What is Church

So Hammer,since you mentioned this I will take a stab it,
What is Church, I think church could be better defined for me, has a community of believers coming together to worship God, through songs, teaching, fellowship and encouragement. All done focusing and pointing each other to Jesus for both praises and problems. It should be a place that when a believer is hurting or struggling others would come along side and support and encourage, not that in ourselves we have the answer but can point to the one that does (Jesus). Also a place to rejoice with each other over Gods faithfulness. It seems that it also requires that we are available to each other outside of the meetings. It seems to me the only requirements for a church service would be a place to meet and a group of believers, I'm not sure if a full time shepherding pastor would be a requirement, definitely a desired benefit, but I also see a need for tentmaking shepherds.
Some thoughts,
Ed

My prayer for the Edge

My prayer for the Edge is that the seeds God has planted, through Dustin, will continue to grow and bear fruit. I do not understand why there is such opposition to the message of Gods grace among the christian community especially with so many hurting believers? May be that is why God may be seperating us, so that we may go out and share Gods grace with believers who desire this relationship ? It is hard tho to sit and listen to sermons that put all the burden on the believer.

My thoughts,
Ed

Prayer for the Edge

Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many be defiled; that there be no immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. For you know that even afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.

For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwing, and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard them begged that no further word be spoken to them. For they could not bear the command, "If even a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned." And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, "I am full of fear and trembling." But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and the church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.

See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven." This expression, "Yet once more," denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire.

Let the love of the brethren continue.

(Hebrews 12:14-13:1)

Sunday Evening

A discouraging night, The Edge is a unique community of believers were Grace and relationship with Jesus are the emphasis,in Ephesians 6 we are told that our battle is not against flesh and blood. So we will look to the Lord Jesus Christ to be the initiator, in whatever He has for us and of course good things will come of this, because God loves us, I am not convinced this was Gods will, but I am confident that it has not blind sighted Him. So let us look to the one who is able to do all thing exceedingly well and desires this relationship way more then we do.

Ed

Pope John Paul II: Exemplar of Missionality

Even though Pope John Paul passed away this morning, the discussion of his legacy began days ago. The Pope’s story of faith is one of the convergence of politics and spirituality: that Jesus is to leave no part of our lives untouched. Coming from Poland, he grew up face to face with communism, and strongly opposed the oppression and despair projected upon Eastern Europe. Yet he also spoke disparagingly against the abuses of capitalism and American materialism.

In these stances, the Pope pointed people to Jesus, taking seriously his role as world shepherd. This past Ash Wednesday the Pope said, “Looking at Christ and following Him with patient trust, we succeed in understanding that every human form of pain contains in itself a divine promise of salvation and joy.” I cannot help but acknowledge the strong parallel between this quote and what the author of the book of Hebrews said, “Let us keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.”

Pope John Paul the II lived his life as an example of missionality. May it be said of us, at our passing that we “walked as Jesus walked”, as was said of the Pope in today’s Rocky Mountain News. In the face injustice may we keep our eyes on Jesus, remembering our citizenship is in Heaven and not in the political or economics systems that we feel most comfortable. As Pope John Paul II manifested, that is a legacy worth building upon: Jesus!