prayer.

at times i dread it because it's time consuming. and others because of who is praying with me. i would have to say that 99% of the time my outcome is one for a change of heart. i do feel better. it's worth it. but prayer.... what is it? why do we need to talk to G-d to make us feel good about ourselves? when we pray with others, why is there judgement? is it selfish on our part when we pray? if G-d knows everything why do we even need to pray?
as i'm understanding a bit more of G-d's Kingdom, Revolution, Dream, etc. i see that prayer is an act just like baptism to show our commitment to G-d. we are not in control. but our concern for other's in G-d's Kingdom is G-d's concern. we are called to love. in our faith that we believe G-d is watching over us, there's hope. hope for a better future and love for the entire Kingdom. we make a commitment through prayer to give us hope that we're not in this alone.

church deconstruction.

if we would take away everything the church is today, the good and the bad, what is left. we would go back to the beginning of it all. whether the beginning may be the early manifestos of God's Kingdom or the start of all time.

what did it look like in the beginning?

for one: it was good. but in the process of "being" it got all mucked up with sin and the things that don't matter.

another: it was what it was meant to be. simple and pristine.

so what things today make church, church? what would you take away, from what it is today and all the bitter taste it leaves on the palettes of peoples tongues, to the simplicity and originality of restoring us back to God.

take away everything, the good and the bad:

- the music - the hymns - the projector - the powerpoint - the slides - the computers - the production team - the cameras - the tv evangelist - the healing - the miracles - the building -  the steeple - the chairs - the pews - the coffee bar - the sunday school - the "core" classes - the children's ministry -  the youth group - the nursery - the preschool - the parents night out - the mothers of babies club - the sports teams - the prayer - the dress clothes - the mohawks - communion - offering - loving other people - giving to the poor - caring for widows and orphans - random acts of kindness - having hope - purpose - prayer - the confession of sins - baptism - cheesiness - being fake - special music - family - trust - easter lily's - the bible

so leave all the people, take away everything that has been called "church". what you have left is Jesus and people. if we started all over again, how beautiful it would be. the fruits of the Spirit. purpose. meaning. a life worth living. people who love. one's that care for all people, good and bad. being provided for when you have nothing. giving everything that you have to the ones who don't have it. 

the church.

we live and move in the mystical.

we started a new series last sunday speaking mainly on the kingdom but ramping up with how and why the kingdom got established. i would say that i do have a grasp on understanding G-d's Kingdom but i can't explain it. 

If we look at John we see the beginning of it all.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it." 

John 1:1-5 NIV

One of the first "ah-hah's" was when i read that, i mean really read that for the first time. Jesus was there. He was there with G-d in the beginning. at Creation. Jesus was there. But Jesus never denied this.

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. 

Matthew 16:16-17 NLT

When we look at texts like this we see that God was the one who revealed the deity of Jesus. This also shows proof for a King. One who rules this world. One that shows proof through the unexplainable. 

I tried to communicate this in a way that would truly be a "BAM", in the face but i couldn't quite pull it off. At the end of John 1 we see the first instance of Jesus revealing his deity.

As they approached, Jesus said, “Now here is a genuine son of Israel—a man of complete integrity.”

“How do you know about me?” Nathanael asked.

Jesus replied, “I could see you under the fig tree before Philip found you.”

Then Nathanael exclaimed, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God—the King of Israel!”

John 1:47-49 NLT

So to get the "BAM," i took the words from Mark Moore in his book The Chronological Life of Christ: Volume 1 From Glory to Galilee. 

"Nathanael is deeply impressed that Jesus knew him. Then Jesus says. in so many words, "Oh that was nothin', watch this: I saw you sitting under the fig tree!" This so impressed Nathanael that he confesses that Jesus is the Messiah of the God."

Through the unexplainable G-d reveals himself to us. He shows us what His kingdom looks like. We see the story unravel that includes us as characters interacting with the one in the lead role. Jesus is King!

full house.

today we should be getting another roommate. that will be a total of 5 people in our house. i would have to say that this experience for the last 2 years has changed my life quite substantially. there are some things that need to be changed though. in order to be adequately living in God's Kingdom, my attitude and actions need to change. i need to be a leader.

new year.

if resolutions were something we did every month or everyday, would we be better people. looking back on the previous year i can say i enjoyed it. as any previous year i have grown. i know myself more. i've gotten more wise. i've learned from my mistakes.

if we were to surround ourselves with people who make us better, would our resolutions become a reality. do we see the fruits of what true community means. i am aiming for simplicity. i have not told many people my plan and when i do i feel as though it's more about me than what the outcome is. i see that there are many hurting people in this world. many hurting people who can't see God because their not really looking. i personally don't think this is for every minister but i am looking to wean myself from getting paid by the church. something things that are lacking that the church isn't embracing is community and devotion. by living in community with a group of people who love each other really shows love for one another. i would have to say that many people who have beef with the church is the example that it sets, this could be by a number of people or by just a single person.

i want to do my best to show God's love. this is all i can come up with right now. there is more.