ReImagine

Our relationship with power has been a frequent conversation topic as we try to negotiate what it means to be obedient (our last learning lab was about obedience) to the teaching of Jesus. I sometimes hear of followers of Jesus who try to further the kingdom by seeking positions of power within the government. I've wondered where scripture can guide us and what historical precedence there might be about this.

In scripture, I keep coming back to the temptations of Jesus from Matthew 4. Here the tempter offers him all of the kingdoms of this world if only Jesus would bow down and worship him. Jesus responds with 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only'. From this, it appears that the one tempting him has some authority (perhaps temporary) over the kingdoms of this world. Otherwise, why would he be offering them to Jesus?

Jesus invites us to pledge our obedience to the Kingdom of God with every dimension of life. Last week we looked at how me might change our financial investments and alliances in order to advance God's kingdom and demonstrate our obedience. War and resource pillaging are two more ways that our current nation-state stands in opposition to the Kingdom of God. Over the next couple weeks we want to look at how me might both redeem our current use of resources and live by a standard we feel more aligns with Jesus' teachings. Therefore we are going to examine our energy use and pollution in 5 arenas:

Last Sunday Damon and I started facilitating our Obedience Learning Lab and below is the information we handed out that first night. 

Welcome to the Obedience Learning Lab 2007. We hope to inspire a new world by attempting to subvert and break our commitments to powerful economic systems and institutions that are often in opposition to the way of Love and to affirm our commitment to the kingdom of God.This will be a 4 week lab and each week builds on the previous. Thus, if you plan on fully participating we ask that you please make every effort possible to attend all of the sessions of the lab April 22, April 29, May 6 and May 13. If you are just visiting the lab you are more than welcome to participate and we ask that you please assume a humble posture and the attitude of a learner. Try and help those who are committed to the lab.

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