Gratitude is a muscle Thanksgiving is coming up. It’s arguably the best American holiday. Gratitude makes life better. Everyone agrees. Not everyone agrees that every good and perfect gift comes from God (James 1:17) but they’re not far off when they give thanks. So at our morning Sunday meetings at 3800 Marlton Pike in Pennsauken,Continue reading “More Than a Day of Gratitude”
Category Archives: cells
Paperboy Dreams (And Acts 2)
Living the paperboy dream The paperboy dreams planted in the NES soil of my childhood came to fruit last week. A friend of mine in Circle of Hope is in a tough spot financially. Somehow, she fell in with a tribe of paper deliverers who drive the pre-dawn darkness of South Jersey delivering The PhiladlephiaContinue reading “Paperboy Dreams (And Acts 2)”
Cells are Resistance
Cells are my resistance movement. And this moment in time demands resistance. I’m pretty sure I would be in utter despair if I didn’t have a cell. Circle of Hope organizes into circles of ten we call “cells” where we do the actual work of being Christians together- loving, laughing, lamenting and including the nextContinue reading “Cells are Resistance”
Jesus will make you a good driving instructor
I’m not a very good driver. This is mostly because I’m easily distracted. Birds, clouds, interesting people, and burritos are numbers 1-4 on my list of most frequent causes for close calls. I am, however, a really good driving instructor. And since it sounds like I’m tooting my own horn, I better quickly say that it’sContinue reading “Jesus will make you a good driving instructor”
Adulting is hard (why do it alone?)
Sometime in the past year, “adulting” crested the horizon of my lexicon. Some more clever or hip people may have been using it long before that, but for about a year I’ve been saying “adulting” to describe all sorts of responsible activities. Usually “adulting” means not going out all night on a week night, payingContinue reading “Adulting is hard (why do it alone?)”
Learning to Be a Team
A revolutionary gathering Last night the cell leaders gathered at our location in North Philly to be the team. They are drawn together from across the region—many neighborhoods, many backgrounds, many (2) states. In a world as divided and lonely as ours the work of our cell leaders is revolutionary. A cell is a circleContinue reading “Learning to Be a Team”
Three Ways to Find Refuge and Safety
My new cell is meditating on a “lil nug” of scripture every week. This week it was Psalm 91:2 “He alone is my refuge, my place of safety.” After a week of terrible news in our personal lives and around the world, some of us were tempted to say “That’s cute.” We can read theContinue reading “Three Ways to Find Refuge and Safety”
Drake, Richard Rohr, and Sex
I’m a bigger fan of Richard Rohr than I am of Drake, but when you beat Beyoncé in record sales I pay attention. Drake did that this weekend while I was talking about sex at the Sunday Meeting, and the kids in my cell that meets in a Pizza Shop in Woodlynne on Friday afternoonsContinue reading “Drake, Richard Rohr, and Sex”
Why not? A cell with teenagers
There is one teenager in my current cell. It is very interesting to include him in our discussions and find out how he is working with this cell full of adults, and some adults who are a lot older than him. I started participating in cells when I was a teenager and I thought it wasContinue reading “Why not? A cell with teenagers”
Love is at the center of every cell
My cell is about to multiply and we’re making the new teams that will lead the two cells that come out of the old one. We’re so into the organic metaphor that we call the leadership team of the cell the nucleus. There’s a leader, an apprentice leader and a host. Each person has anContinue reading “Love is at the center of every cell”
What is the meaning of life and what if there is an answer other than 42?
In Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy the super computer, Deep Thought, takes 7.5 million years to find the answer to life, the universe and everything, and the answer is 42. Those who receive the answer aren’t pleased. “Forty-two!” yelled Loonquawl. “Is that all you’ve got to show for seven and a halfContinue reading “What is the meaning of life and what if there is an answer other than 42?”
Relating with Jesus is Contagious
One of the most exciting things I did this week was create this map of our cells in South Jersey. I circled the area we want to impact in a brave flourish of hope and probably a bit of foolishness. There are 571,192 people living in the towns inside my circle. I’m praying for everyContinue reading “Relating with Jesus is Contagious”
A New Cell is Born
Out of nowhere, we were sharing our struggles and gathering around Jesus! A couple of weeks ago I met up with my friend Pat and convinced him we should have a cell in his house. Last night we met for the first time–seven of us in his comfy living room, eating and not eating cookiesContinue reading “A New Cell is Born”
Yes and yes and yes: Partners old and new are to be found
I asked God, “Does anyone want to do this in South Jersey?” I breathed deep and felt the room beyond my closed eyelids expand with my diaphragm. The people seated in a circle with me withdrew. In my mind’s eye, the distance grew between me and Kim who sat cross legged on the couch acrossContinue reading “Yes and yes and yes: Partners old and new are to be found”
Today, if you hear his voice 