Motion Church Blog

Do you know Carl?

2007-08-21T21:55:00.000-07:00

Let me introduce you to my friend. Well, he doesn't remember my name because he struggles with a mental disorder and he is homeless, but he remembers me. Tonight we chatted as I was leaving work and he was fishing through Subway's dumpster, he seems to be "hanging in there."

Carl has taught me that you don't need that much to survive. I'm not saying that he's living the good life, but he seems pretty happy. I wonder what else I will learn from Carl, now if I can just get him to remember my name......

Spiritual Pathway Assessment

2007-08-13T15:09:00.000-07:00

Hey, for those of you who weren't at Motion on Sunday August 12th... here is the spiritual pathway assessment that we used.

http://www.willowcreek.org/pdfs/Spiritual%20Pathway%20Assessment.pdf

You might want to check out the podcast for this week too...

Air Filter

2007-08-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

Last night our air conditioner stopped blowing cool air, thas was a problem. Early this morning the heat/air guy showed up. He fixed the problem and along the way he shared some wisdom with us. He noticed that we had a really expensive Ultra Pollen air filter. He shared that although they do an excellent job at blocking pollen and allergens, they also do an amazing job at blocking your systems air flow, potentially causing your A/C to freeze up...

So in light of that information I hit Biggs and scored some cheap $0 .89 air filters. Trust me, anything can get through these filters, including air. So we may be breathing in more allergens, but at least were not hot and potentially damaging our A/C system....So why am I blogging about this?

Well, in the simple revelation of an air filter I saw Christians. So often we surround ourselves with Ultra safe filters that protect us from the world and all people not like us. In the process these filters begin to shut down our systems and things like faith, hope, and love can't flow through to other people.

This month we're talking about momentum and I think that one way to maintain or create momentum is by removing the Ultra safe filters from our lives, allowing us to interact with the world. When we begin to get a little dirty with the world around us (I don't mean becoming a crack addict), the flow of the Spirit increases as we find ourselves turning to God in what inevitably will be overwhelming situations and conversations. It all makes sense to me, so I hope you are checking your filters...

The Touch

2007-08-07T06:31:00.000-07:00

Last month we took some time to look at how the first church in Acts, was formed, and we used the metaphor of a body to help us visualize the process. The last week we took a look at the final "layer" of the body... the skin. We talk about the idea of "Jesus with skin on" around here a lot. The idea is that after Jesus' physical presence left the earth when he ascended to heaven, he commissioned us to be his "hands" and "feet."

I was reading in a book I've owned for a while by Max Lucado called "Just like Jesus." He uses the story of the leper that Jesus healed as a fascinating example of the power of "skin."

"When Jesus cam down from the hill, great crowds followed him. Then a man with a skin disease came to Jesus. The man bowed down before him and said, "Lord, you can heal me if you will." Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man and said, "I will. Be healed!" And immediately the man was healed from his disease." Matthew 8:1-3

Then Max wonders about the background story of this leper... could it be something like this?

"For five years no one touched me. No one. Not one person. Not my wife. Not my child. Not my friends. No one touched me. They saw me. They spoke to me. I sensed love in their voices. I saw concern in their eyes. But I didn't feel their touch. There was no touch. Not once. No once touched me. What is common to you, I coveted. Handshakes. Warm embraces. A tap on the shoulder to get my attention. A kiss on the lips to steal a heart. Such moments were taken from my world. NO one touched me. NO one bumped into me. What I would have given to be bumped into, to be caught in a crowd, for my shoulder to brush against another's. But for five years it has not happend. How could it? I was not allowed on the streets. Even the rabbis kept their distance from me. I was not permitted in my synagogue. Not even welcome in my own house. I was untouchable. I was a leper. And no one touched me. Until today."

The touch did not heal the disease, you know. Matthew is careful to mention that it was the pronouncement and not the touch of Christ that cured the condition. "Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man and said, 'I will. Be healed!' And immediately the man was healed from his disease" (Matt. 8:3)

The infection was banished by a word from Jesus. The loneliness, however, was treated by a touch from Jesus. Oh, the power of a godly touch. Haven't you known it? The doctor who treated you, or the teacher who dried your tears? Was there a hand holding yours at a funeral? Another on your shoulder during a trial? A handshake or welcome at a new job? A pastoral prayer for healing? Haven't we known the power of a godly touch?

Can't we offer the same?

Many of you already do. Some of you have the master touch of the Physician Himself. You use your hands to pray over the sick and minister to the weak. If you aren't touching them personally, your hands are writing letters, dialing phones, baking pies. You have learned the power of a touch.

But others of us tend to forget. Our hearts are good; it's just that our memories are bad. We forget how significant one touch can be. We fear saying the wrong thing or using the wrong tone or acting the wrong way. So rather than do it incorrectly, we do nothing at all.

Aren't we glad Jesus didn't make the same mistake? If your fear of doing the wrong thing prevents you from doing anything, keep in mind the perspective of the lepers of the world. They aren't picky. They aren't finicky. They're just lonely> They are yearning for a godly touch.

Jesus touched the untouchables of the world. Will you do the same?

Ping Pong, Pool, and People

2007-07-14T12:18:00.000-07:00

It is truly amazing what happens when you create an atmosphere for people to connect. This week marked the first Saturday for Motion to serve at The Outlet. Five of us showed up to serve coffee, shoot pool, and play cards in hopes that we would all realize our need for community. It was a great morning, Mark dominated the Ping Pong table and while Andrew got hustled on the pool tables, Laura and her father Vlad, taught me a thing or two about playing domino's "Lithuanian" style.

Overall it was a great morning and we were able to journey OUTWARDS in the simple act of conversation. No one was converted and no one was miraculously healed, but I think a few individuals felt like they mattered, even if for a brief moment. I can only imagine that this is how the outcasts felt when Jesus took the time to eat and drink with them.

Baptism

2007-07-08T15:49:00.000-07:00

Excerpt from the “Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren. (pgs 120-121)

BAPTISM: IDENTIFYING WITH GOD’S FAMILY

Healthy families have family pride; members are not ashamed to be recognized as a part of the family. Sadly, I have met many believers who have never publicly identified themselves with their spiritual family as Jesus commanded - by being baptized. Baptism is not an optional ritual, to be delayed or postponed. It signifies your inclusion in God’s family. It publicly announces to the world, “I am not ashamed to be a part of God’s family.” Have you been baptized? Jesus commanded this beautiful act for all in his family. He told us to “go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” (a)
For years I wondered why Jesus’ Greatest Commission gives the same prominence to baptism as it does to the great tasks of evangelism and edification. Why is baptism so important? Then I realized it is because it symbolizes God’s second purpose for your life: participating in the fellowship of God’s eternal family. Baptism is pregnant with meaning. Your baptism declares your faith, shares Christ’s burial and resurrection, symbolizes your death to your old life, and announces your new life in Christ. It is also a celebration of your inclusion in God’s family. Your baptism is a physical picture of a spiritual truth. It represents what happened the moment God brought you into his family: “Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into Christ’s body by one Spirit, and we have all received the same Spirit.” (b)
Baptism doesn’t make you a member of God’s family; only faith in Christ does that. Baptism shows you are part of God’s family. Like a wedding ring, it is a visible reminder of an inward commitment made in your heart. It is an act of initiation, not something you put off until you are spiritually mature. The only biblical condition is that you believe. (c)
In the New Testament, people were baptized as soon as they believed. At Pentecost, 3,000 were baptized the same day they accepted Christ. Elsewhere, an Ethiopian leader was baptized on the spot when he was converted, and Paul and Silas baptized a Philippian jailer and his family at midnight. There are no delayed baptisms in the New Testament. If you haven’t been baptized as an expression of your faith in Christ, do so as soon as possible, as Jesus commanded.

(a)Matthew 28:19
(b) 1Corinthians 12:13
(c) Acts 2:41; 8:12-13,35-38

I just want six, now!

2007-06-14T21:05:00.000-07:00

This morning my four year old daughter was insistent upon having six mini waffles. I told her that I would get her two more if she ate the first four. She nearly threw a fit because she wanted six all ate the same time. I have no clue what was going through her head, but I don't think it was too far from how we adults operate.

I know that there are certain things I like to do specific ways, for instance, I like to strategically cut up my French toast into nice little squares before I eat it. Also, I don't like to drink through straws, I want to feel the coldness of the ice on my lips.

When things in life mess up our systems of how we like to do things we get frustrated, but maybe in the voice of wisdom we come to find that there is a better system. Are you sure that your not potentially going to waste your last 2 waffles?

Andy Stanley wrote a book called The Best Question Ever it really helped me to rethink how I make decisions. Who knew that wisdom and waffles could have so much in common...

Famous Last Words

2007-06-14T13:33:00.000-07:00

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel...”

These are some of the last words of Jesus before he ascended to heaven after his resurrection. I have read them over many times. Usually the last words someone says are some of the most important. My wife and I went on a trip to California shortly after we got our cat. He was still pretty much a kitten. We left him with some of our friends, and my wife, being the detail oriented person she is, went over all the little details right before we left. Things like making sure they knew how important it was to feed him regularly, and pet him often etc. etc. She made sure that she told them all the important stuff right before we left... I guess in hopes they would remember... which they did and all went well.

“Go into all the world...” what does that mean for you? Does it mean your spouse? Your family? Your neighbors? Your co-workers? Maybe it means people downtown? Or perhaps it means Africa, Europe, or China? All of us have worlds we can make a difference in. We are surrounded by people whom God has called us to serve.

The “go” isn’t the part that most of us get stuck on, I think its the “preach”. When Jesus said “go...and preach” was he meaning to find a park bench and stand on it and give a dissertation on the book of Romans (not written for many years after Jesus)? Did he mean for all of us to go to seminary, get a degree, find a church with a nice pulpit and stand there and preach to a crowd of listeners? What did Jesus mean? Could he have meant what Peter urged the early followers to do in Rome? “Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” 1 Peter 2:12

Could Jesus possibly have been referring back to something he had told his followers earlier?

“In the same way let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” -Matthew 5:16

It all comes down to your definition of “preach”... I heard a quote once that said “preach often, and if you must, use words” We have an opportunity to preach every day with our lives. To show people God’s incredible love through acts of service. To show them who God is in small practical and tangible ways. I love how John's gospel puts it...
“The Word [Jesus] became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood” John 1:14

The Storm

2007-06-14T13:26:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been in one of those storms… you know the kind where your not sure if your going to make it out? Mori and I stayed with my parents one summer in Rockford Illinois. And one day when we were coming home from someplace we saw this huge black front off to the west. We turned onto the road that goes by my parent’s subdivision and we realized we were headed straight for it. At first I was all manly and was like “oh this is no big deal”, but then I saw the sky wasn’t just dark, it was one of those erie shades of green, the ones that tornados like to hide in.

As we drove nearer to the cloud the wind started to pick up, but no rain. We looked to our right at some of the businesses nearby and all of their emergency lights were on because their power had gone out. We then noticed that all of the street lights were out as well. I began to get this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. All I wanted to do is get to my parents house as quick as possible and get to the basement.

As we drove closer to this unearthly looking dark cloud we heard a huge BOOM!... then it hit us. It wasn’t like it started trickling or spitting, it was like a tidal wave of water hit us. Torrential downpour. I couldn’t even see two feet in front of our car. As I struggled to make out the brake lights in front of us we began to see cars pulling off to the side of the road. Then branches started flying off of trees and hitting cars. Some of the branches we had to drive over because they were in the middle of the road. They were not the little sticks you pick up in your yard during the spring. We were literally driving over huge logs. The wind was blowing so hard that our car started to rock. I still could not see hardly anything in front of me, and the whole time I’m thinking, “I’M DRIVING RIGHT INTO THE MIDDLE OF A TORNADO.” I just knew any minute we were going to be sucked up by the funnel and tossed to Kansas.

We finally inched our way to my parent’s road and made it to their house. We left the car in the driveway and ran into the house, grabbed our cat, apple, and ducked down into the basement. The funny thing is, when we turned on the news, it not only didn’t say anything about a tornado, but not even a peep about a severe thunderstorm. I tried to play it off like I knew what I was doing all along, but that was one of the scariest storms I’ve been through.

Sometimes life feels like that doesn’t it? Where you feel like your surrounded by a huge storm not knowing if you’ll make it through it alive… you can’t really see anything in front of you, and all you see is a whirlwind of debris flying around you.

God never promises us a life full of nothing but blue skies. He never said “there will never be any storms.” He only promises us that He will be there with us through the “stormy” times in our lives...

“Even when I walk THROUGH [not around] the dark valley of death, I will not be afraid, FOR YOU ARE CLOSE BESIDE ME.” -Psalm 23:4

Whatever your storm, know that God is with you!

Spiritual Exercise

2007-06-14T13:02:00.000-07:00

In a letter from the Apostle Paul to his young apprentice Timothy he writes “Spend your time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness. Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next.” With all the value placed on physical health and wellness, sometimes we forget about our spiritual, inward side. We are so busy keeping all the plates spinning in life, that we fail to develop healthy spiritually focused habits.

This morning I went golfing with my dad and my two brothers-in-law. I am not an avid golfer, so needless to say I didn’t finish the round in first place. To be honest, this was my first time on the golf course since this time last year. It was an absolutely gorgeous morning. Low 70s, sunny, with a slight morning haze on the course. I had a full bodied cup of “leaded” coffee right before we left so I was rearing to go and feeling very optimistic. As we pulled up to the empty parking lot we realized that we were almost the only ones there that early in the morning. Everything seemed peaceful and quiet. The only sound was our club heads skimming the heavily soaked grass as we took our practice swings. We then each stepped up to the tee box and began the process of creaming our little white spheres into oblivion. The “tink” sound and the oohs and ahhs are always good indicators of well hit shots. The first person... tink... the second person... tink... Then it was my turn... I pushed the tee down into the bright green, soaking wet ground, grabbed my club and lined up. I was waiting to hear my “tink”. I was envisioning all the oohs and ahhs from the invisible gallery. The only think I got was a “thwank” and a hmmmm. The rest of my golfing experience was similar, many poorly hit shots, lost balls, and few, rare, well hit shots. I began to realize that if I was to become a better golfer, I would have to prioritize playing golf and develop a love for the game. If I wanted to increase my ability to hit great shots, I would have to build a habit of hitting the ball right.

I think a lot of us want to grow and become more spiritually healthy and mature. We want to connect with God in a real, and authentic way. We want our relationship with Him to be alive, and vibrant. It’s developing the daily habit that deters most of us. It’s much easier to “clock in” on a Sunday morning for an hour, than it is to develop a “daily” time with God. Its much more comfortable to listen to what the person speaking on Sunday got from God’s Word, than it is for us to read for ourselves and listen for God to speak to us. We find ourselves going days, and weeks, months and years, without ever truly connecting our hearts with God’s. Have you ever been in a place like that in your life? A place where you felt hollow on the inside? Everything on the outside may have been great but your heart was dying?

In 2 Corinthians the apostle Paul was talking to this church about how we grow in our inner lives... He says “Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” Do you have a daily time with God? A time where you develop your relationship with Him on a personal level?

There are no formulas or techniques to prayer, and in fact Jesus was against this type prayer. He said in Matthew 6:7-13 "The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They're full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don't fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply.” It’s not a list of mindless spiritual rhetoric. Its genuinely coming to God and being who you are. He knows you better than you know yourself. There is no need to hide who we really are in His presence. He would rather you be authentic and talk with Him about what’s really in your heart, than an eloquently put prayer full of clichés. Remember it’s a relationship we are developing with God, not performing religious rituals.

This week take some time to THANK God for who He is and what He has done. CONFESS those things that put up walls between you and Him. If you ask for forgiveness He will always extend forgiveness and grace to you. (1John 1:9) WORSHIP God, express your love for Him. (Matthew 22:37). ASK Him for those things you need (Philippians 4:6-7). LISTEN for His voice. Quiet down your heart to hear His still small voice. (1 Kings 19:9-13).

Someday I may decide to become a better golfer. I may choose to develop a habit of playing regularly, and actually beat my Dad, and brothers-in-law. But today I choose to place God at the center of my life. I choose to prioritize my inner, spiritual life. Golf, and the rest of this earthly life is only temporary, but my relationship with God will extend for eternity.

“...Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next.” -1 Timothy 4:8

Recommended reading: "Too busy not to pray" by Bill Hybels, "Re-understanding prayer" by Kyle Lake, "The practice of the presence of God" by Brother Lawrence

Organic Spiritual Formation

2007-06-14T13:00:00.000-07:00

“There is a temptation towards idolatry lurking in our lives. We can end up infatuated with the METHODS of spiritual growth, rather than the Creator who gave it to us, obsessed with the TECHNOLOGY of discipleship rather than the disciple MAKER." -Dave Roberts

First we must realize we were not manufactured by God… we were “FORMED”, and throughout our lives we grow…from birth to adolescents to adulthood… we organically grow… not MECHANICALLY MAINTAIN. Our whole lives consists of growth, physically, mentally, spiritually…

Why is it so easy in our “church culture” to simply believe A+B+C= [D]iscipleship. That if we can only find the right “formula” of spiritual disciplines we will arrive at some idealistic spiritual mountaintop and achieve what we perceive other greats have in their spiritual quest.

Modernism taught that everything could be figured out through deductive reasoning, math, science and discovery. This mindset seeped over into church culture and we saw a rise of “how to” books and teachings. Formulas to beat temptation, tricks grow faster spiritually, the age of mechanical spirituality began. Until this time spirituality was revered as mystical. The modern area brought about wonderful discoveries, but in our postmodern world we have come to an end in ourselves and realized we can’t figure everything out. That God is God. And we are HIS creation. (cloning is an example of how man has tried to be God)

What if instead of viewing our Christian lives as a destination we saw them as a journey? What if God isn’t as concerned with the total outcome as He is in how we get there? When I was in Algebra the thing I hated most was I had to SHOW MY WORK. My teacher graded how I got there the same as my final answer. That really screwed up some of my tests!!!

Jesus constantly used metaphors of organic things… seeds (Mark 4) that fall on good soil and grow, He talked of Himself as the “VINE” (John 15) and we being the branches, and apart from HIM, we could not produce fruit (Gal 5).

Could it be that there are multiple and different paths all of us take that form our spiritual lives and ministries? Obviously there is only one way to God, and that is THROUGH JESUS CHRIST… But in Jesus we all form at different times in different ways. The same way when you view a group of trees. All are trees, but they are all expressly different and all arrived in different ways. Maybe some had to battle off infestations of insects. Some may have had to develop with less or more water. The same way some plants develop better in shade or in the desert. We as Jesus followers must stop comparing our spiritual formation and ministries with others. God has a specific plan, purpose, and journey for YOU and your life/ministries, different from all others… and instead of trying to copy everyone else or pick up the latest fad, we should get alone with God and His Word and find out how He is using YOUR individual journey to form you spiritually. Along the journey God may use your background (even really difficult circumstances James 1:2&3; 1Peter 1;7), people you meet, books you read, disciplines you practice, places you go, experiences, etc.

The Driver's Seat

2007-06-14T12:57:00.000-07:00

I’m a control freak... there I admitted it. I hate letting other people drive my car. I don’t like to give up control of situations. I like the comfort of being “in the drivers seat.” I went on a surf trip a few years ago with some friends to Va Beach. We took off in the evening, stopped by a gas station and loaded up on the usual road trip supplies. Mountain Dew, Davids seeds, coffee, sugary stuff, gum, etc. and of course yours truly was in the drivers seat. The sun was just starting to set and we were all stoked. The atmosphere was exciting... we had visions of the ocean dancing in our head. I rarely get to surf since I’m a mid-westerner so I was extra pumped. I drove for quite awhile, listening to songs, singing at the top of our lungs, talking, telling stories... but then it all began to die down, and get really quiet. Soon I found myself beginning to fade... my eyelids felt like they had weights attached to them, and my head began to nod. All the signs we passed began to blur together and after fighting it for a while, I finally decided I needed to pull over.

Now keep in mind, I HATE letting others drive, but I knew that if we were going to make it there in one piece I needed to let someone else take over for me. So reluctantly I handed the keys to one of my friends and mumbled some threats about what would happen if he crashed my car. I curled up in the back seat and passed out.

As my eyes opened to sunlight and laughter I groggily sat up and let my eyes adjust to the brightness. As I looked around I noticed a sign... I expected this particular sign to say something like 100 miles to Va Beach or something, but instead to my horror it said 100 miles to Washington DC. I immediately sat up and began accosting my poor friend who so graciously drove the graveyard shift for me. “WHAT DID YOU DO!!!” “WHY ARE WE HEADING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION!!!” “DIDN’T I TELL YOU TO STAY ON 64!!!” “I KNEW I SHOULD HAVE NEVER LET YOU DRIVE!!!”

Don’t we all have a tendency to sit in the drivers seat? Maybe not physically, but we like to be in control of our lives. To be the ones making the decisions. To be calling the shots. That’s why allowing Jesus to sit in the “drivers seat” of our lives is such a hard concept. Most of us don’t mind getting “directions” from Him, or even to have him sitting in the passengers seat giving us advice, but to allow Him complete control, now that’s another story.

For a lot of us who like to be in control we find ourselves lost, or in accidents, or maybe broken down on the side of the road. And we want to invite Jesus to sit in the driver’s seat of our lives, but we want to clean up our car first. We want to fix all the problems, and buff out all the scratches, and vacuum the inside, and then hand the keys over. But there is no way we can ever “clean up” our lives enough. The great thing is that while we were still broken and fragmented, and in sin, Jesus came and died for us. Romans 5:8 There is no way we could get ourselves cleaned up enough... Jesus simply asks us to come as we are, and hand “the keys” over to Him.

For some of us we think we know how to run our lives best. Unfortunately we have limited vision. We can only see so far down the road. But God knows the future, He knows the best way to take... in fact the Bible says “'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’” Jeremiah 29:11 Giving control of our lives to God does not guarantee that there will never be any bumps in the road, but He promises that He will always be with us, even through the hard times. (Psalm 23:4; Isaiah 43:2).

So as you reflect on your life, who holds the keys? Who sits in your drivers seat?

Fair Trade

2007-06-14T12:53:00.000-07:00

So you’re driving to work, and you stop for a steaming cup of coffee. Now that winter is fast approaching we will all be undoubtedly drawn to this wonderful beverage... if not by taste, by smell. Here in the mid-west we can appreciate it to its fullest extent. In the cold, grey, winter it brings us warm and delightful solace. But how does your choice in coffee affect the world? For most of us, we don’t give it a second thought. Where it came from and how it made it to our cups has no real relevance to us... or does it?

Many of us may have heard of or noticed the “Fair Trade” label, but have no idea what that means, or how that affects us. Since October is Fair Trade month, I wanted to share some excerpts on what exactly Fair Trade is, and how it affects us a followers of Jesus.

“According to the Fair-trade Labeling Organization International (FLO), Fair Trade is an alternative approach to conventional international trade. It is a trading partnership aimed at obtaining sustainable development for excluded and disadvantaged producers through provisions of better trading conditions. By creating direct relationships between producers and buyers, producers can get a better price and buyers are guaranteed a high-quality product. By eliminating the middlemen and exploitive buyers, Fair Trade guarantees a price, which allows for producers to cover the costs of production and sustain their family. The additional money the producers earn translates directly to social development. They can invest the money in the future of their crops and their communities.

At the same time, Fair Trade standards ensure that buyers support small producers who are organized in democratically run cooperatives that do not allow exploitive working conditions, protect the environment, and are committed to improving the quality of life in their community. By design, this rewards small farmers who support the concepts of social justice and gives them additional resources to grow, improve, and continue their socially responsible methodologies.

According to laura Raynolds, a sociologist from Colorado State University with the Fair Trade Research Group, ‘Fair Trade certification [is an] example of attempts to build alternative production and consumption networks. Fair Trade helps an increasing number of coffee drinkers align their taste for specialty coffee and values supporting social and ecological justice with enhanced options for small-scale farmer livelihoods. In this way Fair Trade certifications offer a technology to help re-embed economic relationships within social values.’

Undoubtedly, Fair Trade purchases are important and make significant differences in the lives of producer communities. However, the consumer angle of Fair Trade is just one small piece of a much broader movement. At its core, Fair Trade is not about simply buying specific products; it is about empowering communities, listening deeply to their experiences, and moving forward collaboratively to build an alternative economic structure based on dignity and sustainability.”

Joe Curnow, National Organizer and Convergence
coordinator for the United Students for Fair Trade

Most all of us agree that the teachings of Jesus compel us to help those who are poor, hurting, hungry, thirsty, etc (Matthew 25:31-46; Luke 4:18). Buying Fair Trade is a way that we can tangibly help those who are struggling to make a living without simply giving them “charity,” but providing an ongoing way for them to provide for their families. A simple choice of what coffee you drink, or other Fair Trade products you buy, could make a huge difference in this world.

For more info on Fair Trade see www.transfairusa.org

Fear

2007-06-14T12:52:00.001-07:00

We all have things we are afraid of. Some of us its the dark, for some its spiders, others its April 15th when taxes are due. I remember a time when I was small, when all of my cousins dressed up for Halloween. I vividly remember my uncle dressing up as a big scary gorilla. I was scared out of my mind. I cried and screamed, and ran away. Ah the days of simple fears. Then as I entered high school I began to fear other things... like how my hair looked, or talking to girls I liked. Our fears seem to evolve and become more complex don’t they? They begin to morph into worry. We worry about our health, worry about our jobs, worry about our relationships, worry about finances. Eventually our fears begin to control us... our actions.... our decisions... our lives.

Do you know what the most common command from God is in the bible ? “FEAR NOT... DO NOT BE AFRAID... DO NOT FEAR” It seems that God has some insight into our lives. He knows how easy it is to begin to live our lives based on fear. Fear steals our joy. It robs us of enjoying life to the fullest. Fear also keeps us from obeying God.

When Mori and I first moved to Cincinnati we knew in our hearts that God wanted us to plant a new church here. But right before we moved we realized that the funding we were counting on would not be available to us. We were faced with a choice. We had clearly heard God speak to us, and we both agreed that we were supposed to plant on the West Side of the city. But we no longer had the comfort of knowing exactly where our finances were going to come from. We had to choose whether to make our decision based on fear, and stay where it was comfortable, or obey God and trust that He would provide. We chose to base our decision on faith (Hebrews 11:1) and the rest is history.

These are a few verses from the Bible that help me as I face fear in my own life...

“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." Isaiah 43:1-3

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!" Isaiah 26:3

“The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; He leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to His name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me. Your rod and Your staff protect and comfort me.” Psalm 23:1-4

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

Friends

2007-06-14T09:28:00.000-07:00

Friendships are hard. They’re messy. Someone always ends up getting hurt, or upset. When we were kids, somehow something would happen to make us take our bat and ball and go home. But we were all created for authentic relationships. The kind of friendships that aren’t just acquaintances, but deep meaningful ones. All of us will someday get “the call.” You know the one you never ever want to get... and we will need close friends who care about us and will support and pray for us as we walk through those times. And we will all have times that are an absolute blast, and we will want to share those times with people we love. The Bible says in Romans 12 “Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality. Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down. Get along with each other; don't be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don't be the great somebody. Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you've got it in you, get along with everybody. Don't insist on getting even; that's not for you to do. "I'll do the judging," says God. "I'll take care of it."Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he's thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don't let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good."

Wow, that is packed with practical insight for our daily relationships. It’s so easy to put ourselves in the very center of our worlds, and lose sight of everyone else around us. We forget about others, and wonder why no one cares about us. I heard a quote one time that said, “you need to become the kind of friend you wish to have.” All of us want to share life deeply with a group of close friends who really love the real us, but doing the work to become that friend to someone else is hard and really pretty scary. I think that’s why we have so many shallow friendships... because people aren’t willing to put in the hard work and become vulnerable. It’s not easy to be that kind of friend. It takes a lot of guts, but it’s more than worth it. I want to encourage you today to reflect on your character and the type of person you are. Then begin the journey to become that type of friend who you long for.

Monday, January 29, 2007

New Blog

2007-06-12T20:57:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the new official Motion Blog. Here we will be posting extended thoughts from our Sunday morning gatherings, church updates, and other things we find exciting or interesting in our daily lives. Please continue to check back and see what's happing here. Also, you'll now be able to create comments. We are really excited about this feature and how our posts can become conversations with everyone. We hope that you will check back regularly!