On Wednesday nights we have been looking at and exploring the practices in the book The Sacred Way. This Wednesday night we will be ending our look at The Sacred Way. The last session the spiritual practice we are exploring is service. Instead of us sitting around and talking about service we are going to visit Hospital Hospitality House in Nashville and help them out. We will be leaving Tusculum at 6:30PM on Wednesday. I hope to see you then.
Peace,
Nate
Collaborative Preaching Preparation
“The practice of collaborative preaching is eliciting the input of multiple people in the process of sermon preparation.” In the spirit of the youth, young adults, & other adult volunteers collaborating to do the 30 Hour Famine Feb 27 & 28th I want to collaborative with you in preparing the sermon for March 1st. Fasting is a communal experience and so is a sermon. It is God’s word to the community gathered for worship. Here is how to participate if you are interested.
Scripture for Collaborative Preaching Preparation
Isaiah 58:3-12
2 Timothy 2:14-22
The quotations above come from an article that can be read by going to this site http://www.worshipconnection.cokesbury.com/content.aspx?dyn=1604
Peace, Nate
Wednesday night we will be discussing Chapter 3 of the book “Sex God” by Rob Bell. This chapter speaks on how we as individuals should move towards living not as animals or angels but in the space “tension” between the two.
”Just as the physical world is linked with deeper spiritual realities, sex and God are intimately connected. But how? With unusual beauty and insight, Bell addresses this intriguing question to help you better understand that we can’t talk about ourselves as sexual beings without asking who made us that way. An enlightening exploration of sexuality and spirituality.”
This Sunday is Super Bowl Sunday! It is a bittersweet day for me. Though I love the Super Bowl, I hate that it is the last meaningful game until September. I don’t really know who to root for this year. I really can’t stand the Steelers and freaking Cardinals has the man (Kurt Warner) who was on the team who beat the Titans in the Super Bowl. Who am I kidding…GO CARDS! What an awesome story that would be…and Larry Fitzgerald is a beast! We are having a party over at Tim & Lisa’s so if you got nowhere to watch the game join us at Tim & Lisa’s.
The T.Y.A.C. is partnering with TCPC youth group to do the 30 Hour Famine Feb 27 & 28. A schedule and more details to come. Mark your calender! If you want more info on 30 Hour Famine check out these sites
Peace,
Nate
December 20th
Tusculum Young Adult Christmas Party
Meet at Tusculum C.P. Church 5PM
We will be purchasing items (toiletries, socks, underwear, linens) to give to residents of Matthew 25 Inc.
Since 1986 MATTHEW 25 has been “helping men who are helping themselves”. Yearly, MATTHEW 25 provides over 240 men transitional housing, meals, a drug and alcohol free environment, structured programs, and referral services to help them maintain employment and independent housing. Currently 60% of those who enter Matthew 25 stay at least 60 days, maintain stable employment, and move into permanent housing.
http://matthew25help.org/?q=node/10
Afterwards we will go out to eat. I hope to see you December 20th!
After the main sessions I went to a breakout session with Todd Phillips. (http://www.bluefishtv.com/Bio/1057/Todd_Phillips) His session was on the practice of Sabbath keeping. The question for a long time has been how do we as Christians keep the Sabbath. Is it a Saturday/no work/strict observance or is it setting time aside to seek God’s presence and has nothing really to do with day. One of the things that Todd pointed out was Jesus wants to set us free from bondage on the Sabbath. Jesus did teach a lot about setting people free on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1-14, Mark 2:23-27, Luke 13:9-17 are just a few places you read that.) There are two reasons in the Law in how to keep the Sabbath. One (Exodus 20) is to remember God rested, “For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” Two (Deuteronomy 5) is to remember God freeing Israel from Egypt. In order for the Sabbath to be kept we need to learn that there are two distinct ways of Sabbath keeping. One, is to rest. Not just lay around and get some sleep but rest in the presence of God. To let go of all we have that binds us and find rest in God. Second, is to seek justice. God teaches the people in the commandments that to keep the Sabbath we must remember the justice of God. Todd spoke about how we just need to let go of the “ought’s” in our lives. We get so overwhelmed by life and our to do lists that we forget the time we are commanded to be resting and seeking/doing justice.
Along with the breakout session, Todd spoke at the Main Session. Here are a few nuggets (I have to say here that nugget is not my term but one of a friend of mine and I just want her to know that I appreciate her use of language:) Todd spoke on the need for us as leaders to build the inner life (I believe this was based on thoughts by Alan Nelson.) Ways to build the inner life included thoughts on aloneness. The idea that getting alone with God allows us to build relationship. This involves the intentional practice of solitude and contemplation. Another idea was Communal/Mutual Ministry. Instead (as leaders have the tendency to do) of being a leader who does it all and equips none is to spend time building ministry with others. To really learn to be a good leader we have to learn to give our vision away to others and watch it become their vision too.
Peace,
Nate
Day 1
November 12-15 I went to Dallas, TX for Lead Now/Fusion 2008. Lead Now is organized by Right Now (You should check them out at www.rightnow.org) anyways…Lead Now is an event for leaders of 20’s & 30’s to come together hear ideas/share ideas/and get some much needed guidance on Young Adult ministry. There were lots of Main/Breakout Sessions with speakers like Erwin McManus/Francis Chan/Margret Feinberg/Todd Phillips/Matt Chandler/& Donald Miller to name a few. I took some notes so I thought I would just share those with you and I would love to hear your comments.
The first speaker was Todd Wagner. He is the Senior Pastor at Watermark Community Church in Dallas, TX. Here are a few things that stuck out to me.
-A commitment to be misunderstood.
My understanding being as leaders we should not be afraid to tell people what we believe even if we know it might not be what someone wants to hear.
-The ability to speak the Truth in Love
As leaders the Truth (I think he would say Biblical Truth) should be spoken no matter what because that is the Loving thing to do. He told a few stories as an example of this. Both of them involved encounters with homosexuals. One at church, one at an Ice Cream store (or whatever you call a place you get Ice Cream.) In his “Truth in Love” he kindly explained his personal/congregations Biblical view on homosexuality. He threw in his conversations that homosexuality was no worse than heterosexual perversion (a nice touch). I guess you see what his view of the matter is.
He also made a comment which I don’t have time to really get into but He said that no where in the Bible does it speak against the death penalty (Here is an article by Dr. Pete Gathje my ethics professor in Seminary just thought it might add to the conversation http://www.kcadp.org/Resources/Death_Penalt_as_God’s_Justice.htm.) He didn’t explain how he came to that conclusion but none the less he did say it. In my book not a strong start to this weekend but it was certainly honest and we all could learn something from someone who at least was being honest.
The next speaker (and a surprise speaker) was Marcus Buckingham (http://www.marcusbuckingham.com/home.php.) I had no earthly idea who he was but I am glad I do now.
He talked to us about all the research he had been doing and pouring into his book/DVD The Truth About You. What he explained is human beings focus on strengthen our weaknesses over improving our strengths and that we should be trying to improve our strengths which in turn improve/overshadow our weaknesses.
Weakness- Anything that drains you
Strength- Something that you do that makes you strong
He told us to take a normal week of our lives and write down on a piece of paper everything we do. Put them in two sections… Loved It or Loathed It (I like experiments:)
In doing this you will see the SIGN of strengths
Success (Things that you are effective at)
Instinct (Things you look forward too)
Growth (Things that keep your focus)
Needs (Things that fulfill you)
And you will see the STOP of weaknesses
Stop (Doing what weakens you) and if you can’t stop doing it then…
Team Up (To help in strengthen your weaknesses)
Offer Up (steer towards becoming a strength)
Perceive (See it from a different perspective)
He made points that seem so obvious but were things that I had never considered. I, like most people would see my strengths and go yeah that’s great but what about those weaknesses…doesn’t it just make better sense to spend more energy doing things that invigorate us and less time doing things that don’t. It does but we sure do spend a lot of time on trying to fix shortcomings and weaknesses. It reminds of this scripture “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. – 2 Corinthians 12:9 How does that fit? It would be cool to hear your thoughts…I guess I see it as God has given me those things that fill me, drive me, inspire me (my strengths) and I should feel free to use those in service to Him. Those weaknesses only serve me when I understand that the less of me and the more of God (the creator of my strengths and my strength for that matter) that shines in me well then as Paul says Christ’s “power is made perfect in my weakness.” All this to say…go check out Marcus Buckingham
There is more for Day One but I will save that for another day…
Peace,
Nathan
