What's Behind a Name? (4/10/2011)

After a recap from the name study we've been doing (Adam, Eve, Gideon), we launched right into some more good information on what's behind the names we've taken on and are living under.

First, it's important to distinguish that my name is who I am. When someone talks about my friend, Sarah, I don't think about the name Sarah and how it's spelled and what it means. I think about all the characteristics of my friend Sarah. I think about WHO she is, not what her name is. Her name is who she is.

So, if my name is who I am, and I start living under the wrong name, I start living out of a false identity. I am not acting under my God-given name, so of course, my actions won't match up. Living under the wrong name creates a separation or gap between me and God and between me and others because it isn't really me relating to God and others.

That gap creates:

• Loneliness
• Insecurity
• Lack of Value
• Inner Turmoil

The loneliness I feel from living under the wrong name comes because I fear that no one really knows me. And then I start to think, "what if they really did know me? what would they think then?" And then I realize that I don't even really know myself. How can someone actually get to know me if I don't even know who I am?

My actions under the wrong name will inevitably be destructive to me or to those around me.

Discussion:
Have you processed names this week?
What have you wrestled with as you considered it?
What impact has it had on you?

The Mystery Behind the Mystery

Parker Palmer, in A Hidden Wholeness, offers an example of a river frozen over to help us identify those places where we are not aware of or living out of our true name.

If you've ever lived near a lake, you know that when one part of the lake is frozen thick enough that it's safe, the whole lake is safe. A river, however, is different. A river has currents running underneath the ice so that you can't see what parts are thin and what parts are safe. Venture out onto a river, and there's a good chance you'll find a thin place where there's a current underneath. (I wouldn't try it if I were you!)

These thin and safe places are a good example of our interactions throughout life. Sometimes, we're tread on, and everything is all right. But if someone or something comes too close to one of our currents, our ice breaks!

It's these thin places where we need to examine ourselves and find out what's making us react, what name are we living under in the times when we break? Why aren't we living out of our God-given name? These are places where we need wholeness in our lives. God created us for wholeness. And since everything got messed up in the fall, God is trying to restore us to that wholeness. Recognizing these thin places will help us on our journey back.

The Divide

Living with two selves:

• the self we want people to see and know
• and the self we know lives inside (and many times needs some healing and restoration to wholeness)

creates a divide in us and we are continually at war with our selves, which creates an uncomfortable inner turmoil.

What's Controlling You?

Remember this one?

Ephesians 5:18

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

Probably most of us heard this as a commandment to not drink any alcohol! But what this verse is really getting it, is that it's not good to be controlled by factors or voices other than God.

These controlling forces make us behave in a reaction to them instead of for genuine, good reasons. Identify the name of the voice that's screaming at you; identify the factors you are letting control your actions and reactions. And remember that the journey towards wholeness is a process of re-thinking.

Discussion
Can you identify some of the controlling voices in your life?
Do these voices parallel the names you have identified or can you give them a name?

---

Sitting there wondering what the practical application is? No worries, here's some advice from Karl. But as he mentioned on Sunday, this is no prescription or 5 Step Plan to Complete Wholeness. However, these ideas might help you as you process and try to practice on your journey towards wholeness.

• Become aware your names.
• Continue to evaluate the extent of the influence your names have on you.
• Observe yourself to increase your awareness so that you can begin to identify when your actions are under the influence of the voice.
• Try to identify different kinds of names:
  • Voices of the past
    • Things done by you
    • Things done to you
  • Voices of Fear
  • Voices of Expectation
• Process it with someone who is safe.

Your journey towards wholeness is a process of discovering the factors that are controlling you and realizing that:

• You don’t have to be defined by the voices of accusation in your life.
• The controlling powers these voices hold over you can be broken.
• God’s voice will lead you to wholeness.

What's in a Name? (4/3/2011)

We're continuing to explore answers to the question, "What's the Point of God?" As we do so, we're seeing that God leads us back to the way He created us in the beginning; He leads us back to wholeness.

Discussion
In your world, how has this wholeness been playing out?

So, What's in a Name?

This week, we're going to take a look at how our identity affects our wholeness and how sorting out our identity, discovering it, and excavating what's true or false about who we believe ourselves to be is essential on this journey towards wholeness.

Every one of us has a name, an identity.

• We're living under it.
• It defines us
• It determines the way we live and the choices we make

Identity for Adam and Eve

When God created Adam and Eve, He gave them specific names under which to live, names that would enrich their lives, inform their choices, and help them relate to Him and to each other. Some of those names are:

• Image of God
• Very Good
• Loved

Then, the Serpent came along and began to plant seeds of doubt in their understanding of their identities.
"God didn't say that."
"Or, if He said it, He didn't mean it."
"This isn't as good as it gets."
"You won't die."
"Life will be better."
Etc.

Satan began to undermine Adam and Eve's God-given identity to the point where they acted out of the different names they assumed because Satan taught them to distrust God.

They began to act out of their Self-Discovered Names:

• Afraid
• Ashamed
• UnLoveable

Instead of passing on their God-given names to future generations, they passed on their self-discovered ones laden with guilt and shame and hurt.

We perpetuate the lack of true identity by passing on our own self-discovered names to others. We were created with specific names, but self-discovering false names was part of our fall. Part of our need for redemption is to be given the chance to be restored to the names God has for us.

Living under a false identity creates a gap or separation between me and God, as well as me and others. Living under these names and experiencing this separation only brings:

• Lonliness
• Insecurity
• and Lack of Value

Is it the name that creates the behavior? Or does the behavior create the name? At some point, it's hard to tell and we get stuck back in this cycle trying to fix the behavior without dealing with the deeper issue of identity.

Adam and Eve showed us the move from true identity to false identity. But what does the reverse look like? What does restoration look like? Let's take a look at Gideon for a good example.

Gideon

So, here's Gideon, an Israelite driven to hiding because of the oppressive and overwhelming Midianites. And who comes to visit?

Judges 6:11-16

The angel of the LORD came and sat down under the oak in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, where his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a winepress to keep it from the Midianites. When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”

“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”

The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

“Pardon me, my lord,” Gideon replied, “but how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”

The LORD answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites, leaving none alive.”

Notice, the Lord's name for Gideon is "Mighty Warrior." However, in Gideon's response, he points out that he's the weakest of the weak. He's obviously been living under and believing in a different identity for himself.

God still chooses to use Gideon, however, and works with him, walking him through his disbelief and insecurity until Gideon is able to act from his God-given name, "Mighty Warrior."

Judges 7:9-18

During that night the LORD said to Gideon, “Get up, go down against the camp, because I am going to give it into your hands. If you are afraid to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah and listen to what they are saying. Afterward, you will be encouraged to attack the camp.” So he and Purah his servant went down to the outposts of the camp. The Midianites, the Amalekites and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts. Their camels could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore.

Gideon arrived just as a man was telling a friend his dream. “I had a dream,” he was saying. “A round loaf of barley bread came tumbling into the Midianite camp. It struck the tent with such force that the tent overturned and collapsed.”

His friend responded, “This can be nothing other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite. God has given the Midianites and the whole camp into his hands.”

When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed down and worshiped. He returned to the camp of Israel and called out, “Get up! The LORD has given the Midianite camp into your hands.” Dividing the three hundred men into three companies, he placed trumpets and empty jars in the hands of all of them, with torches inside.

“Watch me,” he told them. “Follow my lead. When I get to the edge of the camp, do exactly as I do. When I and all who are with me blow our trumpets, then from all around the camp blow yours and shout, ‘For the LORD and for Gideon.’”

What About Us?

Karl shared with us his own experience discovering his God-given name. Because it's such a personal story, I'm not going to try to reproduce it here. But if you missed it Sunday, please take the chance to ask him about it.

It's probably pretty easy for most of us to identify our self-discovered names, the names we're living under and acting out of... the fears and insecurities that motivate and inform our choices.

But, what name has God given you? If He were to walk up to you today, how would He address you? It certainly wouldn't be, "Hello Lonely" or "Hello Failure."

When we can start identifying the name(s) God has for us and find out who He created us to be, we can really start moving on this journey to wholeness.

When we can start identifying our self-discovered names and trace them back to the insecurities, circumstances, or events where we claimed those names and started living under them, we'll also really get moving on this journey to wholeness.

Spend some time this week processing your God-given and self-discovered names and how living under either has affected you and your relationships.

When God moves in your life, share your experiences with others. It would be detrimental to our community at this point in our shared experience of this journey toward wholeness for us to not share what God is teaching us during the process.

Try listening to God this week to see if He reveals his name for you (even if it is a little "hokey"). But remember, restoration is a process....

The Sin/Repent Cycle (3/27/11)

We're continuing this week with the question, "What's the Point of God?" Soon(ish), we'll attempt to tackle the question, "What's the Point of Church?" Even though we're not there yet, we know it's coming; so we can go ahead and explore it a bit!

As we discussed last week, this journey towards wholeness is meant to be a shared experience. Community is essential when looking at the picture of wholeness. As we continue to meet together, be looking for opportunities to get to know each other, become comfortable with each other, and if you feel the need or desire, pray for one another. If we can get this down, we'll be well on our way to understanding a large part of the point of church.

Rinse and Repeat

Remember the old Blond Joke: How do you keep a blond busy for hours?

Give her a shampoo bottle and make her read the instructions on the back: Rinse and Repeat.

Even a blond is smart enough to realize, at some point, that repeating the cycle over and over and over again is going to get her nowhere. And, pretty soon, the hot water is going to run out.

Getting stuck in a cycle is never fun. It's especially not fun when it feels like the joke's on you. You've tried a million times to stop sinning. Every time, you use the right formula: after you sin, repent. Yet, it still doesn't clean up the mess. Maybe it's time we looked at sin and repentance a bit differently.

Remember the big picture of salvation we saw last week?

We discussed how most of us have been taught a framework that focuses on only two aspects of the big picture: Fall and Redemption. Unfortunately, this leaves out that we were created in God's image and that there's a process of restoration to get us back to that image originally intended for us.

It's no wonder, looking at solely fall and redemption, that we expect a quick and easy turn around. I fall; I am redeemed. All done. Clean cut. Whew! Glad we got that out of the way!

Most times, however, that sin tends to pop back up and rear it's ugly head so that we feel stuck in a cycle of sin and repentance (fall and redemption). If I sin one day, and repent for my sin ("I'm sorry!"), but then turn around the next day and commit the same sin all over again, what good is it to continue saying "I'm sorry?"

Our focus has become fixing the behavior rather than examining how our motives and intentions line up with truth. Looking back at Eve from last week... Was the behavior, the deception, or the choice to believe a non-truth Eve's sin? She got off course, input the coordinates on the GPS incorrectly. In other words, the root of the problem wasn't that she ate the fruit. The root of the problem was that she got off the path God had created for her. She can apologize all day for eating fruit, but until she gets back on the path God created for her, it's not going to do any good.

Why then, do we expect that a simple "I'm sorry" is going to cut it? Why do we expect that since redemption exists, everything should be right with the world? We expect that a quick moment will erase all the damage that has been done, but we forget that we still need to reset the coordinates on our GPS and get back on the right path.

"Well, honey, I know we're not supposed to be driving through this desert, but let's stop in at the QuikMart and get a slushy. At least it'll cool us off!"

Obviously, if you're not supposed to be in the desert, a slushy isn't going to fix your problem. It's like treating strep throat with a cough drop instead of antibiotics. It might temporarily soothe, but the problem still exists.

Most of us have probably been taught that repentance equals saying "I'm sorry" to God, again and again. And if we didn't get it right the first time, we've got to try again, "one more time, with feeling!"

But, then, "Oops, I did it again!" and we're sucked back into the cycle: sin and repent, sin and repent, sin and repent... Wow, does that get tiring!

It seems that it's time, once again, to reexamine our coordinates...

What is repentance anyway?

The Greek word for repentance is metanoeo. It means:

to think differently or afterwards, i.e. reconsider (morally, feel compunction): a change in the way we think, perceive, or understand.

In other words... there's something in our framework or worldview that we're thinking about wrongly.

We can say, "I'm sorry for thinking wrongly." But it doesn't change the fact that we're thinking wrongly. The conclusion to be drawn then, is that we must change the way we think. This does not happen in a moment. Changing the way you think is a process of growth, awareness, perception, and understanding, among other things. It works itself out through life circumstances, counseling, community, etc.

Bringing us back around to that image of salvation... it's a lot more like restoration.

That's where God wants to lead us: towards a better way of thinking; towards wholeness.

Consider this:
If there's a destructive behavior in my life and I continue to say, "I'm sorry," that phrase loses it's meaning.

If you are the victim in an abusive relationship, after the first time your partner/abuser says, "I'm sorry," there's hope for change and improvement. Eventually, however, after you've been hurt over and over and over again, "I'm sorry" means nothing. At some point, there must be more.

Discussion:
Discuss your experience with or awareness of this cycle and what stirs in you when offered a different option for the word "repentance."

---

So... What's the Point of God?

Remember from last week:
It is not to systematically eliminate our sin so God will be increasingly pleased with us and so we can grow continually closer to Him.

If repentance is the process, then what's God's interaction with us?

Let's take a look at what Karl likes to call "The Sin Perception Dilemma."

(And now, my friends, I will attempt to become even half the artist Karl was on Sunday morning.... )

The Whiteboard

This is the framework most of us grew up with:
Here I am, trying to get my way to God.

Only...Ahh! Oh, no... Blam! Now there's a HUGE Pile O' Sin between me and God!

My job is to chip away at the pile of sin, so that I can get close to God. Only, anyone of us who has ever tried knows that the pile of sin is impossible to disappear. It remains a continual barrier between me and God.

Conclusion: I will never be close to God.

Let's take a look at another potential framework... How's this, instead?

That's God, with His arm around me, saying, "No worries, the cross has already taken care of the pile of sin. Let's work together to restore the way you think about Me, life, yourself, and others and get back to how I originally created you to live."

On the journey, God helps me in discovering how to achieve wholeness.

As whole people, we might still screw up and have behavioral issues, BUT we may be less broken, more honest and authentic, less fearful and full of shame, and more able to experience true community and relationship with God and others.

The pile of sin is already taken care of by Jesus' sacrifice, so repentance and restoration are about the journey to wholeness, not about my effort to eradicate my sin and reach God.

So, what IS the point?

To receive and embrace God’s Love, and in so doing, begin a process of repentance which will help us rediscover the Image of God initially formed in us.

It's God's patience and His kindness that lead us to a correct way of thinking.

What is this thing called Salvation? (3/20/11)

Great to see everyone again yesterday. If you missed it, we started off the morning with some getting-to-know-you time. We talked about ways that we experienced or understood wholeness over the last week and shared that in small groups.

Karl updated us on a few friends in our community:

• Steve and Lara got married!
• Darrin and Jolene recently returned from Ethiopia with their new kids! They are currently trying to get the family healthy upon returning with a few small, treatable medical issues.
• Heather is recovering well from surgery, but goes back to school this week and could use our support and prayers.

Then... we jumped right back in to the concept of wholeness!

Wholeness is not something we will ever have a complete understanding of; our understanding of it is changeable and different at different points in our lives. Our goal then, is to try to get as close to understanding and achieving it as possible.

Karl shared with us a goal of his: to offer a different framework for answering the question, "What's the point of God?"

He compared the search for wholeness with using a GPS. If you know the exact destination, you plug it in, and the GPS will get you there. However, if you're not quite sure of your destination or it's coordinates, it can be a frustrating journey trying to arrive at the right place. So it's important for us to evaluate our coordinates now and then and make sure we've got them right.

In the spirit of re-evaluation, let's take a fresh look at this thing called salvation.

What is Salvation?

Many of us have been taught that the concept of salvation is explained with: Fall and Redemption. This, however, is a limited view of the picture of salvation. Karl offered a different view that looks a bit more like this:

Creation

If we view salvation from the beginning, starting with creation, this journey towards wholeness makes a lot more sense.

Genesis 1:26-27

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

God set things up from the beginning for us to reflect His image, to look like Him, to be like Him. Sometimes, when we feel a disconnect, discontentment, or longing, it can be a subconscious realization that something's not right. If we're created in God's image, the potential is there; the coordinates are there; we just have to rediscover them.

Genesis 1:31

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

God looked at our original setting and said that all of it was "very good." How then, have we come to the conclusion that all of us are inherently evil? Created in God's image, called not just good, but "very good" by God, and yet, inherently evil? That doesn't really seem to be a logical conclusion. Maybe, just maybe, it's time we looked at things a little differently....

Genesis 2:25

Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

People, at their original, and at their best: no fear, no shame, no need to hide. Another way to say it: whole.

Fall

Now, after Creation, which here we are assuming is actually the beginning of this salvation process, we see what is typically labeled by Bible chapter headings "The Fall." Thinking differently about this passage than most of us were probably taught, let's see what it's like if we view it this way: Eve is confronted with an alternate reality than what she knows and trusts. She isn't choosing what's bad because it's bad, or because she's selfish or inherently evil. What if, when the serpent offers a different reality, she's just trying to decide if the reality that she has known is good for us, or if what the serpent's laying out is better?

Genesis 3:1-5

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Here, we see Eve battling with the question of which reality she's going to believe. Note that her observations, and the elements that factor into her decision are good things: good for food, pleasing to the eye, desirable for gaining wisdom. Maybe her intentions are good, after all...

Genesis 3:6-7

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Now, unfortunately, Adam and Eve are confronted with the fact that their decisions weren't actually the best choices to make. Now, things are broken. Now something is not right.

Genesis 3:8-10

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

This is the classic example of the lack of wholeness: "I was afraid." There are parts about me that I'm ashamed of. There are parts about God that I'm afraid of. I feel the need to hide. I'm fearful and ashamed. This is where the wholeness we've been talking about gets disrupted.

Enter: the need for redemption.

Redemption

Redemption is atonement, forgiveness, the universal need we have to reconnect with God. So God makes a way for us to reconnect by Jesus' sacrifice.

We've typically learned to stop there. Blam! The sin is atoned for! But you and I both know that it doesn't fix everything. Things are not right again just because of the atonement. The potential exists now... there's a way... now what?

That's where restoration comes in.

Restoration

Restoration is a movement, a process, a journey that starts at the cross and heads where? Let's figure that out...

Once we participate in the event of atonement or redemption, we begin on the journey of restoration that has now been made possible. But restoration to what? How about, to the original "very good" plan God had for us?

God's intent for us is shalom: wholeness. We see that in the way He created us. We see it referred back to so many times, like in this well-known passage:

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

The word "prosper" here, is the word "shalom." Plans to bring you back to wholeness.

So, what's the point?

It is not to systematically eliminate our sin so God will be increasingly pleased with us and so we can grow continually closer to Him.

What is it then?

The point is to receive and embrace God's love, and in so doing, rediscover the image of God initially formed in us. (This might actually be as simple as loving God and loving my neighbor....) If we get love right (understanding God's love for us, and extending as much love as possible to God and others), we may get very close the picture of wholeness.

Some closing thoughts on wholeness:

• The journey towards wholeness as an individual is an individual journey in that the path for each person is different.
• Wholeness cannot be embraced without community (evidenced by the fact that we were created in community).
• The journey towards wholeness as a community is not a shared path. It is however, a shared experience.
• On our journey together, we should embrace each other with kindness and tolerance reflecting the image of our Creator who's kindness brings us to repentance.

We'll talk more about that repentance in next week's blog!

Story, Shalom and then some (3/13/11)

It was great to see everyone yesterday! We started out talking about story and how:

• important it is.
• we have to train ourselves to value others' stories.
• we can use what we learn from other people's stories to gain wisdom for our own lives.

We recapped a bit of last week by asking the questions:
What's the point of God?
What's the point of church?

To begin to answer these questions, it's important to understand how our perspectives are formed out of the framework of belief or world view we, as individuals, have built.

Each of our frameworks will be different. Karl shared a bit of his framework with the group to give us a good example. "I grew up believing that God's purpose in my life was to help my life work out." However, he started to see things happen that contradicted this framework of belief.

If God seems to be a contradiction when I look at life, then something is missing:

Either God is wrong
OR
my understanding of God is wrong.

What we want to do here today (and continue in the future, of course) is to raise questions to help us start understanding some of that.

Discussion #1: What do you think God's general purpose is in our lives?

One answer to this question may be...
And one possibility we're going to explore is...

God's purpose in our lives is to bring us closer and closer to Shalom.

The goal is a movement, not an arrival. Here are a few moments in the Bible where we see this movement towards shalom.

Numbers 6:24-26

The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.

Genesis 15:15

You, however, will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age.

Matthew 5:23-24

Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

After reflecting on these verses, Karl encouraged us to draw a picture of our idea of wholeness.

Discussion #2: Share your picture with your group and and explain what you think wholeness looks like in our lives.

(For the online discussion, you can talk about what you drew, if you were there. Or, if you weren't there, talk about the mental picture you get of wholeness in our lives.)

Have fun with the discussions. I can't wait to hear your thoughts!

First Meeting (a little business business, and then, let's continue the conversation) (3/6/11)

First, a little business. If you were there and don't need a recap, but want to converse some more, feel free to skip down.

Here's a quick view of the business section:
Name
Kids
Finances
Parking/Carpooling

Why the name Immerge? back to top
Check out our first blog that explains it a bit more in depth. But what we like about this name is that it resonates with what we hope for and has good application principles.

What about the kids? back to top
Bob and Jane are working with the kids and hope to incorporate good conversation that aligns with what the adults talk about each week. We will also provide time for families to process conversations and ideas together. We need help! If you're at all interested in working with the kids, please talk to Bob or Jane.

How can you contribute financially? back to top
Great question. We're hoping to sustain Karl on at least a part-time basis. When we can, we'll make him full-time. And when we can, we'll start renting a space that will accommodate our group. In the meantime, we're at the Duell's. And in the meantime, the Blacks need our help! To give, please make checks out to Epic Church with a memo line of Immerge. Epic is acting as a launch pad for the church we're planting and is graciously helping us keep track of finances for a while.

Whoa, parking. back to top
We know; it's a little rough out there, since we're meeting at someone's house. Get to know some people, find out if you live close enough, and carpool if at all possible! We'd greatly appreciate it. Also, please get to know Ed; he's the guy that will be directing traffic.


Let the conversation begin! back to top

We talked about a lot of heavy stuff on the first day... go figure (Karl...). Here's a recap of the intro.

Underlying Goal... aka, why are we here?

• We recognize a need for spiritual growth.
• We think community has a lot to do with this.
• We feel like the good of community has been lost and we want to get it back.
• We want to break down preconceptions of what church is for the purpose of facilitating true and authentic community.

Speaking of community, let's get to know each other a bit.
We know right now that Heather is recovering from surgery, Jolene and Darrin are traveling to Ethiopia to adopt two new kids, and Steve and Lara are getting married Saturday. Please keep these friends in your prayers and get to know them. They're pretty awesome folks.

As a community, we're entering a formation stage. What is that and why? Good questions.

• Our mission and purpose are broad and we want a chance to form a better picture together.
• We want to wrestle together with some questions like:
  
  • What is church?
  • What are our priorities?
  • What are our core values?
• We think this will be best accomplished with a larger group than the planning teams, but a small enough group that serious conversation and community are still possible.

Karl reassured us that he's not perfect and doesn't expect our community to be perfect. He's coming from a perspective of "I know that I don't know." We're all learning this together and the shared search for truth is more important than knowing all of the final answers. The Holy Spirit is capable of guiding us and we should listen to Him as we figure things out together. Not any one person is going to get it all right, but as we listen to God and to each other, hopefully we'll get close as we form our opinions.

And this is where it got fun...

We took a look at some images and had some conversations in groups about how those images hit us and how we related to the ideas they expressed. This was a great opportunity to get to know some people in the group and not feel the need to be right, nor the fear of being wrong, as we were just relating our own experiences.

What do you see in these images that represents different seasons in your life?

Image #1

Image #2

Image #3

Image #4

Image #5

Image #6

• Which image do you relate to most?
• Which seems the best expression of the most recent trek of your journey?
• Does one of the images scare you?
• Does one comfort you?
• What other thoughts come to mind?

Feel free to comment below, and include the image number in your comments.



We ended the morning by launching some more questions to think about over the next week. Here's a taste of where we're heading.

• What's the point of God?
• What's the point of church?
• How do I interpret God?
  

  Do I view God through the lens of life?

  Does my success in life determine how happy God is with me? For instance, if things are going badly, is it because God is punishing me for my bad behavior?








Or, do I view life through the lens of God?

What I need is a framework that allows life to happen and an understanding of God that transcends life's circumstances.

We want to explore the idea of Shalom, which here means: Peace, Harmony with God and Others, Wholeness.

A note from Karl:

And a note from our kids...
Bob and Jane asked some of the older kids, "What is church?" Though most of us were probably expecting a kind-hearted chuckle, the answers were actually quite profound:

• Worshiping God
• Don't hurt other people's feelings
• Listen to other people
• Make friends
• Help people in need

Please enjoy reading and participating in the conversation below.

Mission and Purpose (in progress)

Immerge

Definition - "to disappear by entering into any medium."

Growing together in Christ and helping people

2 Corinthians 5:14-17

For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Ephesians  4:22-24

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Colossians  3:9-10

Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

Perfect Church does not exist.  We want to have great aspirations, aim for the closest we can to God’s heart, then be prepared with grace for the failures that will come.

Mission

A community of people moving toward the likeness of Jesus and participating in the way of Jesus in the world around them.

Purpose

As Immerge, we purpose to accomplish our mission through a commitment to becoming a community, learning together, being shaped by God’s love, and growing in wholeness.

1. Committed to becoming a Community.

We believe that people were designed to be in relationship and that relationships were intended to bring about positive growth in life.  We also believe that the most effective context for growth is found in intentional community. In this context we choose to authentically invest in those around us, with a priority placed on love and grace.

Ephesians 4:15-16

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.  NIV

Ephesians 4:25-26

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.  NIV

Acts 2:42-47

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.  NIV

Romans 15:5-7

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. NIV

Ephesians 4:2-4

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  NIV

Colossians 3:12-14

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.  NIV

John 17:20-23

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.  NIV

Galatians 5:13-15

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.  NIV

2. Committed to learning together.

We believe that learning is universal and constant.  We choose to prioritize the search for truth.  In our search for truth we actively deny the illusion of knowing and with an open mind seek to increase our understanding of truth.

Acts 17:10-12

As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.  NIV

Mark 12:30-31

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."  NIV

Repentance:  (NT:3340  metanoeoo, metanoo) to change one's mind, i. e., to repent

“The biggest barrier to progress in human history has not been ignorance, but the illusion of knowing” – Daniel Boorstin

3. Committed to being shaped by God’s love.

We believe in the pursuit of God, and that if we engage God and seek His purpose we will encounter a different kind of love, a love that compels us towards reconciliation, selflessness, and a new perspective of the world around us.

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.  NIV

Galatians 5:6

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.  NIV

We believe being shaped by God’s love will impact us in many ways, some of which will be:

A. Reconciliation – God’s heart leads us to close the gaps that arise in relationships, with Him and with others.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. NIV

B. Justice – God’s heart is for us to be His hands and feet to bring justice to those who are not experiencing it.

Isaiah 1:17

learn to do right!  Seek justice, encourage the oppressed.  Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow. NIV

Jeremiah 22:15-16

Did not your father have food and drink?  He did what was right and just, so all went well with him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well.  Is that not what it means to know me?" declares the LORD. NIV

C. Ambassadors – As we gain more of God’s heart we will represent God in the world around us by establishing His true Kingdom wherever we find ourselves.

2 Corinthians 5:19-21

We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. NIV

4. People committed to pursuing wholeness.

We believe that humanity exists in a state of brokenness and various levels of pain.  God’s heart, as we interpret from the life of Christ, is to lead us on a journey towards wholeness.

Jeremiah 29:10-14

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD

We believe most, if not all, of Jesus’ encounters with people resulted in Jesus leading them a step towards wholeness.

Luke 19:1-11 (Zacchaeus), John 8:1-11 (Woman caught in Adultery), Mark 1:40-42 (Man with Leprosy), John 4:4-42 (Samaritan Woman at the Well), Mark 5:24-34 (Woman with bleeding disorder) and many more.