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this month at the refuge has been focused on the mystery and beauty of the trinity. God, three in one. this past sunday we had an amazing time focused on Jesus. when Jesus began his public ministry, it was blaringly clear how misunderstood he was. in john 8, they asked “so just who are you anyway?” this is a great question that all of us probably ask in the quiet of our hearts. just who are you, Jesus? so instead of talking about him, we set up 6 reflective stations to allow everyone time and space to connect with him on their own. we are all in different places on the spiritual journey and there are aspects of Jesus’ character and heart that sometimes we need a little bit more than other. we provided an opportunity for people to focus in on Jesus as light, water, advocate, friend, savior, son. each station had something to experience, to think about, to respond to in writing and an action to do. there’s no way to re-create the moment, but here are some thumbnails and also the materials we used at each station if you weren’t there and want to spend some time reflecting on your own.

Jesus as friend, playmate PDF

Jesus as light PDF

Jesus as obedient son PDF

Jesus as our savior, healer, good shepherd, etc. PDF

Jesus as our advocate PDF

Jesus as living water PDF

More photos of our evening are posted here.

this month at the refuge we are focusing on the mystery & beauty of the trinity. God: three. one. here’s a prayer to meditate on this week:

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Blessed Trinity, hear us
Adorable Unity, graciously hear us.

God the Father of Heaven,
God the Son, Redeemer of the world,
God the Holy Ghost,
Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.

Father from Whom are all things,
Son through Whom are all things,
Holy Ghost in Whom are all things,
Holy and undivided Trinity, Have mercy on us.

Father everlasting,
Only-begotten Son of the Father,
Spirit Who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
Co-eternal Majesty of Three Divine Persons, Have mercy on us.

Father, the Creator,
Son, the Redeemer

Holy Ghost, the Comforter,
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts, Have mercy on us.

Who is, Who was, and Who is to come,
God Most High, Who inhabits eternity,
To Whom alone are due all honor and glory,
Who alone does great wonders,
Power infinite,
Wisdom incomprehensible,
Love unspeakable, Have mercy on us.

Delliver us, O Holy Trinity

From all evil,
From all sin,
From all pride,
From all love of riches,
From all uncleanness,
From all sloth,
From all inordinate affection,
From all envy and malice,
From all anger and impatience,
From every thought, word, and deed contrary to Your holy law,
From Your everlasting malediction,
Through Your plenteous loving kindness,
Through the exceeding treasure of Your goodness and love,
Through the depths of Your wisdom and knowledge,
Through all Your unspeakable perfections, deliver us O Holy Trinity

We sinners, Beseech You, hear us.
That we may ever serve You alone,
That we may worship You in spirit and in truth,
That we may love You with all our heart, with all our soul, & with all our strength,
That, for Your sake, we may love our neighbor as ourselves,
That we may faithfully keep Your holy commandments,
That we may never defile our bodies and souls with sin,
That we may go from grace to grace, and virtue to virtue,
That we may finally enjoy the sight of You in glory,
That You would vouchsafe to hear us,

O Blessed Trinity,
We beseech You, deliver us. save us. have mercy on us.

Blessed are You O Lord, in the firmament of heaven
And worthy to be praised, and glorious, and highly exalted forever!

–modified from www.theworkofgod.org

roy soto of via del red camino, a network of communities in latin america, wrote these. we thought they were so appropriate for the refuge commmunity. may these kingdom principles be part of the fabric of our community.

1. blessed are those that share what they have, for they will be a community of life.

2. blessed are those that are able to enjoy the fruit of their labor, for they will be a community of honesty.

3. blessed are those that stand together for equality, for they will be a community of justice.

4. blessed are those that release their grip on their possessions, for they will be a community of freedom.

5. blessed are those that feel the pain of others as their own, for they will be a community of mercy.

6. blessed are those that teach their children kingdom values, for they will be a community of hope.

7. blessed are they that show love instead of the law, for they will be a community of grace

in november we hosted a really fun evening for people outside of the refuge to get a taste of our community & mission called refuge Xperience. it was an evening of creative conversation, drama, dinner, and communion. part of this evening was showing a dvd produced by tom herrick & paul romig-leavitt that shared a bit of who we were. it all starts with one of our favorite events the refuge hosted last october-dialogue instead of debate, the conversation between an atheist & a christian. since this dvd was produced, the refuge continues to evolve, but it gives everyone a taste and we didn’t want to keep it to ourselves (it took us a while to get it up on youtube!):

For some this word describes an activity that we participate in weekly. Something that we “do”. 

For others this words describes a place, a building where we go to participate in something. Someplace where we “go”.

I don’t remember who said this, but I remember reading or hearing that we need to stop saying we are “going” to church, because we are the church. We can’t go someplace when we are the place itself. And not just the place but the soul within the place.

Can the “we” as the church stop being a place and return to being a person?

And as people we are needy. Even if you don’t feel like you have emotional needs you have physical needs, you don’t just like food, water, roofs, shoes, you need them. And I venture to say that in the dark of your mind and heart you may know some other things that you need.

I think my church is needy. Like, really needy, like ravingly insecure, freakishly needy. And people don’t always like me.

I think lots of people believe that the church does not need people. 

The church always needs money and bigger facilities and more help in the nursery, but the church doesn’t need people. At least not in the way that people need people. If the church is a place and an activity then those things don’t need, those things don’t have emotions, those things are things…not people.

But what happens when a church (remember not a building but a group of people) is very obviously needy and needy in the sense that they need people. Not just money, or better facilities or more help in the nursery, but people. And not in the sense that people = numbers=money=success=better Christians, but in the sense that hearts and dreams and talents and minds are needed. Are you humming the Streisand tune, “People?  “People…people who need people are the luckiest people in the world.” When and why did this stop holding truth?

I am certain and certainly fearful that I need people. So that means that my church needs people and I think my church is pretty obvious about that. When someone leaves us that loss is grieved. Grieved. Tears, anger, denial, all five steps of grief. I think in our neediness we place a lot of importance on each person and this is difficult for the other person to take.

It means you are important.

It means we want you. And it is not easy to be loved and wanted.

It means we all are responsible, you are responsible and we often don’t want anymore responsibility than we already have.

I think because my church is needy in this way, because I am needy in this way, we are/I am looked at as weak, unsuccessful, failing, wilting and stupid. People think we should be strong, but strong as in brick building, 2-story, 5 services, 35 person staff, million dollar budget strong and I don’t think that is real strength.

I can’t stop needing. It’s a wound in my person that can’t be closed. But, my wound, although tender, isn’t bleeding. Not really. I’m just oozing me. My self. Sounds dangerous, but it isn’t really, not when people are there to stand next to my ooze, willing to get it on their shoes, on their hands. They see me as a person, not a place, not an activity, but a woman who needs love and who has love to give. They see me as part of the church, a body part of a body, sometimes a hand, maybe a brain here and there, or at least a big toe, but always a heart. And they see a strength not a weakness. They know that even if I never have money or a big house or help out a lot in the nursery that I’m still worthy and I know that even if all those thing aren’t true about you that you are worthy too.

A needy person, a needy church…in need of provision, shelter, protection, salvation, love…doesn’t sound too bad, doesn’t sound untrue…sounds a little like…me…you…us…

Don’t you want to stand next to me? Don’t you want to let me love you? Let me, let the church love you. She can, He will.