Message is Up!

Hey everyone,

I know that I didn't answer every lingering question from the text this weekend. This would be a great space for us to dig in a bit more. Several people have asked me some really good questions about how we might practice "tithing" or "generous giving."

To hear the message click here: http://saturdaynightchurch.podomatic.com/ 
or from iTunes click here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/discovery-church-saturday/id362864918

I don't know what to say...so Ill say pieces of everything

***DISCLAIMER***Wow! My first week back and it was meant to be short. I promised I would have it up before Tuesday lunch. I am running behind and just did a quick read and realized that I am all over the place. Please be advised that you are about to enter into a blog of chaos.

Where have I been the last couple weeks? I feel like I have dropped off the face of the world. Getting back into the school year, YL, a sermon, work has been crazy, and I have even spent some time at another temple...partaking in their rituals and traditions ( http://ow.ly/i/3XqQ ). For those of you who don’t know me, I don’t do drugs…especially at the sanctioned drug outlets lining our streets. However, over the last month I have entered into these brothels of scum and partook in their rituals. This is a confession, I let myself down and I apologize if I let you down. I felt set apart for so long, holy if you will, but I succumbed to the temptation.

As a purification method I felt I needed to get back into blogging. I figured that since I have been worshiping at multiple temples; yesterday it was on a golf course and shortly thereafter it was in front of the TV watching Monday night football, that I could talk about how quickly we jump into other forms of worship. Plus, the Holy Spirit convicted me. {either it was the HS or Curtis texting me Saturday Night asking if I was going to blog, then asking me again Sunday (in person), texting me again Sunday night, writing an email to me Monday, texting me again Monday night, which was later followed by a drop by (during my worship time of MNF), and then at 4:55 this morning I get another text, followed by 3 different emails... God works in weird ways and sends persistent servants to knock at your door}.

Curtis started off his message Saturday night stating that we (humans) are worshiping creatures. He didn't really expand on this statement, and more or less said it in passing as a presupposition. However, I feel that this presupposition is something that really needs to be constructed because it is the crux to understanding proper worship.

When Curtis said something along the lines of "we are beings who were created to worship." What he is basically saying, is that humanity is going to worship, it is kind of like breathing. Whether we want to or not, we are all going to do it. We attribute worth, give attention, spend time, place things or people on pedestals. All things designed for God. We find Moses in Deuteronomy telling us that there is a particular way in which Israel was supposed to worship. A correct way if you will. Moses does not want Israel to get side tracked with worshiping the land, the other gods of the existing people, wealth, power, and so forth. Moses commands that above all else and regardless of current events...worship and praise is for God. He gives them commands to bind tefflin or phylacteries around their arms and heads. He tells Israel to write on their door posts, to tell their children. Moses wants the constant reminder and focus to be on God and point their worship in a particular direction.

We are a “now” people. We want everything to be right now. Patience…doesn’t exist in California. When it comes to God our lack of patience carries over. It is hard to worship when we are not presented with constant entertainment or reminders. As Curtis used as an example, we often ask for signs or proof that we should worship God. And God responds “I have! Spend some time in the Bible. Look at where I have been faithful, read my story about me and my people, read about my extraordinary Son.” When I heard this on Saturday night I cringed, not because I disagreed, but because it was a convicting statement. I often take God and what he has done for granted. I don’t read the Bible as often as I should because it is not as entertaining as a sports game or movie. I feel that I often get bored with God, but I believe that I get bored with God because he works slower that then the button on my remote. I think I get bored because I don’t really worship God the way he deserves. Basically, I do not have the proper mindset when it comes to God let alone worshiping him.

I am currently reading The Year of Living Biblically, and in it A.J. Jacobs follows the Bible as literally as possible. Therefore, he follows every law that he can possibly follow. The goal, besides coming up with a book, is to learn how to raise moral and successful children. Anyways, there is a point where he starts to realize how much goes good in a day. He starts to thank God for everything that goes right, he starts to acknowledge God in the little things, he prays to God, and is constantly looking for God in everything (I am sure to try to wrap into his but) but his perception has changed. I have not finished the book, but I want to point out that God is constantly on his mind. Due to the change in the way Jacobs sees the world, he is not the same person he was prior to writing the book. I say this because God is usually an afterthought for me, He doesn’t pre-emanate my entire life. My worship is not constantly directed towards God, let alone my thoughts.

At the beginning of the blog, I said I wanted to look at the ways in which we worship other things. (I feel that I am taking the long route and have got off topic a little). When I look at my life I am missing the constant worship of God. I don’t thank him for letting me live another day, to take two warm showers a day, enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner, drive safely to and from work, have a car to drive, miss a day of work for golf (it was a tournament for our fallen soldiers so don’t criticize), be thankful that no one close to me has died, have a wife willing to give everything for our family, even if it involves sleeping in a toddler bed to appease my 2 year old. These are things to be thankful for, but did I mention that we live in near perfect weather in California, mid 70s for the day and the cool breeze at night. When we look around, God’s beauty is in everything and everywhere. His provision is everywhere. Then to top it off he sent his only Son for us. Yet despite all this, I still want signs or constant proof before I give my worship to God. I am like a junky needing his fix in order to go on…(just realized I got off topic again)

Let’s address one of the things that I worship, probably the biggest thing I see is sports. Sports constantly radiates in my life. I have signed pictures and balls in my office. The first thing out of habit every morning is to pick up the paper and turn to the sports page. I jump at the opportunity to go to a game. I long to jump up and down and cheer on my teams which presently are all horrible. I am not as hard core as some friends who leave at 6am to go to a 1pm football game and don’ return until 9pm. I don’t engage in all the cultic practices and rituals… but overall sports is another god taking my worship away from the one true God. Not that sports in and of itself is bad, but the constant bereavement of ESPN.com or SI.com mixed with the promise for immediate pleasure can draw me in quick. To tone done my addiction I didn’t play fantasy football this year because it takes up a lot of time…something I don’t have a lot of. It adds another dimension to this demi-god and demands more worship time. It tries to consume me totally for the next couple months. Each week I am fed and I can’t wait until the next week when I can be fed again. (interesting contrast between this and our weekly taking of the Eucharist…we are what we eat)

Currently, I am thinking about my trip this weekend to Chicago. My wife and I are taking to go on our 5 year wedding anniversary. I just happened to plan our trip around being able to see a Cubs game at Wrigley, and to catch a game at Notre Dame. In addition I will probably take a picture in front of touchdown Jesus (this is not a cleaver example I am illustrating but an actual mural check it out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_Stadium#.22Touchdown_Jesus.22 or look at the one in Ohio http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_of_Kings_(statue) – a bit more intense ) Sports coliseums are like trips to Mecca or the Holy Land. I have friends who live in California and have season tickets to a sports team in Seattle. Do you consider my actions or my friends actions a thing or worship? Do I need to address how much sports is an issue? Let’s look at this from another angle…

A couple months ago for the World Cup, a bunch of us got together to watch the US play Algeria (three of the people attending were missing work, as did millions of other people around the world, FYI -when England plays the entire country shuts down) When Landon Donovan made the winning goal in stoppage time after a come from behind 1st half we went crazy. Think of Michael Jordan hitting a three point play at the buzzer for the NBA finals. Take the 49ers come back to tie the Saints last night, only magnified! (If you want to watch http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/23/landon-donovan-goal-video_n_622538.html ) We all jumped up and down screaming not believing that we just witnessed history. Curtis didn’t move off the coach and just shrugged his shoulders. We couldn’t believe what just happened, and Curtis acted like nothing had happened. We thought he might be so stunned he couldn’t speak, but when we resuscitated him from his trance he responded with something that he had been convicted of recently. He said, "why would I act this way when I don’t get this excited when somebody is baptized and meets Jesus for the first time"……………WOW! What a kick in the balls! (soccer pun) Needless to say we didn’t invite him back for the Ghana game.

Curtis acknowledged something. We misplace worship. We worship all kinds of things. My thing is sports. I went to Curtis to a Raider game on Sunday and I think I could say that he worships the Raiders (this is a pitiful thing to worship). Some people worship Celebrities. We watch their shows, we buy their clothing brands, we go to their movies, we buy magazines with them in it, and we want to become them. So we go on their approved diets and buy the acne cream. We idolize them; we let them dictate what is cool and worship the ground they walk on. Some people worship food; certain tastes, cultural delicacies, exotic meals, or maybe just food in general. Obesity is the new leading issue in America. It kills more people than tobacco. We love food so much that we over eat until death. Constantly thinking about our next meal (I didn’t have breakfast and now I am thinking about where I can get some food.) We go to the place of worship, whether that is a restaurant or our refrigerator. Some people worship our bodies. Spending countless hours in a gym lifting weights, running on treadmills, swimming laps, all the while surrounded by mirrors. To show those who are faithful that their worship is making a difference. To remind the not so faithful that they do not have the correct priorities. All the while we pay to become sweaty, dirty, to endure pain, so that if we miss two weeks everything we worked for over the last year can disappear. If you want to contrast those who worship food (obesity) and those who worship the gym please consult the fat map of America. http://calorielab.com/news/categories/obesity-statistics/ Please note that the gym worshipers are a minority crowd.

The point I am trying to make is that we will find something to worship. As Curtis and Moses says, “Watch Out!” We need to build healthy guidelines to identify what and who we are worshiping. We need proper orientation. Harping back to Moses…we have to be obedient and be set apart. Even if being set apart means that just like Curtis you are not invited to the next get together with your friends because you are the sour grape.

Latest Message Up

Here is last week's message from Deuteronomy 12-13.

This message deals with a core practice of the Christian Church-congregational worship.

I'm sure much could be said this week in regards to Christian worship. I made some strong statements in this message... Did I go too far? Did I not go far enough?

http://saturdaynightchurch.podomatic.com/

Freak With A Capital "F"

Garrett and I are a bit quirky. And, if you know us..this isn't news to you. :)



But, one of the funniest quirks about Garrett is that he really HATES being called a Christian. He despises it enough that he wants to make up his own name for his faith.



His explanation is that everyone that believes in God (regardless of their actions or lifestyle) labels themselves as a "Christian". Anyone that isn't Buddhist, Muslim, Mormon, etc. that believes that Jesus existed just checks the little box by Christian. But being Christian is supposed to mean so much more. We are supposed to be set apart..actual FOLLOWERS, not observers.



But are we?



I'm just not sure how "Different" Christians (myself included) are from the average, every day, Mr. Nice Guy, non-believer down the street.



That's why Curtis's sermon hit home. We are not called to be common, average or normal. We are called to follow Christ with a reckless abandon. As Curtis put it, maybe we are called to be a little bit insane.



I have been wrestling with turning away from my earthy Idols for the past few months and I admit its not easy. I've been making conscious decisions to not watch shows or listen to music that would not be pleasing to Christ (Hello, True Blood!). It gets especially hard when people ask why I don't do things I did previously. They seriously think I'm a freak with a capital "F"!!! But it sparks some interesting conversations and a chance to give my 2 minute shame-less plug. (Thankfully, if anyone knows me they know that 99.9% of the time, I don't care what people think.)



But, I've got a long way to go in casting out my earthly idols.. I need to take another long, hard look at my life and continue "Taking out the trash."



This is me signing off...I helped coach my baby niece out of the womb and I'm toast.



Shameless, Insane, Jesus-lovin' Toast, That is.

Creed

In light of being called out for being introspective I am wondering why no one else is blogging? I wonder if it is because our pastor, our leader, our Sheppard is putting people down. Calling people out and failing to create an environment that is safe, open, and welcoming? Could this be the reason? I don't know...so I will continue to blog eagerly waiting for the day when someone else joins me. I will try my best to, because obviously I was not doing that before, and blog to the constraints that Curtis has placed on me. On second thought, I will blog in the way the sermon spoke to me because after reviewing Curtis' request for me to blog that is exactly what he said.

Despite being introspective, as if it is a bad thing, this week Curtis left us with a practical application step. There was not a whole lot of room to make the creeds we created introspective. However, everyone made personal creeds (statements of belief that depict truth and action in their life). I don't know if we were supposed to state them daily this week, but if we were I have failed. I just stated mine out loud while alone in my office for the first time since writing it. There is something empowering about talking to yourself when no one is around.

My creed stated that I am answering the call to Listen and Obey Gods Words. I am responding in action through love. I will let God transform me to what he designed me to be as I focus on Him alone. My creed is based out of the belief that truth creates demands on our lives; therefore I cannot make a claim/creed about truth unless it is evident in my life. I guess it would be an axiomatic truth now that I think about it. I am still working on letting my creed become axiomatic, but part of my creed includes transforming me...so I guess I will let it do its work.

That's all I got this week...the blogs are shorter when you can't get super introspective.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 - The Living Creed: SHEMA

The latest message is up! This is a familiar passage, but I hope Saturday Night offered a fresh look at it. Once again, Matt didn't offer us much but introspection last week. :) Though, I did appreciate that he signed off in order to go and spend time with Jesus.


The main idea behind this week's message is that we are called to live the words we claim to believe. 


How are you doing that this week?


How are you giving God's words central priority in your life this week?


Listen on iTunes

Listen on PodOmatic 

Obey This!

So Curtis' quick post to this week’s message is frustrating because he basically set the ground rules for this week’s discussion.

I enjoy speculation and deep reflective thinking. It allows me conceptualize, and keep things at a cognitive dissonance. Basically what I am saying is that I like to keep juxtaposition from thinking and doing. As I think about actualizing the "Obey" command (which is repeated and repeated throughout Deuteronomy) I wonder if Moses was a senile old man (rambling on about the same thing) or if we are really just big "stiff necked" aka moron people. After looking at my life I am inclined to say that Moses knew we were morons stuck in a rut and he had to drive home the point. (this is actually what the Hebrew implied for those of you who can’t read Hebrew, your version in your Bible softens this up a tab bit)

My sermon on Sunday was about "my desires" and how they don't always align with God's for me to desire him. As I said Sunday..."I always get in the way!" With my sermon for Sunday, Curtis gave me a sermon that basically says "Obey and do what you're told!" Easy? I think not. Not only do I have a strong reaction to anytime someone tells me what to do (particularly my wife), but when we talk about God, I feel that it is unattainable... I want to keep the deep conceptualizing ideas because it removes action. I am able to stay in my safe realm of libraries and class rooms. When I take my thoughts and actions to the street to actualize and "Obey" I get uncomfortable, things start to hurt, I start to lose me....there is a war going on inside of me. Only I am losing both sides. I don’t feel that this is new or earth shattering news…just hard. So hard that as I sit here writing this…I can’t help but think that I didn’t spend any time with God today. I like the easy and comfortable life of doing work, reading the newspaper, checking up on sports, etc.

The easy and comfortable life is the reason that we fail to act and obey. It goes against our grain and everything that we have been taught to Obey. Although I know that I should and it would do me good to “OBEY!” I try to find any way out…even my post currently…I am hoping that by being honest I will gain sympathy so that you empathize with me….but I am still not obeying….therefore I will stop writing and go spend some time with God

I apologize for being gone the last couple weeks…vacation and then two of the most stressful weeks of my life. I was hoping someone would pick up the torch and carry on the blogs…Curtis has been trying but he needs help….just OBEY and write!

Deuteronomy 5:22-6:3 - Responding to Heavenly Words

::Good game given to Taylor::

Saturday Night's latest message is up. It was the immediate follow-up to the 10 Commandments and in it I attempted to help put legs on the desire that Meagan expressed here on the blog a few weeks back. When will we begin to do the hard stuff of authentically following after God? That's what Meagan asked us. Moses uses the word "Obey."

This isn't the week for speculation and deep reflective thinking. The question before us is this: "Will we live into God's Kingdom way of life?"

and the follow up: "How?"

Listen here at PodOmatic

The Last 4 Sermons Are Up!

Okay, so if you've been depressed about not being up-to-date in our series on the 10 Commandments, fret no more!

We had a minor issue with the 7th Commandment which kept us from posting the others (since we wanted to keep them in order). That minor issue had to do with not being able to find it... therefore, I attempted to re-preach it. The problem with re-recording that night was that the last part of the sermon was largely shaped through the thoughtful and insightful discussion that the various table groups had and offered to the larger worshiping group. There was no way to re-create that... Therefore, you will not hear Meagan say the words "anal sex" in the context of worship. Sorry. Do not despair. I tried to say "genitals" a few more times, just to make up for it. :)

Listen on iTunes

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The 7th Word: Sex and Marriage and Spirituality

The 8th Word: Stop Stealing

The 9th Word: Can You Handle the Truth? - The Jesus Way is the way of truth-telling. We have been invited into a new way of getting on in the world. The truthfulness of God refuses to allow us to continue living in self-deceit and unconfessed sin, or with dehumanizing and dishonest speech toward our neighbors. God created us to Live the Truth. The Truth needs a Truth-Telling Covenant Community in which find its home.

The 10th Word: Your Heart Desires - What a perfect bookend to the 10 Commandments. God's strong desire is that we would desire Him with all of our desire. This final Word names some of those desires that creep into our hearts and minds, begging for us to pursue them. These misplaced desires separate us from God and they separate us from our neighbor. Before we know it we have everything our heart desires, but we've lost our soul.

How Do We Grow In Our Desire for God?

Late have I love you, O beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I love you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you.

In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would not have been at all. 

You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness.  You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in your breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace.
St. Augustine, Confessions (Painting by Botticelli)

If you want to hear the song, "Late Have I Loved You," that Taylor and Jane sang for us, check it out at iTunes

Steve left us with a question during his benediction ("good words"): "How will we pursue God this week?"

So... what is pursuing God going to look like for you?  How will you pursue God in community this week? 

LINKS(ed) to the Rest of the World

Are you wondering who these people are?


Good.  

They don't know who you are either...


True story.  

And yet, you and me and this family are all linked together... through our sharing of our Father in heaven, our love for Jesus Christ, and His Holy Spirit that joins us together in mission.

August's Mission emphasis is LINKS.  What is LINKS?  Good question...

"The LINKS program of the Church of the Nazarene" is a network of personal connections between missionaries and Christians around the world.  Missionaries are assigned to districts (we are part of the Northern California district) and then, on the district level, connected to local churches. This gives each church the opportunity to become personally acquainted with the missionary family and their field of service. The missionaries are encouraged, knowing people care and pray for them." (from nazarenemissions.org)

Will you try to spend some time this week in prayer for Dana and Sherry Howard, our LINKS missionaries? 

Dana and Sherry will actually be with us on October 17th.  This will be a powerful time to connect with people we have been praying for. 

Reality and Truth: Is There a Difference?

Quiet week on the blog... Was the Ninth Word that straight forward?  :)


I came across an interesting distinction in a book that I was reading this morning.  Marva Dawn references a French dude, Jacques Ellul (could the guy's name be any more French?), who describes a difference between reality and truth.*

She says that reality is what we see on the surface.  Truth is what is really going on in a certain situation.

Dawn, then uses this example: The reality is that our world is full of economic chaos and political craziness; the truth is that Jesus Christ is still Lord of the cosmos and everything. 

So the question for us becomes, do we organize our finances and our hopes for the future around the "reality" of what is around us?  Or do our lives, economics, and hopes for the world rest in and reflect the TRUTH that Jesus Christ is Lord of all? 

Is this distinction between reality and truth helpful
?  How do you see it played out in your life? 

How do we orient our lives around what is true?

Feel free one and all to jump into the mix... hopefully, this is the place each week where we can begin to see how God's words might take on flesh in our lives.

*Marva Dawn with Eugene Peterson in "The Unnecessary Pastor: Rediscovering the Call."

Journey Home Men

When Jane and I were getting married, we got connected with an amazing woman for premarital counseling.  One of the things that Jane and I were super impressed with was her ability to facilitate open conversation about everything and anything.  It just so happens, her husband was equally capable as a counselor.  Both of us found the frank dialogue so refreshing that after we got married we went back for post-wedding counseling.  It was incredible what that experience of truth-telling did for establishing an honest foundation for our marriage.

Our pre-marital counselor's husband (Jeff) became a mentor of mine for a season.  One of the ministries that he has been a part of is a group called Journey Home Men.  I don't know much about how it all works, but I have regularly accessed the meeting notes from the website: www.journeyhomemen.com

In light of Saturday's message, I thought this intro to the "community" was interesting.

  

A journey home is a community based men's group that has met since the early 1990s. The name implies that we are men in movement returning to the home of our Sacred Father. We confess that we have been extended healing through the sacrificial work of Christ on the cross. We need help in walking out this healing. Though many of us find ourselves living among many people, we tend to live isolated lives. Those around us don't always see what is going on under "the mask".

 

It is our belief that we forsook our sacred responsibility in the garden where we chose woman over our Father. We abandoned our post as keepers of the rythmn of life and love. This initial act was the rejection and betrayal of love and relationship first to God as well as to woman. We fell from being radiantly alive wih great potency to the shame based ways we live life today which often looks like little kids running around trying to demonstrate whose is bigger. This often manifests in we as men being arm chair quarter backs, talkers, b.s. artists, but not men of substance, not reliable, trust worthy. We also frequently see great passivity in men who shrink back and again abandon their role as life givers by slipping into pleasing and appeasing the women we share life with. We confess this as cowardice. Being monsters or whimps is an insult to our God. We repent of the delusion that our loved ones want more trinkets from us reflecting our false potency. We acknowledge that our loved ones and our world wants men who truly know, love and accepts himself and actively engages in the lives of these folks around us. We accept that the main emotion we as men feel is fear and what we fear is that we are not enough. We will face this fear squarely, understanding and coming to peace with the reality that we are not enough but Jesus' life in me empowers me to walk out life at its fullest.

 

We believe our healing will be walked out as we confess we live in fear and are often animated by shame. We have lost touch with our hearts and our true sense of self. Our journey then is to return to the heart of our Sacred Father and there recover the lost spirit of man. We learn to stop lying to ourselves and face reality. We commit to stop numbing ourselves through sex, booze, bucks or whatever other forms of compulsions or addiction we may chose. We recognize that we can not walk this out alone. We will seek "wing buddies" that will fly in formation along side us. A true brother will support when needed and kick me when needed as well. Our desire is to grow up into the image of Christ as true sons of the Most High. We believe a man fully alive reflects both the Lion of Judah as well as the Lamb of God, the warrior-poet. We believe that the ultimate man is both tough and tender and that the toughness must precede the tenderness.

 

We walk this process out together several Saturday mornings a month. This is a non judgmental format where we are invited in to know your brokenness and you will be encouraged to stop running from the long black bag we all drag behind us. Together we will seek to find that the place of vulnerability is truly our place of strength.

 

Our Saturday formats typically consist of prayer for one another, singing songs of worship, interacting over thoughts prepared for the morning, small groups, journaling, as well as times of silence. Our anchor is the Holy Scriptures. When we come together we do so with the passionate belief that Christ is present among us and desires to heal, correct and encourage us. We believe that what was true in the garden with God is still true today. That He created us to know Him and come alive with genuine life that is rich, full, and complete.

"The Invention of Lying"

In quite a bit of my study and reflection this week, this movie continued to come to mind. 

It has been interesting because several people have asked me if being a truth-telling covenant community (a.k.a. church) means we will be like the people in this movie with Ricky Gervais who say mean and hurtful things about each others' weight, appearance, and general lack of social  acceptability.

One of the distinctions I would make between the strong "truth" that is spoken in the movie and the truth that Christians are to speak is that one is truth and the other is poorly informed opinion.  We need to keep in mind anytime someone (wives...) asks us how she looks, whether we like her hair up, down, curly, straight, brown, with highlights, or shaved off, or if she is looking fat (see link) we need to consider whose standard of "truth" these questions are rooted in.  Do these questions and the answers they seek take seriously the reality that the person a fearfully and wonderfully made creation of God?

The challenge in all situations is to not mistake someone's opinions about "beauty" for what is genuinely true, good, and beautiful.  Beauty standards change by the minute... There are more important questions that offer truth that often lie beneath the surface.  Perhaps these are actually moments where we can drop beneath the superficial level and offer powerful and redemptive words to someone needing a reminder how precious he/she is to God.

Here are a couple videos that are both of Nick Vujicic that might help put this into perspective...
First Video

This one is special for our World Cup Soccer fans (Bryan and Chris)

A Little Less Talk...

Saturday’s sermon was great. It was something both Garrett and I wanted and needed to hear. Yesterday a coworker sent me this link and I read through the slideshow cracking up… As Americans, we are such a huge sense of entitlement that the theft of a sandwich would bring about some seriously anger… http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/26/the-funniest-notes-left-f_n_659338.html?ref=fb&src=sp (FYI, there is some bad language!)

I feel like most of us SNC-ers agree that we need to do some work within ourselves and to our ways of living..we all seem to have dug deep down and have identified where we are lacking. We’ve established that we really don’t have any “rights” and that WE do not really own our possessions. But we really haven’t gotten down to the nitty gritty and actually said what we are going to do to fix it. WHERE IS ALL THE ACTION?! Where do we go from here?

I’m in the business of risk management. I don’t do risk. I work to prevent and insure against anything risky (not to be confused with risqué). So how does someone like me show God that I trust him, and that everything I have is HIS?

Does it come in the form of selling our houses, and all living together communally a la Shane Claiborne? Forgoing medical insurance, taking the insurance off of our houses and possessions and creating a “Saturday Night Healthcare Fund”? Or is it as simple as leaving our doors unlocked and keeping gift cards on hand to give to a homeless person for a warm meal?

Help me come up with some real ideas that we can incorporate into our lives!

I am Meagan, and I want to be where all the action is.

Jesus, Our Slave Master

Here are some of my thoughts that I had last night on us having our own rights verses being slaves to Christ. These thoughts are in conjunction with Romans 1:1 and how Paul opens his letter to the church in Rome.

Romans 1:1 - This letter is from Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, chosen by God to be an apostle and sent out to preach his Good News.

Slave masters make their own rules. They tell their slaves when to work and when to stop. They tell them when to sleep and when to wake. They tell them when to talk and when to listen, but they don’t like listening very much. They tell them when to breathe and when to hold their breath.

Slave masters do what they want, when they want, and how they want. They are in control of everything that their slaves do. They don’t give their slaves a choice. Slaves don’t get rewarded for the good that they do or receive any kind of payment. When a slave messes up in doing their work, the slave master punishes them.

As a slave of Christ Jesus, Jesus is the slave master. He makes his own rules (10 Commandments, all of the Gospel teachings, the Bible in a generality). He tells us when to work and when to stop (Sabbath). He tells us when to sleep and when to wake (Day and night, sun and moon). He tells us when to talk and when to listen, and he never minds listening (Prayer/discernment). He tells us when to breathe and when to hold our breath (He breathed his life into us when he created us, giving us life, life so complex from relationships to DNA, and life so simple from watching a beautiful sunset to inhaling and exhaling).

Our Master does what he wants, when he wants, and how he wants (Isaiah 48:9-11 - Yet for my own sake and for the honor of my name, I will hold back my anger and not wipe you out. I have refined you, but not as silver is refined. Rather, I have refined you in the furnace of suffering. I will rescue you for my sake-yes, for my own sake! I will not let my reputation be tarnished, and I will not share my glory with idols!). He is also in control of his slaves, however, he gives us a choice (All the way back to Adam and Eve). It is up to us to follow these rules (Romans 10:9 - If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved). We are rewarded with treasurers in heaven when we follow our Master’s will (Matthew 19:16-30, Jesus Speaks to the Rich Young Man). And even when we mess up, our Master sacrifices his own life so that we may be blameless (John 3:16, Romans 8:3 (NLT) - The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.

(The Message) - God went for the jugular when he sent his own Son. He didn't deal with the problem as something remote and unimportant. In his Son, Jesus, he personally took on the human condition, entered the disordered mess of struggling humanity in order to set it right once and for all. The law code, weakened as it always was by fractured human nature, could never have done that).

So I am definitely in line with what everyone else seems to be saying, it's hard following Christ and completely submitting to him, but I think we can all agree that we have a Master worth serving!

"America's god is dying"

In light of the last several posts, this article by theologian Stanley Hauerwas is insightfully provocative. http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2010/07/20/2947368.htm

Matt and I just finished reading Hauerwas's memoir (see below).  I'm not much of a reader of biographies (okay, I've never read one), but I really enjoyed this book.




Anyway, this article provides a challenging reflection on the unholy union between all things America and Christian found in our country...

Here are a few quotes to whet your whistle:

"American Protestants do not have to believe in God because they believe in belief. That is why we have never been able to produce an interesting atheist in America. The god most Americans say they believe in is just not interesting enough to deny."

"because the churches had done so much to make America, they could not escape living with what they had made."

"I believe we may be living at a time when we are watching Protestantism, at least the kind of Protestantism we have in America, come to an end. It is dying of its own success."

"This is what I mean when I say, in a rather convoluted way, that most Americans tell themselves the that you should have no story except the story you chose when you had no story."

"That we are, in other words, people of our own making, constituted by free choice. And that free choice is the only thing we are responsible for.  But the problem with such an account of responsibility is that it makes marriage, among other things, completely unintelligible."

"America's god is dying."

Check out the article.  Share some thoughts...

How Do We Break Free?

First, before I attempt to initiate a little discussion I thought I would throw a shout out to our newest blog follower, TYLER! Hey man, welcome! We'd love to hear your thoughts each week following service, if you'd like to share them. :)

So... here's the question I have been struggling with as we have worked our way through the last several commandments.  How in the world are we supposed to break free from our dependence/reliance on the U.S. Constitution and American ideals that simply aren't rooted in the Good News of Jesus Christ?

With regard to this week's commandment, we have it so ingrained in us, that we have a certain inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (which was changed by Jefferson for the Declaration of Independence--it was originally the right to own property).  How did the church allow these ideas to subvert the gospel over the years

But more importantly, how might we re-invert the gospel to its rightful and central place in our lives?  Practically speaking... what are we to do?  Any creative ideas for breaking free?  That is, other than putting on a wicked awesome musical?!

Completely Generous?

I tried to get this up yesterday morning, but had formatting issues...

God has this funny way of messing with me lately.  I’m not quite sure if I have discerned a pattern to his funny business, but there’s no doubt that semi-regularly I am being confronted with the very text and words that I’ve given up to Him as an offering on Saturday Night. 

Maybe it is God’s way of reminding me that His words need to do their work in me if I am to authentically pass them along to anyone. 

Maybe it is the self-deceit that so quickly creeps in once I am done preaching; that says I’ve completed my work for the LORD.

Maybe it is the presence and power of God’s word preached into my own life that has left my heart soft and open to recognize opportunities to live into the new Jesus Way.

This morning I sat outside Starbucks.  I had been there 20 minutes when a homeless man walked up and asked for money.  No question, I gave it to him.  God has transformed me and my grip on the possessions of this life….

BUT, then this same homeless man started asking me questions.  I gave short and quick answers.  I wanted to be done with him.  I wanted to get back to reading and being spiritual… He walked away and the conviction of God’s Spirit was overwhelmingly palpable.  I have much to learn and much to let go of still.  Though I am becoming more free with “stuff,” I have yet to give my life and presence quite so generously.

This is my prayer (actually it’s Paul’s) for me and us: Father, may our love abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that we may be pure and blameless on for the day of Christ—filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Shot gun shells, guard dogs, and...Jesus?

Curtis started off SNC with a question regarding the best method for keeping our stuff safe from thieves. The question elicited a variety of answers (as listed in the title), but I believe Curtis crowned Pastor Rick as the winner with the answer "don't have nice things and don't have things worth stealing." Curtis' solution to his question was along these lines...you can't rob the willing. Curtis’ has been skirting around the theme regarding rights and entitlements the last couple weeks. I believe that the reason Curtis has needed to continually work through the topic of rights is because we are trained as Americans to have this engrained sense of unalienable rights (something to do with living in the top 5% of the world). Curtis has been combating the engrained teaching but sharing how we serve a different kingdom and are called to be slaves to Christ.

Personally, I have been grappling with the implications of serving the true kingdom, as a citizen in Christ. It has been really hard! It has been difficult because, as Curtis’ detailed, the Christian faith is one of downward mobility. The downward mobility that calls us to the deepest, darkest places to serve others. Being part of the top 5% in the world (I believe Curtis used 3% or 1%...I have heard different percentages) it is hard to leave our plush lifestyle and serve. “To be honest” as Curtis would say, I often feel the tug of entitlement where I think I deserve things more than others (or in general). It is assumed that if we work hard then we get what we deserve, and it is ours because we have worked for it. I look through a distorted lens that which I think that for some reason I have received the blessings I have from my doings; instead of seeing that everything is from God. I am working on a practical way to implement the reminder that everything we have is from God (still working out what I would like to do…I will probably post my plans when I decide).

In closing I wanted to throw something out there. As Curtis was working through Ephesians 4:28 I started to think of this book by Max Weber called The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. The book deals with the ethics that must be dealt with in capitalism, and how Calvinists played a role (through the idea of hard work) building up capitalism. The book does not directly deal with the second part of verse 28 which has to deal with giving and generosity, but it deals with how capitalism seeks the end goal of profit, which can be seen, and is seen by Christians as a virtue. All this said to point out that it is easy to read the first part of the verse which directs thieves to stop stealing and work hard. The second half of the verse is just as important, if not more, to give generously because it has been given by God (all of it is God’s anyway…wish I could really understand this complex statement). I am curious what it would look like if Christians did give more than 3% (statistically) for a tithe? How could we change the world?

The Christian's Declaration of Independence

Here is an interesting article, especially in light of sermon on the 6th Commandment.  It offers a bit more on the question of our "rights."

http://www.jesusradicals.com/wp-content/uploads/christian-declaration-of-independence.pdf

Umm... I can't believe I just said the words "anal sex" out loud in church. I'm surely going to heck for that one.

But then I got to wondering... maybe that kind of thinking is what is wrong with churches in general today? Most people can't broach subjects like oral sex, or pornography with our pastors or church family without feeling shamed or embarrassed. The fact is, that most teens are NOT chatting up their pastors on whether it is okay or not to try out third base with their girlfriend. They are going to their friends or the Internet for guidelines and information on what is allowed or what is "okay" to do sexually.

Unless we open the lines of communication and make sex a household/church wide topic, our kids will never feel comfortable asking us questions about it.

A very big part of the draw for kids and teens is that sex is so sensationalized, its so taboo and off limits. Its Bad, and dangerous, and your parents don't want you to know about it. When things are said, parents and adults use hushed tones and reply with "Oh, nothing dear!" when you ask them what they are talking about. That's what makes sex pretty sexy. It gives it an edge, drama, sophistication, mystery. If you take all of that away, it can become a dinner conversation in which you can be open with your kids and friends about the realities, myth and rumors about S.E.X.

You can tell them why God wants them to stay pure, that their purity is a gift for their future husband/wife. You can talk to them about the pressures that they are feeling and the fact that their bodies are probably telling them the opposite of what their conscience is. You can share experiences of people that have waited verses people who didn't and how that turned out for them. Granted, you can only lead a horse to water.. but it is a start. If all churches and families had these kinds of open communication, do you think more teens would wait until marriage?

Sex in Church

I've already had some fun and interesting conversations since Saturday Night's peek into the 7th Commandment, "You must not commit adultery."

Clearly, by Matt's post, Saturday Night inspired is inspiring some to speak more boldly about the subject.

A few of the conversations I've had since Saturday Night have really had me thinking a ton... I am wondering more and more the Church's ambiguity and confusion about marriage is compounding the sexuality issue for us?

Here's a (really) rough analogy: what if we told our kids they could only eat cookies out of a cookie jar, because that was the only way we could guarantee the cookies would be clean?  This seems a reasonable edict as a parent.  Don't eat cookies out of the garbage, off the floor, that have been sitting out, that are under your bed, in the couch cushions, or behind the toilet.  But... what if our cookie jar breaks, is lost, or is no longer usable for a variety of reasons?  According to our rules, our children now have no way to enjoy sweet, yummy cookies.  So, what to do?  Some will have the self-control not to eat cookies.  Some really aren't that interested in cookies.  But the rest, are fairly excited about the possibility of enjoying cookies in the future. 

God has told us that the appropriate container for enjoying and participating in sex is marriage.  Our problem is that the container has gone missing and what is standing in as the replacement is nothing like a cookie jar and is less appealing that cookies off the floor.  The "marriage" that our world encourages and promotes looks nothing like the safe, clean cookie jar that promises cookies that won't kill us.

Like I said...rough analogy.  Still haven't thought through it all the way...

Young people think marriage is for people who are "in love." 
HOWEVER, the wedding liturgy of the Church has never asked a bride and groom "Do you love each other." 
Why?  Because it doesn't really matter. (that much)
The question that is asked is: "Will you commit your life to growing in love for as long as you live?" 
This is a very different view of marriage than its popular versions.  I think this might be a good starting place for talking about healthy sexuality within the healthy context of marriage.

ANALytically speaking...

As I was going over my notes for this week's blog, I was reminded that "anal sex" was discussed openly in the house of God (it brought a mischievous smirk to my face). Did anyone care that there were minors in God's house for the discussion? No (although a couple heads popped up and attention, if lost, was immediately back). Did anyone run to grab gasoline and matches to prepare to have a burning at the stake? No! The only other time I can remember anal sex being talked about openly (in a church or religious setting) was by Dr/Prof. Reed at Pr. Loma. Dr/Prof Reed spoke about a little differently about the act, but attentions were focused 100% on every word. As an intro (maybe a decoy to keep your attention) to touch back on Curtis' opening questions of how is the church doing with sexuality, sex, and marriage as witnesses to the world/or in comparison to the world (for those not in attendance the consensus was that the Church is not doing very well).

Sex is one of those things that we (the church, world, humanity) are confused about (Evidence in the fact that we had our biggest service in weeks when we talk about sex). In trying to think of something to blog about I feel like there is so much to say, but so much not to say(a taboo ingrained from the church). What is sex's proper role in the church? How should conversations be handled (in the open) to show that it is honored and respected? How do we find God's "baby words" in the Ten Commandments and transfer them to relevant in our present culture? How can the Church, God's supposed vessel, set a standard/example for society, when statistics show that the church is just as (I believe more due to the lack of discussion) confused as the world about sex? I really believe that the world forms the church, and that the church is failing to form the world (in regards to sexuality).

So where do we go from here? Should we have Taylor write a song about proper oral sex so that we can remove the ingrained negative connotations that come with discussing sex in church? Since we have Song of Songs I won't go that far… yet. The two books that have been shaping my ideas/thoughts this summer have been "Desiring the Kingdom" which discusses taking our faith from our thoughts and putting them into our practices and how those practices will shape/form us (holistically) more than any school (lecture style). The second book is "Almost Christian: What the faith of our teenagers says about the church.” In the book the argument is made that teens take on the beliefs and practices of their parents. These two books combined to form "Captain Plan" (I left off "et" because I think they provide a plan for the discussion questions at the end of service). The plan involves practices and actions that mirror our thoughts and beliefs regarding God and Commands/expectations. Actions that yield a result of actually loving our neighbor, not coveting, giving self sacrificing love, viewing everyone as God’s child…and the list can goes on. These particularly speak to the new definition of not committing adultery in our culture today.

What happens when the Church starts loving their neighbors as themselves? What happens when Christians don't covet? What happens when Christians act as Christ's slaves (losing rights, individual freedom, etc)? How could Christians enter into a sexual relationship when they put away their desires and seek to serve their brothers and sisters in Christ? A revolution? A recapturing of the faith? Of course, but then my worst enemy attacks me…myself. My mind says, "ya but…” and then enter the excuse. “This is too hard” “This is unrealistic" “No one can actually live this” Then I look at Jesus, the apostles, Paul, the stories of the early church…and I still say “ya but.” I seem to put them on a pedestal, making them out to be larger than life…but I think James says it best. James 5:17 “Elijah was a human being just like us…” Jane’s testimony that Curtis shared is evidence that we can impact the world through living his commands. I keep asking myself though…do I really want it?

Wow…I just realized that I am all over the place. I guess what I am trying to say is that God has really been working with me on taking what I hear in service or read in the Bible and putting it into action. In regards to “Thou Shall Not Commit Adultery” I liked the fact that we got a chance to discuss what that means for us today. What I was trying to say through the rest of it is that I can get really discouraged and feel alone when I try to do it all alone. The good news that I remind myself of is that we are all humans, can do all things through his strength and that we are not alone (we have Christ and each other).

In closing…Megan I appreciate your openness and frankness. It says a lot when you can fully stand up in church and not feel judged to openly discuss anal and oral sex…especially when there are jr higher in the room (thank goodness my daughter wasn’t in the room…she repeats everything) You are fully received in our community.

An old lady walked into a church...

Just kidding.

Nana went to mass this morning and the priest told this joke:

A lady called the church asking to speak with the head priest. She was frantic. The secretary told her that the priest was on vacation. By the time she finally got a hold of the priest a week or so later, she told him: "I can't believe you are taking vacations! I needed you! You know, the devil never takes a vacation!."

To that, the priest replied, "Yeah, and if I didn't take a vacation, I'd be joining him!"

Hopefully you are all resting up on your Sabbath day!

Fight for your Right!

It the words of the Beastie Boys…we need to fight for our right to¬¬¬________(the song says party but in today's culture it could be anything so I’ll let you fill in the blank of what rights you want to fight for). I know it is almost a week later (from the sermon), but I am still wrestling with the thoughts about our rights as Christians. It didn’t take long to see how easy my rights/toes can be stepped on. I was literally driving home from service and Theresa and I got into a discussion about the service and all of a sudden I started to get mad…I wasn’t going to kill T or anything, but I started to see what Curtis was talking about in his message about how quick the domino affect can happen when I feel violated (rights, ego, entitlements, etc).
So what rights do I have? It seems that for some reason this has been a reoccurring conversation around me this week. I get an email called the daily bread and two of the little daily devotions were regarding our rights as we are now slaves to Christ…our new master. It is amazing how bad I want to fight the idea that I don’t have rights and that God is in control…I think I even try to negotiate the power he has in my life. If he was a worldly slave master I defiantly would have been beat this week (if God hands out good old fashion @$$ whooping). As the idea of Christ being my new master I started to wrestle with why am I so lame in turning my rights over to him? The conclusion I came to is…when the boss is away…the children will play. I find it amazing how when my boss doesn’t come into work or goes on vacation how much the tension drops at work. The schedules start to slip slightly…lunches become a little longer…people head home a little earlier…come in later the next day..And the list goes on. Christ left the earth a couple thousand years ago so you can imagine how bad/lackadaisical the church (our office) full of Christ’s slave (His employees) can become. (Especially if we are not constantly reading His business plan…aka the Bible)
My understanding is that I have adopted other practices not conducent to my work environment…therefore I am fighting when God has commanded to turn the other cheek…OUCH!

What is "Church" and "Worship"?

Some know that a few weeks ago we had a family visiting with us from San Raman.  David is a pastor in SR and he was on a two week vacation.  As my ordination mentor, he came to worship with us as a friend and someone curious about what we are doing.  He and I grabbed lunch yesterday and he shared with me a couple encouraging words about our Saturday Night experiment. 

The main thing he told me was that it was incredibly refreshing that we weren't trying to be something we weren't.  It was obvious that we are a community that cares about one another and those who want to participate with us in worship.  But, we aren't trying to wow anyone into staying or trying to make things "perfect."  He made clear that our actions say, "This is who we are, we welcome you to join with us"

I really appreciated this feedback.  This suggests that to us, worship isn't an event to attract people to in order to build up an institution.  Rather, it is part (though central and important part) of our life, lived together.  Worship is an extension of the relationships being developed through the rest of week.  So, when we invite people to worship with us, we don't expect people to be wow'd with hype, but to see the reason why are lives look the way they do.

I offer this reflection today, because I came across an interesting cartoon that you could call an indictment of "Contemporary worship."  Does this cartoon miss the mark?  (Cartoon from James K. A. Smith's blog)

To Become that Godley Parent

For those of you who have read Gary Smalley he gives 84 ways to offend our children...(to become godley parents and to not lead our children into breaking next week's commandment...a look ahead if you will)

1. Lacking interest in things that are special to me
2. Breaking promises
3. Criticizing unjustly
4. Allowing my brother or sister to put me down
5. Misunderstanding my motives
6. Speaking carelessly
7. Punishing me for something for which I already had been punished
8. Telling me that my opinion doesn't really matter
9. Giving me the feeling that they never make mistakes
10. Not being gentle when pointing out my weaknesses or blind spots
11. Lecturing me and not understanding when all I need is some support
12. Never telling me "I love you;" never showing me physical affection
13. Not spending time alone with me
14. Being insensitive, rough, and breaking promises
15. Being thoughtless
16. Never telling me "thank you"
17. Not spending time together
18. Being insensitive to my trials
19. Speaking harsh words
20. Being inconsistent
21. Being taken for granted
22. Being told how to do something that I was doing on my own
23. Nagging me
24. Bossing me
25. Feeling unnoticed and unappreciated
26. Being ignored
27. Not being considered a thinking and feeling person
28. Being too busy to care for me and listen to me
29. Dismissing my needs as unimportant, especially when their work or hobby is more important
30. Bringing up old mistakes from the past to deal with present problems
31. Teasing excessively
32. Not noticing my accomplishments
33. Making tactless comments
34. Liking me only for my physical looks or abilities, instead of what's inside me
35. Not being praised and appreciated
36. Being built up and then let down
37. Getting my hopes up to do something as a family and then not following through
38. Being corrected without being reminded that they love me
39. Being disciplined in harshness and anger
40. Not reasoning with me, and never giving me an explanation of why I'm being disciplined
41. Misusing brute force
42. Reacting to me in the opposite way I think a Christian should treat me
43. Raising their voices to each other
44. Not being interested in who I am
45. Cutting down something I am doing or someone I am with as being dumb or stupid
46. Using foul language when they are upset with me
47. Being impatient, which often comes across as rudeness
48. Saying "no" without giving a reason
49. Not praising me
50. Sensing a difference between what is said with the mouth and what is said through facial expressions
51. Making sarcastic remarks about me
52. Making fun of my hopes, dreams, and accomplishments
53. Punishing me severely for something I didn't do
54. Being distracted when I really have something to say
55. Insulting me in front of others
56. Speaking before thinking through how it will affect me
57. Pressuring me when I already feel low or offended
58. Comparing me with other kids at school and telling me how wonderful they are and that they wish I could do better
59. Forcing me to argue with them when I'm really hurt inside
60. Being treated like a child
61. Not approving of what I do or how I do it; I keep trying to get their approval but they just won't give it
62. Seeing them do the very thing they tell me not to do
63. Ignoring me when I ask for advice because they are too busy
64. Ignoring me or not introducing me to people who come to the house or we see in public
65. Showing favoritism toward my brother or sister
66. Acting as if something I want is of little importance
67. Not feeling like I am special to them; It's so important to me to have my parents let me know, even in small ways, that I'm special to them
68. Seeing my father put my mother down, especially in front of company
69. Seldom touching me or holding me
70. Hearing Mom and Dad bickering at each other to the point where one of them is really hurt
71. Not trusting me
72. Making fun of something physically different about me
73. Seeing my mom and dad trying to get revenge against each other
74. Sensing that me dad never approves of what I do or how I do it
75. Not being able to control their anger
76. Getting mad at me because I can't keep up with their schedule or abilities
77. Making me feel like they wish they never had me in the first place
78. Not having enough time for me
79. Needing my parents but they are glued to the television
80. Seeing my parents spend a lot of money on their pleasures, but when I want something, they don't seem to have enough money
81. Making me feel childish
82. Not spending the time to understand what I am trying to say
83. Yelling at me when I already know I'm wrong
84. Making me feel like I hadn't tried to improve at something when I really had.

hmmmmmmmm........?

It had never occurred to me that I had "spiritual parents" as opposed to biological ones. I kind of like it.

God used so many different people at different points in my life to teach me about his love, so I don't have one specific person to thank. However, one that stands out is my Nana.

Nana has always been faithful about teaching me about the gospel, even in times when I didn't want to hear it. So many times I told her that I didn't think God existed, that he couldn't exist and if he did that I hated him for what my life was like. I know that broke her heart, she cried. As an adult and a parent, I regret saying those things to the deepest part of my being. But I also know that it was necessary for me to be in that place, to feel those things and to have God prove me wrong again and again.

She continued to be faithful and talk about Jesus, pray for me, pray with me, send me books, pamphlets, take me to services and encourage me to donate my time to the homeless, battered and abused. Even the little things impacted me, like the fact that her answering machine says "God Bless" at the end and every time she would send me a card it would say "God Bless, xoxo" at the bottom. Those tiny little things seeped into my brain. She would always explain how God took care of her financially and how he always provided for her even when she didn't have two nickels to rub together. She showed it in the way that she forgave her brothers and sisters for mistreating her. There were times when I wanted to literally kill them for what they did to her, but she never showed anger or resentment, only sadness and forgiveness. Her actions taught me to never mistake kindness and forgiveness for weakness, because she is the strongest woman that I know.

Through her words, actions and intentions, Nana has been my spiritual parent all along. Who knew? She never forced me or pushed me, she guided me. That is what I want to be for Rowan. I also hope that I can honor her with my words and actions. I hope that I can be half as good to Rowan that she is to me. I hope that God gives me the strength and the courage to follow in her foot steps so that I can somehow bring glory to him in my very ordinary, every day life.

Whose your Daddy?

Two weeks in a row and I am behind on posting a blog. I don't feel that bad this week because I am guessing that everyone enjoyed their day off yesterday...celebrating America's Forefather's triumphal accomplishment. I briefly addressed part of what I wanted to say in response to Curtis' post regarding the spiritualization of the text. However, since Curtis' pastored the text up and made it about the spiritual side I will post to the spiritual side.

The quote that has stuck with me the last couple days came out of Jane's encounter with her mom. "God has not called you to raise Godley children, but to be Godley parents." As I started drawing out the implications of this I started to see how when we become Godley people there are ripple effects into other areas of our lives. Not only do we effect our spiritual parents but our bodily parents as well. A Godley parent (full of love and respect themselves) dawns out love and respect from their children as well. This is an area I need a lot of work I.

I think that honoring our father and mother (spiritual or biological) is rooted in right relationship and love. I have a feeling that whether we are in the church or at home that sometimes the tensions can be tight. I know I often lose sight of the other person's interest and start worrying just about my own. Not being a parent of teenagers, but watching and engaging with some (as well as my little children) I know that the children fail to give respect because they believe they know "everything," or at least I did. When I transfer this into the church I see new believers, youngsters, and children in the eyes of the church acting like they know everything...failing to realize that the older generation was once young like we are...eager, energetic, believing that the world is at their finger tips, ready to start a new revelation...viewing the older generation as a weight to be drug around. Therefore, I see this commandment as a reminder to be humble, honoring those who have helped shape our faith.

Does anyone have anyone that they want to honor/tell a story of someone who has helped shape their faith (I am looking for a fatherly figure because we have already done mothers ;) I am also thinking of the vast wealth of information and life experiences that we can draw from on Sunday mornings, could be a good way to connect Discovery, if we sought out spiritual guidance, advice, and knowledge from the elders in the church. Honoring them as we let them shape and influence our lives....I am currently thinking about dinner for 8 and realizing that I have not got a call.....I would text or email but I don't think anyone in my group has the following...

Sometimes it Takes a While...

I shared this with my table group on Saturday, but I feel it is a good example of reflecting on our past in order to give honor where it is due.

When I gave my life to Christ in 2001, I found myself super critical of my early years in the Lutheran Church.  Now that my faith was "real," I thought all of this must have been fake.  But what it took me a while to realize was that just because I have now embraced the meaning of something in my life, doesn't mean it didn't have meaning before I decided it did.

And so, I've come to see the years of attending worship every Sunday as having an incredible impact on the growth of my faith.  When kids accept Christ at YL camp who have never been to church, they have a really difficult time seeing the importance of weekly worship for their spiritual growth.  This habit is hard to establish.  But I immediately connected into a local congregation and began to attend worship regularly.

I have also recognized the power of song to form our spiritual lives.  There are moments when a song will unexpectedly arise from my throat.  These songs are often songs from my childhood that I don't remember learning.  Sometimes I find a song recalled that came at just the right moment for where I was at. 

Other times the words of Lord's Prayer, said every night before bed with my parents and every week in worship, comes to mind.  Knowing the prayer, I then allow it to be an outline for a time of conversation with God.

And when I was learning the "foundations" of the faith in my early years as a Christian, I discovered that most of my learning was recap.  Having memorized the Apostle's Creed for Confirmation and having said it week after week in worship, I had embedded within me the core doctrines of the Christian faith.

I am thankful that my parents diligently made it a priority for us to attend weekly worship, participate in our church's youth activities, and enfold ourselves in the life of the church.  God used my parents, years before I would ever put my trust in Christ, to plant seeds of faith and to establish a firm foundation.  When my faith became "real," I was not picked off the path by birds, or destroyed by the weather, but had deep (though unseen) roots that nurtured my new personal faith.

Did I Take it Too Far?

We haven't had too much "discussion" the last few weeks.  I am hoping yesterday's message gets it going a little bit...

Did I take the command too far?  What are the implications of "spiritualizing" the 5th Commandment, Honor your father and mother? 

Or did my message really "spiritualize" anything?  The people deserving honor are still flesh and blood people in our lives...

Thoughts?

The Fourth Word: A New Day for the New Way

Last Saturday's sermon has posted.  There are two different ways to listen...

For those who are active in the realm of social networking, you might consider using this blog, or the podcast as opportunities to connect with friends and family around issues of your faith.  The 10 Commandments are familiar enough to many (at least the idea of them) that I'm sure some of these messages and discussions could create some fun conversations.

iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/discovery-church-saturday/id362864918

Web: http://saturdaynightchurch.podomatic.com/

Grace and peace,
Curtis

Sabbath delays my Blog...

Where is this week going? I ended up taking my Sabbath on Sunday (trying to put the Bible into action) which has thrown my week into a chaos, ironically. Let me explain; The last two weeks I have been writing my blog on Sunday afternoon, but since I decided to take my Sabbath on Sunday I turned off my phone and electronics that I am glued too for 95% of the week. This meant that I could not get online to type up a response to the sermon. I told myself I would do it Monday, but work was crazy and I had an emergency date night, so I pushed the write up till Tuesday. Tuesday got crazier at work, and then I was privileged enough to go to dinner with Theresa’s family which delayed the blog even further into Wednesday. Now we are halfway through our week and still no blog… so before another day goes by here is my 15 minute run down.
As I stated up above I took my Sabbath on Sunday. It was harder than expected. I decided to turn off all electronics (phone, computer, TV, etc). This threw my day into a spin because I had planned to watch a soccer game in the morning with some friends, and then possibly get a group of my young life guys together to watch a movie in the evening. Whelp, without my phone these plans went out the window. I thought about driving over to Curtis’ house, but then I realized that driving was something that I do every day….so I decided that if I was going to drive it had to be for an emergency. I resorted to breaking out my bike, but the tire had a hole in it. My last resort was walking…but it was 100 degrees so I decided I would read and pray (it’s amazing how wide open your day becomes when you strip the daily routine, work, and chores out of the mix-in addition I am no tree hugger by any means but if everyone could cut out one day of driving we could make a statement to the oil companies and help out the enviroment).
After some reading I kept asking myself…well what can I do on Sabbath. I have been so trained to go, go, go that when I have to slow down I feel like I still need to be doing something…or I am wasting time. Therefore, I wanted rules for what I could and couldn’t do (in order to maximize my day) As humans we always want parameters, and I found it ironic that Sabbath what was built into the fabric of creation for freedom, enjoyment, rest, and worship and I (like the Jews) was ready to turn my first Sabbath into a legalistic day of restraints(possibly missing the point of Sabbath?).
So I sat on the couch asking myself how can I make the Sabbath not about me. I remembered something I read a couple weeks ago. It has to do with us (God’s people) practicing for the arrival of the kingdom (basically practicing for what we are going to be doing for eternity). The idea is that when God comes back He will restore creation to the way He intended it to be, we will return to our intended purpose which involves the practice of Sabbath. When we look at Sabbath with an eschatological purpose, we are doing a couple things. One, we are agents of God’s Kingdom showing the world (through action) what the natural grain of the universe looks like. In essence, Sabbath is a form of ministry (as displayed by Chic Filet, BYU, etc) as we live our beliefs through action. Secondly, there is a reminder that there is more to come. This practice is preparing us for the day when Christ returns when we sit around rest and enjoy God. Until then we wait and hope in anticipation. Lastly, we are reminded that we were made for a purpose, a perpetual state of becoming fully human the way we were intended to be. A reminder that we have not yet arrived, that we still very much need Christ. In order to do this we displace our own wants and desires. If anything, it is another practice of denial, like fasting, lent, ect, where we learn to control our desires…showing that they will not control us.
I am getting a little off track, but my point is that instead of looking at Sabbath as something we have to do, or making rules about what we can and cannot do (nice question about sex…whoever texted Curtis) we can see it in a positive light. The example last week of “having” to go to church is all about perspective. We have been formed by the world and we need a renewing of our minds so to speak as we change our perspective and outlook on the world (well I need to at least).
I am hoping some more people share about how Sabbath kicked their butt…or what they did for Sabbath. Sorry this is so rushed and all over the place didn’t want to wait any longer.

Jane's Response to Sabbath

I decided today that for my Sabbath, I am not going to go shopping.  Believing that buying things will make me happy, I can sometimes go to Target WAY too many times in a week.  I'm learning to go much less (there is always something not on my list I realize I need when I am there!), but am also making it a Sabbath "rule" for myself to stay away from the stores.  I actually pulled into the parking lot of Target today and then told myself NO! and pulled right back out. :)

Sabbath is hard...hard to carve out time...hard to make the time I carve out intentional...but today was a good day.  I even got a nap in, as well as a little bit of time with friends.  I'd say it was a gift.
-Jane

On Your Mark, Get Set, SABBATH!

In less than 24 hours, I see how the Israelites could so easily get caught up in a legalistic observance of the Sabbath... The 4th Word offers zero in the "how" department.  If our "hows" become the only "hows" I think we've begun to drift away from Sabbath as gift.


2 Quick Observations:

1. I love that our Sat Night Community is clearly interested in more than just hearing God's words.  All of the questions about "how" to practice Sabbath mean we are a part of a community truly interested in doing God's Word!
2. Answering the "how" questions about practicing Sabbath is truly a community exercise.  We discern together what it means to keep Sabbath holy.  

This would be a good forum for those who have some Sabbath experience to share some of the ways you have allowed Sabbath to be a blessing in your life.

The Third Word: What's In a Name?

Here are a couple links to this last Saturday's Sermon:

iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/discovery-church-saturday/id362864918

Web: http://saturdaynightchurch.podomatic.com/

The Third Commandment

To be completely honest, I came to the service on Saturday not really expecting to get too much out of it. Out of the Ten Commandments, I have always looked at the third Commandment as, in a way, the least important of the Commandments. It never really seemed like a big deal to me, and maybe that is because I never really looked into it. It was just another verse that I read over and moved on to the next. It is very interesting to look at these Commandments that God has given us as exercised or practices. As we continually work on these exercises, we gain “muscle memory and these things that seemed so difficult before, seem a little bit we easier.

That was a really important thing for me to learn in my own life. I get so frustrated with myself at times because I constantly find myself doing or saying things that I KNOW I should not. Afterwards I am so disappointed in myself because I know better and I feel at this point in my life I should not struggle in certain ways anymore. But I need to take a step back and really look at each of these Commandments that God has given to me and practice, practice, practice. As long as I am working on these exercises, I will be constantly coming closer to the life that God has intended for me to live! That is very exciting!

The wakeboarding analogy was an interesting one for me. I tend to be one of those people that settle for just getting up and following behind the boat till I am done, then I just let go of the rope; or I just don’t wakeboard at all. I have no desire to experience wakeboarding to the extent it is meant to be experienced. When my family got our first boat wakeboarding wasn’t as big as it is now, so we went water skiing. It was my first time and I got up right away. After a little while I started to cross over the wake and even do tiny little jumps over it. I fell many times but this one time that I fell, one of my skies came off of my foot and hit my smack in the face and broke me nose. Since that incident I have decided that I am perfectly content living my water sport life on the safe side. In my mind, crossing the wake and trying to experience water sports at the fullest means taking the risk that I will get hurt. I am just not willing to take the risk. Taking that analogy into my real life I am realizing that without taking risks, we will never experience life at it’s fullest.

Back to the third Commandment, I guess I never saw this one as important because I never really looked at the words “in vain” and really thought about what they meant in context to the name of God. We are to speak well of God, not misuse his name, not use his name carelessly, not make his name worthless or meaningless. To me this always just meant not saying things like “oh my ___” causally. It did not seem like that big of a deal to me. But it is true that our names are meaningful to us. It always sort of hurts if someone doesn’t remember your name or calls you by the wrong name, and on the flip side it feels good when someone does remember our names! God is not an ordinary person like Bob downs the street and when we use his name carelessly it is like we are acting as if he is just another person. If people hear us using God’s name casually of course it is showing them that he is just another person to us, not the most important person in our life. We make sure to talk about the people in our life in a positive light so why would we not do that with God? I don’t think I necessarily talk about God as a burden often but, I think I just don’t talk about him as much as I should. Not talking about him at all is really just as bad as talking badly about him or treating him as a burden. I find myself only speaking of God around my Christian family and friends, but around others I just don’t say anything about my beliefs, as if I am ashamed of him for some reason. I don’t know why I would do this but this weeks service has really opened my eyes to the way life should be lived.