For sometime now I’ve been intrigued by the idea of Open Theism. It has been presented and talked about on two blogs that I frequent, both Kurt Willems’ site, The Pangea Blog, and Greg Boyd’s website, ReKnew.org.

Basically the brief definition as defined by Greg Boyd, and expanded on by Thomas Jay Oord (italicized portion), would be:

The belief that possibilities are real, and they’re really possibilities even for God.

I’ve never been a fan of the Calvinist point of view and always considered myself of the Arminian flavor. That said, I must say that the Open Theist position quite simply makes sense. While I can not say I’m 100% sold, I’m definitely leaning quite heavily in that direction.

Before I say anymore I wish to encourage you to take a few minutes and watch this video from Greg Boyd.

My take away from this video is that while the future isn’t locked in place God does indeed know all possibilities…after all he is omniscient. He’s does know the outcome of his creation, in all its possibilities.

Whether you choose the Open Theism view or another is your call. However, I would ask that you remain open to the possibility of change, that you would not run from a chance to evolve your thinking.

What questions, and or concerns, does Greg Boyd’s explanation of Open Theism bring to your mind?

In 2011 I attended the first ever Wild Goose Festival. One of the session speakers was a Native American fellow that I had never heard of, his name…Richard Twiss. He spoke twice at the festival and unfortunately I missed his first talk. However, I caught the second one. While he spoke I was captivated by the things he was sharing about Christianity, Native People, and what they’ve had to endure. As the session came to a close I sought out the merchandise stand and quickly bought a copy of his book One Church Many Tribes before it was sold out.

As I read his book I was stunned at what I was reading. Needless to say his book has become one of the most important books I’ve read. If I was to compile a top 10 list One Church Many Tribes would be on it. Since reading it I’ve been paying attention to the ministry he leads, Wiconi International.

Richard is a Native American believer. He’s a husband, father, brother, minister, and a voice the Church needs to hear. Sadly on Wednesday, February 6th, he suffered a massive heart attack and isn’t doing so well.

The Lord is in control and I stand with the many who are praying for a miracle…it’s my hope that you will too.

As of this post the report is that…

Richard is not doing well. When it occurred Wednesday medical personnel were on him in 90 seconds. They lost pulse several times. At the Hospital they did emergency surgery and removed a blood clot blocking his main artery. He is still on full life-support and has multiple organs failure, along now with his kidneys. His body is no longer responsive with his eyes dilated. Tonight the doctors are going to start warming his body and in the morning they will give him a brain scan, at which time they will be able to determine the next course of action. This night is very important for us to keep praying for a miracle. (Excerpt from the Wiconi International facebook page)

***UPDATE AS OF SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9TH***

The Passing of Richard Leo Twiss, Taoyate Obnajin “He Stands with his People”
As of Saturday, February 9, 2013 Richard Leo Twiss, Lakota, co-founder and President of Wiconi International, passed into the eternal kingdom of the Creator as he took up the journey of life on the other side, to be with the Lord whom he loved and served so diligently on this side of life.
Richard walked the good road with Jesus from 1974, and continues his walk now on the other side of life.
In the final hours of Richard’s journey on this side, he was surrounded by his wife Katherine, his four sons, Andrew, Phillip, Ian and Daniel, along with close friends who sang, prayed, laughed and reminisced together about his impact in life among them, and within the wider kingdom of his Creator.

Did you have the chance to hear Richard speak? Are you familiar with Wiconi International? Please take a moment to share your story of how you connected with either Richard or the ministry and perhaps even how they’ve helped you evolve your thinking.

*The “Pray for Richard Twiss” image is from the Sustainable Traditions facebook page.

In 2011 I attended the first ever Wild Goose Festival which was held in North Carolina. One of the many speakers featured at this event was Richard Twiss. Hearing him share his heart and the plight of this nations indigenous people made me realize that it wasn’t just the government, that swept Native Americans off into reservations where they’re out of mind and out of site, but the church was and is just as guilty. We’re guilty of not sharing the love of Christ in our actions though missionaries, in times past, rather forcefully have tried to share the message. Thankful there are ministries that now recognize the beauty found in indigenous cultures. Nonetheless, having discovered the ministry Wiconi International, founded by Richard Twiss, led me to the book which this post is about, Sign Language: A Look at the Historic and Prophetic Landscape of America.

Yesterday evening I finished reading Sign Language: A Look at the Historic and Prophetic Landscape of America by Terry Wildman. Along with his wife, Darlene, he’s the founder of RainSong Music and Storytelling ministry. Their ministry finds them traveling “North America and abroad, teaching, storytelling, sharing their music at First Nations gatherings, on Reservations, and also at Churches and Conferences.”

Last night I submitted the following thoughts concerning this book to Amazon:

I ordered this book over a year ago after having read Richard Twiss’ book One Church, Many Tribes. Sadly, Mr. Wildman’s book rested on my shelf until last week when I was compelled to open it and dive in…and dive in I did. I wouldn’t be surprised if the author has hit the nail on the head, or at the very least come pretty close to it, when it comes to what ails the United States of America.

His style of writing is very easy to follow; it’s engaging and captures your heart…ultimately urging you to keep on reading and digging to see the truth in the case he presents. America is in a rough spot because of its many broken promises to our Native peoples. We must repent and seek reconciliation if we truly hope for a better tomorrow.

This is a must read for every Christian – clergy and laity. Captured within the pages of this book you will discover nuggets not taught in our theological schools, and truths not preached from pulpits.

Get this book, share this book…get the message out!

To discover more about Terry & Darlene Wildman, and the fantastic work they’re doing, check out the following websites:

http://www.rainsongmusic.com

http://signlanguagebook.wordpress.com/

At the bottom of this post you will find a great video by none other than the Bishop, no not that bishop, but rather the Bishop N.T. Wright.

In this video Rev. Wright makes a suggestion concerning how we should read through the Scriptures.

This is great stuff. So sit back and evolve your thinking.

So…what’s your thoughts?

Sorry for the silence from my end we have been quite busy of late. So allow me to take a moment and recount two trips that played a role in our busyness. Two trips that were only possible because people generously contributed to the fundraiser we ran a few months back. Again to those who donated…thank you!

In October my wife and I, through kind generosity, was able to travel to the Unified Underground conference in Maryland. While there we had the opportunity to meet and connect with various leaders and pastors connected with Anchor Mission USA (AMUSA). As Refuge City, the church we’re hoping to plant, comes to be it will be affiliated with AMUSA so it was great getting to connect with other AMUSA folks.

A few weeks back, also because of the generosity of others, we traveled to Tennessee to sit down for the last piece of the AMUSA church planting assessment. Back in June we met with the Anchor Director Josh Stump who traveled to our house here in Virginia, this time we met with Associate Director Dale Hall at his house. While in Chattanooga we had the privilege, among other things, to attend the Sunday morning service at Sacred Heart Mission, the congregation which Dale serves as pastor of. It’s a unique church and on their website they’re describe as “Eclectic, alternative, simple, and straight-forward”.

Eclectic will be one thing that will perfectly describe Refuge City. It is our intent to have a blended service with both liturgical and contemporary elements. Of course I strongly believe that it’s meant to be that way…just look at the journey my wife and I have been on: Assemblies of God (Pentecostal) -> A hint of Messianic Judaism -> Non-Denominational (Charismatic) -> Third-Order Franciscan (Anglican).

Lord willing Refuge City will come about after the New Year. At this juncture we’re connecting with a few people who have expressed an interest in what we are trying to do. So keep us, and the church plant in your prayers.

Today as we gather together to celebrate Thanksgiving the Hess family has much to be thankful for.

May you remember that, which you are thankful for not just today, and not just this holiday season, but all the days of your life.

Grace + Peace

Let us give thanks to God our Father for all his gifts so freely bestowed upon us.

For the beauty and wonder of your creation, in earth and sky and sea.
We thank you, Lord.

For all that is gracious in the lives of men and women, revealing the image of Christ,
We thank you, Lord.

For our daily food and drink, our homes and families, and our friends,
We thank you, Lord.

For minds to think, and hearts to love, and hands to serve,
We thank you, Lord.

For health and strength to work, and leisure to rest and play,
We thank you, Lord.

For the brave and courageous, who are patient in suffering and faithful in adversity,
We thank you, Lord.

For all valiant seekers after truth, liberty, and justice,
We thank you, Lord.

For the communion of saints, in all times and places,
We thank you, Lord.

Above all, we give you thanks for the great mercies and promises given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord;
To him be praise and glory, with you, O Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen

A third role God might call us to play in a mentoring relationship, besides being a “Paul” or a “Barnabas”, is the role of Timothy.

Painful lessons are usually doorways to new opportunities. Even the Apostle Paul had much to learn. Shortly after his disappointing experience with John Mark, Paul recruited another eager young man, Timothy, to be his assistant. Paul’s intense personality may have been too much for John Mark to handle. It could easily have created the same problem for Timothy. But Paul seems to have learned a lesson in patience from his old friend Barnabas. As a result, Timothy became like a son to Paul.

Timothy already had solid Jewish training in the Scriptures from his mother and grandmother. However, Timothy seemed to struggle with a naturally timid character and sensitivity to youthfulness. That is why the Apostle Paul later wrote to him, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7) And Paul also wrote to him: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12)

Unfortunately, many who share Timothy’s character traits are quickly written off as too great a risk to deserve much leadership responsibility. By God’s grace, Paul saw great potential in Timothy. Paul was not deterred by Timothy’s youthfulness and timidity, but instead demonstrated his confidence in Timothy by entrusting him with important responsibilities. Paul sent Timothy as his personal representative to Corinth during a particularly tense time. (See 1 Corinthians 4:14-17.) Later, Paul left Timothy in charge of the young Church in Ephesus, a church growing up in the midst of rampant pagan worship.

Perhaps you may feel like Timothy. You may long to have a more spiritually mature mentor in the Lord but you wonder if God could ever use you. The answer is: God can and God will use you if you allow God to have his way with you. If you are a Timothy, then the Lord wants you to seek out a Paul as a mentor so that one day you can be a Paul to someone else.

Paul wrote to Timothy at the end of his life:

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. (2 Timothy 2:1-2)

Paul was passing the spiritual baton to Timothy, asking him to multiply the ministry by mentoring others as he had been mentored. Such mentoring is a vital activity which can be practiced in many different settings.

Mr. Holland’s Opus is a movie about a frustrated composer in Portland, Oregon, who takes a job as a high school band teacher in the 1960s. Although diverted from his lifelong goal of achieving critical fame as a classical musician, Glenn Holland (played by Richard Dreyfuss) believes his school job is only temporary.

At first he maintains his determination to write an opus or a concerto by composing at his piano after putting in a full day with his students. However, as family demands increase (including the discovery that his infant son is deaf) and the pressures of his job multiply, Mr. Holland recognizes that his dream of leaving a lasting musical legacy is merely a dream.

At the end of the movie, we find Mr. Holland, now many years older, fighting in vain to keep his job. The board has decided to reduce the operating budget by cutting the music and drama program. No longer a reluctant band teacher, Mr. Holland believes in what he does and passionately defends the role of the arts in public education. What began as a career detour became a thirty-five year mission, pouring his heart and soul into the lives of young people.

Mr. Holland returns to his classroom to retrieve his belongings a few days after school has let out for summer vacation. He has taught his final class. With regret and sorrow, he fills a box with artifacts that represent the tools of his trade and memories of many meaningful classes. His wife and son arrive to lend him a hand.

As they leave the room and walk down the hall, Mr. Holland hears some noise in the auditorium. Because school is out, he opens the door to see what the commotion is. To his amazement, he sees a capacity audience of former students and teaching colleagues and a banner that reads: “Goodbye Mr. Holland”. Those in attendance greet Mr. Holland with a standing ovation while a band (consisting of past and present members) plays songs they learned under his direction.

The governor of Oregon arrives, who is none other than a former student Mr. Holland helped to believe in herself during his first year of teaching. As she addresses the room of well-wishers, she speaks for hundreds who fill the auditorium:

Mr. Holland had a profound influence in my life (on a lot of lives, I know), and yet I get the feeling that he considers a great part of his life misspent. Rumor had it he was always working on this symphony of his, and this was going to make him famous and rich (probably both). But Mr. Holland isn’t rich and he isn’t famous–at least not outside our little town. So it might be easy for him to think himself a failure . . . but he’d be wrong. Because I think he’s achieved a success far beyond riches and fame.

Looking at her former teacher the governor gestures with a sweeping hand and continues:

Look around you. There is not a life in this room that you have not touched, and each one of us is a better person because of you. We are your symphony, Mr. Holland. We are the melodies and the notes of your opus. And we are the music of your life.

I wonder: Who are the notes of your opus? Who is the music of your life? You can make a difference by God’s grace for Christ’s Kingdom by being a Paul, a Barnabas or a Timothy. Which role will you take up with joy today?

This is part four of a four part series taken from the book Keys to Growth: Meditations on the Acts of the Apostles.

Will Vaus (M.Div., Princeton Seminary) is the author of several books including Mere Theology: A Guide to the Thought of C.S. Lewis and Keys to Growth: Meditations on the Acts of the Apostles.

Website: WillVaus.com

Take a moment to check out this three-minute video from Ps. Shane Cox of Take Hold Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

For the past two or so years I’ve been aware of the annual Unified Underground conference up in Maryland but I’ve never attended one. Early on as Myra and I have been walking down the path of church planting with Anchor Mission USA we decided that we would be attending this years conference.

One of the two reasons for the fundraiser we’re currently running is to make this trip a reality. At this stage we’ve raised the funds to cover the conference cost, hotel, and gas to the event. The next part of the fundraising goal to be met is our trip to Tennessee this November which I’ll share more about later.

Myra & I are truly excited to be able to make this conference. For those wondering what it’s all about here’s a little snippet from their site:

UNIFIED UNDERGROUND is a three-day conference to foster spiritual renewal in the lives of all who attend. Unlike most Christian conferences, UNIFIED UNDERGROUND is intended to cater to the specific needs of outcasts who exist in America and around the world. These people groups are called underground subcultures, and include Punk, Metal, Hardcore, Hip-Hop, Goth, Fringe, Skater, Grunge and Hippies, to name just a few.

These cultures are often at odds, but through Christ we are all called to unity. UNIFIED UNDERGROUND is an annual conference to focus on Christ and lay down all that hinders us from achieving unity in the Body of Christ. Culture is not to be feared; it is a tool that can be used to reach the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and we must learn to use it to do so. From time to time, all of those who minister to these subcultures become weary. If you are a Christian in the underground community, you are not alone… and this conference is a chance to renew your spirit. UNIFIED UNDERGROUND is also a time to allow “iron to sharpen iron” (Proverbs 27:17)—to not only be restored, but also to grow.

UNIFIED UNDERGROUND features underground pastors and ministers from all over the country, discussing topics that will awaken the Church and cleanse the soul. Whether you are a Christian in a subculture or part of the mainstream culture, you will experience God in a fresh and stimulating way that will take your blinders off. Along with amazing teaching, we pull together some of the foremost Spirit-filled underground bands and praise-and-worship musicians to perform throughout the weekend.

Our fundraising goal of $460 covers both the Maryland and Tennessee trip. If you would like to contribute you may be so by using the direct link (https://www.wepay.com/donations/road-to-the-future) or the button below.

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