lost in translation

they speak spanish in costa rica!
who knew???

i don't speak spanish. i know a few words, a few phrases:
good morning.
how are you?
my name is jeff. what's your name?
where's the bathroom (donde esta el bano? - a good one to know).

but that's a far cry from knowing spanish. a far cry indeed.

at times it was very frustrating. frustrating to meet a new friend and have almost no idea what he was saying. i met pastor jeffry (really, there are two of us! God is good!) who i liked immediately. we could just sense in one another a love for God and for his people. there was so much i would like to have said to him. and in fact, as soon as i got home, i sent him an email. i used an online translation site. i typed everything that i wanted to say, in english, and hit the translate button. i copied and pasted it into the email and hit send. and held my breath. i had no way of knowing if the translation was accurate or not. i hoped i hadn't insulted his mother!

but during my time in costa rica, there was one time when translation wasn't an issue at all for me. during worship. each day, we worshiped with the kids who came to join us for the bible school. we sang in spanish, with spanish words on the screen. i made out some of the words, either because i knew a few or because we were singing songs i knew well, so i could translate in my head. but it was more than that. it was like, the words don't matter right now. i'm standing in an open-air multi-purpose space with a bundle of children, surrounded by gloriously lush green mountains in 70-degree weather, worshiping the creator of it all. sometimes words get lost in translation.

and sometimes they just get in the way.

on tuesday night of our time there, on our walk back from dinner, we passed a very small church - about 25 folks from the village were inside singing and swaying and crying out and dancing. each person was lost in worship. the front doors were thrown wide open as an invitation to join them. so we did.

and we worshiped.

man, we worshiped. for about 45 minutes, each of us seemed to completely forget about one another, at least i did. it didn't matter that there were only about 50 people in a space big enough for 250. it didn't matter that we don't worship so freely at THRESHOLD (though i sure wish we did). it didn't matter that i didn't understand hte words to the songs being sung, that they were all lost in translation.

i was lost in worship.

and i want to go back there again.

not so much to costa rica - though i am going back there too.

but i mean, i want to go again and more often to that amazing place where it's just God and me. a place where i can raise my hands and spin around, or where i can sit quietly and rock, or where i can be completely still - and worship. focus my complete attention on the maker and redeemer and lover of my soul. a place where words don't require translation because words aren't important.

hey. maybe sunday.

wanna go with me?

but what about...

when i give a talk like i did last sunday about the uniqueness of Jesus Christ as God and the only way to the Father and to salvation, invariably questions arise. they take a variety of forms, but they are all more or less the same, and typically start with the same three words: but what about...

but what about people who never hear about Jesus?

but what about people who were raised in a different religion?

but what about people who believe in one God, but call him (her, it) something different, like allah or something?

i understand the questions, i really do. they usually come from people who already love, believe in and follow Jesus. and as they study Jesus, they find him to be loving, non-judgmental and accepting. and aren't we supposed to be like Jesus? and if so, how dare we condemn someone who doesn't believe like we do? especially when they never get the opportunity.

there are a small handful of things i can say in response to this, but for today, i want to let some of those questions hang. i want to invite you instead to read, meditate on, and hang out with an important passage of scripture. read it now, and then think through the questions that follow...

colossians 1.15-20; 2.9

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.

He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth.  

He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world.

Everything was created through him and for him.

He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.

Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body.

He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead.

So he is first in everything.

For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself.

He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.

questions:

1. if God is God, and God can't lie, how firmly can you believe in and hold to the truth of these words you just read?

2. if Christ is the ultimate revelation of God, and the new testament clearly claims that salvation is in no one else except Jesus (see Acts 4.11-12), what does that mean for all people?

3. does it make sense to suggest or maintain that one God would reveal himself in ways that absolutely contradict one another? (major tenets of some of the world's best known religions are absolutely contradictory: for example, only christianity teaches that one comes to God only by God's own grace. this is completely contrary to the teachings of all other religions)

4. if God made peace with the world through the death and resurrection of Christ, what would we be suggesting if we said that that is not the only way to be forgiven and united with God?

5. if Jesus Christ is the full revelation of God himself, what kind of weight should we give to the words of Jesus about himself, his work on earth, and his connection to the Father?

6. how familiar are you with the words of Jesus about salvation, forgiveness, and how to have a personal, saving relationship with God the Father? (here, i want to recommend spending the next month reading the book of John)

i'll leave you with these questions this week. feel free to send a comment if this perplexes you, makes you mad, or leaves you wanting more. i promise to respond.

thanks

to my threshold family,

sometimes i open my bible to the new testament letters of paul and use his prayers to pray for all of you. this week being thanksgiving, the one in ephesians 1 seems especially appropriate.

i hope you can hear my voice as you read it today...

Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.

I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself. (ephesians 1.15-23)

i love you all and hope that you have a very blessed thanksgiving, no matter your location, your mood, or your circumstances. peace.

jeff

it's not rocket-science

before moving on in my blog to things of december, i simply want to use today's post to remind you again of our november emphasis on caring for the least of these...

“then the King will say to those on his right, ‘come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. for i was hungry, and you fed me. i was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. i was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. i was naked, and you gave me clothing. i was sick, and you cared for me. i was in prison, and you visited me.’

“then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? or thirsty and give you something to drink? or a stranger and show you hospitality? or naked and give you clothing? when did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

“and the King will say, ‘i tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’   (matthew 25.34-40)

if you haven't read the past two blogs, i invite you to do so now. if you have, but have forgotten, a re-read is in order. they both apply to this coming sunday, as we focus both on prayer and on caring for the needs of the world's least of these....

on sunday, we will pray. a lot. and we will receive your generous gifts to care for those who are poor or homeless or unsure of what the next day will bring. today, i ask only that you prayerfully consider how you can help. i know things are tight for us all. but for many, they are even tighter.

share your food with the hungry,

and give shelter to the homeless.

give clothes to those who need them,

and do not hide from relatives who need your help.

“then your salvation will come like the dawn,

and your wounds will quickly heal.

your godliness will lead you forward,

and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.

then when you call, the Lord will answer.

‘yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.

feed the hungry,

and help those in trouble. 

then your light will shine out from the darkness,

and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.

the Lord will guide you continually,

giving you water when you are dry

and restoring your strength.

you will be like a well-watered garden,

like an ever-flowing spring.   (isaiah 58.7-11)

the christian life isn't always easy, but it's not rocket science...

the burden

mondays are my days off, when i can get 'em.  it's funny when you hang out with God for a living - sometimes on my day off i don't invite God along. i sorta figure that 6 days of his constant presence and conversation is enough, and mondays are for eating bad food, reading non-religious stuff, you know, being like everyone else...

this past monday, the calendar was clear, and i was looking forward to a day away from anything ministry-centered. in fact, i needed it. and while God was welcome to tag along, i really wanted him to let me be. let me relax. not interrupt my 1000-page non-religious novel. prayer was gonna be constrained to a "God is great God is good let us thank him for our food amen."

God had other ideas.

after a great thai food lunch - so far, so good - i settled in to read the novel. but i couldn't stay focused. my mind was continually drawn to God's whispers. it was like he was saying, we need to talk. we have a lot to talk about. 

and so we did. all afternoon. and all evening.

so much for a day off...

we've been studying malachi together this month. the first verse reads like this:

the oracle of the word of the lord to israel by malachi.

the term oracle in hebrew can also mean burden. in other words, God is asking malachi to take on the burden of presenting God's word to God's people. as one who is responsible for that very thing myself, i know what a burden it can be.

but sometimes it's an even heavier burden to take words in the other direction. going to God on behalf of his people in prayer is also a pretty heavy thing, especially in times like these. again, a good burden, but a burden all the same. that's what i experienced monday.

on a regular basis, i am aware of struggling marriages, rowdy kids, financial pits, unhealthy practices, and dark minds. i am thankful that together, we have created a church -THRESHOLD - where we feel safe enough to share our struggles and our pains. it's important to have others around us who love us, who care about us, and who are willing to get on our knees for one another. that can be a burden.

monday, i felt its weight. but you know, it was a joy. as God and i talked all day and into the evening, we talked about a lot of you. his Spirit did a tremendous job of bringing many of you and your burdens to my mind, and in return i talked to God about them.

it was one of the best days "off" i have had in months.

as this week has continued, i continue to feel the burden to spend more time praying. so i will be doing that. i am convinced that right now, for so many reasons, THRESHOLD needs to be on its knees.  here's how you can join me...

1. submit your prayer needs

on our website, there is a prayer request form that you can quickly fill out that will allow your burden, or someone you love, to be shared with people who will help carry it to the Lord. go there. fill it out. our prayer team and elders love to pray, and they want to help you carry the burden.

2. pray

i know you pray. but consider praying more. set aside more time in a more determined way. light a candle. use a designated place. talking to God all day is a good thing, but go to the next level of a more specific set-aside time. pray beyond your normal things. include more people. pray for your church. heck, pray for me. please. get more serious about believing that talking to God makes a difference. i know all of the questions and objections about unanswered prayer, trust me. pray anyway.

3. sunday, november 23

make sure to attend worship on the 23rd. we are going to include a structured, intentional time of prayer, maybe as much as half the service. we've done this a few times before and the response has always been amazing. i'm sure this one will be no exception. we'll lead you in praying for your self and family, our church and community, the economy and our elected officials, the nation and the world. and hey, please bring a friend that day. tell them what we're gonna be doing. if they don't already have a church-based relationship with God, chances are that right now, they could use some hope. you can give them that gift by inviting them into this special time of hope-focused prayer.

4. let me know

yes, i'm busy. yes, there are a lot of people for whom THRESHOLD is home. yes, there are a lot of needs. yes, i pray for many of you every week. and yes, it's a burden. please let me carry them. over 20 years ago, God called me to do this, and he has yet to call me to something different. i want to know how to pray for you. it's okay. it really is.

5. share the answers to your prayers

two of the main reasons God answers prayers is to bring glory to himself and to increase our faith. that happens best when we let others know what he has done. when God speaks to you through answered prayer, tell someone!

thanks as always for being my partner in expanding God's kingdom.

i'll be looking for the bruises on your knees!

dare you to move.

dare you to move::christmas

well at least they let us get through halloween...barely.

but the wreaths and lights have gone up on the buildings of various shopping places, and that means it's time to turn our attention to spending more money than we have to buy a christmas that we deserve, and then some. right?

not me. i'm fighting back.

and i hope you'll join me.

the economy continues to be a challenge. more people than usual are not only gonna have more meager christmas celebrations, but there will be more hungry and more in the streets than in recent memory.

THRESHOLD collects money for our building fund every year on christmas eve. but the money isn't used to build a nice warm building for us to use for two hours once a week. our building fund is used throughout the year to help people rebuild their lives when the bottom falls out. a mortgage payment. a power bill. a car repair. a counseling session. a grocery gift card. we've been doing this since our first christmas, and i hope we will never stop.

but this year, i want us to do more.

i know, i know... many of you can't. in fact, more of you than in previous years have actually requested some assistance. and that's okay. that's why we do it. 

but many of us are still pretty good financially. while our 401k's have lost half their value, most of us aren't retiring anytime soon. beyond that, for many of us, our income hasn't changed. if you are in that boat, let's row harder. caring for our brothers and sisters in Christ when we have the means is a mark of the church:

All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.  Acts 2.42-47

notice the emphasis on caring for one another, sacrificially even. this is the church that Jesus created.

through the month of november, i invite you to turn your attention with me to the needs of others. as Jesus instructed, we are to serve and sacrificially give in our own church, in our local community, and beyond. So here's what we're doing...

within THRESHOLD - in addition to our christmas eve building fund offering, we will also receive a building fund offering on november 23. last year's offering is gone and we have a handful of pressing needs immediately. look for the specially designated bowl by the cafe on that date.

locally - two options: our G6 homeless ministry will be selling sweatshirts which will be given to the homeless to provide a little extra warmth for them as the cold winter approaches. and any non-perishable food products may be brought in on the 23rd, which will be taken to the Common Cupboard for distribution.

globally - two more options: the first is to adopt a child in costa rica for christmas. a team of 18 people from THRESHOLD are heading to the orosi valley of costa rica on december 6 to conduct a week-long bible school for a bunch of kids. we would like each of them to receive a gift during that time. your donation of $20 can make that happen. and the second thing is the annual operation christmas (OCC) child shoebox drive. buy and fill shoeboxes with members of your cell. challenge your co-workers or fellow students. or just do it as a family. in addition, come spend an evening at the OCC processing center, checking the integrity of the box contents and preparing them for shipping. it's a fascinating and rewarding experience. the dates available for serving are tuesday, december 2 and thursday, december 11. if you would like to reserve some spaces, please email april butcher, april.butcher@yahoo.com.

i'm not a big fan of having christmas thrust at me the day after halloween. it almost seems demonic somehow. but the cool thing is, it gives us a jump start on being the church Jesus created... more time to do what's right as we care for others who need our care.

let's see how many people can benefit from THRESHOLD's DARE YOU TO MOVE CHRISTMAS!

24-hour followers

24 hours.

one day, 1440 minutes. one full rotation of the earth.

in the course of a year, it's one day out of 365.

heck, if you average only 6 hours sleep a night, not 8, you will sleep 2190 hours in a year.

24 hours.

a fraction of the 8760 hours God gives you annually. just one day in 365 each year.

24 hours is nothing. almost nothing. and yet...

when each of us came to THRESHOLD on our first sunday, there was a chair for us to sit in, coffee or tea for us to enjoy, someone to smile at us and say hello, and a caring person to love on our kids (if we have 'em). those things were gifts. gifts from another person - a 24-hour-follower - who loves God and loves THRESHOLD, and who wanted us to be welcomed and relaxed so that God could speak into our lives. if we are still enjoying and growing in the love of God at THRESHOLD, those people - those 24-hour followers - had a lot to do with it.

are you a 24-hour follower yet?

scripture says: don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. you must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had... (philippians 2.4-5)

24-hour followers understand that as followers of Christ, we must constantly be on the alert to think of others first. and sunday mornings in our own church is the perfect place to practice.

more specifically, 24-hour followers identify one of three areas at THRESHOLD and give 24 hours to it. just 24 hours. just one full day a year in loving and caring service to one another, and to those whom God will be bringing to us. those three areas are:

1. SET -UP/TEAR-DOWN: put up the chairs, the stage, the screens. move some stuff into the kids spaces. drop a few carpet mats over some cords. then take it all down again after worship. sweat a little for Jesus and meet some other people you don't know. just 12 sundays a year. volunteer 2 hours on a sunday morning, once a month (2 hrs X 12 = 24 hrs).  (personal note - this is where i serve beyond my leading and teaching. though i do it about 48 sundays a year. every sunday i am in town, i help set up, beginning at 7:30AM. it is definitely one of my very favorite times of the week). 

2. CHILDCARE: teach children basic christian virtues and bible stories. it is so easy. and fun! the stuff is all pre-written for you. or just hold babies. c'mon some of you - you know you love babies! some teachers give one sunday a month ( hrs x 12 = 24 hrs), and others give one month per quarter (2 hrs x 4 x 3 = 24 hrs). either way, it's 24 hours. and you will have stored up tons of treasure in heaven as you put little children on the fast-track to the full life in Christ!

3. HOSPITALITY: set up the info table. make coffee (you know how i love you people!). stand at the entryways and smile! say hello. (could there be anything simpler or more enjoyable for the extroverts among us?!)  again, you might give one sunday a month, or maybe one month a quarter - either way, do the math. it's only 24 hours.

24 hours - your gift of 24 hours - could mean everything.

so i'm wondering... if THRESHOLD is your church home, if it's the place you count on for spiritual life, for people who will be there for you when you are in need, the church where your kids are learning to know Jesus as savior, the movement of God you believe in...

if you have laughed with, cried with, prayed with, eaten with, been hugged by, prayed for, or loved on - by anyone at THRESHOLD...

would you give 24 hours?

this is not something you need to pray about, trust me. it's something you need to do. right now. send an email to info@thresholdchurch.com. in the email simply put your name and the one area you will give 24 hours to. one of our leaders will contact you.

just think. you might change a life this very sunday.

mission costa rica

instead of reading my blog today, i would really like you to read the blog about our mission partnership with el jardin sagrado (church) and la gaviota blanca (youth center) in the orosi valley of costa rica. this partnership is the answer to about five years of prayer. in the past year, THRESHOLD has sent two teams there - one to provide a bible school for dozens of children, and one to renovate a youth center.

please spend some time this week getting to know about this partnership, and asking God where you ought to be involved. there is another trip scheduled for early december - commitments are being taken right now.

there is also a fundraising golf tournament on november 11 at firethorne country club. every dollar raised will go toward this mission.

thanks to jeff lewis for serving as our mission costa rica team leader.

thanks to van pennington for organizing the bible school last year and again this december.

thanks to cory wagner for creating the blog that gives so much great info.

and thanks to howard nifong for securing firethorne country club for us for the tourney.

guys, this is ministry at the next level - THD people listening to God and acting when he speaks!

check out these links:

Mission Costa Rica - mission info blog

Rick and Judith Grossman - our missionary friends there

November 11 Fund-raising Golf Tournament - please play and/or provide a sponsorship

i don't know what to say

i talk to myself. a lot. and not just when i'm alone. if you sneak up on me in most any public place, you will probably hear me talking. grocery store. starbucks. in the car. doesn't matter. being short on words is not something i'm usually accused of. i almost always have something to say. whether it's worth listening to is another issue...

you may or may not be like me, but there are times when probably all of us are caught at a loss for words, when we don't know what to say - and yet these are the very times when we ought to be most prepared to say something.

when are they?

well, hear it from peter, original follower of Jesus:

"if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it." (1 peter 3.15)

i've been thinking a lot lately about our DARE YOU TO MOVE focus - about how to most effectively and yet naturally invite others into a more vibrant relationship with Christ within the context of the church that we have all come to know and love. how do we get people to discover what we have discovered? how do we encourage and excite people to spend a few sundays with us so that they can see that not all churches are stuffy, legalistic or boring? how do we invite people to church on sunday? what do we say?

there are all kinds of ways to do this. marketing. ads. cool series. your kid is playing in the band...

and i'm cool with all of them. when the ultimate goal is seeing people eternally saved from their sins, as well as seeing them know meaning in this life, i believe in getting them connected to God in nearly any way imaginable. but i also firmly believe that one way far exceeds the others...

YOU.

your STORY.

your EXPERIENCE of the real presence and power of God in your own life.

what is your story? what is your experience? if you had to write a one-page paper describing the reality of God in your life, could you do it? what would it say? and how animated would you be if you read it to someone out loud?

here's the deal. i want to encourage and challenge you to invite people to THRESHOLD. but what is ultimately more important is that you act as a conduit between God and the person you are connecting with; that you understand that you are being used by God to bring about a real, positive, and eternal change in the life of another person. it's not about putting more butts in our seats. it's about saving more souls for eternity, and about helping more people in this world experience the reality of God in their lives.

so it starts with the reality of God in yours.

before you talk to another person about THRESHOLD, see if you can answer these questions about your own life:

1. am i saved? that is, have i turned over my life - both in this world and the next - to Jesus Christ? how and when did i do that? what was my experience like? (if the answer to this question is 'no,' i would strongly suggest that you deal with it before worrying about seeing anyone else come to THRESHOLD).

2. what real difference does God make in my life? what might i be like if i didn't know God? what can i truly thank him for? what stories do i have to tell?

3. do i believe that salvation from sin is necessary, and that one only finds it in Jesus Christ? can this belief drive me to be more concerned about others, to the point that i am willing to risk ridicule in telling my story if it will see someone else come to Christ?

4. can i write that one-page paper describing the reality and necessity of having God in my life and of believing that Jesus died for my sins? would it be exciting and compelling enough to move someone to change?

these are questions that matter. they are questions that every one of us should focus on. our answers to these questions are what can and will bring about the salvation of souls and the betterment of the lives of real people and of our communities.

DARE YOU TO MOVE - the challenge before us is to see 600 people worshiping at THRESHOLD each sunday by Easter 2009. in six months, our God-sized dream is to double. but i can't say this strongly enough: this is not about competing with other churches. it's not about making a name for ourselves. it's not about money!

it's about getting serious about being the church that Jesus has in mind. it's about seeing unsaved people become saved people. it's about seeing spiritually dead people come to life. it's about seeing aimless people find a purpose for living. it's about helping hopeless people find hope. it's about caring for people, because people matter to God.

the goal of doubling simply reminds us that we are all in this together. each of us is called in our salvation to be about reaching others. no one is exempt. we are all sent.

so you meet someone new. you learn that they don't go to church or they are not experiencing life in Christ. you want to see that happen. you are having a conversation. the time seems right.

what are you gonna say?

when the going get's tough...

when the going gets tough...

the tough get going!

who's with me?? let's go!

- brother bluto, animal house

their charter had been revoked. 

they had been kicked off campus. 

evil dean wormer had sentenced the delta tau chi fraternity to non-existence. 

but then, a young, energetic, believing leader - the charismatic brother bluto - stood among his depressed fraternity brothers...

and dared them to move.

for some reason, this scene in the movie animal house reminds me of another scene from nearly 500 years ago (AD 1521), a more historic scene in which martin luther, the great german monk/protestant reformer, stood before an ecclesiastical (churchy) court, and was told to retract the statements he had made against the roman catholic church of his day. threatened with having his charter revoked as a monk and being kicked off the campus of the church - and maybe even the globe (read: killed), he uttered some equally famous words to those of brother bluto: here i stand. i can do no other. so help me God. in other words, i dare you to move me.

both bluto and luther understood something vital in their day: that they were part of something much greater than themselves. they were part of a movement, not just some mere institution. you might take away their fraternity charter, or their standing as a monk. you might strip away the bar from their frat house or the monk's robes from their backs. you might even threaten them with their very lives. but they believed in their cause. and they were willing to go to any length, to challenge any foe, to see the cause and the work of their movement continue. they were willing at any cost to continue to move... and to continue their movement.

you and i are also a part of something much greater than ourselves. as followers of Jesus Christ, we are part of a movement. and currently our movement is being threatened. our movement is a movement of sacrifice and selflessness. a movement of thinking of others before ourselves. a movement of caring and of changing lives. a movement of doing whatever it takes to see people lovingly brought into a saving relationship with Jesus AND of seeing non-healthy people, families, and relationships made more healthy and whole.

the current financial crisis that is impacting our country is impacting us. it threatens us as a movement. it threatens us because it tempts us to forget about others and look out only for ourselves. it threatens us because it can cause us to worry about things instead of lifting them up to God in prayer. this crisis is very real. it does impact many of us financially - there's no sugar-coating it. but it also gives us an enormous opportunity to remind ourselves how Christ-followers over two millenia have confronted crises and survived. thrived. continued to make an impact.

the black plague.

ethnic cleansing.

financial and empirical collapses.

bondage and slavery.

threats of death.

Jesus never promised that following him would be easy. but he did show us that following him would impact people and change lives. and for 2000 years, people have done so - in the face of crises far more dire than the one you and i face right now. in the face of an oppressive roman occupation and a legalistic and warped religious system, Jesus came to ordinary, everyday people and dared them to move. if you have received Christ as savior and if you follow him today, you can thank those followers who took up that dare... and every one who has done so since. 

now it's our turn. it's a pivotal time in our country's history. people are uncertain and scared. i believe our community needs our movement - THRESHOLD  - now more than ever. your neighbors, co-workers and fellow students need you. they need to experience the caring and love of Jesus in and through you. they need some reassurance that God does love them and that he will be there for them in the midst of whatever is coming.

this is no time to get selfish. it's not a time to sit around with our head in our hands and say woe is me. it's a time for action.

INVEST and INVITE: be smart with your money. curb your excess spending. and continue to give what is right in order that together, our movement can move forward as a force for good in our community and around the world. invite those you know who do not have a living relationship with Christ in the context of a local church. show them and tell them how this relationship is real in your life. how you have grown. how you now have faith that is pulling you through these uncertain days. and please understand this: you are not inviting them to fill a seat in church. you are inviting them to experience the life-altering power of God in their lives! there is a big difference.

this crisis is a very real threat. a threat to each family. and a threat both to THRESHOLD and to the wider church.

but i am not worried. this is not the first time God's church has been faced with a crisis. it won't be the last. and God himself will be in the very midst of it, calling us forward, daring us to move.

when the going gets tough, the tough get going.

who's with me?

what a week!

150 volunteers, give or take...

375 bags of food collected...

over TWO TONS OF FOOD!

that's what we did together over the past two weeks with our Dare You to Move food collection outreach. way to go! you rock!

with that success still warming our hearts - and the tummies of the hungry - we now turn our attention to october. our new series is called: Unlocking the House of Blues. and it couldn't come at a better time. gas is still scarce, and congress is still trying how to figure out to maintain our financial stability. it's enough to make anybody blue.

when stuff hits the fan and life gets hard, how are we supposed to understand what God is up to? how are we supposed to deal with the anger or the disappointment or the confusion? on sundays this month, we'll be looking for the answers to those questions, while enjoying some great blues music at the same time.

invite somebody. this may well be one of the easiest times you will ever have to invite someone to consider their understanding of God and/or their relationship with him. while many people we know are not currently connected to a church home, chances are most of them still have some level of faith. let's take advantage of it during these uncertain times and invite people to find comfort and security in the only place it is ever certain - in the hands of God.

hey, thanks for all you do to bring the real presence of Jesus Christ into the lives of people in our community - the poor as well as the privileged. the hungry as well as the haughty. the down and out and the up and out. you won't lay eyes on a single person today who doesn't need to experience the full life that Jesus promised. as you invite them to do so, know that i'm praying for you. i look forward to meeting those you bring.

dare you to move.

feeling special

in october of 2005, michelle and i spent a week in california to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. it was one of the greatest weeks of my life! we spent three days touring san francisco, then rented a convertible for four more days in wine country. the weather was perfect and the vineyard valleys were spectacular!

on the 5th evening of our 7-night trip, we were in glen ellen, a tiny village in the sonoma valley. we had eaten out every night, and while the food was excellent, we decided on this evening to grab some food from the hot bar/salad bar at a little grocery store within walking distance of the inn where we were staying.

while perusing the rather generous fare on the bar, michelle noticed one lone woman doing the same. she appeared to be in her late 60's perhaps, and clearly a local. so we asked her what she thought of the food, did she get her dinner here often.

"oh yes," she said, "two or three nights a week." she volunteered at the library in santa rosa, about 30 minutes from her home. we were sold, and piled our boxes high.

then michelle asked, "so, what is there to do around here?"

(you can see this coming a mile away, can't you?)

"well," said our new friend, "do you like wine?" (i almost laughed out loud, at both the question and the answer!)

"of course," we replied. "what wineries do you recommend we see?"

"well, i would recommend kunde, "she said.

(that was cool, because i had just had a glass of kunde cabernet a few days earlier, for the first time, and loved it!)

"and when you get there," our friend said, "have them call for me. i'll give you a personal tour." and as she said this, she handed us her card. her business card.

Kunde Wineries

Jane Kunde

President

whoa! how cool was this!

the next day, jane gave us a private personal tour, including places that normal tour guests don't get to see, like the barrel aging cave where hollywood celebrities have had their wedding receptions. not to mention free wine glasses - nice ones - with the winery logo etched into them. and some really nice discounts on a few bottles of their best stuff. it was the highlight event of a highlight vacation. i loved being treated so special.

i sometimes wonder... do people who visit threshold feel as special as i did? do we all understand how we, like jane, have that capacity? it seems almost too simple, but with just a little thought and attention, we can make a visit to threshold quite a special experience. in fact, some experts say that people decide whether or not to return to a church a second time with in the first ten minutes - often based on how they are welcomed.

so here's the deal. as you know, i am considering october 5 a second grand opening for threshold. we have reached out into a number of villages in our community to let them know we are expecting them. we have designed a fun, yet relevant series for the upcoming month. we are stoked about growing the kingdom of God in this place. are we ready?

being ready means treating every guest as special. it means going out of our way to speak to them, show them around, answer their questions. any of us can - and hopefully will - do this. but in addition, we are looking for a cadre of hosts. people whose very lifeblood oozes with the desire to see people lovingly welcomed to our very special place. we are hoping for 8 or more volunteers for each of the four sundays each month. their role, while not any more or less important than any other sunday morning role, is vital. 

so... two things:

1. if you love to meet people, welcome people, and make people feel special and at home, you should do this! if people have commented in the past on your amazing gift of hospitality, you should do this! if you love to fix up your home and invite people over, you should do this!

2. don't huddle. even if hospitality isn't your gift, you can shut down hospitality if you huddle only with the same few people each week. i know that part of what you love about threshold is seeing your close friends on sunday. that's cool. just keep in mind that newcomers are watching you to see if you are watching out for them.

kunde wine is one of my favorites. it's not the best wine on the market, nor the cheapest. it's good, yes, but i buy it primarily because the representative of that wine made me feel special.

this sunday, someone will come to threshold for the very first time.

whether or not they come back may depend on you.

and remember, you represent Christ.

will you make them feel special?