THINKING DAY

Tomorrow is my first official thinking day since Emergent--school, work, ministry, etc have filled up the time. Back on March 15, I listed ecclesiology (especially the nature of church and her relationship to the kingdom of God) and anthropology (especially imago dei) as the two areas of thinking. In recent days a new topic has arisen: making space for community. TFB is in the process of intentionally forming small groups, and though I have not yet read it, I loaned Joe Myers' book The Search to Belong to Ann, one of the team members, so she could read it. Making space for community to happen came up as we discussed.

Here's my initial thinking.

God is a community--also known as the Trinity.
We are made in his image.
Therefore we are necessarily communal.

The images of the church in the New Testament are primarily communal.
We are the church.
We are communal.
The church is communal.

So, why isn't it communal???

I remember on Christmas evening on the way home, I wanted a Starbucks blackeye. Now I thought it might be open, but I did not expect to see what I saw. The place was packed and the line was out the door. People--mostly 18-35--were sitting around tables in small groups, talking, laughing, and drinking coffee. Now, I don't think the answer is coffee (though I would find that enjoyable), but maybe there is something to Acts 2:46:

"taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart"

Eating together was a cultural habit of first century middle-eastern people. This was a natural happening, with supernatural results.

So the question is, what are we doing that is getting in the way of community happening naturally? I think it's time to look around in our culture, see where people are forming natural small groups, and make space to let that happen.

For my part, I'll be pondering ecclesiology, anthropology, NT images of the church, and cultural exegesis. It'll be interesting to see what happens.

Laura`s Mind: The Fotolog

A couple more pictures from Emergent on The Fotolog. Regular fotos start Sunday or so. Enjoy.

Senate passes bill making it a crime to harm a fetus

"WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate voted Thursday to make it a separate crime to harm a fetus during commission of a violent federal crime, a victory for those seeking to expand the legal rights of the unborn.
...
But abortion rights lawmakers contended that giving a fetus, from the point of conception, the same legal rights as its mother sets a precedent that could be used in future legal challenges to abortion rights.
...
The legislation defines an "unborn child" as a child in utero, which it says "means a member of the species homo sapiens, at any stage of development, who is carried in the womb."

I am pleased with the Senate vote. I am pleased--especially as a former Biology major--that a fetus is finally being defined as homo sapiens (duh!). And, frankly, yes, it sets a precedence--very perceptive.

Read the article at CNN

Free Pictures for Non-Profit use

Found a cool source of pictures on Alan Creech's blog: FreeFoto.com

Lowly Insect

Wow. I've become a lowly insect in The Blogosphere Ecosystem. It's a proud day...

Pastor Dies Watching 'Passion'

Soares is at least the second person to die while watching 'The Passion,' which opened in Brazil on Friday. Peggy Scott, 56, died of a heart attack on Feb. 25 in Wichita, Kansas while watching film's climactic crucifixion scene.

I don't know. Maybe my psyche has been damaged by all the television violence that has leeched into my brain through the years, but I didn't think the scene was that bad. I mean it was violent, but it was a crucifixion afterall. Frankly, the sound effects on CSI freak me out more than the Passion.

EC04 PICTURES

Finally was able to post some pictures from Emergent on The Fotolog. Fotolog is still acting a bit funny, at least for viewing. Here's hoping.