Natalie (my Australian friend whom I will be spending next summer with) and I were talking about churches, and she said, "I'm not a part of a 'traditional' church."

I asked her, "What do you mean? Missional/incarnational? Emergent? Something else?"

She said, "Well, I have a home church I go to, but on Sunday mornings I'm part of a gathering at carewerx [where I'll be working next summer]. We open the doors to the community and serve them breakfast, we hang out and talk about life with them, maybe watch a video with some kind of message, and we just love on the community like Jesus would, you know?"

I asked her about her home church.

She said, "I go there to 'fill' my spiritual needs. All my deep friendships are there, we meet in honesty, and we talk with one another and pray with one another, and we worship God together." She mentioned another home church: "I'm also part of a home church called 'home brand.' It's mainly for new Christians or people who aren't Christians. We just get together, play rugby or cards, talk about life, hang out. Some of my friends and I started it."

We started talking about "The Shaping of Things to Come," because she had to read that book for one of her college classes (she is part of a college reaching out to the secular, postmodern Australian world, and their textbooks are the kinds of books Adam, Mike and I read!). She said, "The church with pews, the church as an institution, just isn't reaching people. People don't want it. At carewerx, I work with people who would never go to an institutionalized church, yet they will come to carewerx things."

I said, "The Western world is changing, and the institutionalized church is stagnant. The gospel message is alive, vibrant, and transforming, but people aren't experiencing it because no one's telling them about it. We can't just sit in our pews and wait for them to come to us. We have to be like the early Christians: we've got to go to them, show them Christ's love, show them genuine friendship, and invite them into the journey."

I've got a budget worked out for my three-month trip to Australia, so my anxieties over the money issues have gone down significantly (it will still be tight, though). I have been in contact with Heather and Natalie regarding the trip, hammering out some preliminary details. One of the details includes the flight: it should cost about $1300 round-trip, and Natalie (who is already in Australia) recommends bringing about... oh... $600 spending money; so my goal of $2000 fits in pretty well.

However, a snag has been hit.

Our date of departure is mid-May, somewhere between May 10 and May 16. My little sister's graduation is June 9; so now I have a choice: either go with everyone else to Australia and spend three months there working with the poor folk of Brisbane, or staying behind a month to go to my sister's graduation (she really wants me there). At work for the last few days, I've really been thinking about this, and I am deadset on leaving mid-May. I really feel called to this place; the idea of sitting around doing absolutely nothing for a month when I could be in Australia and working with the poor absolutely nauseates me. I want to go to Ams' graduation, but the date is so far back that it just isn't reasonable. The simple truth is, the mission's trip departs mid-May. I am a part of this mission's trip, so I am going to go with them. Amanda will not be happy, but she will get over it (that sounds so harsh!). This trip really means a lot to me, and if she were in my shoes, well, I'd let her go.

Breaking it to Ams is going to be the hard part. I know she's going to cry. She won't understand, at least not at first. She won't understand that a fire consumes me at the very thought of working with the poor in Australia. She won't understand that this is a chance of a lifetime: $2000 for a three-month trip on the other side of the world! She won't understand any of this, because she wants me at her graduation party so much. But this is the way life goes *sigh*. If the difference were only a week or two, this would not even be an issue.

A quote from "The Shaping of Things to Come":

An emerging missional church... understands its role as an underground movement, subersive, celebratory, passionate, and communal. Mission is not merely an activity of the church. It is the very heartbeat and work of God. It is in the very being of God that the basis for the missionary enterprise is found. God is a sending God, with a desire to see humankind and creation reconciled, redeemed, and healed. The missional church, then, is a sent church. It is a going church, a movement of God through his people, sent to bring healing to a broken world. (18)

On page 22, the authors--Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch--give us a glimpse of what this "missional" church looks like:

[The missional church] will place a high value on communal life, more open leadership structures, and the contribution of all the people of God. It will be radical in its attempts to embrace biblical mandates for the life of locally based faith communities without feeling as though it has to reconstruct the first-century church in every detail. We believe the missional church will be adventurous, playful, and surprising. Leonard Sweet borrowed the term "chaordic" to describe the emerging church's inclination towards chaos and improvisation within the constraints of broadly-held biblical values. It will gather for sensual-experiential-participatory worship and be deeply concerned for matters of justice-seeking and mercy-bringing. It will strive for a type of unity-in-diversity as it celebrates individual differences and values uniqueness, while also placing a high premium on community. (22)

I absolutely love this book. The missional, incarnational approach to Christianity and the Church just stirs up a passion in my heart, and the fact that these writers are wading in the secular depths of Australia (where I feel God is calling me) helps make this book nearly impossible for me to set down! One of the great fears many have regarding the missional, incarnational approach to Christianity and the Church is that relevance will be substituted for truth. Several of my friends are wary of this approach, thinking that it undermines the Message; actually, the missional, incarnational approach to Christianity and the Church has less to do with what we believe than how we live out our beliefs in the real word, in rhythm with God, one another, and in rhythm with creation. Advocates of missional, incarnational living say, "Solid doctrine is extremely important."

Last night commenced the first Southwest Gathering of "element." The participants gathered in a renovated bus garage, where we prayed through contemplative music, reflected on the vastness of God's beautiful creation, and reveled in the wonders of nature. Jeff and Adam led us in worship; Jeff said, "Creation shouts of the presence of God." Adam added, "We, as God's followers, should shout His presence by the way we live our lives." In Adam's "devotional" message, he said, "The Good News is not just about how we get into heaven when we die; it isn't a guide to 'how-to-die.' While the Good News does have to do with that, it is so much more: its message is 'how-to-live,' showing us how we are to live in this journey of ours called life."

Several stations were set up around the room, such as a scripture-reading/journaling station and a station where the participant molded clay in his or her hands as an act of worship (God is the creator, and as His "viceroys" in the world, we too, are creators). God spoke to me last night, which is always good. I am the kind of person who likes to have life figured out; I want to know what's going to happen, when it's going to happen, and how it's going to come about. Unfortunately for me, life is wild and risky and unpredictable. We don't really know if we will live to see another sunrise. In regards to the future, I am concerned about Australia: "Will I be able to raise the money?" God has told me, "Trust Me. If I want you to go to Australia, it will happen." So that's comforting.

cultivating our intimacy with God

Here is the lesson I taught this morning to the high school kids:

All throughout the scriptures, in both the Old and New Testaments, people are intimate with GOD in a real, concrete way: they feel His presence, hear His voice, and experience His involvement in their lives. Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Samuel and David in the Old Testament experienced intimacy with GOD; Peter, John, and Paul experienced intimacy with GOD in the New Testament. An unfortunate mistake is to be under the impression that this kind of intimacy is a thing of the past. I believe that this kind of intimacy is available to us now, if we will only embrace it!

When GOD created the world, He made it so that mankind—male and female—were intimate and connected with Him. In Genesis 3.8, we have an image of GOD walking about in the Garden, mingling with mankind in a walking, talking, dynamic relationship; in the ancient Near Eastern cultures, friends would visit one another in the evening, so Genesis 3.8 shows us that—as GOD designed us—we are meant to be close, genuine friends with GOD. Because of sin, however, this intimacy and connection with GOD has been broken (in the scriptures, this is called “spiritual death”). At the cross, GOD forgives our sin so that we can now experience intimacy with Him, and we don’t have to wait till Heaven—this intimacy is available now! He has returned to us what our sin took from us: connection with Him!

When we rise from the waters of baptism, a new life of intimacy has been gifted to us. This new life is a life of connection and intimacy with GOD. Someone asks, “I’ve been baptized, so why don’t I experience this intimacy with GOD? If you’re right, how come I do not feel His presence, how come I do not hear His voice, how come I don’t experience His involvement in my life?” Some will answer, “It’s GOD’s fault: He’s hidden Himself.” I view this as a cop-out answer; we don’t like responsibility or guilt, so we tag GOD as the cause for a shortsighted intimacy. I say, “GOD does not hide Himself from us; rather, we hide ourselves from GOD.” The answer to the person’s question is, “We don’t experience this intimacy because we do not take the time to cultivate it!” GOD took the initiative in our salvation: He sought us. To us now, He says, “Seek Me, and you will find Me.” He is crying out to us, “Get to know Me more!” The responsibility of cultivating our intimacy with GOD lies with us, not the Creator; GOD invites us into a “deeper connection” with Him, but He does not force it—the decision to a “deeper connection” with GOD is up to us.

“Okay,” someone says. “I want to deepen my connection with GOD. I want to feel His presence, I want to hear His voice, I want to experience His involvement in my life. So now what do I do?” Well, there are no magic buttons, no secret formulas, and no special prayers to unlocking a deeper connection with GOD. Like any relationship, cultivating our intimacy with GOD takes time. When we experience salvation, we become friendly acquaintances with GOD—but more is possible! Throughout our lives, as we bathe in GOD’s presence and live our lives alongside Him, our intimacy deepens: the friendship and connection between us and God intensifies. In Heaven, the intimacy climaxes in what is symbolically viewed as a “heavenly wedding” between the people of GOD and GOD Himself.

The questioner protests, “But, wait, you didn’t answer my question: how do I cultivate this intimacy with GOD?” We cultivate our intimacy with GOD through spiritual disciplines. Through the scriptures, GOD has revealed to us that we can come to Him and connect with Him in what are called “spiritual disciplines.” Spiritual disciplines are simply ways we can connect with GOD. If the climax of our intimacy with GOD is a symbolic wedding, then the moments when we fall before GOD in the spiritual disciplines can be viewed as “dates”: GOD holds flowers out to us, inviting us to get to know Him more during the “courtship” of our lives. Through these disciplines, we connect with GOD, and our intimacy with Him deepens. We begin to feel GOD’s presence in our lives, we begin to hear His voice more-and-more, and we experience GOD daily as He involves Himself in our lives and in the world around us.

Someone asks, “What are some of these spiritual disciplines?” While there are many, three stick out to me in my mind: first, prayer. Prayer is when we talk to GOD and He speaks back; it is a conversational dialogue between us and GOD, like Elijah at Mt. Horeb; as our intimacy with GOD deepens, we will begin to experience and enjoy this conversational relationship. Another that I am fond of is meditation: this isn’t Buddhist monk meditation (though there’s nothing wrong with that!); this is where we meditate upon—ponder—GOD’s word and let Him speak to us through it. Another is worship; one of the Greek words for “worship,” proskuneo, can be translated, “to kiss the face of GOD.” In these disciplines, we connect with GOD and our intimacy deepens.

A hand raises up, and someone ponders, “What will happen in my life as my intimacy with GOD deepens through spending time with Him in these spiritual disciplines?” Well, we’ll begin to feel His presence, begin to feel the joy and peace and contentment that is produced just by being in His presence. We begin to hear His voice: He speaks to us, and we speak back (it is a conversational relationship!). We begin to experience Him in our lives in numerous ways, and we are transformed: just as best friends become like one another as they spend more and more time together, so we begin to take on the character of GOD as we spend more and more time with Him. We are transfigured into a people of love, a people who are selfless, serving, sacrificial, humble, kind, compassionate, caring, generous, merciful, and graceful, as well as very concerned about justice in the world. As our connection with GOD deepens, our entire lives are totally transformed—for the better!

Right now, however, our intimacy with GOD is not complete, and it will not be in this lifetime. It is but a “shadow” of what is to come at consummation; we will not experience full intimacy with GOD when we join Him in paradise. In Heaven, our intimacy with GOD is compared to a marriage: we will live in a walking, talking relationship with GOD.

GOD’s invitation is open: “Seek Me, and you will find Me!” He is crying out to people everywhere, heartbroken as they continue to turn away from Him. He wants to know us more! The choice to enjoy a wonderful, new kind of life is open to everyone now. Does one have to cultivate their intimacy with GOD in order to experience salvation? No, for this is a non-issue; yet, how many people can claim Christ as King and not want to cultivate their intimacy with GOD? May you cultivate your connection with GOD, and may you experience a totally new and wonderful and beautiful way of life!”

Wednesday night Chris, Lee, Pat D. and I drove down I-75 to Jungle Jim's, checking out all the crazy food and such. We made our way into Price Hill, down Rosemont Avenue, picked up Nate, and went out to eat at Applebee's. The laughter dripped like sweet honey. Cassie returned from Pennsylvania and Megan from Florida, so we all relaxed at their apartment and reminesced on last year. I am constantly amazed at how many college friends GOD has blessed me with; these are friendships transcending many of the friendships I experienced in high school. My friends and I walked Newport on the Levee at 2:00 in the morning, sitting down by the river and gazing at the city skyline, telling stories and jokes and talking about how far our lives have carried us since the four of us became best friends five years ago. I can remember the day I met them so vividly: I wanted Dad to take me to see the movie Signs, but he didn't want to see it; Chris, Lee, and Pat D. wanted to see it, and they said they'd go with me (they later confessed they just wanted a ride); so we went to the movie theater, and they kept saying, "We've got to hang out more, Man!" I didn't think they were serious, but the next day we went to North Park, then we went to North Park again the next day, and the next day, and the next day... So to the side are the pictures of my three friends: Lee to the high left, Pat D. below him, and Chris hogging all the space to the right. Good fellas.

For some reason, my supervisor gave me Thursday and Friday off this week, which is nice. I slept in on Thursday (which felt amazing, by the way, especially after getting up at 5:00 a.m. every morning), listened to some Todd Agnew, ate rice for lunch, and hung out with Tyler: we lit bottle rockets out back; I accidentally lit the actual rocket and, seeing it smoking, I turned and ran... right into the gas-grill, knocking it to the side as I fell over and covered myself in terror. Then the little bottle rocket sputtered and popped. Yeah, the intensity level skyrocketed. Tyler went to Kristen's house, so Dylan and I hooked up, visited the Flower Factory (he gifted me with an airosoft pistol), then we spent two hours at Starbucks in Centerville, drinking coffee and sitting outside, talking. Two people--Chuck and Nicole--joined us; I didn't know them, but they seem pretty cool. Dylan and Tyler came over, where we had an airosoft war (my cheek is torn up), followed by a campfire under the... storm clouds.

On Friday I went to the Dragons game with my cousins on my dad's side of the family. Luckily the rain held off. Afterwards I drove home drinking coffee and listening to Enya (big fan). Her music inspires me, as all good music does. My cousins on my mom's side--Jesse and Jared--came over with my aunt Teri, returning Ams home from her week in Kentucky. So we sat around all night, talking and hanging out, casual excitement with random bursts of laughter. Aunt Teri and I built a fire outside and just talked till about 2:30 in the morning.

Today I am going to my cousin's graduation party in New Carlisle, Ohio. Beforehand I hope to write my lesson for tomorrow ("Developing Our Intimacy With God"), read some of a new book I am reading--"The Shaping of Things to Come"--and read Titus. So far, "The Shaping of Things to Come" is an amazing book. It is exceptionally exciting to me, for the authors are doing what I want to do where I want to do it: planting missional-incarnational churches in Australia.

Let me tell you one thing I absolutely love about GOD: we can live lives rejecting Him, despising Him, ignoring Him, and even mocking Him with our words and lifestyles, but the moment we turn our faces to Him, fall down in repentance, and embrace Him in faith... well, our lives are transfigured. I think it's so beautiful how GOD does not hold grudges; He does not give us what we deserve. He gives us mercy, keeping what we deserve from us, and then He goes even farther, extending grace: bestowing upon us favor we do not deserve, granting us those things that we do not deserve. He is so wonderful.