Hello friends and thanks for the comments...this is pretty fun!
Love Wins. By now, many of you know of my(our families) strong connection with Mars Hill. A short story of an event I attended last week. It was an opportunity to share time with a special guest named Dr. Becky Kuhn, a specialist working directly with Hiv/Aids patient in Southern California. She joined us to show a new documentary focusing on a hippie turned preacher from the late 60's. As we see this man first touched by God to a relationship with Him, we see him move into a leadership role with local churches. He not only is good at what he does, he brings hundred of this beach-lovin', hippie friends with him to join a church. Many for the first time. Later, we see how his passion and gifts bond him with many church leaders who can't belive how much he reaches others. Finally, his lifestyle choices has severe consequences as he first becomes an Hiv/Aids patient, then victim. In his death we witness how those former church leaders (not) distant themselves from his work. At the mans funeral, one former pastor/friend even takes a shot at the man by saying what a shame he didn't reach his potential. This was hard to listen to-even many years later. His potential? For God's sake; this was a man who was open to listen to God's calling, respond to it and spend the next many years being His instrument to reach others. How sad, how pathetic that the judgement from this elder pastor for a life-style he did not condone gave him the right to diminish the work of this hippie pastor.
The word hypocrite is often used in connection with Church, and it dosen't have to be. After viewing the movie we had a full-hour of dialogue of what we just saw. Doctor Kuhn mentioned something that still moves me today. She mentioned two things her patients asked of her: 1) Don't lie to me, and 2) care for me/ love me and don't ever leave me. Wow, think of those two things and how they apply to all we do in life. As she repeated again during our Sunday service; those are things we learn in the sand-box! What if we lived those things 24/7? With our family? Our friends? Our co-workers or even stangers we meet each day? It's being exposed to this kind of person, this subject matter, this outside-the-box religion that has made me so eager to return to Mars. It's not a single person, or sermon, or even setting that makes it work. It's that Love Wins. is not a simple bumper sticker, it's a way to live everyday in the presence of a God who loves us so much BUT expects/demands us to show it, to LIVE it to others.
May God move you to more things you could ever imagine doing. I pray that for each of us, each day, each chance we get.
Love Wins. By now, many of you know of my(our families) strong connection with Mars Hill. A short story of an event I attended last week. It was an opportunity to share time with a special guest named Dr. Becky Kuhn, a specialist working directly with Hiv/Aids patient in Southern California. She joined us to show a new documentary focusing on a hippie turned preacher from the late 60's. As we see this man first touched by God to a relationship with Him, we see him move into a leadership role with local churches. He not only is good at what he does, he brings hundred of this beach-lovin', hippie friends with him to join a church. Many for the first time. Later, we see how his passion and gifts bond him with many church leaders who can't belive how much he reaches others. Finally, his lifestyle choices has severe consequences as he first becomes an Hiv/Aids patient, then victim. In his death we witness how those former church leaders (not) distant themselves from his work. At the mans funeral, one former pastor/friend even takes a shot at the man by saying what a shame he didn't reach his potential. This was hard to listen to-even many years later. His potential? For God's sake; this was a man who was open to listen to God's calling, respond to it and spend the next many years being His instrument to reach others. How sad, how pathetic that the judgement from this elder pastor for a life-style he did not condone gave him the right to diminish the work of this hippie pastor.
The word hypocrite is often used in connection with Church, and it dosen't have to be. After viewing the movie we had a full-hour of dialogue of what we just saw. Doctor Kuhn mentioned something that still moves me today. She mentioned two things her patients asked of her: 1) Don't lie to me, and 2) care for me/ love me and don't ever leave me. Wow, think of those two things and how they apply to all we do in life. As she repeated again during our Sunday service; those are things we learn in the sand-box! What if we lived those things 24/7? With our family? Our friends? Our co-workers or even stangers we meet each day? It's being exposed to this kind of person, this subject matter, this outside-the-box religion that has made me so eager to return to Mars. It's not a single person, or sermon, or even setting that makes it work. It's that Love Wins. is not a simple bumper sticker, it's a way to live everyday in the presence of a God who loves us so much BUT expects/demands us to show it, to LIVE it to others.
May God move you to more things you could ever imagine doing. I pray that for each of us, each day, each chance we get.
posted by Tommy O at 9:54 AM
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