The following video from 100 Huntley Street explores the question “what is the church” and looks at some new and emerging forms of the church. I am especially interested in the section on the FRWY (“free way”), a Salvation Army Church Plant in downtown Hamilton which is built around a Cafe.
This kind of ministry appeals to me, and is a dream I am presently sharing with Crossroads (the church where I pastor).

I love the part where he reflects on the idea that maybe the rich are not so rich afterall, and the poor are not so poor afterall.
What we can learn from each other, if only we would break down the man-made barriers that divide us, and discover our roots in God that unite us!

Remember the post with the cartoon two weeks ago entitled “consumer religion”. And remember the great discussion it provoked? Well one person spent some time reflecting on how better to frame the picture, how to pain Jesus community as He would desire it to be. Linda Wielinga adapted an image used by the CRWRC (Christian Reformed World Relief Committee) for its world hunger emphasis called “One Table”. She added some balloon comments.
Notice how everyone has an equal place at the table? Notice how each one is giving themselves in worship, and to one another? No one person stands out from the others. Doesn’t this seem so much more like the community that Jesus had in mind?

Now the question is, how would you set up a ‘sanctuary’ (I dislike that word) to better experience this kind of community? Maybe more like a living room, or a dining room?

You are building a relationship with a non-christian, one that is genuinely reading the bible to understand better what you believe. Things have been going well, they are getting a positive sense of God’s love and Jesus’ mission. But then they happen along 1 Samuel 15, and crash into the opening words:

Samuel said to Saul, “I am the one the LORD sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the LORD. This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’ [1 Samuel 15:1-3]

They are horrified – even the innocent? How does this fit with a loving God, how does this compare with Jesus’ mission? This sounds like ethnic cleansing?

How would you respond? How do you deal with challenges like these?

You may or may not appreciate classical music, but you will probably recognize most of these songs, they were all written by Johann Sebastian Bach. Here the King’s Singers tell a great story of a time when Johann had a problem, he didn’t know how to finish writing a particular “Toccata”. He needs a “Fugue” to end it! He and his wife have a heated discussion. In the end, his gadget saves the day! Enjoy!

Apparently this is not a joke, it is for real. I saw this commercial on TV last night.
I laughed like I haven’t laughed in a long time!!!!!!

Who thought that honouring Obama with the Nobel Peace Prize could be topped, but here we have it; he has been crowned with the highest honour, his crowing glory – A CHIA HEAD!
I can just picture Obama at his desk at the white house, with Chia head on the desk, and his aids silent in awe at this wondrous sight (or biting their lips, daring not to laugh out loud).
What I would say to the makers of this fine product – “Yes you can… but should you???”