Shane Claiborne is coming to speak at my church.
Saturday October 13, 2007. 7pm.
Come!!!
Showing posts with label church. Show all posts
Showing posts with label church. Show all posts
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Thursday, September 13, 2007
A new school year
Fine! Adoring public... here I am!
First, I am really looking forward to the coziness of fall. There's something in the air... the crisp air is getting me excited. Not sure why. Usually fall makes me sad because warmness is leaving.
I have continued attending the Journey. Some weeks I will go and not see anyone, some weeks I am overwhelmed by the amount of people, mostly if not all from Mizzou, that I see and want to reconnect with. But every week I learn and worship and gather some strength and perspective to keep going. It's a beautiful church. Supposedly our pastor and Donald Miller are BFFs.
"Love God. Connect People. Transform the World." We're taking St. Louis first!
I'm getting my first chances to get involved. Like a lot of things, everything kind of starts again in fall. I emailed a random guy and will be helping & cleaning up a block party October 5th in downtown STL near Forest Park to meet and reach a new neighborhood. I just signed up yesterday for a small group which will meet Thursdays at 7pm in UCity (where I would love to move after this lease is up). I'm so pumped to know a core group of people and discuss and challenge each other about the sermons. With a church this big, the leaders emphasize small groups as how you will connect and build your family in Christ. I hope I find some wonderful, godly, fun people -- I'm pumped to widen my circle. It's so freaking hard to meet people in "the real world."
I went to an info meeting for St. Louis Young Life... that's a big commitment. You're going after, hunting down, and befriending disinterested high schoolers. I like Young Life in that it's not just another youth group or clique for already churched-to-death teens. The only schools that they're at are in the wealthiest high schools in St. Louis county... I wondered how this happened. I had never even heard of YL until I went to college. They are beginning at one "urban" (that's what they call it!) high school this fall. It'd be good experience, a taste of what I'd be getting into with Teach for America. I wish the the eight weeks of info meetings were at a better time --I'm out of town and will have to miss at least 2/8 of the info meetings, plus I would have to skip Iglesia for the rest... sheesh...
Jen and I want to volunteer at a foster home where we would hang out with a room of foster care girls once a week, help with homework, provide some guidance and fun... While reading the Bible with God's command to especially take care of the orphan and the widow, I realized I didn't think I knew an orphan and went in search. Hopefully the lady will call me back soon...
I'm trying to think and pray this through. I don't want to overcommit but it's so hard when I'm like "so much to do! so much needs to be done!" Doing lots excites me. I feel best when I'm busy and on the go!
After I had started my job, I realized how on-the-go I had been for eight years. Literally like commitments all day, living by my planner to tell me where I was going....ALL through high school and college. Post-college I realized how much I had been doing and wondered if I was fulfilled... after being out of it for so long, I know I do need to make room for more rest than I was aloting myself in the old days, but I think I have come to the conclusion that it's how I'm wired.
Also.... grad school starts next week! Mondays 6-9pm this semester. Gotta love those 14-hour days. This semester: Equity Markets. I will have to actively "manage" a $500,00 portfolio. It's going to be challenging but interesting, I think.
Usually I have time at work to update everyday. I think I will try to. This one got a little out of control.
First, I am really looking forward to the coziness of fall. There's something in the air... the crisp air is getting me excited. Not sure why. Usually fall makes me sad because warmness is leaving.
I have continued attending the Journey. Some weeks I will go and not see anyone, some weeks I am overwhelmed by the amount of people, mostly if not all from Mizzou, that I see and want to reconnect with. But every week I learn and worship and gather some strength and perspective to keep going. It's a beautiful church. Supposedly our pastor and Donald Miller are BFFs.
"Love God. Connect People. Transform the World." We're taking St. Louis first!
I'm getting my first chances to get involved. Like a lot of things, everything kind of starts again in fall. I emailed a random guy and will be helping & cleaning up a block party October 5th in downtown STL near Forest Park to meet and reach a new neighborhood. I just signed up yesterday for a small group which will meet Thursdays at 7pm in UCity (where I would love to move after this lease is up). I'm so pumped to know a core group of people and discuss and challenge each other about the sermons. With a church this big, the leaders emphasize small groups as how you will connect and build your family in Christ. I hope I find some wonderful, godly, fun people -- I'm pumped to widen my circle. It's so freaking hard to meet people in "the real world."
I went to an info meeting for St. Louis Young Life... that's a big commitment. You're going after, hunting down, and befriending disinterested high schoolers. I like Young Life in that it's not just another youth group or clique for already churched-to-death teens. The only schools that they're at are in the wealthiest high schools in St. Louis county... I wondered how this happened. I had never even heard of YL until I went to college. They are beginning at one "urban" (that's what they call it!) high school this fall. It'd be good experience, a taste of what I'd be getting into with Teach for America. I wish the the eight weeks of info meetings were at a better time --I'm out of town and will have to miss at least 2/8 of the info meetings, plus I would have to skip Iglesia for the rest... sheesh...
Jen and I want to volunteer at a foster home where we would hang out with a room of foster care girls once a week, help with homework, provide some guidance and fun... While reading the Bible with God's command to especially take care of the orphan and the widow, I realized I didn't think I knew an orphan and went in search. Hopefully the lady will call me back soon...
I'm trying to think and pray this through. I don't want to overcommit but it's so hard when I'm like "so much to do! so much needs to be done!" Doing lots excites me. I feel best when I'm busy and on the go!
After I had started my job, I realized how on-the-go I had been for eight years. Literally like commitments all day, living by my planner to tell me where I was going....ALL through high school and college. Post-college I realized how much I had been doing and wondered if I was fulfilled... after being out of it for so long, I know I do need to make room for more rest than I was aloting myself in the old days, but I think I have come to the conclusion that it's how I'm wired.
Also.... grad school starts next week! Mondays 6-9pm this semester. Gotta love those 14-hour days. This semester: Equity Markets. I will have to actively "manage" a $500,00 portfolio. It's going to be challenging but interesting, I think.
Usually I have time at work to update everyday. I think I will try to. This one got a little out of control.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
The Journey
I checked out a new church downtown on Sunday morning. It's called The Journey. I l o v e d i t.
I still don't know what came over me to try it. I woke up, it popped into my mind, I assumed I would contentedly sit alone and see what all the fuss is about. Plus, it is a couple blocks from La Iglesia which I help with on Sundays; I could do both.
I get out of my car, take a few steps and hear "Natalie???" It is Gwen, from the dorms freshman year who I haven't seen since. We chat for a bit when a car pulls up and someone yells, "Natalie, what are you doing here?!?" Emma from Cru at Mizzou!
(side note: as we are chatting, suddenly my head is yanked backwards -- my hair has been snarled in a tree. And I couldn't just tug it free - it was snarled... why do the most awkward things happen to me??? I feel like, was it Absolom, who had that beautiful hair and when he was riding into battle got it snarled in a tree and the enemy found him hanging and killed him? ok, weird.)
Inside there is stinking Ryan Krull from Mizzou! Cory Miller, who is in med school at SLU, runs up to us! So much for being alone. Already that is more people than I know at my parents' church that I've been going to for almost a year.
The worship music is simple and beautiful- a guitar and a djimbe (and an egg shaker!) You can actually hear the congregation singing-- I love that! You know how you can never hear anyone singing over the band? yeah, I'm tired of that.
The building is a beautiful old catholic church right across from Tower Grove Park in south city on Kingshighway, which they bought and remodeled when they needed more room (they've grown from 30 people in 2002 to over 1300 members now). Simple, beautiful, with pews and stained glass (I miss the stained glass in all those 'modern' churchees).
The pastor is young. The congregation is mostly young. It is packed. Casual. Modern. Good sermon on the holy spirit as they prepare to discuss spiritual gifts through July. They are into community, worship, beauty, service, ministry. It's beautiful. They have community groups doing BBQs this summer until Bible study restart in the fall.
It's pretty much what I have wanted to find in a church. And I just "accidently" stumbled upon it. Sometimes in the churches that I agree with the most, the members are so sheltered and conservative that I feel like I would never actually see them in real life, in the real world, impacting a real community. And then on the other side, some churches I feel are just empty. But the people here are real (and young!); I felt like I automatically belonged. Then I saw more people I knew in the service video... what the heck, this is St. stinking Louis, a city... how did I recognize so many people in a random place??
I don't know why it hit me so strong... maybe that I've been wandering, not feeling spiritually filled, lacking community, missing singing my heart out, rough days, finally journaling and talking through things with God just earlier that morning... but it just hit me right. Maybe I'll find out I was swept away in emotion and it's not so perfect (gasp!), but Sunday I felt good. It lifted me. And I am still excited a few days later! I felt maybe if God had led me there I wasn't wandering so alone and maybe He still had some things for me. I haven't felt that in a while.
I wish I could go back soon, but this week is Cornerstone, the next week Iglesia is doing all the services at our sponsor church... but the next week Matt will be here!!!!! and he is excited to check it out after he heard my enthusiasm.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him for the journey.
I still don't know what came over me to try it. I woke up, it popped into my mind, I assumed I would contentedly sit alone and see what all the fuss is about. Plus, it is a couple blocks from La Iglesia which I help with on Sundays; I could do both.
I get out of my car, take a few steps and hear "Natalie???" It is Gwen, from the dorms freshman year who I haven't seen since. We chat for a bit when a car pulls up and someone yells, "Natalie, what are you doing here?!?" Emma from Cru at Mizzou!
(side note: as we are chatting, suddenly my head is yanked backwards -- my hair has been snarled in a tree. And I couldn't just tug it free - it was snarled... why do the most awkward things happen to me??? I feel like, was it Absolom, who had that beautiful hair and when he was riding into battle got it snarled in a tree and the enemy found him hanging and killed him? ok, weird.)
Inside there is stinking Ryan Krull from Mizzou! Cory Miller, who is in med school at SLU, runs up to us! So much for being alone. Already that is more people than I know at my parents' church that I've been going to for almost a year.
The worship music is simple and beautiful- a guitar and a djimbe (and an egg shaker!) You can actually hear the congregation singing-- I love that! You know how you can never hear anyone singing over the band? yeah, I'm tired of that.
The building is a beautiful old catholic church right across from Tower Grove Park in south city on Kingshighway, which they bought and remodeled when they needed more room (they've grown from 30 people in 2002 to over 1300 members now). Simple, beautiful, with pews and stained glass (I miss the stained glass in all those 'modern' churchees).
The pastor is young. The congregation is mostly young. It is packed. Casual. Modern. Good sermon on the holy spirit as they prepare to discuss spiritual gifts through July. They are into community, worship, beauty, service, ministry. It's beautiful. They have community groups doing BBQs this summer until Bible study restart in the fall.
It's pretty much what I have wanted to find in a church. And I just "accidently" stumbled upon it. Sometimes in the churches that I agree with the most, the members are so sheltered and conservative that I feel like I would never actually see them in real life, in the real world, impacting a real community. And then on the other side, some churches I feel are just empty. But the people here are real (and young!); I felt like I automatically belonged. Then I saw more people I knew in the service video... what the heck, this is St. stinking Louis, a city... how did I recognize so many people in a random place??
I don't know why it hit me so strong... maybe that I've been wandering, not feeling spiritually filled, lacking community, missing singing my heart out, rough days, finally journaling and talking through things with God just earlier that morning... but it just hit me right. Maybe I'll find out I was swept away in emotion and it's not so perfect (gasp!), but Sunday I felt good. It lifted me. And I am still excited a few days later! I felt maybe if God had led me there I wasn't wandering so alone and maybe He still had some things for me. I haven't felt that in a while.
I wish I could go back soon, but this week is Cornerstone, the next week Iglesia is doing all the services at our sponsor church... but the next week Matt will be here!!!!! and he is excited to check it out after he heard my enthusiasm.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise Him for the journey.
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