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"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill can not be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and gives light to everyone one in the house." Matthew 5:14-15
Good morning friends. First of all I just wanted to congratulate Greta on graduating this last week. As a lot of us know (or are now finding out), school is a lot of work. So yeah Congratulations!
Today looks like it is going to be amazing weather wise, so get outside and enjoy it if you can. Speaking of the weather, we missed all you guys who weren't able to make it out this last week, but don't worry, I'm about to give the cliff notes version of what went down.
A crew of us made it out to the church office to Greta's graduation party. The taco salad was amazing! And it was just a cool time of chilling and stuff.
Later we met up at my place for some coffee and discussion, and continued the story that has been on our hearts and minds for the last few months. Where we had last left off, Moses and the Israelites had made the exodus out of Egypt. God brings them out of slavery, showing the world who he is at the same time. Remember God was calling the Israelites to be a blessing to all the world( starting with Abraham). In some sense the Israelites were called to be the new humanity, to show the world how we were intended to live. A People that walked with God, knew his ways and showed the world who He was; who lived out mercy and generousity, who did justice, and valued family.
At is at this point in the story God gives the Israelites the law, or in other words, what it is going to take so that He can live among them. God sets up rules for his people and shows them his heart in the process. I want to encourage you guys to peep Exodus, Deuteronomy, and Leviticus. Because all of this beautiful stuff is in there. You really see what an amazing God it is that we follow and who He is in it.
We focused most of our attention on how He told the Israelites to handle their money. You can read about it in Deuteronomy 14, 15, and Leviticus 25. So beautiful.
So yeah, how do we live this stuff out? He do we be generous and merciful both to each other and to the people around us?
To close us out, I wanted to touch on something that I thought was really good that we talked about. When you think about it, having a people that look like God has always been the plan. It was the plan in the Garden where Man and Woman were created in his image and were there was right relationship between God and Man and Man and Woman. It was the plan with Israel, starting with Abraham. God is calling his people to be the example, walking with him, being blessed so that they could bless, and living that out practically amongst their families and tribes. And it is the plan with us today. We are the light of the world (isn't that weird). Woah.
God is building a city. He is building us into a city on a hill, a community that represents who he is. A city of people who love him and know his ways, a city where the the poor, the orphans, and widows are cared for, a city where everyone has a place and a role. So yeah, let's be that city this summer.
Grace and peace.
This past week we had a few new people come to visit. It was great having all who came, always down to meet and share the love with new people. After a delicious meal cooked by Josh we took to the Living room with cups of coffee in hand. We spent time worshiping together. We wanted to spend time as a group praying and being with God, and seeing what He would have us do in this city. Josh spoke some on the idea that the kingdom is not some far of place over there, but it is here and now. And as long as we are looking to the horizon we could possibly be missing the beautiful things of the Kingdom of God that are taking place among us. How we can BE the Church and not do church, how we can live the Kingdom now instead of waiting till we kick the bucket.
During the time of worship we had a big sheet of paper on the wall that people could right down any visions, thoughts, or really just anything that God was putting on their hearts. Some Shared ideas about engaging in a particular group, whether that be children, poor, old, troubled people, so on. It was exciting to hear people share things that were on their hearts. I shared my idea of getting churches together in Philly (or the whole of the country) to spend a week in prayer and fasting to raise money, brainstorm and pray for the global famine issues. Spending a week to do our best to share in the sufferings of our brothers and sisters around the globe. I don't know your thoughts on that, feel free to share and post ideas in the comments. If any one also has an idea of ways to engage run with it, and let us know how we can help in any way.
...
Could you imagine if crime in this city dropped considerably? If the unemployment rate dropped, if Kids could go to the park and play and didn't have to worry about drugs or fights? What If Philly didn't make national headlines for violence and cop killings, but got national attention because they had the best education system and the least amount of domestic violence incidences? What if the church acted as one body, the Body of Christ united in love? What if, could you imagine? (this isn't an infomercial pitch don't worry) Lets be a people that imagine how it could be. Lets be a people that dream. But lets not stop at dreaming, but lets be the Body of Christ.
The bible is full of people who believed that things could be different by the power of God moving through His people. Abram believed that he could be a great nation even though his wife was barren, Issac and Jacob trusted in the promises God had told their father Abraham. David was obedient to God believing that God would continue his linage to bless the world. All the Judges in the book of Judges believe that their God would set them free from bondage and set things right, if they acted with a little bit of imagination, and trusted the things God said. The profits trusted in the LORD to redeem His people, so they could be a blessing to the nations. Jesus came proclaiming Jubilee and freedom to the poor, sick, alien, and oppressed. Jesus' followers the disciples believed in the message of grace, freedom, and peace so much that they did ridiculous things, even died for this belief. I'm sure that the lives of the apostles where even crazier then there imaginations told them it would be. And now here we are today, continuing in the vein of Abraham and the apostles. Christ ransomed us and adopted us to be in His family. What does this story and lineage we are adopted into mean for us in this City? What does it look like to imagine, get excited about, and move in the ways of God. What would this city look like? How amazing it could be if people were released and freed from their poverty, addictions, pains, and brokenness in this city.
I know I went off on a tangent, but these are the things that stir my Soul and get me Excited about God.
In the weeks too come we really hope to talk about Jubilee (please listen to it, its amazing I swear). We hope to as a tribe and family dream big and see what God really wants to happen in this city, both large and small. In the days to come lets be asking God to stir up our imaginations, and to be giving us His heart for this city. As I say all the time I'm really excited for the way God is moving in our little group and through our little group.
I will end this post with a quote by the great scholar, old in years, who baths in wisdom daily, Joshua Cardinale,
" We need to do the practical and trust God to do the miraculous."
Grace and peace
Chris
The podcast is below, If anyone wants to listen to it with people before Thursday leave a comment or shoot out an email.
Also a truely amazing podcast (maybe easier to listen to the Dr. Kim) is In the Patrick Dodson link to the right.
It is called: Public Faith.
If that doesn't work go Itunes store>Partick Dodson> Public Faith
This past thursday was very nice. We had a delicious meal prepared by Janelle. Thank you Janelle! As the email said, (by the way thank you so much again for sending that out Jess, and Monique. way to add the prayers part!) we watch a video with Rob Bell talking about God. Shocker i know. We talked about what it looks like to breath in God, and to breath out the crap we hold on too. We talked about trusting those around us and ultimately trusting God. We also looked at what does it mean that the ground we stand on is holy and is it holy even when we feel such darkness and evil on it? We also touch on the idea that God created all people, so all people are sacred. Do we treat them as creations of God or are we to busy labeling them and calling them the "Other"? It was a good time, hopefully for all else as well.
And now its time for a foreshadow into things to come and a look at things that were. (its a bit long)
In the beginning we began by talking about "In the beginning". We started this group by exploring who God is, and what that means for us. We talked about how this story we are apart of today, our lives, are connected to the story that started when God created. The story didn't end when the bible was finished, we are still writing the pages to this story whether we like it or not. Sorry. Our lives and the story's we read in the bible are not two separate timelines, but one continuous timeline.
As we have been exploring this story, our story, we have been asking several questions. Who is this creator God, and what does He ask of Us? What does His voice sound like, and what does He think of us? Why do we read stories in Acts of people joining the movement of Christ by the thousands, yet today we see nothing like that in this nation? What does it mean for us today to be a people chosen by God? What does it mean to be a loving community, that is a blessing to all families on earth? What does it look like for God to dwell among us, a family, a tribe, a community? What ultimately is our response to the call of our Creator who created everything that is? very easy questions, I know. Just kidding...
In the weeks to come we are going to be discussing a teaching by Dr. Kim. I said on Thursday that i would kinda give a brief over view of some of the things he talks about. Josh and I are really excited to start talking about this stuff, we feel like this is where the movement, the faith we are apart of gets exciting. ( know forgiveness and grace are exciting too, but after that this is exciting.)
Dr. Kim brings up thoughts/answers to most of the questions posted above. When people in the group say that they struggle with what it means to be a Christian in the every day and in their work place, Dr. Kim, talks about body of Christ today, and what that might look like. He talks about something called Jubilee, and what God intended it for, when establishing His chosen people, the Israelites. Jubilee is a way of bringing about freedom, joy, and rest. (it never got practiced, until Pentecost.) He talks about this idea that often times in evangelical circles ,we settle for the minimum requirement Gospel.
What would practicing this Jubilee look like in Philadelphia?
Dr. Kim Tan talks about how God wants to restore the family, the tribe. This idea of social holiness which the individuals extravagantly love the whole family.
What does social Holiness look like for us apart of the body of Christ, the Church?
Another thing he speaks on is this idea of generosity, over tithing.
This is a super brief not very good over view of what he speaks on. I said I would post something like this just to let you know what you are getting ready to listen too. I know it is very long, and maybe hard at first to listen. Maybe ask God to help you with focusing and listening to it before you start. Or if you want someone to listen to it with and to discuss as you listen ill have a lot of free time this week, give me a hollar, or find someone else.
Josh and i think this is pretty amazing and transformational stuff. I'm a nerd when it comes to listening to things that talk about bringing the Kingdom of God, transformation, and hope to the city I live in. I would love to see peace settle in this city and love over ride all the hatred and anger i see.
Here is the podcast reposted. Hope you can get through it and more then that enjoy it!
Any thoughts feel free to post.
Thanks again everybody for being apart of this community, family, tribe thing we got going on.
Much love, grace, and peace
Chris
Here is the Dr. Kim Tan Podcast so that you don't to scroll down the screen.
+ Dr. Kim- Jubilee Gospel
If you want it on your Ipod as a Podcast here is what you do:
Itunes music store> search> YWAM Re:Engage 2006 > find the one you want and download it to Itunes.
You will also find the Q and A there.
Greetings from Germantown. When Dined for life this past week, and it was delicious. Josh and I arrived at the restaurant a little bit earlier to grab a table because the restaurant wasn’t answering when I called to make reservations. When Josh and I got there it took a while for them to acknowledge our presence. Once they decided to help us they seemed like they didn’t have enough seats for the 5 of us that would be eating together. As soon as some others from the thursday night crew arrived the waiter walked up to us and told us that a reservation had just canceled, and we were lucky to get seats at all. So praise God, we didn’t have to wait at all and got just enough seats despite me being slow to try to get reserve seating. During dinner Josh made it known as well that it was the best curry he had ever eaten in his LIFE. Soo if you like curry go to get it there. We missed everyone who was unable to join us at the Thai restaurant. Hopefully everyone had a good time where ever they were.
We are looking forward to this week and all that is in store. The discussions have been pretty encouraging, challenging and inspiring the past several weeks. Thanks everyone for joining in the thought process. I’m also looking forward to hearing any thoughts people might have on past things we have talked about. I have really enjoyed the time I get to spend with everyone. It’s been really refreshing.
Just a reminder as well, we are planning on starting the discussion on the podcast in about a week. So if you haven’t had a chance to listen to the amazingness of them all then I’d encourage you to do so before we meet in a week. There is a lot of information and ideas covered in them so it might help to write down thoughts. I always forget what I want to say when it is finally time to say it. I am excited to see people’s takes on these teachings and the ideas that will stem from them. Also excited to see how this summer we begin to engage in the community around us.
Until then Grace and Peace!
Chris
