I spoke about prayer recently at a small neighborhood church in Indian Hills Colorado.  The woman in the photo beside me, is my very dear childhood friend.  She had not been to this church for a number of years as she lives in a different town, but came to hear the talk.  She was looking forward to visiting this church again because it was the place she found God.  I didn’t know that about her and her history with this church.

It was the place I found God also.  I was excited to visit the church where I had met God so many years before, and started my own spiritual journey.

This is the real purpose of neighborhood church.  It is a place where people find God.  It is a place where they can pray.  It is a place to grow in their spiritual walk and to learn about redemption and forgiveness and those really big ideas that Jesus brought for all of us.

The church I attend now is not my parents church, or my grandparents church.  I think it is quite modern.  Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t.  But it suits me well.  It allows me to continue to grow, and to linger in the presence of God.

Church reform and change is not new.  Jesus was Jewish.  There are a lot of rules in the Torah, and in the first five books of the old Testament.  Jesus changed some of the rules.  He ignored some of the old rules.  He grew impatient with those who got really wrapped up in the rules and lost track of the main thing.

The first Church in the book of Acts was in people’s homes, it was small and grew and faced difficulties.  If people in the book of Acts had not invited other people to join in prayer and study, the church would have died in that first 100 years.  Inviting other people to share in the fellowship of the church is absolutely crucial to its  longevity and growth.

The church became more than a few informal prayer gatherings here and there, it became an institution.  The Catholic church was born. 

Then in the 1600’s things changed again.  Martin Luther brought us grace by justification and Protestant religion had a new (but based in Catholicism) set  of rules.  Shortly after the Baptists came into being and then John Wesley brought us Methodism.

Interestingly enough, the Catholics and the Protestants have often been at odds and even at war over the decades.  And yet,  they share the core belief and basis is that Jesus Christ is the son of God, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilot, was crucified, dead and buried.  The third day he rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and from there he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.  Most believe in the Holy Spirit, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, and in life everlasting.  

Whatever we fight over isn’t even the main thing.  Because that creed is the main thing right there.

The modern church will change.  We must invite new people all the time, every week.  We must love one another.  It was the last commandment Jesus gave the disciples at the last supper (a Seder). 

A new generation waits to find God.  Each generation seems fairly certain they want to live their lives without the rules of their fathers.  But they will set their own rules.  Goodness know the Lutheran church has rules just like the Catholic church. 

The important thing is to open your church to be modern.  Love the new seekers coming to visit.  Invite them.  Allow them to be part of the process in bringing your church to this new transition.  God transforms each of us.  We are not the same today as we were yesterday, or twenty years ago.  Be open to change. 

I truly hope to see growth in neighborhood churches.  I personally want to be a catalyst in this area and inspire people to pray for, plan and execute this growth and change. 

1. Pray for your church, hold a prayer vigil. 
2. Start a grass roots marketing plan,  invite people in your neighborhood, have a hour of prayer once a week for a year.
3. Shine your light.  Love the new people that come, embrace change and new ideas.  Open your minds and your church for tremendous new growth.  Find those seekers and let God work.

OK.  You are ready now.  Go do it.  God bless you.

Photo from Marketing blog

A friend of mine listed his 75 gallon fish tank on Craigslist to include pump, hoses, and all parts and accessories.  It was free and all you had to do was come and pick it up.  He was remodeling his home and cleaning out rooms and wanted the tank, which was fabulous to just go to a good home.  He wanted it to be a blessing to someone.

A woman answered with the first email in and asked the approximate dimension of the tank.  My friend supplied her with the dimensions.  Then in a few days she sent another email asking what it weighs and wondered if her teenage son would be able to lift it.  My friend replied and ask how “beefy” her kid is, also noting that most physically fit teenage boys would be able to help her load it.  In another day or two she sent another email asking if it would fit in the back of a certain type of vehicle.  My friend had sent dimensions and approximate weight info previously. 

So this continued on for another two weeks and every few days the woman would email with additional questions and some of the same she had already asked.  She at one point ask my friend to deliver the free tank.  He said he would not be able to do that.  She continued to send email questions.  She would not set a time and date to see or pick up the tank.  

Finally my friend responded to the second email from a soldier at our local base.  They young man asked a few questions, said he could borrow a pick up and would be there in 45 minutes.  My friend said, “Come and get it.”

An email was sent to the first woman letting her know the tank was no longer available.  She replied with a scathing, and angry, name-calling  email.  Wow.  She had two or three weeks to come get the tank.  Every other day, there was something that stopped her.  She never committed to simply pick it up.

Do we let this happen to the good in our lives?  Do we ask God for something and then never accept it?  Some people put things off.  Some people do things right away.  Maybe this is about personality type.  What is with the anger and telling someone off who spent two or three weeks trying to give you something that you wanted absolutely free?

The celebration of Easter has just passed.  God sent redemption and hope to an angry, hurting world.  It cost him dearly, but to us it is free. 

Do we find a reason every day to not accept the good he has for us, or this amazing gift of redemption?  Do we have questions about it we need to explore?

Photo by Michal Marcol

The journey begins.  The week that changed the world as we know it starts today.  It is the journey to the cross. 

Palm Sunday is a celebration.   We look from our perspective today, and 2000 years ago Jesus rode into Jerusalem.   People laid down their cloaks, and palm branches and celebrated the spirit of God made known to us.  We sing songs.  We rejoice.

There was great excitement as Jesus entered the city.  People crowded around and watched and cried out “Hosanna”.  Some understood the Messiah had come without a doubt.  Some had heard rumors, some were curious, some were skeptics.  No one knew that day what would happen in a week. 

It is a different perspective for us today, as we know what is in store. We know there will be trials, betrayal, suffering, pain, and death.  There will be a resurrection.

My friend and teacher Rev. Randy Jessen asks, “Would you lay down your cloak?  What would you lay down?  Would you go back later and retrieve what you had laid down?”   

With joy we come before the most Holy God.  Let us lay down our pain and suffering.  Let us release our anger and heavy burdens.  Let us keep moving forward with you Father God, so that we do not return to retrieve those things we laid down and need to leave behind.  Let us know the spirit of God.  Let us sing new songs to you and celebrate.  The celebration of our blessing of redemption is a week away.  Help us find comfort, truth and grace.  Amen.

Heavenly Father, we all long for simplicity in our lives.  Help us to find contentment.  There are people and physical things that we have outgrown, or that have held us back.  There are times we have held others back as well.

Help us to release.  We let go of the people, and things that are no longer part of the divine plan for our lives.  We release them all to their highest good.  We forgive them, and they forgive us.  We leave them with our blessings.  They release us also. 

We are now free to move forward into the divine plan of our lives.  We are free, and we are content.  Let us dwell in your presence.  Amen

Photo by Erin

The main thing is to keep the main thing, the main thing.

As Christians we have many examples of what is important in life when we look at the life of Jesus.

He said to be “fishers of men, and cast your nets upon the sea”, “Heal the sick.”, “Have faith, your faith has made you well.”  In Mark Chapter 25 he tells us about the kingdom of heaven. 

Mark 25:34 – 36 Come you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger, and you invited me in; naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison, and you came to me.

Grace and compassion for others, is the main thing.  Prayer and keeping our spirits whole is also important.  God will give us the nudge and whisper to our spirits the ways we can be part of the kingdom.  It isn’t always some huge difficult thing.  It is often something simple for us, but can be life changing for the recipient.   Go into the world today.  What do you have to offer? 

God, help us to all find the beautiful gift we each have to share with the world.  Let us touch another life with joy and encouragement.  Let us alleviate human suffering.  Let our love shine for our neighbors.  And let us love you God, with all our hearts and all our souls, and with all our minds. Keep us from loosing track of what is important.  Let us not be distracted with unimportant tasks, gossip, and planning for things outside of our control.  Guide us, be with us.  Amen.

Holy and amazing God, thank you for this New Year and the blessing it brings to each of us.  Let us recognize opportunities to grow spiritually, emotionally, and intellectually.  Let us recognize and act on the chance to be generous to all we know and see. 

I pray for each of you to have a fantastic 2010.  May God shower you with his rich blessings and may he speak to you and hold you in his love.  Thank you for reading this blog.  I appreciate your comments and thoughts more than you know.

I have launched another blog called Fast300Meals.  I am beginning a journey to fast 300 meals in 365 days. It is a spiritual and physical journey.

Photo by Chrissy Oldham

The flower reminds me of how I must look to the casual observer; a little wind blown, not symmetrical, slightly disorganized and undisciplined.  Never the less, I show up in full bloom with the grace, passion and form that God gave me.

I enjoy the new trends in the personal development blog sites.  Many writers encourage excellence, simplicity, passion in our work and  generosity.  People are sharing lessons learned, helpful hints, and encouragement daily.  That is part of the Kingdom of God.  It is about what we do for each other.  It is often about what we are willing to give of ourselves.

There is an order to the universe.  It may not match our perception of order and achievement, but the events are not all random, and there is a  divine order.  Each experience is a step toward our future and if we choose, can build our strength.  Each lesson learned, however painful, prepares the way for how we deal with future experiences and how we might learn to love to the fullest.

Father God, thank you for the beauty of the day and of the season.  Let us discover the nature of you God, as we lend a helping hand or kind word to others.  Allow us to cross over the barriers of race, religion, occupation, and social status to find our higher purpose and compassion  in serving each other.  Bring your divine order and simplicity to our lives.  Let grace and loving kindness shine from each of us. Let us bring out the best in each other.  Let us be a blessing today. Amen

I would like for us all to pray for people to find great jobs with wonderful pay.  Also let’s pray for property to sell at the asking price. 

Father God, we ask for your rich and wonderful blessings for people everywhere.  Let those who need work, find it.  Let property be released and sold at asking price.  We thank you for answered prayer.  We thank you for hearing us, caring for all of us, and for guiding and directing us.  Amen

 

Lots of thought and debate are given to Karma.  If I am angry with someone and express it, does hot coffee get spilled in my lap later?  I don’t know about Karma. 

I believe what goes around, comes back around.  I also know for sure that giving a blessing to someone is a wonderful gift. I do believe there is much suffering in the world.  Cursing and hatred have never mended or made anything better so far.

Forgiving each other, praying for each other, blessing each other.  Now that removes the power of misery and suffering. It may still exist, but you can get a reprieve from it.  Walk in love and be generous with blessings today.