Friends of Kathy and I from the D.C. area, Mike and Stacy Stavlund, have been married for twelve years. They have been trying to have children for the past ten. They've encountered many pains along the way. But they are now pregnant and expecting twins this spring. It's been a long journey...
They had a serious scare on Friday with mom and the babies, but today was a bit brighter. Please join us in prayer for the twins as well as mom and dad.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
eat responsibly
One more day until many of us will find ourselves staring at tables and countertops full of food. Let's practice self-control as we eat this weekend. Being grateful doesn't mean eating yourself sick. Enjoying food involves savoring it, not cramming as much down as we can until we have to regret it.
God hates gluttony. It's like one of the six, no seven, things that God hates. Why? I think it is because eating is supposed to be about sharing, and making sure everyone has enough. Gluttony is all about eating and eating without any concern for anyone else. It's about eating without any self-control. It's about eating far more than your share, while someone else gets far less than their share.
Enjoy delicious food. Give thanks that you have what you have before you. Remember that in many parts of the world, even parts of the US, millions of people will have little or nothing to eat. Don't go getting a guilt trip about having a big spread of food. Instead, realize our responsibility to share (with the people around us and the people around the world). Make sure everyone has enough; that no one gets less than their share. Don't eat the last piece of pumpkin pie when you've had one or two aready.
Give thanks.
Eat responsibly.
God hates gluttony. It's like one of the six, no seven, things that God hates. Why? I think it is because eating is supposed to be about sharing, and making sure everyone has enough. Gluttony is all about eating and eating without any concern for anyone else. It's about eating without any self-control. It's about eating far more than your share, while someone else gets far less than their share.
Enjoy delicious food. Give thanks that you have what you have before you. Remember that in many parts of the world, even parts of the US, millions of people will have little or nothing to eat. Don't go getting a guilt trip about having a big spread of food. Instead, realize our responsibility to share (with the people around us and the people around the world). Make sure everyone has enough; that no one gets less than their share. Don't eat the last piece of pumpkin pie when you've had one or two aready.
Give thanks.
Eat responsibly.
Friday, November 18, 2005
How We Preach
I've been having several conversations with people about Water's Edge lately. They have gone a little like this:
"So do you do the preaching at your church?" they ask.
"Actually, we don't have sermons," I reply.
I notice a strange, confused look on their face.
Beneath the strange look is a struggle for words.
I jump in and help avert the unspoken "huh?" "Our teaching time is more of a conversation, a dialogue."
"Oh." Confusion gives way to mild shock.
"Yeah, so I usually, facilitate the conversation, but not always."
"Oh." Mild shock gives way to either suspicion or interest.
"We think that people learn best when they have a part in the learning. We think that the Spirit speaks through more than just one person's perpective, so we try to listen to each other and hear what God wants us to be learning.
"Sometimes I or someone else will have a teaching that is more monologue, but most of the time everybody gets involved. In fact, most of the time I will have three or four main insights that I will want to be sure I share, but I will not have to even mention them because someone else comes up with it on their own."
"Huh. Cool." or "Huh. That's different."
I think we really have developed an ability to learn together. I think that the next learning edge for us is to learn to listen to and identify what the Spirit is saying through the group as a whole--to notice the threads that the Spirit is weaving through our learning conversation. The next edge after that, I think, is to identify for each other the particular application(s) in our actual situations to a degree that happens now only occassionally.
For instance, let's say Steph is having a problem with someone at work, and we're talking about Jesus' teaching to love our enemies. So she invites the group to help her identify the particular actions she can take to do what Jesus taught.
Or let's say we're going through Mark 13 (which we are), and we hear something in our conversation that challenges us as a group--you know, how we are supposed to BE the church. So we talk about specific actions we can take to embody what we're learning.
So it is situational training in how individuals and groups become like Jesus. It is group discernment about what God is calling us to do in response to what we learn, to what we are involved in, or to where we find ourselves at that particular place and time.
I love our dialogical preaching/teaching/learning. I am grateful for people who have taken responsibility for themselves and for each other. Let's keep pressing the learning edge, listening for the Spirit through the people around us, and responding by doing what we hear.
"So do you do the preaching at your church?" they ask.
"Actually, we don't have sermons," I reply.
I notice a strange, confused look on their face.
Beneath the strange look is a struggle for words.
I jump in and help avert the unspoken "huh?" "Our teaching time is more of a conversation, a dialogue."
"Oh." Confusion gives way to mild shock.
"Yeah, so I usually, facilitate the conversation, but not always."
"Oh." Mild shock gives way to either suspicion or interest.
"We think that people learn best when they have a part in the learning. We think that the Spirit speaks through more than just one person's perpective, so we try to listen to each other and hear what God wants us to be learning.
"Sometimes I or someone else will have a teaching that is more monologue, but most of the time everybody gets involved. In fact, most of the time I will have three or four main insights that I will want to be sure I share, but I will not have to even mention them because someone else comes up with it on their own."
"Huh. Cool." or "Huh. That's different."
I think we really have developed an ability to learn together. I think that the next learning edge for us is to learn to listen to and identify what the Spirit is saying through the group as a whole--to notice the threads that the Spirit is weaving through our learning conversation. The next edge after that, I think, is to identify for each other the particular application(s) in our actual situations to a degree that happens now only occassionally.
For instance, let's say Steph is having a problem with someone at work, and we're talking about Jesus' teaching to love our enemies. So she invites the group to help her identify the particular actions she can take to do what Jesus taught.
Or let's say we're going through Mark 13 (which we are), and we hear something in our conversation that challenges us as a group--you know, how we are supposed to BE the church. So we talk about specific actions we can take to embody what we're learning.
So it is situational training in how individuals and groups become like Jesus. It is group discernment about what God is calling us to do in response to what we learn, to what we are involved in, or to where we find ourselves at that particular place and time.
I love our dialogical preaching/teaching/learning. I am grateful for people who have taken responsibility for themselves and for each other. Let's keep pressing the learning edge, listening for the Spirit through the people around us, and responding by doing what we hear.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Emerging Churches
Eddie Gibbs and Ryan Bolger have been working on this book for the past five years. It was supposed to be released early this summer I think, and it is finally available. Ryan called me in late 2003 and we had a nice 90 minute conversation about Water's Edge. Some bits of that made it into the book, so it will be interesting to see how it comes together. My copy is in the mail via amazon.
It has been getting some pretty good reviews. But don't take my word for it, get a copy and see for yourself.
Randy has been the lonely blogger here at the Meditatio. I've been blogging over at thedive. For those who care, I'll try to put a little bit more here.
It has been getting some pretty good reviews. But don't take my word for it, get a copy and see for yourself.
Randy has been the lonely blogger here at the Meditatio. I've been blogging over at thedive. For those who care, I'll try to put a little bit more here.
Monday, November 14, 2005
Ever expanding cosmos...
So, I've had this thought for the past few weeks. If I am a follow of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, I am following a God who by his very nature creates. He created the universe, and he continues to create. We see the world changing; we see shooting stars, and we are told that the universe continues to expand.
If God creates by his very nature, it shouldn't come as a surprise that he continues to create and expand the cosmos. So, what if creation always is expanding? Always.
What if God continues to create space and planets and matter long after we realize the fullness of the kingdom (after wars and rumors of wars have ceased)? What if we always have new places to explore -- forever. What an exciting God we are learning to follow. A God who has created all things, and will continue to create all things. A God who loves without reason, and a God who has amazing grace in the midst of his infinite power.
And to think that tonight there will be more stars in the sky than last night. And there will be more stars and planets to explore tonight... and what if God never ends this process. I'm excited to follow this kind of God.
So, I've had this thought for the past few weeks. If I am a follow of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, I am following a God who by his very nature creates. He created the universe, and he continues to create. We see the world changing; we see shooting stars, and we are told that the universe continues to expand.
If God creates by his very nature, it shouldn't come as a surprise that he continues to create and expand the cosmos. So, what if creation always is expanding? Always.
What if God continues to create space and planets and matter long after we realize the fullness of the kingdom (after wars and rumors of wars have ceased)? What if we always have new places to explore -- forever. What an exciting God we are learning to follow. A God who has created all things, and will continue to create all things. A God who loves without reason, and a God who has amazing grace in the midst of his infinite power.
And to think that tonight there will be more stars in the sky than last night. And there will be more stars and planets to explore tonight... and what if God never ends this process. I'm excited to follow this kind of God.
Monday, November 07, 2005
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