The Gathering Community

Hesed

2012-01-18T13:29:00.000-08:00

"I will sing of the 'hesed' of the Lord forever, with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations." Psalm 89:1

What does it mean to sing of God's loving kindness, His mercy, His grace forever? Does it mean we sing on Saturday night, or does it mean something more than that? I know what it's like to "go to church" on the weekend then live my life the rest of the week. I know what it's like to wonder, God where are you in the midst of everything going on right now. I have played that game before-wanting the God of creation to come in and fix my situation so i can get back to "my" life. To pray to Jesus because things aren't going the way "I" had planned them, only to find myself still stuck in the same problems, just a different day.

Maybe if I were to sing of God's hesed, I would be reminded of the mercy He has shown me. Maybe if I were to sing of His hesed today I would be reminded that He is involved in my daily activities right now. Maybe if I were to sing of His hesed, I would be reminded of the grace He has shown me which I do not deserve. Maybe if I were to continually sing of His hesed I would be reminded to show hesed to others. To give grace to those I want to judge and condemn. To give mercy to that one person who I want nothing to do with. To give steadfast love, to actively love my neighbor not only with words of kindness, but with action.

May we be a community that sings actively of God's hesed in our lives.

Grace and Peace,
Matt

Connections, Connections, Connections

2012-01-18T11:39:00.000-08:00

I continually find it amazing the more I dig into scripture how I see more and more connections that I never saw before. Hopefully you've been reading your homework from two weeks ago when I asked everyone to read Malachi. I said that there was a tremendous amount of nuggets that come glaring off the page after reading Yeshua in context for the past few years. Verses like "Behold i will send my messenger and he will prepare the way beforeme." Malachi 3:1 or "For I the Lord do not change"...3:6, then there is the same voice saying "Remember the Torah of Moses my servant, the statutes and rules I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel." 4:4

We then moved to last week where Yeshua himself says, "I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would also have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." John 14:6,7 Here we see Yeshua doing a few things that if you only see the surface, you can easily miss the depth of this statement. First you should see the connection from Malachi. Who did God say would come after the one to prepare the way? Himself! God the Father would come. Yeshua says if you knew the Father you know me, if you know me you know the father, why? Because "I and the Father are one" John 10:30.

Now let's go even deeper. Yeshua says I am the way, the truth and the life... As we have pointed out before, Yeshua is a Rabbi of the first century. He speaks in a way the people in his day would understand and he teaches as the rabbis did. Rabbis would often quote scripture or allude to different texts often by just using a sentence and sometimes even a word. Here we see the Rabbi Yeshua quoting three different passages of scripture in just one sentence. "For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life."Proverbs 6:23; Your righteousness is righteous forever and your law is true." Psalm 119:142; "In the path of righteousness is life and in its pathway there is no death." Proverbs 12:28 Here are three different passages proclaiming that the Word of God, The Torah, are the way, the truth and the life. We shouldn't be surprised at this statement because doesn't John himself tell us at the beginning of his gospel that "In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God." 1:1 and also "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us..." 1:14. Yeshua is the word of God, the walking talking Torah in the flesh. He is God and He is Father.

It's pretty significant to notice that Yeshua was raised in the Torah, lived by the Torah, taught others how to live their lives according to the Torah and who himself was the Torah. Our first question should then be, how important is the Torah in our daily lives? Do the words of Torah (i.e.. the words of God/Yeshua) play a role in our daily decision making?

May we be a community that lives following what is true, what is life and what is the way...

Grace and Peace,

Matt

2011

2011-01-12T07:56:00.000-08:00

First let me apologize for not posting in a while. Since project 52 ended and the volunteers stopped coming we as a staff have been putting all our spare time into working at the Gathering Place. We have been doing anything from grout, concrete leveling, HVAC duct work, drywall and all kinds of projects in an effort to complete the building. This weekend we will be having a stucco party with our community to try to complete the outside of the building.
I was hoping that the end of January or even the beginning of February we would be able to start meeting inside the GP. Unfortunately after getting together our last punch list, it looks as though we are about $30,000 short to complete the building. So once again we are cinching our belts a little tighter and rolling up our sleeves as we work on what God puts before us. We have several little projects that will cost a couple thousand then a bunch of projects in the hundreds. So we are pulling together as a community and doing what we can to finish the construction. We will be doing everything from collecting cans for recycling to collecting spare change. We also will be looking for anything we can put our hands on to refurbish what we may be able to use for the final punch list.
Below is a list of everything that is needed if you are interested. Please keep us in your prayers as we wait on the Lord and obediently work as hard as we can for His will to be done. We know that this building will be opened in His time frame not ours, but we also know that apathy gets nothing done.
Thank you for all your prayers and support.
Grace and Peace,

Punch list:
Fire Alarm panel installation $3000
Carpet install $3000
Closet doors $2100
Restroom partitions $4000
drywall $500
Stucco $1000
Exterior Handrails $1000
Paint $1000
HVAC finish $6000
Exhaust fans $500
Thermostats and wire $400
Parking lot stripping $100
Large assembly room lights $500
Fire Suppression test $5500
Cove base $1000
MISC $2000

Project 52

2010-11-18T17:32:00.000-08:00

Wow, after several weeks, many volunteers and thousands in donations we have come to the end of our 52 day time frame. We are so close to finishing and we couldn't have come this far without you. For those of you who came to NOLA, donated or prayed for us, we greatly appreciate all of you.
Our last volunteer group for the year left last week, so we as a community are rallying the troops and working on some of these projects as we speak. This weekend is our community work week in which we typically work in the community serving as the Church instead of having a traditional teaching service. This weekend we will have the bulk of our community working on the Gathering Place trying to get even closer to finishing. Our current projects that we will be working on are tile, insulating duct work, plumbing, drywall touch up and a few small projects.Please keep us in prayer as we are so close yet still have a few things to complete.

Joyful apology

2010-10-27T19:50:00.000-07:00

OK i must apologize, it has been over a month since our last blog. As you can see the past three weeks have been consumed with something more precious to me than the building of project 52.
Not to take anything away from the project but we have been enjoying the birth of our little baby girl, Kennedy Eliana. I will make sure and get out another update on the building
later this week. Once again we want to thank everyone for your prayers, encouragement, generosity and energy in what God is doing here in New Orleans.

Grace and Peace,

Update on Project 52

2010-09-28T14:39:00.000-07:00

Really, can words sum up these pictures. It is amazing to see what has happened in just a few days. Who would have thought toilets would have been such an exciting picture.
I will have a lot more pictures to show next week.
By the grace of God, we are moving so quickly in the completion of this
building. It is amazing to
watch the church in action, being
used by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Praise God, all Glory to HIM.

week 2

2010-09-16T09:35:00.000-07:00

Wow, after a good start last week we have continued the momentum and the GP is progressing beautifully. With the help of our friends from Fern Creek in Louisville and some Gathering peeps here we have been able to accomplish a lot this week. So far we have three bathrooms tiled (the fourth may be done before Friday), ceiling grid wire hanging from the ceiling, a slab was poured this morning that will hold the HVAC units outside, outlets and emergency exit lighting were installed and the fire suppression sprinklers were completed in phase 2 and 3. It is amazing to see how much work is being done each day and we thank our God and King for everything that he is providing daily to complete this project. We have been blessed with tremendous people who have come to serve, others who have donated materials and others who have sacrificially given. We praise you Father for what you are doing.
Below is an updated list of the materials still needed for the completion of the building. As we have been asking we have found that some people have a lot of these things lying around in their warehouse or garage not being used. If you have a minute we appreciate you looking around.

Project 52 Materials Needed

HVAC

-5 ton split package system-3 phase (either 208 or 480)
-ductwork

-copper line sets

-wire

-refrigerant

-disconnects

Ceilings

-$3,000 to buy dropped ceiling material

Entry Door

-$2,500 to buy roll-up door

Interior Doors

-$5,000 includes handles, frames, hinges, and closers

Flooring

Epoxy

Cove base

Cove base glue

Fire Alarm

Wire

Panel

strobes

Go time

2010-09-07T18:29:00.000-07:00

Labor day weekend came with a bang! Lots of banging actually as the jack hammer was pounding away digging up old concrete in order to prepare for our new handicap walkway into the Gathering Place. Several people from our community came together this weekend to work as we celebrated what God was doing in this place. Thanks to some great volunteers from Indian Creek and and a group from Texas the concrete steps and a first coat of paint will be completed this week. Next week we have several volunteers coming from Fern Creek and we look forward to the adventure continuing.
Keep checking us out as we will be posting weekly everything that God is doing through His people to complete the building of the Gathering Place, Project 52.

Project 52 update

2010-08-24T12:23:00.000-07:00

We are approaching our launch date for project 52. Can you believe it? We have collected and/or received commitments for $24,000, almost half of our $52,000 goal. In a couple of weeks we begin this project of completing the building. Once again we find ourselves in an area of uncertainty. We know that completing such a task is almost impossible. Yet we know we serve a God that is all about mission impossible. We believe that our friends have been called by God to do the impossible, to complete the Gathering place in 52 days. It is this excitement of anticipation that overwhelms us as we prepare daily for what God has in store for us. These next two weeks we will be looking for God to provide the needed supplies for week one to be kicked off with a bang.
Please look over the below and let us know if there is anything or anybody you know that could help with the following. Also, please join us in prayer as we seek God's discernment, His direction and His guidance as we desire for His will to be done, not ours.
Grace and Peace,
Plumbing
-2 urinals
-2 handicap commercial floor mount toilets
-14 toilet flushometer valves w/1”supply
-13 ½” tubular p-trap kits (including trap adapter)
-11 ½” chrome escuchions
-24 ½”x3/8” angle stop compression connection
-24 ½” chrome escuchions
-24 3/8”x1/2” faucet supply line (16”or 20”)
-2 ½”x1/4” compression angle stops
-14 closet bolt kits
-14 extra thick no-seep wax rings (w/black plastic piece)
-3 urinal flange connectors
-3 urinal spud (3/4” or 1” tube)
-3 urinal wax rings
Electrical
emergency lights
exit signs
breakers
mc cable—12/2 w/ground
-50 20 amp light switches w/covers
-100 20amp outlets w/covers
HVA C
15 ton ahu
5 ton split package set
ductwork
copper line sets
wire
ductwrap insulation
piping insulation
regrigerant
disconnects
Ceilings
grid
mains: 2100’
1050 pieces 4’ tee
1050 pieces 2’ tee
2400’ wall mould
Entry door
9x12 roll up
aluminum doors
Paint
70 gal exterior stucco/masonry paint
interior paint (300sqft/gal) 50 gallons
roller naps
Interior doors
21 doors
Flooring
stain
carpet
thin set
grout
cove base
cove base glue
Fire alarm
wire
panel
strobes

Project 52

2010-08-09T09:49:00.000-07:00

How many of you know the story of Nehemiah? How many of you know how God used this individual and his team of followers of the one true God to complete a task that almost seemed impossible. The completion of the wall around Jerusalem in just 52 days. These were men who were led by faith, who were obedient to the call and God did the unthinkable.
I have recently been approached by some friends from up north that have felt a similar calling. God has placed upon the hearts of many that phase one of the Gathering Place could be completed in just 52 days. We believe that this call is from God and we are willing to be obedient to that call.
Starting Labor day weekend we will launch Project 52 and believe God will bring phase one to completion just before November.
BUT, just like Nehemiah, we can't do this alone. We need the help of God's faithful, of His church, His community of followers. We need them to pick up a tool and help complete "the wall". We are in need of several things:
1st- volunteers in the construction process
2nd- funding for the rest of materials needed to complete phase 1
3rd- construction materials. Often times we have seen God connect us with people who have the ability to provide supplies and materials. (items include floor tile, lighting, plumbing fixtures etc...)
I would like to ask all of you to please join us. First join us in prayer as it is our desire to continually seek the Lord's direction, His wisdom and His will. Next, if you can join us in any of the above items, please contact us. We would love to partner with you in what God is doing here in this place.
(For a list of the items needed and time line please visit our website next week for complete details at www.thegatheringcc.com)

Being the Church

2010-07-13T14:25:00.000-07:00

Over the past couple of years we have spent a lot of time teaching on the idea that we are called not to "go to church" but to actually "be the church". To be the spiritual community that God has called us to be. Sounds simple right? Actually, what we have found is that we live in a culture that has spent the past several generations learning a vocabulary that directs the way we live. Buried deep in our subconscious, we have experiences and teachings that direct the way we learn, listen and live. These are sometimes seen in our own vocabulary which then proceeds in the way we act. A psychologist once said, "people believe what they say, and they act upon those beliefs". If that is true how does that apply to "the church"? Well, what did you do last Sunday? Most likely you went to church. When you learned about the role of the church to serve, give, disciple and pray, based on the above quote, who's responsibility is that? The church, the place I went last week.
What if we changed our vocabulary? What if we stopped treating the church as a building, or place to go and actually started "being" the church?
In an effort to teach such lifestyle of responsibility, we at The Gathering have decided to put our money where our mouth is, so to speak. We have decided that every other month, The Gathering will replace a Sunday morning gathering with a service day. A day where everyone in The Gathering community will do service projects all over the parish and eventually, God willing, all over the world. Our mission is to be the spiritual community that lives as Jesus lived. We do not want to be a community that goes to church. If we are going anywhere, its where God is leading us to do His will.
Next Post be ready for Project52.

BP oil spill

2010-06-16T13:12:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago Aaron and I went down the road to get our badges from St. Bernard Parish so we could participate in meeting with fisherman, police, fire and government officials to talk about whatever they are struggling with. We are a part of the St. Bernard Pastors Coalition where pastors from all over St. Bernard are working together to minister to those going through such a tough and life changing ordeal. It was an eerie feeling as we walked through groups of people getting our proper identification. I had the feeling of Katrina all over again. There were all of the same elements but just being used in a different capacity this time. You had Gov't, police, military, special response teams, non profits, but then you had boat captains, fisherman and crew. Many of which were saying such things like, "i would take Katrina again over this". Can you believe that?!? This event could eclipse the catastrophic event of Katrina and effect the lives of so many people here in St. Bernard Parish and we are right in the middle of it. Every week we meet with Captains and crew before they head out to attack the oil with boom and other elements to keep our shores clean. As you can see from the photos it is a challenge. Because of the recent hurricane winds and rain have kept our fleet of fisherman in the docks and off the water. I talked and prayed with many of them Tuesday morning and frustration and fear are welling up inside them. One Boat Captain from Alabama committed suicide last week. That is a real fear to many here in St. Bernard. Please Pray for us as we seek to minister to those whose lives have been drastically impacted by this disaster.

The Rain

2010-06-16T12:44:00.000-07:00

You know its summer time in New Orleans when it rains almost everyday. We don't complain though since it helps bring down the temperature to help cool off what usually begins as a hot and humid day.
This week we began putting primer on the walls as we are preparing to start painting in just a few weeks. We are at that point of starting to see some of the light at the end of the tunnel. We do have a few big things that we are currently working on that need your prayer and possibly your assistance.
Our current list:

Roof insulation to be completed
Fire suppression plans to be completed and pipes to be arranged
HVAC duct work assembly and completion
Drop ceiling materials and installation
Interior doors/windows/outlets/base cove to be installed
Flooring? Tile vs. Stained concrete
Phone system and fire alarm
Glass front doors
Wheel chair ramp
Completion of stucco

These are most but not everything needed to complete the Gathering Place. Would you please join us in prayer as we move forward day by day using what God has given us. If there is anything above that you may be moved to help us with please give us a shout.

A Good Time

2010-05-31T15:36:00.000-07:00

Community can be difficult. It's kind of like a family relationship. You have to work hard, sometimes have some tough conversations, can be a little awkward at times but when it comes right down to it these are the same people that we would rather spend our free time with. These are the people who we know and love and who know and love us. This is the type of community that I want to share with others around me. Community all the time. That is what we are about and sometimes community can be just about having some fun! Memorial Day weekend we hosted a block party at our house. It is something that we have been wanting to do for a long time but as you know we often busy ourselves with things that can prevent us from just having a good time. We had a ton of fun as we continued to invite people into our community as Jesus taught His disciples at the house of Levi. We had a water slide for the kids, volleyball, tether ball, corn hole, a large tent and lots of food. It was a great opportunity to spend some good quality time with those we love as well as meet some new friends and build some new found relationships.

Summer has begun

2010-05-31T14:11:00.000-07:00

Its that time of year again when kids around the country are out of school, vacationers are going here and there and everyone's schedules are frazzled. Here in New Orleans it is similar yet with a different feeling of future uncertainty. There are many here with concern about the oil spill and what the future holds for their way life, their work and their families. The Gathering has been working alongside several other local churches to find a way to serve those in need, struggling with fear, depression and uncertainty. This summer we may be able to help specifically with our counseling department and with kids camp. Please keep these families in prayer as we seek Gods will and direction on how to be His hands and feet.
Summer plans for the Gathering Place. Hey speaking of vacations, what about taking a vacation with a purpose? What would be better than coming to the Big Easy, see some history, enjoy some foreign culture and participate in taking part in what God is doing here. This summer we will be priming and painting the interior walls, installing HVAC duct work, aligning our sprinkler system to fit the architectural plans, installing toilets, sinks, windows, doors, and flooring. We have a lot on the list needing to be done and if you feel that tug in your heart to help with any of these give us a shout. We would love to celebrate your vacation with a purpose with you.
As written last week, we continue to see God move in many ways. We just purchased a ton of HVAC equipment (see the pics) from a local church at a fraction of the cost. We also have a new friend who is willing to draw our fire suppression system plans. This will save The Gathering thousands of dollars!!
The Gathering already at use: last week we held our first unity prayer night at the Gathering Place. It was a great night to have many people from the community and several different local churches participate.
Outside the Gathering Place, we have just finished putting up a set of steps for a friend Chris that we have been ministering to for a few months now. He has been waiting to get out of his FEMA trailer and his house was completed except for steps leading to the raised house. The inspectors could not sign off on a permit until this was done. Our friend Chris just broke his foot as well, so getting in and out of the house was almost impossible. It was a great project and took a couple of days. Two other guys from our community helped me with this project. I have to admit they did most of the work but I was blessed to learn a lot.
Thanks again to everyone who has participated in what God is doing here in St. Bernard and for your support.
Be a blessing,
Matt

God is moving

2010-05-24T14:29:00.000-07:00

As many of you know we have been in the process of building what we call the Gathering Place. It has been a long journey for us with many lessons from God along the way. We have learned that for much of our lives we have been taught to depend on ourselves, our initiative, our knowledge, our determination. We were taught that if we put a plan together and work our plan with hard work it will come together and we would be successful. We have learned that these concepts are actually foreign to the scriptures. We have learned that the best laid plans and the hardest work may get you somewhere but it may not be where God wants you. After several years here in New Orleans we have learned a pretty valuable lesson. A lesson of trust and dependence. We have learned about Gods timing, even though we still don't understand it, we know it's not the same as ours. In this course of time we have seen many things happen with the Gathering Place. We have seen many faces and we have been blessed by thousands of people who have all been willing and and had a desire to serve with us here. We have now come to the point in construction that we are in the finishing stages and we could not have done it without the help of all of you who have been such a blessing. WE wish to thank all of you greatly for we appreciate everything you have done. We will be updating our blogspot weekly with new updates and pictures for all of you interested in the completion of the GP and our ministry. Thank you all again.
We are currently working on:

finishing drywall
stucco on the front wall (you can see in picture of building)
Painting begins June 14

Grace and Peace to all of you.

The New Testament Cannot Overturn the Old

2010-01-27T10:49:00.000-08:00

I read this title in a chapter of a book last week and thought, "well, why would I think the New Testament could overturn the Old? Don't they kind of go together?" I kept reading and in the process, flushed out some misconceptions that I have harbored since childhood. Though I believed the OT to also be the inspired Word, I never put a lot of effort into understanding it. Whether it was that the prophets were too hard to understand or I was just tired of the same old stories in Genesis and Exodus, or Numbers and Leviticus are too boring, I always found myself running back to the New Testament.

I thought I knew where it all began. . .that lush garden where Adam and Eve walked with God. . .and screwed up. . .but seriously, there's so much more to it than that. If you persevere and keep reading, the richness of the Torah grabs you. It draws you in and helps you understand how a God who loves His people sets them up to succeed. And they do. . .and then they don't. . .and they do. . .and don't and on and on. It's fascinating and infuriating.

So why, until the past year or so, have I missed the fact that the richness of the OT is for me as well? That the people of the NT (specifically Jews, but also Gentiles) actually knew what the OT said and put it into practice! Clearly they were a part of the NT, so obviously it wasn't written for them! I'm not saying it all makes perfect sense, but reading the NT and knowing more of the OT has put things in a new perspective. The NT has come to life. It is helping to see things and understand things as the disciples would or Gentiles that are being introduced to what Jesus was saying. So, instead of being ignorant of the times, the context begins to fill in. The colors begin to sharpen and the fuzziness of it all begins to become more clear as the background comes to life.

Where am I starting? Well, I have a reading plan that has me in Exodus, but I'll admit to getting a little too hungry to stop there. Some days you'll find me in Leviticus, but lately I'm committing to starting at the beginning with some weekly jumps to the Gospels to see where Jesus pulls it all together.

Hope you are enjoying the journey. The springboard for today's title-check out Boundary Stones by Aaron Eby.

Plumbing Challenge

2010-01-13T12:10:00.000-08:00

Each month brings more progress on our "hub", otherwise known as The Gathering Place. As we drive by and check inside, we are able to see the progress that has been made as walls go up, wire is run, and concrete is poured. This week we add on the passing of a few inspections that we needed for us to continue. What is ahead?

Our Plumbing Challenge is here. In order to have supplies bought, installed, and to have the inspection completed, we need $4300. Someone has generously stepped up and has pledged to match what our Gathering Community can come up with-up to the half way point. So are we, Gathering Family, up to the challenge? We have until January 31st to come up with our half. Are we willing? Do we believe in what we are doing and why we are doing it? Are we willing to back it up with our dollars as well as our time?

I can't wait for January 31st! I can't wait to see how our community comes together not only in fun, in learning, or in serving, but in giving generously out of the joy of our hearts.

May the offering we give, give off a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

Seeds

2009-12-02T09:00:00.000-08:00

The kingdom of heaven is like. . .a man scattering seed upon the ground. Seeds. . .there's a lot that goes into them to actually produce something, right? Someone has to prepare the soil, there's a seed scatterer, a waterer, some sun shared, sometimes fertilizer, and not to mention the pruning and harvesting-whether it be by hand or machine.

Look at your life-can you see all of these things evident in it? Can you see how God orchestrated the entire process? I can in mine. I experienced the preparation-welcome or not at the time! Someone first planted that seed. Many, many people watered it and watched-waiting for so long to watch it grow! Through that whole process I had a small part, but after that first growth, the responsibility came. It was my turn to start planting seeds. At the same time, I had to allow someone to prune me-someone to hold me accountable and challenge me and humble me.

So as I go through that process, I still wait for that wind to blow, speaking where I need to scatter the seed, where I am to water or spread some sun, and also the people that I need to prune so that the harvest might be so much more.

Where are you? Are you allowing someone to prune you? That sounds pretty weird. Haha. But, are you? Is someone honest enough to help you pick off what is holding you back from growth and encourage you on? Is your spirit humble enough to accept this? Do you give God access to Yourself?

Are you scattering seed, watering, or pruning for someone else? Is there some place that God is calling you and you are hesitating?

Or is someone scattering seeds upon you or watering you? Ahhh. . .the struggle that each part brings, but the excitement and passion that it all brings!

The kingdom of heaven is like. . .

More Pictures

2009-11-23T09:23:00.000-08:00

The Wall

2009-11-23T09:12:00.000-08:00

As we approached The Temple in Jerusalem, I had many thoughts running through my head. I was told that each one of the original stones that Herod the Great used to build the Temple weighed between five and six tons. Each Stone was placed on the wall with such precision that you couldn’t even slide a piece of paper in between the stone next to it. There had to be thousands of these stones used to build the Temple. Here was the amazing thing: Engineers today don’t have the technology to do what Herod did in building this wall. Crazy!

While inside the Temple we visited the Western Wall. This too was an amazing sight. It was here that once again I saw the reverence that people have for the one true God of the universe. I met a man who told me he spent two hours praying at the wall, two more hours studying scripture then three working for a non-profit organization all before heading to work. He did this every day except for Shabbat (Sabbath). Seven hours of his daily life was wrapped around loving God and loving people, all before his work. I wonder, is this a cultural issue or is this a heart issue? Does our culture, or maybe a better question, could our culture even contemplate such a lifestyle?

The Wedding

2009-11-16T08:35:00.000-08:00

Sunday, we discovered "The Wedding". If you need to be clued in, http://www.thegatheringcc.com/ will have a link to the sermon for you from 11/15.

Exodus 19-The Wedding, a courtship. What? I can honestly say I never thought of that one before. But the language speaks for itself if we truly see what is coming to light. God is making a contract with us, a wedding contract. The contract being the Ten Commandments. And Israel has a chance to respond, and they do, "All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient"-Exodus 24:7. Israel says, "I do".

God has been pursuing us for years, whether we believe in Him or not. Look at your life, I'm sure you'll find moments big and small that you can't explain and that just make no sense. He's been pursuing us and asks the question, waiting anxiously (well I think so anyway) for our answer. He's waiting for us to say, "I do and I will".

For those who have said it, have told God, "I do", has it been hard? Would you say it again if you knew what it was going to require? I'm guessing it would be a resounding "yes", though our thoughts travel back to those times when we just didn't think we were going to make it through. "I do" comes with a deep, lasting commitment where each day we have to get up and say it again. The morning will come and we'll hit the snooze and say "God, I don't want to do this again. Just give me a day off". But how did the story end? God REDEEMS his people so that He can REVEAL Himself so that He can rule when we take RESPONSIBILITY. That part is ours. We take on our responsibility so that we can become light for Him.

So the question is. . .Are you willing to say "I do"?

On the Sea of Galilee

2009-11-11T08:02:00.000-08:00

As we pushed out onto the sea of Galilee, I was able to see the landscape and countryside where Jesus spent most of His time and ministry. I could see Capernaum where Jesus considered His home for a time. I could see the place where Jesus gave “the sermon on the mount”. I could see the other side of the lake where Jesus traveled and healed a man full of demons in the area of the Decapolis. This area full of rich history and culture waiting to be explored by our group. It was a day of anticipation and excitement. We looked in awe, we laughed, we danced, we were enjoying the beginning of our adventure.

Nazareth

2009-11-11T07:20:00.000-08:00

It was very interesting visiting the place where Jesus was raised as a boy- not necessarily the town of Nazareth itself, but what it has become. One of the most striking things to me was the church we visited that was near the home where Jesus grew up. There was an outer courtyard with many mosaic tile paintings from around the world. Apparently it was requested from the church that many countries should submit artwork to display Mary and Jesus in a mosaic. What I saw at first was beautiful, then perplexing, then sickening. As I went from each country’s mosaic I started noticing that each one was different. Not just because of artistic style, but because I noticed that Jesus was different. Each mosaic representing Jesus took on the form and look of that culture. There was a Korean Jesus, an African Jesus, a French Jesus, etc., all looking like the people from those different countries. Some would probably think that it was art, but in fact that depicts our human nature. We forget that WE were created in God’s image. We didn’t create God in our image. We forget that Jesus was not from our culture, He did not look like us, talk like us, and in many cases think like us. He was Jewish, He spoke Hebrew, He thought like a Hebrew, He lived and acted in the customs of Judaism. His message was preached from the Torah and the prophets and even the Oral Torah and traditions. Continuing in our Greek worldview, from our roots, our ancestors have always wanted to make the gods in their image. It seems as though times haven’t changed much.

Galilee

2009-11-11T07:16:00.000-08:00

“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He (Jesus) departed and went out to a desolate place, and there He prayed. Mark 1:35
My second day in Israel I stayed on the shores of the sea of Galilee. After a long flight and jet lag catching up to me, I awoke early in the morning around 4:30. It was still dark out and not a sound to be heard. While sitting in the silence I peered out my window in prayer and contemplation. It wasn’t long until I witnessed the cracks of sunlight hitting the sky and the sun breaking over the mountain ridge directly across the lake in front of me. As I enjoyed the beauty of God’s creation before me, I couldn’t help but remember this was the place Jesus, went out early to pray, and this is what He too would have seen.

The Sabbath

2009-11-02T14:30:00.001-08:00

What does your Sabbath look like? What do you think the Sabbath is? Is it any day we choose to be our day of rest? Is it the one day set aside by God at the beginning that He rested on? Interestingly enough, the Sabbath, was the only day that was actually named. The other names came later-check out who/what they are named after for some interesting reading.

But back in the "day", the days were different. A day started at sundown and ended at the next sundown. So. . .the Sabbath starts on Friday at sundown and ends on Saturday at sundown. But what, exactly, do we do with that whole day? What is a day of rest? Is it a day to do what I deem restful? Is it a day that is devoted to spending time with God? Is it both? There are hundreds of rules that tell us what not to do. But let's get back to the basics again-isn't it about our hearts? God wants our hearts. The practices mean nothing if our hearts are not right. And. . .as stated in "The Law and Grace" by Todd Bennett, "The Torah was never considered to be a burden by the Yisra'elites; rather it was thought to be a special gift, a treasure, to a people who were chosen to live set apart lives."

When did we deem all rules bad? We forget that sometimes they are put in place to protect us, to help us focus on what's important, and to prevent us from making mistakes. Is that how we feel about the Torah (the first 5 books of the Bible)? I think we've all thought that at one time or another. But this week I've wondered. . .what would it look like if I looked at the Torah as a treasure? I think my outlook and attitude might begin to change.

The Journey

2009-09-30T10:29:00.001-07:00

The last several months we have really dug deep into the Law and have begun to look at some of what a Jewish person would learn growing up and how they would live their life. I think that the majority of The Gathering Community would admit that this has brought up some questions and has caused many to dive into the Word searching for answers-myself included. That something as simple as discussing what a Jew's daily life would look like forces us into the Word is amazing to me. Have you noticed? Conversations have changed. Many of what used to be normal conversations have changed into ones centered on Jesus. Do we follow the Law? Do we not? What about pork and shellfish? And all the offerings? What the heck do we do with those? Do we really make a 'booth' outside during Sukkot and sleep in it and have a party for 7 days?

Then we have Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur-did you practice them? To truly set aside time for self-examination, confession and repentance, and prayer and fasting is something I think we would all say is beneficial. So why haven't we been doing it? Is it because we didn't know? Because it's difficult? Lack of understanding?

Last Sunday Adrianne talked about her journey-especially about how she has been learning about the festivals and Jewish culture for the last 10 years-and admitting, still, that she doesn't understand it all or have it all together. If nothing else, these past months of study have caused many of us to seek God in a way like never before. Maybe, just maybe there is something to it.

(Note: This is meant to be more of a continual thought process and discussion starter. We are all in a journey seeking truth-let's share our journey together, whether you are in the very beginning with more questions than answers or a little bit further along-quite possibly still with more questions than answers :) Feel free to share a thought. Let's grow together.)

Little Gs and Big Gs

2009-09-14T14:22:00.000-07:00

The Gathering name was chosen for its multipurpose use-that anytime someone is with someone else, it can be a "gathering". Yesterday Aaron talked about the Sunday service, which we deem the "Big G" and Community Groups during the week, which we call the "Little g's". Both seem vital to a person's life. Both serve different purposes as well as some overlap between the two. If you go outside of the two groupings, there are still many gatherings to be had that are essential to life, but let's focus on the two from Sunday.

Is your life changed by G, g, or both? I love the G, but my heart is for the g. By nature an introvert, if I'm not connecting in a smaller gathering, then you can bet that my life is off track and that God is probably not being glorified by my life exactly the way He should be. And to be honest, the g for me isn't too formal. The g happens over dinner or coffee or a late night chat or on a drive somewhere. But though it's informal, it's intentional. It's me digging down deep to share what is hard and what I'd rather just keep to myself. And whatever that something is, it's not something I always feel led to share at the G. It's the g's that keep me going in the long run-where i find encouragement and share life. The big G is where i realize i'm a part of something that is so much bigger and where I have the opportunity to share my life and connect with others in that bigger setting. It's a chance for me to be taught, to sing, to catch up with friends I missed during the week or to meet someone new.

what's the g or G mean to you? what does community look like in your life?

Communion

2009-09-11T11:21:00.001-07:00

Communion-individually or as a group? Cracker and juice or an entire meal? Taken on Sundays or during the week? As we study and struggle through picking apart what is traditional and what is biblical, we find that maybe what we have known isn't really scriptural-or maybe it has been. Is there one model that is right? Does it really matter?

I hope that you have been challenged on this quest for truth in practices as we have been. Aaron brought some good information from what he has studied and how the truth is being fleshed out into practice.

It's the thought of remembering God's faithfulness. It's looking back and seeing what He has done since the beginning and seeing how that effects today. It's a joyous meal celebrated among believers when they look back and see His faithfulness and how He has been working.

Your thoughts?

Work Day at The Gathering Place

2009-09-04T09:39:00.000-07:00

August 22nd found volunteers both from our Gathering community and the community at large at The Gathering Place. With the permit in hand for only a few weeks, work days are happening frequently to further the progress on the building. Here are some pictures from the day. Thanks for all who came out to help!

Czech Trip a Success!

2009-09-04T09:33:00.001-07:00

August 11-23 found Emma Taffaro and Abbey across the Atlantic to the Czech Republic. They spent a week at "Sport Camp '09", a sports and English camp for students ages 9-16. The camp was even better than last year and fruit was definitely seen from the '08 camp, both in growth in the student's faith and in their command of the English language. Here are some pictures so you can see a little of the camp! Another trip will be planned for Summer 2010, so look for more details in the Spring!

Permit in Hand!!!!!

2009-07-27T19:57:00.000-07:00

We now have the permit for The Gathering Place (our community center) in hand! Praise God for His favor and pray for the construction, as projects are already underway.

2009-07-27T19:51:00.000-07:00

Prayer Night was an incredible experience, bringing believers from throughout St. Bernard together to pray. Small groups spent time in a series of 4 classrooms praying for Teachers, Students, Administration, and New Building Projects. As they finished, everyone joined together for a time of singing and crying out to God in praise.

Wins

2009-07-16T09:44:00.000-07:00

Grant filed this week to help pay for Community Center building supplies

David, Robert, Matt, Lucas, and Gavin are now in their home!

Teen girls Community Group has begun

Requests

2009-07-16T09:06:00.000-07:00

July 20-Prayer Night at 7pm at C.F. Rowley

Kyle Koval- Ron and Becky's son, home from Italy, as he travels cross country to share with supporters

Liz Kuester's mom-she began chemo this week

Kids Camp-meaningful connections with parents and kids

Requests

2009-07-03T10:34:00.001-07:00

Liz's mom (Kathy) has been diagnosed with cancer and will begin chemo and radiation treatments beginning July 7th.

Erik and Emily Thien as they settle into life in St. Bernard.

Many people still traveling over the holiday.

Abbey and Emma's preparation for Czech trip in August.

Wins

2009-07-03T10:31:00.000-07:00

We have filed for a building permit for the Community Center!

Trip to Discovery Ministries with students went well.

Erik and Emily Thien added to our Gathering family!

Prayer Requests

2009-06-16T08:49:00.000-07:00

* Ryan- still facing many health problems.

* The Kovals and Morgans are in Italy until the 21st.

* Andrea and Abbey head to Discovery Ministries with the Youth Advisory Council. Pray for safety, spiritual conversations and growth.

Wins

2009-06-16T08:46:00.000-07:00

* One more document needed before we can file for our building permit on the Community Center!

* Over 100 ceiling tiles donated and hundreds of dollars of paint rollers and brushes donated!

* Volunteer Group last week had an incredible week and is planning to come back

* Divorce Care is starting on June 24th

The Gathering Community

Hesed

Connections, Connections, Connections

2011

Project 52

Joyful apology

Update on Project 52

week 2

Go time

Project 52 update

Project 52

Being the Church

BP oil spill

The Rain

A Good Time

Summer has begun

God is moving

The New Testament Cannot Overturn the Old

Plumbing Challenge

Seeds

More Pictures

The Wall

The Wedding

Recommended Reading

On the Sea of Galilee

Nazareth

Galilee

The Sabbath

The Journey

Little Gs and Big Gs

Communion

Work Day at The Gathering Place

Czech Trip a Success!

Permit in Hand!!!!!

Wins

Requests

Requests

Wins

Prayer Requests

Wins