Mark Riddle e-mailed me the following quote this past week. I think it's correct most of the time, and it certainly embodies water's edge these days:

"When a community is born, its founders have to struggle to survive and announce their ideal. So they find themselves confronted with contradictions and sometimes even persecution. These conditions oblige the members of the community to emphasize their commitment; they strengthen motivation and encourage people to go beyond themselves, to rely totally on Providence. Sometimes, only the direct intervention of God can save them. When they are stripped of all their wealth, of all security and human support, they must depend on God and the people around them who are sensitive to the witness of their life. They are obliged to remain faithful to prayer and the glow of their love; it is a question of life or death. Their total dependence guarantees their authenticity; their weakness is their strength.

"But when a community has enough members to do all the work, when it has enough material goods, it can relax. It has strong structures. It is secure. It's then that there is danger.... It can be tiring and even agonizing to live in insecurity.. but insecurity is one of the only guarantees that a community will go on deepening and progressing and remain faithful.


Jean Vanier, "Community and Growth"

What I Want...

I want to see God’s kingdom come and his will done in my life and in the lives of all the people around me.
I want to be the wheat, not the weed.
I want to be the good tree.
I want to be attached to the vine, bearing good fruit.
I want to be able to say, as Peterson puts Paul’s words to the Galatian believers, “Christ's life showed me how, and enabled me to do it. I identified myself completely with him. Indeed, I have been crucified with Christ. My ego is no longer central. It is no longer important that I appear righteous before you or have your good opinion, and I am no longer driven to impress God. Christ lives in me. The life you see me living is not "mine," but it is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
I want to love my wife like I’m supposed to.
I want to love other people like I’m supposed to.
I want to smoke what I'm selling (thanks Rob).
I want the people around me to find wholeness and goodness in life.
I want to be less critical and more loving.
I want to be less concerned with what people think of me and more concerned with actually being helpful.
I want to see churches actually helping people to follow Jesus instead of warehousing them (thanks Todd).
I want to see churches use money more biblically.
I want to see churches give an offering rather than receive one—just one Sunday!
I want to see pastors rethink their roles so that they are helping people live as disciples of Jesus.
I want to see churches let their pastors do that.
I want to see pastors stop competing against each other and start working together---or at least cheering each other on when they do well.
I want to see churches get past the us-for-us and us-against-them mentality in regards to other churches and start thinking kingdom.
I want to see pastors allow discipleship to set the trajectory for their churches (thanks John).
I want to see people discover that discipling others is not just for ‘paid staff’.
I want to see people reject the lifestyle of consumerism.
I want to see myself reject the lifestyle of consumerism.
I want to see pastors stop getting discouraged by the people who don’t show up.
I want to stop being discouraged by the people who don’t show up (thanks Dallas).
I want to get over myself.
I want to see pastors pour themselves into the people who do show up.
I want to pour myself into those who do show up.
I want to see what Jesus will do with a whole community of people who will place themselves unreservedly at his will.
I want to see what Jesus will do with me when I do it.
I want to see people who have been burned by churches turn their pain into creative love.
I want to see churches be known for inexplicable forgiveness.

Is this asking too much?

I'm tired; I should be in bed... yet, I want to thank God for putting me in the midst of his story.

My story of the here and now - it's a story of brokenness in my life (aka sin), God's grace, and so much more. It's also a story of Water's Edge, a young missional community, people striving to live out the reality of God in our midst. It's a story of people trying to be church in exciting ways that so much of the traditional church has forgotten about. It's people sticking their necks out in the midst of this conservative community (not all bad), and saying, "We must find better ways of being God's people."

While this journey is tiresome at times, I wouldn't change my life for wealth, power, or other man made creations. I am exactly where God wants me to be... besides the sin in my life... and it is SO very good!

Thanks to those of you who have been part of this journey. God is messing up our lives for the sake of growing his reality into our lives!

Blessings Brothers & Sisters!

Pic from last Sunday night's dedication/baptism...
This is just too cute! Thanks to Joel for its creation. (If you click on it, you can download it.)

Here is something fun! Our friend on the east coast, Jeremiah Smith... the famous Jeremiah Smith... loves the Chicago Bears.


I love football, but my team has been bad for longer than I have been alive. Anyway, my bad team beat up on Jeremiah's team on Sunday... sorry Miah. (not really too sorry though)