How do we go about developing and integrating ourselves into community? There are so many aspects that influence our assimilation.
Do you struggle with living in community?
Do you find out the things that make you who you are (good and bad) as you learn and grow in your experience of bonding with others?
Read through these questions:
1. From our reading, and your experience, how would you define “living in community”?
2. Tell about a community, that you have been involved in, and how it has changed you.
3. Do you think it important to be connected to a faith community?
4. How do you see yourself, as connected to our faith community, The Quest?
5. Think about this to yourself:
-What role do you have in your community?
-Is that role about you? Or are you dying to your “self” in an effort to, as Bill put it, “follow Jesus as we serve others”?
-Do you have a bubble that keeps you from becoming part of the community?
6. What are some steps we can take to become better integrated into our community?
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Blue like jazz CH 12. -- What sucks about church?
When I was growing up I (my family) was part of a few churches that kind of turned me off to Christianity by the way they represented it. Because of this, I never felt like the church as a whole related to me in any other way than a militarized father figure. I felt like I had to fit into this straight laced model, of which was connotative of a perfect American Christian life. I always felt inferior to older generations like they held over my head the fact that I was "the younger species".
This kind of expression seems still very prevalent in our world today. You see it all over in jobs, church, government, school, etc. Somewhere in our growth as a society we have decided that this is a standard: "The older I get, the more you have to obey everything I say". Does this sound like a bad idea to anyone else? There is the sense that because someone is older in age, they are always right. There is no questioning authority and there is no room for development of ideas that go against the rooted ideas of an older generation. It makes life hard...and it makes it miserable for the know-it-all older generation. There needs to be a mutual respectfulness with everyone. What is crazy is that not all older generation people are like this. Some really buck this system of thought. That is what got me thinking..."If a person, who is obviously part of the older crew, doesn't agree with this older-is-always-right group, than maybe this idea of hirerarchy is somewhat flawed or misdirected from the origninal idea".
I have a few friends who are part of this older generation and you would probably never know that, except for the gray hair and the beginning wrinkles. These people have discovered that their experience does not give them power to control the younger generations, it gives them the responsibility to serve the young ones. On the opposite side, the young generations have the responsibility to learn form the old one's mistakes, victories, and perspectives. The key is pure humilty... defined as "having God's perspective of who you are". Being humble means being exactly who God has designed you, personally, to be...in sucess and in failings.
Alright now listen to this... this idea should also be integrated into the church community. The older we get in our relationship with Jesus, the more responsibility we have to serve the young ones. We shouldn't have this settled feeling that we have somehow "arrived", but we should use our experience to support people who are just beginning their discovery of God. This needs to be constant. Church isn't exclusively about showing up and getting something, it is about showing and letting God use us in the present situation and the present need. We should shy away from thinking that we somehow we have this right to state "how it is" to people. We, as a church, need to be available to share our lives with people and model Jesus to people.
Consider these questions:
1. What sucks about church and what is good about church?
2. Talk about some things that you struggle with as far as judging or having hard feelings about
churches you have been too or churches you used to attend.
3. How does God reach different people through different churches (stylistically, demographically,
etc.)? How important is it to have different churches?
5. What are some of your ideas for bridging generation gaps in your church?
4. In what ways should a church represent a family?
5. Name some good ways of connecting with people in church and for developing relationships in
respect to this “family” idea.
6. Name some things that you believe would make church better
This kind of expression seems still very prevalent in our world today. You see it all over in jobs, church, government, school, etc. Somewhere in our growth as a society we have decided that this is a standard: "The older I get, the more you have to obey everything I say". Does this sound like a bad idea to anyone else? There is the sense that because someone is older in age, they are always right. There is no questioning authority and there is no room for development of ideas that go against the rooted ideas of an older generation. It makes life hard...and it makes it miserable for the know-it-all older generation. There needs to be a mutual respectfulness with everyone. What is crazy is that not all older generation people are like this. Some really buck this system of thought. That is what got me thinking..."If a person, who is obviously part of the older crew, doesn't agree with this older-is-always-right group, than maybe this idea of hirerarchy is somewhat flawed or misdirected from the origninal idea".
I have a few friends who are part of this older generation and you would probably never know that, except for the gray hair and the beginning wrinkles. These people have discovered that their experience does not give them power to control the younger generations, it gives them the responsibility to serve the young ones. On the opposite side, the young generations have the responsibility to learn form the old one's mistakes, victories, and perspectives. The key is pure humilty... defined as "having God's perspective of who you are". Being humble means being exactly who God has designed you, personally, to be...in sucess and in failings.
Alright now listen to this... this idea should also be integrated into the church community. The older we get in our relationship with Jesus, the more responsibility we have to serve the young ones. We shouldn't have this settled feeling that we have somehow "arrived", but we should use our experience to support people who are just beginning their discovery of God. This needs to be constant. Church isn't exclusively about showing up and getting something, it is about showing and letting God use us in the present situation and the present need. We should shy away from thinking that we somehow we have this right to state "how it is" to people. We, as a church, need to be available to share our lives with people and model Jesus to people.
Consider these questions:
1. What sucks about church and what is good about church?
2. Talk about some things that you struggle with as far as judging or having hard feelings about
churches you have been too or churches you used to attend.
3. How does God reach different people through different churches (stylistically, demographically,
etc.)? How important is it to have different churches?
5. What are some of your ideas for bridging generation gaps in your church?
4. In what ways should a church represent a family?
5. Name some good ways of connecting with people in church and for developing relationships in
respect to this “family” idea.
6. Name some things that you believe would make church better
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
The Free Market Jesus WK 2
So........ we got all ready to watch the second part of this video and realized that the first we had actually watched the whole video accidentally, the first week. oops... Anyway it was probably better that we watched it all at once.
I really like this video because it gives a great perspective on our modern church and how what we do and say has detrimental affects on our representation of Jesus. We seem to be so caught up in this idea of God being the ultimate fix-all. With out getting into our various views on pre-destination, I want to say that if one is to enter into a relationship with God expecting life to be all peachy, this person will be met with great disappointment. (I say the cautiously)We can look to God to necessarily to magically rescue us out of a fallen world. What I mean is, just because we decide to follow Jesus doesn't mean that the world will for some mystical reason change for the better necessarily. Our perception and perspective will change, our realization of God's potential impact on the world will change, our motivation for waking up each day and living with a renewed hope in God and people will change. All this is good but what will also change is affirmation that there is great trouble in the world... it is in disrepair and is sick. No amount of magic can negate the consequences of previous actions that people have taken. We live in a world of cause and affect.
You see, when we sell this "fix-all antidote Jesus" to people in need of something real, all we really sell them is temporary hope in a product. Jesus is not a product so when we do this the result is confusion, false hope and a sense of distrust in God and his people. I believe one of the things we should present people with is the fact that living a life for Jesus is the way it was meant to be from the beginning. This new life won't be easy and things won't mystically or magically fall into place necessarily, but we can have confidence that our life is heading in the right direction because it is centered on God.
Look over these questions:
I really like this video because it gives a great perspective on our modern church and how what we do and say has detrimental affects on our representation of Jesus. We seem to be so caught up in this idea of God being the ultimate fix-all. With out getting into our various views on pre-destination, I want to say that if one is to enter into a relationship with God expecting life to be all peachy, this person will be met with great disappointment. (I say the cautiously)We can look to God to necessarily to magically rescue us out of a fallen world. What I mean is, just because we decide to follow Jesus doesn't mean that the world will for some mystical reason change for the better necessarily. Our perception and perspective will change, our realization of God's potential impact on the world will change, our motivation for waking up each day and living with a renewed hope in God and people will change. All this is good but what will also change is affirmation that there is great trouble in the world... it is in disrepair and is sick. No amount of magic can negate the consequences of previous actions that people have taken. We live in a world of cause and affect.
You see, when we sell this "fix-all antidote Jesus" to people in need of something real, all we really sell them is temporary hope in a product. Jesus is not a product so when we do this the result is confusion, false hope and a sense of distrust in God and his people. I believe one of the things we should present people with is the fact that living a life for Jesus is the way it was meant to be from the beginning. This new life won't be easy and things won't mystically or magically fall into place necessarily, but we can have confidence that our life is heading in the right direction because it is centered on God.
Look over these questions:
- If "culture is the lens through which we view God", how do we go about keeping that lens clear? Is it even possible?
- Why do we, as humans, seem to always be looking for a "Magic bullet"?
- Think about some of the "hype" you have heard in Christianity, we why we tend to make promises to people about Christianity that will not pan out?
- If you read through the Bible you will notice that there are many miracles that can from some perspectives be looked at as quick fixes. It also talks about life as a "tree planted by the water", slow growth and dedication for a goal. How do these 2 concepts fit together.
- What is our next step? How should this shape or realign our view of God and our relationship with him?
Monday, March 9, 2009
Kicking Stuart #3
We had a great time at Kara's this past Friday. Her home was the host for Kicking Stuart #3. We had some great food, a load of video games, and just a good time hanging out. Thanx to all of you who were involved...and a special thanx to Kara and her family for opening up their home to us.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
The Free Market Jesus WK 1
We have decided to take a break this week from reading "Blue like jazz". We are going to be watching a video in 2 parts called "The Free Market Jesus", by Don Miller. It deals with the "product" we make Jesus into and of which we sell as a "fix-all" to people. This kind of presentation ultimately is a complete disappointment because it represents nothing of what Jesus truly is. Next week I will post some follow up questions for this video.
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