formulas

There is a great post on formulaic religion on Former Leader's blog.  Check it out:

 

"Positive Confession: What I Learned"

And while you're there, check out what else she has to say...there's a lot of good stuff in her blog!

 

renovate

I don't remember how much I've put on this blog about the church plant that we have begun, but over the last six or seven months, we've been meeting with about a dozen friends, deepening our spiritual formation and developing community among us with the goal of planting an emerging church in Fairmont, WV.

 

We desire to be a different church than what is normally expected.  We want to be highly participatory and experiential in our worship, as well as having a heart for those who just don't fit in conventional church or organized religion.

 

Well, we've finally come to a place where we named our church.  It was quite a journey, but I believe we've found a name that speaks to our mission and our purpose of being:

 

renovate

 

The word renovate means 'renew or restore to as as-new condition.'

 

The name comes from a verse in Isaiah 58 in the Message version of the Bible.  It reads:

 

"You'll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew, rebuild the foundations from out of your past. You'll be known as those who can fix anything, restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate, make the community livable again." 

(Isaiah 58:12, The Message)

 

It is our desire as a church to live out this scripture and to use the past to propel us into the future, a future of rebuilding and renovating, opening the message of grace and the Kingdom of God to everyone.  We desire to be a community full of grace and to become partners, companions, with others on their walk with God as we make the community of faith livable again.

 

Thought I'd share with you the good news.  From time to time now, I'll give updates on what renovate is doing.  Pray for us!

ashes

From dust we came, to dust we will return. 

 

The ashes of Ash Wednesday are symbolic of the very essence of our mortality.  Our focus is to remind ourselves that without God we are nothing but dust.  It is in him that we live and move and have our being.

 

Our society would tell us that we make our own way in this life.  That it is up to us to create our own destiny.  But let's be honest. 

 

Did you decide to be born?

Did you tell your heart to beat just now, sending the blood coursing through your veins?

Did you decide to breath and keep oxygen in your body so that you can stay conscious?

What power do we have over life? 

 

The only power we truly have is what we do with this life we've been given.  Life is a gift. 

 

We have the power to make right choices with the life we've been given.

We have the power to turn away from the wrong choices that will take away from the life we have been given.

We have the power to turn over our life to the Master and Creator of life that he might make it more than just inhabited dust, and fulfill his purpose and plan in us.

 

The Bible says that we will one day stand before Christ's throne and our works (the deeds we did in this life) will be judged by fire.  Those worthy of his plan and purpose in our lives will be refined as gold and silver are purified by the fire.  Those that do not emanate out of his plan and his purpose will be burned up, leaving behind ash.

 

What things are you holding onto today that will not last in eternity?  What things are holding you from your destiny?

 

The Bible says of King David, "…and fulfilling God's purpose in his generation, David died."  What is keeping you from fulfilling God purpose in your generation?

 

Is it a sin…an action or an attitude that does not glorify God?

Is it a prejudice or a habit that detracts from the grace that you've experienced from God?

Is it that really good thing that is fun or profitable for you, but takes away from your family and from your purpose in God's plan?

 

Hebrews 12 says, "Let us strip away every sin and weight that slows us down in this race of endurance…"

 

Faith is not a sprint, but a marathon of endurance.  We have to take measures to give up those things that will slow us down, that we can find grace…energy…to continue the race.  Let us set our eyes on Christ who has gone before us.

 

kingdom grace post

Kingdom Grace has some very interesting things to say about prophetic and apostolic ministry today.  Take a minute and check it out:

 

http://kingdomgrace.wordpress.com/2008/02/04/temple-tantrum/

--
"Do not ask what the world needs.  Ask what makes you come alive and go do that.  Because what the world needs are men who have come alive."  - Gil Bailie

seventeen and nine

Seventeen years ago today, on a beach in Barrington, RI, my wife and I took our first date. Two and a half years later, in October of 1993 we were married.  I remember starting the car after we had closed the church up and all our friends and family had gone and I looked at her and said, "well, here we go on the our great adventure."  And so it has been. 

 

Looking back, I still see no reason why we survived those first few years.  The only way I can see is that we had the grace of God and we had each other.  We weren't the typical newlyweds fighting it out trying to figure out each other, for we were blessed to have had great mentors and spiritual friends who had prepared us for this experience called marriage and we faced each day as a team.  That doesn't mean there weren't bumps in the road, for every journey has its holes in the road, and surprising twists, but we made it. 

 

The little five room apartment that could fit in the living room and dining room I have now was a great little place to begin our lives together.  It was old.  My great grandfather had built the building it was in and it showed, but we made it a home.  Funny now, how we are running out of space in our two-story home with a basement, but yet, we had all we needed in that little apartment.

 

After spending over a year trying to figure out God's plan for us, we found ourselves in new adventures still as we moved into ministry and eventually full-time ministry, paying more than we had made yet, but still not paying enough!  We found our love of ministry and we poured out our lives into the lives of young people, teens and young adults, even though we ourselves were merely young adults.  But we did it together.

 

Going to work together, living together, some people thought, "Are you crazy?"  But we made it work.  But there was still more that we needed…someone to share our love.  Isn't this the reason we desire and have children, so that we can love them?  I taught Sunday at church that God created us to love us and this is the reason we have children as well, so that we can love them…and we wanted a child, too.

 

Nine years ago today, on the eighth anniversary of our first date, my beautiful little girl was born.  The apple of Daddy's eye and pride of Mommy's heart.  She has filled our lives with such joy and happiness. 

 

Yesterday I got to spend a few hours with my daughter, taking in the Hannah Montana 3-D Movie Concert, but most of all watching her and being in awe of her joy.  I am amazed at her growth and maturing into the woman she is becoming. 

 

I am doubly blessed today to share a special day, a special date on the calendar, the day I received the two greatest blessings of my life: my two women, my wife and daughter.  I love them more today than ever before, and am so humbled that God chose me for them.  Thank you Lord.  I owe you everything.