Becoming the Church

I was able to go to church this Sunday. I rode into town with my mother and father in-law. Kelly slept, she is lazy. But I can understand as we had just drove 19 hours straight to get home from Colorado. My pastor has been teaching a message about Becoming the Church we were meant to be. I do not get to hear Steve teach as much as I use to because I live in Cleveland but any time I am home I find his words refuel me to go back to the economic wasteland of Cleveland. I was able to hear the last to messages and found them to be radically inspiring. I jotted down a few notes during the sermon and I would like to put them in my blog.

But before I do this I want to encourage people to read Edward Abby, he was an odd, anarchic, atheist, naturalist from Appalachia. He is dead now but his work is phenomenal.

Also I want to encourage all of my friends in Appalachia to read Wendell Berry. He is a farmer, anti-technological, anarchist, naturalist, lover of Christ from Appalachia also. He is getting old so buy his books.

Becoming the Church

Simplicity

Poverty

Anti-World

What does this look like?

Does it look like love?

What does love look like?

As a Christian in Cleveland I often feel as if I find myself in the presence of small mindedness, bigotry and racism.

As a Christian in the small community of Pike County I see a small town being swallowed by consumerism. The giants of Wal-Mart, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Kroger’s, Burger King and Taco Bell destroy the local farming economy. The local economy seems to really not exist. The land is being kidnapped and raped all over the country by an oversized, military minded Government that is only interested in PROFIT. How do I or we as a community of believers in this small community of Appalachians change the tide of oppression?

Hope???

I think one way is to search the prophets of the Old Testament and find solace in the words they used because God will bring Justice.

Micah 3:8-12

I do not know but I will try to figure it out. Liberation is on the way because God is a just and loving God.

Hello Aunt Lisa!!!