Oh, Genxrev, how I have neglected you...but, Twitter only asks a 140 characters from me!
Isn't it interesting that four words uttered in different contexts can generate such different emotions in me?
Things are going well at Urban Village. For those who are curious, here are the "stats":
March 28 (first Sunday morning worship): 145 people
April 4 (Easter): 155
April 11: 120
April 18: 125
April 25: 130
We expected a bit of a drop off after Easter, but it's not as dramatic as it could have been and, as you can see, we're trending up! One of the great things is the number of people who want to do more than just come on Sunday morning. They want to get involved. What can I do? they ask and we celebrate the question.
Sunday afternoons, though, I'm usually pretty wiped out and just want to lay around, maybe nap, maybe work on a crossword puzzle, but around 2 p.m. or so my 5-year-old will come up to me and sweetly say, "What can I do?" Translation: I'm bored. Entertain me.
Groan.
It's part of parenthood, I realize, but there are times when I'm more energized to do stuff with him than others.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Sermon podcast
It's been quite a while since I put up a podcast, but here's a link so you can listen to my sermon from last Sunday:
https://www.yousendit.com/download/bFFQaUNLUENxRTFjR0E9PQ
Also, a great quote for the day:
"We cannot do without a paradigm to help us live. As a believer, I keep bumping into Jesus. I wander away, and there he is, perhaps in the eyes of someone on the street. There is no escape for me. Nor do I want there to be." Alan W. Jones
https://www.yousendit.com/download/bFFQaUNLUENxRTFjR0E9PQ
Also, a great quote for the day:
"We cannot do without a paradigm to help us live. As a believer, I keep bumping into Jesus. I wander away, and there he is, perhaps in the eyes of someone on the street. There is no escape for me. Nor do I want there to be." Alan W. Jones
Friday, April 09, 2010
Everyone counts
You may have read the story in recent weeks about the teen-age girl in Mississippi who wanted to challenge school policy and bring her girlfriend to her high-school prom. Rather than allow this, however, the county school board canceled the prom altogether. This set off a flurry of debate, outrage, and a lawsuit. It also got me thinking about this sermon series that we're beginning this Sunday.
The series is called "Everyone Counts." The U.S. Census wants us all to be counted, but different segments of our society find it hard to believe that everyone should count. We're saying that not only does everyone count (and is loved) in God's eyes, but God also calls you and I to think about our own biases and reflect on whether we truly believe the same thing.
Do you think Democrats and Republicans should count? People who wear suits and tattoos? Doubters and believers? Gay people and straight people? Cub fans and Sox fans? Take it a step further. Are we able begin the process of loving all of them, as well?
Can you love the teen who wants to take her girlfriend to the prom and those who don't want to allow that? That's a tall order for a lot of us. But if we're interested in following the way of Jesus, eventually we come across his words that challenge us to love those who harm us and infuriate us. That's not easy and it may take a long time, but, hopefully, in our better moments, we remember that Jesus loves us when we can be less than lovable.
Join us beginning this Sunday as we explore the difficulty and joy of loving others who check different boxes.
The series is called "Everyone Counts." The U.S. Census wants us all to be counted, but different segments of our society find it hard to believe that everyone should count. We're saying that not only does everyone count (and is loved) in God's eyes, but God also calls you and I to think about our own biases and reflect on whether we truly believe the same thing.
Do you think Democrats and Republicans should count? People who wear suits and tattoos? Doubters and believers? Gay people and straight people? Cub fans and Sox fans? Take it a step further. Are we able begin the process of loving all of them, as well?
Can you love the teen who wants to take her girlfriend to the prom and those who don't want to allow that? That's a tall order for a lot of us. But if we're interested in following the way of Jesus, eventually we come across his words that challenge us to love those who harm us and infuriate us. That's not easy and it may take a long time, but, hopefully, in our better moments, we remember that Jesus loves us when we can be less than lovable.
Join us beginning this Sunday as we explore the difficulty and joy of loving others who check different boxes.
Saturday, April 03, 2010
New Urban Village video
It's good to have talented and gifted and generous in-laws. My sister-in-law Stefanie Curry designed our ads for the trains and buses and my brother-in-law Paul Traynor and his colleague put this video together for us for practically nothing. Pretty cool!
It was weird not having to put together a Maundy Thursday or Good Friday service, but it was also kind of nice. Getting ready for tomorrow, though. Really curious to see who will show up.
Oh, our poor kids. It's been gray and rainy here today and that combined with constant utterances of "What can I do?" have made my wife and I not very patient. I'm thankful for neighbors with kids who are in the same boat!
It was weird not having to put together a Maundy Thursday or Good Friday service, but it was also kind of nice. Getting ready for tomorrow, though. Really curious to see who will show up.
Oh, our poor kids. It's been gray and rainy here today and that combined with constant utterances of "What can I do?" have made my wife and I not very patient. I'm thankful for neighbors with kids who are in the same boat!
Friday, April 02, 2010
Thoughts from our launch Sunday
Sorry it's taken me so long to post about our launch Sunday! Here's an email I sent to our prayer team yesterday that summarizes things. The first part of the email was written by my colleague Trey:
"Well, friends, Urban Village Church is out of the starting gates! Our first weekly service went really wonderfully. We could not have asked for a better beginning! There was a great, warm spirit in the place; amazing music; lots of laughter throughout the service; and, best of all, about 150 diverse people, many who were totally new to us. Thanks to God and to everybody who showed up and helped out!
"A colleague of mine who lives in another state but has friends in Chicago emailed me on Sunday afternoon. He had sent a 'spy' to the service to check us out and he wanted to share his friend's experience of Urban Village:
'It was awesome -- hilarious, witty, welcoming, open and inspiring. Out of an overwhelming sense of gratitude, I cried. Twice. Loved it.'"
As I noted last week, we really had no idea what to expect, but everything went about as smoothly as we could have hoped. Afterward, we were pretty tired and, to be honest, I was a bit deflated for 24 hours or so afterward (kind of like that post-Christmas feeling that kids get), but the great news is that we get to do it again this Sunday as we proclaim the good news of the resurrection. People really want to hear this news! Here's another email we received this week:
"I sincerely enjoyed your authentic services on Sunday. I appreciated your candor, insight and the welcoming message. It was refreshing to find a place that declares to its congregation that it's OK to doubt. That it's critical to your development as a Christian to question things, to push, to question, to be uncomfortable with God. That God is so large that we haven't even begun to scratch the surface of his messages for our lives. I have been to too many churches here where the congregation is disinterested and just going through the motions. I have been looking for a church home that is interested in getting into the meat of the scriptures, finding life applications to His Word, and finding ways to serve the neighborhood."
I think and hope we're striking a chord out there--will be really interesting to see what kind of response we get this week.
"Well, friends, Urban Village Church is out of the starting gates! Our first weekly service went really wonderfully. We could not have asked for a better beginning! There was a great, warm spirit in the place; amazing music; lots of laughter throughout the service; and, best of all, about 150 diverse people, many who were totally new to us. Thanks to God and to everybody who showed up and helped out!
"A colleague of mine who lives in another state but has friends in Chicago emailed me on Sunday afternoon. He had sent a 'spy' to the service to check us out and he wanted to share his friend's experience of Urban Village:
'It was awesome -- hilarious, witty, welcoming, open and inspiring. Out of an overwhelming sense of gratitude, I cried. Twice. Loved it.'"
As I noted last week, we really had no idea what to expect, but everything went about as smoothly as we could have hoped. Afterward, we were pretty tired and, to be honest, I was a bit deflated for 24 hours or so afterward (kind of like that post-Christmas feeling that kids get), but the great news is that we get to do it again this Sunday as we proclaim the good news of the resurrection. People really want to hear this news! Here's another email we received this week:
"I sincerely enjoyed your authentic services on Sunday. I appreciated your candor, insight and the welcoming message. It was refreshing to find a place that declares to its congregation that it's OK to doubt. That it's critical to your development as a Christian to question things, to push, to question, to be uncomfortable with God. That God is so large that we haven't even begun to scratch the surface of his messages for our lives. I have been to too many churches here where the congregation is disinterested and just going through the motions. I have been looking for a church home that is interested in getting into the meat of the scriptures, finding life applications to His Word, and finding ways to serve the neighborhood."
I think and hope we're striking a chord out there--will be really interesting to see what kind of response we get this week.
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