Open Source Learning

My friend, Tim Pynes pointed me to this video–amazing ideas and implications.  Its got me thinking today…

Conversations that Interest Me

So many things to talk about—so little time!  I’ve been thinking of all the conversations going on around me—and in my own head sometimes.  There are countless books to read, news to scan, websites and blogs to visit, podcasts to download and listen to, videos to watch…  Information overload!   

With all of it, my tendency is to feel overwhelmed and burdened down—to have a mind that is cluttered and unfocused.  How do I decide what is really important?  Which conversations to engage?   

Sometimes, I just need to unwind—catch a movie with my wife, watch some sports on TV, check out my fantasy baseball team, shoot some baskets with my daughters.   

I like talking about lots of things… 

But as I think about the conversations that really interest me right now—three of them rise to the surface.  They continue to draw me in…

A Conversation about Church 

What does it look like for a group of people to form around Jesus—to live as a vibrant community with Jesus as the head?    

What does it mean to be Christ’s church?  What are the essential DNA, the understandings and practices of the church of Christ?  In what ways is this being lived out in the real world around me?  What difference is it making in the lives of Christians and the world around these Christians?  What are the stories—what does this look like?    

A Conversation about Mission 

What does it look like to follow Jesus on mission?   

What is Jesus doing in our world?  In what ways can we join Jesus in his mission?  In what ways can we incarnate Christ and engage real people around us with the gospel of Christ?  How is that going?  What are stories of people on mission?   

I’m especially interested in mission among and to those who are “unreached” and even “unreachable” by normal Christian churches (traditional approaches).  I’m especially interested in those who are separated by too much cultural distance to have a meaningful encounter with Christ and the gospel in typical, traditional churches.   I wonder how many people are interested in Jesus–but not able to have a meaningful encounter with him in existing churches. 

Of course, I’m interested in this conversation regarding mission in Mexico—reaching those who are unreached in my region.  I’m also interested in this conversation regarding mission among unreached people in the U.S.   

A Conversation about Jesus and Following Him 

What does it look like to follow Jesus and be transformed by him?   

Who is Jesus and what does it mean to be a follower of Jesus?  For sometime I’ve been especially intrigued with Jesus’ words:  “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice” (Luke 8:21).  I’m interested in practicing this individually and with others.  I’m interested in the questions:  “What are we hearing from God?” and “In what ways are we responding?”  I’m impressed with how conversations around these questions are usually vibrant and transformational.   

These three conversations have my sustained attention lately.  I’m especially interested—especially listening.  

A Grace-Filled Weekend: On Mission to Kids with A House Church in La Piedad

We spent the weekend on mission with a house church in La Piedad, Michoacan.  This church began 2 ½ years ago.  Martin and Rosa are people of peace who invited us into their home and into their network of relationships to demonstrate and proclaim the Good News of Jesus and the Kingdom.  From the beginning of our relationship, they have wanted us to help them grow to be a vibrant spiritual family of Jesus in and to their neighborhood.  Experiencing God’s work through their lives has been one of the highlights of the past couple of years.   

Martin and Rosa—and virtually everyone around them—live in a world marked by alcohol and drug addiction.  Almost everyone they know fall into at least one of these categories:  addict, recovering addict, codependent family member of addict.   

They believe that God has rescued and graced them so they can participate with God to rescue others.  They especially feel fashioned by God to help kids and youth to choose a better path for their lives.   

This past weekend, we accompanied them in their 2^nd kids/youth weekend.  The 1^st one was back in November.  This time, four leaders from 2 of the house churches in Guadalajara joined my family and me and almost 30 kids and youth from their network of friends and family.   

We spent about 28 hours in and around Martin’s house ministering to, playing with, and talking and listening to kids.  It was messy.  At times it was wild.  There were really 2 groups of kids.  There were about 20 young kids (5 to 11 years old).  There were 8 youth (13-17).   

It felt good to be useful in God’s hands—to really feel like God reached in to the lives of desperate and hurting kids.   

We told and played three stories from scripture.  Early on Saturday, we told the story of Creation—were able to really talk about God’s dream for humans and for the world God made.  We listened to each other admit that the world we live in seems a lot different than the perfect one that God called “good.”   

Later on that afternoon, we told the story of the 1^st humans and their choice to not trust God and to disobey—we were able to really talk about the lies being spoken around us—about consequences—specifically the ones we’ve seen with our own eyes and experienced.  We discovered together again that God looks for people even when we’ve messed up.   

On Sunday morning we told the story of Adam’s and Eve’s children and how as 2^nd generation humans, they had to suffer consequences of their folks’ disobedience—and how they also got a chance to choose for themselves.  We challenged one another to not live as victims. 

In the hours after each story, there were conversations and games.  There were activities and some really powerful skits and object lessons.   There was singing and praying…and some crying. 

It was a great weekend—great to feel used by God for good in the lives of kids who really need some good.   It was especially good to see God work through my friends—to see people very dear to me live more fully into God’s design for their lives–and for them to know it.