Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Day 1-- Blessings
I know that God wants to bless me as his child, and yet I do not feel like I am getting the blessings that God wants for me. I know that I am the recipient of more blessings than I have ever deserved. What I mean is that I know that God has much bigger things that he would like to give me, blessings for the Kingdom that are far wider and more deep than I have ever come close to.
Those blessings are the fruit of abiding in the vine of Christ. This is what I am seeking to figure out. How to abide as closely as possible.
I will have to dwell on this some more.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
The 45 Day Challenge
A couple of weeks ago I had an epiphany, it was too earth shattering, but it puts a lot into perspective.
I realized that I have never, at least in my adult life, lived a balanced life. But it is my goal to strive toward that.
If I start tomorrow I will have 45 days until the first day of 2010. I want to use this journal to keep a track of the spiritual journey that i am taking on.
Wagons hoo!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Lessons to Be Learned
Throughout the day Joanne and I have been in constant communication about the situation. We are crushed, mad, confused, downright pissed off, and sad beyond imagination. It is 2 am in Winnipeg and I am unable to sleep after spending a number of hours researching and reading legal documents. I went to bed a few minutes ago but felt that I needed to do this to end my day, more as therapy than anything else.
Through this hard day I have still found much to be thankful for. I had the amazing team of the CEIF (Church Extension Investors Fund, NAB) board there to pray with me. They have been great support over this last year or so and they were there for me today. I am thankful that I do not question the fact that God is in charge of this whole thing even though I can't figure out why he would let this happen. I am thankful for the fact that God allowed me to have time with a number of my dearest friends (Mike and Candy Kellar, and Shelly and Randy Schmor) today as I was dealing with this news.
I know that we will, sometime in the future, see what God intended this for, no I take that back, I know that he intends this to bring Him glory. We just have to remind ourselves that we are the tool that he will use to bring the glory to Himself in this whole thing. We need to allow ourselves to be available, even in this frustrating time, for that task.
I was trying to go to sleep and I was listening to the song "Calmer of the Storm" by Downhere, and the words fit so well the day that we have had. I know that we are not the only ones who have disappointments, or who are hurting so I thought I would share these thoughts and the words to this song for anyone else that might benefit from them.
Peace
Dennis
Lyrics to Calmer Of The Storm :
When everything is wrong
The day has passed and nothing's done
And the whole world seems against me
When I'm rolling in my bed,
there's a storm in my head
I'm afraid of sinking in despair.
CHORUS
Teach me, Lord to have faith
In what you're bringing me will
Change my life and bring you glory and...
There on the storm I am learning to let go
Of the will that I so long to control
There may I be in your arms eternally
I thank you, Lord,
You are the calmer of the storm.
You rebuke the wind and the waves
Once again I find I'm amazed
At the power of your will
Cuz I'm a child of little faith
I feel the wind and forget your grace
And you say, "Peace, be still."
There on the storm I am learning to let go
The white wave's high,
It's crashing o'er the deck
And I don't know where I go
Where are you Lord, is my ship going down?
The mast is gone so throw the anchor
Should I jump and try to swim to land?
There on the storm,
Teach me God to understand
Of the Will that I just cannot control
There may I see all you love protecting me
I thank you Lord,
You are the calmer of the storm.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Incarnational Community
Here is a post by my friend Hugh Halter, author of The Tangible Kingdom. I like the description of incarnational community.
What is incarnational community?
Published by hhalter under Leadership
Hi Friends, quite a few folks ask us about our definition of “an incarnational community.” In Adullam, we make sure people know that our goal is not to pump out IC’s or to get people to do IC’s. The goal is that every person starts to grow toward being a more holistic IC, learning to integrate Inclusive Community, Meaningful Communion with God, and Pure mission to others. Some start off as bible studies, some start off from a point of mission, and other groups start as simply a group of friends. No matter where they begin, we coach them to become a fully functioning IC. Here’s just an off the top of my head list of ways you can know you’re group is maturing. Hope it helps. Feel free to add your own to my list and maybe we’ll come up with a good grid to help others with.
You know when you’re an incarnational community when:
* You have a group of friends who know they can come over, or call your cell phone without feeling like they’re bugging you.
* You look at your weekly calendar and can find at least one or two times that you’ll be seeing several of them.
* The question, “How’s it going?” is quickly followed by, “how can I help?”
* The same people you call for a movie night are the same ones you call for prayer, and the same ones that you find yourself helping others with.
* You can’t wait for your non-Christian friends to meet “your people.”
* You are as excited to throw a party together as you are about studying through the book of Romans…but you still like studying Romans.
* You watch each other’s kids and are on call for emergencies.
* You can think of a few people you’ve had to suggest they go “play church” somewhere else.
* You can’t find all your tools cuz they’ve been loaned out to people in your community.
* You find yourself taking a hike together on Sunday morning instead of just going to church.
* You meet together as a community to help serve the larger church gathering or network you’re a part of. (If by chance you don’t think you should be a part of a larger congregational structure, you’ll probably heading for myopic land and you’ll be out of community all-together in a few months.)
* Everyone’s sniffed each others stinky socks (metaphor for knowing each others hidden secrets) and there’s now a freedom to just be yourself.
*Extroverts get to be extroverts and introverts can remain introverts.
*Your children feel like they are a part of the community instead of getting thrown into the basement to watch veggie tales until the big people are done talking.
*When needs come up within the sphere of your friends, your people quickly pool resources or commit time to help.
*When your house or the house of your community runs the social calendar for the neighborhood.
*When you can take a month off from meeting and pick up right where you left off.
As I keep adding or updating I’ll let you know.
Friday, February 27, 2009
From Mark Riddles Blog
"John Wesley said the world is my parish, but we have made the parish our world."
Very wise words I think.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Friend of Missional - What is a Missional Church?
* A missional church is a collection of missional believers acting in concert together in fulfillment of the missio dei.1
* A missional church is one where people are exploring and rediscovering what it means to be Jesus' sent people as their identity and vocation.
* A missional church is faith communities willing and ready to be Christ's people in their own situation and place.
* A missional church knows that they must be a cross-cultural missionary (contextual) people and adopt a missionary stance in relation to their community.
* A missional church will be engaged with the culture (in the world) without being absorbed by the culture (not of the world). They will become intentionally indigenous.
* A missional church understands that God is already present in the culture where it finds itself. Therefore, a missional church doesn't view its purpose as bringing God into the culture or taking individuals out of the culture to a sacred space.
* A missional church is about more than just being contextual, it is also about the nature of the church and how it relates to God.
* A missional church is about being -- being conformed to the image of God.
* A missional church will seek to plant all types of missional communities.
* A missional church is"