Sunday Re:Wind<<<
This could be the longest that I've ever gone without posting but this week was just one of those weeks where I didn't have much too say. I was anticipating what would happen on Easter and I think there was a fair bit of spiritual warfare going on in my part of the world which made life interesting. But I made it! And today rocked.
Leading up to easter we had to make a choice of what we were going to do, make a big splash with everyone and do stuff we never do just so people think we are cool or keep doing what we always do so that when people come back the next week they know what to expect. We went with option number 2.
We continued to experiment with the conversation style of communicating and it was awesome. It's a bit of a challenge for me because I like to have it all mapped out and know exactly where I'm going. This way, I've gotta make sure I'm ready to go off any of the comments that are made. I actually don't have a lot that is firmly memorized, just a basic concept now and that's a little nerve wracking. One of the questions was "Why do you follow Jesus". It was silent for the first little bit and I thought that maybe we should all pack up and head home but then we started talking and talking and talking....and talking some more. It was cool to see some of us share something and have their comment spark something in another person who continued the conversation. Never have I seen a 12 year old boy share openly in church about his faith in Jesus and why he follows Him...until today. It's been an incredible experiment for us and we've had endless comments from people saying how much they love it and can't figure out why they haven't experienced this until now.
We did communion for the first time today and it was amazing. We decided to do two things that were different from how we normally experience communion. First, we chose not to tell those who don't consider themselves to be Christ followers that they couldn't participate thus singling them out and making them feel stupid. I think most people know that we aren't just serving up bread and juice for "snack time" and that it means something. I explained why we do this in a very clear (hopefully) way so that people understood why we talk about the blood of Jesus and why we're washed in it, drink it, get purified as white as snow by it, etc...and why we drink juice to remember what the blood did. It was kind of a good friday/easter sunday style morning...the whole deal all wrapped in one. Second, we invited people out of their seats and down to the front to get it and take it back to their seat. We don't want this to be something people do because it's being passed down the row right in front of them. We want them to want to participate. I was getting prepared for 5 of us to come down but I was blown away when the music started up again that people just started streaming down. We didn't read the traditional passage and we didn't do one part at a time all together. We left it up to each of us to determine when and how. And to be quite honest...it rocked! The word I've been hearing to describe TXC lately is refreshing...and that's the word that best describes today. Like you've just been out on the hot sun and you fall backwards into a nice refreshing pool...relaxing...rejuvinating...safe...challenging.
This week I want to challenge you to live like Jesus is actually alive. We have a reason to be excited. We have a reason to have peace and joy in the middle of life's storms...to love people for who they really are without a hidden agenda...to have a smile on our faces (yes...I'm talking to myself!). Sometimes there is no distinguishable difference between us and the next person except for the fact that we "say" we follow Jesus...but saying we do...does that REALLY make any difference? Does saying we do mean we are? And if we say we do but really aren't...why? Why do we even care about following Jesus? If people can't see that you are different does what you say matter?
If you say you are...let your life SCREAM this week. Try shutting your mouth and let who you are point people to Jesus.
"Live" the mission...
Leading up to easter we had to make a choice of what we were going to do, make a big splash with everyone and do stuff we never do just so people think we are cool or keep doing what we always do so that when people come back the next week they know what to expect. We went with option number 2.
We continued to experiment with the conversation style of communicating and it was awesome. It's a bit of a challenge for me because I like to have it all mapped out and know exactly where I'm going. This way, I've gotta make sure I'm ready to go off any of the comments that are made. I actually don't have a lot that is firmly memorized, just a basic concept now and that's a little nerve wracking. One of the questions was "Why do you follow Jesus". It was silent for the first little bit and I thought that maybe we should all pack up and head home but then we started talking and talking and talking....and talking some more. It was cool to see some of us share something and have their comment spark something in another person who continued the conversation. Never have I seen a 12 year old boy share openly in church about his faith in Jesus and why he follows Him...until today. It's been an incredible experiment for us and we've had endless comments from people saying how much they love it and can't figure out why they haven't experienced this until now.
We did communion for the first time today and it was amazing. We decided to do two things that were different from how we normally experience communion. First, we chose not to tell those who don't consider themselves to be Christ followers that they couldn't participate thus singling them out and making them feel stupid. I think most people know that we aren't just serving up bread and juice for "snack time" and that it means something. I explained why we do this in a very clear (hopefully) way so that people understood why we talk about the blood of Jesus and why we're washed in it, drink it, get purified as white as snow by it, etc...and why we drink juice to remember what the blood did. It was kind of a good friday/easter sunday style morning...the whole deal all wrapped in one. Second, we invited people out of their seats and down to the front to get it and take it back to their seat. We don't want this to be something people do because it's being passed down the row right in front of them. We want them to want to participate. I was getting prepared for 5 of us to come down but I was blown away when the music started up again that people just started streaming down. We didn't read the traditional passage and we didn't do one part at a time all together. We left it up to each of us to determine when and how. And to be quite honest...it rocked! The word I've been hearing to describe TXC lately is refreshing...and that's the word that best describes today. Like you've just been out on the hot sun and you fall backwards into a nice refreshing pool...relaxing...rejuvinating...safe...challenging.
This week I want to challenge you to live like Jesus is actually alive. We have a reason to be excited. We have a reason to have peace and joy in the middle of life's storms...to love people for who they really are without a hidden agenda...to have a smile on our faces (yes...I'm talking to myself!). Sometimes there is no distinguishable difference between us and the next person except for the fact that we "say" we follow Jesus...but saying we do...does that REALLY make any difference? Does saying we do mean we are? And if we say we do but really aren't...why? Why do we even care about following Jesus? If people can't see that you are different does what you say matter?
If you say you are...let your life SCREAM this week. Try shutting your mouth and let who you are point people to Jesus.
"Live" the mission...
