Are you leading by example?

Really great article ended with this list... More than a message  The writer intended it for Pastor's as they are the primary readers of Leadership Journal.. but I think it is worthy for all of us.

Our churches need to see and hear ALL of us!

Maturity for a new year.

"The mystery in a nutshell is just this: Christ is in you, so therefore you can look forward to sharing in God’s glory. It’s that simple. That is the substance of our Message. We preach Christ, warning people not to add to the Message. We teach in a spirit of profound common sense so that we can bring each person to maturity. To be mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less. That’s what I’m working so hard at day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me." --The Message 1 Colossians 27-28

Creative but committed... Carpe Diem

O captain my captain... 

Opening Music: 80s favorites... Walk like an egyptian, Funky Town, Wanted Dead or Alive

Scripture today: Galatians 6

MOVIE REFERENCE;-) Used the plot line and characters of Dead Poet's Society to discuss applications and ideas.. 

Attendance today:  Jeff, Tracee, Jessica 

Missing:  Everyone else(YOU)

Missed: Everyone else(YOU)

Upcoming.. We will be studying, diving in, and applying the message and scripture from the previous weeks sermon...For next week that will mean James 1  Chance to ask/answer questions, discuss and review the awesome messages that Bert brings us weekly.  

================  Thoughts from today: I bolded and highlighted the verses we focused on below... 

Galatians 6

The Message (MSG)

Nothing but the Cross

6 1-3 Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.

4-5 Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.

6 Be very sure now, you who have been trained to a self-sufficient maturity, that you enter into a generous common life with those who have trained you, sharing all the good things that you have and experience.

7-8 Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.

9-10 So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.

11-13 Now, in these last sentences, I want to emphasize in the bold scrawls of my personal handwriting the immense importance of what I have written to you. These people who are attempting to force the ways of circumcision on you have only one motive: They want an easy way to look good before others, lacking the courage to live by a faith that shares Christ’s suffering and death. All their talk about the law is gas. They themselves don’t keep the law! And they are highly selective in the laws they do observe. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast of their success in recruiting you to their side. That is contemptible!

14-16 For my part, I am going to boast about nothing but the Cross of our Master, Jesus Christ. Because of that Cross, I have been crucified in relation to the world, set free from the stifling atmosphere of pleasing others and fitting into the little patterns that they dictate. Can’t you see the central issue in all this? It is not what you and I do—submit to circumcision, reject circumcision. It is what God is doing, and he is creating something totally new, a free life! All who walk by this standard are the true Israel of God—his chosen people. Peace and mercy on them!

17 Quite frankly, I don’t want to be bothered anymore by these disputes. I have far more important things to do—the serious living of this faith. I bear in my body scars from my service to Jesus.

18 May what our Master Jesus Christ gives freely be deeply and personally yours, my friends. Oh, yes!

Open Door Summer Connect

What is "Summer Connect" and what do I do?

STEP 1: 
Our class, Open Door is charged to visit other classes and worship throughout the Summer and experience approaches and ideas of other teachers.  We should identify ourselves as members of OpenDoor but articulate a desire to better connect with our larger church body building relationships and our perspective of the church as a life community. In this attendance, we should also be attending worship and reflecting closely on worship and how it affects us. Take notes.. as you will need them.

STEP 2: 
We will meet together "out of band" at 5 separate events to eat together and then actively discuss moments and memories from our experiences in worship and other classes.  We will focus on the week prior to the actual scheduled connect event, but all prior weeks are "fair game".

NOTE: these special connect events are open to all HRBC members and will feature guest speakers and facilitators including Bill Moore, Matthew Hensley, and Jeff Prillaman just to start... We may even get other members of the staff to attend and speak. Children will be welcome and invited..

The first of these events will be held on 6/22 at the home of Jeff and Tracee Prillaman.  
Cookout & Fellowship 6pm - 7pm
Discussion 7pm - 8:30pm


Other Dates and Locations TBD but will be schedule about every 2-3 weeks through the Summer to include a Sunday afternoon at the pool,  maybe bowling... maybe shopping... and several others' homes. Interested in hosting...Call Jeff! or have another idea... Call Jeff! just want to talk.. Call Jeff!

STEP 3:  
We will reconvene Open Door.. in the coolest classroom, coolest class in the church, in the  upper corner room.. on Sunday, September 9...  connected.. passionate, and READY to GO forward with our lives as mission.

Leadership101

picture from The Art of Manliness blog

Leadership is a means to an end. A skill, a tool... Not an end in itself.
Leadership is accountability for results. Both positive & negative

Agree on the goal... The outcome.
You must actually Know how to do it...
Assemble a platform of support & action(resources)
Tell performers what to do. With humility, with honor, from a spirit of service to the goal... Never from a spirit of self.
Performers should choose to follow.
It is not about you. It is about the outcome, the results.
Measure, adjust, inspire, believe, expect, trust, assist...
If you fail... Try again

Wait
Then Go!

Reference Acts 1

Question: was the Emperor Constantine a Godly leader?

Tidbit from Wild at Heart Tayman

Open Door is the best kept secret at HRBC. It's the small, often easily missed, random comments and "tidbits" (Didn't tidbits also used to be some kind of crunchy cheese stick snack?) during our times together that challenge and inspire us. Like the time Woody Delcorso gave me the book "Wild At Heart" because of something he heard me say during class. Over the course of several weeks, Woody then "inspired" ( pressured, twisted my arm, forced, coerced) me to read it- something that I enjoy about as much as watching paint dry. 

Long story short... It has been a life altering event for my family... And as I like to say... It's all Woody's fault!

Woody has come and gone from HRBC. We still keep in touch. After his recent move to Louisiana, he summed up his short time with us by saying, "Tayman, God sent me to Open Door so that I could give you that book".

Open Minds. Open Hearts. Open Door.

... May God Light A Fire In Your Heart.

Stephen A. Tayman

Judging

Parents, church members... Christians

Matthew 20:1-16 (NIV)
The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard [ ] 20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. [2] He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. [3] “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. [4] He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ [5] So they went.“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. [6] About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’[7] “ ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’[8] “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’[9] “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. [10] So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. [11] When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. [12] ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’[13] “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? [14] Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. [15] Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ [16] “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Let it be said of us.. says it all!

Let the cross be our glory, and the Lord be our song. from generation to generation..

We will leave the door open for you!

Hi all, we are prepping to leave for Back to Church night at HRBC at the Prillaman house.  You are of course, invited and hereby reminded..If you are there, stop by and say HI!. even if you haven't been to church in months...  Hey, at a minimum, its free burgers.. ;-)  

It was good to be back in the saddle teaching this AM after a difficult Summer.  Lots of great stuff coming up for the FALL as Tayman and I will continue to share facilitator duties.. but we will always challenge you and yours to Think about what you Think!  It was great to have visitors today, as always..  

Challenge:  pass this email along to someone who would benefit from a vibrant, Life community rooted in Christ and practical study/application of scripture.. "in community"

Calling all Specific Beloved First Born Children of Christ..  You have a place with us.. and the door will be open..  

I'm also working on arranging some Google + "Hangouts" for midweek discussions… using computers…can't get more OpenDoor than that…  since we are all so busy and so many are teaching and serving in other places on Sunday AM.   

if you haven't set up an ID.. get it done.. not sure when the first one will be, but you won't want to miss out. CLICK HERE To GitRDone on Google+ -- https://plus.google.com/i/YRrisH_JMnk:uEx1FhXzoOc

OPEN DOOR BLOG:  http://hrbcopendoor.blogspot.com/

Music like religion, unconditionally brings in its train all the moral virtues to the heart it enters, even though that heart is not in the least worthy.

    Jean Baptiste Montegut

==============================================

OPEN DOOR AT A GLANCE

If you are visiting HRBC on a Sunday AM here is an "at a glance" view of the Life Community which calls itself Open Door. We usually meet upstairs in the Wallace building "by the coffee pots".. but with us, you never know. Sometimes, we end up outside, in a park, or even at pool;-)

Requirements to visit/join:

• Not really much, as we talk about the Bible and the implications of scripture in our daily lives, in plain english, no nonsense kind of approach.
• Can't say that I regularly even take roll. We are there for one another, whoever is there, each week.
• Bible knowledge not really required, this is an OTJ training environment.

Fun Facts:

• We are interested in "churches without walls" but that isn't practical, so we always leave the door open. seriously...We talk a lot about going to people instead of asking them to come to us...still trying to solve this one.
• We are the "coolest" class in the church. (especially in the Winter)
• We actually talk about things that many people in churches just think about.

Who we are:

• We are mostly married 30 somethings, 40 somethings, and 50 somethings. We tend to have children of differing ages in elementary school, but not necessarily.
• We enjoy thinking about current issues, and talking about how to actively use the gospel in our every day lives/applications.
• We aren't afraid to discuss and even question entrenched ideology and theology in a safe, inclusive, environment of friends.
• We care about one another and we act accordingly, going beyond the "traditional" expectations. We strive to sacrifice for one another, to make a difference.
• We ALL want to learn more about loving one another through regular study of the Bible, and further through regular fellowship and study. (in ecclesia)

Whose we are: GOD's period.

We are believers and searchers. A few of the favorite saying of Jeff are

• "I don't know the answer, but I still believe"
• "Every day is an opportunity"

"In a completely rational society, the best of us would aspire to be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something less, because passing civilization along from one generation to the next ought to be the highest honor and the highest responsibility anyone could have."  Lee Iacocca

Listen and Celebrate.

Listen, God speaks in many ways, unexpected... 

We returned to Numbers this AM and got to learn about biblical consultants and some unlikely speakers.
Balaam and Balak, and talking donkeys ruled the day.
(cartoon above from Ridgeway Community Church)

Best conversation centered around our old friend/topic: what is our motivation for coming to church..

Three options surfaced and great discussion ensued.
1. Obligation: kids, family, always done it
2. Searching/Seeking knowledge, spirit, God's presence, "to be filled.
3. Celebration - revel in our blessings and give back to God for his goodness, sacrifice of praise.

The open door welcomed visitors again today, and we remain focused on taking our knowledge and applying it to action...

Reminders:

• Listen to voices that are unexpected. 
• Learn on your own, never just blindly follow. 
• God is at work, actively, in our world today... from talking donkeys, to sticks, stones and rocks.
• Seek God on your own through passion and discipline and service.
• Strive to come to church on Sunday am and celebrate, as an example of service to both believers and non-believers alike. 

Searching for the promised land... back to the upper room.

Numbers 13 and 14.. and the tyranny of the majority vs the sacrifice of the minority ruled the day.
Today's class was about "how we seek" and discern in order to act in accordance with God.  Quite literally...

Things to remember:

• the majority is not always right, maybe even rarely right
• act in compassion and love as the Holy Spirit guides you
• God telling you something? look for correlation in bible study, prayer, circumstances and the church.
• Just because someone is alone, in the minority, doesn't mean they are wrong. 
• Remember that God loves you, sustains you, and that you are special.. you have nothing to fear
• where faith is strong, fear is fleeting.
• Joshua and Caleb were awesome...even in their "failure of leadership"
• the people suffered when they chose a path not in accordance with God's will
• people suffer when they listen to the wrong voices
• people suffer when they lose their focus on God's will for them
• we need not suffer. we are amazing

"God fully expects the church of Jesus Christ to prove itself a miraculous group in the very midst of a hostile world.  Christians, of necessity, must be in contact with the world but in being and spirit ought to  be separated from the world. --- and as such we should be the most amazing people in the world."  

--- A W Tozer 1897-1963

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
--- Marianne Williamson.

THE DRAMA & THE WANDERING...
In regards to OpenDoor's space and the exodus from the gym today...

We can't continue to meet in the gym folks. The lack of respect for the class and our conversation is not acceptable and we are creating a volatile environment and unnecessary distraction for our time together. Administrative meetings, setup, cleanup, will continue.. That is the fact and no amount of preaching about respecting our class' environment and needs in "a gym" will rectify it.  Our style of class is not going to work in there.  It may be true that we are forcing and exposing poor decisions by others as we discussed, but the outcomes are not helpful. We must act to stop it now. The class' decision to simply exit and reassemble back in our old classroom today was the right one. The rest of the church, "the majority" can't and won't adjust, but we can and will.  

For the time being I propose that we go back to our classroom. It is my prayer and request that each of you would pray and think carefully about the space limitations and begin thinking about creative solutions. Seek God's will in our challenge.  

What is he telling us through the bible, prayer, circumstances and our church of late?

• we should switch rooms?
• we should meet at another time?
• we should combine with other classes in larger rooms?
• we should split our class and go out and tell what we've learned?
• something else that we can't even imagine.

The connection of these lessons and events is not an accident. I believe firmly that we are having our actions tested.. Don't forget who we are. or whose we are.... remain focused on our mission and purpose.. it isn't to grow out class' numbers.. It is to maximize our impact to the outside world.. through our lives and examples in Christian service.

REMINDERS: 

Open Door is ...   from OpenDoor at a glance

focused on using our gifts and life community to reach out and go out.. not just invite in.. 

Who we are:

• We are mostly married 30 somethings, 40 somethings, and 50 somethings. We tend to have children of differing ages in elementary school, but not necessarily.
• We enjoy thinking about current issues, and talking about how to actively use the gospel in our every day lives/applications.
• We aren't afraid to discuss and even question entrenched ideology and theology in a safe, inclusive, environment of friends.
• We care about one another and we act accordingly, going beyond the "traditional" expectations. We strive to sacrifice for one another, to make a difference.
• We ALL want to learn more about loving one another through regular study of the Bible, and further through regular fellowship and study. (in ecclesia)

Whose we are: GOD's period.

We are believers and searchers. A few of the favorite saying of Jeff are

• "I don't know the answer, but I still believe"
• "Every day is an opportunity"

We have learned in the past two years that we are ALSO:

• Constantly changing... seeking the Holy Spirit's guidance as we join God in his plan for our lived.
• Specific, beloved, first born, children of Christ

Peter: I was there man, I was there...

Open Door interpreted and/or translated?  NOTES

Non siamo stati, si sa, proprio desiderio su una stella quando abbiamo previsto i fatti prima di voi per quanto riguarda il ritorno potente del nostro Maestro, Gesù Cristo. Eravamo lì per l'anteprima! Lo abbiamo visto con i nostri occhi: Gesù risplende di luce da Dio Padre come la voce di Gloria Majestic parlò: "Questo è mio Figlio, segnati dal mio amore, l'attenzione di tutti la mia gioia." Eravamo lì sul santo monte con lui. Abbiamo sentito la voce dal cielo con le nostre orecchie molto personale.

   Non potremmo essere più sicuri di quello che abbiamo visto e sentito gloria di Dio, la voce di Dio. La Parola profetica è stato confermato a noi. Farete bene a tenere concentrandosi su di esso. E 'l'unica luce che hai in un periodo buio, come si attende l'aurora e il sorgere della Stella del Mattino nei vostri cuori. La cosa principale da tenere a mente è che nessuna profezia della Scrittura è una questione di opinioni personali. E perché? Perché non è qualcosa di inventato nel cuore umano. Profezia risultato quando lo Spirito Santo viene richiesto uomini e alle donne di parlare la Parola di Dio.

2 Peter 1:16-21 (The Message)

   ^{16 -18}We weren't, you know, just wishing on a star when we laid the facts out before you regarding the powerful return of our Master, Jesus Christ. We were there for the preview! We saw it with our own eyes: Jesus resplendent with light from God the Father as the voice of Majestic Glory spoke: "This is my Son, marked by my love, focus of all my delight." We were there on the holy mountain with him. We heard the voice out of heaven with our very own ears.

   ^{19 -21}We couldn't be more sure of what we saw and heard—God's glory, God's voice. The prophetic Word was confirmed to us. You'll do well to keep focusing on it. It's the one light you have in a dark time as you wait for daybreak and the rising of the Morning Star in your hearts. The main thing to keep in mind here is that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of private opinion. And why? Because it's not something concocted in the human heart. Prophecy resulted when the Holy Spirit prompted men and women to speak God's Word.

==============

Interpretation

action of explaining the meaning of something : the interpretation of data.

• an explanation or way of explaining : this action is open to a number of interpretations.

• a stylistic representation of a creative work or dramatic role : two differing interpretations, both bearing the distinctive hallmarks of each writer's perspective.

Translation

1 the process of translating words or text from one language into another : Constantine's translation of Arabic texts into Latin.

• a written or spoken rendering of the meaning of a word, speech, book, or other text, in another language : a German translation of Oscar Wilde's play | a term for which there is no adequate English translation.

• the conversion of something from one form or medium into another : the translation of research findings into clinical practice.

• Biology the process by which a sequence of nucleotide triplets in a messenger RNA molecule gives rise to a specific sequence of amino acids during synthesis of a polypeptide or protein.

HOW to INTERPRET SCRIPTURE (apply it)

• Context  & Background
• Look for pervasive, big themes.. not single points
• Correlation between Old&New Testament is what.. New is fulfillment of the old
• Filter through Jesus’ actions
• Trust HOLY SPIRIT within you to teach you.. explain to you… help you…
• Filter through your service…
• PRACTICE!!

Practice: ELEM ELEY

WHAT is practice? According to Merriam-Webster, practice is “systematic exercise for proficiency.” Practice must involve experimenting/improvising (creative energy), but it is primarily to channel that energy into training. Practice is the investment of hours and years to build a resilient, dependable technique (method of carrying out a skilled activity). Practice is what one does to bridge the gap between his/her best intentions or dreams, and reality. In other words, practice is making consistent the application of desired choices; one practices making choices, so that they become “second nature,” automatic, as natural as breathing.

WHY practice? Learning without application is of questionable value; in a skill such as singing, learning is arguably worthless—unless validated by consistent practice. One does not learn to sing only in the voice lesson; vital concepts are introduced there, but the student builds with and upon those concepts/techniques in the practice room (studio class, the coaching studio, the opera rehearsal, the choral rehearsal, in performances…). It is important that techniques introduced in the lesson be promptly, thoroughly and regularly supported by generous amounts of time in practice. Much influence comes from teachers, coaches, conductors, colleagues, etc., but the student must embrace his/her right and responsibilities as Chair of the Vocal Board.

"It is God's Spirit and only God's Spirit that can rightly interpret the words of life to our spirits. That's why I pray that God will help me to stick to the text when preaching, not doing so much of what I used to do, showing off my cross referencing skills and making things fit my world view, but presenting texts in a way that will encourage thought and promote personal seeking of God, Then trust the Holy Spirit ti interpret the material to the heart of individuals, who knows, he may have a different message for each of us all from the same passage. One thing is for sure, we all have a different ministry." Reverend Ricky Barnes

BAPTIST PRINCIPLES

Soul freedom: the soul is competent before God, and capable of making decisions in matters of faith without coercion or compulsion by any larger religious or civil body

Church freedom: freedom of the local church from outside interference, whether government or civilian (subject only to the law where it does not interfere with the religious teachings and practices of the church)

Bible freedom: the individual is free to interpret the Bible for himself or herself, using the best tools of scholarship and biblical study available to the individual

Religious freedom: the individual is free to choose whether to practice their religion, another religion, or no religion; Separation of church and state is often called the "civil corollary" of religious freedom

Lasker Baptist thoughts from Rev Ricky

"It is God's Spirit and only God's Spirit that can rightly interpret the words of life to our spirits. That's why I pray that God will help me to stick to the text when preaching, not doing so much of what I used to do, showing off my cross referencing skills and making things fit my world view, but presenting texts in a way that will encourage thought and promote personal seeking of God, Then trust the Holy Spirit ti interpret the material to the heart of individuals, who knows, he may have a different message for each of us all from the same passage. One thing is for sure, we all have a different ministry." Reverend Ricky Barnes




About Lasker Baptist church in Lasker NC: "We seek to act as a moral force in the world, believing that ethical living is the supreme witness of religion. Let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven. What we do here and now and the effects our actions will have on future generations deeply concern us. We know that our relationships with one another, with other peoples, races and nations, should be governed by justice, equity, compassion. It is our conviction that, as the Body of Christ, we are to bring the healing, saving, life giving power of God wherever needs exist in the world. Come and Celebrate life with us tomorrow. Breathe in the fresh air of freedom."


This is my wish for Open Door at HRBC,  seeking, studying, serving in action, not just seeing others serve and supporting..  -- Jeff

Remains to be seen... "it depends" on you

Open Door jumped into James and practical application today with a review of James 1:22-27

What I want you to remember..

• You can't earn your way up to more love, or blessing from God...
• You can earn the respect of your fellow man with your actions. 
• People come to church because of other people. People don't come to church because of other people. God is their for each of us, despite our actions. The big question is whether we will be there for our fellow man "as directed by God" Will we actually be doers, or just listeners? 
• We are the Pharisees in the Gospel story. 

From Lesson Book: 

" When we lead genuine lives of faith, people more readily believe our testimony. Our actions earn us a hearing with those we wish to reach."

From Commentary: on REAL RELIGION by Brett Younger

• Real religion is a Sunday School class mentoring families transitioning out of welfare into self-sufficiency, helping these families plan a budget, look for jobs, and parent their children. 
• Real religion is the growing number of churches who make a place during the coldest months of the year so that homeless people can spend the night in their buildings. 
• Real religion is the many Christians who care for children and the elderly through their time, their presence, and the sharing of their gifts. 
• Real religion is following Christ by defending the oppressed, refusing to stereotype, and building friendships across dividing lines. 
• Real religion is talking about faith to people who snicker, inviting friends to church, and praying for those who are lost. 

Each week at church we can learn how to live our faith. We read the Bible and hear something new. We learn that the best teachers are Christians who serve. We learn that being kind is more important than being right. We learn that those moments of recognizing God's presence in the needy make life spectacular. We learn that love, not time, heals all wounds. We learn that life is tough, but God is always with us. We learn that when we follow Christ, Christ walks beside us. 

Imagine James after Sunday school, shaking hands with a woman who says, "James, that was a fine lesson."

His reply, "That remains to be seen"

Was Open Door worth our time today?  well, you know my answer. ;-)

Gathering community - great way to define "organic church"

A dear friend at Lasker Baptist church recently published this statement about his church and it seemed more than worthy of sharing.  This eloquently expresses my feelings as the leader/facilitator of OpenDoor. We are a "life community within our larger HRBC", but we are certainly doing many of these things.

Reading this? you are welcome in open door.. any time. We meet in the gym at HRBC, from ~10am - 11am every Sunday morning..  Consider gathering in a "life" community with us.. as we all think about what we think, learn, and worship our loving Father.. question, struggle, rejoice, and journey together!


"Lasker Baptist Church is approaching church as a Gathering Community, a ministry somewhat different from the old outdated Southern Baptist model. As a matter of fact it is our goal to minister to and communicate with people who have been hurt by institutional religion and who seek an organic relationship with God. 

We want this community to be a mosaic of people from many different walks of life, races, ages, and classes all journeying toward a better Christian life through life-long friendships, the celebration of the arts, and intentional social action- helping the poor and the disenfranchised. This is a Church for people seeking spiritual direction without out the pressure to conform to any particular practice. You can participate at whatever level is comfortable for you. This could very well be the church for you." - Reverend Ricky Barnes

New day

1 Peter 1:13-25 Message
So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that's coming when Jesus arrives. Don't lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn't know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God's life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. God said, "I am holy; you be holy."


You call out to God for help and he helps—he's a good Father that way. But don't forget, he's also a responsible Father, and won't let you get by with sloppy living.


Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ's sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately—at the end of the ages—become public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you. It's because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God.


 Now that you've cleaned up your lives by following the truth, love one another as if your lives depended on it. Your new life is not like your old life. Your old birth came from mortal sperm; your new birth comes from God's living Word. Just think: a life conceived by God himself! That's why the prophet said, 


The old life is a grass life, its beauty as short-lived as wildflowers; Grass dries up, flowers droop, God's Word goes on and on forever. This is the Word that conceived the new life in you. 


==========
2010 has come and gone. 2011 presents each of us with specific opportunities. As members of Huguenot Road Baptist Church we endeavor to Be, Love, and Serve in a world sorely in need of just those services. No need for us to travel to Narnia, or even another place.. We can serve in our own homes, in our own lives, in our places.  The choice is ours...

Lewis created Aslan for the purpose of touching the love already in us. And you know, you do love that Lion as you read about him. With each new Chronicle the love and appreciation increase. You love him for his dignity, his wisdom, his pure goodness, his gentleness. Perhaps most of all you love him because he wants us to receive his love and to know him and to share his happiness.

In the last chapter, the children are afraid that it is going to be quite a while before they can come back into Narnia. They wish that return to be soon. In their final conversation with Aslan they hear distressing news. Lucy says, "Will you tell us how to get into your country from our world?"

"I shall be telling you all the time," said Aslan. "But I will not tell you how long or short the way will be; only that it lies across a river. But do not fear that, for I am the great Bridge Builder. And now come; I will open the door in the sky and send you to your own land."

"'Please, Aslan,' said Lucy. 'Before we go, will you tell us when we can come back to Narnia again? Please. And oh, do, do, do make it soon.' 'Dearest,' said Aslan very gently, 'you and your brother will never come back to Narnia.' 'Oh, Aslan!' said Edmund and Lucy both together in despairing voices. 'You are too old, children,' said Aslan, 'and you must begin to come close to your own world now.' 'It isn't Narnia, you know,' sobbed Lucy. 'It's you. We shan't meet you there. And how can we live, never meeting you?' 'But you shall meet me, dear one,' said Aslan. 'Are — are you there too, Sir?' said Edmund. 'I am,' said Aslan, 'But there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there.'" - Author: S. Michael Wilcox , What can we learn from a lion? Lessons about Christ from Lewis' Aslan

Choose your perspective and your path.

Few more weeks until Christmas..  Open door explores choices, actions, consequences this week...

(MSG)Matthew 1: 18-25  -- The Birth of Jesus   The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. Before they came to the marriage bed, Joseph discovered she was pregnant. (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn't know that.) Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced.
   While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God's angel spoke in the dream: "Joseph, son of David, don't hesitate to get married. Mary's pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God's Holy Spirit has made her pregnant. She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus—'God saves'—because he will save his people from their sins." This would bring the prophet's embryonic sermon to full term: Watch for this—a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son; They will name him Immanuel (Hebrew for "God is with us").
Then Joseph woke up. He did exactly what God's angel commanded in the dream: He married Mary. But he did not consummate the marriage until she had the baby. He named the baby Jesus.

• Every day life is made up of decisions.. expected and often unexpected... Choices...  
• Choices have consequences... acceptance, scorn, money, change, inclusion, exclusion.
• Choose to embrace your faith as the guiding principle for your actions... Faith is a choice, not an emotion, or a whim...

Joseph's model for use?
Discern, Debate, Decide, Do, and Don't look back!


Obeying God's will mean participating in something bigger than you, more significant than you, usually more than you can possibly do on your own.

Join in the journey!  your love story with your family, your neighbors, your God provides you opportunities to  BE LOVE SERVE and REPEAT.. every day...

To Christmas and beyond...

Stuff Jesus never said... DANGER!

http://www.religiousherald.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4627&Itemid=9

EXCELLENT ARTICLE in RELIGIOUS HERALD

EXCERPTS:

Try this: read the Bible regularly without anyone telling you what it says and means.

Invite the Holy Spirit to guide you, and see what emerges. 

If you need a place to start, try Matthew 5-7, the finest and most famous sermon ever preached. 

Warning: this is dangerous and will change your life.

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

Jesus never said that the end justifies the means. To see how some of us go about doing church, you would be hard pressed not to believe this. The tendency for congregational leaders to try just about anything to get people in the pews or money in the plate is toxic. The effect is either to water down the scandal of the gospel in order to make it more palatable to the public or to use unethical or dubious methods to insure our success. What Jesus did do (John 6) was to present a demanding call to discipleship and not back off, even when it proved unpopular.

Jesus never said that the first would be first, the last would be last, so look out for number one. 21st century Christianity seems to have lost its way with regard to our place in the world. To hear some, the church’s appropriate role is at the head of every line in culture. We want acclaim, political power, recognition, and status. The same goes for our parishioners and clergy. We easily overlook those in need and on the fringes of our society. Our practices belie an insatiable appetite for the limelight that seems incongruent with the one to “came to serve, not to be served.”
Jesus never said we are to live by the rule of an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. In fact, that ancient code of retribution and retaliation was overtly overturned when he offered a radical alternative in Matthew 6:39-42. Our calling is to be unreasonably gracious and generous. Watching us nurture our grudges, wounds and prejudices while allowing them to cripple our witness must be heartbreaking to him.
Jesus never said that when we come and follow him, we will find success, fame and fortune. In fact, the biblical and historical witness is directly contrary to that silly folk wisdom. The cross most people bear in order to be faithful is real and significant. Some of God’s most faithful servants seem to have suffered the most. The benefit of biblical faith is most often internal, not external. Our most meaningful rewards cannot be deposited, driven, or worn, for they are eternal not temporal.

ACT like a Christian! Do you "resemble" that remark?

TOPIC: WAR & PEACE
yep,  that is the topic of the day and just the idea of have a true "open" discussion rooted in when and how violence might be "justified" in the world around us scared me more than a little.  As always, God was AWESOME, and a great discussion ensued.

My personal guiding principles/notes as shared:

• Do the ends really justify the means?
• My thought: The method of change should be rooted in and resemble the targeted end state. 
• Killing as % of population of world is an interesting metric to focus on. Assertion in class was that world killing has decreased as a result of the US dropping the atomic bomb on Japan and starting the nuclear age.  -- this would seem to disprove my idea... hmmmm,  need to learn more about this. would love to hear comments or facts to prove/disprove.
• We must use the "exact likeness of God" shown to us in Jesus Christ as a guiding principle to ACTing in our world.  
• We are called to action in a world in need of our service.
• Service and leadership are very different. 
• Leaders have to make choices that others have the luxury of only talking about.  Those actions speak for the rest of us. It is in appropriate to judge and indict so harshly unless we are willing to carry the burden.
• Shifting from a individual ideology to a collective "imposed" dictate for others is dangerous and must always be rooted in love, tolerance, inclusion, respect... 
• Violence should be the last resort as it damages all parties.
• Judgement delivered by men on and to other men is at the root of a very bad cycle of events.
• (GameTheory) comes into play in judging and acting in these cases.
• Self confidence and self respect are critical in evaluating and deciding on action towards others. We cannot build ourselves up by destroying or diminishing others. In fact the opposite is true. As we build each other up, we are all "increased".
• Remember that your enemy is a "specific, beloved, first born, child of Christ"!!! just like you...
• Actions are personal and should remain that way.
• Acting like a Christian requires the discipline of a plan.. specific tasks, with measurable goals and milestones... The problem is that our plan won't ever be finished...

Scripture: 1 Samuel 30 1-4; 11-20

The final paragraphs of the Smith & Helwys commentary(written by Brett Younger of McAfee School of theology in Atlanta) summed it up for me perfectly.. and I read these words aloud to close the class and then closed in prayer.  I hope they resonate with you no matter which God you worship and that you will consider what story your ACTIONS tell those around you. use of money, use of time... Do you act, or do you talk.. if so how.. What do you worship and how? war, peace, love, power...

Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote a short story titled "The Great Stone Face." It is the story of a young man named Earnest who is enamored with a face carved on the side of a mountain. Day after day, Ernest stares at the stone face. Bye the end of the story, his human face has started to resemble the one on the mountain. Remarkably, has has been transformed into the image of the face at which he has gazed.

The truth in the story is irrefutable: "What captures our attention shapes us. Focus day after day on a particular person or thing, and it will transform you. Nowhere is that more true than in our concept of God. We become like the God we worship. We are each transformed in the face of the God at which we gaze. Certainly, our concept of God will affect our view of war and peace. 

If our God is a warring God, the God of the Old Testament who regularly issues declarations of war on Israel's enemies, that God will shape us. We will have no problem with any "holy war" that endeavors to stamp out evil and bring in God's kingdom. 

If our God is a God who favors war over tyranny and oppression and can use war to bring about good, that God will shape us. We will have no problem with a "just war" that protects the innocent and seeks to alleviate atrocities.

If our God is a God who hates war and really means we are to love our enemies and turn the other cheek when someone attacks us, that God will shape us, too. We will have a problem with any war and will see it as an inadequate, un-Christian response to evil.

As always happens, our view of God affects the rest of our lives. In this case, it determines our view of war and peace. And our view of war and peace lets everyone know what kind of God we serve. 

If nothing else, these lessons on war and peace will give us occasion to consider again our own concept of God.

Demographics: Be not afraid... but.. Action Required.

Hi all,  here is a video on point for what we ended up talking about on Sunday in Open Door.  I had not planned it but I'm open to talking a lot more about this topic 1x1 or in small groups.  if you are interested....



I would reiterate my position that we have nothing to fear and that the way forward will always be tolerance, inclusion, and love demonstrated in our actions not just our words.  I don't know very much about Islam. I do know and testify to the love of Jesus Christ and I think that is where any discussion or action plan should start. We should follow a model of action which embodies the spirit and principles of that which we are professing.

This video is thought provoking, and very interesting to think about.  Let me know if you are interested in talking more.. AS for FEAR---  you should listen to what my friend Steven Condy says about it.. an amazing voice, and a beloved Christian heart and spirit. ---  FEAR NOT - http://ow.ly/2SbyF