Joe Manafo

Hey…

Yeah…so where did we leave off?

*theStory: Week 3

This Sunday concluded our series on Regeneration, spend some time in Matthew 13 with specific reference to the parable of the Wheat and the Weeds. [Did you know? The ‘weeds’ that Jesus was eluding to looked just like wheat until their heads were reared? Not only that, they weren’t just any weeds, but degenerate forms of wheat, and poisonous at that. Further, the root word for this weed is the same root word used in the OT when Israel was described as a ‘prostitute’, sleeping around with other gods so to speak…looking like the real thing (God followers) but not. All of this taught within the context of the kingdom at large, and the communities that make up His Kingdom on earth, and not specific individuals in churches as is taught by some.] Our imagery for the day was a potted plant that was half real, half synthetic. I asked of one of the participants: “Touch the plant. Real or fake?” Without hesitation: “Fake.” I then asked the person beside him, “Real or fake?” With great hesitation, he stared blankly at me, and offered no response. Point made. This past week we also move our dialogue from statements that started with ‘Me’ or ‘I’ and moved more towards, as Paggit puts it, Progressional Dialogue. Simply put, this meant that my formal exposition of the text was only once voice, one among others, each contributing to the understanding of the text and its implication (not application – “Application is about how a piece of information fits into your life, Implication is not about fitting; it’s about redefining. It’s not about value-added suggestion; it’s a call to see the story and join.” Paggit, Preaching Re-Imagined, pg. 102) in our lives, in the year 2006, in Sarnia, Ontario. From here we talked about some of the instigators that turn Jesus communities in weeds…Efficiency (processing people instead of journeying with them); Sensationalism (getting jacked up on a weekly God fix, or rushing around to find where God has landed, instead of [as Eugene Peterson puts it] a slow obedience in the same direction); Anonymity (allowing people to check God out at their own pace, but once they belong to the community [not just attend our formal gatherings] not allowing the cancer individualizing our faith so that we think that we can serve Jesus outside of community); Strategies (grow this community on relationships, not target markets or by manipulative means); Fads (flavour of the month spirituality is just so plastic. In lieu of gimmicks, disciplines – time tested, slow moving, lasting); Felt Needs (we hope to redeem the art of noticing the opportunities to serve and honour Jesus by “clothing the naked, feeding the hungry; quenching the thirst of the thirsty”; helping the poor family with groceries or car repairs; babysitting for the single mom who needs some personal time; inviting people into our homes not to ‘get them saved’ but to be true friends. Why hire a paid professional for this, when opportunities can be seized by those who notice them?). We concluded by writing prayers for the community on cue cards, then passing them one to the left so that the person beside us could pray it out loud.

All in all, we seem to be warming up to each other as a group. The conversations are longer and less guarded, while the food has become a weekly delight. So outside of my shriveling ego and penchant for quick results, I’d say we’re heading in the right direction.

*thinkerlabs.ca

After a very quiet summer, Jer and I and are back at it. A little wiser from the wear, and with a slightly modified direction, we’ll be taking the next few weeks rework the site and it’s focus. I’ll keep you in the loop. For those who’ve expressed concern in the past about ’slackers ripping ideas’, Bob Hyatt has some good stuff to say today about just that.

*Show

Last night in London, a few friends and I slept through Moneen, suffered through Silverstein and were absolutely thrashed by Underoath. Wow. What a show. Tons of energy, little posturing and even a Jesus pitch at the end…”We just want you all to know that serve and love Jesus Christ….etc.” Unexpected, to say the least, but a nice old school touch none the less. Thanks to Dave W. for the earplugs. I’m getting old.

*Attention Ladies

Does your body produce mass amounts of estrogen? Are you considering pastoring, planting or serving in a significant leadership capacity in your church. Well according, to Mark Driscoll, you really don’t have much to offer. While at times I like some of what Driscoll says, much of it is being drowned by, well, the fact that he can be a real ass. Check this rant out.

Filed by Joe at September 26th, 2006 under Ideas to Share, Creativity, Cool Links, Church Planting, soundtrack of life, People