I have been experimenting lately with the notion that if the church is the existentially missional gathering, discipling, and sending of Jesus-followers into all the world, and if the biblical idea of Kingdom community/fellowship is communitas, then it carries with it an intense "we-ness" as I wrote in my April 3rd blog post: http://oldmenplantingchurches.blogspot.com/2012/04/being-we.html   This relational paradigm implies the unfamiliar idea that if we're embodying Kingdom communitas together, I am with you as you go about being missional in your spheres of Kingdom influence, and vice-versa. As I wrote: "I have your back and you have mine." We're doing this together, it's just that you're taking the lead in that part of our joint mission. We are sharing the work rather than you live your life with Jesus and I live mine -- alone together.

I've begun to broach this notion that Jesus has gathered us together around a particular Kingdom mission; we are members of the same cause and team. Each of us plays an integral role, and though we might be apart much of the time, we're actually contributing to what each of us is doing to further the Kingdom on our watch -- I'm with you and you're with me; it matters to us all what each is doing and we know about it. It takes a minute for folks to wrap their heads around the idea, because it is so unfamiliar, or seems to be a platitude with little reality

As I mentioned in the Being The We blog as well, most of us live our Christian lives as discreet individuals who go to church together, attend all sorts of Christian gatherings, and communal activities, including fellowship groups and short-term missions trips, but the idea that we've been called to intense and intimate Kingdom missional teamwork is sadly foreign. We don't know how to and are not even sure its possible or desirable.

Recently, I told a young Intervarsity Staff Worker who is also an imagineurian that what she does on campus in furthering the Kingdom of Christ is what imagine/Northampton is doing with and through her. She's got the lead there, but we're with her, and not just symbolically. We want to help her "pull out the stops" and realize all God wants to do on her watch. She's a part us and we're a part of her. She carries our united hearts, and we hers. It's the relational DNA of missional church.

She's one example of how imagine as a communitas of missional Christ-followers is called to own what each of us is doing on our jobs, in our neighborhoods, with our non-Christian friends and colleagues. Wherever one of us goes during the week, we are all there.

Life together in this way assumes a much more missionally intimate and dynamic way of relating than what passes for community in most churches. Our shared mission defines and deepens our relating. Togetherness is not just about friendships and mutual support, as fulfilling as that can be. The deepest spiritual meaning we can experience after grasping the Magnificent God of the entire Creation just happens to be deeply fond of you and me, is found in the wild notion he's gone and summoned each of us to further his Kingdom on our watch. I go. You go. We all go together even when apart.

So how about begin experimenting with this missional relating by asking folks you spend time with two questions:

1. How can I pray for the Kingdom mission God has given you?

2. What do you need from me today, this week, etc.?

Unless the folks you hang around are hip to what you're actually assuming  in these two questions, you may have to explain the concept of communitas to them. What a great opportunity either way!

May God ignite Kingdom communitas and mission through your questions and example.

In Part 2, I'll explain the spiritual and relational dynamic necessary for transforming normal Christian fellowship.

It was a crazy week leading up to yesterday.

We'd just finished our first off-site worship gathering since moving to our Main Street space. We've been feeling our first real growing pains and decided to get a mid-sized banquet space at the Hotel Northampton just up King Street from us. The Palm Sunday/Easter services tend to be when folks visit a new place, or go to church for their traditional Christmas and Easter ritual. We knew we'd be in trouble if we used the imagine space; it's not cool to turn away people.

So the Monday after Palm Sunday, Dave, Tricia and I (mostly Dave), began searching for another space.  We were given the impression we could also use the hotel facility for Easter, but that turned out to be untrue. Time was short, so we felt like we had to scramble amidst all the other ministry a week brings .We called about and visited a few spaces which had potential to work. All were no-goes. We tried until Friday. It appeared God wanted us to stay put.

Tuesday night, Jim, Tricia, and I settled on a structure of fitting readings and songs, plus a short reflection in the middle.We wanted different and fresh.

During the week, the imagineWORSHIP Team rehearsed twice and had 6 songs ready for Easter. We spent some time with jazz diva Diane Reeves' amazing renditions of Morning Has Broken to use as an opening song. Eslie ended up singing it acappella, and did a great job. It set a spiritual tone. Michelle brought in and sang a strong lead on Robert Lowrey's 1876 Nothing But the Blood of Jesus hymn. We turned it into an uptempo Bo Diddley kind of groove with djembe, guitar and bass. We also did Michael Kelly Blanchard's BeYe Glad with just voice and snare drum. We finished with Alive, What the Lord Has Done For Me, and Revelation Song. People sang!! Some smiled.

During the week, Karin went to work and found material to read from Madeline L'Engle's "The Ram: Caught in the Bush," Luci Shaw's "To Know Him Risen," and C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia where Aslan has risen and is playing joyously with the kids, but also summoning them to the Kingdom  work ahead. Tricia composed and read a reflection on the idea of Jesus as the Gardener of our souls. Karin also read from John 20. There was food for the heart and mind in what was read and reflected. Karin and Tricia in their own styles drew us in to listen and contemplate.

And there was great food for the stomach...always an inviting feature at imagineWorship.

On Saturday, Tricia and Kait set to adorning our space with festoons of brightly-colored, gauzy material with streamers attached. On Sunday, Tricia launched multicolored, helium-filled balloons (with Scriptures attached to the strings), to hug and bobble the ceiling. The mood created was festive and playful - just what we wanted.

So yesterday, as we'd hoped, we had a number of guests, and the place filled to capacity. Our little room for worship was packed like sardines, right up to the band. The energy was bright and right for celebrating. We had some lovely surprises, including 4 imagineurians, who for various reasons had been away, but were able to be with us - for two, it was like a renewal. Folks invited friends there for their first time, and they all appeared to enter into worship with us. What a pleasure to see it. Another pleasure was finding that someone was there who, as an act of beginning to heal, came to our Easter.

As some of you know, we don't see Sunday morning church as the zenith of our missional task. The day has an important role to play in gathering us all together to celebrate God, to hear from him in the Scriptures, and to sing to him in solidarity with all the gathered around the world. This, our first Easter Worship was alive, and life-giving; simple, but real. We worshipped.

I don't suspect we'll be worshiping at the Main Street space for much longer. But I know Resurrection life is practiced here. Yesterday confirmed it.

I had a conversation recently with an imagineurian and good friend, Jon G.Hill. We were talking about teamwork and group process. My friend has a singular and refreshing wit (it comes from his intelligence). As we were ending our conversation, he said something like "It's be the we, man." His bon mot was dead-on.

Here's why.

In my previous post I wrote a bit about the essentiality of communitas for getting at the heart of what it means to share the Kingdom mission of living the Gospel for people who can't or won't see Jesus. I quoted Michael Frost in Exiles: "It involves movement and it describes the experience of togetherness that only really happens among a group of people actually engaging in a mission outside itself."

To "be the we" reflects a communal depth and vitality flowing from an unabashedly shared sense of "we're up to our necks in this together," and "I got your back, period." I find as Americans we're often so unreflectively immersed in the ethos of individual freedoms, pursuits and identity that even our church life can appear as an exercise in being alone together. We're born and bred individual consumers and volunteers. We share worship services, bible studies, mission's trips, outreach events, volunteer projects, small groups, etc. We do share some substantial life together as friends; we serve, give and sometimes go spiritually deep, especially women. But when you and I say, _______________ (insert the name of your church) is my church, do we mean "it's where I go and feel most comfortable," or do we mean: "God called me to share with these folks His Kingdom mission adventure of a lifetime. I would die for my compadres, and they for me. What I have is theirs and vice versa. We've walked through the valleys of fire together. Nothing could separate me from them, nor them from me.

I know for a fact from conversations I've had with people, especially those in their 20's, that the longing for such a community resonates largely unmet. They want to live for something magnificent than themselves . . . with others; something heroic and noble; something hard to do, but so worth it. Sadly,  they've not  really seen "be the we" lived out in their church experience. The closest some of them get is in college as part of Christian Fellowship or parachurch ministry.  Once away from those spiritual environs, they feel a sadness and frustration about not finding missional community lived out in the local church, even a little cynicism. We in the church can talk a good game and still live a shamefully tepid discipleship - being spectators and religious consumers. Comfort zones thrive in American Christianity.

Being alone or in affinity cliques together, misses the point of the Church in the world. Jesus has unequivocally summoned us to accomplish something courageous in our neck of the woods. That's why we're here together. "Being the we" is each one of us following hard after Jesus, but together; not alone. All of us covered, supported, encouraged, given rest, then gently lifted back to our feet when we need it, and loved as we work to change the world toward the Kingdom reign of God. No one is left behind. No one is kept silent. We don't shoot our wounded, shun our "difficult" ones, or send the sinner packing. The broken are welcomed, embraced,  healed, trained, strengthened, and invited into the fray beside all of us when they have their sea legs. We all share inestimable worth, and a wondrous destiny.


I've observed being the we missionally takes one person saying: "Is this all there is . . . really?" He or she starts asking, "What if we could...?" or "How come we can't...?" questions, and keeps asking until someone responds, "Well, why not? I'll go with you." You start to pray together, asking the Lord for the mission.You persist. Then, you go and experiment following his leading; all the while talking to others about what you're seeing Jesus do in your life, and the lives you're beginning to rub up against. It can be infectious when you all reach the missional tipping point in the community where the Holy Spirit is changing hearts and freeing the captives because you love, and serve, and have learned how to tell your personal redemption story. If you keep it up, there will be all manner of challenges and struggles, but somewhere along the way, "being the we" became your way of life, and turning back turns unthinkable.
"Be the we" where you are. Try it. Others are waiting for you to begin.

Last night at imagine's inward/Outward Missional Formation Cohort, we began a conversation around what it means to experience communitas together. According to Alan Hirsch in The Forgotten Ways:

"...communitas describe[s] the dynamic of the Christian community inspired to overcome their instincts to huddle...and instead to form themselves around a common mission that calls them into a dangerous journey to unknown places--a mission that calls the church to shake off its collective securities and to plunge into the world of action where its members experience disorientation and marginalization, but also where they encounter God and one another in a new way."

Michael Frost in Exiles writes:

"Communitas...is a community infused with a grand sense of purpose, one that lies outside its internal reality and constitution. It's the kind of community that "happens" to people in actual pursuit of a common vision of what could be. It involves movement and it describes the experience of togetherness that only really happens among a group of people actually engaging in a mission outside itself."

Our discussion moved around what people experience in trying to be missional and helping others open to Christ. It was a good beginning. After everyone had left and I was reflecting on our conversation, the thought struck me that church for most people does not expose them to the depth and richness of communal experience formed around the challenging adventure of Kingdom mission, and how it forges a deep, shared identity, especially when the going is tough.

Many Christians have experienced small group fellowship where the support and relational interplay were rewarding and meaningful, but not particularly embodying a "grand sense of purpose."  Some have been involved in invigorating church-related projects. Others have been on Mission's trips that were profound, and opened them to the possibility of radical discipleship. But, for most, most of the time, church became rather quickly predictable, and routine, not the "pursuit of a common vision of what could be.". I've known very few Christians who's following of Jesus often involved, "a common mission that calls then into a dangerous journey to unknown places," or where they were "plunge[d] into the world of action where its members experience disorientation and marginalization, but also where they encounter God and one another in a new way."

Sadly, Church can end up being a heart-deadening institutional, programmatic obligation with little expectation of adventure or a vision worth dying for. If you don't believe me ask the Christian men you know how much Church inspires them to repeatedly follow Christ into the mess of people's lives or the pain of the world. Or, people settle for a satisfying experience far less than God invites them to join him in because they have an ample supply spiritual goods and services which keep them occupied: the worship is great, the preaching is edifying, the kids have a great children's ministry; there is all kinds of opportunity for Bible study, volunteering and fellowship. Church life is good.

Because communitas has been so little experienced, I think it feels utterly foreign to people, even unrealistic. I get a sense that most of us have little to relate to in the term because church we've lived has not been communitas. It also became very clear that "normal" life was hard enough, and people needed seasons of healing before they could even consider a more adventurous Christian way. That's not to be overlooked...a wounded heart needs ample time to heal and restore. But when it does, will the church inspire people to anything more than easy-does-it, American Christendom, and with a little sin management thrown in?

Where's the opportunity to live an heroic life together; one reflecting the unparalleled greatness and beauty of the Messiah we say we follow and serve. Where's the ennobling task which elevates the heart beyond safety and security? Who's offering the sustained opportunity to really live and die in the rigorous service of the Gospel and the Kingdom reign of God? Where's the compelling STORY which ignites passion and a do-whatever-it-takes communal ethos?

I have to say I long for, and have longed for since I was a teenager, this kind of authentic, give-it-all-you-got for-a-cause-which-elevates-the-human-spirit-and-reflects-the-heart-of-God focus. I also have to say I've only experienced glimmers of it, but I've truly tasted it, and want much more before my last breath.

I believe imagine/Northampton has the best shot God has offered me to realize Kingdom communitas around the most important mission in the universe: helping people discover and follow the God who is more than they imagine.The imagine/Northampton people I serve with are growing hearts for this Kingdom mission. They are serious about following Jesus this way.

I love that! It inspires me. As long as I have a say in it, we're gonna keep heading in this direction.

What about you?

1.   You have found the freedom to call the Father “Abba,” with a simple warmth and affection. He has become more than a distant Creator and Sustainer; a stern taskmaster, who except for what Jesus did on the cross in your place, is pretty much ticked with, or disappointed by you most of the time.2.   You're growing comfortable with the thought that God is deeply fond of you, especially with "somebody like you" who is too much this, and not enough that; who still struggles with sin, and sees so much left in your life to clean-up.3.   You realize you see time alone with Jesus as the best part of the day, and want more. You've come to value the oasis of quiet, peace, prayer and learning; it is life-giving and sustaining.4.   You recognize you are gradually noticing His presence in the course of a normal day. It's mostly subtle: a gracious response from someone, a problem-solved, a spiritual opportunity you'd not seen before, freedom where there was hesitation , a sense of being loved and accepted.5.   You're hearing Him speak to you in your heart and through others. You are becoming able to distinguish the "still, small voice" of the Spirit, from your thoughts, or the sly lies and insinuations of the adversary. Listening prayer has become a valued way of connecting to God in your life.6.   Worship has a growing importance and meaning to you. You've come to know worship as a way of life - presenting yourself to God for his use is a deep longing in your heart. Singing and praising God are a wonderland and joyous release.7.   You are finding it easier to forgive people, and sooner. Something is softening and changing in your heart so "dropping the charges" against others is a prized spiritual discipline and practice of your will.8.   You are more and more open to seeing people as treasures, and have a greater desire to love them, especially those who offend or repulse you.  Compassion, goodwill, and mercy are quietly taking root as your way of life.9.  You want to know the Bible to come closer to Jesus. A hunger for truth revealing God's heart, will, and ways draws you to spend substantial time with the Scriptures.  A love for the beauty and wisdom of the Word takes a firm hold.10. You find yourself enticed by God's mission to open others to the Gospel and His Kingdom here and now in the Church and also to come at the end of the Age. You are opening to see yourself as a missionary in your world, and it just feels necessary to do so.11.You grieve over your sin, and are more open to gracious and prudent correction. You are learning to hate the sin that so easily deceives and entangles; and desire the freedom that comes from walking in the light as He is in the light12. You've learned to laugh at your foibles and blind-spots without feeling humiliated or condemned. You've come to view your redeemed brokenness not as a hideous thing to hide away, but a door through which you can connect with others who are bruised, bent over and weighed down by their brokenness, so they might find healing and hope.

All of the above are the work of a grace-lavishing God who has set you free, is
setting you free, and will set you free completely. The list is not meant to be
exhaustive, but to be spiritual markers by which you can examine whether you are
growing in intimacy with God, busily treading water; or in fact, living comfortably 
quite far from his heart.

May they bring you wisdom, refreshment and liberty in your relationship with God,
and with those he situates your life.

A few nights ago, I had a brief conversation with two great friends, who I consider to be two of the most tried and true servants of the Most High I've had the undeserved blessing of knowing in my life. Earlier my friend sent an email inquiring if we wanted to transfer our membership from Covenant Presbyterian Church in Simsbury to imagine/Northampton since, obviously, we'd planted the church, and were fully invested members (although we do not have a formal membership process at imagine, nor do we make the distinction between members and non-members).

After we hung up, I got to thinking how important was my time at The Barn (CPC's nickname for decades, as it was planted on a dairy farm in the 60's) in my spiritual formation. I was truly equipped there over 20+ years to do much of what I do today. More importantly, I think it is wise and good to acknowledge those key people God sends into our lives to form us for the work to which he summons us. I have been rich man in that regard. Spiritual mentors and companions make us able to become the grace of God to others. Without them we'd spend most of our lives as spiritual spectators, consumers and infants.

I need to say also I know I will probably miss some folks as I list people. I regret that more than you might realize, but find solace in knowing God knows who they are and smiles. So do I -- the smiling , that is.

So here goes:

1. My fascinating, lion-hearted wife, Tricia: I wrote earlier in this blog about the beautiful treasure she is to me, but I must acknowledge she was the very first person who told me about relationship with Jesus. Her love for him was palpable and authentic. I'd never seen that before. I was intimidated, but intrigued. That was just the beginning. For the last 40 years, her gracious, steadfast example of love, courage, wisdom and tenacious faith has mentored me as no other in my life. Her faithful companionship has steeled my resolve to keep going when I was often ready to quit. She's given me exponentially more than I'll ever be able to repay (not that's she's ever expected me to). She's a Proverbs 31 wife and then some.

2. Our kids, Daniel, Eslie and Alyn: I have to confess I was not the greatest father in the world. I had a load of immaturity, all sorts fears (some crippling at times), blind-spots and selfish attitudes. God in his wisdom knowing I needed extra help, graced me with a woman who was, and is still, an extraordinarily passionate, dedicated and gifted mother (grandmother too). I was amazed at her resourcefulness and creativity with loving and teaching our kids. Our kids, each with their own personality and individual set of needs showed me how small-hearted I was. Wrestling with how to be a dad revealed soon into it how I lacked gentleness and wisdom and patience. I was self-absorbed, and although I know I tried to grow into the role, and I loved them, I was still a boy emotionally. As I've had the gift of watching them grow into talented and courageous adults who have, or are overcoming their own wounds, I've been grateful for God's faithfulness and kindness. They are becoming what any father longs for: people of substance who are striving for a life well-lived. Because of them, I had to grow up and learn how to love from out of my brokenness. They've enriched my life beyond what they realize.

3. Ralph Mattson: Tricia brought me to this brilliant teacher and mentor to countless men and women. He is one of a kind. When she introduced me to him, I was fascinated, because he knew and loved art; his intellect and wealth of understanding relating to human nature and all things Christian was astonishing to me. I'd never known anybody like him. He explained the Gospel one Saturday that tipped me into the Kingdom. Over the next 10 years, he'd keep extending his spiritual friendship by countless discussions over dinner about deep things. He gave me work to do when I was in transition (The Master's School, People Management and DOMA). He revealed, and affirmed my motivational gifts. He even gave me my first leadership role in a small group of Christians and artists - me, a leader??? He saw things in me I couldn't; essential spiritual foundations were set in place through him.

4. Father Earle Fox: In my mid-30's God decided it was the appointed time for me to receive life-changing inner healing.  Through a series of "coincidences," Father Fox came into my life and for a year, I was unbound from the effects of wounds which distorted how I understood my worth and power as a man. He was another brilliant man God summoned into my life to spiritually mentor me toward freedom. His manner was gentle, but resolute in helping unlock my heart. Afterwards, through his teaching, Earle set Tricia and I on a path to becoming counselors and Spiritual Directors. We experienced inner healing through him, received training, and have had the privilege of working along side of Jesus in unlocking hundreds of other hearts through inner healing.

5. Bob and Barbara Japenga: We met the Japenga's through a mutual friend when we first moved to CT, and reconnected later in a class we were teaching on Listening Prayer at The Barn. Soon, we realized we were kindred spirits regarding the Christian spiritual life especially, They are teachers, retreat leaders, spiritual directors and disciplers; people of prayer and service; mature leaders in the Church with a deep heart for Jesus and his flock. As long as I've known them, they've taught me much about grace, love, integrity,  service, kindness, and generosity of all sorts. They saw me at my weakest and worst, and loved me anyway. They've been faithful friends, ministry companions (CFR Retreat Ministry which they now ably lead) and prayer warriors. Bob and Barbara modeled the Christian life for me and I'm not the same because of their gracious hearts.

6. Reverend Don Haas: I met Don in a class on the Theology of Work I was team teaching at The Barn with a friend. I did not attend the church at the time. Don was in the class. After, we got to know each other and when it seemed right to the Holy and CPC, Tricia and I were invited to take leadership of the CFR Retreat Ministry. In the next 20 years, Don became a friend. He was on the Klesis Board (Klesis was our 501(c)3 ministry through which we did counseling to support ourselves). He would frequently call me into mediation meetings with congregants. He hired me and Tricia as part-time staff. He encouraged me to become an Elder on Session. He was always supportive of our ministry at The Barn; sometimes even defending what we were doing. Through Don, I learned what pastoral care looked like from the heart. He exuded grace, humility, dignity and a deep love for Christian intellectual integrity and truth. He was a man of principle. Pastor Don provided us with a place and the means to grow individually, and through the ministry of healing and spiritual formation God gave us. Without his vote of confidence years ago, I don't know that we'd be here in Northampton.

7. Jim LaMontagne: Jim and I met at The Barn as musicians on the Worship Team. We soon found we shared a mutual interest in creative music, especially that which is innovative - taking things to another level. We also would spend time talking about church in general. Both of us had a longing for something different; something which captured the heart of the Gospel and the Kingdom, especially for people loath to darken the door of a church. That led to conversations with others. A few months after that the Holy Spirit made it clear us, our spouses, and two other couples that we were to plant imagine in Northampton. We've been partners in ministry ever since. For me, Jim has modeled a passion for the Scriptures and skillfully teaching them to others in a way which is transforming. He's also serious about the missional way of following Jesus, and being creative in doing so. He's a true friend and brother who's walked through the imagine ups and downs with perseverance, faith and good humor.

8: Rick Schoenhardt: I've known Rick Schoenhardt since before our years at the BARN. With his wife, Lynne, he has taught me about diligence, faithfulness and duty to that which matters. Rick is one of those "man's men" to me. He's a gifted, creative and gentle man who also played rugby in his 50's. He loves Jesus and has devoted a good part of his life to serving, and being a leader in the church. Rick was always willing to help with what we were doing whether he was on the CFR Support Team, the Klesis Board, serving with Lynne on retreats or praying for us. He's a man of prayer. He was consistently generous with his time and resources. I had many opportunities to learn integrity, perseverance and strength with humility from Rick. When I grow up, I want to be like Rick.

9. All the Volunteers at The Center for Renewal: There have been so many. They showed up again and again; rolling up there sleeves, diving in to get the work done on countless retreats, workdays, events we created at church, meetings, dinners and conversations. They were cheerful, can-do people who believed in the ministry, had received its benefits and wanted to give back in some way. A few of them went well above and beyond the call of duty, and repeatedly. Their servant-hearts taught me the normal Christian life was a life of good-willed service without grumbling or expecting kudos. I learned how to serve from their quiet example, and how to be served, for that matter - something always hard for me. I also got to share companionship and camaraderie with salt-of-the-earth people who loved Jesus and showed it by diving in and helping out.

If you haven't before or recently, take a minute to remember those people God sent into your life to help you grow into the man or woman he intends, and thank him for his lavish love he's shown you through them.

1. The human heart chronically without Christ is a fickle, restless and a voracious tyrant. It wants what it wants only as long as it wants it.

2. The human heart chronically without Christ is small because it serves a disastrously nearsighted master: self. Self is diseased to the degree it will eventually kill the heart's capacity to truly see and hold another person's heart as if it were it's own.

3. The human heart chronically without Christ plays endless, sometimes brilliantly subtle games to get others to feed it's lusts and treasured impulses.

4. The human heart chronically without Christ is cruel for it will subjugate other people to elevate itself and be glad it did, often hiding it's glee.

5. The human heart is chronically without Christ is deceitful to depths beyond knowing, habitually lying to itself and others to uphold the labyrinthine fantasies of fools.

6. The human heart chronically without Christ is never fully satisfied, so it is easily courted by users, posers, sycophants and flatterers - human or not.

7. The human heart chronically without Christ plays dangerous games in minefields littered with crushed dreams and shattered lives.

8. The human heart chronically without Christ sees Potemkin Villages as investment opportunities.

9. The human heart chronically without Christ can cherish any illusion which comforts it's own vanities, and celebrates its proud ego inflations.

10. The human heart chronically without Christ will be gradually hardened to the point where it's no longer human, and will never be again.

11. The human heart chronically without Christ might choose the way of death - whistling all the while or slowly accepting monstrosities as necessary.

12. The human heart chronically without Christ will most likely appear respectable, a model citizen, a "Hail fellow well-met," an agreeable, pleasant chap, but at it's core lives a parasite slowly eating.

A few weeks ago, a jazz bassist friend of mine sent me a message on Facebook saying he'd like to catch up. We'd not talked in at least three decades, and it wasn't because we'd had some weird falling out over music or bad behavior on either or both of our parts.

Over the years, my friend, Joe, has become a jazz musician of some prominence in the Free Jazz wing of the art form (also called creative music by insiders). He's lived and played in New York City for a long time. He told me much of his work now happened in Europe, and was about to leave for such a trip a few days after we talked. He's had the great fortune of playing with many luminaries in the Free Jazz world. Joe is a strong player of a challenging instrument; very creative with a distinctive musical voice, and a fearless heart when it comes to exploring sonic possibilities. He's a prolific composer as well. I was fortunate to play with him for the 2 years I did.

So we chatted about our current playing - where and with whom. Joe, was well-acquainted with the music scene in Northampton, as he'd been a part of the UMass Jazz Program in it's golden years. He told me about Cary, the guitar player we worked with in the the late 70's, in a joint project called Quartette, and that he was living and working in Chicago these days. I told him, John, the very talented vibraphonist and composer of the group, was living and working in Hartford. We also talked much of family. He's married and has kids who've blessed him with grand-kids. In that, our lives were similar. We talked as men who've been graced by how life has turned out, including the storms and struggles we'd weathered through on our differing journeys.

I was struck by the warmth and affection of our conversation after all these years. Not only had we had the shared experience of making creative music together, but we shared the experience of being fathers and grandfathers now in our "mature" years. Ours was a connection of shared values. We'd traveled some decades, faced many challenges, and could still relate at a heart level.

Joe has always been real, refreshingly so. he really is himself, take it or leave it (not arrogantly so). He has an authentic love for his work and the people he's given himself to. There's a certain simplicity to his ways, but underneath a depth and wisdom coming from life pursuing one's heart commitments, and paying the price to do what one loves and believes in. He's always been a humble man, gentle and approachable. The fierceness he expresses comes through his music.

Our phone conversation left me warmed and happy; old friends and creative explorers reconnecting after all these years. We went separate ways since our collaboration, but sharing music for the time we did marked both of us, leaving room for catching up as men should before they grow old - if you get what I mean.

I'm a born explorer by motivational design.

I'm at my most free when heading out toward the new, and "going beyond." where I've been. I've taken risks most of my adult life and failed at many of them. Then again, I've been able to establish some worthwhile Kingdom enterprises. Even at this "starting-to-be-long-in-the-tooth" age of 62, (but way young at heart and alive in spirit, I might add), there remains in me an indwelling, persisting drive to start a new thing: to open a fresh door, begin from scratch, and launch out into a wisp of a dream which intrigues like crazy, and promises a slice of alive life. Creating is a way of being to me - a chronic impulse toward discovery and birthing.

But, I've been made aware of late of how much, and to what length trusting God (read seeing my limits), is required in exploring and creating this vision through imagine in Northampton. And it's a peculiar perch of trust he's showing me.

It goes something like this: Jesus beckons subliminally, but persistently, "Come on up here and walk out on this high branch with me." I've no idea how flimsy is the limb he's inviting me to.  But I realize he's beckoning me to go right out to the tip of, what I'm sure, is feather-thin. It's gonna break. Fear-laced common sense indicates it's so. To even go out there at all, I have to trust because he's already there, he won't let it break or allow me to fall beyond repair.

To make matters worse, he says: "Stay here; live here; abide here; do imagine here."

What???

In other words, "learn to trust me here where it mostly trembles and vibrates; the branch groans from the stress of its constant bending (and appears to me only a micron from the calamitous breaking point), and leaves you vulnerable." Put another way, "Will you abide in the palpable uncertainty of following me into, the Kingdom mission I've given, no matter the cost, inconvenience, strain, even suffering?"

Big question. Essential question for all who seek the Kingdom, and God's summons to manifest it in the real world.

I don't know about you, but over the years, I've also given a substantial amount of unabashed loyalty to safety and security, especially the kind which yields the plenteous comforts of the American-style leisure culture. They are powerful addictors, but ultimately soul-smothering killers of fire-hearted trust and courageous Christ-following . Easy does it as a way of life is no life at all. But the idea of actually embracing a life of Kingdom risk-taking, camping out on a limb without a safety-net, and betting the farm on God's timely provision in the mission is an order too tall for many if not most of us.

In truth, learning to head out on a limb after Jesus yields rich spiritual bounty in the growth of a resilient and tenacious faith. The deep trust formed by exercising such vigorous faith gradually becomes quietly determined, especially in threatening vicissitudes peppered throughout life. aith and trust to this degree has been "kiln-fired"  to a hardness shining and proving durable for the long haul.

Preferring to stay on the the limb with the Lord of Hosts is the happy result of being convinced this is the vaunted place called "life to the full" where the Kingdom action is, and where the most fruit for his glory can be yielded. On the other hand, settling for a comfortable Christian life of manageable religious routines and "the way it's always been," creates a kind of spiritual sleepwalking or living on autopilot: go to church, read your Bible and Christian books, listen to Christian music, attend a small group, put something in the plate, and volunteer, serve on a committee, and maybe even go on a Mission's trip. None of it bad, but where's the adversity, the "if you don't show up, Lord, it's all going down the tubes," reality, the "we're not giving up, Father, until you bless us with this family, this neighborhood, this city, these people, etc?

Just a glance at Jesus' life, the lives of his disciples, those who experienced Pentecost, the dispersion of the Church from Jerusalem, Paul's missional journeys, and the gradual spreading of the Gospel in Judea, Samaria and beyond reveals what daily life on the limb looks like. It is singled-hearted trust in the One who's called you to love God with all of you; love your neighbor (including the off-putting ones) as yourself, and as you are going, make disciples all the time.

I've found the more more we trust him, the further we'll head toward what and for whom God cares; not just with our free time, discretionary dollars and a little volunteering. Trusting him with everything precious to us and yielding our whole lives because of it, puts us out on the Kingdom limb where the power of God, and the faithfulness of God hold us up and keep us set to his tasks.

So, is your head down grinding out Monday's through Friday's so you really don't even notice the trees around you, especially the one where Jesus is perched on your limb and looking at you? Are you down on the ground staring up at him, and the limb he's calling you to? Are you half way up the trunk of the tree creeping toward the limb, standing on the notch, or actually abiding there, following him as he builds the Kingdom through you?

Which is it?

Traction: From the Medieval Latin tracti, tractin-, from Latin tractus, past participle of trahere, to pull, draw.], 1.e., Adhesive friction, as of a wheel on a track or a tire on a road.
Since the turn of 2012, I've found myself noticing and referring to the sense that imagine/Northampton is gaining a little traction with our mission in these parts. It feels as if we've begun to turn a corner of sorts. We are "adhering" to the city a bit; gaining a frictive foothold so to speak.
It's been three and a half years since our arrival - a tough three and a half for sure. This church planting stuff ain't for the faint of heart. I've not felt the traction of which I now speak.
So why do I say we're "gaining traction?"
Well first, it appears God is beginning to bless our perseverance in the face of trials, discouragements, pressures within and without, a myriad of spiritual attacks, and our own ineptitude being rookies at this church planting enterprise, to name a few. We still have serious financial pressures, but there are glimmers of relief. God seems to be showing us favor in that people, not just imagineurians, speak of us as a reality; they pray for us and refer people to our doors.
Also, in late 2011, we began to see folks sticking around. We've had people checking us out almost from the beginning, but they'd not stay. Now we have students from Smith, a few young families, and couples, talented musicians on the verge of becoming a Worship Team, a spunky survivor of woman in her 60's, a jazz trio of considerable potential, people with servant hearts, visual artists and a dancer, and kids full of life. We're beginning to bust out of our little space. We are also seeing a little multi-cultural diversity. We want more of that, Lord! Draw us further into your will, Father!
People who are adhering and have been so for awhile, talk of what they value in our church ethos and DNA. They refer to imagine as "our church," or "my church." Most thrilling to me is they're embracing (all at their own pace, of course), our mission of "helping people discover and follow the God who is far more than they imagine." They are taking it seriously, and working at deepening personal intimacy with Jesus while also striving to live out the Kingdom missional way of life devoted to loving and serving people who yet cannot see him. Their response is a dream come true for me. It makes my heart sing, giving refreshing grace to the burdens we've carried to plant imagine from a wisp of thought.
Another marvelous development is imagineurians are inviting friends to come to our gatherings, both Sunday mornings and the inward/OUTWARD Missional Cohort. They didn't really do that before - there were exceptions to that. Their willingness is a kind of "come and see" freedom beginning to settle into our hearts. When everyone wants others to experience what they've some to value, we're moving toward the heart of our Kingdom mission. By the way, I'm not saying we identify traction mostly by how many people "come to church" on Sunday. Far from it. We identify traction as imagineurians sacrificially loving and serving people in their families, neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, etc. We recognize traction when imagineurians love the least of God's people or the pariahs of American culture. We see traction by how deeply they are actually surrendering their hearts to Jesus, and offering him the best of their lives, not the leftovers. We confirm traction based on how much grace we actually accept, and how much grace we all routinely offer others.
I also recognize traction in the fact that many of the the homeless in town know who we are, and we remain committed to helping them find life in the Life-giving Lover of their souls. We long for the day when they will feel loved enough by us enough to join our community.
In sum, another of my hopes for this year is that this traction to which I refer will settle to a firm foothold, and then generate the sinking of a deep taproot from which we'll grow fruit full of seeds to be transplanted elsewhere.

Continuing with Part 2 of our response to the question put: how can we engender that sort of leadership, that conviction that it is the "normal christian life" I'll begin by averring that a spiritually fecund culture I began describing in Part 1 will gradually be characterized by individual and corporate devotion to Christ, the One who is ever alive and present in our midst, coupled with a consequent lived-out devotion to what matters most to him. Character development, then I think, becomes centered in spiritual formation lived out by sacrificial love and service as the way of life.

In my mind, that means at least three things - under the guidance and with the help of the Holy Spirit of course: 1.) followers of Jesus taking responsibility for their emotional and relational health/maturing; 2.) followers of Jesus taking responsibility for their on-going spiritual growth; 3.) followers of Jesus taking responsibility for embracing God's mission, culminating in embodying the Gospel of Christ in a person's world.


Let me set the stage of bit. Beginning at age 35, the Holy Spirit began to pull me into the world of inner healing, first my own healing, then Tricia's. It took a couple of years. But the end of my soul work, a leash to self-hatred and fear had been cut. I was freed. I knew what it felt like and looked like. I knew how God did it.

Very soon after, God brought someone to us and our 26 years of inner healing and counseling began. Over the course of those years, I started to notice an unmistakable pattern emerge. I saw that men and women who decided to "own" their responsibility for pursuing healing got better. Those who didn't, for the most part stayed bound to their pain and/or darkness. They dwelt in immaturity unawares. It soon was plain to me that an engaged will cooperating with the freeing work of the Holy Spirit increased a likelihood for emotional, psychological and relational maturing. Conversely, when people came to my office looking mostly to blame others, find an easy, painless fix, or were not really serious about heading into distress, fear, and sin, it never went well and they remained spiritually infantile or adolescent . . . again unawares.

To the point of this blog, engendering a spiritually fecund culture of leaders and Jesus-followers requires leaders model and facilitate, i.e., foster the setting where wills are motivated to engage such spiritual maturing because spiritual maturing is communicated as the desired Christian life, and opportunities for such growth are many. In such a cultural atmosphere, people become well aware that emotional and relational maturing is not solely the job of the pastors, elders, Sunday School teachers, small group leaders or "spiritual parents." People are poked graciously, creatively and often to "do what it takes" to mature, as well as, heal rifts between one another. Help is generously offered, but people must step up and engage. Then again, time, emotional and relational growth is not seen as an end in itself. Rather, it is viewed as a gradual spiritual tempering and tuning, deepening character and making one fit for the Kingdom work to which he or she has been summoned.


Therefore, in my eyes, emotional and relational maturing is foundational to engendering a culture of spiritually fecund leaders and Jesus followers. Graciously expecting everyone is summoned to do such internal work themselves as the Spirit prompts is a Kingdom enterprise of leaders no matter how programmatic their church milieu. If it's not done, a church can wind up with perpetual "feed me" spectators, and burning out leaders scrambling to pour milk into all the open mouths gaping from one week to the next. 

In my work helping people free and grow up, I also realized those who pursued (as the normal Christian life) knowing Jesus intimately became spiritual leaders from their heart-driven following of him. Merely going to services on Sunday to sing, hear a good, uplifting sermon, and be prayed for after church was not enough for them. They took and held responsibility for finding and using the richness of what God made available to the Church for learning and followed hard from a surrendered heart and an informed mind. I liken it to becoming deeply knowledgeable or skilled with the essentials of one's work. There is investment and motivation and individual effort. Such people don't have to be enticed, or prodded. They embrace Jesus, His Gospel and Kingdom mission as their primary identity out of which all life flows - their normal Christian life.


Therefore, engendering a spiritually fecund culture of leaders and Jesus-followers in this regard means being less: "well, how about if we do this or offer that? Maybe this will be an exciting sermon series, or let's bring in that big gun, or have you heard about what's going on with revival over there; how about we get in on that? I'm not saying  new ideas or nascent moves of the Spirit are to be ignored outright, but the discipling bar has to be held high, and kept there, not as some legalistic super-spiritual club for elites, but as an inestimable treasure, well-worth everyone giving their all for, even if a person's life is a mess and it's going need some fixing. Spiritually fecund leadership and followership must reflect a passionate longing and resiling dedication for the glory of God manifested, so the bent-over are given generous dollops of the Good News. It's a matter of the heart in leaders and followers; what it truly desires . Hungering for spiritual growth and maturing is like glimpsing the beauty of heaven's standing invitation because one is family member, and spending life pursuing it, and then out of a joyous overflow, reflecting the family values to family members who've never dreamed they're invited. 

I'll close my post with the idea that engendering a spiritually fecund culture of leaders and Jesus-followers will be a training environment, particularly as it pertains to fostering a growing embrace of God's Mission culminating in embodying the Gospel of Christ in a person's world. Everyone in church communities should be gradually trained to recognize they are a Kingdom missionary selected by God, sent into the world under the guidance of the Holy Spirit "to proclaim the excellencies of him who called [them] out of darkness into his marvelous light," (1Peter 2:9), and to enflesh his love through sacrificial service and manifesting the good. The Gospel mission of God is entrusted to the people of God, each and every one. It is their calling and their completing.


Therefore the normal Christian life is life on mission. Church leaders are tethered to the task of proclaiming, modeling, counseling, exhorting, encouraging, and inspiring people to follow Christ into their neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, towns and cities - ready to live the Gospel in a way others can make it out, and be intrigued (even if,at first, they're antagonistic, by the way). Leaders do well to communicate the reality of the call in a way that people can see it's really possible for "ordinary ol'" them to take up the mission. It will require patience and time to help people unlock or open to the possibility God uses folks, and the story they have to tell of how Jesus moved into their lives, changing the whole deal.


Leaders also need to train people how to overcome the relentless intimidation (at least, at first) of their adversary who assaults them with fear, lulls them into spiritual sleepwalking, or obstructs with life's exasperating entanglements and roadblocks. They must be given spiritual eyes to see (read discern) the tricks and subterfuges of the one who seeks to grind them down, turn them aside, or trap them in labyrinths of sin. He's part of the missional landscape, but we've the Cross, the Resurrection, the Scriptures and Spirit.
Leaders give them spiritual tools for the fight and fight along side them. Spiritual fecundity grows strong in the fight when people press on because Christ in them has overcome the world, the flesh and the devil.


By the way, lest I sound insensitive to the reality of crippling human pain, sorrow and suffering, I'm not. I know what it looks like from the work I've done, and what my family has endured. I've been asked to help in almost every variation of evil possible within the human condition, at least in my various necks of the woods. I agree leaders must create healing communities as well where the wounded and breaking can come to rest and refresh. Sometimes that takes a while . . . a long while. Occasionally, there are tragic casualties. The world we find ourselves in gives place to the church as a sanctuary and spiritual hospital. Our leaders are to help care for the sick, wounded and deeply tired or severely broken in our midst as they are also training up people to: mature emotionally and relationally, take responsibility for their spiritual growth, and enter the mission of the Kingdom in their sphere's of influence.


I know there's much more to be said about this spiritual fecundity business, but I'll let you chew on what I've offered for awhile. 

I'd love to hear your questions and concerns.

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Many of you may remember the village that we worked in from ’03-’07. We had Bible storying groups, did projects, and built many special relationships. My (Corey’s) namesake lives in this village. The week before last we heard that there had been a fire and went out to visit and see how we could help. The fire didn’t touch our closest friends but did basically wipe out one large extended family’s compound – a total of nine married couples’ homes. We were able to discuss with the affected men how we could best help them and took out later that day the basic initial needs–grain for food, mats for sleeping, buckets for carrying water, cement for starting to rebuild. Because of our history we were able to clearly give the help in the name of Jesus and briefly recall to them the gospel.

The funds came from many of you who contributed in the past to the Disaster Relief Project, which is an account that we can use to respond to disasters here in the Kaffrine area. This is an important ministry, as many of the villages have no other help after a fire. In another nearby village where we were able to help in response to a serious fire last year, there were two NGO’s who sent representatives to survey the damage – both groups promised to bring specific desperately needed items, and then they never brought anything!

We were able to visit with our good friends, particularly with the family of my namesake. It was good to catch up as we hadn’t been to visit in quite a while. Pray for these folks that this reminder of Christ’s love for them would stir them to renewed reflection on Him and His offer of real life.