This past Sunday we jumped head first into the gospel of John, a book that we'll be spending considerable time in over the coming months. Using loaded terms that were pregnant with meaning for his original audience, John takes the first 18 verses of his work to introduce themes and ideas that he will revisit over the course of his account. These themes, however, are more like cans of worms labeled covertly as ‘Tabernacling' (John implies that Jesus thought and acted as though he was a replacement for the temple); ‘Sacred vs. Secular' (John is purely sacramental, thus all things are spiritual); ‘Child of God' (our false selves are exposed as new intimacy with God is made available).

Carried to their conclusion, these time bombs are the beginnings of a second chance for humanity. And for the follower of Jesus, the Word becomes flesh again as we venture to live, embody and tell His story.

Notable quotes...

"God is not an answer a man can give. God himself does not give answers. He gives himself, and into the midst of the whirlwind of his absence gives himself." (Fredrich Beuchner)

"The opening words of the Gospel cannot by themselves say [everything] but they can alert the reader to the fact that the story he is going to read has a meaning which will radically redefine even his most fundamental terms. Above all it will mean that the most fundamental of all words, the word "God" , has to be redefined. It will have to redefined in view of the fact that he -Jesus- was in the beginning with God and was from the beginning God, and that he is himself the word of God, a word which is not merely declaratory but creative and life -giving." (Leslie Newbigin, The Light Has Come)

"But how can the living God become a human being? How does it make sense? It makes sense precisely in terms of the creation story which John evokes with the very first words of his Gospel. The climax of the creation in Genesis was the making human beings in the image and likeness of God - the great work of the sixth day, bringing creation to its completion. The climax of John's prologue is the incarnation of the Word. Humans were made to reflect God, so that one day God could appropriately become human." (NT Wright, Following Jesus: Biblical Reflections on Discipleship)

"Our false selves are the identities we cultivate in order to function in society with pride and self-possession; our real selves are a deep religious mystery, known entirely only to God. The world cultivates the false self, ignores the real one, and therein lies the great irony of human existence: the more we make of ourselves, the less we actually exist." (Thomas Merton)

"The way of the [Christian] is not the way of upward mobility in which our world has invested so much, but the way of downward mobility ending at the cross. This might sound morbid and masochistic, but for those who have heard the voice of the first love and said yes to it, the downward-moving way of Jesus is the way to the joy and the peace of God, a joy and peace that is not of this world." (Henri Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus)

 

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Sunday, January 7, 2007 @11:11am - "Neighbours"

Sunday we begin meeting regularly at The Annex (234 Maxwell St.) at 11:11am with the potluck (bring food!) following our time of worship. Our new chapter begins...

Read: John 1:1-18

Think: There is a Jewish saying that goes something like this: "God created humankind because He loves stories." And I suppose if we take that thought a step further, He loves the real life characters in these stories so much that He, as one author has put it, "has entered the tale. The author stepped onto the page. The poet whose very words had written the cosmos became part of the text of this world." Further still, this intersection of humanity and the divine is now a permanent fixture as the Word once again becomes flesh as we live, embody and tell The Story. How amazing is that?

Pray: Father, may my life tell your story and reflect your image. May you increase, may I decrease - For your glory and for the benefit of others.

Live: "Jesus wants his followers to bring heaven, not hell, to earth. This has been God's intention for people since the beginning. Jesus is not teaching anything new for his day. God walked in the garden, looking for Adam and Eve. God told the Israelites to build a tabernacle so he could live in their midst. King Solomon built a temple, God's house, so God could live permanently among his people. And when Jesus comes, he's referred to as God "taking on flesh and dwelling among us" or "The word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighbourhood."

NEWS

*Monthly Prayer Meeting: January 31 at 586 Highbury Park from 7-8pm. We'll be praying for personal and community needs.

*Volunteer Positions: theStory needs your help in the following areas - Food, Kids, Counting. Talk to Joe and play your part.

*To support theStory financially, the offering tin will be on the counter near the front door. If you'd like to write a cheque, make it out to "New Horizons Community Church" with "theStory" marked in the memo box. All giving is tax receiptable and offering envelopes are provided. For those who are interested in direct debit, we need a minimum 15 people to set up the program. If you're interested, talk to Joe.

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This past Sunday we took a ride through the scriptures - ten readings, ten responses - following the story of Jesus through the Old Testament leading up to his arrival on planet earth in the New Testament.

Of note, in response to Luke 1:26-35 where we see Mary first given the news that she is to bear Christ in this world, we took the opportunity as a community to write prayers about bearing Christ in our own lives and culture. They went something like this...

"...Lord what would you have me do to make a difference in my city? In my neighbourhood? In the people in my life? Help me reflect your image and tell your story..."

"...I pray that my life will bear the mark of Christ by living to give instead of receiving..."

"...Lord help me love others unconditionally and not judge. Through me, I pray that others will see you..."

"...use me..."

"...through your mercy, extend your love, until you make all things new, a world without end..."

"...help me to grow silent and truly listen..."

"...may those who see me, see you..."

Here is the video that Darryl put together to express "the fall"

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Tonight, Thursday, December 28, we're meeting at 586 Highbury Park from 7-8pm for prayer concerning theStory and for what's ahead in 2007. If you can make it, great, if not, that fine too.

This past week, Pernell, Margie and Melissa from the FRWY in Hamilton shared the story of the life and times of their faith community. The best part? The honesty of the journey...ups, downs, success, failure...and all along, lives infected for and by the Kingdom. Does it really get any better than this?

Sunday, December 10, 2006 @ 11:30am - "Another Story"

Pernell Goodyear from the FRWY (pronounced Free Way) in Hamilton will be sharing the story of their 5 year old church plant with us. In keeping with our series on Stewardship, hopefully their tale will both encourage and inspire us to take care of and utilize all that has been entrusted to us.

In the meantime, do yourself a favour and check out www.frwy.ca before Sunday.

Lastly, don't forget to bring some grub for the potluck!

NEWS

*January 7 marks our ‘official' public launch. A couple of things to consider leading up to that date:
1. For those interested, we'll be meeting for prayer at 586 Highbury Park on Wednesday, December 27 from 8-9pm. If you can make it, email Joe at joe@thestory.ca
2. If you've got friends who are at the stage of checking God out or are without a church home, invite them to be a part of not only our weekly gatherings, but also our community.

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This past Sunday was a search and rescue mission for the idea of Stewardship. Unfortunately, this biblical principal has been violated in many circles so we framed our time together with the intention to redeeming the term. We used Jesus' parable of the talents as our springboard and took the notion of 'taking care of that which has been entrusted to us' on both a communal and individual level. It was beautiful to see what God had invested in us as a community and it was also refreshing to affirm such avenues of Stewardship as Creation, Grace, Justice, Hospitality, Life and others.

Notable quote...

"That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ; who, with his precious blood, has fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by his Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto him." (Martin Luther)

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Sunday, December 3, 2006 @ 11:30am - "Buried Treasure"

We begin our new series this Sunday with the exploration of our final value, Stewardship. The term carries much baggage and just as many pre-conceived ideas so we've got our work cut out for us this month!

Of note, if you received a December calendar last week, there is a typo. Our gathering for December 24 will take place at the Annex (234 Maxwell) not 586 Highbury Park.

Read: Matthew 25:14-30. If you're feeling especially keen check out this article for a little background knowledge on Matthew and his original audience in relation to our scripture reading for the week.

Think: We're always looking for a return on our investments. Time, money, effort...there has to be a payout or benefit for it be worth our trouble. But what if we adjusted our viewpoint and took inventory of what's been invested in us - how are the investments doing these days?

Live: "Love God and do what you please." John Calvin

Pray: Father, may I be found faithful with all that you've entrusted me with.

NEWS:

*Sacred Space: The assessment on the Taylor's property is complete. We've made copies for your benefit and will spend some time this Sunday bringing everyone up to speed on the matter.

*To support theStory financially, the offering tin will be on the piano as it was last week. If you'd like to write a cheque, make it out to "New Horizons Community Church" with "theStory" marked in the memo box. All giving is tax receiptable and offering envelopes are provided. For those who are interested in direct debit, we need a minimum 15 people to set up the program. If you're interested, talk to Joe.

 

 

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Sunday, November 26 @ 11:11AM - "A Seat at the Table"

Don't forget that we're at the Annex this week (123 Maxwell St.) and that we're starting 19 minutes sooner than we usually do! Also, the weekly potluck is still on (it will be following the service) so make sure you bring something tasty!

Read: Luke 22:1-30; 1 Corinthians 2

Think: We've spent the last few weeks developing the idea of Justice and how it may play itself out in our lives and the life of this community. As we explore this final installment, reflect back on what we've talked about so far (an outlook on life based on an understanding and submission to the Godhead; orthodoxy (right thinking) & orthopraxy (right practice); being partners with God for the redemption of the world) and ask yourself the question, 'Am I truly living life as one of God's change agents?'

Pray: Father, you have given all peoples one common origin.
It is your will that they be gathered together
as one family in yourself.
Fill the hearts of mankind with the fire of your love
and with the desire to ensure justice for all.
By sharing the good things you give us,
may we secure an equality for all
our brothers and sisters throughout the world.
May there be an end to division, strife and war.
May there be a dawning of a truly human society
built on love and peace.
We ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord.
Amen.
(from Catholicdoors.com)

Live: "[May we move towards] a full-blown biblical theology that affirms both personal and social sin, both personal conversion and structural change, both evangelism and social action, both personal and social salvation, both Jesus as moral example and Jesus as vicarious substitute, both orthodox theology and ethical obedience." (Ron Sider)

NEWS

Additional Reading: If all this talk about Justice has you wanting to explore things further, here are a couple of good leads where you can start: "Culture Jam" & "Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger" .

*Sacred Space: We've commissioned a property assessment of the Taylor's furniture property that will give us both a better picture of the building's history and condition, as well as the fair market value which may open the door for us to negotiate a tax receipt as part of a potential purchase offer. We'll keep you in the loop as the information becomes available.

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This past Sunday we wrapped up our series on Justice looking at Luke's account of the last supper and the conversations that followed. The disciples, who during the meal received some shocking news from Jesus himself (that their traditional Shabbat meal was in fact symbolizing the Messiah who was in their midst), remained confused or at least a little misguided. Asking the politically motivated question 'Who will be the greatest?", Jesus adjusts the trajectory of their motives and explains that the greatest will be the least - the one who serves. What a great reminder for our new community as we endeavor administer Justice as we live lives for God's glory and for the benefit of others. May we invite others to the table (our community, God's kingdom) and never forget our roles in working with God for the redemption of humanity.

Some notable quotes...

"Drinking our cup involves carefully choosing those actions which lead us closer to completely emptying of it, so that at the end of our lives we can say with Jesus: "It is fulfilled" (John 19:30). That indeed, is the paradox: We fulfill life by emptying it. In Jesus' own words: "Anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it." (Matthew 10:39) (Nouwen)

[May we move towards] "a full-blown biblical theology that affirms both personal and social sin, both personal conversion and structural change, both evangelism and social action, both personal and social salvation, both Jesus as moral example and Jesus as vicarious substitute, both orthodox theology and ethical obedience." (Ron Sider, ‘Good News and Good Works)

"If God has made your cup sweet, drink it with grace; or even if he has made it bitter, drink it in communion with Him." (Oswald Chambers)

"Salvation is not only a goal for the afterlife. Salvation is the reality of everyday that we can taste here and now." (Nouwen)

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