masks

Just a thought: 90 people get swine flu and the world freaks out and puts on masks.. yet millions die of aids and the world just keeps turning??

hmmmm

Hi guys

Yesterday was great at 3rdplace, as a community I think that God is directing us to simply pray more, praise more, worship more.

at 3rdplace we see the way of Jesus happening in three movements..

1. Towards God
2. Towards others within the faith
3. Towards the world.

The first movement is often accepted and then neglected.. It's easy to be a social club, social justice and poverty work is very fashionable in church life right now. But truly standing still and listening, praying, engaging God? A different story.

So yesterday, we simply read the Psalm, I briefly explained some of the images, we sang together, prayed together, and lifted our hearts to God as a community.

At one point, Janet who lead the music last night, suggested that we just make a single note with our voices..

simple.

just let the vibration of your vocal lift your prayers towards God (If you saw the film 'As it is in heaven', it was something like the final scene). to hear our voices mingle and harmonizing spontaneously, was one of the most beautiful things I have heard in a long time. It was unplanned, unstructured and simple.

Give it a shot in your church or community.

it'll change the way you see each other and music..

3rdWORD

Hi guys
My awesome friend Joe started 3rdWORD, a type of bibleschool, at 3rdplace last week. We just had our 2nd session on tuesday. It is just awesome how he is able to bind together historical facts, bibilcal info and multi dimensional learning in one session! while all the time challenging us to a more radical way of walking with Jesus and still he holds all this within the framework of the 'love Jesus, love others' 3rdplace vow.

well done man, well done.

link

Chk this link...

http://churchcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/404page.jpg

:)

rhythm

This is has been floating around my head the last couple of years, we need to live in a rhythm..

1towards God
2towards other within our faith
3towards the rest of the world.

sequentially and cyclicly.

Prayer is an integral part of this circlur movement.. The foundation, the first part. I would love if we could get together every day like the monks of old and pray together.. but that seems impossible, how can we develop a rhythm of prayer and mission in this day? A even harder question is: How can we do it communally?

Easy (easier) to accomplish with a youth group at church, or student ministry, but what does a rhythm of prayer and mission look like for a single working mom?

any thoughts?

art

Rialette and I got creative this morning, we are super sentimental and took all our bits and pieces and made this.

i like it. :)

Eietydse kerk

As ek nou maar reguit kan praat en mooi eerlik kan wees, die kerk is lekker in die moeilikheid. Ons sukkel almal om te kuier met ‘n nuwe generasie mense. Ons sukkel om dwarsoor kultuur grense te praat. Ons probeer soms nuwe baadjies aan trek met die hoop dat iemand dan na ons kant sal kyk.Of ten minste droogskoonmaak ons die oues, want die mense het mos laas so baie daarvan gehou. Ons bou ons geboue oor en groter om te wys ons wen, maar gereeld huisves die blink nuwe ‘n senuweeagtige groepie wat in die geheim wonder: ‘hoe lank kan ons nog hierdie in stand hou?’

Ek wonder wat sou gebeur as ons net die toue sou los, die masker van groot getalle en duisende programme wat ‘n enkeldiep christenskap toe maak afhaal en agter ons klaar uitwerkde en oor genavorsde antwoorde (wat ons self lankal in elk geval nie meer glo nie) sou uit kruip?

Ek wil voorstel om eietydse kerk te wees is meer as net ‘n nuwe baadjie aantrek wat post modernisties lyk. Dis meer as om ‘n koffiewinkel in ‘n kerkgebou te sit, selfs meer as om die dienste te verplaas na koffiewinkels en kroeë en te herdoop as gesprekke. Dis meer as om ‘n groep blou-deur-ander-christene-geslaan-mense te neem en iewers saam te gaan kla oor institusies en dominees. Dis verseker meer as ‘n band op die verhoog en meer as iemand wat ‘n oor-sentimentele skildery skilder terwyl iemand anders preek (jammer, ‘n gesprek voer). Dis meer as om in ‘n sirkel te sit in plaas van rye. Meer as om ‘n blog te hê, as om ‘n kerk facebook groep te hê, as ‘n nuwe logo en journey taal, as om boeke te lees van ander wat kwaad is vir kerk. Dit moet meer wees as díe, anders ruil ons mos net bloot een kostuum vir ‘n ander?

Om eietyds kerk te wees of om bloot net kerk te wees, vra meer.

Dit vra ‘n verskuwing van ons hart, eerder ‘n hartoorplanting. Dit vra van ons om ons vleishart wat ons self uitgesny het weer te gaan vra by Jesus sodat hy dit kan terug sit in ons borskas.

‘n Vleishart wat nie omgee om soms (gereeld?) verkeerd te wees nie selfs al is jy reg, ‘n hart wat soek na Jesus, wat selfs kan sê, ‘ek weet nie’, ek weet nie hoekom daar seer is nie, ek weet ook nie heeltemal wie God is nie, wat homself kan verloor in die misterie van die almagtige tog persoonlike, groot tog klein God.

‘n Hart wat leef saam met mense, wat nie dikteer en voorsê nie, maar saam vra en worstel. Harte wat mekaar inspireër, nie ons hulle nie. ‘n Handjievol harte wat saam kan huil, saam kan lag, saam help huis trek en kinders grootmaak.

‘n Hart wat breek oor een wat wegloop, ‘n hart wat diepte celebrate en nie net vol sale en stadions nie. Een wat homself weer en weer uitgiet binne ‘n ondankbare wêreld. ‘n Hart wat juig oor een wat terugkom na jare.

Eietydse kerk soek Jesus, stukkende harte en vrot lewens. Eietydse kerk is arm, breekbaar en eerlik swak genoeg sodat Jesus saam kan loop. Los die toue, breek die masker en staan ‘n slag kaal voor jou gemeente, jou vriende, jou lewensmaat, jou Here. Dalk dan kan Jesus kom en jou reg maak vir die operasietafel.