Revolution

Bono's Acceptance Speech

you gotta listen to the end... it's one of the better sermon's I've heard...

Holiness is under-rated.

Olivia has been blogging some great reasons for being Holy. Steve Court suggests that holiness is the solution to every problem. (they should write a book about it!)
But, holiness has fallen out of fashion in the last few years, I wonder why?
Some suggest it's the word itself (conjurs up notions of old men yelling about hell and assigning women to domestic servitude) others seem to think it's that we live in Sodom (depth of sexual depravity) - SO, holiness just doesn't seem like a real option. I remember watching my husband give an unashamed, biblical pitch for holiness at a Territorial (national for the army beginner) Youth thingy (not the official name), and I stood amazed as dozens of young people came forward and wept for the blessing.

Afterward I was having a discussion (aka: hearing a lecture) with an adult about the 'dangers of preaching holiness'... and they went over a few. The story went: there are many ways to experience God and maybe we should recognize that and let's not set up young people to fail (blah, blah, blah). But the really sad part is that although there are many ways to experience God - holiness is almost never presented to young people as an option. That kills me. I realized that for many of those youth that day it was the first time someone said to them that holiness was even possible. That is a modern day tragedy. Above all things I want to believe that the God who saves is also the God who keeps.

I don't know why I was amazed at the desire of young people to be holy: Understandably, holiness can often turn quickly into a deep seated religion and hard set of rules, but holiness that is about reckless abandon, holy zeal and unrestrained mission - that's attractive. I call it expansive holiness... inside-out, infectious holiness, or Fullness works for me (thanks to JM for living the dream!).

This whole thing reminds me of the time I coached a high school basketball team. We went on road trips to get some competitive games and when on the road trip (often saturdays) I'd do some preach prep. by asking the girls what they thought of the scripture I was reading. One easter weekend I read the story of Christ's death. The responses of the girls convicted me. They asked why Jesus had to die? Did he rise from the dead? Why would God let that happen? etc...
in other words, it quickly dawned on me that they had never heard the gospel. And this is the rub: I assumed I was dealing with a youth culture that had rejected Christ, when clearly I was dealing with people who had never heard of him. I think the same exact thing may be true about holiness. Let's start an Uprising...

The War College

Here is a picture of 614 Vancouver's Corps Training Secretary... the trained warrior (mighty man) that will lead the charge of The War College on our front. Have you checked out thewarcollege.com (thewarcollege.blogspot.com or myspace.com/thewarcollege)? it's worth a look - you can read all about people around the world whose lives have been changed forever because they took one year to get trained for mission and ruined for the ordinary. This year we are inciting a revolution... next year we are igniting fires everywhere. Don't miss the fight.
I'm quite pumped about it right now, because there are heaps of war college grads visiting these days - and their lives are impressive. They are sold out, mature, keen, willing and ready warriors. None of them are concerned with how much money they make, or what 'position' they hold - all of them are content to find a good fight and get to it... sacrificially laying down their rights, rank and lives for the lost, the last and the least. They have great stature in God's kingdom it's clear. What a privilege to know them and to fight with them for God's Kingdom come. I'm praying for even more... we mean to change the whole world. I hope I can keep up... I think we're getting ready for the horses (see Jeremiah 12:5).

God at kneedrill!

Thursday night is always fun at 614 Vancouver's kneedrill.
In the heat of the hood we meet to fix our eyes on the King and ask Him to usher in the Kingdom.
He does.
Tonight He did it with the crew from Charlotte 614 Firecrest team leading the charge. It was sweeeeeet.
Add the visit of Linwood House (our friends and partners from the beginning), the parents of War College students and the many people from our community (cell mates, phase 2 leaders, adopted warriors, crossculture teens, and outposters) a reunion of some rowdy worshippers and you've got yourself a recipe for a party.
And a party it was. God is love and I love to worship Him. And I love to worship Him WITH my friends.
What a great God we serve.
God let the party expand, continue and overflow into the streets of the downtown eastside! Your Kingdom come.
the picture below is of another night.... but you get the hang of it I'm sure.
I think Kirsten was armed with a camera so stay tune for more fun pics of some serious dancing...

The New Friars

So, my friend Olivia lent me a book to read on my last trip.
Scott Bessenecker presents a great overview of 'the emerging movement serving the world's poor'.
It's inspiring and I highly recommend it - it actually surprised me that what we are aiming for is so clearly part of a larger movement of God's people on the earth... here's the five essential ingredients he suggests:
1. incarnation
2. devotional
3. communal
4. missional
5. marginal

another 30 day experiment finishes...

So, this is the last day of Feb. and my 30 days in the war room experiment is over. Incidentally, this day just happens to be the 3rd year celebration of non-stop prayer in the Dowtown Eastside of Vancouver. So, my last shift of this month's experiment is the culmination of our time together in prayer and a celebration of God's faithfulness to that end. Cool.

It's amazing how God can make a small room in a slum hotel into a holy place of intercession. Only God could think of this. And, one thing I'm going to miss intensely about this community is The War Room. It's significance can only be under-rated by us on this side of heaven. I'm convinced this habit is a world winning strategy... and I'm already praying for a holy space in another city around the other side of the world to spring up soon...

My next 30 day experiment: MOVING!!