So, last Sunday was pretty cool. Three couples...we discussed the question we raised two weeks earlier, "What would you like to see change in you?" Great conversation. Great honesty. And I am continuing to be amazed at the weaving together of lives that is occurring as risks are taken and community is emerging. Change is possible and when there is hope held forth in a caring community, and we journey together, that hope grows and change happens. I am looking forward to looking back in celebration on the change we will each and all see. During our time together, I had a bit of an epiphany. I've often read, heard and recited a phrase in the 4th chapter of Ecclesiastes -  "a cord of three strands is not easily broken". Oftentimes it's applied to God's role in marriage. What if it might be about a "third party"? When any couple has "issues", those issues are often common to every marriage, not just theirs. In my own, I've learned many issues are not "Mark/Lyn" issues, but husband/wife or even male/female issues. Caring third "strands", whose lives are woven together with the couple or people "in the throes of battle", who walk, share, hope and cry together - what a gift! And what won't be "broken" if those relationships persist, grow and deepen? So, sometimes that third strand brings perspective, creates space for the "interested" yes even heated parties to see more objectively - to look outside in. We need each other. Some of these things (like life and marriage) we can't do on our own. We're made in the image of a relational God. There is no Plan B for life...

Wow

Check out this link...what do you think?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Zk31Uc_pCY&feature=related

Hope to see you Sunday at our house at 6. We hope to start the conversation on the John Ortberg book, The Me I Want To Be.

Mark down April 17 as game night at Mike and Claudia's.

Community...

Last night was a breakthrough for me. As we discussed confession, it hit me that true confession to one another is not just airing my dirty laundry for the world to see. It’s a part of the radical honesty Phillip Yancey says is a trademark of AA groups. People mentioned how critical it is to build trust so that this kind of honesty can be expressed. It takes time to develop those kinds of relationships. When I confess there is not only accountability, but there is a discovery of Yancey’s other observation about AA groups – radical dependency. This was my breakthrough last night – I need you guys. If I’m to become all God wants me to be I need people around me who pray for me, strengthen me and encourage me. It isn’t just “me and God”…it is a body…If that kind of culture or community were to exist, who wouldn’t want to be a part of it – where I don’t feel judged, where people don’t try to fix me? Unconditional love forms generous community. Isn’t this the heart of the Gospel? Isn’t this what Jesus meant when he said he came to bring life as it was meant to be lived – not in isolation, but in community. Someone else shared last night how we need to be wise as to what, when and how we confess. True. We also must realize that this kind of sharing and confessing is risky business. But so worth it! So, for my part, I say “thank you” to you guys for pursuing this kind of community! Let’s keep moving forward!

Reading Miroslav Volf this morning...from "Against the Tide":

We live in a smorgasbord culture where everything is interesting but nothing really matters...

The Injustice of Injustices...

That just isn’t right…have you ever heard that? Uttered it yourself?

Last night and this morning have gotten me thinking…do we all have an injustice button that, once pressed, sends us over the edge?

My story (or at least this chapter of it) started at Drew’s basketball game last night. I am known to yell at refs from time to timeJ…in the spirit of radical honesty, maybe a bit more frequently than from time to time…

I felt as though Drew was getting hammered and the refs weren’t calling fouls. A lot of good it does to yell at refs…and I look like a fool…but when it’s your kid…

Part two: I called a friend this morning who has been battling with his ex-wife and the courts over parenting rights. He feels that he’s being treated unjustly and that ultimately it’s hurting his kids. He went so far as to call up and rant at an ex-judge…landed himself in jail and had the pleasure of wearing an ankle bracelet for awhile. From a distance, it seems pretty silly and downright hilarious at times. But, when it’s your kids…I keep telling him that his anger over this only hurts him and gives his ex-wife unnecessary power over him. I give refs power over me. Lucky none of the refs (that I know of anyway) are ex-judges that could throw me in jail and “let” me wear an ankle bracelet…We end up not accomplishing anything as we “protest injustice” in these ways…we don’t help our kids and we hurt ourselves.

So what about you? Do you have an injustice button?

Discussing this with a few people brought out a couple of quotes:

·         Bitterness is the poison I drink hoping you will die…

·         From Yancey:  Evil is overcome by good only if the injured party absorbs it, refusing to allow it to go any further.

More food for thought...

Hello:

Hey, with holidays upon us and schedules crazy, how does this sound?

For those who can and want to, we’ll meet at 3^rd Street Pizza just before 4 on Sunday afternoon to watch Secretariat…maybe we’ll stick around for pizza or coffee or whatever afterwards.

No get together Sunday, the 26^th, but we’ll pick things up Sunday, January 2 at our house at 6.

Merry Christmas!

A couple of thoughts or “micro-brews” of the reflective kind:

I was out at the Trappist Abbey last Friday and was visiting with Brother Mark. I was discussing how I believe people desire and need to have a hope for the future…he said, “And hope for the past.” I’d never heard that phrase. But it makes sense, doesn’t it? That kind of hope helps us believe that events, people, trials, regrets and things we’ve tried to forget are “redeemable” somehow, some way, some time, through the help of a God whose arm is not too short.

Second thing…don’t know if you’ve seen the YouTube video of Narayanan Krishnan, a former chef in a 5-star restaurant in India, who quit his job to care for, feed and reach out to the destitute, homeless and elderly in his city.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiC_9RHTvsA

One person commented on Facebook that this is what Christ came to do? Is this guy doing it “in Christ’s name”? What does that mean? Is it the words or label that makes it “in Christ’s name”? Or, is it the actions? Or both? Or either? One person referred to him as Brother Teresa. I like that. Food for thought…

Another week...

I don’t know about you all, but last night was a highlight of my week. To hear more stories from each others’ lives, to hear different views on what is the body of Christ, to hear times of “the best ever” alongside times of apparent “abandonment by God”…very challenging and encouraging.

When Lyn shared the desire to be challenged, a thought ran through my head…the honor of challenging one another…In the book of Hebrews, chapter 10, verses 24 and 25 say something like:

Don’t stop getting together…keep challenging and spurring one another on to what it is you’re supposed to be about – love and good deeds…

I don’t know what this “group” is headed for or what it will look like. I do know this…God is a relational God…he wants us in relationship with him and with other people.

While there was some anxiety expressed about “dividing” too fast, know this…we’re not out to make that happen any faster than it’s supposed to…on the other hand, cell reproduction is part of a healthy organism…can we trust as we grow and “multiply”? It can be scary…but “scary” is a life I’ll take over safe…

Who knows? We might even try a bit of music next week…music of the iPod variety, not me singing J.

After most left last night an idea was floated about us pooling some of our giving for Operation Smile…take a look at: http://www.operationsmile.org/

We can talk about it next Sunday.

Mike and Joyce sent this link. If you have time, read it… 

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/12/04/1957457/dont-blame-the-man-in-the-skybox.html

So, as always, thoughts and questions are welcome…

Til next week,

Post-Thanksgiving Naps and Notions...

Hey, all…

Hope everybody had some good turkey-induced naps over the Thanksgiving break and that everyone’s travels were safe – and conversations were good.

We look forward to seeing everyone next Sunday at our house at 6. Feel free to invite friends.

Some food for thought:

·         We’ve talked about this “group” being something some have called a “cluster”

·         Do you think other clusters exist in McMinnville? Do you know anything about them?

·         Should there be more?

·         If so, how do they get started?

·         What should be their common characteristics?

·         What do you desire to see happen in our cluster?

·         How would you like to see your life change as a result of being part of a cluster?

·         Other thoughts/questions/things you’d like to discuss/do/be…???

See you Sunday.