Communal Formation, Desire and the Reign of God

I have been reading a lot of Jamie Smith's material and looking at lectures and interviews, mostly in preparation for the 2011 Society of Vineyard Scholars conference.  (He's the keynote speaker!)  It's actually been utterly helpful as most of what he has to say connects with this season of preparing to cultivate a faith community in urban Pittsburgh that intentionally embraces communal formation and wrestles with the questions and some of the answers that Jamie brings forth.  In this interview he speaks specficially to that point...so, so good:


Defining "The Good Life" - Inner Compass from Calvin College on Vimeo.

the pitt 13: Be the Change You Wish to See in the World

Devin Odean continues from last time:

I’ve been warned not to throw ultimatums to the Lord, people have told me I might not like what I ask for-- but I’m sure that the Father doesn’t put us in a place we do not eventually gain joy, even if it takes a while.

So boldly I told Him I would do whatever He asked, fully and passionately, I would do whatever it took, and walk wherever He led, regardless of my own sight (or lack thereof) - however, I didn’t want to just be a 501c3, corporation, mundane, scheduled, Sunday-centered, “width without depth” church. If he wanted to take me on this path, then He better take us to the depth of his heart, and not allow us to do anything less. I couldn’t settle for what was easy, I wanted to truly cultivate a spiritual community, seeking deep transformation and oneness with God and each other.

I had no idea what I was asking for-- and so, the next year, was one of the most difficult “blind walks” I had ever taken. I was uprooted and re-rooted, stepping outside of my usual idea of church and ministry, to a different approach (cultivating a Faith Community, as Steven speaks of). As I moved back home I went from having the deepest community of my young life, to none at all.  The cultural differences I experienced in moving home were deflating. But this was the agreement - where He led, I would walk, and I would remain faithful there until otherwise directed. I knew that “home” was where I needed to be.  It was a rigorous and breaking season, I was learning, growing, being equipped and strengthened. Even in the hardest of times, deep joy, deep peace, deep understanding was found. I was stretched and grown, pushed and pulled.

Just as I was questioning what it was all about, just as I was getting tired of all this obedience, and having no idea where I was headed in the future...Abba consoled my heart, and reminded me of the original plan - to love others and allow Him to do the rest. The thing is, even when I was in transition, even as I was seemingly wandering without knowing where I was specifically headed, I had choices to make; the decisions that build character. I didn’t always succeed, but I didn’t always fail. When I could - I still chose love; I still chose the broken hearted, I still chose life, I still chose the Heart of the Father. I was learning to be a peacemaker when it was not the first choice, and to seek balance in my life - to seek health; health emotionally, spiritually, relationally, and anywhere else I devote my time. Of course, whatever we wish to see in this world, however we desire to see the Lord move, we must first give ourselves to that in more than words, but in action.

I found over and over, that diligence and obedience, though very dry words initially, ended up quenching my thirst, and giving me a little bit more than I needed, more to share. I was beginning to see the fruit of the journey, and began to realize that there are certain fruits that are borne in specific seasons. This season was beginning to ripen, and I could see that this path was purposeful, that what was grown and ripening on the vine, would be used. I enjoyed who I was becoming in the peaceful presence of the Father. I was enjoying the expansion of my understanding of Jesus‘ teachings, and radically, relentlessly pursing the Kingdom in all areas of life. Whole-istic living, we like to call it.   Vision began to come into being, and I was beginning to understand what community was about...what living with authenticity was all about... 

[to be continued...]

the pitt 12: "To Lead or Not to Lead"...That's Not Really the Question

Continued from last time, once again, Devin Odean, takes up our common journey toward cultivating a faith community in urban Pittsburgh, with more of the journey God has had her on:

There is a common saying that some are born leaders and some become leaders; however I believe that everyone becomes a leader, everyone has an anointing or gifting in a specific area. It is less about who has the “title/skill” and more about submitting to your talent/gift, and inviting others to partake in where you are directed with that gift.  Even those with the birthright, must grow, mature and understand leadership. Mostly, I think we misunderstand what effective leadership is: to lead is to go before or show the way, to conduct by holding and guiding, to influence or induce.

We find natural occurrences with this type of leading within our friends and our family - in essence, our community. We see that Jesus came as a suffering servant, to seek and save the lost and to love all of mankind. Humbly he walked upon the earth, offering himself up for those who follow him and for those who don’t. This type of leadership has always been strong on my heart, and continued to grow as I began to step into obedience of using my passions, gifts and talents, as I found the Lord directing.

When first I encountered the “Church Plant Idea” in Texas in 2009 (set at the Vineyard USA’s National Leadership Conference) I saw tangible servant leading from many pastors within the Vineyard. I had been to many of these conferences, but this was the first time that I had seen the Vineyard leaders come together in such an immense way, serving over 3,000 people that had been affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Every time I looked up, I was filled with joy; joy to see our leaders serving in such an exhausting and jubilant manner (and believe me, it wasn’t glamorous in the least).  Though I was “behind the scenes”, there was no feeling of being expendable, but rather my small act of service was useful and needed for this big outreach to work. Seeing this large scale-perspective of servanthood put my “heartbeat” into words...I just wanted to spend my life serving without seeking fame or fortune, to serve with Love as the only motivation, to serve humbly and willingly.

I remember that as I was having this realization, a pastor who was serving along side us came up to my friend and I in tears and said “You know, this is you. This is you. This is your path. You may not know where your life is headed, but this is it. You can do whatever you want, as long as this is it. Loving, serving, shepherding. That is your call.” I was slightly taken aback, as recently I had been asking God where I fit in, in all of this.

Through prayer and conversation with Paul (our pastor friend), God instilled his heart into mine and spoke the big picture yet again, of being a student of the Rabbi (Jesus). We are to nurture the broken of this world, and walk through life with them, through pain and happiness. We are to walk along, dance along the way, laughing, crying-- deeply encountering God, no strings attached, and leads us all into mutual transformation when pursuing Jesus. He also mentioned a few words of pastoring and church planting, which I laughed off, but they actually stuck in my heart.

That evening after the main session I went up for prayer. AGAIN, the same words were spoken over me, and much of my fears and insecurities were brought to light only to be replaced with truth; the truth of who God says He is, what He says He can do, and who He calls us to be. So as I fasted and began to look toward the Father’s heart in this endeavor, I began to settle in with the idea of “ministry”, gaining a security in the Lords words, and a comfort with where my life was headed. I gave it to Abba, but I had one little condition....

[to be continued...]

Love must be made flesh

"Let me try to explain something to you, which I hope will make sense of the whole conversation. .I remember coming back from a very long tour.. On Christmas Eve I went to St. Patrick's Cathedral. .It had dawned on me before, but it really sank in: the Christmas story. The idea that God, if there is a force of Love and Logic in the universe, that it would seek to explain itself is amazing enough. That it would seek to explain itself and describe itself by becoming a child born in straw poverty. a child, I just thought: "Wow!" Just the poetry. Unknowable love, unknowable power, describes itself as the most vulnerable. There it was. I was sitting there, and .tears came down my face, and I saw the genius of this, utter genius of picking a particular point in time and deciding to turn on this. Because that's exactly what we were talking about earlier: love needs to find form, intimacy needs to be whispered. To me, it makes sense. It's actually logical. It's pure logic. Essence has to manifest itself. It's inevitable. Love has to become an action or something concrete. It would have to happen.  There must be an incarnation. Love must be made flesh."

- Bono, Irish prophet/frontman for U2, and basic do-gooder

the pitt 11: I remembered what it felt like to dream

In the telling of our on-going tale thus far, it has mainly been my voice that has brought us along to where we are.  Today that changes, much for the better I might add.  Today other friends begin to join me and give their perspective, add their storyline, and give voice to what the Father is doing with this fragile-yet-persistent hope of cultivating a faith community in urban Pittsburgh.   Thus, I give you, the ebullient, creative, faith-filled and risk-taking Devin Odean, with her first pitt post, I remembered what it felt like to dream:


The first time “Church Planting in Pittsburgh” was presented, honestly, I laughed. It felt good to laugh so hard. It had been a while. I remember it was a cold winter, and that night I drove home with the windows down. The cold hit me like a vivid memory. I visited the previous year that evening, in the hidden wood of Pennsylvania, the road twisting and turning; my thoughts twisting and turning.

I remembered what it felt like to dream. I remembered what it felt like to feel so deeply toward something. It had been a long journey. In 2009 I had gone away from home. I decided I wanted to search the scriptures. I wanted to take off all the covering of the world, and hear who I was, see who I was-- naked and bare before the King. Before the Healer, I stood, and I saw myself through his eyes. Thus began the year of feeling true freedom and joy. I realized, throughout life, no matter the cost, the deepest satisfaction of my soul came when I was relentlessly, purely loving those standing before me. Loving with the overflow that came from my Abba. I wanted to never pass someone without seeing them through the eyes of my Abba. But what, I wondered, could I ever possibly do with this deep longing? What could I, just a young girl, have to offer to such an old world?

And yet, it never ceases to amaze me. This divine comedy we find ourselves wrestling, dancing, speaking. It wasn’t the first time I had thought of this ironic path. It wasn’t the first time I brushed it aside. When we run, we never run a straight path, for if we run, then surely we are running away. If it were a path we deeply desired, we would take enjoyable, peaceful, ever basking steps. When we run, we run undoubtably, circles. The things we fear we cannot face, the things in which in ourselves we have unbelief, the things which are unknown, we run away-- and we try to see what is before us.

But what can we see, except a blur of meaningless scenery? What can we see, when we cannot stand before it? With curiosity; an inquiry of the soul, the ever growing hunger of reflective introspect?

[to be continued...]

thoughts toward centered-set suffering

Today I'm guest blogging at the not-the-religious-type blog with Dave Schmelzer (Dave is also lead pastor of the Greater Boston Vineyard)


...my post today explores some thoughts toward centered-set suffering.

when death comes

"When it's over, I want to say: all my life

I was a bride married to amazement.

I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.

When it's over, I don't want to wonder

if I have made of my life something particular, and real.

I don't want to find myself sighing and frightened,

or full of argument.

I don't want to end up simply having visited this world."

- Mary Oliver, excerpt from her poem, When Death Comes

the pitt - part ten: my home is where my heart is

I mentioned this before, but recent conversations have re-stirred it.  I know some people have this feeling or concept or warm-fuzzy about their home...these fond memories that have left a lasting yet ethereal impression. My wife has these kinds of memories and deep-seated feelings... for home.  For some people it is either the one they inhabit now or a distant memory of years gone by somewhere else.  I don't have that...and I can't remember ever really having it.  I can only remember ever being on a journey to somewhere else...with others...(admission: not always in a healthy way...). 

I was reminded of this aspect of myself during a sacred conversation with a new friend while I was at the Vineyard National Missions Conference in Colorado Springs last week.  I was explaining how my wife has a keen sense of place and "home", while I didn't really, and my friend Evan pointed something out that he was hearing from me.  He said: "Perhaps, like me, it's not the place but the way you live that is home."  It immediately resonated, as we began sharing details of our rhythm of life.  That's what makes anyplace home and no place home for me: it's not about place, but about a way of living.

 

I want to return to that soon and talk about rhythm of life and communal spiritual direction; but as I was on the plane home from Colorado ruminating on this precious conversation, it struck me how it dove-tailed with some thoughts on cultivating a faith community and my recent reading through 1 Peter about being 'resident aliens'.  In the here-and-now, especially in the 'global north/west', we do not imagine nor consider ourselves - as followers of Jesus - as being 'in exile'...but we are. It's a a very subversive, purpose-filled kind-of-exile, but exile it is...calling us to live as sojourners and strangers...calling us to never quite 'arriving'...

All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.

Hebrews 11:13-16

...yeah, it can be frustrating in the here-and-now. We will never quite arrive in this 'now-and-not-yet' age.  Yet, like Simeon and Anna, we wait for another divine 'arrival'...another Advent; Jesus is coming again, and he's bringing heaven with Him. 

In fact, to let the big secret out: He has 'arrived' early (surprise!)

...and He brought the taste of heaven with Him

...and He has been spreading the subversive rule of His Kingdom among people in the here-and-now...

Of course, 'the revolution will not be televised'; but there will come a day when it goes public in a cosmic-kind of way...big time:

wait for it: ...like lightning from the east so shines in the west...you won't miss the next Big Arrival!

And yet for now, its a little more humble...a little more subversive...yet still spectacular in deeply moving ways.  And that's the vision I take hold of vis-à-vis cultivating a faith community in Pittsburgh:  But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare (Jeremiah 29).

In the here-and-now I feel like He wants us to follow Him...'out there' into our world/our society/our culture/our coffee shop/our gas station/our living room...and live there - in exile; and make it better...make it better by doing our best CSI-impression and looking for His fingerprints and those relationally-ripe moments of breakthrough, then engaging the world as subversive Kingdom radicals...for its welfare...which is our welfare as well.  And anyway, isn't home where my heart is? I hold to what Jesus promises us in John 14, if we love Him and follow His Way, the heavenly Father will love us, and they will come make their home with us.

And that brings it full-circle, doesn't it?  Can you see the turn there in John 14? Their home is with us...that says to me - if their home is where their heart is - their heart is with us...and God yearns just as much as we do for expressions of redemption...so anyone can taste and see He's really good. 

So while we continue to seek to pull the 'now-and-not-yet' future into our present in the 'here-and-now', there is, as the provocative John Howard Yoder put it, "something about this Jewish vision of the dignity and ministry of the scattered people of God which might be echoed or replicated..." 

[to be continued...]

the pitt - part nine: can you keep a secret?

Shhhh, I'm going to tell you a secret, OK?
 

Don't tell anyone!

It's about this whole call-to-Pittsburgh-thing.

The thing is: we're not planting a church.  So, shhhhhhhhhhh, don't let the word get around, OK?

Whew, kind of good to get that off my chest after all the conversations, unsolicited advice and looks-of-horror I have received when talking about what God is calling us into in Pittsburgh.  Because of all of those thrilling, difficult, weird, "talking-past-one-another," assumption-riddled conversations, I've begun to let the real secret get out.  OK, I can see some people glancing nervously at each other right now after discovering our secret, and some are just scratching their heads.  Here's the deal: it's not going to be a typical "church-plant" that most people think of when I say the word "church" and add a hyphen and the word "plant" to it.  I have discovered that there are all kinds of immediate images and "baggage" and preconceived notions with this terrific, horrific, tantalyzing word-combo.
 

It seems to me that if we rush to build this Sunday "venue" (and most church-planting "experts" advise you to build this ASAP, do-it-in-at-least-one-to-two years) after the fashion of many churches and church-planting expert recommendations today, we may never get to what God is calling us to.  If we rush to "do church", we may miss community and mission entirely.  Or community and mission might just become optional add-ons for those who have more discretionary disposable time on their hands, but not necessarily for everyone.  And we might set up a "two-tiered" system that forgets the biblical-orientation toward reciprocity and mutuality among all, and instead builds a "1st-class and 2nd-class" pedestals for leaders and "average-joe", so that leaders are always leading everything in a "management-style as part of a high-performing-organization", and only "getting ministry" from other leaders, it creates that 2nd class citizen audience...instead of modeling mutuality by having "joe-average" pray with them and for them, as well as participating in other settings as "average joe" themselves.
 

Here is the thing, recommendations aside, church-planting experts all know the same thing: what you do early and often in your community will shape you pretty much...well, for the rest of your days as that community.  The community-culture hardens like clay in a kiln (that is: really quickly) and establishes a momentum in a certain direction or tradition of doing something, that probably can't be changed until it's broken.
 

But here is what I have come to believe: if we do community and mission in Pittsburgh, "church" - that brilliant, excitingly conceived idea of Jesus - will happen.
 

You see, in an alternative kind of way, we want to land among a people living their lives, not launch a competitive business in the market place.  We want to incarnate in Pittsburgh, even though we will live alternatively than much of it as resident aliens usually do, but we want to become part of the fabric of this place we live, and pray for its peace and raise our children and go about our lives there together.  Will we be intentional about spiritual stuff and this fantastic idea of Jesus, and seek His Presence...of course.  We want a rhythm of life that breeds sustainability in those endeavours, not burn out.  We want interconnectivity with our neighborhood and each other in a rhythm of life, not to just scatter and go-it-alone 6 days a week.  I have been a part of an on-going conversation about this deeply sustainable way of seeding a missional community at David Fitch's blog.  (Feel free to join the rich conversations.)  This direction feels like health to me, and as a very unaverage church-planter, with what people say is "not the typical gift-mix (or age-grouping) of the typical church-planter" the one-size-fits-all, well it doesn't quite fit.
 

But God has called and is still calling us into this, so we are going, in fact, we are on the way...

[to be continued...]

in the mess He whispers

“In the commotion, God still speaks to me, which is all I want in the first place. To hear and be near Him…it is in the mess that He whispers loudest…"

- Krista Finch, As Is: Unearthing Commonplace Glory

today is my birthday...is it your birthday too, yeah?

today is my birthday...as usual i was an early riser born early in the morning keeping my poor tired mother up all night.

it will be my 43rd year of living life. someone sent me a link to a page that had a bunch of 'famous' people who were born on Oct. 8th...(see below)

if you want, leave me a special birthday comment and wish me a happy birthday...and thanks in advance...

'Famous' People with October 8th birthdays:

• october 8th, 1715 - Michel Benoist, famous Jesuit missionary.
• october 8th, 1864 - Ozias LeDuc, famous Québécois painter. (ah. those pesky, lovable Québécois)
• october 8th, 1895 - Zog I, famous 'King' of Albania (born as Ahmet Muhtar Bey Zogolli, he changed his family name to Zogu, meaning 'bird' in Albanian...Zog was officially elected President in 1925, but during his presidency, many referred to him as "King", as they had no idea what the word "President" meant.)
• october 8th, 1895 - Juan Peron, famous President of Argentina and husband to much beloved Evita Peron (for all those born post-1980 she is aka Madonna)
• october 8th, 1927 - Jim Elliot, famous American missionary and martyr for his faith in Jesus getting the good news to the ends of the earth. My favorite quote from Jim is: "Wherever you are, be all there..." 'nuff said!
• october 8th, 1932 - Ray Reardon, famous Welsh snooker player. (c'mon, who doesn't want to share a birthday with a snooker player, right?)
• october 8th, 1938 - Walter Gretsky, famous for being the father of ice hockey star Wayne Gretsky. (i really feel a kindred-spirit in Walter...to many people around our neighborhood and town people call out to me and say: "hey, Eve's dad...")
• october 8th, 1941 - Jesse Jackson, famous American clergyman and civil rights activist. (little known fact: my mother went to bat for me even before i was born and won an argument with my grandfather who wanted to name me Jesse...although Harrison Hamilton was a bit of a cowboy, so he probably wanted to name me after Jesse James...i am eternally grateful for the true grit and fortitude of my mother...thank you very much mom!!)
• october 8th, 1948 - Johnny Ramone, famous brother and bandmember of 'The Ramones'. oh, yeah...rock on johnny, rock on...
• october 8th, 1949 - Sigourney Weaver, famous American actress. (like myself (6 foot 3 inches), Sigourney is notable for her stature, standing 6' (1.83 m) tall. She is also notable for her wardrobe: She appears at many awards shows, wearing dresses by famous designers. At one time in the 1990s, two magazines appointed her Best Dressed and Worst Dressed, respectively.)
• october 8th, 1950 - Robert Kool Bell, famous American musician. (of Kool and the Gang fame...gotta have a lil' jungle boogie on your birthday!)
• october 8th, 1955 - Bill Elliot, famous American racecar driver. (NASCAR driver...not sure of any connection with aforementioned Jim Elliot...but I feel the need, the need for speed!)
• october 8th, 1965 - C-Jay Ramone, famous for being another Ramone brother in 'the Ramones'. (definitely connected to the aforementioned Ramone brother Johnny)
• october 8th, 1968 - along with Leeroy Thornhill (of Prodigy fame) and that famous Croatian football player Zvonimir Boban...who shares this same date in 1968 with me.

the pitt - part eight: days of future past

So here we were trying to tell our story thus far and cast a forward look at what we were sensing from God for the future. As we set out to do our pre-assessment paper work we felt excited and nervous and vulnerable and not-so-sure-we-were-good-enough-for-this-thing.


During this past summer, we were planning on visiting my parents in Indianapolis, so we asked Jim Pool and the church-planting team in the Great Lakes if any of their church-planting assessors were near there so we could meet with them and kind of kill-two-birds-with-one-stone while we were out there. Turns out, there is a member of the assessment team out there: Bob McDonald from the Vineyard Community Church in Greenwood, Indiana. So in July, Chaundra and I left the girls with my mom and headed south to "be assessed"..."be assessed" sounds intimidating, doesn't it?

It was déjà vu all over again for me as I walked into our assessment. It turns out God was having a little fun with one of his and my favorite storylines from my past, because it felt a little like the 'Days of Future Past' storyline from the X-Men (shout out to comic fans! woot-woot). If you know that storyline, the future comes crashing back into the past for our favorite team of mutants, a dystopian future at that. Well, My Future met my Past in the Present when Bob and I discovered that we had both been a part of dinky little independent Baptist church growing up. Bob was a little older than me, but I certainly remember his mom and dad, who of course knew my mom and dad. We had gone on to embrace and own our relationship with God and had ended up migrating to the tribe known as the Vineyard.

So, with Bob McDonald and our church-planting assessment, my future and my past did come together in one of those moments that only God brings about, and to which I hang on to dearly. It's one of those moments - those little gems - where things that are utterly out of my control come together in a way that confirms God is in this with us, and He's really, really good...and it stokes my hope for more surprises along the way...



[to be continued...]