stockbridge boiler room

partners

So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me.

(Philemon 1:17)

Chip has always loved the story of Philemon.

And now he's moving in to the next step of living it out.  He's looking for an apartment mate.  

And since Chip is our partner at the Boiler Room, we're putting out the word as well.  

So if you're looking for a reasonably priced opportunity to immediately move into the neighborhood and be in relationship with the Boiler Room community, prayerfully consider contacting Chip at chipyoumans@gmail.com.

May God grow our partnerships by His will.

::tony::

the God Story, so far

These are the words Moses spoke to all Israel in the desert east of the Jordan—that is, in the Arabah—opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth and Dizahab. (Deuteronomy 1:1)

On Mondays at 10a, we've been gathering for an hour and a half to discuss the God Story.  Starting with Genesis 1, we've made our way through Song of Songs.  Joining in a practice that many Boiler Rooms around the world keep—we are trying to follow and live within the story of God's salvation.  

As we approached the chunk of Scripture focused on the complex life of Solomon as told in 1 Kings, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs, it felt important to heed Moses' exhortation to remember.  So we did.  And for twenty minutes, we tried to chart out dimensions of the story that were significant to some or all of us. Download God Story so far And we tried to see some of the bigger connecting ideas between these significant aspects.  And it was good to remember. And it helped us make sense of the larger story.    

We were struck by how much waiting God asked of His people.  We noticed how He wants obedience, faithfulness and the first fruits of our lives.  We saw how patient He is.  

And this helped us as we turned to Solomon.  We were troubled by Ecclesiastes and it's message of meaninglessness.  Brooke asked the good and provocative question of why it would be included in this God Story. We spent a while on Solomon's shortcomings and divided heart.  Then Danmike helped us see that there was meaning and exhortation toward God as the author pointed us toward an "awe of God" and "eternity in our hearts."  The Ecclesiastes image that DM imagined was that of holding something lightly in our hands because eventually it will all blow away as dust.  It doesn't mean we shouldn't hold it, it just means lightly.  

Then, DM shifted us to the inclusion of Song of Songs.  Having only experienced it in weddings, we wanted to see how it might fit in the God Story.  We came around to the Bridegroom and the Bride;  God alluring Israel to the desert;  the Lamb awaiting the wedding feast.   And the earthy desire found in Song of Songs took on new life as we considered God's draw towards His people.  It was exploratory thinking for us as we all were moving into new territory for us as thinkers.   But it was exciting to begin to understand more about our KC Boiler Room friend Adam Cox and his prayer for Jesus to marry his heart.    And we eagerly await God's wooing of His bride.  We want to be ready as we are washed in His word.  

The Author of Life has written His story of salvation.  And we rejoice in His provision of the Word.  

May we remember that "these are the words."

::tony::

rest on him

"When you enter a house, first say, 'Peace to this house.' If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you." 

 (Luke 10: 5-6)

This past Thursday, the simple churches that have been meeting all around the city gathered in the garage for a time of worship, storytelling and teaching.  Joel wrote, "I loved being able to worship , share, learn, pray and ponder with Jesus following friends , with no guilt trips, no manipulation,  no pretending,"  The intent is to provide a time of encouraging as we try to move church out from our usual gathering at Crossroads and other churches on Sundays into the rest of our week. 

This time we told stories and asked questions about multiplying (the non-romantic version about some people grumbling, others thriving), breaking strongholds through prayer, managing time with adding one more person in a simple church and adjusting schedules so a family's simple church could meet during the younger kids' naptime.

In reflecting on this meeting I wanted to build on our conviction to focus simple churches around men and women of peace.  I tried to think out loud and point to four different instances in Luke of Jesus finding men and women of peace and what he did with  them.  In Chapter 5, Jesus told Peter not to be afraid and offered him a changed identity.  His finding here involved a charge and a change.  In Chapter 6, Jesus went into finding the apostles after prayer.  Prayer precedes finding.  In Chapter 10, He found Martha and Mary.  This example shows that not every woman or man of peace is fully at peace.  Finding always entails people in process like Martha.  In Chapter 19, Jesus looks in an unlikely spot-up in the tree-and He finds Zacchaeus, the one not many would think likely to follow Jesus.  Finding often confounds the ways that world sees. 

Finally, I told the story of being invited over to Andre's house for coffee.  Later I found out this house was one that we prayed for last summer on our prayer walks before we had even met Andre.  Andre, whom we prayed for and whom God provided with a job.   Andre wants me to come over.  I'm bringing some cookies and we're going to talk about doing simple church together.  And I asked my friends this night to join me in finding men and women of peace in our neighborhood with whom we can do simple church.

So we learned from our rabbi Jesus about finding.  And then we prayed  that we might find more men and women of peace in the Stockbridge neighborhood and in the city of Grand Rapids.  

We hope you can join us on the last Thursday in April for our next simple church gathering.  

May we all have the opportunity to say, "Peace to this house."

::tony::

if indeed

 "Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them." (Genesis 15:4)

God gave Abraham a vision of the family of God growing forth from Abraham.  This vision was something that Abraham could not comprehend.  There are some moments that God gives us a glimpse of something that we can't fully comprehend.  He pulls together the family above for a never before picture.  Only to scatter to each to their own way after the Love Feast.  

God provided in a huge way this past Wednesday and we bless His name.   

He connected us with Dan Modderman's and Mitch Gathercole's English classes at Rockford High along with the Youth Initiative Club and members of the School Newspaper who prepared and served dinner.  

It was no ordinary gathering either.  God gathered together 143 folks for a love feast—the most we've ever had. Each week, we are witnessing more and more friends gather.  Each week, healing has an opportunity to take place over the dinner table through listening and prayer and laughter.  Each week, they get more and more of a picture of Jesus through Scripture.  Each week, prayer requests collected by friends get prayed for throughout the rest of the week.  Each week, friends from the neighborhood are invited to join members of the Boiler Room community in simple church gatherings.  

And as God provides numbers, like the elders of Israel like the elders in Acts, we struggle with numbers and meeting the depth of needs.  We could use folks each week who simply come to build relationships.  We could use friends who come and intercede on our behalf in prayer.  We could use partners who come and seek to plant simple churches throughout our neighborhood.  And so we pray.

We want to make this family part of God's family.  We want them to be our joy and our crown.  Give us the nations for our inheritance Lord.  

May we look back on this moment and see how God has worked in His mighty way.  May His name be glorified from 4th Street to 7th Street, from Davis to Alpine.  

::tony::

harvest

The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. (Luke 10:2)

The Lord is sending out our dear friend Brooke into the field of Madison, Wisconsin.  We would like to celebrate what God's done in Brooke's life over the past year.  She would love to get a picture with her and any friends that come by the Love Feast this next Wednesday.  

Consider coming and joining us on Wednesday April 1 to eat with, celebrate and pray for Brooke.  

::tony::

the way it works

People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." (Luke 18:15-17)

We've known Abigail and Nancy for a while;  and God has provided us with another chance to learn something different.

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They  wave to me on the porch as they walk to and from school. 

Their older brother Abner comes over and shoots baskets at the Boiler Room sometimes.  Their sister Miriam too.

Their parents work hard, long hours-seems like they pass like ships in the night.  We've been praying for their dad who had a temporary job that took him to Illinois.  Abner asked us to pray for him the other week at Love Feast. 

Before the Boiler Room ever was, they came and knitted on the porch with Jenn.  They came to Prayer Club with Sarah Jayne.  

They came to Soccer Camp last summer with Brad and Danmike.  

Chelsea has been stopping by their house for Muffin Mission.  

As a result, they started coming to the Love Feast, staying some weeks for worship.  

 

They're already part of a worshipping community.  But it feels really nice to have them join us at the Love Feast.  

They're our neighbors and they're becoming our friends.  They're trusting us enough to eat dinner with us.  They keep coming around.  They receive our friendship in all these different venues.  They don't come with crisis or gaping needs.  They come, simply.  Thank God, we have the sense enough to simply welcome them.  

And when I see Abigail and Nancy sitting at the table, I think this doesn't need to be a big deal—this whole kingdom thing.  Just don't hinder folks.  Jesus is calling them.

May we learn like children.  

::tony::

a disciple remembers (continued)

Brooke writes, "prayer is every bit as much about hearing as talking."  Hear what she has to say about hearing God, amongst other things.  

::tony::

bread

And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? 

Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. (1 Corinthians 10:16-17)

This next Thursday, March 26, friends of the Boiler Room participating in expressions of simple church all around the city will gather for the second time from 7-9p for a time of worship, testimony and storytelling about our experiences in our simple churches and teaching.  If you're not connected with a simple church but would like to find out more or if you're simply curious, we encourage you to come and join us this next Thursday.  (We had a couple friends join us inadvertently and they stayed)  Our first meeting found us worshipping, telling stories about how friends who don't know Jesus engaged with us in real conversations about the Kingdom of God, and learning from Paul's discipling of Timothy.  

During the storytelling, Chelsea testified to how one of her disciples spoke truth through Scripture to a friend and freed him from the lies that were deceiving him.  Joel told the story of how one of his simple churches multiplied and is now engaged in service projects as well as times of individual discipling.  Lily shared how she was learning from Jesus in Luke 12 during simple church with her mom, dad and brother.     

This week, I feel a draw toward discussing Luke 10 and what this process of sending His disciples out to find men and women of peace might look like.  If you'd like to spend some time reading and thinking about this passage, we look forward to seeing what God's word has to teach us.  

May we all find our way to full participation in the body of Christ.

::tony::

::tony::

wilder

Robert and Grace Wilder were a brother-sister team with a God-sized heart for the nations. While in college, they had prayed for God to move on campuses in a way that would bless the world. In 1886, Robert set out on an adventure with a few of his friends. Traveling on horseback to 162 college campuses, they made friends and inspired other students to answer the call to go to the ends of the earth for Jesus Christ. The fruit of their historic journey demonstrates the power of a God who works alongside the faith and actions of college students. 100,000 students eventually pledged that they were “willing and desirous” to go the foreign mission field. 20,000 went. Tens of thousands stayed home and supported their friends.

Learning from their sacrificial, relational and viral example, Campus America and 24-7 Prayer have sent teams of students from campus to campus, traversing the USA, to connect with Christians, stir up prayer and share the gospel.

Read about their encouraging stories here.  

As we each consider where God is sending us, may He stir us up to be "willing and desirous."

::tony::

Crossing Sixth Street Bridge (an excerpt)

(photo by Michael Newstead)

My former colleagues out East heard something about the Boiler Room story and asked me to contribute a story of the journey for me from my writing and teaching in Virginia to my writing and teaching at Stockbridge.  In the spirit of sharing our practice of creativity with others, the following is an excerpt to be eventually published in The Journal, a bimonthly professional publication serving all seven Virginia Writing Project sites. 

In this life, I have begun to learn a new genre of writing—the blog —to testify about what God has been doing at the Boiler Room.  My wife and I started as co-authors and in this past season the writing has fallen primarily to me.   The purpose was to testify about God’s provision for the Boiler Room.  We had read George Mueller’s Answers to Prayer where he told the story of relying on God to provide for the orphanage that Mueller started.  Mueller believed that God kept His promises.  One of the promises that Mueller believed was that God promised to provide and sustain, if one did things in His will.  Mueller prayed for provision to keep the orphanage going, which did come and he wrote a weekly column to testify about God’s provision.  We were convicted, as leaders of a community of prayer to only ask through prayer for provision.  And we were convicted that we wanted to testify to God’s provision.  

Writing the blog for the Boiler Room has drawn upon many of my previous writing experiences. As I’ve written in this genre, I’ve paid attention like a novelist to rich details like how one of our homeless friends, Tony, recorded our weekly worship to carry with him during his week.  As I’ve written in this genre, I’ve researched and shared my findings about what we’re learning about prayer.  As I’ve written in this genre, I’ve listened for the lines of poetry from our friends like Missy who gave us each the gift of a scarf “all stitched together beautiful and warm.”  As I’ve written in this genre, I’ve realized how connected I am as a writer to the readers of the blog who respond and offer additional insight and who, most importantly, intercede in prayer on our behalf.  This new genre highlights the interconnected nature of writing and reading and takes me into new levels of answerability for my writing.  

Most of all in this season of writing and praying at the Boiler Room, I’ve learned that I am always beginning both as a writer and as a man of prayer.  Kathleen Norris is a poet and essayist who has become an oblate in a Benedictine monastery in Minnesota.  She reflects on her writing and prayer in a way that helps me make sense of my journey so far with all of its attendant starts.  

As a writer I must begin, again and again, at that most terrifying of places, the blank page.  And as a person of faith I am always beginning again with prayer.  I can never learn these things once and for all, and master them.  I can only perform them, set them aside and then start over. (p. 185)

Each day as I approach the keyboard, I am searching for the beginning of the post, for that Scripture that speaks deeply into the moment, for that  image that conveys the provision of that day, for that overheard line that reveals what God is doing at that moment, for an impression of what might speak to the readers. Just as each day when I pray, I enter into the presence of God empty handed and I ask God, once again, to begin something in me.   

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No surprise, but Bernie was right.  The beginning is here.   

In fact, I’ve gotten a new idea for a story about a writer who is in love with writing and reading leads to stories but needs to learn more about following through.  Perhaps as I draft it out, I’ll learn beyond beginnings.  John of Patmos testifies about the one who is both the beginning and the end.  Knowing and following this Jesus who is beginning and end now shapes the way things are composed.  I do know that I’m finished restlessly searching to start yet another thing to prove myself.  And while I still may have to begin many other things;  there is a deep measure of peace for me trusting that One who began a good work in me, trusting that He will carry it on to completion.  

thanks for indulging me as I share this work in process.

::tony::