Weekend Fun

Sorry about the shameless self promotion BUT...


Don't forget this weeks Art show


Sat 1-8, Sun 1-5

Come often, buy lots.
I guess I'm not allowed to be apologetic when I do it anyway.
Saying sorry for hitting someone and then hitting them again wouldn't cut it.
So sorry but not really.
See ya there!

Hijacked

Well everything has come to a stop in order to focus in around a particular point of shining beauty. We went into the hospital yesterday morning 3ish am in order to start the festivities. We made sure we stayed by the hospital because things have been getting a lot faster as we have added to the brood. In fact this time around we were in the birthing room by 11am and Aliyah was born 11:58. So when its time, it goes quick. You'll have to ask T if speed is worth it or not though. When the Nurse comes in and says that your contractions are working really well. I guess that is a good thing, but comes at a price. Anyway, T did really well, ran through the process epidural free. (Ok, please forgive me ladies for what I'm about to say) If I was to give birth (ok, stop the rolling of eyes I know, i know I'm clueless) Anyway, if that happened I'm sure I would be not only Whining horribly and demanding everything they could throw at me, but I would also be out for days (I mean give me a simple cold and I am on my back like a sissy). But she is in good spirits and doing well.

So our lives, phone calls, conversations, family, work most everything has been hijacked by this little life. And guess what? its pretty cool.
However, check out these 2 responses to the hospital visit. Brit was fixated on her wanting to hold her, but more importantly she was in a state of awe and wonder, the eyes say it all. She was so gentle and had a fascination/concern it's hard to really explain, this look was kind of her look all night. She wasn't scared or not wanting to hold her, just...this take it all in fascination. This is her sister...a new baby...out of moms tummy.

However... I know this isn't fair, Jonah is excited (and he is a lot different today) but this was the typical Jonah response to the whole ordeal. "Sister? cool, I think I like these hospital beds, what do these buttons do?" It made me think, how do we relate to new life? New life in Christ? Weather it is God doing something new in our lives, or someone else being made new for the first time are we embracing it with a careful sense of awe, wonder, excitement, sense of mystery? Or are we, "hey cool, do you got something to eat around here?" New life or newness in life is to be held in reverence and awe no matter if it is a full blown reworking or a small simple act of grace. And sometimes I think we flippantly pass it by, especially if it is small. We end up saying stuff like, "ya but..." or "not far enough," or "but they still believe this..." I don't know about you but any move toward God is a celebration whether it is all the way or not.

And guess what? I celebrate Aliyah Hope's birth, but we didn't leave her there in the hospital. Every day, step, coo, gurgle and pop and so on is a gift from God to be celebrated with joy as she grows and matures. Why can't we do the same with spiritual growth? Anyway, I guess since I didn't get to preach on Sunday something had to come out somewhere. Oh well, Hey guess what?!? I'M A NEW DAD!!!

Easter Newness

Sunday was fun. I was so excited to see a newness and excitement around the celebration. Everything from dancing to harps there is a freshness in the air, as well as seeing 15+ coming out to help the community center throw a typical family Easter breakfast. What a fun time! Even with the event not being a church program we were able to help reveal the presence of God to the “common spaces”, the 3rd spaces as Frost would say. But what is so cool is the opportunity to live out what the New Covenant brought with Jesus’ death and resurrection which was highlighted at Pentecost, a presence of God and Word of God being lived out in the lives of those following Him. I like what Martin Buber say about the word becoming entwined in people.
A “Zaddik” (righteous person) said about the rabbis who “speak Torah” (ie., who interpreted the Scriptures for others) “What is the sense of their speaking Torah? Man should act in such a way that all his behaviors is Torah, and he himself is a Torah.” At another time it is said “the aim of the wise man is to make himself into a perfect teaching, and make all his acts as bodies of instruction; and where it is not possible for him to attain to this his aim is to be a transmission of teaching and a commentary on it, and to spread the teaching by his movements,”… The people in whom this Torah-nature fulfills itself are called zaddiks, “the righteous,” the law-full. They are the bearers of…teaching, not only as its apostles, but more as its effective reality. They are the teaching.
Wow, isn’t this really what is about? Proclaiming through our movements and actions (as well as by what we say). In fact if our actions don’t match up (or even speak louder) we don’t have anything to say. Guess what? We aren’t the most hospitable, the most loving, the most life-full, most grace giving people around, if we don’t live it out. It’s scary but the message is the medium. Jesus had strong word for the religious rulers who vocally had lots to say, but didn’t seem to connect it with their actions. I think the word was… umm… hypocrite. Anyway, it was good to be part of a movement this past weekend that was proclaiming…that was living Torah.