Church is Simple

When the alarm chimes on my cell phone at four in the morning I peel my eyes open and argue in my mind for the first five minutes of my day with whether or not I should quit work. Of course, my mind of reason rolls me out of bed and into a shower where the sleep washes off. I fumble in the dark looking for clean undershirts and car keys before walking out the door and into the dark of the early morning hours. This all sounds bearable until a month has gone by and I find myself coming home, eyes glazed over, frustrated and uninspired.

I do my best to smile on my way to work saying “it’s not that bad” while offering up a weary morning prayer. Sometimes the sun is rising and I let the glow warm my face while the clouds change colors. Inevitably I end up thinking “doesn’t matter how pretty it is, I’d rather be sleeping.”

You are probably wondering where I am going with this. The initial point is that the first few weeks here in the valley have proven to be a treacherous walk, like running in front of a row of golfers at a driving range zipping line drives at your body; you will get hit.

But the weeks of early mornings, broken cars and stressful situations have made the simple and pleasant moments that much more extraordinary.

Monday night was such a moment:

Ashley and I had contacted a family who we had heard about a while ago. We had heard that they, amidst attempts and desires to move elsewhere, had been called to remain in the Valley to do kingdom work here. Their story reminded us of where we had come from and after a few emails Ashley and I pulled in to their current residence.

We weren’t really sure what to expect. We knew that these people had a heart for the Valley and for prayer, but we had to drop by their Monday night prayer meeting to really find out.

Sure enough, within minutes we were cradling chai tea and talking about our stories. We met a handful of other people who were like minded and before long we were reading, meditating and praying aloud.

The time of prayer was moving, energetic and emotional, leading us into petitions for New England, the local colleges, sex trafficking, our Church and the people of the area.

After a few weeks of conversations and near exasperation, we were ready for some time spent with people who desired to call out loud, from the depths of their hearts, to God. The passion for an outpouring of grace, mercy and justice was tangible. The time spent at the house of these prayers was powerful, uplifting and exciting, as it usually is when the body is brought together! It felt like church and that felt good.

I encourage you, if you are able, to meet once a week with some fellow Jesus followers to pray. Your community is in dire need of people who long after God’s heart. If you want, you can come to our house on Thursday night (probably Fridays following this week) and spend some time praying here.

There is an important lesson to take away from this- church is simple. It doesn’t have to be hard. I’ve known a lot of churches who let values like excellence and organization become stumbling blocks. Here’s a thought- hearts united in prayer and love is an excellent thing. And another- letting the spirit lead in prayer allows freedom for God to speak.

From what I have seen, church is just too hard sometimes. It becomes inaccessible and stubborn. People begin to feel stifled and frustrated. The spirit is put in a holding cell, on a short leash for brief appearances. Procedures and strategies are put into place before people even begin to mingle and develop friendships and life-sustaining bonds. Priorities need to be reordered.

Try something new. Just meet together to meet with God. Just cry out. Just be. Then see what happens. Let’s keep it simple.

On Prayer

Don’t get tired of this topic just yet, we have a ways to go and this is only the beginning.

I feel it necessary to continue my thoughts on prayer, in general and in specific to our calling in Northampton, in a public manner for you to read and to discuss.

Week by week, day by day and hour by hour, Ashley and I are coming face to face with the reality that, in our lives at the present time, God is calling us to persistent prayer here in the Valley. In the same moment, there is a rush of excitement and understanding that prayer is a vital practice, often underplayed, that unleashes an intense intimacy with God’s heart; a key to unlocking unity and strength in the church.

Of course, I am giving full attention to the reality that even an idea or longing coming from God can be twisted into a legalistic or skewed theology. We have seen communities suffer from focusing in on a practice or particular point so intensely that all else seems to fall of the wayside. With God’s help, may none of that happen here.

With that being said, our observation still stands and we hold the belief that consistent prayer is vital for the church (global and local). So, with this impression on our hearts, we have been responding to the best of our abilities in our current situation by moving ahead to hold weekly meetings in our own living room.

I used to have grandiose vision and imagination that would steer me away from the proper stepping-stones used by God to keep us from following our own hearts which often are “deceitful”. At the present time, it is safe to say that a weekly meeting is far from a grandiose vision but is similar to a trickling stream which, if it feeds into larger and larger streams, building momentum and force, becomes a violent and unstoppable movement.

Why, exactly, is prayer so powerful? And what is it that has led us to this conclusion?

First and foremost, prayer is something regularly practiced in Jesus’ life. If he prayed to his father, regularly and without ceasing, then shouldn’t we? Do we think that we are somehow in a better place than Jesus where we are less dependant on God to walk through this life?

Secondly, it is expected. Jesus taught his followers how to pray and when they did, during his time here and thereafter, people would receive sight and be restored to wholeness. Praying unleashes God’s desire to heal others. We are agents who disseminate his grace and mercy. He doesn’e need us for it but he certainly likes to use us to bless others.

Thirdly, one cannot be expected to have a relationship without two-way conversation. Imagine for a moment that Jesus was in full bodily form and regularly meets you for coffee at a local shop. How weird would it be if you only spoke to him everyone in a while, and most of the time, used your words to complain? It doesn’t sound like that would foster a healthy relationship. The lack of listening is especially an important factor when considering the dynamics of our relationship with Jesus because it would be just as odd to only have a relationship where only one individual spoke while the other sat without utterance…particularly when the silent one holds more wisdom (infinite!).

Fourthly, and in a similar way to our last observation, prayer leads to deep intimacy where we can experience change. When you draw near to God’s heart for you or for his people, it is difficult to walk away unchanged. When you willingly take time to speak and listen, you are placing yourself in a vulnerable position where your heart, in whatever its state may be, can be revealed in its true condition. This is for our benefit because vulnerability leads to healing and wholeness and, oddly enough, strength in faith.

Fifth, though not the last point by a longshot, prayer unites. There is nothing quite like a church or group that prays together. The early church had regular prayer (along with other important practices, ie: fasting, fellowship, etc.). Prayer allows us to focus on God- far away from our temporary concerns and emotions. It keeps us level-headed and allows God to direct our passions and fire. It brings people around the throne and around a common spectacle, namely, Jesus and his heart. Time is set aside to ask for guidance and protection, two things which are absolutely vital for any group, family or church. Prayer unites in a unique way and in a necessary way.

I expect that I will put up further reflections and thoughts on prayer but for now I hope this suffices as a basic introduction to our belief in the power and importance of this ancient practice. Thanks for listening, let us know your thoughts.

The Intentionality of Living

Living in the Pioneer Valley requires tremendous intentionality. One cannot simply move to this area and expect to mingle with the people and pursue Christ without tangible pushback. Therefore, to hold ground and to move forward, we must be extremely persistent and intentional. Intentional about what? Everything.

We have had to be intentional about visiting other churches and going to events. It would be unwise (and ineffective) for Ashley and I to pray for unity without intentionally choosing to create it.

We have had to be intentional about reaching out to meet other Christians in the area. The church in this area will not experience revival without a solid foundation of Christians who offer up a spirit-led cry pleading for God to breathe into his Bride.

We have had to be intentional about our marriage. If we do not pay attention to the ways in which our enemy seeks to drive a wedge into our relationship, we could find ourselves looking at a stranger sleeping in bed next to us. The family is a source of power and blessing in God’s kingdom, Satan will seek to destroy it.

We have had to be intentional about spending time with Jesus collectively and in solitude. Personally, I have made my morning drive to work (often before 5 or 6 a.m.) a time of prayer. That is my base and beginning for a day seeking Christ first. If time allows, I spend more time in prayer throughout the day and in the evening. At night, Ashley and I make sure that we pray and read together- sometimes tuning in to some sermons from faithful men and women who have posted their messages online.

We have had to be intentional about getting rest and being healthy physically. It is really easy to get tired around here (and in other mission fields specific to your calling) because there’s so much to do. We could easily work all day, meet people at night, go out to dinner and for a coffee or beer, come back home, read, watch TV, email, etc. Simply put, we need to intentionally prioritize our time. Without prioritizing, important things get left out, our bodies suffer from lack of sleep and our spirits become weary. Often Ashley and I will find ourselves falling asleep before 10 p.m. At first it felt lame since we’re still in our 20′s, but we know from experience that it is better to miss that last hour or two at night to gain a full rested day.

We eat better. Why? Because it makes us feel better. Also, because it is part of being a faithful steward; both of our bodies and of our resources. A healthy body helps us in leading a balanced and healthy life. It also lends itself to helping support local agriculture and preventing to never-ending spiral of global food monopolies creating cheap hormone-pumped food.

Living in the Pioneer Valley requires intentionality but so does living in any field where God has you. We must be intentional with our time, relationships and efforts. The church needs it. Your family needs it.

On a more personal note, for those of you who are keeping up with the happenings in our time here in Northampton, there have been some memorable moments in the past few days.

• Last Thursday a handful of us met in our apartment for the first to time kick off the fast leading up to the Solemn Assembly at the end of the month. It was a great time with some great conversation and prayer. We expect to continue meeting weekly for prayer and fellowship but have not yet decided on a day. Stay posted on that.
• We have received continual confirmation that prayer, by and large, is what we are supposed to be doing right now (hence the weekly meeting). We have heard from several people and in our own times of searching that prayer is the foundational element that will begin the process of revival in this city.
• Ashley and her friend were hanging around town the other day when they stopped to talk with a homeless woman. They ended up buying her some lunch but as they were about to leave, Ashley asked if they could pray for her (her name is Judy). Without missing a beat, Judy looked up and said, “Yes. You can. You can pray that would be angels.” So we did. We have heard from others about asking for angels and have been following that leading to see where it is going.
• We went to a church last night (Saturday night) and experienced some good music and met a handful of people…this was one of the events where we received confirmation that indeed, the Pioneer Valley is a war zone, and prayer and angels are needed.
• We went to another church this morning to get a sense of the Christian culture in this area and found a community of people who desire Christ and are close-knit but will probably soon enter into a time where God shows up in some big ways.
• We heard a pastor from India give a testimony and found it interesting that the only real requirements for pastors out there are some basic theological education, a bike and a drum. The bike is for transportation and a drum is to beat so that people know it’s time for “church” where they come to meet under a lantern hung from a tree. What if all we needed to start churches out here was a bike, a drum, and a simple message of grace?
• We watched Food, Inc. and learned a lot about our food and where it comes from…we think you should watch it too. How we live and eat does not escape the command to live as faithful stewards, so look into it.

Thank you for checking in and following our blog. There has been a lot going on and we always appreciate you prayer and support. As always, if we can pray for you please let us know. To learn more about what we are doing or to come to our weekly prayer meeting, shoot us an email. oldhamn@gmail.com

( a picture of Emily and I warming up the pipes before meeting on Thursday evening)

One Day Can Feel Like…

I feel like we’ve been here for a month.

In reality, we’ve been in Northampton for a grand total of 4 days.

We’re not completely settled in yet. After moving all day Saturday, we found ourselves short of time and energy on Sunday so there are still some piles of lingering clothes and random items waiting to find a resting place.

There was no weaning process for us in this move. The very next day after our move I was hit with the most intense and sudden migraine and it was completely paralyzing. I could barely move or speak and, of course, it came on only a few hours before our first time worshipping at imagine/Northampton as residents of the town. So, after a few headache pills (which didn’t work at first) and some prayer, I put on some dark sunglasses and set out to the streets with Ash to catch the end of the service. Within an hour I was back to normal and smiling. Deep breath of relief.

Not surprisingly I had a mental tug-of-war jostling my mind during this first day. Is this crazy? Was moving up here the best idea? Is it going to work? Am I going to have any energy at night after work to build relationships? Now that we’re here, what next?

And so it went. Ash and I did our best to give it up and we asked for an increase in joy in the face of a wall of discouragement that came the following day when I realized that my average wake-up time for work was going to be between 3-4 a.m. for the week and that most days I would be working 9-12 hours.

On Tuesday I began to chuckle to myself  like a madman does sitting in a solitary cell when my check engine light came on during a ride home from work- the transmission refused to go beyond second gear. I brought it to a shop in town, walked home in a daze of confusion and waited for the call the next morning.

Long story short, I needed a new transmission for $2500 dollars. If you do not know, that’s about how much my car was worth a few years ago. Fortunately my father offered to let us use his van for a while and now I am able to breathe for a few minutes and reflect on these past few days.

See why I said it feels like we’ve been here a long time?

Here’s the bottom line though; I’m not here to complain. This blog is a journal for me and for you to process and reflect on, so I am going to be transparent and thorough with what is happening in the Valley. I need those of you who have followed this blog and who are friends or Christians to pray for us. We have a deeply rooted belief that God desires to pour out his love on this area and that he is assembling certain people here to be part of the unleashing. As you have just seen briefly, our time here will not be without trial, we need your support in words and prayer, please honor that request.

We are starting to recognize some faces around town. We’ve bought some coffees for the homeless and shared some gelato with some street kids…we honestly can’t wait to begin to build relationships, get to know names, host dinners and get some praying done. If there is one thing that we know this area needs, it is prayer. More than anything else these streets need people who are closely connected with Jesus’ heart for these people.

As always, thank you for reading, praying and joining with us in this.

- Nate

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