Sunday, October 26, 2003

:: God has a way

After moving into our apartment complex, it didn't take us long to figure out that the management were not eager for us to tell people about the church plant. In reality they asked us not to put up any flyers or go door to door. For someone who was anticipating that as being the primary connecting point with people it was a bit of a hit. A part of me asked "God, why would you send us where we can't readily contact people?" But as so many times, I just needed to wait, to pray, and trust God for His provision, whether it fit my paradigms of life or not.

Saturday our complex had an all apartment garage sale. Since all the apartments have garages, over 20 apartments had sales. It was an awesome opportunity for us to meet people and let people know God has sent us here to plant a church. I remember John Wimber saying over and over "You have to tell your story and His story". Tell your story about what God is sending you to do and how He sent you. Tell His story of the cross and the wonderous things of the kingdom of God. So as we go out among people we are doing both, telling His story and our story. Saturday afternoon, Mark and I went out looking at apartments. He has found a job and is ready to find a place to live. At many of the places we shared how God has sent us here to start a new community of Christ followers. We had one apartment rep ask for more information and even say she would stop by and see what we were all about.

Gods ways are not my ways. My little mind can not even get close to the mind of God, yet He is faithful to speak in ways I can hear. What an amazing God He is.

Thursday, October 23, 2003

:: Getting Wisdom

I am a learner. I am trying to get wisdom, understanding, ideas, impartation, free groceries, and just whatever I can from many sources. I am reading Community of Kindess right now. Community of Kindness is just a pragmatic, down to earth, straightforward, authentic work about church planting. It is quickly becoming my favorite church planting book read.

I also have had the privilege of meeting with Dane Yarborough (pastor of Harbor Point Community Church). Dane has been through this process and has been the lead pastor of a group of eight that today has probably a community of 1000 people. He was blessed to spend time with John Wimber. Dane lets me come by once a month and bombard him with church planting questions. I am thankful for this source of help for our community.

I am also thankful for the denomination God has aligned us with. The Foursquare church in Texas is made up of many quality people. Men and women who are authentically pursuing God. These people also have a heart for extending the kingdom of God through church planting.

I have also connected with the emerging church community here in the Dallas area and have some friendships forming there. I am amazed at the support God has surrounded us with and thankful for wisdom He is pouring into us.

:: Fuel 3 October

We had nine adults and 3 kids Monday night and two of our new regulars were out. Somehow God continues to send us a few new people each Monday. We are committed to giving what we have to who God gives us. This is not just at our Fuel meetings but in context of our daily lives.

I list the numbers not for numbers sake but for a history of who we are and how Jesus is constructing His community of Christ followers here. In all honesty as a beginning church planter I have been tempted to count my daughters life size stuffed animal Clifford a couple of times.

Monday, I had such a strong sense of the Lords presence and power in our midst. Our worship seemed particularly energized.

At the front end we had everyone read five scriptures passages and ask the questions "What is God saying in these passages?" and "Is He saying anything to me?". I love how the treasures of peoples heart and of His heart come out as we read, meditate, and share about what God is saying to us through Scripture.

:: Stepping out from the land of logic

Ever hear a phrase and have it stick to you like syrup. You just can't get it off. I heard a young woman speak of stepping out from the land of logic. When Peter went to Jesus walking on the water, he left the land of logic to follow Christ. In our lives obedience doesn't necessarily make since to our logical minds.

I am finding lately that my walk with God leads me to His peace but takes me away from my comfort. My obedience leads me to be involved with the kingdom of God not my personal success. Like Peter I am doin my darndest to keep my eyes on Jesus see what He is saying to me. Also like Peter at times, I look around me and see the sea and the waves and my logical mind kicks in and says "Are you crazy, what are you doing out in the deep?"

So this phrase continues to stir in me, and to wrestle with me, and most of all to challenge me. The challenge is to obey, even when I don't understand. God is so far above my rationality.

Sunday, October 12, 2003

:: Garage Sale top 10

Saturday morning was a garage sale morning for Ethan, Mark, and I. Dallas is a great place for garage sales. There are a lot of wealthy people who get rid of some good stuff to have better stuff (sounds like a standup comic dialogue). I found a 21" Sony Trinitron monitor the other day for $40 because someone wanted a flatscreen instead. Mark found a wireless fm set up with headphones Saturday for 1.00. I found Ethan a whole crate of contex for $1.00. While on our excursion we came up with a garage sale don'ts top 10.

10. Don't forget your address on the garage sale sign.
9. Don't have bad stuff at your sale (you gotta have some furniture and tech stuff).
8. Don't tell customers where to park.
7. Don't just have junk in a box, put it out to be seen.
6. Don't charge retail prices for garage sale stuff.
5. Don't forget to have at least one Elvis item.
4. Don't use less than 5 signs to get to your place.
3. Don't leave old garage sale signs up beyond the week of the sale.
2. Don't leave out old food on your sale tables.
1. Don't sell your wifes stuff without asking first.

Thursday, October 09, 2003

:: Among Thorns

We went to a conference where Among Thorns were doing the worship and then later a concert. They opened the concert with Shelter Me, one of my favorites.

Wednesday, October 08, 2003

:: Help me, I'm deconstructing

I was at lunch today with a new friend Chandra. We were dialoguing about the whole idea of deconstruction, is it good, is it bad, do we need it? I really enjoyed the interchange of ideas. As I was reflecting on the conversation I was thinking about how as disciples of Christ we are to deconstruct daily (Paul, said "I die daily"). We are to deconstruct our old self-centered impulses and reactions and construct our new self-less identity which is centered on our relationship with Christ.

Deconstruction is very relative to our existence. My prayer today is God show me the identity walls that need deconstructing and work in me to tear them down while at the same time work in me to embrace the constructs of life in the kingdom of God building towards eternity.

Tuesday, October 07, 2003

:: 1st Oct Fuel

Last night we began with Fuel with funny stories that happened in community or at a faith event. The funniest had to be Chris telling about the time he was playing ball at some church event. He grabbed his sweat pants to pull them off and inadvertently grabbed his shorts too. Some older saint close by let out a "Oh my gosh". I told them of our friend Karen when leading worship and being a tad bit nervous while in Europe said "Worship me, as I sing this song".

Then there was the time I saw an elderly gentleman baptize a lady weighing about 300 pounds, she went down and he just couldn't hold her. You see her feet go straight up in the air over the baptismal tank. We all voted yes that these maybe very spiritual moments in community and that God loves joy and laughter.

Chris had up recite the Nicene creed during worship and gave a little background on how it was created. The Nicene creed is a solid work of theology. There was a sweet presence of God during our worship. I was encouraged at the extended time of silence we took at the end.

We had three friends come by from Mars Hill (an emerging community in Richardson). It was an encouragement to us to have Justin, Jeff and Josh worship with us. They told us that Mars Hill had adopted the Nicene Creed as their doctrinal statement of faith.

It was a good night of laughter, worship and being with the saints.

Monday, October 06, 2003

:: Time keeps on slippin, slippin, slippin . . .

I can't believe that there's been no blogging for a week. Time shot by. I found myself wrestling much this week. There was much emotional dissonance. Feeling of loneliness seemed to pound at me. I questioned my own capacities to manage what God wants to do with this church plant called Resonance. I've read the books and know that this is all part of the territory of pioneering a church.

My greatest fear is that I won't allow God to use this for me to depend on Him more and end up using the struggle to convince myself to make it all happen.

As I press in to God. I hear His reminder to keep focused on Him, to continue to renew my mind in the matters of the kingdom of God, to continue to pursue being morphed into the likeness of the man/Christ Jesus. So I embrace the wrestling in my emotions as good. Good because they will direct me to call out to the almighty. Good because I become aware of my extreme weakness and turn to my true source of strength which is God.

I am reminded by a message I heard this week that my place is to obey God. If I am to do that I have to put my trust in him daily, hourly, minute by minute. And not a trust that is fluff. It's easy to say you trust God when your feet are on secure ground and your emotions are comfortable. Real trust is when we take a big risk, one so great that there is no way it happens unless God moves and comes through. That is where we are at. So we embrace the brokenness, we embrace His strength, we embrace the journey and we continue to embrace our God.