Sunday, April 13, 2008

The weekend and the rest of my life..in review.

I wanted to blog about this weekend's conference with Brian McLaren and all the great things he said and how he changed my thought process or paradigm. However...what I really want to blog about is the transformation I was able to witness in the kid sister.

She really gets it. Jesus has placed her here with me and a burden on her heart, for such a time as this...we are ready to take a chance and ready to enter into whatever...WHATEVER he has for us. Back to the days of the GLORY BUS!! I'm grateful that I was able to spend this weekend with her and with the BFF. It was eye-opening and exciting and I look forward to things to come. We will do something. We will do something. You can not sit idly by after a weekend like this.

As with any good and positive experience, it was kind of disappointing that there were not a lot of people of color there. Either they have already figured out how to be missional or there's not a great marketing plan for them. However, there were a wide range of ages and denominations represented, of which I was surprised.

Here are a few things I learned or will do:
1. We live in an unsustainable society - the United States uses more resources than anyone else by 30%.
2. We must change our story.
3. Jesus is concerned more with poverty, the planet and peace than he is with our doctrine or whether or not we drink/swear/dance (insert whatever you want here)
4. I will never use another grocery plastic bag again. Never is a strong word. But I will try!
5. I will sponsor an endangered species. Gorillas, tigers or salamanders..I will show somehow that I care about the environment.
6. You can't take the Old T. literally if you're not willing to take Matthew 5, 6 & 7 literally.
7. All issues are ultimately inter-related.
8. I will re-arrange my life to befriend a poor person (Does befriending myself count?)
9. I will vote responsibly in this election.
10. I will buy "green" toilet paper.
11. I will seek and try my very hardest to have grace for those that don't get it. You can attract more flies with honey than vinegar...I will try try try. Hard! UGH.
12. I will change my neighborhood for Christ. Somehow, someway, together...I promise.

3 comments:

Hillary said...

Thanks for making me cry! Alas, it is true, a change has begun! I have already sponsored a little boy from Congo named Gedeon. His favorite sport was football, although I know it really means soccer, I knew the Hubs would like it! I have also loaned money to a man from Iraq who is trying to support his family with a furniture business. Love the idea that the majority of this man's lenders were people from the US, we do care about your plight Mr. Furniture Man...and are sorry! Thanks for being a part of my transformation and thanks for getting it!

TheologyMom said...

Sadly, for me, your #11 is sometimes the hardest part...but, I'll work on it! Thanks for taking me with you this weekend - it was great and fun to experience it all with both you and Hill...Now we just have to do it...change the world, I mean - no big deal!

Red Letter girl said...

and somehow...get the middle sister involved.


About Me

I work at a Christian School district only 4 miles from my home. The people there are full of grace and love and I am glad to be a part of this ministry. I have a neice and nephew whom I love dearly. They are 12 and almost 15 respectively. I have two amazing sisters and two amazing brothers-in-law. Of course, I would not be here if it were not for my mother agreeing to marry my dad. Good going mom! My parents are my life and I would literally be NOTHING without their unconditional love, support and care. You rock mom and dad. Then there's Will & Lora...their giggles are like sunshine and their parents crack me up too.

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