What does our church offer the community. In our world of church consumerism, who has the best band, best Children's ministry, cleverest preacher, best small groups, best lattes, etc. what is our goal? Lives transformed. How do we do that, the right amount of foam or baddest music? I don't think that is it. Church baristas will not have the skills of the neighborhood barista and may lack the warmth of my barista John as well. Music will be rock but for what.
I was reminded of the goal by Simon Tugwell, "We had thought of God as the dispenser of all good things we could possibly desire; but in a very real sense, God has nothing to offer but himself."
Wow.
Our task as a church is to point, promote, lift up Jesus. If we can be the good news, share the good news, be like Christ, and make communion with Jesus our primary goal then we are doing the right thing. Without Jesus, we are just people with crappy coffee and jammin' music that changed lyrics from sex to God without changing hearts.
May our churches, the communities we build, bring Jesus closer to the world. That can be done without a latte, right?
original post found at lines from a servant
Emergent Central Valley Cohort is meeting Wednesday, July 23, 7:00 PM at Mark and Brenda Royce's home (1726 El Paso Ave, Clovis 93611). map
Please RSVP... so we can tell the clown how many balloon animals he will need to make. Am I kidding? Yes.
Needs:
- Some simple snacks
- Friends of yours who could benefit from the cohort’s purpose of a safe place for robust theological conversations and connection with other of the same mindset
- If you have a topic you are dying to discuss please let me know
Websites: We have a kinda new cohort site and I’ve redone our family website that has lots of resources as well...if you want to take either for a spin. Hope to see you Wednesday.
Shalom,
Tom & Bet
t(dot)cotter(at)sbcglobal(dot)net
www.centralvalleycohort.blogspot.com
www.cotterhome.com
7 pm
July 12
Cornerstone Youth Center
1517 L Street
(it's free too!)
-- Shane Claiborne, Chris Haw, and friends are coming to town July 12 - and it promises to be a phenomenal time of reimagining the Christian 'good news' as we know it.
-- These guys are all about provoking the political imagination, subverting the empire, living in community, taking politics beyond what we think they are capable of, making our own clothes, rethinking the way we understand justice, learning how to create peace creatively, eating locally and organically, running on veggie oil, getting into a Christianity that is more about peace, justice, and living simply than it is about telling smokers and gay people that the kingdom of God does not belong to them, and befriending our enemies while we do it.
-- It's not about how we vote on November 4, but how we live on November 3 and 5.
-- All people of all faiths, or no faith at all, are welcome to join us as we figure out how to be a prophetic voice in this mixed up, muddled up world.
-- Check out www. jesusforpresident. org, and talk to Jessica Mast if you have questions - jlm9@fpu.edu or 559-304-3652.
-- Peace!
Bill Mallonee will be playing a concert at casa de climero in Visalia on July 8 at 7:00 PM (home of Guido and Amy Climer)
Bill played one of the first Leadership Network mega conferences at Mt. Hermon.
Bill is great song writer and this will be small venue, my front living room. So, enjoy the opportunity to hang out with other fans of indie music, emergent thinkers, or people who have no clue why they are in my house.
Anyhow, as they say in the black church experience, "We will have a good time."
Fearless Joy,
Guido
Hello friends!
I stumbled across this trailer the other day and nearly wept for joy.
Jamie Moffett's upcoming documentary takes a look at exploring a peculiar kind of Christianity being born in homes and playgrounds and homeless shelters and gardens across the empire.
Please note the soundtrack, if you're into that kind of thing.
Anybody else get the shivers?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNYgwNYf6Ok
