Community Worship Gathering in January

Community Worship Gathering

Sunday, January 25

6:00 pm

Location to be announced

Get it on your brand spankin' new 2009 calendar now!

Coming in January: new LIFE Group configuration

Starting the first week in January, this new schedule for LIFE Groups takes effect:

• Monday LIFE Group at 5:30 pm, generally meeting at Ashley & Eric's house
• Tuesday LIFE Group at 6:00 pm, meeting at Allen & Sara's house
• Wednesday LIFE Group meeting later (probably 7:30 pm, but wait for confirmation on this) at Paul & Carlie's house

We'll be offering more details about this new LIFE Group configuration in the coming days, but plan to stay connected by participating regularly in one of these weekly New Light gatherings.

Advent Conspiracy continues!

Now that the season of gift-buying and gift-giving is coming to an end, it's time to prayerfully consider how you will participate in the Advent Conspiracy project we've been talking about since early November. 

Some of you have already contributed to a local project -- buying coats or boots for children in the Parkside neighborhood and/or helping families who've recently adopted children from foster care.  We really appreciate these gifts, which are already making a difference for local families who can use a little extra help this time of year.

During the month of January, we will receive your gifts toward the global project:  helping to install a water system at Humble United Methodist School, a school in Uganda that provides food, shelter, and education to about 250 children, most of whom are orphans due to the AIDS crisis or civil war.  Currently the school lacks a system that provides a consistent suppy of clean water for sanitation and cooking.  We're working through the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries, an agency that has developed strict accountability measures, to ensure that 100% of your gift goes directly to this specific project.

In November, we issued an ambitious challenge:  that each of us match our giving to family and friends, dollar for dollar, with giving to help people in need.  How you will respond to that challenge is your call.  We hope to be able, as a New Light community, to make a signficant gift to assist with this project, so let's work together to see how we can honor the Christ Child by helping God's children in need in an area of extreme poverty -- poverty most of us can not begin to imagine. 

Please give your Advent Conspiracy gifts to Erica, Sara, or Allen, by the end of January.  Checks can be made out to New Light, memo "Advent Conspiracy."  Let's see if we can make a world of difference.

New Light this week

Just one LIFE Group this week

Monday evening ~ 5:30 pm ~ O'Naturals

If you're around this week, we hope you'll join others from the New Light community for a single LIFE Group, meeting Monday, Dec. 29 at 5:30 pm at O'Naturals restaurant, 83 Exchange Street in Portland.  Grab your favorite meal from the O'Naturals yummy menu, and then head downstairs to the community room on the lower level.  Erica will be leading, first in catching up after all the Christmas festivities, and then in a time of reflection as we anticipate the arrival of a new year.

I will light Candles this Christmas; 

Candles of joy despite all sadness, 
Candles of hope where despair keeps watch, 
Candles of courage for fears ever present,
Candles of peace for tempest-tossed days, 
Candles of grace to ease heavy burdens, 
Candles of love to inspire all my living, 
Candles that will burn all the year long.

Christ is born!

Merry Christmas!  We are writing from the mountains of North Carolina, where we're visiting with Sara's family for a few days.  We hope that you are with people you love, and that the spirit of Christmas continues to be alive in you.

Christ is born, and that is profoundly good news for the world!  It's the reminder that God loved the world God created so much, that God chose to come among us, to become one with us... not with power and might but in the most vulnerable, humble way possible:  as a tiny baby, born to a poor, young woman in an obscure village in a remote corner of the world.  Jesus was born not amidst the luxury of a palace but surrounded by animals (and all the smells that accompany them) in a stable;  not among the wealthy or respected but among the working poor.  Jesus' birth reminds us that God knows everything there is to know about what it means to be human.  More importantly, Jesus' life serves as an example of how to live in and through the love of God.

Maybe your gifts are unwrapped under the tree, or packed in a box, or waiting to be returned for a different size, but the gift of a newborn Christ continues.  God's light still shines in the darkness.  Hope springs eternal!  Christmas changes everything.

So we hope you'll continue to claim the promise of Christ's birth here in these days after Christmas, and that the blessings of a newborn Savior will carry you forward into the new year that awaits us, just around the corner.

Light and love,
Allen & Sara

Christmas Giving

A few months ago New Lighters were issued a challenge: to celebrate Christmas more simply this year by spending less on Christmas gifts for friends and family -- and then to match that amount, dollar for dollar, with a gifts to people who really need it. With a little help from Advent Conspiracy we are encouraged to spend the season worshiping fully, spending less, giving more, and loving all. We have pledged as a community to help in the following ways:

We are collecting coats and boots for children in Parkside Neighborhood who are without. If you have signed up for some, please bring them back as soon as possible as it is getting cold.

We are also collecting donations to help develop a water system for Humble United Methodist School in Uganda. Humble is a school that provides for the educational and spiritual needs of 250 children, most of them orphans to the AIDS virus and civil wars.

We are also receiving gifts of money to provide gift cards to two local families in need who have recently adopted children from foster care.

If you would like to make donations to any of these causes, please give the money to Erica. We would like to have the money for the gift cards by the middle of December so that the families can do shopping in time for Christmas.

This video is of a cool song familiar to most New Light folks called "Share the Well." It is a catchy and meaningful tune, give it a listen and think about ways you can celebrate a more Christ centered Christmas this year!

World AIDS Day

As I was spending a little time in quiet and reflection this morning, I found this testimony from a person living with AIDS in South Africa. I was impressed with the hopefulness in the midst of very difficult circumstances. We have a lot to learn from people like this. We also have a lot of work to do to irradicate AIDS and help those who are struggling as a result of the disease. One small way we are doing that is by giving money towards a well in Uganda at a school where many of the children are orphans because of the AIDS virus.

Here is one man's testimony of hope for the future:

The Community, friends, and family sometimes discriminate against and discourage us who are HIV-positive. Friends may avoid us because they think that people will assume they are also HIV-positive if they are seen with us. Family members may push us away because they believe our HIV status lowers the family’s dignity.

Yet I have hope. God saved South Africa during apartheid and the time of bloodshed among our people. We prayed for peace during elections, and there was peace. God is with us, and God’s presence can bring miracles. We who are HIV positive can forgive, forget, stop pointing fingers, and refuse to retaliate in anger toward those who discriminate and belittle. This is the way of Christ.

- Mathabo L. (South Africa)Prayers for Encouragement: Hope for Persons Living with HIV and AIDS, Malaria, Tuberculosis, and Other Serious Diseases

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanks be to you, God, awesomely distant.
Thanks for the searing of shooting stars,
the colors of the planets in the night sky,
the space and power beyond our perceiving
that sparkles the sky of our lives with your caring.

Thanks be to you, God, uncomfortably close,
giving life to dead dry things
-- the dance of pure stillness,
the beat of our hearts,
is your doing.

Thanks be to you, God, known in a body
who blessed as he lived,
who raised up our life
to be gathered as one,
reaching out for the kingdom.

The Pattern of Our Days:
Worship in the Celtic Tradition
from the Iona Community
(Paulist Press, 1996)

Community Worship Gathering

Sunday, November 23 at 6:00pm at 185 High Street.

Join us for a night of worship centered around Thanksgiving. Worship will include singing, holy communion, and a time to share our gifts with God through an offering. As always, feel free to bring a friend

Bring along food or homemade pies to add to our Thanksgiving baskets for our neighbors in need of a little extra help this holiday season.

As we begin our transition toward public worship in our new space, we will not be having a potluck supper this month. However, coffee and snacks will be served starting at 5:30pm, and worship will begin at 6:00pm

Parking is available on the street, or in the parking garage. There is a charge to park in the garage. If you park in the garage you can enter the building from the back hallway.

Hope to see you all there!

The Lost Sheep, The Lost Teddy Bear

Today's Scripture reading is the story of the lost sheep and the story of the lost coin. I really like these stories. I have unfortunately or fortunately heard them enough times for me to not really pay attention to the full meaning. So I thought I would search online for a video illustration that might take me a little deaper.

This is what I found. It made me cry. Maybe because I have a little girl whe loves her cuddlies or maybe just because I want to be treasured and not ever forgotten just like that teddy bear.

The Lost Bear Video

What do you think?

Join the Advent Conspiracy!

This week in LIFE Groups, we're continuing the conversation we started a few weeks ago about Advent Conspiracy. With the Season of Advent just around the corner and Christmas only about six weeks away, now is the time to be making those decisions about how to celebrate Christmas differently, in a way that truly honors Jesus' birth. For starters, how about this...?

• Worship fully.
• Spend less.
• Give more.
• Love all.

We've issued a challenge: to celebrate Christmas more simply this year by spending less on Christmas gifts for friends and family -- and then to match that amount, dollar for dollar, with a gift to help provide clean, safe, reliable drinking water to people in a developing country. It looks like we're going to help build a well for a school for orphaned children in Uganda... more about that project coming soon.

In addition, we're talking about ways to be in service right here in Portland in the month of December. It's going to be fun, we promise.

So here's our Christmas pledge:

Believing in the true spirit of Christmas, I commit myself to:

• remember those people who truly need my gifts
• express my love in more direct ways than gifts
• examine my holiday activities in the light of my deepest values
• be a peacemaker within my circle of family and friends
• rededicate myself to my spiritual growth

Join the Advent Conspiracy!

Love is a Good Thing

This week, as part of the Walk to Emmaus, I had an overwhelming experience with love. Without giving too much of the magic away for those of you who may want to do the walk, let's just say that I was hit pretty hard by how much God loves me, and how God shows his love through the people around me. However, even after being surrounded by all of this love, I woke up Monday morning feeling like I had been hit by a bus. My facebook status turned from "Erica is loved", to "Erica is blech." I was a mess, and that fact drove me crazy.

As I was recovering from this experience I had my iTunes on shuffle and heard a song from Andrew Peterson's new album "Resurrection Letter's Volume 2, called "Love is a Good Thing." I wasn't really hearing the songs that were playing until I got to this song, which seemed to portray just what I was feeling. I played several times over and over, as a reminder to myself. I found an interview with Andrew Peterson about this album where he says; "Yes,Love is hard and love stinks, but love is not bad. Love is good, and if it does stink it's only because it's on it's way to making you into something that you needed to become."

It made me realize that sometimes love hits you in a weird way, and sometimes it hurts, but at the end of the day all experiences of love are bringing us closer to who we are meant to be. God uses love as a transforming power in our lives, so that we may never be the same.

You can listen to the song by scrolling to the player and clicking "Love is a Good Thing."

Lyrics:

It knocked me down, it dragged me out, it left me there for dead. It took all the freedom I wanted and gave me something else instead. It blew my mind, it bled me dry, it hit me like a long goodbye, and nobody here knows better than I that it’s a good thing.Love is a good thing.

It’ll fall like rain on your parade, laugh at the plans that you tried to make, it’ll wear you down till your heart just breaks and it’s a good thing. Love is a good thing.

It’ll wake you up in the middle of the night, it’ll take just a little too much. It’ll burn you like a cinder till you’re tender to the touch. It’ll chase you down, swallow you whole, it’ll make your blood run hot and cold. Like a thief in the night it’ll steal your soul, and that’s a good thing. Love is a good thing.

It’ll follow you down to the ruin of your great divide, and open the wounds that you tried to hide. And there in the rubble of the heart that died you’ll find a good thing. Love is a good thing.

Take cover, the end is near. Take cover, but do not fear. It’ll break your will, it’ll change your mind, it’ll loose all the chains of the ties that bind. If you’re lucky you’ll never make it out alive, and that’s a good thing. Love is a good thing.

It can hurt like a blast from a hand grenade when all that used to matter is blown away. There in the middle of the mess it made you’ll find a good thing.Yes, it’s worth every penny of the price you paid. It’s a good thing.

Love is a good thing.
Do not fear.

Meet the Pastors

Allen Ewing-Merrill grew up in Searsport – two hours up the coast from Portland – and graduated from the University of Maine, Orono. After teaching high school English for four years – one at Bangor High School and three at Searsport District High School – he answered the call to ministry, graduating from Boston University School of Theology in 2000. He has served churches in Patten, Maine; Wilmington, MA; and Hudson, MA. Allen's special interests in ministry include preaching, creative worship, leadership and visioning, worship arts, and teaching.

Sara Ewing-Merrill grew up on the prairie in South Dakota, the daughter of two preachers’ kids (her grandfathers are both retired pastors). Sara is a graduate of Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln, Nebraska. She moved to our nation’s capital to pursue seminary studies at Wesley Theological Seminary, from which she graduated with a Masters of Divinity in 2003. She has served churches in Old Orchard Beach & Saco, Maine and Sudbury, MA. Her special interests in ministry include sacred dance, worship arts, and exploring new forms of worship.

Allen & Sara are the parents of Rachel, born in July 2006. They moved to Portland from Hudson, MA in July 2007 to begin their ministry as co-pastors of New Light, and they are so excited to be on this adventure together!

Scattering New Blessings

Often we anxiously seek the will of God,
as if God had gleefully hidden dreams for us
deep in unfathomable places.
As if it were God's intention
that our whole lives be spent
in endless searching for signs and directions
buried in obscurity.
The will of God is that which brings us
peace and fullness of life.
The will of God is the seed of our dreams
ever gestating with possibility
and longing to leap forward
scattering new and surprising blessings
in our gray reality.

-- Edwina Gateley, from A Mystical Heart
with a nod to inward/outward, Church of the Saviour

Principles and Policies for Christian Voters

I have been reading the latest edition of Sojourners Magazine this week. I found in it a voters guide which I thought was broad and deep about the issues that I think Christians should be concerned about.

Sojourners' subtitle is "Faith, Politics, and Culture." I find that most of the time I agree with their perspective on issues. Jim Wallis of Sojourners wrote the book God's Politics a few years ago. He now shares a blog with others by the same name. It has lots of interesting articles about issues in this year's election.

Check it out. What do you think?

Jesus is a friend of mine.

So word's getting out that we're searching for a lead musician, as we take steps toward developing a new worship gathering (monthly, and then weekly in March).

Check out this video for a little inspiration. That's what we're going for, right? Or not.

New Light in the news!

This week, New Light and our partner church, Chestnut United Methodist Church, are making news!

A reporter from The United Methodist Reporter, a newspaper with nation-wide circulation, recently interviewed several people from Chestnut and New Light and wrote an article highlighting our ministry. The article is already posted online, through their blog, The United Methodist Portal, and will appear in the print verion of the newspaper on the front page of their October 31 issue. (We're hoping to get some copies of the print version to pass around.)

You can read the article online by clicking here.

In other news, read about a facebook conversation Allen recently had with a former student who read this article, who's probalby expressing pretty typically the way young adults think about the church...

Beverage Tax and Health Care

I don't know everything about taxes or the Dirigo Health Care program, but it seems to me that it is a good thing for a program to exist to cover the uninsured. There certainly isn't a federal program to give coverage to those who don't have any, so some states have stepped up and offered various programs.

The Maine Public Broadcasting Network did a great overview of the issue and the ad of the Vote No on One Campaign.

Allen had a Free Medical Clinic at his old church. While he was there we both became aware of the crisis of the uninsured in the United States. We got to know organizations like Cover the Uninsured. The numbers at now up to 46 Million Americans, including 9 Million children are without health care coverage in the United States. This means that people either do not seek medical treatment when they need it or they pay the enormous costs themselves or their costs are covered by some combination of hospital and government agencies (taxpayers).

It seems reasonable to me that the Maine State Government would want to find a way to fund health care coverage for those who don't have any. So for myself, I have to say, I am more than willing to pay $0.04 more when I chose to buy a soda. If that money goes towards giving a child health care coverage that is one tax I am willing to pay. There are lots of taxes I pay that I am not so thrilled about paying, but health care coverage, that one, I would willingly pay.

Community Gathering on Sunday

Join us this Sunday, October 26, at 5:00 pm.

We will gather for our Monthly Potluck and Worship Gathering. After meetings in homes, at the beach, in the apple orchard.... this time we will meet at our new base for ministry, 185 High Street, Portland.

Bring your picnic (something to share) and blanket, or just plan to sit on the floor -- we don't have enough tables and chairs yet. We'll eat and then share some time of reflection, singing, and worship.

It is sure to be a good time for new and established New Light folks. We hope to see you there!

Retreat Fun!

We had an awesome retreat last weekend at Rockcraft, a beautiful retreat center on Sebago Lake. Here are some highlights:

• great times of conversation and sharing with Meredith, our retreat leader
• really meaningful times of worship
• awesome music with Shelley & Mike
• amazing and abundant food!
• perfect weather and beautiful fall colors
• a great experience making mosaics with Priscilla from SPIRAL Arts
• late-night silly games inolving writing sentences, drawing pictures, and folding paper
• laughing until it hurt
• discovering the secret passageways!
• deepening our sense of community

If you missed out on the fun, don't despair -- we're already planning to do it again next year!

Election Guide

In a few short weeks the 2008 elections will be complete. This is an important time in our country, state, and city, when we make decisions about who will be our future leaders and how our state will be governed. I came across this Election Guide put together by the United Methodist Church. It clearly states the values that our denomination proclaims on everything from Energy to Social Security to Health Care. I found it informative to read through this as I consider how I will vote in the various elections and questions in the next few weeks. Take a look and see what you think.

Contemplative Practices

Tonight we spent some time reflecting on our own Contemplative Practices. We used this tree from The Center for Contemplative Mind in Society to imagine where the practices we currently engage in fit in the larger scheme. We also enjoyed seeing all the options there are for what contemplative practices look like. Thanks to Wanda for sharing this image with us.

What practices do you enjoy? What on this tree surprises you?

Join the Advent Conspiracy!

As a continuation of our discussions of wealth and poverty, as a community we've decided to respond by making changes in the way we celebrate Christmas this year.

We're joining the Advent conspiracy.

Check out this video we watched in last week's LIFE Groups...



Can you believe that in the United States alone, we spend $450 billion a year on Christmas? As a community, we've committed to the four principles of the Advent Conspiracy:

• worship fully
• spend less
• give more
• love all

As part of our preparations for Christmas this year, we're going to support a project that provides access to clean water for people who have none. Specifically, the challenge we're undertaking is to give to this cause the same amount we spend on gifts for family and friends -- that is, to match our spending dollar for dollar. Most likely, that means spending less on gifts, since few of us can afford to double our typical Christmas spending, but it also means being more generous. We may also support a local cause as well -- that's a conversation we've just begun.

What do you think? Wanna conspire with us? Join the Advent Conspiracy!

The face of poverty

Over the last couple of weeks, we've been exploring issues of wealth and poverty in our LIFE Groups, and thinking about how, as followers of Jesus living in the richest country in the world, we have a reponsibility to care for our sisters and brothers who live in poverty.

In a world where someone dies of hunger or hunger-related causes every 3 1/2 seconds -- 25,000 people a day! -- can we simply go on with our lives as usual?

The situation is enormous, but it's not hopeless. The resources exist to end the suffering. In fact, in September 2000, the 189 countries of the United Nations came up with a plan and unanimously agreed to a solution. As you'll see in this chart, some of the countries are already doing their part. Sadly, the United States has no plan in place to fulfill its commitment.

I think it's important to learn as much as we can and to wrestle with the realities of poverty -- to think about how our own actions, habits, lifestyles, and behaviors impact others, as well as how changes in our own actions, habits, lifestyles, and behaviors might make a positive difference -- rather than simply looking for quick and easy answers or dismissing the problem altogether.

I own a car and a refrigerator, and I'm not wondering if there will be food on my table tonight. That puts me in the wealthiest 5% of the world's population. By the world's standards, I am rich. I have to acknowledge, that's nothing I accomplished on my own. I got the luck of the draw.

I can no longer look upon those who are suffering as faceless commodities. They are real people, our sisters and brothers, with all the same hopes and dreams, needs, and emotions that we have. And they are children of God, loved by God as deeply and passionately and completely as you and I are. If my life has been impacted by Christ, shouldn't my heart break over the things that break the heart of God?

And so I'm praying: What can I do? What can we do together?

It’s no secret that everything that’s living is either growing or it’s dying. Our spiritual lives are no exception.

The invitation to follow the way of Jesus is an invitation to growth.

Join us for a weekend away from the routines and stresses of daily life. God will be with us to plant seeds, nourish and nurture them, and provide a little fertilizer, too. A bountiful harvest awaits!

The weekend will include good food, engaging conversation, uplifting music, meaningful worship, fun games, plenty of laughter, quiet space for reflection, and free time to relax and enjoy one another in the beauty of God’s Creation.

The details...

Fri-Sun, October 10-12, 2008
- begins with dinner on Friday (6 pm)
- ends following lunch on Sunday

Rockcraft Retreat Center - Sebago Lake

Meredith Manning Brown, retreat leader
Shelley & Mike Tworoger, music leaders

$100 per person suggested contribution
- includes two nights’ accommodations and six meals
- Do not let financial concerns be a factor in whether to attend — assistance is available
- Reduced rates for children. Childcare provided.

Wanna come? Contact us.

Central American Lord's Prayer

Our Lord,
who is in us here on earth,
holy is your name
in the hungry
who share their bread and their song.
Your Kingdom come,
which is a generous land
that flows with milk and honey.
Let us do your will,
standing up when all are sitting down,
and raising our voice when all are silent.
You are giving us our daily bread
in the song of the bird and the miracle of the corn.
Forgive us
for keeping silent in the face of injustice,
and for burying our dreams,
for not sharing bread and wine,
love and the land,
among us, now.
Don’t let us fall into the temptation
of shutting the door through fear;
of resigning ourselves to hunger and injustice;
of taking up the same arms as the enemy.
But deliver us from evil.

Give us the perseverance and the solidarity
to look for love,
even if the path has not yet been trodden,
even if we fall;
so we shall have known your kingdom
which is being built for ever and ever.
Amen.

— Central American Lord’s Prayer

An apple for the teacher

Big Congratulations to Carlie, who's part of our Monday night LIFE Group. She's student teaching, and she got her first apple from a student this week! It's looking a little green from this angle, and maybe not perfectly symmetrical, but it's pretty clear that in Carlie's eyes, this is a precious gift.

We love you as much as your students, Carlie! No -- more! And we're all praying for you and cheering you on as you tackle this big, intense, stressful project...

Apple Picking Photos

We had TONS of fun yesterday picking apples.

You can see the photos bigger here.

Praying for Peace

Today is the International Day of Prayer for Peace, coordinated annually on September 21 by the World Council of Churches, in conjunction with the United Nations International Day of Peace. The objective of the International Day of Prayer for Peace:

"to encourage worldwide, 24-hour spiritual observations for peace and nonviolence on the International Day of Peace, 21 September, in every house of worship and place of spiritual practice, by all religious and spiritually based groups and individuals, and by all men, women, and children who seek peace in the world."

During our New Light Community Gathering tonight, we spent some time praying for peace in God's world. As we lifted up prayers for specific places of conflict and suffering, we placed stickers depicting doves on a globe. It was distressing, to say the least, to see a globe covered in stickers by the time we finished -- tangible reminders of the great suffering, much of it caused by sisters and brothers inflicting violence on each other, all over this earth God created. I can only imagine how God grieves to see God's children at war with one another.

And so, we pray for peace, and we pray that God will use us as instruments of peace.

Here's a prayer that we shared during our time of worship tonight:

Their plowshares are beat into swords

And now their plowshares are beat into swords – as are ours.
Now their pruning hooks are beat into spears – as are ours.
Not only swords and spears,
but bullets, and bombs, and missiles,
of steel on flesh,
of power against bodies….

And you, in your indignation sound your mantra,
“Blessed are the peacemakers.”
We dare to believe they are the aggressor,
and we are the peacemaker.
Yet in sober night dream, we glance otherwise
and think we may be aggressor,
as we vision rubbled homes,
murdered civilians,
and charred babies.

And you, in our sadness, sound your mantra,
“Blessed are the peacemakers.”
We do not love war,
we yearn for peace,
but we have lost much will for peace
even while we dream of order.

And you, in your hope, sound your mantra,
“Blessed are the peacemakers."
Deliver us from excessive certitude about ourselves.
Hold us in the deep ambiguity where we find ourselves,
Show us yet again the gaping space
between your will and our feeble imagination.
Sound your mantra with more authority,
with more indignation,
through sadness,
in hope… “Blessed are the peacemakers.”

Only peacemakers are blessed.
We find ourselves well short of blessed.
Give us freedom for your deep otherwise,
finally to be blessed,
in the name of the Peacemaker
who gave and did not take. Amen.

— Walter Brueggemann, Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth
(Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2003)

Words to live by

"The more we receive in silent prayer, the more we can give in our active life. We need silence to be able to touch souls. The essential thing is not what we say, but what God says to us and through us. All our words will be useless unless they come from within. Words which do not give the Light of Christ increase the darkness."

~ Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Source: Mark Yaconelli: Contemplative Youth Ministry:
Practicing the Presnce of Jesus (Youth Specialties, 2006)

LIFE Groups

This week in our LIFE Groups we're spending some time thinking about what LIFE Groups are all about. Hey, if you're going to be in one, you might as well know what you're getting yourself into, right?

So here's the acronym and a little description for each. (Quick disclaimer: We didn't make up the acronym originally, but we've been using it for a while and we can't remember now where we stole it from. If it was from you, well, we hope you don't mind, and let us know so we can give you props.)

Okay, so here it is:

Live in Community
Living in community means that we share life together, celebrating with one another in times of joy, supporting one another in the challenges of life, and sharing resources – all while considering the needs of the larger community.

Invest in Growth
Investing in growth means that we are faithful to spiritual practices like prayer, meditation, worship, and spiritual reading, both individually and with others, in an intentional effort to grow deeper in our walk with Christ.

Find your Purpose
Finding our purpose means that we recognize that God has blessed each of us with unique gifts, and that as we discover and claim those gifts, and then discern where those gifts can best be utilized, we find our unique purpose in life.

Embrace God’s Mission
Embracing God’s mission means that we strive to be part of what God is doing in the world, aligning our efforts with God’s mission to offer hope where there is despair and light where there is darkness, for the transformation of the world.

LIFE Groups are the hub of New Light. They are the heartbeat, the center, the main thing, the focus of our community life. They build relationships, help people grow deeper in faith, and send people out to serve. As we continue to develop ministry, it will happen primarily through LIFE Groups. Even when we begin a weekly worship gathering, we expect LIFE Groups will be a primary entry point, and if someone comes first to a worship gathering, that's great, but we'll do whatever we can to get them hooked up with a LIFE Group as soon as possible.

So, what do you think? Want to be part of one now? We've got two LIFE Groups going (currently Monday & Thursday, but the Monday one may be switching to Tuesdays), and we expect to be multiplying to three sometime this fall. Feel free to get in touch if you want to learn more...

Light, Jesus, and My Life

As I was reading today's daily scripture reading I came upon this passage about light. I always take a second look when the image of light is used in the Bible...we are called New Light after all.

In the book the Gospel of John, Jesus is talking about his coming death and his time with the disciples before his death. He is the light.

So here are two versions of the passage about light:

John 12 - TNIV

35 Then Jesus told them, "You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Those who walk in the dark do not know where they are going. 36 Put your trust in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light."

John 12 - The Message

35 Jesus said, "For a brief time still, the light is among you. Walk by the light you have so darkness doesn't destroy you. If you walk in darkness, you don't know where you're going. 36 As you have the light, believe in the light. Then the light will be within you, and shining through your lives. You'll be children of light."

I am fascinated by this idea of walking in darkness. Who does that?! We have electric switches in every room so that we never have to walk in darkness, unless we are obsessively energy conserving. I'm not really sure what exactly Jesus means by darkness, somehow it is opposite of Jesus. What darkness looks like might be different for you than for me. I'm still figuring that one out. Any ideas?

But light I think I have a grasp on. Jesus is light. If we believe, or better said trust, in the light (in Jesus) then we have light in us. I have a lot of respect for the Quaker tradition. One of the ways that they speak of praying for someone is "holding in the light." I really like the idea of God's light living in me and shining out to others. When I allow Jesus to have a place in my life, in the center of my life, then the light that brings to me shines on others...at least in my best moments.

What are your ideas about light or darkness and how we as New Light can truly live as light?

Practical Ideas for Ordinary Radicals

I recently stumbled across a list of things we can do to address social justice issues every day. It reminded me of our random acts of kindness day we had recently. This list was created by the Simple Way community of faith, who focus their lives around loving all people, and living in solidarity with the poor. You can view the whole list and learn more about their community here. The website encourages people to "brew up some holy mischief." I like that idea.

• Go out to eat with someone who is homeless, or invite them to your home or cafeteria to eat with you.
• Learn to sew and begin making your own clothes.
• Write one CEO a month -- affirm or critique the ethics of their company (you may need to do a little research).
• Give your winter coat away to someone who is colder than you are.
• Write only paper letters for a month (go computer free)
• Try sitting in silence for 15 minutes a day.
• Kill your TV -- or go TV free for a year.
• Go down a line of parked cars and pay for the meters that are about to expire... Leave a little anonymous note of niceness.
• Write to one social justice organizer or leader each month, just to encourage them in their work.
• Experiment with a post-oil era by going fuel free for a week -- ride a bike everywhere, carpool, walk or hitchhike.
• Gut your TV and turn it into a pot for a plant.
• Try reading only female writers for a year (since many of our problems seem to be stemming from men).
• Go to a retirement home and ask to visit a few old folks who don't get any visitors.
• Buy only used (thrift) clothes for a year.
• Cover up all brand names, or at least the ones that do not reflect the upside down economics of God's Kingdom.

What do you think? Are there ideas here that you might be willing to try? Which ones seem more radical than others? What impact do you think it would have if we all tried a few of these?

Little Sparks -- Our Kids

We have two amazing and wonderful two year olds that have been a part of our community since the beginning. Rachel and Charlotte keep us on our toes and keep us laughing every time we gather, whether it is for blowing bubbles on Congress Street or quietly meditating as we create art. Usually they just go along with whatever the rest of us are up to, or we adjust a bit to make the situation work for them.

A few months ago Alison and I started a class just for the girls, with the hope that others would join us as well. We call it Little Sparks. They are sure on fire! We aim to share the stories of light and love, the ways of caring for others, and a way of loving God with the little ones -- always trying to speak and act in ways that they can understand on their level.

We gather in borrowed church space in the Immanuel Baptist Church nursery. We have been focusing on the theme of Creation over the past few months, starting with day and night, then animals, and now people. The basic underlying lesson -- that God made them all. (No teaching against evolution to the two year olds or anyone else.) :)

Everyone is having a great time! We had a new friend join us a few weeks ago along with her mom. And now the three of them enjoy the dancing, singing, painting, listening to stories together. Sometimes we spend five minutes on one thing, but typically it is more like two minutes. We just go with the flow.

We hope others will join us as well. What could be more fun?!

Monthly Community Gathering

Last month we had a great Community Gathering at Pine Point Beach. This coming Sunday, September 21, we will have another one. First we're going apple picking, meeting up around 2:00. Then we'll return to Allen & Sara's house to make apple crisp, followed by bring-your-favorite-topping pizza making, and concluding with a time of worship, celebration and meditation.

Doesn't it look fun?!?

Join us Sunday at 2:00 leaving from 31 Sheffield Street. Bring a pizza pan if you have one, as well as your favorite pizza topping! Bring a friend, too!

Quarters from Heaven

Allen shares some thoughts about Saturday's Random Acts of Kindness service day, here. Check it out.

Being a Hyphenated Emergent

I hope you'll check out a really excellent post by Phyllis Tickle, called "Hyphenated Emergents."

We who are part of the New Light community don't get all caught up in labels, but we are striving to live into a completely new conceptualization of what church is, and doing it within the United Methodist context and with a great love and appreciation for the richness of Methodist tradition and witness.

Check out this post and let us know what you think. And while you're at it, visit emergent village to explore more about this whole emergent conversation.

Oh, and one more thing: The Church of the Apostles in Seattle, which Phyllis Tickle references in this post, is near the top of our list of must-visit churches!

We welcome Paul Nixon

Gathering this Thursday, September 11
6:00 pm
Allen & Sara's house: 31 Sheffield Street, Portland

We are so glad to welcome Paul Nixon to Portland and to our New Light community! Paul is the coach with whom we are working as we develop this new community of faith. After his July visit was postponed due to severe thunderstorms in the D.C. area that interfered with air travel, at long last he's with us this week, Wednesday evening through Friday afternoon.

Paul is the pastor of Epicenter Church, a new United Methodist community of faith focused on serving the people who live in the urban expanse of greater Washington DC. Formerly the Director of Congregational Development for the Alabama-West Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church, Paul is the author of several books: Fling Open the Doors: Giving the Church Away to the Community (2002); Healing Spiritual Amnesia (2004); I Refuse to Lead a Dying Church (2007); and a fourth focusing on urban ministry, now in the works.

Prior to his move to D.C., Paul and his son lived for several years on the coast of northwest Florida, where Paul served first on the leadership team of the 4000-member Gulf Breeze United Methodist Church, and then as the founding pastor of Gulf Breeze Church’s east campus, the Community Life Center.

Here's what Paul says about his current ministry with Epicenter, an exciting new church start in the D.C. area: "We are a multi-site church with locations in Arlington, Washington and Silver Spring. We will be launching weekly worship services in Arlington and in Downtown DC beginning in the fall of 2008. We anticipate eventually joining the people from our various sites together monthly for a high-energy Epicenter Celebration, with an eclectic blend of music, other art forms, and faith sharing -- a spiritual Earthquake event, where God shakes us up and sends us out to live out God's dreams for the city."

Be sure to join us for a gathering of the New Light community this Thursday, September 11, at 6:00 pm, at Allen & Sara's house (31 Sheffield Street) where Paul will help us work through some questions and challenges as we continue to develop the ministry of New Light here in Portland. We'll have take-out food, great fellowship, good conversation, and plenty of laughter.

You are Blessed

I don't know about all of you, but there are certain scriptures that I have read so many times that they almost lose their meaning for me, unless they are engaged in a new way. On Sunday I was doing my daily devotions reading "The Beatitudes" and found myself thinking "I've heard all of this before," but didn't feel like it had any significant relevance to me. After all, I don't often consider myself to be meek, or persecuted because of righteousness. So, I turned to The Message, and was really moved by what I read. I'll share it with you here:

Matthew 5- You're Blessed

1-2 When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said:

3"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

4"You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.

5"You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.

6"You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat.

7"You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'care-full,' you find yourselves cared for.

8"You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

9"You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family.

10"You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom.

11-12"Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

I found each line speaking to me, and to the people around me. Often we feel at the end of our ropes, and like we've lost everything important to us, but Jesus says it is at those times when each one of us are blessed. These are the times when, if we allow it, there is more of God and less of us, when we are embraced, and cared for, and when become the proud owners of everything that cannot be bought.

Monthly Worship and Apple Picking

Our next monthly worship gathering will be Sunday, September 21st. We will meet at Allen and Sara's house to 2pm to go apple picking as a group. Following apple picking we will return to their house to make homemade pizzas and apple dessert. (Allen supposedly has a world famous apple crisp recipe!) Bring your favorite pizza topping to share, the basics (crust, sauce and cheese) will be provided.

Can't make it until later? Dinner and worship will begin at 5pm, feel free to join us when you can make it! As usual all are welcome!

First Saturday Service: Random Acts of Kindness

Saturday, September 6
on the streets of Portland!

After taking a little break during July and August, we're ready to start up again with First Saturday Service! Our first event to kick off the fall is going to be a blast!

We'll meet up about 10 am at Coffee By Design (620 Congress Street, Portland) and then head out in groups to commit Random Acts of Kindness -- things like handing out coupons for free cups of coffee, stuffing parking meters, opening doors, picking up trash, maybe giving out quarters for loads of laundry at the laundromat, dropping quarters on the sidewalk, offering free hugs, stuff like that...

We'll plan to end with lunch, and of course, we'll invite find some people who look like they could use a free lunch or a friendly conversation to join us.

Get in on the action and help us spread a little joy on the streets of Portland this Saturday as we commit Random Acts of Kindness!

Faith instead of Belief

A few weeks ago my mother sent me the link to this essay. You know how it is... I thought I'll get around to it. A week or so went by and I finally found the time (or made the time) to sit down and listen. I was impressed and amazed at the articulate way that Sara Miles shares about the faith that she came to after believing that the church was totally irrelevant.

She understands her work of feeding the hungry through her church food pantry as making space for God, which she symbolizes by distributing the food from the altar. My prayer is that our community is a place where other people can encounter God in the same way she did.

Listen to her story here.

How does she inspire you?

new look for the blog!

We've tried to develop a new look for the blog that uses colors consistent with our New Light logo, while giving the logo a stronger presence.

What do you think about the new look?

Our Mission and Vision

Our Mission:
The New Light community exists as a safe place to explore the way of Jesus and to express God’s love in our neighborhood and world.

Our Vision:
New Light envisions a world that embraces community, celebrates inclusivity, expresses creativity, seeks transformation, and practices simplicity.

Our Core Values:

• Community: Faith is a journey best traveled with others who share common values and a common commitment to life together. We strive to be formed as a community steeped in God’s love, expressed in loving relationships with one another, and engaged in the larger community in which we live.
  
  
• Inclusivity: No one is outside the bounds of God’s grace. We strive to practice generous hospitality, welcoming and embracing everyone with the same love we have received from God. We affirm the sacred worth of every human being – no exceptions.
  
  
• Creativity: At the foundation of our faith is the story of a God we call Creator – a God who is continually in the process of creating, who gifts us with creativity and invites us to create. We strive to incorporate music, drama, visual arts, dance, and other creative elements in all that we do.
  
  
• Transformation: As we journey inward, we strive for transformed lives that better reflect the love of Christ; as we journey outward, we strive for a transformed world that better reflects God’s vision of peace and justice.
  
  
• Simplicity: In a world preoccupied with materialism, consumption, and greed, we long for a simpler way. We strive to live simply, both individually and in our life together; to generously share our resources and practice faithful stewardship of God’s Creation.

We All Scream for Ice Cream

On Monday, August 25th @5:30pm at the Parkside Neighborhood Center (on the corner of Grant and Mellen Streets), New Light and Chestnut will merge as we meet some of our neighbors.

We will serve delicious ice cream and play fun games with the children. Bring an ice cream scoop (if you have one) and a smile! This is our first opportunity to get into the neighborhood, begin to build relationships with people, and to have a little fun!

We will have dinner following ice cream (hey, it's still summer!) at Erica's apartment
on State Street!

Wesley Covenant Prayer, remix

During our LIFE Groups this week, we spent some time reflecting on the words of the Wesley Covenant Prayer, which is part of our suggested daily devotions each day. One of the ways we engaged the prayer was by inviting people to rewrite the prayer in their own words -- to make the words their own. Here's what I came up with, which I think really does reflect my personal prayer right now:

God, I belong to you --
all of me to all of you.
May there be less of me
and more of you
every day,
wherever I am,
whatever I'm doing,
whatever I'm facing --
working or unemployed,
in prosperity or in pain;
when I'm celebrated
and when I'm ignored;
when all is well
and when all comes up empty;
when my cup is full
and when my wants are many.
I give it all up, Lord --
less of me and me of you.
Take it all.
And now, God,
great One above all
and in all
and beneath all,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
I belong to you --
all of me to all of you.
And now, what I say with my lips,
may I live it fully
and deeply
eternally.
Amen.

Worship at the Beach - Sunday, August 24

We're getting together for our monthly Potluck & Worship Celebration this Sunday, August 24, but this month it's got a little summer twist.

Meet up at Wanda & David's house (12 Ryefield Drive, Scarborough) at 4:00 pm -- or carpool from Allen & Sara's house (31 Sheffield Street, Portland) about 3:30 pm -- and weather-permitting, we'll head to Pine Point Beach.

Bring your own basic picnic dinner and (optional) something to share, as well as beach toys: Frisbee, ball, kite, shovel and pail, whatever. Oh, and bring friends, too -- they're always welcome! We'll have some fun on the beach, then share a picnic dinner together, followed by worship on the beach.

During worship we will receive an offering, which we'll use for a special Random Acts of Kindness event on Saturday, September 6. Please come prepared for this offering. It's always fun to give to God, and this time it's going to be fun to give away in a couple of weeks!

If the weather doesn't cooperate on Sunday afternoon, do not despair: we'll still have fun with some games, a picnic, and worship in Wanda & David's living room -- but sorry, no Frisbee-throwing in the house.

Hey from Orlando!

Erica, Carlie, Sara, and I are in steamy Orlando this week at the School of Congregational Development, sponsored every year by national leaders in The United Methodist Church.

We're learning lots of useful things, making some good connections with others who share similar dreams for the church, bonding, and eating way too much ice-cream.

Read some of my reflections here:

Day One

Day Two

Day Three

Our Mission and Vision

Our New Light Leadership Community had an opportunity to spend a full day together this week on a little leadership retreat. We shared morning prayer and worship together, had lunch together, and broke for prayer several times over the course of the morning and afternoon. In the midst of this prayerful setting, our primary task was to consider some larger-picture issues of leadership and vision as we continue to develop this exciting new faith community in Portland.

Here are some of the fruits of our prayer and discussion:

A new mission statement for New Light:

• The New Light community exists as a safe place to explore the way of Jesus and to express God’s love in our neighborhood and world.

A new vision statement for New Light:

• New Light envisions a world that embraces community, celebrates inclusivity, expresses creativity, seeks transformation, and practices simplicity.

And then further exploration of the core values identified in the vision statement:

• Community: Faith is a journey best traveled with others who share common values and a common commitment to life together. We strive to be formed as a community steeped in God’s love, expressed in loving relationships with one another, and engaged in the larger community in which we live.
  
• Inclusivity: No one is outside the bounds of God’s grace. We strive to practice generous hospitality, welcoming and embracing everyone with the same love we have received from God. We affirm the sacred worth of every human being – no exceptions.
  
• Creativity: At the foundation of our faith is the story of a God we call Creator – a God who is continually in the process of creating, who gifts us with creativity and invites us to create. We strive to incorporate music, drama, visual arts, dance, and other creative elements in all that we do.
  
• Transformation: As we journey inward, we strive for transformed lives that better reflect the love of Christ; as we journey outward, we strive for a transformed world that better reflects God’s vision of peace and justice.
  
• Simplicity: In a world preoccupied with materialism, consumption, and greed, we long for a simpler way. We strive to live simply, both individually and in our life together; to generously share our resources and practice faithful stewardship of God’s Creation.

What do you think? Do these faithfully represent your experience of the New Light community? Are they statements that express your vision for our community and for God's kingdom?

Wayside Soup Kitchen

New Light LIFE Groups will be serving dinner at the Wayside Soup Kitchen this month. Mark your calendars now for August 7th (Thursday group) and August 11th (Monday group). Meet at Wayside at 5pm to help with dinner preparations and stay to serve between 6 and 7pm. Directly following we will share dinner together, and have some time to reflect on our experiences.

This is a great time to invite your friends to come along, to meet other New Light people, and share time with us as we live out our commitment to serve those in need.

Today's Daily Reading

I really felt the depth of these words as I read today's daily reading. I have been reading from a version call The Voice. I really love the way things are stated. I think this passage has a lot to say to us about the kind of authentic, open, humble, hospitable community we are building.

What stands out in this passage to you?

Romans 12:9-13

Love others well, and don't hide behind a mask; love authentically. Despise evil; pursue what is good as if your life depends on it. Live in true devotion to one another, loving each other as sisters and brothers. Be first to honor others by putting them first. Do not slack in your faithfulness and hard work. Let your spirit be on fire, bubbling up and boiling over, as you serve the Lord. Do not forget to rejoice, for hope is always just around the corner. Hold up through the hard times that are coming, and devote yourselves to prayer. Share what you have with the saints, so they lack nothing; take every opportunity to open your life and home to others, even if they are outside your faith family.

(the italics are from this translation. I didn't add them.)

Give me your eyes

I've heard this song on the radio a few times. Everytime I hear it, it becomes my prayer. I want to see each person. I want to take no one for granted. I want to open myself to the lives of other even when they are messy and heartbroken. I pray that God would give me God's own eyes so that I can find the compassion has for everyone.



Looked down from a broken sky
Traced out by the city lights
My world from a mile high
Best seat in the house tonight
Touched down on the cold black tile
Hold on for the sudden stop
Breath in the familiar shock
Of confusion and chaos
Are those people going somewhere?
Why have I never cared?

Chorus:
Give me your eyes for just one second
Give me your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me your love for humanity
Give me your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me your heart for the once forgotten
Give me your eyes so I can see

Step out on a busy street
See a girl and our eyes meet
Does her best to smile at me
To hide whats underneath
Theres a man just to her right
Black suit and a bright red tie
To ashamed to tell his wife
He’s out of work
He’s buying time
Are those people going somewhere?
Why have I never cared?

I’ve been there a million times
A couple of million eyes
Just moving past me by
I swear I never thought that I was wrong
Well I want a second glance
So give me a second chance
To see the way you see the people all alone

Potluck Dinner & Worship Gathering - Sunday, July 20

Our Potluck Dinner & Worship Gathering for the month of July is coming up Sunday, July 20, and we hope you're planning to be with us!

We'll meet at the Ewing-Merrills' house (31 Sheffield Street, Portland) at 4:15 pm and carpool to Shelly's house in Gray. Shelly has a big room in her finished basement that will be a great gathering place for food and fellowship. Shelly's got hamburgers and hot dogs for the grill all under control. Bring an appetizer, salad, side dish, or dessert to share!

After dinner, if the weather cooperates, we'll plan to have a big ol' campfire in Shelly's backyard, complete with marshmallows for roasting. (Rumor has it there will even be some graham crackers and chocolate, too -- which is pretty much a recipe made in heaven!)

Our monthly Potluck & Worship Gatherings are always a wonderful time to get together with the full New Light community. Come for the fun, and bring a friend along!

And while you're at it, mark your calendar for the August gathering, too: Sunday, August 24. We're thinking about a community trip to Old Orchard Beach or another fun summer gathering spot, for a little fun, a little food, and worship in the beauty of God's Creation. Stay tuned for more details about that one...

For the Beauty of the Earth

I had the good fortune of spending time on Long Pond in Belgrade with my family over the Fourth of July. All together there were 14 of us in a small three bedroom cabin, for five days. While I love my family I found being constantly surrounded by that many other people who always wanted to be doing something a little taxing on my increasingly introverted self. I couldn't get through a shower without an interruption from a family member, and I quickly gave up hope on getting any devotional time in.

Sunday morning I decided to get up early, before the rest of my family and take the kayak out. It was an beautiful morning, the lake was calm and the air was just warming up. I paddled to the middle of the lake, and just sat there for a long long time. It was amazingly peaceful. After a while I sang whatever praise songs popped into my head, and I had a time of prayer thanking God for the incredible creation that was all around me.

It is my hope that among the busyness of our lives this summer we all take a moment to sit, and just be surrounded by the beauty of the earth, and to thank God for sharing it with us.

Celebrating the Fourth of July with a Global Perspective

This is my song, O God of all the nations,
a song of peace for lands afar and mine;
this is my home, the country where my heart is;
here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine:
but other hearts in other lands are beating
with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.

My country's skies are bluer than the ocean,
and sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine;
but other lands have sunlight too, and clover,
and skies are everywhere as blue as mine:
O hear my song, thou God of all the nations,
a song of peace for their land and for mine.

May truth and freedom come to every nation;
may peace abound where strife has raged so long;
that each may seek to love and build together,
a world united, righting every wrong;
a world united in its love for freedom,
proclaiming peace together in one song.

This is my prayer, O Lord of all earth's kingdoms,
thy kingdom come, on earth, thy will be done;
let Christ be lifted up 'til all shall serve him,
and hearts united, learn to live as one:
O hear my prayer, thou God of all the nations,
myself I give thee — let thy will be done.

— Lloyd Stone & Georgia Harkness

New Light Retreat

We are planning an awesome retreat for October 10-12 for our New Light Community. Everyone is welcome...those who have been a part of New Light since the begining and those who have just started to get connected with our community.
It will be a wonderful time of getting to know each other better in a place away from our usual day to day routines. A fun loving and deeply spiritual retreat leader will be joining us to lead us in reflecting about who God is calling us to be as a community and as individuals. We will focus on our core values and explore them together. Rockcraft Retreat Center has comfortable accomidations and good food which will make everything more enjoyable. Spaces are available for families and individuals.
There will be a cost but those of us who have a little more will pay a little more to help those who have a little less.
It is sure to be a rockin good time. So be sure to mark your calendar. You never know what crazy things will happen when we spend an extended amount of time together.
See you there!

Spirituality and Children

Tonight our LIFE Group Gathering ended up being just those who are parents, so we chose a topic we wouldn't cover with the whole group.

We had a wonderful discussion using this article.

Through the discsussion we all expressed how grateful we are to have our children in a community where they experience the moments of group prayer, where they hear the stories of love and compassion from the Bible, and where they learn to be concerned about others. We look forward to seeing them develop further in these ways as they grow in years.

Better World Shopper

A few weeks ago after our staff meeting at a local coffee shop, Allen, Erica and I went into Longfellow Books in Monument Square. I saw a book in the window that I was looking for in the store. I knew it was a shopping guide for a better world. Eventually I found it in the "Green" Section: The Better World Shopping Guide: Every Dollar makes a difference.

I went back and forth about whether or not to buy it then and there and whether it was a good use of my money even though I knew it would help me to use my money better. It is even printed on 100% recycled paper with soy ink. That was pretty convincing though in the end I decided not to get it...that day.

I came home and looked it up online. I found that you can even download a version to your ipod and avoid the paper all together.

It is increasingly clear to me that where and how I use my money influences the rest of the world, either by supporting good practices or supporting bad practices. Companies are influencing the world, the environment, and all world citizens through their actions. We need to be aware of our complicity in this system. We don't have to support companies and practices that oppress others and destroy our environment.

In the graphic, you can see the different changes you can make in your own habits that can really make a difference. Their website says:
The above list includes the 10 things that you can change in your life which will make the most difference for people and the planet. If you're having trouble knowing where to begin making changes, start here!

Some of them you might think of and some would not be necessarily on the top of my head. I downloaded the free version to check out the ipod compatibility, but I am planning on getting my hands on the whole thing soon. That probably means another trip to Longfellow Books, but I better walk or take the bus as I begin to take more seriously my life on this planet I call home. I believe that's what God wants from me...how about you?