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New Website

Emmaus Road Church will have a new website up and running soon. Keep watching for details.

Living like 1 billion others

This Thursday @ 6 p.m. we're going to have our first "Poverty Supper". Beans and rice, and nothing else, will be provided.

The idea behind this is manifold (sorry for the archaic word; it just popped into my head). First, we will be taking donations. We ask that those joining us will donate what they'd normally spend on a family meal. 100% of this will be given away to alleviate hunger. 50% will stay local and be given to organizations like Food for Thought and Cherry Street Mission. The other 50% will go global to organizations like Nazarene Disaster Relief and Nazarene Compassionate Ministries.

Second, we hope that by eating together each week a simple meal of beans and rice we will begin to identify more fully with those in our world in need. Over 1 billion people on this planet, including some in the U.S., subsist on the equivalent or less each day.

Finally, we hope that our own priorities will begin to shift away from the materialism which is so prevalent and insidious in the way it consumes our lives. As we identify with those who suffer around the world we hope to recognize how we can begin living simpler lives which can enable us to better help our brothers and sisters in need around the world. In this way we hope to help further the Kingdom of God here on earth even as it is in heaven.

We hope you'll join us.

GPS: Reorient Yourself

(Note: Emmaus Road Church will meet every Sunday in June at 6 p.m. We'd consider it a privilege if you joined us.)

A couple of weeks ago I began the journey of reading through the entire Bible in 90 days. I'd love if you join me and tell me about it. Don't be legalistic about it if you miss a day, but allow it to stretch you to read more than you have before. Here's a link with the schedule.

While reading through the books of Exodus and Numbers, I was struck by the sheer amount of rituals and sacrifices and holy days and feasts and . . . well all of the myriad things that God called the Israelites to follow. Some of it sounds confusing, even bizarre, to our modern ears, but it must have had a purpose. What possibly could be the reason behind such an all-encompassing list of rituals and regulations?

As I prayed and asked God to help me understand, slowly I began to see what a radically tranformative way of life this must have been. God's purpose in calling and creating the Israelites as His people was to demonstrate to the world how best to live in relationship to God and with others. They were to be the nation through whom all nations would be blessed. And so, as they participated in the worship patterns laid out for them by God through Moses, their entire way of thinking, believing, and being was transformed.

Like a mountaineer alone in the vast wilderness of Alaska taking a GPS reading to locate her precise position, each time the Israelites gathered for worship, each time they kept the feasts and performed the sacrifices, they reoriented themselves according to God's loving direction.

The insight gained into Israel's worship also gave me insight into our worship and this question:

What is the purpose behind our modern-day rituals, liturgies, and celebrations? Is it not to reorient ourselves to the Kingdom of God, to the Way of the Cross, to life in the Holy Spirit?

Lord, let it be so.

(S)he who has ears . . .

I've offered this thought for reflection before here. But reading Brennan Manning's book "The Furious Longing of God" last night brought me to the same idea in a slightly different way. It's worth reprinting Manning's words here.

"How is it then that we've come to imagine that Christianity consists primarily in what we do for God? How has this come to be the good news of Jesus? Is the kingdom that He proclaimed to be nothing more than a community of men and women who go to church on Sunday, take an annual spiritual retreat, read their Bibles every now and then, vigorously oppose abortion, don't watch x-rated movies, never use vulgar language, smile a lot, hold doors open for people, root for the favorite team, and get along with everybody? Is that why Jesus went through the bleak and bloody horror of Calvary? Is that why He emerged in shattering glory from the tomb? Is that why He poured out His Holy Spirit on the church? To make nicer men and women with better morals?"

"The gospel is absurd and the life of Jesus is meaningless unless we believe that He lived, died, and rose again with but one purpose in mind: to make brand-new creations. Not to make people with better morals, but to create a community of prophets and professional lovers, men and women who would surrender to the mystery of the fire of the Spirit that burns within, who would live in ever greater fidelity to the omnipresent Word of God, who would enter into the center of it all, the very heart and mystery of Christ, into the center of the flame that consumes, purifies, and sets everything aglow with peace, joy, boldness, and extravagant, furious love. This, my friends, is what it really means to be a Christian. Our religion never begins with what we do for God. It always starts with what God has done for us, the great and wondrous things that God dreamed of and achieved for us in Jesus Christ."

The Journey May 23rd and Memorial Day Party

We'll be gathering at 6 p.m.--as is our custom--to pray, sing, listen, and share together what God is doing in our lives. You can find us at 2614 Central Avenue--between Durdel's and EST Dental Studio (north side of street).


Also, we're having a block party (well, at least it seems to be turning out that way) at our place on Memorial Day at 5 p.m.--rain or shine. We're providing the meat and are simply asking those who come to bring a side dish or dessert.

If you're interested, please e-mail me at emmausroadchurch.gmail.com so I can get an idea of how much food we'll need.

Priceless . . .

We had an awesome night tonight. It reminded me of the Mastercard commercials:

24 people.
1 1/2 hour sharing, worship, praying, listening.
Hanging out over ice cream and cake at our place.
Priceless.

Thanks God.