Culture Makers - Forthcoming Actions/Creations

Let one another know what you're thinking...and how you could use others' input to refine things.

Culture Makers - Reflections

How have the last couple public gatherings stirred you? How are they altering your thinking about life, particularly life as a follower of Jesus? What questions remain? What observations have you made? Etc., etc.

Existing Better - Kingdom First

What do you think, how does one go about putting the Kingdom of God above all else? (Matthew 6:33)

Practically speaking, what does that look like?

Existing Better - Being Good for Your Word

Well, if you were at our public gathering lastnight, you know that we wrestled with our yes and our no. What a fun interaction. I invite you to further our discussion here. Post an initial response of 200 words or less, then interact!

(If you weren't able to be with us, I invite you to the podcast.)

Creating Culture #3

Thinking of Genesis 1-3, do you think it's fair to say that people were made with an eye for what's missing (or where progress is needed)?

Additionally, what if a major part of the culture making conversation involves selflessness? In other words, did the serpent simply exploit Eve & Adam's eye for progress by getting them to focus on themselves, rather than the world around them?

What if a key to culture creation is Philippians 2:3-4? What if a major means of being who God made us to be (culture makers) is keeping our focus off ourselves, and on the world around us?

How's that sit?

Existing Better - Making Disciples (Personal Reflection)

Okay last week I proposed that people post a 200-word reflection on the previous week's gathering, and then interact with others from there. Quite frankly I've loved this part of my experience at George Fox. So, once again I'd encourage you to post a personal reflection based upon our conversation (this time about discipleship). After posting yours, read others and ask questions, make comments and encourage!

I know that takes a high level of vulnerability, but it could also be very transforming!

Existing Better - Making Disciples

This weekend we'll wrestle with the simple idea that Jesus had a steady eye on making disciples.

I'm curious, what is your emotional response to that phrase "making disciples" (discipleship, being discipled, etc.)?

Second, in your estimation of things, "What does Jesus want to pass on to you?" Finally, "What does He want to pass on through you?"

The dialogue will prime us for the weekend, especially because my goal is for the teaching event on Sunday to take on a form unlike ever before.

Consuming vs. Creating

Having spent a lot of energy wrestling with consuming vs. making something of the world, I'm hoping that we can now our attention to the practical side of the discussion. How? How do we resist our desire to consume and instead make something of the world? Practically speaking, what helps you in this regard? (The discussion may need to start with us talking about where we're susceptible.)

If you're sincerely stumped, feel free to confess your struggle and then ask for help in discerning alternatives to consuming.

Existing Better - Prayer #3 (Personal Reflection)

On Sunday we wrestled with the observation that Jesus prayed (and he prayed hard)!

One of my favorite things about my degree program at George Fox has been the times when we're assigned to read 100-pages from a book and then told to post "a 200 word personal reflection on our reading. Then after you've done you're reflection, read what others' wrote and provide them feedback via 'push-back', encouragement, and questions."

So, lets try it, post a personal reflection (not to be confused with a summary) and then interact with one anothers' posts.

Creating Culture #2

In the end it seems that we left Genesis 1-2 agreeing that God made us to be gardeners and artists, but that we often find ourselves desiring to consume (which ultimately means we miss our invitation to make something of the world). To be sure, we agreed that consumption too is central to what it means to be human, yet at the same time it rivals our call to "make something of the world."

Now lets struggle with Genesis 3:

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”
2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden,
3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”
4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.
5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

At least for a moment, put Satan in the role of "advertiser" and Eve in the role of "consumer", what stands out to you? Lets collectively compile a bunch of observations and questions.

Existing Better - Prayer #2

What do the specifics about our prayer life reveal about what we believe, not just about prayer, but about God? Thoughts?

Existing Better - Prayer

Over the course of the last couple months, God has really been challenging me on the issue of prayer. First via Gary Haugen's Just Courage and then through my own time studying how Jesus existed. Having said all that, I'd love to hear your thoughts/interactions on any of the following questions. (This will be the subject of this next weekend's public gathering.)

• When it comes to prayer, is it “the thought that counts”?


• How often do we confuse “I hope” with “I pray”?


• How often do I really direct my prayers toward God vs. in His general vicinity?


• How much of Jesus’ impact is explainable via prayer?

Creating Culture

For some time now I've been intrigued by the issues of consumerism, especially Christian consumerism. How much of my life is spent consuming, or anticipating the next time I'll consume? How much of my life is about consuming, is it what I live for? To what degree is consumerism far from God's best for our lives?

Recently I started reading Andy Crouch's Culture Makers and his initial concern is that we were created to "make something of the world." So I've decided to jump headlong into a study about consumerism vs. making something of the world.

Genesis 2:15 states that God placed people on the earth and told them to "work it and take care of it," or in Andy Crouch's words, to "make something of the world." Then Genesis 3 God reveals that part of the fruit of the fall is that the earth will resist peoples' efforts to make something of the world.

• So, metaphorically speaking, could we say that a "thorns and thistles" are those things that compromise our call to make something of the world? In other words, if I exist to watch the Broncos get their butts kicked week after week after week, does that (at least for me) make the Broncos/the NFL a thorn?