about this weekend 2.15.13

Is life supposed to be this hard-wired?  Complex?

Last night at the annual Scott Formal, Red, Dress-Up, Valentine’s Day Dinner — it was complicated.  It started with our required background music.  In olden days, we’d simply drop the needle on a good Air Supply record and go.  This year we had to plug a laptop into our sound bar and find the perfect Spotify “love songs” playlist to set the mood.  Photos of years gone by would require time and patience after dropping the film off at a local drugstore to be developed.   Last night, our digital photos instantly needed edited and placed into a Facebook photo album.  Each face required tagging for proper identity.  Complicated.

A few years back, I remember reading an intriguing article from an actual paper newspaper claiming technology would make life simpler and our workweeks shorter.  The fine print read:  “Not in my lifetime.”

Even this morning, I swiped my digital Starbucks gold card for a tall Pike’s roast (no cream).  Then I sat down to read scripture from my Kindle Fire.  My hi-tech Pantech cellular phone beeped in a text from a globally connected friend in Colorado.  Before walking home (something needed to be old school), I read a couple digitized chapters from an ebook called “Still.”  The irony was as strong as my coffee.

This weekend, I’ll be unpacking the first installment of a new, 4-week series called “Haplotes.”  (pronounced hap-lot’-ace)  This wonderful Greek word points to someone who has been freed from the pretense of over-priced coffee, and enabled to live a very simple lifestyle.  We translate this word into “generosity.”   There once were, and still are today, people who decide to live uncomplicated lives so they can be generous to people needing Kingdom restoration.  Imagine if an entire church got a hold of this concept.

I actually think our church has.  This new series will explore the idea of generosity.  It will be a thing of encouragement as God continues to transform us and use us to give ourselves away for the sake of an EPIC gospel.  This isn’t a “fill the Joy Boxes” series.  Please let that weird thought die.  This will be about positive reinforcement for the God-track Jesus has CCC on.  So… please bring a friend along with you.  Haplotes is an idea everyone needs to consider.   Go ahead, Google it … Tweet some friends… ask about it on Facebook.  When it all gets too complex and complicated, let’s gather on Sunday and talk.

Can’t wait to see you all and teach.

Blessings!

Weekly Giving | 02/10/13

$24,535.84

Weekly Need $29,000.00