Christianity has been buried inside the walls of our churches and secured with the shackles of dogmatism. Let it be liberated to come into the midst of us and teach us freedom, equality, and love
amen.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
"Heaven, We Have a Problem"
For the next few days I'm committing to daily prayer and solitude for at least an hour. Today I stumbled upon this prayer:
amen.
amen.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
"The Search to Belong"
[from Tim Snyder] After a long 3 weeks in San Antonio, Texas I find myself in Mandeville, LA - my hometown. Four months ago I had an epiphany of sorts in this place. Among church family, I found a sense of belonging I had not found...people were asking me what I had been up to (what a loaded question...they had no idea...) and were giving me hugs and inviting me over for BBQ. It was here in this place that I discovered a new vision of community. I suddenly was looking beyond screaching vocals from the praise band, talkative youth in the back row, and a new building I was unfamiliar - I had seen the love of their hearts and I was touched. This community I had found (Hosanna Lutheran Church - www.hosannalutheran.com) followed up with this love when they financially partnered with me in my missionary internship. They continue to love, support, and pray for me. But why?
I'm learning a lot about "community" lately. From that Easter epiphany to my time in Colorado and Minneapolis God has been speaking to me in profound ways. I've been reading this book, "The Search to Belong" and I've been blown away. THe book rethinks intimacy, community and small groups in some really radical ways. After only the first chapter I'm already looking at my own sense to belong in different ways. Here's a taste:
Myers (the author) talks about public, social, private, and intimate belonging. I'm not sure I fully understand my own sense of belonging yet, but I am sure of this. ClayPeople Community - Nate, Courtney, and Penny give me this deep sense of belonging on what Myers would call the "intimate" level. Intimacy we these friends is an unusually deep, loving, and authentic feeling I'm just beginning to know. Just as I found a new sense of belonging in Mandeville with my church family, I am finding a new sense of belonging with this ClayPeople Community - my new ministry family.
Buzzz, Buzzz - at 4:24pm today my cell phone's alarm went off as I was sitting in Starbucks with another close friend of mine from high school (one of those few you actually kept up with) and we stopped our conversation to pray. In that moment I felt an awesome connection to God, to my friends who I know also did the same today.
What exactly we are doing I have no idea...What our mission or purpose is could be described in vague ideas at best...but I can tell people about our intimacy, about who we are, and about our passion to rethink community, church, and ministry.
So, I close with words which fall short of describing my heart's real feelings...but it's all I have so THANK-YOU Nate, Courtney, and Penny for your friendship and willingness to be on this wild journey. I can't wait to see what's going to happen. I love you all very much and I in this community of ours I feel a deep, intimate sense of belonging. So lets journey, dialogue, dance, sing, and go. Now if we only knew where...
with a sense of belonging,
Tim
I'm learning a lot about "community" lately. From that Easter epiphany to my time in Colorado and Minneapolis God has been speaking to me in profound ways. I've been reading this book, "The Search to Belong" and I've been blown away. THe book rethinks intimacy, community and small groups in some really radical ways. After only the first chapter I'm already looking at my own sense to belong in different ways. Here's a taste:
Myers (the author) talks about public, social, private, and intimate belonging. I'm not sure I fully understand my own sense of belonging yet, but I am sure of this. ClayPeople Community - Nate, Courtney, and Penny give me this deep sense of belonging on what Myers would call the "intimate" level. Intimacy we these friends is an unusually deep, loving, and authentic feeling I'm just beginning to know. Just as I found a new sense of belonging in Mandeville with my church family, I am finding a new sense of belonging with this ClayPeople Community - my new ministry family.
Buzzz, Buzzz - at 4:24pm today my cell phone's alarm went off as I was sitting in Starbucks with another close friend of mine from high school (one of those few you actually kept up with) and we stopped our conversation to pray. In that moment I felt an awesome connection to God, to my friends who I know also did the same today.
What exactly we are doing I have no idea...What our mission or purpose is could be described in vague ideas at best...but I can tell people about our intimacy, about who we are, and about our passion to rethink community, church, and ministry.
So, I close with words which fall short of describing my heart's real feelings...but it's all I have so THANK-YOU Nate, Courtney, and Penny for your friendship and willingness to be on this wild journey. I can't wait to see what's going to happen. I love you all very much and I in this community of ours I feel a deep, intimate sense of belonging. So lets journey, dialogue, dance, sing, and go. Now if we only knew where...
with a sense of belonging,
Tim
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Welcome!
Welcome to ClayPeople Community's Blog. Our door is always open at we hope that this blog will be a place of conversation, idea sharing, and a prayer.
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