Gathered around Jesus..

Just came from a class that inspired me about the way we think of Christians and church.

An author/theologian/anthropologist that we were looking at talked about two different ways that we make the definition;

- Bounded Set (think a group of people with a definite circle around them)

In this mindset, you are defined as a christian by what you believe and how you behave. It emphasizes the 'crossing the line' from non-christian 'out' to christian 'in', and the unity and similarity of all Christians (without diversity).

- Centered Set (think a group of people moving toward Christ in the center and a fuzzy line drawn around)

In this mindset, you are defined as a christian by relationship with Christ, and movement towards him. There is still a distinction drawn between christian and non-christian, however the focus is not on exclusion, but on encouraging people to follow Christ. It also recognizes the value of diversity within Christians, as we grow to be more like Christ.

This 'centered' set idea really resonates with me! As we thought more about it's implications for how we view and organize church, I felt inspired by this vision of church. This is what I long for in church:

- Defined by its centre - Jesus Christ

- A group of people gathered around Jesus to worship, obey and serve Him

- Covenant community focused on righteousness, koinonia, shalom (peace, wholeness), hesed (Loving-kindness) and mercy!

- If a community is based on those foundations, then we can be 'real' with one another, in a community of love, peace and mercy, we are free to have deep fellowship.

- Basis is relationship not works or beliefs

- No exclusions, diversity celebrated - most important thing is movement towards Jesus.

All of these things build into the church, as the Body of Christ.

And our Primary Task - to uphold Jesus in our community and lives so that he can draw all people to himself!


This vision of church is just.... WOW!

The people of God. Shalom. Mercy. Amen.

Now that's a church I can believe in.

The story of nom and om

Nom and om were happy together.

Nom and om enjoyed skipping, reading books and going to the library.

One day, om and nom went to dinner together.

Om thought nom made too much noise while eating, and nom thought the same of om.

thus ended the happy friendship of om and nom.

and to this day they battle for each meal.

but om normally only wins one victory each meal.

One day, om will turn the tables on nom, and will begin to win the war.

On that day, ringing from dinner tables everywhere will be delightful sounds of OM OM OM OM OM nom.

And on that day I will rejoice with OM! For the battle has been won.

(And. Before anyone asks there is no deeper meaning to this story. I just wrote it randomly to a friend in the middle of a conversation, while musing the phenomenom (look at those noms just gloating their victory in that word) that is OM NOM NOM, and the unfairness to poor OM. Only one OM and two NOMs. One day OM will turn the tide. OM > NOM despite how it may appear.)

And this is what happens when Liz is overtired. Great.

it was I

it was I
who dragged her, objecting in despair
to your feet, you to deal to her
it was I
full of pride, watched you stoop down

scratch some words in the ground
a challenge laid bare
it was I
the first to leave
eyes rimmed with tears

it was I
strolled up, self-assured yet unaware
to you great rabbi, for your counsel,
on what one should do to acquire the thing
for which I still had need

it was I
walked away, not to leave that which lay
‘neath the earth in short while
your good gift I betrayed

it was I
faced with crowds writhing, irate
washed my hands of your fate
let them all get their way

it was I
‘spite best intentions resolved to sit down, to wait
watched you lead away...

...still worse...
it was I
who laughed, spat and jeered
and when you were whipped

it was I
who cheered

E Read. (C)

Friendship is...

I was thinking on my way home from uni yesterday about what friendship is, and so many of the metaphors that I used to think of just came up so short. I kept thinking 'an investment' but it seems just horrid to think of friendship as something that happens in a bank! There are elements of this idea that are true, but anyone who starts a friendship solely for what they will gain from it, will cause themselves (and their friends) great pain.

So without a metaphor, I settle for just writing...



Friendship is going on a journey without a destination in mind, and savouring every moment

Friendship is 'doing life' next to each other, for each other, with each other

Friendship is in the 'I just need a hug' moments

Friendship is the point where you like the other person more than you like yourself (and especially because they like you even still...)

Friendship is being broken together

Friendship feeds on words, silent or shared

Friendship is letting someone tell you their story by living their life

Friendship is letting someone in, to the world behind your eyes

Friendship is letting someone look for the beauty in yourself that you cannot see

Friendship comes with shared hope, and vision for the future

Friendship holds the light up for the other

Friendship shares the heart

Friendship...

6 word memoir

Came across this: Six Word Memoir at one of the blogs that I follow... I thought it was pretty profound so decided to write my own.

Finding love, finding life in Him.

or perhaps

Clay Pot; God's strength in weakness.

A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall

A lecturer got us to read this song today... so powerful.

A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall

Oh, where have you been, my blue-eyed son?
Oh, where have you been, my darling young one?
I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains,
I've walked and I've crawled on six crooked highways,
I've stepped in the middle of seven sad forests,
I've been out in front of a dozen dead oceans,
I've been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard,
And it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard, and it's a hard,
And it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.

Oh, what did you see, my blue-eyed son?
Oh, what did you see, my darling young one?
I saw a newborn baby with wild wolves all around it
I saw a highway of diamonds with nobody on it,
I saw a black branch with blood that kept drippin',
I saw a room full of men with their hammers a-bleedin',
I saw a white ladder all covered with water,
I saw ten thousand talkers whose tongues were all broken,
I saw guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children,
And it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard,
And it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.

And what did you hear, my blue-eyed son?
And what did you hear, my darling young one?
I heard the sound of a thunder, it roared out a warnin',
Heard the roar of a wave that could drown the whole world,
Heard one hundred drummers whose hands were a-blazin',
Heard ten thousand whisperin' and nobody listenin',
Heard one person starve, I heard many people laughin',
Heard the song of a poet who died in the gutter,
Heard the sound of a clown who cried in the alley,
And it's a hard, and it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard,
And it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.

Oh, who did you meet, my blue-eyed son?
Who did you meet, my darling young one?
I met a young child beside a dead pony,
I met a white man who walked a black dog,
I met a young woman whose body was burning,
I met a young girl, she gave me a rainbow,
I met one man who was wounded in love,
I met another man who was wounded with hatred,
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard,
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.

Oh, what'll you do now, my blue-eyed son?
Oh, what'll you do now, my darling young one?
I'm a-goin' back out 'fore the rain starts a-fallin',
I'll walk to the depths of the deepest black forest,
Where the people are many and their hands are all empty,
Where the pellets of poison are flooding their waters,
Where the home in the valley meets the damp dirty prison,
Where the executioner's face is always well hidden,
Where hunger is ugly, where souls are forgotten,
Where black is the color, where none is the number,
And I'll tell it and think it and speak it and breathe it,
And reflect it from the mountain so all souls can see it,
Then I'll stand on the ocean until I start sinkin',
But I'll know my song well before I start singin',
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard,
It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall.

Bob Dylan

"I'll know my song well before I start singing well"

This line challenges me so much...

What is my song? When will I know it well enough to start singing it?

and...

Read these two blog posts:


"Who Cares"

"Stuff Christians Like: Confessing Safe Sins"

Empathy..

"Empathy is underrated
But I wish I could feel what you feel"
Brian Platt - Gravity (one of my favourite songs at the moment, despite my dislike of 'Platt-man' )

I'm sure I've posted on this before... perhaps I have new insight, perhaps not.

Lately, I think I've become slightly 'seared' emotionally, you know like when you burn your tongue, you can't taste properly anymore, but you still sort of can.
I wonder if that's what my heart (or wherever you store your emotions) is a bit like...
So very often I get to a point where I can not open my heart to anymore stress/anguish of other people, so I cease to become emotionally involved with the situation.

I think what makes it worse, is that I don't act any different, but I know inside that I'm different towards the situation.
I still do 'What I'm supposed to do', be there, talk to them, give them a hug, and whatever .... but inside I just don't Care.

What is caring anyway? Is it doing what you can to support the person? (despite emotional detachment)
Or walking around with their burdens weighing on your heart?
Letting them drag you down, and turn you around in circles? Isn't that true caring!?!

And the terrible thing is, I can still have a heart open to positive emotions, while shutting down the empathetic part :( And that makes me feel even worse.

But.. sometimes it hits you, God just breaks your heart over something....
Several years ago at Xtend, I had a heart-break experience... God just broke my heart over the hurt, lost people in the world who are suffering from poverty, from the rest of the world looking the other way. I actually felt physical heart pain, and was bawling for hours... Not sure that I've quite reacted how I should have... but I do think that my mindset has changed.

I need God to fill me up again with his love, compassion, mercy and empathy.
I know he can... and he's the only one.

A Beautiful Mess

What a beautiful mess, this is...

Just listened to a beautiful song by Jason Mraz called "Beautiful Mess".

Although it's talking specifically about a relationship... I think the truth of this song applies much broader:

"But it's nice to say that we played in the dirt
Cause here, here we are
Here we are"

Life is a dirty process... it scars, it maims, it burns, hurts, abuses sometimes even ruins...

But it's something we get to do together, next to each other, with each other and for each other.

Sometimes the flaws are what reveals true beauty.


Not sure about you guys, but when I meet someone who seems perfect, it just scares me! What's even scarier is when they still seem perfect once you've known them for years...

I think there's something beautiful about the fact that we're all flawed.

Once you come to acknowledge that, and see the beauty past, even within people's flaws, it's just priceless.

I dunno if I'm anywhere close, but sometimes, you just catch a glimpse of redemption, of the kingdom on earth. Spectacular!

I figure my blog deserves an update.. for all it's patience in sitting there, and to be honest... it's always there for me. Sob.

Well plans have changed since I last graced this here page, the missions trip hasn't worked out. I'll just say it's complicated..I'm bitterly disappointed but also content. Some things God just puts a hold on.

I'm certain there are other important things that God wants me to do with my year. I plan on using the time I've got to figure out more about Him.. and about my foundations, and who I am because of them. I'm going to Laidlaw College to study for a Graduate Diploma in Theology (Pending an acceptance letter!), which I'm really excited for!

And meanwhile my world continues to change around me.. life gets confusing at times, or most of the time.

"All my days, I've been finding ways of searching for a better way,
Come what may, all my days, I'm searching for a better way back home" Better Way - Mumsdollar

Forgiveness

As I hold on
To what's gone before
I stumble along
I trip and I fall

I must learn to let go
Let the past fall away
The hurt and the pain
Only causing decay

And my heart that has bled
For far, far too long
Must truly mend,
Bleed out and be gone

What once was is over
What could be still is

And my God, oh my God
Still constant
Remains
'mongst the ruins I've made
Once they're cleared away

A stable foundation
My compass, my guide
I will search forever
To return to your side

The battles not over
It's only begun
But my God, oh my God
Still constant
Remains

And whispers to me
"Fight on for I've won!"