Sorry, but I've been a little out of the blogging world for the past week or so. I've been spending some time being quiet and just listening to the heart of the Father.
Don't miss this Sunday!
We are going to talk about the "Rich Young Ruler", and continue our discussion about what it means and looks like to be a follower of Christ in this world we find ourselves in.
Thanks for all of the great comments about our talks these past few weeks. It is evident to me that we truly are a people that are "Hungry".
Friday, July 25, 2008
Sunday, July 13, 2008
"River of Life"
For the third year in a row our teenagers have just finished participating in a ministry in Macon, GA called "River of Life". They basically hang out at a church in Macon and go out into the community during the day and do construction and painting work on the homes of elderly and disabled people that can't afford to have the work done.
This connects with the idea of "communitas" that I have been blogging about the last few days. Here's the idea:
As we serve someone else, together, we become more connected through our service. As we, in community, look not only to our own needs but to the needs of others we become more connected and experience a greater sense of community. I'm always amazed at how the teenagers and adults that participate become closer together even if they weren't really connected before working together.
I'm posting here to give further voice to the idea of "communitas" but this is also a big shout out and kudo's for the teenagers and adults that worked so hard over the last few days.
Thank you to Tracie Lord, our Director of Student ministries and Joe and Robin Booker who love our kids and most importantly love Jesus and the people he loves.
Also, thanks to the group of teens that went above and beyond to serve those in need. You guys really did display the love of Jesus this weekend!
You have experienced something the last few days that many will never experience.
Communitas!
This connects with the idea of "communitas" that I have been blogging about the last few days. Here's the idea:
As we serve someone else, together, we become more connected through our service. As we, in community, look not only to our own needs but to the needs of others we become more connected and experience a greater sense of community. I'm always amazed at how the teenagers and adults that participate become closer together even if they weren't really connected before working together.
I'm posting here to give further voice to the idea of "communitas" but this is also a big shout out and kudo's for the teenagers and adults that worked so hard over the last few days.
Thank you to Tracie Lord, our Director of Student ministries and Joe and Robin Booker who love our kids and most importantly love Jesus and the people he loves.
Also, thanks to the group of teens that went above and beyond to serve those in need. You guys really did display the love of Jesus this weekend!
You have experienced something the last few days that many will never experience.
Communitas!
Friday, July 11, 2008
Extreme Community
Yesterday I introduced you to the idea of "communitas". It's community to the extreme degree. Remember this part of the definition:
Communitas is an acute point of community. It takes community to the next level and allows the whole of the community to share a common experience
Communitas happens as a result of several different things:
It can happen when a group of people walk through a trial or difficult time together.
It can happen when they come together to serve someone else inside or outside the community and together combine to accomplish something that couldn't be accomplished apart from the group effort.
This is my desire for the people of LifePoint Church. That we would daily walk together and experience "extreme community". Right now we are walking through a tough time financially but when we shoulder the load together the struggle actually becomes a strengthening of our resolve and commitment to each other.
Coming up:
"How some of our students and a few adults are experiencing communitas this weekend!"
Communitas is an acute point of community. It takes community to the next level and allows the whole of the community to share a common experience
Communitas happens as a result of several different things:
It can happen when a group of people walk through a trial or difficult time together.
It can happen when they come together to serve someone else inside or outside the community and together combine to accomplish something that couldn't be accomplished apart from the group effort.
This is my desire for the people of LifePoint Church. That we would daily walk together and experience "extreme community". Right now we are walking through a tough time financially but when we shoulder the load together the struggle actually becomes a strengthening of our resolve and commitment to each other.
Coming up:
"How some of our students and a few adults are experiencing communitas this weekend!"
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Communitas
OK, I hear what you are thinking, "What? I've never heard of that word!" Maybe, a few of you have but since most have probably not let me give you the Wikapedia Definition.
Communitas is an intense community spirit, the feeling of great social equality, solidarity, and togetherness. Communitas is characteristic of people experiencing liminality together. This term is used to distinguish the modality of social relationship from an area of common living. There is more than one distinction between structure and communitas. The most familiar being the difference of secular and sacred. Every social position has something sacred about it. This sacred component is acquired during rites of passages, through the changing of positions. Part of this sacredness is achieved through the transient humility learned in these phases, this allows people to reach a higher position.
Communitas is an acute point of community. It takes community to the next level and allows the whole of the community to share a common experience, usually through a rite of passage. This brings everyone onto an equal level, even if you are higher in position, you have been lower and you know what that is.
Not going to un-package a lot on it here right now but we will be discussing on this blog over the next week or so. Start thinking about the definition and let it sink in before we begin dialog. The church has preached about community for years and we don't seem to be able to quite get there. What we need is communitas that goes beyond community. More to come!
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Glad I'm Back!
The last several weeks have been an amazing time of rest and recovery but I am so glad that I am back. I always look forward to some down time to catch my breath and renew my focus but by the time my break comes to a close I am past ready to get back in the groove. This break has been no exception. Carey, the girls and I have enjoyed our time but it's time to get back in gear and ramp up what God has called us to do.
For the past several weeks God has been brewing some amazing stuff in my heart and head and stretching me to think outside the box more and in bigger ways than maybe ever. Starting this Sunday I am going to try and slowly un-package some of those thoughts as we hang out together at LifePoint.
I can't think of a greater time to be in the midst of the story of God and what He is doing in our world. Join us this Sunday as the journey continues!
For the past several weeks God has been brewing some amazing stuff in my heart and head and stretching me to think outside the box more and in bigger ways than maybe ever. Starting this Sunday I am going to try and slowly un-package some of those thoughts as we hang out together at LifePoint.
I can't think of a greater time to be in the midst of the story of God and what He is doing in our world. Join us this Sunday as the journey continues!
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
In Search of Silence
That sounds like the title to a great book or movie! It may be but it's not one I have read. (maybe I'll write it one day)
It has, however, been the them of my life for the past several months. I find myself having a deep desire to experience more and more silence. I've discovered on this journey that there really are two obstacles to silence:
1) All the external noise that I subject myself to
2) All the internal noise that roars around inside my own head
For months now I have found myself riding down the road with the radio off or sitting in the house with the TV off, which is a really good idea, by the way. I'm constantly looking for a quiet place to just be. However, when I find that place I do not necessarily experience real silence.
I'm learning that there is a lot more noise going on inside of me than there is outside. So my journey has had me learning to be more contemplative of certain thoughts and at the same time trying to learn to let go of more and more thoughts.
Here's a funny thing; The # 1 question I have been asked in recent days has been, "Are you OK?" People don't like silence and so when this guy who struggles with that starts seeking it the world around me is uncomfortable. That may be another obstacle to true silence.
In order to really hear from God I need to quit listening to Joe and at times others. I've got a long way to go on this journey but I am committed to discovering more and more quiet places and then learning to get quiet when I find them. We'll dive into some of this in a series next month.
Until then the journey continues!
It has, however, been the them of my life for the past several months. I find myself having a deep desire to experience more and more silence. I've discovered on this journey that there really are two obstacles to silence:
1) All the external noise that I subject myself to
2) All the internal noise that roars around inside my own head
For months now I have found myself riding down the road with the radio off or sitting in the house with the TV off, which is a really good idea, by the way. I'm constantly looking for a quiet place to just be. However, when I find that place I do not necessarily experience real silence.
I'm learning that there is a lot more noise going on inside of me than there is outside. So my journey has had me learning to be more contemplative of certain thoughts and at the same time trying to learn to let go of more and more thoughts.
Here's a funny thing; The # 1 question I have been asked in recent days has been, "Are you OK?" People don't like silence and so when this guy who struggles with that starts seeking it the world around me is uncomfortable. That may be another obstacle to true silence.
In order to really hear from God I need to quit listening to Joe and at times others. I've got a long way to go on this journey but I am committed to discovering more and more quiet places and then learning to get quiet when I find them. We'll dive into some of this in a series next month.
Until then the journey continues!
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