FLY you fool

Turning from Attachment to Desire: John Eldredge: 04/29/2009
So much of the journey forward involves a letting go of all that once brought us life. We turn away from the familiar abiding places of the heart, the false selves we have lived out, the strengths we have used to make a place for ourselves and all our false loves, and we venture forth in our hearts to trace the steps of the One who said, “Follow me.” In a way, it means that we stop pretending: that life is better than it is, that we are happier than we are, that the false selves we present to the world are really us. We respond to the Haunting, the wooing, the longing for another life. Pilgrim begins his adventure toward redemption with a twofold turning: a turning away from attachment and a turning toward desire. He wanted life and so he stuck his fingers in his ears and ran like a madman (“a fool,” to use Paul’s term) in search of it. The freedom of heart needed to journey comes in the form of detachment. As Gerald May writes in Addiction and Grace, Detachment is the word used in spiritual traditions to describe freedom of desire. Not freedom from desire, but freedom of desire . . . An authentic spiritual understanding of detachment devalues neither desire nor the objects of desire. Instead, it “aims at correcting one’s own anxious grasping in order to free oneself for committed relationship to God.” According to Meister Eckhart, detachment “enkindles the heart, awakens the spirit, stimulates our longings, and shows us where God is.”With an awakened heart, we turn and face the road ahead, knowing that no one can take the trip for us, nor can anyone plan our way. (The Sacred Romance , 149)

What does this mean for us?

This reminded me of the scene in "The Lord of the Rings" when Gandalf was fighting the Balrog on the bridge (that giant devil made of fire). After Gandalf shouts with authority "You shall not pass!" and the Balrog falls as the bridge collapses right where he stands (which is what we have the power to do for real!)...he turns his back on the the Balrog and is caught by the foot, falls, and grasps the ledge of the bridge. As the fellowship looks on in shock...Gandalf looks up at them and says "Fly, you fools" and then he LETS GO and falls (which we later know that he was able to grab his sword in the fall and defeat the Balrog, and later after being dead, he is revived and comes back even stronger and more alive to join in the fight once again). His words to them are more than just "quick you guys...run away!"...he is speaking of a deeper calling to the Fellowship.

I shared this to connect with the above devotion mentioning Pilgrim being a fool...and 1 Cor 1:18 "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." and 1 Cor 4:10 "We are fools for Christ".

Gandalf was letting them know it was time the Fellowship took flight towards their callings. Each one had a purpose and a very important role to play in the bigger story of Middle Earth.

I created the above collage with Gandalf on it, an eagle, and the words "Fly, you fool" This represents Isaiah 40:31 "But those who HOPE in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

That's where I am...on that cliff...and I'm letting go and God is saying to us...It's time for our group to fly and reach for our dreams and pursue our desires with all we've got! Our hearts are worth fighting for and this is a call to take courage and go for it! We each have a purpose and an important role to play in the bigger story of this Upside Down Kingdom...and it's time to fly!

DIVE DEEP!

Dare We Desire?

"No desire will ever be placed in you by the Holy Spirit unless He intends to fulfill it. So let your faith rise up and soar away to claim all the land that you can discover." - S.A.Keen

"Everything you can comprehend through faith's vision belongs to you. Look as far as you can, for it is all yours. All you long to be as a Christian, and all you long to do for God, are within the possibilities of faith. Then draw closer to Him, and with your Bible before you, and your soul completely open to the power of the Spirit, allow your entire being to receive the baptism of His presence. As He opens your understanding, enabling to see His fullness, believe He has it all for you. Accept for yourself all the promises of His Word, all the desires He awakens within you, and all the possibilities of what you could become as a follower of Jesus. All the land you see is given to you. 

The provision of His grace, which helps us along the way to the fulfillment of His promise, is actually tied to the inner vision God has given us. He who puts the natural instinct in the heart of a bird to fly across a continent in search of a warmer climate is too good to deceive it. Just as we are confident He placed the instinct within the bird, we can be assured He has also provided balmy breezes and springlike sun to meet it when it arrives. 

And He who breathes heavenly hope into our hearts will not deceive or fail us when we press forward toward its realization." - author unknown

"They left and found things just as Jesus had told them." - Luke 22:13

Remember...

"Above all else, guard your heart. For it is the wellspring of life." -Proverbs 4:23

fear is a tool of the enemy to keep us from living

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.  It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.  We ask ourselves, “Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?”  Actually, who are you not to be?  You are a child of God.  Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.  There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so other people won’t feel insecure around you.  We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us… And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.  As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." -Nelson Mandela

A Tale Of Three Kings

The Boise Vineyard has launched a 13 week sermon series titled "The Heart of David" studying the life of David in the Bible. The series will focus on the ups and downs of his life and why he has been called "a man after God's own heart". 

They are also using the book "A Tale of Three Kings" as a reference and have created a blog on-line for people to enter into the conversation and study http://www.ataleofthreekings.com 

The VineArts ministry at the Vineyard has painted a large 3 paneled canvas backdrop coinciding with this study reflecting various elements of David's life (through artistic symbolism) and the connection to Christ and God's hand throughout the ages. 

Please Forgive James

The Boise Vineyard just finished it's 2 year focus on "Living the Advent-ure" and "RE:FORM" studying through the book of Luke and the book of Acts. For more info and ways you can get involved in the reform adventure, go to: http://www.reform-now.org/ and http://www.letstendthegarden.org/



In January 2009 we will start a new series on the life and heart of David. To watch sermons on-line and to keep updated go to: http://www.vineyardboise.org/



BUT for the interim Tri will do a 6 week sermons series titled "Please Forgive James". Here is a link to an interactive website/blog specifically created for this series: http://pleaseforgivejames.wordpress.com/

what sort of tale have we fallen into?

"I wonder what sort of tale we've fallen into?" -Samwise Gamgee, Lord of the Rings

"The Road goes ever on and on. Down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone, and I must follow, if I can. Pursuing it with eager feet, until it joins some larger way." -J.R.R. Tolkien

"We live in a far more dramatic, far more dangerous Story than we ever imagined. The reason we love The Chronicles of Narnia or Star Wars or The Matrix or The Lord of the Rings is because they are telling us something about our lives that we never, ever get on the evening news. Or from the pulpits. They are reminding us of the Epic we are created for.

THIS is the sort of tale we've fallen into. How would you live differently if you believed it to be true?...

Something has been calling to you all the days of your life. You've heard it on the wind and in the music you love, in the laughter and in the tears, and most especially in the stories that have captured your heart...

The Story God is telling...like every great story that echoes it...reminds us of three eternal truths it would be good to keep in mind as we take the next step out the door.

1) things are not what they seem: We live in a world with two halves, one part we can see and the other part that we cannot. We must live as though the unseen (the rest of reality) is more weighty and more real and more dangerous than the part of reality we can see.

2) we are at war: This is a love Story, set in teh midst of a life-and-death battle. This is no child's game. It's requires great sacrifices. Just look around you. Look at all the casualites strewn across the field. This is a war---a battle for the human heart. Remember...you have not blown it, and God is not holding out on you. The enemy of your heart will engage in whatever tactics he can to steal, kill, and destroy your heart.

3) you have a crucial role to play: It is a dangerous thing to underestimate your role in the Story. You will lose heart, and you will miss your cues. You are needed. We have reached the moment where we too, must find our our courage and rise up to recover our hearts and fight for the hearts of others. You won't lose heart if you know what's really going on here, where the Story is headed and what you Lover has promised you.

"The glory of God is man fully alive." -St. Ireneus

This is the gospel.
This is the Story we are living in."
-John Eldredge, Epic

The Journey of Desire

“Impatience is a dangerous thing when it comes to interior journeys, spiritual quests, pilgrimages of the soul. For in these journeys we must cover the miles step-by-step, feeling the terrain as we pass through it, responding to it’s challenges. There is no rushing this; there are no shortcuts. But that is what makes it so beautiful and dangerous and wonderful. We don’t snap a few photos and rush on; rather, we are changed by our travels…In other words, take your time. Beginning to understand your heart, to hear it’s pulse, to know it’s desires and passions, is perhaps the most important skill to learn, yet the most difficult as well…Be patient, it will come."
-John Eldredge, “The Journey of Desire-journal & guidebook” p. xiii-xiv

Future Tripping

WindRumers.com September 21, 2007
Future Tripping and the Presence of Joy (Peace)
William P. Young

"The reason that ‘Peace’ is in the title of this post, is
because for some of us the issue of ‘peace’ in our lives is
more tangible and crucial right now than the presence of
‘joy’. So wherever you see the word ‘joy’ please feel free
to substitute the word ‘peace’, not because they are the
same but because every thing I want to say about ‘joy’
equally applies to ‘peace’.

First, let me explain the term ‘future tripping’. I love
good science fi ction writing. A book like Perelandra, by
CS Lewis, or Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card…they
just take me someplace where the imagination is allowed
to roam more freely than in most other literary genres.
Some folks think such writing is silly and adolescent…oh
well…sorry. I will tell you that Orson Scott Card’s book,
Speaker for the Dead, taught me more about conducting
a funeral than anything else I have ever read (but that’s
another story).

I’ve been thinking I could make a good case that
every human being is a science fi ction writer; that
we each develop an incredibly powerful ability to
create imaginations of the future, usually our own.
Unfortunately, we are almost as good at horror or
tragedy; our imaginations of the future are rife with
catastrophes and difficulties.

A little more than two years ago, ‘Joy’ became my
constant companion rather than an occasional
acquaintance. Th is was totally unexpected and more
than a little remarkable. Many times in my life I had
experienced Joy dropping in, ’surprising me’, and
then leaving…sometimes within a couple days, but
usually within hours or minutes. I loved the visits but
instinctively knew that Joy must have other (probably
better) things to do but had stopped by long enough to
bless me with a touch of encouragement in a difficult
time, or a taste of something wonderful when the world
seemed particularly grey and fl avorless. Usually the
sudden presence of Joy had no rhyme or reason, at least,
not that I could tell…a surprise visitor who was always
welcome, slept in the guest bedroom and was normally
gone before the fi rst light of day, bed made up, a note
that said ‘thank you’ and ’see you again soon’.

But to ‘move in’ and stay…that was unexpected. For
the fi rst six months I was a little on edge about the
whole ‘new’ relationship. It seemed that it would be
rather rude to simply ask, “Okay, why exactly are you
still here?” Perhaps, I was a little apprehensive that
such a question would remind Joy that there were more
important things to do than hang around me, and off Joy
would go. But I liked it…the presence of Joy…a lot!

So what happened? Why had Joy decided to stick
around and permeate my every day, even the really tough
gut wrenching ones? Even as I write this, Joy is standing
just over my shoulder, leaning on me just enough so that
I know… and watching (with a grin) what I am writing.
Okay…I am nuts, that must be it! But I am not…so back
to my question. What happened?

As I mulled this incongruity over and talked with friends
and family I began to understand part of the reason
for Joy’s permanence in my life. A couple of years ago,
I decided to stop ‘future tripping’. ‘Future Tripping’ is
‘taking thought for tomorrow’, it is creating imaginations
of what is going to happen and then actually take a
mental and emotional trip to live there for a bit. It is

‘what am I going to do if _________ (fi ll in the blank),
what am I going to say if __________, what would
our family go through if _____________.

I confess to you that I have experienced many un-realities

and their attendant emotions this way. I have repeatedly

suffered huge financial losses, ended up living under one of the
city bridges, been abandoned by my family, suff ered the
loss of each of my children, had my closest friends turn
out to be villains, embarrassed myself in public, was put
on the spot and said something stupid, been to my own
funeral (more than once), unsuccessfully tried to stop
something horrible from happening, failed repeatedly
to live up to somebody’s expectations, been horribly
maimed in every kind of imaginable accident known to
man, lost all my teeth, lost every job I ever had, came
down with every disease possible, regularly looked
like an idiot, got my lights punched out for no reason,
explained my driving to a police offi cer, lost my friends,
went to school and found out I wasn’t wearing anything,
got mugged, imagined the situation that I currently was
in was permanent…that nothing could ever or would
ever change……you get the idea.

I have written volumes of imaginations in my own head,

things that have no substance, no reality, and are empty,

vain imaginations. But I treat them as if they are real.

I feel all kinds of terrifying and horrible emotions, and

scramble to control my life so that these imaginations

won’t actually come to pass. THESE IMAGINATIONS ARE

NOT REAL!!!! But I had spent most of my life in or around
them. GOD DOES NOT DWELL IN ANYTHING
THAT IS NOT REAL!!! In these imaginations, Papa
is conspicuously absent. Why? Because Papa has no
interest in living inside something that isn’t even real
to begin with. So in my ‘vain’ empty imaginations, I
am the only ‘god’ there is. I have to fi x things, make
sure things turn out right, try to get a handle on people
and events…and frankly, I do a very poor job of it…this
playing god thing. So, my life tended to be gripped by
fear and I worked hard to get some ‘control’ to prevent
these imaginations that I feared. I had a habit of treating
something that had no reality or substance as if it were
truly real.

A couple years ago I stopped this insanity. And here
is what I discovered. JOY has a name. Joy is not only
a fruit of the Spirit of God, but a manifestation of the
presence of the very ‘real’ Jesus who dwells inside of us.
In fact, JOY had ‘never’ left me at all; it was me that
continually left Joy, to run into some imagined future
and resultant fear. It had never been Joy that was the
occasional acquaintance… it was me that had been the
visitor.

For two years now I have stayed inside the confi nes of
the grace that is for ‘today’. Today is where Papa dwells
with me; today is where ‘eternity’ intersects my life,
and even when I get to tomorrow, it is still ‘today’ when
I get there. If grace, in part, is what energizes me to
sense Papa’s presence, to hear his voice… I was obviously
wasting what grace was given me for the ‘real’ day on
imaginations that weren’t even real, had no substance
and were empty (every vain imagination that raises itself
up against the knowing of God).

Do I make plans for tomorrow? Sure, but they are held
loosely and with an open hand… and I don’t live there.
I live in his present(ce), which is TODAY. How many
times are Grace and Peace, or Grace and Joy linked
together in the New Testament? If you try and hoard
up grace for more than the Day, you will end up with
something that is rotting and can’t be lived on. If you
run away to empty imaginations you will neither sense
his present(ce) or hear his voice.

I read Joy’s blog the other day, and it began…” A couple
years ago Willie became my constant companion rather
than an occasional acquaintance…” Sweeeeeet! "

summer lite

oh my goodness...i must apologize. i just realized that it's been 2 months since i last updated this blog. so much has taken place since then. 1 of us from the group traveled to England and back. 2 of us from the group have been focusing on family time, playing sports. 3 of us from the group traveled to Ireland and back. 4 of us from the group spent some time up in the mountains of Idaho. and lots of other great things have been going on amidst the lives of those of us who call ourselves the Wednesday Focus Groupees.

we're currently into our annual "Summer Lite" schedule. we like to take a bit of a break for the summer. this time we're meeting every other week (one time for our normal group Bible study and one time for a group BBQ rotating locations). this gives us a chance for summer trips or other activities that might need the extra time and we get the opportunity to take it easy a little and enjoy some fellowship together.

we are continuing to watch the "Faith Lessons" dvds and the "Nooma" dvds when we meet for group (preparing for them with Scriptures and study questions ahead of time). it has been a meaningful journey and we're continually amazed at how God connects the 2 seperate lessons together (along with the current Acts study that the whole church is going through each week...and with the last book study we did in "Waking the Dead".) God is speaking through it all.

we're praying about what we'll study next (starting in October we'll probably do another book study of somesort and really dive in deep once again).

may you have a fantastic fun-filled summer full of adventures, good times, and great memories. God bless you.

Living Between The Trees: Getting Our Feet Wet

We want to know why we are here. If our lives really matter. How our religion is relevant to this life. Today. We want to understand what significance this minute, hour, week, month, and year has to our lives.To our world. We need a God who cares about this life, in this world, right now. We want to understand why everything we think, everything we say, and everything we do matters. We don’t want to just sit back and wait for something to happen or someday to come. We want to know if all the choices we make now will shape our world and lives for eternity. Because we want our lives to have meaning today, and our lives today to have meaning forever.

We need a God now. We need a God that teaches us how to live now. We need a faith that's about today...that helps us understand the world that we live in today...otherwise, what's the point? That God gives us the freedom to be fully alive here and now (between the trees)...not just hope and wait for something great in the far off future.

God asks us to respond to his calling by taking a step of faith today, trusting that he has the future under control too. Today, there are many Jordan Rivers that hold Christians back from their calling. For some, it may be a job or a relationship that doesn't glorify God. For others, it may be an addiction or a fear of the unknown. But no matter what barriers we face, each of us must make a decision: Will we trust that God controls everything—including the obstacles and fears before us—and step out in faith...today? Will we get our feet wet? Or will we stay on the other side of the Jordan and miss the opportunity to feel God's power in our lives...today?

*taken from NOOMA: 003: Trees (Rob Bell), and That the World May Know: Faith Lesson: Promised Land: Wet Feet (Ray Vanderlaan)

HOLD!

"Whatever comes out of these gates, we've got a better chance of survival if we work together. Do you understand? If we stay together we survive."

- Maximus Decimus Meridius (Gladiator)

Journey of the Cross

It is Holy Week. During this most sacred of weeks on the Church calendar, where Christians around the world commemorate & celebrate the last week of Jesus Christ's life, his death, and his resurrection...let us remember:

"We change the world not by conquest or sword or might; we change the world by humility and love that stoops to wash feet and in so doing to break the chains of oppression and injustice and to set the captive free."-The Apostle Peter, Journey of the Cross

"So roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear, be totally ready to receive the gift that's coming when Jesus arrives. Don't lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn't know any better then; you do now. As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God's life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness." -1 Peter 1:13-16 The Message

We are part of an upside-down kingdom...that is life-changing.

"Peter's experience of the cross left him a man changed.

Forever.

But this wasn't change that came in a moment, in one event. The cross launched Peter on a pathway of life consecration and personal transformation that would be lifelong in its duration and worldwide in its impact. Peter's transformation didn't merely make him a better person or even a better husband (and it clearly didn't make him a better fisherman). The life change Peter experienced simply cleared the way for him to quite literally 'rock' the world by carrying the good news of Jesus from Jerusalem to Rome. 'Go and make disciples of all nations,' Jesus said. 'Preach the gospel to all creation,' as Mark records it. With wonderfully clarifying contrast John weighs in with yet another wording of Peter's personal commission: 'Feed my lambs.'

Curious that a fisherman would be told to feed lambs. For Peter it was no doubt a heads up that his life paradigm was shifting in ways he could not predict or control.

'Feed my lambs.'

That doesn't sound too dramatic or earth-shaking. In fact, it sounds downright tame, if not lame. But in an UPSIDE-DOWN KINGDOM, the reality is the gates of hell fall before cross-bearing, lamb-feeding, Spirit-filled Christ followers who will not be turned aside. Deserts bloom. Ruins are restored. The world is reformed." -Mike Freeman

Journey of the Cross Week events at the Boise Vineyard:
http://www.vineyardboise.org/jotc

DO NOT NEGOTIATE WITH THE ENEMY

"If Jesus said the thief comes to steal and kill and destroy, well, then, why don't we think the thief ever actually comes to steal and kill and destroy? Good grief...the things people just roll over and accept as 'God's will.' ....The Enemy wants to kill our hearts and destroy our faith and all that flows from it....The particular attack is not the issue; he'll steal anything to kill and destroy.

During an assault like that, you must remember: MAKE NO AGREEMENTS. The Enemy will suggest all sorts of things. 'You see...God doesn't care. You're not worth fighting for. Your heart doesn't matter. You can't trust him.' He is trying to kill you heart, destroy the glory of your life. It will feel hard...really hard, almost impossible....but whatever you do, MAKE NO AGREEMENTS. You have to start there.

'Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.' (Eph.4:26-27)

People make choices, and they are responsible before God for those choices. But through those agreements the Evil One secured a beachhead (a "foothold" in Paul's words), then waited for an opportunity to take even greater dominion. The whole plan is based on agreements. When we make those agreements with the demonic forces suggesting things to us, we come under their influence. It becomes a kind of permission we give the Enemy, sort of like a contract.

Maybe half the stuff people are trying to 'work through' in counseling offices, or pray about in their quiet times, is simply agreements they've made with the Enemy. Some foul spirit whispers, I'm a stupid idiot, and they agree with it; they they spend months and years trying to sort through feelings of insignificance. They'd end their agony if they'd treat it for the warfare it is, break the agreement they've made, send the Enemy packing.

Let me ask you this...have you had this experience?...something bad happens, and you start telling yourself what a jerk you are. Do you really think the source of that is you? Or God? Think about it this way: Who would take most delight in it? you...God...or the Enemy of your heart.

If you deny the battle raging for your heart, well, then the thief just gets to steal and kill and destroy. If you dismiss the assaults as just hassles and mis-understanding, it will get worse. If you refuse to fight it for the warfare it is, you'll get taken out.

There is an evil religious spirit in the church today. It has turned discipleship into a soul-killing exercise of principles. Most folks don't even know they can walk with God, and hear his voice. It has stigmatized counseling as a profession for sick patients, and so the wounds of our hearts never get healed. It has taken healing away from us entirely so that we sit in the pews as broken people, feeling guilty because we can't live the life we're supposed to live. And it has taken warfare and has mocked it, stigmatized it as well, so that most of the church knows almost nothing about how to break strongholds, and set captives free. And it makes it almost impossible for a person to break free by spreading the lie that there is no war.

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again with the yoke of slavery." (Gal.5:1)

"God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power and...he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him." (Acts 10:38)

"For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." (1John 3:8)

Spiritual warfare was essential to Jesus' life and ministry. It follows that it must be essential to ours if we would be his followers." ---John Eldredge, Waking the Dead

DO NOT NEGOTIATE WITH THE ENEMY

breakfast on the beach

The disciples were overwhelmed, still trying to trust Jesus and understand their roles in the Kingdom. After a difficult time of fishing, Jesus was waiting for them on the beach with a simple breakfast and a chance to be together. That’s it. No huge burdens, cares or commissions. Just breakfast on the beach amongst friends and their Lord. It was a welcomed time of nourishment, respite, and fellowship. It was on the beach that Jesus intimately extended forgiveness to Peter and asked him to feed his sheep. Many of us are struggling with financial situations, hurting from broken relationships, grieving for loved ones who have taken ill or died, depressed & discouraged from dreams un-fulfilled. Life can be hard and distracting. Let’s remember Jesus’ offer to come and fellowship in community with him…to be loved, accepted, and forgiven. That we may be able to embrace others in this same way.

"Peter was one of Jesus' closest friends.....So how do you suppose Peter felt after he denied Christ-not just once, but three times? It must have been devastating.

After the Resurrection, Jesus is on the beach with Peter and the others. Following a night of lousy fishing, Christ yells out to the guys to let their nets down for a catch-just as he did that morning he first called them. Again, their nets are bursting with the load. Just like the good old days. Peter leaps from the boat and swims to Christ. They have breakfast together. Reunited, laughing about the catch, relaxed, warmed by the fire, and stuffed from breakfast, Jesus then turns to Peter...

"when they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?' 'Yes, Lord,' he said, 'you know that I love you.' Jesus said, 'Feed my lambs.' Again Jesus said, 'Simon son of John, do you truly love me?' He answered, 'Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.' Jesus said, 'Take care of my sheep.' The third time he said to him, 'Simon son of John, do you love me?' Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, 'Do you love me?' He said, 'Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.' Jesus said, 'Feed my sheep.'" -John 21:15-17

What a beautiful story. Notice first that Christ does not let Peter sweep the whole matter under the rug. If this issue isn't addressed, it will haunt the old fisherman for the rest of his life. A nagging guilt will make it hard to pray. That sense of who are you kidding? will be there every time Peter tries to tell others about Jesus...

Most of us try to 'put things behind us,' get past it, forget the pain as quickly as we can. Really-denial is a favorite method of coping for many Christians. But not with Jesus. He wants truth in the inmost being, and to get it there he's got to take us into our inmost being. One way he'll do this is by bringing up an old memory. You'll be driving down the road and suddenly remember something from your childhood. Or maybe you'll have a dream about a long-forgotten person, event, or place. However he brings it up, go with him there. He has something to say to you...

The lessons that have been laid down in pain can be accessed only in pain. Christ must open the wound, not just bandage it over. Sometimes he'll take us there by having an event repeat itself years later, only with new characters in the current situation. These are all invitations to go with him into the deep waters of the heart, uncover the lies buried down there, and bring the truth that will set us free. Don't just bury it quickly; ask God what he is wanting to speak to." -John Eldredge, Waking the Dead

RE:FORM

have you ever found yourself in the middle of doing something and you realize that there is something very special happening in the midst of it all? this week was one of those moments for me...and i'm finding it hard to put into words how i feel. what i do know, is that my heart has been impacted in a very profound way due to some very spontaneous and creative events that have taken place at my church recently. this is a picture of what our church is experiencing right now...we've been challenged to WAKE UP and LIVE THE ADVENT-URE. God is transforming our hearts and our minds...renewing our spirits to make a long-lasting impact in our world. we're being called to be active reformers as authentic Christian disciples in an upside-down Kingdom.

last week the director of our vineARTS ministry was commissioned to gather a team of artists and paint a very large mural as a backdrop for the sanctuary stage. the mural would depict the theme of our all-church Bible study in the Book of Acts. our pastor has called us all to be reformers...to make a difference in the world by "engaging in the Spirit-filled advent-ure" (that's "believing for the advent-ure by living a life of daring faith between Jesus' first & second coming"...which is NOW!) he sees reformation like a ripple effect...a rock dropped in water creates ripples that move out from the center farther & farther & farther out...making a bigger impact than the original rock (that rock being Jesus and us being the ripples) so our director called a few of us to task and we set to making this large piece of art a reality. she came up with the design and we all worked on it together. we stretched 3 panels of canvas (equaling 51 feet long and 12 feet high) onto a garage floor to prime. then we hung the canvas & traced the outlines of shapes from a projected image of a multitude of ripples (creating a paint by number on the canvas). then we brought the canvas back to the garage floor to be painted. there were 7 of us artists working for days all hours using large brushes fashioned to long sticks, mops, & brooms to paint the majority of the mural. then the canvas was rehung in it's resting place as a backdrop for the sanctuary stage. and then themed wording was traced from a projector & painted on top. and if that wasn't enough to get us all excited...the director and myself were able to put finishing touches on a strategic part of the mural (the spot where the rock is plunked into the water) by being a part of the worship all 3 Sunday morning services for the paintings' unveiling. the director & myself helped lead worship with the band by painting alongside of them! it was the first time the Vineyard Boise has had that sort of thing take place in a main Sunday service (i know that there are many churches out there who regularly incorporate art in their worship services, so it's not a new thing...but it is a liberating & inspiring experience to be a part of-whether you're the painter or the viewer). and i must say that i was totally honored to be one of the artists who got the opportunity to break it loose in this way. it was an extremely fun experience (unifying & meaningful for all involved). as the band played, as the singers sang, as the artists painted, as the congregation joined in song....we were all shouting praises & clapping in worship proclaiming God's majesty & His faithfulness & His glory....GOD's creativity! and ya know, it wasn't about me. it' wasn't about the music or the vineARTS. in fact, it wasn't about art at all. it was about God...to God, for God. it was truly a moment that transformed us all as a visual & interactive experience representing the beginning of re:form.

further up...and further in

hey there, here we are embarking into a new year together as a small group. i'm excited to see where God will lead us as we journey together...further up...and further in (as C.S.Lewis would say).

with a new year i have created this new blogsite for us. a fun and creative way to keep up on what's happening in our group. i will post (hopefully interesting) blogs to keep us thinking and challenged, along with any events of interest for us to keep note of. it will also be a way that we can reach out for others to join in on the fun.

i will still be emailing the group with my weekly "chats" to update us on details for our study each week and will continue to attach the weekly Acts devotions to those emails so we can keep up with Tri's teachings.

let's keep encouraging each other as we continue our book study in "Waking the Dead" and learn to take back our hearts and live life to the fullest in Christ. we've all come a long way over the last couple of years. let's continue to serve one another and pray for each other.

after enjoying 2 weeks of holiday time off, we will resume our weekly meetings Wednesday night, January 9th at 7pm.

dive deep!

Cheers, Lisa

the story: a risk worth taking

"Life is a Story. This is true for every soul...The story of your life is the story of the journey of your heart through a dangerous and beautiful world. It is the story of the long and sustained assault on your heart by the Enemy who knows who you could be and fears you. But it is also the story of the long and mysterious pursuit of your heart by the God who knows you truly and loves you deeply.You probably can’t imagine there being a glory to your life, let alone one that the Enemy fears. But remember—things are not what they seem. We are not what we seem. You probably believed that your heart was bad too. I pray that fog of poison gas from the pit of hell is fading away in the wind of God’s truth. And there is more. Not only does Christ say to you that your heart is good, he invites you now out of the shadows to unveil your glory. You have a role you never dreamed of having.We are in the process of being unveiled. We were created to reflect God’s glory, born to bear his image, and he ransomed us to reflect that glory again. Every heart was given a mythic glory, and that glory is being restored. Remember the mission of Christ: “I have come to give you back your heart and set you free.” For as Saint Irenaeus said, “The glory of God is man fully alive.” Certainly, you don’t think the opposite is true. How do we bring God glory when we are sulking around in the cellar, weighed down by shame and guilt, hiding our light under a bushel? Our destiny is to come fully alive. To live with ever-increasing glory. This is the Third Eternal Truth every good myth has been trying to get across to us: your heart bears a glory, and your glory is needed . . . now. This is our desperate hour.You are going to need your whole heart in all its glory for this Story you’ve fallen into. You’ll need every ounce of courage and faith and love you can muster. So, who did God mean when he meant you? We at least know this: we know that we are not what we were meant to be. Most of us spend our energy trying to hide that fact, through all the veils we put on and the false selves we create. Our first parents thought they could hide behind fig leaves and in the bushes, and we do the same—only with more sophistication. Far better to spend our energy trying to recover the image of God and unveil it for his glory. One means that will help us is any story that helps us see with the eyes of the heart. Which brings us back to myth. Poet David Whyte says, “Myths reveal to us what we are capable of.” Clyde Kilby offers this image: “Myth is a lane down which we walk in order to repossess our soul.” Wow! Wouldn’t you love to repossess your soul? To live with an unmasked, unveiled glory that reflects the glory of the Lord? That’s worth fighting for.There are stories that you’ve loved; there are characters that you’ve resonated with down deep inside, maybe even dreamed that you could be. Do you know why? Deep is calling unto deep. They spoke to you—they speak even now—because they contain some hint or glimpse into your true self.And that is why living from your glory is the only loving thing to do. You cannot love another person from a false self. You cannot love another while you are still hiding. How can you help them to freedom while you remain captive? You cannot love another unless you offer her your heart. It takes courage to live from your heart. My friend Jenny said just the other day, “I desperately want to be who I am. I don’t want the glory that I marvel at in others anymore. I want to be that glory which God set in me.” Finally, our deepest fear of all . . . we will need to live from it. To admit we do have a new heart and a glory from God, to begin to let it be unveiled and embrace it as true—that means the next thing God will do is ask us to live from it. Come out of the boat. Take the throne. Be what he meant us to be. And that feels risky . . . really risky. But it is also exciting. It is coming fully alive. My friend Morgan declared...“It’s a risk worth taking.”"-compilation of quotes from John Eldredge "Waking the Dead" and "Ransomed Heart"

things are not what they seem...

"Things are not what they seem. We are not what we seem. As C.S.Lewis wrote, 'The value of myth is that it takes all the things we know and restores to them the rich significance which has been hidden by the 'veil of familiarity.'' You are not what you think you are. There is a glory to your life that your Enemy fears, and he is hell-bent on destroying that glory before you act on it. This part of the answer will sound unbelievable at first; perhaps it will sound too good to be true; certainly, you will wonder if it is true for you. But once you begin to see with those eyes, once you have begun to know it is true from the bottom of your heart, it will change everything. As Frodo & Sam wonder outloud in the Lord of the Rings...we too must ask, 'What sort of tale have I fallen into?' it is a question that would help us all a great deal if we wondered it for ourselves. That is the life Christianity is trying to explain to the world. Better, that is the reality into which Christianity is the door. If we could believe that about our lives, and come to know that it is true, everything would change. We would be so much more able to interpret the events unfolding around us, against us. We would discover that task is ours alone to fulfill. We would find our courage. The hour is late and you are needed. So much hangs in the balance. Where is your heart?" -John Eldredge, Waking the Dead.

thought for today:

JOY & SORROW UNITE taken from "Streams In The Desert" by L.B.Cowman

"Sorrow was beautiful, but his beauty was the beauty of the moonlight shining through the leafy branches of the trees in the woods. His gentle light made little pools of silver here and there on the soft green moss of the forest floor. And when he sang, his song was like the low, sweet calls of the nightingale, and in his eyes was the unexpectant gaze of someone who has ceased to look for coming gladness. He could weep in tender sympathy with those who weep, but to rejoice with those who rejoice was unknown to him.Joy was beautiful, too, but hers was the radiant beauty of a summer morning. Her eyes still held the happy laughter of childhood, and her hair glistened with the sunshine's kiss. When she sang, her voice soared upward like a skylark's, and her steps were the march of a conqueror who has never known defeat. She could rejoice with anyone who rejoices, but to weep with those who weep was unknown to her.Sorrow longingly said, 'We can never be united as one,' 'No, never,' responded Joy, with eyes misting as she spoke, 'for my path lies through the sunlit meadows, the sweetest roses bloom when I arrive, and songbirds await my coming to sing their most joyous melodies.''Yes, and my path,' said Sorrow, turning slowly away, 'leads through the dark forest, and moonflowers, which open only at night, will fill my hands. Yet the sweetest of all earthly songs---the love song of the night---will be mine. So farewell, dear Joy, farewell.'Yet even as Sorrow spoke, he and Joy became aware of someone standing beside them. In spite of the dim light, they sensed a kingly Presence, and suddenly a great and holy awe overwhelmed them. They then sank to their knees before Him.'I see Him as the King of Joy,' whispered Sorrow, 'for on His head are many crowns, and the nailprints in His hands and feet are the scars of a great victory. And before Him all my sorrow is melting away into deathless love and gladness. I now give myself to Him forever.''No, Sorrow,' said Joy softly, 'for I see Him as the King of Sorrow, and the crown on His head is a crown of thorns, and the nailprints in His hands and feet are the scars of terrible agony. I also give myself to Him forever, for sorrow with Him must be sweeter than any joy I have ever known.''Then we are one in Him,' they cried in gladness, 'for no one but He could unite Joy and Sorrow.' Therefore they walked hand in hand into the world, to follow Him through storms and sunshine, through winter's severe cold and the warmth of summer's gladness, and to be 'sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.'Does Sorrow lay his hand upon your shoulder,And walk with you in silence on life's way,While Joy, your bright companion once, grown colder,Becomes to you more distant day by day?Run not from the companionship of Sorrow,He is the messenger of God to thee;And you will thank Him in His great tomorrow---For what you do not know now, you then will see;He is God's angel, clothed in veils of night,With whom 'we walk by faith' and 'not by sight' "

Sorrowful, yet always rejoicing. ---2 Corinthians 6:10