Bike Church

Last night at church, we did something a little different. Half-way through the service, everyone who had a bike took a quick ride around town. (We had asked people to ride bikes to church.) It is so easy for the Church to be come insulated from the rest of the town or the world. The bike groups went out agenda-free - just to ride and let the spirit lead. The groups reported out after returning to the church. I think a little girl shared probably the most important comment, "We said 'hi' to people." A few weeks ago, I just felt the need to go walking. It was dark outside. I passed a house and noticed an acquaintance from several years ago sitting at the door of his darkened garage. I said hi and started up the driveway. He jumped up and met me in the middle of the driveway. He extended his hand and I shook it. We started talking. I had to keep myself from gagging from the smell of alcohol. We just talked. No agenda. He said to stop by again. I imagine that there will probably be another time to just go walking.

Bike Church

From this week's Horizon E-News...

What is “Bike Church?”

First, it’s not about motorcycles!

It’s about bicycles, or least human-powered transportation devices.

Second, it’s for everyone!

Here are some ways you can participate in “Bike Church” this Saturday.

1. Ride your bike to church.

2. Bring your bike to church and be ready to ride in town.

3. Come to church with no bike, but with your walking shoes on.

4. Come to church like you normally would and prepare yourself to enjoy some serious fun and learning together. No biking or walking.

In many ways, “Bike Church” is like any other “Saturdays @ 6” at Horizon.

But, there will be a time during the service where some people will either go for a short bike ride together or for a short walk together.

While they are doing that, those who aren’t biking or walking will be at the church, enjoying each other’s company and waiting for the reports to come in about what happened to people while they were out.

Spread the word about “Bike Church” and what it’s all about.

What is it all about?

It’s about learning who God is and what He’s doing in the community right around us.

When you get out “in the open,” it’s amazing the ways you will both meet God and have opportunities to “be Jesus” for other people.

“Bike Church”

This Saturday, June 28

“Saturdays @ 6”

Horizon

You and …

A Conversation

Yesterday, I had an unexpected but interesting conversation with an acquaintance. It is kind of weird sometimes how conversations can transform from one topic to an entirely different topic. He wondered about what it would be like if Jesus would walk through the streets of Bremen. (Okay, I was definitely hooked at that point.) After pausing for a moment, he shared that Jesus could probably wander into any church in our town and go unnoticed. (Brace yourself for the rest.) So, he concluded that Jesus would probably head up to Hooples (the local bar). At the bar, people would notice Jesus be eager to hang out with him.

The Other Side of the Story

A few weeks ago, I wrote about a boat. In one sense, it was sad to see this boat decaying in our little pond. However, there is more to the story. My buddy, Rusty, grabbed an oar (a branch) and hopped on the boat for a photo op. Although the boat still didn't move, this is one moment in the last few months when I felt closest to God. Why? Maybe, just maybe, God new that in twenty years, two dreamers would come across the boat again and want to set sail. We shared a couple laughs and ended up with a picture. But maybe, just maybe, this was a subtle (or not so subtle) reminder to dream, to imagine, to hope.

Here are some other pictures that I shared as part of the message on June 7. These have been other times in the last few months when I felt closest to God.

Keeping up with a postal employee in order to pick up food

Playing cornhole on the church lawn with a bunch of high schoolers who were making up snow day hours.

Enjoying a wonderful cup of espresso

Hanging out at the Easter Vigil campfire

Pro-Life Music Festival 2008

Hawk Nelson in concert

The happy campers

Drying out after the rains

Listening

This week I've been reading Job and James. I didn't plan on reading either one of these and don't follow any particular reading plan. However, I remembered reading Job in college and was interested in checking it out again. In college, we talked primarily about the incredible suffering that Job experienced. Here's this good guy who experiences bad things. He loses his fortune, family, and even his own health. Of course, this naturally leads to the question, Why do bad things happen to good people? This question alone opens a big, stinky can of worms. However, as mentioned, I have also been reading James and a verse stood out:

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. (James 1:19)

Quick to listen, slow to speak. Hmm. I can think of a conversation today at work where I definitely should have been much more quick to listen and slow to speak. Even when I intentionally try to listen, my mind sometimes goes off into a far off land or I fail to clear my thoughts of the seemingly pressing items that just continue to race around my mind.

Back to Job.

Job has these "friends" who visit him. Rather than simply listening to Job or taking the next step and entering into his suffering, they are quick to speak. They are quick to offer reasons for the suffering. They are quick to judge. They are quick to share conventional wisdom.

During a recent conversation, I jotted down two phrases that probably mean pretty much the same thing: listen with anticipation and purposefully listen to others. In order for me to have any chance at listening, really listening to others (including God), I have to constantly remind myself to purposefully listen.

Joy

Yesterday, I read about joy in my devotional. The verse was Nehemiah 8:10.

"The joy of the Lord is your strength."

I'm going to be quite honest: I really struggle with joylessness. Somehow I put on act - at least for some people. In fact, at work people have actually said, "How can you smile so much?" The smile doesn't always equate to a sense of joy.

I try to find my strength in self-sufficiency - and you can guess how great that works out. I think that in some way I can manage my guilt, fears, and doubts on my own. Somehow I try to manage my fears of failure and rejection.

How do I try to manage all of this?

At work, I try to control people. If only people would do like I think it needs to be done, then we wouldn't have any problems. (Let me tell you, this works great. Not.) To try to find a sense of purpose, I keep taking classes with the hopes of finding something that "clicks."

I would like to find strength in the joy of the Lord. The other stuff wears a guy down.