Five Streams

Last fall, I tried to explain (badly) the difference between "emergent" & "emerging" church.

Thankfully, Scot McKnight, the author of The Jesus Creed & other books, has done the heavy lifting for me... and for us here at NewLife @ Night. Go read his Christianity Today article Five Streams of the Emerging Church... and then come back here & let us know what you think.

Super Bowl Sunday

This weekend will be a little different... we'll actually meet at the worship center at 3:00 pm in order to watch the big game between the Bears & the Colts. (For some of you, that game will be the bathroom break between the commercials you want to watch... whatever.) Bring your favorite TV-watching food & non-alcoholic drinkables and join us.

The one thing you'll miss is the halftime show - instead of watching Prince (sheesh - Prince was cool when I was in college, and we all know how long ago that was!), the NewLife @ Night worship band will cut loose and we'll get to worship the One who made it all possible, even the silly commercials. (And, no, that isn't Philo Farnsworth or Vince Lombardi.)

See you Sunday afternoon...

1/28/07 - Heroes: "with great power..."

When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.
Luke 12:48 (NLT)

Hiro: We're changing the future. By taking action, we've changed something.
Ando: What if we make it worse? And if there's going to be a nuclear explosion, shouldn't we be flying away from the bomb?
Hiro: A hero doesn't run away from his destiny. My only concern is whether I need to hide my true identity. Perhaps a costume?
Ando: You even mention tights and a cape, I'm going home.
Heroes: One Giant Leap (Season 1, Episode 3)

And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.
Mark 12:30-31 (NLT)

Not everyone is meant to make a difference. But for me, the choice to lead an ordinary life is no longer an option…

Whatever life holds in store for me, I will never forget these words: "With great power comes great responsibility." This is my gift, my curse. Who am I? I'm Spider-man.
Peter Parker (from the movie, “Spiderman”)

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13 (NIV)

1/14/07 - "dust"

Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.

1st Corinthians 1:26-29 (TNIV)

May you believe in God. But may you come to see that God believes in you.

May you have faith like Jesus. But may you come to see that Jesus has faith that you can be like him.

A person of love and compassion and truth. A person of forgiveness, and peace, and grace, and joy, and hope.

And may you be covered in the dust of your rabbi, Jesus.

Rob Bell

1/7/07 - "hardwired"

Worship is first & foremost for His benefit, not ours, though it is marvelous to discover that in giving Him pleasure, we ourselves enter into what can become our richest & most wholesome experience in life.

Graham Kendrick

What happened was this: People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn't treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness & confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. They pretended to know it all, but were illiterate regarding life. They traded the glory of God who holds the whole world in his hands for cheap figurines you can buy at any roadside stand.

Romans 1:21-23 (The Message)