reading the Bible

Understanding the themes of the Bible and how they develop is far more important than being able to quote scripture. Here is a study prepared by Brian McLaren around the 7 major themes of the Bible. Try it. The 3 pieces I think that are essential for congregational renewal are practicing prayer as a church such as Contemplative Prayer, SOAP Daily Bible Journaling and Bible reading groups all around the congregation. A great resource for the whole attitude, atmosphere and practice of the spiritual life which is at the center of our life as a church is Renovare.

http://www.brianmclaren.net/emc/archives/How%20to%20Study%20the%20Bible.doc

some guidance on praying

John Ortberg is a great teacher.  Here is an excerpt from a video series he and his wife Nancy made on spiritual discipline.  This excerpt is about prayer.  This is one of the spiritual disciplines that is important for our church to focus on in renewing our purpose as a church.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJWElTqKcyw

Centering Prayer - a beginning of renewal

Here is a video by Father Thomas Keating on Centering Prayer.  I believe that for rewewal in the church - particularly the church I serve - it takes a refocus on our spiritual disciplines to strengthen our core relationship with God.  Like all churches, it is easy to swap out running the church with being the church.  Centering Prayer is one of the important disciplines I think we need to recover.  Along with that is Daily Bible Journaling and Bible Reading Groups.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IKpFHfNdnE

video quotes from Madeliene L'Engle

Check it out!  The late Madeliene L'Engle is one of my guides in the Christian spiritual journey.  Here is a video of important quotes from her.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogwXXvZ4XE4

passion for forgiveness

I am passionate about forgiveness...for myself. I know I need it, want it, and seek it.

However, the passion for forgiving is not as strong. Jesus tells us that the two intertwined - forgiving others leads to forgiveness for ourselves. The Lord's Prayer says that. Jesus says it in other contexts.

The church has a mission to share the Gospel. The heart of the Gospel is the love of God for humanity that he gave his only beloved child, a son, who was full of love in human form, to forgive us for the past, the present and the future. The best of proclaiming is to live it.

God, may I receive your love and live by forgiveness.

United Church of Christ, UCC, Akron, Ohio, Loar, forgiveness, emergent

what do we really need

What do we need to be disciples?  What is sufficiency as an apostle?  These two passages below make it clear that we don't need much.  What we need most of all is to rely on God on this journey.  I wonder as I look at a lot of church buildings and the homes that a lot of American Christians live in how we reconcile these passages with what we think we need today to live.  And are we more concerned about our living or serving God as indicated in these passages? Luke 9  1Jesus called together his twelve apostles and gave them complete power over all demons and diseases. 2Then he sent them to tell about God's kingdom and to heal the sick. 3He told them, "Don't take anything with you! Don't take a walking stick or a traveling bag or food or money or even a change of clothes. 4When you are welcomed into a home, stay there until you leave that town. 5If people won't welcome you, leave the town and shake the dust from your feet as a warning to them." 6The apostles left and went from village to village, telling the good news and healing people everywhere. Luke 10  1Later the Lord chose seventy-two other followers and sent them out two by two to every town and village where he was about to go. 2He said to them: A large crop is in the fields, but there are only a few workers. Ask the Lord in charge of the harvest to send out workers to bring it in. 3Now go, but remember, I am sending you like lambs into a pack of wolves. 4Don't take along a moneybag or a traveling bag or sandals. And don't waste time greeting people on the road. 5As soon as you enter a home, say, "God bless this home with peace." 6If the people living there are peace-loving, your prayer for peace will bless them. But if they are not peace-loving, your prayer will return to you. 7Stay with the same family, eating and drinking whatever they give you, because workers are worth what they earn. Don't move around from house to house. 8If the people of a town welcome you, eat whatever they offer. 9Heal their sick and say, "God's kingdom will soon be here!" 10But if the people of a town refuse to welcome you, go out into the street and say, 11"We are shaking the dust from our feet as a warning to you. And you can be sure that God's kingdom will soon be here!" 12I tell you that on the day of judgment the people of Sodom will get off easier than the people of that town!

quiet practice

I have read and heard from a few ministers who have focused their congregational life around deep spiritual practice of prayer, meditation, scripture and worship. I have heard Madeliene L'Engle and Phyllis Tickle say the same.

I feel like my own church life has been overcome by anxiety about the budget, the building, and community. We have lost our focus on our relationship first and predominantly with God.

Renovare
Shalem Institute
Weavings
prayground
Sacred Space
Northumbria Community
Wicker Park Grace Community

passionate & radical

I acknowledge that I am passionate about giving my life to follow Jesus. Also I am a radical when it comes to social & political issues. Now, what do I do?

I need to pay more attention to the log in my own eye. Yet, I struggle to reconcile my passion & radicalness with much of the predominating behavior I am around. I hear things like "compromise" & "be reasonable."

I don't see Jesus compromising on the mission nor on his training & expectations of the disciples. Can we?

time spent

I just watched most of a documentary about a man killed on death row in Texas in 1989 who it now looks like was innocent and the chaplain at the prison who believed he was innocent.  The chaplain was a conservative, Presbyterian pastor who was with 140 prisoners who were executed for their last 12 hours as well as with them while they were on death row.  When they did the documentary they found out he had made audio tapes after each one as he anguished about the individual and the death.  He is now retired and out spoken against the death penalty. http://www.ifc.com/movies/433052/At-the-Death-House-Door http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carroll_Pickett http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/execution/readings/pickett.html It got me passionate about opposing the death penalty which I have as long as I can remember.  However, I have not been as outspoken in recent years.  In the last few hours since watching the movie I have pondered about how much I have avoided in speaking out.  I wonder if I have allowed myself as a pastor to have spent too much time trying to manage the status quo.  I do firmly believe that we must be in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and turn our lives over to God to be saved from our sin.  For most of my early years I avoided saying that like the plague.  I thought that was the way many people were ducking dealing with the injustice in our society.  But then in my own life I came to realize that Jesus was real and was changing me.  Yet, I still believed and have been outspoken working for justice.  Yet, in my 35 years in parish ministry, I find myself sucked into too many personal squabbles.  I find people who want Jesus to be their savior, but they are continually living in a life of pain.  Its like they are unwilling to offer their life even with its pain to Jesus Christ.  And thus the church becomes a never ending cycle of personal defeats, fears, anxieties and losses.  There are moments of grace and hope.  Moments of charity.  But not much courage to face the power of the demonic which conforms us in our personal lifestyles to not face the economic injustice by which we are able to to live in our own comfort while others suffer very deeply.  Even in this time of financial collapse, most of us are not hurting.  We are more afraid, though, of losing what we have.  The paradox...like the rich young ruler, Jesus asks us if we are willing to give it all to the poor.  Jeremiah 6 10 To whom can I speak and give warning?        Who will listen to me?        Their ears are closed        so they cannot hear.        The word of the LORD is offensive to them;        they find no pleasure in it.  11 But I am full of the wrath of the LORD,        and I cannot hold it in.        "Pour it out on the children in the street        and on the young men gathered together;        both husband and wife will be caught in it,        and the old, those weighed down with years.  12 Their houses will be turned over to others,        together with their fields and their wives,        when I stretch out my hand        against those who live in the land,"        declares the LORD.  13 "From the least to the greatest,        all are greedy for gain;        prophets and priests alike,        all practice deceit.  14 They dress the wound of my people        as though it were not serious.        'Peace, peace,' they say,        when there is no peace.  15 Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct?        No, they have no shame at all;        they do not even know how to blush.        So they will fall among the fallen;        they will be brought down when I punish them,"        says the LORD. Amos 5 11 You trample on the poor        and force him to give you grain.        Therefore, though you have built stone mansions,        you will not live in them;        though you have planted lush vineyards,        you will not drink their wine.  12 For I know how many are your offenses        and how great your sins.        You oppress the righteous and take bribes        and you deprive the poor of justice in the courts. 21 "I hate, I despise your religious feasts;        I cannot stand your assemblies.  22 Even though you bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings,        I will not accept them.        Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, [b]        I will have no regard for them.  23 Away with the noise of your songs!        I will not listen to the music of your harps.  24 But let justice roll on like a river,        righteousness like a never-failing stream!