Birds resting

What's up with the animal titles? Beats me. (-:

Jesus teaches about how the Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. (Matthew 13:31-32):

"Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches."

This past week this passage spoke to me in a way it never has. Its the passage that explains what we're creating at Grace Park. We call it a safe place because it is where hurting people can come and experience authentic relationships with God and people. Notice that the kingdom of heaven is a place where even birds come and rest in its branches. Birds rest in safe places. I see glimpses of where Grace Park is going and its electrifying. The long term vision of Grace Park could simply be this passage, it becomes a place where the world can come and find rest.

Ducks paddling

None of us want to describe ourselves as hurting people. Most of us like it when people look at us and think, "Wow. They have it all together." What's really happening to some of us is we're like a duck on a serene lake where its calm on the surface but underneath we're churning as hard as we can. At least, that's what I feel like sometimes.

We've just started community groups at Grace Park and I am so glad they're finally here. Community groups are simply a group of people who meet together weekly for fun, fellowship, Bible study, prayer, etc. Over time the group becomes a safe place where we can start being real. Its a place where the question, "How are you doing?" is replaced with, "How are you doing, really?" When you add 'really' to that question it goes beyond the preconditioned answers (fine, good, okay) and genuinely asks how we are. When we get to that point, authentic relationships can be built. Living life is about relationships. The entire writings of the Bible can be summed up in terms of relationships. God created us for a relationship with Him. Jesus came to restore that relationship.