Tapestry Circle

Well, it’s sunday night March 2nd, 2008 10:00pm.

I’m at home recovering from a good weekend with friends, old and new. After a long time of preparing, we were able to host the first CMA Greenhouse in Michigan! We all met up at Calvin College’s “Prince Conference Center” in Grand Rapids. Neil Cole and Brad Fieldhouse flew out to lead it, and did a great job (as always).

We had just about everyone in the tapestry leadership there which was fun. Eric and I bought each of us a copy of Neil’s new book on discipleship. On Friday night, our dear friend Jim Best stayed the night with us. Saturday started early, and then over lunch I had the honor of introducing our new Organic Greenhouse Coaching Team (www.greenhousemichigan.com)! Then, after the seminars were over Carlos and Sarah, Jim Best, Sarah Fossati and Mel and I all went down to the “On the Boarder” for dinner and laughs.

Then this morning, Eric and I met up at 5th Reformed (Tapestry’s official parent church) to talk with an adult sunday school about us and Tapestry. We basically had a q and a time and met some wonderful people there at 5th. It’s been a joy getting to know them better! Then, I went and picked up Brad and then he and I met Eric and Ben Ingebretsen over at Wolfgang’s in East GR for some great food and awesome conversation.

I had to jet a little early from this afternoon’s session as I was needed at home to meet up with our dear ones Jes and Katie were coming over. My momma and niece Paris also dropped in to see us which was a nice surprise.

So, as you can imagine, I’m beat. So, I am getting some sleep before heading BACK to GR to take my sister to an appt. in the morning.

Shalom to you,
Chad

Today on Facebook, you can watch the online premier of the latest Nooma video named “Open” where Rob deals with prayer and praying. It’s free and on Facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=23766390253

Saw this via my friend Andrew’s site: www.tallskinnykiwi.com

Not a huge fan of the title either, but it is worth a reading.

article

Today, Enoch’s Path held our “annual” (which means twice) Thanksgiving brunch. Kerrie made her amazing heath bar breakfast magical crunch/bake. Mel brought this great egg bake with sausage, egg, cheese, hashbrowns and other amazingness. Andy brought some yummy lemon bars too!

We tried to firm up some plans for next Sunday afternoon where we are hanging out at the “Alison House” off of Saginaw Highway to throw a party and get to know the disabled folks that live there. We’re going to be there at 4:30-6ish if you’d like to join us!

Our hope is to make some new friends, and help bring a new focus of community to ourselves (not “to” them as they already have their own community).

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Here’s a great resource from OT scholar Walter Brueggemann.

His 19 thesis, plus some great mp3’s!

Enjoy!

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Tomorrow night, October 18th, at 6pm PST there will be a free Soularize webcast (also see http://theooze.com). This week, join Spencer Burke and author Ori Brafman – of “The Starfish and the Spider” courtesy of Soularize.net.

Ori Brafman is a peace and economic development consultant and activist. He is co-author of indie business cult favoriate “The Starfish and the Spider,” about leaderless groups and what makes them so powerful.

Spencer Burke is a “pastor alumnus,” author, speaker, heratic (see his book “A Heretics Guide To Eternity”) founder of TheOOZE.com and our friend. In Thursday’s interview, Spencer will talk to Ori about the Church that is primarily running as a Spider organization in a Starfish world; together, we’ll investigate Starfish front-runners and Hybrids – can organic and institutional models live in harmony?

You can ask Ori and Spencer questions, take live polls and more!

www.Soularize.net/feedlive click on “preview” and you are in!!

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Here are some of the thought that have been perculating in my mind from the Missio Dei Conference at Denver Seminary with Allen Hirsch and Michael Frost.

Missio Dei- God is the God of Mission
•    Mission is the character of God
•    God sent word to us so that we can live them out
•    Being like Jesus- is being sent

Participatio Christ
•    Set our faces as participants or see where God is already at work
•    Kingdom of God and Kingdom of evil are emerging and intertwined with in each other

Imago Dei
•    Who have you been sent to be- Mercy, Justice, Love
•    Let us be with people no matter who they are.
o    See the “trace” of God in them
•    How do they do it? – Cheer ongoing ministries
o    Support them
o    Volunteer in them
o    Initiate things in your community and globally

•    We have taken the Jesus out of the story and created a religion in the name of Jesus to justify our religiosity
•    “Domesticated Jesus“
•     Christianity – Christ = RELIGION

We need to look at Jesus as the revolutionary that he was.

Follow Jesus into strange places
•    Radical engagements that help
•    Meaningful conversations are happening everywhere with non Christians but not in the church
o    Have time to have spontaneity , frequent open spaces when opportunity arise to have conversations and except invitations from others you rub shoulders with in daily life.

by Brian Mclaren

Everyone is Clergy

Everyone is Clergy: a liturgical reading.
Everyone is clergy. Everyone is called to serve,
To create, to communicate,
To participate with our good Creator
In the making and remaking of our good world.
Everyone is clergy. Everyone is called to stand,
To struggle, to suffer, to trust and to love,
And so to join in the unmaking of injustice and
In the liberation of earth from every form of sin.
Everyone is clergy. Everyone is called to holiness,
To faithfulness, to health, to growth,
To serenity and activity,
To the practices of life
In the kingdom of God.
All our daily work is holy. Every act of service,
Every deed of neighborly kindness,
Every smile or sigh, every touch or tear
Can be a sacramental act expressing the presence of the living God.
Every drop of sweat that falls in honest labor for the common good
Joins with every movement toward others
In the daily liturgy of human work.
Some are given special gifts to equip and inspire others for this daily work of faith
And labor of love.
All are channels of grace, given, received,
Shared in a symphony of many voices and instruments,
So the earth may be filled with the glory of God.
You are clergy. So am I. Together
We are called to learn God’s music of life
In the unique instruments of our bodies, our persons, our times, our settings.
Then we are sent out to play it with joy and sincerity wherever we go.
Together we are part of a truly apostolic succession:
The people of God sent into the world, generation after generation,
As Jesus was sent by the Father,
In the power of the Holy Spirit,
For the good of the world.
So let us work and rest together,
Let us play and sing together,
Let us by our faithful lives bring glory to the true and living God.
For we are all clergy
And we are all called.

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