agri.church

As I’ve been preparing the message for this Sunday, I’ve been looking back over the year. One thing is clear, all is not as it is should be around this rock we call home. Was it a happy year? To tell the truth, it would be easy for me to just look to my own family. Then I could say that yes, thank you very much, it was a pretty good year. But I can’t escape the feeling that I’m connected at a deeper level to the rest of creation. And so, I’m forced to consider the hurricane, the wars, the hunger, the diseases and a myriad of other factors that made this year less than happy. What do we say to all this? How should we think in light of all that we see around us?

I’ve chosen to recite Habakkuk this week. If you get a chance, read it, I think Habakkuk has something to say to us. There is hope friends. Despite all appearances to the contrary this past year and for the year that approaches, I still believe there is hope. The Rhythm of God is not always audible. Yet, like Habakkuk, I will wait quietly for the day…

Technorati Tags: the Branch, church planting, Habakkuk, New Year

Just when I start to think I’m pretty clever… I come across the wacky folks at Rebar. I think this idea is absolutely brilliant! I’m glad some people seem to have way too much time on their hands, for brilliance seems to often come when creative crazy people get bored…

Maybe it’s just me, but I think Cabinet National Library is extremely amusing.

I’ve uploaded some pictures of our first worship gathering to our flickr photostream. Thanks to Erica for being our photographer for the morning. Did anyone else get any pics of the morning?

Technorati Tags: the Branch, church planting, flickr

Yesterday morning it happened. By the grace of God, our dreams are taking shape together. Yesterday we picked up our instruments and listened close for the deep pounding rhythm of God. In a moment of beauty that are all too rare, we as a community began our journey of participation in the mission of God. Our call is clear. Love God with abandon, love others with passion and play the wildest game of follow-the-leader after our Lord Jesus Christ.

Thanks to Brian for the comment on my previous post. If you worshiped with us yesterday, I’d love to hear what you thought. Have a blessed week and remember that a tiny babe changed everything… and so we celebrate.

We’re 2 days away from launching this thing that has been nothing but a burning God dream in our hearts for so long. Up till this point, the ride has been quite an adventure but also quite difficult at times. On the eve of the official birth of our humble expression of church, I sometimes find myself recalling why I’m doing all this…

I do this because of this burning feeling inside that tells me I’d be miserable doing anything else. I can feel my call to plant churches like a constant ache in my side. I do this because I look around my world and feel deep in my bones that a community of people who follow God on mission is the answer. then, sometimes, when I look at my daughters, it becomes clear. God loves this world. Even deeper than the love I have for my girls is the love that God has for all creation. What else could I possibly give my life to?

Our little community may get it’s start this weekend, but really we are just taking our place in the old old story of God’s love for this world.

For the sake of the world, here we go…

Gina and I saw the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe yesterday and despite the fact that C.S. Lewis was known to have disapproved of the idea of a live action film adaptation, I think he would have been very pleased with the result. Obviously there was no way to envision the magic that effects masters the likes of WETA could render in the mid-twentieth century. I was expecting to be impressed but still very curious how they would pull it all off. I was stunned by the level of fidelity to the book and pleasantly surprised that all the creatures worked extremely well. Casting was spot on, and even the battle at the end was done with proper care for younger viewers. The production definitely seems to have remembered that it is junior fiction. I highly recommend getting out to see it on the big screen.