7.24

I am discipling a cousin. It started with re-connecting, couple BBQs, and inviting him to our fantasy football league. This spanned four or five years - mostly sporadic until fantasy football. While watching football one evening, I asked him if he'd be interested in getting together more regularly to talk about his faith. He said, "yes."

Last couple times we got together, we talked about fellowship. He does not have a Christian friend. At the moment, he is not very interested to going to church. I'm not convinced enough that I am going to say to him, "You have to go to church, man." So, we've talked about his people. There's a handful of people who make up his "family," his "tribe."

Okay, so if these people are going to eventually be, to a degree, your "christian community" you'd better get started. (Laughter and agreement)
A good start is to begin praying for each of these people. Begin with the inner circle. If right now, you can only manage 2 or 3, great.
The other thing you want to do is you'll have to change the narrative. This will take some doing and a good deal of time. You and your friends have a story. Chapters have been written; a narrative established. God has not had a part in your story. The story has to shift. It begins with him entering the plot.
How? Not sure. He's writing it, so you should ask him. I think it will involve a couple things: An identification with Christ and obedience.

7.16

It is the height of club water polo season. I spent a good chunk of the past weekend at our son's water polo tournament. Our kids' involvement open doors for us into existing communities. His water polo team and the players' parents make up a pretty tight knit community.

Right now our goal is to be a part of this community. This means we are engaged in our children's pursuit of the sport of water polo. It is in itself important. Water polo and this team is not merely a context to be used for imparting the REAL important thing - the gospel. If we do not value what the community values within reason, then we will remain apart. This also means we are getting know the people who make up this community. In the same spirit, we are not getting to know them so that we can impart the gospel. We are getting to know them because relationship with them is in itself of great value.

It's a subtle shift, but sometimes in trying to elevate the gospel we diminish it. By failing to recognize that the gospel gives meaning to all things, we sequester it until we've set up for it its delivery. The gospel is not the point. It's the whole story. Christ is beginning, middle, and the point.

7.1

The Christian life is not a solitary journey. Right. That's an easy one. So, when we decided to step onto a path less worn, you know ... the path without two thousand Christians on it, we started with a small group of friends. Our starting point was a handful of people and a commitment to love. Minimalist: yes; but grand nonetheless.

Like I said, we feel like that first foray has run its course. Now we are not starting with a group of any kind. We are starting by serving and loving people. Christians and non-Christians alike. It has gotten us building relationships, taking an interest in people, making ourselves available to meet needs.

What we hope for is that God would build a committed group of people, people who will walk with us on this journey. Maybe some of them will be people we lead to Christ. Some those we have discipled.

I'll tell you how it goes. It might take awhile ...