LIFE Nuggets

Finally Having Something to Say

2010-02-18T07:23:00.001-08:00

It has been a very long time since I have written a note or blogged. Frankly I have been going through a quiet period. I have been weighing whether it i wise simply to write about things that I think about when wiser people than I have already written them. It smacks of vanity and I want to avoid that at all costs.

That said, an experience I had the other night I wanted to share. Sunday evening my wife and I went out for a little while to celebrate Valentine's Day and as is our custom we usually end up at Borders to look for books and get some coffee. Cindy went to her sections in the store and I went to mine. Upon meandering into the Martial Arts Section I found myself checking out some books on Shaolin Kung-Fu (insert Master Po reference here).

The books I looked at were interesting and had plenty to offer but something did not feel right about reading a book to learn a discipline that requires hard work and sacrifice to succeed at it. I put the books back and bought an anthology of Dr. King's work instead.

Monday comes around and as is my custom my son and I were at our Tae Kwan Do class and the day seemed as any other. Upon leaving I was still thinking of those Kung-Fu books, considering buying them again.

As I was about to leave the dojo floor another class was beginning and I waited for the class to bow in before leaving the floor (a traditional sign of respect). As I watched the class I saw the students of various ranks interact with their instructor and it hit me. No book on the martial arts will give you what you get by interacting with a teacher. No book can substitute for the fun of studying in community. You can read about the forms and movements of a martial art, even mimic the movements you see in the book, but it is not the same. It is artificial in some ways.

All of this lead me to think about this from the standpoint of my faith. You see, I read alot, I always have. I do not however, want to substitute my reading for what I do for Christ. This is a danger that we all face. Reading about the latest fad or trend can be interesting. Learning about the things and methods that other people use to plant or grow churches can be helpful, it just doesn't complete us. Far too often what we read (besides the Bible) gets treated as Gospel, when in fact they are just ideas that men have written.

There will never be a substitute for simply going out and living a Christ centered life. There will never be a substitute for living out that life in community with others who can help us do that better each day. Our faith is not a faith of theory, it is a faith of action. It is not a faith that is learned about by reading about someone's experiences. It must be lived by us, by me, by you.

So go live it, go live your story rather then just reading the story of someone else.

The Merton Files Part 2

2009-08-08T10:36:00.001-07:00

Welcome back for another LIFE Nugget. I am blogging from our meeting hall where I am currently watching over a prayer weekend. So far things have been great. It is cool to watch people come in and out of the building and spend time in prayer for themselves as well as for their neighbors. Seeing people engage in personal time with God is a beautiful sight to behold.

Now I find myself in a quite period where I am the only person here. There is a kind of sanctity in being alone in this building. It is quiet, a fortress against the business that waits outside. An oasis. Honestly I have needed this. It also brings to mind something that Thomas Merton said: "Solitude is not separation." The chance to be alone with God is great. It is calming and peaceful. However, we cannot forget the change to enjoy solitude should never separate us from a world that is lost an din darkness. We must go back into the world that we have left and share Jesus with others. Share our lives, our love and our faith with those that need it.

In silence and prayer we can again be filled with the Spirit of Christ so that it will overflow to others. Solitude leads to sharing.

The Merton Files

2009-07-31T12:16:00.001-07:00

In my last post I had mentioned that I was reading a book called "New seeds of Contemplation" by Thomas Merton. What a great read! In fact I have been reading it with a highlighter in hand as there is so much thought provoking material in this book. I thought that it would be fun to take some quotes and comment on them.

Here is the first one: "No man who ignores the rights and needs of others can hope to walk in the light of contemplation, because his way has turned aside from truth, from compassion and therefore from God."

We live in world that is choked off by need, drowning in suffering. Tragically we see those who follow Christ doing far too little to be the answer to someone's need. We are very good about debating what to do with need. We love to discuss what we would do about the need in front of us, but we never take the next step. I am not talking about global problems either. I am talking about the need and suffering that we see in front of us each day.

What are we doing to meet those challenges head on? How are we combating injustice and suffering right in front of us? Merton makes the point here that if we turn aside from being compassionate that we are turning aside from God. A very harsh charge to be sure, but one that I think we would do well to review.

How can you incorporate compassion back into our faith? Who can you bless that has nothing to give back? Showing compassion is showing the character of Jesus to a world that needs to see it.

Contemplation

2009-07-13T09:11:00.000-07:00

Welcome to another LIFE Nugget. I cannot believe that it has been so long since I posted one. Man time flies! I guess it is all to easy to allow the craziness of life to become a distraction. In any event, I have been reading a book by Thomas Merton called "New Seeds of Contemplation." I have to admit that there is alot to digest in the pages that I have read, but it has me thinking.

Merton stresses that contemplation must be experienced, it cannot be analyzed. He does stress that the source for contemplation is connection with God. It is not just about looking inside yourself, it is about connecting with God. It is about finding Him in all situations both good and bad.

Finding God in all things is something that needs to happen in our lives. Far too often I think that reduce experiencing God to the well worn paths of what some call "The Christendom" model of church. While those things certainly have some role to play, they are not the sum total. We need to encounter him everywhere, to be aware of him all around us. It builds a depth to our relationship with Christ that we need today.

So why not take the time to look for God everywhere?

Blessings

Iranians and Freedom

2009-06-20T19:51:00.000-07:00

I have spent this evening watching the news. Seeing the video coming out of Iran, reading the tweets. Listening to all of the talking heads spin their points. What struck me in all of this is not the politics. Not criticism or support of our President, but the responses of the Iranian people.

They yearn for freedom. Many of the tweets now speak of how the protests have moved past the election results and this has become about freedom. They are defying their leaders and risking their lives for the chance at something new. Something different. It is amazing to watch. It moves me to pray as hopefully we all are for the Iranian people and their families.

It also reminds us that there are people in our world who are crying for spiritual freedom. There are multitudes who do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ. We see them every day. We interact with them, shop with them, eat with them, work with them. How far do we go to introduce them to the Jesus we know? How bold are we in the proclamation of the freedom he brings?

Perhaps this is the time that we begin our own revolution and bring the freedom Jesus offers to others.

Via Revolution!

Hope

2009-06-05T19:47:00.001-07:00

Welcome to another LIFE Nugget! I have been thinking and noticing that at times I tend to write nuggets that coincide with the sermon series. I am working to avoid that as it seems a bit tacky to me. So today we are going another rout. I was looking through some of my old books today. Now mind you I have sizable collection of books at my disposal. One set in particular is very special. They are sets of the classics that my paternal grandparents used ot get for me every Christmas while they were still living.

I was looking through them and I found a book of poetry. I am ashamed to admit it, but up until tonight I had never really opened it. Tonight I did and after thumbing through the pages I found the following poem by Emily Dickenson.

"I shall know why, when time is over,
And I have ceased to wonder why;
Christ will explain each separate anguish
In the fair schoolroom of the sky.

He will tell me what Peter promised.
And I, for wonder at his woe,
I shall forget the drop of anguish
That scalds me now, that scalds me now.

I read this and it got me thinking. In these words I see hope. It is human to wonder why things happen. It is even human to allow things that happen to steal our relationship with God. Sadly many have. However, here I see the words of a person who even in the midst of challenge allows hope to stir in the midst of anguish. A hope that trusts that at the end, all our "why" questions will be answered.

I personally like the idea of Christ coming and explaining things in the"fair schoolroom of the sky." Not only is it beautiful imagery, I think that it conveys the patience and love that Christ has for us. That he would be willing to take the time to help us make sense of the the challenges we face in life. Trusting that God will in the end work his purposes for Good gives me hope. It comforts and encourages me.

Which leaves me to ask a question. Do you have hope? Do you trust that in the end God will reveal his purposes? Do you have hope in Christ that one day the "drops of anguish" which scald your life will be forgotten? Allowing that hope to grow inside of you may be a great idea. Why not give it a try.

Blessings

Unleashing Your Inner Monk

2009-05-28T09:36:00.000-07:00

Here we go with another LIFE Nugget! This Sunday we begin our new series, "Unleashing Your Inner Monk." The idea may sound strange, I am even going to wear a monk robe to church for a while. It may seem strange of perhaps even silly, but there is a method to my madness.

I have spend a great deal of time researching the roots of Monasticism in Christianity. I have come to some conclusions:

First, while monasticism may some association with ascetic practices, it is not all about torturing yourself.
Second, monasticism is not totally about hiding from the world, it can be about engaging it.
Third, monasticism is about saying that the status quo of life is not acceptable.
Fourth, monasticism is about showing our world that there are better and more important things to live for.

Personally I find these ideas very attractive. I love the idea of rejecting status quo and doing things that are counter intuitive, edgy, and sometimes, anti establishment. I like the idea of saying that where I am in my spiritual life is not good enough. I like that idea of pursuing God radically. I like the idea of living a life devoted to the sermon on the mount. Those ideas are very powerful, dangerous, counter culture, concepts that Jesus gave us to show the world how to live life as a revolutionary.

The journey of unleashing my inner monk has been a long and drawn out process. It is something that I am still working on. I do not have all the answers but am thrilled with the chance to explore, to learn, and to grow. So why not come with us on the journey and unleash your inner monk.

Blessings

Life Blood

2009-05-19T13:23:00.000-07:00

A little while ago I returned from my first day of barista training at Higher Ground Coffee. Steve and Gail and owners have been very gracious in allowing the the chance to go over and learn to make specialty coffee for our Divine Grind project. All in all the first day went well and my expresso were pretty good.

What struck me, as it did a long time ago, was watching Gail work with the customers. She knew what they wanted when they walked through the door, talked about their families, their kids, and the happenings of the day. I had the chance to remind her that watching her was some of the impetus behind Divine Grind.

Being there today reminded me all over again about the importance of relationship. It is the life blood that keeps things fresh. The Christ centered life is all about relationship with God. Church should be about community and relationship. Churches should relate to the world outside their doors in practical ways. Relationship is the life blood that makes life worth living.

So how are your relationships? Are your relationships with God, people around you vibrant? Have they become stale? If so, why not go out and start fresh. God would love it and those around you will as well.

Blessings

Moving With God

2009-05-13T10:58:00.000-07:00

It is time once again for another LIFE Nugget! As many people who know me no doubt are aware, i am fascinated by Monasticism. There is something powerful in its simplicity, in the stripped down applications of Christian spirituality that stir my spirit. as a result much of what I read (outside of the Bible) is dedicated to studying and working to apply monastic disciplines to my life.

I have been reading a book called "The Rule of Benedict" by Joan Chittister. This is an incredible book. Her commentary on the Benedict's rule is awesome. For our LIFE Nugget today I want to quote something that she says in this book. "In failing to respond to God everywhere God is around us, we may lose the power of God that is in us."

I read that last night and it hit me very hard. I think that this little quote leads us to something that must be addressed in our day. Many people want to see God do awesome stuff, but I find myself thinking that we have limited where God can or does work. We have reduced it to Church service. We so focus on the gifts that relate to Sunday that we forget that God is interested in much more than simply giving us a good time at church. Yes our services should be inspiring, I want the presence of God to be so thick when we gather as a community that amazes people. However, my fear is that we stop there. We have fallen into the trap that Chittister mentions in her book. We fail to notice God outside of the walls of the church.

He is there, He wants to work through us, He wants to see people come to know Him, so what are we doing to make that happen? What do you do during your day to be conscious of the presence of God and make his known to others? He is moving out there, go find him and when you do you will find his power as well.

Blessings

Traveling Light

2009-05-01T15:26:00.000-07:00

Back for another LIFE Nugget! I been spending some time as of late thinking about living with less. Is it possible that we spend way too much time preoccupied with things that weigh us down. We allow debt to weigh us down, demands on out time to weigh us down, gadgets weigh us down. I find myself beginning a quest for simplicity, if you will, traveling light.

Why is this important you ask? If we are traveling light we can be more mobile. We can react faster to the world around us. We can impact people much easier than if we are weighed down with the things life throws at us. Are their things in your life that keep you from impacting your world and serving God? How can you reorder your life so that you have more time with God, your family, and more time to pray and serve HIm?

Why not spend some time thinking about this? Traveling light is the way to go.

The Way of a Pilgrim

2009-04-26T15:55:00.000-07:00

Welcome back for another LIFE Nugget! Todays is a little different, I want to do a book review. I picked up the book, "The Way of a Pilgrim." two weeks age and have been taking my time and enjoying the book. Essentially the book is about one man's search for unceasing prayer. He travels around the nation of Russia in the late 19th century seeking people who can tell him about how to pray without ceasing. It is an interesting tale of one man's quest to find God and spend as much time in His presence as possible. Along the way he meets many interesting people and shares both Christ and what he has learned of prayer with them. On a whole I would recommend the book for anyone interested prayer and spending time in the presence of God.

What the Pilgrim, who remains anonymous, says has lead me to think a great deal on the subject of prayer and necessity in our lives. Romans 12:12 says that we should be constant in prayer and the book gives some good counsel on that. Can we build a constant dialogue with God into our lives? Can that be out goal?

Why not take some time this week to begin both to speak with God and listen to Him as well. It is certainly with the effort and you may be amazed at what the results will be.

Union

2009-04-17T12:02:00.000-07:00

Man what a great Easter weekend. Spending time in prayer on friday and then launching into communion on Easter was great. Thanks to all who brought friends to the gathering as we had 150 people there! Now that the update is out, I want to move onto a new LIFE Nugget. I want to talk a moment about something that seems to have been mistaken in modern American church. I want to talk about the Holy Spirit.

Yes we talk about the Spirit moving when we have a jumping church service, or when a bunch of people run to the altar to pray, but I find myself thinking that we need more. Well, perhaps not more, maybe we just need to refocus. You see, I feel that we have reduced the Holy Spirit to a sideshow. We only expect the Spirit to move in church services and we never think about the fact that he wants to live in us.

I feel that we have totally forgotten that our bodies are a dwelling place for Holy Spirit to reside in. Now let me say that this is not about legalism. This is not about checking a bunch of stuff off of your list of do's and don'ts. This is about union with God. Jesus told his disciples that when they Holy Spirit came that He would live in them. Imagine that, God living in them. The Incarnation was mystery enough, God becoming flesh, but this was different. This is God making his home in a person. Sadly, I think that we forget the profound nature of that concept because it has become simply a theological idea we agree with.

I feel that the day has come that it must again become part of our experience. A vibrant life with the Spirit, union with God. God dwelling in us. Do you ever take time to stop and think about that? Do you ever stop and wonder if you have made a good home for the God to dwell in? I have found myself thinking about this today and it has already altered some behavior today.

So why not take a moment and ponder the fact that your life can be unified and filled with God. That's a union that will change you forever.

Take Off the Grave Clothes

2009-04-10T19:13:00.000-07:00

I just got home from a Good Friday prayer vigil. It has been a great day. People coming in and out, spending time in prayer and worship. During that time I had a thought. When Jesus rose triumphant from the grave, he left behind the grave clothes.

Grave clothes were "the last suit you would ever wear." The stuff that wrapped dead bodies in early Jewish culture. The grave clothes that Jesus left behind represent the sins of the world which he came to cleanse us of. They represent the violence of his death, the mockery and scorn that he endured on the cross. He rose triumphant over those things. He left them behind.

Whether we want to admit or not, many of us are wearing them right now. Our grave clothes are the things in our lives that stifle our spirits and lead us to death. Like Jesus there are things that we need to leave behind. What are your grave clothes? It is time for them to come off. Time to leave them behind and embrace the full life that Christ wants you to live.

Have a blesses Easter

What Did Jesus Die For?

2009-04-09T07:48:00.001-07:00

Tomorrow is Good Friday. A day that for me typically involves a great deal of contemplation and thanksgiving. It is the day that Jesus died on the cross. I have spent this week thinking about that event and it's implications. What I have been asking myself is why? Why do all this, why go through it all. Ultimately I know the answer to that question, but I think that answer has become blurred for so many people.

If we were to look at what churches do and derive an answer of why Jesus died from our actions, then I think that "why" would be answered very differently. Answers could sound like this:

Jesus died so we could meet in fancy buildings
Jesus died so we could create cheesy patronizing slogans for t-shirts, bumper stickers, and alliterated sermons
Jesus died so we could argue about music styles
Jesus died so we could go protest for our pet causes and change laws that suit our political interest
Jesus died so we could vote the right way
Jesus died so we could have denominations, then when we don't like the ones we are in, make a new ones
Jesus died so we could write self help books in his name
Jesus died so we could manipulate people for selfish ends
Jesus died so we could be great leaders and write books about we do it
Jesus died so we could get rich
Jesus died so we could build empires

I could go on and on. However, lest you think that I am just pointing the finger at everyone else, I have been guilty of stuff like this in the past. I am still a work in progress.

Historically, things were not much different in the world that Jesus stepped into. There were empires, religious institutions, political problems, class envy, selfish people, etc. It all had different names but those people dealt with the same problems we face today. What I love about Jesus is that he came into the world with a radically different agenda.

Jesus came to:
provide forgiveness of sins
preach the good news to the poor
proclaim freedom to those captive to sin
help the spiritually blind recover their sight
to heal the sick
to show us the way back to God and announce that way as open for everyone

As I prepare for another Easter weekend to come I find myself compelled to reaffirm that the agenda that Jesus is my agenda. That his priorities are really my priorities, that my life look more and more like his. As you head into Easter weekend, take some time to look at your life and reaffirm your devotion to Jesus and his plan for your life. The radical, God pursuing lifestyle that he has called you to live is far better than the alternatives we create.

Plastic Fruit

2009-03-06T05:49:00.000-08:00

Perhaps you are old enough to remember the phase that many american households went through, in which bowls of plastic fruit were placed in homes. We had it in my house and I always wondered why. What was the point of that stuff? You couldn't eat it, it was only for show. Yet for a while the fad endured.

I have found myself thinking about it again, but from a different perspective. Could it be that plastic fruit is a powerful metaphor for where many of us find ourselves spiritually? All of us want to look good, we like things that are polished, neat and clean. We like things that require little to no maintenance. There is no tending of the soil to get plastic fruit. No cultivation, no harvesting, no labor of love to ensure its survival. You just go to the store, but it, and put it on display. If we are not careful, that description can be applied to our spiritual lives as well.

The problem with that is, just like that plastic fruit, a plastic spiritual life may look good from a distance, but it cannot sustain life. Far too often we just "go to the store" to get a dose of the spiritual and put it on a shelf. We repeat that process over and over until just like that fruit, the fad passes and we toss it into the trash.

A genuine and authentic spiritual life may be messy, it may be take work, but it is worth the effort. Plus it will sustain your life. So begin the journey and enjoy the fruit.

The Valentine's Day Blog!

2009-02-14T06:00:00.001-08:00

Well here we are at another Valentine's Day. Another day when many people go all out to create a day of love and romance for someone they consider special. Many business make a killing on this day as lovers exchange gifts, go out to dinner, and do things to show their love for one another. I have to admit I am a part of that crowd. I have purchased gifts for my wife and we have plans this evening. I cooked dinner for my family last night to start off the weekend. I buy into the whole idea of Valentine's Day.

However, I don't think that today is the only day that this should occur. If you are in a relationship, shouldn't you be showing the one you love how much you care every day? It seems to me that far too often we wait for the big moments to communicate how we feel. What would happen if we started to take all the little moments in our lives and no longer let them slip by. What if we were willing to say the things that we need to say, do the things that we need to do? What if we showed God and those around us how much we loved them every day? Gifts are great, but what if instead of just giving gifts, we gave our lives and our love to others daily.

So yes, today, go out and enjoy yourself. Be passionate and romantic, but remember tomorrow will come around you will have another day to share love all over again.

Happy Valentine's Day.

The Hidden Things

2009-01-22T11:40:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be fun for this weeks LIFE Nugget to share a story form yesterday. i had some problems with my computer that required me to take it in for service. After spending the entire day dealing with the problem, and assuming that it was fixed, around 11 P.M. last night, I discovered that the same problem persisted.

Needless to say I was upset, like most people I don't have a great deal of time to waste and I work hard to be a good steward of my time. So this morning I contacted technical support again to attempt to solve the problem. I am happy to say that my issues have been solved, I think.

What was funny about the entire issue is that a little used program that I had added to my computer was causing the problem and causing my entire system so crash. It is funny how the small, hidden things in life can cause us to crash as well. If we are not careful, little things that we neglect can lead us to mistakes.

Do we take the necessary time to evaluate our lives and try to correct the little things?

The Bible gives us come wise counsel on this. The Song of Solomon 2:15 says that it is the little foxes that destroy the vine. We all have little foxes in our lives that keep us from becoming what God wants us to be. Why not take some time and see what the little foxes in your life are and remove them. It may keep your life from crashing.

Blessings

PJ

The Two Great Questions

2009-01-15T10:26:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking a great deal recently about how Christians represent themselves in the world they live in. As of late I have been surrounded by people that are fine with Jesus, but when it comes to his followers, sadly, they are turned off. We either come across as far to judgmental, or condemnatory in our actions.

To be honest, while this is not news, it still saddens me. We are great at pointing the finger of accusation, but not so good ad extending a helping hand to our neighbor. We are great at arguing God's case (as if God needed a lawyer) but not so good at meeting people at their point of need. We expect people to come up to our level, but we never go down to theirs.

All our efforts have produced is a genuine hostility towards Christianity as a whole. It is tragic and I feel that now is the time to do something about it. I believe that it is time for sincere followers of Christ to rediscover the power of humility and service. Two concepts that have been lost in our church communities for many years.

Don't get me wrong, we are fine with service every now and then. We walk in humility when God challenges us on something in our personal lives, but humility and service in the world at large get tossed on the shelf. They never become part of our daily focus.

So here is the challenge. When you meet people and you eventually let them know that you are a follower of Christ, ask them the two great questions:

1. How may I pray for you
2. How may I serve

Then pray for those needs and serve where you are needed. Then you can begin demonstrate a Christ centered life.

Till next time.

LIFE Nuggets 2.0

2009-01-15T10:21:00.000-08:00

Man, it has been a long time since I have sent out a new LIFE nugget. Life has been rather crazy and time has been somewhat scarce. So I thought it would be fun to reboot the blog and start over. So I proudly introduce LIFE Nuggets 2.0!

The idea behind this will be devotional thoughts or prayer focuses which you can access to make you think, pursue God with passion, and pray more. I hope that these will be a blessing to you as you use them. At any time feel free to comment and share ideas, stories, prayer requests, or anything else that you like.

I hope you enjoy LIFE Nuggets 2.0!

Prayer

2008-08-15T13:13:00.000-07:00

As of late I have come to the conviction that prayer is the most important part of the Christ centered life. It seems that we have neglected it in the midst of "doing" stuff for God. What if we could begin to live a life that is filled with balance between prayer and then having good works be the outflow of a life that is dedicated to prayer?

It is an interesting thought. Why not begin to ask your friends, neighbors, your family, how you can pray for them as well as just asking God to bless your food and meet your needs?

What if we began to spend time in prayer just to be with God? What if by doing so our life could then be a blessing to others? I have begun to believe that a life like this can actually change the world.

I am working on living a life like this, why not try as well?

The Tent of Meeting

2008-06-12T06:38:00.000-07:00

Well, I have kept the last post up for long enough. It is time for another LIFE Nugget. I left the last post up for so long not because I did not want to post, more that I think that stuff is so important that it needs to be left out there to be seen. It is time however to post some more nuggets.

The past few months have been stressful. There have been challenges. In the midst of that stuff I have been thinking about Moses. Moses was a man who had a great deal of stress. He dealt a group of people that were constantly pulling on him to meet their needs, direct them spiritually, correct, and encourage them. Needless to say he was busy.

Moses however, had something that we all need. He had the tent of meeting. It was a place that Moses went to refresh himself and hear from God. Moses took time to get alone with God and spend time in his presence. It seems like we have devalued that in our culture. Like time in God's presence has been ruled out of busy life.

In the tent of meeting, God met Moses and they spoke as friends. When was the last time you spoke with God as friends? Why not try it?

When Necessary Use Words

2008-04-16T11:27:00.000-07:00

I have been reading about Francis of Assisi. One of his famous lines is this, "preach the gospel at all times and when necessary, use words." It is in that spirit that I wanted to put out a nugget that shows how this idea will be lived out in the context of Life House West.

I believe that we must make the Gospel practical. We should be doing things that show our community that we love them and that our love and compassion for them has no agenda. For far too often the church has been doing good and expecting things in return. I believe that those days must come to an end. The radical type of love that God wants and Jesus demonstrated during his earthly ministry will lead us to demonstrate the Christ centered life in many different ways. It will change what the church calls program, what the church does and does not do. It will change budget priorities, time schedules, and measures of success. In short many things will change.

I thought it would be fun to lay out some of the ways that LHW can live this out. I am not saying that I have it all figured out. These are just some thoughts:

1. Angel Food: This is the food bank that we will be working with. People will have the ability to purchase a box of great quality food for a great price. We then as a church can bless our community by purchasing extra for those in need. I will discuss this more as the details come.

2. Glocal Sunday: We are now at a place as a church where we must take responsibility for both our community and our world. We are going to be connecting you with missions works around the world that we want to support, as well as help fund local projects. This will be the fourth Sunday of the month.

3. Tutoring: As many of you know we have been tutoring children after school for the past few months. I want to expand this through the summer and prepare for the upcoming school year.

4. Mentoring: We are now connected with Salem Avenue Elementary and can go into the school and mentor children. This is a great way to tough the life of a child.

5. Seasonal Care: Our neighborhood is filled with single moms/women and the elderly. I believe we can start to bless the community by taking care of their lawns. We are already taking care of two and this is a powerful way to serve.

These are just some of the ideas that I am putting into motion. I am praying that you may want to join our efforts to love our world by living the gospel. Come and join the revolution.

PJ

Living a full life

2008-04-08T19:40:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that a week went by and I did not have the chance to add another LIFE Nugget. Man last week went way too fast. On Sunday we looked at how a Christ centered life gives us the opportunity to live a full life.

I thought it would be fun to note one of the things that can also help us live a full life. Food. No I am not talking about overeating or abusing our bodies. I am talking about simply enjoying good food with friends and family. I remember when I was a kid the routine of sitting around the table as a family and reviewing the day. It seemed so strange when my brother moved out of the house after he got married. The routine changed. Things were not the same. I guess it happens to all families.

Now that I have a family of my own I find myself doing the same types of things around the table. It is also great fun to have people over to feed them food that I have cooked and to spend time around the table sharing life together. I feel that time is sacred. It is a time to make great relational connections. It is a great place to make memories that point us to a full life.

So I thought it would be cool to issue a challenge, take some time around the table. enjoy life with each other. You never know what God may do.

Blessings

PJ

Home

2008-04-02T16:14:00.000-07:00

We have made it back from Florida. I did not have the opportunity to blog more while I was down there, but I will get more later. Suffice to say, I am glad to be home and my batteries are charged. More later.....

PJ

The Vacation Nugget

2008-03-25T13:41:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! As I sit here I am writing you from sunny Orlando Floria! Cindy and I have taken the kids to Disney for a week. So far the trip has been great. The ride down was good and more or less peaceful. Well about as peaceful as having four kids in a minivan can be....

Anyways. So far so good. Celebrating Resurrection Sunday was great and it was fun to mark our one year anniversary. Thanks to all of you who are helping LIFE House West become what God wants. It is an honor to work with all of you. I imaging that the next few days will be busy so I will write if time permits.

If not I will catch up when I get back.

blessings,

PJ

The Forced March of Our lives

2008-03-19T16:18:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! Welcome back for another LIFE Nugget. I am sorry that I am a few weeks behind in putting another nugget out there. I got rather busy and did not have the time to sit down and just blog. Life the past few weeks has been almost on a forced march. If you are familiar with the military there are times when troops need to be moved that an army goes on what is called the forced march.

Life has felt like that lately. I have felt like I am just being moved from event to event and task to task. It is funny how quickly we can lose sight of God in the midst of business. I do not think that God is in the business of keeping our life on a forced march.

We cannot forget the importance of rest, the time to just be refreshed in him. Whatever day you may feel the Sabbath is to fall on, I think that in the midst of the forced march of our lives we must remember to take time to refresh ourselves. If I can give you any nugget today it is this. Do not for get to take the opportunity to rest in God. You will be suprised how it will benefit you.

Blessings

Justin

The Brilliance of God

2008-03-04T18:42:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking all day about what to blog. Something that has been on my mind is not just blogging trite church stuff that has to do with current message series' or agonizingly over-repeated quotes from leadership books. Sometimes it is fun just to write about something that you observe.

I had one of those moments watching television last night. There was a show on called "Dog Genius," it was obviously about dogs. What struck me is the profound ability of dogs, according to the scientists on the show, to smell. Dogs have the ability to pick out individual smells in a particular odor that we cannot. I have to admit that I was amazed to see the ability of the dogs put to the test with police bloodhounds.

It is cool when something as simple and as unnoticed as a dog nose can show the genius of God. I will admit that I am a dog lover, I have two, a Lab and an English Bulldog, and in looking at my dogs, I see the brilliant design of God.

What is even more beautiful is that we, human beings, are the crowning achievement of creation. The one thing which God made "in his image." That idea is humbling. It is we human beings that have the capacity to connect relationally with God. Dogs among other creatures are proof of the brilliance of God, we however have the opportunity to connect with God. Have you taken the time recently?

Blessings

PJ

Jesus Quotes

2008-02-27T16:13:00.000-08:00

Hello again, welcome back for another LIFE Nugget. I have been doing some research for the new series that we are beginning this Sunday. Again it is called "The Pathway: A Study in the Life of Christ." In looking at a website I found called tentmaker.org, I discovered some great quotes form various sources that are about Jesus.

It is interesting to note how Jesus is viewed by these various sources, people like Napoleon, Ghandi, Florence Nightingale, and a host of others sharing what they thought about Jesus. The impact of his life can be felt across a wide spectrum of people and cultures. Have you ever stopped and wondered why there seems to be a disconnect between Christ and his church? Ghandi is even quoted as saying that he would be a Christian but for the followers of Jesus.

I think that we have lost the idea of what being a real Jesus follower is about. It is not that I think that there aren't any followers of Jesus right now, or that we as believers are all just a bunch of losers, I just think that we forget what the basic idea of being a follower or a disciple consists of.

The basic premise of being a disciple is to strive to be just like the person that you are following. I think that this is where we miss the point. We have to return to the place where the primary focus of individual believers and churches at large is to produce people who are diligent in their striving to live like Jesus. I believe that when this is the mindset of believers and churches then everything changes. When our actions are as convincing as we believe our words are then we are a little farther down the path of connecting with what Jesus understood. A life well lived is just as important as the words that are spoken.

So how does your life look? Does it look like the one that Jesus lived? Are you working on that? Perhaps that is a good place to start. I am working on that and I trust that you are doing the same.

Blessings

Justin

Jesus

2008-02-20T18:44:00.000-08:00

Welcome back for another edition of LIFE Nuggets. Sorry that this one is coming a little later than usual. This weekend we will be finishing up the series we have been going through called "The Song." We will be moving on to our next series that I am calling "The Pathway: A Study in the Life of Christ."

I am psyched to start this one. Taking time to study the life of Jesus is in my opinion something we do not do enough. It seems like Jesus becomes an afterthought to church life. Personally, I feel that if Jesus is who the church proclaims he is, then we must return him to the central role he should occupy.

You may be saying that Jesus is the center. In certain cases that may be true but in most cases he is not. We make Christian bill of goods and services that we offer the point. We make pop culture political issues the point. We make ministry position the point. The list is endless.

In studying his life, the things that he did, and the implications of his life, I believe we can point to a complete and whole faith which can be lived out in a world that needs to see more of Jesus and less of all the other things we have made Christianity about.

So this journey begins with a question that is the basis for all we will study, who is Jesus to you?"

Post some thoughts on the responses let's all share our thoughts.

Blessings

PJ

Exclusive Rights

2008-02-12T08:48:00.000-08:00

Once again welcome back for another LIFE Nugget! I spent the weekend battling the cold, flu or whatever has been going around. I am starting to feel better which is great! You forget how much you take for granted moving at a busy pace when you can't. Thanks to God for healing and to all those who have been praying.

I have been thinking about the idea of exclusivity. When something is exclusive it is special. One of a kind. We will be talking about this idea in detail on Sunday. But I wanted to drop a question in to your minds. What is exclusive in your life? What are the things that you consider so special as to be set apart as exclusive?

God wants to be exclusive in our lives. We are in his.

PJ

The Year in Review

2008-02-08T17:49:00.001-08:00

Welcome back for another life nugget. It has been quite a while since I have entered anything in here. Looking back at the past year it is staggering to see how far we have come. Amazingly, this time last year our building was not completed and we were scrambling to get it finished for our first gathering on Easter Sunday. With a great deal of hard work, a lot of fun, and a some teamwork, we pulled it off.

Since then we have seen 30 people come to Christ and 12 people baptized. We have had parties, kids crusades, trunk or treat nights, outreaches, fed the homeless, and served our community. What a year it has been. Seeing the "tribe" here at LHW grow from a handful of people to over 100 has been great to see. I am looking forward to what God has for us in the future.

It reminds me of Philippians 1:6 which says that God is faithful to bring to completion the good things that he begins is us. He certainly has brought some great things to pass here at LHW in 2007 and 2008 has already started off great. The Nugget for the day, then, is this, what does God want to bring to pass in your life? Are you open to what he wants to do? Have you taken the time to find out what he wants to do? I can be a challenging journey, but I promise that it is one that is worth taking. You will enjoy what he wants to do.

Blessings

PJ

The Search For Wisdom

2007-08-30T06:29:00.001-07:00

Hello again and welcome back for another LIFE Nugget. I have been spending my personal time studying the book of Proverbs. One, because I love the simple plain spoken words of the book, and two, our next sermon series will be taken from it. What has always fascinated me about the book is the pursuit of wisdom that speaks of. The word wise, means: having intelligence and knowledge. From this root we get the word wisdom. I was thinking this morning that it is the pursuit of wisdom that is one of the strongest desires of the human spirit.

We want to know things, to understand how things work. From childhood on up, the pursuit of wisdom fills us with wonder and constantly makes us want more of it. When I was a kid, my brother tells me that I drove him crazy by constantly asking the question, "what's that?" He, being a good older brother would answer until he became frustrated and then handed the questions off to my mother who never tired of answering her son.

Things have not changed much, I still love to learn things and am called by many, a fountain of useless knowledge. I think that we all have this innate desire inside of us to learn. I personally feel that we should never neglect our desire to learn, we should all be lifelong learners. The great thing about learning, and wisdom is what the book of Proverbs points us to. That is wisdom for every day. Old thoughts and practical experience from people who have lived well that we can take and not just hide inside some monastery, but bring into the practical realm of our every day life.

That is the greatness of the Christ Centered life. It is practical and every day. At the same time there is a beautiful element of mystery and wonder that keep us wanting more. If I can encourage you with anything today it is to get wisdom and pursue it with all your heart, and remember that it is in relationship with Jesus that real wisdom begins.

PJ

The Altars of Life

2007-08-07T12:19:00.000-07:00

I have been taking some time today and looking back over the posts of this blog. In October it will mark one year that I have been posting on the blog. It feels strange to go back and look over what you have written and the comments of others who have stopped by and left a nugget of their own. They are a reminder of what God has brought us through up until this point in life.

This blog is the closest thing that I have to a journal. I do not sit down and write my thoughts in a book somewhere. This blog is my place for that. Already in this process we have seen people give their lives to Christ and seen God do some awesome stuff. We have worked hard, laughed hard, and played hard along the way. However, looking back reminds me of something that I think that all of us can do in our lives.

If you look in the book of Genesis, you can see that men like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, among others built altars "to the Lord." Those places were reminders of what God had done for them. They were reminders of experiences. Most of those altars were structures that had some permanence. They would go past those altars and be reminded of what God had done for them.

Looking back over the posts of this blog is one way that I am reminded of what God has done for me. If I can give any pastoral nugget it would be to find a way to remember, journal, blog, whatever helps. It also helps you look to the future with more faith than you may have had in the first place. I know that it does that for me.

PJ

Refreshing

2007-07-26T12:24:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I have put on a new Life Nugget. I have been reading a book called "The Forgotten Ways" by Alan Hirsch. This book has been a gift from God. One I no longer feel that I am crazy because of my view of what church should look like. Two, the book has given me the burst of energy that I think that I needed.

You see, like anyone else I was getting tired. Having the opportunity to go out and chase the dreams that God has put in my heart, with out any hinderence is great. I feel energized and ready to move forward in the process of seeing LIFEhouse West launched publically in September.

And speaking of refreshing, I just got back from some time with my family. I enjoyed the vacation and it is great to be back. This Saturday we will be having a car wash at out ministry center from 10 A.M. until 1 P.M. Come on out and check it out. More soon.

PJ

July at LHW

2007-06-28T05:52:00.000-07:00

Wow it is hard to believe that it is almost July and Summer is in full swing. We are planing on picking up the pace of things at LHW in the coming months. In July we will be meeting bi-weekly at 10:30.

Also, on the 10th to the 13th of July we will be having our first kids block party at the ministry center. It will be a great time of fun for the kids with moon bounces, basketball, martial arts demonstrations and all kinds of fun for them. It will go from 4:30 till 7:00 each day. It is free so come out and bring the kids.

Lastly, we will be "grilling on the grass" on Friday July 27 starting at 6:00. Again this is a free event for families so come out and meet the team at LHW and have some summer fun. I look forward to seeing you there.

PJ

Little Mike

2007-06-20T09:17:00.000-07:00

Today's entry is a rather sad one. Just recently we suffered the loss of one of our neighbors. Mike Hart, or as I knew him, Little Mike. He lived right behind our ministry center, and we had become good friends. More than that, Little Mike was a part of our church. He had given his life to Christ, and we had began the process of teaching him to become a dedicated follower of Jesus. There are a lot of great stories that I could share about Little Mike, but I will mention just one. When you come into the foyer of our ministry center you will notice a track light in on the ceiling. Mike put that light up.

We also shared a love of riding motorcycles. We never got the chance to do that together, but I have a patch on my vest that is a little part of Mike that I ride with. I will always remember the little ways that Mike impacted LHW. I will remember him when I ride and I will see my friend when God decides that it is time.

PJ

Remaining Fasciated

2007-06-07T13:37:00.001-07:00

Hello one and all! Welcome back to LIFE Nuggets! I am sitting in the LHW meeting hall blogging on my new MacBook. I hate to sound like a computer nerd, because I honestly do not know much about them, but I live this thing. The size, and feel of the computer is much better than most laptops that I have owned. It just feels like it is made better. I should have bought one sooner. It is funny how the simple things can fascinate me sometimes. When my wife called me this week to let me know that it had arrived at the house I was pumped. That was Tuesday and the fascination has not wore off.

Thinking about how much I like using this computer and remain fascinated by it's programs does remind me of something very important though. Right now it is a novelty. It is cool, but what about a year from now? Will it still have the same fascination for me? Will I still be having fun with it? Wil it still be an important tool for LHW?

Good questions, I would hope to say yes to all of them. Sadly, though we (and I cam be guilty also) live in an attention-span shortened world. We move quickly from one thing to the next, nothing lasts long, let alone can we say something is permanent. I am not saying that I think that change is bad. Just the opposite, I love progress, I just think that sometimes it comes so fast at us that the idea of something that is unchanging almost becomes an alien concept to us. We are not used to such an idea. If it is not the latest and greatest we get bored quickly. I will be twenty-nine in August, I am getting older and I guess my perspective are changing. Time goes so fast and things come so fast that the older I get the more reassuring it is to know that God is unchanging and what Jesus did on the cross for us is was a one time, once and for all thing. It is permanent, it does not need changed.

That relationship that we can have with God, the knowledge we can have of him, can be something that we do not get bored with. I think that sadly, sometimes, believers can lose that love and fascination that we must have with Christ as his followers. I took 2006 and spent he ear reading the Gospels, I cannot recommend the experience enough. I have decided to spend 2007 in the psalms exploring the depth of human emotion that can be found in scripture. One conclusion that I have come to is that no matter what age we live in, the constancy of God is something that we all need to experience. Our lives can be filled with turmoil and business. Knowing and experiencing the Christ who remains the same every day gives life enough mystery and joy to not just keep us going, but help us thrive. Try getting to know the one who never changes, Jesus will never get boring.

PJ

Sunday

2007-06-05T13:29:00.000-07:00

Well we have now come through the third of our monthly gatherings. It is great to see neighbors and visitors check out what we are doing. We are now preparing for tour next meet the family event on Friday night. It is at 6:30 and it will be a great time to conect with the launch team and hear more about the vision that LHW has for the community. We look forward to seeing you there. A new life nuggett later this week

PJ

Our Next Gathering

2007-06-01T06:11:00.001-07:00

Well we have come to the time of our next monthly gathering. This Sunday June 3rd at 10:30 we will be meeting. We will be discussing the characteristics of revolutionaries. I look forward to seeing you there.

PJ

Home

2007-05-24T06:59:00.000-07:00

This is a bit of a different nugget....

I was riding home yesterday evening on my Harley. The weather was great so I decided to take a longer route home that usual. One of my favorites is to ride straight through town. There was not much traffic, people are starting to move around at night, to sit on their porches and watch the cars go by.

I cannot help but wonder sometimes what they are thinking, what they struggle with in life, if they are looking to God for answers. I feel a burden for those people, for the people of my city. I get the same feeling when riding or walking around the west end of the city as well. I feel that way about the city as a whole.

I cannot help but dream about the opportunity that I have been given to work to see my home city become what God wants it to be. Not every pastor gets the chance to minister in their home. They usually adopt a place as home. I get to do it where I grew up. That is a really cool feeling. I believe that we can see real change in this city. That as a group of believers we can see genuine change take place. That we can pastor the community and not just a group of people inside the walls of a church building. That we can show the love of Jesus to everyone in our city. That we can do that in practical ways.

It is a beautiful thing to get to do that here. I love this city and the people that are in it. It is home.

Sunday's Picnic

2007-05-22T14:11:00.000-07:00

Wow, we had our second comeback event. We hosted a picnic in Hager Park. Things went well, we had a great turnout. The momentum continues to build.....

We will have our next gathering June 3rd. We will be talking about the characteristics of revolutionaries. The qualities that should be evident in the life of a follower of Jesus. It will be a great time to come and check out LIFEhouse West. See you there at 10:30

Catching Up

2007-05-18T06:35:00.000-07:00

Wow, I cannot believe that it has been nearly a month since I have dropped anything on this blog. A great deal has gone on since I have touched base last. We have now had our second monthly gathering and we are gaining steam. This Sunday we are hosting our next comeback event which is a picnic at Hager Park at 6:00.

It is so awesome to watch God bring the dream into reality. The only way that I can describe this process is liberating. It feels so good to actually be walking in the purpose that you know that you were created for. In the first chapter of the book of Jeremiah God tells Jeremiah that he laid out things for Jeremiah before he was born (Jer 1:5). Do you ever stop and wonder what God has laid out for you?

I find myself thinking about that a great deal. Today why not take the time to stop and talk to God and find out what he has for you. It might just change your life. More next week

PJ

What the Devil Meant For Evil

2007-04-24T14:29:00.000-07:00

I know, that is a strange title. I wanted to just drop some personal thoughts about an experience that I had this past weekend. Perhaps, many who read this blog only know me as the pastor guy who is planting a church. That has not always been the case. Between my 17th and 19th birthdays I hit what I like to call my wild streak. During that time in my life I was not exactly a nice guy and I had plenty of bad habits...

It was during that time that I met my now wife of almost ten years. We were not married when she became pregnant with our first child. I remember the night when she told me that she was indeed pregnant. The feeling of failure, of having ruined my life, of having made an irrevocable mistake. It was a shock to my family and I felt that I had let them down...

Cindy and I married, the first year was a real struggle and our oldest daughter was born. It was in that delivery room that I met God. I know that sounds strange but it was in that room that I heard from God for the first time in a long time. He reminded me that he still, despite all of my mistakes, loved me as much as I loved my daughter. That altered life. That moment changed forever the course of my life and started me on the path that I now find myself...

This weekend, my oldest child was baptized. I had the opportunity to do it. That is a rare thing and as I listened to her make a public declaration of her faith and intent to live a life centered on Christ, I was reminded that God can take a bad circumstance and do something beautiful. Now, that does not give us the licence to go and and mess up, rather, God can take our broken lives and do something amazing.

I had a front row seat this weekend and wanted to share it. I trust that it is a blessing.

PJ

Backwards Motion

2007-04-19T05:40:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to LIFE Nuggets. It has been a while since I have blogged about much of anything other than the building. For that I am sorry. The details of s project like that can become rather consuming. I have been thinking a lot lately about church stuff. Figures huh?

I know that may sound rather strange, but what I have been noticing is all work that goes into pulling a Sunday service off. It almost seems like that is a badge of honor for a church plant. Go with me on this, since we have had our first monthly gathering, it seems like a lot of well meaning Christians that I know look at me differently. Now all of a sudden it is no longer "Justin" (which I prefer), but it is "Pastor Justin." As if one church service has altered the very fabric of who I am. It is not that I am complaining, I just find it kind of funny.

It seems to me that we have created some "backwards motion." To me, backwards motion is like misdirected focus. We become so consumed with the wrong things that all of our energy is directed inward rather to where it is needed. A lot of people have spoken on this subject so I will not claim exclusive rights to these thoughts, (read "The Secret Message of Jesus" by Brian McLaren) it is just funny how quickly the tendency to become inward focused can grab you.

You see, I believe firmly that our gathering must be done well, they must be done to the best of our ability. The danger is that we focus so much on the gathering that we have no more energy for the rest of the work that God has called us to do. As I sit in my office here at LHW I find myself thinking that the service part of the equation is easy. It is the serving part that is the challenge.........

Jesus once talked about salt and light. They are change agents. Light dispels darkness and salt changes what it touches. We cannot be concentrated in one place but rather we must be sent in to the areas where the salt and the light are needed the most. I feel strongly that I must model and teach that. Our gathering must become a place where we celebrate the victories won during the week as well as encourage each other in our struggles. Our gatherings should provide us with a principle that we can apply to our lives and pass on to others. They should provide some corporate time to worship in the context of community, To remember that we are not in this Journey with God alone. I for one think that can be done smarter, not in a lazy manner, just more efficiently.

It is the radical love for people outside of our walls that is the challenge. How to serve our community, to pastor a community, to see a church show it's community a tangible example of the love of Jesus that it important. That is where our energy is best spent. The other stuff comes naturally.

Blessings

PJ

Our First Monthly Gathering

2007-04-17T11:11:00.000-07:00

Wow, it feels great to be back. I took a little bit of a break after our first monthly gathering. The process of getting the upper level of the building completed for the gathering got rather hectic so I felt the need to stop, take a break, and reflect on the day what went on. Here were my thoughts.....

Honestly, I was blown away. having 90 people (counting children) at the gathering was awesome. It far exceeded my expectations. The vibe of the service was great. To be honest, it felt rather liberating to wear blue jeans. It seems like the people who came enjoyed themselves, and if you are reading this ans were there, please feel free to comment. The more feedback we get the better.

Now we are getting ready for the next gathering as well as our first "comeback" event on Friday night. At 6:30 on April 20 we will be hosting an evening at the church where anyone who wants to get to know the people on the launch team can come and get better acquainted. It will be a time to hear more about what the dream for LHW is and how people can become more involved. I will blog more later in the week. It is great to be back.

PJ

Completion

2007-03-29T05:32:00.000-07:00

Wow, it is amazing to think that the first phase of renovation of the LHW ministry center is nearly complete. The smell of the new carpet and paint is wonderful. Soon, very soon the place will be filled with people. It is interesting to ponder the face that while we have enjoyed the work, this building is not actually a church, it is the people that make up the church. Now we have a place to gather. See you on Easter Sunday.

PJ

First Monthly Gathering Update

2007-03-27T13:46:00.000-07:00

Well it is now getting close. LIFEhouse West will be hosting its first monthly gathering on Easter Sunday as 10:30. I have not been blogging much because I have been working on the building with the team. It has been a rough few weeks because we have been working so hard.

The great thing is that phase one is nearly complete. We will be discussing newness. The revolution that Jesus came to model is about living in a state of newness in life. Come check it out. I am looking foreward to seeing you.

PJ

Avoiding the Herd Mentality

2007-03-06T12:25:00.000-08:00

Welcome back for another LIFE Nuggett. There is a story that I love about some sheep in Turkey (about 1500 of them) that decided to follow one of their ilk off a cliff. 450 of the sheep died resulting in about 100,000 dollars in loss for the owner of the sheep. Now I feel bad for the guy who lost the sheep, but lets all be honest, the mental picture of all these sheep walking off the same cliff is kind of funny.

The point of today's entry is not to debate the intelligence of sheep. What I want to point out is that sometimes people are not that much different. When someone gets an idea or some new thing comes out, people tend to jump on an idea and beat it to death. Now there are times that it good. The light bulb, the wheel, fire, that stuff is cool. Things like that which make our lives better should be adopted in the fabric of our culture. What I am talking about is this idea of people adopting fads. It seems like lately as I watch our culture, we are always looking for the next great thing, the newest fad. I struggle with this. I am usually the last person to embrace some new fad. Usually, and this is probably some type of character flaw, if everyone is doing something, I want to do the opposite. I guess I can be a little anti establishment sometimes.

As I read the gospels, I do not see Jesus following the herd mentality. Jesus delt with people as individuals. I think that this is important to remember. We somtimes, in the midst of pursuing the newest fad, lost our individuality. We lose ourselves. Evan as the goal of the Christ centered life is to strive to become more like Jesus, there are still things about us that make us, well.....us. I don't want to lose my individuality, nor do I want LIFEhouse West to be a carbon copy of another church. I think that it why creativity is vital. It can help people express how God has worked in their lives. Christ can be the common factor in all of our lives and yet he still deals with us on an individual basis. He becomes personal. Yet another thing that I love about following Jesus.

It is better to give....

2007-02-28T06:18:00.000-08:00

Good morning and welcome back for another LIFE Nugget. I have been pondering the proposed subject of today's post for a while. The idea has its genesis in some of my personal spiritual journey. As I have said before, I spent the whole of 2006 reading the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) in my devotional time. I have blogged about conclusions before, so this may not be anything new.

At LIFEhouse West, we talk a lot about helping people, discover, develop, and demonstrate a Christ centered life. In our small group meetings we have been talking about the discovery and development aspects. I want to blog about the third one because it is here, for the most part, that the Christ centered life connects with the outside world..... It must be demonstrated.

The question that logically comes next is how. How do you show others what you have experienced internally. I think that is done by giving. Now this is the point where most people, out of some type of conditioned response, start to think about money. Sadly, much to my dismay, most church leaders have made it just about money. They have done a disservice to the rest of us. The idea of giving financially, while critical, is just one facet of what we could call one of the crown jewels of Christian maturity.

We see that in John 3:16 that God "loved us so much that he gave." Simple words, but so powerful. If giving, as I see it, is the goal to strive for, then giving must have some basic characteristics. First, it has to be done with the right motive or mindset. That being that giving points back to Jesus. We do not give to show ourselves to be more spiritual, but because we want to emulate Jesus and point people to him. Second, we should give where ever it is needed. We must be willing to see what needs done and act, or give. Third, it must be motivated by love, pure and simple.

I said earlier that this is not just about money. So what is it about? Yes, money plays a role, but there is more. Will we give of out time to a worthy cause? Will we give of our abilities to help someone? Will we give away parts of the Kingdom of God that lie in us to others? It is in the ability to give and the willingness to serve others that a church can truly demonstrate the love of Christ. The same applies for individuals.

Part of the dream for LIFEhouse West is that it becomes a place that serves the community, that gives. I do not mean that it is a place that just throws money at problems. Rather, it is a place that uses resources to make a tangible difference. It can be found in assisting the elderly, widows, single moms, people who need education, or just an ear to listen. To give of ourselves to benefit the community that we are in.

We have an opportunity to serve, to give. I am going, who wants to come along?

A LIFEhouse West Update

2007-02-21T14:20:00.000-08:00

Well it is high time that we update the world on where LIFEhouse West is on the journey. Our first monthly service will be held on Easter Sunday and we will hold one monthly gathering until September when we launch.

Construction on our ministry center is continuing and we are moving forward. So far the process is going well and while there have been stressful times, the journey has been great and I trust will continue to be. As we get closer there will be more information to pass on.

PJ

The Agressive Pursuit of Yourself

2007-02-08T12:51:00.000-08:00

I know that the title is goofy and that you may be thinking that this is going to be one of those "right wing" rants about how the world is evil and too consumed with pleasure and the pursuit of self gratification to be of any lasting good. Well, you are wrong. What I have been thinking about is nothing like that at all. I keep coming back to something that Jesus said in Matthew 6:33. Jesus says that we should seek first the Kingdom of God. That is such a profound statemnt. We must make the Kingdom of God our first priority.

That leads however, to a question. What does seeking the Kingdom look like after one has been "seeking" for a while? I have said it before and I will say it again, our life is a journey. I know that life is filled with changes and that nothing stays static for long. But where do we look for aspects of the kingdom as our lives continue? I would like to focus for a moment on one that I think that we ignore.

I feel that the internal aspects of the Kingdom get overlooked in the face of doing Kingdom work. For example, a man or a woman may be out doing a bunch of things that he or she truly feels are God's work. That may even be the case, what they are doing mey even be vital, but how often do we really look at ourselves? The Apostle Paul gave us the instruction in 1st Corinthians 11:28 that we should examine ourselves. Yes he was talking about doing that before partaking of the "Lord's Supper". Perhaps part of the problem is that we only do that when we are partaking.

The willingness to look inside ourselves is becoming a rare thing. Are we willing to pursue the parts of ourselves that do not please God? Am I the only one who finds that hard sometimes? I would wager to say that I am not. I try to be consistent in this. Because there are those moments that I find something that that God wants to remove or change. What then? Am I willing, are we willing to allow God to change things that He may want to change? Will we let God "kick our furniture around"? What happens when one of our core character issues is confronted? What will we do? This is the hard stuff about the Kingdom. When we come to times like this in life, I think that they either make us or break us. The writer of Hebrews says that discipline is hard when it is received. He is so right. He also says that it is worth it later (Hebrews 12:11). So I say that we must be willing to confront the things in our lives that hinder us. We should, in Christ, be willing to deal with and overcome the flaws that keep us from growing. Let us all be diligent in the agressive pursuit of the parts of our lives that God wants to change. It opens us up to a new paradigm of life. Happy hunting.

PJ

Back Home

2007-01-30T12:37:00.000-08:00

I am now back from New York City. Actually, I got back last week, but I got so busy that I did not get the chance to sit and put down any thoughts. Now I find myself sitting in the meeting hall here on Salem Ave. and in the quite of the day, before any construction begins, I wanted to just take a few moments and journal some thoughts that I took from the conference that I attended.

First, I thought that the information I received was great practical stuff. It was delivered in an excellent format which, while there was product to buy, did not feel like a commercial. Second, the time with the other church planters that I went with was great. It is cool to know that I am not alone in the struggles that I face. Sitting in a room with men and women who have to different degrees been through the same stuff in really cool. There is a certain sense of brotherhood that you cannot help but feel.

Third, and most important, was the sense of seriousness I walked away from the conference with. As I listened to the speakers, my mind went to the group of people that want to call LIFEhouse West their home. They want to be a part of the launch team that is planting this church. I guess the part that struck me is that I now have a "flock". I know that is a silly church word, but it applies. God has given me a group of people that I am responsible for. That is neither bad nor sacry. It is good, in fact, it is a very humbling, marvelous, and beautiful thing. to take a group of people and work to see them grow in their relationship with God, to spiritually father (or mother in my wife's case) others is an honor that we do not deserve. I am grateful for the opportunity that has been afforded to Cindy and I.

Another sense that I get is that for me, the challenge is to always make sure that my life lines up. That what I tell others to do, I am doing. The "call" of God, if I use that term for a moment, to vocational ministry is very serious. I think that sometimes people think that it is just going to lunches, counseling, and sitting with other pastors and goofing off. Everyone forgets that you have to deal with people in some of the hardest (and yes joyful also) circumstances that they face. At that moment, whatever things you say or do, ring hollow if your life is not lived with integrity. Now this is not meant to be a pitty me statement, I cannot imagine myself doing anything other than what God has me doing. I love it.

What I am trying to say, is that for me, I feel a strong sense that I live under a microscope and I also live my life for the betterment of others. The call to serve means a life of inconvienence. A life of sacrifice. There may be other paths along the way which seem easier as this call is processed, they must be avoided. They lead to a weakening of our testimony to others. Part of this call is more of God dealing with my junk than it sometimes is God using me to deal with other people's junk. I have to be willing to, with God's help root out anything that keeps me from not confronting my issued and working to be a better follower of Jesus. What a strange and yet wonderful journey God is taking me on. I trust that as you read my random musing, that you too are compelled to look inside and see what God wants to change. Let him do what he does and enjoy the process.

PJ

New York!

2007-01-22T18:28:00.000-08:00

Man I am in New York City right now bringing you a very tired update. Briefly, everything is great so far. Good conference and great food tonight at a place called Carmines. I will blog more when I get back home. It is terrible. I am already homesick, and waiting for a call from my wife. I miss her and the kids. More soon.

PJ

Jesus and Bono

2007-01-17T12:14:00.000-08:00

Once again welcome back to LIFE Nuggets! I was working last night in the building on Salem Avenue and I found myself removing nails from old flooring. The nails were old and rather rusty. They were hard to see on a black subfloor. I had to laugh when as I ran my gloved hands over the floor looking for nails, that U2 was playing and Bono was singing "I still haven't found what I'm looking for." It was kind of a humurous moment. Maybe it is just being alone in the building and singing to myself at a time like that which makes it funny, in any event, I laughed.

Then it got me thinking. Alot of people listen to the lyrics of that song and condemn it as blasphemy. I used to unitl I began to think about it. The lyrics of the last verse speak of a relationship or a spiritual encounter with Christ. Then the chorus again plays. Many people have said that it means that the sacrifice of Jesus was not enough and that Bono is saying that he has not found what will bring him fulfillment. As a kid I can remember people in Sunday schools roundly condemning the evils of secular music and the messages that it preaches. I had to watch a video on that kind of stuff once. It had that strange, kind of evil music playing in the background as the narrator spoke of the evil in these songs. Now, I do have a problem with alot of modern secular music, one because of the message, and two because alot of it has little or no originality, I find it hard to get into alot of modern, or should I say, popular music. We need to make sure that we are filling our minds with good stuff, and I think that I can safely say that "Smack Dat" is not going to be a church anthem anytime soon.

But back to this U2 song. It raises an interesting observation. It almost seems like we can somtimes rely on a past experience to keep us going. Now, let me be clear, I do not think that Jesus has to die for us every day, nor do I think that this idea cheapens what our Lord did for us. Rather, I understand that because God is living and active, I cannot just float through life and not pursue him. Once we begin our relationship with Jesus, we become followers. Sometimes I think that as we pursue the presence of God and what he has that we sometimes forget him.

Perhaps that is what Bono is talking about. I don't know, I may be totally off on the interpretation of the song. Paul talks about pressing onward to the goal of the high calling of Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14). I am reminded of that when I listen to this song. That through all that I have come through, the journey is not over. God is not finished with me , I am not a hopeless case, but rather what Jesus did for me started a journey, it changed the music and rythem of my life and now I am looking for him. To spend time with him every day, to find him in the ordinary things of life, to give him to others, and some day to spend my eternity with him. That journey is new every day and on this side of life I cannot wear it out, nor can I complete the process. God will do that. In eternity, I will find what I am looking for. Till then, perhaps there is some credence to the song. Just a thought.

Categories Versus Lifestyles

2007-01-11T10:58:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking a great deal lately about religion. Imagine that huh? What I have been thinking about is an amazing parallel that we can see in our culture and that in which Jesus lived. I have for this illustration set out three religious sects that we can find in the culture that Jesus lived in.....

First is the Sadducees. They were the uppercrust. They were small in number and held more power than what they should have. They had a big problem with the supernatural. For them if it was not in the first five books of the Bible it was not true. This life and moral code was all there was. Second is the Pharisees. These guys were cool with the supernatural, but they were big into external righteousness. It was about what you looked like on the outside. Third are the Essenes. These guys just decided to leave society and form a community of their own and if anybody wanted to get in, then they had to become just like them. They were the only ones who would "make it" and the rest would burn when the end came.

In short, that is a brief and probably somewhat barbaric description of these groups but it serves for the illustration. These groups, I think, represent three different types of people that consider themselves "Christian" today. We have people who while claiming to be followers of Jesus, deny the supernatural aspects of his life and reduce it only to moral teachings. We also have those who are ok with the supernatural, but add so many external rules that it chokes out relationship with God and replaces it with tradition. We also have people who would rather only hang out with people like themselves and just sit around waiting for the rest of the world to burn, living under the assumption that only their group is going to make it.

Here is my point. I find it interesting that Jesus did not belong to any of these groups. In fact, he made the Pharisees and Sadducees mad. The Essenes, were probably too busy with their own stuff to bother with Jesus. He did not fit into their box. I think about this alot because I feel strongly that we have reduced following Jesus to these types of categories.

Jesus did not come and fit into a category, he came to show us a different way to live. I think that part of the field manual for that is Matthew 5-7. It gives us a picture of what life can look like when we really live for Jesus and not reduce him to a category. This type of radical, yet profoundly simple faith is what we can recover. It is part of what LIFEhouse West is about and what we should all, as followers of Jesus, be about. We must understand that God is active and that he sent us his son to die for us and restore us to right reltionship with him. In the midst of that Jesus also showed us a way to live here that we can model and follow. This to me is part of the "now and future" aspect of the Kingdom of God that we can be a part of in Christ. We do not have to limit our lives to external righteousness or hiding away. Moral codes are great, but take away the reality of life after this and you have rules and that is it. We can actually walk through this world like Jesus did and see real change as we wait for the future Kingdom of God to come where we can enjoy eternity with God.

What a journey that we get to take, what an adventure, I am going, wanna come?

Sunday Night

2007-01-10T14:30:00.000-08:00

Man Sunday night was great! We relocated the LIFE Group that was meeting in my house into the building on Salem Avenue and we had a great time. It was great to see all the people, watch them connect, and see the dream that is LHW take another step to becoming a reality. What a picture!

It is cool to finally see all the work beginning to pay off. 48 people counting adults and children is not a bad start. God willing we will continue to grow and see more of the dream become reality. Relationships were formed and it was fun to watch. I shared the vision and mission of LHW and it was great to see buy in and acceptance of what I believe that God has spoken to me in this regard.

On Thursday, a new devotional LIFE nuggett to digest.

Finally Back

2007-01-02T05:44:00.000-08:00

Hello and greetings again from LIFE Nuggets. I have returned from an extended Christmas vacation and some much appreciated time off. Christmas went well, in all honesty this was one of the best times that I have has at Christmas in a while. It seems that as you get older that Christmas, the holiday season, or whatever you want to call it, just goes so fast. It seems like it has lost some of the fun. Perhaps that it part of growing up.

I decided to do things different this year. I made the decision to spend as much time with family as possible and I must confess that it was wonderful. Taking the time to slow down every once in a while is the lesson that I took from that time.

Now that we are back I will bring another Nugget later in the week.

PJ

Christmas

2006-12-21T13:33:00.000-08:00

Man, it seems like Christmas has gotten here so fast this year. I have spent the day (along with one of the other guys on the team) handing out Christmas greeting door hangers to the neighborhood. If you are reading the blog because of that, welcome, I am glad that you stopped by. Feel free to read previous posts for more about myself and LIFE House West.

We only have a few more flyers to pass out, so when they are all out I feel like my "Christmas Festivities" can begin. I would like to, however, start with something that I think would be fun. Sharing Christmas memories. Either form childhood, or adulthood, it does not matter. You can post them in the comment section of the blog. it would be cool to share events that have made Christmas special for you.

I will start. There are so many that it is difficult to pick but I would have to say that having a child who is born in December (our youngest Samuel) is pretty cool. His birthday is two weeks before Christmas he reminds us every year of what a precious gift life is. He just turned one year old and this time is just so great because he, like our other three children is so full of life and enjoment of the season. We love to take our four kids and go out driving and look at all the Christmas lights. We listen to the same Christmas songs over and over (Veggi Tales Christmas) and drink coffee and hot chocolate. It is popbably my favorite thing to do around Christmas time with my family.

I know that it is not what may have been expected, people may have thought that I would have some great sermon or spiritual thought, so I will throw in a little nugget. We should remember first the gift God gave us by sending us his son Jesus. I do not want to just lecture on this everyone on this from some type of strange political stance. Christmas is about Jesus! Not just a church experience, or some religious article but a living breathing Jesus who came into this world and showed us a better way to live. When we trust him we not only get to go to heaven, we also have the opportunity to start over here. I know that many people tend to say that Jesus is the "reason for the season," sadly, many of those people can be the ones that get the grouchiest around Christmas. Look at the news, Christmas has become a time for confrontation, if we allow ourselves, we can miss the beauty of the message.

The message is that life can be new again. To me, each gift we open on Christmas represents the eternal newness that God wants for our lives. We do not have to live as if life is just mundane. We can wake up each day and realize that God wants us to experience him new each day. The gife of encountering God afresh through Christ daily cannot be worn out. This Christmas, I pray that as you enjoy family, friends, food, and fun, rediscover a relationship with God all over again. I am personally taking time to do this I hope you will to.....

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

PJ

All Quiet on the Western Front

2006-12-13T06:50:00.000-08:00

Hey out there! It is odd, for once I do not have some type of profound thought that I want to put out there as a nugget for your mental digestion. Things here are somewhat quiet. We continue to work on the building and plans for LHW continue to move forward. With Christmas coming and my attempt to spend this time focusing on family, it seems like right now is a time for a deep breath before the new year and our efforts to launch more into our community. So by and large everything is cool. That is a good place to be. More soon.

PJ

Finding the Holy in the Ordinary

2006-12-06T08:37:00.000-08:00

Once again it is time for another dose of LIFE Nuggets. As everyone would probably guess I am thrilled that the Cowboys won on Sunday. It was a great game that could have gone either way. It is strange to have your team back on top after having several not so good years. At least it makes the season more interesting.

While we did watch football Sunday, I felt that the evening had one other dynamic. Again it goes back to the idea of "tribe," if you have read the previous post. People were spread out in the house not only watching the game but spending time together. We were probably no different than millions of other households across the country in that respect. In a sense I found a holiness in the moment. Not because of the intense praying that Martin Gramatica was engaged in before the kick, but because of the sense family, of community. After the game we prayed for the needs in the group, we bore one another's burdens to the throne of God and as a group sought him for help. There is something special in moments like that.

Perhaps it is just a place that I find myself in right now but I am convinced that we miss moments to connect with God every day because we are not even aware of the opportunity. While there is, and should be, time set aside to worship God in the context of a public gathering (a service), I think we use that weekly gathering as a crutch. I feel that it is a detriment to the idea of following Jesus to see his revolution reduced to just attending a service. That is one piece of a larger picture. Where I think that we fail is that when we leave a gathering, we turn off our ability to sense God. It is almost like we quit looking for Him once we leave church.

When we attempt to un-learn that bad habbit and strive to encounter God in the simplicity of our lives, to strive to become aware of him, we will be on to something. Perhaps in our own little ways we can stop our day, even for a little while, and spend some time with God. It is almost noon so I am wrapping up to go apply my own advice and spend a little time with God in prayer. Try and do something similar at a time which is good for you. Meeting God outside of the church walls is great. It is helping me to grow closer to and become more like Jesus. It will do the same for you. Let God disrupt the calander for a minute. You will not regret it.

Blessings,

PJ

The Power of Tribe

2006-12-01T05:51:00.000-08:00

Greetings once again to those of you who are stopping by to chomp on a couple of LIFE Nuggets! I am in such a great mood this morning. Some of the men on the team came in last night and we continued to paint inside the building. Being here last night I could not help but watch somthing powerful happen. We are beginning to see something take shape that is part of what I feel God wants LIFEhouse West to be about. Family, or what I personally like to call, tribe.

Let me explain, it is my opinion that as believers we have missed out in the past 20 or so years on the idea of living life together. Church has become a place, or a club, where we get together once a week or maybe twice. The relationships that we tend to have as a result are at best superficial and at worst dysfunctional. How many times have we heard of churches that are so split that people on one side of the sanctuary will not speak to those on the other side. Somehow all of these people live under the amazingly stupid notion that God is pleased with them. I do not believe for a minute that He is.

Or how about churches that are so focused on internal politics that when a visitor comes in and starts to get connected, the people who have been a part of the church for a while begin to share "behind the curtain" stuff. Saying things like "well this church has a lot going for it, but out pastor is such a ..............(fill in your own phrase here)." Then upon hearing this stuff the new person either becomes a party to it, or leaves thinking that all the stuff that he heard about Jesus must be a load of hogwash because the people who claim to represent Jesus sure don't sound like Jesus. Or how about a church where spiritual authority and ministry are oriented around position. Everyone becomes so focused on what they do or who they are "in church," that the Gospel is left on the shelf because everyone is focused on their personal agenda. Let's all be honest here, in some way, shape, or form, we have all encountered some variation of this stuff. Maybe even been guilty of being a part of it.

Perhaps that is why I find what I am doing now so refreshing. Some of the people who have shown up to help with the birthing of LHW, are so fresh and new. When something is new and fresh, it is easy to be idealistic. We have the opportunity here to be idealistic in our approach because of this newness. We can rediscover what it should look like.

This idea of tribe is one of those things. Here are my thoughts. Have you ever watched one of those shows on tribal communities or just picked up a National Geographic magazine? They show all of those "primitive" people living life as a community, working to hash out a living in a difficult environment. They work together, they help one another, they play together, they celebrate individual moments like marriage as a community by building the new couple a hut in which to start their new life together. They handle discipline as a group. They fight as a unit when the community is in danger. They celebrate victory together. Tribe is tribe no matter what.

This is what I feel we have missed and what I hope to see at LHW. Granted I have neither the resource or the ability to build everyone whom I marry a house, so no funny ideas here. We can however live life together. I pray that we will see a real family atmosphere among the people who embrace the idea that is LIFEhouse West. Is it Biblical? Yes. Look at Acts 2:42-47. These people shared, they lived together, laughed together, cried together, loved together, brought outsiders into the family, they did ir right. For most today, their model has become an inconvienent truth. As the guy who is responsible for guarding the ideals here at LHW, may it never be said of us that we lose the togetherness that is forming. As we all, as individuals and as a community, strive to be more like Jesus, our passionate following of him married with the idea of family can change a city. Let it be so.

Viva Revolution!!!!!!!

Go Cowboys!!!!!!!

PJ

The Imitation of Christ

2006-11-29T08:19:00.000-08:00

Greetings once again to all the people out in cyberspace. That sounds cheesy but I am in a good mood and feeling reenergized after some rest from our week of work at the cold weather shelter. Looking back, that was a great week of serving. It is now something that is on the LIFEhouse west calander that we are going to do one evening per month. It is just one of the ways that as a group we can demonstrate the love of Jesus by simply giving the Kingdom of God away to someone else.

That being said, I want to move on to other things. I have begun reading a book by Thomas a Kempis entitled "The Imitation of Christ." Just in the title there is enough for me to preach but I think that it does bear some commentary. The title captures another of the values that I want to be plainly evident in LIFEhouse West......

To be honest though, this one is a hard one because it is personal. It begins with me. It is my duty to imitate Christ in all that I do. To be gut level honest, I do not hit a home run on this one every day. I don't know anybody who does. What I can say is that I feel a strong burden to live this out, not for anyone else, but for me. This is why this one is hard; one, because I can be my own worst enemy sometimes. Two. because it is my opinion that everyone must do this for themselves.

I feel strongly that the question of whether or not we imitate Christ is one of the fundamental things that we as individual followers of Jesus must deal with on a daily basis. I feel that we do this by:
1. Asking ourselves, and being honest, if we are actually committed to living out the revolution of Jesus in our lives. Does this idea come into our minds at all during our day? Are we conscious of our role in the revolution?
2. Are we striving to do it? Not are "we perfect at it", but "we are striving to live like Jesus." are we taking steps to do that? Are we ready and active in developing the characteristics of Jesus in our lives? It there improvement? Can we, and others, see a difference in our lives?

The differences do not need ot be huge, although there are times when they will be, just that we see a difference. Before we do anything we must "own the revolution" personally. I am working at it and I trust that you are as well.

PJ

Live on Location

2006-11-22T06:45:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone out there! For the first time I am blogging on location at LIFEhouse West. Many thanks to my man Jeff for getting the wireless internet up and running. Construction on the building is proceeding at planned.

There are continuing to be changes to the building. Last week we "re engineered" the pews that we could not give away. After some personal time with a sledge hammer and a chain saw they have been taken care of and have been offered up to the Lord as a burnt offering...... The family room is nearly ready for painting, it is being primered so that and carpeting will begin soon. Finally we have some of the heat registers back up so we can warm the place up a little. I will have pictures soon.

In a way this week is kind of bittersweet. As many know I am heading up Bethel Assembly's (our mother church) week of volunteering at the local cold weather shelter here in Hagerstown. This is my last official project with them in what was my role as "Community Connections" pastor. As I am writing we are mid way through the week. I have considered this week kind of like a wake of sorts. It is a long funeral for my old role and the responsibilities that went with it.

So far this week there have not been many incidents among the folks that stay at the shelter. What I have noticed is this. The great people who have been willing to come and serve the homeless confirm one of the bedrock ideal that I hold as lead pastor here at LHW.

That is service. Not services, they come later. What I am talking about is the willingness to go and give a little bit of the Kingdom of God away to someone else who needs it. As the coordinator at the shelter for the week I get to walk around, supervise, and tell people what to do. While that is fun, I also get to watch......

I have watched people who are outside their comfort zone by just being in the shelter moved by compassion. Seeing them sitting with residents and talking with them. Laughing, joking, enjoying the Cowboys big win over the Colts on Sunday! I ahve not seen one time any type of class separation, just people relating to other people. There is something powerful in that. something God inspired. It is so simple, yet the idea of relating to others and serving them escapes us so easily. We get consumed with so many other things that keep us from connecting with the world that God wants us to reach.

So in short, for all the folks who are on this journey with me, we will be serving others. It is at the core of who we are and we want to model servanthood at every opportunity. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

PJ

For Those Who May Wonder...

2006-11-10T08:47:00.000-08:00

Upon reading some comments on the blog, I want to take some time to expound upon what I keep referring to as "the journey." I guess that the term comes from what I am coming to believe about what I think it means to be a "Christian." To be candid, that term has lost a great deal of meaning that it used to have. It means "little Christs" and I am of the opinion that while that may be the rendering of the definition of the word, some who use the word to describe themselves do not fit the definition.

That being said, I would rather be called a follower of Jesus Christ. I think that it fits with what I feel being a "Christian" is about. Hebrews 11:13 brings up the idea that we are foreigners here on this Earth. While I do not want to get weird here, I think that simply by throwing the word Christian around, we tend to forget that there is something mysterious and other worldly about saying that we follow a carpenter from Nazareth who claimed to be God, and whom we believe was raised from the dead.

Think of the idea that we are "following" Jesus. If we are following him, that means, at least to me, that we are going somewhere, to where he is. It is one of the reasons that I believe that all our lives as like a journey. We are going somewhere, moving toward something. What has been the interesting challenge is that this church plant that we call "LIFEhouse West" is part of my journey. Long before we arrived at where we are now, God put the dream in my heart as I walked along on my journey of following him. It has been a very personal thing. Now there are others who have come along on the journey that I find myself on. As frightening as it may sound sometimes, they are following me as I am following Christ. We are now on this journey together.

I am convinced that LIFEhouse West is not a building, it is part of a movement, a journey, that God willing, will bring many others on the journey as well, which we trust will, in the end, bring us into the presence of God for eternity. I hope that for anyone who is wondering, this brings some clarificaiton. Lets all enjoy the journey together.

PJ

An Update

2006-11-08T08:37:00.001-08:00

Hello all! I wanted to update you on some things that have happened in the past few days. First and most impotantly, Contact has been established with Western Heights Middle School. We are looking to cooperate with them and help out with the Kids in any way that we can manage.

It is critical that we connect and begin to actually make a difference in the community that we are in, to do things that people can see and understand. I believe that seeing is believing. This cannot be just about talk, but about results, fruit if you will. So as you read this update, pray that we can connect and reach some of these children personally and spiritually.

Second, the upstairs of the building is ready for flooring so the painting process must begin in earnest so that we can get this project rolling. Thanks for everyone's help.

Blessings

PJ

A Personal Gospel

2006-11-03T06:21:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!! Now that we are officially moving into a time when the core team that is taking this journey with me is beginning to develop, I wanted to start adding some substance to the discussion of this blog. I think that we should start with what I think is an important point that begins with a story......

I was in Borders with some friends one evening when we were confronted by two people who really did not have anything nice to say about people who follow Jesus, or anybody who is part of some type of organized religion for that matter, but mostly just followers of Jesus. One of them made a statement that I think is vital. She said that the problem is that the Gospel of Jesus is too personal.....

That is an important point. Our Gospel is personal. Have you ever stopped and thought of the implications of that? John 1:14 says that the word came and dwelt among us. Jesus walked through this world and suddenly, God got very personal. Granted, the Bible is filled with accounts of God getting personal with people. But has anyone ever stopped to think of the implications of that personal encounter that we call in church speak "the Incarnation"?

Did Jesus ever have bad breath? How about body odor? Did he ever burn a meal?

Did he ever pull a practical joke on one of the disciples?

If Jesus ever took time to daydream, what would he have thought about?

These things might sound kind of strange, they may even make us uncomfortable because we like to keep Jesus distant. We are not cool with the divinity thing, but sometimes we lose the humanity side. We forget that the God we serve, sent his son to live like us. Granted, Jesus was without sin, so let's not forget that, however, he lived like us. Think about your life, the details of it that get lost in actually living. The wonderful complexity of the human body and mind, the details of human relationships, the grandure of creation. All the things that we do not pay attention to because we are too busy to stop and notice. I think that Jesus understood these things better than anyone. Yes because he created them, but also because of something more...

In light of these kinds of thoughts, I like to think that long before Jesus ever taught people anything, performed a public miracle, had disciples, or went to the cross, he livedthe Gospel.
Today, we are no different. long before we ever go public with our faith, it must become a personal thing. Carrying the message of Jesus, and according to the Bible, having Jesus in us (Revelation 3:20), it should alter the sum of all that we are. The details of our lives should start to change, so as we begin this process, let the Gospel be personal and live it. Enjoy the Journey.....

PJ

A Vent and an Update

2006-10-25T07:12:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone: Last Friday, Cindy and I had the opportunity for a night out without the kids. We went out to dinner and ended up buying two movies from Suncoast and taking them home to watch. One of the movies was Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgandy. This is the vent portion of the blog because I have to be honest....I thought that the movie was terrible. I only laughed twice. I could have just shredded the ten dollars that I spent on the movie and probably gotten a better return for my money.

That being said, on to more important things. We now have all the carpet up in the sanctuary/coffee shop area of the building and it is ready for flooring as is what we are calling the "Family Room." That is the addition that we built for LIFE Groups and meetings. Thanks to everyone who has helped. You guys are birthing something great. Lets keep moving forward.

PJ

To Connect or Not To Connect

2006-10-11T09:43:00.000-07:00

Now that we are both hooked up to the blog this is our first collaborated entry for LIFEhouse West. The conference of last week was all about connectivity and linking together with those whom God has placed us with to accomplish his work. Just to bring everyone up to speed LIFEhouse West is connected to the LIFEhouse Church network and is a church plant of Bethel Assembly. As a network we are emphasizing connectivity as the way to most effectively do the work we are responsible for. On a network level this is about joining with other churches, organizations, and ministries, not to reinvent anything, but to partner in using the strengths of each group to accomplish a task or meet a need. This is not necessarily only within our network or within "denominational lines" but linking up with others on the same "team".

For too many years churches and ministries have been trying to be everything to everybody but really becoming nothing to nobody. We feel that mindsets like this have become obsolete and ineffective in impacting our culture today. At LIFEhouse West we believe that this should not only change but that we should model it. We think that it is about being involved in the community, with community organizations, and in the lives of those people who make up that community. For us that means afterschool care for children, tutoring, providing a gathering place for people outside of "church services", meeting real and felt needs, and being involved in community activities and not just church activities. In other words being outside the walls of the building more than inside the walls. Jesus spent much more time with people just living life than he did in church, bringing LIFE to each life he encountered.

After hearing what we think now what do you think?

Next Week

2006-10-06T09:45:00.000-07:00

I wanted to bring some finality to the blog for this week. I know that I was planning on putting something else on this week. But being as it is the week of a conference that I am a part of there is a great deal of information that I am processing. I will be making some notes next week after the conference.... Talk back soon.

Actually Figuring This Thing Out

2006-10-05T07:33:00.000-07:00

Well this is kind of a great way to start the morning. I forgot my username and the password to this thing and had to get it all working. Now that I have done this we can comment at will and share as a community. Sorry for any confusion. I will have a thought for the week later today if possible. We can start with this: As followers of Jesus, our imagination should exceed out memory.

We cannot stop being creative for the kingdom.....

Thoughts anyone?

Welcome to the Official LIFE House West blog!!!!

2006-10-04T13:57:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the beginning of a journey. The Chronicle of the what we are calling LIFE House West. This blog will not only be about the story of LIFE House West (LHW) but also about, a journey with God that I am taking. We will be talking about everything here. This is the journal of the journey. So if you stop by and visit the blog there will be plenty to discuss.

I will be posting thoughts on the Bible, life in general, my emotions, whatever comes out onto the keys. This place is as much about my personal faith journey as it is about planting a church. We will lay all of this out as we go, so lets just have fun......

Check it out whenever you want, at least once per week for a discussion point of LHW information. Since part of the goal is to have LHW become a hub for social interation as well as spiritual stuff. We can all enjoy this jouerney together.