Luke 8: 4-18“This parable suggests an interpretive key to why so many reject the narrative of Jesus’ practice: people read the gospel in accordance with the space they occupy in the social order, and respond accordingly. If we “listen but do not hear,” it is not because of the obscurity of the word, but because of our loyalty to the prevailing ideas in the world around us.” – Ched MyersThe Kingdom is a resistance movement with an individual & social ethic of resistance (holiness): Resistance to greed, to privilege, to violence, to division, to death, to hegemony, to hate, to exclusion, to dehumanization, to competition, to inequality, to racisms, to harming others and to harming ourselves, to sin and anything else that tarnishes the image of God in us all – all in the name of the love, compassion and mercy of our Lord Jesus. Listening Well:Plenty of programs teach people to speak—but few train them to listen. Even before the age of digital distractions, people could remember only about 10% of what was said in a face-to-face conversation after a brief distraction, according to a 1987 study that remains a key gauge of conversational recall. Researchers believe listening skills have since fallen amid more multitasking and interruptions. Most people can think more than twice as fast as the average person talks, allowing the mind to wander.Some people are busy thinking about what they want to say next. Others listen only long enough to figure out whether the speaker's views conform to their own, says Bernard Ferrari, author of "Power Listening.” Still others interrupt to spout solutions—often before the problem has fully been identified. A major obstacle to listening is a common tendency to filter and judge others' talk based on pre-existing assumptions, expectations and intentions. Many people listen in a critical way, brushing off information from people they think have little to offer. With such filters in place, "I'm listening from a kind of concrete bunker that I've built many years ago, that I'm not even conscious of.” Many people don't try to remember what they hear, because "we can always Google it and find it again," she says. "Our ability to communicate face to face has decreased a lot." To prepare for an important conversation, write a list of things you want to say or questions to ask. This relieves the brain of that burden of thinking about what you're going to say next. When the conversational thread comes to a natural end, instead of panicking about where you're going to go next, you have it written down. Do a brain dump on paper before a conversation—writing down all the thoughts that might distract you from listening and setting the paper aside until later. She also advises asking clarifying questions during a conversation, such as, "What do you need from me right now?" This "makes people focus their gripes." Taking notes or making eye contact can keep the mind from wandering. Setting a goal for a talking-to-listening ratio also can help, such as talking 25% of the time and listening 75%, he says. During a conversation, keep in mind an acronym, RASA—for receive, by paying attention to the person; appreciate, by making little noises such as "hmmm" or "oh"; summarizing what the other person said, and asking questions afterward.What is important for us take away today?1.We need to listen well. Really well. The voice of the Kingdom is hard to hear in the midst of all this noise. What sounds and what voices are you listening to attentively? 2.This work is going to take time. A lifetime. We must persevere. Growing a tree – that’s us – takes time. 3.What soil are you? You will need to cultivate your soil with trust, with faithfulness, with spiritual disciplines, with silence, with prayer, with fasting, with serving, with worship, with reading. These are like compost to your soul.4.What well are you drinking from? We are the church – the alternative community of resistance under the Lordship of Jesus. We resist death in all its endeavors, and so we must dig new wells to find healing – to find the water of life, the water of Jesus. If you are not drinking from the well of Jesus, you are drinking from a poisoned water system.

Luke 8: 4-18“This parable suggests an interpretive key to why so many reject the narrative of Jesus’ practice: people read the gospel in accordance with the space they occupy in the social order, and respond accordingly. If we “listen but do not hear,” it is not because of the obscurity of the word, but because of our loyalty to the prevailing ideas in the world around us.” – Ched MyersThe Kingdom is a resistance movement with an individual & social ethic of resistance (holiness): Resistance to greed, to privilege, to violence, to division, to death, to hegemony, to hate, to exclusion, to dehumanization, to competition, to inequality, to racisms, to harming others and to harming ourselves, to sin and anything else that tarnishes the image of God in us all – all in the name of the love, compassion and mercy of our Lord Jesus. Listening Well:Plenty of programs teach people to speak—but few train them to listen. Even before the age of digital distractions, people could remember only about 10% of what was said in a face-to-face conversation after a brief distraction, according to a 1987 study that remains a key gauge of conversational recall. Researchers believe listening skills have since fallen amid more multitasking and interruptions. Most people can think more than twice as fast as the average person talks, allowing the mind to wander.Some people are busy thinking about what they want to say next. Others listen only long enough to figure out whether the speaker's views conform to their own, says Bernard Ferrari, author of "Power Listening.” Still others interrupt to spout solutions—often before the problem has fully been identified. A major obstacle to listening is a common tendency to filter and judge others' talk based on pre-existing assumptions, expectations and intentions. Many people listen in a critical way, brushing off information from people they think have little to offer. With such filters in place, "I'm listening from a kind of concrete bunker that I've built many years ago, that I'm not even conscious of.” Many people don't try to remember what they hear, because "we can always Google it and find it again," she says. "Our ability to communicate face to face has decreased a lot." To prepare for an important conversation, write a list of things you want to say or questions to ask. This relieves the brain of that burden of thinking about what you're going to say next. When the conversational thread comes to a natural end, instead of panicking about where you're going to go next, you have it written down. Do a brain dump on paper before a conversation—writing down all the thoughts that might distract you from listening and setting the paper aside until later. She also advises asking clarifying questions during a conversation, such as, "What do you need from me right now?" This "makes people focus their gripes." Taking notes or making eye contact can keep the mind from wandering. Setting a goal for a talking-to-listening ratio also can help, such as talking 25% of the time and listening 75%, he says. During a conversation, keep in mind an acronym, RASA—for receive, by paying attention to the person; appreciate, by making little noises such as "hmmm" or "oh"; summarizing what the other person said, and asking questions afterward.What is important for us take away today?1.We need to listen well. Really well. The voice of the Kingdom is hard to hear in the midst of all this noise. What sounds and what voices are you listening to attentively? 2.This work is going to take time. A lifetime. We must persevere. Growing a tree – that’s us – takes time. 3.What soil are you? You will need to cultivate your soil with trust, with faithfulness, with spiritual disciplines, with silence, with prayer, with fasting, with serving, with worship, with reading. These are like compost to your soul.4.What well are you drinking from? We are the church – the alternative community of resistance under the Lordship of Jesus. We resist death in all its endeavors, and so we must dig new wells to find healing – to find the water of life, the water of Jesus. If you are not drinking from the well of Jesus, you are drinking from a poisoned water system.

Luke 8: 4-18“This parable suggests an interpretive key to why so many reject the narrative of Jesus’ practice: people read the gospel in accordance with the space they occupy in the social order, and respond accordingly. If we “listen but do not hear,” it is not because of the obscurity of the word, but because of our loyalty to the prevailing ideas in the world around us.” – Ched MyersThe Kingdom is a resistance movement with an individual & social ethic of resistance (holiness): Resistance to greed, to privilege, to violence, to division, to death, to hegemony, to hate, to exclusion, to dehumanization, to competition, to inequality, to racisms, to harming others and to harming ourselves, to sin and anything else that tarnishes the image of God in us all – all in the name of the love, compassion and mercy of our Lord Jesus. Listening Well:Plenty of programs teach people to speak—but few train them to listen. Even before the age of digital distractions, people could remember only about 10% of what was said in a face-to-face conversation after a brief distraction, according to a 1987 study that remains a key gauge of conversational recall. Researchers believe listening skills have since fallen amid more multitasking and interruptions. Most people can think more than twice as fast as the average person talks, allowing the mind to wander.Some people are busy thinking about what they want to say next. Others listen only long enough to figure out whether the speaker's views conform to their own, says Bernard Ferrari, author of "Power Listening.” Still others interrupt to spout solutions—often before the problem has fully been identified. A major obstacle to listening is a common tendency to filter and judge others' talk based on pre-existing assumptions, expectations and intentions. Many people listen in a critical way, brushing off information from people they think have little to offer. With such filters in place, "I'm listening from a kind of concrete bunker that I've built many years ago, that I'm not even conscious of.” Many people don't try to remember what they hear, because "we can always Google it and find it again," she says. "Our ability to communicate face to face has decreased a lot." To prepare for an important conversation, write a list of things you want to say or questions to ask. This relieves the brain of that burden of thinking about what you're going to say next. When the conversational thread comes to a natural end, instead of panicking about where you're going to go next, you have it written down. Do a brain dump on paper before a conversation—writing down all the thoughts that might distract you from listening and setting the paper aside until later. She also advises asking clarifying questions during a conversation, such as, "What do you need from me right now?" This "makes people focus their gripes." Taking notes or making eye contact can keep the mind from wandering. Setting a goal for a talking-to-listening ratio also can help, such as talking 25% of the time and listening 75%, he says. During a conversation, keep in mind an acronym, RASA—for receive, by paying attention to the person; appreciate, by making little noises such as "hmmm" or "oh"; summarizing what the other person said, and asking questions afterward.What is important for us take away today?1.We need to listen well. Really well. The voice of the Kingdom is hard to hear in the midst of all this noise. What sounds and what voices are you listening to attentively? 2.This work is going to take time. A lifetime. We must persevere. Growing a tree – that’s us – takes time. 3.What soil are you? You will need to cultivate your soil with trust, with faithfulness, with spiritual disciplines, with silence, with prayer, with fasting, with serving, with worship, with reading. These are like compost to your soul.4.What well are you drinking from? We are the church – the alternative community of resistance under the Lordship of Jesus. We resist death in all its endeavors, and so we must dig new wells to find healing – to find the water of life, the water of Jesus. If you are not drinking from the well of Jesus, you are drinking from a poisoned water system.

Luke 8: 4-18“This parable suggests an interpretive key to why so many reject the narrative of Jesus’ practice: people read the gospel in accordance with the space they occupy in the social order, and respond accordingly. If we “listen but do not hear,” it is not because of the obscurity of the word, but because of our loyalty to the prevailing ideas in the world around us.” – Ched MyersThe Kingdom is a resistance movement with an individual & social ethic of resistance (holiness): Resistance to greed, to privilege, to violence, to division, to death, to hegemony, to hate, to exclusion, to dehumanization, to competition, to inequality, to racisms, to harming others and to harming ourselves, to sin and anything else that tarnishes the image of God in us all – all in the name of the love, compassion and mercy of our Lord Jesus. Listening Well:Plenty of programs teach people to speak—but few train them to listen. Even before the age of digital distractions, people could remember only about 10% of what was said in a face-to-face conversation after a brief distraction, according to a 1987 study that remains a key gauge of conversational recall. Researchers believe listening skills have since fallen amid more multitasking and interruptions. Most people can think more than twice as fast as the average person talks, allowing the mind to wander.Some people are busy thinking about what they want to say next. Others listen only long enough to figure out whether the speaker's views conform to their own, says Bernard Ferrari, author of "Power Listening.” Still others interrupt to spout solutions—often before the problem has fully been identified. A major obstacle to listening is a common tendency to filter and judge others' talk based on pre-existing assumptions, expectations and intentions. Many people listen in a critical way, brushing off information from people they think have little to offer. With such filters in place, "I'm listening from a kind of concrete bunker that I've built many years ago, that I'm not even conscious of.” Many people don't try to remember what they hear, because "we can always Google it and find it again," she says. "Our ability to communicate face to face has decreased a lot." To prepare for an important conversation, write a list of things you want to say or questions to ask. This relieves the brain of that burden of thinking about what you're going to say next. When the conversational thread comes to a natural end, instead of panicking about where you're going to go next, you have it written down. Do a brain dump on paper before a conversation—writing down all the thoughts that might distract you from listening and setting the paper aside until later. She also advises asking clarifying questions during a conversation, such as, "What do you need from me right now?" This "makes people focus their gripes." Taking notes or making eye contact can keep the mind from wandering. Setting a goal for a talking-to-listening ratio also can help, such as talking 25% of the time and listening 75%, he says. During a conversation, keep in mind an acronym, RASA—for receive, by paying attention to the person; appreciate, by making little noises such as "hmmm" or "oh"; summarizing what the other person said, and asking questions afterward.What is important for us take away today?1.We need to listen well. Really well. The voice of the Kingdom is hard to hear in the midst of all this noise. What sounds and what voices are you listening to attentively? 2.This work is going to take time. A lifetime. We must persevere. Growing a tree – that’s us – takes time. 3.What soil are you? You will need to cultivate your soil with trust, with faithfulness, with spiritual disciplines, with silence, with prayer, with fasting, with serving, with worship, with reading. These are like compost to your soul.4.What well are you drinking from? We are the church – the alternative community of resistance under the Lordship of Jesus. We resist death in all its endeavors, and so we must dig new wells to find healing – to find the water of life, the water of Jesus. If you are not drinking from the well of Jesus, you are drinking from a poisoned water system.

Luke 7: 36-50“That Jesus’ fundamental concern in these verses is with the woman’s restoration to the community of God’s people (and not with her individualistic experience of forgiveness or assurance of divine acceptance) is suggested, first, by the fact that she is presented as already behaving in ways that grow out of her new life. In addition, Jesus addresses her with words usually reserved for the conclusion of miracles of healing: “your faith has made you whole” and sends her away “in peace.” Such language cannot be limited to “spiritual” well-being or even, to physical vitality, but speaks of a restoration to wholeness, including restoration to the full social intercourse from which she has been excluded. Luke closes the curtains on this scene before the action is completed. It is one thing to have Jesus proclaim her forgiveness in order that her renewed statues might be recognized by the community; it is quite another for that community actually to accept his pronouncement and to extend kinship to her. How will they respond? Will they adopt the view of the world that Jesus displays in his interaction in this episode? Will they learn to view God as one who cancels debts and invites other to do the same so that all might behave toward one another with love unfettered by the constraints of past behaviors and reputation? Will they recognize Jesus as God’s authorized agent to pronounce forgiveness and to bring restoration? How will they respond? How will Simon respond? And how will Luke’s readers respond?” – Joel GreenWe are participating in the reformation of people’s lives! The re-formation of people’s dreams through the realization that their debt has been written off.

Luke 7: 36-50“That Jesus’ fundamental concern in these verses is with the woman’s restoration to the community of God’s people (and not with her individualistic experience of forgiveness or assurance of divine acceptance) is suggested, first, by the fact that she is presented as already behaving in ways that grow out of her new life. In addition, Jesus addresses her with words usually reserved for the conclusion of miracles of healing: “your faith has made you whole” and sends her away “in peace.” Such language cannot be limited to “spiritual” well-being or even, to physical vitality, but speaks of a restoration to wholeness, including restoration to the full social intercourse from which she has been excluded. Luke closes the curtains on this scene before the action is completed. It is one thing to have Jesus proclaim her forgiveness in order that her renewed statues might be recognized by the community; it is quite another for that community actually to accept his pronouncement and to extend kinship to her. How will they respond? Will they adopt the view of the world that Jesus displays in his interaction in this episode? Will they learn to view God as one who cancels debts and invites other to do the same so that all might behave toward one another with love unfettered by the constraints of past behaviors and reputation? Will they recognize Jesus as God’s authorized agent to pronounce forgiveness and to bring restoration? How will they respond? How will Simon respond? And how will Luke’s readers respond?” – Joel GreenWe are participating in the reformation of people’s lives! The re-formation of people’s dreams through the realization that their debt has been written off.

Luke 7: 36-50“That Jesus’ fundamental concern in these verses is with the woman’s restoration to the community of God’s people (and not with her individualistic experience of forgiveness or assurance of divine acceptance) is suggested, first, by the fact that she is presented as already behaving in ways that grow out of her new life. In addition, Jesus addresses her with words usually reserved for the conclusion of miracles of healing: “your faith has made you whole” and sends her away “in peace.” Such language cannot be limited to “spiritual” well-being or even, to physical vitality, but speaks of a restoration to wholeness, including restoration to the full social intercourse from which she has been excluded. Luke closes the curtains on this scene before the action is completed. It is one thing to have Jesus proclaim her forgiveness in order that her renewed statues might be recognized by the community; it is quite another for that community actually to accept his pronouncement and to extend kinship to her. How will they respond? Will they adopt the view of the world that Jesus displays in his interaction in this episode? Will they learn to view God as one who cancels debts and invites other to do the same so that all might behave toward one another with love unfettered by the constraints of past behaviors and reputation? Will they recognize Jesus as God’s authorized agent to pronounce forgiveness and to bring restoration? How will they respond? How will Simon respond? And how will Luke’s readers respond?” – Joel GreenWe are participating in the reformation of people’s lives! The re-formation of people’s dreams through the realization that their debt has been written off.

Luke 7: 36-50“That Jesus’ fundamental concern in these verses is with the woman’s restoration to the community of God’s people (and not with her individualistic experience of forgiveness or assurance of divine acceptance) is suggested, first, by the fact that she is presented as already behaving in ways that grow out of her new life. In addition, Jesus addresses her with words usually reserved for the conclusion of miracles of healing: “your faith has made you whole” and sends her away “in peace.” Such language cannot be limited to “spiritual” well-being or even, to physical vitality, but speaks of a restoration to wholeness, including restoration to the full social intercourse from which she has been excluded. Luke closes the curtains on this scene before the action is completed. It is one thing to have Jesus proclaim her forgiveness in order that her renewed statues might be recognized by the community; it is quite another for that community actually to accept his pronouncement and to extend kinship to her. How will they respond? Will they adopt the view of the world that Jesus displays in his interaction in this episode? Will they learn to view God as one who cancels debts and invites other to do the same so that all might behave toward one another with love unfettered by the constraints of past behaviors and reputation? Will they recognize Jesus as God’s authorized agent to pronounce forgiveness and to bring restoration? How will they respond? How will Simon respond? And how will Luke’s readers respond?” – Joel GreenWe are participating in the reformation of people’s lives! The re-formation of people’s dreams through the realization that their debt has been written off.

•Luke 7:17-33•What does it mean to be missional?1. Is the center on God or on the Church? One of the hardest things about charting a missional course is to quit asking church-centered questions and start asking God-centered questions. As Craig Van Gelder is famous for saying,"It is not the church of God that has a mission in the world, it is the God of mission that has a church in the world."Mission-ish means thinking about the church and what the church is doing for others. Missional means being centered upon God and discerning what God is up in the world out ahead of us.2. Is the focus on activities or identity?When we ask church-centered questions,missional quickly becomes about programs, events, trips or other activities that the church plans, schedules and accomplishes. In so doing, we assume that we can continue living life or being church as usual and simply add a cause or charity into the schedule. Missional, though, is about identity, about who we are, about living our whole lives in the context of God's presence and work in the world.Mission-ish means adding new programs. Missional means embracing a whole new lifestyle.3. Is the connection to neighbors transactional or relational? When missional is about church-centered activities, rather than about God-centered identity, our interaction with neighbors becomes transactional rather than relational. We function as an outside organization coming to them to provide a service or resource in order to meet needs. The church remains in control, deciding who is in need, what is needed and how the need will be met (whether this is food, clothes or the gospel message).This approach forgets that God is already at work,that we may be the ones who need to be changed.Missional life requires authentic relationships of mutuality and partnerships of reciprocity.Mission-ish means service projects that meet needs. Missional means mutually transformative relationships.It is easy for me get caught up in a movement that promises to give me purpose, that allows me to make a difference, that proves I'm not just a common church guy concerned with sitting in pews. It is easy to fall in love with an image of myself being heroically engaged in serving the least of these. All of this, though, is about me, not about God. It is about what I do, not about who God is. It is about what I do for others, not about how the other transforms me. Even after 17 years of thinking about and working on this, it is way easier to settle for being mission-ish than being authentically missional.•What is our vision?To live out the way of Jesus.To be radical disciples – to take this as the most serious of things- To live generously- to be an active part of the church (that means coming)- to make a commitment to grow in our faithTo boldly speak and live the truth of JesusIn the midst of babel, speak the truth. . . .And more than that, in the Word of God,expose death and all death’s works andwiles, rebuke lies, cast out demons,exorcise, cleanse the possessed, raisethose who are dead in mind or conscience.William Stringfellow, An Ethic for Christians and other Aliens in a Strange Land (1973-To deeply embrace, include, and build covenant relationships with each other and the worldoTo love, no matter whatoTo be committed to life

•Luke 7:17-33•What does it mean to be missional?1. Is the center on God or on the Church? One of the hardest things about charting a missional course is to quit asking church-centered questions and start asking God-centered questions. As Craig Van Gelder is famous for saying,"It is not the church of God that has a mission in the world, it is the God of mission that has a church in the world."Mission-ish means thinking about the church and what the church is doing for others. Missional means being centered upon God and discerning what God is up in the world out ahead of us.2. Is the focus on activities or identity?When we ask church-centered questions,missional quickly becomes about programs, events, trips or other activities that the church plans, schedules and accomplishes. In so doing, we assume that we can continue living life or being church as usual and simply add a cause or charity into the schedule. Missional, though, is about identity, about who we are, about living our whole lives in the context of God's presence and work in the world.Mission-ish means adding new programs. Missional means embracing a whole new lifestyle.3. Is the connection to neighbors transactional or relational? When missional is about church-centered activities, rather than about God-centered identity, our interaction with neighbors becomes transactional rather than relational. We function as an outside organization coming to them to provide a service or resource in order to meet needs. The church remains in control, deciding who is in need, what is needed and how the need will be met (whether this is food, clothes or the gospel message).This approach forgets that God is already at work,that we may be the ones who need to be changed.Missional life requires authentic relationships of mutuality and partnerships of reciprocity.Mission-ish means service projects that meet needs. Missional means mutually transformative relationships.It is easy for me get caught up in a movement that promises to give me purpose, that allows me to make a difference, that proves I'm not just a common church guy concerned with sitting in pews. It is easy to fall in love with an image of myself being heroically engaged in serving the least of these. All of this, though, is about me, not about God. It is about what I do, not about who God is. It is about what I do for others, not about how the other transforms me. Even after 17 years of thinking about and working on this, it is way easier to settle for being mission-ish than being authentically missional.•What is our vision?To live out the way of Jesus.To be radical disciples – to take this as the most serious of things- To live generously- to be an active part of the church (that means coming)- to make a commitment to grow in our faithTo boldly speak and live the truth of JesusIn the midst of babel, speak the truth. . . .And more than that, in the Word of God,expose death and all death’s works andwiles, rebuke lies, cast out demons,exorcise, cleanse the possessed, raisethose who are dead in mind or conscience.William Stringfellow, An Ethic for Christians and other Aliens in a Strange Land (1973-To deeply embrace, include, and build covenant relationships with each other and the worldoTo love, no matter whatoTo be committed to life