Hey all! Merry Christmas! We met Thursday night - yes the night of the ice storm - and had a great time. We began with the question , "What's your favorite place to be in the winter?" We had a fun time talking about it and, as usual, learned some things about each other.
We then spent a little time celebrating how good God is...we brought a cradle with some straw in it and we spent some time talking about how cool it is that the God we talk about and enjoy is willing to give up palaces for the scratchy straw and stink of a manger, much less for the other things He endured in His lifetime, all because of a love for us. We relished that, in a world filled with uncertainty and loss and unhappiness and dissatisfaction, we have an example in our God of unselfishness and caring and wonder. He allows us to be optimistic in the midst of a pessimistic world outlook. That is worth noticing!
After this, we shared our worries and concerns by writing them, either confidentially or not, on paper and placing them in the straw. We then prayed for them and invited God into the problems and then each took one to pray for in the next 2wks. Praying for them simply means that we talk to God about it and ask that He will help with the issues written on the paper and the person/people who are struggling with whatever it is. By doing this, we get closer to each other and to God and our problems become more bearable - plus we have seen some pretty amazing things come from these prayers!
Last we had some learning about something that many Americans run after with all they are - convinced if they can just get enough of it, they will be happy, only in the end to find it to be like smoke in the wind - gone before you can grab it - like it says in Ecclesiastes chapter 1. We have been talking about a lot of these things over the last months - this time?
Acceptance.
We realize that there are people who are convinced that if they can just have enough friends, keep everyone happy and loving them that in the end, they will be happy. What they find is that the friends disappoint or worse yet, use them, their own self dissolving into what other people want them to be. Finally, falling down, exhausted and dissatisfied and declaring that it was all "smoke." This is a trap that has led many people to get pregnant prematurely, to use drugs "to fit in", to sacrifice their integrity "because everyone is doing it," and on and on and on - never leading to a happy or satisfied end point - there is always someone else to "please"
The truth is that in God we find the ability to attempt to try to feed joy and love into other people, but without the burden of having to please them and be accepted by them to make us satisfied with life. He is the one who gives us our value (try a little kids book called You are Special - by Max Lucado) and living for the acceptance of people will never please us or unleash the truth of who we were made to be like loving Him will.
If you struggle with the pursuit of acceptance as the ultimate "more" in your life and it has left you burdened and exhausted, consider beginning a conversation with God - start simply - just tell Him what's up and ask if He will help - if you need help - consider coming 1/8/09 to our next get together at McAllister Center or comment on the blog and we will try to help too!
Thanks and we will look forward to seeing you all then!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Saturday, December 6, 2008
12-4 A Seasonal Experience
Hi Everyone!
We had a great time last Thursday night - as we seem to each time we meet. If you weren't able to make it, we missed you and will look forward to seeing you 12/18 at McAllister Center - 6:45-8:00 PM!
We began with some time relaxing and talking about music. We started with the topic "What's your favorite song?" and I was quickly put in my place to be informed that that was impossible for most people, and instead we mostly had a really cool time of laughing and discussing the significance of music in our lives - and yes - I even sang a LITTLE bit. It was not pretty and I had to lock the door to keep people in, but - just kidding - i t was a fun and insightful time.
We then spent some time focusing on the amazingness of God - as usual we try to notice the wonder all around us and this time we put our coats back on and took a short walk into the 10 degree weather. This was quite shocking to some of our lungs - especially those with asthma - sorry - but as we returned to the inside and took some time to really direct our minds to the tingle of the cold as it left our faces and the feel of the sharp air in our noses and lungs when we stepped out and then took some time to remember the first warmth of the sun in those late March days and then tidal wave of heat we feel when we leave the air conditioning in late July and the coolness of the air, warmth of the sun and crunch of the leaves under our feet in October, it was really fun and uplifting, in a world of pain and suffering, many of us dealing with it right now, to remember that there is a God who puts that all in play and is in control of it all. What's more, He wants to be part of our lives - to live with us and love and be loved by us. The hands that shape the seasons hold us - that is worth noticing. Many people may say it is all just an accident - that nature and the seasons and wonder of the world happened by some cosmic cloud and millions of years. But it only takes a second in the shock of the cold in your nose, to begin to realize the amazing complexity of life and our responses in it - to us it seems almost ludicrous that there is not a marvelous creator behind it all!
We then had a couple people share some amazing things that are happening in their own lives. It is humbling and exciting to see some of the things that God is doing in people who are coming to More than more and searching for Him!
We then shared some things in our lives that were serious and a concern to us by writing them on a piece of paper, anonymously or not, and then each chose a paper to talk to God about them over the next 2weeks until we meet again. We like this because we feel it draws us closer together, sharing the pain that each of us experiences, and because it invites God into the problems with us - and if He's big enough to shape the beautiful seasons, He's big enough to help, console, and bring peace to, us in the middle of the crap that we often encounter in life.
Next we had some group discussion time about another of the things that many people "run" after in life. We all agree that people are almost all trying to get "more" of something and that these "mores" don't end up satisfying in the end. In past weeks we have discussed money, pleasure, fitness and health, success and this time we discussed Religion and right living. We spent some time discussing the end point of Religion as something that is most important to people and where it tends to lead - to depression and self degradation, because it is impossible to keep every rule all the time - or to self-righteousness and judgmentalism, because we become convinced that we are keeping all the rules all the time and anyone who isn't is inferior to us. We talked about the fact that, in the end, Religion's pursuit has led to Ethnic Cleansing, Crusades of death, Cults, Terrorism and on and on throughout history - all in the name of "god." This is a massive tragedy and a perversion and distortion and even complete destruction of the wonderful world and the story God wants to write in this world. I have no doubt it grieves Him more than almost anything else that mankind has screwed up over the millenia of our existence.
So, if you find yourself trying to follow all the religious rules and doing your best to meet the demands of Religion, but seem to just get discouraged and frustrated at your inability to do it all, all the time. Or, if you find yourself having thoughts of other people's inferiority to you...thinking "How can do that?" "How can they be that way." Feeling that you have all the answers in your religion, and that others are lame, and mentally putting them down because of it. If either of these is where you live, you need to consider that your pursuit of Religion has blocked your pursuit of the God who the Religion was invented to honor. My advice would be that you being asking Him to bring you to a place where you are relying on Him, talking to Him, growing closer to Him, not to the Religion. You may find that the ideas of the Religion make more sense and are much more peaceful and joyful!
One last thought - If you are one of the people who the pursuit of Religion has harmed because people have judged you - rest assured that love is what God and More than more have for you. We are not perfect by any means, but we are striving to create a non-judgmental place where people can be real and find the true God. We hope to see you this Thursday at 6:45-8:00PM at McAllister Center in Lafayette.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=mcallister+center,+lafayette,+indiana&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=31.564064,73.828125&ie=UTF8&ll=40.441027,-86.874426&spn=0.007398,0.018024&z=16
We hope to see you there!
We had a great time last Thursday night - as we seem to each time we meet. If you weren't able to make it, we missed you and will look forward to seeing you 12/18 at McAllister Center - 6:45-8:00 PM!
We began with some time relaxing and talking about music. We started with the topic "What's your favorite song?" and I was quickly put in my place to be informed that that was impossible for most people, and instead we mostly had a really cool time of laughing and discussing the significance of music in our lives - and yes - I even sang a LITTLE bit. It was not pretty and I had to lock the door to keep people in, but - just kidding - i t was a fun and insightful time.
We then spent some time focusing on the amazingness of God - as usual we try to notice the wonder all around us and this time we put our coats back on and took a short walk into the 10 degree weather. This was quite shocking to some of our lungs - especially those with asthma - sorry - but as we returned to the inside and took some time to really direct our minds to the tingle of the cold as it left our faces and the feel of the sharp air in our noses and lungs when we stepped out and then took some time to remember the first warmth of the sun in those late March days and then tidal wave of heat we feel when we leave the air conditioning in late July and the coolness of the air, warmth of the sun and crunch of the leaves under our feet in October, it was really fun and uplifting, in a world of pain and suffering, many of us dealing with it right now, to remember that there is a God who puts that all in play and is in control of it all. What's more, He wants to be part of our lives - to live with us and love and be loved by us. The hands that shape the seasons hold us - that is worth noticing. Many people may say it is all just an accident - that nature and the seasons and wonder of the world happened by some cosmic cloud and millions of years. But it only takes a second in the shock of the cold in your nose, to begin to realize the amazing complexity of life and our responses in it - to us it seems almost ludicrous that there is not a marvelous creator behind it all!
We then had a couple people share some amazing things that are happening in their own lives. It is humbling and exciting to see some of the things that God is doing in people who are coming to More than more and searching for Him!
We then shared some things in our lives that were serious and a concern to us by writing them on a piece of paper, anonymously or not, and then each chose a paper to talk to God about them over the next 2weeks until we meet again. We like this because we feel it draws us closer together, sharing the pain that each of us experiences, and because it invites God into the problems with us - and if He's big enough to shape the beautiful seasons, He's big enough to help, console, and bring peace to, us in the middle of the crap that we often encounter in life.
Next we had some group discussion time about another of the things that many people "run" after in life. We all agree that people are almost all trying to get "more" of something and that these "mores" don't end up satisfying in the end. In past weeks we have discussed money, pleasure, fitness and health, success and this time we discussed Religion and right living. We spent some time discussing the end point of Religion as something that is most important to people and where it tends to lead - to depression and self degradation, because it is impossible to keep every rule all the time - or to self-righteousness and judgmentalism, because we become convinced that we are keeping all the rules all the time and anyone who isn't is inferior to us. We talked about the fact that, in the end, Religion's pursuit has led to Ethnic Cleansing, Crusades of death, Cults, Terrorism and on and on throughout history - all in the name of "god." This is a massive tragedy and a perversion and distortion and even complete destruction of the wonderful world and the story God wants to write in this world. I have no doubt it grieves Him more than almost anything else that mankind has screwed up over the millenia of our existence.
So, if you find yourself trying to follow all the religious rules and doing your best to meet the demands of Religion, but seem to just get discouraged and frustrated at your inability to do it all, all the time. Or, if you find yourself having thoughts of other people's inferiority to you...thinking "How can do that?" "How can they be that way." Feeling that you have all the answers in your religion, and that others are lame, and mentally putting them down because of it. If either of these is where you live, you need to consider that your pursuit of Religion has blocked your pursuit of the God who the Religion was invented to honor. My advice would be that you being asking Him to bring you to a place where you are relying on Him, talking to Him, growing closer to Him, not to the Religion. You may find that the ideas of the Religion make more sense and are much more peaceful and joyful!
One last thought - If you are one of the people who the pursuit of Religion has harmed because people have judged you - rest assured that love is what God and More than more have for you. We are not perfect by any means, but we are striving to create a non-judgmental place where people can be real and find the true God. We hope to see you this Thursday at 6:45-8:00PM at McAllister Center in Lafayette.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=mcallister+center,+lafayette,+indiana&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=31.564064,73.828125&ie=UTF8&ll=40.441027,-86.874426&spn=0.007398,0.018024&z=16
We hope to see you there!
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