The good news of discipline

In recent years I seem to have found myself surrounded by people who feel compelled to run.  Nearly every week, if one wanted to, one could sign up to run in a 5K, 10K, half marathon, marathons, Iron Man, Iron Women, Iron Infant, or (insert your group here) type of run.  Occasionally I will secretly want to just sign up and run.  A certain breeze, the temperature, even the feel of my faux running shoes being laced up can burst upon my senses and all of a sudden my legs feel like they were 18 again. I would just know that I was missing out on something wonderful.   Then my brain kicks in and kicks my senses around a bit and asks "what's the matter with you?".  "There's been no training, no build up, no discipline to your body that would even get you through the first city block, what's the matter with you?".
  I used to view various spiritual "disciplines" as those practices mastered by a select few saints throughout the ages who happened to hold abnormally close relationships to God.  I told myself this as an excuse to avoid the futility of pursuing these at all costs.  To be perfectly honest, my evangelical influences didn't do a great deal to discourage this thought process.  Faith, after all, was to be excercised, which, in the Western world, means go, go, go.  As I got older, like so many others of my kind, I began to feel like I was missing out.  There must be something more to this life.  And I would look longingly at these giants of the faith and want to just jump in and "be spiritual"...you know, all Nike "just do it" like.  Soon after, within a spiritual "city block" I'd give up, frustrated and convinced even more that these relationships were not for mere mortals like me.  In all of this I felt deep in my heart that I was missing something ... and I am beginning to understand that I was right.  But it wasn't what I thought.  It was hidden right in front of me.  It's actually contained in the phrase "Spiritual Disciplines".  Did you catch it?  Discipline.  It implies there will be work involved ... training, practice, growth, strengthening, stamina building work.
In our current call to build community and relationships in a city that lives and breathe the go, go, going of "successful and fulfilled" lives, I can't believe that good news for them is the additional go, go, going that we frequently connect to a church community.  That only leads to exhaustion of the worst kind...exhaustion of the soul.  This week our group begins the journey of exploring various spiritual practices and the discipline to develop them and move towards a refreshing, life giving, and life giving away faith in Christ that truly is good news to people on the treadmill.  Let me repeat that it's a journey ... It's not a class, a workshop, a sermon ... It's a journey.  This week we begin by exploring the practice and discipline of solitude.  Watch this page for exercises, reminders and best practices as we journey together.

Do Over

In my opinion, from personal experience, the greatest news of that which we know to be the "Good News" of Jesus is that we all, every one of us, gets what we in common language know as "do overs".  The good news of Jesus is that we get a new opportunity for a reconnected relationship with God, beyond our own meager efforts.  We have, despite our failed attempts and brokenness, the ability to get back up and walk again with the savior who stoops down to lift us from our falls.  The beauty of the church is that we find our falls not to be such lonely and isolated incidents as our adversary would have us believe.  We find common ground from which to stand and we find others to cheer us on as we dust ourselves off and continue on our journey.  If you missed our Common Table gathering this past Sunday, you didn't miss "church".  You missed dinner together where we sat together, laughed together, reflected together and identified with stories different, yet not so different from our own.  You missed learning together, smaller groups within a larger whole, who didn't simply "listen" to a passage from the bible but entered in to the passage sharing stories, journey's, and reflections on the timelessness of God's word for those who seek to follow.  You missed our discovery of the difference between a prescribed "this is how you do church" method and what the bible identified as a descriptive "this is how faith is reflected" expression of people who have joined in God's mission.  You missed the realization and reaffirmation that "church" was not a Sunday, one day, expression of a love for Jesus and people.  It is an organic, ever present and fluid movement of God's people, any day and every way.  You missed the resulting call and response to action. 
You may have missed this past week, but the good news is that you, like the rest of us, have a "do ever" -  another chance to join us around the "Common Table" of Jesus and our desire to love him and love like him in the context of the city. 

See you Sunday? or Friday or any other day for that matter.

It's time for Lent

The season of Lent is upon us.  It's traditionally a season of remembrance and observation of the 40 days that Jesus spent in the desert before beginning his public ministry.  By nature it is a time that demands a measure of discipline.  It is a time when a good practice of various spiritual disciplines, like scripture reading, prayer and fasting may take place.  It is made that much more difficult in the frantic pace that most of live in.  That also makes it that much more rewarding when we get to dig in to the practices that serve to draw us closer to Christ. 
To help facilitate your own observation and offer you a time of peace and direction, this blog will offer a number of references that we hope you will take advantage of.  They are gleaned from a great many sources and although those sources are public, the originators of them will be acknowledged when possible. 

Enjoy the season ... soak it in....let these resources guide you.  The first ones are for the entire season of Lent ... a Bible reading plan through the Gospels in 40 days as well as a guided prayer source.

• The Bible plan is courtesy of Grace Avenue United Methodist Church in Frisco, TX
• The prayer guide is compliments of the Irish Jesuits

moving ahead ... the party continues

So the party this past Sunday was a great "launch" to the work of planting a new church community here in South Lake Union.  It was a great collection of friends, both old and new from here in the neighborhood and throughout Seattle.  The food was excellent and plentiful, like any good party should have.  The conversations were connecting and hopefully, a vision for the future was planted in the hearts of those who were there.  So, as I'm particularly fond of asking after coming to a point like this, now what?  Where do we go?  How do we move forward?  Just what, exactly is the next step?
I'm glad you asked ... it is simply this, connection.  Common Table is a relational expression of the church, upward towards God, inwards towards each other, and then outwards to our community and beyond.  In order for relationships to work, grow, thrive, and be expressed, they need to be connected.
The opportunities are many and varied...below are listed the beginnings of them:

• Tuesday evening  Study group at the Jacobs in Stack House apts, 2 Tuesdays each month beginning March 4th ... email Dan for details
• Saturday March 8th ... bowling party @ West Seattle Bowl ... rsvp here
• Sunday March 23rd "Launch party #2" at the lounge at Stack House apts 5pm ... bring someone who hasn't been
• April 13th  Dinner and worship 5pm ... watch for details
• April 20th ... Easter lunch BBQ in the park ... watch for details
• May 17th ... Lake Union Sweep neighborhood service event 8am-1pm

Anyone and everyone is welcome ... lets stay connected

Now it's a party

We are having a party!!!  In 1 week and a day, Sunday February 23rd we will hit the ground running here in the South Lake Union neighborhood of Seattle, by literally throwing a party.  We felt it only fitting that, since Jesus uses some party imagery when it comes to the kingdom, we should present the gathering of people seeking to follow him as a party.  Let's be honest, that's about as far from stereotype as we can get.  Not long after the guest of honor left for a better party 2000 + years ago! people of our faith and following have, by and large, lost the ability to feel comfortable at parties, let alone throw them.  We would like to invoke the right to "do over" as given by Jesus himself and begin this presence centered around the value of a good party.  There will be food ... Of course ... And something even better, a chance to connect with other party goers.  Of course since it will be the first gathering of this sort for us, we will also point people towards future parties, worship gatherings, and opportunities to connect in the city and grow the party larger.  Everyone is welcome ... It's being held in a great place to hold a party, the lounge at Stackhouse apartments, from 5 until 6:30 or whenever people decide to wander off.  You are invited ... Bring a friend ... Bring two... Sunday February 23rd, the party starts.

The real issue

For any of you who are under the illusion that I really know what I'm doing in this recently chosen path of church planting in Seattle, let me give you a bit of insight into the inner workings of my spirit.  Most days I have no idea what I am doing it or why I was chosen to do it.  Far be it from me to put myself into the life of one of our heroes of faith, but if I could, then I guess I could compare it a bit to God's discussion with Abram ... "Go the land that I will show you".  That about sums it up.  I didn't and continually don't have much more direction than that.  Let me break it down a bit:  "Go" is indicative of the timing, as in right now.  And "to the land I will show you" gives an indication of direction/location.  The problem is there is not much in the way of "How".  If you read through the rest of the story, you'll spend most of your time thinking "he did what?" when it comes to Abram, soon to be Abraham's actions over the course of the rest of his journey to follow the "Go " part. 
I will be honest that sometimes, in the dark quiet of the morning, when I have my time alone with the one who said "Go", that my fears poured out all center around those who will ultimately play armchair quarterback when looking upon the details and logistics of my journey to "the land I will show you".  What will they think?  How will I be remembered?  How will I justify this, that, or any other decision that I make?  In times of confidence I realize that just as Abram was called to "go", so was I the one who was called to "go".  I have little to no right to look upon his story with anything other than amazement that God could use the broken wanderings of a follower to accomplish anything.  In the same way I take confidence that neither does anyone have that right in watching my own journey.  Now don't get me wrong, this isn't meant to imply that I'm immune to correction or advice.  It just means that I don't have to wonder what others who haven't walked in my shoes might think about the steps that I take in those shoes.
This morning I was reading a blog post from someone I have come to greatly appreciate over the last few years.  It was a great example of what ultimately could be seen as either a tragedy or a victory for the local church.  It all depends on how you look at it.  I decided to share it with my friends in Facebook land to get their response.  I was hoping to create a constructive and thought provoking dialogue.  Instead it got mired down in the same timeless arguments that have come to symbolize much of what's been criticized about our kind.  I, being in a city like Seattle, and desperately trying to love and value every individual as bearers of God's image, read this post about a church not all that far from here through very different lenses.  I will be honest, I was terrified of what I read.  Please take a moment to go back and read the post and then you may understand where I am coming from.  It doesn't end well.  Don't make the mistake of getting caught up in the issue as, lets be honest, the issue in question could be, and has been, exchanged for any number of issues over the years.  The longer I walk this path, the more I have peace in my heart that the only issue that should ever be at stake within a worshipping body of Jesus followers is Jesus himself.  The only question that I, as a pastoral artist, should be aiming at a heart is "Who is Jesus to you?".  The beauty of my calling, if I allow it, is simply to introduce people to Jesus.  I am not a healer, I cannot offer penance even though I have Catholic roots.  People need to see Jesus in me and I need to see people to Jesus.  He can do whatever heavy lifting that he see's necessary.  He certainly did it and continues to do it with me.
Some who are reading this will now undoubtedly begin to discount me as being surface, soft, a universalist, whatever.  I certainly have theological and doctrinal opinions.  I have a graduate degree to demonstrate that I have had to put some decent thought and money into acquiring them.   But lets be honest, despite anyone's theological and doctrinal convictions, this story that I am talking about did not turn out well... or at least it didn't appear to.  A vibrant ministry is now gone as a result of one of the same disputes that we as Jesus people have regularly day in and day out.  Good people of faith on each side were at an impasse.  You may not agree, but I can see life from both sides.  Each was between a rock and a hard place.  My decision, had it been mine to make, would have angered some. Fortunately it wasn't mine to make ... at least not yet.  Before anyone gets critical of the "issue", try to look into the hearts of the people involved.  It's a lonely place to be, but one that we are sometimes called to be.  I was reminded by my son in a conversation today about this piece.  He said "Dad, you always taught us to stand up for what is right, even if you're standing alone".  I am OK with that I guess...mostly because I am confident that ultimately I won't be alone.

We are having a baby !!!

 

No really, we are.  Our due date is September 7th ... No really, it is.  Ironically, or not, it also happens to be my birthday.  While a physical birth in the case of Joanne and I might have as much of a chance of happening as it did for Zechariah and Elizabeth, we are certainly in the midst of a spiritual birth process.  As the calendar turned to 2014 a few weeks back, on contemplating the timeline of 9 months before the official birth of Common Table, Joanne commented that this was going to be much like having a baby.  I will take her word on this as one having experienced it first hand.
As we have talked through this analogy, it has become so much clearer for my "guy" brain to see how this absolutely fits.  See if you can follow me on this:

• Anxiously questioning  "what are we doing?" "How did we get here?" "How can we afford to do this?"
• Settling in to the reality that "we are doing this and this is the arrival date"
• Sharing the news with those who hold emotions everywhere from "that's amazing" to "what were they thinking?"
• Morning sickness ... Those days when I wake up and want to cash it in and give up
• Realizing that giving up is not an option and that "this too shall pass"
• 2nd trimester
• Feeling completely inadequate for the task and responsibility
• Preparation mode ... Where will this baby live
• Enlisting ... "Help!!!"  (Think showers and gifts)
• Announcements ... The where and when of the blessed event
• 3rd trimester
• Bigger and more uncomfortable
• It's time
• Oh my!
• Now what?

And to be honest, sometimes it all takes place in our minds on the same day.  It's a crazy ride with so much eternity in the balance.  Fortunately, as is the case in so many birth processes, we don't do this alone.  In fact we weren't meant to do it alone.  We have friends, we have family, we have well wishers and others who are anxiously awaiting the birth.  There are even those who, at present, have no idea that their lives are about to be touched by a new birth.  They have no idea that their story is about to collide with ours and be introduced to the larger story that God is writing.  So many possibilities locked into the promise of a new birth.

But here's the thing...as is the case with so many births that take place across the world every day, this does not occur in a vacuum.  It happens in the presence of others.  It happens through the presence of others.   I can tell you from experience that it is a wonderful thing to be supporting the birth of a new church.  Joanne and I have lived this in recent years through our support of churches in El Paso and Buffalo.  I can tell you from experience that it is not merely "giving money". It is literally watching something transform from dream, God's dream, to reality.  We have watched, with a measure of pride and satisfaction as both of these churches took their first steps, knowing that we had a small part in it.  I used to think that it was a small part taking part in this way.  I have since learned that there are no small parts in this process.  God uses every gift and individual in profound ways.  We have found ourselves changed by the process.

For the next 9 months we will be actively part of this birth narrative here in Seattle.  We will be faithful to it and we will bring others along who can, in the end, say that "I was part of new life". Many have contributed to the earliest days of this journey, but we would love to bring more along. We would love to have more experience the joy of a new life, one that ultimately leads to eternal life.  Would you consider joining us for this nine month countdown to arrival...join us in prayer and join us financially, either with a special one time gift or a 9 month commitment.  It's very easy to do and it's a very powerful spiritual journey that you can embark on.  Just go to this link for all the details on giving to the birth of Common Table.  Then enjoy the journey ... you'll be brought along for a very incredible ride ... and just like us, you'll never be the same.

(if you choose to give a gift, be sure to note it for "Common Table")