Journey Church: A Holistic Missional Christian Community in Dallas Texas

The Jesus Prayer

2008-10-31T07:57:00.000-07:00

(written by Chance Williamson)

In 2004 I didn't understand prayer anymore. In fact, my whole spiritual life was being uprooted and reconfigured. To make a long story short however, I'll keep this story to prayer. Like everything, I could no longer continue doing things as I had always done them. In the Christian tradition I came from prayer was something you did in two ways. The first was alone in seclusion, however there was no room for contemplation. It seemed as if the more words you said made you more holy. Almost like you had to complete a 4,000-word prayer so you could get an A plus in God's grade book. The second way to pray was in community. At first it would seem normal. One person would stand up and begin to pray. Normal. But then, a cacophony of voices would join in with their own personal prayers. A jumble, a mess with no thought or direction. Sure, a topic would be stated but like a good hiking trail, we would always veer off and each would trudge our own path. The more you said, the louder you said it, the more holy you were. That's the way it was.

After Bible College I stumbled upon a simple prayer, the Jesus Prayer. "Lord Jesus son of God, have mercy on me a sinner." It is a mantra. It follows your pattern of breath. When you inhale you recite in your mind, "Lord Jesus son of God." When you exhale you say, "Have mercy on me a sinner."

"Lord Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner." This is the prayer I pray; the Prayer of the Saints of old, those beautiful and ragtag few who have gone before me, all praying, screaming the same mantra, joining with me in a chorus of praise and need. In one breath, I call on my savior, my Lover, hailing him as King and Lord of my life. As I exhale I am reminded, as it is always ever present on my mind, of how much I need Him.

Oh, what a wretched man I am! Paul coined that phrase but it seems that I have bought the rights. I sit, praying, hoping, knowing that God sees through my cloud of guilt and shame, but I still want to beat my chest. As the tears flow His grace once again washes over me. Oh what a beautiful sweet grace.

Why can't we understand this grace we speak of so much? We are a church of imperfect people pretending perfection. This lie of perfection, this facade, is waning. It is the junkyard dog nipping at our heals. I pray the dog does catch us. When it does, it will rip and tear, true, but what it rips and tears will only be that which needs to be stripped off anyway, our self righteousness. My self-righteousness is killing me.

Until we as the church realize our own imperfection can we operate as only Jesus foresaw. A Church of prostitutes, derelicts, tax collectors, homeless, diseased, terrorists, homosexuals, liars, and thieves all saved by the Grace of God that I am wrestling with right now. What irony this is. We spend our time trying to be good enough and Jesus is simply saying, "Stop trying, you're just spinning your wheels. Let me lead you. We are wild, crazy, and messed up, but I wouldn't have it any other way!"

In this I find my comfort. So let me simply end where I began. "Lord Jesus, Son of God, Have mercy on me a sinner."

Pete Rollins at Journey, 11/16

2008-10-28T21:16:00.000-07:00

Pete Rollins, author of "How (Not)to Speak of God" and "The Fidelity of Betrayal," will speak at our Sunday gathering on November 16. We've gone through both of his books at Pub Theology and are looking forward to engaging him and his ideas. In addition to being an author, Pete is part of the faith collective Ikon. You can find additional information about Pete here. We would love for you to join us (and invite your friends)for what is sure to be a great evening of conversation!

Prayer of a Refugee

2008-10-24T07:27:00.000-07:00

Someone needs to teach me how to pray.

Last Sunday's prayer gathering was one of the most calming experiences I've had at church in a long time. I don't know if it was because I'd spent the previous weekend in nature, or because of the low lights and soothing music, but I felt deeply quiet when I left the service.

But I still don't think I know how to pray.

I went around to many of the prayer stations, and was interested in all the focusing activities I had never thought of trying. I think the labyrinth might be a great fit for me—all the winding and curving but in a purposeful way—or maybe the exercise of gathering and spilling water into a bowl. I spent much of the service meditating about the idea of prayer, rather than doing any kind of actual praying.

There's this hole in me when I think of praying. For much of my adult life, the concept of prayer has evaded me. I just never could find a connection when praying. And I have always felt that way, especially, about praying with other people. The difficulties in my life over the past few years have only exaggerated those feelings.

Or maybe they haven't. Maybe the tough things in my life have made me more ready for prayer.

At this point, there is nothing but a void in my heart when I approach God. There's no liturgy or ritual left, no formula for my faith. And maybe that's the best place to start a prayer life. In the gap, in the fear.

I recently purchased some prayer beads because of a friend. They have been helpful to me on one level, providing a physical connection for this internal activity. I just sit with the beads sometimes, occasionally repeating a comforting Bible verse, occasionally not. I'm guessing this is the moment that some nice Christian will say something about "the spirit interceding for us with groans we don't understand." And of course I hope this is true. But is it? And is this how the experience will always be for me—unformed, primal?

What is prayer? What is it for? How do I do it in a way that is both honoring to God and substantial for me?

The hope that I have is that although I am completely lost on this matter, I keep coming back and trying it. I have no idea why I do this, considering how easy it would be not to. I certainly don't feel obligated any more. But there is something in me that wants to pray. Not in the lots-of-words kind of praying, but in the here-I-am-Lord-now-what? kind of way.

But, really... now what? I just keep following that gut feeling in me, hoping it will lead somewhere. But at this point it's still just a feeling.
-Laura Baker

Online Prayer Sites

2008-10-20T22:15:00.000-07:00

Over the next four weeks as we explore prayer, we encourage everyone to branch out and try something new. To that end, here are a few of our favorite online prayer sites for you.

An interactive online labyrinth can be found here.

A meditative prayer site run by the Jesuits is here.

Guided prayer using Anglican prayer beads is here.

And lastly, here is a daily prayer devotional that includes moving our prayers into action.

If we've left off one of your favorites, leave it in the comments section for others to see.

Journey to Host Charity Poker This Friday...

2008-10-06T14:15:00.000-07:00

Date: This Friday, October 10th
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Buy-in: $10 (one-time option to re-join for an additional $5)

JOURNEY POKER TOURNAMENT:

All funds raised will go toward the Journey Benevolence Fund, which assists community members with urgent financial needs.
Tournament winner will receive prize package including restaurant gift cards and other prizes. "Losers" will enjoy the Loser's Lounge, with other games and a raffle for many prizes.

All ages welcome, and childcare will be provided.

Special prize for the first 10 people in the door and registered!

For more info, email one of our Leaders.

Invite your friends and family!

*Journey is located at 13154 Coit Rd. Suite 101, Dallas TX, 75240

Paul and Gender

2008-09-25T13:44:00.000-07:00

(The following is a reprinted article written by Bob Pyne, Director of
Leadership Development for ALARM.

This story was featured in the May 2008 issue of Chatter, a publication of Irving Bible Church. In the following article, Dr. Pyne describes how his thinking changed regarding the ministry role of women in the church as he applied the principle of transitional ethic. We really like his conclusions and it fits well during our current sermon series on Paul...)

Why I Changed My Mind

When I was a theology professor, people frequently asked me about the role of women in ministry. I used to tell them I held to “complementarianism,” a word with far too many syllables. The label stands for a belief that, while women and men have equal dignity and value, they occupy distinct roles in church and in the home. Proponents of this position believe the Bible places restrictions on a woman’s service in the body of Christ. I no longer believe that, and I now attend a church with a female senior pastor. Clearly something has changed, but it was not my view of biblical authority. My interpretation of the Bible, however, has been recently renovated.

My perspective began changing when some respected friends and colleagues told me that, to them, the silencing of women’s voices did not seem like equal value. Neither did denying opportunity on the basis of gender communicate equal dignity. One friend reminded me that for almost 20 centuries of church history, Christian theologians regarded women as inherently inferior to men, prone to deception and perhaps not fully sharing in the image of God. Be patriarchal if you want, she said, but do not bother trying to soften the blow by calling it equality.

Those conversations opened my eyes. I had downplayed the Old Testament passages that treated women as property, spoils of war, or trophies for victorious men. I had not noticed that Deuteronomy 22 orders rapists to be fined and then given their victims in marriage. When I saw the way accused women were tested for adultery in passages such as Numbers 5, it never occurred to me that there was no similar test for men.

A central lesson became increasingly clear: The Law of God was never meant to represent God’s ideal.
In Matthew 19, Jesus pointed to the difference between the law and the ideal on the question of divorce. The ideal: “What God has joined together, let no one separate.” The concession: “Because of your hardness of heart, Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way.” God’s law about divorce never constituted God’s ideal. It pulled people in the right direction. It made divorce more humane. But it was not the last word. The Law was a transitional ethic for those who had a long way to go on the journey of faith.

If the Law does not fully express God’s ideal, might something similar be happening with other ethical passages of Scripture, even in the New Testament? On the issue of slavery, the New Testament almost certainly represents a transitional ethic. Rather than overturning the institution of slavery, the New Testament assumes it. Jesus uses slavery as an illustration of discipleship. Paul instructs slave owners to treat their slaves with greater respect, even as brothers in Christ, but he never tells them to set the slaves free. Rather, he strongly warns slaves to obey even their Christian masters.

In America’s antebellum south, advocates of slavery seemed to have all the Bible verses on their side. They saw abolitionists as godless infidels who had abandoned the clear teaching of Scripture. But the abolitionists could not get around that idea that it was wrong for one person to own another. They championed the universal dignity of humanity made in the image of God. Reading the New Testament commands about slavery as an ethic on the way, they saw God’s ideal in other Scriptures: Acts 2 declared the Spirit would come upon all flesh, including male and female slaves; Galatians 3 proclaimed that in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither slave nor free, neither male nor female.

The abolitionists were no doubt right. But even they did not always recognize the broader implications of their argument. Biblical references to slaves occur alongside references to women. When the slaves are told to submit, so are the women. When masters are told to be gentler, so are the husbands. What makes us think the instructions about men and women should be permanent? Should not “neither male nor female” be taken just as seriously as “neither slave nor free”?

A transitional ethic acknowledges a move from biblical command to biblical ideal. It embraces the spirit of the law over the letter of the law. It encourages a shift from careful restriction to broad encouragement. Paul models such encouragement in Romans 16 as he introduces Phoebe, a deacon and sponsor of a house church who may have been personally carrying Paul’s letter to Rome. Paul tells his readers to “receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints.” May we all join in the movement toward God’s ideal as we celebrate both women and men participating fully in the kingdom of God.

Re-Formed

2008-09-08T15:05:00.000-07:00

(Guest Post by Journey Community Member Laura Baker)

I carry my father's voice in my head. And he's saying we're playing fast and loose with the Bible, inerrancy, and the holiness of scripture.

Now, I'm not saying I agree with him, I can just hear him leveling these criticisms in my head.

Is Paul's letter to the Colossians written for us? And if it is, what might it be saying to us? These are the questions Danielle asked this week. How does a reformed Reformed Christian (that would be me) even think about answering them?

God help me if I know.

I heard a lot of helpful things on Sunday. Ideas like putting Paul's writing in historical and cultural context to understand why he may have focused on the things he did. Or, like focusing specifically on what Paul says about Jesus, since he was an apostle and all. Or, even, like being careful not to use "cultural context" as an easy way out of dealing with difficult elements of these passages.

But I can't help fighting this nagging voice in my head that says, "Are we really allowed to choose how and what to believe in the Bible?" I suppose I learned my conservative Christian lessons really well because I can't seem to break myself of this all-or-nothing, knee-jerk theology. You know how it goes: either it's all true or none of it is.... If you start throwing some scripture out, who's to say you can't throw it all out?... Where do you draw the line? (another of my father's signature statements).

I don't know how to reconcile these gut feelings of mine. Because they really are just feelings--I know better than to think that the Bible is literally true, all the time, in every way. But at the same time, I place so much hope in the fact that the Bible is still a source of Truth--one that I desperately need in my life. I like to tell myself that I'm more sophisticated than this black and white, oppositional view of faith, but I think I'm only just beginning the journey.

The Bus Not the Boat

2008-08-23T08:51:00.000-07:00

(Guest Post by Journey Community Member Laura Baker)

If you're like me, hearing all this stuff about change and growth is really annoying. All the seafaring goofiness aside, I'm not a huge fan of uninvited chaos (troubled waters?), and contemplating all the ways in which change is organic to being a Christian is just not what I'm looking for right now.

Probably like many of you, I am one of those people Danielle was talking about when she said a lot of us Journeyers are in transition. For me, the transition was mostly forced upon me, and therefore highly unwelcome. And I'm guessing, then, that this series about rocking the boat (that one was for you, Danielle) will probably be both very appropriate and also quite difficult.

Don't get me wrong--I like to think of myself as quite flexible. As an adult, I've lived in five different states and eight different homes. I've had many jobs, completed graduate school, and been in every type of financial situation you can imagine.

That kind of stuff doesn't bother me. The change I'm talking about is the near-tragedy kind. The bus that comes out of nowhere and hits you. The uncontrollable stuff that knocks you right on your ass. That's what I'm not interested in. And that's what I'm currently facing. How about you?

Danielle talked about God being a force of change, although I don't think she meant that He causes horrible things to happen. She said God is a centralizing force, and I couldn't help but think of "The Second Coming," the poem by William Butler Yeats (I'm a total English nerd, so you might as well get used to it). Yeats writes:

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart, the center cannot hold.

I have this picture in my head of a vacuum-like vertical spinning center that's turning and turning, and Yeats says things fly apart from this center. Danielle says that God holds it together even while it's spinning. I'm hoping God's center does, in fact, hold, but some days I'm not so sure.

One of my favorite sculptures at the Nasher also comes to mind: It's called Quantum Cloud XX (tornado), by Antony Gormley:

(www.nashersculpturecenter.org)

There's no real water or boat tie-in here, but I think the visual is pretty much right-on... there is some kind of centralizing force amid the swirling parts of our lives. I wish that force would make the chaos stop, but apparently that's not its job.

A friend of mine recently said that peace can be as strong a force in our lives as chaos. In fact, he said he was hoping that the next bus that hits me is one of tranquility and reconciliation. I don't know if that Peace Bus is really out there, but I'd certainly step out into the street to find it.

Simplicity, Origin & Ubiquity

2008-08-07T13:05:00.000-07:00

(Guest Post by Journey Community Member Lily Gross)

Overwhelmed by Oprahific ideology, statements of seeming depth and sometimes controversy printed on the sides of Starbucks cups, an optional Religion identifier on Facebook profiles, and an increasingly blurred line in yoga class between God and the Self, there's no place like our current society and culture to consider where we stand as believers. In the hypothetical situation in which a stranger asks us, What do you believe?, how do we answer? How can you summarize your whole being, the very essence of why you see everything the way you do? Like an essay that prompts "In 200 words or less...," so does the world hold us accountable for our raison d'etre.

I grapple with this. Even my most tried philosophies that have evolved over the years are subject to sudden change, because what I feel passionately today may very well counter what I feel down the road after new experiences: If innate evil exists. The role of developed countries in those of the developing. Whether to drink soymilk or conventional cow's. How can I possibly adopt as my confession of faith a succinct pledge composed by a bunch of ancient orthodox dudes, from whom I am so far removed, if I can't conclusively decipher the ethics of dairy consumption?

What initially turns me off from the Apostles' Creed, though, is exactly what draws me to it: its simplicity, its origin and its ubiquity. Of course, there's a book that could be written about each of the aforementioned traits. By 'simplicity' here, I mean neither "easy to get" nor mere recitation; I am referring to the beauty of brevity. Just like the exchange of wedding vows are short but moving and very significant, so are the phrases in the Creed. As for origins, the age of and history behind the Creed, as I am still learning on Sunday evenings at Journey, fascinate and intrigue me. That we as a community can trace back our collective faith (that is, its formal inception) to such remarkable antiquity fosters an empowering sense of identity. When we deliver the Creed, we are in the spiritual company of the billions of believers who have gone before and will come after us, from Paul to St. Francis of Assisi to Martin Luther King, Jr, to our own children and beyond. And as for its omnipresence, how powerful to attend a service at any number of congregations across the globe and with our brothers and sisters breathe forth in unison the tenets of what we hold to be true. The thought gives me chills!

There may be parts of the Creed you hesitate to give yourself to; I have gentle and humble reservations myself. What we can take solace and find peace in is that, while the speech in its entirety might not perfectly identify us individually, we can take each others' hands and figure it out together, one word at a time.

Creed (The Apostles' one, not the band)

2008-07-17T14:19:00.000-07:00

You knew it was coming. The jokes are abundant regarding our new series on the Apostles' creed... Last week the band played some Creed songs before the gathering. I overheard some people telling visitors... "welcome to journey, we don't normally play Creed but we are doing this new series on the Apostles' Creed, so you know..." (and then proceed to act like we don't actually love the band. OK, Eric may not love the band, but he should).

So some say we should embrace the awesomeness that is Creed, while others (like Eric) shy away from the obvious tie in.

So in honor of our new series on the Creed (you know the Apostles' one) I bring you some fun facts on Creed (the band)...

-Creed is the first band ever to have 3 singles in the Billboard top 20 at the same time (The songs: Torn, My Own Prison, and Whats this Life For).

-The name was created by the band's ex-bassist, Brian Marshall. Marshall's former band was called Mattox Creed, and that's where he got the name from.

-Creed’s original name was Naked Toddler.

-Creed vocalist Scott Stapp challenged Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit to a charity boxing match - but the Bizkit singer did not accept.

Also we wanted to point out the other obvious connection... Our new series is not about Creede, Colorado. A small quaint mountain town that many in our community have come to love...

Join us this Sunday for week two in our series on the Apostles' Creed where we will look at the first part:

I believe in God the Father Almighty
Creator of Heaven and earth

Justice, Power and The Kingdom

2008-07-10T14:25:00.000-07:00

Last week we had a good time discussing the idea of God's Kingdom and how it is so much bigger than us. We had a good dialogue about the idea of "Justice" and how Jesus' was an example of love and justice to others. The video that I showed to help guide our thoughts featured Brian Mclaren talking about this very topic. Some people expressed interest in looking at the video again. You can view the whole video HERE if you want to. Take a look and weigh in by adding your thoughts to the comments section...

After the gathering at Dinner someone brought up a great point... They said we talked some about being people of justice, but we didn't really tackle the idea of "injustice" and fighting it. "Sometimes just saying no to something that would cause injustice is a great way for us to practice justice." We wondered together a little bit about what that looks like in our individual lives, in our community, and (the tough part) what that looks like in a broader nation/global sense. How do we live out a life of justice and love amidst injustice in our world?

Good, challenging thoughts for sure!

Journey Anniversary and Talent Show

2008-07-03T07:56:00.000-07:00

Journey turned 9 years old! Thanks to everyone who helped out for the Anniversary service and Talent Show. A great time was had by all. The gathering was full of great stuff... The band rocked out with 4 great songs including a Better Than Ezra riff. Danielle led us in a discussion looking back at the last year which included our new gathering place, a lot of great events, and much growth. We also were led in a touching time of communal prayer by the elders. Newly ordained Erin Babb led us in communion, and we had a special time of baby blessing for our 2 youngest community members.

Then there was the Talent Show! What can I say, there are no words to describe it. Well, there are but instead look at pictures...

City Arts Festival

2008-06-19T19:46:00.000-07:00

This is our second year to host a children's booth at the City Arts Festival. City Arts is a fantastic celebration of Dallas artists, Dallas museums, good food, and general creative fun. Lots of Journeyers spent part of their weekend helping kids have some good clean fun at our bubble art booth. If you didn't get a chance to volunteer this year, mark next year on your calendar! We love being part of it, because it's a concrete way to encourage the arts, celebrate creativity, and serve our local community, all endeavors we believe are worth our efforts.

We Need Volunteers!

2008-06-12T14:54:00.000-07:00

This weekend, June 14th and 15th Journey is hosting a booth for children at the Dallas City Arts Festival. This is a great event and we love being a part of it. It gives us a chance to get our name out into the community, plus the kids that come to the booth love it!

You can sign up for 1 or 2 hour shift by going HERE to our google doc sign up sheet.

Make sure you give yourself some time before or after your shift to walk around the Festival and see the other booths.

Contact Rhealyn with any questions.

See ya there!

News and Happenings around Journey

2008-06-12T14:52:00.001-07:00

It has been a while with no posts... So here is a quick roundup of some things that have been going on or we have coming up:

-We are currently nearing the end of a sermon series called "Dissident Discipleship." We have had some great discussions about the ideas presented in THIS book. We are discussing and exploring what spirituality looks like when it imitates Jesus and is directed outward in service to the world, instead of inward on the self.

-Last Sunday we had the Ordination Service celebrating the ordination of Erin Babb, one of our community members and hospital chaplain.

-We are currently in the middle of selecting new (and returning) Elders and Leaders as we do each year. Stay tuned for more info on who our new Elders and Leaders will be.

-Public Theology is back and will begin discussing a new book. "The Fidelity of Betrayal: Towards a Church Beyond Belief" by Peter Rollins. You can find it HERE at Amazon. Public Theology meets at Blackfriar Pub (in uptown on McKinney ave.) Tuesdays at 7:30pm.

-Journey Anniversary service is coming up! We are 9 years old this year. June 29th we will have a special Journey Gathering. Stay after for a meal and a talent show. You don't want to miss this.

TONIGHT: Poker Tourney

2008-05-16T08:57:00.000-07:00

Reminder that tonight is going to be awesome... We have even more prizes that businesses in the community have donated!!!

Here is a cool new update... The first 10 players to register for the tournament will receive a coupon for a free meal and free chips
and guacamole at Chipotle, so don't be late!

Grand prize will be $100 in gift cards, and total prizes for the evening amount to almost $500 in value!

7:30 tonight... see ya there.

This Friday - Poker Tournament for Charity - Spread the word...

2008-05-13T11:51:00.000-07:00

The Leaders at Journey Dallas are excited to host an event to raise money for those in need locally and in the Journey community.

Journey Poker - Where losing is better than winning! (maybe...)

Here is the scoop...

Your $20 suggested buy-in for the Texas Hold em' tourney will go toward the Journey Benevolence Fund, which provides financial support for community members in urgent need. You could also win one of these great prizes:

Grand Prize – Assortment of gift cards totaling $100 (includes a $50 gas card!)

Second Place – $20 Gift Card

Don’t think you’ve got what it takes to win? Go all-in early and then join us in the Loser’s Lounge to enjoy some more laid-back games and a Loser’s Raffle, with total prizes valued at over $100!

Children’s activities are planned throughout, so bring your families and your friends!

*a sneak peak at some of the prizes for the Losers Raffle.....
La Madeleine gift card
Starbucks gift card
Madonna New CD
Over Her Dead Body DVD
Maroon 5 Autographed picture
4 tickets to Six Flags Fiesta Texas (in San Antonio)
& more...

**Bring a deck of Cards if you have them.

For more info contact Rhealyn at... rheamc (at) gmail (dot) com

Journey is located at 13154 Coit Rd. Suite 101 Dallas TX 75240

This time around, or the happenings of (pub)blic theology and new book...

2008-04-23T14:04:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love about Journey Church's small group (Pub)lic theology is that it is ever changing, if you will. We have tackled many topics of life, faith, theology, the end of poverty... you know all the easy topics! All the while we have met over a beer (or whatever you choose to drink) in a public place - hence the name (Pub)lic Theology.

The group has been meeting for a while, but that doesn't mean you can't join at any time. Typically we have a book that we are currently reading to help guide discussion. You can get it or not, but either way you should join the discussion. We have just started Muhammad Yunus' Creating a World Without Poverty. So far the discussion on this book has been really good. One point that we made last night was that this is the first book that we have used that doesn't directly talk about God, or Theology. This fact definitely doesn't keep theology from entering the picture though. I think it is because of our theology that we are caused to think of these types of issues. We care about the crisis of Global poverty because our theology causes us to place importance on others. This is a unique discussion that I am really liking. Come join us if you want, we meet (for now, who knows it may change) at BlackFriar Pub on McKinney Ave. in Dallas on Tuesday nights at 7:30.

My friend in Austin, Kester, has a similar group that meets in a pub and he coined this tag line... moderate drinking meets meaningful discourse. That about sums up what are doing to... so come join us.
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Note: Inklings Austin has some good discussion over at their blog if you want to join that discussion.

And HERE is the amazon link for the current book we are reading...

**UPDATE: New location starting week of May 6th - BlackFriar Pub

New Heavens and a New Earth...

2008-04-17T13:14:00.000-07:00

We are right in the middle of our new sermon series on HEAVEN. Wow, has it been interesting. People were literally on the edge of their seats last week during the discussion. Such an interesting topic and one that is hard to nail down. Last week was sort of the intro, or the "What?" of this topic. What is heaven? What is the point of us talking about it? etc... Join us this week as we explore the question "Where is Heaven?" I am sure this is going to be just as interesting...

Spring Event Series

2008-04-10T14:57:00.000-07:00

Thanks everyone who joined us for our 3 part series, "When The Ends Don't Meet" hosted by Journey Community Church. The final part was a very successful work-day with an organization committed to helping people out of poverty. Here are some pictures of us working at The Wilkinson Center...

Feel free to email any of the leaders listed at journeydallas.com if you want to help out in our continued effort to be involved with the Wilkinson Center and other efforts that help the working poor in our city.

Spring Event Part 2 Happening THIS WEEK!

2008-03-26T11:47:00.000-07:00

Make plans to come to Journey this thursday evening at 7pm to join in our conversation about the working poor. We have host Doug Pagitt leading our Q&A. Doug is an author and Pastor of Solomon's Porch in MN. Snacks will be provided so at least come by for that!

Reflecting on Holy Week

2008-03-20T15:12:00.001-07:00

As a community one of the highlights of our year is when we have "Holy Dinners." These happen during Holy Week at different houses throughout the week. We approach Good Friday with heavy hearts knowing that we are about to reflect on Jesus' death. These Holy Dinners provide a place to be together and to reflect. Eating together is a meaningful action, but even more so when we take communion together. This week at one of the Holy Dinners we reflected on our experiences of communion. I am amazed at the diversity and range of experiences we all come to communion with.

HERE is a link to the Celtic liturgy we read this week during one of the Holy Dinners.

Lenten Blog: Post Five

2008-03-06T17:56:00.000-08:00

during this season of lent, we have invited some of the many voices at journey to contribute to our blog... to share their thoughts and experiences about lent. enjoy!

I guess I gave up on giving anything up...

Just after the turn of the 1800's a revival movement began in the wild Western frontiers of America. A few preachers got fed up with the bureaucracy of their own denominations and defected. The movement that was born sought to unite all Christians by convincing them to throw off denominational ties in the name of being "Christians simply". (Yes, that's right . . . division in the name of unity people!) Three "nondenominational" denominations ensued: the churches of Christ, the Christian Churches, and the Disciples of Christ. I grew up in the first of these.

My denomination (which denies its status as a denomination) was one that declared emphatically that all that was necessary to live a good Christian life was a New Testament. Nothing less, and unequivocally, nothing more. If one was to isolate six untrained groups of people in remote areas with nothing but a New Testament, one should, years down the road find six churches that looked exactly the same. So the theory goes. One thing which was certain was that no other governing principles were needed. Therefore, when I reached the age of 22 and heard the word "liturgy" for the first time, I remember thinking how sad and misguided those poor 'denominational' souls must be.

As much as I am aware, I represent the fifth generation of my Mom's half of the family to grow up in a church of Christ. I say this to explain the simple fact that the mindset it represents is no longer something I received through training, but I feel fairly confident it is hereditary. That is, it has sufficiently been woven into my DNA. And though my views on many things, including liturgy, have changed, my heart still heralds back towards a sort of radical autonomy when it comes to group participation. Not that I won't ever participate in group activities, only that if I do I tend to do it when I think I'm good and ready.

So, about Lent . . .

I guess I fit in at Journey pretty quickly. For several years I had adopted the 'autonomous thinking' bit to such an extent that I am now too 'church of Christ' to actually go to a church of Christ. I've found several others at Journey who feel the same; substitute their particular denomination for my own. Yet, now I find myself in a community that, at least for certain seasons, is liturgical. And, I don't feel I have quite yet reconciled myself to this way of experiencing God.

Truthfully, I'm not really against practices like Lent. In fact over the last few years, I've come to think that such activities are a pretty good idea. The problem is that I came to such conclusions by considering the theory of Lent. Thus, when people began asking me what I intended to give up this year, my radical self-determination made an executive decision not to comply. I played around with several different things I could give up, and a few disciplines that I might adopt. But, by the second week of Lent I hadn't really settled down on any one thing, and I just kind of gave up on the idea altogether. There are a lot of excuses I could give. I've never had awesome experiences based on ascetic disciplines, no matter how mild. Not to mention the part of me that obstinately disputes anyone's right to impose an arbitrary set of dates where I would need to make my own life inconvenient. But, when it all boils down, I think I'm just too lazy and proud to adhere to Lent. All the theology and personal history I would profess are really just a facade to cover up that point. Yet, that's where the beauty of community comes into play.

I am fortunate to be part of community that practices Lent even when I don't feel like it. I've been reminded this past month that being surrounded with people who are drawing closer to God, will inevitably do the same to those who are not making any particular effort to do so. I've noticed how Lent has broken more than just personal routines, but has also helped our community have different conversations than we would otherwise. We're having to deal with each other's inconveniences, and in doing so are asking questions of each other that might not otherwise be asked. We share reasons that might not be shared at other times. And, most importantly of all, we're reminded of the beauty, as well as the imperfections, of being human. It gets a lot easier to love each other when we're daily reminded how insufficient we each are to even achieve small, seemingly insignificant goals. It's all we can do to keep from smoking or drinking. It's frustrating to face the difficulty of remembering to pray or wake up a few minutes earlier. Most people I've been around have fallen short multiple times on whatever discipline they chose, and though these shortcomings do not seem to be the point of Lent, I am coming to see the beauty of Lent in them. If anything convinces me to sacrifice my deeply ingrained orneriness this time next year, that will probably be it.

- Joe Chambers

Movie Screening and More during the Spring Event Series at Journey

2008-02-29T07:14:00.000-08:00

Mark you calendars and make a point to come out to PART 1 of our Spring Event Series...

The first event of 3 is happening Sat. March 8th!

Lenten Blog: Post Four

2008-02-28T19:05:00.001-08:00

during this season of lent, we have invited some of the many voices at journey to contribute to our blog... to share their thoughts and experiences about lent. enjoy!

This Lenten season, I'm giving up deodorant, toothpaste and books written by Joel Osteen. So far, it's been a real struggle, considering the social consequences. Dallas Gingles would be proud of how much this has already changed my life. Joel Osteen, on the other hand, probably would not. He would probably think I'm not living my best life now or becoming a better me.

Okay, okay, I'm only kidding. So I haven't worn deodorant in weeks, but that's only because I ran out and haven't gotten around to buying more. Toothpaste -- well, who uses that anymore? And Joel Osteen books? Sadly, I can't afford 'em, probably because I haven't given enough money to Kenneth Copeland's ministry lately.

This Lent, really, I gave up chocolate. I swear, I'm the biggest chocoholic I know. None of my friends thought I could go 40 days without chocolate. Unfortunately, they know me all too well, because I'm writing this after I just had a relapse: one of my co-workers waved Ghirardelli underneath my nose. It was a successful seduction; I'm way too easy. The funny thing is, it didn't taste as good as I thought it would. Somebody must've seasoned it with way too much guilt.

And as it goes with Lent, so it goes with sin in my life as well. Of course, being the apple-eating, finger-pointing daughter of Eve that I am, I always have a very reasonable excuse (or two) . . .

"I'm tired today."

"Jesus understands how I feel."

"I'm still doing better than most people!"

"I don't believe in the rapture anymore."

"I'll stop sinning tomorrow."

. . . but I've learned that the bitter aftertaste can last for years . . .

During Lent, we purposefully deny ourselves some unnecessary thing or behavior in which we find comfort or pleasure. In this denial, or death, we are reminded that death is not only necessary, but also ultimately good. In this way, observing Lent is like an opportunity to attend our own funerals. At mine, I want the preacher to say something like, "Today, we are gathered together in this place to bury everything about Wendy that rendered her less beautiful, less pure, less loving, less holy, less human, less Christlike." Impossible? Yes, for Lent is also a time to feel, if only for a time, as hopeless as Christ's disciples must've felt the day Christ's dead, broken body disappeared into the tomb. Sometimes, this journey feels so futile, God's promise of hope as distant as the stars.

I watched Hotel Rwanda for the first time the other day. Afterwards, I spent the better part of an hour sobbing on my blood-red couch, relating more to the murderers than to that courageous guy with the funny last name. I've never killed anyone at the point of a sword, but how many of my friends, family members and acquaintances have died at the point of my tongue? In my sorrow, the satisfaction I feel in dishing out a good tongue-lashing slowly began to die. And in that death, something else was being birthed. Something new, something beautiful.

It's these sort of events that have convinced me that you haven't really lived until you've allowed your heart to be ripped out a few times and wallow in sorrow over the sin and evil in this world and your contributions to them. That's what Lent is for, to mourn the fact that we haven't died, and allow our grief to drive us to seek death in order to find new life. For when the season of Lent has passed, and the joy of Easter has dawned, we will remember that futility isn't our fate, be reminded that only God can raise the dead, and rejoice that resurrection is still His forte.

Not to mention all that Easter chocolate. I'm really looking forward to that as well!

- Wendy Scoggins