Journal Entry (2006-09-09)

Luke 22:35

Journal Entry (2006-09-05)

Philippians 2:6-8

God made Himself nothing, He gladly laid aside His power!

Philippians 2:9-10

Almost seems to indicate divinity AFTER Crucifixion – but compare to v. 6….

Give It Away!

Give your sermons away. Some years ago we started putting the sermons online as free MP3 downloads. Today, with podcasting and vodcasting, we are seeing millions of people download the sermons. Our vodcast has been as high as #1 on iTunes for religion and spirituality. The web is the new front door and many people will visit your church through your website long before they attend a church event. Also, many people like to catch up on past teachings, forward pertinent sermons to their friends, and listen to teachings while they drive to work, cook their meals, and weed their garden. By giving sermons away for free, a preacher’s ministry can continue for years into the future to a much broader audience than they have on a Sunday.

Reflections on Preaching | TheResurgence

I was talking to Marbeth a while ago about the importance of making sermons are freely available. I think that it is an extremely valuable resource that only increases in value as it decreases in cost.

A.W. Tozer

“The messenger of Christ, though he speaks from God, must also, as the Quakers used to say, ‘speak to the condition’ of his hearers; otherwise he will speak of language known only to himself. His message must be not only timeless but timely. He must speak to his own generation.” – A.W. Tozer

brokenstainedglass: resonate: Timeless but timely

technorati tags:quote, AW+Tozer

Martin Luther

“We are not yet what we shall be, but we are growing toward it; the process is not yet finished, but it is going on. This is not the end but it is the road; all dos not yet gleam in glory but all is being purified.” -Martin Luther

brokenstainedglass: resonate: it is the road

technorati tags:Martin+Luther, quote

Journal Entry (2006-08-14)

Isaiah 59 :20-21

A prophecy of the Redeemer buying back the people who have turned from sin. The future promise of this? The Spirit will not leave. What an encouraging word! He is here now, and He is our new covenant with God.

Journal Entry (2006-08-08)

Lord God, I don’t want my covenant with You to simply become a dead habit. I want to seek You with all my heart. Holy Spirit! Soften my heart, increase my passion, inflame me with Your love. I want to want God with all of my heart.

Contract with God

Since coming back from Spirit West Coast this past weekend, I have felt a greater desire for God. I know that, despite how I feel now, that I will fall away once again. I have determined that I will take up disciplines to keep looking towards God. My previous attempts have failed, but this is partly because I have not really dedicated myself to the discipline I desire. I need to contract to God, and other Christians around me, that I will take up, and be held accountable for, disciplines that I want to pursue, to help keep my focus on God.

Journal Entry (2006-08-07)

The question keeps echoing through my mind – “How are you living your life?” My pitiful response is that I am surviving, holding to the remnants of a living faith. Oh God! How I want to walk beside you again, living in faith and relationship, stepping out into that which you set before me.

God’s Revelation in Oregon

In the beginning of October, I had the opportunity to visit Joy Christian Fellowship in Medford, OR. I had met the pastor, Steve Schmelzer, and his son Jake in Oak Harbor, WA, when I was visiting Darryl and Martha Rodman earlier in the summer. Steve invited to his church to participate in Encounters (a weekend program they hold for new members and Christians) – it’s emphasis is on deliverance and healing, both emotional and spiritual. The church is based on the G12 model, which emphasizes small groups of around 12 people, the replication of each group, and the development of individuals to lead groups. They have a discipleship process for new members that takes about a year to complete, and begins to prepare them for ministry.

I found it exciting to speak with new believers who were in Encounters – their enthusiasm and wonderment was contagious. I didn’t expect much spiritually myself, though. After all, the aim of Encounters is to deliver new Christians from old wounds and sins in their lives, to help restore their souls. Needless to say, God decided to use that time to do a work in my heart, even though it wasn’t what I expected. Below is the thank you note I wrote to Steve, and I discuss what God for me during that weekend.

Thank you for welcoming me into your church and home. It really mean quite a bit to me to have that weekend to just focus on God in my life. September had been hard for me, with work distracting me from my walk with God. It was so pleasant to fellowship with those both young and old in Christ.

I’m excited by the structure of the church. The emphasis on the cell model is neat, and having the end goal of replication is awesome – it keeps the focus above and beyond comfortable socialization.

The intentional process of growing members in Christ, training people on how to participate in the body, and to eventually lead others takes the task of discipleship seriously. I was impressed when I was talking to one of your cell leaders, and he mentioned that the first part of your development process taught how to participate in a cell group. It seems odd that we need to teach how to open up to others, but it is so true – we often don’t know how to properly fellowship or display true love for others.

Honestly, by the end of Friday night (and Saturday morning) I was little afraid I’d walked into a fundamentalist camp (though shalt, thou shalt not) but as I talked to leaders and teachers, I recognized that what I had thought of as rules initially were frameworks of behavior designed to protect and grow those new to Christ. Having those to follow is important when one is weak and still susceptible to the pressures of the world. It really illustrated the dichotomy Paul illustrates of having the freedom to do certain things, but out of wisdom choose not to do them.

Two years of the Spirit working in my life made a feel a little like “What can I expect out of Encounters?” I wasn’t sure I was going to get anything out of it – after all, most of the things that we covered have been dealt with, or are being dealt with in my life. Yet, God revealed three things to me over the weekend, which I found incredible. Even in times when I feel distant from Him, He continues to work in my heart and life.

I have had an incredibly bountiful life – loving parents, good spiritual guidance, stable home. So many things that have deeply hurt other have not happened to me – I am not burdened by a surfeit of past hurts or gross sins. The question He asked me is this: “Why do you say ‘I can’t'? I have prepared you for My work.” I realized this after filling out the sin survey, and saw all of the things that COULD have happened in my life, but was protected from.

Second and third are related. As I lay praying Saturday night, after seeing God work in so many other people over the weekend, I really wondered if He would do anything in me. I have built significant emotional defenses to protect me from pain and suffering. I view these as walls surrounding my soul, keeping the world and even God away from my heart. That night, I saw those defenses as a net, trapping and holding me down. He cut something that night, I could feel a strand of rope snap, loosening the net just a little bit – enough for me to feel that something deep inside begin to stir and press against my defenses. That cutting, that loosening will continue until I am free, and the Spirit inside is loosed.

What was it that I felt inside me? I could feel it, this immensely strong stirring. I knew that when it was loosed, I would have not control over my life, it would be taken over by His Spirit. I learned what it was Sunday morning. God called me to preach His Word at an early age (and promptly ignored, though not forgotten), and gave me a burden for His body as my relationship with Him grew. I don’t want to be in front of people – that is not me – I would rather work quietly in the background. I constantly ask God ‘Why do You want me to do this? I have no great skill speaking, and little desire to expose myself – I have the call, but not the gift!’. Well, as I heard you preach, that thing I had felt stirring stirred again, and with it came the spark of desire. Desire to share His Word, to show Him, to make Him real to all, to bring His people closer to Him. I know that He has given me the power and the ability to perform His call in my life – no matter what I feel of my own abilities – His Spirit will overwhelm my will, and enable me beyond my own innate capabilities.

I am still in awe of His love – He continues His work in me, despite my complete unworthiness – it is ALL God!

Drumming for Beginners

scotmichaelfrit: On drumming and worshipping

Scot mentioned his desire for a drum circle, Bizzy mentioned that Lisa had started one, but it had dwindled pretty fast. See link for full context.

I think one reason people aren’t attracted is because they don’t feel they know HOW to drum. One of the interesting things I learned about African drumming is how they involve EVERYONE. There are intricate patterns of rhythms; but they range from a simple beat to highly complex improvisational patterns, all working together. This allows all levels to participate; even a beginner with basic rhythm can be part of the backing set; intermediate drummers complete more complex rhythms; master drummers may improvise.

Without that leadership, without knowing what to play, I think people tend to be uncomfortable practicing a new skill. You need select a master drummer (at first), and teach basics of drumming, and make sure all know how to follow. As drummers become more proficient and comfortable with the drums, the need for a master drummer decreases; and sensible patterns emerge from improvisation.

Maybe I should talk to Lisa……

scotmichaelfrit: On drumming and worshipping

Technorati Tags: drumming, church, worship

Blue Like Jazz

After church this past Sunday, I noticed “Blue Like Jazz” on the bookstore shelf, and decided to finally pick it up and read it. Thought it’d be a great book to read at the SF Blues Festival…?

Got the the Blues Festival around 4:00, still had to pay 25 bucks to get in. Managed to finish the book in a couple of hours while listening to the music.

Very thought-provoking. There were some chapters that I really, really identified with. Some parts I didn’t want to identify with, they hit a little too close to home.

I want to reread this at a more leisurely pace, and I’ll post more on my opinions of the book, and how I relate to it later.

Technorati Tags: Reading, Blue Like Jazz, Emergent

Sermon Notes (2005/09/25)

Pastor Terry preached on the four ways of loving and the nine ways of being – all in the context of belonging to community.

4 Ways of Living

1. Love sincerely.

2. Love rightly.

3. Love like family.

4. Love unselfishly.

9 Ways of Being

1. Be diligent.

2. Be enthusiastic in service.

3. Be overcoming in our attitude.

4. Be generous and responsive.

5. Be hospitable.

6. Be a blesser of the undeserving.

7. Be empathetic.

8. Be peaceable.

9. Be humble.

Technorati Tags: sermon, notes, church, Cornerstone, Terry Brisbane

Huston Smith

Huston Smith, author of “The Soul of Christianity”, was the speaker at a talk Sunday morning at Grace Cathedral. It was initially titled “Living Buddhism, Living Christianity”, but it turned out to be more about his general views as expressed in the “The Soul of Christianity”.

I got there twenty minutes late, so I only got the last few minutes of his talk, though I was able to stay for the Q&A time.

He mentioned his thoughts on the verse “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Light”, and the next verse, “No man cometh to the Father but by Me”. He uses the conflation of the two to say that all those that follow the way (sincere religion), the truth, and the life comes to the Father; that it is not acceptance of Christ as Savior, but rather a good life that brings us to God.

Mentions that ‘Parabola Journal’ is publishing him in their 30^th year anniversary edition, since he was in the first edition.

Is the age of Secularism over?

No. There is still a strong culture of secular humanism at large. Example given of a paper that Huston and many other theologians wrote that supported Intelligent Development. Stonewalled by ever large scientific and secular journal they presented it to.

Southern Christianity, what will the Church look like in 50 years?

Quite simply states that China is the future of world Christianity. Uses one of the official churches as an example, which I found quite disappointing, since the house churches are far larger than the approved churches.

What is the one thing you would change in today’s culture?

Asimov – “I wish there could be a huge inpouring of fun into primary schools.”

Catholic Humanism – is humanism the compromise of faith and science?

See the book “The True Humanism”.

Fundamentalist Christianity in American?

There are two fundamentalist camps in the US – equally dogmatic; modern secularism and fundamental Christianity. Christians are responding to pressure from secularists.

Linear time vs. circular time?

There are cycles in time, but there is a definite direction. Shakespeare – “Time must have a stop.”

Afterwards, I met up with the group I had heard of this through, and we had some discussion in the plaza. It was interesting, since I was the only Spirit-filled Christian. There was a practicing Buddhist, a nominal Buddhist, a self-described secular humanist, with the rest a variety of spiritual dabblers. What struck me during the course of conversation how self-oriented everything else seemed. For all there, what they believed was what they chose to believe. There was no sense that something greater had simply picked them up. I wish I had the words to explain and describe the impact the Holy Spirit, not my spirit, has on my life. Why I don’t believe that we should try to remove pain and suffering, but rather accept and even embrace it.

I will be participating in some more events where I will associate with Buddhists. I hope to be able to use those interactions as an opportunity to learn, and also to begin to better define my belief in Christ, and why it is necessary to believe in Grace for salvation.

Technorati Tags: Buddhism, Huston Smith, Christianity

Not Good Enough?

Excerpt from a.k.a. “lost” – written by Jim Henderson.

 

Not that many years ago, I slipped back into wondering if Jesus would ever think that my being my real self could ever be good enough to help move the kingdom of God forward in my little world. Will Jesus ever use me to move others closer to him, or do I simply lack the requisite charm, good looks, and smooth manner? Can an ordinary guy from Seattle? really be useful in the kingdom, or am I too lacking the basic essentials?

We don’t usually say these things aloud, and rarely find the words to even express our silent frustration to ourselves. “I’m just a regular, ordinary person who loves God and would love to do something for his kingdom. Too bad I’m not unusual, extraordinary, or even consistently courageous. If that’s what it takes to get evangelism done, I’ll just write a check.”

The Young & the Sexless

Rolling Stone: The Young & the Sexless

How can the Christian be “in the world” and remain strong? I think this article begins to explain some of that. Most of the young Christians who have dedicated themselves to purity in their life find constant companionship and accountability the key to keeping themselves. Yet they participate in the world – they go to bars, they play music, they dress down.

As Rob begins to talk about freedom, breaking down barriers, and just loving people wherever they are, there do rise concerns. Primary among them is avoiding the influence of the world in our lives (in the myriad ways it attracts and attacks us), even as we live our lives in the world. Community may be the answer. Constant accountability, openness, and confession give use the that strength.

Technorati Tags: abstinence