Common Meal...

for a number of different reasons we have felt led and convicted to be taking communion regularly when we meet together on wednesday nights. we call the time "common meal", which is what they call it at a church that my friend mark nelson planted in knoxville.

it has been a great experience to share in this time over the last couple of weeks. here is an excerpt of an email that i sent to mark this week telling him about this time:

"We shared in a time of common meal for a second week in a row with our community of students this past wednesday. we have really been trying to expand their horizons of what this time is all about, and so we have been trying to bring a collision between the immensity of what Jesus has done with the celebration that should exist in this time because of what he has done. and what transpired this past week was awesome. our time of "common meal" was this time of celebration...some people were contemplative...others were praying together...others were sharing in real conversations...and then the final worship song that followed was probably the best most sincere, "all-out" moment of worship that i have seen take place in this community since i have been here.

It has been awesome too to hear students processing through all kinds of things with this as it goes along. Processing why we are doing it weekly...why it isn't just a somber thing...what part of it is supposed to be a community thing...and just a ton of other things like that. It has been so good...i share with them all the time the words that you always say..."i want you to leave with more questions than answers"...and they are definitely asking questions and i hope that we can breed a culture where they are able to seek out and find those answers in this process of finding their way back to God. It has been a great couple of weeks in our community for a ton of reasons...and this time of common meal has certainly been good!"

Amazing Leaders...

so...after a summer away from writing...i figure it is time to try to get back to writing regularly...

the school year is now into it's third week and it has been an unbelievable start! and i think that a huge reason for that has been due to our student leaders...

this year we have 10 student interns giving of their time and investing in our ministry and it is truly awesome! they are out of this world!! i don't think that words on this page could accurately describe how great they are...how much i enjoy them...how much they challenge me to grow...and how excited i am to see where they are able to help guide and direct things...

and as if that is not enough...only 1 of them graduates this year!! that is a nice little bonus for sure.

i have spent much time reading about leadership and i have heard many people talk about it...but once you actually begin to experience real, solid leadership it is truly unbelievable!!