What kind of church can you go to where the pastor will only have a vague idea what he's preaching on, is unsure of how he's going to deliver it, yet the Lord totally moves, and the pastor has blast doing it?
What kind of church can you go to where you get to act out the sermon, hunt for clues that lead you to the main point of the sermon, and is highly interactive?
What kind of church can you go to where you can break dance, do the robot, the sprinkler, the lawnmower, the worm, or the disco dance while praising and worshipping God?
What kind of church can you go to and be accepted by everyone?
If you're wondering where this church has been all your life then I'll tell you. The only condition I have is that if this sounds like something that is interesting then you absolutely must come atleast once. This church is the church of our future. It's the church our kids go to.
This past sunday was a total blast. None of us teachers did the responsible thing and called around to see if there was a written up curriculum for this week. We all assumed, and were disappointed come sunday morning. Nonetheless, God used it to His glory. We did something completely different than the typical Adventure Bay hunting for clues deal. We had everyone act out the story of Moses sending the 12 spies into the land of canaan and it was so much fun. We will definitely do this about once a month.
The kids were laughing, participating, coloring, and answering questions like it was going out of style.
It's so nice to be able to escape into the world of a little kid once a week, jump around, roll on the floor and just have a blast and not have to be so serious or concerned about other things. I think I find that I'm most alive when I'm in that state of mind. Absolutely cut loose and just enjoying life. I can't wait till I can do that with my own kids.
Monday, August 22, 2005
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Over the Crux
I just found myself relating life to climbing, then I deleted everything I wrote. Must have been smoking something.
Wonderings of a Sojourner. What does that mean? Beyond the dictionary definitions, to what does that mean in life? To call oneself a sojourner and to live as one are 2 different things. Biblicly speaking all who are called by the name of Christ are sojourners, wanderers in this land waiting to go Home. Do we really live like that though? Do I? What things and people have I allowed my roots to get wrapped around? Could I leave the pseudo protection of knowing where I am, pull my roots out of the ground and go to war? Have I already stretched out my limbs and pulled my roots out and begun to walk the war path that has been worn by men and women far greater than I. Do I use seizures as a crutch to not go do what I truly want to do, or is God using it as an anchor to keep me from going wherever the wind blows. Who/what is my crutch? Is it God? Is it work or medical insurance, desire to get married, friends, family, or myself? Why do I feel as if I'm on the crux ( hardest part of a climb) with the end in sight, but I just can't pull off the move. Is it because I'm hesitating to do what I know needs to be done? Do I know what needs to be done? Do I have what it takes to do what needs to be done.
All I want is to get my head above the clouds, breathe the fresh air, and feel the Son warm me. There has got to be more to life than this. If a lion was born in a cage, he never knows that there's anything more to life than a cage. But once he tastes freedom, I mean absolute freedom, he can never be content to have anything less than freedom. Once he's experienced the rush of stalking his prey, chasing it, bringing it down, tearing into it's flesh and tasting the fresh warm meat and blood. The animal in him comes out. He knows that this is what he was meant for. Everything he had known before was a make believe world that ran off of somebody else's clock, but out here in the wild, there's only One timekeeper. To put such in animal back into a cage is the same as killing it. When will the Timekeeper, come with the keys to my cage and let me return to the wild where I was meant to be. Length of life is not always as important as quality of life. I've often said that "if you're not living on the top or on the edge then you're simply existing". I am sick of existing. God's kingdom will be advanced, but not by those who are merely existing. Matthew 11:12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. According to an interpretation of this by Matthew Henry, Jesus was talking about a highly regard tradition of zealous Jews that would ascend to Heaven and forcibly lay hold of the Law. This was how passionate they were about God's law and following it. It was looked upon as greater than peaceably accepting the law in the eyes of the Jews. Jesus then may be using this to say that great are those who passionately advance the Kingdom of God and with the direction of God in the Power of the Spirit force the enemy into retreat as they preach the Gospel with boldness to all who would listen.
Lord let me be that way. I'm but an orphan cub adopted into your family, but my teeth are sharp, and I've tasted the blood of our enemy. You've shown Your power to me and I know that it's in me as You are in me. Send me out to let the other orphans out of their cages and to destroy those that have them bound up. Give me courage and boldness so I won't be like the lion in the Wizard of Oz. Make me like You oh Mighty One. The Lion of Judah who can stand against You? Who is left standing in Your presence? Even the mightiest of men wet their pants when they see You. Your whispers turn mountains into valleys and makes the earth tremble at it's very core. Who is like You? Your roar is that which would destroy the universe, nothing created can stand before You. Blessed be Your name and Your will be done. Raise up a people, set them apart for Your purposes, may I be counted among them.
For those who have been counted, and who's blood is covering the earth, who's cries scream out for mercy on their murderers and persecuters, give them and their families Shalom. Give them strength to get over the crux and to do what You've called them to. For my brothers and sisters who are laying hold of the Kingdom and forcibly advancing it, give them courage and boldness in abundance. Send them encourgers to keep them pushing forward. Protect them and provide for their needs.
Praise be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit who though separate are One in the same and equally worthy of our praise as God, as LORD, and as Savior.
Wonderings of a Sojourner. What does that mean? Beyond the dictionary definitions, to what does that mean in life? To call oneself a sojourner and to live as one are 2 different things. Biblicly speaking all who are called by the name of Christ are sojourners, wanderers in this land waiting to go Home. Do we really live like that though? Do I? What things and people have I allowed my roots to get wrapped around? Could I leave the pseudo protection of knowing where I am, pull my roots out of the ground and go to war? Have I already stretched out my limbs and pulled my roots out and begun to walk the war path that has been worn by men and women far greater than I. Do I use seizures as a crutch to not go do what I truly want to do, or is God using it as an anchor to keep me from going wherever the wind blows. Who/what is my crutch? Is it God? Is it work or medical insurance, desire to get married, friends, family, or myself? Why do I feel as if I'm on the crux ( hardest part of a climb) with the end in sight, but I just can't pull off the move. Is it because I'm hesitating to do what I know needs to be done? Do I know what needs to be done? Do I have what it takes to do what needs to be done.
All I want is to get my head above the clouds, breathe the fresh air, and feel the Son warm me. There has got to be more to life than this. If a lion was born in a cage, he never knows that there's anything more to life than a cage. But once he tastes freedom, I mean absolute freedom, he can never be content to have anything less than freedom. Once he's experienced the rush of stalking his prey, chasing it, bringing it down, tearing into it's flesh and tasting the fresh warm meat and blood. The animal in him comes out. He knows that this is what he was meant for. Everything he had known before was a make believe world that ran off of somebody else's clock, but out here in the wild, there's only One timekeeper. To put such in animal back into a cage is the same as killing it. When will the Timekeeper, come with the keys to my cage and let me return to the wild where I was meant to be. Length of life is not always as important as quality of life. I've often said that "if you're not living on the top or on the edge then you're simply existing". I am sick of existing. God's kingdom will be advanced, but not by those who are merely existing. Matthew 11:12 From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. According to an interpretation of this by Matthew Henry, Jesus was talking about a highly regard tradition of zealous Jews that would ascend to Heaven and forcibly lay hold of the Law. This was how passionate they were about God's law and following it. It was looked upon as greater than peaceably accepting the law in the eyes of the Jews. Jesus then may be using this to say that great are those who passionately advance the Kingdom of God and with the direction of God in the Power of the Spirit force the enemy into retreat as they preach the Gospel with boldness to all who would listen.
Lord let me be that way. I'm but an orphan cub adopted into your family, but my teeth are sharp, and I've tasted the blood of our enemy. You've shown Your power to me and I know that it's in me as You are in me. Send me out to let the other orphans out of their cages and to destroy those that have them bound up. Give me courage and boldness so I won't be like the lion in the Wizard of Oz. Make me like You oh Mighty One. The Lion of Judah who can stand against You? Who is left standing in Your presence? Even the mightiest of men wet their pants when they see You. Your whispers turn mountains into valleys and makes the earth tremble at it's very core. Who is like You? Your roar is that which would destroy the universe, nothing created can stand before You. Blessed be Your name and Your will be done. Raise up a people, set them apart for Your purposes, may I be counted among them.
For those who have been counted, and who's blood is covering the earth, who's cries scream out for mercy on their murderers and persecuters, give them and their families Shalom. Give them strength to get over the crux and to do what You've called them to. For my brothers and sisters who are laying hold of the Kingdom and forcibly advancing it, give them courage and boldness in abundance. Send them encourgers to keep them pushing forward. Protect them and provide for their needs.
Praise be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit who though separate are One in the same and equally worthy of our praise as God, as LORD, and as Savior.
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Backpacking trip to Granite Mtn.
Last saturday we had a great time up in Prescott backpacking up Granite Mtn. It was a little hot for the first half of the hike, but started to cool off once we passed the tree line. Up at the top myself and my 2 friends Justin and Jen took pictures and relaxed.
We weren't up there long when the lightning and rain started coming down hard. The 3 of us ducked under a huge boulder that had fallen onto 2 others, but made plenty of shelter for the 3 of us. The rain and hail lasted about 45 min., but made for a fun trip and a cool story. Unfortunately my 4 other friends got caught 3/4 up the mountain in the storm and couldn't find much cover. Here are some great pics of Justin, Jen and myself goofing around and passing the time in the storm.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=677dtkb.38ghtvkj&Uy=z9dcqe&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=0
We weren't up there long when the lightning and rain started coming down hard. The 3 of us ducked under a huge boulder that had fallen onto 2 others, but made plenty of shelter for the 3 of us. The rain and hail lasted about 45 min., but made for a fun trip and a cool story. Unfortunately my 4 other friends got caught 3/4 up the mountain in the storm and couldn't find much cover. Here are some great pics of Justin, Jen and myself goofing around and passing the time in the storm.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=677dtkb.38ghtvkj&Uy=z9dcqe&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=0
Friday, August 05, 2005
Love and Talk
A saying I've said frequently is that people will talk about the things they love more than anything else. Whether this is a David Killough original or I heard it somewhere I don't know. What I do know is that it is incredibly hard to not talk about something or someone you love.
Recently I experienced this first hand and it made me physically sick. It's so much easier to do what what would make one's self feel better, but to operate in someone else's best interest and put yourself aside is very hard.
Jesus said that "Greater love has no man than he would lay down his life for another". Now Christ was referring to Himself in this passage and was forshadowing what would happen to Him. However I disagree with a common interpretation of this text that dying for someone is what Jesus is talking about. I think that's only part of it. To live for someone, and not for yourself is far more difficult. That's what Jesus did, and what I've recently learned is very hard to do. Nonetheless, this is something I want to do.
To invest in someone knowing that there may be no short term benefits, but in the end, you may have a very good friend who you can love and trust.
So I will hold fast to this difficult path I've chosen and continue to invest myself into another and be a friend.
However I cannot do this alone. It almost tore me to pieces a day or so ago. Lord I need Your help. Please give me wisdom in abundance and help me to be more like You in everything I say and do. Give me perspective through the people you've placed in my life and help me to not operate out of my own self interest. I love You Jesus, guide me and lead me.
Recently I experienced this first hand and it made me physically sick. It's so much easier to do what what would make one's self feel better, but to operate in someone else's best interest and put yourself aside is very hard.
Jesus said that "Greater love has no man than he would lay down his life for another". Now Christ was referring to Himself in this passage and was forshadowing what would happen to Him. However I disagree with a common interpretation of this text that dying for someone is what Jesus is talking about. I think that's only part of it. To live for someone, and not for yourself is far more difficult. That's what Jesus did, and what I've recently learned is very hard to do. Nonetheless, this is something I want to do.
To invest in someone knowing that there may be no short term benefits, but in the end, you may have a very good friend who you can love and trust.
So I will hold fast to this difficult path I've chosen and continue to invest myself into another and be a friend.
However I cannot do this alone. It almost tore me to pieces a day or so ago. Lord I need Your help. Please give me wisdom in abundance and help me to be more like You in everything I say and do. Give me perspective through the people you've placed in my life and help me to not operate out of my own self interest. I love You Jesus, guide me and lead me.
Wisdom?
Well, for the first time ever I've deleted a post. That seems almost heretical to do such a thing, but people far wiser than I thought it unwise to post what I did. Because I have a lack of perspective, I thought it best to trust those who can are distanced from the situation and can see much more clearly than I.
How can I know if what has happened or is happening is good or not? If the outcome is favorable in my sight, is that really good or bad? Things are not always what they seem. An apparent blessing could actually lead to a curse, and a curse could lead to a blessing. How do I know if these things are good or not???
Perhaps in seeking God first and seeking His will I will know.
How can I know if what has happened or is happening is good or not? If the outcome is favorable in my sight, is that really good or bad? Things are not always what they seem. An apparent blessing could actually lead to a curse, and a curse could lead to a blessing. How do I know if these things are good or not???
Perhaps in seeking God first and seeking His will I will know.
Monday, August 01, 2005
Guess my blog is ready for some change
So what's the big news in my life? Climbing, ministry through climbing and outdoor stuff, reaching out to international students with my buddy Mike Jacobson by way of a really awesome girl that I've had the privilege of getting to know. Who knows what the future may hold? It's in God's hands and His perfect will, will be accomplished in His perfect time.
I'll post more later. Later could be relative though.
I'll post more later. Later could be relative though.
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