A podcast of part two in our current conversation on sin and redemption, Hostage.

As we gathered last Sunday, Jeremy Gray helped us think about and lean into a good story life by exploring questions of character, conflict, and action.  This week I came across a great initiative called Peer To Peer University, which offers free, collaborative learning tracks on everything from creative non-fiction writing to behavioral economics and decision making.  I mention this because one of the current offerings, Solve Anything!: Building Ideas Through Design, caught my attention due to its focus on the following two questions: What makes ideas successful? How does one develop an idea in response to a problem, and then nurture it into a product, service, or experience?

As we discussed last week, and at various other times, our lives are designed for community with God, one another and those we’re in relationship with.  And this community wiring places us perfectly within the context of mission, of partnering with God and one another in the redemptive work of overcoming evil with good, of overcoming death with life, of living and working for the salvation of the world.  The class offering above caused me to think about that.  It caused me to think of how we might resource ourselves, together, to truly initiate and make redemptive change.  It caused me to wonder how we prepare to overcome conflict, in the sense of the problems that need to be overcome (relationally, systemically, societally, etc.), solved and “nurtured into a product, service or experience.”

And so, I’ll be signing up for this class for a couple of reasons.  One, simply to experiment with and explore the possibilities of peer to peer learning.  And two, to seriously consider and develop my own strategy for problem solving, overcoming conflict (again, in the sense of a problem or situation to be overcome in order to move into the preferred / needed future) and action.

Who’s with me?

Last night Kaleo hosted an informal yet focused gathering designed to help us enter the season of Lent together.  Our observance of this season, while informed and tethered to centuries of practice by faithful Jesus followers, is not rooted in a desire to appear more spiritual, earn righteousness, etc.  Instead, we recognize the value and need of preparation.  Many among us have demonstrated this through a regiment of bodily exercise focused on an upcoming performance such as Bloomsday.  Others have done so by going back to school in order to prepare for a career that vibes with who they’re made to be.  There are countless examples of how we believe in preparation, and therefore orient our energies accordingly (at home, at work, at school, etc.).  And so the season of Lent is quite fitting, seeing as how it is a preparation for fully engaging the most important event, reality and hope in the history of everything, Easter.

So here is a little resource that we put together (from various sources) to help us enter the season of Lent.  Each day has a suggested exercise intended to help us come to grips with our own sin and struggle, as well as God’s good redemption enacted by Jesus and distributed through the Holy Spirit.  The reason for this is because the Lenten season is closely identified to Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness where he was tempted and overcame the devil (Matthew 4:1-11).  You’ll also notice that each Sunday suggests reading through the story just mentioned, and then enjoying the day.  The reason for this is because throughout Lent Sunday’s serve as days of feasting, as days made to remind us of what’s coming in just a few more Sundays.

So download the resource, honestly confess, repent and believe the Gospel, and let’s walk through this season, “a heavy wait edging toward hope,” together. (And feel free to share your experiences with the calendar resource, and the season in general in the comments section.)  For in our fasting we learn to feast.  In our confession we learn to celebrate.  In our preparation we learn to become, more fully, the good news in the places we’re planted.

As a community we repeatedly discuss and seek to focus our lives on being good news where we’re planted, whether we’re gathered or scattered.  Here’s a link to a great article by Ben Witherington that I would encourage all of us to take time to read and think through.  Ben deals with the lie that will seemingly never die.  Specifically, that there is some biblically endorsed “ministry” / “non-ministry” division (clergy vs. laity, or whatever terms you prefer).  In doing so he discusses our corporate calling and giftedness, the role of leaders among the people of God, and provokes a heightened imagination and orientation to action among us all.  So again, take time to read Ben’s thoughts and leave a thought or two in the comments section. And may we continue to give up our lives for the sake of Jesus’ mission of love and redemption.  For that is where we’ll find it.

*As we conclude our current investigation of family life in light of the Kingdom come and coming in Jesus this Sunday, we’ll discuss some things that Ben’s article touches on.

As we continue our current learning series, Family Recipe: A Tasty Exploration Of Life At Home (& Beyond), here’s a resource from the good folks at Soma Communities in Tacoma, WA designed to help children, and their parents I might add, enter the story of God through the Bible.  Each section includes story telling and dialogue.  Why not focus on at least one story over dinner or before bedtime each week?  And be sure to stop back by and leave a comment about you and your child’s experience of entering the story together.

One week ago today I was riding in a car with my friend, Dave Wilkinson (who pastors The Porch in Spokane), when I decided to check the news on my phone (I wasn’t driving).  I looked at him and said, “Did you know that an earthquake struck Haiti today?”  From that point, our conversation turned from the miscellaneous to an exchange marked by surprise, intermittent incoming pieces of new information, and the seemingly odd timing of our travels.  You see, we had decided to take this trip in December.  We wanted to discuss Haiti, the whole gospel and possibilities for how our church communities’ could engage in long term partnership there with a couple of guys who’ve given a lot of there lives to the island nation.  One week ago everyone started discussing Haiti.

Today I received an email stating that 70,000 were confirmed dead.
Today I read a report citing the leading US general in Haiti as saying that the death toll might reach 200,000.
Today I looked at these pictures of destruction from The Boston Globe.
Today I reflected again on this ache filled piece by Régine Chassagne of The Arcade Fire.
Today I heard that one of the guys I met in Oregon, Brian, left for Haiti.
Today I was thankful for the continual flow of aid through organizations like The Red Cross, Convoy of Hope, and even initiatives like this from Paste Magazine.
Today I once again resolved to pray, to resist the temptation to become apathetic with time, to act.

Will you join me?

Donations made to The Red Cross, Convoy of Hope, One Day’s Wages (Haiti partnerships) and other legitimate humanitarian organizations make a difference.
Donations made to people like Brian Graffenberger (I shared about meeting him this past Sunday, and about him traveling to Haiti with water purification systems, etc. above) make a difference.
Prayer is an active force that makes a difference.
Forging ahead in long term relationship and partnership in Haiti makes a difference.

Over the coming weeks we’ll spend our Sunday gatherings exploring family life in light of the way of Jesus and his mission of love and redemption.  With this in mind, what questions, comments or thoughts for investigation are you pondering these days regarding home life, singleness and marriage, the raising of children, family and mission, etc.?  Please reply in the comments area.

The People Walking In Darkness
What do we know about darkness?
To us, darkness is yellow. It’s the color of street lights.
It drains the world of color but not of detail.

What would it be like to see… nothing?
To feel isolated and alone?
To live under the control of empires and powers too strong to oppose?
To long for change, but fear to hope that change is possible?
To lose confidence that God has any power to alter the world?

But darkness is also a place of concealment.
A place where we can mask our true selves.
A place to hide the things we don’t like about us.

Perhaps we know darkness after all.
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light…

Ah yes, the light.
We know about that!
The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes. But little lord Jesus no crying he makes.
But this baby is also the light of the world.
The harsh light of day, penetrator of dark corners, revealer of blind spots
Who tramples on rose-tinted glasses and heals jaundiced eyes.

This is the light that will not be tamed, controlled or confined.
We coo over the baby in the manger, and attempt to cut God down to size,
And make him in our image. For what could be dangerous about a tiny child?
Yet the coming light will overturn empires, rule with justice and righteousness,
See into the heart of us and save the world.

God was born as a boy and made his dwelling among us.
That doesn’t mean that because we know babies, we know all there is to know about God.

So watch and prepare for the coming of the light.
Greet the coming with joy, and also fear.
Watch and wait.
Expect to be surprised.
But not comfortable.
Watch and wait.

via Grace, A community in Ealing UK

Advent, a season of hopeful waiting, begins on Sunday November 29th and lasts through Christmas.  As a community, we will be leaning into this ancient / future time, longing for Christ to be born in us, and through us, as we also await his second advent, or coming.  This first season of the year (The Church or Christian calendar begins each year with Advent) offers an invitation to us.  An invitation to come and see, to watch and wait, to celebrate and worship.   Here are a few ways that we’ll be exploring and participating together during these days.

Sunday Gatherings
During our Sunday gatherings we’ll be exploring a series of texts from the last book of the New Testament, Revelation alongside of the scenes and texts of the original Christmas story.  Our intent will be to experience the healthy tension of living between Christ’s first advent and second advent.  And these scenes and texts will provide ample opportunity to do just that as we see the King revealed.

Shared Experiences
We are once again aligning ourselves with a vast array of Jesus followers through participating in the Advent Conspiracy, a movement centered upon worshipping Jesus fully, spending less, giving more and loving all.  In light of this we’ll be hosting an evening to explore and create relational gifts.  We’ll also provide a variety of ways to serve our neighbors, both local and global.  And lastly, we’ll gather on Christmas Eve for a time of expectant worship, stories and prayer.  While these experiences are being planned, we hope many others will take place among Houseplant gatherings, neighborhood connections, etc.

Resources
Throughout the season, Kaleo will be creating and providing resources for children and adults.  If you have practices, traditions, etc. that you have developed as tools for navigating the holidays (literally, holy days), please share them with us and one another!  Also, be sure to check out www.adventconspiracy.org and www.rethinkingchristmas.com

Consider the impact of your one day’s wages, which is equivalent to about 0.4% of your annual salary.

$20 can build a well to provide clean water for one person for 20 years.
$10 can purchase a bed net to help prevent malaria.
$45 can pay annual school tuition for one child.

One Day’s Wages is you, me, us, them: giving, dreaming, and working together to end extreme global poverty. Join the movement.  Take a few minutes to watch the video in the sidebar for more information from founder Eugene Cho.