I Think A Change Would Do Me Good

What was the last thing that really changed you? Today we spent time with some very young kids who play, eat, live in garbage. We drove through their trash-filled neighborhood. We toured the tiny kindergarten that brings a ray of hope into their lives. The only way to explain it, is that I feel changed. Not in the dramatic, annoying way. Well, let's hope not. . . Changed in a small way- a shift in perspective. We know there is a response. Would you pray that God might direct our hearts in that response?

My goal was to write something funny everyday. Clearly I have failed. We've had PLENTY of fun! But, we've also seen SO MUCH. I hope to share some photos and stories with you face to face. I hope.
g

ps this is the last blog until we return home. some of us will be at the gathering sunday. hope to see you there.

The Price of Hope

First of all, we're all feeling a lot better! Thanks for praying or caring, or combining the two.

Our sicknesses have been minor disruptions in the trip. Today we heard about some more serious trials. Egypt is one of the "liberal" Islamic countries. You can be a Muslim, or Christian, or whatever. However, for a Muslim to BECOME a Christian there is a great price.

What do you believe? Do you believe anything enough to give up everything? That is what a Muslim convert faces. He will lose his social standing, his friends, his job, his insurance, his security, his inheritance, his very family. We heard today about a 14 year old boy whose father turned him in to the secret police for becoming a Christian. Some Muslim families will continue to live with their converted relative, but ban him or her from meals. You lose it all.

We talk big about our hope in Christ. We certainly have promises for a security, inheritance and family that far outweigh the realities of this world. But do we hope, or merely "hope so"? That has been our focus as a team. How do you go from "hope so" to the confident expectation that is the hope of the Bible? For the Muslim who chooses to be shunned and to lose it all, "hope so" isn't an option. I believe the encouragement and understanding we've received here is immeasurable. Thanks for your prayers!
g

ps We're back in Cairo. Outreach for a couple of days, and then back to the states.

So, Charlie Tells Me You're A Boo-tcher!?

I believe we heard some things today that are absolutely invaluable! I feel much more equipped and able to carry on gospel conversations with Muslims after today. That's very exciting!

We're also digging deep with one another, and getting authentic. We had a great time of devotions this morning!

And most of us are also struggling with some mild sickness. It's just some upset stomachs and sinus issues. Nothing to get too worried about. But please do pray! David spent most of the day between the bathroom and bed. That's no fun! We could use your prayers.

So, invaluable info, authenticity & depth, and sick stomachs. . . sounds like a mission trip to me! haha We're really getting into the meat of our time. Thanks for your prayers! We'll see ya soon.
g

Desert Rose

We're in the middle of the dessert. I have no idea where. It's an oasis, if you will. . . Not the kind that Warner Brothers' cartoons used to find, mind you. There's water here. The church we're working with built a first-class camp for kids. We're at this camp, experiencing their missions conference.

These are people who are passionate about reaching corners of the world where the gospel is not welcome. That is exciting to be around. Time and wi-fi are scarce, so that's all I have for now.

A few tummies are unsettled. . . Pray for that!
g

Whatchoo been eatin?

Today was our time for sightseeing. We took in the pyramids, sphynx, and the Cairo Museum. It is abosolutely incredible to see how many artifacts have been recovered from thousands of years ago. Many of them are in such good shape! My awe for the skill and brilliance of the ancient Egyptians has increased exponentially. I couldn't help but wonder that this was the culture that God chose to humble. Their things are still here, but this once mighty nation is no more. Interesting. . .

We also went to a church service this evening. We didn't understand the sermon. . . or the songs. . . but we did take part in the Lord's Supper with our brothers and sisters and it was sweet! There's an advantage to ignorance, though. Every once in a while I am struck by just how big God's plan is, (I'm sure I don't actually have a clue though). Listening to people worship God in another tongue is special. Every nation. Every tribe. Every tongue. It is a taste of eternity. Even if you're not in Cairo next Sunday, take a moment and listen. Don't do it for too long. Your worship leader will start getting self concscious! But just listen, and imagine the incalculable numbers of worshippers from every background you can imagine, making the most joyful and worshipful noise ever! I don't know what that will really sound like, but I like to think I got a taste of it, listening to Arabic praise tonight, (and imagining some English, Slovak and Spanish also)!

Random thought: we could learn a real life lesson from camels. Matt once preached a sermon about bad breath. He said you don't know you have it, but everyone else does. But I'll bet, if you're like me, you get a little nervous at the thought that you MIGHT have bad breath. When that happens, I try to direct my breath downward. I'm uncomfortable if people step close, or want to hug, or seem too interested in our conversation. My soul has bad breath pretty frequently and I try to take a few steps back from the friend in front of me. BUT CAMELS, they have awful breath, and they share it with ease. I'm not telling you to get comfortable with your sin, just to go ahead and give your friend a hug when you find yourself in the midst of it! And definitely, DEFINITELY be willing to hug your spiritually stinky amigos! How else can we bear one another's burdens and "do life together?" Just a thought. . .

safe

Quick update. We got into our hotel in Cairo around 4 am. It is now 11 am. Everyone seems groggy but happy. Pyramids today! Woohoo!
g

Saturday, June 23, 2007
Amsterdizzle f'shizzle. . .
First things first, we are safe and sound in ye ole Nederland. We'll ship out for Cairo this evening. It's been eventful already. Re-enacting an old (and beloved) scene from childhood, I lost my lunch on the flight over. . . or was that dinner. . . I guess the time change is getting to me already! It wasn't that bad, though. Don't cry for me, America. Let's look at it this way, at least I have more room for some fine Dutch cuisine, eh?

We met up with Carolyn, Carrie Anne, and Jo Anna, (who had spent a couple of days sight-seeing here in Amsterdam,) and with Brian, (fresh off his trip to India,) in the airport. It's easily a 40-plus-degree drop in temperature! It's kinda nice to feel some cool damp air, especially before we are delivered into the fiery furnace that is Cairo!

Everyone seems to be in good spirits! We'll see a museum or two, and then get on the plane again tonight. Check back for updates, prayer requests, etc. Feel free to comment and encourage the team! Thank-you for partnering with us in this! We'll see you soon!
-G

Money

Just the title sends shivers. Have enough? Spend it well? Like to pay taxes? How about car repairs? Any left for fun, for travel? Money. Pink Floyd said it well:

"Money, get away.
Get a good job with good pay, and you're okay.
Money, its a gas.
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash.
New car, caviar, four star daydream,
Think I'll buy me a football team."

I had a woman come up to me the other day after a service. She handed me an envelope with cash in it. She said it was her tithe. I asked he if she wanted to keep it and give it next week, as I do not like to handle cash. She said she was afraid she would spend it. Good thinking. Money. Its a gas.

I gave it to my assistant who gave it to accounting.

The War At Home

How often do you feel frustrated? How often do you feel alone? How often do you feel that no matter how hard you try, it just isn't good enough? My guess is that it is very frequent. Obviously, there's no way for me to know who is reading this. So I'm certainly not an expert on the details of your life. But the more I live and the more I see, the more I am confident that no one is really all that confident. Did that make sense?

Now think about this- if we were friends (and there's a good chance that we are, if you're reading this,) how often would I know that you felt frustrated, alone, or useless? Once or twice a month? Isn't that probably a liberal guess? There is hardly a day that passes that I don't feel some measure or mixture of all that. Even if I assume that I am on the extreme unstable end of the emotional spectrum (which I am not,) that means you are encountering these feelings with great frequency also. So, why the disconnect? Why would I only know once or twice a month, if that often? There is something wrong here.

I hate being redundant. I hate having to say that I'm struggling with the same lunacy that I was yesterday, last week, last summer, or five years ago. I hate that feeling of not making progress. It's a lot easier to conjure a smile and say, "Oh everything's going pretty well!" Liar. I can feel my heart jumping up into my throat, trying to scream out to the enquiring friend, "He's a liar! Give him a hug!" Haha

I have this "depth chart" in my head, so to speak. We usually stay in the boat, and don't offer each other anything. Maybe we'll skim the surface and do a little God talk. If we're jiving we'll go to another level and trade life stories. That's about the point that we feel like relational scuba experts. We really know how to "go deep!" But it's only then that we really even get to know each other. Maybe a guy offers up that he's struggling with lust or anger at his d-group. Maybe a girl tells her closest friends that she's struggled with her image, or materialism. And most of us will never even care to look any further down. The deeper you get, the darker it gets. It's just a lot easier to say, "I'm struggling with 'x'," than to really talk about what's going on.

Why are you struggling? (And I guarantee you're struggling.) You might fool everyone. You might even fool yourself, but you are in a life-long battle with the same old thing. So, here's the deal. It's time to stop hiding. Start in your d-groups. Start with people you trust. Forget your image. Let out the ugly truth. If we are to be the community that we talk about, it starts here. This IS The Gathering DNA. But let's be honest, it sure doesn't look that way right now. I understand that none of us wants to be the burdensome friend, who is always depressed and angst ridden. But if we cannot own up to the real war and angst that we have inside, we won't really be friends at all, much less brothers or sisters.

I believe we are in a critical moment. Are we a movement or a social clique? Are we THE CHURCH or a Sunday school class? Though, we have articulated our vision, we have not yet decided to go there. It starts by plumbing the dark recesses of your ugly soul and laying it out there. Be assured that your Lord already sees it and is not surprised. He may have even ordained some relationships to help shoulder the weight. Seek Him. Seek each other. Stumble on. Struggle on.

More on Sound

I thought I would post a bit more about some new thinking we are having. Here it is:

We are the sound of glory. You will have to come to Night of Worship for us to unpack that, but I want to ask you to think about the word picture. If sound by definition is a vibration making an impact on particles to create a wave, then can we see ourselves as the sound of God's glory on earth?

Something to digest and hopefully helpful as you interact with people. Am I the sound of the glory of God to the shopkeeper, the boss, the friend. Do they hear God when they hear me? More so, am I a disturbance for good in the world?

Worship well.

cogito, ergo. . .

idea. it is the most powerful thing i know. it's the box under the red drape in the ibm commercials that keeps growing and growing in the background. perhaps it is the proverbial pandora's box. the recording industry sure thought so, when the idea was napster. we probably all thought it was the best idea ever, back in college or high school. itunes comes in a distant second for the consumer. but it's still a good idea. and it's still better than radio, right? come to think of it, radio was pretty good idea too. these are just a few examples. how much have they affected your life? and this is just recorded or broadcasted sound. that's chump change.

the nba finals wrapped tonight. those 6'8" and 7-footers seem awfully powerful. yet where would lebron and tim duncan or even michael jordan be, without an idea? james naismith had the idea to throw a ball into a peach basket. william wilberforce had the idea that slavery was bad. a few people agreed. of course, there were plenty who thought that was a dangerous idea. they fought about that for quite a while.

martin luther had the idea to reform the church. he nailed his ideas on a church door in 1517. you might not be sitting in your bedroom or office reading this, had he decided to let it slide.

we're always on the lookout for innovative ideas. but, it's often old ideas that make the biggest difference in our world, whether we realize it or not. sure, a plasma screen is a good idea (a really good idea), but is it an idea of great consequence? all ideas have consequence. hitler's ideas and bin laden's ideas started wars. of course, wilberforce's and luther's ideas started wars too. they were not the first to formulate those thoughts, nor will they be last. the kernel of an idea was molded by many others. to some extent even you and i mold it now.

the idea that is articulated in word or deed has consequence. this world of powerful giants and inhumane weapons is at the mercy of the idea. it turns out that little, inconsequential men like nietzche and kierkegaard rule the world through their consistent, vehement articulation of their ideas. that is comforting and frightening all at the same time. it is survival of the fittest. the strongest idea wins. and the consequences of that idea will be felt by every person who is living, has lived, or will live.

that's what i struggle with in my silence. what idea is worth saying? what idea is worth developing, and articulating with any depth? is there anything i can even add to the debate? i think it's easy for our minds to be plagued by ideas that aren't worth a moment, much less a word. sometimes it just feels better to slow down and shut up. sometimes it is better. perhaps if we listen, the idea, or the word will find us. what do you think?

U2 and NOW

Some of you know I went to see them last year with Scott, Robby and Martin. Everyone was jealous. We had an amazing time. At one point Bono said, "Are you ready to do church?" We kind of did.

Sunday night is Night of Worship at Perimeter. We walked through it tonight. Bono will be jealous of those of you who come, even though I would get him a seat if he called me. We will do church, more then do church. We will worship well. It is amazing. Come early. Invite a friend.

Going to Jerusalem?

I spent some time on the floor today with the guys. The set for Night of Worship is wonderfully worshipful. Matt and Jeff have dreamed up a set that will help you worship well. We are getting so excited.

I want to encourage you to pray and think about coming to NOW like the Israelites used to go up to Jerusalem to worship. They came together, they came singing. Come and worship well!

Sneak Peak Night of Worship

I am getting so excited about the Night of Worship. Jeff, Laura, Eric and Drew and others have dreamed up a wonderful evening. For those of you who read this blog (and will link others to it..) I am going to give you a preview.

It is called the Sound of Glory. Our question has been, "What does it mean to not just see the glory of God, but to hear it?" Noises abound in this world, we want people to come and learn what it means to hear God above all the noise. We will do that in four movements, kind of like a symphony. Music, video, graphics and of course great singing.

This is a spiritual exercise, not a concert. You will work when you come even as you enjoy. You will walk away, we hope, replenished and "good tired." You will have worshipped well.

Now the ask: Will you pray? Pray that God shows up. Pray that people show up with a friend. This is perfect for those who are testing the faith as well as old timers.

Pray the the Holy Spirit moves at Perimeter. We need Him. We want you to come. So as we have been saying, come early, stay late. Blessings

Paris Hilton

She may be the most googled woman in history. Maybe that is how you found this site, by googling her name.

Let me say a few brief things: She has a mother and father and she looks to them when she is desparate. That is good. When she is lost and confused and in bondage she says to them she loves them. That is good They weep for her, they know there are consequences and they are not omnipotent. That is very good.

Your name may not ever have been googled but you have a Father who loves you. Look to Him when you are lost and confused and in bondage. He knows there are consequences and He is omnipotent. He will deliver you. And while you are praying, I want to encourage you to not gossip or talk coarsely of other people, even well known ones.

Have mercy on us O Lord, even as we do on others. Blessings

Don't you want somebody to love?

No one sang like Grace Slick. (Google her if you are clueless)

As I spent time with an Elder this after noon we chatted about caring for people. It is hard. How do you do it? Do they want you to do it? Do they need help? Are they being truthful with you? The questions are endless. Do you want somebody to love?

A couple of thoughts:

1) People need help. They need to be loved and feel it. Don't let them make you think they don't.

2) There is no substitute for time spent. I think people are lonelier now then ever even though we have all these communication devices.

3) I wonder if we should call someone and say, "Want to come over for dinner or hang out?"

Baby steps to caring....every one who can should love some one; someone who may not be able to love, or may not feel loved.

Last point. When you spend time, be a good listener. I find the older I get, the less the quantity of meaningful stuff I have to say. I am trying to learn to shut up and listen well. I will do that now. Blessings!

Target

I don't know how you feel about this and I would love some feedback. Maybe I am just old fashioned. I think it should be against the law to use great songs to advertise products. Example: Mr. Gates bought a Rolling Stones song as a promo for Microsoft. I am sure you can think of countless others. Last night, I had enough. I saw a Target ad that used a Beatles song, and to make matters worse, they used it as a play on words. The song was "Hello, Goodbye" and they changed it to "Hello, Good Buy."

That sickened me. Art is art and music is music, for what it was intended for, not to be sold out to a mass marketer who wants to use a well known phrase to sell merchandise. Whoever owns "Hello Goodbye" (Michael Jackson?) did it for the money. Crass commercialism if you ask me. Maybe we should start a campaign.

Having said that, I know that hymn writers have used beer hall songs to go along with their sacred lyrics. But, that is us stealing from them :) dare I say redeeming?

Having said that, I have to confess that I had to think tonight about other written words, namely the Bible. I use scripture in a way it was not intended to be used. It can sometimes be "handy stuff to know" like, "God works all things together for good" or "God is sovereign, I will pray for you." For those of us who are well versed, we can always pull a verse out for the occasion.

So tonight I am thinking about the art of the gospel and what it is intended to portray and how I can be careful to handle the word rightly and divide it well. It is living, active, sharp, does not return void and it is to be held in high esteem.

We often have a low view of the Word I think. We can mark it up, make notes in the margins and treat it like a history or text book. It is the Word of God. I remember growing up as a Catholic and the bible being sacred (maybe past the bounds of good theology) but sacred. Held in high esteem.

So, should we start a campaign to have a higher view of the Word of God, for the glory of the one who wrote it? Just thinking.

The Intern's iPod

Hey Everyone,
I do plan on posting something 'super spiritual' later in the next week, but lately I have felt the need to recommend some C.D.s and Books.The First C.D. comes through our favorite link on the iTunes homepage... The free single of the week.The Kooks come to us from England, and are a great representation of Modern British Rock. Right now you can buy their full C.D. for only 5.99 and there is 16 tracks. If you enjoy the Beatles, the White Stripes, and Jet, then I think this is a good buy for your iPod.

Buy this album on iTunes for 5.99

The second Album comes to me as of way of our resident artsy Ministry Assitant, Zoe Hammond. She heard David McMillin this weekend at a local benefit concert. He falls under the "Folk" genre on iTunes, but I don't think that genre fits him very well. If you enjoy Ray Lamontagne, Alexi Murdoch, Derek Webb, Caedmon's Call, or Joe Purdy, then you will greatly appreciate this add on to your library of well written meaningful lyrics.

Buy this Album on iTunes for $9.95

















Also please check out the section of Books that we suggest...


HOPE EVERYONE HAS A GOOD DAY!

-The Intern

No words

There are some seasons of the soul that we approach God in worship and find ourselves without words to employ. Perhaps our sin has robbed us of our voice. Perhaps it is sorrow. Perhaps it is loss.
There are other times that we find ourselves with the same problem (no words), but its because God has opened our eyes to see some facet of his beauty or bigger picture of his plan that has left us speechless.

Paul says something of this in Romans 11.33, "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!"
The verse is telling us that when you dive into the character of God, you never touch bottom. I've meditated on that verse as of late and have asked myself the question: "what does it mean to relate to God in worship?"
I came across a quote this weekend that helped me in putting words to my thoughts.
Although the quote doesn't define what we would consider "normative/ normal" worship, it does remind us that God's Spirit sometimes chooses to pull back the veil and open our eyes to the startling wonder of who God is. My prayer is that we will collectively be ravished by His beauty in a way that words fail us.

The quote is from AW Tozer (1898-1963)

Webster's Unabridged Dictionary lists 550,000 words. And it is a solemn and beautiful thought that in our worship of God there sometimes rush up from the depths of our souls feelings that all this wealth of words is not sufficient to express. To be articulate at certain times we are compelled to fall back upon "Oh!" or "O!"--a primitive exclamatory sound that is hardly a word at all and that scarcely admits of a definition.

Vocabularies are formed by many minds over long periods and are capable of expressing whatever the mind is capable of entertaining. But when the heart, on its knees, moves into the awesome Presence and hears with fear and wonder things not lawful to utter, then the mind falls flat, and words, previously its faithful servants, become weak and totally incapable of telling what the heart hears and sees. In that awful moment the worshiper can only cry "Oh!" And that simple exclamation becomes more eloquent than learned speech and, I have no doubt, is dearer to God than any oratory.
From his book, Born After Midnight, p. 84-85.

J Hi Band

Hey I just wanted to make a short comment today on the worship time. It rocked. J-Hi band is very cool. What is cooler to me is that they are a "product" of some "younger then me" people pouring their lives into them. Sherdonna, Todd, Anthony and Wes among others.

We are rarely too young to be giving it away. If you have been a Christian more then a year, and have been discipled, you have some gift to impart to others. Haven't been discipled? Call Matt or James or Lauren and they will hook you up.

One more note: I was really touched last night at the service about God's heart for people to know Him. The two services today each had their moments for me. I want to encourage you to occasionally come to more then one service. Maybe a Saturday night with a casual friend and then go to dinner. Then come back Sunday to be with The Gathering and 10:45. Reason: Sometimes you need more. I find sometimes worship is like a two day vacation. I just get there and have to leave. A second helping could be helpful.

Maybe Night of Worship will help, but, and it is just a thought, I encourage you to make the call and ask someone....they will probably say "no"...but it never hurts to ask. Blessings

To come or not to come

Saturday night service that is. I have been reflecting today on the table. I think once a month is a good "minimum." In order to get it at Perimeter you have to come Saturday night. And I like it. A great casual atmosphere. Low key.....and you can still go out for dinner afterwards! What a deal.

I was thinking that when you are dirty, messed up, stuck, that is a good time to come. When you are feeling good and everything is ok, that is a good time to come. Anytime is a good time. The OT guys did it when they had really messed up. The NT guys said lets make it a regular thing because we really are messed up.

Maybe I am a NT guy.

So there you have it. Short blog. Long table.

NOW - It's Time

Hey All,

June 17th we are hosting NOW - The Sound of Glory at Perimeter. We are hoping it will be a special night. Laura, Eric, Jeff, Ryan, Derek and others are preparing well to lead you all in an incredible experience. Doors open at 6:30. We would love for you to come. Ask someone who came last year about it if you do not know what NOW is.

Now here is a catch and the ask. It is Father's Day. As a father, I am asked every year what I want for Father's Day. A belt? A Tie? How about a new wallet? None of the above thank you. For this Father's day I am asking my daughters to join me at the Night of Worship.Last year we had a full house, we would love to see many come this time and just enjoy.

Here is the ask. If you are reading this, cut and paste the second paragraph into an email and invite 10 friends, or 20 or more. They could be people who are very interested in spiritual things or not. We think this event will appeal to all.So, there you have it. Night of Worship 2007. Come early and stay late!