Using your gifts...Looking for gifts

Our journey in Open Door continues as we begin to wrestle with who has what, does what , is expected to do what, and gets credit for exactly what? 

Discussion Questions?

• What are our gifts and how are we using them?
• Are you committed to your beliefs and ministries or do you just show up?
• Are you hiding your gifts so that you won't be asked to commit?
• Do you recognize the service you see in others and encourage it?
• Are you offended when leaders within your circle step up and lead? How do you know their intentions and guidance are right?
• How do you feel about the idea of paid/vocational staff members in churches? How does their role and obligation to serve others differ from yours?
• What do you do when they blow it?  What do you expect others to do when you blow it?
• When it comes to churches... How big is too big and what happens with small?

Guiding Thoughts

• We need each other in community.  Our continuing ministry is built upon our wiring for service and love to one another. Each of us has a role to play... We cannot play one anothers' roles as we are each specific, beloved children of God.
• Faith and its associated works is associated directly with sacrifice and suffering.  We must be fearless, gentle and reverent as we ACT not just speak about the love of Christ. This means holding one another accountable, celebrating successes and openly discussing failures. The community succeeds or fails together and all its members share the burden. 
• Leadership positions in a faith community are a tremendous responsibility and burden. Not an opportunity to showcase and build yourself up.  Service to a life community is just that.. It is a life of humility and service.. 

LINK TO ARTICLE:  THE DIRT ON ORGANIC CHURCH from LEADERSHIP JOURNAL

NOTES on ORGANIC CHURCHES and response article on Out of UR.

BOOK LINK: Organic Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens - Neil Cole

This feels right to me.. our evangelism becomes about gentleness, reverence, and accountability to each other through deeper personal relationships with one another.. both inside and outside of the "institution". Evangelism becomes a part of who we are every day, in everything that we do.. it is NOT a task to be checked off... Our life community becomes about transforming both our own lives as well as those around us through Being, Loving, and Serving.. Repeatedly!!!

http://www.outofur.com/archives/2010/05/defending_organ_1.html
1. Make disciples, not organizations, and let Jesus build the church out of changed lives. A disciple is one who follows Christ and learns at his feet. Allow them to learn to follow Jesus. They will make mistakes along the way, but that is how we all learn. Protecting people from mistakes is to keep them from learning.
2. Lower the bar on how church is done and raise the bar on what it means to be a disciple. Look to invest in what’s proven rather than in potential. As people are faithful with small obedience present them with the opportunity for more. Start slower and smaller and let the growth generate by reproducing new life, rather than trying to grow something too quickly through attraction.
3. Life Transformation Groups (LTGs) are a simple method of empowering ordinary people, even brand new Christians, to connect to God’s word and obey without creating a dependency upon others who will tell them what to think and do. When the disciples are connected to Christ and following him, then the church that is gathered is strong and able to stand on its own without the unhealthy dependency that Mr. Hofmeister felt was needed. In an LTG people are reading a lot of Scripture repetitively and in context. They are also accountable to one another for confessing their sin weekly. Finally, they are identifying and praying for the souls of lost friends that need Jesus as well. I can trust people who are in such a relationship, and in a church made up of such people has the strength to grow, reproduce, and endure. (Search & Rescue is a book that explains how LTGs work and why.)

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1 Peter 4:7-5:5
The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers.
8 Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Be hospitable to one another without complaining. 10 Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received. 11 Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very words of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

Suffering as a Christian
12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice in so far as you are sharing Christ's sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, a criminal, or even as a mischief-maker. 16 Yet if any of you suffers as a Christian, do not consider it a disgrace, but glorify God because you bear this name. 17 For the time has come for judgment to begin with the household of God; if it begins with us, what will be the end for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinners?"19 Therefore, let those suffering in accordance with God's will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator, while continuing to do good.

Tending the Flock of God
5:1 Now as an elder myself and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as one who shares in the glory to be revealed, I exhort the elders among you 2 to tend the flock of God that is in your charge, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion but willingly, as God would have you do it--not for sordid gain but eagerly.
3 Do not lord it over those in your charge, but be examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief shepherd appears, you will win the crown of glory that never fades away. 5 In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you must clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

Stones: hot, cold, rolling, alive, dead

Happy Mother's Day to all..

BE: I am a specific, beloved, first born child of Jesus Christ. 

Open Door discussed how to live as "living stones".. It isn't easy people...
but at least we aren't "ogres" like Shrek..  Tracee said she was surprised I didn't use this video in class so in her honor:  here it is...

I believe!.. even if I don't know all of the answers..  When in doubt, LOVE!


Is our church harmless? should it be?
How are you making a difference in your relationships, communities, and structure? How do you SERVE?:

Talking points that I emphasized. 

• Stones have substance. 
• Stone's characteristics are influenced and often defined by the forces/context around them.
• Important metaphors to focus on in the Bible: Stones, Sheep/Shepherds, Fire...
• Stones can be assembled together to form a structure..
• Who are you? versus what do you do? -- We so often ask and focus on the wrong questions.. We are human "be"ings, not human "do"ings. 
• "I see you, and I know who you are." is a powerful, inclusive, loving statement if we choose to interpret it that way. So often we react in fear and exclusion. 
• This is the context that God sees us in... He "gets" us.. he knows "how we roll"
• Stones within a structure carry a load...It is an obligation.
• As the number of relationships increase, the load on the foundation stones increases.
• Christ is the cornerstone, keystone that sustains others.. The closer you are to Christ, the more strength you have and "load" you can carry.
• The world reinforces the idea of self sustaining ability, but the stone separated from the building leaves a hole in the structure, and is forced to carry its load on its own. 
• We should live in reverent fear.. of God.. not of one another. 
• Tearing down others.. can never build you up. 
• Maturing in our relationships is a process.. takes time and we must REPEAT the same steps over and over to finally learn... there is only one cornerstone/keystone, but there are many, many connecting stones. 
• Pyramids were build over a looooong time, with really big stones on the bottom.. cut perfectly, with no mortar.. Amazing...
• I would really like to hear what you remember and think?..  comments are welcome.. 

Scriptures used and referenced:

1 Peter 1:13-21 NIV

1 Peter 1:21-2:10 NIV

Ephesians 4:11-13 NIV

It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Romans 12:1-2 MSG

So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

1 Peter 1:18-21 MSG 

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.

Complete

We finished up our lessons drawn from the Psalms on Sunday with one of the most beloved of all time.  Psalm 23 is so stunningly simple. It is complete. It speaks to everyone differently and it has such profound implications stated so elegantly.  It must be sung.. believed.. shared with others.. from your heart... from your core..

Sharing the Presence of God with a people that need it so..

Psalm 23 NIV (New International Version)

A psalm of David.

    ¹ The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
    ² He makes me lie down in green pastures,
       he leads me beside quiet waters,
    ³ he restores my soul.
       He guides me in paths of righteousness
       for his name's sake.
    ⁴ Even though I walk
       through the valley of the shadow of death,
       I will fear no evil,
       for you are with me;
       your rod and your staff,
       they comfort me.
    ⁵ You prepare a table before me
       in the presence of my enemies.
       You anoint my head with oil;
       my cup overflows.
    ⁶ Surely goodness and love will follow me
       all the days of my life,
       and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
       forever.

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;-)

Disclaimer:Admittedly, this is Jeff's view of the class, but I figure as the teacher I am best positioned to prime the pump with ideas and lay it out there. If you all have other ideas, comments welcome.

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.
• We have a lot of fun outside of church, from Pool parties, to Meat Night, to Ladies Nights Out, to our annual "men provide/cook gourmet dinner and serve it to the ladies"

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"

Joy from Despair... based on perspective?

What a great class today.. We began with an extended exercise to document our coping mechanisms for handling serious "despair" scenarios.  The list extended from bible verses, to poetry, trips to the beach/mountains, music, family, loved ones, and even sports and exercise.  Everything on the board was relevant and perfectly articulated how we deal with problems in our world.  Rational, reasonable, logical.. and well explained.. Then the kicker arrived.. We cannot avoid the trials and sorrow..

 JOHN 16:19-22  (MSG)  Jesus knew they were dying to ask him what he meant, so he said, "Are you trying to figure out among yourselves what I meant when I said, 'In a day or so you're not going to see me, but then in another day or so you will see me'? Then fix this firmly in your minds: You're going to be in deep mourning while the godless world throws a party. You'll be sad, very sad, but your sadness will develop into gladness. "When a woman gives birth, she has a hard time, there's no getting around it. But when the baby is born, there is joy in the birth. This new life in the world wipes out memory of the pain. The sadness you have right now is similar to that pain, but the coming joy is also similar. When I see you again, you'll be full of joy, and it will be a joy no one can rob from you. You'll no longer be so full of questions

"Joy is derived from the presence of God, not the absence of sorrow."  As humanists, realists, and "enlightened" thoroughly modern thinkers we tend to rely on our intellect, to control and try to manage issues to solve problems. This does not work. We solve for the symptom, not the disease/source.  As a class, we talked a lot about how the "coping mechanisms" we had all articulated "double" as mechanisms to seek the presence of God in our lives.  Even as the problems remain, the solutions must be centered in the JOY from "down deep in our heart" provided by God..

We are wired for joy and no amount of pleasure can complete that circuit..  From shoes, to jobs, to the internet and Facebook, to sports and entertainment... we must be sure that we seek joy rather than short acting, pleasures of our material, consumer driven society.  We are completed through the presence of Christ in our lives and he not only makes us whole, but provides us an imperative for action.  The world needs to continually hear the story of Christ.. to be reminded that he is our joy, not just for salvation but for everything in our life.  The difference between pleasure and joy is... "the presence of God" in the object, idea, or activity.  God is within in you and working all around you.  You must remember that and look to him, see him, trust him... It is really that simple..  Note that I didn't say it was easy. As we talked about in class, there is no Simple button in life. We know it, but we so often forget that.

"Theology without obedience is mere religious opinion." Wesley Handy 

We are COMMANDED to spread that joy to the world, the be the salt and light for the "greatest meal ever served"... Start by loving one another.. loving yourself, and seeking God in everything, everywhere! He is already there.. the only question is whether we choose to see him or see ourselves...

My favorite line from Bert's sermon today:

"Simple" -- 7 word summary of the Bible:

"I am God, and you are not!"

Awesomeness!!!

We met outside in the courtyard today and it was refreshing and different for everyone. Distractions, focus and mechanics/logistics o corporate praise are indeed difficult to manage, but when approached with care, they can be managed.. Goal must be to focus on the why(source) not the how(logistics, liturgy, facilities, chairs, food, etc..) -- Jeff

Praise: express warm approval or admiration of
• express one's respect and gratitude toward (a deity), esp. in song : we praise God for past blessings.

Other Words to consider: worship, glorify, honor, exalt, adore, pay tribute to, give thanks to, venerate, reverence; formal laud; archaic: magnify.
--- Awesome, Humble, Authentic, Facade, Simple, Elegant, Alone, Together

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Where does your praise come from...
If and When you praise... HOW DO YOU DO IT
What role does worship play in your life?
Do you praise, or do you perform...and how do you define the difference?
What role does praise have in your relationships... in your relationship with God?
When you are facing the "demons of your days".. how do you get up?
Do you "hang out" with Jesus?




 Psalm 150 MSG:
Hallelujah! Praise God in his holy house of worship, 
      praise him under the open skies; 
   Praise him for his acts of power, 
      praise him for his magnificent greatness; 
   Praise with a blast on the trumpet, 
      praise by strumming soft strings; 
   Praise him with castanets and dance, 
      praise him with banjo and flute; 
   Praise him with cymbals and a big bass drum, 
      praise him with fiddles and mandolin. 
   Let every living, breathing creature praise God! 
      Hallelujah!

So, What is your story?

Easter is a miraculous event..
 it is a celebration of the cornerstone of our belief as Christians in a risen Savior.

Texts for the day: Psalm 118  and 1 Peter 2

Remember: the lesson from Psalm 118

1. Thank God (BE)
2. God is Good and His Love endures forever! (BE, LOVE)
3. Admit and own your difficulties and who you are.. then let them go.. (BE, LOVE, SERVE)
4. and Let it be said of you.. that Christ's likeness is shown to the world through you. (REPEAT)

How do you tell the story?
Will you tell the story?
Is THE story your story?

"What defines you NOW may not be what will define you eventually. However, NOW is what matters to allow for the journey to continue. Definition takes time, observation, decision, and a large dose of reality.Accepting WHAT YOU HAVE is enlightening - not disappointing. If you know what you have, you can develop it to its fullest. It can truly be YOU - not a watered-down version of something else; YOU ARE ENOUGH if you develop honesty, work ethic and purpose to find it and develop it fully." -Susan Eichhorn-Young

 “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.

Let it be said of us that the Lord is our passion... 

that with gladness we bear every cross we are given. 

That we fight the good fight..that we finish the course...

Knowing within us the power of the risen Lord.

Let the cross be our glory and the Lord be our song....

by mercy made holy, by the Spirit made strong. 

Let the cross be our glory and the Lord be our song...

til the likeness of Jesus be through us made known.

Let the cross be our glory and the Lord be our song!