Ben, we have so many things that we can talk about!
Well, I guess there are an infinite number of topics but do they all pertain to the purpose of our blog?
I suppose that the number of topics that relate to our blog is a finite thing, but today even that finite number is not so small.
Yeah, and so many things have happened since we last talked. We saw a movie, had a vice/discussions night... a lot of good things came out of those events and they're just two of many!
It's true Ben, these are both worthy topics of discussion, but what I am really hoping will happen is that we will take some time to flesh out and better describe our pilgrimage.
We should tell people about our plans and goals: our mission statement.
A mission statement... really?
All good organizations and endeavours have a mission statement of sorts. Even the Simple Way has a mission statement and they're just a bunch Christians who live together in a house.
This may be true, but I hardly would consider ourselves a good organization. May I make a proposal?
sure. Why not?
I can see no reason why not. I propose that instead of mission statement we call it, "A Set of Excessively Lofty Goals, Aims, and Aspirations."
I want to make it as much of a spiritual experience as an experiment. I want to see how hospitable the churches and their congregations will be as we travel through. I know that we'll also have a spiritual experience , but I'm a curious person to begin with, so this is my hope for the pilgrimage.
Well, we discussed this with Steve Weatherford last night. Perhaps we will rehash this conversation. Steve wanted to know what our pilgrimage was. So, I started by telling him that it is an evolving idea. It is different than it was when we first came up with the idea, it will continue to grow and change into something else. That being said, the pilgrimage began as a joke. Ben and I were talking late at night, as we typically do, and for some reason I said something about us going on a pilgrimage to Branson. Shortly after this, it dawned on me that this was something that I actually wanted to do. It began as a mocking of our heritage in the evangelical church, or "christendom". We also wanted it to be an actual pilgrimage though. We want this to be a spiritual journey that causes us to experience life and God in new ways. A chat with Nana Jill helped us realize how this might work. We want to seek out Christ amongst the mess of consumeristic "christianity" that is Branson and we also want to be Christ to the people that we interact with on this trip. And we want to interact with a lot of people.
So we will seek out Jesus in the people. We will hitchhike so that we will meet people. We will knock on church doors and ask for places to sleep and meals to eat. We will seek communion with people. We will put ourself in positions that make us share life with other people.
So, our Set of Excessively Lofty Goals, Aims, and Aspirations may be:
1) To experience and critique Evangelical Christianity in Branson, MO through the medium of a pilgrimage, or spiritual journey
2) To seek out Christ in relationships
and
3) To create one awesome story
I'm also looking forward to how our personal differences affect what we'll get out of it and how we interact with the people and places of the Ozarks. We've both had different experience with churches and ideas from out families towards spirituality. That is what will be the most interesting to me.
To come in future posts, some specific things that we will be doing!
Apparently, I only post on Easter
13 years ago
2 comments:
Matthew 10:5-23
5-8Jesus sent his twelve harvest hands out with this charge:
"Don't begin by traveling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. And don't try to be dramatic by tackling some public enemy. Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously.
9-10"Don't think you have to put on a fund-raising campaign before you start. You don't need a lot of equipment. You are the equipment, and all you need to keep that going is three meals a day. Travel light.
11"When you enter a town or village, don't insist on staying in a luxury inn. Get a modest place with some modest people, and be content there until you leave.
12-15"When you knock on a door, be courteous in your greeting. If they welcome you, be gentle in your conversation. If they don't welcome you, quietly withdraw. Don't make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way. You can be sure that on Judgment Day they'll be mighty sorry—but it's no concern of yours now.
16"Stay alert. This is hazardous work I'm assigning you. You're going to be like sheep running through a wolf pack, so don't call attention to yourselves. Be as cunning as a snake, inoffensive as a dove.
17-20"Don't be naive. Some people will impugn your motives, others will smear your reputation—just because you believe in me. Don't be upset when they haul you before the civil authorities. Without knowing it, they've done you—and me—a favor, given you a platform for preaching the kingdom news! And don't worry about what you'll say or how you'll say it. The right words will be there; the Spirit of your Father will supply the words.
21-23"When people realize it is the living God you are presenting and not some idol that makes them feel good, they are going to turn on you, even people in your own family. There is a great irony here: proclaiming so much love, experiencing so much hate! But don't quit. Don't cave in. It is all well worth it in the end. It is not success you are after in such times but survival. Be survivors! Before you've run out of options, the Son of Man will have arrived.
I can only imagine how many churches would not want to read this passage. Thanks for the Scripture, Adam.
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