[Upon reflection, I fear this is about our church. All of them.]
I am part of an ethnic enclave in a big city.
In many ways, it is exemplary.
The streets are safe.
The children are happy.
The community is unified.
But I discover this comes with a price.
Continue readingA fruitful individuality
Transforms both my self and community
I cannot just go with the flow
I must learn the power of “No!”
Yet contrary words won’t suffice
I must learn to judge myself twice
Continued from Sex 305: Game Time
I… don’t know who I am
Or more precisely
Which I am
Winning as part of God’s team
Differs from what it may seem
For we do not fight
To prove we are right
But rather, that YOU we esteem!
In a world where submission’s subversive
I find myself being aversive
If I’m to not lose
The road that You choose
I need to become more discursive
God sometimes seems under-handed
Our suffering, as if He has planned it
It feels like our pain
Is just for His gain
And we must give what He demanded
Christ came to re-story
What sin has de-stroyed
By sharing His glory
Union unalloyed
We’re made for each other
A narrative team
Yet loving my brother
Seems too hard a dream
Details TBD: Probably Labor Day Weekend somewhere in Northern California
WADACAM! Weekend Workshop is a mashup spiritual retreat and boot camp. The goal is to equip men to succeed in their most important and difficult challenges (i.e., relationships). We do this by tapping into the power of the cross via an innovative small group process known as Rings of Reconciling (pronounced “RoR!”).
Continue readingThe natural state of God
is Unison
The natural state of humans
is Division
We are divided from God
Each other and ourselves
And…
That is as it should be
Our church may need to move.
Continue reading“It is almost like there is a concerted effort
To destroy our communication
By someone who understands our weakness
Better than we do ourselves!”
A friend of ours has disappeared
Along with our greatest treasure
The good news is that we know where
The bad news is that it’s at the bottom of the ocean
We are standing in a long line
Outside, waiting to exchange money
Everyone else seems poor laborers
Ethnic minorities
Reminds me of the lines
When we were applying
For my wife’s green card Continue reading
A group of us
Decided to learn sword fighting
Mostly on a whim
But recently
Something happened
That made a couple of us
Take it more seriously Continue reading
Escaping conflicted comfort…
It is natural
To seek comfort
In the arms of Adam
Falling back
On the familiar patterns
And role models of culture
We are passengers on a lost flight
Or maybe we knew someone who was
Or maybe we are just pretending. Continue reading
Dear friends,
Thank you to everyone who registered for the “Discipling By Jesus” workshop. We look forward to starting this 7-week journey with you and Jesus at two sessions: 7pm PST Thursday or 10:30 AM PST Friday.
Here’s a few things you should know:
Continue readingThis week on The Great Reset the Biastes* (and Biasta) try the “Critical Community Protocol” to address an urgent local problem, which might also solve an important global problem.
This coming Tuesday, August 18th (1pm PDT), the Biastes (and our new Biasta Janet) reflect on Season 3 as we discuss a concrete proposal for how to practice co-discipleship in Season 4.
Question: What in God’s name are we trying to do here?
Bringing Heaven to Earth. One Cross at a Time.
[Update: see my background thinking in Draft 2]
Christianity Beyond is a movement of ordinary people who are learning how to make the same kind of extraordinary impact as the Jesus they love. We honor all the ways people have sought to follow Jesus in the past and present, but dare to go beyond that in order to demonstrate to a watching world just how good and worthy Jesus is.
Radically Happy 
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