Here are some important reminders:
1) We will hold our Palm Sunday worship gathering back at Latrobe Elementary School tomorrow. The gathering starts at 10:30, as usual. We hope to see you and your guests there!
2) This coming week is Holy Week. There are two gatherings being hosted by The Way at the Wimmerton Community Center this week. Thursday April 1st, at 6:30pm, is our Maundy Thursday gathering. It's a dinner at which everyone is encouraged to bring a dish of their favorite food with enough to share with a few people. At the conclusion of our feast The Good Gift will be served as we share Holy Communion with one another just as Jesus did at the conclusion of the last supper. And on Friday April 2nd, at 7pm, we will host our Good Friday Tenebrea. These are going to be wonderful opportunities to fellowship and center down on the meaning and power of the events that led up to Jesus' death and resurrection. We hope to see you and all of your guests. They are going to be wonderful evenings.
3) Our Mozart House Proposal is currently under review. We're asking for everyone who will pray to keep this matter in constant prayer as we are entering the latter stages of this deal.
4) Our podcast has now been upgraded to handle all of the traffic flow that our feed has been getting. We are thankful for the overwhelming response that we have received through this, and we are also appreciative of your patience as we worked out the kinks to handle the unexpectedly large number of downloads and subscriptions. The podcast can be found at thewaypodcast.podbean.com and downloaded through itunes as a free subscription.
We look forward to a wonderful Holy Week together with you!
Grace and Peace be with you.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
Mozart House proposal
Ask and ye shall receive. Here is what I read during yesterday's sermon:
II - The Way: Ecclesial history:
The opening chapters of the book of Acts herald the immutable, albeit humble, birth of the Christian Church in the year 33 A.D.. The landscape of the day, ruled by Caesar, is steeped in both religious and economic oppression. As 12 ordinary men sat waiting and praying in a house in Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit of the living God descended upon them. It was at that time which the disciples, recently removed from bearing witness to the death, resurrection, and ascension of their King, took to the streets to begin to preach the Good News of salvation in Christ. As Peter the Apostle stood with his eleven fellow disciples in the streets of Jerusalem, he raised his voice and boldly proclaimed the news of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. It was on that very day, the day of Pentecost, as Peter and the disciples left that street-corner-pulpit, that the Christian church found it’s beginning as 3,000 people gave their lives over to the message of the Good News.
The Christian Scriptures continue to detail the birth of the Christian church as it became organized into a growing movement of faith. Choosing in blatant defiance unto Caesar to practice their new found way of living, the new Christians, known at that time simply as “Followers of The Way”, held daily gatherings in one another’s homes to break bread together, pray, fellowship with one another, and learn the Apostles’ teaching. These first-century followers of The Way were known for their boldness, living out their faith practices in a time of great persecution, and they were also known for their immense generosity sharing all of their possessions and giving to anyone as he had need. It was in these basic faith practices to express love to one-another and a holy reverence unto God that the early Christian church both lived and thrived under great persecution from the Roman and Jewish elite. And so it was for the first 300 years of the Christian church’s existence, that Followers of The Way worshipped, evangelized, and thrived until the days of Constantine and his institution of religious toleration.
III - The Way: A 21st century expression of 1st century church:
In the summer of 2009, an expression of that first-century blue-print for the Christian church was resurrected in Latrobe, PA. Burdened for the needy in the Latrobe, Greensburg, Derry area, The Way incorporated and became a legally recognized 501c3. In July of 2009 The Way began holding backyard meetings to organize itself into a congregational ministry. In true Acts church fashion, the people of The Way carried out the business of their gatherings by breaking bread together, praying, fellowshipping with one another, and learning the Apostles’ teaching. It was also held into account to meet the needs of those in our midst by openly presenting those needs in the congregational setting and collectively carrying the burden to see those needs met, a constant of our worship gatherings to this day. Committed to the practices that validated the attraction of the Christian Gospel to the poor of the first century, The Way also chartered its organization with a financial practice of living on just fifty percent of its tithes and offerings while reserving the remaining fifty percent to assist those who’s needs are brought before them. This practice of living on just fifty cents of every dollar we’ve received has positioned The Way to meet every need brought before us to date...and many of those needs presented to us by the most desperate and hopeless in our community.
IV - The Way: A snapshot of today
As of the beginning of March, 2010, The Way has already established itself as one of the most easily accessible needs-based-giving organizations in the state of Pennsylvania. While at other organizations needy members of the community go through lengthy application processes restricted by statutes and limitations placed upon the amount of assistance they are allowed to receive before they even walk in the door, The Way has been organized and set free by the terms of its charter to give freely just as Jesus did. This unique mixture of ecclesial ideology and non-profit legalization has been so immensely successful in our young existence in setting the stage for the Gospel to be spread to an otherwise forgotten about niche of our community that the law offices of Patel & Alumit, who specialize in tax exemption law, are currently using our 501c3 application as a new model for non-profit acquisition and have currently established 17 new ministries across the country legally empowered to do charity and needs-based assistance with greater freedom than traditional non-profits.
Currently hosting our worship gatherings at Latrobe Elementary School, The Way meets on Sundays to spend time in prayer, Bible study, praise and worship, and addressing the needs of our community. Since we are currently looking for a permanent home for this ministry, The Way is earnestly praying for a venue to move into on a permanent basis that will not only meet our needs to house our worship gatherings on a Sunday morning but also serve as a resource unto our efforts to provide for the poor and the needy of our community throughout the weekdays. After ten months of searching and praying for God to lead us to that venue, we believe that we have found it in a property in downtown Latrobe known as The Mozart House.
V - The Mozart House: An instrument of Agape
Once moved into The Mozart House, The Way will be strategically positioned to see this facility restored to the vibrancy and beauty of her glory days by using this property as an instrument of Gods unconditional love. The Way intends to do this by living into God’s calling for this church to serve the poor of our community in ways brand new to both this city as well as The Way’s congregation. That vibrancy of The Mozart House will manifest itself in the daily usage of the entire building over the long term vision of The Way by doing the following:
Utilizing the restaurant facility as a soup kitchen open seven days per week offering hot meals free of charge to those in need
Utilizing the store front as a Christian bookstore/coffee shop
Utilizing the second level for worship gatherings, community oriented events, and Bible studies
Utilizing the upper most level of the facility to house beds for the homeless who need a warm place to sleep, a clothes closet, and a medical clinic to provide free healthcare for those who otherwise can’t afford it.
And the restoration of her beauty will manifest itself as The Way works diligently to make necessary repairs and updates to the facility over the term of its occupation of the building. These are not statements that are made lightly, however. For it is our understanding that Scripture holds believers to a higher level accountability when serving the needs of the poor (See Matthew 25:31-46). Therefore, it will be our aim to restore the vibrancy and beauty of the building for service unto “the least of these my brothers” with all reverence unto God and attention to detail as it is our understanding that, when we do, we do it all as unto Christ.
Grace and peace be with you.
II - The Way: Ecclesial history:
The opening chapters of the book of Acts herald the immutable, albeit humble, birth of the Christian Church in the year 33 A.D.. The landscape of the day, ruled by Caesar, is steeped in both religious and economic oppression. As 12 ordinary men sat waiting and praying in a house in Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit of the living God descended upon them. It was at that time which the disciples, recently removed from bearing witness to the death, resurrection, and ascension of their King, took to the streets to begin to preach the Good News of salvation in Christ. As Peter the Apostle stood with his eleven fellow disciples in the streets of Jerusalem, he raised his voice and boldly proclaimed the news of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. It was on that very day, the day of Pentecost, as Peter and the disciples left that street-corner-pulpit, that the Christian church found it’s beginning as 3,000 people gave their lives over to the message of the Good News.
The Christian Scriptures continue to detail the birth of the Christian church as it became organized into a growing movement of faith. Choosing in blatant defiance unto Caesar to practice their new found way of living, the new Christians, known at that time simply as “Followers of The Way”, held daily gatherings in one another’s homes to break bread together, pray, fellowship with one another, and learn the Apostles’ teaching. These first-century followers of The Way were known for their boldness, living out their faith practices in a time of great persecution, and they were also known for their immense generosity sharing all of their possessions and giving to anyone as he had need. It was in these basic faith practices to express love to one-another and a holy reverence unto God that the early Christian church both lived and thrived under great persecution from the Roman and Jewish elite. And so it was for the first 300 years of the Christian church’s existence, that Followers of The Way worshipped, evangelized, and thrived until the days of Constantine and his institution of religious toleration.
III - The Way: A 21st century expression of 1st century church:
In the summer of 2009, an expression of that first-century blue-print for the Christian church was resurrected in Latrobe, PA. Burdened for the needy in the Latrobe, Greensburg, Derry area, The Way incorporated and became a legally recognized 501c3. In July of 2009 The Way began holding backyard meetings to organize itself into a congregational ministry. In true Acts church fashion, the people of The Way carried out the business of their gatherings by breaking bread together, praying, fellowshipping with one another, and learning the Apostles’ teaching. It was also held into account to meet the needs of those in our midst by openly presenting those needs in the congregational setting and collectively carrying the burden to see those needs met, a constant of our worship gatherings to this day. Committed to the practices that validated the attraction of the Christian Gospel to the poor of the first century, The Way also chartered its organization with a financial practice of living on just fifty percent of its tithes and offerings while reserving the remaining fifty percent to assist those who’s needs are brought before them. This practice of living on just fifty cents of every dollar we’ve received has positioned The Way to meet every need brought before us to date...and many of those needs presented to us by the most desperate and hopeless in our community.
IV - The Way: A snapshot of today
As of the beginning of March, 2010, The Way has already established itself as one of the most easily accessible needs-based-giving organizations in the state of Pennsylvania. While at other organizations needy members of the community go through lengthy application processes restricted by statutes and limitations placed upon the amount of assistance they are allowed to receive before they even walk in the door, The Way has been organized and set free by the terms of its charter to give freely just as Jesus did. This unique mixture of ecclesial ideology and non-profit legalization has been so immensely successful in our young existence in setting the stage for the Gospel to be spread to an otherwise forgotten about niche of our community that the law offices of Patel & Alumit, who specialize in tax exemption law, are currently using our 501c3 application as a new model for non-profit acquisition and have currently established 17 new ministries across the country legally empowered to do charity and needs-based assistance with greater freedom than traditional non-profits.
Currently hosting our worship gatherings at Latrobe Elementary School, The Way meets on Sundays to spend time in prayer, Bible study, praise and worship, and addressing the needs of our community. Since we are currently looking for a permanent home for this ministry, The Way is earnestly praying for a venue to move into on a permanent basis that will not only meet our needs to house our worship gatherings on a Sunday morning but also serve as a resource unto our efforts to provide for the poor and the needy of our community throughout the weekdays. After ten months of searching and praying for God to lead us to that venue, we believe that we have found it in a property in downtown Latrobe known as The Mozart House.
V - The Mozart House: An instrument of Agape
Once moved into The Mozart House, The Way will be strategically positioned to see this facility restored to the vibrancy and beauty of her glory days by using this property as an instrument of Gods unconditional love. The Way intends to do this by living into God’s calling for this church to serve the poor of our community in ways brand new to both this city as well as The Way’s congregation. That vibrancy of The Mozart House will manifest itself in the daily usage of the entire building over the long term vision of The Way by doing the following:
Utilizing the restaurant facility as a soup kitchen open seven days per week offering hot meals free of charge to those in need
Utilizing the store front as a Christian bookstore/coffee shop
Utilizing the second level for worship gatherings, community oriented events, and Bible studies
Utilizing the upper most level of the facility to house beds for the homeless who need a warm place to sleep, a clothes closet, and a medical clinic to provide free healthcare for those who otherwise can’t afford it.
And the restoration of her beauty will manifest itself as The Way works diligently to make necessary repairs and updates to the facility over the term of its occupation of the building. These are not statements that are made lightly, however. For it is our understanding that Scripture holds believers to a higher level accountability when serving the needs of the poor (See Matthew 25:31-46). Therefore, it will be our aim to restore the vibrancy and beauty of the building for service unto “the least of these my brothers” with all reverence unto God and attention to detail as it is our understanding that, when we do, we do it all as unto Christ.
Grace and peace be with you.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Jesus the Jewish Reformer
I was recently asked to give my thoughts on the Jewishness of Jesus, its expression in Scripture, and the work of Christ's earthly ministry to bring about reform in the first-century-Jewish church. I thought there might be a few of you out in cyberspace here that might be interested in that topic...So here is my response:
"I've done a good bit of thinking about the whole Jesus and His Jewishness topic that you asked me about, and as I begin to ramble on this subject matter I'd encourage you to consider Israel in the first century when Jesus walked the earth. At this point the picture of Jewish life painted by the Old Testament is hundreds of years out of date. During the Old Testament days, for instance, there is no mention of rabbis, synagogues, pharisees, sadducees or zealots.
Most of the people living in the land of Judea and Galilee are the descendants of pious Jews who returned to Israel after their exile in Babylon. Since then, life for God's chosen people has been anything but idyllic. Their Roman occupiers are universally hated for their brutality and pagan ways, not to mention the oppressively high taxes which they levy. Little wonder that everyone is longing for a Messiah to come and deliver them from their harsh oppressors. Keep in mind, however, that this Messiah was not just foretold by the prophets of Yahweh to be a redeemer and a liberator, but this Messiah was foretold to be a redeemer and liberator sent from the Jewish Deity to the benefit of the Jewish People. He was a Jewish Savior sent by the Jewish God for the benefit for the Jewish people...or so they thought...Paul later clarified that salvation to be first for the Jew and then for the Gentile, but that's another matter entirely.
Though anticipation was high during this time, opinions varied about just how or when the Messiah would finally arrive. The ranks among the Jewish hierarchy each had a different take on the history which led them to their first century reality and just how the future would unfold. Political tension and spiritual fervor were both on the rise. It is into this time of intense spiritual searching that another rabbi comes with bold humility onto the scene. He's a rabbi from Nazareth. And from both a Judaic historical perspective, as well as a sociological fact, nothing of any merit ever hailed from Nazareth.
From the early days of Jesus' life, as well as the earlier verses of New Testament, Jesus (Yeshua, the Nazarene rabbi) is fully entrenched in Jewish customs. Beginning his family tree with Father Abraham, Matthew's Gospel undeniably establishes Jesus' Hebrew lineage and foreshadows that Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophesy of the coming Messiah as he further indicates Jesus to be directly descended from Jesse and David. What's also peculiar about Jesus' birth is the apparent understanding of Hebrew Scripture that the Herods had pertaining to this coming Jewish king which led to one of the most obscene genocides in all of history from which Jesus narrowly escaped, a fact which seems to corroborate the evidence of both Jesus' Jewishness and qualifications to fulfill that which the ancient prophets foretold about Him years before.
Scripture is also rich with evidence of Jesus' study of Jewish Scripture, the teaching thereof, worship of the Jewish God Yahweh, and the practice of "behaving" in the manner that the Jewish rabbis behaved. But it is there which the rich Jewish heritage of this Nazarene rabbi takes an interesting turn. In fact it is in the rabbinic practices of the Nazarene rabbi, where we begin to see Jesus' ministry as a reformer unto the first-century Jewish ecclesial customs. As a reformer. when the Nazarene rabbi invited his "talmidim" to "follow him", it became very apparent that his ministry and rabbinic practices would take on a vastly different ideology from the Jewish norm. Whereas the Jewish rabbis of Jesus' day were in the habit of calling disciples who had proven themselves worthy of such higher education with great academic achievement, Jesus sought out his talmidim selecting them based upon entirely different criteria. He was heard among his contemporaries clarifying that, "If you are to be my disciple, you must first deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow me." Jesus also sought out theological reform among the Jews by speaking both publically (the sermon on the mount, among others) and privately (His conversation with Nicodemus in John 3, among others) to bring clarity to the traditional understandings of Torah and it's implications both on the church and the followers of Yahweh for Jews and Gentiles alike. Jesus also worked to bring reform in the form of a new covenant between Yahweh and sinners. Bringing to life the words of Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 among other areas of the Hebrew Scriptures, Jesus made it clear that His life was intended to be laid down as a sin offering once and for all to the benefit of all who believe, and he fulfilled that intention by being the expiation for the sins of humanity giving Himself over to a brutal death by crucifixion alongside of Jerusalem's worst criminals.
What intrigues me the most in this, however, at least from the perspective of Jesus' Jewish heritage, is that Jesus did all of this to bring about a redemption and restoration of the peace and oneness that God had always intended to have with His beloved Israel. But in so doing he thrust wide-open the doors of grace and shalom for people of all nations, races, and tongue to worship Yahweh with confidence and shed-blood-righteousness. In a sense, the true reformation of the Jewish first-century resulted in the heralded and immutable declaration that God is love...that God loves all...and that shalom and righteousness is found through Christ alone...and that the shalom found in Christ is not a Jewish thing...rather the shalom found in Christ is a God thing...offered to all of God's creation...once and for all...and that true Torah is summed up in this, "Love God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself."
Grace and Peace be with you.
"I've done a good bit of thinking about the whole Jesus and His Jewishness topic that you asked me about, and as I begin to ramble on this subject matter I'd encourage you to consider Israel in the first century when Jesus walked the earth. At this point the picture of Jewish life painted by the Old Testament is hundreds of years out of date. During the Old Testament days, for instance, there is no mention of rabbis, synagogues, pharisees, sadducees or zealots.
Most of the people living in the land of Judea and Galilee are the descendants of pious Jews who returned to Israel after their exile in Babylon. Since then, life for God's chosen people has been anything but idyllic. Their Roman occupiers are universally hated for their brutality and pagan ways, not to mention the oppressively high taxes which they levy. Little wonder that everyone is longing for a Messiah to come and deliver them from their harsh oppressors. Keep in mind, however, that this Messiah was not just foretold by the prophets of Yahweh to be a redeemer and a liberator, but this Messiah was foretold to be a redeemer and liberator sent from the Jewish Deity to the benefit of the Jewish People. He was a Jewish Savior sent by the Jewish God for the benefit for the Jewish people...or so they thought...Paul later clarified that salvation to be first for the Jew and then for the Gentile, but that's another matter entirely.
Though anticipation was high during this time, opinions varied about just how or when the Messiah would finally arrive. The ranks among the Jewish hierarchy each had a different take on the history which led them to their first century reality and just how the future would unfold. Political tension and spiritual fervor were both on the rise. It is into this time of intense spiritual searching that another rabbi comes with bold humility onto the scene. He's a rabbi from Nazareth. And from both a Judaic historical perspective, as well as a sociological fact, nothing of any merit ever hailed from Nazareth.
From the early days of Jesus' life, as well as the earlier verses of New Testament, Jesus (Yeshua, the Nazarene rabbi) is fully entrenched in Jewish customs. Beginning his family tree with Father Abraham, Matthew's Gospel undeniably establishes Jesus' Hebrew lineage and foreshadows that Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophesy of the coming Messiah as he further indicates Jesus to be directly descended from Jesse and David. What's also peculiar about Jesus' birth is the apparent understanding of Hebrew Scripture that the Herods had pertaining to this coming Jewish king which led to one of the most obscene genocides in all of history from which Jesus narrowly escaped, a fact which seems to corroborate the evidence of both Jesus' Jewishness and qualifications to fulfill that which the ancient prophets foretold about Him years before.
Scripture is also rich with evidence of Jesus' study of Jewish Scripture, the teaching thereof, worship of the Jewish God Yahweh, and the practice of "behaving" in the manner that the Jewish rabbis behaved. But it is there which the rich Jewish heritage of this Nazarene rabbi takes an interesting turn. In fact it is in the rabbinic practices of the Nazarene rabbi, where we begin to see Jesus' ministry as a reformer unto the first-century Jewish ecclesial customs. As a reformer. when the Nazarene rabbi invited his "talmidim" to "follow him", it became very apparent that his ministry and rabbinic practices would take on a vastly different ideology from the Jewish norm. Whereas the Jewish rabbis of Jesus' day were in the habit of calling disciples who had proven themselves worthy of such higher education with great academic achievement, Jesus sought out his talmidim selecting them based upon entirely different criteria. He was heard among his contemporaries clarifying that, "If you are to be my disciple, you must first deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow me." Jesus also sought out theological reform among the Jews by speaking both publically (the sermon on the mount, among others) and privately (His conversation with Nicodemus in John 3, among others) to bring clarity to the traditional understandings of Torah and it's implications both on the church and the followers of Yahweh for Jews and Gentiles alike. Jesus also worked to bring reform in the form of a new covenant between Yahweh and sinners. Bringing to life the words of Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 among other areas of the Hebrew Scriptures, Jesus made it clear that His life was intended to be laid down as a sin offering once and for all to the benefit of all who believe, and he fulfilled that intention by being the expiation for the sins of humanity giving Himself over to a brutal death by crucifixion alongside of Jerusalem's worst criminals.
What intrigues me the most in this, however, at least from the perspective of Jesus' Jewish heritage, is that Jesus did all of this to bring about a redemption and restoration of the peace and oneness that God had always intended to have with His beloved Israel. But in so doing he thrust wide-open the doors of grace and shalom for people of all nations, races, and tongue to worship Yahweh with confidence and shed-blood-righteousness. In a sense, the true reformation of the Jewish first-century resulted in the heralded and immutable declaration that God is love...that God loves all...and that shalom and righteousness is found through Christ alone...and that the shalom found in Christ is not a Jewish thing...rather the shalom found in Christ is a God thing...offered to all of God's creation...once and for all...and that true Torah is summed up in this, "Love God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself."
Grace and Peace be with you.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Podcast is now live!!!!
The Way's podcast is now live and free for download and subscriptions. If you are interested in receiving our podcasts, here are the instructions to do so:
Go to thewaypodcast.podbean.com. You will see the most recent podcast at the there in the top of the feed. It is called "Turn and Trust". You can download it by simply double-clicking on the title of the podcast. Or you can subscribe to the podcast and listen to all of our podcasts going forward by scrolling down the page a bit until you see the "subscribe" function. If you are an ipod user select "subscribe through itunes" and it will automatically direct our podcasts to your itunes account for free.
Please note that this was our very first attempt at recording for podcasting purposes. Therefore, the audio quality isn't as good as it should be. We promise to improve that in the weeks to come. It is our goal to podcast all of our weekly sermons. And that's extra exciting to us as our first podcast has only been published for 2 days, and it has already been downloaded over 4,000 times!
Grace and Peace be with you.
A Sunday morning field trip!
That's right! We're going on a Sunday morning field trip this weekend. And by that I mean that The Way's worship gathering will be held The Mozart House this Sunday. The Mozart house can be seen in the pic above. The pic is the exterior of the upper levels. Note that there are storefronts on the street level not included in the pic. The Mozart House is located at 340 Main St. in downtown Latrobe in between The Tuxedo Room and Kaye's Tayloring.
Why are we worshipping at The Mozart House this weekend?
I asked for special access to the facility this Sunday morning to give our church family an opportunity to both worship in and view the facility. I feel that this will give you a better understanding of the vision that has been cast and is currently being worked toward.
Where are we on the acquisition/lease/purchase of this property?
As discussed in last week's worship gathering, Danielle Biddle (our financial person) and I met with the Realtors and property owner to discuss our options and share our interest. That meeting went very well. The owner has expressed interest in working with us going forward and has asked for a proposal to be submitted to her including a number of things. This proposal will ultimately serve us in defining the specifics of the real-estate transaction among other more vision related items to detail the nature of our intent over the long term of our "living" in The Mozart House.
What should I expect this Sunday?
You should expect it to be cold. The Mozart House doesn't currently have heat in the auditorium where we'll be meeting, so dress warmly. You should expect it to be dirty. Keep in mind that this Sunday is an opportunity for you to view the place in its current condition. We'll have an opportunity to "spruce the place up" more at a later date. You should expect the morning schedule to be our worship gathering with a walk through of the facility to follow. Please do not roam about the building prior to our worship time. People will be there to greet you and direct you to the auditorium when you arrive. There will be plenty of time to view the facility after our worship time.
Where should I park?
There are multiple city parking lots available for us to use within a comfortable walking distance of The Mozart House. Note: you do not have to pay the parking meters on Sundays.
I hope to see you there! Please help us spread the word. We want as many friends of The Way to view the building as would like to.
Grace and Peace be with you.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
A note from Marcelle
The quote below is from Marcelle. Marcelle is a friend who runs the Scottdale Food Pantry. She was the parishioner who requested that The Way gather toothpaste over the past two weeks. She sent me an email earlier that blessed me like crazy. Check it out:
"Mark, Good morning!
Please tell the church "thank you, thank you"! Because, mostly due to their efforts, everyone in Scottdale will be going around with a bigger, cleaner smile! We served 126 families. Each family got a full size tube of toothpaste - and they even got to "shop" a little and choose between several different brands! Always a treat for those who live mainly on everyone else's "leftovers".
We were also able to send about 40 tubes to the Men's Mission of Latrobe. Toothpaste is an item they always ask for, get some donations, but usually have to purchase with Mission money - money that can better be spent on programs to teach the men life skills, feed them, and bring them to the realization that God loves them and keeps every one of them in His heart."
In addition to the work that Marcelle was able to do with the toothpaste that was collected on Sunday, The Dollar Tree at Westmoreland Mall worked in partnership with The Way to provide a box of 56 additional tubes of toothpaste that Marcelle will be picking up this weekend and saving for her next month's distribution.
Can I just say it once more...? I LOVE THIS CHURCH!
I look forward to seeing you on Sunday! Bring a friend to worship with us.
Grace and Peace be with you.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Interview
I was recently interviewed as part of study on Church based ministries that are doing things differently from the norm. The following is what came from that interview. Note: It's lengthy, but it's also a great expression of what makes The Way what we all know and love.
"When thinking of ministries that are leaping outside of the conventional box, my immediate thought comes to a church known as The Way. The Way is a congregational ministry that is remarkably unique and refreshing in its practice of worship and its style of ministry. Despite its unconventional approach, this church cannot be labeled as innovative. Yes, it is innovative in the sense that it is exploring a direction in ministry that few, if any, other churches are doing today. However, to say that this church is innovative is also contradictory to the ministry because The Way celebrates a practice of worship that is as old as the Christian church itself, mirroring the apostolic church of Acts.
The blue print of the Christian church, given to us in Acts chapters two and four, is the foundation of this ministry. They take very literally the practices of the apostles of the first century and strive to apply them in a twenty-first century context.The Way holds firmly to the apostles practice of caring for one another and meeting needs as they are presented to the best of their ability. This is not a church centered on a building or programming, but rather a ministry focused on practically fulfilling our calling as disciples to care for one another. Describing this vision, founding Pastor Mark McMahon said this “pertaining to why we do what we do....I've always been highly influenced by a quote from Henri Nouwen which says, ‘I've spent far too long trying to look like a Christian and not long enough trying to look like Jesus.’ That has been a defining concept as I have planted The Way. Truth be told, after working in Christian ministry for a decade now, I'm not so sure that our 21st century American churches look much like Jesus. With that in mind, what we aspire to be here at The Way is the most accurate reflection of the Biblical Jesus as we can possibly be. That, and that alone, is our mission. We are bold enough to believe that we will accomplish that best as we love God first and foremost, love our neighbor as ourselves, and to do that which expresses agape and grace in very practical ways all the time.”
This affirmation and literal interpretation of the demands of Scripture manifests itself in several expressions within the congregational community. In addition to a message from Scripture and praise and worship, each week needs are prayerfully presented before the congregation and consequently met to the best of the parishioners’ ability. Many times a need that has been brought before the congregation is met before that person even walks out the door. The Way also has a unique and exceptionally faithful practice of tithing, unheard of in many churches, let alone a church that is just getting off the ground. Fifty cents of every unallocated dollar tithed goes directly to meet the needs brought to the congregation. This has positioned the church to meet every need in its entirety brought before them to date.
This church also uses a unique database to help reach those in need called “The Common”. The Common is an online database that most of those who attend The Way are members of. When you become a member of The Common, you fill out a skill profile, meaning that you list what skills you have or contributions you can make. Then you are positioned to post a need viewable to all members of the online community. The Common also matches your skill profile with needs that match your abilities. This database has been massively successful in quickly having needs met when presented before the parishioners of The Way.
Discussing the role of the church and needs based ministries, Pastor Mark expressed his thoughts with saying “I think that Jesus would express a bit of grief over the the current value system of the popular ideology which says that church success is measured by "butts in seats" and "a smorgasbord of programs to meet every interest under the sun" while leaving grassroots-needs-based assistance to governments, parachurches, and missionaries.”
When describing his calling in ministry, Pastor Mark also said “The best understanding of the Biblical church that I see in Scripture is not something that I could ever possibly be employed by...it's something that I merely contribute to when I affirm the resurrection. And if I ever find myself "working for a church" as opposed to living together with a growing community of people who work together toward ends which affirm resurrection even in the deadest situations, then I will need to repent. When Peter was commissioned unto ministry by Jesus after the resurrection, Jesus gave him his marching orders by simply saying, "Feed my sheep." (John 21:17) How hungry the sheep must be when well meaning churches busy themselves with otherwise off-mission items like erecting great architecture for the sheep, structuring great programs for the sheep, and having never-ending meetings that don't make a whole hill of beans for the sheep, or developing a culture for the sheep whereby the sheep themselves fail to even realize that the church exists so that they may be fed...I want to feed the sheep. I want Jesus to see me serving Him by feeding the sheep! I want to affirm the resurrection of believers day after day after day by feeding the sheep in the ways which He said mattered to Him (see Mt. 25:31-46)...that they may know that hope is unshakable in Christ...that help is on the way in Jesus...that love is extraordinary, and extraordinarily given, by this Nazarene Rabbi...and that the legacy of the church is the provision found when one compares the phenomenon of Jesus crucified unto death and raised into everlasting life and that expressed lovingly through sermons of careful acts ‘for the least of these brothers of mine’...”
This church is a brand new ministry planted in the fall of 2009. Despite its infancy, it is quickly growing and has already outgrown its first venue. One of the most beautiful things about this growth is that a large percentage of this growth is comprised of those who were previously unchurched but are now finding salvation in Christ and a church that is touching their hearts and stirring their passions. Many needs have been presented to this community of believers and have been met, even those far exceeding the ability of the congregation. The Holy Spirit is visibly moving among those in this community, and this church is moving people into a refreshing new direction that is beyond traditional programming, capital campaigns, and denominations and into the freedom that comes with simply following the way of the resurrected Christ."
Grace and Peace be with you.
"When thinking of ministries that are leaping outside of the conventional box, my immediate thought comes to a church known as The Way. The Way is a congregational ministry that is remarkably unique and refreshing in its practice of worship and its style of ministry. Despite its unconventional approach, this church cannot be labeled as innovative. Yes, it is innovative in the sense that it is exploring a direction in ministry that few, if any, other churches are doing today. However, to say that this church is innovative is also contradictory to the ministry because The Way celebrates a practice of worship that is as old as the Christian church itself, mirroring the apostolic church of Acts.
The blue print of the Christian church, given to us in Acts chapters two and four, is the foundation of this ministry. They take very literally the practices of the apostles of the first century and strive to apply them in a twenty-first century context.The Way holds firmly to the apostles practice of caring for one another and meeting needs as they are presented to the best of their ability. This is not a church centered on a building or programming, but rather a ministry focused on practically fulfilling our calling as disciples to care for one another. Describing this vision, founding Pastor Mark McMahon said this “pertaining to why we do what we do....I've always been highly influenced by a quote from Henri Nouwen which says, ‘I've spent far too long trying to look like a Christian and not long enough trying to look like Jesus.’ That has been a defining concept as I have planted The Way. Truth be told, after working in Christian ministry for a decade now, I'm not so sure that our 21st century American churches look much like Jesus. With that in mind, what we aspire to be here at The Way is the most accurate reflection of the Biblical Jesus as we can possibly be. That, and that alone, is our mission. We are bold enough to believe that we will accomplish that best as we love God first and foremost, love our neighbor as ourselves, and to do that which expresses agape and grace in very practical ways all the time.”
This affirmation and literal interpretation of the demands of Scripture manifests itself in several expressions within the congregational community. In addition to a message from Scripture and praise and worship, each week needs are prayerfully presented before the congregation and consequently met to the best of the parishioners’ ability. Many times a need that has been brought before the congregation is met before that person even walks out the door. The Way also has a unique and exceptionally faithful practice of tithing, unheard of in many churches, let alone a church that is just getting off the ground. Fifty cents of every unallocated dollar tithed goes directly to meet the needs brought to the congregation. This has positioned the church to meet every need in its entirety brought before them to date.
This church also uses a unique database to help reach those in need called “The Common”. The Common is an online database that most of those who attend The Way are members of. When you become a member of The Common, you fill out a skill profile, meaning that you list what skills you have or contributions you can make. Then you are positioned to post a need viewable to all members of the online community. The Common also matches your skill profile with needs that match your abilities. This database has been massively successful in quickly having needs met when presented before the parishioners of The Way.
Discussing the role of the church and needs based ministries, Pastor Mark expressed his thoughts with saying “I think that Jesus would express a bit of grief over the the current value system of the popular ideology which says that church success is measured by "butts in seats" and "a smorgasbord of programs to meet every interest under the sun" while leaving grassroots-needs-based assistance to governments, parachurches, and missionaries.”
When describing his calling in ministry, Pastor Mark also said “The best understanding of the Biblical church that I see in Scripture is not something that I could ever possibly be employed by...it's something that I merely contribute to when I affirm the resurrection. And if I ever find myself "working for a church" as opposed to living together with a growing community of people who work together toward ends which affirm resurrection even in the deadest situations, then I will need to repent. When Peter was commissioned unto ministry by Jesus after the resurrection, Jesus gave him his marching orders by simply saying, "Feed my sheep." (John 21:17) How hungry the sheep must be when well meaning churches busy themselves with otherwise off-mission items like erecting great architecture for the sheep, structuring great programs for the sheep, and having never-ending meetings that don't make a whole hill of beans for the sheep, or developing a culture for the sheep whereby the sheep themselves fail to even realize that the church exists so that they may be fed...I want to feed the sheep. I want Jesus to see me serving Him by feeding the sheep! I want to affirm the resurrection of believers day after day after day by feeding the sheep in the ways which He said mattered to Him (see Mt. 25:31-46)...that they may know that hope is unshakable in Christ...that help is on the way in Jesus...that love is extraordinary, and extraordinarily given, by this Nazarene Rabbi...and that the legacy of the church is the provision found when one compares the phenomenon of Jesus crucified unto death and raised into everlasting life and that expressed lovingly through sermons of careful acts ‘for the least of these brothers of mine’...”
This church is a brand new ministry planted in the fall of 2009. Despite its infancy, it is quickly growing and has already outgrown its first venue. One of the most beautiful things about this growth is that a large percentage of this growth is comprised of those who were previously unchurched but are now finding salvation in Christ and a church that is touching their hearts and stirring their passions. Many needs have been presented to this community of believers and have been met, even those far exceeding the ability of the congregation. The Holy Spirit is visibly moving among those in this community, and this church is moving people into a refreshing new direction that is beyond traditional programming, capital campaigns, and denominations and into the freedom that comes with simply following the way of the resurrected Christ."
Grace and Peace be with you.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Important Announcement
ATTENTION!!! The Way has something VERY important to discuss at our worship gathering this coming Sunday. If you are a part of The Way's family YOU NEED TO BE THERE! Just trust me...you'll be sorry if not. Be there!!!
Grace and Peace
Grace and Peace
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