DUST

I help lead a casual Bible study on Wednesday nights with Joe, the the community outreach pastor. It's been a really neat opportunity for us, because we really do try to open it up to people who don't go to church at all.  Our basic goal is to have a good, genuine discussion about faith and God without people passing judgment on anyone else.  We try to make it an inviting and comfortable enough environment where people feel open to share exactly where they are at and how they feel about Christianity.  We don't quickly comment back if someone disagrees with us, but we try to continue inviting people back to continue discussing these important topics... really, Joe and I just want to love these people and do life with them.

Before the earthquake, we met at the local pub and opened it up to the average passerby, but since then, we've shifted to meeting in Joe's house.  It might not seem as open to "the public" as it was before, but this time around we've been having more people attend as the weeks progress, which is exciting... even if it is just to get a free dinner.  This time around, instead of necessarily gearing toward the average bar goer, we have been trying to reach out to the singles who have visited ReChurch once or twice before and also the members of Joe's rugby team - most of whom do not or never have been to church. It's really fun just being able to sit, eat, and yack with the guys from the rugby team and some of the younger women who have been showing up sporadically to ReChurch on Sunday mornings.

Every week, we watch a Nooma video (Rob Bell) and then go into the discussion packets along with each DVD.  These are especially good to use because they are mostly food for thought - they encourage discussion and thoughts about the Bible and about God.  They have become an effective and non-threatening ministry method for us.  Not to mention, the Samoan Kiwis think Rob Bell is hilariously geeky... which he is.  Hey, if you see something working, you keep going with it, right?

Tonight was a really good night for us.  We had 11 people there (contrasting the 5 we had on our first night two weeks ago) and had a really good discussion after watching the video 'Dust'.  I don't know if you have ever seen a nooma video, but I have watched all of them since I am the ones picking out the weekly video for our group, and I am appreciating them more every time I watch them.  I really like Rob Bell.  I think he makes the Bible so accessible to those who have never read it before.  I feel like he makes it very appealing and straight-forward.  I don't think he tries to complicate a lot of things like some pastors do.  But anyways, 'Dust' - great discussion tonight. 

This particular nooma video starts out asking why the small things we do for others in life make a bigger difference than we even realize... it expands to talk about the history of rabbis and disciples in the synagogues and how rabbis would only pick people to be their disciples if they had full confidence that they could take over their position one day.  These disciples had to be the 'best of the best.'  Bell then starts talking about how Jesus was walking along the beach and chose two fishermen to follow him and be his disciples.  Pretty far out since fishermen back then were NOT the best of the best... they would never have been chosen by the traditional Rabbis of the day because they wouldn't have studied the Torah as long.  Then Bell continues to expand on the disciple Peter, telling the story of when Peter walked on water to reach Jesus but then lost faith and began falling and sinking into the water.  Jesus grabs him and asks him why he had little faith.  Peter did not necessarily lose faith in Jesus, but lost faith in the fact that he could be a faithful follower and disciple of Christ.  He didn't believe he was good enough to follow Christ... but Christ doesn't care about that.  Despite our brokenness and our insecurities, Jesus ALWAYS chooses us.  We don't have to measure up to a certain standard, we don't have to be the best of the best for God to use us.  We don't have to act like we have it all together.  We just need to love God and follow His Son.

I enjoyed sharing an American perspective of this with the Samoans and Kiwis.  Explaining how the American culture thrives on competitiveness and being the best - being average is "just not good enough."  For Kiwis, it's much different.  It was almost refreshing for me to hear that because of this cultural difference, Jesus seems so much more appealing to the them. 

Please continue to pray for the small group.  That it would grow in numbers and that Joe and I would be effective leaders, speaking wisdom and giving all the glory to God.  Pray that we are humble and listen more than we talk.  I pray that Kiwis would continue to open up and share during this time.  I pray that our relationships with each other grow closer and closer over the next few months.  I pray that we each walk away feeling challenged and that no one feels afraid to ask a question or share their opinions.  Pray for respect and trust.  TA!