New books and music

After attending the Sovereign Grace conference: Plant! about 10 days ago I was given (and purchased) several new amazing books. I have also purchased four new albums that I really enjoy. I think of how I love to read and and listen to music in a coffee shop.  A lot of times the music is random but interesting. The newness of it is definitely inviting. Sometimes what is truly awesome about those experiences is that it changes so much that even if it's awful you know it won't last long. Trying new things, within reason and orthodoxy, is helpful to the soul. Jen and I were discussing the other day how pickyness can be very unhelpful besides deeply annoying. Whether it's food, music, books or friendship there is always something fun to the new. But I am often thinking of how I need to be careful and not to start valuing the new over what I already love. I need both not one or the other. I need ancient truth and fresh ways to walk in and share it. I need an ancient God who is an ever present help. As I work through these new books and enjoy the new music I hope that you will take a chance on something new along these lines. There is so much amazing music that says so much about who God is and what He has done in and through Jesus without sacrificing musical quality. There are really old books that would be new finds for most of us that teach us great truth.
The music: Aftermath-Hillsong United
                 Here for You-Passion
                 Awaken the Dawn-the Getty's
                 Risen-Sovereign Grace

The books (some of them): The Church Planter-Patrick
                                          Generous Justice-Keller
                                          Delighting in the Trinity-Chester
                                          Reverberation-Leeman
                                         Church Planting is for Wimps-McKinley

Let me know what you think of them if you check any of them out.
Grace and peace

Community Coffee

Coffee shops are very appealing places. There is tons of marketing research that goes into how many coffee brokers enhance the environment to appeal to a wide range of people. Marketers are always looking for a connective thread in their research that goes beyond products or furniture. Starbucks wanted their shops to be a place that if people weren't at home or work/school this was where they would be. They call it the third place. There are bulletin boards and people can post all about lost dogs and upcoming events. This gives(along with the warm colors and comfy chairs and cool music) another layer to the warming invitation that they intend. Now despite all that researchers have come up with, there is a connective thread to the human condition. There are many actually but one of the key ones is the desire for relationship. This can be many or this can be few but people are built with a desire for and even more importantly, a need for relationships. Life is far too difficult to walk it out on your own. There have been times and seasons that we have been forced to carry on for a while without much or maybe any help. But we have longed for friendship and conversations that might ease the burden or be of some help. Many of us have sought the solace and comfort of community and relationship in coffee shops. But what a coffee shop offers is the facade of community. You can sit close to people and listen to music (intimate), eat food(intimate) and talk about your preferences or things that you support (intimate). All these can be done without entering the messy world of real relationships. What is so sad is that coffee is a fine beverage when enjoyed alone. But to sit and sip and have some conversation and laughter is truly one of life's greatest gifts. Just as coffee is intended to stimulate the brain and get a person thinking and talking, so the Gospel is to set us towards thinking and talking about Jesus. In community we can discuss our struggles and the pray for each other and be a resource of God's grace. These are true gifts that we need in the church. But they cost us so we hang out in the same places but never talk about anything that matters. We do all of these intimate things in church but yet don't really love and serve one another. I genuinely hope that churches can understand how important community is and move from a coffee shop model to a Biblical one.

Life viewed well

I have often wondered how to really help people see life well. It has been so difficult to labor for the people of faith knowing that apathy is rampant and theology is weak. You can give invitations without explaining the Gospel. You can complain about a lack of leadership and then balk at every instruction pastors give. I have come to view life certainly through the lens of Scripture but I would suggest that we think of life and how we view as maybe how my view of coffee has changed and grown over the years. I used to hate it. When I had to sample it at Starbucks, I would be honest and tell them this one tastes like different dirt than that one. I loved the smell and was committed to trying to like coffee. Over time and exposure I began to cultivate a taste for this fine brewed beverage. When I was in college I would only drink it when I had to and then with lots of cream and sugar. Back then I was in it for the jolt and the sweetness. Why would anyone want a drink that was bitter? What I began to discover on my coffee journey was that this was about subtlety. Coffee is about little notes of flavor and metaphorical descriptions. Buttery or nutty only hint at what is really there by evoking an understanding through previous flavor connections. Coffee is great by itself when it's hot, well crafted, and stands alone as a beverage. I say all this about coffee because I see redemption in it. If when we were  younger we could only drink very sweet coffee, I would equate that with some of our immature understandings of life. When were younger, in the faith or in years, we would prefer life to be easy and fun and sweet. In fact the sweeter it was the happier we were. As I have gotten older myself and so many others have learned to enjoy the simplicity and even the more interesting bitter flavors in coffee and in life. When we see the bitter in life as from the hand of a good and gracious God we can find the joy in it. This doesn't mean the sweetness should not be enjoyed or celebrated .But it does mean that we should not just discard something because it doesn't tickle our pallet in  the easiest way.

Organic Growth

There is a lot of study going on and has gone on with the importance of taking care of how farming, plants and food sources should be guarded regarding how much is added to their origins and sustenance. We place such a significant priority on clean food and clean farming. If we could get this at a cheap cost, we would buy it even more. Coffee is certainly no exception for the desire to have fair trade and organic growing and sustenance techniques. I applaud this desire and support organic and fair trade practices when and where I can. I also think that organic growth is essential for the church of Jesus Christ.

We are made to worship and to be in relationships. This is at our core and while not easy, this is where we supernaturally function best. Jesus knows us better than we know ourselves and spoke to this in Matthew 22:37-40. When asked what the greatest commandment is, Jesus replied it was to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. He also said that what was naturally to flow from this kind of deep love for God was real love for our neighbors. He would even say that this covered all the law and prophets. I truly believe that this should be what marks every church of every denomination. This is where organic growth and sustenance can really be seen and start to happen. But when we just look at the bottom line and stop caring about our responsibilities for each other and the world, all we are left with are attendance records, business meetings and program evaluations. If as churches and Christians in local fellowships we begin to invest ourselves when and where we can in these organic growth possibilities, we might just see ourselves used to help the world and church be more of what God wants and what the world really needs.
Grace and peace

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