Jeffrey Davis

Michael Brown, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) urged people yesterday to make cash contributions to organizations for the hurricane Katrina relief efforts. (link)

At this Sunday evening’s gathering, we’ll be collecting donations to send toward this relief effort, so I encourage you to come prepared. We’re not totally sure of the channel it will go through yet (Red Cross, TN Baptist Convention, etc), but we’ll know well before Sunday night. Biblically, it is the Church’s privilege AND responsibility to take care of those who are hurting and in need, so let’s step up to the plate yall. Giving of what has been entrusted to us is an intimate facet of worship.

Some have said that this hurricane might have been an act of God’s judgment on New Orleans. Whether it is or isn’t, I don’t know–it is beyond the human realm of understanding. Even if it was, let us (the whole Church, not just our local community of faith) not miss the opportunity to be used by God to display His mercy and affection–which in comparison, is far greater than His wrath. (please read Romans 9:22-26)

“Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words” ~attributed to St. Francis of Assisi

This past Saturday my wife and I watched “Shadowlands“, a movie based on the life of C.S. Lewis (pictured at left). Lewis coined the term “shadowlands” on the final page of the final installment (The Last Battle) of his lone children’s book series called the Chronicles of Narnia–however, I will not tell you by whom it is said, who it is said too, or what context it is in–you’re going to have to read/watch for yourself. By the way, the first installment of this series (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe) is coming out on screen, in hopefully non-cheesy form, this December.

The movie is based around a famous quote and teaching of Lewis’s that goes something like this: “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” It is interesting that the movie focuses on Lewis’s thoughts on pain, because his sole treatise on the topic was The Problem of Pain. He devoted the rest of his time to other topics.

Lewis happens to be my wife’s favorite author and is rapidly becoming mine as well. So I leave you for now with another quote from him that resonates with my very essence: “If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world”

Last night everyone got a little soggy as they arrived, but we still had a great conversation. We followed the modern day role playing of Saul’s conversion in the first part of Acts 9 from a couple of weeks ago with a conversation about the rest of Acts 9 last night. I personally felt like the portion of Scripture that we devoted last night to was either a more “shallow” portion than others or it’s depth was so beyond my comprehension that it appeared as shallow to me. Nevertheless, it was a great time that provoked thought and the impulse to study further on our own time.

As hurricane Katrina makes land fall and approaches TN as an inland tropical storm, feel free to meditate on these two passages of Scripture: Nahum 1:3 and Psalm 18.

Pride. Such an unbecoming garment for all who wrap themselves in it. If this is so, why then do we humans so frequently and easily adorn ourselves with it?

I was reading in the Isaiah (a book in the Bible) yesterday, and God showed me something quite interesting about this ugly yet frequented coat we call pride. In a rebuke of Jerusalem and the southern kingdom of Judah, the prophet says, “…So man will be brought low and mankind humbled–do not raise them up. Go into the rocks, hide in the ground from the dread of the Lord and the splendor of his majesty…”

Let me pause to give a huge hat tip to the good ole’ NIV Study Bible scholars and commentators. Why? Because there is a study note on the bottom of the page that says this: “the Hebrew for this word [speaking of the word 'majesty'] is translated ‘pride’ when used of people. Pride is our attempt to be our own gods.” Whoa, that will make me ponder my motives when I reach for the cloak of pride…

An interesting cover for the popular news magazine don’t you think? The cover article, “In Search of the Spiritual”, is subtitled, “Move over, politics. Americans are looking for personal ecstatic experiences of God, and, according to our poll, they don’t much care what the neighbors are doing.”

The article contains thoughts like, “Whatever is going on here, it’s not an explosion of people going to church” and “If you experience God directly, your faith is not going to hinge on whether natural selection could have produced the flagellum of a bacterium. If you feel God within you, then the important question is settled; the rest is details”. It then goes on to describe in a rather “hit-and-run” style pretty much all of the “religions” I’ve ever heard of–and basically how Americans have a bountiful smorgasbord of which to brew their own “religious” concotion.

Here’s the link to the article, what do you think?

Just wanted to remind everyone that tonight is our every-other-Wednesday- dinner-hang out-thing at my and Shaunna’s house. No format or agenda, just time to hang out, kick back, talk, and get some good eats…and oh yeah, it doesn’t cost anything, dinner is provided (by Gina Dane this week–you rock Gina). Check the “when and where we get together” post for time, map, and driving directions.

Peter Wagner once said, “The single most effective evangelistic methodology under Heaven is planting new churches.” Whereas I have a more missional and relational approach to and philosophy of “evangelism”, planting new churches is definitely a catalyst for that to happen. Any way you slice it Pete Wagner, Lyle Schaller, Leonard Sweet, and others are right–beginning new communities of faith are where it’s at.

Many times, more established churches “partner” with the new church to make an array of resources available. Such resources may include people, finances, direction, counsel, prayer, facilities, guidance, and much more. Most times these churches who in a way “sponsor” a new church are referred to as the “mother church”–kind of makes you expect the twilight zone music huh?

Today I have a meeting with a very cool guy named Jeff Simmons who is the pastor of Rolling Hills Community Church, a community of faith about 4-5 years old I believe. Jeff was one of the very first pastors my wife and I met with, in an attempt to get our bearings, when God first called us into this mysterious adventure of “church planting”. It’s kind of poetic, I think, that it has come full circle where today we will feel each other out (not feel each other up mind you, ha ha) and see if the Spirit leads us into such a “mother-daughter church” relationship. Jeff and his crew at RHCC have been nothing but helpful thus far, so I look forward to rekindling that.

To all who read this I extend a humble plea for your intercession that God would make His will for this relationship known on Earth as it is in Heaven. Jeff, I’m looking forward to kickin’ it with you today…

Wow, so somehow someone named Brittney who blogs at Nashville is Talking found out about us and listed us on their blogroll. Here’s a link to the post that introduced us. Cool stuff, thanks Brittney.

Neil and Heather Orne of News 2 (WKRN) are my and my wife’s favorite morning anchors! Every morning as we get ready for work we invite them and the other crazy cats from the News 2 Morning Show into our home. There have been SEVERAL occasions in which a comment or allusion has been made by one of them which has led my wife and me to wonder if they are followers of Jesus.

Anyway, there’s a link on Neil’s blog to something called “The PoMo Blog“, which is run by a gent by the name of Terry Heaton. Interestingly enough, the header and the footer of Terry’s blog contain quotes from Leonard Sweet. For those of us who aren’t quite sure who Leonard is, he is described in all circles as a “theologian, author, and futurist”. He has written Out of the Question…Into the Mystery, The Church in Emerging Culture: 5 Perspectives, Postmodern Pilgrims, and about about 20 other books dealing with life, God, faith, and those three things in postmodern (“emerging”) culture. He is also the founder of PreachingPlus.com, which is an “epic preaching resource”.

So, I don’t know what all of this is worth, but it’s a cool thought that maybe, just maybe, the morning crew at News2 are followers of Jesus who are living that out in a missional way. Even if they’re not, it’s totally cool that at least one of the local news crews realize that the world is changing–so why not change with it. (see Luke 5:36-39)

Just needed to let everyone know that this Sunday’s conversation will be at Shaunna and my’s house, not at the Dane’s. It’ll still be at 6:00 pm and you can find a map and driving directions on the “when and where we get together” page. Anyone and everyone is welcome.

Next week we’ll head back to the Dane’s crib. Grace and peace.