Renee's story...

(edited)
To Write Love On Her Arms

"Pedro the Lion" is loud in the speakers, and the city waits just outside our open windows. As the music pulses, I ask what she'd say if her story had an audience. She smiles. "Tell them to look up. Tell them to remember the stars."

Renee is 19. When I meet her, cocaine is fresh in her system. She hasn't slept in 36 hours and she won't for another 24. It is a familiar blur of coke, pot, pills and alcohol. She has agreed to meet us, to listen and to let us pray.

She has known such great pain; haunted dreams as a child, the near-constant presence of evil ever since. She has felt the touch of awful naked men, battled depression and addiction, and attempted suicide. Her arms remember razor blades, fifty scars that speak of self-inflicted wounds.

Everyone is asleep. The sun is rising. She drinks long from a bottle of liquor, takes a razor blade from the table and locks herself in the bathroom. She cuts herself, using the blade to write "FUCK UP" large across her left forearm.

The nurse at the treatment center finds the wound several hours later. The center has no detox, names her too great a risk, and does not accept her. For the next five days, she is ours to love. We become her hospital and the possibility of healing fills our living room with life. It is unspoken and there are only a few of us, but we will be her church, the body of Christ coming alive to meet her needs, to write love on her arms.

She hands me her last razor blade, tells me it is the one she used to cut her arm and her last lines of cocaine five nights before. She's had it with her ever since, shares that tonight will be the hardest night and she shouldn't have it. I hold it carefully, thank her and know instantly that this moment, this gift, will stay with me. It hits me to wonder if this great feeling is what Christ knows when we surrender our broken hearts, when we trade death for life.

Don Miller says we're called to hold our hands against the wounds of a broken world, to stop the bleeding. I agree so greatly.

She is alive now, in the patience and safety of rehab, covered in marks of madness but choosing to believe that God makes things new, that He meant hope and healing in the stars.

God wrote “LOVE” on her arms.

She would ask you to remember.

"Why", the passion of the Christ...

Christmas Crescendo details...

Creative Element: “Christmas Crescendo”

Designed to show how often the true of meaning of Christmas is lost in the hustle and bustle of what Christmas has become to society.

Curtain opens to a blue spot on Mary and baby Jesus. She is quietly singing to baby:
O, Come, O Come Emmanuel (one verse)

She remains center stage as: Start: Electronic wav file of Carol of the Bells, entire band joined in layers on top of the track. The song gets louder and more hectic as the following scenes unfold:

Lights: Leg of curtains, lights up on each side of stage.

Stage left: Husband and wife bring in Christmas tree, set it up and decorate (plug in lights), they also bring in gifts. Their young children enter (in p.j.’s), shake packages and play around tree. Read book.

Stage right: shoppers enter with rolling rack of clothes.

Stage right: Santa comes in, seated on a rolling platform with elves. Photographer enters and sets up his lighting and camera on a tripod. Families with children line up to get their picture taken with Santa.

More Lights: Icicle lights on back curtain light up.

Another rolling rack with clothes enters into the auditorium with another shopper and retail sales person.

ALL ACTION STOPS: Music ends abruptly, actors freeze in place, all lights black out except the blue spot again on Mary & Jesus

She sings (short intro of) O Come, O Come Emmanuel, which transitioned into:
Mary’s Child (amazing song written by April Eads, who also played Mary)

Worship Set 2 (done completely with an acoustic guitar only)
What Child is This? (Actors exited stage during intro.
Mary and Jesus exited after the first verse)
O Holy Night

Message: The Real Meaning of Christmas (and giving a gift of ourselves to Him)

Worship set 3 (the full band was back: w/communion and interactive family element)
There were several gifts boxes on each row. Everyone was asked to write or draw on a piece of paper, a gift they wanted to give to baby Jesus. (Families were asked to work with their children, which was really cool to see). Then place the note in a small gift bag and tie a ribbon around it. Then go as a family or with friends to the communion stations. And give the gift to Jesus (a manger was set up at each station).
Glory in the Highest
We Three Kings
O, Come, O Come Emmanuel (the percussionist used a really nifty Samba beat to this, totally cool!)

It was one of those amazing moments in time, where everything combined to share the true meaning with Christmas with all those who entered in today.

Interesting notes today:
My husband (not a Christian) came today.
He only comes to church once every couple of years. My son and his family visited again (four weeks now). It is so cool to be able to worship together. I particularly love how my three year old grandson loves to stand in the aisle to worship. He sways back and forth, claps his hands. My two year grand daughter also joined us.
Someone (a friend I have made at Starbucks, currently dechurched) I had invited, came and texted me afterwards that he thought the worship was awesome!
And two people came up afterwards. One person wants to join the pPod team (that implements the interactive experiential worship elements) and another wants to join the lighting team.

a time for Yohee...

A Time For Yohe
(Between the Trees)
As she sits in the corner
face to the floor
she dispels smoke from from her lips
and slowly floats away with it

letting go of so much pain
her tears are thick enough to stain
the pavement that slowly becomes her best friend
when she needs to run away

This is your time to weep
This is your time to morn
Not yet time to build up
Just a time to tear down old walls

Does it help to say I'm sorry
If so than, I'm sorry that your so unhappy
This life those lies are starting get you down
Darling don't let them drag you around

Saying "it's my fault" doesn't help repeated
Time love and Jesus seems to beat it
She'll find out this is harder than
Taking medicine

This is your time to weep
This is your time to morn
Not yet time to build up
Just a time to tear down old walls

We're still waiting for the fire
Seeing smoke and waiting for the fire

(30 seconds) Ten plagues

Charoset Ingredients

Walnuts, almonds, dates, raisins, cinnamon, brown sugar & honey

Dayenu!

Dayenu!

Leader: Had God split the Sea for us, but not led us through it on dry land

People: It would have been enough


Leader: Had God led us though on dry land, but not provided for our needs in the desert for forty years

People: It would have been enough


Leader: Had God provided for our needs in the desert for forty years, but not fed us the manna

People: It would have been enough


Leader: Had God fed us manna, but not given us the Sabbath

People: It would have been enough


Leader: Had God given up the Sabbath, but not brought us to Mount Sinai

People: It would have been enough


Leader: Had God brought us to Mount Sinai, but not given us the Torah

People: It would have been enough


Leader: Had God given us the Torah, but not brought us into the Land of Israel

People: It would have been enough


Leader: Had God brought us to the Land of Israel, but not sent the Messiah

People: It would have been enough

hurt (addictions)

animal personality test...

LION:
Likes Control
Confident
Firm
Likes Change
Problem Solver
Bold
Goal Driven
Strong Willed
Self-reliant
Persistent
Takes Charge
Determined
Enterprising
Competitive
Productive
Purposeful
Adventurous
Independent
Action Oriented

OTTER:
Enthusiastic
Visionary
Energetic
Promoter
Mixes Easily
Fun-loving
Spontaneous
Likes New Ideas
Optimistic
Takes Risks
Motivator
Very Verbal
Friendly
Popular
Enjoys Variety
Group Oriented
Initiator
Inspirational
Likes Change

GOLDEN RETRIEVER:
Sensitive
Calm
Non demanding
Enjoys Routine
Relational
Adaptable
Thoughtful
Patient
Good Listener
Loyal
Even-keeled
Gives In
Indecisive
Dislikes Change
Dry Humor
Sympathetic
Nurturing
Tolerant
Peace Maker

BEAVER:
Consistent
Reserved
Practical
Factual
Perfectionist
Detailed
Inquisitive
Persistent
Sensitive
Accurate
Controlled
Predictable
Orderly
Conscientious
Discerning
Analytical
Precise
Scheduled
Deliberate

GO! A Thousand questions...

vimeo version

A Thousand Questions from David Schwarz on Vimeo.

Eloi

Eloi

He came to preach the gospel to the poor, the lost, the blind
He came to heal the broken souls abandoned, left behind
He came to set the captives free, and proclaim their liberty
To those living in darkness a great light has shined

Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabacthani
The mighty lamb crucified
In agony he cried
Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabacthani
The Great I Am crucified
In agony he died
My Eloi

And though the light was bright darkness could not see
The precious son of God, he’d come to set them free
And though his love was great, and his mercy wide
The people’s hearts were hardened as they shouted “crucify”

My God, my God, my God, my God
Why have you forsaken me?
I came to give the dead men life
And to let the blind men see
My humble gift they won’t receive
Help them Lord believe in me

In the Middle of the Garden (SCRIPT)

The Middle of the Garden
Written by Mark MacDicken ©2009 Cross Current Ministries

Characters: SERPENT, performed as a puppet on a tree branch; EVE, an innocent young woman who happens to be naked.

Setting: A large fruit tree in the middle of The Garden of Eden, at the Dawn of Humanity. There are some shrubs around a little lower than shoulder height to Eve, behind which she stands. As the lights come up, SERPENT is sitting on a branch alone.

SERPENT: (To self) Yeah, this will work. I’m lovin’ the scaly skin, makes me feel… slinky! (Looks around garden, speaks up to God) Beautiful garden! Nice work, Big Guy! Too bad the cost of admission is about to be raised to an unaffordable rate. Heh heh! Ground looks a little unwelcoming… all those rocks and twigs. Sure glad I don’t have to crawl around down there like those poor little earth worms! A guy’s head could get crushed under the foot of one of those precious creatures You made in Your own image. But not if I struck first, of course! Heh heh! Yes, I’m perfectly comfortable up in this lovely tree. This is the tree, isn’t it? The Forbidden Fruit? Big Guy, seriously, You had to know You were bating a hook for these clones of Yours! Free will, right! Thanks for opening the door for me! Heh heh! (Sees EVE approaching) Ah, and here comes our first contestant, a homemaker, naturalist, and outdoorswoman from Eden, please welcome EVE!

EVE: Hello, um… aren’t you the one Adam called “Serpent”?

SERPENT: Sure. I have many names, but you can call me “Serpent”. And may I call you Eve?

EVE: I guess.

SERPENT: Great! What time should I call you?

EVE: (Pause) Is that a joke?

SERPENT: Ahem. Tough crowd. So Eve… where is Adam?

EVE: Oh, he’s coming. He always hesitates a little when we come around here. Something about a “co-man-mint”, or something like that.

SERPENT: Well… ahem… welcome to the middle of the garden, Eve. May I ask you a question?

EVE: OK. I don’t know if I’ll have an answer. To tell you the truth, I don’t have a lot of knowledge yet.

SERPENT: Well, let’s see if we can do something about that! Now, the Big Guy, I mean God, did he tell you some silly nonsense about not eating from the trees in the garden?

EVE: Oh! Yeah! That was it! The “co-man-mint” was about eating from the trees! God said “don’t”.

SERPENT: Seriously? He said, “Don’t eat from any tree in the whole garden”?

EVE: Well, now, wait a minute. That’s not quite right. He said we can eat fruit from the trees, just not from the one in the middle of the garden. (ominously) He said, “Touch it and you’ll die!” It gave me chills!

SERPENT: Standing around naked outside will do that, too.

EVE: What?

SERPENT: Oh, nothing. But relax! You are definitely not gonna die by eating from this tree. God’s just trying to scare you, cause He knows that when you eat this fruit your eyes will be opened and you will be as smart as Him. He doesn’t want you to know all the stuff he knows. He thinks you couldn’t handle it.

EVE: What kind of stuff?

SERPENT: Oh, high-concept stuff, like good and evil.

EVE: What are “good” and “evil”?

SERPENT: Well, now if I tell you, you’d know without tasting the fruit. That’s a bonus, trust me, it’s delicious!

EVE: So you’ve eaten it and that’s how you know?

SERPENT: Honey, I don’t have to eat it. Me and the Big Guy are tight. He taught me everything He knows. Without the fruit.

EVE: Wow. I guess I can trust you, then.

SERPENT: Hey, if you can’t trust the Serpent, who you gonna trust?

EVE: But God’s the one who made everything, right? And He’s only given us that one rule. And Adam wouldn’t…

SERPENT: Yeah, but you’re a smart lady, you can make up your own mind. Sisters are doin’ it for themselves!

EVE: What are sisters?

SERPENT: Never mind. I’m getting ahead of myself.

EVE: That fruit is awfully pretty, it looks like it would taste good. And like I said, I don’t have much in the way of wisdom… and who has time to study, with all the strolling and sunbathing and petting animals to do…? (She picks an apple from the tree and takes a bite.) Mmmm! This is good! Adam, you gotta try this! (She turns and steps behind the tree. Pause.)

SERPENT: Wait for it…

EVE: (Screams from behind the tree.) I’m naked! You’re naked! I can see your… You can see my…! We have no fur!!!

SERPENT: (Chuckling to himself) Yeah, I was gonna say something about that, but I didn’t want to embarrass you… prematurely. Why don’t you sew some fig leaves together and cover up your shame! What do you think this is, some kind of nudist camp? Uh-oh, I think I hear someone coming… (Sarcastically) I wonder who that could be? Well, my work here is done for day one. This is my cue to lose the snakeskin jacket and slither on outta here. Eve, Adam, I’ll catch you on the rebound! (Pause) This could be the start of a beautiful friendship! Heh heh!

GCC plays Simon says...

Camp Friendship Plays Simon from Grant Ferguson on Vimeo.

Innovate 08 plays Simon from Grant Ferguson on Vimeo.

heartbeat countdown

http://www.revostock.com/Stock-Video-Footage/11987/Electrocardiogram-3D-loop.htm





other heartbeats

http://audiojungle.net/item/heartbeat-loop/29067

clap hands...

Dominoes

Sexy Survey Results

Sexy Survey Results
8.13.2009 Sex
In under 24 hours over 500 people took the “Do Women Dress too Sexy” survey, which was the least scientific, most general survey the researchers at FlowerDust.net has ever conducted.
It was a short survey, so here are some of the results:
On a scale of 1-10 (1 being extremely immodest and 10 being extremely modest) how would you rank the level of modesty for women who claim to be followers of Christ? The average rating was 5.
On a scale from 1-10 (with 1 meaning extremely immodest and 10 meaning extremely modest), how would you rate the modesty level of women who claim to be irreligious? The average rating was 3.5.
Have you ever been distracted by what someone was wearing at church or a church event because it was immodest? 89% said yes.
Do you think women should dress more modestly in general? 87% said yes.
The top five most “immodest” things women wear (depending on context - in order of most votes to fewer votes):
Deep V-necks (showing obvious cleavage) 94%
Short Skirts 82%
Short Shorts 79%
Tight Fitting Jeans 43% *(it should be noted many people also added leggings in an “other” field).
Tight Fitting Shirts 31%
And finally, here are 10 comments I chose that represented ideas presented consistently in the “If there was one thing you would want to tell women about dressing modestly, what would it be?”
“Guys have a harder time than you think, so think like them for a second while you plan what you wear.”
“I know that women probably roll their eyes a lot when they hear to dress modestly, but seriously, its a huge help. A. Huge. Help. Look, if you are an attractive woman, you are right, you cant control where guys thoughts go. But you dont have to help them get there quicker. A lot of us are really trying, and small skirts or deep cleavage just sets us back, no matter how strong we are. “
“Cover the cleavage. It’s intoxicating, they’re wonderful but I should really concentrate on my wife’s and not yours.”
“My sister, when it comes to being tempted visually, I am your much weaker brother. I would humbly ask, as you exercise your wonderful freedom in Christ, you would demonstrate grace and help me in my quest to live a life that honors our great God. YOU can help ME in my weakness.”
“If women knew the devastation that their immodesty could cause a man who is struggling with porn/lust (and his family), I think they might reconsider. ESPECIALLY in church….which “should” be a safe place for men to not have to dart their eyes every 2 seconds.”
“I would tell them about my husband’s former struggles with pornography and fantasy, about how much we underestimate the power we have over helping or hindering our brother’s walks with God, and the marriages of our sisters and how much a glance at another woman’s cleavage is heartbreaking to a wife. I would tell them that while that is not their FAULT, dressing modestly is a way to love and cherish our brothers and sisters in Christ, even when the temptation to get the attention and feeling of being noticed and desired is great (especially in our society). (Maybe that’s two things? I don’t know!)”
“What makes me sad is that most of us Christian girls don’t care about protecting our Christian brother’s purity. True, there are some things a guy can do, such as look away and not look again once he’s seen the girl dressed in skimpy clothes, but we need to do our part in helping them too. The way that God made them, it’s hard for them to not look and imagine the rest. If you think what you’re wearing is modest when you’re standing up, bend over and if your breasts or buttocks hang out, change into a less revealing outfit. Also, I’ve been told by Christian guys who care about this issue that even bra straps, or anthing that looks like bra straps, coming out from under a shirt can cause their minds to go off.”
“Dressing immodestly may seem harmless to anyone but yourself, but you must realize that’s not true. Try to be respectful to men who are trying to overcome sin. They struggle with lusting after immodestly dressed women. Some have absolutely no self control to look away. It’s really hard for them!”
“You don’t understand the intensity with which men are compelled in and battle these things…not giving us more to mentally work with does not win our battle (nor does dressing provocatively lose it) but simply being thoughtful in how you dress and doing your best to help us see who you are instead of how your body looks is greatly appreciated.”
“If you are a Christ-follower, please understand the lust issues that men face. It is difficult enough for us to stay mentally pure.”
—

—hl: flowerdust.net

street art; inflatable bag monsters...

art, art, I want you...

HERE'S WHAT YOU DO

1. Each Thursday YOU post on your blog on whatever creative church element sparks your passion.
2. In your blog, link back to this weeks specific creative fuZion lab.
3. Then post the link to your particular post at the NEW Mr. Linky below.
4. Then come back and comment. If you don’t blog yet, still feel free to share your idea in the comments.
5. Then off you go. Go visit other people’s ideas, comment and share.