Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Are you alone?
Every time you move, this question will jump up into your heart for at least a few seconds. If you indulge it the other questions will follow: “Will I make friends; do I have what it takes; was this the right decision?”
Nobody can answer all the questions that will creep into your heart and mind, but I can answer one with extreme clarity. The question might come in a lot of forms but the answer is “you will be loved and accepted…just the way you are.”
Our church is a sanctuary. A place of grace where “you can belong, even if you don’t believe” and “no perfect people allowed” are part of our spiritual DNA. You can be exploring faith; asking the question ‘church, why bother?’; or simply asking God how to be transformed more into someone who looks like Jesus-and how to teach and serve others as he did. We are passionate about being servants to the university and the community.5 stones community church exists to love God by helping others to become fully devoted followers of Jesus. It’s a tall-order, and none of us have it all figured out. But God is leading us into transformation; a world-wide revolution of love; spiritual experiences; moral grandeur and soulish audacity. We learn from each other and we love. We laugh and we cry. We ask questions and when we don’t have answers we don’t barf cliché’s and platitudes on people. Super ‘religious’ people don’t understand us; we are into relationships not religion.
And I’m the leader of this rag-tag group of misfits. Expatriates from heaven who are more than we were and less than what we will become. And we have made a few choices. 3 actually. 1 we will love God, because we choose to and because he loves us; 2 we will love each other, because we choose to and because God has shown us how; and 3 we will love YOU because we choose to and because this is part of the mission of our church family. So when you’re ready come see us. We will love ya, feed ya, cry or laugh with ya, answer questions as best we can, and in general just be that “safe place” you can go to if it is time to explore faith; come home to God; or need bail money after way too much drinking and assorted unsavory behaviors catch-up to you J And yes my teaching is full of Bible verses, sarcasm, and movie clips. I get paid to annoy people…it’s the greatest job in the world. I comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable.
We meet at Miller Chapel on the A/U campus every Sunday at 10:30am. Bring your doubts, hangovers, desire for God etc. and join us. I have an office in the building right next to common grounds and I am available 24/7 for you as well. My cellphone number is 419-554-1447 and the e-mail is david@5stones.org.
PS: believe it or not God loves you more than you can even imagine. And you are never really alone; he is just a prayer away!
Every time you move, this question will jump up into your heart for at least a few seconds. If you indulge it the other questions will follow: “Will I make friends; do I have what it takes; was this the right decision?”
Nobody can answer all the questions that will creep into your heart and mind, but I can answer one with extreme clarity. The question might come in a lot of forms but the answer is “you will be loved and accepted…just the way you are.”
Our church is a sanctuary. A place of grace where “you can belong, even if you don’t believe” and “no perfect people allowed” are part of our spiritual DNA. You can be exploring faith; asking the question ‘church, why bother?’; or simply asking God how to be transformed more into someone who looks like Jesus-and how to teach and serve others as he did. We are passionate about being servants to the university and the community.5 stones community church exists to love God by helping others to become fully devoted followers of Jesus. It’s a tall-order, and none of us have it all figured out. But God is leading us into transformation; a world-wide revolution of love; spiritual experiences; moral grandeur and soulish audacity. We learn from each other and we love. We laugh and we cry. We ask questions and when we don’t have answers we don’t barf cliché’s and platitudes on people. Super ‘religious’ people don’t understand us; we are into relationships not religion.
And I’m the leader of this rag-tag group of misfits. Expatriates from heaven who are more than we were and less than what we will become. And we have made a few choices. 3 actually. 1 we will love God, because we choose to and because he loves us; 2 we will love each other, because we choose to and because God has shown us how; and 3 we will love YOU because we choose to and because this is part of the mission of our church family. So when you’re ready come see us. We will love ya, feed ya, cry or laugh with ya, answer questions as best we can, and in general just be that “safe place” you can go to if it is time to explore faith; come home to God; or need bail money after way too much drinking and assorted unsavory behaviors catch-up to you J And yes my teaching is full of Bible verses, sarcasm, and movie clips. I get paid to annoy people…it’s the greatest job in the world. I comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable.
We meet at Miller Chapel on the A/U campus every Sunday at 10:30am. Bring your doubts, hangovers, desire for God etc. and join us. I have an office in the building right next to common grounds and I am available 24/7 for you as well. My cellphone number is 419-554-1447 and the e-mail is david@5stones.org.
PS: believe it or not God loves you more than you can even imagine. And you are never really alone; he is just a prayer away!
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