Beginning to Crystallize

Ever since the decision was made not to plant Catalyst, we have been trying to find a church where we can get involved, serve and soak. Since Trish and I are still searching for God's will in our church planting future, I knew we needed some place to attend. I am not interested in becoming one of those people who people who believe that I can grow and mature on my own without anyone else. God made us to be in community and that is what I want.

But, boy is it hard. Especially when I have in my mind a vision for what I feel God may want us to do. It feels like trying to find a mate. I think know what I am looking for, but it seems so hard to find. We visited New Life for a while, and really liked it, but didn't see any "entrance" doors to involvement, and they are very focused on UM students, which is great, because we love students, too. But, I don't think my friends and neighbors would be comfortable there. So, it's not a good fit.

Frontline is another place where we have gone. Great church. The lead pastor, Kirk, and I are kindred spirits. It's awesome. However, there are some things they do there, that just doesn't sit right with what I feel God calling me to do.

So, I guess we are beginning to crystallize the vision God has for us. The vision God has for his church in Ann Arbor, through us. What a great and scary feeling. You mean it actually is going to come true? This idea in my mind and heart is more than just personal preference? It's vision? Oh, boy! Weeee!

Journey Into the Unknown

When it comes to doing God's will, what's the "big question"? When I look back on my life,not long after I ask God what I am to do, I find that so often I am trying to answer the question "how?". However, is that really a question worth asking? Is not the journey and adventure of living our lives for Christ supposed to be a mystery? What should I care of "how" this or that will happen? Will knowing spoil it?

You ever wait for months to see a movie, I mean a really good one, that is supposed to be full of twists and turns that leaves you hanging right up until the end, only to have a, so-called "friend", see it before you and tell you how you are not going to believe that this-or-that happened? Now, of course, your friend had the best intentions, but please! This happened to me once. I was waiting for quite a while to see "The Sixth Sense". The Bruse Willis movie with that kid who can "see dead people." Well, I won't give away anything about the movie here, but if you've seen it you know that a person could EASILY blow a VERY COOL part of the movie. Fortunatly for me I have a relatively short memory and by the time my wife and I rented the movie (we didn't have the kind of money to see stuff in theaters) I had forgetten what happens, but the fact still remains - knowing the ending or what is going to happen spoils the journey of discovery.

Jesus tells me "Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important...?" While this text speaks to the "worry" issue we all face in face, I feel it gets even deeper to the "journey into the unknown". How much more fun is life when we don't know what is coming ahead? Disney knows this all to well. If you have never visited Disney World and ridden the roller-coaster "Space Mountain" it is set completely in the dark with tiny points of light to act like stars. While the roller-coaster certainly pails to compare to some of the rides at say Cedar Point, its draw is the dive into the unknown. It has no serious "drops", loops, or other gimicks. It is simply the adventure of diving into wonderment, adventure and ???.

Here's a simple model made in the mid-60's.The same may be true for my latest trip to Cedar Point. We had 2 "star-lite" tickets left over from this past May's anniversary get-away, so we used them for a Saturday trip to the park during their "Halloweekends" special event. The park was open until midnight, and it was dark at 7 PM. We got to ride just about all the rides in the dark. Even though they lit the rides (especially the roller-coasters) for display enhancement, much of the ride feels like you have no idea where you're going. One ride my wife and I waited an hour and a half to ride was the "Mantis" - a stand-up loop-d-looper, that she absolutely loves. We waited an additional 10 minutes to ride in the front car, a place my wife doesn't really care for, but I love! During the ride several pieces of the track seemed to vanish into the night, leaving us wonder what lie ahead. This completely enhanced my experience and left me with a feeling of complete and udder out-of-controlness. It rocked! I trusted the maker and creator of this ride that certainly it is safe, and certainly they would never design something or put me in a car or on a path that would hurt me, right?

So, why wouldn't I trust the Author and Creator of my life in the same way? Why wouldn't I throw my hands up into the air, scream at the top of my lungs out of sure joy - "Waaaaa-hoooo! What a great ride this life is!"?

- MC

A2 Church Plant is Dead.

Well, I think it is all but official. The A2 church plant is dead - or at least in its original form for me. When Aric and I met on the evening of September 7th, and he informed me that he was not feeling like this was his vision, nor what God was preparing him for at this time, the vertict was basically the plant wasn't going to happen, but we would see. Well, over the past few months, I have been feeling like God is calling me to do something quite different. Not sure exactly what that something is, as of yet, but the picture is getting clearer.

Living the Vision

A question was asked of me by someone I respect greatly - "Were you living the vision or casting it?" Without a doubt, we were casting it. When push really comes to shove, for us, living the vision of what God wants to do, is much closer to what I want to do rather that simply casting it. The difference is subtle, but vast. In one setting we paint a picture of what it can look like, feel like, and be like - and allow God to bring people who are interested in being a part of that kind of community. In the other, we simply do it and then allow God to bring the people to us as we live out the vision. However, the question I wrestle with is "Can a person live a vision they don't quite have?"

It appears that the answer is quite simple; no. Having said that, I do believe a person can begin to live their life according to what they want their life to be. This may be "vision-less", but everything in our lives do not need to be part of a grand vision, do they? Can we simple do what we feel is right in our hearts and what God commands us to do? Certainly. So, that's what I want to do - live the vision (or lack there of).

- MC