God's really been frying my face lately. Or, as Tim Denner calls it, God's been "giving me a face-melter."

As we've been walking through this Malachi series, I've really been burdened with the fact that a lot of times, my life doesn't really look all that different from someone who doesn't follow Jesus. I want you to know something - the stuff we talk about from up front, we're not worth our salt if it doesn't, at one point or another, affect us in some way, shape, or Form. That'd be what we call "hypocrisy," and, frankly, there's been enough of that in the Body of Christ. I'm sick of blending in with the world when all I want to do is live a life that reflects Jesus in every way. Contrast that with the fact that I don't want to be so irrelevant to those around me that the love of Jesus gets lost in the simple fact that I'm... well... weird to everyone else. Simply put, I've divorced my "normal" life (i.e. 9-5 life) from my "Jesus" life. Those are two things that ought not be separated, and I want to let Jesus piece them back together again.

I was overwhelmed with how many of you felt like you had divorced things in your life that belonged together. Here is what some of you said last Thursday night:

So, a lot of us are all in the same boat... Good to know, eh? So, where is this all hitting you? What has GOD been stirring in your life over this?

GOD's peace and protection to you up your journey....

JMW

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “To be a witness [of Jesus Christ] does not consist in engaging in propaganda nor even in stirring people up, but being a living mystery. It means to live in such a way that one's life would not make sense if God did not exist.” Cardinal Emmanuel Suhard

This quote comes from a close and insightful friend who knows and loves God, but more importantly embodies what Cardinal Suhard is saying. To be a follower, a witness of Jesus Christ means to live differently than the rest of the world.

I think sometimes we in the Church have become content to go through the checklist of our “spiritual” duties and count that as our relationship with God. Bible reading? Check. Telling God what I want? Check. Go to church? Check. But there’s no mystery, no allure, no difference in our lives. Simply put, God’s transforming power doesn’t reside in our lives due to our live life in a way that wouldn’t make sense if God didn’t exist.

But there’s hope – with God there is always hope. He desires to lead us into new life by the power of His Spirit and by that power alone. To show us a life that is simple, absurd, and gets people to ask questions… Are you ready?

Prayer for the week: O God, may our lives continue to be a living mystery to those around us. May we live lives that look distinctly different from those around us – not in an arrogant way, or prideful way, or self-righteous way, but in a way that evidences the transforming power of Your Holy Spirit in our lives. We want to be changed from the inside out and show that renewed life to the world around us. Help us. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Earlier this week I attended a very cool gathering of young leaders from all over the country who are re-thinking what it means to be followers of Jesus. Many of these leaders are trying all kinds of new ways to live out in community what Jesus taught his first followers. One of these communities in San Francisco decided to call themselves a "dojo" instead of a church.

Why a dojo?

A dojo is literally "a place where one learns the way," usually of some kind of martial art. In this case, this dojo teaches the way of Jesus. And, similar to a martial arts dojo, this community teaches not just by lecturing, etc. but by actually practicing together the way of Jesus.

So here's how this dojo learned what it means to live in simplicity and rely on God instead of all our material stuff.

They decided on an experiment which they called "have 2, give 1." Jesus once his followers taught if you have two coats, give one away to someone who doesn't have any. So this dojo decided to bring together everything they had more than two of--coats, shirts, jeans, bikes, CD's, books, you name it--sell it at a gigantic garage sale, and then give the money to a local shelter.

Two things happened: first, the dojo discovered in a very practical way what it meant to rely on God and not on stuff; second, the neighborhood discovered that there was a group of Christians among them that actually cared about them.

Now this is important.

This dojo is located in the Mission District of San Francisco, home to artists, street people, musicians, addicts, alternatives, intellectuals, and anyone else you can imagine--people who have often experienced Christians as ridged, hostile, and judgmental--definitely not people who really care about them and the daily challenges they face.

But over time the actions of this unusual dojo began to cause many in this neighborhood to open up to the way of Jesus and the life he offers his followers. And the members of the dojo of began to discover that it is often important to act like Jesus before talking about Jesus. Saint Francis one said, “Preach the Gospel at all times; if necessary use words.” Credibility matters.

So what happen if Immersion would start thinking of itself as a dojo—a place where one learns the way of Jesus? What would happen if we started experimenting together with living life the way Jesus taught?

What would happen to us, our friends, and Des Moines? Probably pretty cool stuff.

Blessings on the Way!

Richard

(For more information on this extraordinary dojo go to http://www.reimagine.org/)

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Who am I? I am one loved by Christ.” Thomas Merton, Trappist Monk.

Do you live everyday knowing you are loved by Christ? Not just when you are good, but in every moment of your life. As Christians, our identity is found in Christ and his love for us. All we have to do is accept it. God wants nothing more than to love you like the son or daughter he created you to be. You are his beloved. Stop and think about what that means. No matter what you do, no matter where you go, God will never leave you. He is always there, waiting to love you like his precious child. The only thing he’s waiting for is you.

Prayer for the week: God, Thank you for choosing me. Thank you for loving me, even when I have a hard time loving myself. Remind me of your love today in moments when it is easier to feel worthless or frustrated with who I am. Gently whisper to me that I am your beloved. Today I choose to acknowledge that and live in light of your grace and love. Amen.

Hey everybody out there. It's me, Justin. I'm not sure who all is reading these things, but we want you to feel like you have ownership of this ministry called Immersion. In doing so, the best way to do that is to keep you informed as to what's going on during the week when you're not here worshiping your guts out before the LORD. This is our attempt to do that - to keep you up-to-date on what we feel like GOD is doing in our midst at Immersion. So, without further ado, let's get into the update....

Website: Our website is in the middle of some changes right now - that's why you may not have seen a whole lot going on with it recently. We want it to be a place of connection for you - where you can see what's going on in the ministry, with each other, with this city, etc. Sit tight, we're on the verge of figuring out what direction to take it next. Got any ideas? Let us know. (PS - HUGE thanks to BJ Joseph for doing all the programming for our current site. For those of you who don't speak "techy," think of it as a car - BJ built everything under the hood from scratch. If you see him on Thursday, make sure you say "thanks.")

Announcements: This is something I'm really excited about - video announcements. We're working towards trying to use more multimedia elements in our worship service, the first on the list being video announcements. We have a team assembled and they're in the midst of doing "test-outs" - more to come. If you want to know what we're thinking of, check out theMill.

Next series: Next after Matthew is Malachi: In Your Face. Malachi is basically a book where GOD lays the smackdown on the Israelites saying, "you think that all the stuff that you do matters to me more than how you do it, more than your motive for doing those things! You're wrong!" This is a side of GOD that has challenged me - His wrathful side. For a look at what I'm talking about, check out this verse and then tell me that GOD doesn't get angry!

I think that's all for this week. One of us (Richard, Molly, Christine, Mark, or Justin) will try and do something like this every week, so check back often. We hope all is well with you, it's so much fun to worship with you all on Thursdays! Peace to you on this day...

Justin

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "Sometimes I think we're more concerned about God's will for our lives than He is." Anonymous.

What is God's will for my life? Are the desires I'm having His or mine? Are my decisions in line with His will? These are all questions I think our generation of believers asks over and over...sometimes to the point that we become anxious, confused and distracted...right where the enemy wants us to be. Have you ever thought maybe the reason God puts decisions before us is because He longs so deeply to spend time with us? Would you believe His desire for us to just be still in His presence is greater than what it is we're actually doing? It's a lot simpler than we think. His word tells us His will for us. To be joyful always, pray continually and give thanks in all circumstances (1Thess 5:18). The truth is God is sovereign and His plans for us cannot be thwarted. Now that's a reason to rejoice and give thanks!

Prayer for the week: Holy Spirit, would you bring the body of Immersion rest? Show us how simple it is to live in Your will and remove the hindrances we put in the way. Allow us to trust in Your perfect plans for us and as we seek Your face, reveal them to us. Quiet our hearts this week Lord so that we may hear what You are whispering to us. Thank You for Your endless pursuit of our hearts – may we draw nearer to You and experience the depths of Your love and grace. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Immersion’s mission is to reach out to young adults with the love of Christ in a culturally relevant way.”

It’s true, our generation isn’t really big on “mission statements” per se, but we can’t throw the baby out with the bathwater either.

Immersion has a mission statement. Did you know that? It’s the quote for this week and you’re going to be seeing it and hearing it a lot more often at Immersion. We think it’s important that we know what our goal is (reaching out with the love of Christ) and who that goal is set for (young adults.) It’s the difference between the fluorescent overhead lights in your office building and a high-powered laser beam that cuts tumors out of cancer patients. They both provide light, but one is infinitely more focused on the task at hand.

That’s what we want to do at Immersion: focus. Focus our thoughts, hearts, and spirits on the person of Jesus Christ, as well as focus our efforts to expand God’s Kingdom on the young adult generation of this city we love, the beautiful city of Des Moines.

So what do you say? Are you ready to focus? Are you ready to take the mission that God has charged Immersion with to the streets? Are you ready to reach out with the love of Jesus in a way that meets people around you where they’re at? That impacts those around you in a way that integrates who Jesus is into their lives, like a missing piece of a puzzle?

Get ready. Let’s focus.

Prayer for the week: God, make this generation one that is defined and refined by Your love for us. Help us to focus our strength and soul on who Your Son Jesus is and what He wants to do in our lives so we can go and be your ambassadors in this city in a culturally relevant way. You are good, we want to be good by the power of Your Spirit. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "Live one step out of comfortable." Bill Johnson, Preacher.

I sometimes wonder what my life would be like if I lived consistently outside my comfort zone. What if I really stepped out of my fear and did things I often shy away from? What would it be like if we all did? I imagine life would be extremely interesting and exciting... extraordinary in fact. Let's face it, most of us find security in a comfortable life... In our jobs, homes, relationships, having food to eat and a car to drive, surrounding ourselves with those that are similar to us, etc. While all of these things are good and there is nothing wrong with them, God wants so much more for us.

God isn't interested in our comfort and in what makes us happy but rather in His purposes and in making us holy. He longs to give us abundant life (John 10:10), which comes as we rely completely on Jesus and abandon our lives to the Holy Spirit. He desires us to trust Him to meet our every need and allow Him to do what He says He is going to do. While He doesn't promise comfort, God does promise to give us more than we can ask for or imagine (Eph 3:20) if we seek His kingdom first and walk in obedience to Him. I believe He is looking for those who are willing to accept His invitation to give up ordinary for extraordinary and truly live. Are you willing?

Prayer for the week: Holy Spirit, open our minds and hearts this week to living outside of our comfort zones. Strip down the fears we have that keep us from the abundant life You desire us to live. Give us a desperate hunger for You Jesus and the courage to begin taking steps, even baby ones, towards extraordinary life. May we continue to seek You in the journey of fulfilling our destinies. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

MATTHEW.6:19-34
What “earthly” treasure do you need to stop “storing up?”

What “kingdom” treasure might God be wanting to give you?

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Simply read the questions
2. Press the "Comments" link below this post
3. Write and respond as the Spirit leads you
4. When you are done writing, press "post" and you're done (you can either leave a name to post by or you can remain anonymous - the choice is yours.)

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Don’t worry about a thing/Every little thing is gonna be alright.” Bob Marley, Musician and Activist.

It’s simple, really. Once you let Jesus speak to your soul, letting Him tell you that He has conquered your death, that He has “healed your diseases” and “taken your infirmities,” (Matthew 8:17), things start to change in your life. Things that frightened you before lose their power in your life: “What am I going to do for money?” “When am I going to get a husband/wife?” “What if that important person in my life dies? Then what?”

Jesus speaks to the face of these fears and, like when He commanded the churning waves around the disciples’ boat to be still, breathes into those places with His courage, His strength and His grace. So the question isn’t, “Where is God?” The question is now, “Will I let Him in to do what He promises to do?”

Prayer for the week: Holy Comforter, will you speak to us at Immersion? Especially in those places where we are worried or scared – will you help us to understand that You don’t promise a perfect life, but You do promise to hold our hand through it all. So, draw us out from the places in our life where we might be hiding under the covers and enable us to let our light shine before all people, so that You might get glory in heaven. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “No matter how slow the film, the Spirit always stands still long enough for the photographer It has chosen.” Minor White, American Photographer.

I think I love this quote because it echoes a theme of Scripture that is undeniably apparent – GOD promised to reveal Himself to every living being on the planet. Paul says in Romans that nature, creation itself reveals God’s character and goodness. It’s not the fact that God doesn’t want people to know Him, trust Him, love Him, and spend eternity apart from Him (a.k.a. Hell,) It’s that sometimes, we don’t want to see Him.

Prayer for the week: Loving Father, may we continually seek out Your presence and be amazed at your beauty in every inch of our lives. Send your Holy Spirit to open up our eyes, ears, heart and mind to your constant presence around us, around every corner and under every rock. We live and breathe because you let us. Thank you for revealing Yourself fully through Your Son, Jesus the Christ. You are good and we at Immersion love You. Amen.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God." William Carey, Missionary.

Hey Immersion, did you know that God wants to do amazing things in your life? He wants to put the puzzle pieces of your life together again, clean up the things that have been trampled through the mud, and restore your vision to see the Light of the World again?

Did you know He wants you to experience Him on every level of your being? Did you know He’s counting on you to count on Him when push comes to shove? To have a total and complete dependency on Him for everything that goes on in and through your life?

Why does He want this? First, because He loves you – He is love and He cannot help but love those whom He created. Second, because He wants you to be fueled by this expectancy so that you can go out and do great things for Him and His Kingdom. Not in a way that tries to earn His love, but in a way that is fueled by His love. You are filled up in order to reach out – this is the heart of God.

Prayer for the week: Father God, will you fill at Immersion, individually and corporately, with the desire to expect great things from you and to attempt great things for you and Your Kingdom. Help our hearts to be based in a faithful expectancy that You will move on our behalf – to trust Your Father heart. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“Why blame the dark for being dark? It is far more helpful to ask why the light is not as bright as it should be.” Rob Bell, Pastor and Author

Make no mistake about it Immersion, we face a very real enemy as children of God. The Evil One, whose name means “accuser,” looks to steal, kill, and destroy everything in our lives that emanates from the hand of our Father. But we posses something that the accuser will never ever have – the Light and Life of Jesus the Christ, the Re-deemer of our souls. His Light in us blinds the work of the evil one, so much so that Scripture says that those who belong to Jesus will “never be snatched” from the Father’s hand – the evil one cannot lay hold of us! Praise be to God for the Son!

Prayer for the week: GOD, will you protect me. Teach me to see the work of the evil one in my life and then send Your angels to pour out the light and life of Jesus straight into my innermost being – that I may continue to destroy the works of the enemy, just like you did! I thank you for your sacrifices, Jesus. In Your name, Amen.

Congrats! Our Title ended the 2006 Lutheran Church of Hope Dodgeball League with an impressive no-loss season! Great job guys!

A special thanks to all the refs, players, and fans ("Dodgy! Dodgy! Dodgy!") who made this season possible, but a special praise GOD goes out to Chad Pitlik and Andrew Springer (duh.) Without these two cats, this season wouldn't have happened - great job guys.

So, in lieu of the season being over, I give you all some pictures from last night. Enjoy, and see you next year!