If we continue down a road towards church-planting... The Gospel Coalition and Drew Goodmanson has put out some great resources that could serve as a good foundation to start thinking and talking about how to stretch your theology out into your ministry.
I am also interested in hearing where everyone is at with TJP. Maybe you could all publish some personal reflections in then next few weeks so that we can get a general tenor for where we are at. I am almost finished compiling a resource for all of us to go through together and will get that out to you ASAP.
One more thing, could we all try to set up a meeting for sometime in mid - late August? Post some comments on dates in that region that might work for everyone.
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The 2nd or 3rd weekend of August works for me. I will publish some thoughts later this week.
traffic school on the 11th. Any time after that.
I've got some thoughts that have been brewing for quite some time now. I just need to sack up and post them.
I'll be around and available all through August.
Here is where I am at. Hopefully it ministers to you:
I just got back from a family vacation in Kauai, where I was able to really rejuvinate and refocus. I was reminded of the constant threat that I and probably many others face. It is empowered by the non-stop lifestyle we commit to every day. I realized that I had no satisfaction in the perfect God who choose to love me and pursue me while I was hopeless and lost. I knew there was such a God, but my convictions only confirmed that I should live in a way pleasing to Him. There was no conviction to live to know this great God. The scary thing is I was unconciously ok with this for a time. Perhaps it is me reading Moreland's new book "Kingdom Triangle", but I feel that I was giving in to the idea that my convictions and moral truths buried deep within me had no factor in how I live. They were merely my own philosophy on life. This seems like a basic struggle, but we see it pushed into us everywhere. There are scientists and scholars to display the facts of life (naturalism), and there are religions to ease the pain and help you find some sort of purpose.
I am excited to be learning and pursuing our wonderful God again and condsidering what it looks like to balance a healthy Christian community with a group of people I can invest in and witness to. I feel that the Christian community doesn't grow now as it did in the early church, when the persecution and radical commitment required of them became a visual to so many around. Rather I feel as though we are now unknown and unseen communities due to our Christian "fellowship" and commitments to serve our churches. As a result we now must do the work of taking one more step back to see and understand how we represent Christ to those in our cities and neighborhoods and workplaces, since they have no idea who we are beside how we are represented on CNN and Oprah. We must see how they view Christ and the church if we want to show them the real Christ and the real church.
August will be a busy month for me with my mammoth vacation, brother coming into town, as well as preaching and my 3rd Anniversary with Kelly. BUT, that also means I will be here most Saturdays, so let me know when you guys will meet and I will be there...I am assuming Saturdays are best? Maybe a little BBQ again? Heck, we could even have it at my little place if you want...
Though Sammy will have a cow because it isn't a charcoal BBQ!...
there is also plenty of room to spread out at my mom's house in Vista
I just need a little forewarning and if it could be pushed to like 6-7ish that would be great.
As for me i have been brewing to, like Justin, i was thinking about what we have been talking about for the past few years and of late, especially since this was the first addition in a while. We all seem to be pointing to developing a community, whether church plant, movement, bar-mitzvahs...what has come along in me is a call to action, as justin and d-bro know, we miss all of you and really feel the lack of community and good ole fellowship that comes from being together. I know we are all growing and maturing, but we all hit on a topic, we all see a need, and we all know we have experienced parts of a real authentic community of believers, family and friends who are family. my thought has been on...with the ideals and ideas we have, well what are we going to do with them? I live, in often times, in the realm of ideas, but what wisdom has brought me is that i need to act on certain inclinations and thoughts. If i have an idea on what an effective community would be and what i desire in a community, then my question is what or how are we living that out now. I was talkin with Jed and Jason about this, what small things can we do now, no matter how fragmented we are, how can we now serve each other, serve the community and serve Christ. The possibilities are endless. Even if a church plant is a ways away, we can still be active now, together, we can still serve, be ministers of the gospel and serve each other holistically. Peace and blessings upon all of you my dear brothers and hope to see you all soon. Please meet later in the day rather than earlier i would love to be there.
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