October 10 and 12 is an important date for Seattle.
Why? The artfully done documentary called Call and Response about human trafficking will be shown in Seattle. (go to www.callandresponse.org to see a trailer)
Watch out however. If you watch this film, you may never recover your heart.
Did you know:
that 2.2 million children are sold into slavery every year?
that slave traders made more than Google, Nike and Starbucks combined last year?
that children are cheaper than cattle in India and are sold more often?
that 27 million people are in slavery against their will?
that 100's of billions of dollars are traded in human trafficking each year?
that almost no one is in human trafficking by choice?
More people are slaves on our planet today than at any other time in history.
What is our response?
Justice is what love looks like in public. Jesus calls us to do justice and to love mercy.
One of the best ways to live this out today is to respond to the daunting reality of human trafficking. I can not look the other way. You can not look the other way.
Where to start? Let's attend Call and Response the weekend of October 10-12. There were be several viewings at the Central Cinema downtown (1411 21st Ave)
Let's fill the seats and after we allow our hearts to be pierced respond as Jesus would: with acts of justice and mercy.
Will you join me?
Friday, September 12, 2008
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Expanding the Circle
Last night I met with the leaders of Iglesia Latino America Church--it is a privilege to be in their presence because they know how to live out community.
They never get together without sharing a meal. They know one another; their strengths, their weaknesses and their doubts. They encourage one another in their faith. They speak out affirmation. And, they pray.
They speak of God's answered prayers. They speak of their prayers in process of "waiting for an answer." They understand disappointment, but they aren't flattened by it. Thye get up the next day and continue to walk with Jesus.
It makes me happy to be with these people. Even though at times language is a barrier, our common love for Jesus unites us. I am encouraged by their perseverance and by their struggles and how they respond to them.
They are considering becoming a Missio Community. I encouraged them to do just that; knowing that to come out from underneath a weekly service would free up their energy, their time, their resources to be able to do what they really long to do: reach out into their community.
They know of many Spanish speaking people who are just coming to Seattle and need to be welcomed. They are burdened by the children who need tutoring or just plain attention. They are hungry to see people meet and follow Jesus.
They don't have a pastor right now, but I was able to help them see that they are the ones who are pastoring one another. They know their Bibles well, they can encourage one another with what the Lord has shown them through the week with their time with him.
When God was showing me the vision for Missio Lux, he showed me that people from all ethnicities would be part of Missio Lux. It is my hope that Iglesia will be the first of many who will help the Body of Christ become connected beyond the familiar.
They never get together without sharing a meal. They know one another; their strengths, their weaknesses and their doubts. They encourage one another in their faith. They speak out affirmation. And, they pray.
They speak of God's answered prayers. They speak of their prayers in process of "waiting for an answer." They understand disappointment, but they aren't flattened by it. Thye get up the next day and continue to walk with Jesus.
It makes me happy to be with these people. Even though at times language is a barrier, our common love for Jesus unites us. I am encouraged by their perseverance and by their struggles and how they respond to them.
They are considering becoming a Missio Community. I encouraged them to do just that; knowing that to come out from underneath a weekly service would free up their energy, their time, their resources to be able to do what they really long to do: reach out into their community.
They know of many Spanish speaking people who are just coming to Seattle and need to be welcomed. They are burdened by the children who need tutoring or just plain attention. They are hungry to see people meet and follow Jesus.
They don't have a pastor right now, but I was able to help them see that they are the ones who are pastoring one another. They know their Bibles well, they can encourage one another with what the Lord has shown them through the week with their time with him.
When God was showing me the vision for Missio Lux, he showed me that people from all ethnicities would be part of Missio Lux. It is my hope that Iglesia will be the first of many who will help the Body of Christ become connected beyond the familiar.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Missio Community Training
This weekend was our long awaited event: the Missio Community Training. This training is meant for all who want to participate in a missio community. I partnered with a team all summer to develop the training: starting from zero: we had a vision but not much else.
Our team is one of the best I've ever partnered with in ministry. They are bright, they are articulate, they are dedicated, they are visionary! In just 3 short months, we developed a 75 page training manual and put together one awesome training.
We started in our home Friday night, to encourage the "atmosphere of hospitality." We ate a meal together, relaxing in the beauitful Seattle weather, even though we had a boatload of information to cover. We want to lay a DNA of relationship, not work!
It was fun to look out and see those that are adventurous step into the unknown. One woman, recently from Peru, heard about Missio Lux just the night before and showed up to experience it. Another woman, over 90 years old, came because she loves the idea of Missio Lux. Some teens came too, and participated in the training!
Friday was about the vision: we explored the logo, the mission statement, the vision statement and considered that the three circles of knowing God, loving one another and serving the world, cause God's heart to beat in us when all three areas are present in our lives.
Saturday was about nuts and bolts, but we still had time for a game of Missio Lux Jepordy. Three teams competed for the questions for all the different Missio Lux distinctives. We all filed through for a DVD that we are filming for our launch on October 5th.
I left Saturday afternoon, feeling as did many others, that we're becoming something! We are now more than an idea, a vision or a hope. We are starting to step into our calling and see the kingdom of God expand through Jesus' work in us.
My heart is beating.... with God's heart in me.
Our team is one of the best I've ever partnered with in ministry. They are bright, they are articulate, they are dedicated, they are visionary! In just 3 short months, we developed a 75 page training manual and put together one awesome training.
We started in our home Friday night, to encourage the "atmosphere of hospitality." We ate a meal together, relaxing in the beauitful Seattle weather, even though we had a boatload of information to cover. We want to lay a DNA of relationship, not work!
It was fun to look out and see those that are adventurous step into the unknown. One woman, recently from Peru, heard about Missio Lux just the night before and showed up to experience it. Another woman, over 90 years old, came because she loves the idea of Missio Lux. Some teens came too, and participated in the training!
Friday was about the vision: we explored the logo, the mission statement, the vision statement and considered that the three circles of knowing God, loving one another and serving the world, cause God's heart to beat in us when all three areas are present in our lives.
Saturday was about nuts and bolts, but we still had time for a game of Missio Lux Jepordy. Three teams competed for the questions for all the different Missio Lux distinctives. We all filed through for a DVD that we are filming for our launch on October 5th.
I left Saturday afternoon, feeling as did many others, that we're becoming something! We are now more than an idea, a vision or a hope. We are starting to step into our calling and see the kingdom of God expand through Jesus' work in us.
My heart is beating.... with God's heart in me.
Friday, September 5, 2008
The Logo
This weekend is such a big milestone for Missio Lux: it is our first Missional Community Training. It is the training for all that want to be part of a missional community so they can be the church present to the world.
One of the first areas we will explore is the Missio Lux logo. It was designed to tell the story of Missio Lux and can be a great way to explain what Missio Lux is; a question asked often!
The logo tells the story of our name.
Lux: the bright sunburst represents Jesus' light
Missio: the outward spokes point outward as mission
The mirror represents reflection: we only reflect Christ's love when we are facing the light.
The logo illustrates our structure.
The middle circle shows that we are centered on Jesus and his way to life, we seek to live the Jesus lifestyle.
It also represents our core foundational ministries of healing, recovery, life equipping and training.
The spokes are varied and going in many directions: these represent the different geographical and unique opportunities that the missional communities will take as they discover God's specific "missio" for their community.
Some spokes are empty: these represent the areas where the Light of Jesus does not yet shine; our missional opportunities yet to be explored. The possibilities are endless--we can move out as far as God calls us because our structure is organic, simple and reproducible.
The small circles are of course, the missional communities themselves! Several spokes have two communities on them, this represents the DNA being built into continually reproduce and multiply so that more and more people from all walks of life and different ethnic and faith backgrounds can experience Jesus invitation to join him on the journey through life.
Pretty exciting....can't wait to see the logo in living color as Missio Lux becomes a reality to more and more people!
One of the first areas we will explore is the Missio Lux logo. It was designed to tell the story of Missio Lux and can be a great way to explain what Missio Lux is; a question asked often!
The logo tells the story of our name.
Lux: the bright sunburst represents Jesus' light
Missio: the outward spokes point outward as mission
The mirror represents reflection: we only reflect Christ's love when we are facing the light.
The logo illustrates our structure.
The middle circle shows that we are centered on Jesus and his way to life, we seek to live the Jesus lifestyle.
It also represents our core foundational ministries of healing, recovery, life equipping and training.
The spokes are varied and going in many directions: these represent the different geographical and unique opportunities that the missional communities will take as they discover God's specific "missio" for their community.
Some spokes are empty: these represent the areas where the Light of Jesus does not yet shine; our missional opportunities yet to be explored. The possibilities are endless--we can move out as far as God calls us because our structure is organic, simple and reproducible.
The small circles are of course, the missional communities themselves! Several spokes have two communities on them, this represents the DNA being built into continually reproduce and multiply so that more and more people from all walks of life and different ethnic and faith backgrounds can experience Jesus invitation to join him on the journey through life.
Pretty exciting....can't wait to see the logo in living color as Missio Lux becomes a reality to more and more people!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
God appointment at the Market
God loves to surprise us at the most ordinary times.
Saturday I went to the fruit market on a quick mission as we had plans for the day. Usually we make an outing of it, but this time it would be in and out as we were going to Whidbey Island to go sailing with my cousin.
I bought my usual vegtables, flowers and fruits and finally got the berries. I wasn't doing a very good job of getting all of it to the car (flowers falling over pouring water all over me) when a woman said, "Here, let me help you take these to your car." So, she turned around and helped me carry my load.
I told her that usually my daughter comes with me, and she said her daughter usually did too. We kept on talking on our one minute walk to the car and found out that we both have adult daughters in transition from amazing experiences of Youth with a Mission and IHOP: International House of Prayer. Bonnie's been home for about six weeks and is missing the YWAM environment.
I took her information and she took mine so our daughters could connect.
When I got home and told Bonnie that I had found her a friend, she said, "Last night I prayed for friends. It's been so lonely since I came home from Guatemala."
We figured out that if Bonnie had come with me to the fruit market that we wouldn't have had the "divine appointment."
All this took less than 5 minutes and yet, I could see God in it all the way.
Life takes on a greater adventure when we recognize God in the ordinary events of life and look to his purposes in them.
I don't know what will happen when Bonnie meets this new contact, but I have a feeling that it will be very good for the kingdom.
Saturday I went to the fruit market on a quick mission as we had plans for the day. Usually we make an outing of it, but this time it would be in and out as we were going to Whidbey Island to go sailing with my cousin.
I bought my usual vegtables, flowers and fruits and finally got the berries. I wasn't doing a very good job of getting all of it to the car (flowers falling over pouring water all over me) when a woman said, "Here, let me help you take these to your car." So, she turned around and helped me carry my load.
I told her that usually my daughter comes with me, and she said her daughter usually did too. We kept on talking on our one minute walk to the car and found out that we both have adult daughters in transition from amazing experiences of Youth with a Mission and IHOP: International House of Prayer. Bonnie's been home for about six weeks and is missing the YWAM environment.
I took her information and she took mine so our daughters could connect.
When I got home and told Bonnie that I had found her a friend, she said, "Last night I prayed for friends. It's been so lonely since I came home from Guatemala."
We figured out that if Bonnie had come with me to the fruit market that we wouldn't have had the "divine appointment."
All this took less than 5 minutes and yet, I could see God in it all the way.
Life takes on a greater adventure when we recognize God in the ordinary events of life and look to his purposes in them.
I don't know what will happen when Bonnie meets this new contact, but I have a feeling that it will be very good for the kingdom.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
New Priorities
I remember reading something a few months ago where one man said that when they stopped "going to church" and started meeting as the church in their home, it took them almost a year before they could move beyond just forming the relationship with one another and finding Jesus in a new way.
I remember thinking, "that sounds odd," what did they need to let go of?
I am beginning to start to understand it. It's a shift of priorities from working for God to the relationships of enjoying Jesus and his continual presence in our lives.
My recognition of this has come as a slow unveiling. Little by little, Jesus is showing me where we have been so focused on getting the "work done," that he miss him. We rush to our business in team meetings, we close in prayer with a short thought because we are out of time, we don't hear how one another is doing before we start the business so we walk away feeling more alone and isolated then ever.
Last night I met with a group of people. We ate dinner together. We centered our conversation on God and how he is working in our lives. It was natural and it fed us beyond the food on the plate. We went to prayer naturally several times instead of taking prayer requests. At the end we began to pray spontaneously for the needs that we had heard through the course of our time at "the Table."
I walked away filled. Spiritual formation took place as we listened to one another and to God at the same time. We dreamed about the ways that God is opening up for us to serve the world.
Knowing God. Loving One Another. Being the Church present to the World.
Jesus' Priorities for his followers.
I remember thinking, "that sounds odd," what did they need to let go of?
I am beginning to start to understand it. It's a shift of priorities from working for God to the relationships of enjoying Jesus and his continual presence in our lives.
My recognition of this has come as a slow unveiling. Little by little, Jesus is showing me where we have been so focused on getting the "work done," that he miss him. We rush to our business in team meetings, we close in prayer with a short thought because we are out of time, we don't hear how one another is doing before we start the business so we walk away feeling more alone and isolated then ever.
Last night I met with a group of people. We ate dinner together. We centered our conversation on God and how he is working in our lives. It was natural and it fed us beyond the food on the plate. We went to prayer naturally several times instead of taking prayer requests. At the end we began to pray spontaneously for the needs that we had heard through the course of our time at "the Table."
I walked away filled. Spiritual formation took place as we listened to one another and to God at the same time. We dreamed about the ways that God is opening up for us to serve the world.
Knowing God. Loving One Another. Being the Church present to the World.
Jesus' Priorities for his followers.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
God's Surprises
God likes to give his children gifts. It makes him happy as a Daddy. He gave one of those gifts to me this week.
Molly is our youngest daughter. She was flying back to college as sophomore in Chicago. We had a hard departure last year as emotions were running high and circumstances were working against us. So, this year was an extra special gift.
Here's what happened:
Bill flew in from San Francisco** to say "good bye" to Molly. He was planning to surprise her in the Alaska Board Room. Right after I found out he had come, Molly asked me to come inside with her to make sure that her bags weren't overweight. (I was able to do this because my first appointment of the morning had just cancelled.)
We approached the open Agent, who was the most congenial and helpful agent we had ever encountered. When she discovered that Molly was going back to college, she asked me if I wanted to accompany her to the gate. (Amazing!)
So, I was able to see Bill surprise Molly and then we all went to the Board Room to spend close to an hour together before she left to board her plane.
As I left the airport, I realized what had happened. God had surprised me with a gift. He redeemed the painful experience of last year and showed me once again that he cares about every areas of our lives.
I will always remember this day and this gift because it gave me a chance to love Molly well as I basked in the love of my Daddy God!
**Bill commutes to San Francisco for his job
Molly is our youngest daughter. She was flying back to college as sophomore in Chicago. We had a hard departure last year as emotions were running high and circumstances were working against us. So, this year was an extra special gift.
Here's what happened:
Bill flew in from San Francisco** to say "good bye" to Molly. He was planning to surprise her in the Alaska Board Room. Right after I found out he had come, Molly asked me to come inside with her to make sure that her bags weren't overweight. (I was able to do this because my first appointment of the morning had just cancelled.)
We approached the open Agent, who was the most congenial and helpful agent we had ever encountered. When she discovered that Molly was going back to college, she asked me if I wanted to accompany her to the gate. (Amazing!)
So, I was able to see Bill surprise Molly and then we all went to the Board Room to spend close to an hour together before she left to board her plane.
As I left the airport, I realized what had happened. God had surprised me with a gift. He redeemed the painful experience of last year and showed me once again that he cares about every areas of our lives.
I will always remember this day and this gift because it gave me a chance to love Molly well as I basked in the love of my Daddy God!
**Bill commutes to San Francisco for his job
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