church of the month

i've decided to finally change my "church of the month." the last one (online village, cary, nc) was up for 4 months!

scroll down the right side column of this blog to get to the "church of the month" section. then click and visit mark palmer and "landing place" community in columbus, ohio (where god is very busy).

broken and dreaming (with a sore backside)

i have not posted stuff in over a month. the reason for this? basically, i've been helping god begin a nu little mission which i am being allowed to tend as "lead gardener." for the church season of "advent" (which we called "dreams of god") we began our "weekly public vision-casting" (sometimes called worship), where we "play at the kingdom" as god's children. we believe that god will use this weekly recreation to re-create us and our sense of reality towards what we play.

our little band of apostles is very excited, but we also have really grimy clothes and sore backsides.

i have never been so humbled in my life... god is treating me to a holy and righteous butt kicking. GOD: "sooooo, you wanna tend a little garden in my name, do you? well... fine, but be prepared to get tossed around in some real deep dirt ... welcome to the work of the kingdom, church of the apostles, seattle (and try to live down to your name)." ME: "gulp"

my church planter friend eugene cho (from quest seattle), told me that "church planting will break you" and he is right. i and our little cell of apostles are being broken by god in order that we can be of service to god in some way. being anglican, lutheran, and postmodern, we celebrate eucharist weekly. but more than that, we are slowly discovering what it means to be eucharist, truly broken and poured out for god's purposes in the world (or at least in north seattle!).

the only strategy i've discovered for "managing" god's butt kicking, is to stay on my knees... like a holy humpty dumpty, if you perch too high, you'll have a great fall, but if you stay on the ground, with knees in the dirt, and your heart in prayer, what you do in god's vineyard may prosper.

i am especially grateful for our "launch team apostles" without whom "cota" would remain an unrealized dream. to: tony rivera, denise farrer, liesl pyle, john boerger, stephanie maxson, mark lee, randy budnikas, josh brugh, tanya carnahan, justin cormier, and andrew piro, guys, you rock! and i thank god each and every day for all of you and your ministries in service to christ.

my church plant (apostles, seattle) has little funds, but big dreams... we are seeking to raise $200,000 to launch a non-profit cafe/art gallery for god in seattle. we need both small and major donors. click below to make a tax deductible donation. if you are a major donor, please contact me off blog at: karen@apostleschurch.org

i ain't oprah, but here we go...

digital storytellers by len wilson and jason moore: at last, a book to save the world from the "modernist use of powerpoint in worship hell." if you want to torpedo boring ppt. bulleted sermon points from a modernist pastor who thinks he or she is now hip because he or she is using technology, read this book! better yet, buy the book and send it to the modernist pastor and do his/her congregation a big favor. read digital storytellers

gen x religion, ed by richard w. flory & donald e. miller, provides an accurate "npr like" documentation of religion, as actually practiced by xers, and even reflects theologically on xer subsets (like the goths) and on the phenomenon of piercing among us.
and, unlike many other xer books (filled with clever quips by boomers about xers), this book was written by serious sociologists of religion (many of them xers) who actually researched and studied churches founded by and for xers. amazing and authentic...
read gen x religion