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Praying the Headlines June 29, 2010 Denver - You're reading the National Prayer Desk where we pray the headlines on a daily basis and walk the city of Denver by praying for God's will to be done in our lives, neighborhoods, and in the lives of people in our community and our nation. Here are some of the prayers we have today the 29th day of June 2010: DC: The Senate will hear testimony from Elise Kagan in her Supreme Court bid and as expected there will be pointed "what if" questions as she continues to work through her confirmation hearings. Some experts are predicting that Kagan will sail through noting that she has little to no bench experience so therefore she has a clean slate and cannot be pinned down on errant decisions made. Kagan is a well known Academic and policy wonk and has forwarded liberal causes through policy making. Pray that truth will come out in these hearings and philosophy will be exposed and that the Senators might be able to ask the right questions that will facilitate the best decision in this important position. (NPD report) I spy, we spy, Russian spies on the ground in USA USA: 22 "deep cover spies" have been arrested throughout the US by the FBI, it was reported this morning. The Kremlin has not commented on the arrests of 11 couples who seemingly lived lives in the suburbs and American cities while gathering classified information for money. More to come on this investigation and definitions of "deep cover" will be developing in the weeks to come. Pray for the people involved in this which may include the communities where the families lived. (NPD report) Reaching out is hard to do The suicide of a skipper in the Gulf has called for psychological help being sent to areas affected by the BP Oil gusher. While the Obama administration continues to throw lawyers at the crisis, the suicide of Captain Kruse has had communities asking for counseling. Please pray for healing and hope for the region and their communities that together they will overcome with God's help in this ongoing crisis. (NPD report) This is the National Prayer Desk. Please feel free to comment on any story you read here. We made a decision to delete any circular commentary and repetitive whining in this column. To clarify once and for all, a commentator who took issue with a report from Elizabeth Vargas (ABC 20-20) on the circumstances of the death of Matthew Shepherd in Laramie, Wyoming revealed that Shepherd's death was not motivated by the fact that he was gay. The commentator continues to post the same comments that this reporter lied about the circumstances and is hiding his or her comments to "cover up " the lie. While NPD has deleted the comments I want to clarify that the accusation of a lie and "gay bashing" are uncalled for. In principle the crit regarding the martyrdom of Matthew Shepherd is the issue and that most murders could be considered "hate crimes." To single out a bill which points to this case as the example of violence against gays is the issue. Making something for which it is clearly a stretch to further the gay agenda is the issue here. Please pray for proper and godly motivation, a Christlike approach and action inspired by the Holy Spirit in every story and issue that we report. Reactor causes power outage in Denver
Denver-On the first day of our mission assignment we helped move a woman out of her Montbello apartment , greeted 40 urban missionaries at a house church in Park Hill, and reached out to kids at Elyria Park in this Globeville neighborhood. The temperature reached 96 degrees but it did not dim the enthusiasm of the junior high and high school students who came from North Platte, Nebraska and Casper, Wyoming on a trip that would include prayer walking from Morey Middle School to the State Capitol and back, doing service projects in the city, reaching out to kids in Elyria with messages of hope, giving them a new song, and praying together for the city from the heights and vantage point of City Park, to the dessert place of Emerson Street and East Colfax to Broadway. Reactor blows, smoke plumes and power outage By 6 in the evening a power outage in East Denver caused Denverites to wilt under the stress of heat. The Ancient Paths team led by Pastor Bruce Duell continued to move the woman and her belongings while a few High School students helped and followed orders. It was just one example that missions teams are here to show the love of Jesus in action and that love resonated in urban Denver the entire week. The reactor at 13th and Jackson caused a chain reaction of fender benders; spoiled food; and neighborhood gatherings. Pilgrim Church in the middle of our street Meanwhile back at Pilgrim Congregational Church in Elyria, Pastor Robert Quintana, rally the rest of the mission teams in cooking hot dogs in the park and organizing, canvassing and inviting families to a family fun night at Elyria Park. Quintana is a pastor in the Elyria neighborhood who loves the neighbors as he loves the church. Pilgrim is a rare church in the middle of 47th and Vine Streets. It has been there since Globeville was a company town in the 1880’s. It is the oldest continuous church in Denver and the third oldest church building. “It started as an outreach to kids in the parks, under a tent,” Quintana tells the Denver Evangelical Examiner, “It’s gone full circle,” Quintana says with a weary smile. The neighborhood is now largely Hispanic and nuclear families are intact. The pastor continues, “These kids on their missions trip are part of a three prong process of reaching the neighborhood. The first part is reach the kids, the second is to serve the community, and to invite the entire family to be a part of the community.” Writing on the wall Meanwhile there are cars in near miss experiences throughout a city without power. It is noticed from Elyria park and the situation is prayed for by the teams, the kids, and the pastors. At 47th and Vine the power is on with a godly motive, a Christ like approach and the power of the Holy Spirit pulsing through at the church, in the park and throughout the neighborhood. There is a verse that is a cornerstone to this mission that is written on the wall in the basement of Pilgrim Congregational Church, “Let the children come to me—Don’t stop them! For the kingdom belongs to those who are like these little children.” Matthew 19:13-15
June 2010 Family Fun in Globeville starts Tonight!
Globeville, CO. Monday 06.07.10- Today missions teams from Nebraska will be arriving in the Denver metropolitan area to reach out to the Globeville area. Every night this week there will be family fun events in two parks in the neighborhood and hosted by the rebuilt Pilgrim Church at 47th and Vine. The teams are mostly youth who are learning what inner-city missions are about. The Denver Evangelical Examiner will be working and reporting on their city moves all week. Motive Our special report on ministering to Globeville starts now. Everyday the missionaries will be sharing photos, stories, video, and songs about what they are seeing in the entire city. The Family Fun in the parks will have games, crafts, food, and much more that will show the love that Ancient Paths Evangelical Free Church Network has for the people of Denver. For more on this story and the impact of inner-city missions in Denver visit http://www.envoytown.com.
Globeville: At a church that is in the middle of one of the up and down areas of the city there will be laughter this week and next. Evangelism is knocking in the form of mission teams coming to Denver, sharing message, music and missions. There is a rezoning of the integration of church and fun and Ancient Paths is leading the effort and bringing families and friends together in the parks. Evangelism contains three main ingredients: Message 1. A Life Giving Message: In God's Story, God the father writes and directs, designs and conducts creative lives which in turn inspire creativity. He has done this since Day 1, creating the world we live in- out of nothingness. He has done this when He gave Moses a song so that the people could remember what God had done in their lives, who they were in this new life He gave them, and with their leader Moses dying, God gives them a song, and Joshua as their new leader as they cross into the promise land. God gave them a song while rezoning the path- the Ancient Path we still follow to the Kingdom. Evangelism is sharing God's story with a world that is on an obstacle course rather than the Ancient Path. Music 2. A song to remember: In a bit of musical theater, God lovingly brings his story to life with a song. He did it when Moses passed the baton and He did it again through the birth of the Christ child in a manger- in Bethlehem. Jesus' life is our song-in fact Jesus Himself, is our song and we are asked by him to remember his song. The Catholic's call it "The Mystery of Faith." It is the libretto, the words and music to a life-long progression- "Christ has died (past tense), Christ is risen (present tense), Christ will come again in Glory, (future tense)! No coda, just a building up, a swell in the music that reaches a forte. As he takes the bread and breaks it gives it to you and me and says: "This is my body which is broken for you and for all men so that sins may be forgiven." He takes the cup and he passes it around the table and then tells us to remember the cup. "It is the cup that represents the blood I shed to take away your sin." His song is to be remembered and for us to sing it. "For dying He destroys death, by rising He restores life and He is coming back again in glory." Jesus rezones the obstacle course in our lives so we can overcome. We can negotiate and navigate, he takes our addictions and afflictions and he helps us to handle them and give it to him. Remember his song. Mission At the Springs Rescue Mission God's message last night was heard; Jesus' song was sung and it was integrated with a Spirit that was indeed Holy. People from Mountain Springs church served 72 people with message, music and mission, with a plate full of pasta, sauce, bread, and bunt cake. In Acts, Jesus tells the Disciples that they are to wait for the Holy Spirit who will guide them. After it happens, they are able to do things they could not have done on their own, including healing, preaching, singing, and rezoning the religious landscape, clearing the path for us to deliver the message, sing the song, and live the mission of the God-Head, 3 in one. Last night the Spirit was flowing at Las Vegas Street and Tejon and from what I understand this happens at least six days a week! The homeless; addicted, afflicted, and without a home, have hope when they share a meal, a message, music and a mission. When followers live the mission out in the city- God works; God rezones the path and He will do so this week in Denver. Rezoning Globeville We have covered from Re- A-Z ing the mission field here in Denver. If you have followed this series which is a guide to looking at the landscape, the people, and the mission from a new perspective I hope you are refreshing your memory. From reactors to rezoning there is a lot of work to do by delivering this message of hope, remembering Jesus' song, and sharing it with the message of the Spirit that dwells in you as we begin to understand God's motive, follow the Jesus approach, and act on the power of the Holy Spirit, in City Park, Congress Park, Cheesman, Washington and Sloane's Lake, and in Globeville. Richard Beattie is the Denver Evangelical Examiner and a trusted messenger; a musician and an urban missionary in Denver and the Front Range of Colorado. He is on staff with Ancient Paths a network of house churches in the inner city. "Reactor Core to Rezoning Denver" is a series of journal articles on seeing Denver in a new light as a guide to the mission field. To get a copy of the entire series please go to http://www.envoytown.com. To support the mission work of Ancient Paths e-mail Richard@envoytown.com. Here are some of the events that we are involved and would love prayer for. Have you ever started work on a project you were contracted or had permission to do? The building permit is on the wall and you are happily working on the project when a there’s a knock on the door. The building inspector is a new guy- and he tells you that there has been a change in the office and your restoration project is in doubt. That is what the Jewish leaders charged with rebuilding the Temple were faced with. There was a decree, a return to worship, and a beginning to gather materials, digging, and construction begins. The Governor Tettenai is in the neighborhood and he is in charge of a region that in part includes Jerusalem. So he asks questions. Who authorized the work? Under what regime did you obtain permission? What is the history of the project? Is there backup for the permission? I need to see a permit- and verify it validity. Oh yes and I want names- just in case we need to press charges… So we have this mini-confrontation and there is a little intimidation going on. At the worksite we have a who’s who in Biblical Prophecy. The prophet Haggai was making speeches in 520 B.C. to stir up the people to rebuild the temple. Zechariah shortly after also begins to deliver the message. The significance of rebuilding the Temple was to restore a relationship with God, to preserve the cultural and the historic and to integrate God in every aspect of their lives. The gaping hole and the destruction of the magnificent is that they perverted their view; they forgot what God told them not to forget. The separated their lives, their allegiances, and their worship and God was calling them back. So they were called first to revive Temple worship, without walls. The music, the prayer, the sacrifice, and to make a list of all the elements required to restore and to carry out worship! Have you ever been in the throws of singing out and there’s a knock on the door- it’s a neighbor, or a family member and they say- ‘Excuse me- could you turn it down? Or find some place else to carry on. There’s a noise ordinance… Or I’m trying to sleep…” Reviving loud Hosanna’s can bring attention to the cause. What was the architecture like? What were the elements of worship that needed to be returned in order for the Jewish people to return to worship? My father was an architect on Long Island and in the late 1960’s he was awarded a contract to rebuild (actually replace) a Roman Catholic Church that burnt to the ground. He studied the sacraments, the placement, the natural lighting, and the acoustics that were God made and he designed the structure around it. The altar, the baptistery, the sacrifice of praise were all considered. Here was a beautiful cathedral that burnt to the ground, a congregation deep in despair for the loss of their precious building; and an architect trying to rebuild something that would bring people a better understanding of the tradition; the contemporary; and the restoral aspects of worship as called to by God. Earlier this year almost 40 years since the rebuilding of the church, my family sat in a pew- as the priest eulogized my father’s life. My thoughts of my father is his understanding of the relationship of that building, the revival of worship, and the restoration of our communication with the one true God. “Unless the Lord builds the house; the people labor in vain,” (Psalm 127). There is a documentary of the great architect Louis Kahn a man who lived a double life. He was a great architect who built some of the greatest buildings in history. He said often “God is in the plans.” The documentary was made by his son who never had a relationship with his father. The sad quest to know his father was to visit the buildings that he designed and to piece together what kind of man his father was. “God is in the plans,” said the man who wound up dying of a heart attack in a Penn Station bathroom with no ID, who was just another John Doe in the New York City Morgue. The correlation of the body and the Temple is a Christ approach. While God is my architect, Jesus is the cornerstone of the God-made church. Jesus is under fire for a statement he makes to the Pharisees: At his trial it says in Mark 15:58, “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this man-made temple and in three days will build another, not made by man.’ The Jews thought that Jesus was “referring to the literal temple” and the mockers as Jesus hung on the cross heckled him in the same way. The martyr Stephen who was stoned to death as Saul looks on was also mocked by the words of Christ. The Temple he was referring to was himself and his resurrection. So we return to Ezra and the meaning of revival of worship, the restoration of the temple and the church which is you and me. In the city of Denver, the inner city front that we are rebuilding the church we see that the actual buildings are now night clubs, galleries, and even mosques. The revival of the church is based on the revival of the common union- yes- communion where we remember what Jesus did for us. We remember why we worship, why we praise and as it says, we share a meal- and we take the bread, we break it, we remember that we are not worthy to receive this bread- which represents his body, but through His word we are healed. As we take the cup we drink together- the cup that represents the blood that he shed for our sins, the cup of the new covenant, the elements of worship- restored through his death and resurrection. God designed this plan- He is building this House. Jesus is the cornerstone, the builder who did the work to make God’s plan perfect. Then in our lives the Spirit inspires us to take action, convicts us of our wrongs, and corrects what we need to change. “By dying Jesus destroyed our death, by rising he restores our lives and he is coming again to bring us home.” The Spirit acts through you and me and is our strength; Christ is the contractor takes the responsibility as the project manager; and God is the architect- for as Louis Sullivan said “God is in the plans!” Repositioning Statement The Sermon on the Mount By Richard Beattie This series is part of an e-book designed for missions teams who are coming to Denver this summer. The e-book is called Love Revealed-A collection of renewed perspective in the city Denver May 25, 2010: The poem goes this way: "When the winds came, there was nothing left, except a man without a hat, left to genuflect. He knew all about the sacraments but he gave them up for Lent- including heart soul and mind, and a life he must confess." Most corporations, politicians, and publicans hire public relations firms to write position statements and papers. It is one thing we have invented to reinvent our images. Evangelicals in Denver have done that and Mainline religious denominations have done the same thing to try to reach the culture by compromising Biblical truth. The repositioning has been not on the foundation of the Bible, but taking popular stances in repositioning their doctrine and orthodoxy. The result is a dying church that stands for everything and nothing, who represent their block and neighborhood by their building. But they are like dogs with an invisible fence who have exiled themselves to their buildings, rendered irrelevant by the culture they would like to reach- but they threw the Word of God-under the RTD bus that runs past their steeple! The re-interpretation of Jefferson's letter separating church and state, has rendered them unwilling to engage their neighborhoods with the foundation of God's Word. So they re-write their doctrine and reposition themselves useless for God's work. Verse 2: "When the winds came- just a crucifix, eroded by the scandals, diseased and worn from the pain of sickness and out blew another frozen tumbleweed- broken and brittle, unmoved by its new creed. Lord have mercy, cried the man, Lord have mercy on me." Repositioning without representation Jesus who is the common union point of our community (Who doesn't like Jesus?) delivered a repositioning statement in what is known as the greatest Sermon ever given- "The Sermon on the Mount." In it he clarifies, underlines and makes a statement about the foundation of His Father's plan. Unlike the church and the teacher's of religious law (today and yesterday) Jesus delivers a "repositioning paper," a branding statement if you will on experiencing God's plan for our lives. Here is a direct quote: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law of the Prophets" (the First 5 books of the Old Testament). " I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them!" (Matthew 5:17). This preamble clarified God's motivation passed on to us for what we know as Mosaic Law, nothing added to the foundation except for emphasis on going the extra mile! Every law we have or had is in the Beatitudes, repositioning of the Ten Commandments. What Jesus did was he secures the foundation of Mosaic Law, and He reemphasizes the approach (he gives the message legs)! The foundation of law and legislation Murder;adultery;divorce;oaths and promises; revenge; giving; prayer and time,talent and treasure are given in a hands on workshop by the Master. We can only reposition our approach and gain power and relevance in a culture but we can't reposition the foundation. Our demographic? ALL; our method? Love; Our foundation? Truth- Absolute, care-giving, common-union of truth which can not be reworked or stripped of its meaning, no matter what man-made laws do to shred the evidence. The common union we have is that you can't kill God; you can't hate Christ; and you can't deny the power of the Holy Spirit and deny the truth of the His Word. God's motive is in the book; Christ's approach is in the book; and the Holy Spirit's Power is found in reading the book. The churches in Denver that have compromised the Word are dead. "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on a rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house and yet it did not fall, because its foundation - ON THE ROCK!" (Matthew 7:24-27). In Denver, the foundation in some of our neighborhoods are weak. The repositioning papers and statements; the re-branding of the message to be anything to everybody have found the church wanting, tepid, spit out between Colfax and Broadway- irrelevant to the culture and to the work of Jesus Christ in our lifestyles and our times. Care for the people unafraid like the Good Samaritan is what Jesus asks; love the people like the father who loves his prodigal son as much as his obedient child; give your life to building relationship with God's motivation, Christ-Like approach, and do it under the power of the Holy Spirit. That's relevance on a bedrock foundation, in the community beyond the walls of the church, that is the approach Jesus taught and can follow; and not by our own power but a powerful wind that fans the flame of the Holy Spirit in our neighborhoods. Verse 3: "When the winds came, there was nothing left, just a man without the Word- and a life he must confess, to no one in particular no living boy was left, destroyed by his own selfishness; and words from his TV set. "And he cried- Lord have mercy- Lord have mercy on me, Christ have mercy Christ have mercy on me..." Something he remembered became more than Latin Words, something stirred inside of him on this day... Richard Beattie, is the Denver Evangelical Examiner who is called to engage the culture through urban missions, media, and in the marketplace- to find out why Denver is an Envoytown visit http://www.envoytown.com. To get involved call 888-266-3180. Denver, May 24, 2010: There are many maps of Denver. Each one is a one dimensional snapshot that highlights crime, statistics; population, and directions to landmarks. We may look at our neighborhoods as safe or dangerous when we see the maps and as we listen to the media we might throw up our hands and say, "What can we do about it?" When you look at the map of where our culture is going it is hard not to be discouraged. Pornography usage is up in teen boys; the institution of fatherhood is in decline, the seven deadly sins are looked upon as virtues to be checked off, and the institution of marriage is being shot at from men and women who are not committed, and groups who want to change the institution to mean something other than a lifelong sacrament between one man and one woman. These statistics and issues are based only on one-dimensional maps of our city, that focus only on identification of the problems but not the long term solution. It is time to reorganize the map into motives, approach and prayer. (The M.A.P.)
Missional map making- starting on the east side In the maps of Denver we see a grid that surround parks which represent neighborhoods. City Park is bordered by Colorado Boulevard, 18th Street, and the City Park and Park Hill neighborhoods. From Colfax and Colorado Boulevard to Josephine and York to 7th and 6th there is the Congress Park neighborhood. When you look at this map you see bungalows, Denver Squares, and tree lined streets. At the bus stops and coffee shops you find the disabled, the gays, the political animals, the adult book stores, school children, shops, and the homeless. You find multi-cultural, races, and religions, neighborhood watch groups, the elderly and urban dwellers. You find all generations and walks of life in the middle of Denver. As you continue east you will find similar situations and economic ranges as we travel to Park Hill. Prayer walking Daily prayer walking for the neighborhood, the shops, protection and observing is one step into adding the dimensions needed for urban ministry. The common-union is not a commune! What are the common threads that no matter what your political, religious, socio-psychological, and lifestyle is? To tell you the truth I have not met a man or woman who dislikes Jesus. Jesus no matter what you believe is a common union in every community, no matter where you go. The idea here is that Jesus meets people where they are- that means in a marijuana dispensary or a cafe and maybe in some of the churches, mosques, and temples or The Tattered Cover Bookstore. The seekers, the unconvinced; the agnostic, and the Christian may all have different views of who Jesus is, but they all have high regard for what he taught, and his approach to the world. We all have a common union that Jesus as a man was and is someone we'd like to have at our block party. Community building The three dimensional reorganization to the city map of Denver is based on 1. Motive; Approach; and Power. The grid that shows where we can reach people and who they are is the statistic I most want to see. What is their motivation for their status? What approach do they have to their lifestyle? Who gives them the strength and power to live, work everyday? What do they do and how do they do it? I want to see a map that tells me "what they most need; what they most want; and how to serve them." It helps to know what to pray for; how to understand the common-union and makeup of the neighborhood. Renovating the Spirit- May 20, 2010 I read The Sermon Maker by Calvin Miller trice. I wanted to see if the story held up on its own, as a fiction piece. The truth of the matter is that it did not hold up on its own. While the story is entertaining enough it is trite without reading the pithy notes written for preachers. The notes by themselves on the other hand make for a good pamphlet on avoiding preaching pitfalls. The story is about Pastor Sam a still fairly young preacher who is on the verge of sermon burnout. He is trying to get his gift back but runs into obstacle after obstacle. One thing that is curious to me is why this Pastor ‘s story is all about preaching. He has the normal mainline obstacles like the “not so nice” church lady , Emma Johnson who has criticism for everyone and feels that her spiritual gift is “discouragement.” “Sam,” she says early on, “I feel like God has specifically told me to tell you, your preaching is boring.” So we begin the journey of Pastor Sam and his batting slump in the pulpit. While the idea is very creative my opinion is that the fictional writing is stiff and forced by the ideas Miller is trying to communicate. It was as if “Touched by an angel,” met “It’s a Wonderful Life” in an alley way and they both knocked themselves silly trying to redefine “angelology!” That may seem as cruel to point out but that was my first reaction to the fiction portion. I read the non-fiction portion by itself and then read them together a third time and in context the story was better. This is the problem with the method of the format. While the non-fiction tips were germane to the fictional story, the interruption and distraction stood in the way of both the points and the storyline. I began not to care for the characters in the story, and started to ask selfishly “what’s in it for me!” Catching myself with a poor attitude I began to take notes on what to watch for while preparing, delivering and communicating a sermon. Renovation of the Spirit 1. The purpose of a sermon is to “renovate the Spirit.” Is that why people go to church? Only in part. They go for the fellowship in community; they go for the music but they also come to understand and have it driven home that it is not about our ego. We can’t do it by ourselves we need God and we need one another. I have often countered that the political slogan regarding “change” can’t happen without a correction. Will a sermon help me to correct my ego-based thinking? When it does it can be enriching. 2. Sermons can be boring if only exegetical. Exegesis can seem like a long winded lecture; but Homily’s can accomplish historical and biblical background and tackle relevance that challenges an audience. In order to change minds and hearts in our preaching we must focus on the application of relevance to the audience. 3. When the writer invites God into the mix you can sense the nearness to God in the document, the approach of Jesus in the delivery, and the power of the Holy Spirit in the authority. The three prong outlet of the trinity makes for a sermon that people will relate to. 4. With God absent from a sermon the hole is obvious. Without Biblical content communicated there can be no relevant connection in the lives of the people who are listening. Miller writes, “When we lose track of God, sermons get pushier,” and this is a great compromise that too many mainline-urban churches are preaching. While social-justice is important without real connection to God’s word it is just a speech that becomes political, culturally timely but Biblically irrelevant. 5. The preacher must like his audience, when he doesn’t he loses them before he opens his mouth. Jesus always seemed to like people and had an interest in them. Missionaries would do well to learn to like the unlikeable gently identifying their malady; encouraging and challenging them instead of pointing fingers; and showing them a better way, compelled to change. 6. Lose the pulpit and get out more! The guitar is my pulpit, dialogue of the images God has given us is the style. Imagine a sermon that invites images from the audience based on Biblical content? When the sermon becomes a creative brainstorm that encourages ideas from the audience and by the end becomes a song, people leave with a song to the mission field. I will elaborate on this in the coming weeks. Interviewing a subject is also a creative way to bring points out and asking questions from the audience as well. 7. People are thirsty to hear relevant Biblical Preaching that impacts their lives. The quote by Barbara Brown Taylor is that “people are so thirsty that they have lost their ability to listen, to speak, or to think.” Imagine your audience that way- they come but they are not expecting much. When the preacher serves that audience he is supplying them a cool cup of water! 8. We live in a culture that does not take responsibility. The church needs to omit the spin of a message; be bold and courageous in delivery, and keep it short. Short dramatic messages that give no more than three things that can change your perspective, your approach and prayer life is just enough. They’ll come back for the next three the following week. 9. Call and passion in our lives needs to be communicated. A constant question is “why do we exist on the corner of A Street and B Street? Perhaps it should be “How do we reach beyond our street into the neighborhoods?” That challenge for our audience gets them to be participants in the mission. 10. Living it out- What Pastor Sam comes to realize is that he needs to communicate how “he lived out the sermon, the passage and the message in the community prior to delivering the sermon. I like that approach, asking people, visiting, getting out in the community and living out the gospel in the world. Conclusion: On its own each element of The Sermon Maker by Calvin Miller is not as impactful as the integration and application of the elements. The exegesis, the notes, the research and the Homily come together as story, message, application, and dialogue with the audience. I recommend this book to anyone in missions work as a creative tool to ministry. Denver: There have been studies done regarding what we remember. Now I have forgotten most of what the story said but here's the gist : Witnesses who have testified in crime cases don't remember details such as description (who), what actually they witnessed (denial of the what), exact location they told 9-11 (the where), and the time of day (the when). Many cases get thrown out because the witness can't remember the 5 W's. (Note to self- be more observant)! Now considering that Denverites are bombarded by between 600 and 3000 messages a day from spam, phone, billboards, TV, banner, bus, radio, tee shirts, bumper stickers, and planes that fly above Coors Field on a Wednesday afternoon, crime is the least of our worries!
Israelites and Denverites God gave the Israelites one task and that was to remember. You can imagine these people for 40 years with yarn tied around all of their fingers trying to remember what the yarn was for. God told them to remember who God is, what he has done and promised, where God is, and when God will act. "Remember that I am God," "Remember my covenant;" "Remember you were slaves in Egypt," "Remember your Creator." Later God sent Prophets to deliver reminders, the people didn't much care for that but thats another story. Ezra remembered God and started a building project. He contracted a big guy to hammer a peg, a stake into the ground as a reminder of the who, what, where, when and why he was there. We need that peg of remembrance in order to find our way home. It is the stake that marks the "plum-line" of the Ancient Path. We all need landmarks in our lives to remember what messages to act upon and the right messages to follow. The path in Denver Sadly we as a city have forgotten our path. We shun the prophets, we don't want to remember who God is, what Jesus did, and that the Holy Spirit is flowing through the veins of our public works systems. "Use what you need," Denver water says. In the letter from the Apostle James he writes: "Do not merely listen to the word, and so to deceive yourselves, DO what it says." (James 1:24) I love that, it is what we do that helps us remember. James goes on to quote Jesus (although the MLA folks would be mad since he doesn't give credit to his source!) "Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like." Erosion of the Word While the erosion of the word and doing what it says is not for a lack of access. There are hundreds of websites where the daily Bible verses are podcast. It can't make you do what it says. In researching how many competing messages there are out there Google reports that the average person reads, hears and sees, between 600-3000 ads a day. In further research the most acted upon messages are for some form of pornography. Escapism and acting out sexual messaging accounts for a high percentage of crime in our city. More alarming is that the crime victims are usually women and children. The industry has branded itself as "marriage saving" in respected marriage and family magazines. The truth is that pornography is a symptom of the divorce rate; corporate greed (Goldman-Sachs), addictions, abortions, and violence and that the industry as a media force is more profitable than NBC,ABC,CBS and Fox news combined. People are acting on the messaging from pornographers. They have forgotten the path home and it has reached epidemic levels. The church has felt it too. (Ted Haggard; Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Baker and the list goes on). Act now Remember God, and his plans for you, remember the approach and the bread and the wine, and the sacrifice that Jesus went through for you, Remember the action of the Holy Spirit who dwells among us, in our homes; at our workplaces, and in our neighborhoods. Act now on what you hear from the Word and the power and grace of our Lord will flow through Denver. As summer missions go through Denver this year I am asking them to observe the climate of what messages people are acting upon. Our prayer is to get the Gospel out in what we do and that would resound over the gossip of our day. And that our city will not merely listen to the word but will do what it says. For more information please visit http://www.envoytown.com. Denver- Ancient Paths Community: The Great Commission is relational not religious. Religion lords one belief and philosophy over others, that is a politics in bed with religion. Christ in everything, invites people into relationship with THE living God. The key word here is "invitation." In God's great design he gives us free choice over what to believe in. When a government dictates a "State Religion" or terrorists take out "infidels" grace does not exist. When political movements stand on their bottom line for power, money, and authority it is military and an enforced relationship. Pray that there is more common decency Denver and a calling for people to be in relationship with God's motive, a Christlike approach, and that our power comes from the Holy Spirit. (NPD 05.19.10). Religion For years we have practiced in too many churches in Denver the need for religion. In studying the great RE- we understand that the two letters are to start and begin again. The very word religion asks the religious to follow a set code of legalistic add-ons. The Bible does not ask us to do that in fact the Old Testament message is "Remember what God has done, what he is doing and what He will do." The Old Testament calls us into common-union in relationship with Jesus Christ whose body was broken and blood was spilled to give us eternal life. Religion dictates what we must believe and relationships invite us to change our perspectives and we choose the relationship because we want to. Relationship Relational thinking brings us to kinship. James Michener the great novelist said that "everyman is my brother," in his "This what I believe" essay aired on NPR. The essay is a classic on relational thinking and based on Michener's travels. While humanistic in its content he captured the brotherhood of our common union and like the essays of the time on "self-actualization," the process is actually the relational process of transformation as outlined by the Apostle Paul. We are human above animals for this distinct gift of relationship and in following our social needs our yearning should be a common union with Christ and in our community. Denver is ripe for embracing this distinction in perspective. Steps on transforming community As indicated in yesterday's column, the rekindling of our commitment to our neighborhoods is a step in the right direction. Transforming community is a yearning for the common union which we are compelled to be part of- not religiously obligated to. It is the commitment to one another to live life fully and eternally. In other words if the church committed to "making it hard for people to go to hell," in our city, neighborhoods, and society then it will be relationally and not because of our religion. The mission We are on a journey together. If our motive invites each other to follow God's plan, through His inspired word, if our approach to our community is live out life like Jesus, and if we wait on the movement and the power of the Holy Spirit and act on its measure of grace, authority, and outreach then we can usher in real community in Denver. Washington Park, Denver: In May of 1980 Denver was a town that had lost its footing and direction. Politically the city was in shambles under the lack of leadership of Mayor Bill McNichols. To be sure the Mayor was from another era, one that depended on Petroleum and tourism as our main industries. White flight, decaying neighborhoods, and the battle for preservation or destruction of historic buildings had reached a peak in 1979. People like Dana Crawford epitomized the new urban dweller who re-claimed Larimer Square in the late seventies. It was the start of rekindling the flame of Denver's evaporating spirit. Reagan Era Another jump start was the Reagan era. Pride in ownership started people believing that America could regain something it had lost during the sixties and seventies. Baby Boomers began moving and claiming the city, starting business, and rebuilding, renovating, and reclaiming the "city beautiful," and neighborhoods like Washington Park began to thrive. Congress Park, City Park, and Downtown began to wake up to the notion of community that cared for all. So where did the church go? Holding on to buildings In Washington Park, the old held on to the flame as a legacy without reaching out to their new neighbors. That is why so many have died out in our community. Some are holding on to small memberships and this is partially to blame on what Spirit the boomers embraced. The advent of the mixture of self-reliance, eastern religion, and witchcraft began to erode the spirit of Christianity in the neighborhoods. With modern theological institutions such as Iliff School of Theology, new preachers were beacons of relativism rather than Biblical thought. So the church was non-relevant to the new breed while the suburbs were thriving with mega churches. The organic message of the New Age can never hold a candle to the meat of the gospel and so the mainline churches plod along instead of reaching out. Rekindle the passion Today the churches are well washed tombs with dying messages inside. They are religious relics that cease to speak to the culture and instead jump in bed with it. Thirty years since the neighborhoods have been bumped up, and trendy cafes line Gaylord Street the Holy Spirit can be rekindled in the midst of the boathouse n on the lake. In May 2010 pray that the love of Jesus Christ can be rekindled in Washington Park, Congress Park, City Park, Park Hill, Five Points and even the Highlands. Denver is our mission field through media, through reaching out to the market place and the action and power of the spirit. Our goal is to fuse the city spirit and to rekindle community. What do you think God's vision is? How do we approach the city streets as Jesus would? How can we rekindle the flame at church, at work, and at home? These are our top three questions that we are going to answer in Denver. Join us at http://www.envoytown.com. In this weeks issue: Living the Mission comes up in June Daily Feed- Listen, read, sing and talk National Prayer Desk- prays and reports headline news The great Rebound- Re means anew- see the Daily feed columns Three steps- 1. Listen to the Daily Audio Bible; 2. Read the Proverbs; 3. Sing a new song Read the columns and write down 2 things God is speaking to you. Pray the Headlines |
 We are re-releasing the audio drama "Same Time Same Number" starring Constance Towers. This is just in time for Mother's Day. STSN is an original Envoy Radio Drama by Richard Beattie. It is a relational drama which reunites an adult son and Mom in a time of reconciliation and it is done by phone. For May the 2 CD set will be on sale for 14.99.
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