STING

This past Sunday was a great day. We welcomed a new church into our church facility - Hope Chapel - for their first worship gathering. After, we shared a massive common meal and experienced communion together through the sharing of the Lord's Supper. Both groups participated and there was this palpable joy present: like the joy and the urgency surrounding a final meal before a big trip or a journey or quest.

This blog is for Nomad, our homeless churches, but today I want to comment a bit on this movement towards the church as a 'journey' or quest experience. The great thing about a quest or a mission is that you don't do it alone (unless you choose to), and there is incredible reward in the journey (and challenge) even during times when you don't seem like you're going to ever arrive at the goal.

But we all know that the goal is near for us. I'm staring death in the face every day. If that line sounds melodramatic to you, well, then you need to look death in the eyes yourself. See what is waiting for you?

Once there was a guy who faced death and submitted to it. He walked willingly into a situation where death was probably inevitable, and it was. No, he didn't commit suicide: he stood up for what he knew was right and perfect and true, and was killed for the stand.

He took his last breath. That cold glaze of lightless sickness surely came over his face. The settling of the eyes in the sockets. His lungs stopped producing oxygen. His heart slowed and the blood stood still in its caves. He died.

Dead.

And then, a few days later, he was alive again.

When I think about facing death, I stand up straight and stick my chest out and try to hide the fear. But this week, talking on the phone with our brother, Mark, I was reminded of something awesome. He said that where he is right now - sober, trusting God, living for today - he fears nothing. Nothing. No one. Not even death. When he said it - on the phone - I believed him. Do you know what I'm saying? Not that he'd lie to me, he wouldn't; but I believed that he beleived death was inevitable and it has NO STING. Why? Because his trust in his the Lord - fully and completely. If he rose from the dead, then he knows what it's like. And if he conquered death, then he can do it in you and me.

And he promises much, much more than "beating death." If you don't know what he promises, come hang with Nomad this week.

Nomad - Big Thangs

Hey, all,

Yo, I hope this week you have been responding to God's guidance and leading in your life. I am so stuck on that idea right now - "God, I know I want your power in my life....but do I want to submit to your 'leading'....even if that asks me to do things that are inconvenient?"

Well, this week we have an inconvenience ha ha. The parking lot is unavailable at Westchester Park, so we need to take Nomad. Nomad will not meet at its normal location in the park. When you come down Manchester, turn left into the PUBLIC LIBRARY parking lot. When you park, you will see us at the tables close by, gathered under some trees. We will be starting ON TIME AT 6:00 PM! Also, we may be "mobile" tonight, transitioning to another location after 7. We will either eat there or walk to KFC. If you bring food, that's great! We'll just take it with us.

Tonight is going to be a shorter gathering, but it is REALLY IMPORTANT that we all get together. God is clearly shaking us up and allowing us to re-embrace the idea He's placed at the heart of NOMAD: we are not bound to one location but we are bound to each other in Christ Jesus.

We wouldn't even know Deena, David, Mark, Stan, Kara (and Sara and Maverick), Kelly and Gracie, JB, Mike, Bob, and many others if we had not first gone to the park. Imagine what wold happen if we took the love and transforming message of Jesus to ANOTHER community and had the same result? What if a chain reaction started?

Last week, Amber was with us at the park. Some of you did not know Amber, but she helped facilitate Nomad in the Fall of 2008 and was a regular part of Nomad for a long time leading up to her move to Point Loma Naz University. Now, she's leading a disicpleship group on that campus, and she made a point to say last week, "Remember, ya'll, Nomad planted a group in San Diego!" I love her heart and her sense of connectedness. To think that Nomad has had a role in the incredible things she's sharing in on that campus....that fires me up, ignites my passion, and reminds me of the power we find in sharing the good news of Jesus to others.

My dream is that every single person we meet hears about Jesus in a way they undertand; and every Christian who crosses our path is challenged to follow EVERYTHING Jesus teaches, not just the stuff that pleases them or us! "...love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength."

Love you guys! Let's be looking out for God's creative direction. He's leading us somewhere! He sees what's around the corner, and sometimes when I can't it's scary...but ha ha it's kind of fun!