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")

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