nooma_noise10.29.06

Bernie Krause records nature sounds. In 1968 it would take him about 15 hours just to get one hour of undisturbed nature sounds. Today he says it takes him 2000 hours to get that same one hour of undistrubed nature sounds. What does that say about the world we live in? What kind of noise do you have in your life right now? Is it the radio? Cell phone? TV, Friends, Internet? Even now as I put this lesson together, i have an online radio station playing. In-fact, i tried to open another radio station to just get a different sound and it was unable to connect. I began to get so frustrated because it was too quiet. Why are we so uncomfortable with silence? Why is silence so hard to deal with?
The Environmental Protection Agency states that over 183 million people are regularly exposed to noise levels labeled as excessive. Do you ever surround yourself with noise? Why do you think we like to do that? I believe noise keeps us from being afraid. Maybe you're like me; when i lay down to go to sleep, i need some kind of noise. It can be a squeeky ceiling fan, the air-conditioning unit or the rain or wind outside. When it is completely silent, i can hear all of the creaks and bumps in the night. Now, i'm not afraid of the boogie man, but there is something comforting about not "hearing" the bumps.
The same is true in our lives. If the noise is loud and constant enough, then we don't have to acknowledge the bumps in our life. And yet the bumps are still there. I jokingly tell people I can get rid of that noise under the hood of the car; then i turn up the radio, "See, it went away." Now did it go away? Duh. It is still there, but if i don't hear it then i don't need to do anything to fix it or change it.
Do you ever wish God's voice was louder in your life?
Does all the noise in your life make it hard to hear God?
Jesus told the crowd, ""Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Maybe the reason we never expereince 'rest' is because we don't take time out to be silent and still. Have you ever read the fine print of the money back garauntee on diet pills. They tell you that this supplement works with proper diet and exercise. You know if I ate a healthy diet, and worked out regularly, i wouldn't need the diet pill.
Jesus is saying the reason you wont let me give you rest is because you aren't taking the time to be silent and still. Those two things in themselves will bring about some rest. The question resurfaces, "Is all the noise in your life making it hard to hear God?
“Have you spent the same amount of time worrying and talking about your difficult, confusing situations as you have spent in silence, listening to what God might have to say?” -(Rob Bell)
Do you sometimes avoid silence because you’re afraid of what God might actually have to say to you? Because, we know if God actually speaks to us there is a good probability that we will have to give up something we enjoy, or change a habit we've grown to depend on.
Luke 5:16 “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” These were regular disciplines Jesus had. Silence. Solitude. Why do we think we are better equipped to navigate the rough waters of life? When Jesus was facing frustrating moments in his ministry, he didn't tune into Christian Praise and Worship Songs. He didn't schedule an appointment with the pastor or Christian counselor, he withdrew to a solitary spot and spent time in silence. When we face constant opposition from our boss, co-workers or friends, we may need to withdraw to our car during lunch break and instead of playing your favorite Christian CD, leave the motor off and spend a moment in you solitary place in silence before God.

Okay, insert application here. -You knew this was coming - What are some of the areas in your life you could change or ajust to eliminate some of the noise? Seriously, just say you need to watch less tv (although you probably do), --What will you do when the tv is turned off between 9-10? Don't pick up the latest Max Lucado book. Don't play your favorite christian cd, spend that hour in silent, solitude listening for God.

One last thought. As Christians we sometimes look for God in the big and the glamerous. We wait for the big youth confrence to reignite that blaze we had after the last big youth conference. We try to look for God to show up in the big events in our life. In essesence we are looking and waiting for God to speak to us through the earthquake or fire or mighty wind. When all the while God is simply waiting for us in the gentle whisper. When we figure this out, we may find ourselves less anxious about what others may think of us and more about that most precious moment when you spend deaf to the world and to the noise. Psalm 4:4 says, "...when you are on your beds search your hearts and be silent."

nooma_sunday10.22.06

Before i get into nooma_sunday, i need to let you know of scriptures corrections that need to be made. We read from Matthew 22:1-7 and Matthew 22:13. Now somehow i made it fit (kind-of), but those were the wrong verses. The RIGHT scripture is actually Matthew 23:1-7 and Matthew 23:13 (complete verses typed out below). I apologize for this and encourage you to remember the overall theme of nooma_sunday with the right verses in mind.

If you were like me, then you went to church because your parents brought you. After all, all good people go to church. But why? Why do we go to a building one morning a week? What is the relevancy of this ritual? Time and time again scriptures remind us that God is not concerned with an empty ritual -even one done in his name. God is concerned about the heart. He wants us to want to serve him. He doesn't want us to serve him in a zombie like state of unconsciecness, but rather in one of eagerness using all of our senses, Mark 12:30 says, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'"
God wants us to want to serve him. He wants us to know why we are serving/worshiping him, not just going through the motions with no knowledge as to why we do what we do. Have you ever attended a church service out of a sense of duty? Or because you think you're supposed to? The next time you are in a church service, look around and ask, "Is this what God had in mind?" Is this the type of atmosphere and mood God wanted present in the presence of a gathering of believers? When believers gather together for worship and fellowship, what was God's reason for having his followers 'not give up meeting together.'?
Honestly, i think there are many gatherings accross the world that experience and create the type of vibe God had in mind.
Matthew 23:1-7 "Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
"Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them 'Rabbi.'"
Jesus is not giving these guys a compliment. He is essentially telling the religious rulers of his day, "All you care about is looking good in front of others. You don't care about the burdens of the oppressed, in-fact, you laden them more by heaping weights on them you yourselves are not willing to bear."
How much time do you spend worrying about what other people think about you? Look how Jesus continues his verbal descent on the Pharisees, Matthew 23:13 "I've had it with you! You're hopeless, you religion scholars, you Pharisees! Frauds! Your lives are roadblocks to God's kingdom. You refuse to enter, and won't let anyseeone else in either." (Message) Jesus is saying, you are actually keeping people from entering heaven. "You are roadblocks." I wonder if we ever become roadblocks to people seeking God? You know sometimes people confuse God with religion and end of walking away from both. Whenever we put rituals, appearance or religious duty before passionately approaching the throe of God, we become a roadblock.
God wants us to be a gathering of believers that bring our minds with us to service. He wants us to bring our hearts with us when we see hurting brothers and sisters. He wants us to use our strengths for his purpose and glory. When we do this in a corporate gathering of believers in Jesus, we remove ritual and replace it with relationships.
Do you give money to the church? Why? Do you take communion everytime it is passed infront of you? Why? Do you stand and sit when the worship leader tells you? Why? People coming into our buildings for the first time see us doing things that may appear ritualistic, and in a sense we are. However, the reason, the motive for our actions is out of a desire to obey God. Because we love God, we obey him.
Isaiah 29:13 says, " The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men." God wants our hearts. How do we know if God has our hearts and that we're not just going through the motions?
We know God has our hearts when we care about the people and things God cares about. "God can't stand it when we put on a religious show and then we ignore the poor and the broken and the marganlized and the oppressed." (-Rob Bell)
Church is not a building. It is not an hour long service once a week. Church is people. People whose hearts are beating more and more like God's. What does it mean if our hearts are beating more like God's? How would this change the view of Christians if our hearts were all beating more and more like his?

Israel, Subway and the Morgue (based on the true story of David and Goliath) Part III

Part III
Though the Israelites were God's chosen people, there seemed to be no competition in the battle. The Phillys stepped forward and made an offer, "If ya'll win this here battle, den we be you guyses servants, but if ya'll loose, den ya mine as well be strappin' on dose aprons cause you be ars." the Israelites agreed. The Phillys sent out their biggest man. Now this guy wasn't just another chump from the hood, he was a big boy like trampas, and a little smaller than Paul Bunyan too, but none the less all who was his opponent trembled with fear. Each day for 40 days he made an offer for anyone out of Saul's arm to go to battle, but each day they stood on the sidelines in fear. This humongusly large feller that they all were scared of was simply named -Goliath. It's kina like Madonna, he didn't have a last name (mentioned).

One morning David was at his dad's in Bethleham watching the sheep. Jesse told David to go to the camp. David left his sheepys with one of the guys in the band to sheep sit them. He took some roasted bread and about 10 loaves of some wonder bread with him. He set off to the battle to give his brothers some food. On the way there he bought some cheese from a cheese dealer for the commander of the unit.

When David finally made it to the camp, he saw the men lining up for battle as they sounded their war cry. He watched. They screamed, "Hexif biqlom szolkem zcefeda ak misar cberalstmek cfbdacto!" (they spoke a fluent second language of gibberish) The Phillys were taken back to by this and they laughed, as the battle lines were being drawn, with pride in Goliath. David left his stuff with the supply boy and ran out ot the battle lines to say hi to them, "Howdy guys." he saidas he was glad to see them. All of the sudden the big guy came out shouting mean things like, "Ya'lls is idiots and dummies." mean stuff like that because as predicted, when Goliath stepped out the Israelites were running away.

Now, the one who won this great battle wasn't just patted on the back for his courageousness, No!....he was rewarded far better. Whom ever defeated the great Goliath would be given wealth, wouldn't have to pay taxes, and also, the king himself would give the warrior his daughter's hand in marriage. But obviously wasn't worth it, because each day for forty days they all ran away an dhid like shameful cowards.

[to be continued...]

Israel, Subway and the Morgue (based on the true story of David and Goliath) Part II

Part II
One day at band practice his dad rushed in hoopin' and hollerin' about going somewhere or something. Once he slowed down enought to get his words out, David learned that he'd have to leave to go meet this guy named Saul. DAvid was glad to leave, though he would miss his family and band groupies, but there wasn't much action while watching the sheep. So David hopped on a donkey that was loaded with Jones Soda and some Krispy Kremes, and a little goat and headed off to meet his man by the name of Saul.

David grew to like him. For a while Dvid was the guy that took car of Saul's armor. Saul like David becauseof his specialty in playing the harp. Sometimes and evil spirit would come over Saul. It was like Olivia on a bad hair day, only in spirit form. A great anxiety came over Saul. But when ever this happened, David just played his harp and the evil spirit went away. And when it did Saul would feel relieved.

Soon, Jesse got a letter in the mail. It took awhile for it to get to him, because the first mail man got attacked by a pack of wild zebr. But when Jesse got the letter, this is what it said,

Dear Jesse,
Your son David is great. Please let him stay with me. He's really narly. I like having him around.

Sincerly,
King Saul

Though he missed his son, Jesse agreetd to letting him stay.

Soon the Israelites had gone to war witht the Phillys. They were called that because they worshiped Subways, Philly Steak and Cheese Sandwhich. David's three brothers were there at war, as David was at home in Bethleham (they liked ham not beth) tending to his father's sheep. The war seemed to drag on day by day as David went back and forth from time to time between Saul and his father. You know how it's like, if your parents are divorced.

[to be continued...]

Israel, Subway and the Morgue (based on the true story of David and Goliath) Part I

[Part I]
It was dusk and the sun was now where to be found as the sky was shaded above the morgue. All was dead inside. David quickly ran inside to find the tiny sheep that had scurried away into the darkness. The sting of death surrounded him from the sacrifices of past sins and dead spirits. He squinted aroudn for any sign of Puffy's white exterior that might've stuck out in the darkness. Puffy always ran off. And David was always rescuing him. Just has he spoted a glimpse of Puffy, he heard his father call for hi. "What could he want now?" thought David, as he hurridley scooped up Puffy with his left arm ad shuffled offf with his staff in the other hand, going back in the house.

When David entered, he noticed his father, Jesse, standing there with this three brothers that he lived with, Eli, Bin and Sham. Also, to his surprise, they had a visitor. David noticed that they were sacrificing a cow. Jesse (no, he didn't have good hair like the one on 'Full House' -he was pretty old). introduced David to this phrophet named Samuel. They exhcanged names and greetings and soon after, Samuel annointed him in the presence of his older brothers and they were felouse of him. The Spirit of the Lord came upon David. It didn't make him hop over pews or beat his chest like a wild animal for God, but he did dance around in his underwear sometimes. They said thier goodbyes and later Sam left for Ramah. Davidtook the sacrifices out to the morgue. David thought of how he could put his feelings into music.

He was glad that the Spirit of the Lord was pon him. He played the harp for God. He made up a new songfor his band. His band was called the 'All-Jewish Rejects'. It had a couple other shepard boys in it from the neighborhood. They usually plaed at the New Moon Festivals. David was the star of it that all the girls cooed about, kinda like Justin Timberlake or Michael from the Jackson 5, onl he didn's sound like a girl when he sang, more like 'Ravin Dave'. David was muy el quapo, i imagine more so thatn a hoodlum like Jimmy because the Biblical author points out that he was of fine appearance and handsome features, so he must've looked...for lack of better wording...HOT!

[to be continued]

nooma_trees10.15.06

intro_trees is a video that talks about two particular trees. The tree in the Garden of Eden at the beginning of time and a tree along a river in paradise, at the end of time. Kind of like the dash between the birth and death years on a tombstone, we are living between the trees. in a fallen world. However, God has assigned his greatest creation (us) to partner with him to make this earth like it is supposed to be. The question needs to be asked, "What are we 'doing' now? How actively are we partnering with God?

How is it our world can be filled wit such beauty and such order and good, and at the same time be filled with such heartache and pain? How do you feel about the world? Do you think it is getting better or worse? How is it that chaos and beauty can co-exist so evenly? I believe that when God created the world, he created it so perfectly that even though we have messed it up and have invited chaos, God's creation is more beautiful and ordered than our attempts to mess it up.
God tells us, "You can live how you want to live or can live the way I created you to live." It's almost as if God says, "It's your choice." It's still our choice. Do you think it would be easier if God just made you obey him? Wouldn't it just make more sense for God, once someone became a christian, to just make them obey him and reflect him? It would seem to be a lot better witness. We would have a lot less people calling church a place for hypocrites to meet.

What does it mean to live the way God created you to live? If we believe God's way of life is the best way for us to live, why is it so hard for us to do it?

Genesis 2:9 "In the middle of the Garden were two trees, the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of Good and Evil."

"Maybe the truth of the Adam and Eve story, maybe the greatest power of the story is not so much that it happened, but that it happens." (Rob Bell)

Do you believe the Bible's story of creation is not just something that happened, but actually something that still happening? Are we faced with the same choices as Adam and Eve? (Care for the world…walk in a relationship with God)

When God made Adam and Eve he gave them an assignment, "Take care of the garden." "Tend to it" Genesis 2:15 "The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend it and keep it." Did God tell them when they left the garden they didn't have to take care of the 'earth' any more? NO. So we are also then, charged with the same assignment, "take care of the world."

The story is told of a popular christian speaker who was talking about the end times. The embedded theme of his message was we [as christians] are "hoping" and "waiting". God does want us to anticipate his return. He does want us to put our hope in his return, but to just be hoping and waiting misses the very commission God charges to all Christians. It goes along with a painting I once saw. The painting was of an old farmer. The time was the late 1800's. He was plowing his field. The muscular draft horse barrelling down in the hardened earth to drag the uncompomising steal thru undisturbed land. The farmer has both hand on the wooden handles of the plow. The reins drapped over his shoulder. His old weathered face is cocked back and his eyes are drawn towards the sky. the caption of the painting reads, "While I wait, I work" What a great creed for us. We do wait for Chris to return, but while we wait, we work. Work for the Kingdom. (if anyone knows where i can find that painting, i am trying to find it)

Revelation 22:2 "On both sides of the river was the tree of life bearing 12 kinds of fruit, producing its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree are for healing the nations."
"We're told that we will actively participate with God in taking care of the world that we find ourselves in. It says there will be peace with each other, but that there will be peace and harmony with God and in the middle of it will be a tree." (Rob Bell)


Have you noticed how when God does something it is perfect and when we do something we mess it up? When God created this world, it was perfect. Relationships were perfect –between human beings and between man and God. When Jesus returns and God makes everything new, it is going to be perfect, again. Relationships will be restored between men and between men and God. When God made the the earth it was perfect. When he returns again it will be perfect. Right now, decisions we make will shape the landscape of eternity. An ancient jewish saying that says, "The good deeds we do on earth are seeds planted in eternity."

With that, do you think what we do today matters for eternity? Are the choices you're making now shaping you into the kind of person you'll be forever?

"I need a God who's now. I need a God who teaches me how to live now. I need a faith that's today, that helps me understand the world I live in today." (Rob Bell)

Does your faith help you understand the world we live in? Does it make your life easier or more difficult on a day-to-day basis?

"We live between the trees in a world drenched in God. And some people ask seriously, you know, "Where is God?" Maybe a better question would be, Where isn't God. His fingerprints are all over our world. Or maybe its His world and our fingerprints. Followers of Jesus are people who are committed to partnering with God to make this world, the world that we live in, the kind of place that God originally intended it to be." (Rob Bell)

Revelation 22:2 "On both sides of the river was the tree of life bearing 12 kinds of fruit, producing its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree are for healing the nations."

May you trust Jesus, when he says that death has been taken care of, and that you can live forever with God, that you're never, ever, ever going to stop living. May you believe that death has been taken care of, and you can be a partner with God in redeeming and restoring this fallen, broken, hurting world. That you can literally be a partner with God in making this the kind of place that God originally intended it to be. May you be the kind of person who, when you live this way, the very trees of Paradise are being planted."

Esther Doesn't Have God

Did you know that no where in the book of Esther is the name "God" found? In fact, the book of Esther is the only book in the Bible that doesn't mention a form of the name "God". Does that mean that we should tear the book of Esther from our Bibles? No. Does that mean that the story of Esther is a pagan story that has nothing to do with God? No. Is it just an old love story like "Romeo and Juliet"? No. So how should we respond to this revelation?
Why are Christians so obssessed with inserting the God or Jesus in everything they do or say? I am a Christian. That means I am a follower of Jesus who i believe to be the Messiah and Savior of the world. If I am on the golf course with my father-in-law and i don't say God or Jesus (without cursing) does that mean i am not a Christ follower? No. I believe God wants to be such an interwoven part of our lives that our very beings in word and deed in some way reflect him.
If i hit a terrible shot and drop the f-bomb have i reflected God? No. If i hit a terrible shot and say, "Ah man! i can do better than that." Am i reflecting God? Yes, because God wants us to do our best in everything.

Maybe in some way the book of Esther can help us learn how to preseve "Christian" bands. many times i get asked, Brad what about this band? Are they Christian?" The trend is for Christian bands to be less vocal about their faith. Band members may be Christian, but they don't mention Jesus or God in any of their songs. I don't think the issue is so much are they mention Jesus, or are they reflecting Jesus. Does Jesus play such a role in their lives that they reflect his qualities. What are his qualities? -feeding the hungry, visiting the lonely, caring for the sinner, showing love to the unloveable. If people are doing these things, whether artistically or in everyday life, they are reflecting Jesus. Now the real Jesus Freaks take those acts of servanthood a step further by telling the lonely about their Friend. They tell the hungry they will become physically hungry again, but there the Bread of Life can fulfill eternally. They tell the lonely that they aren't alone. And they tell the unloveable that when no one else may show it, God is loving them.
So just because the book of Esther doesn't mention God, does not mean, in the slightest that he isn't on every page. May you live your lives reflecting the Savior...and if neccessary use words.

nooma_flame10.08.06

We have really exausted the word love haven't we? We use it to describe so many things that the significance, power and purity behind it have been lost. If we love tacos and a movie and our spouse, surely we don't mean the same thing for each, or is their a different emphasis/meaning? Why do we use love to describe our feelings for such a wide variety of things? Does “Love” lose it’s significance because of our misuse?

How might we expound our love for our spouses than just saying, “I love you?” How can let our mom/dad or someone we really care about know that we don’t love them the same way we do tacos?

There are 3 different Hebrew words for our one word ‘Love.’

Raya – found in Song of Songs 4:7 “this is a friendship, companion, somebody you hang out with love.” As teenagers you should have ‘Raya’ relationships. It is even okay to have ‘Raya’ relationship with a boyfriend or girlfriend.
How long did the speaker say he and his wife were friends expressing ‘Raya’ to one another? (A. Four Years)
He and his wife were friends –nothing more –for four years before they decided to go to the next level. Why do you think teenagers try to skip the friendship phase of dating to go straight to the intimate and physical?
Should teenagers (still in school) take a relationship beyond the Raya stage? Is it just asking for trouble down the road if you try to rush thru or skip a lasting friendship?

Ahava – found in Song of Songs 8:7 “this is making a decision to join your life to the life of another. An emotion that leads to commitment.”
The speaker said after the four years, he was visiting his wife (not at the time –duh) and said that “he would rather be in that spot, at that moment wit her than any other place in the world.” This is Ahava. An emotion that leads to commitment.
The reason I (Brad) believe teenagers should not enter into ahava is because I don’t think you have the emotional maturity to make a lifetime commitment from the emotions you are feeling. I believe at your age, it is all emotion and that a sincere level of commitment can not be comprehended.
Do you agree or disagree? Explain. If you disagree, let me ask you, “In your ‘ahava’ relationship, do you care about the other person –period, or do you like how that person makes you feel?” Because, if you rely on how they make you feel, you do not have ahava –you have infatuation and no commitment level. Ahava is a love for someone just because and nothing for yourself.
I think society tells us that ahava is an emotional feeling of tingles and warm fuzzies. That is simply infatuation. Because, ahava should still exists when we get hurt by the other person or they don’t make us feel warm and fuzzy any more.

Dode – found in Song of Songs 1:2 “this is the physical, sexual element of love.”
This is the love God originally intended for a man and woman to share on the night they are joined together. This is in fact the literal, ‘the joining together of two’
Society tell us this is the final test if someone loves me or I love them. God says this is the physical element of how He intended love to be –not a marker.

Each of these flames by themselves gives off a little heat and a little light. But, they can never burn with the fury they are intended to until they are all joined together. God’s plan is for a man and woman to have such a deep and grounded friendship, He intended them to make decision to want nothing else than to be committed to that one person –not because they make me feel good, but because of an unselfish desire to give to them. Finally, God intended for love to be expressed in physical sexual intercourse.

It seems all we focus on is the physical, but you are a spiritual being. If you have dode without any commitment (ahava) you are still empty. If your parents are committed to one another but there is no dode between them, they are not completely nourished.

In the nooma video _flame, the speaker ignites a bonfire to put all others to shame. This thing is enormous. It is a mountain of downed trees, shrubs and branches. They said the fire could be seen from over 10 miles away. The illustration points out that when all three flames are burning in the same 'marital' relationship, it is noticed. People see a difference in you.

need help with homework?

we will have the church open from 3:30 -5:00 for you to come in and work on homwork, use the computers to type papers or the internet to research homework. Hope to see you there. We will eventually have some extra people on hand to help with specific subjects you may be struggling with. let me know if there is an area you particularly need help in.

in Him
brad