Archive for April, 2009



desert reflections- attaching to god's hopes

by Annika McPhersondesertsun1

I’m sitting here outside in the sun, knee deep in the latest novel I’ve been reading.  You’d think I’ve never read a book before.  We’ve been here in California for a few days now, and all I have been doing is reading…everyday.  But it’s not just the obsessive reading that’s been interesting about my behavior these last few days.  I’ve found myself staring off into the bright blue sky for lengthy amounts of time, with no significant thoughts whatsoever….just staring, as if completely disconnecting from life for several minutes at a time.  Then I wake up from my daze wondering what I’ve been doing the last 15 minutes.  There are other moments when streams of thought come crashing so hard into my mind and I cant get them down on paper fast enough before they disappear forever. Continue reading ‘desert reflections- attaching to god's hopes’

restoring galveston: reflections on the rebuild

dsc_0029Kara Wester & Amy Croll recently returned as part of a relief team WBCC sent to Galveston, Texas.  The trip was designed to help in the rebuilding efforts since Hurricane Ike made landfall there on September 13th, 2008, killing 195, and taking the title as the third costliest hurricane in U.S. history.  In the following interview, these two share their reflections on the trip and their time spent on the Gulf Coast. Continue reading ‘restoring galveston: reflections on the rebuild’

to speak louder

200398420-001“If Christians in the U.S. would be quiet for a year and only do good works, that would be evangelism. Our actions are way behind our words.” —Dieter Zander

“…If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”  - Book of James

newsweek: the end of christian america

newsweekAs we move past Easter, I thought some of you might be interested in this cover story that was in Newsweek a couple of weeks ago.  The title “The End of Christian America” along with the article have received enormous response.  Some say it is a huge overstep, a cry from liberal media that wants to see religion in America as a thing of the past.  Others have called it an honest interpretation of the changing landscape of religion in the U.S.   Either way, it may be worth a read.  You can read it here- What do you think?  One really good response I read came from Dan Kimball’s blog.   Speaking of sweet posts, I hope you all had a chance to hear Alissa weigh in on Easter from Turkey in the previous post— very cool.  Happy Monday—   -C

holy week 6: the uniqueness of Christ – easter in an islamic state

muslim-call-to-prayer1

 

waiting-for-prayer

It comes every night, just as I’m finishing dinner and taking my dishes to the sink.  Today, I’ve left the window of my bedroom open to catch the new spring breezes, so it’s so loud and strong that it drowns out the television and the voices from the apartment of students next door.  It’s the Muslim call to prayer, echoing across Turkey five times a day, every day.  It rockets from the minarets of mosques, proclaiming the greatness of Allah, the Muslim’s one true God, and summoning men to the prayer halls for the daily recitation of the azaan.  What in the old days was loudly pronounced by a man of faith is now blasted from loudspeakers, crackeling with theeffort.  My apartment is situated at the crossroads of three mosques, so their respective calls to prayer grate and reverberate off of each other to make a garbled and often unintelligible mess of off-key notes.  On some days, it makes me long for the quaint bells of Christian churches.  Other days, its haunting melody seems romantic and fitting. 

Continue reading ‘holy week 6: the uniqueness of Christ – easter in an islamic state’

holy week 5: a good friday- brueggemann & the man in black

72485507We arrive at Good Friday—  the prelude to the joy of easter is a darkness that swirls around Jesus on the cross.  It is a day to face the darkness head on– in our own hearts & in our world.  We will be attempting that together tonight @7PM in the youth building at this years service of the cross: “MY GOD, MY GOD…ABANDONED.”  If you can’t join, here’s two videos to allow you time to consider the significance of the day.  The first is with highly respected OT scholar Walter Brueggemann.  He offers his thoughts on the current times we are in, and how they may be a call to die and be raised again as a culture.  The second video is much more personal, and one most of you have seen– Johnny Cash’s “Hurt” video.  Few music videos have ever demonstrated one man’s reflection on the failures of his heart in light of God’s sacrifice.

Take time to view both and allow your heart time to enter the sadness of Jesus’ journey to the cross:

holy week 4: final meal & the mandate to love

84298910Today marks “Maundy Thursday”, which is a day remembering the scene at Jesus’ last supper.  More specifically, the church has recalled Jesus’ great mandate (the latin “mandatum”, hence Maundy) in John 13:34- “a new command I give you… love one another.”  This statement, coupled with the act of washing the disciples feet at the last supper, give us a deep look into Jesus’ heart in his last days.  One thing to consider today is whether we as a community are echoing and reflecting this mandate to love.  Are we a body who serves those who surround us in tangible ways ?  Do we practice relationships within our church that demonstrate Jesus’ heart at the final meal?  What significance is there in John 13 being one of the final scenes before the cross?

This video offers a picture of the great distance that often exists between Jesus’ calling & the actions of his followers.  While the examples in this video may be more extreme, they still offer a chance for us to reflect on the message we participate in:

holy week 3: rob pepper and the final week

Last year, UK artist Rob Pepper allowed us the use of some of his art in our Good Friday service.  His work still moves me deeply this time of year.  I originally saw these images in the Voice project, as part of the book “The Last Eyewitness”.  I highly recommend checking out the Voice if you are looking for a new reading of God’s Word.  For now, take in these pictures of Jesus in his last days that Rob drew entirely with his eyes closed (color added after)!   His unique approach to these works brings holy week alive for me in new ways….    -Craig

jesus_crown

Continue reading ‘holy week 3: rob pepper and the final week’

holy week 2: Children, instinctively curious

by Cassie Nason

To make of his story something that could neither startle, nor shock, nor terrify, nor excite, nor inspire a living soul is to crucify the Son of God afresh.     Dorothy Sayers / Bread and Wine                           

butterflyWe have two small plastic cups near the window in the 1st grade classroom.  Inside are six small chrysalises hanging suspended from the top of cup.  Days before they were squirming caterpillars, and days from now they will emerge as butterflies.  The kids in the class excitedly sidle up next to the cups, peering in, anxious to see if the “butterflies are ready yet”.  The transformation of caterpillar to butterfly is captivating.   The mystery of something so beautiful emerging from something so ugly and lifeless piques their imaginations.  I can hear it in the kids’ questions, “what’s going on in there?”, “what’s happened to the caterpillars?”, “have they died?”, “why are the butterflies taking so long?”.

Continue reading ‘holy week 2: Children, instinctively curious’

holy week 1: palms to cross

This week, we will be featuring a different post each day to capture the mood moving towards easter.  Where did Jesus go?  What did he say?  What did he do?  And what is the significance of these things to us here & now?  How can we remember well this Holy Week both the great sadness & greater joy?  Let’s join together each day this week, and find time to re-visit the story of Jesus’ last days on earth….

Today, consider the progression from palm sunday to the cross… How was Jesus so misunderstood?  Do we misinterpret his hope and message today?  

« Previous PageNext Page »


Watch videos at Vodpod.

acacia community Photos

DSC_1155

DSC_1019

DSC_0939

DSC_0726

DSC_0229

More Photos

 

April 2009
M T W T F S S
« Mar   May »
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
27282930  

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1 other follower


Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.