The Inner Ring

hey party people. Sorry for the delay between posts, its crunch time in the semester, and Robin and I got addicted to the American Office somewhere in there. So anyway, sorry.

Just to confirm, we are on for a week from Saturday. May 3, Bethany and Erin's, be there! We are having tacos, I think. And we are going to have a great time. David and Desiree we would love it if you guys could make it too. Bethany, I need to get directions, so we will be in contact.

One of the things I have been mulling over is something that C.S. Lewis writes about, called the "inner ring." He writes at one point, and this is a paraphrase, that the craving for the inner ring is something that can make a man who is not yet very bad do very bad things. Basically, the idea of the inner ring is that you are an insider. Think about it for a minute. There are all sorts of ways that people try to make themselves an "insider." It can take the form of what clothes you wear (think about "goths" that insist they are against conformity, but strangely all look alike) or it can take the form of the way people vote (only republicans get to heaven) or what foods you like (ewww, mushrooms?). There are all sorts of ways we try to put ourselves in the inner ring. Donald Miller describes this in "Searching for God knows What" when he talks about the lifeboat. What people do you want in the lifeboat with you? Who would you save?

This will be a problem at our church. We all went to Howard Payne. We all have known each other for a few years. We have spent significant time in Texas. There are things we will tend to talk about that sometimes outsiders will not get. I think part of our goal is to explode the idea of the "inner ring." To begin to truly live and allow "outsiders" to become "insiders" at our church. To help people to see that they have a place. It will take us being deliberate and taking time, and being uncomfortable. For instance, there is a new guy at our current church. He is really strange. He loves all kinds of martial arts. And he stares a bit. But where should he be accepted, where should he be cared about? Church. Now I am not advocating Robin hang out with him, but I do think that I should try to get to know him at church and things like that.

A good biblical example is the mixture of the disciples. How do you think they responded when Jesus called Levi, or Matthew the tax collector? Here was someone who was a traitor, someone who took their money and spent it how he wished, and now Jesus was calling him too?!! Something to think about. The Proverb that I would like us to meditate on this week is Proverbs 10.19 "When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but the prudent are restrained in speech." We are looking forward to seeing everyone, post your prayer requests, and pray for us, we are getting a new car tomorrow or Saturday, I will no longer have that cursed gas guzzling truck!

Change...

Its been awhile since I have truly been inspired in class. But yesterday I was. Instead of meeting at school. we met at a place called "World Cup Cafe." It is a part of Mission Waco here in town. The cafe itself was really cool. They had a map of the world in tile over the bar, and they sold a ton of fair trade stuff around. It is right in the middle of a really poor neighborhood, and part of their goal is to help transform the neighborhood by keeping some of the money there. They have changed it enough that there are no longer prostitutes all around, and that the old movie theater that used to show pornography now is used by Mission Waco to have concerts for local youth. What a change! I was just thinking that they are really ministering to whole people there. A man shared with us how he used to be a drug and alcohol addict, but now with the help of Mission Waco was helping others to overcome their addictions. He had been clean for five years. He was working as one of the cooks at the cafe.
Not everything is easy, but it is very rewarding. The people there have seen a lot of change. I think these are things we can emulate. Not exactly as they do it, but look for ways we can minister to whole people. Try to find ways to help people out of addiction and the depths. I know we can't know for sure what the community will need until we get there, but we can certainly be thinking before then.

David and Desiree Miller are checking us out now, so we need to stop gossiping about them... really though, they are thinking about coming with us, so they are checking out the blog now. Hope you guys will welcome them. Just so everyone knows, we are planning a get together on May 3. We can meet at Bethany and Erin's in Garland, and just talk about fears and excitements again. If you want me to bring stuff to talk about I can, but I thought it went pretty well the last time. Let me know. Bethany, just leave a comment and let me know what you need people to bring, what you want to have, etc. We can then hook it up.

Due to popular demand, I will start posting proverbs again. We do need some wisdom after all. Proverbs 23:4,5 "Do not wear yourself out to get rich; be wise enough to desist. When your eyes light upon it, it is gone; for suddenly it takes wings to itself, flying like an eagle toward heaven."