A Social Network Christmas

Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in theaters December 10th, 2010.

Forty Days of Lent

Forty days. Forty nights. Forty years.

Throughout the Scriptures God uses moments of forty to work in the lives of His people. To test. To renew. To grow. To direct. Forty designated a time when God engaged humanity in exceptional, memorable and life-transforming ways. Our desire is for God to do something extraordinary in our lives during this moment of forty spent in devotion to Him.


The season of Lent is a time for reflection, repentance, and renewal – when Christians are invited to prepare themselves spiritually for the celebration of the resurrection of Christ. Lent is often portrayed as a journey. It is a journey from one point in time (typically Ash Wednesday) to another point in time (Easter). Its purpose is to create space in our lives to experience God. “The Lenten journey,” writes Judy Bauer “is also a process of spiritual growth and, as such, presumes movement from one state of being to another state.”


As a Christ-community, we are setting aside the next 40 days to be intentional about pursuing God in our daily lives. Our prayer is that we experience a greater sense of the Presence of Christ in our lives as we become further formed into the image of Christ.

forty :: engaging the movements of Lent from Jerrell Jobe on Vimeo.

Faith & Doubt :: The Problem of Pain :: intro

This week, we wrap up our Faith & Doubt Series. Our final talk will deal with the problem of evil and suffering in the world.

Where is God in the midst of pain? Why doesn't He stop it, intervene, or at least, make Himself more visible? These are all tough questions... Questions, that almost everyone has asked at one time or another.

Faith & Doubt :: The Problem of Pain :: intro from Jerrell Jobe on Vimeo.

Philippians: Gotta Start Somewhere_Week Two

This week in New Community we began to explore God’s intention for us to experience personal transformation. Many of us desire to set a goal or change in some area of our lives.

Unfortunately, most of us hit a speed bump because we simply aren’t sure how or where to start. In this message, we continue our study in Philippians with the teaching “Gotta Start Somewhere.”

Philippians: Gotta Start Somewhere_Week Two from Jerrell Jobe on Vimeo.

Notes, Audio & Weekly Engagement Reflections can be downloaded here or here.

Philippians: We're All in This Together_Week One

This is the first message in the new series at Palm Valley Church's (Wednesday Nights New Community Gathering) "Philippians: Discovering God in the Midst of Life."

The Apostle Paul had a special and unique relationship with those at Philippi. He's heart was full of "affection" and "longing." In the first message of this new series on the Book of Philippians, we begin to explore the context in which the letter was originally penned, the posture of those who first recieved it and some initial reflections we can begin to ponder as it relates to us nearly 2,000 years later.

Philippians: We're All in This Together_Week One from Jerrell Jobe on Vimeo.

Reflections are available to download.

Audio available to download.

Like a Child

The average 4-year-old asks 300-questions a day. That number diminishes to 20 by the time one is 20-years-old. Somewhere along the way, we forget how to look, see, inquire and live in wonder. Jesus admonishes us to recapture the essence of child-like faith. This message was presented at Southgate Church.

Like a Child from Jerrell Jobe on Vimeo.

The Last Lecture - What Would You Say...?

On September 18, 2007, Carnegie Mellon professor and alumnus Randy Pausch delivered a one-of-a-kind last lecture that made the world stop and pay attention. It was his "last lecture." Randy was dying as he was engaging the fight against pancreatic cancer. The lecture became an Internet sensation viewed by millions, an international media story, and a best-selling book that has been published in 35 languages. To this day, people everywhere continue to talk about Randy, share his message and put his life lessons into action in their own lives.

Have you ever thought about what you would say to a group of people if you only had "one more lecture"? Here's some of what Randy Pausch said. You can view the full lecture here.

The Paralyzing Enchantment of Cosumeristic Choices

Americas pride themselves as living in the home of the free. Free to do what we want, when we want, where we want, even how we want. We value independence, options and the power of personal choice. However, we don’t always see the illusion this breads. Rarely do we see the paralyzing effects that abound in abundance of choices.

As such, many in our society can no longer distinguish the difference between what one “wants” and what one actually “needs”. Multiple studies indicate such internal delusion and how our society has become enchanted by the wizardry of advertising. Advertising professor James Twitchell says, “Ads are what we know about the world around us.” It is reported that on average we are bombarded with no less than three thousand ads a day. Twitchell exposes how thought we often think we are “too smart to be seduced by such ‘branding,’ but we aren’t.” These ads create our longings. These longings are granted a multitude of choices to appease. And, these myriad of choices enslave us under the spell of dissatisfaction.

For example, consider the following: At the average supermarket there can be found about 85 different varieties and brands of crackers. 285 varieties of cookies, with at least 21 different options of chocolate chip. 275 varieties of cereal, including 24 oatmeal options and 7 "Cheerios" options. Or what about the 15 different flavors of bottled water? Water! We could go on and on…

few years ago, Barry Schwartz wrote an interesting book entitled, The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less. His primary thesis presented and then backed up by everyday realities and research is this:

"When people have no choice, life is almost unbearable. As the number of available choices increases, as it has in our consumer culture, the autonomy, control, and liberation this variety brings are powerful and positive. But as the number of choices keeps growing, negative aspects of having a multitude of options begin to appear. As the number of choices grows further, the negative escalate until we become overloaded. At this point, choice no longer liberates, but debilitates. It might even be said to tyrannize.”

The mentality of consumption as laid out well by Vincent Miller in his book Consuming Religion: Christian Faith and Practice in a Consumer Culture. Consumerism is rampant, yet so common that this sickness exists and spreads unseen, much like a cold transfers undetected in the shaking of the hands and passing of the glass. We all consume. Many become sick, but few of us can identify the cause. Unfortunately, many often unknowingly approach Church out of this same mindset, looking more to what they can “get out of it,” rather than how they can “be a part of it.”

It’s a challenge to reflect on how consumerism has intertwined itself with the fabric of my being. In many ways I’d like to think I’ve shed myself from the trappings. Yet, consumerism is kind of like driving your car that’s out-of-alignment, after awhile, you simply get used to driving that way and forget it is even an issue. I’m sure consumerism is affecting how I drive my life, I’m probably still unaware to the degree this misaligned value has been readjusting me.

That being said, while reading and reflecting I found my thoughts drifting to the things I do purchase and the values that reinforce my habits. Typically I’m pretty frugal, especially with cloths. The only new cloths I get are the those my wife buys and brings home to me. This is for two reasons. One, she’s a better fashion consultant than myself. And two, she is one heck of a deal hunter. Interestingly, my first question is always the same, regardless of how much I like the item, “How much was it.” I like nice looking cloths, I just don’t like spending much money on them. This is a noteworthy characteristic of mine, yet as I began to think about consumerism, I began to consider the person(s) this bargain may been exploiting and costing much. While I’ve cognitively known these injustices were a reality, I’ve just simply not really (personally) cared. My priorities have been more embedded in the saving money of my wages, with little concern for the wages (or lack thereof) another received from my savings. This is causing me to rethink through things a bit.

For anybody who doesn't have time or money to grab another book, below is a video of a talk Barry Schwartz gave at TED. In it he outlines how we can easily become enslaved by the multitude of choices we are granted. (Note: Barry uses a few words that may be offensive.)

Authenticity & Image Management

“There is nothing more winsome or attractive,” writes John Ortberg in Everybody's Normal Til You Get to Know Them, “than a person who is secure enough in being loved by God that he or she lives with a spirit of openness and transparency and without guile.” He continues: "One of the defining moments in any dating relationship is the first time the man sees the woman without makeup. Makeup is the art of “facial management.” You don’t want to let a guy look at your actual, unadorned face. So makeup is designed to make eyes look bigger, to make lips look fuller, nose look smaller, and hide the facial blemishes and flaws. But it is not just our physical blemishes that we try to hide. Most of us work pretty hard to conceal the flaws that mar our character." We learn this art of image management from an early age. Image management is simply trying to appear better to those around us than they really are. Sometimes these means are extreme, and at other times they are simple and very subtle in nature. Our culture is full of examples. To mask, veil, or alter one’s self and appearance is more common than uncommon. We watch it on television and the movies. We read about it in the magazines and newspapers. We see it on the billboards. Ever since the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, deep within humans is a propensity to cover ourselves up – to wear make up. John Eldredge sums it up well in Wild at Heart, comparing the way we veil our true selves to how Adam and Eve concealed themselves behind the foliage in the Garden of Eden: “We are hiding, every last one of us. Well aware that we, too, are not what were meant to be, desperately afraid of exposure, terrified of being seen for what we are and are not, we have run off into the bushes. We hide in our office, at the gym, behind the newspaper and mostly behind our personality. Most of what you encounter when you meet a man is a facade, and elaborate fig leaf, a brilliant disguise.” Authenticity draws us out from behind the trees and causes us to drop the "fig leaves." It poises us before the One who created us and loves just for who we are. It is out of that acceptance with God that we interact with humanity. It is out of that posture that we no longer have to try to "appear" better than we think we are perceived, we can simply be who we are and becoming....

Faith in the Midst of Fear...

Two of my heroes are Jim and Susan Nelson.

When I think of consistency, generosity and a demonstration of what it means to live life missionally, on purpose and with intentionality, I think of Jim and Susan. Recently, someone was murdered in an apartment building they own. This is only one of quite a few murders that have taken place in our city recently. In a time when many would shutter in fear and look for ways to "board of the windows," Jim and Susan simply seized the opportunity to release peace and hope into the lives of those living in and around this apartment building.

The following video clip is a segment that ran on a local news station last night.

Video Recap of The Ark - Journey Encounter

See more about last week's Journey Encounter here.

The Ark - Journey Encounter

All summer long, we've been building an Ark. It started as a crazy idea back in the early spring. We were planning out what we would be doing with children on Wednesday nights through the summer. We wanted to take a story from Scripture that could be engaged over the course of 12-16 weeks.

We wanted to do more than merely talk about the story or even extract great moral principles. We wanted to enter the story. Engage the Story. Become the Story. Isn't this one of the main purposes of Scripture?

So we've spent all summer studying the life of Noah. And, what better way to study Noah, then to do what Noah did? So we built an Ark. It's about 72 feet long, 26 feet high and about 18 feet wide. It's built roughly to a 1/7th scale of the original Noah's Ark.

Today, we wrapped up our summer with our Sunday morning service outside around the Ark. The day included, children sharing how God had spoken to them over the summer as the asked God, "What do you want me to do to change the world?" This is a question we had each child ask God... And, the responses have been mind blowing. Today, three of our children shared specific things God said to them and HOW they have ALREADY began to DO IT... Now that's Awesome! It's one thing for God to speak, it's another to actually begin to do it.

As Warren Buffett said, "It doesn't count to predict rain, it counts to build an Ark." So it is with hearing the voice of God...

Also, this morning Shauna Cameron shared a musical composition she wrote. It's a classical rendition of the complete story of Noah. Have you ever thought what the story of Noah sounded like? We'll, her composition is breath-taking. To help us visualize the storyboard of the song, Jennie Grunseth did a visual mime-drama-dance interpretation of the song.




Children were baptized by their parents...

During the drama Dive people jumped off a 15 foot cross...

And, a live dove was released from the top of the Ark...

In the midst of all this, there was space for us to ask God, "How do you want to use me to change my world...?"

We believe He does... He really does...

Below is a slideshow with a few more pictures of the day.

You can also read about this in the South Bend Tribune or see the News 22's video segment on the Ark.

Dancing Father...

I love to be in settings of worship. Unfortunately, all too often, these moments can become trite and predictable.

Some people seem to be simply graced by God with a deep sensitivity to the moment that is raw, authentic and passionate, yet all the while pure and untainted. When these characteristics are present, worship transcends words on the screen and begins to speak something into the very depths of our being. At the same time, these moments help release something from the very core of who we are, as we connect with, relate to and worship God.

Recently we had a concert called Music & Lyrics.

It was a night featuring songs that had been written in-house by members of our community. It was an evening filled with energy, passion, creativity and individual diversity.

For many, the songs sung were ones that have emerged from the very everydayness of life. Something powerful transpires when we can begin to discern God in the midst of the everyday mundane moments of our lives - they are transformed...

The following is one of the songs featured by my favorite worship leader (and wife), Charissa Jobe.

The Loft :: Engaging Children's Spirituality through the Senses of Learning

I love my church...

...and I'm grateful for the commitment that it has made to the (intentional) spiritual formation of (our) children...

...and the emergence of such vision in the form of an environment conducive to engage children through various venues, with multiple learning styles in a layered fashion...

...Now, may God continue to help us develop and build a community/team of leaders passionately and authentically releasing life, strength and wisdom into these young lives...

...by the prayer-filled power and presence of God that produces true and lasting life-formation...



...more to come!

Active Learning

It's just been three weeks since we launched The Loft, yet I'm convinced we are journeying down the path of the absolute best way(s) to connect, educate and assist people (particularly children) engage God.

One of our core workshops at Calvary is Discovering Your Essence: Temperament, Personality and Spirituality. It's an interactive look at how God has designed each of us uniquely. It is out of that uniqueness that He has designed us to connect with Him. Gary Thomas in his book Sacred Pathways does a brilliant job outlining these. Just this year alone, we've presented this workshop to our community five times with approximately one-hundred-and-forty-five people taking part. Our next offering is Monday, June 2 - 6:00-9:00pm. I believe it is one of the core concepts followers of Christ can understand and integrate into their understanding of God and what it means to walk with Him and spend time with Him.

This idea of uniqueness and understanding that each of us not only connect to God differently, but learn differently, grow differently, even connect to one another in community differently is one of the key foundational principles for how we have re-designed our approach to the spiritual formation of children. The Loft is a place where we are seeking to help engage children in various learning styles with multiple layers. Obviously, not every child will be super excited about EVERY venue, but research alone shows us that every venue will nonetheless ignite something within each child's brain and we believe as well, deep within their being (soul/spirit).

The following is a clip detailing a dimension of how the brain functions and the correlation between movement, activity, exercise and actual learning and attention. The clip is of Dr. John Medina outlining a chapter from his book Brain Rules.

When words aren't enough...

We put so much clout on "words." Yet, the words we speak and the message we intend isn't synonymous with the words people hear and more importantly, often not synonymous with the message we intended for them to hear.

What happens then when we attempt communicate a message that is riveted with present-eternal significance?

What do we do when words aren't enough...?

How would we communicate the message of Christ and the Story of Scripture without words...?

The Loft...

For the past several months we have been praying, dreaming, envisioning how we could create a process and environments that foster spiritual formation for our children...

In just a few short weeks we will be launching those very dreams...

Worth Stopping to Look At...

When was the last time you were out-and-about and you saw something that arrested your attention? Often, it takes quite a jolt in the midst of our busied and fast paced got to get to the next thing lives for our attention to be apprehended. Simply put, there are many things we have become immune to seeing and co-existing with. We drive by run down houses and buildings and swerve around the superabundance of post-snow plowed potholes in the wake of yet another Lake Effect snow, all without thinking twice of when they will be upgraded and fixed. Life is full of these types of things...

Recently I saw a video that got me thinking about how all too often the Church is one of those buildings that can easily be driven past without second thought as to what really happens in there... Without any mysterious wonder of the divine presence invading our earthly and temporal space with the power to transform humanity...

The origin of the Church was saturated with a deep sense of community and oneness. In part, it was these attributes that throughout history have arrested the attention of the known world.

I can envision a people, who authentically express their Christian Spirituality in the context of community that is saturated with such a mysterious presence that the world will wonder as to what is going on and how long has this been happening...

This community of people, known as the Church, will simply be something worth stopping to look at...

"His intent was that now,
through the church,
the manifold wisdom of God should be made known
to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,
according to his eternal purpose that
he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord."

(Ephesians 3:10-11)

Learning to Love Life

I love being with my family...

...Though being intentional and fully-present is always an ongoing discipline to be practiced.

...Yet, more and more I simply enjoy being with my family... at home... doing nothing... but playing and exploring life...

Here are a few things...

...I'm Loving this Holiday Season:

• Wrestling with Micah
• Dancing with Naylah
• Making Pancakes on Saturday Mornings with the Kids
• Creating Oatmeal and Coffee Every Morning with Naylah
• Watching Life & Journeyman with Charissa
• Seeing Avi Smile and Giggle
  
• Gett'n Down With the Whole Family to Jam'n Music in the Basement
• Observing my Children Discover Life
• Laughing with Charissa at our kids, each other & the silly'ness of Life
  
• Playing Mario Kart: Double Dash with the Whole Family
• Simply Being Together - Having Nothing to Do...

Here is a little video featuring some of our seasonal celebrations...

Menorah Hora - A Jewish Celebration

Now for the Snowball Fight...

Family Snowball Fight