August 31, 2006
txt blessings as passionate Christian practices
We are passionate (about connecting with each other using our cell phones). God is passionate about connecting with us. Passionate practices connect our passions with God's passions.
And so the passionate practice for the month of August at Digestion (Sunday evening church) has been using cell phones to text blessings. We have used Sunday evenings to run text challenges and explore how God blesses us. We have used Wednesday evenings in our youth small groups to experience blessing prayers, translate Bible benedictions into txt language, and come up with their own txt blessings.
Sunday evening was our celebration service that ended the passionate practice for the month. A lot of work went into from Opawa Youth Group.
Photos from Jas's blog.
At the celebration service we plan some way for people to share what they have learnt from using the passionate practice during the month. How has God been at work in us as we have lived Christianity passionately, in our daily practices, (in this case, of texting blessings), during our Monday to Friday lives?
So these were shared, the txt blessings, produced by our young people during the month, and shared with us on Sunday.
May God bless you through people u r connected with
& may he bless the people ur connected with thru u
Go, grow, sprout and shout out the glory of the BIG JC!
We are all unique. Treat everyone equal, as you are all equal in the family of Christ. Love everyone for their talents and abilities that come from God. May the Lord bless you in the week ahead. Be thankful for everything and help us to worship you in all that we do.
Written by our young people. Aren't they great! We will use them for a few months and then perhaps settle on one as a OBY/Digestion blessing for ever.
For an introduction:
and more on texting as a passionate practice go here; to passionate practices go here; for a passionate practice of discernment go here; for a passionate practices of pilgrimage go here.
For book resources:
Practicing Passion: Youth and the Quest for a Passionate Church
August 09, 2006
txt blessings
We are passionate about communicating via our cell phones; God is passionate about communicating with us. Can we use our cell phones to communicate God's blessing? The passionate practice for August is texting a blessing.
This blessing was one example suggested:
U r nt a accident
U r unique
U were creatd 4 a purpose
God loves u
For an introduction:
to passionate practices go here; for a passionate practice of discernment go here; for a passionate practices of pilgrimage go here.
For book resources:
Practicing Passion: Youth and the Quest for a Passionate Church
April 25, 2006
passionate practice of pilgrimage
Here are some pictures from Sunday night.
We have spent 5 weeks in our 2nd cycle of passionate practices – pilgrimage - walking toward, and then walking away from, Easter. We had preached around texts following Jesus to and from Easter. Practically, the passionate practice has been to
a) Walk and pray a pilgrim prayer
b) Attend Easter Camp
c) Cyber pilgrimage using online labyrinth.
We kicked off, five weeks ago, by inviting people to step into sand, as a way of commiting themselves to walking in pilgrimage with Jesus. Easy enough to then make plaster moulds of their feet, and to lay these feet out every week. On Sunday we talked about the resurrection and how it brings colour and life. We invited people to colour their feet and re-lay them, as a celebration of Resurrection life in our walking with Jesus.
For the start of passionate practice of pilgrimage see here.
For an overview of passionate practices and spiritual formation see here.
For books resources: Practicing Passion: Youth and the Quest for a Passionate Church
March 26, 2006
passionate practice of pilgrimage
We kicked off another passionate practice for the next 5 weeks of Digestion, our evening service. (The passionate practice for last month was discernment of music.)
I told the stories of two pilgrimages that inspire me; Celtic peregrini and walking the Camino de Santiago. We then offered a number of stations; communion, praying for Easter camp and plaster casting our feet (which will evolve over the next weeks). The passionate practice of pilgrimage, could be embraced in the the following concrete practices;
1.Go for a walk each day for the next 5 weeks. As you walk, pray the same pilgrim prayer. See what you learn.
God be with me in every pass,
Jesus be with me on every hill,
Spirit be with me in every stream,
Each step of the journey I goest
2. Go to Easter camp.
3. Do an internet pilgrimage. Go here twice a week for the next 6 weeks.
March 22, 2006
an iPOD spirituality OR passionate practices of discernment
We ended the first cycle of passionate practices - discernment of music - on Sunday. (I introduced the concept on my blog here).
Theology: We are passionate. God is passionate. Passionate practices help us connect our passion with God's passion.
How:
How: The practice for the last month has been discernment. We can connect our passion for music with God’s passion through the passionate practice of discernment. Go listen to your favourite music and discern where God is.
On the first Sunday we told the life stories of musicians we were passionate about. We played God made Rock and Roll, by Kiss, juxtaposed by various scriptures (Psalm 119:105; Romans 12:2; 1 Timothy 4:4; James 1: 5). We offered two models of discernment.
For the next three Sundays we looked at three case studies. With U2 allegedly coming to New Zealand; three people looked at where they found God in three U2 songs; I still haven't found what I'm looking for; Stuck in a Moment; Bullet the Blue Sky. This meant that each week we were offering a practical case study, seeing someone "do" discernment of their favourite musician.
Interaction: On Sunday we celebrated the end of the practice. What had we learnt about a passionate God and our passionate over the month? We opened the floor. People shared a favourite artist, played a song and where they found God. People read helpful quotes from each other’s blogs, insights from among our Digestion community discerning music. And we offered to God our CD cross.
Each CD represents a favourite song from among our youth group. On each CD is a "post-it", a hand written note, explaining where God is found on their favourite CD. That’s practicing a practice and offering it to God.
Reflections: I am sort of proud of this. For the last 4 weeks we have loitered with intent. We have mixed (DJed) Scripture, theology, stories, practice, interaction, our culture. We have been able to integrate Sunday services with our youth group cell groups on a Wednesday, church with our blogs, God with our headphones.
Growing up, I was either told to burn my music, or the church was silent about my music. Either withdrawal or assimilation. Yet for the last 4 weeks, an iPOD generation has been given practical skills to help them connect their beats with God.
Next week we turn to the passionate practice of pilgrimage. What does it mean to walk a journey, spiritually toward, and away from, Easter, physically, toward, and away from, Easter Camp?
Resources I've used:
Practicing Passion: Youth and the Quest for a Passionate Church
