6:30AM :: Prayer for Atlanta :: Part 4

Atlanta has been on my heart. This is the beginning of week long series that will contain a prayer/scripture/comments for the city of Atlanta. I plan to wake up at 6:30AM for one full week and pray for the city. Please feel free to post your prayers in addition to mine. Maybe Atlanta isn't the city on your heart. Pray for your city... the one God has you hurting for. 1 Sentence... 2 paragraphs... Just pray...

Romans 8:39 - Neither height nor death, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Jesus Christ our Lord

What are the depths of your love? How high can it reach? Will it pull me from the depths of death? Jesus I pray that your word becomes a reality for me. Nothing can separate anyone from the love that you bring. I pray for those in Atlanta that do not know that they are caught in this kind of love. I pray for their eyes to see the love that you have for them. I pray that they find themselves in the presence of a stranger who is loving them as the gospel calls us to love. Jesus, I pray for your patience as I sit and pray in Clemson, SC. My heart needs to rest in the love that you have for me here. Soon enough you will place me where I need to be. I pray like Isaiah told you, send me... I want to go to Atlanta... Send me... Raise people up with me to go and serve those people to death. I pray for your patience and a peace of mind that allows me to sit in the arm of my savior. I love you Jesus. You are my hope, my strength, and my redeemer. Reclaim your city. Allow me to be a part of doing that. You are sovereign and I will go where you lead me. I pray these things in the Holy and Powerful name of Jesus, who is the giver and receiver of all glory and honor, Amen.

A Picture While You Are Reading

Let your Glory shine around, Let your Glory Shine around
King of Glory here be found, King of Glory

6:30AM :: Prayer for Atlanta :: Part 3

Atlanta has been on my heart. This is the beginning of week long series that will contain a prayer/scripture/comments for the city of Atlanta. I plan to wake up at 6:30AM for one full week and pray for the city. Please feel free to post your prayers in addition to mine. Maybe Atlanta isn't the city on your heart. Pray for your city... the one God has you hurting for. 1 Sentence... 2 paragraphs... Just pray...

Reconciliation

God off the nations, you are the creator of all things. I thank you for the beautiful world that you have given to us to tend to. I thank you that I have a part to play in the story of God. This morning I pray for a reconciliation between inner city Christians and suburban Christians. Build a soil group of people in Atlanta that burden for it's restoration. May it be a mix of those from different socio-economic levels and race. Teach us that we can have a local mission field. Where we live can be our Darfur and our home. I thank you for the things that are going on in Atlanta. there are places where we are seeing your reconciliation, but we need more of it. we are a chosen people of God, and our mission is to spread your love and gospel to all people. Not just people like us, but to all who surround us. Jesus, I pray for peace between the inhabitants of Atlantic Station and those of Bankhead Highway. I pray for investment. I pray for Christians who will embrace a missional living in both of these areas. That you would be the strength and provider for these prayers. God, I picture Midtown Community Church being a source of light to all nations and races. A home to all socio-economic levels. Your gospel does not judge or discriminate. Teach us to not do the same. May we embrace a missional life style. May it be pleasing to you. May the gospel be on our lips and on our hearts ever moment of the day. I pray these things in your expectant glory... Amen

6:30AM :: A Prayer For Atlanta :: Part 2

Atlanta has been on my heart. This is the beginning of week long series that will contain a prayer/scripture/comments for the city of Atlanta. I plan to wake up at 6:30AM for one full week and pray for the city. Please feel free to post your prayers in addition to mine. Maybe Atlanta isn't the city on your heart. Pray for your city... the one God has you hurting for. 1 Sentence... 2 paragraphs... Just pray...

Hope

Jesus, my hope and salvation, the giver of peace...

Toward Atlanta I directly pray. Bring me to my knees for this city. I want it to be shining for you. Who's name is greater or more powerful than yours? Draw me into your presence so that I can pray for Atlanta more and more directly. This morning I pray specifically for those whom have lost hope or have never even seen it. I pray for the homeless on the street. Bring them people, disciples, to meet their needs of substance and safety. I pray for the Hispanic single mothers. Bring them a peace and rest about finances. Send them someone who can point them to you, the giver of all things. I pray for the politicians. I pray that you trump their self motivating interests. Jesus, that you plan would use those who follow the Way and those who do not. Your ability to be sovereign is one of my favorite traits about you. I can trust in the fact that you know how to bend the nations to do your will, despite if they know you or not. Come near to me Christ. Teach me to be a Christian, a lover of the gospel. Teach me to be a missional follower. Someone who has a purpose. May Atlanta be claimed in the Cross. May your people move toward reclamation and restoration in Atlanta. May your hope be our message and our song. Point our eyes toward the city.

6:30AM :: A Prayer For Atlanta :: Part 1

Atlanta has been on my heart. This is the beginning of week long series that will contain a prayer/scripture/comments for the city of Atlanta. I plan to wake up at 6:30AM for one full week and pray for the city. Please feel free to post your prayers in addition to mine. Maybe Atlanta isn't the city on your heart. Pray for your city... the one God has you hurting for. 1 Sentence... 2 paragraphs... Just pray...

Restoration

God, the Holy One who has chosen me, you are beautiful and wonderful. My hands are lifted high because you have brought me out of the pit of sin. I am claimed by the grace of Christ and I am thankful. I ask that your freedom come to Atlanta. I ask that you are seen above all things. I confess of neglecting the homeless, and the despondent. Rework my view of the gospel. Jesus, as you taught us to pray, "Your kingdom come and your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven." We are in your kingdom now. We are the vessels, the hands and feet, the shakers and movers, of your active and living restoration. We stand in the midst of your restoration. Sometimes we see only ruin. Give us sight like you have. Give us the ability to see what you have begun to restore. Jesus, I want to be a curator of the world. I need a master to teach me how to bring art back to its original beauty. I need someone to help me paint, hand in hand, so that your work may be completed. I pray these things specifically for Atlanta. I pray for the suburban church; that they would have a unbridled passion for claiming the city of Atlanta. I pray that we may do it for the sake of the humanity of others, a representation of your Glory on Earth. May I see those whom are different for who they are and for whom they will be when restored in the merciful and graceful hands of the master. In Jesus' name, the one who was, and is, and is to come, Amen.

Latest Art

Lauren took it. I edited it. Thoughts?

Cast into the fire

"You "bind the sacrifice . . . to the horns of the altar" and see to
it that you don’t wallow in self-pity once the fire begins. After you
have gone through the fire, there will be nothing that will be able to
trouble or depress you. When another crisis arises, you will realize
that things cannot touch you as they used to do. What fire lies ahead
in your life?

Tell God you are ready to be poured out as an offering, and God will prove Himself to be all you ever dreamed He would be."

Feb 6th My Utmost For His Highest

I read this passage this morning. I don't know if I have the guts to put myself on the altar. I don't know what that honestly mean... It scares me to think of myself laid out on the altar. I wrote this in response:

The Lamb



The smell of burnt skin

Fills the room with a haze

Sitting, laying, hands stretched out

Eyes toward the altar within

Made of the purest cedar

The combination of smells

Both wonderful and putrid

Beautiful love and light

Focus upon salvation, redemption

Restoration

Standing, ablaze, he walks

Untouched by the flames no more

Midtown

Well, yesterday I got to hang out with the senior pastor of Grace Fellowship. It was an awkward lunch at first, but it loosened up and I was able to really enjoy it. I hope he enjoyed it as well.



Afterwards, Lauren and I spent some time in Starbucks before heading down to Midtown Community Fellowship. Midtown is where i would possibly work in a few months. I was blown away at what was happening down there. God is moving in huge ways. The church is in an old Baptist church building. It has pews still, which is pretty amazing for its feel. It is primarily college aged, but there were a few people who were older.



I was blown away at the potential this church has. I was reading this morning in 1 Corinthians 4. This is what it said:



"It seems to me that God
has put us who bear his Message on stage in a theater in which no one
wants to buy a ticket. We're something everyone stands around and
stares at, like an accident in the street. We're the Messiah's misfits.
You might be sure of yourselves, but we live in the midst of frailties
and uncertainties. You might be well-thought-of by others, but we're
mostly kicked around. Much of the time we don't have enough to eat, we
wear patched and threadbare clothes, we get doors slammed in our faces,
and we pick up odd jobs anywhere we can to eke out a living. When they
call us names, we say, "God bless you." When they spread rumors about
us, we put in a good word for them. We're treated like garbage, potato
peelings from the culture's kitchen. And it's not getting any better."



This to me shows a radical type of living. It demonstrates a living for only the gospel. I want that. I want to be a part of the 'Messiah's misfits.' How do I do that? I'm not sure, but I am praying for it.



I see this type of living and presence possible at Midtown. Its a counter cultural living. In this passage I find people giving up what makes them comfortable for the sake of Jesus. Wow... I want to be like that.

Kyle's Blog

I have a new blogging friend...



Kyle has been my closest friend for nearly all my life. He started blogging yesterday, and I know its going to be pretty awesome. Here is his link!



Get to reading.

As Promised...

So, I was looking around today and saw a most innovative churches in America article. It brought me to LifeChurch. Now I haven't heard much about this church. I have heard about it in passing, but I haven't actually researched it.



I went to their website as I was supposed to be preparing for my lesson that i am teaching today on WWI. It is pretty insane. The web design is absolutely beautiful. The church seems pretty crazy too. Very very advanced in their technology.



An innovative idea: the internet church. They have a fully functional online campus. Here you can see the message live and participate in a "lobby" online before and after the service. This is very awesome. They also have video of every sermon in good quality. Wow...

Spike Jonze - GAP ad

Funniest Gap Ad Ever... It would have been so much fun to shoot!

Teaching doesn't leave time for blogging

Its really annoying. I can't access my blog during the day. The school doesn't allow it. I am going to start using this program that allows me to write the blog during the day and update it later. Its pretty cool.

This Sunday I am going to be semi-interviewing for a church in downtown ATL. This is not entirely true. The church is actually in Snellville, but they have a plant off of State Street and 10th in midtown. I'm really excited about it. I am going to lunch with the senior pastor and his wife.

The church is doing some pretty radical things. Their target outreach are Muslims. They travel to the middle east a lot and the church downtown was strategically planted next to the largest mosque in the South East. It has provided for some pretty awesome encounters apparently.

The community groups are supposed to be amazing. Its primarily a college aged churhc. Which is good because it won't feel very different from where I am now.

I'm going to miss Nathan and Amie... sadness...

Well leave some love. I'm not slacking I promise. Be looking for some more regular postings. Peace.

The Church @:15AM

This weekend was a blast. I spent it with some of my closest friends. We talked about church planting for like 10 hours yesterday. It was really awesome.

I am sitting here eating my bowl of cereal about to go to church. I am leading music this morning. Our conversatiosn over the weekend made me think about what church really is. My friend Nathan describes one facet of the church with the imagery of a table. Its a very simple display of the unity of Christ through the fellowship we have in him. The breaking of food is so crucial to the gospel. I have more thoughts on this but I am running out of time. I'll be back with a clearer head...

Late Night Snack

Peets is cooking steak @ 11PM... He ate cereal @ 6PM... He sat on the couch, slept on the couch, ate on the couch, for nearly 30 hours this weekend.

I don't understand...

This is just stupid...

Stupid... Goodness...

The dumbest thing I have ever seen....

The Ole' Switcharoo

My roommate Dan is two years younger than me. He has a bit a learning to do when it comes to the apartment life of Seniors. We have gone through the whole deal about cleaning up our dishes, not leaving too much stuff around, and being mindful of each other spaces. Its really not his fault... these things just come with time.

So, we decided to send him to bootcamp... with Mr. Peets.

Mr. Peets (Which will most probably become a verb in my vocabulary sometime soon... you are such a peets, that is so peets, why do you have to be so peets, etc) is a sinister neat freak of our apartment. You would not be able to tell this if you looked in the mold of his bathroom... but when it comes to the living room, AKA his room, you better be mindful. The eyes of Peets is like the one of Sauron lurking over middle earth trying to find his next victim of the unclean. His hideous unmerciful laugh and that odd look in his eyes is a nightmare to those whom have heard it. For Mr. Peets a common room is not communal, but merely a place to establish his serfdom. We bow to the Peets because it is the peace of 312 that is at stake. This is whom we have sent Mr. Roge to learn how to become a man. If one can live in a room for a week they will learn the ways of right, because only Jesus can bring sanity in such darkness.

We decided after 24 that Dan should live with Peets for a week. We moved all of Dan's stuff into Peets' room and moved Matt's into mine. It was like a work of art. The detail was outrageous. Perfection...

Dan wasn't happy at 2AM when he found that Matt now is my roommate. We felt bad and told him it was a joke, but now he is cool and he is going to go along with it. What will be Mr. Peets' reaction? God only knows what lays in our near future.

LEGO Church

This is pretty sweet. Its a massive LEGO church with occupants. Too much time on your hands. I'm in a student teaching seminar... someone please save me from the boredom and lack of creativity in educational technology practices...

powered by performancing firefox

Ahhh... Back at school

Its good to be back in Clemson. My apartment sometimes feel more at home that that of my new house. Actually I am currently writing about it in an essay. I will publish it once its done. I am enjoying the Lord of the Rings trilogy these past two days. I am watching the Two Towers right now while I am typing. It is a huge distraction.

I hope everyone gets settled in well. I know I will. Talk to you all soon.

My Dad... Nuf' Said