Bringing life into this blog...

I don't know if anyone looks at this blog any longer, but I thought I would make an attempt to bring it back to life.
I wanted to comment about something that stuck out to me this past Sunday at LR. When Kristie and Ben were speaking, something that Kristie said a few times struck home with me. She reconciled with the people from her past who had done some bizarre things "in the name of Christ". She said that she understood that they were just doing what they felt was right.
Something about this idea of accepting people's shortcomings as okay and letting go of hurts made me think. I can't count how many times I completely write off Christian brothers and sisters b/c I think they are stupid. It's really pathetic how I can choose to be friends with some Christians and ignore others b/c of my perceptions.
So thanks Kristie for reminding me about these principles of letting go and loving others without regard for minor things.

You Call Us Friends...

You have valued us so much that you call us friends;
You have shared your eternal inheritance with us!
What an undeserved privilege that is.

We fall at your feet in overwhelming gratitude.
You are our Hope, our Life, our Reason for Living.
May all that we do and say each day convey
this message of gratitude and love to those around us.

May You be glorified...may You be magnified.
May the pressures, stresses, and concerns of our lives
flow from us like rushing water to be mingled
with your Living Water that refreshes, nourishes, and strengthens...

Now and forever, Amen.

Morning Prayer

Hear, O my soul, child of the Living God:
The LORD my God, the LORD is One.
I shall have no other gods before Him.
I shall love the LORD my God with all of my heart,
with all of my soul, with all of my strength,
and with all of my mind.

I shall love my neighbor as myself...

Holy, holy, holy, LORD of Heaven and Earth,
I offer Your Word back to You this day,
asking that I would fulfill Your commands
for me to cherish You as my First Love.
May I shine Your light to those around me today
and may Your Light penetrate to all
of the hearts, souls, and minds of those
You touch through me.

Grace...Peace...Contentment...

Precious Savior, I thank You for choosing me
before the foundation of the world,
for surrounding me with the new covenant of grace,
for holding my hand and walking beside me,
for carrying me, for sacrificing Your life for me
that I might journey toward You in security forever.
May I continually engage in relationship with you;
may I follow Your lead, journeying where you want me to go,
learning what You want me to learn,
loving the way You want me to love,
serving the way you want me to serve,
all through Your grace, wisdom and strength
that Your power might active through me.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Stream of Consciousness Toward God

stream of consciousness toward God pray with your eyes open great value and worth deeply loved completely forgiven grace totally acceptable and complete in Christ am I going in the direction you want me to go in my life Lord am I on the right journey please lead me and guide me I don't want to run down a rabbit trail or turn in a wrong direction Jonah rebel against You or hinder the awesome power of the Holy Spirit in my life you see Christ's pure righteousness when You look at me and You are pleased You are gentle and yet all powerful I want You to win God I can never out think or out race you Lord even at the breakneck pace of life in this decade You still have the same values same teaching same love and compassion Alpha and Omega I AM King of Kings and Lord of Lords please let me listen let me see let me hear and perceive Your wisdom Your will for me in the midst of the whirlwind yet it's not really about me at all it's about You I must decrease and You must increase metamorphosis renewal gift blessing grace mercy peace praise amen alleluia

Frantic

The pace of our culture seems to have gone from accelerated to frantic lately.

Do you sense it?

So many of us in the Living Room Community are being pressed beyond reason by our life and work circumstances these days. I am deeply concerned about each of you, as well as myself, and what this pace is doing to us holistically. Do we even have time to think fast, let alone consider and think through issues and decisions before we make them or are we just living in the split second timing of NOW? Our health, our relationships, our emotional balance, our spirituality, our purpose is all suffering as a result of FRANTIC.

Out of my deep concern for all of us, I'd like to engage in a blogging conversation with you about how this race inside the hamster wheel is affecting you and me and what we can do to preserve the body, mind, and spirit that God treasures in each of us.

It is very late and I must leave you with this thought for tonight...

Christ, our Savior, Advocate and Lord never rushed through His life, yet He moved with purpose and was totally focused on what was most important (glorifying and obeying God)....

How can we follow His example given the realities of our lives?

Exploding the Box

Almighty God is the essence of all and central to all...
The universe exists because of Him and revolves around Him (not us)....
Therefore...
Bow to Him — don't try to mold Him or box Him into what you want Him to be for your own comfort and safety...
He will e x p l o d e out of the that box and rock your world with awesome delight and power!
Consider His honor and glory first; consider relationship with Him as supreme in your decision-making processes.
He is r e a l — let Him l i ve in your life!

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
"Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?"
"Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay him?"
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.
~ Romans 11: 33–36 [NIV]

Sally Morgenthaler on Community

Continuing with snippets of Friday night's conversation with Sally Morgenthaler, (see blog entry for yesterday), the dialogue began to take shape from discussing the general trends of the American church culture to focusing down on the metamorphosis of community and considering how we can define "community" within the trends of this high-tech, global, blended world.

Here are a few bytes from the conversation:

• genuine community involves getting to know people where they are at and what their actual needs are, rather than anticipating ahead...
• people won't come into churches anymore — the people who are the "Church" need to leave their buildings and go out into the communities to engage with ministry and mission...
• trend: the need for ritualization (weddings, funerals, ceremony, tradition) is increasing
• there are sessions and worship experiences for some, at times, where there are no words: silence, contemplation, sensory engagement...

There is a complexity in what constitutes "community" now...

• local neighborhoods where we live...
• the office where we spend most of our time...
• the internet where we connect with the entire world, all strangers, yet sharing something in common...
• those who we engage with on cell phones constantly throughout the week...

What makes connection "real"?

• with the web, information is available to everyone — get in the game!
  some have established internet cafes
  some have established coffee houses in local communities
  there can be problems; it can be risky and even dangerous, but we are living with different demographics now...
• ministry in community may look like "Extreme Makeover" or Habitat for Humanity
• ministry involves time: time together in conversation and engagement: face-to-face, on the web and on the cell phone
• ministry involves relationship building and spending time together: be present and engage with people

Many of the points that Sally was making and that were being shared by others gathered were not only making real sense in the midst of our present wired culture, but were reinforcing that what we are engaging in here at Living Room is touching the pulse of our "community."

• we are commited to the core truths of Christ's teaching
• we love Jesus, even if we don't love what is happening in the American church culture
• we engage in community and conversations with each other as we gather on Sunday evenings and then...
• we extend that engagement through our network of cell phone conversations throughout the week...
• we connect with the global community through our charitable ministry and business efforts...
• we interlink with each other, with our extended Living Room family, and the world through this blog and those networked to our own...
• we share relationship with the expanded Body of Christ through sister communities like Resonate and The Well...
• we are committed to ministry to each other and to the needs of the world...
• we are open and visionary as to what our gifts, talents, time and resources can do to minister to the needs of the world through us...
• we are real with each other, knowing that we will be loved and accepted just as we are through the grace and forgiveness of Christ

May I encourage you to continue to engage in the passion of Christ's calling to share His truth, care for the needs of the world around us both near and far, as well as continue to be real people encouraging other real people on our life journeys.

This Living Room community has brought a sense of love, acceptance and validation to my life that I have never experienced in a "church" culture ever before. Christ is in us and among us...may we continue to grow in grace, wisdom and love for our community and the world as the weeks and months go by.

I love you all...you are my Family

A Conversation with Sally Morgenthaler

Last night was a very special evening at Biblical Seminary. Sally Morgenthaler, emergent leader, author and teacher was engaging in conversation with the gathered group at MacRae's Place (former chapel).

The conversation was eclectic and engaging, thought-provoking and challenging.

Here are some snippets of Sally's thoughts on the trends in today's American church culture:

• More Americans, all across the country, are leaving churches — many more that are joining them...


• Church capital campaigns are failing...


• Women are leaving churches in droves and taking the older women with them...


• Believers need to shift their presence from within the church building to out into the surrounding communities...


• Many large churches are deconstructing from the "big box" structure into smaller spaces where gatherings can be more intimate and conducive to conversation...


• There's been a radical shift in the full-time ministry scenario: pastors and ministry leaders should be bi-vocational, so that they can engage in "tent-making" for their basic income while ministering with their available time...


• Our seminaries need to prepare students for the realities and potentials of this radically changing shift in the Christian church culture...


• How do we help to accomplish this for our newly-trained ministry teams?
  Leverage partnerships with other faith-based groups and non-profit organizations.
  This may create challenges in some areas, but will network engagement within the community in others...


• One key factor in today's emergent church is "sustainability": stewardship of our resources...

From there, the conversation began to become more focused on the concept of what "community" looks like in the Body of Christ today.

More on that and the impact Living Room has within this realm tomorrow...

Friday Evening's Event: Coffee and Conversation with Sally Morgenthaler

Who is Sally Morgenthaler?

• Emergent Leader • Author • Teacher • Woman • Mother
She's been hurt — devastatingly hurt...yet she passionately loves God...
She's real, engaging, thought-provoking, innovative and reachable...
She's been teaching a special course at Biblical Seminary this week and engaged in conversation with a gathered group on Friday night in MacRae's Place (former Biblical chapel). Scott, Andrea and I were there, among others to experience an amazing dialogue with her.

More on that tomorrow....

Check out these links to get to know more about Sally Morgenthaler...

Leadership Blog Interview with Sally in 2005:
http://leadershipblog.blogspot.com/2005/09/leadership-blog-interview-sally.html

Christianity Today Leadership Journal Article: 1 January 2006
"Behind Closed Doors: Sally Morgenthaler's Story"
http://www.ctlibrary.com/36726

Christianity Today Leadership Journal Article: 1 January 2006
A Lesson Learned from Sally Morgenthaler's Story"
"Does Ministry Fuel Addictive Behavior?"
http://ctlibrary.com/36725

Sally, the author...

Worship Evangelism

Future Church: Ministry in a Post-seeker Age

Tomorrow I will share some of what went on during our conversation at MacRae's Place tonight...

Suffering and Faith

The following are some really helpful points from Tim Stafford's writings on suffering that Darryl will be discussing at a local church this morning:

• What is it about suffering that forces us to focus on central issues of life?

• Suffering is one of the loneliest experiences; it is also one of the most purifying.

• How is it that suffering is one of the loneliest experiences and yet unites us
with other people?

Here’s Stafford's quote:

"Suffering purifies this human material, cutting away layer after soft layer until only firmer stuff remains. All the dross goes: the ambitions, love of money, vanity about appearance, everything that sets us above others in our own mind. Suffering purges everything that is not central to life."

Also, suffering teaches us the absolute limit to our abilities and our total dependence upon Christ. It unites us with others going through similar circumstances. That might be the key — not an “answer” to suffering, but humility and grace in the midst of it.

Suffering in whatever form it takes, personal, communal, national, is a great mystery. The Bible does not provide a running commentary on why “this happened here” or “this occurred there.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Suffering ultimately becomes a test of faith. Do we believe that God is the essence of holiness, goodness and compassion even when we cannot see it clearly through our pain?

Lord, I believe...please help my unbelief!!!

Paul Talks About Suffering...

The Apostle Paul writes in II Corinthians 4: 6-18 about suffering and serving Christ:

For God, who said, “Let there be light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.

We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.

But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.”We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus, will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

~ II Corinthians 4: 6-18 [New Living Translation]


More to come on suffering and faith...

Update on Sue's Mother

Please continue to support Sue and her family in your prayers. Sue provides us with an update below.

Sue writes today:

What a long, long week ... My mom said today that this was the worst week of her life.

I just wanted to give you an update on where things stand:

This morning she went to the hospital for a MUGA scan, to see if her heart will be strong enough to handle the course of treatment (chemo, etc.). We won't find that out until sometime next week -- all we know is that the tests came back "clear." My question is this: if her heart is NOT strong enough, will they go through it anyway? It seems our choices right now are limited.This afternoon she went to her breast doctor/surgeon to see if she could figure out what is under her arm, in the lymph area. While her oncologist was concerned about it, her breast doctor didn't think it was anything to worry about. My mom had an ultrasound done, and the doctor didn't see anything -- certainly nothing with any defined shape to it. She thinks it's just the way that her body is healing in that area -- not "normal," necessarily, but because she had an extreme amount of radiation in that spot her cells are messed up to start with, so perhaps that's why the healing is coming in a different way (i.e. scar tissue, harder tissue, etc.).

However, while she is not convinced there's anything to worry about, she is going to talk to the oncologist on Monday. If he insists that he is concerned and that something should be done, the breast doctor will concede and will then operate ... again ... to remove whatever it is. I guess the "best" scenario would be to open her up, determine for sure that it's nothing, and sew her back up again. So ... while it wasn't bad news, it certainly wasn't the kind of news that can make you breathe a sigh of relief ... we still don't know what's going on, and that "not knowing" isn't easy. Lots of "what if's" involved. I guess we'll know more next week — the discussion on Monday between the two doctors, the results of the heart scan, etc. Her oncologist also recommended that she get a second opinion, but that means more waiting. And if the cancer is as horribly aggressive as they say, waiting is the LAST thing you want to do.

The week is over, we have a free weekend (relatively speaking) to rest up for what's coming. A very specific prayer request is for extra strength for my mom. She is SOOO exhausted — she cries of it sometimes. My concern is that if she literally has the fight of her life ahead of her, she's going into it extremely weak and tired. Right now, she almost needs some kind of superhuman strength. And please pray for my dad — he doesn't say how he feels (at least not to anyone other than my mom), but I know he cries a lot (I can see that his eyes are always red). He too needs a tremendous amount of strength just to be there for her, to truck her around to appointments — she's his best friend and this is taking such a tremendous toll. And please pray for lifted spirits — I felt so good (finally!) after Grace's [Sue's daughter] birthday party (we all did), and now my spirits have sunk to a depth of such sadness. We're all just so, so sad. It would be great to just get a shred of good news, a glimmer of hope in all of this, after a string of bad news.

Thanks, as always, for your loving support, friendship, and prayers — it means the world to us.

More later ...Sue

Again, as a reminder, comments posted on this blog will reach Sue directly. She checks this blog daily.

I'll continue to post any updates and share at Inward~Outward on Sunday evenings.

The Suffering of a Dear Friend

Dearest Living Room Community,

Just was we rejoice that Lois does not have cancer, our dear friend, Sue, wrestles with the devastation of recurring cancer in her mother. Please read her email update in the text below and cry out to God in prayer for her entire family...

Sue writes today...

My mom just got back from her oncologist [follow up visit to radical mastectomy surgery last week] and the news was much worse than we had anticipated. The cancer she has is completely different than the one from two years ago. This one is extremely aggressive and our fear is that they've been moving a little too slowly on it. Whatever this cancer is, it could very quickly spread to her ovaries and elsewhere — and even though the PET scan was clear, he needs to go over it again, just to make sure. He's not convinced it hasn't spread. She also recently felt a hard lump under her arm, in the same spot as the surgery (where they removed the lymph nodes) — he didn't like that at all (a new tumor? Already?!) and told her to call her surgeon and request an emergency visit. So ... they're going to try a different kind of chemo (I think) - much, much more aggressive, every three weeks for the next several months. Along with that will be two drugs: herceptin (which could damage her heart) and taxo-something (which could cause severe allergic reactions). He stressed the importance of this starting A.S.A.P. -- there is absolutely no time to lose.

We are scared. Tremendously scared. My mom came home with a look of shock on her face. It's hard not to cry. You can't help but feel that this is so sinister, just really out to get you. We have no idea what other scans will show. She has to have a muga scan tomorrow a.m. to see how her heart will hold up with all of this. This truly was devastating news today. Just when we were starting to feel better about things ... wham. It's getting to be rather cyclical! Please, please keep us all in your prayers — for my mom, that she will have an extreme dose of strength to get through this, to fight this, that her spirits will be up, and that she will win and be healed. For the rest of us, that we will be strong for her and be able to do what needs to be done. Above all, please pray for healing — we can jump through fire, walk over coals, do whatever it takes, just to beat this horrible thing. I'm sure we'll know more in the next few days — I'll keep you posted.

Thanks so much for your prayers.
-Sue

Dear Living Room Family Members,
Please post comments to this email as responses to Sue. She checks this blog daily and may find comfort and encouragement from knowing that you are joining with many others in prayer and concern for her dear mother.

Thank you so much.

All Praise to God! Joy and Relief...

Lois Hackman does not have cancer!

1 Praise the Lord!
Yes, give praise, O servants of the Lord.
Praise the name of the Lord!
2 Blessed be the name of the Lord
now and forever.
3 Everywhere—from east to west—
praise the name of the Lord.
4 For the Lord is high above the nations;
his glory is higher than the heavens.
~ Psalm 113: 1-4 [New Living Translation]

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
but to your name goes all the glory
for your unfailing love and faithfulness.
~ Psalm 115: 1 [New Living Translation]

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

26 Help me, O Lord my God!
Save me because of your unfailing love.
27 Let them see that this is your doing,
that you yourself have done it, Lord.
~ Psalm 109: 26-27 [New Living Translation]

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord.
“They are plans for good and not for disaster,
to give you a future and a hope.
In those days when you pray, I will listen.
If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.
~ Lamentations 29:11-13 [New Living Translation]

Yearning for God

1 Let all that I am praise the Lord;
with my whole heart,
I will praise his holy name.
2 Let all that I am praise the Lord;
may I never forget the good things he does for me.
3 He forgives all my sins
and heals all my diseases.
4 He redeems me from death
and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
5 He fills my life with good things.
My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!
6 The Lord gives righteousness
and justice to all who are treated unfairly.
7 He revealed his character to Moses
and his deeds to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
9 He will not constantly accuse us,
nor remain angry forever.
10 He does not punish us for all our sins;
he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
12 He has removed our sins as far from us
as the east is from the west.
13 The Lord is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
14 For he knows how weak we are;
he remembers we are only dust.
15 Our days on earth are like grass;
like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
16 The wind blows, and we are gone—
as though we had never been here.
17 But the love of the Lord remains forever
with those who fear him.
His salvation extends to the children’s children
18 of those who are faithful to his covenant,
of those who obey his commandments!
19 The Lord has made the heavens his throne;
from there he rules over everything.
20 Praise the Lord, you angels,
you mighty ones who carry out his plans,
listening for each of his commands.
21 Yes, praise the Lord, you armies of angels
who serve him and do his will!
22 Praise the Lord, everything he has created,
everything in all his kingdom.
Let all that I am praise the Lord.
~ Psalm 103 [New Living Translation]

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” 13 Then he added, “Now go and learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.”
~ Matthew 9:12-13 [New Living Translation]

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

1 As the deer longs for streams of water,
so I long for you, O God.
2 I thirst for God, the living God.
When can I go and stand before him?
3 Day and night I have only tears for food,
while my enemies continually taunt me, saying,
“Where is this God of yours?”
4 My heart is breaking
as I remember how it used to be:
I walked among the crowds of worshipers,
leading a great procession to the house of God,
singing for joy and giving thanks
amid the sound of a great celebration!
5 Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
my Savior and 6 my God!
Now I am deeply discouraged,
but I will remember you—
even from distant Mount Hermon,
the source of the Jordan,
from the land of Mount Mizar.
7 I hear the tumult of the raging seas
as your waves and surging tides sweep over me.
8 But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me,
and through each night I sing his songs,
praying to God who gives me life.
~ Psalm 42:1-8 [New Living Translation]

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

O Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.
O Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us.
O Lamb of God, that takes away the sins of the world, grant us your peace.

Oh, How Great are God's Riches

33 Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge!
How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!

34 For who can know the Lord’s thoughts?
Who knows enough to give him advice?
35 And who has given him so much
that he needs to pay it back?

36 For everything comes from him and exists by his power
and is intended for his glory.
All glory to him forever! Amen.

~ Romans 11:33-36 [New Living Translation]

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Alleluia!

Continual prayers are being offered for our extended Living Room Community in health, safety and ministry. Our God is ever-present, all-powerful and all-knowing. He is bigger than all of our concerns. He'll care for His children. To Him be the glory for His infinite love!

Because the Lord is my Shepherd...

Because the LORD is my Shepherd, I have everything I need! He lets me rest in the meadow grass and leads me beside the quiet streams. He restores my failing health. He helps me do what honors him the most.Even when walking through the dark valley of death I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me, guarding, guiding all the way.You provide delicious food for me in the presence of my enemies. You have welcomed me as your guest; blessings overflow! Your goodness and unfailing kindness shall be with me all of my life, and afterwards I will live with you forever in your home.

~ Psalm 23 from The Living Bible

Inspiration for our Living Room Community

Paul admonishes us in Romans 12: 9-13:

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

[New Living Translation]

May this be our mission and vision for the days ahead...

A celebration of the arts in Doyelstown PA

We have been invited to join with several local communities in a celebration of the arts on Sept 7 of this year.

We will need several artists to showcase there work, free food, and people who will enjoy hosting this event.

When: Friday night September 7th (the week after Labor Day)
Where: Main Street Baptist Church in downtown Doylestown
Time: 6 pm-ish to ??


tell your friends...

The God of All Comfort...

All praise to the God and Father of our Master, Jesus the Messiah! Father of all mercy! God of all healing counsel! He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us. We have plenty of hard times that come from following the Messiah, but no more so than the good times of his healing comfort—we get a full measure of that, too.
~ 2 Corinthians 1:3–5 [The Message]


May we all be sensitive to ways that we can show our Savior's love through comforting dear Lois Hackman, Scott Camilleri and Judy VanHeemst and their families as they battle with cancer in the days ahead.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you, dear brothers and sisters...

Comfort from Nooma Lump

A thought for comfort and reflection after viewing and discussing Rob Bell's Nooma Lump:

"There's nothing you could ever do to make Me love you less...Nothing. Nothing. Nothing!"
~ Rob Bell in Nooma Lump

I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. ~ Romans 8:38-40 [The Message]


NOOMA Lump 010 Rob Bell: Copyright 2005 by Flannel, P. O. Box 3228, Grand Rapids, MI 49501-3228. Published by Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI 49530. www.nooma.com

Last night was a gift

Last night was a gift,
In the way we share a meal,
A drink, A laugh and a prayer.

I love this community,
And I am ready to share it with the world.

The news of my mom has been hard,
But when I think of how this is an oppertunity,
For the Kingdom to be scene,
I get excitted.

You are the people I want to experience this part of life with.
People who will enter the awkward and not be moved.
People who will sit and be ok with silence.
People who will prayer and be ok with something other than their request.
This is a communit of faith I have dreamed of.

Thank you...

Bon Voyage Andrea!

Dearest Andrea,

We all wish you safe travels as you embark on your international adventures. May your learning experiences be vast, interesting and exciting. Your exposure to history and other cultures will enrich your life and expand your worldview. May you have a keen sensitivity to the prompting of the Holy Spirit in wisdom and knowledge as you journey through these special weeks of your life. We send you off with our love and prayers for safe travels and many blessings!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Precious Lord Jesus Christ,

We come into Your presence with joy as we think of our dear sister, Andrea. We praise You for how You’ve worked in her heart and life and for the special blessing she is to our Living Room Community. We lay her gently at Your feet as she prepares to embark on a great journey. Lord, You know the anticipation and excitement of seeing and experiencing new countries, new cultures and new learning experiences. Please surround her, protect her, grow and stretch her as she paces through the adventures You have waiting for her. Please give her special protection by Your grace and mercy. Help her to sense Your continual presence; may she draw her strength from You. Teach her Your wisdom and Your ways as she moves through the days ahead. Please return her safely to her family, friends and Community refreshed and revitalized for the future.

All for Your honor and glory, Lord.
Amen. Alleluia.

A reminder of who we are...

"In the New Testament the word 'saint' is applied to Christians generally. Being a Christian at all was extraordinary. Christians stood out sharply from their environment, regarded as something strange if not hostile. To the Christian the gospel really was a revelation; something unlooked for, something hitherto unknown. The life of Jesus had made us aware of how God is minded towards us, and the experience was life-changing, 'all things had become new'." (sacredspace.ie)

Thank you Living Room for being a community of people who is unknown and known. We are unknown to most of the world and yet known to one another. As we contextualize the Gospel, may we all be filled with Hope and Peace, a life changing meaning which goes beyond all reason.

Prayer for Today: 20 June 2007

Precious Lord Jesus Christ,

You come to us in the midst of the mess and confusion of our lives. How desperately we need You to strengthen, guide and heal us. Please help us to trust you a little more today, to let go of one more thing we've been holding onto for security. You are all that matters; You are our First Love. Essence of mercy, compassion and grace please shower us with Your Holy Spirit today that we may be changed in experiencing You in a fresh, new way.

All for your honor and glory,

Amen. Alleluia.

Part 5: Our Faith Community

They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers.
Everyone around was in awe—all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person's need was met.
They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved.
~ Acts 2:42-47 [The Message]

I’m encouraged in the many ways that I see the members of our Living Room family naturally following the patterns of the Early Church. Real people showing real love and faith by:

• Gathering for prayer and concerns as we share our burdens during “Inward / Outward”
  Our commitments to community and the needs of those within the Living Room family
• Our vision and actions to help those in need that touch our lives, both locally and throughout the world
• Sharing the fellowship of a common meal together, gathering around tables and in groups to feed our bodies as well as our souls
• Those precious times of worship when we pray together, sing together and share the Lord’s Supper together
• We value each other and those around us in all aspects of our beings in a holistic way that allows for acceptance, respect and dignity. What a blessing!

We are showing ourselves to be counter-cultural by exhibiting the love, grace and forgiveness that Christ offers us to each other and those we come in contact with. We are taking off the masks and revealing who we really are — warts, stains and all, with the purpose of this openness being to show that life is not about us, but about Christ and His glory. Our ability to obey Christ’s directives and follow His example as true disciples comes from the impact and power of the Holy Spirit in our lives on a continual basis.

Are there ways that we could do more? Of course! This is not about us being prideful with a “look at me — I’ve arrived” attitude. It’s about encouraging each other to strengthen our faith and do good works with the assurance that God is at work through us.

May what our Master Jesus Christ gives freely be deeply and personally yours, my friends. Oh, yes!
~ Galatians 6:18 [The Message]

Part 4: A New Community

One of the immediate changes that took place in the lives of the newly-converted Christians was the establishment of a new kind of community...

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"For this reason, what Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount was actually fulfilled in the early church, as were indeed all his words. Fellowship in His Word meant life-creating and life-shaping power. It meant the fellowship of being truly bound together in prayer and in the breaking of bread, of becoming a genuine community, embracing the whole of life. Christ came to gather His people, and thus when the Spirit descended, "All who had come to this faith remained together and had everything in common, and they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all, as any had need (Acts 2:44-45)....
What did the first believers experience? They experienced the kingdom of God — the revolution of all things and the revaluation of all values. They experienced the complete changing of all conidtions and all possibilities, the switching of all relationships in business, state, society, and everywhere. A completely different scale of values took effect, quite different from all other values that had existed so far. God became the highest value; he reigned and revealed himself. Christ replaced the other sovereignties; He swept away the power of lying, of impurity, and of murder, and instead of them the peace of God took hold. This was the expectation and experience of the original church-community....
In Jesus' resurrected presence, the invisible kingdom of God has become visible reality. The word had taken shape, love has become real. Jesus showed what love meant. His word and life proved that love knows no bounds. Love halts at no barrier. It can never be silenced, no matter what circumstances make it seem impossible to practice it. Nothing is impossible for the faith that springs from the fire of love...."
~Taken from "Spirit of Fire" from Innerland: A Guide into the Heart of the Gospel by Eberhard Arnold, Farmington, PA: Plough, 1999. Reprinted in Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter. 2003, Plough Publishing House, Farmington, PA. pp 397-399.
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Please realistically consider the following questions:

• Are you so radically sold out on Christ that you would be willing to give up everything for His glory?
• Are you willing to take the counter-cultural risks in community that the early Church did?
• What are your concerns about this concept of community?

In the next posting, we will consider this community concept in light of our Living Room Conversations family.

Part 3: A Change of Heart

Acts 2: 37-39 [The Message]
Cut to the quick, those who were there listening asked Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers! Brothers! So now what do we do?"
Peter said, "Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is targeted to you and your children, but also to all who are far away—whomever, in fact, our Master God invites."
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"Their first response surged from deep within their hearts: "What shall we do?" As a result, there came about a complete transformation of people's inner being,a reshaping of their lives, which was the very change of heart and conduct that John the Baptist had proclaimed. He had seen it as the first requirement for the great revolution to come, the turning upside down of everything. Personal rebirth could not be separated from this total transformation in Christ."
~Taken from "Spirit of Fire" by Eberhard Arnold, Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter. 2003, The Plough Publishing House, Farmington, PA., p. 397.
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Although we are still sinners after God reveals His truth to us, the touch of the Holy Spirit should bring about a change in our hearts and minds. The change impacts our motives, our desires and where we focus our energies. It's not just about "me" anymore. Christ becomes bigger and more important to us than our own gratification.

• Do you sense this touch of the Spirit in your life?
• How have you seen this change work itself out?
• If you haven't seen a change, what do you think is happening?
• What do you want to happen?
• Have you seen the touch of the Spirit in our Living Room Community?
• If so, how?

Another Steven Curtis Chapman song from his Speechless CD came to mind as I was writing this:

The Change
{II Corinthians 5:17, 3:18}

Well I got myself a T-shirt that says what I believe
I got letters on my bracelet to serve as my ID
I got the necklace and the keychain
And almost everything a good Christian needs, yeah
I got the little Bible magnets on my refrigerator door
And a welcome mat to bless you before you walk across my floor
I got a Jesus bumper sticker
And the outline of a fish stuck on my car
And even though this stuff’s all well and good, yeah
I cannot help but ask myself

What about the change
What about the difference
What about the grace
What about forgiveness
What about a life that’s showing
I’m undergoing the change, yeah
I’m undergoing the change

Well I’ve got this way of thinking that comes so naturally
Where I believe the whole world is revolving around me
And I got the way of living that I have to die to every single day
‘Cause if God’s Spirit lives inside of me, yeah
I’m gonna live life differently

I’m gonna have the change
I’m gonna have the difference
I’m gonna have the grace
I’m gonna have forgiveness
I’m gonna live a life that’s showing
I’m undergoing the change.

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And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

~2 Corinthians 5:15-20 [New International Version]

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Please share your thoughts and comments...

Part 2: The Passion of the Holy Spirit

In reading Eberhard Arnold's essay entitled, "Spirit of Fire" in Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter, I was inspired to meditate on the concepts of the Holy Spirit enkindling God's Children with life-changing passion.

First, the Holy Spirit's power came upon the apostles with a fiery passion that produced an astounding response.

Second, the hearts of many of the listeners were also changed in response to the Holy Spirit's baptism of flames.

Third, the counter-cultural response included a new type of community living as a result of their experience with God.

In the days ahead we will discuss the second and third effects of the Spirit's movement. Today I'd like to address the first point:

• What occurred that was so earth-shattering that God chose this mighty display of the Holy Spirit's power as a response?
  Jesus Christ was what was so earth-shattering. He was the Messiah, the Deliverer from Death, who died as a sacrifice for our sins and was resurrected to break the power over death and Satan.


• Why the passion?
  A new kingdom had been established. Now life had renewed hope! God was alive and active!


• What does the Holy Spirit reveal to us now?
  The Spirit reveals our sin and inability to save ourselves when we look in a spiritual mirror, but the Spirit also extends to us the supreme grace of God in sending the One closed to His heart to be the sacrifice in our place...Love...Compassion...Mercy...Forgiveness...


• Are you overwhelmed by this awesome grace? Are you flooded with gratitude?
  I am reminded of the lyrics to Steven Curtis Chapman's song "Speechless":
  SPEECHLESS
  {Ephesians 2:4-7; I John 3:1; Psalm 66:1-5; Habakkuk 2:20}
  
  Words fall like drops of rain
  My lips are like clouds
  I say so many things
  Trying to figure You out
  But as mercy opens my eyes
  My words are stolen away
  With this breathtaking view of Your grace.
  
  And I am speechless, I’m astonished and amazed
  I am silenced by Your wondrous grace
  You have saved me
  You have raised me from the grave
  And I am speechless in Your presence now
  I’m astounded as I consider how
  You have shown us
  A love that leaves us speechless.
  
  So what kind of love could this be
  That would trade heaven’s throne for a cross
  And to think You still celebrate
  Over finding just one who was lost
  And to know You rejoice over us
  The God of this whole universe
  It’s a story that’s too great for words.
  
  Oh, how great is the love
  The Father has lavished upon us
  That we should be called
  The sons and the daughters of God
  
  We are speechless, so amazed
  [We stand in awe of Your grace]
  [We stand in awe of Your mercy]
  You have saved us
  [We stand in awe of Your love]
  From the grave
  [We are speechless]
  
  We are speechless in Your present now
  [We stand in awe of Your cross]
  We’re astounded as we consider how
  [We stand in awe of Your power]
  You have shown us
  A love that leaves us speechless
  [We are speechless]
  I am speechless.


• The Holy Spirit reveals God's truth in our hearts and minds. Different people respond in different ways, but respond we will.


• How has the Holy Spirit touched you in revealing this truth of Christ's love and grace?


• How do you experienced His grace in your life now?


• How have you responded to these revelations from the Holy Spirit?


• Are you embracing the passion of renewed hope and engagement with the Living God?


• Do these concepts seem unrealistic to you?

Please share your thoughts and comments as we continue to consider the Acts 2 passage together.

Part 1: Pentecost and the New Beginning

Acts 2 [The Message]
A Sound Like a Strong Wind

1-4 When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force—no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them.
5-11 There were many Jews staying in Jerusalem just then, devout pilgrims from all over the world. When they heard the sound, they came on the run. Then when they heard, one after another, their own mother tongues being spoken, they were thunderstruck. They couldn't for the life of them figure out what was going on, and kept saying, "Aren't these all Galileans? How come we're hearing them talk in our various mother tongues? Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; Visitors from Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene; Immigrants from Rome, both Jews and proselytes; Even Cretans and Arabs!"They're speaking our languages, describing God's mighty works!"
12 Their heads were spinning; they couldn't make head or tail of any of it. They talked back and forth, confused: "What's going on here?"
13 Others joked, "They're drunk on cheap wine."
Peter Speaks Up 14-21That's when Peter stood up and, backed by the other eleven, spoke out with bold urgency: "Fellow Jews, all of you who are visiting Jerusalem, listen carefully and get this story straight. These people aren't drunk as some of you suspect. They haven't had time to get drunk—it's only nine o'clock in the morning. This is what the prophet Joel announced would happen:

"In the Last Days," God says,
"I will pour out my Spirit
on every kind of people:
Your sons will prophesy,
also your daughters;
Your young men will see visions,
your old men dream dreams.

When the time comes,
I'll pour out my Spirit
On those who serve me, men and women both,
and they'll prophesy.

I'll set wonders in the sky above
and signs on the earth below,
Blood and fire and billowing smoke,
the sun turning black and the moon blood-red,
Before the Day of the Lord arrives,
the Day tremendous and marvelous;
And whoever calls out for help
to me, God, will be saved."

22-28 "Fellow Israelites, listen carefully to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man thoroughly accredited by God to you—the miracles and wonders and signs that God did through him are common knowledge—this Jesus, following the deliberate and well-thought-out plan of God, was betrayed by men who took the law into their own hands, and was handed over to you. And you pinned him to a cross and killed him. But God untied the death ropes and raised him up. Death was no match for him. David said it all:

I saw God before me for all time.
Nothing can shake me; he's right by my side.
I'm glad from the inside out, ecstatic;
I've pitched my tent in the land of hope.

I know you'll never dump me in Hades;
I'll never even smell the stench of death.
You've got my feet on the life-path,
with your face shining sun-joy all around.

29-36 "Dear friends, let me be completely frank with you. Our ancestor David is dead and buried—his tomb is in plain sight today. But being also a prophet and knowing that God had solemnly sworn that a descendant of his would rule his kingdom, seeing far ahead, he talked of the resurrection of the Messiah—'no trip to Hades, no stench of death.' This Jesus, God raised up. And every one of us here is a witness to it. Then, raised to the heights at the right hand of God and receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, he poured out the Spirit he had just received. That is what you see and hear. For David himself did not ascend to heaven, but he did say,

God said to my Master, "Sit at my right hand

Until I make your enemies a stool for resting your feet."

"All Israel, then, know this: There's no longer room for doubt—God made him Master and Messiah, this Jesus whom you killed on a cross."

37 Cut to the quick, those who were there listening asked Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers! Brothers! So now what do we do?"
38-39 Peter said, "Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is targeted to you and your children, but also to all who are far away—whomever, in fact, our Master God invites."
40 He went on in this vein for a long time, urging them over and over, "Get out while you can; get out of this sick and stupid culture!"

*********************
41-42 That day about three thousand took him at his word, were baptized and were signed up. They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers.
43-45 Everyone around was in awe—all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person's need was met.
46-47 They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved.

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The impact of the truth that Jesus is the Messiah who died to pay the debt for our sins and break the power of death left the listeners astounded. "So now what do we do?," they exclaimed. Peter's response was clear and direct: "Change your life," he began and then elaborated on exactly how to do that.

The result was the establishment of the very first Christian Church Community. Their lives radically changed; they became truly counter-cultural.

In the days ahead, I want to look with you at our Living Room Conversations Community (including our blog guests) in light of the Early Church. Please consider meditating on this passage in preparation for our conversation.

Pacing Myself

One of the principal concepts that has been reinforced to me during my current medical leave is that I need to pace myself. In the world of the 21st Century, the speed at which urgent and important demands comes at us seems to increase as the weeks and months go by. Perhaps you, like me, find this pace to be way too fast to be able to think through the consequences of our frantic actions and activities.

I'm the type of person who has very high expectations for myself and what I can accomplish in a day, week, or season. I pile too much on my plate and, along with all that work and life adds to that plate, I feel overwhelmed much of the time. I confess that this may be very much of a control issue. As I have had some time to rest and breathe recently, I've been considering how Christ never rushed during His life on earth. He worked and related consistently, ensuring that He was able to withdraw for that critical time of reflection and communion with the Father, trusting that He would accomplish the Father's Will in this world. This is the pattern I want to follow for my life. In the past week or so, preparing to go back to my full time job, my activity level has increased exponentially. I could feel the stress level beginning to build almost immediately. Thankfully, I stopped and considered the pattern of what was happening and took immediate action to reduce the amount of tasks for these days and pace myself in such a way that I could enjoy what I was doing and have time to think and reflect, as well. My prayer is that as I go back to work in another ten days, I will continue to follow Christ's example of this life-giving principle of pacing myself so that I may holistically be the person He wants me to be for His glory.

Does anyone else share this sense of rushing so fast you don't have time to think?

Please share your thoughts...

Prayer for Today: 7 June 2007

Precious All-Powerful Lord,

The days have been so beautiful this week, warm and full of sunshine and breezes. Yet from sharing and speaking with some of your children this week, I have heard experiences of pain, confusion, anguish and discouragement. Holy Lord, we cry out to you for help! We desperately need you to come close to us and strengthen us. We want to honor You, trust You and obey You, but in the midst of the realities of our lives this feels as if we are climbing a mountain each day.

May your unending love and acceptance be real to us in the midst of our pain. May your mercy and compassion be evident to us in small and large ways this very day. Please renew our strength through the power of Your Holy Spirit.

Blessed Lord, come quickly to aid us that we may glorify You this day. Amen.

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28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40: 28-32 [New International Version]

Illustration of God's Light

In our pastor's discussion during Sunday morning class yesterday, he gave an illustration that I thought was very insightful. He equated God's light to a prism. As God sheds His pure, holy light down on us, His children here on earth, the light passes through the prism of our lives and refracts in such a way that it emanates the full spectrum of light to those around us—different aspects of light from different people shining on those in the community of faith and throughout the world community.

I thought that this illustration was quite beautiful and encouraging that each of us as individuals don't have to feel forced to be everything, perfectly or completely to share God's love and light with the community around us.

What do you think?

Prayer of Dedication

Phyllis Tickle's The Divine Hours Pocket Edition provided some meaningful and inspiring devotional prayers and readings during our time of rest. I thought I'd share this prayer of dedication with all of you in hopes that it will touch your hearts and souls as it did mine.



"O Lord my God, to you and to your service I devote myself, body, soul, and spirit. Fill my memory with the record of your mighty works; enlighten my understanding with the light of your Holy Spirit; and may all the desires of my heart and will center in what you would have me do. Make me an instrument of your salvation for the people entrusted to my care, and let me by my life and speaking set forth your true and living Word. Be always with me in carrying out the duties of my salvation; in praises heighten my love and gratitude; in speaking of You give me readiness of thought and expression; and grant that, by the clearness and brightness of your holy Word, all the world may be drawn to your blessed kingdom. All this I ask for the sake of your Son, my Savior Jesus Christ. Amen."


Taken from The Divine Hours Pocket Edition compiled with an introduction by Phyllis Tickle. 2007, Oxford University Press, New York. p. 11.

Pamela Away for a Rest

Hello All.

Just a quick line to let you know that I will not be posting again until the end of May, as I will be away from home for a much-needed rest.

Blessings and peace to you all. You will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Nouwen's Thoughts on Christ's Servanthood

It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.

The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
~John 13: 1–5 [NIV]

In a devotional reading which I recently came across, Henri Nouwen talked about the fulfillment of Christ's command to serve one another in His name. Nouwen writes:

"....I was struck again by the way Jesus concluded his active life. Just before entering on the road of his passion he washed the feet of his disciples and offered them his body and blood as food and drink. These two acts belong together. They are both an expression of God's determination to show us the fullness of his love. Therefore, John introduces the story of Jesus' washing of the disciples' feet with the words: 'Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end' (John 13:1).

What is even more astonishing is that on both occasions, Jesus commands us to do the same. After washing his disciples' feet, Jesus says, 'I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you' (John 13:15). After giving himself as food and drink, he says, 'Do this in remembrance of me' (Luke 22:19). Jesus calls us to continue his mission of revealing the perfect love of God in this world. He calls us to total self-giving. He does not want us to keep anything for ourselves. Rather, he wants our love to be as full, as radical, and as complete as his own. He wants us to bend ourselves to the ground and touch the places in each other that most need washing. He also wants us to say to each other, 'Eat of me and drink of me.' By this complete mutual nurturing, he wants us to become one body and one spirit, united by the love of God."

If we are to take Christ's words and Nouwen's interpretation of them seriously, this represents a radical, all-encompassing focus of our lives in service to Christ first, and also to others on a continual basis. Christ challenges us with his greatest of commands. He says in Mark 12:29-31:

"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

What impact does this concept have on our Living Room Family? So many of us are talking about ways to minister to others in need, we are committing more and more of our time, energies, and finances to practical ways of caring for others.

• Are there areas of our personal lives where we are holding back from service for Christ?
• Are we afraid to trust Him with every aspect of our lives?
• Are we willing to step outside our comfort zone and "get down and dirty" for the sake of Christ?
• What does this total servanthood concept look like to each of you in your personal lives?

Radical • Transforming • Servant Attitude •
Going Deeper • Risk • Growth • Care • Love •
The Fruit of the Spirit flourishing every day in our lives

Quote taken from Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter, 2003, The Plough Publishing House, Farmington, PA. pp. 377-380. Henri Nouwen, "Jesus Gives All," from The Road to Daybreak, by Henri Nouwen, copyright 1988 by Henri J. M. Nouwen. Used by permission of Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc.; and from Walk with Jesus: Stations of the Cross. Maryknoll NY. Orbis Books, 1990. Used by permission.

Praying without Speaking

As part of our conversation on prayer last Sunday evening, we were mentioning praying "outside the box" of speaking using language. Since God is All-knowing, All-present, and All-powerful, He can read our minds, feel the emotions of our hearts, and communicate with us in ways that transcend language.

For instance, if we simply visualize whoever our concern is for, feeling the emotions of that concern with all its complications, and then continue the visualization of laying this person at the feet of God's throne, the prayer is offered in a powerful way that is not limited to finding the right words to explain the whole situation. Yet, our Almighty Father understands every nuance of what we are communicating and beyond.

Another idea was to take the stresses and concerns that are on our hearts and minds, visualize a gently flowing stream that leads to the ocean of God's power and take each indivual concern and mentally lay it on a leaf as it floats by in your mind on it's way to God. Release the care to God as it floats away toward Him.

Offering our lives as a form of prayer was also discussed enthusiastically. Every aspect of who we are and what we do is to be for God's glory. Therefore, all that we think, do, don't do, or say is a form of prayer and active communication with God.

In obeying the command to "pray without ceasing," we can offer every dimension of our lives in a form of stream of consciousness thinking and acting that keeps the communiction pathway to God open and constant.

Blessings to you all as we live and communicate with our loving Heavenly Father.

Spirituality and Prayer

This was our conversation from last Sunday evening, led by Darryl Lang:

True Confessions About Prayer
Or Things I’ve Heard, Thought about, Observed about Prayer

Most people I’ve talked to confess that they don’t pray enough, or they’re generally dissatisfied with their prayer life (such as it is). They may feel guilty about it, but don’t know what to do about it.

Dissatisfaction may look like not having enough time to pray, may be listening to our own prayers that sound like shopping lists, or may look like praying about individual things only and neglecting the community and the world.

Prayer meetings at churches and retreats are often frustrating and discouraging.

I wish I recorded more answers to prayer;
it would remind me that God hears and prayer matters.

I don’t think that there are any magic answers or formulas for a meaningful prayer life, but there are many helpful tools that Christians are rediscovering.

There are prayer warriors who talk to God as their best friend, but they are rare. That may be changing…

Prayer seems to be a “discipline,” and yet it can be spontaneous.

Not getting answers to your prayers is confusing, angering, and mysterious; sometime you feel all of this at once.

Maybe God wants relationship with us and that becomes our motivation to pray
and keep praying.

“When I pray, coincidences happen; when I stop praying,
the coincidences stop happening.”
~ Archbishop William Temple

One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”

Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?” One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”

Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”
~Luke 18:1-8 [NLT]

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.
~ Matthew 7:7-11 [NLT]

Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.”

But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.”

Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.”
But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!”

Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”
She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.”

“Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.
~ Matthew: 15:21-28 [NLT]

Prayer makes us insiders...

"I have learned that prayer is not asking for what you think you want,
but asking to be changed in ways that you can’t imagine."
~ Kathleen Norris

“Personal communion in conversation does not depend on exchanging information; it does not even depend on hearing a response. Personal communion is a matter of being together and talking about the things that matter most. The deepest and oldest friends commune in this way…. We do not pray to tell God what He does not know, nor to remind Him of things He has forgotten. He already cares for the things we pray about; His attention to them has never flagged from the beginning, and His understanding is unfathomable. He has simply been waiting for us to care about them with Him.”
~ Tim Stafford

I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.
~John 15:15

"Prayer is one of the main agencies through which we are brought to understand the mind of Christ toward our particular mission and the work of the Kingdom in general.
The establishment of the Kingdom of God is an elusive task; we cannot even see what it involves without specific prayer, and we certainly will have little urgency to carry it out unless we are praying."
~ Richard Lovelace

What might this mean for the Living Room Community?
You are invited to post your thoughts…