come to make bad people good into good people. I am redeemed. I am a saint. I wrestle with sin. I am a great example; of someone who follows Jesus. The scars on my knees prove I have fallen several times. My new shoes prove I want to walk some more. I don't have it all together; I am however walking & have walked for some time now & people can relate to that--at least broken people can.

24-HOUR PRAYER SIGN-UPS

Psalms 2:8 “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.”

6pm on Friday starts our 24-hour prayer. We want to be a praying church, so each month we pray for 24hrs as a community. It's a great time to learn how to pray & hear his voice. Here are the times:
FRIDAY Sept 4th
6pm – 7pm Sarah
7pm – 8pm Corinna
8pm – 9pm Yizenia & Stephen
9pm – 10pm Jacob & Grace
10pm – 11pm Taylor
11pm – 12midnight Karol
SATURDAY Sept 5th
12am – 1am Jayson
1am – 2am Nate
2am – 3am Rachel
3am – 4am Rachel
4am – 5am Laben
5am – 6am Laben
6am – 7am Alana
7am – 8am Jeff
8am – 9am Jeff
9am – 10am Hae Jong
10am – 11am Julee
11am – 12noon Emelia
12pm – 1pm Sarah
1pm – 2pm Daniel
2pm – 3pm Sean
3pm – 4pm Linda
4pm – 5pm Janine
5pm – 6pm Janine

Wow.

So we are starting to have family devotions several times a week. As you may have guessed it can be pretty comical. We read a scripture from Colossians today & the devotional we use had many questions to go along with it. However, one thing became evident as we started asking the questions. It seems as if every question we ask our children the answer is always Jesus. Now theologically this is kinda' true 'cuz he is pretty Alpha & Omega status in the cosmos. Too, it's funny to see Jonathan read his small Gideon bible out loud (he can't read), while he holds it upside down. Yet, the words are pretty contextual: "God thank you, Jesus, Heaven, thank you, Jesus goes there, thank you..."

"I got invited."

These are three wonderful words from our Sunday gathering. After worship I always ask, "Somebody share a God story." I ask this because God is always working in our lives, however, we often don't recognize God working in our lives because many of us don't ask: "Is this God?"

This last Sunday when I asked, "Somebody share a God story," a friend of a friend raised his hand & said, "I got invited to this today." When he said this I was somewhat stunned & I almost cried. I wasn't stunned because he got invited; I was stunned because I too easily forget to be thankful that I am invited. I forget that eleven years ago, when I was at a horrible place, God invited me. Since that time he has continued to invite me; in spite of the fact that I have taken up the attitude I am someone worth inviting! What this friend said was an: Out of the mouth of babes moment. He was just thankful to be invited. I'm tired of inviting. He's thankful to be a part. I'm tired of being here. He's thankful he got invited. I put my invitation away & forgot about it.

After he said this I laughed one of those laughs you make when your shocked or embarrassed. But God quickly filled my heart & reminded me of something. I then said to those gathered last Sunday: "We all got invited didn't we."

It's when we move into the realm of entitlement that we become disillusioned with who we are in Christ. We forget where we came from & then start to become ungrateful for who He is & who we are. We are not entitled to anything especially a place at the Wedding Feast; we forget that we WERE invited when we shouldn't have been. We forget we ARE invited even though we shouldn't be. When we start to feel pinched isn't because we feel entitled to something that we have no right to in the first place?

If we could remain in a posture of: "I got invited," I am certain we would enjoy God more & enjoy what He has for us.

Our God is the God of manna, not Urbana.

Here's what I mean. When the disciples asked Jesus, "Teach us how to pray..." He said amongst other things, "Give us our daily bread..." (I've really been thinking about the theological depth of the Lord's Prayer: It really is complete.) Now to a Jew daily bread would have conjured up thoughts of when God gave bread to Israel in Exodus: Manna. There, He provided daily for the physical needs of Israel; it may not have been flashy, terribly tasty, or what they wanted day in & day out, but He provided what they needed. He is the God of Manna; He is the God who gives us physically & spiritually what we need; day in & day out.

Now Urbana. Urbana is an outstanding missions conference. I have no problem with Urbana & hope to go one day. It only rhymes with Manna & represents, what I believe, many expect their devotional life to be like day in & day out: Huge & revelatory beyond belief. However, we serve the God of Manna; God gives us what we need. Manna is what we need; Urbana is what we want.

When we sit with God daily in an unrushed time with him He always delivers, He always provides Manna, what we need, our Daily Bread. However, to insist on Urbana when I sit with Him is to betray who He is. He always gives me what I need & even if I don't feel it when I sit at His feet, I receive the seed of the Kingdom & within that seed is the entire Kingdom DNA; & given the correct soil, it grows & grows into...well, Urbana!

God is not a dispensary of my wants. God knows what I need & in the end what I need is really what I wanted! Amazingly He knows the deepest desires of my heart. Sadly, I often confuse wants & needs. Daily bread is what I need.

Our God is the God of Manna, not Urbana. Get your Manna on.

While in Buffalo we drove past a building that was both huge & beautiful. I asked Steve what the building was for & he said, "It's Buffalo's abandoned mental asylum." Totally freaky!! Check out this site: http://kingstonlounge.blogspot.com/2008/09/buffalo-state-hospital-h-h-richardson.html

What is freedom? Where do I find it? Everyone in one way or another is asking this question. Christ came to "set us free;" & "whom the son has set free is free indeed." However, God's definition of freedom & ours aren't the same. As we frantically try to control our lives we realize, or at least other people do, that we are out of control. What is freedom? Freedom comes from giving control of your entire being to God. What he says is right is right. What he says is wrong is wrong. His values are THE values you live your life by. As an American my definition of Freedom is: Doing what I want to do when I want to do it. This isn't God's heart or definition of freedom & only leads to confusion. Only submission to God through Christ empowered by the Holy Spirit leads to REAL freedom! Please read the Epistles with special care to the word: Slave. It is a favorite title for those who knew Christ. It's not very popular today either in title or in standing.

Bondage to Christ leads to freedom; freedom as you define it, & therefore live it, leads to bondage.

He came to set us free because we are bound. The blind cannot lead the blind. The blind cannot walk without assistance. We are blind & when you realize that you are blind he gives you sight. He came to save us because we are out of control; bound by sin & death.

Bondage to Christ leads to freedom; freedom as you define it, & therefore live it, leads to bondage.

Our trip to Buffalo was amazing. We weren't sure what to expect & didn't expect what we got. To say the least God showed up in so many ways. Janine said it best, "God showed that he Sovereign;" & he did. Eleven of us came from Santa Cruz to Buffalo & every single person had a transormational experience while in Buffalo. I've been to: Africa, Thailand, China, & India yet our trip to Buffalo was the most profitable. Why? First, our friends Steve, Tami, & Mary live & have started a church there. Although we are doing things a bit different in Santa Cruz our goal is the same: Total Devotion to the person & purposes of Jesus. So, we went to Buffalo & "did the stuff," but with our sisters, brothers, cousins, aunts, & uncles. I feel bad for Christians who aren't a part of family. As is true for our time in Santa Cruz, we experienced real friendships, community. When our two groups got together it felt like it was one group. Secondly, everyone had questions answered in powerful ways. We all have questions we're asking God. On this trip God spoke to all of us. We'll see what happens.

We brought two girls who hadn't said yes to Jesus & his offer of life. Both of those girls committed their lives to Christ on this trip, which was incredible. Steve had mentioned, "It's cool to see Danielle & Marianna loving people in the name of Jesus before they have given their lives to Him." Marianna actually gave away her Bible to another woman who had questions before she had given her life to Jesus! Actually, Marianna gave her life to Christ on a car ride to hang out with Angela (a woman we met at at BBQ) who had questions about Jesus! As I dropped Marianna off she was in tears because she had just been born again & she said, "What do I do now? I don't want to overwhelm Angela." Wow. She was so convinced of Christ's love before she said yes to him that she was reaching out to others who were curious about him! Seriously, this is just one story amongst many.

Needless to say this was a big push on the flywheel of two outstanding communities, on two different sides of the United States, doing one thing throughout the earth. Loving God, Loving People, Making Disciples.

Buffalo was more than amazing. Here's the first post.

Poison

Laben loves Jesus. Laben loves Jesus so much that he wants to go to Buffalo & tell people about Him.














Laben love Jesus so much that he did a work day to raise money for Buffalo & cut a path for his landlord: Through Poison Oak.


























Laben said he didn't get Poison Oak. Laben is a liar. This is what happens to liars named Laben who love Jesus when they work for their landlord cutting a path through Poison Oak.


















It's dangerous for liars to love Jesus.

One of my Grad teachers said, "Steal the best with pride," & I haven't hesitated to do so in many areas of my life. Here's a great example:

"Whenever we exist for ourselves, we are piling up horse manure into a pile (hold your nose!), but whenever we exist for others, we are spreading manure over the field causing things to grow; the difference between excrement and fertilizer is whether you pile it, or spread it..."

Well said; don't be excrement, be fertilizer.

Church is an interesting thing. Our church is an interesting thing. Your church is interesting. I often wrestle with the ideal & with the real. My ideal is what it all looks like when I write it on paper or picture it in my head; however, as many of you have figured out by now, ideal is not real. Not to say that we shouldn't have ideals. Having goals or pictures in your head of how you see God's plan for your community played out help you to work toward that goal; however, as many of you have figured out by now, ideal is not real. Real is real. How do I work with my real? The regional pastor for the Vineyard in our area said this, "Maturity is: The ability to deal with reality." I thought, & still think, this is great. How am I able to deal with the reality of what's really going on in order to guide myself, & others, toward the bigger goals God has for us? Here is where tension comes in. What's that next gracious step toward God's goal for me, & for us? Wrestle on.

Sucka' say what!??!?!

antiochsc.com

One step closer to a spiritual revolution.

We had a carwash today to help raise money for Buffalo. There were 12 people who gave up 4hrs to help us out today & 5 of those 12 who are discovering who Jesus is. As I was holding up one of our signs that read, "Clean Car?" I looked back & laughed as I saw the group of people devoted to raising money for a missions trip. It is the Father's heart that people would be able to belong as they are in the process of believing. Too, I am blessed to see the genuine friendships that are developing amongst people who otherwise have little to nothing in common. We aren't a clique; we are friends.

First, for both of you who follow this blog, I'm sorry I'm such a slacker!!

I guess when there's a lot going on blogging isn't a priority. However, I do read everyone's blogs to keep up to date. That said, my life is full; full of the right things for sure.

Our church is doing great. We are seeing new people plugging in & other people wrestling with discipleship unto Jesus. Janine mentioned the other day, "It's cool to see these gals wrestle with following Jesus." For us the wrestling match is a wonderful, painful, enjoyable process. The Kingdom of God isn't about you & that's a hard truth for a consumeristic American to swallow; yet at the same time, by becoming a "slave of Christ" (a favorite title amongst NT writers)that is where true self-fulfillment happens. If only our silly commercials brainwashed the masses in that direction! I'm amazed at the ability of pride & selfishness to morph & manifest into the most beautiful displays of piety & sin. Amazing. So we wrestle on; God being the goal & source of our total affection is a hill we're dead on.

We're going to Buffalo in 2 weeks, which will be amazing. We're bringing 5 new people, 2 of whom are just starting relationships with Jesus. Fun times.

I started coaching a church planter from Texas who will be planting a church in San Diego in the fall. My two questions I keep asking him: Are you spending unrushed, quality, alone time with God each day? Who have you shared the gospel with this week? Legalism for sure; I know. I keep trying to figure out how to find the American Idol of "Freedom" in the NT, but I'm having trouble finding it.

One of the things God is teaching me is: Pace. This includes getting my tank filled up by God; Rest; & organization. The last one is the hardest, but that's why someone smarter than me created the dayplanner. My personality (sin, etc) keep me fairly unorganized & help me become busy. Busy meaning internally frantic. This is a growth process for me, but it's great. Too, it's time to start running again. Carb loading on various treats isn't doing much for my spiritual or physical health!

Blessings,