Organic Faith

Organic Faith Advent Devotional

The Organic Faith Leadership Team spent some time putting together an Advent Devotional.  We invite you to journey with us this Advent as we all take time to prepare for the coming of Christ.

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The Art Devotional Challenge

As summer begins it seems as if everyone is taking off all over the country for various music festivals, weddings, and vacations.   The thing about being the Church (as we’re trying to do) is that we don’t need to always be in the same place to be growing in our faith.  Its with this idea in mind that I propose to all of you the Summer Art Devotional Challenge.  

Creating has long been an important part of the faith lives of the church.  Did you know that churches were originally built with stained-glass windows because that was the artwork of the day?  Artwork has been and continues to be a great means of self-expression, self-discovery and a means for better understanding one's relationship with God.

In addition to art, a daily commitment to a faith disciple is a great way to practice seeing God’s presence in our lives.  So, starting on June 13th at the Organic Faith Lockport Dinner I will hand out Journals to anyone interested in the challenge.  

The Challenge works like this, everyday from June 20th until July 20th those interested are challenged to slow down, take some time out of their day, and create something.  Whether it is a simple sketch, an epic poem, or an elaborate watercolor the point is to practice the discipline of slowly down and creating everyday.  On July 20th, we will have a special Soul Cafe gathering where those who participated in the challenge will be invited to share their work with the rest of the Organic Faith community. 

Please let me know if you are interested! The journals will be provided by Organic Faith with the stipulation that some of the artwork created during the experiment is framed and added to the Organic Faith gallery. 

We create because of the gracious gifts that our Creator first gave to us. 

Organic Faith Spring Retreat

Organic Faith Friends!

I want to announce to one and all the Organic Faith Spring Retreat at LCLC from Friday night March 26th until March 28th (ending around noon).  

Retreats are a great way for a community to spend time together, to grow together and to delve into bigger, deeper conversations than what we might talk about at one of our weekly gatherings.  They also are a heck of a lot of fun. 

So, mark your calendars and start inviting your friends (retreats are a great place to invite new people in!) for the Organic Faith Spring Retreat at LCLC. 

Stay tuned for more information about the retreat schedule and theme!

Grace

Pslam 46:10 “Cease Striving and know that I am God.” (NASB)

Having just spent a solid week entrenched in learning at Wartburg Theological Seminary I feel more than compelled to share what I’m learning with the community.  Wartburg, bring a Lutheran institution, did an excellent job of nailing home the cornerstone of Lutheran faith and theology during my classes: Grace.

Grace is great!  We sing about it, we talk about it, people write sermons with this word in it.  What could be better?! 

Before you answer that question, answer this one: have you ever had a professor from Guyana explain to you for hours at a time the big implications of this idea? Have you?
Of course not! Because it makes you crazy!

Okay, not really crazy, just punchie or as my professor said, “Cheeky”.  But the thing about grace is its hug implications for the things in our life that are actually completely out of our hands.
Grace means that in everyway God comes to us. God alone is the source of life, healing, and forgiveness.

But more than that, its only by the grace of  God that we can possibly come to understand and believe these things.  It is not even our own merits that lead us to believe, rather it is God that provides us with the life-giving ability to even believe in God in the first place.

Crazy.  And I’m sure some are thinking just that right now: Crazy.  It kind of sucks to not be able to claim credit or even take things into our own hands.  But then again how much sense does this idea make?  The very best thing in my entire life, my faith, is all because of how the Holy Spirit has worked through me and others to bring me to my belief in the first place. 

This Grace idea is incredible.  It doesn’t compel me to sit back and do nothing but it does give me immense hope.  Its not what I do, it’s what God does through me and others.  Even believing this good news isn’t up to me.  And that's good news.