community living and campfires

Last year we purchased a small trailor home at LC. We did this after renting cabins there for the last 8 yrs or so. We have found that the practice of living in community is alive and well at this campground. We share meals together, help eachother with projects, share campfires, go to the store for eachother, and just chat endlessly. Last saturday, 25-30 people all pooled our food and had a delicious meal of kewpie burgers (an old mr fables staple) and many dishes to pass. These impromptu meal gatherings happen often.
In the evening there are various campfire gatherings in the campground, the people-mix gives these various campfires their own personalitys. On this night there is the teenage campfire, the lotsa cussing campfire, the light drinking quiet fire, and various other variations of campfires.
Inevitably as it gets late the conversation often turns to God stuff (especially if its a one on one that includes me). The man who owns and runs the campground has been burned by Christians, burned by the super religious especially of a certain denomination, (or the CR's) as he calls them, who watch the campground through their telescopes across the lake and then leave nasty notes on his door about what they saw going on. These clowns give the church a bad name.
So we talk about the Jesus who preached to the religious of his day, how they were the target of his teaching, and how Jesus was accused of hanging at the wrong campfires of His day. This friend, like many others, believes and knows what the cross means. He is just dissillusioned by what he has seen practiced in God's name.
The walls we have built around ourselves crack and break away slowly in these conversations.
May we as followers of Christ reflect His true nature in our neighborhoods,in our homes, and at our campfires.

Punk Rock Church

Between the ages of 16 and up to my early 20's i was a fan of and active participant in the 70's and early to mid 80's punk rock and hardcore punk rock scene. It was an organic, grassroots music movement birthed in garages, basements, bedrooms and the like. The live shows took place in places such as garages, basements, secret rooms on college campuses, dingy bars, secret dingy rooms behind dingy bars, places such as the Son's and Daughter's Hall , or 9th street Hall in GrandRapids, even an occasional show at places like the old pavilion at John Ball Zoo or St Cecilia music society. It was raw it was awesome, there was talent, bands would come from LA or DC or NYC , Boston, Texas, they came from all over and made very little money because they cared about the music and the fans only. Some of my friends played in bands that would open for the touring bands. I was able to see bands like Black Flag, Minor Threat, Circle Jerks, Marginal Man, Misfits, Naked Raygun, and many others, all in their prime, still angry and raw and rockin, it was a special time. Many of these rebels lived in community also.

Moving ahead into the 21st century, I have become involved in something very similiar but very different. The organic, grassroots, missional church reminds me of the old hardcore punk rock movement of 30 yrs ago. These Jesus following rebels meet in garages, basements, crack houses, dingy bars, nice bars, coffee houses, and even Polish halls on the westside of GR. The mission is the city, not the church building, there is raw awesome gut wrenching prayer, there are talented musicians and beautiful art by these rebel Christians. They are focused on these things: intense study of, and the authentic worship of Jesus and the friends who join them taking part in it. They will sing and dance and eat with CEO or the homeless and enjoy the time with either. Many of these rebels live in community also.

I am amused that after all these years things change but then again they don't really change.
Peace be with you, I think its time to dig out some old tunes now

all in a days work

I pray and ask God that i would not be 2 different people. I always feel that at work I am not the man that my non work friends think I am. It's like there are two different worlds almost, or worse than that two different me's.

then God answers prayer when we ask Him to change us.

So I go to work friday morning, the day of our annual charity fund raiser. In the parking lot the man that everyone considers "the enemy" in our work place stops me and thanks me for a simple signature on a card and a short note after the death of his twin sister. I was shown a little of the heart of this man only because I made a small first move with a short note.

Then a co-worker who I had no idea I shared beliefs with, shares stories about a neighborhood church youth group and the people who have touched him with music and hospitality in his neighborhood.

Later that day a trustee from the jail who cleans floors and tables, picks up trash, and washes vehicles at the city garage I work at says to me "Marv says hi". He then informed me that he knows other friends of mine and has eaten at "love feasts" with me and other friends at the SBR ( my favorite neighborhood ministry).

Then at the end of the day as this years fundraiser wound down, I was loaded up with food by my co-workers to bring over to the SBR (last years fundraiser recipient) because my co-workers remembered them from the previous year.

God is teaching me that there are not 2 worlds, the kingdom of God is everywhere, the "church" is not a massive building, or even a gym. We are the church and the church is where ever we physically are, the street corner, the car, the pub, the workplace, the coffee shop, the prayer room, and even the meeting place on a sunday morning.

Action not words (or i need to vent)

Of late I am having a hard time talking to some of my Christian friends. I would say that 80% or so of my conversations with my believing friends turn to politics, and I might add NEVER by my choice or my initiating it. I do not want to mix my Jesus with United States politics. It is so frustrating. It has gotten worse since the election has passed, (I had hoped that it would die down after the election but not so far). I love conversing about faith, worship, listening prayer experiences, answered prayers, mysteries of the bible, and life's problems that we deal with. I love trying to help each other through these things. My heart sinks when these conversations switch to politics. The focus turns to the problem instead of the answer.
I would not assume to be able to judge in any way as God judges. I do not know if God ranks sin in any order. I do not know if unjust wars, families in all parts of the world broken apart by pointless deaths, if oppression of people because of the color of their skin, if poverty increasing, human rights abuses, Guantanamo Bay holding alleged terrorists in inhumane conditions and countless other sins of the state rank higher or lower or the same as compared to the big one in the eyes of most Christians, abortion.
The arguments are endless and I think pointless. Abortion dropped significantly under the last pro-choice president. That is not an endorsement of him or a blast against his predecessor, or an endorsement of the current president elect or a blast or endorsement of the current president. There are so many factors involved in the reduction of this horrible practice. One is who we vote for, another is poverty levels, another is condom use, the big drop in abortion under the last pro-choice president occurred with a big increase in condom use. A big factor I believe could also be if those who hold this issue as the nearest and dearest and most important issue in their own heart would get active in the issue (besides voting). I also know that statistics can be manipulated to say whatever we want, and twist issues in any direction we want .
Saying that, here is a statistic. Around 2% of women between the age of 15-44 have an abortion each year. Close to half of them are on at least their second abortion. That leaves a large percentage of pro-life voters who may want to consider counseling the 2% either before or after the abortion occurs.
I would say from my own experience that pouring your heart and time into what your heart is passionate about is effective and rewarding and glorifies God. I am certain that would be more effective than making a grand pronouncement that you are pro-life or joining a facebook group where this proclamation is made in bigger numbers, more effective as well than a politician taking a position to garner votes and not helping the problem. God gave us our passions and our minds, to further His kingdom and to glorify Him, not to make grand and attention getting statements about how we feel and then to sit on the sidelines.
What if instead of conversation about fear of the future there would be conversations about triumphs through Jesus Christ in the now.

the point

Many are upset that he has fallen off the wagon, relapsed, he has let many down. He has let down people who have invested time and love and funds into him. The thing is, when I'm pissed, frustrated,lonely, or just plain uneasy, I react to those feelings too. Sometimes I over eat, sometimes I.....gasp..... drink more than i should..I think we are all addicted to something or another. I'm pretty sure that being drunk in public is a little more noticable than some of the other more personal and private sin addictions out there. You see, I don't think the drinking is the problem....It is just so visible...... I think I need to take away the knowing that he is "drinking again", and just look at the rest of the situation, and try to figure out, why is he sad, why is he afraid,why is he angry, and resistant to what we all know is better for him. He told me he feels that Jesus would hang in a garage full of addicts and not in a prayer room. He told me that Jesus's love is unconditional. He told me he feels like he has experienced a b.s. fake love, from some, not everyone, just from some..I think he feels that the place he has given big props to has changed while he was away, and in his mind it is no longer about loving on the "least of these", but about something else.......... There is more, i can't go there.........

My friend, in the midst of his addiction has not abandoned Jesus, in fact he is a witness to other addicts while with them. He feels that God honors that Christian witnessing even while he is under the influence. How can I argue with that? I cannot assume to know exactly anything.

I am in no position myself to point fingers or say who is right or who isn't. I certainly do not want any friends feelings hurt.. Heck I don't even know who might read this thing. I simply believe this and need to write it down. I know that my friend knows the same Jesus that I know in a personal way. I know that my friend is a sinner saved by grace, and that my friend like many of my friends has an addiction.

My part in this is simply to pray for the ministry that I love, pray for the people in the ministry and the people in the neighborhood in the homes and in the streets that I also love, and be an ear, and a shoulder for anyone who needs one..

God bless

orange barrels and fish

when you go fishing there is a thing on your fishing reel called a "drag".. here is bass pro shops description of the drag on a modern fishing reel: The drag system on a spinning reel is one of the most important aspects of the reel itself. The drag is responsible for applying pressure to a hooked fish, and letting out line during the fight. Without a smooth, high-quality drag the risk of broken lines and lost fish is always a high probability.

As we read about being fishers of men the other night, (even though they were using nets in the bible story), I kept thinking of pulling in a big stubborn bass or walleye and what a bummer it is to have lost the fish or have the line break because the drag was set too tight or that i got impatient and didn't let the fish tire before I lifted it into the boat.

Orange Barrels: sometimes when i am hurrying from one activity to the next i come across orange barrels, detours, dudes with signs that say SLOW or even STOP......Its always better to follow the signs than to try and get around them and make my own path..

God doesn't always take the shortest route from point A to point B.

I am reminded of and wonder how many people were frustrated with, doubted, and maybe even gave up on me over the years, as my own story is not a smooth cruise, and certainly not a straight line!

As a 44 year old "work in progress" I am thankful for the orange barrels and signs set in my path by the God I serve. My prayer is that I and all my family and friends would see these signs and follow them always.

what happened

i think they felt abandoned..i think they need routine and consistent community..i think everyone needs to feel that they belong somewhere, and the place that they feel that they most belong is where you will find them.