GREENE STREET LETTERS: Reflections On Saturday Night (for the last time)

Monday, April 20, 2015

Reflections On Saturday Night (for the last time)

Psalm 100:4-5
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good. His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations.

Thoughts from what took place last Saturday night:

I have pondered all weekend what took place Saturday night at the Vineyard.

I wish to not make more of it than what it truly is, and, at the same time, do not wish to discredit it either.

You see, Saturday night was like a big family reunion with cousins and aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters that you haven't seen in a while. As I moved around the room Saturday night, I knew who I was. I knew that my spiritual last name was "Vineyard". In one sense, we had friends of the family there, who'd come by to worship with us, and we had family there who stopped by to catch up, swap some stories about the good ol' days,and also worship with us. Funny part, as good as the good ol' days were....I'm totally jazzed about the good "new" days ahead for us.

I don't want to give the impression that the Vineyard movement is high and above other churches in the body of Christ. We're not. But I just was reminded Saturday night why I love being a Vineyard-ite. To me the room was full of our spiritual DNA....in my conversations with others, I heard phrases such as "Doing the stuff"......and references to the different styles of worship that are coming out of the Vineyard today. Some outside the Vineyard movement might not have understood some of what we were talking about, but it is merely a matter of semantics....as I believe every church movement and denomination has a language that reflects who they are, as well as what Christ has called them to.

I felt whole and complete Saturday night...
Put back together...

Almost like being given permission, by God, to be who He created us to be.

Dare I say it?

Saturday night was fun...
Simply fun....

I laughed when Raymond and the band played Swing #9.

I danced with my wife when Crispin Schroeder sang "It Will Be Alright".

And I cried when they led us in "Not Be Moved".

The entire evening was a gift from my Father.

His way of saying, "I like you guys. Now keep pushing ahead with what I've called you to."

Bill Jackson, in his book Quest For The Radical Middle made the statement that "you don't join the Vineyard through membership.........you just discover that is who you have been all along." Saturday night left me feeling that quote. The Vineyard is what I have been all along.

God on you...

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Looking At The World Through Cracked Lens

As ol' Paul wrote in his Corinthian letters.."We see in part and we know in part." Now what piece of this bit of wisdom do we not get? I wish to not run around acting and trying to be some sort of Biblical G00-Ru (I meant to spell it wrong). Or a sage of sages.

I simply want to be able to communicate some of what God has given to me. Why? Do I think what I get is better than what you may have received from Him? Nope. But I do think encouragement comes when we share our daily story of struggle and victory in an effort to encourage each other.

Thanks for letting me share.

Time to soldier on..

mbb

Our Statement of Faith

We believe that God is the eternal king. He is an infinite, unchangeable Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, goodness, justice, power and love. From all eternity He exists as the One Living and True God in three persons of one substance, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit equal in power and glory. we believe that God created mankind in His image, male and female, for relationship with Himself and to govern the earth. Under the temptation of Satan, our original parents fell from grace, bringing sin, sickness and God's judgment of death to the earth. Through the fall, Satan and his demonic hosts gained access to God's good creation. Creation now experiences the consequences and effects of Adam's original sin. Human beings are born into sin, subject to God's judgment of death and captive to Satan's kingdom of darkness. We believe that Jesus, God's Son, was sent to this world, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, Mary, fully God and fully man in one person. He is humanity as God intended us to be. Jesus was anointed as God's Messiah and empowered by the Holy Spirit, ushering in God's kingdom reign on earth, overpowering the reign of Satan by resisting temptation, preaching the good news of salvation, healing the sick, casting out demons and raising the dead. Jesus' atoning death on the cross took God's judgment for sin which we deserved as law-breakers. Jesus' resurrection and ascent back to heaven opened the door for those who received salvation to begin a relationship with God.

Little Nets Into Deep Waters

Fishing nets were designed for one purpose only. To catch fish. Nets are no good if they stay on the boat. Nets serve no purpose if they are never used. I think maybe God sees us this way. We are all created for a purpose (by the way, the creator gets to define what our purpose is). Any other use besides the one we were created for does us no good. But when the creator places His hands upon us, casting us out into those scary, dark places with deep waters, it is then we can see the reality of our purpose. He knew there would be a catch waiting for us. I think I will be the net God has called me to be.

The Twelve Steps

As a community of people in recovery, we affirm that our higher power is Jesus Christ. He did for us what we could not do for ourselves. Just as God told the children of Israel He was going to give them a promised land, He has revealed to us that He desires to give us a "Promised Life." When Israel got to the promised land, God instructed them to go and in a possess it, fight for it and claim it. In recovery, the 12 Steps are the directions given to us on how to fight, possess and claim this promised life.

Monday, April 20, 2015

Reflections On Saturday Night (for the last time)

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THE REALITY OF THE NAME OF GOD