Jesus and the Bible

John 5:36-42 is a set of verses I read this past week during some time spent with God.

"I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. "I do not accept praise from men, but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts."

I have all sorts of questions about verses like these. Jesus seems to take delight in tearing down our religious ways of understanding God and revealing who we really are inside. More often than not, He would denounce the religious leaders actions as being completely against what God had intended from the beginning. Jesus makes a few points to the religious folk that I think ALL those in faith communities need to sit up and pay attention to.

1. Jesus states that these leaders who have spent their lives steeped in religious training have never heard God’s voice.
2. He goes on to say that the words of God have no place in their hearts.
3. He points out that study of the Bible does not lead to eternal life; He is the way to eternal life.
4. He then says “I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts.”

Is Jesus saying that God’s words are another way to describe God’s love? How does that work out in my day to day life?

The Soul of a Songbird

Why is it that we put so little faith in faith? I mean, when things are going well, life seems easy. Good relationships, a positive bank balance, great health; what’s not to like about living like this? On the other hand, when relationships sour, checks bounce, and we can’t seem to get over nagging ailments, life seems to be without hope. Those of us on this journey of life are called to persevere through thick as well as thin. So why is it so easy to have faith when we seem to be able to see the “rewards” for our faith. Things go south and we start questioning God; which may reveal more than we realize about our faith. Faith is not about some blind shot in the dark, or foolish hope. When life stinks and we cry out to the Creator, we are not expressing doubt so much as we are expressing hope.

We ask questions because we expect some sort of answer. Losing ones faith only becomes a frightening possibility when we stop questioning God and we become calloused, cold, and indifferent.

The writer of the book of Hebrews in the Bible penned the following: “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.” Hebrews 11:1-2

Faith is not about knowing all the answers. Instead, faith resides in knowing that Someone does know, and chasing after this relationship. Faith involves asking God the “why” questions. So keep asking. God is not afraid of our questions.

I like how Maya Angelou puts it, "A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song."

Change is in the wind...

The past few weeks have been a time in the wilderness for me. I have felt totally out of focus. I discovered that my priorities were out of place with God's vision for this new faith community. We have been "gearing up for launch" thinking that advertising will get people (and especially young adults) who are disconnected from God as well as others to our gatherings; and that eventually they would join small groups.

The fact of the matter is, churches OF small groups by definition have more people in their small groups than they do in their gatherings of their small groups.

So the next few weeks will be a time of praying, fasting, and seeking out how our Lord wants this community of small groups to look like, smell like, and be like. The answer is easy (Jesus), the practice of actually living it out is another thing altogether.

What if, instead of trying to get people to sit in our seats on a Saturday night or Sunday morning, small groups of people lived out the mission of the Church in our community? What if people were loved NOT because they might be converted, but simply because God loves them? What if small groups developed based on the arts, music, paint ball, or anything else? What if small groups began meeting in the most unlikely of places? As a result, what if people began to discover how they fit in God's story? What if gatherings of the church became celebrations of what God is doing through small groups?

I believe that small groups can make a VERY big difference in our community and world. We'll see how this all plays out...

Let The River Flow!

As the months hurried on, the leadership within The River began to grow. People found their gifts and put them to use during the monthly gatherings of the church. Small groups helped people to walk alongside others on this journey of life. Our first taste of servant evangelism was a car wash for a dollar. We washed cars, and then gave the surprised owners a dollar! Many were touched by the act of service. Following that, we began gathering weekly on September 9, 2006. We seek to be a community where the unconnected and disconnected can get connected!

NotProud.com

There is a website I found in a book (Rumors of Another World by Philip Yancey pg. 101) that is called www.notproud.com. Visitors to this site can post their sins anonymously. Listen to these voices of sadness…

If I could smack every co-worker and take their responsibilities and salaries, I’d do it. If I could take all competitors incomes and services, I’d do it. If I could hit your face and steal your wallet without looking you in the eye, I would do it.

Sloth: I should be working now, but I am doing this instead.

When my father was in a psychiatric hospital after a suicide attempt, I wouldn’t visit him to get back at him.

i go to college. i used the money i should have spent on housing to buy dope, alcohol, entertainment, and food. i am bad, i know it, but stopping is soooo hard.

I wish I was rich. I want to buy things I don’t need with money I can afford to waste.

I want one laptop, one cool flip phone, one Mercedes, two beers everyday for the rest of my life, and one million bucks in my bank account, that is all I want.

I lie about things I have done to hide the fact that my life has been a meaningless timeline of uninteresting events, characters and experiences. I lie to make up for the fact that I have no soul…

People feel disconnected. There is a strong desire to find one’s place in the grand scheme of things. To be a part of something bigger than ourselves, to reach out and do things we’d never accomplish alone. The problem is, we are so busy with all the crap that life throws at us, that we often fail to take the first step towards trying to find the life that calls to us from beyond.

A Community of Churches

Other churches began to rally behind The River. Culpeper Baptist gave financial support and offered office space. Alum Spring Baptist and Mountain View Community Church budgeted financial support. The Virginia Baptist Mission Board approved pastoral support as well as a start up grant to help defray the costs of getting a church off the ground. It was obvious that something big was behind The River.

Small Groups

The first men’s group launched in Mama Mai’s pizzeria. In attendance (besides me) were Henry Hall, Aubrey Driggers, and Chris Geil. We decided to meet at Aubrey’s house on Wednesday nights. As the weeks went on, more guys joined in. A few weeks later, a women’s group was started.