What's it really take to change the world?

I am in way over my head ... probably not the opening line to anything that is intended to be inspiring in anyway. shape or form.  I've been told that one of my strengths is "self-awareness", which I think means that I am painfully aware of all of my flaws and tend to be truthful about them.  In other words, don't bother listing for me all of the ways that I may be inadequate, chances are that I am way ahead of you on that list. 
The latest revelation of my inadequacies took place during a walk from downtown recently.  As I was walking and observing all of the projects in process around here, my mind drifted to the forces driving all of this.  I began to think of the investors and the investments necessary to enable all of this.  Within two blocks of me are two 13 story projects running simultaneously ... with half a dozen currently in the pipeline to break ground soon.  To say that this neighborhood is taking shape overnight would not be an exaggeration. There is big money and big investors seemingly moving heaven and plenty of earth to form a new destination and neighborhood.  Within a mile of where I sit right now, savoring my eggnog latte, people with the last name Gates, Allen, and Bezos are making world changing decisions.  This neighborhood is quickly establishing itself into, arguably, the most influential neighborhood in one of the most iconic cities in the country.  These names are changing the worlds that they lead, which are in turn changing the world itself ... for better or worse is still up to history to decide. 
Amazon, Bill and Melinda Gates, Vulcan Development, a host of other world renowned entities, and Common Table all call South Lake Union home.  Now lets all play the "one of these things is not like the other" game.  The, in over my head, self aware part of me can spot the obvious in just a quick glance at the list.  But, and I do mean one big "but", fortunately looks can be deceiving.  One other thing that I am aware of besides self is that "way over my head" is exactly where I need to be for Common Table to reach the status of world changer.  It is in this place that God gets to work his best stuff and when God works his best stuff, the world can't help but be changed
Back in the day, it used to be that, when a community was established, everything was formed around the influence of a church or churches.  In cities and neighborhoods alike, churches had places and locations of prominence.  They had influence.  Over the years we have gotten out of the business of forming new neighborhoods and churches have fled the cities that were influenced by them in earlier years.
So I ask myself, sitting here savoring eggnog lattes, a few questions as I continue to marvel at all of this.  What would happen to the formation of a new neighborhood today if a church or churches were central to its well being?  What would happen if Jesus became a bigger name in the neighborhood than the above mentioned names?  What might happen if God were really in charge and his people allowed him to work through them instead of despite them?  What might the result be if God's people invested in God's project like everyone else invested in everyone else's projects?
The only answer that I come up with to all of these questions is Common Table.  One of my other strengths happens to be that I am a dreamer.

getting some balance in the season of giving

So apparently today has been proclaimed as "Giving Tuesday" by those who know better than I. 
Don't get me wrong... I am all for it ... in fact I wish that I had come up with it.  Joanne and I have become so much more aware as the years role on and we experience things that open our eyes to a world that we had been so very insulated from.  It was only 5 Christmases ago that we jumped all in to the movement known as Advent Conspiracy  and through it have immersed ourselves in the cause of clean water throughout the world, partnering with Living Water International, and drilling wells for villages without clean water access. 
The reality is that we in the United States will spend upwards of 500 billion dollars between Thanksgiving and Christmas...much of it fueled by the frenzy that has come to be known as "Black Friday" and its evil twin "Cyber Monday".  Experts in the realm of the clean water issue estimate that it would take only around 40-50 billion to eradicate the clean water crisis from the planet.  So, pretty much, we are at the very least way off balance in our priorities.  We are consuming ourselves to death.  #GivingTuesday seeks to bring a little perspective to the season of giving and allowing us to channel some of our giving towards issues far beyond whether or not ipads and elmo's are in stock.  There are so many good causes out there within the realm of the non-profit world.  People are certainly still without access to clean water.  People are still homeless and hungry.  People are still suffering from disease and the effects of natural disasters... there is certainly no shortage of places for you to gain a bit of balance in your holiday giving.
Let me add one more.  In the season with the underlying message of the arrival of the baby Jesus,  wouldn't it be fitting to be part of letting people know and understand the implications of that beyond the cuteness and nostalgia of shepherds and angels.  Let me ask you to consider helping to plant a new church in a neighborhood that could really use another to be planted.  Why a new church you ask?  Here are just a few reasons:
1.  Upwards of 5000 churches close their doors each year while far below that number are begun.
2.  Planting new churches is undeniably understood to be the most effective way in connecting new people to Jesus.
3.  If we are to ever re-establish a balance point during the Christmas season, beyond the great intentions of #GivingTuesday, wouldn't it be to connect and reconnect people to the real meaning, heart and purpose of Christmas?

So I ask you with all sincerity, to consider this gift as something that can help both in balancing your own celebration of giving this year as well as to help bring balance to a neighborhood through the gift of a new church planted deep in their heart.

You can make your (tax deductible) gift by going here and select "Common Table" as the destination.

Gratitude Day 25

"I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare. In other words, if our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot do because our charitable expenditure excludes them."

 

C.S. Lewis  Mere Christianity

 

 

 

I am grateful for those people I know that live according to these thoughts ... they inspire me and cause me to want to be more and more like them.  I know that there are those of this persuasion who are literally sacrificing in this manner so that this new church can be planted in an area of great need for the influence of Jesus to be present.  I may not know exactly who this refers to but I am grateful for them just the same

gratitude day 23

post by Joanne Jacobs ... Community Facilitator for Common Table


As I sit here and think of gratitude and something I am grateful for I can't help but think of how I learned a lesson in gratitude on my first trip to Central America. I was in Guatemala helping a village to realize a dream of clean water, something I took for granted everyday. As I remember the beautiful faces of those that greeted our team with such expectation and joy it still brings tears to my eyes and a warmness to my heart. Our team members were all from of a 1st world country.....we have things like clean water, medical treatment close to us and readily available (I know there are people that don't believe that) a grocery store that we can access etc. . The village we were in had none of those things and yet they shared all they had with us. Their best went to us, the people of the first world country ...the people that had all of the above, all the time, everyday. As we worked side by side with the men of the village drilling the well and taught the women and children of the village how to use the clean water they were going to have at the end of the week, I was amazed at their gratitude; Gratitude for the hope of clean water, gratitude for the Americans that were there to help them and gratitude for the little that they had. I remember some of our team complaining about little discomforts and thinking to myself that the amazing people of this village are grateful to live here everyday. I was honored to be a part of their lives for a short week. As we said goodbye, they expressed over and over how they would never forget us and felt such gratitude in their hearts for us and I told them those same words. I still see their faces and feel the love and gratitude from them and  I am grateful I was able to learn that lesson in gratitude.

..... I have learned to be content in whatever circumstance I am in....  Philippians 4:10-13

Gratitude - Day 22

 

 

Todays thought comes from a blog post from a fellow Seattleite with a wonderful ministry ... so enjoy this prayer from Christine Sine

Gratitude - Day 20

" On that day they will say to Jerusalem, Do not fear Zion;  do not let your hands hang limp.  The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves.  He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing"

Zephaniah 3:16-17

Gratitude - Day 18

if you've been following this series at all you will have observed that there was no post for yesterday.  There should have been one from me...so I own that.  I'd love to say that it was for good reason, and maybe there is some good in the reason, but the reason itself wasn't good.  It was decently immature to be fairly transparent.  At the time that I sat down to actually post, I wasn't feeling at all like I wanted to post something shiny and clean on being "grateful".  I wasn't feeling it.  Actually I thought that I wasn't feeling it, but the reality is that I wasn't feeling "thankful" ... I wasn't feeling "happy" ... and to be quite truthful I have been seeing all sorts of 30 day social media oriented expressions of "thanks" and "thankgiving" and I lost the focus of what I had intended this series to be.  Not to take away anything from the others who are posting thoughts of thanks and thanksgiving, but I fear, and it has come to pass in my own life, that there is a danger in confusing more subjective feelings and remembrances of thanks that can condition our present state of mind with an attitude of gratefulness that can supply a foundation of how we see ourselves, particularly in light of our Creator.
It's like the Scrooge opinion that "anything can affect the senses... a blot of mustard, a bit of under done potato"... and I was having an underdone potato kind of day.  If we at all live in the midst of relational humanity we are subject to thoughts of happiness, discouragement, anger, frustration, hurt.  If these are our foundation, our days will be as subjective as the one who sets out to row a solo voyage across the Atlantic.  We are subject to the momentary wind, waves, sun, and currents of the culture around us.  Focusing on the moment lets us experience only the moment.  When we look onto the bigger picture, the distant shore that we are rowing too, and the knowledge that we have been given all that we need to get there, it is only there that the larger picture of gratitude can be found.  It is so much bigger than a day...and lets be honest, its so much bigger than a month.  I hope that I realize this when the page on my calendar once more reads 1.

Gratitude - Day 16

To say that this day began as planned would be a bit too generous.  After nights of a hotel bed, I'm beyond ready to get home to my own ... Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for the downtown Marriott.  But there's no place like home ...even if I am in Kansas.  I decide to walk a few blocks down to my morning comfort at a Starbucks that I've discovered.  It doesn't open till 8 .... Really ? No problem, it's still the United States and of course there's another one 2 blocks away ... With a sign this morning that says "cash only" ... Really?  Back to the marriott and their wonderful, "why would you go to Starbucks when you could go here" coffee bar.  So it's not that bad until 2000... Ok maybe 200, no really 2 dozen teenagers decend on a youth leader who has placed a box of " breakfast" on a table right next to me and I find myself in a reinactment of the plague of locusts.... Really ?
So I do the only thing I can do... I move. And this morning I'm writing and reflecting on gratitude ... Really?  No really, I am, grateful I mean.  I am grateful, even for all of the unexpected twists and turns of a morning so carefully crafted in my head so as to be fail proof ...except that it's not, and that's a good thing.  If I've learned one thing profitable in all of these years of pastoral artistry it's that I have no business relying on my own plans.  They are too small, they are too confining, and quite honestly they are cosmically boring.  I'm grateful to be reminded of that this morning ... And it's only 7:30.

Gratitude - Day 15

Dottie Johnson’s story is one of God’s grace and His ability to turn brokenness into blessings!  In a blended family, Dottie and her husband George just celebrated 21 years of marriage.  They have six children and seven grandchildren.  Together with George, Dottie serves the Christian Evangelistic Association, working with new churches in the Pacific Northwest.

Thankful?  Some days I feel anything but.  Days when I have more worries than hope.  More unknowns than knowns.  More heartaches than happiness.  More wrongs than rights.  And I’m supposed to be thankful for those days?

Stuff happens.  Bad stuff happens . . . to me . . . to my family . . . to people I love.  Lots of people want to explain the theological side of why bad things happen to good people but I could really care less about their reasoning.  This is what I know:  that when I walk through the darkest of days I do not walk alone.  I can feel God’s presence.  When my heart breaks so much I can hardly breathe – He gives me a breath, then another, and another.  When I cry, He holds me tight.

If given a choice, I would naturally choose to have no pain, no worries, no troubles.  But I am learning that there is a place for pain – a place for the storms in my life and the lives of those I love.  I choose to let God lift my heaviness and absorb the brokenness.  To step out into a place called faith – where I believe God is using all things for His glory.  I believe that God is not only holding me through the storms but refining me, strengthening me and walking closer to me.

And for this I am truly thankful!




BIO:

Gratitude - Day 14

I am sitting here in my parents' house, the house that when I was a child belonged to my grandmother, watching my daughter enjoy breakfast with her Nona and Papa. This house has so many memories for me, but my favorite ones are the ones that have been and continue to be created watching my daughter and her grandparents enjoy one another. I am grateful for my folks who delight so much in my little one. I know what a blessing it is to have these relationships in our lives and thank God for this. The view out the sunroom window at the bayou is just the icing on the cake.

Gratitude - Day13

Today’s post is provided by Crystal Rhone. Crystal is the wife of Josh Rhone and mother of Quinton (5yrs old) and Madison (3yrs old). Along with her family, Crystal lives and ministers in the community of Mount Union, PA. Crystal enjoys playing with her kids, spending as much time as she can with her husband and supporting him as he fulfils his desires of furthering his education and reaching out to those that others don’t think about, and entertaining in their home.

As I think of the word gratitude I can’t help but think about all that God has brought me through to bring me to where I am today. We never enjoy going through the tough times in life, but it’s those tough times that moles us into the person that God intended us to be (Romans 5:3-4). Never in my wildest dreams while growing up would I have thought that I would be a pastor’s wife, ministering in a small town in PA, that is full of drugs, guns, and a lot of despair. I often times wonder, “God, why us? What can we do to help these people who are so lost?” It’s when I ask these questions that God reminds me of everything that He’s brought me through, even though they may not be the exact some thing, but I too was just as lost as some of these in our community. All that God is asking of me is to love the people in our community and to speak out about His love whenever the opportunity presents itself. Again, I never would have picked being a pastor’s wife in Mt. Union, but I am so thankful that God has placed us here and has given us such a passion for the people in our community. I’m so thankful that God has given me my husband, Josh, who is full of not only extreme knowledge, but compassion that even when he feels that he’s not making a difference, he doesn’t give up, but he starts to look for other avenues in which to make that difference.

I am also thankful that God has chosen me to be the mother of the 2 most loving kids in the world! Who knew that a 5yr old and a 3yr old could have such a passion to help those in need in our community and who wants to see people come to know Christ? Quinton and Maddie inspire me to continue even when I feel that we are not accomplishing anything for God’s Kingdom.

In short, I am so thankful that God is using those difficult times from my life to do some good in my life, my family’s life, and in the lives of others!

“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!”

                                    -2 Corinthians 9:15

Gratitude - Day 12

This mornings guest post is by Scott Shannon.  He and his wife Jessica are part of the prayer support of Common Table and live in West Seattle.

 

 

They say the strongest sense that is tied to memory is smell. We all have some smell that reminds us of some great memory and even of some not so great memories.  All it takes is a small waft of that scent and we can recall sharp details of that experience.  I can’t honestly remember what the smells of my childhood Thanksgivings were but the image of the space is well captured in my brain.  I can still draw for you, with decent accuracy, the layout of the house I lived in till I was three.  This is probably part of why I ended up as an architect.  I’m telling you this because what I’m grateful for are spaces and items that inspire us and bring us together.

As a child, I don’t remember sitting around the table at Thanksgiving and taking turns expressing what we were all thankful for.  I remember being with family.  I remember we ate in the basement of my Aunt’s house and the room was long with a white vinyl floor with wood paneled walls.   To the left was a sliding glass door to the back yard and to the right was a wet bar with some kind of Japanese pinball /slot machine that we’d spend hours playing.  At the end of the room there was a fire place, a sofa, some chairs, and a TV that always had the game playing.  There was one larger table and several smaller card tables all with folding chairs and nice, but paper, table cloths. 

Now I understand that by my chosen profession I’m predisposed to the appreciation for such things.  I’m certain though that it goes beyond that.  I was fortunate enough recently to take a trip to Ireland and there’s this strange little phenomenon there.  All throughout the country there are great churches and cathedrals.  No matter how small the village is they have these impressive houses of worship.  I learned that for many years Catholicism was banned in Ireland and as soon as that decree was lifted, the ‘Church’ began a massive building program.  The result was beautiful churches everywhere you go.  As an architect I know that the spaces are designed in such a way to draw your eyes up towards the ceiling and therefore heaven.  I know that while the stained-glass windows tell stories from the bible that they also create a filtered light that helps set a mood.  Even knowing all of these ‘tricks’, there is an overwhelming feeling of respect, peacefulness and humbleness that I just can’t explain.  It’s easy to feel His presence there.

Gratitude - Day 11

Today, without just jumping on the national bandwagon, I am honestly grateful for our veterans and for everyone who has chosen a life of military service.  I am grateful for their willingness to endure the unthinkable so that I can live a life that is, if I'm going to be honest, quite unthinking.  What I mean is that we enjoy a quality of life so free from the hassle and strife which most of the world endures that most of the time I honestly don't stop to consider it.  I am often oblivious and entitled.  But I have this life, these freedoms, and this home through no work of my own.  I am privileged to live here, among and because of these heroes.   It is a privilege that too many of us, myself included, take for granted to the extent that we fail to remember...we fail to appreciate.  Today, on this day, I do remember, I do appreciate,  their sacrifice and I am reminded once more of the gratitude I often fail to express.

Gratitude - Day 10

Todays post is provided by Joe Coleman.  Joe and his wife Karen are prayer partners with Common Table and live in Tampa, FL.  Some trivia about Joe ... He was a classmate of Dan and Joanne in the class of 1981 @ CW Baker High School in Baldwinsville, NY.  You do the math ...

 

 

 

 

 

Too often I find myself bogged down in the work at hand in my life – not just my day job but as a father, husband, son, brother or friend – that I don’t stop and look at the impact I have had on others.  I get caught up in the WTF’s of life.  But it is in those WTF moments that I am reminded of what is important.  In those WTF moments I rediscover the gratitude the world tried to squash.  It is indeed the WTF moments for which I am grateful.  Without those WTF moments, I would not be reminded of what is important – my relationships.  Without relationships I am nothing.  I am not a child of God, a husband, a dad or even a co-worker.  Without relationships I am a hermit. 

The world wants me to focus on the stuff I have and do not have.  The world wants me to focus on the to-do list at work.  The world wants me to focus on the bank statements.  The world wants me to focus on the WTF moments.  When I focus on them I miss God’s greatness.  Elijah had some WTF moments as well.  While God is always with us during the WTF moments, he is not in them.  God is in the whisper that our soul hears clearly.  1 Kings 19:11-12 reminds us that in the WTF moments, God will remind us he has not left us as he whispers to us, “You are never not loved.” 

I am grateful for the WTF moments in my life.

Gratitude - Day 9 "Be the one"

Today's post is provided by George Johnson.  George has led the Christian Evangelistic Association (www.theCEA.org) in starting 25 new churches across the Northwest since 2002.  He and Dottie have six children and seven grandchildren.  He is grateful for Jesus, Dottie, children, grandchildren, flyfishing and sea-kayaking – in that order

BE THE ONE

In the Gospel of Luke (17:11-19), Jesus enters a village and meets ten lepers who beg Him to heal their disease.  He tells them to go show themselves to the Priest and when they do they are examined and found to be completely healed of their leprosy.  This amazing miracle has a stunning footnote: only one healed leper returned to give thanks to Jesus!

That nine out of ten would be so utterly ungrateful and self-centered is shocking.  But if I’m honest, I have to admit that I often live more like the nine who hurried away to follow their own agenda and pursue their own priorities than the one who stopped, turned back and gave thanks and praise to Jesus for what He had done and for Who He is.

It is my prayerful purpose to be the one – the one who says “thank you”…the one who is grateful… the one who interrupts everything else going on to give thanks.  Thanksgiving is more than just a holiday or even a season.  It’s more than just a word or a deed – it is the breath of a life humbled and healed by the grace of God.  That’s the one I want to be.

Gratefully,

George Johnson

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Gratitude - Day 8

This week has been one for the books, as they say (whomever "they" are).  In many ways it quite possibly should go into the chapter labeled "days I'd rather forget".  Without going in to details, let me just comment on the irony of a week like this during the beginning of our emphasis on gratitude.  I'd don't think it coincidence...I don't believe in them anyway.  I find it rather more along the lines of what happens when one begins to pray for patience. 
At the end of the week, looking back a bit more peacefully than it began, I am realizing, with ironic gratitude, that this was "one to remember", as they say.  The reason for remembrance is the whole reason for my gratitude.  I remember, once more, the provision of a God who hears prayer and is already in front of us.  I am grateful for being able, in the midst of it, to have been reading thoroughly a great work by Brennan Manning called "Ruthless Trust" and specifically his reminder that we can base our present trust on His past provision (my translation).  In the midst of the storm(s) I remembered, trust surfaced, and one more time God provided...and one more time I am overwhelmed by gratitude.

Gratitude - Day 7

Todays post is provided by Josh Rhone.  Josh is a husband, father, pastor, and wearer of many hats. He resides and ministers in Mount Union, PA. Josh enjoys reading theology, running and roasting (and drinking) coffee. He blogs occasionally at JoshuaRhone [dot] com and has recently authored a children’s book (Who Cares?) with his daughter.

 

 

 

 

The beach has long been one of my favorite places. As a kid I would go there with my parents and siblings. At times we would be accompanied by my grandparents on my mother’s side or my uncle and his family. As a teenager, a friend would accompany me so that I would have someone my age to pal around with. In 2004, my wife, Crystal, and I made our first trip to the beach. It was our honeymoon. Two years ago, we visited a beach on the West Coast and spent a few days relaxing with friends––Dan and Joanne––that I met  while in seminary. Our (almost) yearly trips to the beach now include a whole new cast of characters: my brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Maddie and Quinton (our children), and soon our yet-unborn nephew.

While I could wax on for hours (and pages) about our trips, the stories, the food, and the fun that we’ve had, I won’t. Instead, I’ll jump straightaway to the picture and why I’ve included it.

The picture represents one of my favorite places. But, to me, this picture speaks of something much more significant. In the picture are three of the people who I count as my greatest blessings in life. Crystal is an agape wife––a woman of great love, who is a model for what it means to love with no-strings-attached. She puts up with my erratic schedule and the long hours that I often work. She has stood beside me and carried much of the load as I’ve completed graduate school and have jumped headlong into a post-graduate research program. She’s graceful in her parenting and reminds me (daily) that I have a lot of room to grow in that area. Quinton and Maddie exude passion. Passion for life and an inexplicable sensitivity to others. They serve as ever-present reminders of how thoroughly adult I’ve become and how very much I need to recapture the loud and courageous beauty of childlike faith. They mean so much to me.

But as I look at that beach, littered with footprints, I’m reminded of the many others who have been a part of my life. My parents, who have been there since day one, and have taught me so much about life, faith, marriage and ministry. There are my brother and sister who, despite the fights and arguments of our childhood, have become dear friends and confidants. My grandparents who did what every good grandparent should do and spoiled usrotten. Each footprint represents a friend, Sunday School teacher, pastor, professor, congregation member, college roommate––someone whose life has intersected with my own and has in some way, shape or form affected me and left a mark. Some of those interactions have been more impactful, leaving a deeper, more recognizable mark; but each has had value and significance.

Today, I thank God, for those whose lives and stories have intersected with my own. I thank Him for the many things that I’ve learned and the way that those relationships have shaped, defined, and refined who I am (and who I am becoming). I am grateful for each person and I pray that today you can look at your life and join me in expressing gratitude to God for those who have littered your life with their footprints.

 

 

Gratitude - Day 6

Today's guest post is from Kalyn Gustafson ... "I am a wife to my best friend, Jake, and mama to a spunky 3 year old girl.  It should also be stated that I am, for better or worse, a Seattleite to the core.  I love taking advantage of all this beautiful city has to offer, being crafty, throwing parties, and probably spend too much time on Pinterest as a result.  I am so thrilled to take part in Common Table's journey from the very beginning and to see what God is going to do through us in the city I love."

 

 

 

It would be an understatement to say that my childhood wasn't ideal.  For all intents and purposes, I shouldn't have the skills to have such a loving, healthy, family as an adult- something many of those who know my story remind me of constantly.  All I ever wanted growing up was to walk through the front door knowing what to expect on the other side.  God gave me that and so very much more.  It is only through His grace and love that I was able to accept and give unconditional love in my marriage and it is only through His teaching and molding of my heart that I can be proud of the mother I have become.  God has placed so many lessons and people in my path to fill in the gaps that my early years left. I am constantly astonished and grateful that the Creator of the universe has an interest in healing my broken heart.  Not a day goes by that I am not, for a moment, in thankful awe of such tender love and greatness.

Gratitude - Day 5

Today's guest post is from Theresa Craw, a Seattle native who is a good friend, member of our prayer support team and a great softball player (in my opinion)

 

 

On the eve of my 40^th birthday I find myself the most grateful I’ve ever been.  God has blessed with a healthy baby-to-be, due just after the New Year.  He’s also blessed with me with a rock-star family and friends who are already serving as my village.  When I sometimes worry about how I can best serve this child as a single parent, God doesn’t let me worry too long before he helps me remember that I am not alone.  He is here with me and this wonderful baby is part of His plan.  More than ever, I also find myself blessed that I was fortunate enough to grow up in a church community.  From a very early age my Grandma Grace made sure I attended my church’s elementary school and Sunday school and that the word of God was part of my everyday life.  It’s a gift that I will pass on to my child – the blessing of knowing that God loves us no matter what and that when we let the grace of God shine through our words and actions, those around us are blessed.  A Bible verse has surfaced as my new favorite, and through God’s love is how I pray that I can live my life and guide my family:  Phillipians 2:3-4, Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.  Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.  Thank you Jesus, for all the blessings of my life.  Please provide me the strength and courage to follow your will and the compassion and love to live a life of humility and service of others.

Gratitude - Day 4

Today's post is by Dan Jacobs, the normal keeper of this blog.  A husband of 29 years, father of 2 great adults, papa to 2 (and one in process) incredible grand kids... Long time blogger, long time pastor, short time church planter, lover of craft beer, I am constantly amazed by grace and Gods ability to paint with broken brushes.

On a sunny Monday morning, I am blessed by the presence of my granddaughter (Princess Lily ).  She, along with her cousin (Prince Aiden), are reminders of what unconditional love looks like.  To be greeted with arms and smiles wide open, is to experience grace in all its fullness.  Nearly every encounter with them is a whisper that pierces the noise that has tends to fill my soul with self doubt and questioned worth.  On a sunny Monday, for this day, the whisper is so much louder than the noise... I feel the love so far beyond even theirs... And I'm grateful 

Gratitude - day 3

Todays thoughts on gratitude come from Common Table member Jake Gustafson who writes

 

"I am an East Coast transplant who now calls Seattle home. I get to share my life with my lovely and talented wife K and our adorable and bright 3 year-old daughter Elle. God has called our family to be part of this amazing church plant and share Christ's love with all of the people in this amazing city. My favorite past times include running, discovering new microbrews, and enjoying Seattle."

As I reflect on what I am grateful today during this journey I think about this quote by Albert Schweitzer.

"At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us."

I think about the times in my life when I have had my light rekindled. I am grateful for those people, especially my beautiful and loving wife K. It was through her that God reconnected with me and started me on my journey back home. I will always be grateful for the way Jesus used my wife to be the spark in my life. As I continue on my spiritual journey I understand that God uses both the times when my light is out and when it is lit as an opportunity to work in my life.

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Gratitude - day 2

Todays guest post is offered by Joanne (pronounced Joanie) Jacobs.  Besides being my wife of 29+ years, dedicated mom to two great adult children and a loving, crazy gramma to two (with another on the way), She holds the crucial role of "Community Facilitator" for Common Table.  In this role she is able to flourish in hospitality, the culinary arts and all things that build community both inside and outside of Common Table.

 

 

 

Gratitude.... What a word, I think about what that means as I sit in a place that I never thought I would be in. I am grateful for a partner to share this journey with and for friends that have supported not just myself but the dream of a vibrant growing community of faith in South Lake Union. More people being able to find and live out the story that the author of all stories has written for them, I am grateful to be able to play a part in that. More importantly I am grateful for those that will meet him maybe for the first time and allow their story to be intertwined with his and allow their lives to forever be changed. I am feeling grateful ....grateful for so much but also grateful that I am willing to listen to that voice inside my head and heart that encourages me to be willing to allow God to continue to write me into the pages of His story. Is that as easy as it sounds? Absolutely not. Will I continue? Absolutely! Scared....excited...amazed....scared again.....but most of all grateful.

 

 



"I thank my God every time I remember you.  In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus"             The apostle Paul writing in Philippians 1:3-6

 



Gratitude - day 1

"To be grateful for the good things that happen in our lives is easy, but to be grateful for all of our lives- the good as well as the bad, the moments of joy as well as the moments of sorrow, the successes as well as the failures, the rewards as well as the rejections- that requires hard spiritual work"

Henri Nouwen

 

 

Today on this first day of gratitude, I realize that all of life, not just the parts I choose, go into my formation.  I am grateful that, with an investment in the work of gratitude for these 30 days, I can look forward to an altered heart and rejuvenated spirit.

A month of gratitude

According to Brennan Manning, "It is simply not possible to be simultaneously grateful and resentful or full of self pity".  I believe this to be true ... I also believe that those who follow Jesus do not model a life of gratitude nearly enough for a broken and hurting world.  People do not need any more relationships in their lives that are based solely around commiserating with perceived trials and challenges.  We don't need any more "life sucks then you die" fed into our lives.  Resentful and self pity are becoming the norm, like the concrete skies of a Seattle winter.  Gratitude is like a sunbreak when all that is expected are clouds. 
We have much to be grateful for here in the earliest days of Common Table.  The most obvious, for me, is that we would even be entrusted to a task so large and eternal in nature as the establishment of a new church community.  For that we are exceedingly grateful...but there are more involved and invested in this eternal effort than Joanie and I.  Locally, we have a growing core of people who are becoming the hands and feet of Jesus in the neighborhood.  Beyond the local, we have an ever widening team of people who have invested in us through prayer and or financial support.  During the month of November, as a unified expression of gratitude to the one who makes all things possible, members of our team, both locally and beyond, will be sharing posts on this blog.  The posts here will be as diverse as the people who are posting them...the only thing the same will be the feelings of gratitude behind them.
We, those of the Common Table, invite you to enjoy, to meditate, be inspired and encouraged to interact with each of these.  Please comment freely and share these posts and this blog everywhere its needed.

vision

It was recently shared by a well respected leader and one time church planter that if he had it to do all over again, in our current cultural context, he would want to focus on communicating a compelling vision for a new church.  Elaborating on this, it was described as an ability to communicate why a new church was needed and why it was different from other forms of "church" already being offered. 
We find ourselves right in this place early on in the formation of a "new" church.  I confess a level of skepticism in this process.  At the same time, I recognize the absolute necessity of it.  The skepticism comes from the tendency of church culture to spend more time in competition with itself rather than on our call to reveal light in the darkness, sent on mission from God the father, leading others to  Jesus the son, and enabled by the supernatural strength and guidance from the Holy Spirit.  That's a big enough calling in and of itself.  If we focused on that, we'd more likely see those walking beside us as fellow travelers rather than competition in a race.
So my prayer for us is this ... a compelling vision is the vision that God has for our church in this community ... to learn about Gods love and plans for us in new and compelling ways, to connect with others and develop relationships that are beyond the "hi, how you doin", "I'm fine" interchanges that we are used to...and through it all, to love and serve the community we are placed in as if Jesus himself were wearing our shoes.
We are not looking to enter a "church" competition and compete against anyone else's vision.  It'll take all the energy and focus we can spare to follow the one laid out for us.

No shortcuts

 For these past 10 days, Joanne and I have had the amazing opportunity for some time away from the city that we love.  We have been, literally, on the road through 6 states.  It's been a circular journey for visiting family and good friends while combined with sharing what is going on with our community, life and work in South Lake Union.  For a good section of the road part, sometimes more than I care to remember,  our drive followed the path of the infamous Donner Party.  I don't know if you've ever travelled this stretch of our country, through Utah, Nevada and into California, but there is a great deal of nothing... And a great deal of nothing can lend itself to a great deal of thinking and wondering.  I found myself wondering thoughts like "why?" And "what were they thinking?".  This path across the country can be challenging enough in a vehicle.  The only thing giving relief at times is the ability to legally drive 80 across the vast nothingness.  During a decent stretch of this, and wanting to give my wife the joy of speed in a fabulous car, I was able to dedicate more time than usual to consider these questions, along with the constant question of "how?"...as in "how in the world did they get themselves into their infamous predicament?" Along with what, if anything can one still learn from their tragedy?
Due to the marvels of modern phone technology, as well as the ever reliable google and Wikipedia, I took a refresher course on the drive.  I thought it a useful investment of time, seeing as we would be making a stop at the memorial to their demise.  Being in a journey of sorts ourselves, along the trail of church planting, I have been wrestling with what I might be able to learn from this.  After all, many who have journeyed before us, in the endeavor we now find ourselves in, have failed to complete the journey.  I want to learn from others successes as well as their failures.  I do not demand the right to make my own mistakes.  So here, for what they are worth, are some things that I've gleaned from their American tragedy which might benefit our journey.
1.  Make sure that you are following the right guide ... Many will try to influence the direction, but the path is already there, follow the one who knows more than the ones who claim to know.
2.  Be sure of your companions for the journey ...you will be relying on them through some of the most perilous times you will ever face.   The hardest journeys take a hard toll on everyone, and everyone needs to be of one accord and heading in the same direction.
3.  Be willing to wait.  Sometimes the wisest and bravest move that can be made is simply to  wait...insisting on "forging ahead" can lead to tragedy.  
4.  Money is nice, but it won't save you.  It was reported that one of the families left Illinois with $10,000 sewn into a mattress.  It couldnt push them over that pass.  It didn't save them on the Titanic, it didn't here, and it won't along the hard roads of planting a church.  I've been in ministry long enough to know that it won't overcome lack of leadership, wisdom and harmony.
5.  History will not remember the result of the journey over the tragedy along the way.  The end of the story is that "some" of them made it...only about half really.  Some of them made it, but at what
cost?  I am not naive enough that i dont understand that not everyone who begins this journey will be there in the end...whatever that looks like.  But I'm committed, more than ever to these things that I've seen on the road before me.  In the end, my dream is that people, somewhere down the road of time, will
remember this journey, not for what was lost, but for what was gained.

a story of real heroes

When talking about the concept of church planting with observers, I am often asked either "What excites you the most about planting a new church?" or its alter ego "What frightens you the most about planting a new church?".  In the quieter moments of this journey, like enjoying a caramel latte at my remote office, I realize that the answer is quite the same.  What both excites me and terrifies me is that, somewhere in the future, in part because of my participation in its conception, a life giving community of people who lead and live and love as Jesus did will exist where one didn't before.  Prior to this neighborhood, I was privileged to spend more than 13 years in a community that has experienced over 100 years of life giving and life changing influence in their own neighborhood... and it all began as a few people who felt a call to a new and growing neighborhood across the water. 
So this is all exciting to me, probably more so having experienced all that has occurred in that immediate context as well as literally worldwide.  To think that, because of a "mustard seed" beginning, years and lives down the road, a light to the community and the world, bearing witness to a life giving faith in Jesus who calls us to this, will be shining brightly because we said yes, both encourages and scares the hell out of me. 
It would all, most likely, be overwhelming and I'd want to walk away from it all if it weren't for the real heroes of the story.  As someone who thinks that Gods character is, has always been, and always will be unchanging, I think that his methods of working through and leading people has not changed either.  The names are changed and certainly the times and cultures, but the realities have not.  What I mean is simply this ... certainly God lays a plan before individuals ... insert Noah, Abraham, etc here.  This is true and is seen throughout the stories in the Book of Books, but what about those who followed those that are traditionally seen as heroes of the faith?  What about Mrs Noah?  What about the sons of Noah and their families who obviously did the bulk of the work without the benefit of a personal conversation with God?  In my opinion, those are the real heroes.  They were the original first responders that we talk about so often in our context.  They were the ones who sacrificed time, resources and reputations to run towards the challenge instead of going to the "safe spot".  All on the impression of another who thought that God was leading.  In case you were wondering...this still happens today in the form of church planting.   We may not be building boats, although my new neighborhood is home to the "Center for Wooden Boats" ... ironic???.  We are building refuge from the storm, if you'll forgive my reaching for metaphors.
Once again, the real heroes are those who have gone to this place with me.  First and foremost is most definitely my wife, a real time, real life, more beautiful version of Mrs Noah.  She is the one with the most to lose in this were it not really God's lead.  Fortunately, soon after my own wrestling's with God's lead, she is open to her own.  She's even pretty good with a hammer.  Other first responding heroes are those of my "core team" who, for whatever reasons, have followed into the unknown and grabbed on to the dream.  They have risked resources and reputations to help in the construction with something, not unlike the ark, that no one has ever seen before.  Its not that this neighborhood has never seen a church ... they've never seen "Common Table". 
So what about the rest of the story?  We know that in Noah's case, no one else participated in it.  I'm pretty sure, having dealt with volunteers throughout my years as a pastoral artist, that the work would have been much lighter, had anyone else jumped in...had anyone else been willing to risk resources and reputation to see it through.  I've heard that the process of church planting should be seen as a spiritual opportunity, not only for those actually doing it, but also for those willing to jump into it with the eyes to see it that way.  Everyone who reads this has an opportunity to be a hero...to be a first responder...to see participation in it as life giving, not just for the moment but for generations to come.  The heavy lifting of building a life saving and life giving entity is a spiritual opportunity that relatively few will ever be brave enough to run towards.  It falls on the real heroes ... those willing to risk resources and reputations to see it through until its afloat.  I am fortunate enough to know this first hand as my wife and I have had a hand, from a distance, in a number of new churches across the country.  My story has been part of theirs and my part, small that it might have seemed, has helped these to become realities where once they had only been dreams. 
The most responsible thing that I could do is invite all who read this to consider being a hero in this neighborhood, to people you may never meet, but who will be forever changed because something that wasn't before, is now, and will be for generations to come.  Resources are certainly a big part of the reality here and how you allocate yours is undeniably a spiritual practice.  You can consider the opportunity to be a hero in Seattle with your resources and/or you can contact me to put us into your prayer life.  I'm not sure where your life is at in this moment of God's story, but I do know that, while risky, being a hero is a great deal more fulfilling than being a spectator.  To all of the heroes out there, I salute you.... thank you for risking.  And right on cue, it's beginning to rain.

under construction

So after a whirlwind 2 weeks of packing, moving, unpacking, and trying to catch our collective
breaths, I find myself finally able to sit down for a few minutes to record my thoughts.  Providentially, our new home is located, once again, 50 yards from a wonderfully caffeinated environment.  Really... where in Seattle is this not the case?  Regardless, I am very grateful, once again, to have such a work environment.  I can already tell that it will provide a great vantage point to the subplots and characters of our new chapter.   When I stop long enough to think about it, I realize that I am very fortunate that God generally has my story playing out as my own virtual metaphor.  This morning I stopped just long enough to be reminded of that.  While walking through the, yet to be finished, courtyard at our new home I was encouraged to sit down on a bench for a few moments, between boxes, and record the photo in this post. 
As I sat there it occurred to me how much I was anticipating the finished product.  I was struggling trying to imagine what it might look like without the heavy equipment, the fences and the fluorescently vested people charged with carrying out the plan.  It caused me to think further back to a time when someone, completely unknown to me, presented a vision of what this would all look like one day...most likely complete with artwork and computer generated walk arounds.  Having been through a significant building process before I am reminded that someone picks up the first shovel and digs the first hole and then it begins...the following of the plans till the place of completion when life finally looks somewhat like the vision.  We are somewhat in that place now, as the community known as Common Table.  We are under construction.  We now physically live in the midst of it even as we are virtually under construction ourselves.  It would be nice if I had the finished view somewhere on display so that I could always point myself and others to it ... so I could answer good, well intentioned and legitimate questions with something more significant than "I don't know".  I am still confident though that this is a good place to be.  How many of us understand the danger of our "experience"?  What I am referring to is the point where our familiarity with a process leads to carelessness as assumptions.  So far I only know that we should, as the great book of Jeremiah reminds me in chapter 29, settle into and dwell in the city that we love, while we pray for and work for its prosperity (my paraphrase).  Our only manual is the life of Jesus and the conviction that if he is here, through the lives of his followers and the community of his church, then people will be drawn to him.  He is the point, the finished product.
So as I continue to imagine...I am reminded that the finished product is not an accident.  You need to follow the plans of those who first envisioned it.   As the one in the fluorescent vest, you realize that you are not the planner.  You are the follower ...and in fact you usually are only privileged to have one part at a time.  I am ok with that for now ... it's part of my own construction process.  As for the rest and how it all plays out... for now I am content with "I don't know".

dwell

a toast to the launch of Common Table

When it comes to inspiration for this journey, I have found myself increasingly meditating on a passage in the 29th chapter of the book of Jeremiah.  In my opinion, the understanding of this section could be one of the most transformational realities that followers of Jesus and the churches  they inhabit could possibly latch onto.  Many to most of my evangelical friends think that they know where I may be going with this...that I am headed straight for verse 11 and the promise that God knows the plans he has for me.  Good verse, but I'm not going there today.  I have found that some of the best, yet least known words in the book of books are found in fairly close proximity to some of the most known words.  They are hidden gems, rarely encountered because of our tendency to parrot back the known words, extracted from their total context.  The best case result of this might be an incomplete or watered down truth.  The worst case can be a total distortion.   If we were honest, sometimes the sound bite suits our comfort more than the entirety of the teaching. 
Prior to verse 11, God, speaking through Jeremiah, encourages his people, exiled though they might be, to make themselves comfortable in the place that they find themselves.  Someday will be deliverance, but that day is not to-day.  While they are there, they are to make use of their time.  They are called to, what probably amounted to a nearly inconceivable task.  They were to pray for the city that was not their own in the land they were captive in.  They were to work for the good of, the peace of, the blessings of, the city they now called home.  They were called to stop trying to hide from, wrestle with, and avoid their circumstances and live in the moment for all they were worth.  My translation of this is that they were called to "dwell" intentionally in their city.
The following questions keep me up at night.  They form the foundation of my life's mission as well as a leveling mechanism for "Common Table"

• What might happen if we who call ourselves followers of Jesus were to take this seriously?
• What if a considerable focal point of our faith was this admonition to "seek the peace and prosperity of the city"? 
• What if we actually "lived in" rather than ran from the influences and realities of our neighborhoods...not because of a random service project coordinated by a paid staff person or an overworked volunteer at a church? 
• What might happen if concepts like "shop local" and "green conscious" weren't seen as liberal agenda, but a biblical mandate? 
• What if we understood that peace and prosperity for the city translated into the same for those of us being called by God to work towards them? 

From personal experience, I can tell you that it would make an incredible difference.  As we leave a neighborhood that we have called home for 14 years, it is very gratifying to hear that we will be missed as much by the community as the church we served with.  When God came down in the form of Jesus, John tells us (in the Message) that he "moved into the neighborhood".  May the same be said of us.

In the beginning ...

... there was a table. This week marks the official beginning of what forever more will be known as "Common Table".  One of the questions most asked at the beginning stages of this journey is "Have you found a place for your church yet?"... practically every day in fact.  Its completely understandable as "church" is identified primarily by a location.  My wife and I have spent a considerable part of our ministry trying to undo that concept.  Interestingly (or not), on the very day that we move into our new neighborhood, many of my evangelical colleagues will be leading their places of worship in a national "Back to Church" campaign.  The irony is not lost on us. 
For us and this new chapter, "church" won't have an address as much as it will have an atmosphere.  Don't misunderstand, at some point that only the designer of this plan knows, the "church" will undoubtedly have an address.  For now all it has is a table. This isn't your average church.  Actually it's not even your average table.  The table is currently being constructed by a very gifted friend to be a unique, one of a kind, gather people around, to celebrate and mourn, to know and be known, kind of table.  It represents the reality that, according to Jesus, the kingdom of God is like a great banquet or a feast and it will be surrounded by many people, most of whom might be considered unlikely guests.  In fact, many of those whom one would expect to be on the list, in reality won't choose to attend. Chances are the ones you would never have considered inviting will show up anyway.  This might be because, contrary to all thoughts previously held so closely, we are not really the ones who extend the invitation in the first place.   
Anyone in catering can tell you that banquets can be messy affairs and even a casual glimpse at the earliest gatherings of the faithful can bear witness to this.  So our table and our community will have to accommodate mess.  This is understood going in.  We will also have to allow the true host to lead in the cleanup.   Chances are, if we let it, and prayerfully we will, the party will get quite out of hand.Have you ever hosted or attended a party where, all of a sudden the realization hits that there are more people than were planned for?  In no time at all, a frantic grab for chairs ensues and its no longer a priority (if it ever was) to have chairs or place settings match each other.  Soon nothing matches, but that is just fine because neither do the guests.  In reality, they probably never did.  People are as different as the chairs and places at the table end up being.  Its not important.  What is important is that everyone is there for the party and everyone is welcome.  It is our belief that this is what the kingdom of God was intended to be, and in fact it was wherever Jesus could be found.  Our prayer is that Jesus would be found within our community, through our gatherings around a common table with mismatched chairs.  Our prayer is that He would also be found through our serving and loving the city that we call home.   

Old or just experienced

Last week, during a brief getaway, I found a shirt in a basement thrift sort of store that declared "I'm probably too old to be doing this".  It was too good, the shirt not the price, to pass up.  It happens to be the main phrase of an anthem that Joanne and I have heard a few times over the course of our journey into this new chapter for us.  Apparently there is an understood, by nearly everyone but us, principle in the modern world of church planting that you really need to be in your 30's to be able to pull this off.  If you knew anything about us you'd know that I'm not one to follow a mold and Joanne is not one to acknowledge all of the rules.  In her eyes, they are more like the "Pirate Code" ... Merely  a guideline.  So it only goes to reason that, within the realm of accepted age, we might break from the accepted norm.  Age means many things to many people.  In some contemporary understandings of church planting, it could indicate energy level, coolness factor and or ability to relate to the context your are immersing yourself in.  In our understanding, it has come to represent patience, discernment, and most importantly resilience.
This past week marked a turning point in which we were able to finally nail down the epicenter of the new work.  It culminated a few months where we spent most of our free time walking the neighborhood, touring apartment complexes ... Some repeatedly ... Walking the neighborhood, interviewing with leasing companies ... Some repeatedly, walking the neighborhood, and praying extensively.  We did this so much that the sticker shock began to wear off as we poured over countless floor plans.  We also agonized daily order the decision in the first place.  There is no switch to be turned where the second guessing stops and its only forward thinking.  Every interaction with the friends made over 13 years in our church and our community brought reason to doubt.  Every evening sitting by a fire on our deck brought reason to doubt.  Every moment playing in the backyard with grand kids brought reason to doubt.  Walking in to the building on Sunday mornings brought reason to doubt.  There is no switch to turn that off...just an annoying still small whisper saying "keep going, this will all be worth it".  That is advantage number one to being "too old to do this".  I have been around long enough to have seen "worth it".  Those of lesser age, maybe not so much.
This past week, after all of the "not yet" indications in our prayers for timing on new housing, we finally decided that it was time to put all of the walking, talking, prayer of these past months into action and make a move to secure the place that we will call home for "Common Table".  It turns out that God was apparently walking the neighborhood with us.  I say "apparently" because, even though I'm in the pastoral arts profession and by profession I'm supposed to believe that 24/7, sometimes you don't feel him.  Read the Psalms.
Anyway, on Thursday morning, as Joanne and I prayed together at a coffee shop in the new neighborhood, my prayer went something like this ; " God we know that we could probably move anywhere here and it would be fine, but we don't want fine, we want what you would deem is best ... Selfishly for us and more selfishly for the ministry.  God you also know that I'm not always very good at following your trail so could you throw me a bone on this today and make it so obvious that even I can see your hand".  Probably not the sort of prayer that will get me invited to give the opening prayer at a congressional gathering, but honest.  So off we wandered to our appointments...the last one being the place that had continually risen to the top of our list.  So you'd think that being on the top of our list, the fact that this is in fact where we landed would not rate up there with the water into wine sort of miracles that you can read about in the book of books.  But I'm going to tell you that this is exactly where God showed himself so obviously that even I could see it.  The short version is that, while we thought that this would be a great place because of many practical things like location, newness of community, floor plan, amenities that would benefit an infant church, etc, we discovered that we could see good, but we couldn't have envisioned best.  Because of our patience in the process and not jumping earlier on what might have been a good spot here, our continued prayers, the relationship formed with the leasing agent, and the timing of our decision day, God delivered best.  In this case "best" means a place that should have been, except for a fluke in timing and listing accuracy, out of our budget by hundreds of dollars a month.  "Best" means that instead of a place where we have only inside access, primarily on our floor in our building, we have outdoor access to all three buildings of this new complex.  "Best" means a free month off of a lease and waived security deposit and application fees.  As we review all that is provided through this long awaited home, we see "best" written all over it.  In earlier days I would not have had the patience to wait on "best" when good enough made an appearance.  Age has given me patience.  In earlier days I would have given up as the doubts washed over me and discouragement hung around.  Age has given me resilience. 
So I have no doubts, at last, that we are the right age to be doing this.  Everything has led us here and, if anything, these past months have reaffirmed our calling.  In the end though, it is the stories written before ours, in the book of books, that encourage me.  The stories of Noah, Abraham, Moses, and the like are stories of God saying "I'm not quite finished with you yet".  Age has its benefits.

A call to different

It has been my experience that there are many different means to an end.  This is not always the case to be sure, but it often is true.  And it is in within these differences that we get derailed into conversations arguing one better than another.  There is no doubt that some would be better than others, but there is also much value in understanding that sometimes different is just different.   Such, I believe, is the case when it comes to following what those of us desiring to follow Jesus know as the "Great Commandment".  It's the " go into all the world and make disciples" directive that he left his followers with just before he left this earthly dwelling.
The difficulty, in my opinion, is that the directive itself is fairly wide open.  It's hardly a field guide.  It's not very descriptive.  It's simply "go" and "make" with a few specifics like baptize and teach thrown in.  To be honest, the history of those who have followed that moment have proven that not even the specifics are specific enough to avoid controversies and schisms.  It's been my experience of 20 years in the pastoral arts that this section of the Book of books is about as helpful as an IKEA diagram.
There, I believes, lies the problem of creativity and diversity within the expression of the Christian church.  We have been taught to believe that different expressions of "church" are an expression of rebellion and condemnation.  Could it be just "different"?  A close examination of the earliest of followers in "church" gatherings would illustrate how different the expressions really could be.  The gathering of followers in Jerusalem with a heavily Jewish influence surely expressed themselves differently than those of the Greek cities.  And yet, in our culture that claims a value for creativity and individual expression, we look sideways at anyone seeing the "go" and "make" through different lenses.
As we begin this journey of creating a community known as "Common Table" we have many thoughts and ideas as to how it might look...but really it is one of the great " I don't knows" of my life.  The only thing that I do know is that we will take what the community offers and form an expression of worship, serving, going and making that may not make sense to those who want sameness.  I have a feeling though that it will make sense to those who are seeking and searching outside of the usual places.  Out of the many criticisms that exist for the church today, one common theme for people is that they feel that the church should, could, be "different".  My prayer for this community as it gets off the ground is twofold;  that it will be faithful, and it will be different.... Not better, just different.

Calling and contentment

Church planting isn't for everyone...by everyone, of course I am meaning all of those who are called into pastoral ministry.  I'm in a bit close to it to explain why, but I can at least share from my own journey and possibly where it intersects with others called to the same.  I can begin by saying that it is indeed a calling and a particular personal wiring which one has that lends itself as affirmation to the calling.  The particular wiring might be best described as an "entrepreneurial spirit".  It is the same wiring that can seperate success from failure in leading anything from the ground up, whether it be a business, an organization, or an institution.  In its earliest forms it can be a very lonely place.  Eventually it leads to partnership, collaboration and community building, but in its earliest form, it manifests itself deep in the heart of the individual.  This is true of business.  This is true of church planting.
In the realm of a faith community, the best I can relate it is as Bill Hybels describes a "holy discontent ".  I can best describe it as a deep void like feeling in the heart that something is just not as it should be or was intended to be.  More than that though is the conviction that you could and should do something about it to set it right.  Here is where it gets complicated.  Many would see their holy discontent in light their dissatisfaction in the established church.  I might go out on a limb to say that this is not the sort of thing that should lead one into a journey of planting a new church that could "do things better".  It's pretty much basic pastoral ministry 101 to realize that there will be a level of dismay, discouragement, and discontent as the years and absurdity add up while valiantly trying to lead a consumer culture towards a sacrificial life of following Jesus.  It is my sincere belief that the discontent needs to be centered on the pastoral heart and not the pastorate.  In other words, what is your place in the matter and what are you, yourself and personally capable of doing about it?  The question is not " is there a better church for me?"  The question needs to be " is there a better me for the cause of the Church?"
If you are looking for a better church, dust off your résumé and put it out there.  Undoubtably there is one, for a period of time anyway...before the facade wears away and people just can't be the best version of themselves anymore.  Here is the reality though...there needs to be more churches and then by design there needs to be more people to plant those more churches.  God knows who those people are...he designed them and planted within them a holy discontent, not directed at a church, but towards their role in the Church.  It is not a fad thing, or a cool thing, or the latest thing.  it has been around since the days of Paul.  It's a giftings thing, as in he gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be.... You get the idea.
It is my experience that the discontent comes from being somewhere doing something for too long that you really weren't intended to do.  And it goes both ways.  There are pastors who should be stop
trying to be church planters and there are church planters who should stop trying to be pastors.  It can eventually be harmful both ways.  Both are necessary and God has provided and equipped both.  We just need to figure out the calling thing.