A United Family (in the context of Covenant in Northside Cincy)

Church is intended to be a united body of believers but unfortunately due to our human nature and the selfishness that comes with human nature, our own agendas have divided Christians since nearly the beginning of the Christian faith.  That does not mean that we should be complacent and say “well it’s been this way for thousands of years” but instead today we should attempt to bring about unity and that needs to start here.  We are a small but growing part of the Body of Christ that will not continue to grow much longer unless we come together regardless of our differences.  If we cannot overcome the differences amongst us then how can we overcome the differences between those of us that are here and those out there?

Within this body we should be united by the fact that each of us is a child of God.  This is the very basic truth and very basic concept that should unite us.  There are far more similarities than just that.  As a group of God’s children we should then be a family and a family should be united.  When one thinks about the idea of a family there should also be the thought of love.  I know this is not always true of all families…maybe it’s not true in your family.  Nonetheless it should be and maybe through the messages and lessons that God will provide you through Scripture and the fellowship with other believes then we can come to understand what love is and how to live that love so others can see it including your family.  Regardless of what type of family background you are coming from, whether loving or unloving, here in this place love should reign true.

God, amongst other characteristics, is love.  In fact, all his character is tied into love.  God is forgiving, God is merciful, God is just.  As the Church, we really should be love so that we can be a reflection of God so others can have a chance to know the truth.  Through love we can be united and a family.  Through love others might join this family.  Through love this neighborhood might change for the good.  But what would that kind of unity look like?

Acts 4:32-37

The Believers Share Their Possessions

32 All the believers were of one heart and mind, and they felt that what they owned was not their own; they shared everything they had. 33 And the apostles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God's great favor was upon them all. 34 There was no poverty among them, because people who owned land or houses sold them 35 and brought the money to the apostles to give to others in need.

36 For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means "Son of Encouragement"). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. 37 He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles for those in need.

I wonder quite a bit how many Christians read a passage like that and consider that those people really did sell everything and really did make sure that there was no poverty amongst them.  When you look at the lifestyle of most Americans that might be a difficult thing to do.  We all have more than many in the world have even though probably a lot of us here don’t necessarily have as much as many other Americans.  That doesn’t mean that there aren’t definitely needs amongst us that maybe could be met if we were more careful about the things we buy.  If I sold the DvDs or CDs I own would that help someone eat tonight?  Or maybe allow them to have a roof over their head?  It very well could and if I can resist the desire to own these things then maybe there would be a change for the good.  If nothing else, the example of these people is probably just about as important as their actions.  They were willing to sell everything so that there would be no poverty.  Are we willing to at least unite together to help those in need amongst and around us?

All of us know people who have needs and all of us can do something even if it’s small to help those in need.  It should not matter if you and the other person might have a disagreement.  There will be disagreements in a family but love needs to overcome those differences and disagreements.  This place is a regular old building but there is something that makes it special.  What makes it special is that we meet here as the Church, the body of Christ.  We meet as a family in this place.  Yes, there will be some disagreements that may come between us.  This is not the place to hash out those differences in a destructive way.  One can disagree with another even in their love for each other.  Our love for each other is part of why this place is special and should be treated with a certain level of respect and in that respect we should be respectful to each other even when we are in disagreement with another amongst the family here.  I believe that we can work together to get through disagreements constructively in unity and in such a way that we can build each other up.  By showing mercy and grace to each other when we are wronged or cannot agree we will show love.  That is a way that those around us in this neighborhood can also maybe experience God.  That will certainly strengthen the bond of this family.  It might help others who might be looking for somewhere to belong to feel welcome here even if they may be quite different from us in here.  That love of God should compel us to do whatever we can to help each other and others around us regardless how big or small the need is and no matter how much or little we can give to help.

Acts 2:43-47

The Believers Meet Together

43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 44 And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything they had. 45 They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds with those in need. 46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity-47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved.

Those spoken of in these scriptures as well as those in Acts 4 I am sure where a diverse group of people.  Some amongst them were poor while others may have been wealthy.  They appear to have an understanding of the differences between needs and wants so that they could meet the needs to ensure that others could eat or sleep somewhere and have something to wear.  They did not need to have whatever would have been designer outfits of that time.  They just needed clothing.  They did not need a mansion but a place to sleep in shelter from the wind or the rain or snow or whatever weather was going on out there.  There is not a need for soda or candy or even the top brand name foods but they certainly needed food and water and that was provided to satisfy the desire of hunger and quench the thirst.  This group of people took the words of Jesus very seriously and came to understand love but they didn’t stop with the understanding.  They began to live it in such a way that they were serving others with that love.  They went as far as to sell all they had to allow for others to have their needs met.  Like I said before, the example of the action I think is almost as important as what they did.  Also I believe that the faith they showed in trusting that God would provide enough for their need is also something important for us in these Scriptures.  I wonder if it was at all difficult for them to come to that point of faith and trust in God…I wonder how much faith it would take for us to believe and trust that God will provide and in those provisions can we care enough about each other to share so that there would be enough for everyone amongst us?  I desire to come to understand that myself and to come to understand what is enough.

Such understanding takes time of fellowship and study with other believers so that we can take these ideas we find in Scripture and bounce them off each other to hopefully gain clearer understanding of what Christ would desire of us.  It was recorded in the Gospels that Jesus had a conversation with his disciples regarding unity as it relates to the Kingdom of Heaven.  It seems that the Kingdom of Heaven has upside down or backwards logic.  I think that is because we aren’t looking at it the way God sees it.  The last will be first; the leader is the servant.

Mark 10:42-45

42 So Jesus called them together and said, "You know that in this world kings are tyrants, and officials lord it over the people beneath them. 43 But among you it should be quite different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all. 45 For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many."

Just prior to Jesus calling the group of disciples together, two disciples, the sons of Zebedee called James & John or in Matthew’s account their mother, came to Jesus and asked to be placed in seats of honor in the Kingdom of God and that offended the other ten disciples.  I can understand why they might be offended.  It would be like a small group of people had one defined leader.  In that small group where everyone but the leader had the same basic standing and brought an equal amount to the group then one or two of them asked to be elevated in importance above the rest.  This may not have been the intention of the other two but that is how the disciples saw it and it caused discontentment amongst the entire group.  Jesus then began to explain how things work in the Kingdom of Heaven where it was revealed that we, the followers of Jesus Christ, should serve others.  That is love & that brings about unity.

Love is not a selfish thing.  It is not a means to get something from someone else or at least it shouldn’t be.  1 Corinthians 13 lays it out pretty much and in there I see nothing about selfishness or a “me first” attitude.  If we truly love God and love each other then we need to start thinking about each other…even before our selves at times.  This is not to say necessarily to give everything you have away to the point that you cannot survive.  It is pretty clear in the Acts scriptures that as a united body there would be enough to go around.  One day one person might have a certain need that another could have a way to meet the need.  Maybe the next day the person that met the need might come to find themselves in need and another person or even the person from before who’s needs were met might have what it would take to meet the needs of the needy.

It is obvious there is a lot that divides humanity throughout the world.  The same is true just in this neighborhood let alone the city, county, state, & country.  We have a diverse blend of cultures, races, & backgrounds economic or otherwise surrounding this location that certainly can and has caused tension but it does not have to be that way.  Just because something has been a certain way for a very long time does not make it right nor does it mean it cannot be changed.  Sometimes we have a mindset from which we cannot break free very easily and that mindset may not be one that is godly.  Maybe it has been something that we lived with for so long that it is our nature but does that make it right or excusable?  No.  Others certainly should have patience in dealing with it but we also should do the best we can to break free from that bondage through the help of Christ especially after we are aware of the problems it might cause.  No, we won’t likely be perfect in every situation and when we mess up we need to come ask forgiveness of the brother or sister we have offended and work through the differences as a unity body of Christians.  If we can’t unite then why would others want to come be part of this?  Jesus Christ is something that we should desire not just for ourselves but to share with anyone and everyone else we meet.  There are tactful ways of sharing Christ with those around us.  Some may not want anything to do with Christ and that’s ok…just pray that Christ will be revealed in a special way for those people that don’t want to hear about the truth.  When we do not present ourselves as a united family though, it makes the Christ we know and love much less desirable to those around us that are seeing the disunity.

People desire unity.  It is evident in so many areas of life.  There are certain music scenes, there are gangs, and there is a common bond amongst sports fans of certain teams…sometimes a common bond with others just to be against a certain team as well.  Unfortunately, oftentimes the unity found there causes division elsewhere.

In Christ, sadly there is also division but it doesn’t have to be that way.  We need to commit to loving each other the way Christ described through serving each other.  We can be like the united brothers and sisters described in Acts 2 and 4.  I for one am tired of seeing division and desire to see this body be united together in such away that no matter who comes through that door they would be welcomed and loved.  Even if it is someone’s worst enemy I desire to see that person shown the love of Christ.  Even if another culture group that maybe has oppressed people in this room in the past, even if they come through that door I desire to see the love of Christ showered on them.  I believe that if we can do that then we will change this neighborhood, and on up until the world is changed.  This takes time so we will need patience as we are obedient to the call to love each other and be united.  It starts here amongst us that we might love each other so strongly that no disagreement will break that bond nor will we be able to withhold forgiveness when we are wronged.  Let’s learn from our mistakes and the mistakes of others.  Let’s learn in our disagreements what it means to be united and free in Christ to love each other and those all around us.

One Year In Cincinnati

As of tonight it is exactly one year ago that I left Mansfield for the last time to move to Cincinnati.  I am still in the same apartment I moved into but it is much more organized than it was a year ago.  When I first moved in I could hardly navigate through the apartment and it stayed that way for quite some time.  I did the best I could to find a place to sleep.  Af first I tried the shorter couch of the two I have but it didn't really work well so I put out the mattress though there wasn't enough room to have it laid out flat the first night.  If I recall properly I did manage to make enough space to lay it down flat.  The first week, I learned that there is an outlet in the kitchen near the window that leads to the fire escape that affects the outlet on the wall near the refrigerator.  For some reason when I plugged the microwave into that outlet it caused the refrigerator to turn on but it would turn off again if I unplugged the microwave.  I also noticed it had issues if I plugged something else into that outlet along with the microwave.  For the most part, I have had a functioning refrigerator ever since that discovery and if I were to notice it not working I just would wiggle the plug for the microwave and I don't think any of the food ever went bad.

I only had to train for the first week of my new job with Support Care so I had a little time to begin organizing the apartment into a suitable living area though that took over a month to be motivated enough to nearly finish it.  That was when my parents came to visit and then my apertment ended up looking about like it does in the Apartment Tour video I posted on youtube (http://www.youtube.com/TigerRAWk) I actually have been working some on organizing the items I never unboxed in the year...I probably havent unboxed them in any of the places I have lived since college.  One box is all the paperwork from college though most of those should be on my PC or a CD.

In the year I have been involved with Covenant.  Abe asked me to preach twice when he was away.  I enjoyed those opportunities and hope that whatever I had to say was used by God to speak to someone that was there.  Other than that I have played bass in nearly every morning worship service and occasionally will pray out loud when asked to.  Nearly every week I have gone with Abe to visit people that attend Covenant and some people that don't.  I was given the opportunity to lead the Wednesday Bible Study for a while as well.  I will admit that I wasn't sure what to do with that.  Abe asked that I take the scriptures from the message on Sunday for the subject of the Bible Study but it felt like a repeat and I don't know how well it worked during that time I lead it.  I also have driven people to church or church related events.

It really doesn't seem like have I done much does it?

I am willing to take on more responsibility and may need to reiterate this to Abe.  It would be nice to expand the current congregation by adding some college aged people and other young adults with a desire to serve and live life in a selfless manner.

I quite often work on video projects surrounding Covenant and its events and I edit the services to make a DvD as a master for our records and to distribute to people who are unable to attend for whatever reason.

I made a number of other video projects that surrounded my life so far in Northside:

Other than Covenant I spend much of my time working with the MRDD population through SupportCare.  It has been an interesting job.  The individuals I work with are all traumatic brain injuries and often don't seem to realize that they are in need of assistance and certainly do not want to be called "retarded."

Who can blame them?

What has made the job more trying than it probably should be has been my co-workers but for the first time it seems that my superiors appreciate what I am doing.  I am not someone seeking praise from others but it is nice to receive it.  I could get into the details but maybe another time.

I also was involved with my friends Chris & Monica Human and the rest that I met at Cornerstone in their music endeavor at the Underground.  It has opened up opportunities and brought about a number of new friends.  It was a short lived volunteer opportunity due to things beyond my control but I returned to Cornerstone with that group again and this time I camped with them.  There will be future opportunities with this group to work together.

So with all that I have loved living in Cincinnati.  I think I would feel the same way with any other city of similar size that has the opportunities that I have come across so far.  I think that having a riverfront adds to Cincinnati.  Not that Mansfield was much of a city had only a stream going through it and a few watery areas in nearby communities (though that stream did flood the city).

There is a lot of interesting things in this city and Northside is an interesting neighborhood.  I haven't felt much fear for my safety...I only had one incident involving shooting and that was when I was in the church.  It happened so fast that I wasn't all that scared at the time but it certainly made me a bit nervous for a while.

There is a great pizza shop across the street called Portofinos that I frequent often.  Other foods I have come to love are Skyline Chili and Habenero's Latin American food.  There are two coffee shops in Cincinnati that get my business as well.  In Northside is Sidewinder's and in Clifton there is Sitwell's.  I started thinking seriously about trying to support local businesses over the chains while in Mansfield but coffee wise there wasn't a better alternative to Starbuck's to be found until I was getting ready to move to Cincinnati when I found Temple Court Coffee to meet my taste.  In Cincinnati I have been able to buy locally more.  Skyline is a chain but it originated in Cincinnati.  There is a Farmer's Market in the neighborhood on Wednesdays as well so I am able to get locally grown fruits and vegetables and if ever I get to the point I take time to cook more I might buy more from that.

My concert going needs are met in Northside by a few small bars called The Northside Tavern, The Blue Rock Tavern, & The Gypsy Hut.  Covenant has had a few shows but the current location does not work well for shows right now (it is quite the small facility but it does big things!).  Other places I have gone to are the 20th Century Theatre, Bogarts, The Southgate House, The Undergound (though the focus seems to have changed and the bands aren't what I tend to enjoy), the Madison Theatre, and the most attended place is the Madhatter.  I guess I can add Chris & Monica's home too; they have hosted Tom Conlon in their home.

I drove to Louisville, Dayton, and Columbus for a show or two as well but I love living in the same city as the shows.

A year gone and I have not gotten too restless yet.  Any restlessness has been quenched by short trips to visit friends in other places.

So what comes next?

For now I plan to remain in this apartment for a while and I have felt a calling to maybe buy a home (probably a really cheap rundown place that I will have to fix up).  I think I would like to create a communal living place or a place to allow for creative expression by setting up a studio area and such in the house.  I am not sure how I will go about this but it has been on my heart.  I don't have any plans on relocating at this point outside of Cincinnati let alone Northside.  I certainly want to expand my efforts with Covenant or wherever else I might be needed or utilized as well.  I hope to have more opportunities to further explore the Cincinnati culture.

Cincinnati has been good to me this past year and I hope for more to come.  I have wandered it seems for the last four years but I may be ready to settle somewhere...finally.