Thursday, December 13, 2007

Sunday December 23

The final theme for Advent is LOVE. Here are the Scriptures:
John1.1-18
Philppians 2.5-11
And here is the worship bulletin.

Third Sunday in Advent

The worship bulletin for this Sunday is here. The theme for this week is JOY. That's good, right? We all would like to, maybe NEED to, feel more joy. It's what makes the holidays special, isn't it. It seems to me from the Scriptures that joy is related to redemption. We can have joy because of redemption. See, that is why happiness is different from joy. As it has been said before, happiness is usually associated with happenings (my circumstances in life). Joy comes from knowing that I have been redeemed by God, that the biggest questions in life are settled, and that even though I may have hard times, God will work through them (redeem them) in my life (Romans 8.28).
Scriptures for this Sunday:
Isaiah 35.1-2, 8-10
Luke 2.1-20

How Big Is Your Footprint?

My wife Mindy (what? as opposed to my other wife?) sent me a link to this quiz. It measures your ecological footprint. I scored 15, when the average for my age/area was 24. Lower is better, so I guess that's good. But I would like to drive less, conserve energy more, use less water, eat more local food, and eat less red meat.

HeartSupport

HeartSupport is a website that is a support group for people struggling with addictions, depression, eating disorders, etc. Give it a look. You might need it. You might know someone needs it. I got the link from Marko.

Speaking of Darfur...

The problem is not solved. Go here to take action. However you feel about our current administration, this is one issue they've gotten right. If you are having trouble getting interested in the situation in Darfur, rent the movie Hotel Rwanda. It's about Rwanda, not Sudan, but it gives you an idea of what genocide is like. I've liked Don Cheadle ever since I saw him in Traffic.

Didn't I Say This Sunday?

Read this article about the situation in Darfur. It relates peace and justice, as I did Sunday, as does Isaiah.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Christmas Stuff

The folks at rejesus.co.uk have put together an awesome collection of Christmas stuff. Some is fun, some is meditative. You should check it out!

Look! I'm a dancing elf!

Well, I made a total elf of myself today...and 3 other unsuspecting friends. At least they used to be friends, I don't know if they will be after they see this!
If you have to blame someone, my wife sent me a link to this site.

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

What Would Jesus Buy?

I received an email today from Rick McKinley, one of the lead guys in the Advent Conspiracy. It is about the movie What Would Jesus Buy? which is sort of a parody and it is put out by Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me). The movie is opening in Tucson at the Loft this Friday, December 7.
Here is the article:

// WHAT WOULD JESUS BUY?

Rick McKinley Pastor Imago Dei Community

I got a surprise email from Morgan Spurlock the day after Thanksgiving.. His new movie What Would Jesus Buy? was premiering in Portland that weekend. You may remember Morgan from his movie Super Size Me.” Morgan had heard about [AC] Advent Conspiracy and as we talked we found we shared a similar desire to see the story of Christmas re-told. He was kind enough to invite my family and I to the showing.

The movie deserves a viewing and will start some great conversations on consumerism in our culture and the systemic effect it has had on our culture.

I really encourage you if you are in a city where it is playing to go see it and take some people with you. Morgan is a great guy and he agreed to come to Imago and let me interview him the next morning at Church. Watch it here if you like..

We have a better story to tell at Christmas, let’s tell it well.

- Rick

Other 6

I found another cool site today. It's called "Other 6", which refers to the other 6 days of the week besides Sunday. It is intended to help us see God at work in the other 6 days of the week that do not have a time committed to God (like worship). You can add bubbles about how you saw God this day, or about how you need to see God show up in your life. You can read where other people have found God, or where they need to (and you could pray for them). You can even download an application that reminds you to look for God in your daily life. Give it a try!

3 Minute Retreat

In the right side column you will find a link to a site called "3 Minute Retreat". It is a way to pray and engage Scripture online in a meaningful way that is also short and convenient. The retreat may take more than 3 minutes--you can pray and meditate for as long as you like at some points. I liked it. Give it a try.

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

The Second Sunday in Advent: PEACE

December 9 is the second Sunday in Advent. Our theme in The Refuge is PEACE. Our Scriptures are:
Isaiah 2.1-5
Isaiah 9.2-7
Luke 1.67-79
Isaiah 32.16-17

Notice what these Scriptures say about peace and how it relates to the coming of Jesus, the Christ.

The images in these Scriptures are of light and peace together. The Isaiah passages also emphasize the authority of Christ as the source of peace.

The Luke passage brings in to the mix spiritual peace, and he also employs the image of light.

God will bring peace, but we can work for it now.

Christ has authority—all authority—and he will bring peace to this world. He will bring peace by bringing light. The light will dispel our fear and will show us the path to peace. Right now, we can experience Christ’s peace by experiencing his forgiveness.

Light and peace characterize Christ’s kingdom. As the kingdom of God is advanced—as more and more of the world and the situations and people in the world come into line with the desires of God—light will come and peace will prevail.

Christ’s kingdom is advanced and peace comes when justice prevails.

How can we work for justice? Will YOU work for justice? Will YOU work for peace?

God will bring peace, but we can experience it now.

Only God’s salvation brings peace. Let the light of God search through every corner of your life. Commit the things exposed by the light to the forgiveness and tender mercy of God. Feel the peace of God. Your guilt is gone. You can stop worrying about failing to measure up. Your shame is now baseless. You no longer need to fear death. When you let go of those things, you are free to step out into the light and to be guided by God into his peace.

We accept God’s forgiveness and we enter into life and light and salvation. Have you accepted the forgiveness that God offers in Jesus Christ?

We accept God’s forgiveness because our attempts at following Christ are imperfect at best, interrupted by our impulses and pride, and often misguided.

This week's worship bulletin is here.

The Big 5-0

Last week (November 29) I turned 50. That's right, I was born in 1957. I had a really good birthday. Originally, we planned to do something active outside involving volleyball or maybe kickball, but the weather was bad all last week. Instead we moved inside and had a lot of fun anyway.
My family took me out to eat and to a movie on Friday. That was a lot of fun, too. We went to On the Border, and then to Crossroads to see Gone Baby Gone.
All in all, a great weekend. And no, it doesn't feel any different being 50. And yes, I've received SEVERAL mailings from AARP wanting me to join.

Bob Dylan

Most people who know me know I am a huge Bob Dylan fan. Even though I am old enough to have been around during a big part of his career, I really became interested in the 90's while I lived in West Virginia. A guy in my church told me about Bob's Christian albums, and made me some tapes. I was hooked. Now I am a fan of all things Bob Dylan. For the record, my favorite CD is Time Out of Mind from the late 90's. The article from an email from Relevant below is very revealing.








What sent shock waves through the industry, the media and his fan base was the news that Bob Dylan, the symbol of protest against the Establishment, had placed his faith in Jesus. The Jewish icon of counterculture was now a born-again Christian; Bob Dylan had come to believe that Jesus was the fulfillment of the messianic prophecies found in the Hebrew scriptures, just as the Jewish writers of the New Testament had maintained.

The initial shock of hearing that Bob Dylan—Bob Dylan!—professed to have a personal relationship with Jesus was followed by utter confusion. How could this be? There seemed to be no sane explanation for this bewildering turn of events. Some cynics charged that Dylan had been brainwashed, others argued that he had simply sold out; the popularity of contemporary Christian music was on the rise, and he had decided to cash in on the booming genre.

Most baffling of all, though, was the seeming contradiction between Dylan’s Jewish ethnicity and his newfound passion for Jesus. Many in the Jewish community felt that Dylan had betrayed his heritage; others apparently unaware of any Jewish believers in Jesus found the whole situation incomprehensible: How could a Jew believe in Jesus?

But what about Dylan’s spiritual leanings prior to 1979? Before his experience with Jesus there were numerous indications that he was familiar with the teachings of the New Testament; he hadn’t exactly been silent about the person of Jesus.

Having grown up in a Jewish home, a young Bob Dylan would have had more than a passing acquaintance with the Hebrew language and Scriptures. Perhaps equally—or even more—influential was the gospel music he heard on the radio late at night, when from his home in Minnesota he could pull in a signal from far-away Shreveport, La., a thousand miles to the south.

Dylan still remembers when he was 12 and first heard the legendary gospel group the Staple Singers. “At midnight the gospel stuff would start,” he said.

As a 22-year-old in 1963, Dylan referred to Jesus in his lyrical masterpieces “Masters of War” and “With God on Our Side.” The former included an overstatement that had Jesus drawing a line on His forgiveness; the latter asked a question loaded with heavy implications: Did Judas Iscariot have God on his side? You’ll have to decide that one for yourself, Dylan wrote. Regardless of the answer, one thing was certain: If the pop genre had a coffin, then as a lyricist Dylan had certainly just driven a few nails into it.

Despite these and other biblical allusions in his early lyrics, on more than one occasion Dylan flatly denied having a personal faith. Claiming to have tried out several different religions, Dylan said he had no religion of his own. He believed individuals and churches interpreted the Bible to suit their own needs. God is all around us, he said, but people don’t respect or recognize Him; after all, look what they did to Jesus when He walked on the earth, he pointed out.

Dylan may not have claimed a personal faith, but his own words indicate that God was very much on his mind, just as the Bible was very much a part of his life.

So obvious was the spiritual content of Dylan’s epic album Highway 61 Revisited, released in 1965 when the singer was 24, that journalist Michael Corcoran would later describe the lyrics as a translation of the Bible in street terms.

It didn’t take long before yet another role was assigned to the groundbreaking songwriter—that of prophet. While Dylan consistently shunned this role, it became increasingly clear that he couldn’t escape it. Gifted with extraordinary spiritual and moral insight, Dylan had become the spokesman for an entire disenchanted, disillusioned generation. Whether he liked it or not, he fit the prophetic bill.

Without question, Dylan’s upbringing, particularly his Jewish heritage, had significantly shaped who he is today. And clearly, late-night radio was largely responsible for shaping Dylan’s life as a musician, poet and spiritual seeker. The rhythms of the music, the cadence of the words, the passion of the stories all coalesced into a brilliant mind and soul centered on the spiritual nature of every aspect of life.

Beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess as to what other factors made Bob Dylan the man he is today—which, in essence, is the same man he has always been. The early influences that created in him an independent nature and the determination to live an authentic life are a part of the mystery that is Bob Dylan. Like few other entertainers, Dylan has resisted—or perhaps more accurately, completely ignored—all the pointless efforts his record company, fans and critics have made to get him to conform to their image of who he should be. Over a period of 40 years in the spotlight, Dylan has remained faithful to who he is and what he believes to be true.

Dylan doesn’t fit any of the religious molds that people have created, simply because Dylan’s personal expression of faith remains larger than any mold mere men ever could create. Meanwhile, as outside observers continue their efforts to pigeonhole him, Bob Dylan continues to sit at the feet of the Master on his personal hillside, listening attentively, questioning respectively, analyzing thoughtfully. Yes, this just could be where Dylan has been sitting all along.

This excerpt from
Restless Pilgrim (RELEVANT) by Scott Marshall with Marcia Ford is featured in the current issue of RELEVANT.

Author: Scott M. Marshall With Marcia Forda

Scott M. Marshall with Marcia Ford authored Restless Pilgrim: The Spiritual Journey of Bob Dylan (RELEVANT).

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Advent

This Sunday, Dec. 2, is the first Sunday in Advent.

What is Advent?

Advent, from the Latin adventus ("coming"), marks the beginning of the Church year (the Christian calendar), comprising the four weeks before Christmas. In recent years, Advent has been viewed as forming the first part of the three-part season of Christmas: (1) Advent; (2) Christmas; (3) Epiphany.

The season of Advent appears to have originated in Gaul (modern day France), in the second half of the fourth century A.D. At this time it was a three week fast before Christmas. We do not find the first mention of Advent in Rome, however, until the late sixth century.

From the beginning, Advent has been a season of preparation for Christ's coming. When Advent observances first began, Christians living in the West (the western part of the Roman Empire) emphasized preparation for the Second Coming of Christ. Christians in the East stressed preparation for the celebration of Christ's birth.

For many centuries Advent's overall tone was one of sorrow for sin and penance. But in keeping with the tone of the Scripture readings for the season, in our day the tone of Advent is one of anticipation and hope, as well as one of repentance.

This Sunday, our theme is HOPE. We can have hope because Advent calls us to watch for Emmanuel, God with us. God is with us. We can have hope!
The worship bulletin for Sunday is here, and a Bible study sheet for the week is here.

Happy Birthday!

Today (November 29) is my birthday. It's a big one...50! It's pretty good so far. I'm on vacation this week, so not much blogging.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Christ the King Sunday

This next Sunday (November 25) is Christ the King Sunday. Christ the King is always the last Sunday before Advent. Check out some history about the day. This is also a good article. Our worship bulletin for Sunday is here.
Our focus is this week is simple. What if the words we pray came true? What if God's kingdom did come? What if God's will WAS done on earth JUST AS it is done in heaven? What would that look like? Will that ever be a reality? What is our part in that?
The Scriptures for this week are:
John 18.28-19.16
Matthew 20.25-28
Colossians 1.11-20
Luke 4.16-21
This is another email article from Relevant. I am interested in the documentary described.



'Tis the season for shopping insanity. From the day after Thanksgiving (“Black Friday”) through Christmas and New Years, the malls teem with long lines and crying babies and the credit card companies cha-ching-ing their way to a fat and happy holiday. But what is wrong with this picture? How twisted is it that the sacred holiday we know as Christmas has been commandeered by our unquenchable obsession with acquiring things?

For one “preacher” and his “church,” something can and must be done. Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping are taking matters into their own hands—preaching against consumerism all over the country, calling out in the wilderness of bling for an urgent exorcism of credit-obsession and a preemptive strike against the evil empires bringing about the “shopocalypse.” Yes, this is for real.

In the new Morgan Spurlock-produced documentary, What Would Jesus Buy? (releasing this week in select cities), these questions are given some comically serious consideration. The film follows Rev. Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping Gospel Choir during their cross-country bus tour in the Christmas season of 2005, performing cleverly subversive protest “gospel” songs in churches, malls, Wal-Marts and Abercrombie & Fitch stores (among others).

I should probably clarify: Reverend Billy is not an ordained minister and doesn’t even call himself a Christian. The preacher persona (modeled after a sweaty, over-the-top televangelist) is simply a stage name for Bill Talen, an actor-turned-activist from New York City (via San Francisco) who grew up Christian but left the faith as a teenager. He adopted the “Reverend” title in 1997 as a way to creatively protest America’s increasingly excessive consumerism and corporate homogeneity (with Starbucks, Wal-Mart, and Disney being his version of the “axis of evil”). What began as his solitary street “preaching” in Times Square (the “Stonehenge of billboards”) soon became a “ministry” of sorts—the Church of Stop Shopping.

The “church” is essentially a volunteer performance art/activist group, comprised of 50 singers and an eight-piece band. Though several members of the “gospel” choir are preachers’ kids, the group does not claim Christian orthodoxy. The songs they sing may sound like Jesus jams (complete with robes, swaying and hand raising), but the lyrics are more about slamming Starbucks than praising God.

Indeed, the most provocative (and potentially offensive) thing about this film is the way it blurs the lines between sacred and secular, using the forms/traditions of Christianity to proclaim its message (anti-consumerism) that is more or less secular. Is it OK that Rev. Billy and the “church” of Stop Shopping poke fun at certain brands of Christianity as a means to get their message noticed? How should Christians feel about this? Are their methods—however subversive—worth the good ends toward which they fight?

These are all questions I discussed with Morgan Spurlock in an interview last week. A very gracious and affable man, Spurlock (best known for his film Super Size Me) understood and shared some of my concerns about how Christian audiences might react to the film. Spurlock agreed that Billy has a tendency to alienate audiences, but noted that, “Reverend Billy may turn off some people, but the strength of the film is not in the man but the message.”

When I asked him what exactly that message was, Spurlock responded, “Billy’s message is similar to the message of Christianity that we’ve lost sight of … Jesus was a radical guy,” he said. “He drove the moneychangers out of the temple. Billy is acting within the tradition of Christ by using theater as a means of reform and activism.”

For Spurlock, the over-the-top theatricality and subversive comedy in the film serve a larger purpose. “It’s a movie that reminds you what is important in your life,” he said. “The question of ‘what would Jesus do?’ forces people to consider their own actions and priorities.”

Spurlock hopes the extreme exhortations of Rev. Billy (“Stop shopping! Mickey Mouse is the Antichrist!”) will not turn people off but rather get them thinking about consumerism as a serious problem. “Stop shopping is a way to open a door,” he said. “No one is going to stop shopping completely, but we have to ask questions about the products we buy. Where is it made? Is the money going back into the local economy? We don’t think about these questions enough.”

“I think we can be conscious consumers, where we don’t just buy blindly,” notes Spurlock, who believes that Christians should especially resonate with the message of the film—since they of all people can understand how far we’ve strayed from the true message of Christmas.

Even so, I can’t help but question the extent to which the “Christianity” invoked in this film mirrors the actual gospel that Jesus espoused. It seems to me that Spurlock and Rev. Billy’s group see Christ mostly as a great moral leader whose “message” could be summed up in words like peace, justice, equality and universal goodwill. But while this is all true of Christ’s message, isn’t there more to it?

At one point near the end of the film, Rev. Jim Wallis is interviewed and remarks that what Christmas represents—the birth of Christ—is the only thing that will ultimately fill the dissatisfaction that drives people to consume. But while What Would Jesus Buy? is good at pointing out the dissatisfaction that leads us to over-consumption, it stops short of Wallis’ claim that the answers lie in the person of Jesus Christ. Revered Billy says near the end of the film that “Christmas is about a child that will grow up to show the world peace … and you don’t have to be a Christian to believe that’s true.” Yes, that’s right, but “showing the world peace” is not all that Christmas represents. We can (and should) decry consumerism, the commercialization of Christmas, and the commodification of Christianity, but the ultimate call should be for a re-cast consumerism: one that is consumed with Christ and His commandments rather than cars and cappuccinos.

Author: Brett McCracken
To hear our interview with Morgan Spurlock, be sure to download this week's RELEVANT Podcast.
Brett is a grad student at UCLA's Film School and has recently started a blog at stillsearching.wordpress.com.

Family of disBelievers


This is another excellent article that I found in my email from Relevant.




One year after my mom’s wedding, I found out that my stepdad used to be Christian prior to meeting my mother. I’ve never asked why he lost his faith. My mom agreed to marry him on one condition: that he never return to the Church. So now, among the books on their library shelf, sit titles like The Atheist’s Bible and The God Delusion, right next to the untouched The Good News Bible.

As a teenager, I discovered this dusty gold book in my family’s collection. My mom only told me that it used to be hers, but never explained further. Today, I cannot imagine a younger version of my mother folding her hands in prayer. I often wonder if she used to talk to God and what made her give up on Him. I want to meet that little girl with dirty blond hair and ask if she could trust Him again.

When my parents divorced, I became a Christian, and the distance between my family and me grew. I continued asking God why my family appeared fine without Him. If Jesus was the Truth and the Way, why weren’t they seeking Him? But I began to realize that the transformation began with me. As my faith increased, my heart grew to hold a greater love for others, and my family began to notice those changes. When I chose to live for Christ, His purpose became bigger than my own.

My sister asked me one time, “What kinds of things do you pray for?”

“I pray for people, for Dad to be safe, for Mom to be happy and for you guys,” I said.

She asked what I prayed for them, and I told her I prayed that they would do well in school and make new friends, but in actuality, I pray to be a better role model for them. I pray that they’ll continue asking about my faith. I pray that the desire for knowledge and friendship will lead them into more discussions about Jesus. I know He works in mysterious ways. And one day, they’ll see something or meet someone who will stir questions deep within their hearts, and they’ll begin to wonder if He’s real.

Sometimes in church on Sundays, I imagine my mom sitting beside me, drinking a cup of grape juice during communion. I imagine her discussing the pros and cons of the pastor’s sermon with me. I imagine her pointing out an important passage of the Bible to me with authority. “Turn to 1 John 4:7,” she would say. I wonder if she secretly consults that gold Bible of hers once in a while and dog-ears a page or two.

My mom is my best friend, but I struggle with introducing my faith to her. She never voiced disapproval over my decision of faith, but she didn’t exactly support me, either. So I step cautiously around religious. I find myself rewording sentences so as not to come across as a Bible-thumping fundamentalist, and at the same time, I refrain from pointing out every positive experience and saying, “See, that’s God right there.” I don’t want her to think I have an agenda or that I’m out to save a couple more lives for Jesus.

Salvation is one of the most important concepts of Christianity that continues to puzzle me. While flipping through one of my mom’s school yearbooks, I found a baptism certificate hidden in its pages. So is my mom saved, or must she start over and repent because she lost her faith? It’s too difficult for me to imagine her or anyone else in my family enduring an eternity without God, so I show them love and attempt to bring Jesus into their lives. But is that enough? If they died tomorrow, will I have done all I could? Or will I feel guilty for not having done more?

I want to tell my mom that in all these years of suffering, God has never left her side. No matter what she was told in the past, He loves and forgives. I have never outright said, “Mom, I want you to know that Jesus loves you more than anything,” because I’m afraid of my words failing. In my mind, she would answer sarcastically, “Nice to know he cares.” And she’d say it with a lowercase “h” because He is just a pronoun to her.

For every unclear, unfamiliar and unknown situation I face with my family, I remain hopeful about God’s promises and confident that He will move in time. Lamentations 3:25–26 promises, “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord” (TNIV). My family hasn’t witnessed the hours of tears I’ve cried for them, and they haven’t heard the hours of prayers I’ve spoken for them. But I don’t think those hours have been wasted. I know God hears me. The Bible says, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” (Matthew 21:22).

I visualize these plans He sets before me—dozens of moments, hundreds of conversations and thousands of opportunities for me to witness and spread His message. I am called to love Jesus, to love others and to live a Christ-centered life. But how do I share the most important facet of my life with the most important people in my life when the two are incompatible? The answer is simply to love.
Author: Morgan Kirk

Morgan Kirk is an intern at RELEVANT Media Group.

Free Rice

Check out this simple vocabulary game. As you get words correct, the sponsors pay to donate rice to hungry people. You play, they pay, others get to eat. Simple enough, huh? BTW, my rating was 41. Thanks to Marko for this one.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Sunday November 11

[I check this page on Mondays for comments needing a response. On Wednesday, I switch it over to the topic for the next Sunday.]

This is the one Sunday per year that we get down to brass tacks about what we are going to do during the next year as far as our involvement in the church is concerned. This is Pledge Sunday.
This year, we are taking the approach of considering the promises we made when we were baptized, confirmed, or received into church membership. We promised to support the church with our prayers, presence, gifts, and service. In other words, it's not just about money. Our pledge cards for this year include all 4 areas. And our prayer and worship experiences will give us an opportunity to explore each of the areas and what God is leading us to do in each one.

Feel free to leave any feedback or discussion as a comment! Read the comments, and discuss with each other!

Questions or comments

Feel free to leave any questions or comments about The Refuge or anything at all here in the comments section. I will reply as a comment (so you will need to check back to see the reply), or you can include your email address and I will reply directly to you.

Thursday, November 01, 2007

A New Way to Do Church

The article below is from an email sent to me by the folks at Emergent Village. It describes a development at Willow Creek Community Church (near Chicago). Willow is the quintessential megachurch and its pastor, Bill Hybels, is leader of the Willow Creek Association for likeminded churches.
I recommend reading the article below and following the links to watch the videos. In many ways, I think that this really is no big change in approach for Willow. When Bill talks about personalized spiritual develop plans, it still seems like he is being driven by a business plan and not led by the Spirit.
Spiritual formation only happens in community. And it happens almost by accident sometimes. As the people of God do the work of God and seek the face of God all by the Spirit of God, spiritual formation happens. Sanctification (as Wesley would have put it) happens.
You can do things to put yourself in a place for God to work. You can throw open windows in your life to let in the grace of God, but YOU CAN'T PROGRAM SPIRITUAL FORMATION.

Happy Reading!

Intentionality, Practice, and Vitality

Posted: 29 Oct 2007 08:34 PM CDT

As you’ve probably already heard, Willow Creek Community Church “repented” recently, with founding pastor Bill Hybels himself admitting, “We made a mistake. What we should have done when people crossed the line of faith and became Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become ‘self-feeders.’ We should have gotten people, taught people, how to read their Bible between service, how to do the spiritual practices much more aggressively on their own.”

There’s been plenty of reaction in the blogosphere.

Writing today on the Alban Institute website, Diana Butler Bass says, “Notice what Hybels says is missing: intentionality, practice, and vitality.”

Bass says these are the same three points confirmed by her 2004 research on mainline churches which found: “Congregations that intentionally engage Christian practices are congregations that experience new vitality” (The Practicing Congregation, Alban Institute).

She explains, “Intentionality involves choice and taking responsibility for individual and communal spirituality; ... practice is not a program, rather it is a meaningful way of life; and … vitality cannot be measured in terms of numbers as it means spiritual health and maturity. A vital congregation is one where all people—including the pastor—are growing members of an organic community of spiritual practice..”

Read the whole thing

Year of Living Biblically

This article is from an email I received from Relevant Magazine.
The author of the book featured in this article attempted to live for one year in obedience to every command of the Bible (that was not illegal). The result is the book described below. I found this excerpt article pretty interesting. Let me know what you think by leaving a comment.

Editor’s Note: The article is a portion of the cover story for issue 29 of RELEVANT. To subscribe to RELEVANT, you can go here.

For my book The Year of Living Biblically, I spent 12 months following the rules of the Old Testament. All of them. Hundreds of them. I followed the famous ones, such as the Ten Commandments and ‘Love thy neighbor.’ But I also followed the often-ignored ones, such as don’t wear clothes of mixed fibers, don’t shave your beard and, yes, stone adulterers.

It was an amazing, enlightening and life-changing year. It was a spiritual journey that moved from irreverence to reverence. You see, I grew up in a totally secular home. No religion at all. I’m officially Jewish, but I’m Jewish in the way the Olive Garden is Italian. Which is to say, not very. But in recent years, I decided I needed to see what I was missing. Was I neglecting something crucial to being human, like someone who goes through life without ever hearing Beethoven or falling in love? I dived into the Bible headfirst. And lo, it was awesome. I was surprised by how relevant much of the Bible’s ancient wisdom was to my 21st-century life. I was surprised by how baffled I was by other passages. I was surprised by how a lifelong agnostic like I am could find solace in prayer. I was surprised by how the Bible revealed my flaws and challenged me to be a better person.

Since I’m officially Jewish, I spent most of my year studying and following the Old Testament (though I did devote the last four months to the New Testament). I know that most Christians don’t follow a lot of Old Testament laws. And in fact, neither do Jews. Jews may avoid shellfish, as Leviticus says, but they don’t stone adulterers or sacrifice animals. Those were abandoned after the Romans destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem. But I wanted to try everything. As naive or misguided as it may have been, I wanted to get into the mind and sandals of my ancestors. And I’m glad I did. Because even the rules that seemed bizarre at first glance were thought-provoking and revealed important insights about faith, God and the Bible.

THE FIVE MOST UNEXPECTEDLY WISE & LIFE-ENHANCING RULES

Keep the Sabbath.
I’m a workaholic (I check my emails in the restroom, in the middle of movies, anywhere). But the Sabbath taught me the beauty of an enforced pause in the week. No cell phones, no messages, no thinking about deadlines. It was a bizarre and glorious feeling. As one famous rabbi said, the Sabbath is a “sanctuary in time.”

Give thanks.
The Bible says to thank the Lord before our meals. I did that. But then I got carried away. I gave thanks for everything—for the subway arriving on time, for the comfortable cushions on my couch, for my high-speed DSL connection, etc. It was a strange but great experience. Never have I been so aware of the thousands of little things that go right in our lives.

“Let Your Garments Be Always White” (Ecclesiastes 9:8).
I chose to follow this literally—I wore white pants, a white shirt and a white jacket. This was one of the best things I did all year. I felt lighter, happier, purer. Clothes make the man: You can’t be in a bad mood when you’re dressed like you’re about to play the semifinals at Wimbledon or go to P. Diddy’s party.

Don’t Gossip.
When you try to go on a gossip diet, you realize just how much of our conversations involve negative speech about others. But holding your tongue is like the verbal equivalent of wearing white. I felt cleaner and untainted.

Do Not Curse.
I used to curse a lot. In fact, my computer password was, at one time, a particularly adolescent bodily function. During my year, I tried to scrub up my vocabulary. My new curse words were: Fudge, sugar and shoot. Whenever I said them, my wife would respond by whistling the Andy Griffith theme song. She can mock me, but the weird thing is, I think my G-rated language made me a less angry person. Because here’s the way it works: I’d get to the subway platform just as the downtown train was pulling away, and I’d start to say the F-word. I’d remember to censor myself. So I’d turn it into “Fudge” at the last second. When I heard myself say “Fudge" out loud, it sounded so folksy, so Jimmy Stewart-ish and amusingly dorky, that I couldn’t help but smile. My anger receded. Behavior shaped emotions.

THREE RULES THAT I SUCCESSFULLY KEPT THE ENTIRE YEAR WITHOUT EVEN VIOLATING ONCE

You shall not plant your field with two kinds of seed (Leviticus 19:19).
My attempt at agriculture—some cucumber plants in flowerpots—wasn’t too successful. The cucumbers got to be the size of Good and Plenty candies and mysteriously stopped growing. But, I made sure the seeds were purely cucumber, not mixed.

Do not sacrifice your children to Molech (Leviticus 20:5).
In fact, I didn’t sacrifice my children to any pagan god whatsoever.

You shall not take on your wife’s sister as your second wife.
Well, it does help that my wife doesn’t have a sister.

To see more about AJ Jacobs biblical year and the lessons he learned through Old Testament rules and New Testament principles (including his experience “stoning” an adulterer), check out the latest issue of
RELEVANT.

Author: AJ Jacobs

AJ Jacobs is the author of The Year of Living Biblically (Simon and Schuster).

All Saints Remembrance

This Sunday, we will observe All Saints Sunday at The Refuge. Technically, All Saints Day is November 1, but Protestant churches normally do not have a specific All Saints Day service, and simply observe it on the Sunday closest to the day (usually the Sunday after). Look at our worship bulletin for a short history of All Saints Day.
This Sunday is also Communion Sunday at Catalina.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Strange Posts?

The last 7 or so posts are actually blurbs from the church website that I wanted to move off the website to a linked location. The easiest place for me to do that was here on my blog. So, you can read them, or ignore them!

Experience

Experience
Youth groups are famous for events and activities. And we do lots of events at Catalina. Our events serve several purposes:
We provide a fun and safe environment for youth.
We build relationships with each other through activities. Shared experiences become the foundation for friendships.
We build memories together.
We learn to follow Christ in all of life.

Serve

Serve An old hymn of the church says, "This is my Father's world..." But it usually doesn't seem like it. Suffering, need, hurt, and injustice surround us and threaten to overwhelm us. The good news is that you and I can do something about it.
At Catalina we will offer a variety of opportunities to help others and serve God.

We feed the homeless and hungry at Casa Maria
We work with Tucson Clean and Beautiful
We serve the children of our church in VBS
We serve in MANY other ways.
Check the youth calendar for opportunities and details.

Connect

Connect with God We look at youth group as your time with God, and we employ a variety of methods to connect with God. We learn ancient practices of the Christian faith, we explore modern culture, and we use a variety of media experiences. Take time to pursue the most important relationship in life: you and God.

Connect with Others Relationships are a big deal. We put a high priority on sharing and support. At Catalina youth group you will have the opportunity to meet and get to know students who are going through the same things you are; friends with whom you can share your feelings and thoughts. How do we connect with others? We allow for lots of hang out time in our program. We give you lots of opportunities to talk and share. We take you on trips together.

More Information

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
If you have would like more information
regarding Contemporary Worship
at Catalina
Contact Richard Jones
at 327-4296
or e-mail
richard@catumc.org

Links

online prayer chapel

rejesus.com

methodx

daily prayer

unitedmethodist.com

umc.org

umcor

invisible children

prayer ropes

Great Hymns of the Faith

Our current study is "Great Hymns of the Faith". We will consider three hymns of the Christian church that have inspired Christians and stood the test of time.
October 14 "Amazing Grace" worship bulletin
October 21 "It Is Well with My Soul" worship bulletin
October 28 "Be Thou My Vision" worship bulletin

Communion at The Refuge

Holy Communion is offered at all services on the first Sunday of each month. Holy Communion in the United Methodist Church is open to all people, regardless of age, church affiliation, or lifestyle. All are invited and welcome to share in the Sacrament. (Catalina uses grape juice for Communion). Holy Communion is offered the other Sundays of the month in the Chapel following the 9:30 and 11:00 worship services. You are invited to come, receive communion, and spend time in the chapel. Our Stephen Ministers are there to serve you the Sacrament, and to listen if you need someone to talk to.

Catalina is a child friendly church!

Families are encouraged to come to worship together. Following the Children's Moment with the pastor, children will be taken to Sunday School, or they are welcome to stay in worship with their parents.

What we do at The Refuge

The Refuge services include creative use of media, contemplation, and thematic teaching. The alternative worship services also include opportunities for interactive involvement on the part of the congregation.
An average worship service (if there is such a thing) will include music performed by our band, prayer, Scripture, media, songs you can sing to worship God, an offering (it is church), and often a time to discuss or a time for response. We may recite the ancient creeds of the church, we may spend time in silence. We may move around the room to interact with individual prayer stations. We may share our concerns with the group for prayer, we may light a candle on the prayer table to symbolize our prayers.

Who we are at The Refuge

For those who enjoy a more informal, relaxed atmosphere, with dynamic contemporary music and inspiring messages, we invite you to join us for a cup of coffee and worship in the Fellowship Hall. (Note: the Fellowship Hall is located on the south east side of the campus off of 1st and Treat Streets.)
Each Sunday, music for The Refuge is provided by Cornerstone, our excellent praise band.
The Cornerstone band was voted the most outstanding contemporary Christian band in Tucson in 2004! Much of the music they perfrom on Sunday is original music.
We are committed to following the Great Commands of Jesus. In Matthew 22.34-40, Jesus told us that the Holy Scriptures can be summarized thusly: Love God and love your neighbor. We want to follow Jesus by doing just that.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

It Is Well with My Soul

This Sunday, we will consider the story and the message of the hymn, "It Is Well with My Soul". This is the second installment in our series on great hymns of the Christian church. The Scripture is Romans 8.18-39. The worship bulletin is here.

I'll try to blog once more over the weekend, and I'll try to make 2-3 entries next week!

Monday, October 15, 2007

Monopoly!!!


Last night, the youth group stopped at McDonalds after an inspiring visit to San Xavier Mission. We had to have something to bring us back down to earth, right? Well, I picked up a ton of monopoly pieces. Anyone want to share? We could split the prizes.

Pennsylvania RR

Connecticut Av (3)

NY Av (2)

St Charles Place

Reading RR

Marvin Gardens

NC Av

Pacific Av

Atlantic Av

Park Place

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Amazing Grace


This Sunday, we begin a new study focusing on three hymns of the Christian faith that have been an inspiration to many and have stood the test of time:
October 14 "Amazing Grace"
October 21 "It Is Well with My Soul"
October 28 "Be Thou My Vision"

This week we begin with "Amazing Grace", and the song truly does have an amazing story. It was written by John Newton, who was a slave trader and an all-around vile person before his conversion. After his conversion, he became a minister and was an inspiration and mentor to William Wilberforce, who would lead the Abolitionist Movement in Great Britain. The story is told in the movie "Amazing Grace", which focuses on Wilberforce, but documents Newton's role.

There are two videos we will show Sunday. One is a documentary about Newton and Wilberforce and features clips from the movie.
The other video tells the story of the significant place the song has had in history.
The Scripture for this Sunday is Ephesians 2.1-10.

Thursday, October 04, 2007

World Communion Sunday

This Sunday is designated World Communion Sunday by the National Council of Churches.
Read a brief history of the observance.
According to the National Council of Churches USA, "The day has taken on new relevancy and depth of meaning in a world where globalization often has undermined peace and justice -- and in a time when fear divides the peoples of God's earth. On this day we celebrate our oneness in Christ, the Prince of Peace, in the midst of the world we are called to serve -- a world ever more in need of peacemaking."
We will celebrate communion, and the timeless and universal nature of the Christian church. The worship bulletin is here.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Paint by the Spirit: Monet

I have really enjoyed our series in worship about art/artists! I have learned so much and experienced so much beauty through it. This Sunday is our last artist: Monet. [We may come back to this topic in 2008.]
Monet is the leading Impressionist painter. He sought to paint what he saw. One critic said that Monet and his cronies (Manet, Cezanne, Renoir, etc) painted their IMPRESSIONS of what they saw, NOT what they actually saw. Monet took this criticism and used it to name his style. This is similar to how John Wesley took the derogatory term "methodist" and made it the name of his movement.
Monet's most famous work is Water Lilies.
In his later years, Monet suffered eye problems, including cataracts on both eyes. This obscured his vision to the point that painting was first difficult, then impossible. This was a tremendous blow to a man who prided himself on painting what he saw.
Our meditation this week will compare Monet's idea of 'seeing' with Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians 13.12. The worship bulletin is here.

50 Ways to Pray



This is a really good book, but not for reading. It is a good book for USING. I recommend you get this book, and let Teresa Blythe teach you about prayer. Learn about prayer by DOING the different types of prayer in the book. I picked it up at Barnes and Noble for $13. Of course, it is also available online. Amazon's link.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Picasso: The Search for Humanity

Picasso is our artist for this Sunday at the Refuge. Picasso lived from the late 1880's until 1973. In fact, he was one of the few artists (if not the only one) to achieve international celebrity during his lifetime. Since he worked during a time of mass media, his works had been viewed by millions of people before he died. This is contrasted to a master like Vermeer, whose works were probably only viewed by hundreds during his life. Picasso was a rock star of artists.
Picasso's work included several different styles. To view samples of his work, go here.
I believe that Picasso sought to understand the human condition; to discover what it means to be human. He explored this through several subjects in his art.
Three works that are exemplars of his thought are:
Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, which was widely condemned by Picasso's contemporaries, but clearly illustrates Picasso's preoccupation with sexuality.
Guernica depicts the horrors of the bombing of civilians during the Spanish Civil War.
Breakfast of a Blind Man is from Picasso's blue period, and is a somber study in deprivation and suffering. It is interesting to note that it was painted at a time of deep poverty in Picasso's life.

Sunday, we will discuss the meaning of Picasso's art and the significance of his search for humanity. The worship bulletin with Scriptures is here.

Another really good article










I spent too many years striving to become a “somebody.” Wherever it was, I learned what kind of people received attention and acclaim, and aimed to achieve worth and acceptance by becoming one of them. Unfortunately, it was a moving target. Let’s see … in college I became the lean, mean fitness machine Jim, then morphed into the debate team champion Jim, and finally became the campus ministry superhero Jim. I even dated the star player on our women’s basketball team, and became a “somebody” through the back door … well, until she dumped me!

I didn’t learn my lesson very well, and after college I continued searching for ways to become a “somebody.” My avenue for seeking identity was positions of Christian leadership. I was bent on becoming one of those cutting-edge revolutionaries everyone looked at and said, “Wow!” It was the perfect scenario; I would be someone significant by influencing countless people for Christ, and God would be thrilled! It sounds good, but it became a prison. As long as my sense of identity was tied to performing and achieving, even for God, it only led to emptiness, weariness, fear and the burden of doing more.

Jesus said, “Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (John 12:24, TNIV). I discovered a path to freedom in Jesus’ words. God awakened me to the fact that I have a spiritual identity, which previously I had been clueless to while I was consumed with creating a human one. Jesus’ words were inviting me to stop striving to become a “somebody” and instead accept the identity I already had by divine birthright.

It’s been a journey uncovering the real Jim buried beneath all the things I clung to for worth and acceptance. One huge “aha!” moment along the way came from John’s three-word description of God: “God is love.” The word "is" grew in significance because I realized that it’s more than just the fact that God sometimes does loving things, but that in every moment and in all things God is continuous and perfect love. If God is love, then that makes me loved, not based on what I do but who He is. If, as the Bible teaches, God dwells within me, then the source of continuous and perfect love is inside me. I don’t need to seek love outside myself; it is present within me in every moment. The more I turn toward God’s love within me, the less driven I seem to be to chase after becoming a “somebody” in the world. I am content by receiving God’s love.

It also occurred to me that if “God is love,” and I am an image or reflection of God, then likewise I am love. Maybe living out my spiritual identity is simply being love. It’s not so much what I do, but whatever I’m doing that I am being love. Paul said that even great faith and sacrifice have no value apart from love. Perhaps the purpose of my human journey is to turn love inside out: to receive, accept and depend upon God’s love for me, and allow this love to be expressed as me. No more striving, no more burden to become a “somebody,” no more fear of God’s displeasure or disapproval—just resting and abiding in and being love.

It’s ironic that now that I am a published author, people ascribe to me this “somebody” status, but it has no value for me. When people ask, “What is it like being an author?” it strikes me as an odd question, because I don't think of myself as “an author.” Writing is an important aspect of my life, but I don't think of it as the core of my identity. On those terms, I could just as easily identify myself as a husband, father, neighbor, animal lover and cycling enthusiast. And yet behind all these I know that my true identity is a spiritual one. I am loved, and I am love. Whatever level of human success you may experience, it can’t be the source of true contentment. I don’t “need” to publish books; I was a writer before I got published, and I would keep writing if I never published another book.

In the introduction of my book, Wide Open Spaces, which releases in November, I share how God has freed me from deriving my sense of worth and identity from my ranking on Amazon.com. The truth of who I am in God, the real Jim Palmer, is fully intact in every moment. Let it go! There is no peace and contentment in becoming a “somebody.” Instead, envision this: God looks at you and sees a reflection of Himself, and smiles.

Author: Jim Palmer

Jim Palmer is the author of Divine Nobodies: Shedding Religion to Find God (and the unlikely people who help you) (Thomas Nelson).

This article is from Relevant Magazine's weekly email. www.relevantmagazine.com

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Picasso Links

To prepare for next week's study of Pablo Picasso, you might want to check out these links.

Pablo Picasso: Official Website

Artcyclopedia: Pablo Picasso Online (lots of links)

and for fun...

Mr. Picassohead

Rembrandt: Ending Well?

This Sunday our artist for the Paint by the Spirit study is Rembrandt. He is considered to be one of the greatest painters in European history, and the greatest of the Dutch masters (having NOTHING to do with cigars). Rembrandt is an interesting study. In many ways, he is the opposite of Van Gogh: he never sought any connection with the church, and his art was extremely successful commercially.
But he lost everything in the end. He was left at his death with two paintings in his studio: Simeon with the Christ Child, and The Return of the Prodigal. He was living in poor conditions. He was buried in an unmarked grave. Had he lost everything, or had he lost everything except that which he really needed; that which he came to desire above wealth and success? Were the gifts of the grace and mercy of Christ his only possessions in his last hours?
The worship bulletin for Sunday is here.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Conspicuous Consumption

I tried to find a web link for this article, but it was in an email, and I couldn't find the article on the web anywhere. This article came to me from Relevant magazine, which is pretty good all around. The author of this article does a good job or reviewing music and movies. If you are interested in that kind of thing, check out his blog.


So I was watching this show on MTV last week called Newport Harbor. Essentially it is Laguna Beach all over again, just 20 miles up the California coast in another ritzy Orange Country beach town. The cast of the show is made up of a handful of ditzy-but-beautiful blond girls and a few token surfer dudes whom each of the girls will date at one point during the season (which follows their senior year of “high school”). Everything on the show is pristine, nicely coifed, tanned and very, very rich.

So I was watching this show on MTV last week called Newport Harbor. Essentially it is Laguna Beach all over again, just 20 miles up the California coast in another ritzy Orange Country beach town. The cast of the show is made up of a handful of ditzy-but-beautiful blond girls and a few token surfer dudes whom each of the girls will date at one point during the season (which follows their senior year of “high school”). Everything on the show is pristine, nicely coifed, tanned and very, very rich.




Most episodes of the show, like in Laguna, feature the kids shopping at designer stores, eating at Zagat-rated restaurants or (in the case of the episode I saw) going on weekend trips to Palm Springs. Of course, no 17-year-old really has the money to live this way, but MTV wants us to think that yes, these kids (most kids in Orange Country, actually) do in fact spend their free time surfing, tanning, gossiping and eating braised lamb while the rest of us do homework and eat Ramen noodles.

But it’s not just MTV. Everywhere you look on TV and in pop culture these days, you see this strangely alluring thing that is sort of a rich-people minstrel show: wealth being exploited for the entertainment of the underclass. Shows like Bravo’s new reality offering, Welcome to the Parker (which is all about the Parker hotel in Palm Springs—the most ridiculously posh playground for celebrities in SoCal), emphasize how gloriously snobby rich people are, while shows like The Fabulous Life (VH1) and Cribs (MTV) keep tabs on which rich celebrity has managed to spend their money the most frivolously. Each of these shows contains the playful cha-ching graphic, which keeps tabs of the “bill” during the course of any episode, making light of the fact that some people manage to spend more money in a year than an entire developing country has made in a decade.

And let's not forget the phenomenon of Paris Hilton, a “famous for being rich” celebrity who embodies all of the above. People are always asking, “Why are we obsessed with Paris Hilton?” But this has a pretty obvious answer: It’s because we’re obsessed with being rich. It’s the same reason we watch Newport Harbor or buy something that Oprah likes. If we can associate ourselves with wealth (even if we’re really poor) by watching or imitating it, we feel more legitimate, desirable and important.

The Paris Hilton culture is just the latest incarnation of what Thorstein Veblen first coined “conspicuous consumption” in his 1899 book, The Theory of the Leisure Class. Essentially it is the idea that with the onset of expendable income, the new upper and middle classes took to flaunting their “wealth” as a way to demonstrate their social power or significance, whether real or perceived. In other words, people began to buy lots of fancy furniture and art (but chiefly so they could have dinner parties and show them off), and they began to buy expensive clothes and jewelry, mainly to present themselves as more important than they actually were.

Consumerism and the consequent drive to be conspicuous about it is certainly something we all deal with. But despite the number of luxury cars and high-fashion items you see, half of the wealth that is flashed in your eyes on any given day isn’t real wealth. It’s all about appearances. Sunglasses are the best way to feign wealth, especially in my hometown of L.A. (where sunglasses are worn more than socks). Most really good, designer sunglasses are at least 300 dollars—which is not that much for the average stockbroker or real estate tycoon. But you can easily find knockoff sunglasses for, like, 10 bucks that look exactly like the massive Prada pair you saw on J.Lo last week. It’s easy to look wealthy and important if you try hard enough.

Christians find themselves in an interesting spot, living in a culture that measures a person’s value or relevance by what model of cell phone they carry. We are followers of a man who once told His disciples that everyone who wanted to follow Him must “deny themselves and “take up their cross daily” (Luke 9:23, TNIV). Jesus constantly dropped lines such as, “What good is it for you to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit your very self?” (Luke 9:25). He also insisted that we not worry about things like food and clothes (Matthew 6:25–34), and offered counterintuitive little quips about how blessed are the poor in spirit, the meek and the persecuted. Can you imagine an MTV show about nerdy little Christian kids in Irvine who take all of this to heart?

The Christian life is so crazily counter to a life of conspicuous consumption. Ours should be a life of conspicuous rejection of all the bling money can buy. We should be conspicuously consumed with Christ, so much so that we become much more fascinating to watch than Paris Hilton. Instead of a culture that questions their obsession with Paris and Britney, what if the curious questions were about Christians—why are they so utterly, obviously uninterested in what everyone else is living for (self-aggrandizement)? Now that would be a story worthy of reality TV.

Author: Brett McCracken

Brett is a grad student at UCLA's Film School and has recently started a blog at stillsearching.wordpress.com.






Thursday, September 06, 2007

Van Gogh


This Sunday, we begin our study, Paint by the Spirit, during which we will explore the spiritual significance of great artists. Our first artist is Van Gogh. What an experience it has been studying his life and work! Here is a brief bio of Van Gogh. The worship bulletin is here. Read last week's post for more links. Probably Van Gogh's most famous work is The Starry Night (1889).

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Bicycle Commuting


I managed to ride to and from work twice this week: Tuesday and Wednesday. I made it without difficulty, except for the hill that starts at Broadway and Pantano and climbs Broadway eastbound to Sarnoff. I usually make it halfway up and have to walk the second half. Tuesday evening I drove Tyler to band rehearsal, but Wednesday I did not drive at all.

Paint by the Spirit

On September 9, we begin a new 4 week study on great artists and the spiritual significance of their work. We will begin with Van Gogh, and then consider in subsequent weeks Rembrandt, Picasso, and Monet. At a later date we may consider other artists. Feel free to nominate an artist that has touched you with their work!
A video of Van Gogh's work set to "Vincent" by Don McLean
A website with a bio of Van Gogh and links to view all of his works.
An article about the spiritual significance of Van Gogh's life and works.

Sunday September 2

Look here for a description of this week's worship. Included there is a link to Psalm 24. I encourage you to read it before Sunday's worship. I think this will be a unique opportunity to form our worship around one of the Psalms. Here is the worship bulletin.

From the Save Darfur Coalition

U.S. Must Support Peacekeeping Mission

The UN has authorized a joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping mission for Darfur. Our task now is to ensure that President Bush upholds the U.S. commitment to support this mission when the UN General Assembly meets on September 18th.

Our goal is to send 100,000 messages in the next three weeks urging the president to uphold his commitment to the peacekeeping mission.

Help us reach our goal! Click here to sign petition.

The New Sign


This is the new sign I wrote about last week. It hangs along the front of the roof of the porch in front of the church office building and faces First Street. It can be seen by people in Himmel Park and by our day school parents picking up their children.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

New Sign

Today we put up a new sign on the church office building. It faces First Street and Himmel Park and it announces The Refuge worship services. The big print says "Come as you are". You can see it Sunday, and I'll post a photo here next week.

Bike Commuting


I rode my bike to work today for the first time and it went OK. I think it's about 11 miles and it made it in 43 minutes. I rode west on Broadway for the vast majority of my ride and then turned north on Treat Street to the church. By the way, Treat Street is no treat. It is uphill the whole way from Broadway to Himmel Park and it is mostly uneven, broken pavement which is extremely bumpy.

Sunday Worship @ The Refuge

"Could Faith Be as Simple as Breathing?" is our theme for this Sunday, August 29. Click here for the worship bulletin to see Scriptures and notes. We will view a short NOOMA video by Rob Bell. The title for this one is "Breathe". You can see a preview here. We will pray, think, and discuss.

"Worthy to Approach God" is our theme for next Sunday, September 2. This will be a unique service structured around the pattern we find in Psalm 24 . Psalm 24 has three sections, or movements. Psalm 24 is divided into three sections. The first section is verses 1-2, which is an affirmation of faith; a statement of worship to God. The second section is approaching God (verses 3-6). This segment will feature prayers of confession and forgiveness. Then the final section is opening our lives to God (verses 7-10). We will engage in a journaling exercise. All three movements will include music and prayer and Scripture. This will also be communion Sunday. I will post the worship bulletin next week.

"Paint by the Spirit' is our next series. Beginning September 9, we will spend four weeks exploring the spiritual significance of the works of great artists like Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Picasso, and Monet.



Thursday, August 16, 2007

Sunday August 19

You can read the book of Obadiah here. The whole thing is only 21 verses, so give it a look. The worship bulletin is here. I am really excited about this study. I'll see you Sunday!

Pretty Funny

I laughed out loud at a couple of these. Of course, I'm from the South and am as much of a hick as you can get, so maybe I'm entitled to laugh. Check out the criterion for an EXTREME REDNECK on Marko's blog.

Vacation

We had a great time last week on our vacation. I only wish it could have lasted longer. We left Wednesday and stopped for lunch at Cracker Barrel. Then we went on up to Phoenix to the South Mountain Resort and checked in. Tyler and I got in one of the pools for awhile, and then we did a little shopping for groceries and snacks, then went over to the Arizona Mills Mall to eat dinner, walk around the mall, and see Live Free or Die Hard. That was definitely enough for the first day.
Thursday we got up, eat breakfast, went for a bike ride, and then went to the water park. We ate a late lunch around 2pm and then watched 300 on the hotel payperview. Tyler and I played some ping pong and swam some more. Then we went to dinner at Claim Jumper and went back to the room and Tyler and I taught Mindy how to play Egyptian Ratscrew. Friday, our last day, we rode our bikes a few miles to IHOP for breakfast. I bought Tyler some new shoes at a store in the shopping center, and then we rode back. Tyler and I went to play pool and then we went over to the athletic club and played racquetball. Tyler went back to the room and I stayed and enjoyed the hot tub and steamroom. Then we had an early dinner at Aunt Chilada's Mexican Restaurant and then went to the water park for a couple of hours. We went back to the room and watched My Super Ex-Girlfriend and hung out.
Saturday, Mindy swam some laps while Tyler and I played some more pool. Then we packed up and headed home. Fun, but short. Photos are on my photobucket. Message me for the password if you don't know it.

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Obadiah

Obadiah is our study for August 19. It is very short. Give it a read and leave me any comments that you come up with.

AMOS

This Sunday in worship, we consider the prophet Amos. Hold on! It is an intense prophecy!
The worship bulletin is here.

Katrina Relief by the Church

Check out this article in USA Today about different Christian groups that worked for Katrina relief. The United Methodist Church did pretty good.
The faithful lend a helping hand

Although officials say it's difficult to know the exact number of people who have volunteered in the Hurricane Katrina recovery, they estimate that more than 655,000 have served in Louisiana and Mississippi since the storm. Many faith-based groups have helped residents return to their homes.

Religious charitiesTotal volunteersHomes improved*
Adventist Community Services2,200150
American Baptist Men60012
Baptist Builders37410
Brethren Disaster Ministries1,608352
Catholic Charities USA15,4812,550
Christian Disaster Response23835
Christian Reformed World Relief Committee2,972255
Church of Scientology1,000N/A **
Convoy of Hope (Christian)16,9622,828
Episcopal Relief & Development18,3032,471
Friends Disaster Service1,55096
Habitat for Humanity (Christian)71,4122,896
Islamic Relief12222
International Aid (Christian)1,250N/A **
Lutheran Disaster Response26,5858,242
Medical Teams International (Christian)437428
Mennonite Disaster Service (includes Amish volunteers)9,000750
Nazarene Disaster Response15,000200
Nechama (Jewish)600200
Operation Blessing7,5981,348
Presbyterian Church U.S.A.29,3453,380
Salvation Army15,232N/A **
Samaritan's Purse12,0265,000
Society of St. Vincent de Paul4,000N/A
Southern Baptist Convention175,3785,136
Tzu Chi Foundation (Buddhist)1,319N/A **
United Church of Christ National Disaster Ministries4,985792
United Methodist Committee on Relief56,65615,643
Volunteers of America14,000430
Totals506,23353,226

Source: USA TODAY research

* Improvement may include gutting, repairing or rebuilding. ** These groups have provided services other than rebuilding houses, such as providing food, water, clothes and other needs.