when the sox bullpen brings out another purchased superstar we go for our homegrown 21 year olds. the rockies played their hearts out and attained all that they could with who they had on the roster.

Watching my buddy Steve back the Rockies through the series was a seminar in Hope. Whether it was the purple sombrero, the bottle of unnamed elixir or the pants pockets turned inside out we will never know. The deal is the man BELIEVED the rockies could do the impossible and come back and send the BoSox back to Boston to earn their Series over seven.

Hope is beautiful-inspiring-life giving. it provoked me a non baseball fan into a fanatic frenzy when Matt Holliday sent the humidor rich ball 420 feet into center field.

Hope shines like a solitary star in the chaos of our world.

When you encounter a Hopeful soul it literally elevates your day and sets your mind on what could be rather than what is not. Hope is perhaps an assurance that at some point the beauty and restoration of God will touch your life. It is a prevailing confidence that though you have tasted the bread of affliction-the main course of healing and redemption is being braised and baked in the kitchen.

The Nation of Israel were no strangers in the battle of hope. Around 700 BC they were in a major decline (see Republican party today) and were surrounded by the powerful Assyrians who had begun to ride down and intimidate the crap out of them. In that day God’s truth came to Isaiah in these words:

“And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Then you will defile your carved idols overlaid with silver and your gold-plated metal images. You will scatter them as unclean things. You will say to them, “BE GONE!”

And He will give rain for the seed with which you sow the ground, and bread, the produce of the ground, which will be rich and plenteous. In that day your livestock will graze in large pastures, and the oxen and the donkeys that work the ground will eat seasoned fodder, which has been winnowed with shovel and fork. And on every lofty mountain and every high hill there will be brooks running with water, in the day of the great slaughter when the towers (of the Assyrians) fall.

MOREOVER, the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun will be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day when the Lord binds up the brokenness of his people, and heals the wounds inflicted by his blow.”

-Incredible-

Hoplessness has become a modern form of leprosy. Our medical procedures may be able to repair a decaying body but more and more people in our culture are suffering from the soul decaying disease of hopelessness.

my friend Clay sings a song called the “American Dream”, where he tracks the wide eyed aspirations of two lovers achieving said dream through jobs, position and social bliss to the utter destruction when at the end of the rainbow is only an empty pot. The dream didn’t have the capacity to meet the needs that provoked the quest. a bit tongue and cheek but true nonetheless. (you will have to go hear Clay play to get the “new” ending to the song).

The point is our culture desperately needs an injection of True Hope. Their are so many offers out there from Credit Cards to Botox from South Beach to Millionaire in a day books that do not have the capacity to satisfy the deep needs of the Human heart. They have left a hopeless generation looking under every possible pebble for the next thing.

Into that reality Jesus invites us to be a “light” shining into the chaos. Like the Nation of Israel we have all been fed the bread of adversity. We have all tasted the water of our affliction. Welcome to being in a disarrayed universe.

The question becomes: do we as people who are at Peace with God believe that at some point our Teacher will reveal to us the Road of Life He has been creating for us all along?

Do we believe that The NEW and LIVING way will be beautiful enough for us to defile and scatter all of the “false idols” we have used to fill the comfort gaps created by our hoplessness?

Do we believe that at some point our wounds will be healed and our brokeness bound in the grip of Incomprehensible LOVE?

Do we believe that Restoration and Peace are just around the corner and that our lives can carry hope as an emblem of our Trust in God?

I want to be that kind of man. I want to be a part of that kind of Church family. Those who HOLD TRUE to the Gift. Let’s allow Hope’s fire to kindle in us and cause a new light to shine into our culture.

“Nothing is Impossible for him who believes.”

there is a change to the original plan-

Never fear-the all American Old school Pancake dinner is still on! We will gather on the projected cold fall evening for warm cakes and a chance to share some life together.

However due to First Baptist failing their recent kitchen inspection we cannot use their facility. Instead we will be meeting at the wonderful home of Ian, Niles, Logan and Daniel.

Their address is:

3095 Edison CT.
Boulder CO

Use a mapping service for exact directions.

Here is what is needed. We expect around 30 people so please bring plenty of food-leftovers yum!-running out of food bad:

4 people to bring Fruit sides

5 people to bring breakfast meat (what a term!)

3 people to bring 2 containers of OJ (or sunny D!) each

One person to bring solid paper/plastic plates

One person to bring syrup (big bottle)

One Person to bring plastic utensils

Simply email me at rootscc@mac.com with what you can bring or with any questions.

We will meet at 6.15 and start the feasting shortly after.

Until next time,
Ramin

Opportunities to serve, places to learn and grow, new beginnings and a great chance to flex your creativity.

Here is the breakdown-contact me with any questions or if you desire to join in the fun.

Serve–We will be painting a small portion of First Baptist Church (the church building we gather in on Sunday nights).  They have been extremely kind in the shared space agreement we have been working under. Part of the sharing is to share the some of the upkeep of the building. We will meet at 8.30am and begin the painting. All of the supplies will be there. Just wear your hardworking man/woman clothes.  contact Brady Smith with any questions: bradysmith99@hotmail.com

Grow– The Women of Roots will be gathering this Saturday morning 8.30am at 540 S 40th Street for a time of community, prayer, study and discussion.  They plan to meet every other Saturday through the fall and winter. If you are interested in learning more drop Betsy a line at: betsyzenz@hotmail.com

New–Roots is launching a new cell group that will meet on the Hill at 6th and Arapaho. Our cell groups are environments were people can grow together as they connect with God and one another. Andy and Betsy Zenz, along with Niles Emerick will be giving leadership to the group. If you live on the West side or know anyone who does who is looking to get connected to a spiritually focused community contact Niles at: naemerick@gmail.com

Create–Worship. A word that gets thrown around a lot in the Church.  But what does it really mean? One thing we have begun to come around as a community is that it goes deeper than singing songs or holding a celebration (though that can be worship too). It really has to do with our offering of ourselves to God. Our complete willingness to live co-operatively with His Spirit on the earth. How we work, live, love and serve are all forms of worship. So in trying to match our action to our beliefs we do this thing we call Second Sunday (super creative name eh?).  Simply-the second Sunday of every month we worship in an outside of the church gathering way. We have done everything from remodeling homes to writing letters to Eritriean refugees. We have cleaned up rivers and parks shared meals and hosted events for the elderly. You get the point. the banks of the river are wide, simply any idea that allows us to creatively serve with the Love of God is fair game. Could be very specific, could be more of a laid back time. That is up to YOU. This is a great chance to help build into Roots with the unique passions God has given you. if you have an idea, or think you might have an idea contact me, Ramin and we’ll see if we can make it happen. rootscc@mac.com

It’s words have reverberated around in my soul this week like a voice echoing through a hollow chamber.

“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in Love. He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”

Not to big of a deal if it’s coming from the heart of a guy who got it right (at least most of the time). To give David some credit he did trust deeply in God at times and play a pivotal role in God’s redemptive story. Bringing the Ark of God back to the City of God that is once again inhabited by the People of God (Israel) is no small feat. He wrote the majority of our “psalms” and led Israel into a bountiful time. He was a king, a lover of God and a mighty leader.

But don’t get me wrong, this guy was also jacked. I mean seriously jacked up. He was a murderer, adulterer, coward, denier of God, lier, and thief. That’s right-King David the almighty. The guy knew darkness, pain and disillusionment as well as any human that has walked the earth. not in the I slipped up and thought the wrong thing kind of darkness but in the I thought it, acted on it and then acted to cover up my actions kind of way. His songs recorded in scripture would cause most modern church communities to load him up on prozac and send him to a therapist. Or better yet-kick him out of the church.

But what does God think of David? When his eyes, the only eyes that can truly see a life from beginning to end, peer into the soul of David what is it that matters to God?

Thankfully he shares His observations with us-
“The eyes of God sought out a Man after His own Heart.”

Mind Blowing. Re-Orienting, Life Changing (if we believe it).

Modern Christianity has been diseased. Diseased by a dogged belief that we are either as good as our last triumph or as worthless as our last transgression.

Plagued by a creeping fear that God remembers our sins and treats us according to what we deserve. To that David’s Life screams-
Not true, false, wrong answer, try again.

That should piss off the self righteous voice most of us are still trying to tame. We want some credit for being good boys and girls.

Not in this economy. Not in this environment where Grace is the only air to breathe.

In fact, if David is any kind of guide for us, we could say that God forgives and forgets our shortcomings and failures while always remembering and cherishing our Love for Him.

Forgives Transgression.

Cherishes our Hearts for Him.

Restores our Souls.

Incredible.

Sounds like an amazing Father. A Dad who who knows that deep down inside you intend well but the allure of your sisters exposed un-pinched arm is sometimes too good to pass up. A Father who is intimately acquainted with all of our ways and still loves us with all of His heart.

A Father who understands that we are frail, self conscious, insecure, fearful children who need His reassurance more than his rod.

It is hard to escape the One for whom the darkness of night is as bright as the day.

So Let’s make a deal.

Let’s stop running from God with our questions, sin and pain.

Let’s stop believing that we have to start over again on the yellow brick road every time we have a lapse into our Old ways of life.

Let’s start trusting God’s love for us.

Let’s start by loving each other in that kind of way-Completing God’s love in one another’s experience.

Question: What would change in your life if you believed that God has Cast your transgression into the sea of His forgiveness and is in Love with and Cherishing your Heart today?

What might happen if you loved other people that way?

Neither our failures nor our flurries of Christian behavior do anything to effect the way that God sees us. Really.

He Loves Us. Me, You, King David, Ma Theresa and Osama bin Laden.

He declared it through the offering of His Son Jesus as a once and for all wrath absorption solution for the sin of the entire World past-present-future.

If you want to try to outdo that be my guest-but make a film while you do it because it will rock.

The fresh footage from God is this-You Are Loved-Forgiven-Embraced-Empowered-Loved.

David believed it and though his life was sin stained-the trail he carved on this earth was littered with memorials of God’s Love and Greatness.

Ignore God’s love if you must and forge your own way towards perfection. Just remember to turn on the video camera because we want to see how it works out for you.

“In this is Love-not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to BE the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to Love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.”

My Prayer for us today:

Here is my offering

It is all I have to bring

Broken and Torn

Weary and Worn

But it’s Me.

You-You always Arise

Calling me Precious and Honored in Your Sight

No darkness can even hope to hide

From the Love that knows me from the Inside

Details:

Friday night 7-8.15 pm

Cornerstone Church – south boulder on broadway just south of Table Mesa.

hope to see you there

I wanted to thank you all for helping create a safe environment were we can pose real questions of God. I believe there is much power in seeking to KNOW God not simply define him.

As a church we continue to grow in that impossible beautiful quality of being Family. i love it. there is no way to fake it or make that happen apart from Love perfecting His life in us.

I’m looking forward to next weekend were we can go further into our understanding of God and Salvation. I pray that each of us sets our hearts on Pilgramage this week and that we encounter God in the midst of whatever we are up to.

If you are going to start sleeping under the stars i’d recommend starting in Moab Utah. something about the clear desert sky that makes the interstellar lights seem within an arms length.

That is where i got started….almost. We had just ridden the White Rim trail, 108 miles, 9 hours, 3 liters of water, 11 energy gels, 5 nectarines, and 3 peanut toffee cliff bars later we were done. Alex and I had gone big-the only way we know how-and though we had forgotten our map in the truck, God allowed us to cruise among the painted canyonlands, not conquering-but dancing with a creation that made us feel very very small.

it was an adventure. and we were done. our expedition also included donnie, david and Nko who had climbed the sheer rock face of castleton tower. along with two hang gliding pilots, we had played in the desert and were ready to eat the bubbling red chili that simmered slowly over the glowing fire. after trading tales, inhaling steaming chili and sucking down a few Coronas we were ready to sleep.

when it came time for bed each of us went our own way. alex back to the black tacoma with the ever faithful adventure dog molly. me to my old red 4runner and the hangliders back to their marvelous blue tent. our alpine oriented friends simply rolled out their pads and zipped up their bags with only the sky as a canopy above them. As I willed my aching body into the back of my 4runner donnie turned and asked me why i didn’t sleep outside. “mountain lions and snakes.” I mumbled as I slid into the relative safety of my truck. he smiled knowingly-the kind of smile you get from a brother of 8 years who knows you are a scared little shit. I slept like a rock and awoke to find everyone in tact, no blood splattered remains from a fresh lion kill nor mummified friends poisoned by an angry desert rattlesnake.

they survived. maybe i’d survive if i slept outside? since that trip i’ve been to moab 4 more times, the closest i got to the stars was through the ripstop nylon walls of my northface tent. still am scared of the lions and snakes. i did start one night outside only to feel the creeping suspicion that i was not safe. i crawled back into the protected domain of my 2 lb 4 oz northface tent, pulled up my zipper (all the way closed) and rested. safety is a perceived reality isn’t it. last time i checked 200 lbs of highly evolved cougar could peel back nylon without much more than a flick of one of his 4 inch long razor sharp claws. i encountered a Puma once in the canyons of Colorado-pure power-whisper silent-lightening fast and a stare that will chill you for months.

what was it about the tent that made me feel safe?

i think it’s walls.

we feel safe when we know the boundaries around us. captivity and protection aren’t always that different are they? I am learning this is not all that different than how the Church has taught us to think about God. we are told of the tent of predictable theology-definable deity-formulaic religion. we crawl in each night hang up our picture of jesus, say our prayers and go safely to sleep.

never really exposed.

never aware of all that could await if we stuck our head out long enough to see 100 billion lights burning across the sky. never really in awe of glorious riches of the mystery of God.

our church community aims to sleep under the stars.

many of us have spent ample time in the tent. some have peeked out and wondered. others have been told it’s bad out there and it’s better to stay inside. some of us have spent a night our two out under the night luminaries only to retreat again when we heard a stirring in the distance. to live in real relationship with Jesus calls us outside of our nylon and pole boundaries and into the wide open spaces of the desert night.

together our passion is to know God. we want to create space in life where we can expereince him and one another.

the news flash is that he doesn’t live in temples made by human hands. He created the world and everything in it, the people and all who dwell in it. It is in him that all things live move and have their being.

it is a big universe, with lots of people with different thoughts, beliefs and world views. can be scary at times, all smeared with the dirt of humanity and full of real questions about God, life and faith.

my questions, your questions, we all have real questions.

And guess what-our questions matter-To God.

in fact this is the very place were we will encounter God. right there in the middle of the  night

open

exposed

honest

scared

waiting

no hesitation, no fear of the unknown. simply a willingness to step out from the confining self preserving dogmas of the past and into a free pursuit of the Maker.

governed by the truth that perfect love drives out all fear.

as a church we want to leave behind a confined vision of God and find ourselves together under the stars and dreaming. our Creator Savior Lover and King waits for us.