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“When Jesus announced the kingdom, the stories he told functioned like dramatic plays in search of actors. His hearers were invited to audition for parts in the kingdom. They had been eager for God’s drama to be staged and were waiting to find out what they would have to do when he did so. Now they were to discover. They were to become kingdom-people themselves.” - N.T. Wright
Sun Apr 24, 2005
New Links
This page is no longer active. Please update your bookmarks:
New main page - www.whatischurch.com
New blog - www.whatischurch.com/mustardseed/
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Tue Apr 19, 2005
New Blog
I'm still working on the new front page for www.whatischurch.com, but in the meantime you can change your bookmarks for our blog. Amber and I will now be posting here:
The Mustard Seed
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Mon Apr 18, 2005
Coming Soon...
Just a few notes from your friendly webmaster. Our website has been bombarded by spam for the past few months and I've reached the end of my patience. Last night, that drove me into some rethinking of the site and its use...
Later this week I hope to have a new small informational site put up at www.whatischurch.com It will include some info about our community, links to blogs and other sites that have been important to us, and articles that we've written etc. Since Amber and I have been the primary "posters" to the blog, we will be forming our own blog with Blogger and putting a link to it on the informational site. Anyone else who wants to create their own blog is welcome to do the same and you will be able to host the blog on our web space if you wish. Contact me if you need help setting that up.
I'm excited to see what content is out there from our community...let's go create!
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Tue Apr 12, 2005
Our Legislative Process Hard at Work
This is hilarious. Via Brant.
My favorite: "WHEREAS, any members of the House of Representatives or the Senate of the Legislature of the State of Idaho who choose to vote "Nay" on this concurrent resolution are "FREAKIN' IDIOTS!" and run the risk of having the "Worst Day of Their Lives!"
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Sun Apr 10, 2005
Babies
Today we had the honor of dedicating Ruby and Hudson to the Lord as a faith community. It's something we've been meaning to do for awhile but it never seemed to be the "right" weekend. Well, today most of Kim and T's family was able to come and Amber's parents joined us as well. It was kind of a strange day because we also had two new families visit our Sunday gathering for the first time. Believe me, that made for an unusual dynamic...I've grown accustomed to worshipping with very small groups of people:) But it was cool.
T gave a little history on their naming choice for Ruby and a few thoughts for their hopes for her (and us). I really loved the simplicity of the moment; family around, a few friends, no hyped up ritual. After T, I read something I had prepared for Hudson. It was really kind of a spur of the moment thing, written between 8 and 9 this morning at the kitchen table as the kids were running around. But, I think it expresses a lot of our hopes and desire for blessing on little HT.
Here it is...
More...
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Tue Mar 29, 2005
Hopeful Imagination
Long time no blog.
I feel like we're coming to the end of a very long, stressful season. We're all moved out of our old house and tomorrow is our closing. Next month, I'll hopefully get to start writing a little bit again and read this book. I'm sure EuPete will give me plenty to say.
Lately, Bob (my father-in-law) and I have had quite a few meetings down in Palm Beach so I've taken that time to read a little in the car. On the way out the door to DC, I picked up Bruggemann's Hopeful Imagination to read on the plane. It's been a good, timely read, especially in light of some things Gordon Cosby said in DC about exile that I've been trying to process.
Without going into detail about the book, let me relay a quote that especially stuck out:
"The central task of ministry is the formation of a community with an alternative, liberated imagination that has the courage and the freedom to act in a different vision and a different perception of reality."
More...
[5] comments | permalink | filed under articles
Mon Mar 21, 2005
The Last Supper
I am always telling the Mom's in my studio. "Don't worry if your child does not seem to be paying attention to any particular activity during music class. There brain is absorbing it. Don't force them, just let it happen." So I really need to take my own advice. I worked me butt off creating the Last Super work in time for High Holy Week to present it to Jackson. Last Easter Morning, was the first time that Jackson asked Mike and I who God was. I really wanted to be able to give him the opportunity to meditate on Easter in a way that went past the Easter Bunny if you know what I mean. The first time I presented the lesson Chloe was slightly disruptive and the second time I tried he was too tired to really pay attention..or so I thought. Today I heard him telling my Grandma that Jesus was another name for God. They where working with playdough and he said "Jesus had a great feast with his friends before he died." Then he took his little piece of playdough and broke it in half and said and Jesus broke up the bread." My grandmother kept asking me what he was talking about. I just listened to him talk about it while he played playdough and thought, I can't believe he got all of that out of my half-a## presentation with interruptions and all. Probably because I just gave him the materials and the Holy Spirit was doing all the talking. It still gives me Goose Bumps. I can't wait for Chloe and Hudson to experience it. Please, Please if you have young children...get certified as a Catechist with the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. You will not be sorry.
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Fri Mar 18, 2005
Prayer
One of the Mom's in my studio is pregnant. She just had a level 4 ultrasound and it was discovered that her baby had a tumor on its brain and on its heart and she was at very high risk for Down syndrome. Obviously, she has been freaking out. I had a chance to pray for her and she just got the results back last night from her amnio. I really wanted to call her but I chickened out. I guess I didn't want to bother her in what could of potentially of been a really bad night. I thought, well, we aren't that close and it is none of my business and I just didn't do it. Well, she called me today and said, "I know you have been praying for me and I wanted to let you know that baby is ok. Now lots of things could of happened. The Doctor said that tumors sometimes dissolve etc. etc. but I want to think that things turned out much better than if I hadn't of prayed for her. So, today, Hudson had his shots and has been inconsolable. So, Jackson and Chloe and I prayed for him and it turned into a really cool conversation about the "Great Comforter". Afterwards, Jackson said, "Mommy, when monsters come, I will call out to Jesus and he will come and comfort me and wrap me up in a BIG blanket, and then I will feel better." I couldn't of said it better myself.
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We Made the Papers
Here's an article done by the Miami Herald on Lenten blogging that yours truly was interviewed for:
Blogging: that real-time religion :-) (Registration required...sorry)
Here's my actual half-way intelligent sounding quote. I don't think I said it this well on the phone, however:
"I wrote about how Lent is not just a time to give something up, but to open yourself up to what God might be saying to you,'' he said. "It might mean doing something positive and adding something. For me, that was a new way of thinking about it.''
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Tue Mar 15, 2005
Life on the Cruise Ship
So we moved into Amber's grandparent's condo last weekend which will be our home for about the next four months. It's cozy...it's on a golf course...it has pink furniture. Remember where Seinfeld's parents lived? Del Boca Vista? Not quite that bad, but it approaches it on many levels: Friday night there is a "Happy Hour" at the community center with cards afterwards. Neighbors regularly get together to play Canasta and drink Martinis. There are more Cadillac Devilles in the parking lot than Hondas.
But seriously, they're all really nice people and we're like superstars because of our kids. Just wait until they all get to screaming at 6 am in the morning, though.
The move went fairly well, although it was a little frustrating having to simultaneously watch three little ones. Next weekend we'll move the furniture and stuff into the storage unit and clean up the old place. We close on the 30th so we still have a little time.
Oh...look at the time. I'm scheduled to meet Morty down at the shuffleboard courts. Gotta go.
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