Easter Joy!

Today @ Agape we studied the Spiritual fruit of Joy. We began by discussing our ideas of Joy and then delved into the Bible, specifically Hebrews 12 verses 1-3. Seeing that Jesus had Joy set before him on the cross we talked about how such a crazy form of Joy was possible for us. We wondered how security in God's plan and our mission as well as increasing union with God could allow us to live in Joy amidst suffering. We also saw how the hope of the resurrection was not just Jesus's hope but ours as well, and not just at the end of the world. We concluded by discussing this possibility of new life, of resurrection now!

Lord we ask that you help the whole Body of Christ to live into the resurrection of Jesus, to find the joy set before him set before us as we come into the promises God has made over us and are born into new life. Help us to find Joy in Christ even at the worst of moments, knowing that God is working always for our good.

Fruit of the Spirit Series

This week we'll be starting a series at Agape on the fruit of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-24 reads, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires."

Notice that fruit is singular, suggesting that one Spirit brings one collection of good fruit. When we accept one Spirit, one Son, and one Father, we gain one collection of fruit against which there is no law. For us, there is freedom in this exchange. We are freed from our sinful nature and our lusts. The Lord crucifies these, and we are left holding and cultivating the Spirit's fruit.

As we talk through this fruit, enjoy the sweetness. Hope to see you there at 8am on Sunday.

Ninth Anniversary Celebration of Agape Church for the Homeless

Agape's 9th Anniversary Celebration
Trinity Lutheran Church (292 Orange St.)
Corner of Orange and Wall
5pm

This Sunday, Agape Church for the Homeless is celebrating its 9th anniversary! In our time with Agape, we have seen God do lots of cool stuff in our lives and in theirs. We have seen people receive jobs, enter recovery programs, get housing, experience physical healing, and form friendships across lines of race, class, and language. God is at work in this place, and it's been fun to join him in this adventure.

The 9th anniversary celebration starts at 5pm at Trinity Lutheran Church on the corner of Orange and Wall (292 Orange St; same place Agape meets). There will be presentations by different volunteers, partners, and a performance by PIVOT Ministries. It will conclude with an informal time of fellowship accompanied by a HUGE AMOUNT of delicious food. Last year, people feasted on a variety of Korean dishes and desserts. Anyway, the anniversary is a great way to hear about what Agape is doing, see its supporters and attenders, and grab some great dinner. Hope to see you there.

As always, you are also invited to Agape @ 8am on Sunday. There will be a joint teaching by my friend Will and me on Love that marks the official start of our series on the fruit of the Spirit.

The Resurrection!

This week at Agape we finished our series on the book of Mark with Mark 16, Jesus's resurrection. Our conversation focused on the end of the chapter, where Mark connects a number of miraculous signs to the actions of believers. We prayed that we would have boldness to ask Jesus for these signs, for his participation in our actions.

Please be praying that our congregation would grow in boldness, prayer and unity.

Implication and Forgiveness: Crucify him!

And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, "Surely this man was the Son of God!" -Mark 15:39

"Crucify him!" Today in Agape, we repeated these words aloud: Our voices reminded us of the ancient crowd, one voice rising to the Roman authorities: "Crucify him!" As we joined that voice, we found ourselves implicated in the plot. We participated in the sentencing of an innocent man. Where was the justice? Where was his power? The soldiers mocked him, and they flogged him. They put his cross on another, Simon from Cyrene, and they nailed Jesus to that tree. The centurion watched him hang there. And after Jesus breathed his last, only then, did the centurion realize a great mystery: even though the centurion has committed such a heinous act, even though he and we were sinners, Jesus had already offered forgiveness. He had already forgiven during the flogging, the mocking, the dying. The solider finally spoke the truth; Jesus patiently waits for us to do the same.

The Big Heart of Jesus

This week at Agape we did a dramatic presentation of the Gospel of Mark, chapter 14, in which Jesus has his last supper with his disciples, and then is betrayed by Judas Iscariot into the hands of the rulers. In this chapter, Jesus is also anointed with perfume by an unnamed woman, and Peter denies Jesus three times in the courtyard next to Jesus' trial.
    Thanks to the whole cast of the dramatic reading! Everyone was great.
    Some of the interesting thoughts brought up in discussion were how worship comes before service, but that LOVE needs to be the basis for both, most of all. We also see how Jesus' love is still strong, compassionate, and welcoming, even when he knows that he is betrayed. By asking us to love like he does, we are called to love and forgive, even when we feel hurt or betrayed. But we know, in return, that for those times we have betrayed or denied God, there is forgiveness to be had, and he waits for us, with belovedness and open arms.
     Please be praying for our city and for the entire Agape congregation, particularly those who might need healing of body or heart, and for those who need shelter, community, freedom from addiction, and/or employment. Also, please be praying for our continued fundraising for a building.

Elm City Echo

The Agape team is thrilled to be working with Elm City Echo, New Haven's first street newspaper. Elm City Echo is a part of YHHAP (Yale Hunger Homelessness Action Project) and is just getting started this year. Elm City Echo will be a paper that highlights the voice of the streets of New Haven. We are actively promoting it to our Agape family, and we already have two guys who are working on their stories. Agape will also provide a list of prayer requests that will be printed in the paper. Those who submit articles get $10. Contact emily (dot) foxhall (at) yale (dot) edu, if you're interested.

Also, Elm City Echo is currently one of Blue State Coffee's projects available for donations so be sure to check out Blue State and vote for ELM CITY ECHO!