Wow, twenty-four last week!!! And a bunch of new folks hanging out, playing football, jamming some music and sharing about Jesus...sweet time with Nomad, ya'll.
Been getting asked again: "Why do you call it Nomad?"
The short version - there is a long and boring version, for sure - I didn't name it Nomad. It just kind of happened. The more it was repeated, the more "Nomad" made sense. Nomadic people do not stay in the same place. They are on the move. Many Native American tribes were nomadic until they were forced by the government to stay in one physical location. The same thing has happened in Jesus' church: we've forced people to stay in one physical location when he has said, "Go!" from the start.
This is where I squint my eyes and clench the jaw, and my words growl from the throat because there is thunder in this truth and I want you to hear it:
If we do not go, we are not Jesus' people.
If you think the thing that united the disciples during Jesus' life was his teaching....you are dead wrong.
The thing that united their lives, relationships, mission and purpose was always Jesus' road to the cross.
It was always the "Go!" Jesus teachings, his miracles, the fact he fulfills over 300 prophecies...all of those things point to the cross (and, of course, the empty tomb!). Jesus always knew what united his core group....even when they weren't straight on what the core-uniting-element was.
We still can miss the heart of the mission...even today.
Bible studies are good. So are small groups. But there are small groups and Bible studies all over where people sit and "dig deep" and yet never seem to grow - and certainly never, "Go!" - because Jesus mission is not at their core. I've been in these groups, so trust me when I say they exist. I'm sad to say I've facilitated them as well.
Jesus has something simple to say about those kinds of groups. "Why do you call me Lord, Lord....and do not do what I say?" He says spiritual life like that is like building a beautiful house on sand. When the storm comes and the thunder rolls, the house is destroyed.
But those who do what Jesus says....their house is built on rock.
So Nomad goes.
A second question: Where do we go? I'll save that explanation for next week's entry. But being "nomadic" means we are only at home when we are together, and we're only ourselves when we are "going"....as Jesus has commanded.
Follow me. Go, make disciples. I send you to the ends of the earth.
Follow him.
Come on and join us at Westchester Park! That is on the corner of Lincoln and Manchester @ 6:20ish pm. Cooking out! Bring something to share if you can. Be ready for a family-style time of fellows hip and fun, and expect God is going to teach you something when we gather. Because he will.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Jesus' Love - The Best!
Hey everyone! We had an AWESOME men's retreat last weekend. I have so many thoughts rattling around in my brain from the weekend, but one thing I keep coming back to - and in order to tell the story, I have to name names.
One of the guys I met at the campsite - there were hundreds and hundreds of people near Lake Piru where we stayed - told me that our group of guys seemed like they'd been friends for a logn time. He said, You guys are having the time of your lives! I'm sure it did seem that way.
But here's the facts: everyone who went on this trip has met someone in the group in just the last few weeks. No one knew everyone in the group for longer than a month.
I've known Terrance for a couple months, same with David and Chandler; Mark I've known for Three weeks. We aren't a bunch of friends who go way back!
But I know our group gave that impression to a number of people. I mean, we had people coming from other camp sites to eat with us, pray with us, listen to God's word being spoken (one very drunk man bawled in my arms after hearing the gospel - first, he poked a finger in my chest and said, "Convince me..." Then...). Howard was an AMAZING host and cook. It was just a time of total hospitality and love.
This is what Jesus brings to our lives, guys. This is what must soak us. The world is done with Christians who keep toweling off the water of God, so to speak. They want and need to see people doused in his love.
Jesus has so much love that when he's on the cross with his wrist-bones are shattered, and he can barely breathe from the wound in his side, and he can't think with a crown of old Judean thorns pounded into his head, and he can only aleviate pressure on his arms and chest by standing on the spike in his feet, he still loves his neighbors. Father forgive them, he says of the crowd. Behold your mother, he says to John. Surely you will be with me this day in paradise, he says to the criminal beside him.
This Friday, let's talk about the invasiveness and power of God's love. Maybe you have a story of how God has touched your live through someone else. Guys on the retreat, this is on opportunity to share what's happened during that time.
Our text is Mark 9 - please read it two or three times before Friday.
If you want to help with anything - prayer, discussion, food, whatever, comment on the blog or email me!
6:20pm Friday Night at Westchester Park. If you are able, bring something to share - we'll have the grill!
Peace,
John
One of the guys I met at the campsite - there were hundreds and hundreds of people near Lake Piru where we stayed - told me that our group of guys seemed like they'd been friends for a logn time. He said, You guys are having the time of your lives! I'm sure it did seem that way.
But here's the facts: everyone who went on this trip has met someone in the group in just the last few weeks. No one knew everyone in the group for longer than a month.
I've known Terrance for a couple months, same with David and Chandler; Mark I've known for Three weeks. We aren't a bunch of friends who go way back!
But I know our group gave that impression to a number of people. I mean, we had people coming from other camp sites to eat with us, pray with us, listen to God's word being spoken (one very drunk man bawled in my arms after hearing the gospel - first, he poked a finger in my chest and said, "Convince me..." Then...). Howard was an AMAZING host and cook. It was just a time of total hospitality and love.
This is what Jesus brings to our lives, guys. This is what must soak us. The world is done with Christians who keep toweling off the water of God, so to speak. They want and need to see people doused in his love.
Jesus has so much love that when he's on the cross with his wrist-bones are shattered, and he can barely breathe from the wound in his side, and he can't think with a crown of old Judean thorns pounded into his head, and he can only aleviate pressure on his arms and chest by standing on the spike in his feet, he still loves his neighbors. Father forgive them, he says of the crowd. Behold your mother, he says to John. Surely you will be with me this day in paradise, he says to the criminal beside him.
This Friday, let's talk about the invasiveness and power of God's love. Maybe you have a story of how God has touched your live through someone else. Guys on the retreat, this is on opportunity to share what's happened during that time.
Our text is Mark 9 - please read it two or three times before Friday.
If you want to help with anything - prayer, discussion, food, whatever, comment on the blog or email me!
6:20pm Friday Night at Westchester Park. If you are able, bring something to share - we'll have the grill!
Peace,
John
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