Rob Bell...again

...and this is because the most powerful things happen when the church surrenders its desire to convert people and convince them to join. It is when the church gives itself away in radical acts of service and compassion, expecting nothing in return, that the way of Jesus is most vividly put on display. To do this, the church must stop thinking about everybody primarily in categories of in or out, saved or not, believer or nonbeliever. Besides the fact that these terms are offensive to those who are the "un" and "non", they work against Jesus' teachings about how we are to treat each other. Jesus commanded us to love our neighbor, and our neighbor can be anybody. We are all created in the image of God, and we are all scared, valuable creations of God. Everybody matters. To treat people differently based on who believes what is to fail to respect the image of God in everyone. As the book of James says, "God shows no favoritism." So we don't either.

This is why Nick assumed that we should be enemies when we talked last week...he is the "un" and the "non" and most of the time "we" God's church, myself included, ostracize people like Nick because they are..."heathens"..."Godless people"...they are not viewed as "...sacred, valuable creations of God."

God forgive us...change us...continue to reveal yourself to us

cool stuff

I met a guy, Brian, yesterday from revelation tattoos that has been doing the simple church thing for about 5 years now. He is an artist/owner at the tattoo studio where I got my last tattoo done by his partner. This simple church is everywhere...people are living this all over the place...very encouraging...we should be getting together soon to talk about some of our experiences, maybe even over a tattoo...

Last night at Cosmos, Nick was working while I was playing. We must have talked for an hour about life, christianity, what it means to follow Jesus, the church, etc...etc...it was a divine appointment.
turns out he's an atheist...I like him...the way he thinks...he is real...honest...
he knows more about what Jesus followers are supposed to look like than a lot of the people I know that claim to be following Jesus. He was raised in the church and made to go while growing up...he got tired of the hypocrisy and having it forced down his throat so he left...I totally understand
I invited him to our tuesday night meal and simple church on sundays. I hope he'll come sometime soon...he asked if I minded him coming and being the 'devil's advocate' of sorts...I said that would be awesome if he would share with us.

At one point after he told me he was an atheist, he said, "you know, we're probably supposed to be enemies or something, but I kinda like you."

Jesus, thank you for Nick, for his honesty, his openness, his willingness to share...I pray that he would see that you really are who you say you are, that he would see you in us, in our lives...in our love for others
Jesus, be our love...

library

I love the library...just wanted to say that...

We're going to the Zoo today with our neighbors, I'm so thankful for them...Macee's never been there, should be fun...

More from that Rob Bell guy

This is why it is so toxic for the gospel when Christians picket and boycott and complain about how bad the world is. This behavior doesn’t help. It makes it worse. It isn’t the kind of voice Jesus wants his followers to have in the world. Why blame the dark for being dark? It is far more helpful to ask why the light isn’t as bright as it could be.

I've been asking myself the same question...why isn't the light as bright as it should be...why isn't my light as bright as it should be...

Daily asking the question, Jesus, how am I to be poured out today...

until his heart is our heart...his passion our passion...his love our love...we will continue to ask why the light isn't as bright as it could or should be...

We were reading some scriptures last night at our Maundy Thursday meal we had at our house. It was good share in that together. When Jesus was praying in the garden he said this of eternal life,

"Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."

How did we miss this...how has "eternal life" only meant "going to heaven"... a place... in the brand of Christianity we've been selling. jesus said, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,'or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you"

It isn't a place...it is a way to "be"...it is knowing God and knowing Christ...bringing "heaven" to earth by allowing Christ to live on this earth again through us...

faith community

the community that meets in our home was here last night and it was a very rich time. It was the kind of gathering that I have been hoping would soon begin to develop with us here. Someone shared a prayer the Lord gave her for us as a community, some one else shared a scripture that came to mind out of that prayer, someone else shared another scripture, we discussed it, shared our impressions...our insights..., someone shared a song, someone was encouraged in her spiritual gifting to continue to use it and obey the promptings of it...a couple people took part of our shared meal over to a family that couldn't be here because of illness.

It was the body of Christ being the body of Christ to each other...it was beautiful.

Pancake breakfast

First day of spring break and it involved pancakes...good pancakes...good times...

Thank you Jesus for my family...