The CityWell
Follow Jesus. Live Well. Bless the City.
I think these three phrases encapsulate the vision for this church and flow sequentially, with following Jesus being the ground for the other two. What do you think?
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Playing Tag
The gestation period for the The CityWell is quickly coming to an end, and suddenly I am having to move from the dreaming/theorizing phase of this process to some concrete things like incorporating (serious pain in the rumpus), putting together a website and having a logo designed for all print material. Hopefully next week, I'll have some logo ideas I can post for your feedback, but for now I need to finalize the tag line that will be a part of the logo. This needs to be a simple, sticky, and compelling statement. Here is the version I'm leaning toward at this point:
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Pray For the Big Stuff!
So I met with some great people the other night to talk about what we pray God will do in and through The CityWell. One of those folks made a piercing comment relative to our dream that this community of faith will embrace and reflect the diversity of Durham: "We are an awfully fair-skinned group so far."
Well, in general, that's true... so far.
And that must change.
Quickly.
To that end, I am convinced of two things: 1) Given the cultural and historical baggage surrounding race relations in our country (and particularly in the South), it will be a true miracle of God if The CityWell becomes what we believe it must become. 2) God loves to perform miracles.
Would you please take a moment right now (or several moments daily for the next few years) to pray that God would pull together a diverse core team that will embody this vision for The CityWell? I absolutely believe that God's desire is for The CityWell community to live out the true story of God tearing down every dividing wall through Jesus. Therefore, I believe God will answer these prayers!
Thank you for being a critical partner in this.
Well, in general, that's true... so far.
And that must change.
Quickly.
To that end, I am convinced of two things: 1) Given the cultural and historical baggage surrounding race relations in our country (and particularly in the South), it will be a true miracle of God if The CityWell becomes what we believe it must become. 2) God loves to perform miracles.
Would you please take a moment right now (or several moments daily for the next few years) to pray that God would pull together a diverse core team that will embody this vision for The CityWell? I absolutely believe that God's desire is for The CityWell community to live out the true story of God tearing down every dividing wall through Jesus. Therefore, I believe God will answer these prayers!
Thank you for being a critical partner in this.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
What's in a Name?
Names can be arbitrary or chosen simply because the namer likes the sound of a given name.
Names can also be thoughtful and loaded with meaning, symbolism, and hope.
Even intentionally chosen names, though, can come with unintended baggage. For instance, my parents named me Harold Cleveland May III... a distinguished name, if I do say so myself. However, I don't think they thought about the ways this name could be turned against me in the torture chambers of middle school, where I was called "Cleveage," which was bad enough until the day when Erica Peterson put together that my first name was Harold, and she dubbed me, in front of the whole PE class, "Harry Cleveage." I was 13.
Devastating.
So what about the name of this church, The CityWell? Why have I chosen this name? What does it mean, symbolize and hope for? Might there be some unintentional baggage that comes with it?
I've already posted on the biblical basis of the name (see the post What is a CityWell?), but there is more to say. The name obviously breaks into two component parts, City and Well. The first of these parts is hugely important. You see, God has a thing for cities. I know God loves all of creation, but God REALLY loves cities. In fact, when God brings the Kingdom to completion and puts everything in creation just how God wants it to be, there will be a city, the New Jerusalem. Did you know that your eternal destiny is big city life? I hope you weren't hoping for a mountain cabin or secluded island somewhere. We get a city, because God loves cities. I suspect the reason for this is that cities are full of people and we know God loves people. Beyond this, though, the population density of cities presents particular opportunities for community life not often found outside of the city. Central to these is the element of diversity in the city, which creates the possibility of worshiping communities who presage the heavenly city where God revels in the glory of the nations (Revelation 21:24-26). A community like this can exist now, because we worship the One who taught us to pray for the Kingdom to come ON EARTH as in heaven.
So, the CityWell will be a church in the heart of the city, working for the welfare of the city, and embracing and seeking to reflect the diversity of the city because God digs cities.
The second part of the name is no less significant. After all, what is a well? A well is a source of refreshment for all of the people living in a given area, a common ground where people across the spectrum of status, income, background, and race find the one thing that can quench the thirst common to all people. A well is a place of gathering, a place where stories are told and lives are shared. A well is a necessity for the flourishing of a community, a source of health and strength for a city, a gift that brings life to a city.
And the CityWell will be a people committed to blessing Durham in like manner, as we believe that Jesus sends us out, as He was sent to us (John 20:21) that we might be all of these things for the world.
But what about unintentional baggage? Perhaps you can help me out with that. The only thing I can think of is that unlike a well, this church will not be a place or a building, but rather a people who gather and who are sent throughout the city to live as a blessing to the city. What do you think?
Names can also be thoughtful and loaded with meaning, symbolism, and hope.
Even intentionally chosen names, though, can come with unintended baggage. For instance, my parents named me Harold Cleveland May III... a distinguished name, if I do say so myself. However, I don't think they thought about the ways this name could be turned against me in the torture chambers of middle school, where I was called "Cleveage," which was bad enough until the day when Erica Peterson put together that my first name was Harold, and she dubbed me, in front of the whole PE class, "Harry Cleveage." I was 13.
Devastating.
So what about the name of this church, The CityWell? Why have I chosen this name? What does it mean, symbolize and hope for? Might there be some unintentional baggage that comes with it?
I've already posted on the biblical basis of the name (see the post What is a CityWell?), but there is more to say. The name obviously breaks into two component parts, City and Well. The first of these parts is hugely important. You see, God has a thing for cities. I know God loves all of creation, but God REALLY loves cities. In fact, when God brings the Kingdom to completion and puts everything in creation just how God wants it to be, there will be a city, the New Jerusalem. Did you know that your eternal destiny is big city life? I hope you weren't hoping for a mountain cabin or secluded island somewhere. We get a city, because God loves cities. I suspect the reason for this is that cities are full of people and we know God loves people. Beyond this, though, the population density of cities presents particular opportunities for community life not often found outside of the city. Central to these is the element of diversity in the city, which creates the possibility of worshiping communities who presage the heavenly city where God revels in the glory of the nations (Revelation 21:24-26). A community like this can exist now, because we worship the One who taught us to pray for the Kingdom to come ON EARTH as in heaven.
So, the CityWell will be a church in the heart of the city, working for the welfare of the city, and embracing and seeking to reflect the diversity of the city because God digs cities.
The second part of the name is no less significant. After all, what is a well? A well is a source of refreshment for all of the people living in a given area, a common ground where people across the spectrum of status, income, background, and race find the one thing that can quench the thirst common to all people. A well is a place of gathering, a place where stories are told and lives are shared. A well is a necessity for the flourishing of a community, a source of health and strength for a city, a gift that brings life to a city.
And the CityWell will be a people committed to blessing Durham in like manner, as we believe that Jesus sends us out, as He was sent to us (John 20:21) that we might be all of these things for the world.
But what about unintentional baggage? Perhaps you can help me out with that. The only thing I can think of is that unlike a well, this church will not be a place or a building, but rather a people who gather and who are sent throughout the city to live as a blessing to the city. What do you think?
Monday, April 4, 2011
My Last Year
Yesterday was my 33rd birthday.
Two things converged to provoke this post: a bible study and a text message.
Bible Study on Mathew 6:19-21: "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
A friend of mine asked a great question: "Is this just about having a better heaven after we die? What good does that do us today?" Gotta love a question like that.
My dad sent me a text: "Happy 33. That's how old Jesus was when He was killed. Be careful this year."
Nice.
So, what if this is my last year? What would it mean for me to lay up treasure in heaven? Should I spent these last days planning the decorations for my heavenly mansion, or is Jesus talking about something else?
My guess is that when Jesus talks about heaven He's not doing so in the ways our popular conceptions might suggest. I think Jesus is looking toward the new heavens and new earth, which rather than being an escape from this world means he renewal, healing and full, God-intended glory of this world. So, to lay up treasure in this "heaven," means to invest in this world, to invest in the things that have a future in the new heavens and new earth, to invest in beauty, goodness, reconciliation and every expression of human flourishing. When Jesus says, "lay up treasures in heaven," He's telling us to live now in light of all that will be, to be salt and light, to be kingdom people, to pour our lives out for other people and for the glory of God.
So what does this mean for my last year? Well, I think it means throwing myself into something that will produce the things that will last in the new heavens and new earth, and I can think of nothing with more potential for this than the church. The church can be a generator of heavenly treasure. Imagine people coming together under a common banner of Jesus' love, with a common name as His brothers and sisters, with a common mission as partners of God living out and living into the Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven, reconciling across every dividing line under the common awareness of our new identities in Christ, moving into the city together with a common desire to be agents of goodness, beauty, healing, and justice, purposing to know and follow Jesus and to have our hearts synced with the heart of God, all in order that we might be restored to our full humanity and be a part of the restoration of all creation!
Beautiful.
So, with my last year, I intend to lay up treasure in heaven by planting The CityWell with the confident prayer that this church will be all of these things, and that long after my life on this side of the new heavens and new earth, this church will continue to generate the treasures that have a future!
Care to join me?
Two things converged to provoke this post: a bible study and a text message.
Bible Study on Mathew 6:19-21: "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
A friend of mine asked a great question: "Is this just about having a better heaven after we die? What good does that do us today?" Gotta love a question like that.
My dad sent me a text: "Happy 33. That's how old Jesus was when He was killed. Be careful this year."
Nice.
So, what if this is my last year? What would it mean for me to lay up treasure in heaven? Should I spent these last days planning the decorations for my heavenly mansion, or is Jesus talking about something else?
My guess is that when Jesus talks about heaven He's not doing so in the ways our popular conceptions might suggest. I think Jesus is looking toward the new heavens and new earth, which rather than being an escape from this world means he renewal, healing and full, God-intended glory of this world. So, to lay up treasure in this "heaven," means to invest in this world, to invest in the things that have a future in the new heavens and new earth, to invest in beauty, goodness, reconciliation and every expression of human flourishing. When Jesus says, "lay up treasures in heaven," He's telling us to live now in light of all that will be, to be salt and light, to be kingdom people, to pour our lives out for other people and for the glory of God.
So what does this mean for my last year? Well, I think it means throwing myself into something that will produce the things that will last in the new heavens and new earth, and I can think of nothing with more potential for this than the church. The church can be a generator of heavenly treasure. Imagine people coming together under a common banner of Jesus' love, with a common name as His brothers and sisters, with a common mission as partners of God living out and living into the Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven, reconciling across every dividing line under the common awareness of our new identities in Christ, moving into the city together with a common desire to be agents of goodness, beauty, healing, and justice, purposing to know and follow Jesus and to have our hearts synced with the heart of God, all in order that we might be restored to our full humanity and be a part of the restoration of all creation!
Beautiful.
So, with my last year, I intend to lay up treasure in heaven by planting The CityWell with the confident prayer that this church will be all of these things, and that long after my life on this side of the new heavens and new earth, this church will continue to generate the treasures that have a future!
Care to join me?
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