Intermission Chat

Perspective

2007-02-17T10:41:00.000-05:00

The article that Jess posted really puts into perspective the trials taht we got through every day. For me it is a reminder that there is nothing that I am going through that can't be matched by the struggles that someone else goes through and that by the power and Grace of almighty God we will overcome.

wow

2007-02-15T14:17:00.000-05:00

Wow, Jess, thanks for positing that. What an amazing and inspiring story!

Click Here

2007-02-15T12:22:00.000-05:00

One of my students (who was raised Orthodox Jew and is an absolute sports fanatic enrolled in the class "Baseball As A Road to God") forwarded this article and video about one of the most inspiring stories I've ever read. Period.
Absolutely amazing.

Remember Why We Gather

2007-01-02T17:39:00.000-05:00

The Stone Soup Legend

There exists a tale, handed down from times long ago, of two travelers on a pilgrimage. Hungry and tired from a long dayÂs journey, they come to a small, impoverished, medieval village, where they decide to rest by the side of the road. One of the travelers builds a small fire, upon which he places a large pot, while the other, having drawn water from the town well, fills the pot and places into the vessel a simple stone. As the two men sit by the fire, bringing their "stone soup" to a boil, the local villagers become inquisitive of the curious antics of these strangers. Eventually, several townsfolk decide to investigate the matter and approach the two travelers to engage them in conversation.

Shortly thereafter, there is heard the sound of merriment, as the visitors, who turn out to be quite friendly, share their tales of the lands and people they have met throughout their journey and pilgrimage with the local villagers.

Finally, a young boy asks the travelers "But why, pray thee, are you boiling a stone?"

One of the pilgrims replies, "So we may eat stone soup."

"It must be terribly bland!" says an old woman. "But I have a cabbage, which will add some flavor!"

"And I, some carrots, which will add color!" says another villager.

"Some potatoes!", offers another, until, shortly, by the contribution of a little by many, a hearty stew was made, upon which the entire village and the weary pilgrims dined...and while doing so, shared their tales, talents, and camaraderie throughout the night.

The very next day, the travelers (who by now could be called "strangers" no more), continued their journey, leaving the little town, and its people, behind. But the villagers never forgot them, and the lesson they had learned. In fact, during the hardest of times, in such a time as this tale, that little village thrived, because the townsfolk never forgot how to make "stone soup."

Men and Women of Intermission, may we never forget:

Without the Stone, Christ the Solid Rock, the foundation of Truth (John 14:6) - our soup is worthless.
If you and I do not each bring something, our soup is incomplete, bland, and tepid.
We do not gather for the sake of community, but we discover community as we gather around The Stone ("strangers no more"). Community is not our goal, however community is a most wonderful by-product of our common journey to the soup pot.
Individually we are incomplete and will go under-fed and malnourished. We NEED one another. We are incomplete without one another. Christ is in community. I am not the Body of Christ, WE are the Body of Christ. Hence, "the holy catholic (or christian) church."

Glory

2006-12-29T22:25:00.000-05:00

Click on the link. Read the article.

Advent Wreath and Readings

2006-12-06T16:21:00.000-05:00

We are in the period of Advent

1.	a coming into place, view, or being; arrival: the advent of the holiday season.

2.	(usually initial capital letter) the coming of Christ into the world.

3.	(initial capital letter) the period beginning four Sundays before Christmas, observed in commemoration of the coming of Christ into the world.

I wanted to offer here some Scriptures and Explanations for this Season.

Significance of the Advent Wreath:
1st CANDLE- (purple) "CANDLE OF HOPE"
2nd CANDLE- (purple) "CANDLE OF PREPARATION (or LOVE)"
3rd CANDLE- (pink) "CANDLE OF JOY"
4th CANDLE- (purple) "CANDLE OF LOVE (or PEACE)"
5th CANDLE - (white) "CHRIST CANDLE"

Some Scripture verses to read during Advent:

FOUR WEEKS BEFORE CHRISTMAS
SUNDAY: Isaiah 7:14 and Micah 5:2
MONDAY: Matthew 1:18-24 and Luke 1:26-33
TUESDAY: Luke 2:1-5
WEDNESDAY: Luke 2:6-7
THURSDAY: Luke 2:8-9
FRIDAY: Luke 2:10-12
SATURDAY: Luke 2:13-14

THREE WEEKS BEFORE CHRISTMAS
SUNDAY: Luke 2:15-16
MONDAY: Luke 2:17-18
TUESDAY: Luke 2:19
WEDNESDAY: Luke 2:20
THURSDAY: Luke 2:21
FRIDAY: Matthew 2:1-2
SATURDAY: Matthew 2:3-6

TWO WEEKS BEFORE CHRISTMAS
SUNDAY: Matthew 2:7-8
MONDAY: Matthew 2:9
TUESDAY: Matthew 2:10-11
WEDNESDAY: Matthew 2:12-15
THURSDAY: Galatians 4:4-5
FRIDAY: Ephesians 2:8-9
SATURDAY: 1 John 4:7-16

ONE WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS
SUNDAY: Ephesians 2:12-22
MONDAY: John 7:37-38, and 14:6
TUESDAY: Matthew 28:19-20
WEDNESDAY: John 8:12
THURSDAY: John 9:4-5 and Matthew 5:14-16
FRIDAY: Psalm 98:1-6
SATURDAY: John 1:1-3, 14 and Romans 6:23

CHRISTMAS DAY
Psalm 100, Revelation 3:20-21

Land or Sea: Tis Beautiful

2006-11-28T17:51:00.000-05:00

This summer Jess, Scott, and I had a chance to hike Maiden's cliff for Intermission. (after a thunderstorm and power outage) and it was noted that sometimes the clouds look like the sea. This picture was taken of Lubec, Maine in August from Campobello, Canada - a snapshot of God's creation.
~Esther

Installment #3

2006-11-17T19:48:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately I don't have an image for this post. I saw the billboard a few weeks ago (again along my bike route) but wasn't quick enough to catch it before it came down. It was a Continental Airlines advertisement. What is it with God and these airline ads anyway? Should I take it personally - "Jess, the Lord speaketh unto you: fly, fly all over the world." I wish!....and then....why not? :-) But more than anything else, I think it's the words of the ad in the context of my devotional reading that day that reveals real meaning - real in-sight, Spirit-sight, in-spiration. In sharing I hope to continue to con-spire with you. Without further ado:

OTHER AIRLINES FEED YOU PROMISES.
WE FEED YOU.

God is the only god that delivers - in every sense of the word.
"Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled."

CANCELLATION - Oct 31st

2006-10-31T13:20:00.000-05:00

Hello All,

I'll be making a couple rounds of phone calls in a little while, however, we are going to have to cancel Intermission tonight. Instead, might I recommend that everyone go to Nate's Church for their Harvest (Halloween) Party?!

Sorry about the late notice... it's just shaping up to be a crazy week!

Talk to you all soon!

by His Grace,

Adam

Urban Poetry, part 2

2006-10-29T16:17:00.000-05:00

I don't think I can top that last post - which is absolutely beyond words - but I thought I could expand on my both literal and visual thoughts from a week or so ago:

Where the "spirit cruises" from "nonstop to nonstop" there is:

Let's keep moving, as spread out as we all are, and in all that we do. (Even if that's dancing in a pink tutu, Nate!)

I know I should post something serious, but...

2006-10-26T12:53:00.000-05:00

Urban Poetry...

2006-10-19T14:50:00.000-05:00

...and the truth, as seen this morning at 17th Street and the West End Higway.

No comment necessary

2006-10-17T14:58:00.000-05:00

Come & See...

2006-09-29T07:46:00.000-05:00

....indeed. This morning I was checking out a blog entry by an artist friend/mentor. I found his meditations on under-standing Jesus and under-standing art, specifically Da Vinci's "Last Supper", to really enrich the ponderings on communion that have continued to reverberate in my head since our conversation more than two weeks. "Taste and see," and "Come and see." The grace of God, by and through the risen Christ, is experiencial, it is sense-ational. Sensing, knowing, under-standing (as in standing under) IS grace - WE PARTAKE. Click on "Come & See" - the link will take you to Mako's blog entry. It is lengthy, but I have no doubt you will be blessed by breaking bread with him, in Christ.

"Alleluia. Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us;
Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia."
(From the Rite One of the Holy Eucharist in the Book of Common Prayer.)

2006-09-26T23:51:00.000-05:00

Hey Guys,

Thank you for the postcards and the prayers! I hope that you are all happy and learning.

I did have a good time on my birthday. Something really cool happened. I was at a perpetual groove concert (one of my favorite bands), standing in front of the stage before the show, when my friend yelled out that it was my birthday. Brock, the lead guitarist, apparently heard him because he came down a little later and wished me happy birthday and shook my hand. It was awesome, but really just a good distraction from wishing that I was home for my birthday. I miss home, Family, you guys, camden, sailing.....but oh well.

This place is incredible too. Sometimes I feel as though I can't keep up with it all. Between all the new people, classes, the approach of autumn, and all the other stimuli, it sometimes feels like I am dreaming. I try to make a point of wandering around campus each night while it is quiet, because that is the only time when I am able to take enough time to satisfactorily absorb my surroundings.

I can hardly believe how well some things have turned out: I don't have any classes before 11:30 or after 3:45 any day of the week, I work two nights a week as the climbing wall monitor, I like all of my teachers and most of my classes......My roommate is a little crazy, but I can deal. My time has been spent studying, playing rugby(I joined the team), slacklining(tightrope walking), climbing, reading, exploring and eating. I think most of you know me well enough to understand how rich I find this lifestyle.

There is a Christian fellowship club here and I have just begun to get involved with it. Unfortunately it seems to be going down hill, and right now the focus of their discussions is kind of shallow. They need prayer. Actually, I think that they need an Intermission. hmm, I hope that this is God's way of giving me some work to do, and I hope that I do it well.

Anyway, what have you guys been talking about? What new material have you sung/read/listened to? I'd like to know what's new with each of you. Keep me informed.

Make good time, -Scott Overlock
(emphasis on good)

Evangelism Ideas!

2006-09-18T19:49:00.000-05:00

See you all on Tuesday! Bring your own disco ball!

Unexpected Grace & Farewell to a Friend

2006-09-03T14:40:00.000-05:00

"On the Third Day [Jesus] rose again from the dead."

And thus begins our September reflection...

We begin with a story of God's unexpected grace -how God used Jessica in the wake of tremendous tragedy. Our God who brings life from death, creativity from chaos, beauty from ashes... Come and listen to what He has done.

And bid our friend Scott a fond (and temporary) farewell as he heads off to Colby-Sawyer College.

See you all Tuesday!

The Robust Laughter of Community

2006-08-30T19:59:00.000-05:00

Read this whole article on Newsweek's website:
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14531390/site/newsweek/

"Some 35 years later, the Bunko Girls, sporting a few gray hairs, are still at it, enjoying long nights of chatter and laughter. But today, their laughter is more robust because it comes from women who have experienced pain, sadness, fear, loss - and life - together. With the monthly roll of the dice, they roll on with their lives, recognizing that while they may not have it all together, together they have it all."

May our community share such robust laughter together for years to come...

Reactions?

ONE HOUR DELAY!!!

2006-08-28T21:06:00.000-05:00

Hello Friends,

Sorry for the last minute notice. I was supposed to take some teens to Funtown today (Monday) but it rained. Postponed the trip until Tuesday and I won't be back until 7:00pm.

So, just like when you were back in school - we are having a ONE HOUR DELAY!!! INTERMISSION will begin with dinner at 7:00pm (instead of our usual 6pm).

Click here to contact Leah if you have any questions.

See you all tomorrow!

by His Grace,
Adam

Community Music

2006-08-21T19:27:00.000-05:00

As I enjoyed Sesame Street with Samuel and Joshua this morning, my curiosity finally got the best of me. I have seen this video , "Jump Up," many, many times (click on the link and watch it, it's only about 2 minutes long). I just had to find out who this music group is.

Well, if you clicked and viewed the video, you saw the website belongs to Dan Zanes and the song is his.

The thing that most intrigued me as I explored his website was his commentary on what he calls "Communal Music Making." This is an exerpt from the "questions" section of his website:

Q.	what does the festival five folk series have to do with family music?
A.	everything! my guess is that as a society we play less music together now than at any point in recent history. my hope for all of the cds that we release is that they are a starting point for people to make their own music. people of all ages. if you've been to a show than you've probably heard me mention family bands or neighborhood bands. my message is that communal music making is not only wildly enjoyable but it's easy. it brings us together. it connects us with our past and points toward a brighter future. it's how we can learn about each other and it's available to everyone.

WOW! How this describes our community worship on Tuesday nights! How this describes our ongoing converstation!

How do these comments strike you?

Forgiveness, Pardon, Acceptance...

2006-08-20T19:10:00.000-05:00

In Pennsylvania, during 1829, George Wilson was convicted of mail robbery and murder, then sentenced to death. On June 14, 1830, Wilson was pardoned by President Andrew Jackson. However Wilson refused the pardon! What was to be done with a man who refused a pardon and chose to die on the gallows instead?

Here are the words of the Chief Supreme Court Justice, John Marshall, who delivered the opinion of the court:

U.S. Supreme Court
U S v. WILSON, 32 U.S. 150 (1833)
32 U.S. 150 (Pet.)
UNITED STATES v. GEORGE WILSON.
January Term, 1833

"...A pardon is an act of grace, proceeding from the power intrusted with the execution of the laws, which exempts the individual, on whom it is bestowed, from the punishment the law inflicts for a crime he has committed...

"...A pardon is a deed, to the validity of which, delivery is essential, and delivery is not complete, without acceptance. It may then be rejected by the person to whom it is tendered; and if it be rejected, we have discovered no power in a court to force it on him."

In other words, one can be offered a pardon, but that pardon remains invalid unless it is ACCEPTED! An "act of grace" may be "rejected by the person to whom it is tendered."

Somehow, this story gave me pause for reflection... Anyone else?

…and God said, “Yes.

2006-08-11T07:11:00.000-05:00

So yesterday morning (Thursday) at 8:30am I received a phone call. Now, I don’t need to remind you that this was the morning AFTER I sent you my email/blog that I was definitively NOT going this weekend.

The phone call was from God.

…well, not directly from God, for He often uses human messengers.

It was my friend Nate’s father. He said he woke up that morning with the idea that he really wanted to help Leah and I get down for the celebration. He said it was confirmed when his wife woke up and said the exact same thing to him.

Dude, how many people does God need to tell before I listen?

Leah observed we often assume that when God speaks, He’s going to tell us to do something difficult or something we don’t want to do. So what happens when He’s telling us to do something we really want to do??? It can be even harder to hear Him because we assume it’s just our own desires speaking. We assume God doesn’t hand out assignments like that – He only delegates the hard, laborious ones.

So more than anything, I feel I owe you all an apology for not trusting the Voice of God from you in my life. God was undoubtedly speaking through all of you, but I was 1) too thick to hear it; 2) did not trust you, my community, as I truly should have. God had to bring another voice to confirm what you said before I believed it. I sincerely apologize. I will earnestly strive to trust Christ in you from now on.

I am humbled. God was speaking to me through all of you, and I almost missed it. I am grateful for His grace, that God would send me, (this doubting “Gideon”) yet another undeserved fleece to confirm His message.

I am humbled. Only because of our community has this weekend been made possible. Scott Overlock is going to teach Sunday School for me. Deb & Rick Meservey (“satellite members” of our community) are taking over my worship leading responsibilities Sunday. The Cranes provided me the monetary gift that you collected (as again, you all KNEW I was going this weekend long before I did)… by the way, that “500 Lobster note” is not recognized outside of the State of Maine… so I’ll have to wait until I return to use it *smile*. This community not only spoke God’s voice to me, but then worked to make “His word become flesh.”

So again, thank you all for hearing God and please forgive me of little faith for doubting the Voice of God in you. I do believe! Thank you for helping me overcome my unbelief!

I love you all.

Adam
(writing from Massachusetts, heading to Pennsylvania tomorrow)

An Open Letter to the Crazy group of people called Intermission

2006-08-09T20:07:00.000-05:00

An Open Letter to Intermission

re: Adam’s trip to Pennsylvania

You all have thrown me into an absolute tailspin! You collectively hit the nail on the head the other night – THAT is EXACTLY what TRUE COMMUNITY is: a need is presented within the community and the community responds. It is just SO right! On principle alone I want to yell, “YES! YES! YES!” just to affirm and reward the holy impulse. I mean, if the need had been anyone’s other than my own, I would have been the loudest, most ardent champion of this motivation *smile* I can’t even begin to say how overwhelmed I was in what could have been NOTHING LESS THAN a true God moment.

You all have forced me to wrestle with some of the hard, and somewhat surprising, issues of true community. I feel it appropriate to post this here for further reflection, discussion, and clarification.

Esther shared how hard it might be to loan out her car. However, she rightly concluded, whose car is it really? A poignant truth. An honest reflection. “No one claimed that any of her possessions was her own, but they shared everything they had” (Acts 4:32).

And on the RECEIVING end; may I say just how hard I found it to even consider accepting such a gift? Or how my hands felt paralyzed - completely unable to open up and accept ANY offer of money, bus tickets, rides, etc???

My initial response is, “Why me? Who am I? What have I done to deserve such a gift? Aren’t there others who would be better served by such generosity?” Giving a gift is hard. Receiving a true and generous gift is just as hard.

It is humbling to admit that you need help and that others are willing to help you. PRIDE is a powerful deterrent. How it threatens to destroy true community by preventing us from receiving the grace, love, and friendship that others are willing to offer. “Please swallow your pride / If I have things you need to borrow / For no one can fill / Those of your needs that you won’t let show.” Yeah Laura, you were right and we should have sung Lean on Me…

Moreover, it is overwhelming to experience such an outpouring of love. Just the expression of your care for me has genuinely touched me in ways that I cannot even begin to express.

So thank you all, truly, completely, wholly.

All that being said, I am at peace with my decision not to go. I had already discussed this with my friend and I am honestly looking forward to a weekend with my wife (she having been gone for four days). And there are some other factors as well.

But suffice to say my friends, having examined my heart and my motives, I am making this decision NOT because my PRIDE is preventing me from accepting such generosity (although I hide not from you that I do/would struggle!) but for deeply PERSONAL reasons, some of which have been stated, and some of which remain best unstated.

So as graciously as I possibly can, I want to THANK YOU for your love, I AFFIRM the Holy Impulse that swelled within this group on Tuesday night, and please, TRY ME AGAIN (and soon) *smile* I especially appreciate gifts of stocks, bonds, equities, cash, and cash equivalents *smile*

I love you all. Thank you for our conversation. Thank you for our community.

by His Grace,
Adam

A Violent Grace

2006-08-07T19:28:00.000-05:00

This week we begin a month-long discussion on: "I believe in Jesus Christ...suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucifed, died and was buried. He descended into Hell."

Theologian and Author Michael card wrote a book about what he termed, "a Violent Grace."

The Jesus who preached love, healed the sick, held the children we can stomach. But do we have to discuss the cross? It's so barbaric, so crude, so crass, so R-Rated, so offensive, so violent. However, "by His wounds, we are healed." Within the violence of the cross, we find the grace of God.

St. Clare of Assisi said, "What a great laudable exchange." Laudable means "praiseworthy; worthy of high praise." That we might exchange our sin, our wounds, our filth, our vileness at the cross for grace, mercy, and peace is truely a great and laudable exchange. What a beautiful, horrible, violent grace is ours in the cross of Jesus Christ.

I leave you with this quote from Charles Spurgeon:

If you reject Him
He answers you with tears.
If you wound Him,
He bleeds out cleansing.
If you kill Him, He dies to redeem.
If you bury Him,
He rises again to bring resurrection.

Seek fervently. Pray without ceasing. Love dearly. Examine honestly. Listen intently. And on Tuesday night come and listen to what He's done.

Intentional Community

2006-07-25T13:15:00.000-05:00

Leah and I have been engaging in an extended converstation about intentional community. I'd love for all of us to engage in this conversation together. Here's an article about the PAPA festival which was in part sponsored by the Simple Way, an intentional community of Christians living and working together in Philadelphia. The article contains information about this movement within evangelical Christianity towards intentional communal living.

By the way, the Simple Way was founded by a bunch of Eastern College students who were at Eastern the same time I was...including Shane Claiborne who just released a book well worth reading: The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical.

http://www.thedailytimes.com/sited/story/html/260351

What do you think???

Cultural Conversation

2006-06-25T21:22:00.000-05:00

In the below excerpt Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in NYC (where I go), uses the truth of Christ's INCARNATION as a model for effective ministry and cultural transformation. Taken from an article about the shared theological DNA of effective city-center churches, "The Nature of Contextualization" (ie, Incarnation) is one of six building blocks of this DNA that he outlines. The whole article is great (click on "Cultural Conversation" above to link to it). For me it offered the most recent lines of dialogue in, 1) my personal conversation with God, 2) our Tuesday night conversation with God, and 3) the conversation with God I take part in as a member of the global body of Christ, by stressing that the INCARNATION be made a vital part of a fourth conversation, the secular/cultural CONVERSATION. Incarnation and conversation. Incarnation IN conversation. Very cool.

-----------------------------

(point three in Tim Keller's, "Ministry in the New Global Culture of Major City-Centers")

The Nature of Contextualization.

Contextualization is the incarnation of the gospel in a new culture. Each culture has a worldview or “world story” at its heart. To reach a new culture, the gospel must enter, challenge, and re-tell the story of the new culture. In so doing, there are two equal and opposite errors that can emerge. First, if the culture is not truly entered (that is, if the gospel communication comes in the undiluted cultural form of its sender), then the receptors will experience only a “cultural conversion.” They do not actually encounter God but simply adopt the culture of the sender. Second, if the culture is not truly challenged and re-worked (that is, if the basic idols of the culture are not really removed), then the receptors will experience only a “cultural conversion;” they will simply get a lightly Christianized version of their own culture.

Every expression and embodiment of Christianity is contextualized. There is no such thing as a universal, ahistorical expression of Christianity. Jesus didn’t come to earth as a generalized being; by his becoming human, he had to become a particular human. He was male, Jewish, and working class; he was a socially and culturally-situated person.

So the minute we begin to minister, we must “incarnate” even as Jesus did. Actual Christian practices must have both a Biblical form or shape and a cultural form or shape. For example, the Bible clearly directs us to use music to praise God, but as soon as we choose a specific music to use, we enter a culture. As soon as we choose a language, as soon as we choose a vocabulary, as soon as we choose a particular level of emotional expressiveness and intensity, as soon as we choose even an illustration as an example for a sermon, we move toward the social context of some people and away from the social context of others. At Pentecost, everyone heard the sermon in his or her own language and dialect. But since Pentecost, we can never be all things to all people at the very same time. Adaptation to culture is inevitable.

It is important to note that contextualization is not relativism! As D.A. Carson has said, “No truth which human beings may articulate can ever be articulated in a culture-transcending way—but that does not mean that the truth thus articulated does not transcend culture.” It is important to keep the balance of this statement. If you forget the first half, you will think there is only one true way to communicate the gospel. If you forget the second half, you’ll lose your grip on the fact that nonetheless there is only one true gospel. Either way you will be ineffective in ministry. Paul does not change the gospel, but he adapts it very heavily. This may open the door to abuses; but fear and refusal to adapt culturally open the door to abuses of the gospel just as much. The balance is to not succumb to relativism or to think contextualization is really avoidable. Both are gospel-eroding errors. In summary:

If we over-adapt to a culture we are trying to reach, it means we have bought in to that culture’s idols. We are allowing that culture too much authority. For example, we may take a good theme (e.g. the freedom of the individual in the West, which fits with the “priesthood of all believers”) and allow it to be an idol (e.g. the dominance of the individual which prevents pastoral accountability and discipline).

If, on the other hand we under-adapt to a culture, it means we have accepted our own culture’s idols. We are forgetting that our own version of Christianity is in large part not Biblical but simply cultural.

To the degree a ministry is over- or under-adapted, it loses culture-transforming power. It is, therefore, impossible to avoid the very real dangers of contextualization by simply holding on to the old, familiar ways. That would be as much of a cultural trap as to over-adapt.

City centers are dense and diverse and there are always a lot of new young residents who just moved in to town in order to make their own way. They are often culturally unlike the long-time residents (the corporate and cultural leaders). It is quite easy to fail to contextualize to the city center, to simply offer up a suburban model of ministry (not tapping into the city’s cultural narratives, not speaking in the city’s voice) and still draw a crowd. The church must continually ask itself whether it is really reaching the longer-time residents or simply gathering the outsiders and the short-term newcomers.

Very Greatful

2006-06-25T16:14:00.000-05:00

*Last summer when I put the top down on Hannah (my car), I began to notice that it popped around some plastic before resting where it belong. I didn't think much of this. This summer, I've noticed that a bar of the canvas top was no longer attached how it should be, thus causing the hit with the plastic. I finally took it to a ford dealership to see what might be wrong and the only thing they could do was replace a lot of the hardware for me for over $1,000.
*Saturday I accepted Julie's invitation to play violin and upon seeing cars in mid-restoration, I told Julie & Steve about my situation.
*While looking at the car, Julie found the missing piece needed to fix the top stashed by my shifter. The piece had been kicking around my car for over a year.
*Today Steve put the piece back on my car and it seems to be working fine.
It is a kind gift from God that the small piece was still in my car and God provided his extended family to help me further.
*"How great is our God."

See where the conversation will take you

2006-06-21T10:06:00.000-05:00

Interview As Song, by Bono
from Rolling Stone, issue 1000, May 18-June 1, 2005, p. 216

"Before U2 had ever come to America, my introduction to Rolling Stone was the interviews with my heroes: Dylan, Lennon. I read them all. They were like songs. When you set off on one of those conversations, it's for the same reason you write lyrics. It's a voyage of discovery. Talkers are searchers. I talk because I'm trying to find out about things. It's like that in friendship or with your lover. You see where the conversation will take you" (emphasis mine).

I feel similarly about our Tuesday night gathering; we see where the conversation will take us.

Any thoughts?

A Superhero's Faith

2006-06-20T07:51:00.000-05:00

I found this Newsweek article amusing...maybe somehow thought provoking?

However, more than this particular article, I found myself reflecting on a quote about Superman from a movie I've never seen.

In the Quentin Tarantino film "Kill Bill: Vol. 2," the character Bill shares his view on what Clark Kent -- Superman's other half -- says about humanity.

"An essential characteristic of the superhero mythology is, there's the superhero, and there's the alter ego," Bill says. "Batman is actually Bruce Wayne. Spider-Man is actually Peter Parker. When he wakes up in the morning, he's Peter Parker. He has to put on a costume to become Spider-Man. And it is in that characteristic that Superman stands alone. Superman did not become Superman -- Superman was born Superman."

Bill adds, "When Superman wakes up in the morning, he's Superman. His alter ego is Clark Kent. His outfit with the big red 'S' -- that's the blanket he was wrapped in as a baby when the Kents found him. Those are his clothes. What Kent wears -- the glasses, the business suit -- that's the costume. That's the costume Superman wears to blend in with us. Clark Kent is how Superman views us. And what are the characteristics of Clark Kent? He's weak. He's unsure of himself. He's a coward. Clark Kent is Superman's critique on the whole human race."

Does this quote give anyone else pause or it is just me?....

Coming June 20th!

2006-06-19T14:27:00.000-05:00

Hello All! Tomorrow, June 20th is our next meeting. Same time (6pm dinner, 7pm discussion), same place (8 Belmont Ave, Camden).

Incarnate: in·car·nate P Pronunciation Key (n-kärnt)
adj.

Invested with bodily nature and form: an incarnate spirit.
Embodied in human form

Jesus Christ was Incarnated: "The Word Became Flesh." Now we "incarnate Christ" to the world. As St Teresa of Avila wrote:

Christ has no body now but yours
No hands, no feet on earth but yours
Yours are the eyes through which He looks
compassion on this world
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

Now it is through US that Christ is incarnated to this world, "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us."

Further reflections? See you tomorrow!

The calm before the storm?

2006-06-12T22:40:00.000-05:00

As with any conversation, there are periods of intensity and periods of peace. Our conversation on this blog seems to be taking a bit of a rest. Keep checking, things will pick up again soon! This may just be the calm before a storm of conversation! Maybe YOU are the one who needs to post next!

Tomorrow (Tuesday, June 13th) we will be meeting as usual - 6pm dinner, 7pm discussion - at Leah and my home, 8 Belmont Ave, Camden.

We are beginning a time of reflection upon: "We believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary."

This is the first of what will probably be four "movements" in our discussion about Jesus Christ. You may want to read again the Apostles' Creed to get a sense of what I am talking about.

I'll see you all tomorrow!

Tuesday June 6th

2006-06-01T15:41:00.000-05:00

We will be meeting at my house in bayside this Tuesday, same time. Here are the directions:

-Take Rte 1 north from Camden, go approx 16 miles.
-Turn sharp right at Dos Amigos Restaurant(orange building) go approx 1 mile.
-Turn Left on Griffin St., go approx 1/10 mile.
-My house is the second to the last on the right(yellow house, big porch, you will see my black and red truck in the driveway)
-338-3933

OK, Ill see you all on tuesday. Scott

words about the Word

2006-05-30T22:48:00.000-05:00

GOD SENT
THE WORD
BECAME FLESH AND BLOOD
WORD IS GOD
GOD IS LOVE
BECAUSE
A LOVELESS WORLD
IS A SIGHTLESS WORLD

(the photo, taken at 125th street and broadway in new york, inspired the above spoken word when I was meditating on the incarnation around christmas and asking God to show himself to me in the city)

--for more on spoken word copy and paste this address into your browser: http://www.msu.edu/~miazgama/spokenword.htm

--to hear a spoken word artist who performed at soulfest two years ago copy and paste this: http://www.judahisrael.com/I%20AM%20live.mp3

Tuesday, May 30th - Where and What?

2006-05-29T20:20:00.000-05:00

I publicly want to thank Scott for offering his home for a future meeting. Leah and I just confirmed that we can get childcare for June 6th, but NOT for tomorrow (May 30th). So, let's plan to meet at Scott's house on June 6th and we will have one final discussion about God, the Father Almighty, maker of Heaven and Earth then!

Tomorrow, May 30th, let's plan on meeting at Leah and my house, 8 Belmont Ave, 6pm for Dinner, 7pm for discussion.

Keep checking back here to the blog and we'll have Scott post directions to his house for the June 6th meeting.

God borrowed my 1996 Chevy Blazer???

2006-05-28T21:45:00.000-05:00

We literally just got back from the U2 Eucharist in Portland. Leah, Jess, and I met Laureh Johnson there (she was on her way back from lifeguard training in NH). To summarize, the U2 Eucharist was a valiant try, but in the end fell flat. It felt forced, awkward, disjointed. Ultimately, it just didn't feel like God showed up for the service.

But the U2 Eucharist was NOT why we were supposed to go to Portland...

On the way home, we had a hour-and-a-half conversation...and God showed up! Who knew He wanted to take us for a ride in my 1996 Chevy Blazer?!

Somehow, the conversation turned to the history of tragic deaths, widespread drug use, depression, teen pregnancy and blinding fatalism evidenced in some sectors of this community's culture.

I spoke of the fatalism that I have seen in some students; "Oh, that's just the way it is;" "Everybody uses drugs;" "Nothing is going to change things;" " _______________ (fill in program name or prevention idea) - THAT won't work here!"

We agreed that ultimately what needs to happen is a transformation of the culture - the worldview, the mindset, the ethos - of the community. Drug use is not acceptable. You have a future. You are too valuable to throw your life away. Sex is not the answer. You are not a victim - you can change things.

A transformation needs to take place in the ethos of this community. Ultimately, God is the only one who can transform a "culture of death" into a "culture of life." It begins and ends with Him. But what is OUR role?

OUR role? MY role? I can't do anything about this. The problem is too big. Too overwhelming. Too complex. Frankly, it's IMPOSSIBLE.

BUT haven't we been asking God what is the IMPOSSIBLE thing that He wants to accomplish IN and THROUGH US to show HIMSELF to be ALMIGHTLY?

Is THIS the impossible task we are supposed to undertake? Are WE supposed to be a part of somehow bringing change to the the ethos of this community?

On our very FIRST Tuesday together, I asked the question, "What do you bring to the table?" As Leah pointed out tonight; "That was the RIGHT question, but we all gave the WRONG answers." Our answers to the question were GOOD, but they were TOO SMALL. We mostly discussed musical and artistic talents.

But what about all the OTHER gifts, talents, and experiences that we each bring to the table!? You know - those gifts, talents, and experiences that God has given each one of us in order to SHAPE us for THIS MOMENT / to PREPARE US to answer the all consuming and eternally important question; "What is the IMPOSSIBLE thing that God want's to accomplish IN and THROUGH US to show Himself to be Almighty?"

God can borrow my Blazer anytime. It was worth the ride. I just wish I had a greater seating capacity so I could have fit all of you in there with us to join the discussion. So what do you think?

This Tuesday? And next?

2006-05-28T08:07:00.000-05:00

Last Tuesday Scott announced that he'd be moving out of his place in Bayside on June 18th and would like to have everyone over before that. For those of you who don't know Bayside, it's beautiful--and Scott is just steps away from the ocean! The shoreline could make a nice setting for our last week of discussion on "God Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth." I'm willing to make the drive and those of you coming from further south could park at my house and carpool the rest of the way.

Also discussed was the idea of a silent hike up Maiden's Cliff, letting our footfalls and our breathing join the ceaseless worship of God by His creation surrounding us. Hiking to the cross would make for a nice segue from "God the Creator" to "Jesus Christ, His Son."

How do each of you feel about meeting at Scott's this week? And then possibly going for a hike the following week? What are your concerns? Any other suggestions or ideas?

"Where all the windows are doors...."

2006-05-26T23:10:00.000-05:00

I don't mean to post this so quickly after Scott's beautiful piece below. I had been writing bits and pieces of my following thoughts all week, and was about to delete them before I read Scott's words. But now.... Be sure to scroll down and read his first. I think there's a connection.

*******

You know, I'm not very good at giving recaps of events or conversations. This said, let me thank Julie & Steve for hosting a truly wonder-ful evening of food and conversation before I now indulge a weakness of mine by pursuing just a particular tangent of our most recent Tuesday night conversation, for what it's worth:

We experience and understand the world through symbols. Paintings, photos, candles on a birthday cake, church steeples, report cards, stories, handshakes, videos dramatizing songs, the songs themselves, the words that make up the songs....all are symbolic of greater meaning. Effectively using a symbol to communicate (think of the written word 'smile' for example) is like presenting a small door into a huge cavernous space beyond (the space of what it actually is and feels like to smile). It's exciting and a little bit terrifying. While religion focusses on the door--a beautiful one though it may be--relationship accepts the invitation to enter in. It is risky, to walk beyond the threshold of what can be too easily known.

Jesus taught by parables. "All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak." (Matthew 13:34) Parables are symbols, metaphors, stories that stand for greater, richer, deeper truths. Jesus himself was a symbol, a sign of God's love for us. His name (we spoke of the significance of names Tuesday night) means "God with us". And yet....Jesus was more than a symbol, he WAS God with us.

The living, breathing Word - by being just that! - bridged the gap between knowing God with our heads and knowing Him with our hearts. And if we were living in the experiencial, relational, totally-expansive-beyond-the-little-door, heart's knowlege of God, I mean REALLY living, I think we'd experience a mind blowing breakthrough in our perception of the world. Suddenly our handshakes would mean much more than social convention. We would be more care-ful in how we would call each other whether by proper name, by role, or by judgement, be it "friend", "crazy", "bum", or "those people who....". What do these 'names' really mean, anyway? Suddenly, we would 'see' a song beyond the blindfold of what a friend, a pastor, or a critic says we should believe about it. Who said U2 couldn't create a liturgical soundtrack? Just as Steve and Julie experienced, we would see songs not limited to the safe distance of their dramatized videos, but powerful enough to take form and sit right down in the pews with us. This is what Christ did: "The Word became flesh and moved into the 'hood." When we live this truth and know this truth, we paint our paintings, write our songs, dance our dances, and say our prayers not for our own 'warm-fuzzies' or for our artists' egos, but because we KNOW that our created things can effectively communicate GOD if they have become dwelling places in which to experience Him. Every word, every deed, every thought should be crushed and then re-created under this grace. It's risky and challenging--and I fail miserably and beautifully at it many times a day! God knows this and sends His love to me anyway. Selah.

Augustine spoke of all creation as pointing him to God the Maker. Created things (you and I included) are symbolic, parables that can be doors or windows to deeper understanding. As I mentioned the other night, God is opening up windows of understanding to me as I paint with Him. He's showing me how to view the chaos and colors of the world from my interior resting place in Him by looking through the Cross, through Christ, in the same way that I look through the intersecting panes on a window. The cross was never meant to be separate from the world, never meant to be just an abstract symbol, a pretty pattern on a painting. The cross was meant to give access to the fullness of life, the experience of all its colors pushing and pulling against each other to create one beautiful composition. Christ took on flesh, took on these colors of chaos to re-create order, to provide a frame of reference.

You know the saying, "Can't see the forest for the trees"? Well, beware of not seeing the view for the window panes. Thank you, Scott, for the window of your words, for your parable. That's a river seen through the window above.... Thank you for launching us down that river, daring us to experience it with you, with each other.

River of Life

2006-05-26T18:14:00.000-05:00

We talk in symbols and metaphors a lot in our conversations, using everything from airplanes to rivers to wrap our minds around the huge concepts we have been tackling.
I think this is an appropriate time to share an interesting metaphor that has developed in my mind. It may not all make sense to all of you, and it may mean different things to each of you.

I live and grow on the river. Where all the windows are doors if you understand the reflection. Every river leads to the same destination, and all but one of them ends there.
I find myself at a fork in the rivers with the current pushing me much to fast. But wherever it takes me I will always have the same boat, though it will change from a crudely fashioned raft to a well furnished yacht.
Sometimes I am able to ride the crest of a wave long enough and high enough to see where the next fork will take me. but the taller the wave, the more I see, the more I realize, just how thick the fog really is. At the next fork I will choose the river with the most twists and turns and the deepest, clearest water.
I will see in the depths many smooth stones painted by time, and they will speak to me and anyone else who cares to listen.They will tell me that I have never been here before and never will again. they will warn me of the eddy so that I do not get caught in it, and they will teach me that the journey is where my fortune will be found and not at the destination.Their whispers are transposed into my laughter as I realize that I am the one who cast these stones. Oh, how grace has polished them.
The river flows through us, from one to another, and we must learn how to keep the river flowing. Let it rush in, feel its power, take a cool drink, and let it be shared.
Sometimes I encounter someones dam, built in desperation, and sometimes someone pisses upstream. Why? Their reasons aren't good enough for messing up my river. But these things cannot drown me. I take a deep breath of good air and become like the water. I absorb all that I can but can never be punctured. I learn from them that I know the secret to make their rivers better, and create my own river. a river where all the windows are doors. A river that flows to and through my destination. It flows up to the sky, and there, time stops and the fog clears and when I stand there, on solid ground, I know I will be very glad I had such a good boat.

New!!Looking ahead to Tuesday May 23 New!!

2006-05-21T22:25:00.000-05:00

Many thanks to Adam and Leah for all of the wonderful Tuesdays we've spent growing in relationship with one another and with God--thanks for sharing your home, your hearts and (of course) your food! Communion and community. :-)
We thank God for giving you safe travels to and from Portland this Tuesday and we look forward to making the same trip with you on Sunday for the U2charist.

Hi Everyone,
We will not be able to meet at the Kohlstroms this Tuesday as Adam and Leah have a doctors appointment that afternoon.

We have decided to meet at Steve and Julies house in Thomaston at the usual time.
Here are the Directions:
Take Rte 1 South through Main Street Thomaston,
Turn Left on Ridgeview drive,
Go less than 1 mile,
House is on the Right, #7, Black? mailbox.

Just show up and we can do the usual thing. Although I am sure our moderator will be missed in the discussion.
Also if we would like to make music we will need instruments and songbooks so....Nate, bring your guitar, and if anyone has access to any songbooks bring those.
OK I will see you all tomorrow.

Thanks Everyone, Goodnight. - Scott

World On Fire

2006-05-18T11:21:00.000-05:00

Wow. Check out this video from Sarah McLachlan: http://www.worldonfire.ca/

What are your reactions?

U2 Eucharist coming up on May 28th!

2006-05-16T11:10:00.000-05:00

Remember that we are planning a field trip to Portland on Sunday evening, May 28th to go to the U2 Eucharist at St. Luke's Catherdral!

Contact Adam if you are interested in attending (we'll be taking our NEW church van!). The service begins at 7pm meaning we will probably have to meet and leave sometime around 5:00pm. We'll talk more about it tonight!

Read about it all in this Portland Press Herald article!

A New Law

2006-05-15T20:19:00.000-05:00

Leah and I were so struck by the lyrics to this song by Derek Webb off of his most recent album Mockingbird.

Watch a video that was made using this song here.

The lyrics are below. I hope they impact you like they impacted us.

A New Law

(vs. 1)
don’t teach me about politics and government
just tell me who to vote for

don’t teach me about truth and beauty
just label my music

don’t teach me how to live like a free man
just give me a new law

(pre-chorus)
i don’t wanna know if the answers aren’t easy
so just bring it down from the mountain to me

(chorus)
i want a new law
i want a new law
gimme that new law

(vs. 2)
don’t teach me about moderation and liberty
i prefer a shot of grape juice

don’t teach me about loving my enemies

don’t teach me how to listen to the Spirit
just give me a new law

(pre-chorus/chorus)

(bridge)
what’s the use in trading a law you can never keep
for one you can that cannot get you anything
do not be afraid
do not be afraid
do not be afraid

Just for Fun

2006-05-13T19:42:00.000-05:00

More on the Name "Intermission" (or Inter-Mission)

2006-05-13T19:25:00.000-05:00

ON BEHALF OF JESS:

One thing (among more) that I like about the name Intermission:
MISSION
Inter=between. If "all the world's a stage" then between life and death we're on a mission.
giddy-up!
:-)

MY COMMENTS:

EXCELLENT JESS!!!

The dictionary defines the preposition inter- as such:
inter- pref. 1. Between; among. 2. In the midst of; within.

So in the mist of our MISSION, OUR LIFE, OUR PLAY, OUR POEM - we need all need a chance to stop, to reflect, and to reconnect with the Author and with our the other players.

It somehow reminds me of this quote from Erwin McManus' book Chasing Daylight : Seize the Power of Every Moment:
"If birth is sunrise and death is sunset, then inbetween we're all just chasing daylight."

BY THE WAY: If I sent you an invitation email and you want to POST to the Blog and not just RESPOND to MY comments, you need to click on the link in the email and follow the instructions to sign up for a FREE account.

God's Creative Acts

2006-05-11T16:19:00.000-05:00

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

The Greek word for workmanship is:

transliterated as POIEMA

It is the root from which we get our English word "POEM."

"For we are God's POEMS."

How does that strike you?

One final thought for the evening on community...

2006-05-10T23:07:00.000-05:00

Refractions: Refractions Vol. 20: The Housewife that Could

Jess Stammen started circulating this today, so I figured it was worth posting for discussion.

Jess' comments:

Hey, I was catching up on the blog of an artist-friend in NYC this morning....and found a perfect follow-through/expansion of a bit of a conversation I began to have with you, Laura and Leah, and then continued with Scott. Go to this link: http://www.makotofujimura.blogspot.com/ ... and then scroll down to Vol. 20, "The housewife that could," (second most recent entry). It's about Jane Jacobs, healthy communities, and a hope for them.
It was a huge kick in the butt for me: no, I do not need to run up to the woods to build my own house and make my own clothes in order to rightly relate to nature and my neighbors in true community. Even though New York City seems like the last likely alternative (and, in fact, seems like the exact opposite!) maybe I need to learn that God is not a respecter of geography (rural vs. urban) when it comes to his desire to see his creatures living together in right relationship. He was the one who told the Jews held captive in Babylon to transform the city they were living in despite their circumstances for being there: Build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. Have families and connect your families; build community; increase. (Jeremiah 29:4-7)

Reflections from Tuesday, May 9, 2006

2006-05-10T20:57:00.000-05:00

As an Aside:

I wish we had started this Blog from the beginning! I desire to keep a record of our discussions together as well as providing a place to virtually continue this dialogue while physically apart! I hope to post details of past discussions in the near future.

Reflections on our conversation, Tuesday, May 9, 2006:

"I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth."

Saint Augustine wrote in his Confessions:

I asked the earth and it answered me, 'I am not He.' And whatsoever things are in it confirmed the same. I asked the sea and the deeps and the living creeping things, and they answered, 'We are not thy God, seek above us.' I asked the morning air, and the whole air with its inhabitants answered, '...we are not thy God.' I asked the heavens, sun, moon, stars, 'Nor' say they, 'are we the God whom thou seekest.' And I replied unto all the things which encompass the door of my flesh, 'Ye have told me of my Go that ye are not He: tell me something more of Him.' And they cried out with a loud voice, 'He made us.'

We spent much time discussing our (humanity's) place in creation. The word "creature" is from the same root word as "create." We are part of creation, yet hold a very special place within the creation.

Millard J. Erickson's in his opus, Christian Theology says:

While God did not have to create, he did so for good and sufficient reasons. He had a purpose in bringing reality into being. And the creation fulfills that purpose of God. In particular, the creation glorifies God by carrying out his will. The inanimate creation glorifies him (Psalm 19:1-4); the animate creatures obey his plan for them. In the story of Jonah, we see this in rather vivid fashion. Everyone and everything (except Jonah) obeyed God's will and plan: the storm, the dice, the sailors, the great fish, the Ninevites, the east wind, the gourd, and the worm. Each part of creation is capable of fulfilling God's purposes for it, but each obeys in a different way. The inanimate creation does so mechanically, obeying natural laws which govern the physical world. The animate creation does so instinctively, responding to impulses within. Man alone is capable of obeying God consciously and willingly, and thus glorifies God most fully. p. 373

We bear a special place within creation for we were created Imago Dei, in the Image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). More than that, as the chorus of the song we listened to declares, "You are fearfully, wondrously, gloriously, lovingly made." God knows us personally, completely, and intimately (Psalm 139:13-16).

How can that be??? As we reflect upon the immensity of creation, we declare along with Calvin:
"I'M SIGNIFICANT! ....screamed the dust speck." - Calvin and Hobbes

In the words of the Psalmist: "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is humanity that you are mindful of us, the human beings that you care for us?" (Psalm 8:3-4). Creation is so vast, what are we that the Creator is mindful of us - mere specks of dust dwelling upon a speck of dust?

However, we the creatures - no matter how insignificant we might consider ourselves -have been invited to join the Creator in the process of RECREATION! Humanity is not broken and in need of a repair - humanity is dead and in need of a resurrection (recreation). We fervently believe that "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17). THIS is the very message and ministry which we have been given (read 2 Corinthians 5:17-20)! We are His ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us!

So we join Him in bringing life from death. Wholeness from brokenness. Dancing where there was once mouring. We let our "light shine before men, that they may see [our] good deeds and praise [our] Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). Our role as creatures and as His ambassadors is to see, "your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10).

When we join in with Him in His recreative activity, people will notice. As lives are changed by His power, as we stand against injustice, and we offer hope to the hopeless, as we feed the hungry and clothe the naked, as we restore creation to it's intended design (recreating it to reflect "His will being done") our light will shine before men and we might point beyond ourselves to the Creator who desires to recreate all men and women through a new birth (John 3:3).

Moreover, as we creatures are reconnected with our Creator, we a freed and liberated to become what we were truly meant to be (His will being done in our lives, becoming who He made and designed us to be).

God is inherently creative - He paints every sunset, He molded the giraffe, elephant, and platypus, He designed the intricacies of the atom. Becoming reconnected to Him should liberate and inspire us to greater feats of creativity! We are connecting to Him who at the very core of His being is creative. The creator must be the ultimate creative! We best reflect Him when we are creative as well!

Other verses for consideration:
1 Corinthians 8:6, Genesis 1:1, Psalm 96:5, Isaiah 37:16, 44:24, 45:12, Jeremiah 10:11-12, Romans 2:12-16

OK, OK, enough already! PLEASE, Your thoughts...

Looking Back...Why we're here. What we're doing

2006-05-10T20:21:00.000-05:00

Communal Sermon Writing

In the contemporary church, the Pastor brings the sermon. He is charged with communicating the truth of God through the medium of thought, word, and idea. We seek to write a new type of "sermon." We desire to communicate the eternal truth of God not solely through the medium of thought, word, and idea, but also through dance, movement, art, image, sound, smell, etc. We desire to create sermons that are not only heard but also seen, felt, smelt, touched, and experienced.

Further, the sermon will not be written by one person, but by a community of believers. We engage in an ongoing spiritual dialogue. Each one of us has been filled by the Spirit of the living God and granted a variety of different gifts and talents. As a community we seek to each bring our piece of the "sermon" for mutual edification, challenge, and encouragement.

As an aside, does that mean we would neglect the spoken word? Never! It remains a vital element of our "sermon," but not the ONLY element of our collective sermon.

Themes

Instead of choosing a weekly theme, we have a monthly theme. For example, March 2006 was about "I Believe" and we spent the entire month exploring all the varied dimensions of belief (faith, trust, doubt, risk, fear, the object of your faith, etc.). Our gifted and spirit filled community has always produced more than enough creative expressions to fill our time together.

It has provided us ample opportunity to explore the depth of God's truth utilizing a broadness of expression and method that has prevented it from ever feeling repetitive or dull. And after a month of seeking God individually and corporately in an effort to understand and express these truths, we all possess a deeper and richer understanding - far greater than what we might have obtained simply listening to one 30 minute lecture!

Further, spending a month on just one theme allows us to build upon one another's thoughts and reflections. For example, it might be that the first week someone would show up with a half finished song regarding that month's theme. They play what they have written and it might stir someone to offer a lyric or verse to the song. Or maybe someone adds a harmony. Or maybe the song might contain an idea that needs clarification or entails a further discussion - leading to a deeper understanding of that month's truth.

Imagine the artist shows up the second week with a half finished painting. However, as the group sings together, inspiration strikes and she takes up the brush and paints her worship to God as the music continues. Further the unfinished work itself inspires questions of the artist and of the theme, and takes the artist in a new direction as she finishes her work later that week. Community based creativity and creations!

Or imagine that all of us show up with a half finished thoughts and ideas about the month's theme. We bring together all of our broken fragments and arrange them into a magnificent mosaic of thought, beauty, and understanding.

Further, having a month on the same theme means that someone may show up at the first gathering of the month and be inspired by something he has seen, heard, or experienced. Then she may go home and create something related to that month's theme, which she will be able to bring to one of the following gatherings. It allows us to be challenged by and to build upon one another's interpretations, thus being inspired to deeper reflection and more profound expression.

Our Structure

Most are familiar with the Apostles' Creed:

I believe in God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Apostles' Creed is our structure. Each month we focus upon one phrase of the Apostles' Creed. For example, March 2006 we reflected upon the phrase "I believe" and in April 2006 we dialogued about "God the Father Almighty." May 2006 we turn our attention to the phrase, "Maker of Heaven and Earth." As I said earlier, we spend the month exploring the depth of what each phrase means. It has proven a simple structure that is thematically leading us through the central tenets of the Christian faith.