gathering

ROCK FOR JUSTICE!!!!!!!!

2009-03-26T13:23:00.000-07:00

ROCK FOR JUSTICE is one of the most significant moments ever for the Gathering. We are engaging with the creative community of Atlanta, bringing top-notch artists together:
Aaron Shust
Meghan Coffee
Evan McHugh
Erica Ambrose
Ryan Van Kirk
Trey Rosenkampff
Eryn McHugh
(and yours truly)
in a world-renowned music venue, Eddie's Attic,
for a purpose that goes beyond the walls of any one church, any one denomination, any one political group- to help LOOSE THE CHAINS OF INJUSTICE AND UNTIE THE CORDS OF THE YOKE AND SET THE OPPRESSED FREE!!! (Isaiah 58:6)
We are doing this for the good of those who will be saved, looking after those that THIS WORLD HAS ORPHANED (James 1:27)
and also for the PEACE and PROSPERITY of this city to which God has called us!
(Jer 29:7)

YOU have an opportunity to be a part of this, to raise awareness here in YOUR city, to chip in a few dollars (you will spend $20 for your entertainment some other way this month, I promise) to benefit the broken, abandoned, oppressed girls UNWILLINGLY caught in the web of commercial sexual exploitation, and to have an incredibly fun time listening to great music and developing a community of like-minded people!

I struggle to find words to express to you how much I want you to come to this, whoever you are, because it is THAT important to me. The best thing I can think to say is that YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS THIS!!!

If you are struggling with whether or not to come, call me (678) 457-5128. Let's see if my enthusiasm rub doesn't rub off a little bit. I'm not even joking. I don't care if you don't know me. That's so worth it to me. Click the icon above and it will take you DIRECTLY to the page to buy a ticket. DO IT. DO IT. I can not wait to spend the evening rockin' the gates of Hell with y'all. Let's do this.

(ps if you try to use my number to stalk me, i will straight knock you out. boo ya)

wow, you gotta see this

2009-02-07T06:34:00.000-08:00

this is what happens when you are incredibly athletic, equally stupid, and have a lot of time on your hands

a picture of the Father I longed to have, and of the Father I long to be

2009-01-30T05:49:00.000-08:00

I've been told that the most powerful voice we ever hear comes from the lips of our fathers. The blessings, curses, or silence of our fathers has a way of echoing around in our souls for most of our lives. I've been a father for almost 12 years now. Nothing has grown me up more, broken me more deeply, thrilled me beyond words more than being a dad. It is a role that I cherish and rejoice in.
This video and song by Sawyer Brown paints a picture of the Dad I longed for and the Father I long to be. I hope you enjoy the image of a Father in the video as much as I do. It points me to my Heavenly Father who will love me and bless me, in spite of all of my failing.

INFO-MATIONS

2009-01-18T12:08:00.000-08:00

Here are links to facebook pages givin you some info on events coming up:

Dinner to raise funds for Julia Lowry:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/edit/?id=32983411613#/ical/event.php?eid=45546271724

Super Bowl Party:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=45186308172

It's football time! Come join us for the last game of another great season!

We will be having two contests to kick off the night!

1. BEST DRESSED FAN: To all you die-hard football fans, even if your team didn't make the cut, come dressed and ready to represent your favorite NFL team!!!

Most decked out and loyal fan wins!!

2. MOST CREATIVE APPETIZER/DESSERT: Show your creativity by bringing an appetizer/dessert that is done Superbowl style!!! Make it football themed, shaped, etc. and be sure to name your creation!
i.e. Patriots Pass and Punt Cookies.

Most creative name, taste and design wins!

Even if you opt out of the contest, we ask that everyone bring the following:

Guys: Bring something salty
Ladies: Bring something sweet

Hope to see you all there!!!

PARKING: IMPORTANT! Please take a right into the Renaissance Plaza office building prior to the right into Stewart Court, and then walk the sidewalk the short distance. Girls can use the cul-de-sac until it's full, but no crazy parking please :).

285 to Buford Hwy (near spaghetti junction)
South on Buford Hwy (away from Chik-fil-a, towards Taco Bell)
First left on Jess Norman Way
First right on Stewart Road
First right on Stewart Court
2nd house on left - 2755 Stewart Court

2 Things Matter

2009-01-13T20:01:00.000-08:00

Matt reminded us on Sunday night that the only things that we can pour our lives into now will matter in eternity: the word of God and the souls of people.

This is helping me shape how I look at the next year, as I think on where I will invest my time; and it's helping me reflect on the past year. Where did I spend my time? Will I reap an eternal return on that investment -- or was it wasted on me, accruing more cool stuff, the worries of the world, my comfort?

We'll do well to boil it down to that every day. Bible and Souls. Keep it simple...check ourselves every day, and every minute of the day, making sure we are giving our lives to what matters.

What Would You Do?

2009-01-11T19:02:00.000-08:00

What would you do if the doctors said you had only one year to live? Matt posed this question to us tonight. So, what do you think? Would you bungee jump? Travel? Eat the best food? Try to get more out of life? Make amends with enemies and/or God? James and I walked around Atlantic Station and asked this question. We had some fun, got some good answers, and made a fun video. Enjoy!

What Would You Do? from Garrett Moore on Vimeo.

Whats up with Tanzania?

2009-01-02T10:16:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder that? Maybe not....but come hear how people at perimeter, and a member of the gathering, have been shaped by helping shape the culture of Christ in Tanzania.

This Sunday Julia Lowry will be giving a presentation on what is going on there in the Fellowship Hall from 3-5pm. Please join us!

Consumerism! The Musical

2008-12-03T09:16:00.001-08:00

Just in case all those Christmas commercials are getting to you and you've got a hankerin' to buy everything you've ever wanted--give this little video a quick watch. Humorous take on what we've been discussing the last month here at the gathering. Join us this wk--Matt will close the series out with a talk on how consumerism affects how we view church. Be there!

PS. 10 points if you can name the mall shown in the vid.

2008-11-24T16:26:00.000-08:00

We're very excited about our next event, "Chocolate & Cheese!" Click the icon to get more info on this party!!

Need = Dependence

2008-11-17T19:22:00.000-08:00

I was pondering later last night on what Garrett shared with us. Lots of good stuff (this series has been good at helping me look with a critical eye at what the world is telling me is true, exposing the ideologies and lies we too often live by). One thing in particular stood out. He said that things we think we need are things we really are depending on. And that dependence is a strong thing because we are relying and leaning on it in lieu of Christ. It's making me rethink what I believe I need and even my Christmas wish list.

"the stuff you own, ends up owning you"

What are you needing right now? A New Job? New headphones? Lost Season 4 DVD? A Husband? Why do you want that thing? Some of it might be practicality, entertainment value, companionship...but the things that really drive, what we say we just HAVE to have, i bet the chances are we are looking to those things to fulfill us in ways only Christ can.

this consumerism really is consuming us--may we be consumed by Him instead!

Here's a good article to read on the history of consumerism that both Mike and Garrett referenced the last few weeks.

some things never change

2008-10-27T06:48:00.000-07:00

watch this video... one of the most startling short presentations i've seen in sometime about the state of our world.
makes the truth of heb. 13.5, "God is the same yesterday, today, and forever" all the more comforting... yet it makes the challenge of contextualization the need of the hour in many respects. i'd love to hear your experience of this video
(just copy and past this address into your web browser, couldn't get my link function to work on blogger :(

http://release.theplatform.com/content.select?pid=x7aVOMrlfkkijQwcLllwk6WjB5JE0zrF

what is leadership?

2008-10-25T07:25:00.001-07:00

What is leadership? I've been wrestling with this question most of my adult life. I've often occupied positions that have called me to exercise leadership over groups of people. I've always felt this internal pressure to be a superman of sorts, a heroic figure with cape flapping away in the breeze. A hyper-competent know it all that will show up to solve all of humanities problems.
What a 'sucky' paradigm.
Who can live up to this? I can't. I end up putting on a persona
I'm tired of trying.
So, when it comes to this idea of alternate atlanta, i think the following is a fair statement... i'd love to get your feedback.

Leadership is not getting the community to follow one great man's vision as much as this.. Leadership is getting the community to face its biggest problems.

I'm wrestling to lead in a way that my life serves as a mirror to help people understand themselves better... that my life serves as a sign post that points people to the kind of relationship with God and others that brings healing and health to our worlds... that my life will serve as a catalyst discover in community God's call to follow Him.

I need your help. I'm broken but feel called. Jesus keeps messing up my paradigms.

Counter::Cultural

2008-10-19T14:02:00.000-07:00

I read this quote this afternoon and thought it related to the vision we have of becoming an Alternate Atlanta. It's from Shane Claiborne (don't think he's related to Liz--could be) and he's answering the question How do we Influence Culture without Being Consumed by It?

Part of what I think we have to do is not just figure out how we interact with the culture, but create a new culture where we bring one another to life and call each other to the best of who God wants us to be. So it's not "How much secularism can I get away with?" but "How can I be set apart in a way that celebrates the distinctiveness of who we are as people in this world who are resident aliens?"

The Amish [are] a beautiful example. I'm sure Amish kids say things like, "Why don't we get an XBox?" And their parents reply, "Well, that might be OK for other kids, but you're a little different. We build farms; we build barns." I love that. One of the biggest questions for the Church today is not "Are we culturally relevant?" but "Are we culturally perculiar?" Not just "Can we be relevant to culture?" but "Can we be nonconformist to culture; can we be people who do things differently?"

So can we? are we? What do you think??

on being an alternate atlanta

2008-10-17T07:16:00.000-07:00

"What a wonderful open door God has placed before the church of today.
A pagan world, weary and sick, often distrusting its own modern gods.
A saving gospel strangely entrusted to us unworthy messengers.
A divine Book with unused resources of glory and power.
Ah, what a marvelous opportunity, my brethren!"

J. Gresham Machen, God Transcendent, page 154.

My heart has been continually wrestling with this calling God has given the gathering to become an alternate atlanta.
What does it mean?
How do we attempt it?

Jesus is in the process of making all things new.. of establishing His Kingdom here and now. We're not so much inventing a new society as we are allowing the reality of Jesus to tranform our inner lives and then allow ourselves to be conduits of that same transforming love into the lives of those we rub shoulders with everyday.

The opportunity is here.
God is working.
The world is hurting.
We are hungry.
May we know first hand what it means to 'taste and see that the Lord is good'
ps. 34.8

Will you join me in the journey?

wkly video update

2008-10-16T06:24:00.001-07:00

after many false starts, gonna try to consistantly blog again!

2008-10-06T05:51:00.000-07:00

great quote about following God and calling that I came accross this morning:

"Let us be very careful of thinking on the one hand, that we have no work assigned us to do, or, on the other hand, that what we have assigned to us is not the right thing for us..
If we can say in our hearts to God, in reference to any daily duty, "This is not my place; I would choose someting dearer; I am capable of someting higher"... we are guilty not only of rebellion, but of blasphemy. It is equivalent to saying, not only "My heart revolts against your commands", but "Your commands are unwise; your Almighty guidance is unskilful; your omniscient eye has mistaken the capacities of your creature; your infinite love is indifferent to the welfare of your child"
--- Elizabeth Charles

Ctrl+Alt+Delete: Relationships

2008-09-26T14:25:00.000-07:00

It's here. The final week in our series, Control Alt Delete.
And the one and only Pamela Lucas will be bringing it and sharing from her personal story on this area of dating and relationships. What if God redeemed our mess-ups? What if there is purpose in our failures? What if healing and intimacy in our relationships is still available? Come hear Pamela's thoughts as we all learn together.

Be there. Invite everyone.

this week at the gathering

2008-09-10T16:51:00.001-07:00

hey check out what's happening this week at the gathering

are you angry at God?

2008-09-03T13:45:00.000-07:00

I thought this quote was both provocative and helpful at the same time.
Many times, I'm not sure what anger looks like if it's not expressed with drama and angst, these thoughts from writer Nancy Groom are very helpful.

My anger against God doesn't feel like I thought it would.
I thought I'd feel deeprage and overwhelming desire to hurt Him.
Instead I find just a deep complaint, a nagging self pity, a free floating dissatisfaction with life and relationships, a quiet conviction that I deserve something better, a profound absence of genuine gratitude for God's gifts, a deep belief that I don't need aSavior (I've done quiet well at living this Christian life without much help from God or anyone else), and an appalling lack of love for or inner connectedness with God.
That angry arrogance shrounds my soul and I am helpless to remove it.
I cannot will it away or or learn one more thing that will dissolve it. If God does not break in, I am undone
I can only beg for grace.... and at the same time wonder whether I evern want or need it.
How profound my rage must be! Deep within is a core of hardness and self-sufficiency, an inner stronghold of resistance to grace that frustrates me as surely as it must grieve the Father.
Whatever it is, I love it's safety more than I want God right now.
-Nancy Groom

I'd love to get your feedback on this quote

this week at the gathering

2008-09-02T09:47:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys,
Here is a little video blog about 'what's happening at the gathering'

laugh and enjoy.. :)

come change the course of history with us!!

2008-08-28T12:33:00.000-07:00

Team,
Here are the specific prayer targets we are aiming at during the month of September.
We'd be honored if you would consider praying towards these ends as we seek to impact the emerging generation of Atlanta with the Gospel of Grace.

I've included the gathering vision/ mission/ values as well...
Thanks for praying with us/ for us

We are called by God to be an Alternate Atlanta
Our mission is to influence others in order to influence the world
Our values are
a. Connecting with God
We are about drawing people into profound and life-changing encounters with the reality of God and the Gospel of grace.
b. community with others
we seek to broker meaningful and healthy relationships where friendships are developed, character is forged, and spiritual gifts are deployed.
c. contagious to the lost
by relentlessly pursuing those who do not know Christ and through word, relationship, and deeds sharing with them with the good news of the Gospel of grace.
d. commitment to discipleship
we intend to deeply invest in people via intentional equipping and life sharing to make disciples of all nations.

Prayer needs: Sept. 2008 (please, labor with us!!)
1. that we would have a very fruitful start to our new ministry year!
a. We want to be fertile ground for revival (Isa. 62.6-7)
b. Clear articulation of our vision and buy in!
c. Excellence in Executing our ministry plan

2. For our Sunday night series in Sept.: Control > Alt> Delete

3. that God would greatly bless our discipling process with the kind of life change that is reflected in our values (Heb. 4.12)
a. groups would get off to a great start
b. book clubs would start well

4. For an undeniable sense of God in our worship, our conversation, our doings.
We long for the reality of Jesus to permeate and to saturate all we do.

5. For protection from the evil one.. from division, confusion, moral failures

6. For obvious life-transformation

the most important thing about you

2008-08-27T08:06:00.000-07:00

How big is your God?
Jesus asked the question: 'who do you say I am?'. How we answer that question determines everything about us.
Listen to how one man answered it... may we endeavor to know him as well..
enjoy

important info about this weekend @ the gathering

2008-08-22T07:36:00.000-07:00

my video blog for this week... i know i say its Tuesday on the video, it was, but technical difficulties kept it from getting up till today...

pride comes before a fall

2008-08-21T06:37:00.000-07:00

'pride comes before a fall, and a haughty spirit before destruction' -prov. 16.18

life sometimes provides humerous illustrations of Biblical truth.
click on the link and laugh!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2VwnBU1-iU

cranking it back up again..

2008-08-20T13:25:00.000-07:00

Well, its time to crank the gathering blog back up.
I found this video and think that its content is a great distinctive.
Keller does a good job of representing the attitude we're after in seeing the gatheirng become 'an alternate atlanta'
would welcome your feedback

we like to do things together

2008-08-08T05:54:00.000-07:00

there are lots of updates on the cal these days, please check out our link to the right to see what is happening.

More Cause and Effect

2008-07-25T13:25:00.001-07:00

Hope you enjoyed last week at the Gathering. Hearing from Barrett about his time in China; jamming out with Garrett and the band to some great worship; Roy cracking open the Word and reminding us of our need to daily look to Christ. This week is bound to be a good time as well as Roy continues the miniseries, the Cause Effect. This week the focus will be on the effect...is there hope for tomorrow in light of today? How does your view of life today effect your view of the future? We'll ask these questions and more...and of course Roy might use another kitchen appliance to bring it all full circle for us. You won't want to miss that!

Come out, this week....730ish in the Hanger.

"Be there. Invite everyone."

Who is this King of Glory?

2008-06-20T06:22:00.000-07:00

"He was the meekest and lowliest of all the sons of men, yet he spoke of coming on the clouds of heaven in the glory of God.
He was so austere that evil spirits and demons cried out in terror at his coming, yet so gentle, winsome and approachable that the little children would run up to Him and nestle in His arms.
His presence at the innocence of the village wedding was like the presence of sunshine.
No one was half so kind or compassionate to sinners, yet no one spoke such red hot scorching words about sin.
A bruised reed He would not break, His whole life was love, yet on one occasion He demanded of the Pharisees how they were expecting to escape the damnation of hell.
He was a dreamer of dreams and a seer of visions, yet for purposes of realism He has all of the self proclaimed realists soundly beaten.
He was a servant of all washing the disciples feet, yet masterfully he strode into the temple and all of the hucksters and the money changers fell over one another in their mad rush to get out of the way of the fire they saw blazing in His eyes.
He saved others, but at last and in the end himself He did not save. There is nothing in all of history that confronts us like the union of contrast presented in the gospels.
The mystery of Jesus is the mystery of divine personality."
James Stewart

eternal relief

2008-06-19T09:11:00.000-07:00

How burdened are you by your sin?
How much do you feel their weight?
How much do you hate them, wish they were gone from you?

Consider the following quote

"When sin is your burden, Christ will be your delight."
THOMAS WATSON

May our sins drive us to the foot of the cross.
There we will find pardon, relief, and hope.
It is a shade and shelter for heavy souls.

'God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us,
so that IN HIM we might become THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST'-Paul, 2 Cor. 5.21

Men's Retreat

2008-06-10T07:39:00.001-07:00

Men,

Here is a video about our up and coming men's retreat...

Forward it on to the guys in your D-Groups and people you would like to bring...

Forgiven

2008-06-09T06:38:00.000-07:00

“Don’t make the mistake of thinking that Christians are people who never sin or feel sinful.
Rather, because of their faith in Christ, God simply doesn’t attribute their sin to them.
This teaching is comforting to those who have terrified consciences.
For good reason, we often try to impress on people that their sins are forgiven and that righteousness is attributed to believers for the sake of Christ.”
Martin Luther

A theology of little things...

2008-06-08T06:35:00.000-07:00

I long to accomplish a great and noble task..
But it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble. Helene Keller

"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. --Jesus, Luke 16.10

A little thing is a little thing, but faithfulness in a little thing is a big thing

It seems to me that the greatest battles in my spiritual journey revolve around being faithful in the mundane, the blue collar, the ordinary, and the unheraled.
But, with God, there are no little things.
As Francis Schaffer wrote, 'there are no little people and no little places in God's economy of things'

May we battle today to be faithful in the little things.

ps... Don't forget the Night of worship this evening at Perimeter... 6pm...
see you there.

Jesus wasn't the only man to walk on water

2008-06-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

Not much else left to say about this one.

my favorite song/ great video

2008-06-03T06:29:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite worship song...
Great video to go with it using scenes from
Mel Gibson's masterpiece "Passion of the Christ"
Enjoy

When a picture is worth a thousand words

2008-06-02T10:32:00.000-07:00

Rembrandt got the gospel... here is his work, "the return of the prodigal son".

In my mind, this is one of the most beautiful portraits of grace i've ever seen.

I sometimes have to stare at it for a while to let the weight of it settle upon my hard heart.
"come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest" -Jesus

the gospel according to John Wayne

2008-05-30T12:41:00.001-07:00

"Life is tough... and it's a lot tougher if you're stupid"
---John Wayne

is the future looking dark?

2008-05-30T06:31:00.000-07:00

When God is about to do something great, He starts with a difficulty.
When He is about to do something truly magnificent, He starts with an impossibility.
Armin Gesswein

here's an original idea

2008-05-22T06:19:00.000-07:00

My close friend and mentor Ray Ortlund recently shared this on his blog.
It was so good, I thought I would add it here as well.
Profoundly Simple thoughts that, I believe, would up-end the status quo.

"We in the modern church confuse witness with reputation. We conceal facts discreetly, saying, 'It wouldn't be a very good testimony if this sort of thing got around.' Discretion is valuable in its place. What we sometimes forget is that the world around us is well aware of what goes on in our congregations and institutions. Truth will out. And as people begin to realize not only that our standards of behavior are no different from theirs but that we tolerate and conceal what we profess to abhor, our preaching becomes an empty parroting in their ears. It is not sin which destroys our witness, but concealed and tolerated sin. If we were to deal with sin more openly, more radically, and to be less concerned with our reputations, our witness would in fact be powerful."

John White, The Golden Cow, page 35.

Proposal. A full-page ad in The Tennessean. Section one. Right hand page. Lots of white space. Two simple words in big font at the top: "We apologize." Then, in smaller font just below that, something like this: "We, the undersigned churches of Nashville, apologize to our city. We have not been the witnesses for Christ that he commands. We are neither delighting you nor disturbing you with Christ. This is our failure alone, and we own it before him and before you. God helping us, we pledge to be humbler, clearer, more provocative and more pleasing to you in the future. If we break this pledge, you will have no reason to take us seriously ever again. But we cannot go on as we have been. The time has come for repentance and revival." Below that, the participating churches could be listed, in alphabetical order, in columns. Then everyone involved could go back to their churches and we could get down on our knees and beg the Lord Jesus Christ to change us.

What do we have to lose? Only the status quo.

Get your eyes off yourself

2008-05-21T08:24:00.000-07:00

"While I know Christ's righteousness, I shall the less care to know about my own holiness. To be holy is necessary; but to know how holy I am, is sometimes a temptation."

John Owen, Works, VI:600-601. (note, thanks to Ray Ortlund for calling my attention to this quote.. I paraphrased it to get through Owen's hard to understand English)

Any thoughts out there in Blog land?

inspiration

2008-05-20T05:26:00.000-07:00

Check out Josh Squyer's Olympic trial. Josh was in my discipleship group last year. I'm very proud of him.
Makes me think about 1 Cor. 9:22-27

Worship

2008-05-15T07:48:00.000-07:00

“Worship is:
The submission of all our nature to God.
It is the awakening of the conscience by his holiness;
the nourishment of the mind with his truth;
the purifying of imagination by his beauty;
the opening of the heart to his love;
the surrender of will to his purpose
and all this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable and therefore the chief remedy for that self-centeredness which is our original sin and the source of all actual sin”
William Temple

This is what we were created to do
This is what Jesus redeemed us to do

Lets not reduce it to singing a few songs on Sunday, but rather open our eyes to the endless possibilities of having our hearts enlarge, our affections re-wired, and our lives transformed as we engage with God himself in worship

New Things

2008-05-13T05:09:00.000-07:00

Lots of new things are happening in my world. New relationships; new performing opportunities (I got cast in The Tempest--finally getting to do some Shakespeare); new role with an indie film group in Atlanta (I'm gonna be a PA on some productions this summer!); and still more new chances to be creative in The Gathering. Oh, and also I'll have new roomies soon. It's an exciting time, being at the beginning, the "front end" as they say in biz-speak, of so many things, knowing that I'm gonna learn a lot in each of these journeys--that I'll use a lot of my gifts and develop new skills.

A verse came to mind yesterday as I pondered all this new-ity.

"Behold, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."

That's from Isaiah 43:19. Don't really have any insight there, just thought of that verse, and how it is applicable as I see God offering me new opportunities now, as well as working new things in my heart (more posts on that soon).

There have also been new things opening in this area--a new Avenue shopping center, Lifetime Fitness and an outdoor amphitheatre. Working for the local newspaper makes me privy to all of them, and I hear all of the buzz for weeks leading up to each. Well, I was able to attend the Grand Opening of the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre on Saturday night. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra performed, and the evening was full of fanfare...and it's share of kinks that hadn't yet been worked out--the toilets weren't flushing, leaving upwards of 4,000 women to 'hold it' for the night, or brave long lines and stinky rooms...my date didn't want to, and I didn't blame her (us men were fine, though). Across town, my gym's grand opening wasn't without it's share of kinks as well, a big one--it blew a transformer within the first few hours of being open on Saturday and was out of power until today. I was telling my sales manager about all of this today, and she mentioned that that's why folks usually have soft openings, an unannounced opening usually a couple of weeks before a grand opening publicized event, to make sure they've ironed out all of these kind of details, like working power and public restrooms--you know, minor details. Guess the big guys are too big for that...

Sunday's sermon was from Matt and I though he brought it! It's worth downloading if you missed it. It was on being non-fiction in a synthetic age, and he really honed in on why we so often hide behind masks instead of being real--because we are scared of being found out, and we forget how completely loved and accepted we are by God. In the course of the sermon he said a few things that really hit home with me, but one applies here. He said when we become Christians, we are made new, as new creations, but he explained it in a different way. He said we are truly new, but not completely new, meaning we are at our core, deepest level new, but we still have the flesh shrouding us that we must fight against. Our redemption is complete, but we haven't fully realized what living it out looks like. You might say we have our own kinks that we need working out; and we could use a 'soft opening' of sorts before the big show to make sure all systems are go. I think Christmodeled that, so I don't think we are to expect to be an exception.

So those are my thoughts on all the new things happening. I'll keep you posted on how they all develop as I continue to work the kinks out.

Reason For God

2008-05-09T08:01:00.000-07:00

This week Mike Lefevre will be finishing up our current series titled, "My Problem With Religion." This series as some of you may know was based off of a book titled "Reason for God," which was written by Dr. Tim Keller.

Tim Keller is a pastor of Redeemer Church in New York City. I would encrourage all of you to take some time and download these free sermons by Dr. Keller. Typically these sermons are $2.50, so here is a chance to get some free sermons by a phenomenal preacher and writer.

Also, these sermons are great for anyone you know who may have any questions about Christianity.

Exclusivity: How can there be just one true religion?

Suffering: If God is good, why is there so much evil in the world?

Absolutism: Don't we all have to find truth for ourselves?

Injustice: Hasn't Christianity been an instrument for oppression?

Hell: Isn't the God of Christianity an angry Judge?

Doubt: What should I do with my doubts? (by David Bisgrove)

Literalism: Isn't the Bible historically unreliable and regressive?

Hope you enjoy these...

whose got your back?

2008-05-08T05:55:00.000-07:00

how about this picture? i've got to start wearing my shirt like that.
chuck norris was the original Weapon of Mass Destruction.
how much confidence would you have going into virtually any situation if you knew that mr. walker texas ranger had your back???

Well, many of us live lives of fear and intrepidation because, on the core level, we really think we are all alone. we think that its all up to us and that no one has our back.
But, if you belong to God, you are not alone.
To walk by faith, you will inevitably be called to follow God into some sticky situations, but you will never be called to go there by yourself.

Where is God calling you to exhibit courage right now?
If you are walking with God at all, you can be sure there is somewhere he wants you to live in a more daring fashion: risking all to follow him.

check out these 2 verses:

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
Joshua 1.9

But you are a shield around me, O LORD;
you bestow glory on me and lift [a] up my head. Ps. 3.3

Where do you need to defy your fear right now, in order to follow the Good Shepherd's leading? You will not go into the battle alone. He's got your back

my preferred ride to work :)

2008-05-07T15:19:00.000-07:00

No, its not particularly green.. it may well offend Al Gore.. its 505 Horse Power are far from socially responsible and politically correct... BUT,
this is my preferred way to defy gravity and melt asphalt, its a Corvette Z06.
427 cu. in. of chest pounding all aluminum Chevrolet Small Block V8.
Sorry, had to indulge my macho side with this post.. possibly some girl peeps out there who would enjoy it as well.

gardening your heart

2008-05-06T04:49:00.000-07:00

"The neglected heart will soon be a heart overrun with worldly thoughts; the neglected life will soon become a moral chaos; the church that is not jealously protected by mighty intercession and sacrificial labors will before long become the abode of every evil bird and the hiding place for unsuspected corruption.
The creeping wilderness will soon take over that church that trusts in its own strength and forgets to watch and pray." AW Tozer

30 I went past the field of the sluggard,
past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment;

31 thorns had come up everywhere,
the ground was covered with weeds,
and the stone wall was in ruins.

32 I applied my heart to what I observed
and learned a lesson from what I saw:

33 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest-

34 and poverty will come on you like a bandit
and scarcity like an armed man

Prov. 24. 29-34

solid logic

2008-05-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

this quote gives pause to those, like me, who sometimes have bouts of verbal diarrea.

I consider looseness with words no less of a defect than looseness of the bowels. John Calvin

Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent,
and discerning if he holds his tongue. Proverbs 17.28

memorable words from a memorable man

2008-05-01T07:07:00.000-07:00

"Heaven is by grace. If it were by merit your dog would get in, but you would not"- Mark Twain

now that's worth thinking about

an examined life

2008-04-30T04:35:00.000-07:00

check out johnny cash's last video... song is by 9 inch nails, but the video and story are pure johnny cash: depth, artistry, pain... and a haunting voice that confronts me with some facet of truth that I had overlooked.

in the video he stands at the very sunset of his life and he reflects back over it (BTW, it's not hard to see his love for Jesus and longing for him in this video).
there's lots of wisdom in reflecting on your life and asking the question, "am i living it right?"... there is even more wisdom in doing it before its all over, while you still have time to change.
Ps. 90.12.. 'Lord teach us to number our days that we might gain a heart of wisdom'

enjoy.. savor.. consider..

holiness.. restoring dignity to the word

2008-04-29T13:02:00.000-07:00

the word holiness seems to have accumulated a good deal of baggage in modern parlance. we typically think of holiness as 'holier than thou' or in some sort of puritanical, self righteous vein.
holiness actually means something that is set apart for a very special use.
in the Biblical sense, it conveys the idea of purity and, believe it or not, beauty, particulary breathtaking moral beauty.

consider this quote by one of my mentors...

The life of holiness is the life of faith in which the believer, with a deepening knowledge of his own sin and helplessness apart from Christ, increasingly casts himself upon the Lord, and seeks the power of the Spirit and the wisdom and comfort of the Bible to battle against the world, the flesh and the devil. It is not a lonely or cheerless struggle, for Christ gives the Spirit to the members of his body to help one another…growth in holiness is always growth together”
- Edmound Clowney

how this plays out in our lives in in this manner: maturing in holiness means maturing in love, a love that knows God’s love poured out into our hearts and answers that love with obedience.

may God give you unusual grace in your pursuit of the moral beauty that he intends to restore to you..

unexpected beauty in an ugly place

2008-04-27T05:00:00.001-07:00

Another clip from one of my most loved films, the shawshank redemption'.
This scene reminds me of what God has done in my heart... he brought the alien beauty of Heaven to my ugly heart.. unexpected beauty in an ugly place.
may our ears be tuned into the beautifying and resoritive song he sings over us..

The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing." Zeph. 3.17

courage... the forgotten virtue

2008-04-22T08:35:00.000-07:00

'Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.' C. S. Lewis

'Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.' Anais Nin (1903-77)

'Anxiety is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind. If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all others thoughts are drained.' Arthur Somers Roche

i thank we can all identify with the above quotes......
God has told us in joshua, that our ability to be courageous is linked with our realization that we are not alone... that God himself is with us.
check out joshua 1.9

couple these thoughts with the last post.. 'get busy living or get busy dying..'
where is God calling you to risk something for Him?

risk or rust

The Pope

2008-04-22T08:14:00.000-07:00

Concerning the Roman Papacy, Martin Luther once said that Roman Catholic Church is like "...lice placed by the devil on God's Almighty fur coat." The famous reformer was obviously not a fan of the Catholic Church or the Papacy of Rome, but I would argue our dear Martin Luther would be a rather encouraged by the status of the contemporary Catholic Church.

Pope Benedict XVI has been traveling around America the past few days, and yesterday while speaking at a Youth Rally, the Pope had these words to say. (Hopefully this isn't too long for ya)

"The power to destroy does, however, remain. To pretend otherwise would be to fool ourselves. Yet, it never triumphs; it is defeated. This is the essence of the hope that defines us as Christians; and the Church recalls this most dramatically during the Easter Triduum and celebrates it with great joy in the season of Easter! The One who shows us the way beyond death is the One who shows us how to overcome destruction and fear: thus it is Jesus who is the true teacher of life (cf. Spe Salvi, 6). His death and resurrection mean that we can say to the Father "you have restored us to life!" (Prayer after Communion, Good Friday). And so, just a few weeks ago, during the beautiful Easter Vigil liturgy, it was not from despair or fear that we cried out to God for our world, but with hope-filled confidence: dispel the darkness of our heart! dispel the darkness of our minds!
What might that darkness be? What happens when people, especially the most vulnerable, encounter a clenched fist of repression or manipulation rather than a hand of hope? A first group of examples pertains to the heart. Here, the dreams and longings that young people pursue can so easily be shattered or destroyed. I am thinking of those affected by drug and substance abuse, homelessness and poverty, racism, violence, and degradation -- especially of girls and women. While the causes of these problems are complex, all have in common a poisoned attitude of mind which results in people being treated as mere objects ? a callousness of heart takes hold which first ignores, then ridicules, the God-given dignity of every human being. Such tragedies also point to what might have been and what could be, were there other hands -- your hands -- reaching out. I encourage you to invite others, especially the vulnerable and the innocent, to join you along the way of goodness and hope.
The second area of darkness -- that which affects the mind -- often goes unnoticed, and for this reason is particularly sinister. The manipulation of truth distorts our perception of reality, and tarnishes our imagination and aspirations. I have already mentioned the many liberties which you are fortunate enough to enjoy. The fundamental importance of freedom must be rigorously safeguarded. It is no surprise then that numerous individuals and groups vociferously claim their freedom in the public forum. Yet freedom is a delicate value. It can be misunderstood or misused so as to lead not to the happiness which we all expect it to yield, but to a dark arena of manipulation in which our understanding of self and the world becomes confused, or even distorted by those who have an ulterior agenda.
Have you noticed how often the call for freedom is made without ever referring to the truth of the human person? Some today argue that respect for freedom of the individual makes it wrong to seek truth, including the truth about what is good. In some circles to speak of truth is seen as controversial or divisive, and consequently best kept in the private sphere. And in truth's place -- or better said its absence -- an idea has spread which, in giving value to everything indiscriminately, claims to assure freedom and to liberate conscience. This we call relativism. But what purpose has a "freedom" which, in disregarding truth, pursues what is false or wrong? How many young people have been offered a hand which in the name of freedom or experience has led them to addiction, to moral or intellectual confusion, to hurt, to a loss of self-respect, even to despair and so tragically and sadly to the taking of their own life? Dear friends, truth is not an imposition. Nor is it simply a set of rules. It is a discovery of the One who never fails us; the One whom we can always trust. In seeking truth we come to live by belief because ultimately truth is a person: Jesus Christ. That is why authentic freedom is not an opting out. It is an opting in; nothing less than letting go of self and allowing oneself to be drawn into Christ's very being for others."

get busy livin' or get busy dying...

2008-04-20T07:25:00.000-07:00

Enjoy this piece of cinematic beauty. It communicates a crossroads in life that many of us need to confront our souls with.
Ps. 90.12 says that wisdom comes from considering the end of our days.
Morgan Freeman puts it in modern parlance here.

hope to see you tonite @ the gathering... talking about creation

The Temptation of Christ

2008-04-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

As I posted a few days ago, Henri Nouwen has become a good friend of mine through his books. While reading Nouwen's book , "In the Name of Jesus" and spending some time in prayer, I sorta stumbled across this this idea.

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil... And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said to him, "To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. If you be then will worship me, it will all be yours." And Jesus answered him, "it is written, You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve"

When I read the story of Christ's temptation I am unable to connect with the temptations that he was dealt. Christ's temptations seem to be on a different level then mine, I have never been exhausted from a 40 day fast, and then been offered the admiration and approval of the entire world. A typical temptation of mine is getting frustrated when I haven't had my morning coffee and I have to deal with a mile of trafﬁc on the way to work. Even in the midst of much greater temptation, I have never been offered the world in exchange for worship. But we mustn't remove the ability to connect with Christ and forfeit the human qualities of Him in this story. Satan is enticing Christ with the same offer he tempts a believer with.

In suburbia time takes a toll on our soul. While sitting in Starbucks, relaxing in front of our TVs, working in our cubicles, reading our books, and talking to our friends, our lives
take a toll on us. They tempt us to build up walls and partitions against Christ and his community. Our constant temptation is to put up walls to remove all vulnerability and to become our own god. We desire the power that comes from being God, we desire the worship, the love, the acceptance, and the knowledge. Our temptation is the same as Adam and Eve's was in the Garden. Christ
was being offered the same thing in exchange for not going through with the rejection, hatred, betrayal and pain of the Cross. He rejected the qualities and temptation of being God to being murdered as a sinner.

One thing I have learned by working in ministry is that there is temptation to put up walls of a puffed up resume, stories of successful ministry, theological knowledge, and efﬁciency. I have been tempted to become someone I am not. The reason it is so enticing is because if that version of myself gets rejected, it doesn't hurt as bad as if it was myself. If I was completely vulnerable and didn't hold my self-worth to how other's think of me I could very easily hear and become acquainted with the voice of God. I could experience what Christ experienced right before his temptation. I could be completed under the blessing of God's love and companionship. In Matthew 3, right before Christ goes into the desert he receives what every follower longs for. A visitation of God's Spirit, singing a melody of love over him, as he brings all of himself to the Jordan river. He lifts His eyes to the maker of the world that He will redeem, and His father says "This is my beloved, with whom I am well pleased." If we would let the walls down, show up to God with all of ourselves, we would be complete and we could tolerate the temptations of the Devil himself.

These walls, this false self that we all develop comes from multiple places, just like Christ's temptation. Satan gives us an ultimatum which says, "If you prove yourself to me I will accept you." In my life it has come from every angle, as I suspect it has in your life. From my parents, my bosses, my wife, and one day it will probably come from my children. It is an inherent command that we all make on others, and continue to have made on our own lives. These commands spiritually bankrupt us! There is no way that we can fulﬁll everyone's expectations and neither can we fulﬁll God's expectation. Our hearts react in two different ways; pride and fear. When we examine our fears in the presence of the gospel, our heart is thawed out of its frozen state by the realization of

God's grace in the midst of our misguided intentions and actions. When we examine our pride through the lens of complete depravity and irresistible grace, we are quickly humbled by the love we receive free of demand. The presence of Christ, the presence of the Spirit, and the presence of a loving Father is all too close for us to neglect. They are fervently pursuing our hearts, and a supernatural experience (supernatural does not imply that it is always easy, enjoying, or even practical) is only minutes of meditation away. We can lift our eyes to the maker of our pain and our pleasure, and be told, "This is my beloved, with whom I am well pleased." This knowledge is what will bring us through the temptation of building walls around us that prevent vulnerability and true self experience.

a wasted life happens gradually

2008-04-18T05:57:00.000-07:00

The safest road to hell is the gradual one-the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts. C. S. Lewis

One of my mentors said it this way: 'some men die by shrapnal, some men die by flames, most men die inch by inch playing silly little games.'

The fatal waste of a life, like the fatal waste of your money is in small meaningless expenditures.

'be very careful how you live, not as unwise, but as wise, making the most of every opportunity.. do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is' Eph. 5.15-16

Dangerous worship?

2008-04-17T07:06:00.000-07:00

i sometimes find my relentless consumerism finding its way into my church experience on sunday...
for example, i often think as follows:
'the music was... to loud/ to quiet/ to old/ to new...'
'the sermon was... to long/ to short/ not enough script..'

how often I forget that it is called a worship service
hmmmm... that brings up an interesting question: who is getting served? us or God?
many of the critiques I have point to the fact that I'm looking to be the primary one served..

we often forget that we are there, in church, not to be entertained but to be led into the presence of the HOLY God...
to sing to Him, to pray to Him, to listen to His Word in honor of Him... it is about HIM.

I'm struck by the following quote:

“Why do people in churches seem like cheerful, brainless tourists on a packaged tour of the absolute? Worship is dangerous.
Does anyone have the foggiest idea of what sort of power we so blithely invoke?
Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it?” Annie Dillard

May God give us greater grace to have our eyes opened as we prepare our hearts for worship this coming weekend and enter into His presence...
May He change us as His people to love Him more than we love anything and to Know Him more than we Know anything.
Rom. 11.33-36

The Holy Inefficiency of My Hero Henri Nouwen

2008-04-16T07:56:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone,
I encourage you to read this article when you get a chance. This is an amazing story about a man who's writings have changed my life. The article is written by Phillip Yancey the lead editor of Christianity Today.

-James
______________
Once when I was dining with a group of writers, the conversation turned to letters we get from readers. Richard Foster and Eugene Peterson mentioned an intense young man who had been seeking spiritual direction from both of them. They responded as best they could, answering questions by mail and recommending books on spirituality. Foster had just learned that the same inquirer had also contacted Henri Nouwen. "You won't believe what Nouwen did," he said. "He invited this stranger to live with him for a month so he could mentor him in person."

Most writers jealously protect their schedules and privacy. Nouwen, who died of a heart attack this past September, broke down such barriers of professionalism. His entire life, in fact, displayed a "holy inefficiency."

Trained in Holland as a psychologist and a theologian, Nouwen spent his early years achieving. He taught at Notre Dame, Yale, and Harvard, averaged more than a book a year, and traveled widely as a conference speaker. He had a résumé to die for-which was the problem, exactly. The pressing schedule and relentless competition were suffocating his own spiritual life.

Nouwen went to South America for six months, scouting a new role for himself as a missionary in the Third World. A hectic speaking schedule on his return to the United States only made things worse. Finally, Nouwen fell into the arms of the L'Arche community in France, a home for the seriously disabled. He felt so nourished by them that he agreed to become priest in residence at a similar home in Toronto called Daybreak. There, Nouwen spent his last ten years, still writing and traveling to speak here and there, but always returning to the haven of Daybreak.

I once visited Nouwen, sharing lunch with him in his small room. It had a single bed, one bookshelf, and a few pieces of Shaker-style furniture. The walls were unadorned except for a print of a Van Gogh painting and a few religious symbols. A Daybreak staff person served us a bowl of Caesar salad and a loaf of bread. No fax machine, no computer, no Daytimer calendar posted on the wall-in this room, at least, Nouwen had found serenity. The church "industry" seemed very far away.

After lunch we celebrated a special Eucharist for Adam, the young man Nouwen looked after. With solemnity, but also a twinkle in his eye, Nouwen led the liturgy in honor of Adam's twenty-sixth birthday. Unable to talk, walk, or dress himself, profoundly retarded, Adam gave no sign of comprehension. He seemed to recognize, at least, that his family had come. He drooled throughout the ceremony and grunted loudly a few times.

Later Nouwen told me it took him nearly two hours to prepare Adam each day. Bathing and shaving him, brushing his teeth, combing his hair, guiding his hand as he tried to eat breakfast-these simple, repetitive acts had become for him almost like an hour of meditation.

I must admit I had a fleeting doubt as to whether this was the best use of the busy priest's time. Could not someone else take over the manual chores? When I cautiously broached the subject with Nouwen himself, he informed me that I had completely misinterpreted him. "I am not giving up anything," he insisted. "It is I, not Adam, who gets the main benefit from our friendship."

All day Nouwen kept circling back to my question, bringing up various ways he had benefitted from his relationship with Adam. It had been difficult for him at first, he said. Physical touch, affection, and the messiness of caring for an uncoordinated person did not come easily. But he had learned to love Adam, truly to love him. In the process he had learned what it must be like for God to love us-spiritually uncoordinated, retarded, able to respond with what must seem to God like inarticulate grunts and groans. Indeed, working with Adam had taught him the humility and "emptiness" achieved by desert monks only after much discipline.

Nouwen has said that all his life two voices competed inside him. One encouraged him to succeed and achieve, while the other called him simply to rest in the comfort that he was "the beloved" of God. Only in the last decade of his life did he truly listen to that second voice.

Ultimately Nouwen concluded that "the goal of education and formation for the ministry is continually to recognize the Lord's voice, his face, and his touch in every person we meet." Reading that description in his book ¡Gracias!, I understand why he did not think it a waste of time to invite a seeking stranger to live with him for a month, or to devote two hours a day to the menial care of Adam.

I will miss Henri Nouwen. For some, his legacy consists of his many books, for others his role as a bridge between Catholics and Protestants, for others his distinguished career at Ivy League universities. For me, though, a single image captures him best: the energetic priest, hair in disarray, using his restless hands as if to fashion a homily out of thin air, celebrating an eloquent birthday Eucharist for an unresponsive child-man so damaged that many parents would have had him aborted. A better symbol of the Incarnation, I can hardly imagine.

don't judge a book by its cover

2008-04-15T10:31:00.000-07:00

This video is one of the most beautiful expressions of humanity I've seen in a while.
It reminds me of God's exhortation to the prophet Sammuel...
'For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart' (1 Sam. 16.7)

Hope you enjoy this as much as i do... I still get a little teary-eyed when I see it.

observations about life

2008-04-14T12:28:00.000-07:00

If you are occupied with your own faults, you'll have no time to focus on the faults of others............

if you are occupied with your own needs, you'll have no time to focus on the needs of others.....

just something I'm reminding myself of today.
i tend to find the faults of others far easier to focus on than their needs.
this is very antithetical to what Jesus taught and modeled.
perhaps you have similar struggles...
may we find our way to the cross for 're-wiring'

the way up is down

2008-04-14T07:53:00.000-07:00

'The cross is not primarily a burden (although it is that indeed); it is first of all an instrument of death. Jesus demands of those who follow Him that they must lay their lives on the line; they must be ready to suffer as Jesus suffered.
They must be willing to literally lose their lives.'
George Eldon Ladd

Christ is not valued at all unless he be valued above all. -Augustine

Two good quotes, in my opinion... Ladd and Augustine's sentiments both take shots at unconvincing american 'churchianity'.. where the point of God is to throw rose pedals into the path of your life and the consumeristic demand to be celebrated rules the day.

we all want life.. Jesus says the way to real life is in laying down our lives... not getting life just how we think it should be..
check out Jn. 12.24-25

would anyone even notice?

2008-04-13T19:10:00.001-07:00

"'Edith, I wonder what would happen to most churches and Christian work if we awakened tomorrow, and everything concerning the reality and work of the Holy Spirit, and everything concerning prayer, were removed from the Bible.
I don't mean just ignored, but actually cut out -- disappeared.
I wonder how much difference it would make?'
We concluded it would not make much difference in many board meetings, committee meetings, decisions and activities."

Quoted from Edith Schaeffer, The Tapestry, page 356

may we be guarded from doing the work of God without the Word of God and the
reality of God deeply embedded into all we are and what we do.

a profound song

2008-04-12T13:09:00.000-07:00

many of you are like me in this way: we have strained, complex relationships with our dads.
this is a song that bono wrote about his relationship with his own dad, bob.
i with i could have written it because it so resonates in my soul.
perhaps the words will encourage you as well.

"the creed"

2008-04-11T13:23:00.000-07:00

an interesting take on some of the things I talked about in the gathering last week.
if you weren't there, check out our new series: "my problem with religion"

the creed of modern america

by Steve Turner

We believe in Marxfreudanddarwin
We believe everything is OK
as long as you don't hurt anyone
to the best of your definition of hurt,
and to the best of your knowledge.

We believe in sex before, during, and after marriage.
We believe in the therapy of sin.
We believe that adultery is fun.

We believe that everything's getting better
despite evidence to the contrary.
The evidence must be investigated
And you can prove anything with evidence.

We believe there's something in horoscopes
UFO's and bent spoons.
Jesus was a good man just like Buddha,
Mohammed, and ourselves.
He was a good moral teacher though we think
His good morals were bad.

We believe that all religions are basically the same-
at least the one that we read was.
They all believe in love and goodness.
They only differ on matters of creation,
sin, heaven, hell, God, and salvation.

We believe that after death comes the Nothing
Because when you ask the dead what happens
they say nothing.

If death is not the end, if the dead have lied, then its
compulsory heaven for all excepting perhaps
Hitler, Stalin, and Genghis Kahn

We believe that man is essentially good.
It's only his behavior that lets him down.
This is the fault of society.
Society is the fault of conditions.
Conditions are the fault of society.

We believe that each man must find the truth that
is right for him.
Reality will adapt accordingly. The universe will readjust.
History will alter.

We believe that there is no absolute truth
excepting the truth
that there is no absolute truth.

We believe in the rejection of creeds,
And the flowering of individual thought.
If chance be the Father of all flesh,
disaster is his rainbow in the sky

and when you hear:
State of Emergency! Sniper Kills Ten! Troops on Rampage!
Whites go Looting! Bomb Blasts School!
It is but the sound of man worshipping his maker.

jesus says, 'I am the way, the truth and the life.. no one comes to the Father but through me' jn. 14.6

fantasy or reality.. which are you living in?

2008-04-10T09:56:00.001-07:00

i found this quote to be penetrating in its insight...
let me know what you think.
it seems as though we tend to turn things upside down in our thinking.
truth centers us in reality

Simone Weil, the French Jewish intellectual, said,

"Nothing is so beautiful, nothing is so continually fresh and surprising, so full of sweet and perpetual ecstasy as the good.
No deserts are so dreary, monotonous and boring as evil.
But with fantasy it is the other way round.
Fictional good is boring and flat, while fictional evil is varied, intriguing, attractive and full of charm."

Quoted in Geoffrey Barlow, Vintage Muggeridge: Religion and Society, pages 91-92.

a slow wednesday

2008-04-09T13:41:00.000-07:00

i decided that the last post was profound enough to be free of competition..
watch below if you haven't yet..
i'll blog more tomm.

no point, this is just hysterical..

2008-04-08T18:54:00.000-07:00

one man who has taken something very average and exceedingly mundane and made it memorable..
my brother actually drove to montgomery to meet this man and found him to be a very sweet, gracious and accomdating gentleman.
enjoy, or scratch your head at my sense of humor :)

how is the gospel confronting you?

2008-04-08T06:46:00.001-07:00

the gospel of grace not only consoles us, it also confronts us.

consider the following quote by anne lamont...
interesting/ challenging

"You can safely assume that you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do."
-Anne Lamott

we must be careful not to make God look a lot like us.. with all our same preferences, bias, and opinions... in my case, God is not a white, capitalistic, moderate republican with a master's degree... read through the gospels as if you didn't know Jesus, try to pick up what's important to him.. how offended he makes you.
to rightly respond to the gospel of grace, you will find yourself both wounded and healed.

a speech by one of my heros...

2008-04-07T06:23:00.000-07:00

Where are the dreamers of our day? Let these words of hope wash over you. Let them inspire you. Let them move you from disconnect and indifference to action and passion.
Let's steward our humanity well.

A man without equal

2008-04-06T14:34:00.000-07:00

the story of Jesus is one of glorius obserdity... he is a Man without equal.
He is the way, the truth, the life, and no one comes to the Father apart from Him.
Consider the following... (the author is unknown)

He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in still another village, where he worked in a carpenter’s shop till he was thirty. Then for three years he was an itinerant preacher.
He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family or owned a house. He didn’t go to college. He never visited a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where he was born. He did none of the things one usually associates with greatness.
He had no credentials but himself.
He was only thirty three when the tide of public opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. He was turned over to his enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While he was dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing, the only property he had on earth. When he was dead he was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.
Twenty centuries have come and gone, and today he is the central figure of the human race. All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not effected the life of man on the earth as much as that one solitary life.

pride wins out

2008-04-05T06:27:00.000-07:00

"I did this," says my memory. "I cannot have done this," says my pride, remaining inexorable. Eventually, my memory yields.

Friedrich Nietzsche, Aphorism 68.

hmmmmm.. what do you think about this quote? By saying this, Nietzsche is displaying a massive dose of the common grace that he dismissed as thoughtless myth. Pride fuels the false self. It will own the day unless confronted and defeated by grace. Pride melts in the shadow of the cross.

the point of our new series in the gathering, my problem with religion

2008-04-04T13:04:00.000-07:00

"The final problem is not to prove men wrong, but to win them back to Christ. Therefore, the only ultimate successful apologetic is, first, a clear, intellectual statement of what is wrong with the false doctrine, plus a clear, intellectual return to the proper scriptural emphasis, in all its vitality and in its relation to the total Christian faith, plus a demonstration in the life that this correct and vital scriptural emphasis meets the genuine needs and aspirations of men in a way that Satan's counterfeit does not."..........Francis Schaffer

we purpose to do three things:
(1) expose what is false
(2) set forth what is true
(3) though imperfect, seek to be a community that is living proof that the gospel makes beautiful human beings.

my problem with religion

2008-04-03T13:51:00.001-07:00

do you like religion? me neither. religious people tend to scare me a bit, i mean they killed Jesus, didn't they?
well, if you come to the gathering (sun. nites @ 7.15, perimeter church.. in the hanger).. you can check out our new series 'my problem with religion'..
this week we're going to discuss the question, is Jesus the only way to God..
we will do it in a talk/ q and a format.
come check it out.
bring a friend.
submit a question.
go to taco mac afterwards.
mattb

steadfast

2008-03-18T04:50:00.001-07:00

I camped out in Psalm 51 this morn. a word that is louder at the moment is the word steadfast.

We, I, seem to be up against the wall when it comes to being this in our lives. This generation, my formation, has hearts/souls carved out for things other than the Lord. Sure it's true of other generations, however I pay particular attention to the generation I am apart of - fore in it, living and breathing, is an unquenchable notion of entitlement and pleasure for things unlovely. Let me first blame ourselves, myself, and the bad within that searches these things out. It shall not be blamed solely on the media or the arts or academia, for all these things are made up of the sum of it's parts - you and me. We have led ourselves down this path, this path that circles back and back again, there is no end on this path, there is no higher ground.

In Psalm 51 there are adjectives, verbs, and nouns all rightly placed. All strongly placed. It is the reworking of these adjectives, verbs, and nouns that will lead us to the path of despair.

I pick weeds from this path daily, confusing it for the other "way", the other path. Typically I have to do a few loops before I even realize I am on it - or a brother/sister has to shout from higher ground so I can again gain bearing.

Rooted Retreat

2008-03-03T19:15:00.001-08:00

Hey fellow Gathering-ites. Hope ya'll are getting excited about the retreat coming up in May. If you've been the last couple of weeks, you've heard announcements about it--sounds like it will be just what we need. A beach weekend away to relax, meet new friends, connect with old ones, and chill in a cool place. Hilton Head,SC is a stellar if you've never been. To learn more info about the retreat and register click here.
And you wanna do that soon--only first 50 folks get an American Apparel cool Roy Keely-esche T-shirt!

Hope ya'll are enjoying the new meeting place in the Hangar at the church. The services in there have been great! Our staff and a whole bunch of volunteers have poured a lot of time into making our meeting times meaningful worship times. I know I've enjoyed it and look forward to what is to come.

Have a great week!

2nd Timothy Resources...

2008-01-29T10:53:00.000-08:00

Hey Guys,
Well as Matt said this weekend, he would really enjoy your input as he writes his talks and puts together the series. Please uses these following resources as a way to study 2nd Timothy along with Matt.

Calvin's Commentary on 2nd Timothy 1:5-11
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 2nd Timothy 1
John Piper's Sermon on 2nd Timothy 1:6-12
Audio of John Piper's Sermon
Charles Spurgeon's Morning and Evening Devotion on 2nd Timothy 1:16

I will be posting Matt's Talk and his points on thursday. Please be looking for that.

-James

Matt Talks About Our New Series

2008-01-24T16:16:00.000-08:00

This Weekend...

2008-01-24T07:49:00.001-08:00

Hey Everyone,

Since we cancelled the Gathering last week (For the horrible horrible snow blizzard) there are a few "connecting points" we still need to get out to you guys.

First, we have two outreach opportunities this weekend.

The primary opportunity we have is the Homeless Ministry. At 6p.m. this saturday we will be meeting at the Bricks parking lot (Near the Old Alabama Entrance of the Church), soon after we will head downtown and will be feeding the homeless. If you have any extra winter clothes please feel free to bring those.

For more info please call Ben Howell at:

(770)722-8261

The second Outreach opportunity is The Bricks on Friday night.

The Bricks is an outreach opportunity for the entire church, and it is an incredibly successful ministry to unchurched kids.

Every Friday hundreds of unchurched middle-schoolers arrive fro a night of rock climbing, coffee drinking, video game playing, and much more. If you have tried out this ministry it is a great time and we encourage you to go.

We hope you all have a good weekend!

GATHERING CANCELLED

2008-01-20T08:03:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone,

The Gathering will be cancelled tonight because the Sunday Worship was moved to 6:00p.m.

We will meet in the Main Auditorium at 5:50 and instead of have the Gathering afterwards we will make our way over to Taco Mac to fellowship and watch the games.

We hope to see you next week as Matt will be starting a new series titled Last Words. He will be walking through the book of Second Timothy.

-James

Here is a Promo Clip for the Series

Women's Retreat Info

2008-01-14T08:14:00.001-08:00

We promised info would be on the blog, and here it is...

"Normal or Not?"

Perimeter Church's 2008 Women's Retreat

This year's Women's Retreat will be held at the beautiful Callaway Gardens from February 29th to March 2nd. Our very own Jill Hooper will be the speaker. Also some faces familiar to the Gathering, such as Carolyn Bahr, Pamela Lucas, and Chrissy Ballard, will be speaking. Lastly, Laura Evlginton will be the

worship leader for the weekend.

Please Register soon because registration ends on January 22nd.

Registration can be found here.

This Morning's sermon....

2008-01-13T12:26:00.000-08:00

So it's January, and like usual Randy Pope is doing a series that is a bit psychoanalytical. I must say, I started visiting Perimeter during January a few years back and it kinda threw me off because it's different than your normal preaching--topical or otherwise--he diagnoses a problem in our modern thinking and way of life, and then doesn't treat the symptom, but cuts right to the core. And this one is cutting me deep, Shrek...cutting me deep!

How 'bout you? Are you too busy, filling your days with meaningless tasks, activity, even good things, like church work? If so, do you ever stop to think about why? Actually, I think that's precisely why we keep busy, so we don't have to think--just keep doing. I loved CS Lewis quote, because it is largely an American thing, to keep active and keep doing, never slowing down.

But again, Why? Seriously, what are you thinking is your reason for your busy-ness? And how are you planning on changing? Can you see any possible way to carve out that time for solitude? Post your ideas in the comment section.

I think the post below about rest will give some more insight into the 'why' of all of this. And I agree--it does start with our thinking, and our sense of self-worth. So I want to leave you with a passage to meditate on from Colossians three. As Randy said this morning, when God looks at us, He not only sees us as special, and important, but as perfect as His Son:

For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

PS. I was in the gym, and it was quite good, between amazing worship and a sweet time of communion. Plus, you gotta love the laid-back atmosphere and the brief announcements:) Many of us 'gatheringites' were in there this morning...join us next week.

Sometimes Mystery is more Important than Knowledge...

2008-01-10T19:08:00.000-08:00

Here is a reasonably profound talk given by JJ Abrams.

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/205

Hope you enjoy...
I think it can apply well to the mystery of Christ...

Rest

2008-01-09T10:14:00.000-08:00

There is a quiet murmuring that we all hear, a weighty compelling argument against all that we wish to be true. A hiss from our inner souls pronouncing us guilty of all our worst nightmares. Announcing to the world that we have been weighed on the scales of life and have been found wanting. Deny that it is there all you want, but if you sit still long enough, you will realize that all of your engrossing busyness is fueled by the anxiety of proving that you are worthwhile. Our fears make us incredibly productive or frighteningly paralyzed. Those who know rest from this inner murmur find it in one of two different ways. The first and most popular way (in our culture) to quiet the voice is by going against every bit of philosophy that has ever existed.

Teachers, counselors, and theologians will all tell you that you must remind yourself that you are not as bad as you think. We are the only culture that has ever said that. Look at the way we treat our prisoners, our child molesters, our adulterers; we tell them that they have too low of a self-perception. Those robbing the liquor stores, murdering people over gang colors, or even those who cheat on their wives just think too low of themselves. Their actions are fueled out of a belief that they are worse then everyone else, thus provoking them to damage themselves and others. This is ridiculous, every other culture that has ever existed and most that presently exist deny this belief. It is an over arching pride that fuels their crimes and attitudes. They quiet the murmur of self-contempt by deceiving themselves about their own present condition. The ancient Greeks called this dangerous pride “hubris.” Hubris in ancient Greece was a sin of the largest punishment, it was the crime that always led to destruction. Aristotle defined hubris as;

“to cause shame to the victim, not in order that anything may happen to you, nor because anything has happened to you, but merely for your own gratification. Hubris is not the requital of past injuries; this is revenge. As for the pleasure in hubris, its cause is this: men think that by ill-treating others they make their own superiority the greater.”

Even if something has happened to the perpetrators mentioned earlier, for instance a crime against them, their motivation for their actions is revenge against a world that “mistreated” them. So their crime is against a world that doesn’t know how worthy they are.

Rest from the inner murmur of self contempt is found in one place. Shane Bernard says it so well, it is found in “Embracing [the] Accusation.” Unless we welcome the accusation, we will never be able to defeat it. The accusation is the fact that we can’t live up to our own standards, nor can we live up to anyone else’s. It’s true, we must permit the idea that we are just as guilty as everyone else. Plead guilty to the accusation you know is true, you have failed, you aren’t better than anyone else; your occupation, your salary, your car, your life is not enough to pardon you from the accusation of failure. God has laid us open by His law, He has the double edged sword of the Law against our neck and we are all too vulnerable. Do not only recite but embrace the fact that Christianity is not following a list of arduous rules allowing us to move from failure to success. Rather we as a church need to embrace our failure, our defeat, our annihilation, our self-righteousness, and our hatred so that we may be able to embrace that Christ is sending us on a journey of unsurpassable rest. Rest that is found in Him, rest from the disquieting murmur of failure. Rest is found in knowing that we can boldly yet vulnerably enter the throne room of God, pronounce ourselves guilty and rejoice in the freedom we find by embracing the accusation.

escape

2008-01-04T08:11:00.001-08:00

if i could, i would
i would run as far as my legs would let me
i would look back
i would fret knowing no grace live there
i would wail having no one to love or love me
i would never forget what i left
i would forget what i never left
i would never stop running

scared i would be
hate i would feel
love i would never feel

turmoil my soul
lost my soul
silent my soul

- - - -

1st Timothy
18Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, 19holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. 20Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.

I am very conscious of the opportunity I have to make a shipwreck of my faith. I am in deep prayer that He keep my rudder steady and sails in good form.

disappointed (part 1 of 2)

2007-12-29T07:05:00.000-08:00

I feel like there is a plague of disappointment amongst my generation. broken hearts and broken souls, left wandering what happened to life - where did it go?

Did you ever have it? Do you have it now?

I, we, are always found wanting. Wanting what? - Anything, Something, this void does not disappear. In but the warmest night the heart grow cold still. While every circumstance may be in my favor, still I yearn for more. It's just not complete. What's not complete? Me, Something, It - I can't put words to it, but I capitalize It because It is Something - it's there and we groan.

I read in Romans 10 that whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.
Do I agree with this?

I must admit I have been disappointed since I have been a christian. I must admit that I have cursed this plight called christianity at times. I feel like being human is a disappointment to a certain degree. A heart that wanders for certain escapades surely finds it plans spoiled at some point, and it's always untimely. For what pleasure is more important than the one that lay just outside our grasp at that given moment? I constantly find my reach too short.

part 2 coming in a few.....

nut-zo

2007-12-24T20:18:00.000-08:00

I sit alone on the top floor of Chelsea Coffeehouse in Seabrook, Tx. Accompanied by old paintings, even older leather couches, and the sound of cheer from the 1st floor wine bar. It's a recent discovery of what has existed in my backyard for years, this is one of the best places I have ever had a cup of coffee.

This season is a bit weird for me. I just find much of the premise uncomfortable; perhaps it's my family and traditions or perhaps it's some unrest in my soul - either way, a certain awkwardness cannot be avoided. This is going to sound far more noble than it is, but please don't be deceived I am a wretch!! I would much rather give than receive. I can't stand getting gifts, they make me feel weird. This one time I went to England to work with some kids and it was out in the stix and I remember they thought we were famous because we were from Texas - long story short they wanted our autographs. I just had this sense of utter embarrassment and I can't explain why. All this to say, I feel the same way when I get a gift.

So I am in this coffee shop contemplating some items in Romans 6, especially towards the end where he starts talking about death and life, benefits and sucky things - this along side the sense of awkward described above. Paul goes on to throw out this idea of a gift, a free gift. One that I didn't earn. I know that if I look at my record or my cool shoes or my piles of cash (hardly) or my perfect yo-yo skills (I challenge you to a yo-yo show down - takers?) doesn't get me there. The outcome of this, or as it says what I derive, is eternal life. I can't comprehend that, but I am pretty sure it's rad the last time I checked.

So how do I accept gifts now? I find that accepting Gifts from God is much like getting a gift from my distant relative or a kid asking of an autograph in middle of nowhere England - I have an immediate knee jerk reaction to it. Who am I that you would do that? Hey kid there are like millions of us in Texas, why in the cheey hay do you want my autograph? Yo God, you are God - get the memo? I'm Roy and last time I checked I pretty much take care of me and just sit around - I didn't do much to deserve this gift that you have given me!?

something about me wants to earn everything or be entitled to it - but with grace neither are an option. it's hard for me, this season is a class room session in grace.

Please bring presents

2007-12-11T11:55:00.000-08:00

Thank you to all of those who brought presents Saturday night to the Christmas party. We have provided the Lockley's with a bountiful Christmas but are still short on gifts for Brandon Camarillo and the entire Cummings family. For those of you who did not get a chance to bring a gift Saturday night, we will still be collecting gifts through this Sunday evening. Please help us bring Christmas presents to families who otherwise could never afford it.

2007-12-03T13:47:00.001-08:00

Christmas is a time when we often reflect on all God has done for us and seek ways to share His love with others. The Gathering has chosen to adopt 3 families for Christmas this year, and we would like for all of you to be a part of loving on these families in need. Please take a moment to find which child you have been asked to adopt based on the first letter of your last name. Since we do not buy for the parents in the family, some of you may be interested in picking up canned goods for the families for the holidays. We'd like for you all to bring your gifts Saturday night to the Christmas party, wrapped and with a tag that says the name of the child it's for. If you don't get a chance to buy a gift this week, we'll be collecting donations Saturday night to fill in where we didn't receive enough gifts. We'll also be delivering the packages directly to the families, so please contact Carrie Anne Jurgensen, carriej@perimeter.org, if you'd like to be a part of this delivery. Please help us in bringing Christmas to families who without us would never have one.

The Camarillo Family
A-C:Ricky;19 Male;Likes working on computers
D-F:Kevin;14 Male;Likes Video Games – PS2, Reading, Playing guitar
G-I:Brandon;9 Male;Likes all sports, Video games, Needs pants

The Cummings Family
J-L:Kenneth;18 Male;Needs Electric Beard Trimmer, Jeans, Dress Shoes, DVD player
M-O:Jean-Paul;14 Male;Likes Guitar Hero PS2 w/guitar, Skate Shoes, CCS giftcard for
good skateboard
P-R:Christopher;10 Male;Likes PSP Pokemon diamond, Gameboy Pokemon leaf green,
Skateboard, 24” bike, Basketball Shoes

The Lockley Family
S-Z:Mya;3 Female;Favorite color pink, Loves Dora & Sponge Bob, Chalk board, Crayons
&coloring book

Guidelines and Suggestions for Christmas Assistance Program

1.You may want to consider paying a utility bill for the family rather than buying gifts for adults. In this case, contact Carrie Anne at carriej@perimeter.org for more information.

2.Keep food and gift items within your budget guidelines. Clients are told not to expect anything extravagant or too costly for their children. Keep these estimates in mind:

Family Size 4: $75 for food & $50 per child
Family Size 6: $150 for food & $50 per child

Holiday Meal:
$10-$15 gift certificate for Turkey or Ham
Canned sweet potatoes
Instant potatoes or 5 lb bag
Canned green beans
Canned cranberry sauce
Jello-O & Canned fruit
Instant dessert mix
Canned or bottled juices
Canned gravy
Stuffing
Canned Corn

Important basic items needed: Dry powdered or evaporated milk, Sugar, Self-rising flour, Vegetable oil, Peanut Butter, Jelly, Macaroni & Cheese, Tuna or Hamburger Helper, Canned Spaghetti-O’s, Rice, Breakfast cereals, Dried beans, Soups, Spaghetti sauce.

Women's Retreat Hot Topics Needed!!

2007-11-28T08:55:00.000-08:00

Hello ladies [and all thoughtful men-folk],

I would love to get your input on topics you would like to hear about at this year's Women's Retreat [Breakout session format].
Thanks for posting your thoughts.

Pamgela

A Message from our Friend Barrett

2007-11-25T20:18:00.001-08:00

Here's a little message from someone who was and still is a big part of our community--Barrett Parkman. He's living in Beijing, China studying to get an MBA at Tsingua University. When Ben Howell and I visited him last month in LA (he was stateside for his sister's wedding), I thought it'd be a good idea to take a little footage of him saying whatup to all his Perimeter homies. Enjoy!

abandoned heart

2007-11-24T09:52:00.000-08:00

I didn't get to go to Texas this year for Thanksgiving, but did get to hang out with a great family about an hour and half north of Atlanta. Despite some traffic I had a great drive there, through some uncharted territory for me - which is always fun. I am very blessed to have a navigation system that allows me to just drive, not really care where I am going or how I am getting from A to B - but I can drive and ponder and wonder.

On this particular drive I saw an unusual amount of abandoned homes - and it wasn't due to the latest housing market downturn, but rather these homes have not been lived in for years. The famous GA Kudzu plant growing all over many I couldn't help but wonder what happened? Was it a financial issue the family had? How could a house just go cold - no interaction - no upkeep - no Thanksgiving meals.....then all of a sudden it hit me - could this be the case with an individuals' heart? And louder it rang, my heart?

Could it be abandoned? Forgotten? Would I, the "land owner," recognize it's significance and let it go? In certain seasons I know this has been true, it's tiring to actually stay tuned to your heart. It takes quite, good conversations, listening, struggles, understanding who it is God says I am to actually have a barometer as to how your/my heart is doing.

I blame busyness, but it's no real alibi. It is an unknowing culprit sure, but the part of my heart that wants to be known, loved, not abandoned sometimes loses to the heart that wants nothing to do with warmth, or friendly faces - rather it wants dark, secrets, it's own "law"......

No real conclusion here except for the fact that we need be ware of our own heart's wanderings, to abandon your own heart is an option you have. It's one the old self desires stronger than anything, the old self is put to death by the new self that is Christ.

"Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life" - Prov 4:23

Jesus is the true and better...

2007-11-15T13:04:00.000-08:00

Ran across this in a Keller talk...

Jesus is the true and better Adam who passed the test in the garden and whose obedience is imputed to us.

Jesus is the true and better Abel who, though innocently slain, has blood now that cries out, not for our condemnation, but for acquittal.

Jesus is the true and better Abraham who answered the call of God to leave all the comfortable and familiar and go out into the void not knowing wither he went to create a new people of God.

Jesus is the true and better Isaac who was not just offered up by his father on the mount but was truly sacrificed for us. And when God said to Abraham, "Now I know you love me because you did not withhold your son, your only son whom you love from me," now we can look at God taking his son up the mountain and sacrificing him and say, "Now we know that you love us because you did not withhold your son, your only son, whom you love from us."

Jesus is the true and better Jacob who wrestled and took the blow of justice we deserved, so we, like Jacob, only receive the wounds of grace to wake us up and discipline us.

Jesus is the true and better Joseph who, at the right hand of the king, forgives those who betrayed and sold him and uses his new power to save them.

Jesus is the true and better Moses who stands in the gap between the people and the Lord and who mediates a new covenant.

Jesus is the true and better Rock of Moses who, struck with the rod of God's justice, now gives us water in the desert.

Jesus is the true and better Job, the truly innocent sufferer, who then intercedes for and saves his stupid friends.

Jesus is the true and better David whose victory becomes his people's victory, though they never lifted a stone to accomplish it themselves.

Jesus is the true and better Esther who didn't just risk leaving an earthly palace but lost the ultimate and heavenly one, who didn't just risk his life, but gave his life to save his people.

Jesus is the true and better Jonah who was cast out into the storm so that we could be brought in.

Jesus is the real Rock of Moses, the real Passover Lamb, innocent, perfect, helpless, slain so the angel of death will pass over us. He's the true temple, the true prophet, the true priest, the true king, the true sacrifice, the true lamb, the true light, the true bread.

The Bible's really not about you – it's about him.

a secret

2007-11-13T18:08:00.000-08:00

"the obviously well kept secret of the "ordinary" is that it is made to be a receptacle of the divine" -dallas willard

funny (sarcastic) how I can consistently forget the gospel. forget in the sense that I seem to not intersect with it daily, weekly, hourly - while in reality I do, i just have an orientation other than what I desire to have. i forget that a divine footnote lurks after every word on every page in this Story that we are all living in.
reading the story of the harlot in luke 7, i find myself in the pharisees place - thinking I have it "more together" than them over there. As we heard on Sunday night, the Gospel - while for everyone - is not to be thought of as only being needed by my neighbor who doesn't cut their "grass".

HOME GATHERING
if you are new to the gathering (or old), we are so thankful you have been coming around - I hope to see you at the Home Gathering this Thursday night. see our calendar for more info on the event (link is on the right)

Old man

2007-11-03T05:07:00.000-07:00

I was praying for some of you this morning, noted no one has been here in a while and thought I might post. This came to mind:

"Old man look at my life,
I'm a lot like you were.
Old man look at my life,
I'm a lot like you were.

Old man look at my life,
Twenty four
And there's so much more
Live alone in a paradise
That makes me think of two.

Love lost, such a cost,
Give me things that don't get lost.
Like a coin that won't get tossed
Rolling home to you.

Old man take a look at my life
I'm a lot like you
I need someone to love me
the whole day through
Ah, one look in my eyes
and you can tell that's true."

It is at least thirty years since I heard first heard this song. I was about 24 and I thought, "Is he crazy, we are nothing like those old people?!"

Now as I substitute 51 (even though that does not rhyme with 'more') for 24 and sing it, it rings very true. I am alot like an 81 year old. I need someone to love me the whole day through. I need to get things that don't get lost.

I wonder Who could give that to me and give it to those 30 years either side of me? There really are differences and yet much is the same.

If you read this far, first post who guesses the artist gets coffee from me. (No googling though!) Blessings.

airplane momemt

2007-10-19T05:59:00.000-07:00

Every time I ride an airplane I have this random, yet recurring, moment when I visit the bathroom (not that kind of moment). I look in the little mirror as i wash my hands and all of a sudden it hits me -
"I am freaking flying"
"I am thousands of feet in the air, flying - flying"
And I begin to sorda get this childish grin to even think how nuts that is...the sheer thought of it blows me away. Can you imagine a few hundred years ago a few friends chatting outside their abodes, or in the horse n buggy, or whatever and one of them blurts out - "One day humans will be able to fly" - what lunacy the other friends must have thought. How in the H is anyone going to fly, get real. Granted people can't fly in of themselves, however due to this whole plane thing it is made possible.

A few days after my airplane moment I am sitting in a pretty random, eclectic - cool church in downtown LA held at the Wilshire theater instead of at a typical building. all kinds of people around, Benz's and Buicks, old and young, 5 plastic surgeries or more and people who prob never look in the mirror, black, asian, hispanic and whites....all worshiping together. And then it hits me -
"We are freaking children of God"
Just like the airplane moment, it's this known that I just over look and forget the craziness of it all.This is even crazier than flying though, "a child of God" - how nuts is that? Just try saying it to yourself and if it doesn't make you sorda feel insane, or blush, or shout or flat out shut your mouth then somethings up.
Granted people are not children of God in of themselves, however due to this whole Christ thing it is made possible.

It's just like a mini-mall

2007-10-15T07:20:00.000-07:00

Hopefully this will cheer all of you up...

Circumstantial Blessings are the root of thanksgivings, not Praises.

2007-10-08T11:26:00.000-07:00

Last week I got a call from my mother, and instantly I knew it was some bad news. She began to tell me about how the doctors had found a tumor around 2cm’s in diameter in one of her breasts. When I hung up the phone after talking to her I realized something. All of my praises for God are based off of things that are really thanksgivings, my health, my marriage, my wife, my family, my job... These are all circumstantial blessings that are transient situations. These will all end one day, My parents will pass away, I will lose my job, I will lose my wife, I may lose a child, and sooner or later I will lose my life. So how can I root my praises, my joy, my relationship with God on these things.

I am recognizing that thanksgivings and praises are distinguishable from each-other. We don’t sing worship songs about our jobs, our health, or our large checking accounts. So what do we praise God for? I know that when I jump in my car in the morning my prayers usually begin with praising for my wife, my job, my life, my truck (if you can believe it)... But too often all those praises feel empty, they are cold Then I must fight for a joy that I am not capable of finding in the circumstances of my own life. A joy that I can only find in the eternal, non-transient, un-changing, everlasting, qualities of our God, Saviour, Priest, and King.

But please let me be clear with what I am not saying: that in the midst of suffering we must force our selves into joy and happiness by looking past our situations; praising God by sweeping our pain under the rug. We must remember the unchanging qualities of God such as….. However God has providentially placed suffering along paths, so that might grow in faith in who HE is. Like Matt said in his talk last night at the Gathering, that our God wants to remove the crutches that we choice to rely on in place of our unabashed reliance on Him. Our God meets us in our struggles and pains. It is usually in our weakness and pain where Christ unveils His unmatched strength and amazing grace on our behalf. As we choose to believe in the unchanging qualities of Christ, we are able to praise Him and thank Him IN our momentary struggles. Christ is not present with us in order to punish, smite, or condemn, rather he is here to redeem our devastation, sometimes he has to cut us to get something deadly out of our souls. Praise be to God...

thanks to Pamela for her amazing editing skills...

Update

2007-10-08T06:44:00.001-07:00

This is an update from Anna, please continue to pray for the Carter family.

Dear Friends,

Thank you all for the rich outpouring of prayers and support, my family and I are truly grateful! Many of you have asked what you can do, thank you. At this moment, the only thing I would ask you to do is to continue to pray for Will's life, as you have been doing so faithfully. Thank you! He is in stable condition, praise the Lord! But we are still waiting for the swelling in his brain to go down. The staff at the hospital shared that this is just a waiting game. So we are waiting, and hoping for a miracle. This web link has been set up so you can keep up to date with Will's status, send messages, etc.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/willcarter

I pray that someday that you will all get the amazing privilege of meeting and spending time with my brother, Will. And when you do, be prepared to laugh till your stomach is in knots, because he is the funniest kid I know.

Please check the website above for continued updates, as I will probably not be flooding your inbox anymore this week. Thanks again, for your prayers! Thanks for interceding on behalf of Will's life, to a God who is able to do immeasurably more than all we could ask or imagine!

Truly grateful for all of you!

Anna

request

2007-10-06T08:21:00.000-07:00

this is from someone in our community, anna carter who has moved to Spain recently- here are her words, please pray.

Dear Friends,
Please pray for my brother Will, who was in a serious car accident
last night. He is in cricitcal condition at North Fulton Hospital in
Atlanta, With serious brain trauma, and will know more of his
condition in the next 2 days. I am flying home tomorrow. Please,
please, please pray that God would protect his brain, that he would
heal him, that bring him out of this alive!! I would SOOOO appreciate
your prayers of intercession and prayers for healing and life!! They
would mean the world to me! Please pray that the Lord would use this
for his glory, that he would even use this to draw my brother Andrew
to Himself.
With great love and gratefulness,
anna

Tamika

2007-10-03T06:14:00.000-07:00

I do not know the full details but Tamika is well. She had a smooth surgery and if there are any more updates we will let you know. Thanks for your prayers.