Please be praying that our congregation would grow in boldness, prayer and unity.
3.20.2011
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.
3.13.2011
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.
"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.
3.07.2011
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.
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.
3.03.2011
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!
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!
2.27.2011
Keep Watch!
Today's verse: Mark 13:32-33
“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.”
Keep watch! But for what? This might have been the question of Jesus’ disciples after Jesus warned them to keep watch for his return. Often, we forget that the disciples did not know the future events of Jesus’ life that might be common knowledge for us. Jesus returning…before he even died or left…that makes no sense! Jesus often speaks past our reality and only speaks to our faith. The faith we need to keep following him.
At Agape, we talked about how to look past our reality of violence and brokenness in New Haven plus our 2000+ years of waiting for Jesus in order to actively wait for Jesus to come through promoting the peace of our city. After all, it’s not that we completely forget to keep watch. It’s that we slowly get distracted…by wealth, by romance, by addictions, and more. These things (just like the astounding buildings on Jerusalem…the distraction that begins Jesus’ exhortation) distract us from keeping watch for someone who constantly empowers us to love, serve, and promote the peace of our city.
Please pray for our Agape community as we seek to wait for a God who loves us and who desire us to love others instead of giving into other distractions that will keep us from that path of help and health.
“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.”
Keep watch! But for what? This might have been the question of Jesus’ disciples after Jesus warned them to keep watch for his return. Often, we forget that the disciples did not know the future events of Jesus’ life that might be common knowledge for us. Jesus returning…before he even died or left…that makes no sense! Jesus often speaks past our reality and only speaks to our faith. The faith we need to keep following him.
At Agape, we talked about how to look past our reality of violence and brokenness in New Haven plus our 2000+ years of waiting for Jesus in order to actively wait for Jesus to come through promoting the peace of our city. After all, it’s not that we completely forget to keep watch. It’s that we slowly get distracted…by wealth, by romance, by addictions, and more. These things (just like the astounding buildings on Jerusalem…the distraction that begins Jesus’ exhortation) distract us from keeping watch for someone who constantly empowers us to love, serve, and promote the peace of our city.
Please pray for our Agape community as we seek to wait for a God who loves us and who desire us to love others instead of giving into other distractions that will keep us from that path of help and health.
2.20.2011
The Greatest Commandment
Today's verse: Mark 12:29-30
"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'"
A teacher of the law had just asked Jesus which of the commandments was the most important. The verse above was Jesus' answer. Definitely a clear and direct one. Around the circle in Agape today we tried to answer two additional questions: what does it mean to love the Lord with everything that we are, and why would we even want to do that? One of the answers that surfaced brought us back to the parable of the tenants at the beginning of Mark 12.
The parable describes God as a vineyard owner who is gracious and merciful beyond reason. Some might even describe his character as naive, foolish, or ignorant. Certainly, God's response to the evil tenants in the parable was probably very different from what ours might have been, as we often look for opportunities to institute justice or to "make things right." in our lives and in this world. Instead, the vineyard owner sends his only son, revealing his desire to pursue us to the point of death, to the point of divine sacrifice.
This God is the one that desires our hearts. And once we offer that heart to him, he starts the work of healing it. He takes our heart, our soul, our mind, and our strength and refines them all. Do you want to be in relationship with a God who sees the heart, offers his son, and only desires intimacy with us? Come as you are. At Agape, that's what we're trying to do.
"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'"
A teacher of the law had just asked Jesus which of the commandments was the most important. The verse above was Jesus' answer. Definitely a clear and direct one. Around the circle in Agape today we tried to answer two additional questions: what does it mean to love the Lord with everything that we are, and why would we even want to do that? One of the answers that surfaced brought us back to the parable of the tenants at the beginning of Mark 12.
The parable describes God as a vineyard owner who is gracious and merciful beyond reason. Some might even describe his character as naive, foolish, or ignorant. Certainly, God's response to the evil tenants in the parable was probably very different from what ours might have been, as we often look for opportunities to institute justice or to "make things right." in our lives and in this world. Instead, the vineyard owner sends his only son, revealing his desire to pursue us to the point of death, to the point of divine sacrifice.
This God is the one that desires our hearts. And once we offer that heart to him, he starts the work of healing it. He takes our heart, our soul, our mind, and our strength and refines them all. Do you want to be in relationship with a God who sees the heart, offers his son, and only desires intimacy with us? Come as you are. At Agape, that's what we're trying to do.
1.11.2011
Welcome Back!
Thanks to Tina for leading us in an extended service of worship and prayer this Sunday. The memory verse for this week is:
"Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain."
-1 Corinthians 15:57-58
"Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain."
-1 Corinthians 15:57-58
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