I thought I would begin posting the weekly update here...
Lent, the 40-day period of preparation for Easter continues. Henri Nowen once described Lent as the season during which winter and spring struggle with each other for dominance. Others refer to this season as a time of "Bright Sadness". Lent is a time of fasting and mourning, of repentance and renewal, of identifying with Jesus in his suffering so that we can identify more fully with his resurrection at Easter.
Lent reaches its climax during Holy Week, itself a journey within a journey. Romans 6:4-9, 11 says, "We were therefore buried with him through baptism in to death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him in a death like this, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slave to sin - because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus."
Next Sunday, March 30th we will initiate a focused effort to "Listen to Our Community" in and around the KAMP's area. Christian Community Development Association ( www.ccda.org ) - a wonderful organization whose mission is train and inspire Christians to reclaim and restore under-resourced communities will be a guide for us in this effort. Read some of their philosophy on "Listening" below:
Often communities are developed by people outside of the community that bring in resources without taking into account the community itself. Christian Community Development is committed to listening to the community residents, and hearing their dreams, ideas and thoughts. This is often referred to as the felt need concept. Listening is most important, as the people of the community are the vested treasures of the future. The priority is the thoughts and dreams of the community itself. What the people themselves believe should be the focus.
Join us as we follow-up with this "listening" effort by beginning to help meet some of these needs on April 19th & 20th.
God Makes All Things New! I look forward to celebrating Easter with you this Sunday at KAMP's from 10:45 - 12noon.
Fully Alive.Ben.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Friday, March 14, 2008
Sacred Pathways.
Another beautiful early spring day in Oklahoma City! Late this afternoon I'm headed to Egan, OK to some remote retreat center to teach at a youth retreat for Edmond First United Methodist Church.
In a couple of different sessions tomorrow I will talk about the rhythm of a disciple: Come, Follow Me, Go, Be Like Me, Make Disciples, Come, Follow Me, Go, Be Like Me, Make Disciples.
But tonight as we open the retreat with a time of worship. I will get the chance to open and set the stage for the rest of the weekend. And I hope and pray that the Holy Spirit will shatter some of the preconceived religious notions and baggage that many of these young people will be weighed down by. Religion is a crushing load. My guess is that many of them will need to be set free in order to follow Jesus.
I hope that their relationship with God will be loosed from the box it has been confined to. Remember, there is no box! I pray they will experience the freedom to live and experience God in new and refreshing ways. In the ways they were uniquely wired to.
I am going to utilize some big ideas and resources from a book by Gary L. Thomas, "Sacred Pathways". Here is a link to an assessment that will help identify your Sacred Pathway. Check it out.
http://common.northpoint.org/sacredpathway.html
In a couple of different sessions tomorrow I will talk about the rhythm of a disciple: Come, Follow Me, Go, Be Like Me, Make Disciples, Come, Follow Me, Go, Be Like Me, Make Disciples.
But tonight as we open the retreat with a time of worship. I will get the chance to open and set the stage for the rest of the weekend. And I hope and pray that the Holy Spirit will shatter some of the preconceived religious notions and baggage that many of these young people will be weighed down by. Religion is a crushing load. My guess is that many of them will need to be set free in order to follow Jesus.
I hope that their relationship with God will be loosed from the box it has been confined to. Remember, there is no box! I pray they will experience the freedom to live and experience God in new and refreshing ways. In the ways they were uniquely wired to.
I am going to utilize some big ideas and resources from a book by Gary L. Thomas, "Sacred Pathways". Here is a link to an assessment that will help identify your Sacred Pathway. Check it out.
http://common.northpoint.org/sacredpathway.html
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Vision 360.
Here is a brief summary of a newly developing kingdom endeavor in urban OKC.
By the way, I'm listening to Jon Foreman's Fall and Winter EP. Amazing!
Vision 360 Oklahoma City
What is the vision for Oklahoma City? Spiritual transformation
Oklahoma City is experiencing the kind of transformation that only comes from the presence of Jesus and His Kingdom. The tool is the church. New expressions of church, envisioned by citywide strategy, encouraged by a relational network, and resourced with the tools for fruit, are flourishing throughout the city. Those churches are impacting every area of society, including the vulnerable, the economy and business community, education, the arts, and government. It’s an urban movement, starting among the most marginalized and spreading outward to impact a region. And in the DNA of the movement is the destiny for a city to impact the nations.
What is the challenge? Spiritual decay
Haggai 1:4 "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?"
Oklahoma City is rapidly becoming unchurched. Only 21% of the people in OKC regularly attend a Christian church. The 18-25 generation are abandoning the faith in record numbers.
Spiritual issues require Kingdom solutions: High divorce rate, low value on urban children, racism, the church is least visible where it is most needed.
What is the strategy? Church Planting
New churches are most effective in reaching new generations, new residents, new people groups, and especially the unchurched.
New churches are 6-8 times more effective at reaching non-Christians than established churches.
New churches reinvigorate existing churches in a community.
So what is happening now and in the short run?
In the first three years we’ll plant 15 churches in urban Oklahoma City
Networking and resourcing existing church planters
Establishing a “1 year” board of business and church leaders
Raise $2 million to hire staff and begin resourcing the church planting strategy
Develop a city strategy for church planting that radically crosses all boundaries
Work with existing churches to recruit, assess, train, and resource effective church planters
Start NOW deciding how we will reproduce what God is doing here in a city far away.
By the way, I'm listening to Jon Foreman's Fall and Winter EP. Amazing!
Vision 360 Oklahoma City
What is the vision for Oklahoma City? Spiritual transformation
Oklahoma City is experiencing the kind of transformation that only comes from the presence of Jesus and His Kingdom. The tool is the church. New expressions of church, envisioned by citywide strategy, encouraged by a relational network, and resourced with the tools for fruit, are flourishing throughout the city. Those churches are impacting every area of society, including the vulnerable, the economy and business community, education, the arts, and government. It’s an urban movement, starting among the most marginalized and spreading outward to impact a region. And in the DNA of the movement is the destiny for a city to impact the nations.
What is the challenge? Spiritual decay
Haggai 1:4 "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?"
Oklahoma City is rapidly becoming unchurched. Only 21% of the people in OKC regularly attend a Christian church. The 18-25 generation are abandoning the faith in record numbers.
Spiritual issues require Kingdom solutions: High divorce rate, low value on urban children, racism, the church is least visible where it is most needed.
What is the strategy? Church Planting
New churches are most effective in reaching new generations, new residents, new people groups, and especially the unchurched.
New churches are 6-8 times more effective at reaching non-Christians than established churches.
New churches reinvigorate existing churches in a community.
So what is happening now and in the short run?
In the first three years we’ll plant 15 churches in urban Oklahoma City
Networking and resourcing existing church planters
Establishing a “1 year” board of business and church leaders
Raise $2 million to hire staff and begin resourcing the church planting strategy
Develop a city strategy for church planting that radically crosses all boundaries
Work with existing churches to recruit, assess, train, and resource effective church planters
Start NOW deciding how we will reproduce what God is doing here in a city far away.
Somebody Stop Me.
Somebody stop me. Two posts in two minutes. I think I'm on a roll!
Here is a an intriguing rant or rave that I came across from a fellow Okie, Anne Jackson at www.FlowerDust.net.
“what’s the deal with most modern churches? i understand the idea of local churches, but doesn’t that mean a body of believers within a community (not necessarily a “building”)? and with technology the way it is nowadays, can’t a community be practically anywhere? why do i feel guilty for not serving in my local “building” when i know i serve others daily in my life. why do i feel guilty for not being in a small group or always going to a service that my local “building” coordinates when i know i hang out with other believers regularly? why do i feel guilty when i don’t tithe to my local “building” but i give money to other believers and causes that i feel led to give to? is the culture of the modern church one that is so singularly focused that the local church has become an institution and not a lifestyle, which i think is the way the new testament intended it to be? i know there is a need for churches in our culture, but why do those churches make other ways seem unacceptable?”
Here is a an intriguing rant or rave that I came across from a fellow Okie, Anne Jackson at www.FlowerDust.net.
“what’s the deal with most modern churches? i understand the idea of local churches, but doesn’t that mean a body of believers within a community (not necessarily a “building”)? and with technology the way it is nowadays, can’t a community be practically anywhere? why do i feel guilty for not serving in my local “building” when i know i serve others daily in my life. why do i feel guilty for not being in a small group or always going to a service that my local “building” coordinates when i know i hang out with other believers regularly? why do i feel guilty when i don’t tithe to my local “building” but i give money to other believers and causes that i feel led to give to? is the culture of the modern church one that is so singularly focused that the local church has become an institution and not a lifestyle, which i think is the way the new testament intended it to be? i know there is a need for churches in our culture, but why do those churches make other ways seem unacceptable?”
I'm Back...In The Saddle Again.
OK - so you know it's been a little while since you've updated your blog when the gentleman you're sharing lunch with teases you about your most recent post being LAST YEAR, ouch! And you can't remember the password to log into your account, wow! Thanks to Rex linking me in his post, here I am making amends with all three of you out there.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Advent Conspiracy - Spend Less & Give More.
Rainy, cold and icy weather here in Oklahoma City. A small group of us gathered at KAMP's for a time of worship and prayer. Always good to be together. Here are some of the random, not so put together talking points from the talk I would have given. Join us this Christmas Season as we Worship More, Spend Less, Give More and Love All.
Here goes...
We have seen Christmas become something…crazy! We have begun to dread the holidays rolling along. The internal pace of our lives get faster and faster, busier and busier. The lists get longer. Anxiety over things left undone gets higher. We get quicker when we should be getting slower. And what we need to do is STOP! Nobody else is going to do it for you. End the business and just be present to the people God has put before you, the need put before you. How would Christ have us celebrate his birth? It wouldn’t be full of stress and anxiety but peace. And we experience anything but peace.
Part of saying “YES” to Jesus means that we say “NO” to over-spending and over-consumption. We say “NO” to these things so we can create space to say “YES” to Jesus and the activity of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
The National Retail Federation is forecasting that Americans will spend around $474.5 Billion this Christmas, an average of $859 per family. And many people will be paying off this Christmas 7 to 8 months from now.
1. Total US consumer debt (does not include mortgages) reached $2.46 Trillion in June 2007(Source: Federal Reserve).
2. Around $1.5 Trillion on credit cards.
3. At least one in 10 consumers have more than 10 credit cards in their wallets. However, the overall average number of credit cards per consumer is four.
4. U.S. consumers racked up an estimated $51 billion worth of fast food on their personal credit and debit cards in 2006, compared to $33.2 billion one-year ago.
5. The size of the total consumer debt grew nearly five times in size from 1980 ($355 billion) to 2001 ($1.7 trillion). Consumer debt in 2007 now stands at $2.5 trillion.
6. The average household in 2007 carried nearly $8,500 in credit card debt.
7. This data tells us that Americans carried approximately 786 billion dollars in credit card debt and that number is expected to grow to a projected 965 billion dollars by the year 2008.
See Matthew 6:19 - For Jesus, it is about what we treasure. And where our treasure is there our heart will be and our heart is the wellspring of life, so we guard our heart in ways. Beyond your needs, it is easy to see what you treasure measure by money. When we are dealing with money, we are not dealing with money, but rather the heart. When Jesus talks about the Kingdom he uses metaphors of passion and desire. Because we can move anything to get to our treasure.
See Matthew 25 - The king, Jesus, identifies himself with anybody anywhere that has a need. He refers to those in need as his brothers and sisters. There are these people that he calls “righteous” that didn’t think they had seen a king in need. Oh No. For Jesus it is about being generous. Jesus speaks of 2 people that actually went to hell in Luke 16 and again with the parable of the man who built bigger barns.
See Luke 21 - Don’t give out of your wealth. For Jesus, it is about proportion. What can you give? Debt is keeping us from even thinking about generosity.
We are saying how much we love people by the amount of the price tag.
A few estimates say that:
1. $20 Billion would provide water, basic health and nutrition for everyone in the world lacking it. Roughly the same amount Americans spend on ice-cream in one year.
2. $18 Billion provides food to everyone in the hungry and lacking food. Roughly the same amount Americans spend on make-up in one year.
3. $10 Billion provides solves the water crisis. While Americans spend $15 Billion on perfume and cologne in you year. One child dies every 15 seconds because of lack of clean water.
How do you think God feels about how we live and the suffering in the world? Are we not all God’s children? We are enjoying the very best of life. Yet at times for many of us we feel like we don’t have that much because we see all these people that have more. And our stuff seems average, outdated and not good enough.
See Genesis 1:26-31 & Genesis 3:1-2
From the beginning in Eden, Adam & Eve, men and women, you and me had everything they and we could ever want, yet they feel they need MORE. The children of Israel, again you and me, were liberated from slavery in Egypt.
See Exodus 16:2-35 & Numbers 11:4-20
God is leading them through the wilderness with a cloud by name and pillar of fire by night. And I’ll the while, bread comes from heaven and water from rocks. And they are not pleased from the menu selection…they complain.
Maybe what we have is enough. Perhaps it is more than enough. You’ve heard it said that, “You cannot have too much of a good thing.” I suspect Jesus might have something different to say on the matter.
See Luke 18
Christmas has become about getting what you “want”. We hear, “what do you want for Christmas?” What if giving people what they want isn’t actually kind to them? Too much of a good thing ceases to be a good thing. You can have good in excess.
In saying “NO” to over-spending and over-consumption we are then invited to say “YES” to giving more and to giving in relational ways. If this stops at spending less money, we have stopped short the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
What if the best question isn’t, “What do you want for Christmas?”, but “What can you give for Christmas?”
Jesus redistributed wealth.
See 2 Cor. 8:1-15
Nothing tells the story better than when the church lives like Jesus.
See 1 Timothy6:7-19 & 2 COR. 9:6-14
This Christmas Season join us as we Worship More, Spend Less, Give More and Love All!
Here goes...
We have seen Christmas become something…crazy! We have begun to dread the holidays rolling along. The internal pace of our lives get faster and faster, busier and busier. The lists get longer. Anxiety over things left undone gets higher. We get quicker when we should be getting slower. And what we need to do is STOP! Nobody else is going to do it for you. End the business and just be present to the people God has put before you, the need put before you. How would Christ have us celebrate his birth? It wouldn’t be full of stress and anxiety but peace. And we experience anything but peace.
Part of saying “YES” to Jesus means that we say “NO” to over-spending and over-consumption. We say “NO” to these things so we can create space to say “YES” to Jesus and the activity of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
The National Retail Federation is forecasting that Americans will spend around $474.5 Billion this Christmas, an average of $859 per family. And many people will be paying off this Christmas 7 to 8 months from now.
1. Total US consumer debt (does not include mortgages) reached $2.46 Trillion in June 2007(Source: Federal Reserve).
2. Around $1.5 Trillion on credit cards.
3. At least one in 10 consumers have more than 10 credit cards in their wallets. However, the overall average number of credit cards per consumer is four.
4. U.S. consumers racked up an estimated $51 billion worth of fast food on their personal credit and debit cards in 2006, compared to $33.2 billion one-year ago.
5. The size of the total consumer debt grew nearly five times in size from 1980 ($355 billion) to 2001 ($1.7 trillion). Consumer debt in 2007 now stands at $2.5 trillion.
6. The average household in 2007 carried nearly $8,500 in credit card debt.
7. This data tells us that Americans carried approximately 786 billion dollars in credit card debt and that number is expected to grow to a projected 965 billion dollars by the year 2008.
See Matthew 6:19 - For Jesus, it is about what we treasure. And where our treasure is there our heart will be and our heart is the wellspring of life, so we guard our heart in ways. Beyond your needs, it is easy to see what you treasure measure by money. When we are dealing with money, we are not dealing with money, but rather the heart. When Jesus talks about the Kingdom he uses metaphors of passion and desire. Because we can move anything to get to our treasure.
See Matthew 25 - The king, Jesus, identifies himself with anybody anywhere that has a need. He refers to those in need as his brothers and sisters. There are these people that he calls “righteous” that didn’t think they had seen a king in need. Oh No. For Jesus it is about being generous. Jesus speaks of 2 people that actually went to hell in Luke 16 and again with the parable of the man who built bigger barns.
See Luke 21 - Don’t give out of your wealth. For Jesus, it is about proportion. What can you give? Debt is keeping us from even thinking about generosity.
We are saying how much we love people by the amount of the price tag.
A few estimates say that:
1. $20 Billion would provide water, basic health and nutrition for everyone in the world lacking it. Roughly the same amount Americans spend on ice-cream in one year.
2. $18 Billion provides food to everyone in the hungry and lacking food. Roughly the same amount Americans spend on make-up in one year.
3. $10 Billion provides solves the water crisis. While Americans spend $15 Billion on perfume and cologne in you year. One child dies every 15 seconds because of lack of clean water.
How do you think God feels about how we live and the suffering in the world? Are we not all God’s children? We are enjoying the very best of life. Yet at times for many of us we feel like we don’t have that much because we see all these people that have more. And our stuff seems average, outdated and not good enough.
See Genesis 1:26-31 & Genesis 3:1-2
From the beginning in Eden, Adam & Eve, men and women, you and me had everything they and we could ever want, yet they feel they need MORE. The children of Israel, again you and me, were liberated from slavery in Egypt.
See Exodus 16:2-35 & Numbers 11:4-20
God is leading them through the wilderness with a cloud by name and pillar of fire by night. And I’ll the while, bread comes from heaven and water from rocks. And they are not pleased from the menu selection…they complain.
Maybe what we have is enough. Perhaps it is more than enough. You’ve heard it said that, “You cannot have too much of a good thing.” I suspect Jesus might have something different to say on the matter.
See Luke 18
Christmas has become about getting what you “want”. We hear, “what do you want for Christmas?” What if giving people what they want isn’t actually kind to them? Too much of a good thing ceases to be a good thing. You can have good in excess.
In saying “NO” to over-spending and over-consumption we are then invited to say “YES” to giving more and to giving in relational ways. If this stops at spending less money, we have stopped short the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
What if the best question isn’t, “What do you want for Christmas?”, but “What can you give for Christmas?”
Jesus redistributed wealth.
See 2 Cor. 8:1-15
Nothing tells the story better than when the church lives like Jesus.
See 1 Timothy6:7-19 & 2 COR. 9:6-14
This Christmas Season join us as we Worship More, Spend Less, Give More and Love All!
Friday, December 7, 2007
The Story Continues Again...
Just wanted to pass along another piece of our story, journey and life together...
Be Encouraged.
Ben.
"After reading your last update, it left me thinking how refreshing it is to see a church actually DOING..... That has been my biggest frustration as an adult church-goer. It seemed like most of the churches I attended in college and thereafter were self-serving. They did wonderful work for members----but everything was self-contained. It felt wrong to me not to be out in the community serving others. I think it's great that your church is holding on to the true charge that comes with being a Christian."
Be Encouraged.
Ben.
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