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Advent Reflection November 21, 2007
This is an advent reflection put together by Christine Sine. I’ll be using it in our worship at OVMC. It really captures what advent is all about. I’ll let the video speak for itself.
Let’s Do This Thing! November 16, 2007
Alrighty, I firmed things up with Max Cremas and we are on for eGp on Sunday, December 9. See you then!
If you’ve carried him away, where have you put him? November 13, 2007
The Morning Prayer today included a gospel lesson from John chapter 20:
“11 but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. 13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. 15 “Woman,” he said, “why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher)”
This put me in touch with how I often long to see Jesus, to experience his presence; how, like Mary I am so often right in His presence without even realizing it. Jesus calls Mary by name, and in that naming, she comes to recognize who she is speaking with. I resonate with such passages of recognition — I have a painting in my office of the Emmaus meal, when the disciples recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread.
Those moments of recognition are moments I cherish. It happened for me as I was breezing through Morning Prayer this morning, an act I frequently accomplish with all too little recognition of Jesus’ presence in the moment.
Cherish those moments! I hope God gives you many this day and in the days to come!
Next Gathering November 8, 2007
Hey, we finally know when we’re getting together again. The next event will be the evening of Sunday, December 9. It’s probably going to be at Max Cremas.
We’re going to be looking at the anticipation and hope of Advent, a season of looking at the already/not yet nature of God’s reign. Jesus came to live among us, so in that sense, God’s good news has already gotten the party started. But as the liturgy says, Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again. It’s the “Christ will come again” that moves us beyond the litte baby Jesus and the manger scene and into the future God has in store for us.
This gathering will also take place during finals week at some local colleges. There’s a lot of “already/not yet” in the life of a student, so we’ll be making those connections as well. Should be good stuff!
jesus and empire November 7, 2007
Brian has started a great conversation on followers of Jesus and their relationship to Empire.
Check it out right here
corn maze evangelism? November 7, 2007
I talked with a guy yesterday who uses multi acre corn mazes as a point of contact for evangelism. His company makes these giant corn mazes, in the middle they have an ampitheater where they do some kind of Jesus-y drama, and people are coming to faith in Jesus. But guess what. They don’t want to go rushing to their nearest church. They’re hoping for some kind of alternative.
I didn’t think of it last night, but I’m wondering if Alpha would be a way to make the connection with these brand new Christians. This guy also runs a restaraunt/dairy bar here in Oley. We could do Alpha there, and then maybe people would be ready to plug in to a local church.
This could also spawn any number of smaller organic (liquid) churches. Hirsch wonders aloud in his book about whether Alpha couldn’t become more of a church multiplication movement than strictly a way for traditional churches to introduce people to the Way of Jesus. I’d love to see a few churches in this area work with the corn maze guy on this. What happens next will take care of itself.
Advent Conspiracy November 6, 2007
This Site is one of those that challenges us in the season of giving to actually do that. Conspire rather than consume. Hmmm…
Daily Office November 6, 2007
There’s a new “Daily Office” tab to the right. If you’re not familiar with the office, It’s a pattern of daily prayer, morning, midday and evening. There are lots of variations. I happen to use a form from the Northumbria Community in the UK.
Blessings!
liquid church November 1, 2007
Here’s a quote from Pete Ward’s book, Liquid Church:
“…I suggest that we need to shift from seeing church as a gathering of people meeting in one place at one time–that is, a congregation–to a notion of church as a series of relationships and communications … So a step in imagining a liquid church is to take the informal fellowship, in which we experience Christ as we share with other Christians, and say this is church…(this) implies first that church might be something that we make with each other by communicating Christ, so it is not an institution as such. Second it indicates that church happens when people are motivated to communicate with each other. In other words, its basis lies in people’s spiritual activity rather than in organizational patterns or buildings…”
experience GOD project is envisioned as a series of relationships and communications (like this blog, for instance.) In this “liquid” sense, we want to be church for those with no faith community, and be an experience of church, one among many, in a person’s network of Christ-focused relationships.
There’s much more to unpack from Ward. I’m still reading and re-reading the book. (if you are interested in a copy, there’s a link to amazon on the right side of this page.)
