It looks like the biggest gap is in clean-up so if you don't mind staying a couple minutes after to get things put away that would be great!
Come grab a bowl of chili this Sunday before the connection worship gathering. If you'd like to contribute something send Chantelle Kurtz an email ([email protected]). We'll be meeting in the Fellowship Hall at 5:30.
It looks like the biggest gap is in clean-up so if you don't mind staying a couple minutes after to get things put away that would be great!
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As you might have noticed, I moved several pages of notes immediately to the back of my notes pile. I had written enough notes that if no one shared that I would be able to preach a full message. Also, what was in those notes were covered well by both Christie and Sam – thanks for sharing!! (click here for the podcast) I had planned to frame the portion about everyone having their own story by talking briefly about The Horse and His Boy, one of the book in The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. The Horse and His Boy is a story about journeying with each character setting out on a journey, whether it be toward a goal or away from their present situation. Even though their journeys overlap at times, their individual stories remain specific to them. This is highlighted when Aslan speaks to Shasta, who was fleeing from his master after overhearing how he was merely found and that he is now about to be sold. Shasta is under the impression that it was “bad luck” to meet a lot of lions in the course of his journey. Aslan corrects him that there was only one lion. (This is in chapter 11) This dialogue follows: “I was the lion.” And Shasta gasped with open mouth and said nothing, the Voice continued. “I was the lion who forced you to join with Aravis. I was the cat who comforted you among the houses of the dead. I was the lion who drove the jackals from you while you slept. I was the lion who gave the Horses the new strength of fear for the last mile so that you should reach King Lune in time. And I was the lion you do not remember who pushed the boat in which you lay, a child near death, so that it came to shore where a man sat, wakeful at midnight, to receive you.” Shasta realizes that Aslan was instrumental in Shasta’s journey even though Shasta wasn’t aware of it: both at times of joy and times of fear. This causes Shasta to remember the wound Aravis received while they were being chased by the lion, which Shasta now knows to be Aslan. The conversation continues: “Then it was you who wounded Aravis?” [Shasta] “It was I.” [Aslan] “But what for?” “Child,” said the Voice, “I am telling you your story, not hers. I tell no one any story hut his own.” It strikes me that it is important to remember that we are all in our own story and that is the story we are living in. Each person’s story is going to be unique. We should recognize the importance of this both in not imposing our story on others or imposing someone else’s story onto ours. Our encounters with God will be unique to who are and the place currently we find ourselves in our journey, as highlighted by the individual transcendent encounters with Jesus in the Gospel of John. (A second point from the story, which would be more in line with the message from two weeks ago [click here], is that sometimes we don’t realize God’s involvement and leading until much later, just like was the case for Shasta and Aslan’s role in his journey.) Looking forward to talking about community this Sunday. Please let me know if you’d like to share some thoughts. ([email protected]) ~ chris Transcendence might be the toughest word to begin with of the five. Here is the how Merriam-Webster’s defines the word “transcendent” (transcendence is “the quality or state of being transcendent”). tran•scen•dent \-dənt\ adjective [Middle English, from Latin transcendent-, transcendens, present participle of transcendere] 15th century 1 a : exceeding usual limits : surpassing b : extending or lying beyond the limits of ordinary experience c in Kantian philosophy : being beyond the limits of all possible experience and knowledge 2 : being beyond comprehension 3 : transcending the universe or material existence — compare immanent 2 4 : universally applicable or significant 〈the antislavery movement … recognized the transcendent importance of liberty —L. H. Tribe〉 (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary – 11th Edition) In Chasing Francis by Ian Morgan Cron, the main character Chase Falson uses transcendence for the first word that he would like to see developed in the life of his church community. Chase frames this discussion in the context of having an encounter with God beyond the intellectual questions that often dictate the conversation. Yesterday I came across this Thomas Merton quote from his Thoughts in Solitude and I think it fits well with what Chase is getting at in his manifesto: “A purely mental life may be destructive if it leads us to substitute thought for life and ideas for actions. The activity proper to man is not purely mental because man is not just a disembodied mind. Our destiny is to live out what we think, because unless we live what we know, we do not know it. It is only by making our knowledge part of ourselves, through action, that we enter into the reality that is signified by our concepts.” (Thoughts in Solitude, 15) So, I was wondering if anyone would like to share around transcendence? You would just have to share a couple thoughts about (a) way(s) you could see us creating space to foster “transcendent encounters with Jesus” in the connection community? Or maybe how you see that happening in your own life? Or …? Click here for an offprint of the manifesto section if you don’t have the book anymore and want to give that section another look. I still have a couple copies if you want the book. ~ chris ([email protected]) I would guess that many of you are wondering about when we will get to Chasing Francis… it has been long enough. As I mentioned before, both Rob and I felt that writing our own manifesto after reading the book would be an appropriate response. That isn’t exactly what I’m suggesting we all do, at least not for the connection’s worship service. However, what we would like to do is invite people to share around the five ideas that Chase Falson, the main character of the story, shares in his manifesto: transcendence, community, beauty, dignity and meaning. We were thinking that those who wanted to could share part of their experience of where these ideas are/could/should unfold(ing) in their lives and/or in the life of the connection community. It doesn’t have to be tied to the book and it wouldn’t have to be too long. On October 19 I will teach around journeying. After that each week will be devoted to each one of the ideas. October 26: transcendence November 2: community November 9: beauty November 16: dignity November 23: meaning We envision this as a time that we can all share part of our journey to enrich journeying together as the connection. Please let me ([email protected]) know if you are interested. (Also if you haven't read the book yet there are a few copies kicking around my office.) ~chris In Sunday's message on generosity I focused quite a bit on the connection between new creation and the building of the tabernacle. I already had 13 pages of notes (11 pages is probably normal for me and that is about 23 minutes) and was nervous about going long so I held back on these two other observations that further build a bridge between creation and the tabernacle. Peter Enns’ Exodus commentary (NIVAC; Zondervan, 2000) was particularly helpful in the preparation of this message and for the first point I will simply quote Enns: "One important point should be mentioned here, mainly because this will be developed more clearly later on and seems to form a central concern of the biblical writer. Commentators for centuries have noticed that the phrase 'the LORD said to Moses' occurs seven times in chapters 25–31. The first six concern the building of the tabernacle and its furnishing (25:1; 30:11, 17, 22, 34, 31:1), while the final introduces the Sabbath command (31:12). It seems clear that the purpose of the arrangement is to aid the reader in making the connection between the building of the tabernacle and the seven days of creation, both of which involve six creative acts culminating in a seventh-day rest.” (509) The second point of connection is the expression “the Spirit of God” (rûaḥ elōhîm). This is used in both the preparation passages for the tabernacle and also the building passages (31:3; 35:31) for the chief builder Bezalel. This is also the expression used in Genesis 1:2 as the Spirit of God is hovering over the waters. As the Spirit of God is present in the act of creation so also is the Spirit of God present in the building of the tabernacle. Both of these connection points cause the reader to remember the original act of creation and God’s indwelling presence in the world highlighting that the tabernacle is an act of new creation that the Exodus community is invited to participate in. ~chris |
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