Ok everyone, we are down to our final two choices for our meeting place. We are either going to meet at Hope Community Church on south Logan St, or Bethlehem Lutheran Church on Wadsworth. The vote was 7-6 in favor of Hope, if it is free. The vote was 8-5 in favor of the Lutheran Church if Hope is not free. So there we have it.
I should hear from Hope sometime tomorrow or Wed, if I don't I will try again. I believe Chad is also going to try to get hold of them sometime this week.
Let me say how much I have enjoyed our time as a home church. I believe that we have a good thing to emulate when we get into our "Refuge Groups" and start looking to grow through them. We need to be very deliberate about continuing to work at our relationships, and we need to be sure to communicate.
I can't tell you how excited about our first service I am now. The worship team has put some hard work into making our services meaningful and well-thought. I love you guys and am thankful for what each of you brings to the table.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Fundamentalist detox
I like to think that some of what we have been doing for the past 7 months or so has been a type of detox from fundamentalism. Many of us are used to churches where asking questions is bad, accepting whatever answer your pastor gives is good. I couldn't disagree with church more than I disagree with that.
I think at one point or another that all of us have been shaken by some things we are talking about. That is good. I think one of the most disrespectful things we can do to God is to refuse to think more deeply about him. I think about it kind of like I think about any other relationship. What if after a few years of being married to Robin, I suddenly stopped asking her questions? What if I refused to mention her to anyone else, or to try to understand her more deeply? What if I had a very detailed journal of our previous interaction, and I refused to do anything but read that journal because I thought it helped me to "know" her more?
I think sometimes we run that same danger with God and the scriptures. Obviously the Bible is much better than some detailed journal, it is the written record of God's revelation to people. But it is not to be substituted for an actual relationship. We have, at least in my opinion, an obligation to ask tough questions, to talk to friends about God, to try to know him better than before. Sometimes I will discover something new about Robin, and it is pretty great. Wouldn't it be a catastrophe to be afraid to ask her anything new? That is, to me, the only way we can continue to draw closer.
So, I know this has been a struggle sometimes. When I was a fundamentalist I didn't have this kind of struggle. But I also didn't feel like I was pursuing God as he was pursuing me. It felt like I was simply knowing God as the pastor knew God. To me, that would be like just getting to know Robin by asking her dad a ton of questions. Talk about short changing ourselves!
That is why I think it has been good to "detox" from fundamentalism. Hopefully as we go now, we can enjoy the cosmic dance with God, knowing that he is infinitely creative and capable of making new dance moves, of interacting with us in a personal way, of moving us and making us into the kind of citizens of his kingdom that he desires. My hope is that we will always be a church that embraces the questions of life.
I think at one point or another that all of us have been shaken by some things we are talking about. That is good. I think one of the most disrespectful things we can do to God is to refuse to think more deeply about him. I think about it kind of like I think about any other relationship. What if after a few years of being married to Robin, I suddenly stopped asking her questions? What if I refused to mention her to anyone else, or to try to understand her more deeply? What if I had a very detailed journal of our previous interaction, and I refused to do anything but read that journal because I thought it helped me to "know" her more?
I think sometimes we run that same danger with God and the scriptures. Obviously the Bible is much better than some detailed journal, it is the written record of God's revelation to people. But it is not to be substituted for an actual relationship. We have, at least in my opinion, an obligation to ask tough questions, to talk to friends about God, to try to know him better than before. Sometimes I will discover something new about Robin, and it is pretty great. Wouldn't it be a catastrophe to be afraid to ask her anything new? That is, to me, the only way we can continue to draw closer.
So, I know this has been a struggle sometimes. When I was a fundamentalist I didn't have this kind of struggle. But I also didn't feel like I was pursuing God as he was pursuing me. It felt like I was simply knowing God as the pastor knew God. To me, that would be like just getting to know Robin by asking her dad a ton of questions. Talk about short changing ourselves!
That is why I think it has been good to "detox" from fundamentalism. Hopefully as we go now, we can enjoy the cosmic dance with God, knowing that he is infinitely creative and capable of making new dance moves, of interacting with us in a personal way, of moving us and making us into the kind of citizens of his kingdom that he desires. My hope is that we will always be a church that embraces the questions of life.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Our story
I talked a little last night about living our story. I just want to reiterate that on here today. What kind of story are you living? What kind of story is Refuge living? How are you contributing to that?
The best types of stories are those that set the hero or heroes against long odds. I think about "The Lord of the Rings" or a great Batman story. The hero doesn't think he or she can pull it out. The deck is stacked, the enemy has them surrounded. Just as it seems most bleak, the hero pulls it off.
If we are seeking to be the church in a world that has moved on, we have long odds indeed. We live in a world of contradictions. People want to be in great shape, but they want to drink sodas and eat as much as they want. People want to have clean teeth, but they don't floss.
Most of all, people want true, deep relationships. But they don't want to open up and make themselves vulnerable. People want community, but they don't want the community the make demands of them.
In the Christian world, people want to follow Jesus, but they don't want to follow him to the cross. They want to skip right over Good Friday and get straight to Easter.
It is my hope that at Refuge we will be a community that looks the hard things of life in the face. I hope that we will be unafraid of owning the difficult teachings of the Bible, that we will be unafraid of loving people even if that means arguing with them. I feel like we have come hundreds of miles in only a few months, and I am excited for the other places God takes us.
The other thing about great stories is that they are anything but predictable. Our journey together takes twists that we don't expect, and sometimes we have to just hold on for our lives. But the great thing is that we know we can count on God to pull us through. I'm glad you are all in this story with me, because this story needs a community of heroes, a group to make a difference in the world and in Denver. I know sometimes it might seem like a tough journey. It is. But as Dumbledore tells Harry, we can do what is easy, or we can do what is right.
The best types of stories are those that set the hero or heroes against long odds. I think about "The Lord of the Rings" or a great Batman story. The hero doesn't think he or she can pull it out. The deck is stacked, the enemy has them surrounded. Just as it seems most bleak, the hero pulls it off.
If we are seeking to be the church in a world that has moved on, we have long odds indeed. We live in a world of contradictions. People want to be in great shape, but they want to drink sodas and eat as much as they want. People want to have clean teeth, but they don't floss.
Most of all, people want true, deep relationships. But they don't want to open up and make themselves vulnerable. People want community, but they don't want the community the make demands of them.
In the Christian world, people want to follow Jesus, but they don't want to follow him to the cross. They want to skip right over Good Friday and get straight to Easter.
It is my hope that at Refuge we will be a community that looks the hard things of life in the face. I hope that we will be unafraid of owning the difficult teachings of the Bible, that we will be unafraid of loving people even if that means arguing with them. I feel like we have come hundreds of miles in only a few months, and I am excited for the other places God takes us.
The other thing about great stories is that they are anything but predictable. Our journey together takes twists that we don't expect, and sometimes we have to just hold on for our lives. But the great thing is that we know we can count on God to pull us through. I'm glad you are all in this story with me, because this story needs a community of heroes, a group to make a difference in the world and in Denver. I know sometimes it might seem like a tough journey. It is. But as Dumbledore tells Harry, we can do what is easy, or we can do what is right.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Homework
For those of you who weren't there last Sunday, we all have a bit of homework. We are all going to contact at least one lead or facility where we might be able to meet. So I will update you all on mine.
I have been in contact with the pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church. I am going to meet with him on Monday to see if he might have a backdoor way we can get into the facility on 32nd and Zenobia. Hopefully that works out. If not, hopefully he will have a direction to help send me.
I can't emphasize it enough, be praying that God will guide and provide for us in this time. A facility is not make or break, but it sure would be nice. So, please be praying and searching, if we all do a little then it will add up to a lot.
Do you have any concerns or thoughts this week? Let me know how you are.
I have been in contact with the pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church. I am going to meet with him on Monday to see if he might have a backdoor way we can get into the facility on 32nd and Zenobia. Hopefully that works out. If not, hopefully he will have a direction to help send me.
I can't emphasize it enough, be praying that God will guide and provide for us in this time. A facility is not make or break, but it sure would be nice. So, please be praying and searching, if we all do a little then it will add up to a lot.
Do you have any concerns or thoughts this week? Let me know how you are.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Place
Hi team. I plan on blogging on this bad boy once a week, so if you are following, let me know.
Right now one of my big priorities is to get us someplace to meet. I have been in contact with the United Methodist Church of the Rocky Mountain area and they have an empty facility on 32nd and Zuni, but since my initial discussion with them I have not heard back. Tomorrow, Tanner and I plan on going to meet with a church here in the Highlands that may be open to allowing us to meet there. They do not have a Sunday evening service, so it would be a nice place.
Let me just ask you all to be praying as much as you can for this. We need a place to meet, and it would be really wonderful if it was our own. I know a lot of churches do not start with their own facility, so we can be ok without one, but I also know that sometimes God provides in ways we aren't expecting. Either way guys, please be praying. God is capable of doing so much more than we can expect or ask for, but I believe that we need to be continually asking him.
Do you have any prayer concerns this week?
Right now one of my big priorities is to get us someplace to meet. I have been in contact with the United Methodist Church of the Rocky Mountain area and they have an empty facility on 32nd and Zuni, but since my initial discussion with them I have not heard back. Tomorrow, Tanner and I plan on going to meet with a church here in the Highlands that may be open to allowing us to meet there. They do not have a Sunday evening service, so it would be a nice place.
Let me just ask you all to be praying as much as you can for this. We need a place to meet, and it would be really wonderful if it was our own. I know a lot of churches do not start with their own facility, so we can be ok without one, but I also know that sometimes God provides in ways we aren't expecting. Either way guys, please be praying. God is capable of doing so much more than we can expect or ask for, but I believe that we need to be continually asking him.
Do you have any prayer concerns this week?
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Post one
Hey team. Just getting a post on the page so that we will be able to see what it looks like. Let me know if you want me to link to your blog from here, I will link to mine. Also, give me some input on the look. We can set up a slideshow and a flickr account and it can always be rotating our pictures on this page. Hopefully this will be good until we can get our own official website going. Thanks
Chris
Chris
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