The Coming of Living Water

Advent is here and as we wait, with birth-pains, the coming of our baby-king, there are people in the world who are painfully waiting for their redemption too. This advent Kaleo is taking part in the Advent Conspiracy to give a true Christmas gift to those who are painfully waiting for just a simple glass of water.

The leading cause of death in under resourced countries is from water born illnesses, including the deaths of a staggering 3,900 children a day.

Living Water International works to alleviate those in crisis by drilling wells to provide fresh, clean, unpolluted water for those in need.

So in this season of Advent, as you find yourself coming back to your need for a messiah, consider giving out of the hope you have, so that the kingdom of heaven can break into our world.

Go ahead be a Baby

This week is the second week of Advent. Advent is actually the beginning of the Christian year. Basically as a Christian, when the season of Advent comes around it is our New Years! This is when our life begins.

Why?

Because this is when the life of Jesus began two thousand years ago…. And so year after year we as Christians orient our life around a different calendar than the rest of the world.
We say that our lives aren’t defined even by the world and culture we are born into, but by the real Life we are born into, with Jesus.

So, as we enter this time of Advent, remember that our God is continually bringing you into His story. The story you were meant for. And as you continue to follow Christ and seek His face... Ask yourself, How is it, in this season of the year, that I am following a Jesus who came to us as a Child?

Join Kaleo Nashville as we celebrate Advent, our New Years, as we are Born withChrist.

Community Freesale 2010

I love the concept of a Free-sale. It makes no sense.

But that is exactly what the kingdom of God is about... things that make no sense to us.. out of the context of love.

Way back in the Old Testament, God once told His people, "When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the Lord your God." (Lev. 19:9-10)

Fact is, us Americans have a pretty bountiful harvest compared to the rest of the world. This Saturday, for the second time we as Kaleo are hosting a community free-sale. We do this in hope to see a little more of heaven coming to earth as we open a place for everyone to share their "fields" with their neighbors! In love the boundary lines between your things and mine become blurred and at some point, some day, we hope to have "everything in common."

So, all are invited this Saturday at 8:00am on for the 2nd annual Community Freesale!

Beside the Woodycrest Community Garden (around 2015 Hutton dr. 37210)

Feel free to bring some things or leave some things, or just come and hang out...

we'll have some grilled cheese sandwiches, tomato soup, drinks and smores...

Love your neighbor.

Kaleo Nashville

A Season of Refuge

It seems unbelievable that its November... It's amazing to look back over the seasons and see how God has been at work in the lives of those around us and also in our own. To see how the rhythms and seasons of our lives have ebbed and flowed with time.

And so as the darkness sets in and our daylight becomes shorter and shorter we enter into that season in which some would say requires a lot of "hanging-in-there." The question for us as the church is, What does it mean, as the coldness begins to set in, to serve a God whose love is so warm? What does it mean for us as the church, when the darkness comes rushing in, to be a child of the God whom (as the Psalmist once said) "night shines like the day and darkness and light are alike to You"?

This past weekend was the retreat for our Kaleo Nashville "Team." We spent a weekend at a Monastery in Trappist, KY. It was an all out and well needed refreshing. There is just something about a place of silence and solitude that acts as a "city of refuge"

for us these days. Being there in this place of rest and refocus also is a reminder of this season we are entering into...When the world gets cold, and the skies fade to dark, we as the world's inhabitants are meant to find some peace, rest, and refuge in the midst nor

mally chaotic, bright, and noisy places.

Be encouraged as this Season of Life falls into place, to find yourself seeking a place of refuge and rejuvenation as we give God thanks this November and on.

Sabbath

I am resting; it is sabbath, but I haven't been in a good habit of sabbath-ing lately. Caleb and I will plan stuff for the day and call it sabbath, but it really is not. Today is a real rest.

It is hard to stop the mind from working. Problems still exist on sabbath; yet mind-work is the worst kind. Anything that is urgent, that is accomplished on sabbath is a failure to keep it. We must remember that our purpose is not to work or play, but only to be. To be is the hardest thing of all. Silence in action is uncomfortable for the person who is not grounded in a belief that God is really the one who creates, redeems and brings to completion. When we do not work, we testify that we can not do it; that God is saving the world while we do not; that we were created for something different than God.

We are metaphysically different. We find our true life in the sabbath. It is not a break from life, but a participation in the hope we claim we have for the world the rest of the week. In a sabbath we remember the future. The stress, sickness, pain, long-suffering have been fulfilled by grace, freedom, peace, rest, relationship, holiday and everlasting life. It is the sabbath-rest we reach for. It is what we hope happens in our actions for the world the rest of the week. We work for the rest. Then we rest to show our belief in our work.

Rest is the point. It is the Kingdom breaking in. It is a sacrament in a way. It is participation in God's action in the world. Without rest we can only be hypocrites; pointing the world to freedom that does not exist. Testifying to a peace we have never known.

May you find sabbath; a freedom to point to a rest that is both real and the hope of the world.

The Mosaic Experiment

Next Week!: For all who would like to be a part...

We are beginning a new series in our Life Groups called The Mosaic Experiment.


The Mosaic Experiment takes some Old Testament practices, some more familiar than others, and asks how we can continue to live out these elements of our faith today.

We'll deal with questions like, What does it mean to actually, take care of the earth?
Is it possible for us to be a Prophet? ... What does a modern-day City of Refuge look like?

All are invited to jump in a group and dialogue with us as we seek how to bring these Old Testment practices out of retirement.




Life Groups happen:

Wednesday evenings at the Arnett's
7:00pm
2015 Hutton Dr. (37210)
(615-566-1429)

Thursday evenings at the Kurtz'
7:00pm
93 Nance Ln., Apt. A12
Trevecca Terrace (37210)
(615-720-1922)


(Books provided for group :)

See you there!

Current World Impact: Seeds, Tools, and Training for Orphans

Kaleo's current World Impact will go to helping children in Africa, learn the necessary skills, and have the necessary tools and supplies to garden their food.

Throughout Africa, the deadly effects of HIV and AIDS have devastated millions of families. Many young children have lost one or both parents to the disease, and they need help to ensure they have food for today and can grow food for the future. Government grants multiply the impact, providing seeds, tools, training, and food to orphans and vulnerable children so they can reach their God-given potential.

Thousands of African farmers suffer from life-threatening illnesses such as HIV and AIDS. When they get sick, their crops often fail because they don't have the strength to cultivate them. Furthermore, the cost of simple medications depletes their meager finances, so they can’t afford to buy seeds, fertilizer, and other supplies. The death of the head of a household can mean malnutrition and hunger for orphaned children.

Across the continent of Africa nearly 30 million people are HIV-positive. In many of these countries, World Vision is actively helping to counter the deadly impact of disease and food shortages by distributing food and providing seeds, tools, and training so families — many of whom care for orphans — can keep their farms going and a steady supply of food on the table.

Through this Impact we will help save lives of orphaned and vulnerable children by providing:

- Hardy vegetable, cereal, and grain seeds

- Tools such as watering cans, hoes, and machetes

- Training to help them grow a good harvest

World Vision: Seeds, Tools, and Training for Orphans

Kaleo Nashville Webpage

Veggies, Daily Bread, and Autumn

Tomorrow! (Sept. 25th) at 10am we'll be headed out to Hutton Dr. to work together in the Community Garden... Any who are able are encouraged to come and plant some vegetables, and help in the building process of a compost.. etc. !

___________________________________________________

This past Sunday evening we met for our Kaleo-Holiday in the Coleman Community Center on Thompson Ln. It was a great time of worship as we gathered and discussed what it means for Jesus to truly be our Daily Bread...

At a glance it may sound odd for a people who, just like anyone else, eats three meals a day.. and sometimes four, to turn around and say, Jesus is our Daily Bread. But it is true.

To follow Jesus Christ means to be a part of a community of faith that believes it is not all the food we put through our mouths and into our stomachs every day that sustains us... but it is Christ within us!

Truth is we can eat our fill, shuffle about our days, complete our tasks, and go our own ways. But with out Jesus as our trusted Daily Bread.. we labor in vain. Because only He can give us life.

Simply because life, at the end of the day, is a gift. We can't grab life by the tail and say we own it. Many have attempted and have come short.

Realizing Jesus is your Daily Bread, relinquishes you from trying to save yourself or the world for that matter... because God already has.

________________________________________________________

We will continue to meet at the Coleman Community Center

some of the upcoming Holiday services in October are: the 3rd, 17th*, & 31st.

* Note the Holiday on the 17th will be later than our normal 6:00pm time, this particular evening we will be gathering at 7:00pm instead.

We as the community of Kaleo Nashville are excited about Fall slowly creeping in on us, it will be a great season as we look forward to the harvest of not only food in our garden, but also the gathering of community!

Join us in the practices of worship, service, and discipleship this Fall!

KaleoNashville.com

Thursday, Serving Dinner and Volleyball

This Thursday, (Sept. 16th) join us in preparing and serving dinner to the people staying at the guest house, at Room in the Inn. (705 Drexel St.)

This will be a time of serving the ones who normally don't have the privilege of being served; the least of these.

Come help us prepare the food, or simply help serve or eat with the people.

We'll be getting there around 5:00pm to begin preparing and will serve dinner at around 6:15 to 6:30. Come at any point!

Also! We will be playing volley-ball and roasting some smores after-ward at the sand volly-ball court at Trevecca Nazarene University!

(333 Murfreesboro Pk.)

So, if you want to hang out after 7 come on out to Trevecca!

For more info, email us @ KaleoNashville@gmail.com, or call Caleb @ 931-698-6605

1 Year of Ministry!

It's pretty crazy to think that Kaleo has been "existing" now for an entire year! This is our 1 year anniversary as a local church!

We are humbled and thank God for all His work in and through our lives. It is amazing to look back over this seemingly short first year of ministry as Kaleo and look at the ups and downs, the journey of where we have come... to now, and how it is that God has brought us here.

Since the beginning the mark of Kaleo has been balanced on the question of, what does it look like to be a community of believers that leans on God so much so, that if He doesn't show up we are through?... To be in that type of dependent relationship with our God as a community... To let God steer our course.

And that journey continues on, we are humbled to walk with our God and journey on to see heaven break into the lives of our city and world of tomorrow, just as He has so faithfully done today.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us in every way this first year with Kaleo Nashville!

We are so thankful for your ministry and encouragement to us as we seek to know God in His greatness here in Nashville, TN.

- Kaleo Nashville Co-Pastor,

Caleb Haynes

The Justice of Community

Community Gardening 9/4/10


Right now, on planet earth there are more people here than ever before.

Over 6 Billion people inhabit this place...

Here in America, and even more so in the city, there is someone always around you. Whether thats in the house to your right or left, the person on the street corner, the guy in the drive-through, the older man always on his porch, or the person you hear singing above your apartment.

There are people everywhere.

The baffling thing is that depression rates are at their highest now as-well, and increasingly becoming higher. And while there are several reasons one can have depression, probably the most prevalent one is the lack of healthy community... and for some, community at all.

It's amazing we can live in a world so full of people and yet there be so much loneliness, so many people alone. Living, driving, working all in our own boxes.

Scripture talks to us over and over again about our responsibilities to the lonely. Many times it sounds something like this: Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows. Isa. 1:17

There are a lot of people suffering against the oppression of being alone, and who is fighting for them? Who is stepping in for them? The Christian call is a call to loving action on behalf of those such as the orphan and the widow. To step in the gap for those who are alone and crying out.

To see the kingdom of heaven break into our lives through loving healthy community...

So the question then becomes how do we as Christians, respond to the call to enact loving community, in a culture where there is giant potential, and yet individualism holds such a challenging grip on our lives...

Healthy community will require persistent creativity.

The Community Cookout 8/28/10

Why do you serve?

Why do we serve?

I mean really, what is the reason or motivator that keeps us serving... doing those things and tasks that are essentially no fun. For the sake of what?

Why do we serve?

Well some might say they serve because it makes them feel good inside. That serving others gives them a glimpse of inward joy, because they know at that moment they are making the world a better place...

But perhaps anyone who would have such a selfish reason to serve has probably not experienced "service" to any great length.

Because anyone who has served for a significant period of time will tell you, it gets old.

You see, when serving, we still get tired, worn out, dirty, emotionally stretched... and so on.

So in the end, can we really be people who live lives of service without some selfish motivator in the end, either it be trying to find that temporary moment of inward joy, or serving for some sort of pay check. - Because really, we are just too selfish beings to be able to do it for other reasons on our own...

Unless you follow Christ.

As Christ lives in us, and we believe in and follow Him. We are filled with a supernatural love that is beyond our own, the Love of God. - That is how we serve. We serve others and the world out of a love that is not our own, but yet fills us up and overflows out of our hearts into our minds and through our hands... and this love never runs dry. This love is beyond you.

Are you open to experiencing the love of God?

Why do you serve?

"'Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?'

'We can,' they answered.

Jesus said to them, 'You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.'

When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers.

Jesus called them together and said,'You know that the rulers of their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave- just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.'"

-Matthew 20:22-28

Community Cookout!

Come out and join us Saturday August 28th at 6:00pm for a Community Cookout!

This is simply a time to come relax, hang out, eat and get to know some others who live around you. We have a great South Nashville community and we as Kaleo Nashville hope to continue finding ways to foster good relationships amidst neighbors here.

So, if you enjoy eating some good food and meeting some great people come join us on Saturday the 28th for a Community Cookout at 2015 Hutton Dr.!

Also, at the cookout there will be information about a local community garden in our neighborhood that you can be a part of as-well!

Impact at ENCM - New Time!

Impact at the East Nashville Cooperative Ministry is now on Sundays at 10am!

At ENCM we are able to serve in a way that is simple but yet very needed for the ministry there. That is keeping their facility maintained. A lot of what we do at ENCM involves cleaning, bagging bread, painting, or other special projects.

Our Impact at ENCM is not a glorified one, but it is a place where we have the opportunity to serve those who give their lives in serving others every day.

Please feel free to join us in this ministry on Sunday mid-mornings at 10am at the East Nashville Cooperative Ministry!

East Nashville Cooperative Ministry is located at 807 Main St. Nashville, TN 37206


About ENCM:

Mission -
The East Nashville Cooperative Ministry is a Christian, ecumenical organization created and maintained for the purpose of improving the East Nashville community.

Vision -
ENCM envisions an East Nashville where citizen’s needs—spiritual, educational, economic, mental, physical, and emotional—are holistically met and neighborhoods are enabled to thrive. We contribute to this vision with food and clothing.

For more info on the "Co-op" visit http://www.encm.org/

Solomon's Saga

I was reading last night about Solomon and the queen of Sheba. Solomon was wise, so wise that the queen of Sheba came to test his wisdom. She didn't believe any of the rumours she had heard about his power through wisdom. When she arrived and saw that he did not lack an answer for any question, she gave him extravagant gifts. For his wisdom was unparalleled; worth more than gold.

We are currently talking about the parable of the Shrewd Manager in our Life Groups. This parable is quite strange and it has had me thinking about the relationship of wisdom to shrewdness. In the parable, the shrewd manager (who is also a dishonest manager) is commended by his master for acting shrewdly (not dishonestly). Then Jesus tells to his disciples to be shrewd and win friends for themselves with their resources so that when this world passes away they will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.

Solomon seemed to do this well. He used his wisdom to create a legacy for the Kingdom of God, as he was God's representative to the people. He was able to win the queen of Sheba as a friend by his wisdom. However, the end of this passage is a sobering one. After the story tells of Solomons wealth and wisdom, and how much he did for his country, and how good of a life he had, it finally ends with..."Solomon rested with his fathers".


Ecclesiastes says that it is good to be wise, but even a wise man who saves a city by his wisdom is forgotten. That this too does not last. In our attempts to gain wisdom and act shrewdly for the Kingdom of God, we must keep one reminder at the forefront. We too are like grass that withers. Our fame is not the end. It is God who weighs the mountains like dust on scales.

If we are commended because we act shrewdly to win favor for God's Kingdom, it is because it is God's Kingdom that is awesome. The favor that shrewdness achieves may very well be from the people who are being brought into the Kingdom's awesomeness. People like Sheba, who, through you, have found a wisdom worth more than gold.

Messy Christianity

It would seem that the more we venture farther down the rabbit hole of Christian spirituality, of ministry, we end up seeing just how messy this whole thing is.
The world, your work place, the church, the book club you belong to, and even places like the White House are fully of... well... humans.

Shocking I know.
Truth is though sometimes we act like that these places are full of people who are other than human. People who have it all together, who never mess up, who are always doing "good."

And then when something goes wrong we are all flabbergasted because we thought that _______ had this whole thing together.

The Church has been one of those places in many cases, hasn't it?
The place where we are supposed to be able to go to no matter how we look, no matter what our issues are, no matter what our hang-ups are...
Sadly over time many decided that spirituality wasn't messy anymore, that if you wanted to follow Jesus you had to have it all together. At least that's how it felt anyway right.

Perhaps though the most exciting part about our Gospel is that it is messy!
That we are all on this journey together and the moment we think we've got it all figured out or that we can do it all alone... that's when we should be pitied the most.

As Kaleo Nashville we are humbled and yet joyous at the fact that we are a messy community, a community with a common kingdom purpose, walking together with with a message that constantly brings us back to the broken, the hurting, the hungry, the lonely, and the lost.

Come be messy with us
KaleoNashville.com

It's a grass-roots Kingdom... Or perhaps a veggie-root

Unfortunately for too long, perhaps many local churches have believed that they must do things on a grandeur scale to see a piece of heaven come into their community. There have been everything from large magnificent sanctuaries to over the top Vacation Bible Schools with hundreds of children... which definitely these things are good...

But perhaps more times than not the Kingdom of Heaven comes in the places and ways that we don't always catch at first glance, in the situations that don't get the news recognition, in the conversations that happen on your neighbors front porch.

One of those things that we believe, as the local church of Kaleo, brings a piece of heaven into our neighbors' lives is fresh and good food.

In all reality, what is more needed to experience life the way we were meant to live except by having food right? Sure it's one of those simple things that often times, especially for those in middle-class America, you just may not think about... or not realize that people in your actual neighborhood don't have access to.

So, we decided as Kaleo Nashville to hold a benefit concert for the Woodbine Farmer's Market that just began. The benefit was on July 10th and it was a blast! Artists, Adam Foster, Matt Lovell, and Action! played for the benefit and we were able to raise some funds that will hopefully help this Market to hang around in the community of South Nashville.

Two weeks into the Market and its great to see how people in the community will rally over something so awesome as having our own Farmer's Market... and yet also over something so basic as having good and local resources. Things that give to us and back into our community as-well.

That's where we've seen Heaven break into our community recently.

Modern Parables

This week in our Life Groups we will begin discussing a series of Modern Parables...

We will be watching short film, modern interpretations of parables that Jesus told to us thousands of years ago... and then spending two weeks on each parable to digest and understand what it is that we can learn from these parables and the truths within them, and then how we can live out these truths in our lives.

Beginning this week is the parable of the Good Samaritan...

It'll be a great time, come join us on Wednesday night at 7pm at Ryan and Deirdre Arnett's
or Thursday night at 7pm at Mike and Tera Kurtz'

Wednesday Life Group - 7pm

2015 Hutton Dr.Nashville, TN 37210

(615-566-1429)

Thursday Life Group - 7pm

Trevecca Terrace Apartments
93 Nance Lane, Apt A12 Nashville, TN 37210

(615-720-1922)

For more information on Modern Parables go to: http://modernparable.com/

Woodbine Farmer's Market!

Reminder for everyone!

Today is the Grand Opening of the Woodbine Farmers Market 4-7pm at Coleman Park!
(384 Thompson Lane)

So, come on out this evening (Tuesday July, 6th) to show your support for the Market and what is happening in South Nashville! There will be local produce, meat, honey, milk, tarts, pies, bread, coffee and all kinds of other things!



Also, check out this video on Fox News highlighting the Market!:
WZTV FOX 17 :: Newsroom - Top Stories




And this Saturday July 10th is the Benefit Concert for the Woodbine Farmer's Market!



Kaleo Nashville is hosting the benefit at The Flatrock Cafe on Nolensville Pk. at 7pm!


It will be a great time for a great cause!

See you there!







Facebook Event for Benefit:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=121228184586824&ref=mf


Newsletter for Woodbine Farmer's Market:
http://us1.campaign-archive.com/?u=0c79439376c28bee6cf87897b&id=2ea3a776f3

Coffee-cake? Oh yeah

Hey all!

Everyone is invited to join us this Saturday (June 26th) for a community brunch with some coffee and Panera pastries at the Kurtz' place from 10 to 11am. It's simply a time to kick-back and share life together.
(Trevecca Terrace Apartments, 93 Nance Lane, Apt A12.)

Also, if you'd like feel free to hang around afterward for KaleoImpact at the East Nashville Co-operative Ministry as we help clean up their building and bag bread!

Comfort

In our Life groups we've been spending the past few weeks discussing the Holy Spirit.

The fact is most of us know something about the Spirit, we all seem to have some sort of Spirit-theology...
But what does it mean for us not to simply continue on into the never ending depths of understanding the Spirit and really spend time focusing on what does it mean to live in relationship to the Holy Spirit as He lives within us?

Sure we all know about the Spirit... but do we live like we know what we know?

One of the main characteristics of the Spirit is that He is our Comforter..
And a-lot of us find that, well... comforting... But perhaps the truth is for many of us that we already have quite a bit of comfort in our lives. I mean for real, we live in America. We are the "experts" on what it means to live comfortable lives.

And so for many of us to be at a place that we need a Holy Comforter in and at work in our lives... is just not day to day business.

But what if it was?

What if it was our business as Christians to live day to day lives that danced upon the edges, that walked upon the fringes, to find ourselves in desperate places where we needed the Comforter.. the One who speaks for us when we don't know what to say (when was the last time you were in desperate need for a response?).. the One who guides our daily steps...

Somehow there seems to be a deep connection in our relationship with the God who lives inside of us, and being at a place of desperateness.

Possessing Heaven

"A ruler asked Him, 'Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?'
'Why do you call Me good?' Jesus asked him. 'No one is good but One--God. You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not bear false witness; honor your father and mother.'
'I have kept all these from my youth,' he said.
When Jesus heard this, He told him,'You still lack one thing: sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.'
After he heard this, he became extremely sad, because he was very rich."


Who doesn't want to possess a piece of heaven, right? We want to experience the goodness of God... Who doesn't want to "inherit eternal life?" .. To see the kingdom of heaven active and real in the world around them?
So maybe that's just it though. Everyone wants a piece... so many people find themselves committing to a piece.
But the truth of the matter is, the whole is very costly.

It's almost like wanting to be a part of this great pilgrimage, this great journey, and so you set out headed toward Life, only to find yourself giving up a little ways in for the difficulties are too much to bear.

You can't possess the kingdom of God, until the God of the kingdom possesses you.

...and sadly, most people have way too many things that possess them already.

Who/What possesses you? What do you possess?

Can you own everything and yet possess nothing?

Can you own nothing and possess everything?



(passage from Matthew 18:18 - 23)

Holiday This Sunday!

Hey All!

This Sunday, June 6th, we have our first Holiday of June at the Flatrock Cafe! (2624 Nolensville Pike)

Come out at 6:00pm and meet with us at the table as we celebrate what God is doing in our lives, our city, and our world!

See you there!

www.kaleonashville.com

ENCM Project

Come and Join us in giving back to the place
that gives so much..

This Thursday and Saturday Kaleo Nashville is hosting a service project or.. extreme non-profit makeover... at teh East Nashville Cooperative Ministry... Everyone is welcome to lend a hand!

Thursday, May 27th at 6pm
…Demolition & Tearing walls down!

And Saturday, May 29th at 10am
…Cleaning, Bagging bread, & Grill Out for the contractors and all who are there.

ENCM is located at 807 Main St. Nashville, TN 37206

Holiday this Sunday!

There is a Holiday coming up this Sunday May 23rd beginning at 6:00pm with dinner at The Flatrock Cafe !(2624 Nolensville Pike)

Come ready to celebrate Life! As we worship together through meal, song, Scripture, fellowship, and sacrament..

This Sunday's speaker: Emily Haynes

See you then!

Unity

This summer we as the body of Kaleo we have decided to spend the next couples months to focus on, Unity.

Unity has easily become one of those topics in life and especially in the Christian sphere that we tend to know alot about...
It's kinda like we know, "yeah, we are suppose to have unity" ... but really, what does that look like?
And can you ever really be the church without practicing unity?
And how do we practice unity?

This summer our 'goal' as a local church family is to put some flesh on the term Unity.
This week we began meeting at 7:00am on Tuesday mornings to share life together in simple ways... whether that is updating each other on what in the world's going on, or sharing prayer together, or sharing a pastry together...

It may not seem like a huge step, but you just can't leap into unity. It's a step by step kind of thing.

All that to say...
You are invited to be a part of this journey and join us every Tuesday this summer at 7am at the Flatrock Cafe...
(2624 Nolensville Pike, Nashville, TN 37211)


We've all done alot talking about Unity.. what does it mean to take a piece of your time and life to practice some..



Acts 2:42-47
And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayers. Then fear came over everyone, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. Now all the believers were together and had everything in common. So they sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as anyone had a need. And every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple complex, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved.

Lord willing and the creek don't rise

It's amazing to witness such tremendous flooding. Apparently there have been all kinds of flooding 'records' being broken with the storm that came this weekend. Now as I get out this morning and drive around a little, and as more of the pictures begin to surface of all the damage that has been done, it's astonishing.

Nashville is really one of those cities that just doesn't do natural 'disasters' very well. Because in reality there hasn't been alot of those kinds of problems here in the recent past. That saying it's always interesting to see how people will react when something like massive flooding happens.

It's almost like you begin to see different groups of people popping up...
There's those who look at something like this as an opportunity to make some money... offering their paid services to help clean up the damage. Then there's the other side who begins to look for opportunities to volunteer... to coordinate a plan and organize a team to help the big needs around them. Also, there are those who amazingly are just apathetic to it all... if it doesn't effect them then all is well.. and there's no reason why they should help those around them even if they are able, because 'what did they ever do for me.' And then there are those who are simply good neighbors...they are the people who aren't out to save the world, but just by being who they are they find themselves carrying the burdens of and lending hands to those who live next door.



Not saying there's not a time to make money, or a time to do big good things in your community, But maybe where we find heaven breaking into earth the most... is when we as neighbors, as the man or woman who just lives next door, can act out of simple neighborly love.

Resurrection - Back to the Future

I think its often the temptation of Christians to believe in the resurrection as if its something that is going to happen one day. At the end of time we will all witness a great resurrection of the dead. Well that's true.
But the amazing part is that it has already begun. 2,000 years ago on Sunday morning when the stone was rolled away and the tomb was found empty... Resurrection began. Restoration was enacted and has continued since. So we live between the already and the not yet.

What does it mean for us as Christians to say we live a gospel that proclaims a resurrection that has already been set in motion. What does it mean to live in a culture that often says things are getting worse and worse, and proclaim the gospel of Jesus that says things are being made new.

Just as in Back to the Future... Marty McFly went back in time to 1955 from 1985, and while he was there, he enacted a change. A change between his parents relationship and others. And that changed carried on into the future. When he returned things were better. And had increasingly gotten that way.

Jesus, the God of the universe, the Author of the story stepped into time at a specific moment and enacted a change... and the effects of that change have been in action for thousands of years... In the words of Jesus, "The kingdom of heaven has come near." And so continues to come.

What does it mean to live within the resurrection, to live a gospel that says, all creation is being made new... To live between 1955 and 1985. The change has been enacted.

Ressurection Sunday!

A week ago Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.
Palm branches were thrown down and Jesus was praised as King.
"Hosannas" echoed through the city walls and the sound of laughter and joy were heard.

By Friday all sounds of joy had faded. The vote the people cast for Jesus as their King was seen as mistake as now the voices cried "crucify, crucify!"
It was too risky following such a leader, a leader who broke Sabbath laws, who said such heritical things...
So the people continued to follow the king which they had attempted to follow for so long, The Law.

So Jesus died and so the people felt justice was served. Law was still king.
So Friday ended with tears, confusion, and false validation...

Because when the Sunday morning sun rose over the garden, the stone was rolled away, our Savior is now alive, Resurrection has come.
And the One who we all thought was a law breaker, was revealed as The Law Maker.
The law was fulfilled and Jesus now reigns as the true King.

When Resurrection Sunday came, so did Life, so did Freedom, so did a New Order.
And that Order was Love. That Order is Jesus Christ!

Jesus is risen. He is risen indeed.

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

- Kaleo Nashville

Story

Recently in our Life groups we've been on the topic of Story and Community.
At any given point you can go up to anyone and say: "Tell me your story." And you will begin to hear about a journey, a tale about this particular person's life.

Everyone has a unique story, a unique life, a story that is only theirs to tell.
And it is our story that makes up who we are. It's where we have come from that tells about where we are today.

So what does it mean to begin to share your story? To open your box, the box that we tend to keep all the hidden elements of our lives in... whether they be good, bad, or ugly.
Because it's when we begin emptying our box, that we begin to find ourselves in community. In community first and foremost with God, as we are open and surrenedered in our relationship with Him.
And also in community with each other, open to one another. Because again, true community can't happen if no-one knows who you are.

So, as the local church, Kaleo Nashville, we are living a particular story as-well, as a community. We realize that we are part of a greater story, the story that God is telling, and we are not the main character, but yet have a crucial role to play as God uses us to see His kingdom come into our lives, our city, and our world.

We ask that you would be in prayer for us as the body of Kaleo that we would be found faithful in the work God has given us here in Nashville.

Patrick's Day Platform

This past Saturday Kaleo Nashville hosted a St. Patrick's Day Party in our community. It was an event open to anyone to come hear some music, enjoy a potato bar, and play some games. We do these kinds of things in hopes to continue to build relationships with those around us, to see true community happen. Because isn't it true that most people don't know most of their neighbors, if any at all. How ridiculous is it that we get so caught up in keeping people off our property that we likely will never find out who we might actually want on it.
And as Christians, we believe God wants everyone on our property, so when we throw a banquet, or in this case, a St. Patrick's Day party, we invite everyone. Which when this happens it usually provides for a pretty fun event with many different people. I don't think there are many things more beautiful than seeing people come together from all ages and walks of life to simply hang out, share stories, songs, and food together as a community.
As much planning that went into that party on Saturday, in reality much of it simply got thrown out the window though. Which was probably the best thing that could happen. Instead of a song writers showcase from a few friends that we had asked to play, we had a song writers night compiled of neighbors who we didn't even know wrote or sang. Instead of all gathering around a fire, almost everyone ended up retreated from the cold into the house only to crowd together in a living room. So instead of having potato sack races and games, people squished together on couches to watch "UP".
It's funny, we think so often that we have to create this great agenda and structure for community to take place. When in all truth, community is the very thing that you can't make happen, it's something that happens naturally or it really doesn't happen at all. The goal then is to simply create a platform. To have a platform for community to happen, a platform for the Spirit to work, a platform for heaven to break into our lives.

Valentine's Impact Looking Back

On Saturday, February 13, Kaleo hosted a community impact at our local retirement center, the Trevecca Towers. It was a sort of Valentine Eve event and typical of any successful gathering, food brought us together despite what some might consider a generational gap. We shared cookies, candy, conversation and fruit punch which made for delightful introductions. Then after everyone was adequately sweetened up with sugar and spice and everything nice we continued with the afternoon’s festivities. First, we crafted valentines to share with those shut-in neighbors who may not have been able to attend. Then, hosted by an M.C. and appropriate to the day, we focused our celebration on stories and topics of love: past, present and future. We reflected on fond memories come but not yet gone. We were told tales of trials now overcome. We heard inspirational sagas of marriage and lifelong love. We even compared favorite love songs and movies and heard secret crushes confessed. And by the time the last story was told, it was obvious that we were, in fact, bridging the generation gap. But more importantly, we were able to embrace an opportunity to cultivate new friendships, and, God willing, we will continue to see those relationships strengthened and sustained into the future.
At Kaleo we have recognized the fact that ours is a movement of a younger generation. And in our youth we have been given a new vision – a vision of what it might look like to be missional within our community and to actually see the kingdom of God break into our world. However, we also realize that without the dreams of an older and wiser generation we might easily fall short of what we know Christ expects from his church. Just as the body is made up of many parts working together, so it is with the church. And so it is our hope for Kaleo. We wish for a partnership. We intend to share our youth and our vision, and we seek for others’ dreams and guidance.
We understand that the body of Christ is intended to be made up of many gifts. Our goal was to form relationships with those residing in the Towers, as they are very much a part of the community in which we live. The party was a success as people enjoyed making their own Valentine cards, eating home- made Valentine’s Day treats, and sharing special Valentine’s Day moments with us.
Especially touching moments were shared when two Hurricane Katrina transplants from New Orleans shared their stories about being rescued from the hurricane and coming to the Trevecca Towers. Sticking within the theme of Valentine’s Day, they expressed their gratitude for those who have shown them acceptance and love since coming to reside at the Towers. The residents were eager to share stories about their weddings, significant others, and favorite love songs and movies.
- Dierdre Arnett

To read more about what's happening with Kaleo Nashville email kaleonashville@gmail.com and ask to recieve our bi-monthly newsletter!

Valentine's Day Party!

A day that often can be seen as a lonely day for many who have no-one else to celebrate with, we as Kaleo want to be a means of blessing, comfort, and fun for the perhaps, heavy hearted. So..

- This Saturday, February 13th, Kaleo will be hosting a Valentine's Day Party at the Trevecca Towers! It will be a fun time of making and exchanging valentine's, eating some snacks, sharing stories, and making friends!

All are welcome to join us!

Contact kaleonashville@gmail.com or 931-698-6605 for more info!

Good Hearts Glow - Reflections from Holiday

Embrace Christ, He wants to embrace you, and when He does, He changes you, your heart is good, it’s so good that it glows. But don’t we too often stifle the glow, we douse the light, and grieve the Holy Spirit when all we can see in the mirror is what we used to be. We are Moses coming down from the mountain where we just met with God, our faces are shining with His glory! And then we put on a veil.

The first marriage we walked down the aisle to our Lord, our Groom, with our faces veiled, we cried tears of oppression, and our God heard them. We met our God at the altar of Mt. Sinai and we married our God, we entered a covenant with our God.
But all too soon the marriage began.. well.. failing. We failed at loving Him, our Groom, our God, we failed at keeping His word, and we cheated on our God. We had an affair with other gods. Time and time again. So even when the ceremony ended we continued to wear our veil, because it was a veil of shame.

But then God said there will be a second marriage. I will take you in my hands and you will reenter the womb and you will come out with new life. You will be good. You will walk down the aisle to Me and I will pull your veil back and touch your tears and I will make you clean, make you new. Forever.
You shall never again put on the veil for I, the Lord, have taken it off! You are good. Your heart and your life will glow. You will be like a city on a hill. Everyone who sees you will see truth and life. Because of your good heart, through My good grace.

In Christ, your heart is good, and good hearts glow.

Reference: 2 Corinthians 3

Tchuss!

Several months ago we were approached by a close German friend of ours with the idea of an internship... So since our official kick-off of Kaleo, Mario has been working with us and has been a huge help for us in many ways. We are sad to see Mario returning to Germany, but excited for him as he gets ready for University and his next step in the journey of life. Mario leaves this Saturday for Germany, and will hopefully be attending the University in Mainz, where our sister church is, KiA Mainz. We know he will be a blessing to the community there!

We ask that you pray for our awesome intern Mario as he takes these next steps in life, and pray for us, Kaleo, as we begin to ask how we are going to fill some of these shoes Mario is leaving behind! :)

Blessed are those...

We are two weeks into our discussion of the beatitudes.
This week we find ourselves being starred in the face by the words of our Savior who says,
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."

Those who cry, those who lament, those who mourn - they are the ones who recieve comfort.
What does it mean to be a people who can mourn together, mourn our sin, mourn our hurts, and so in our sorrow... find the living God coming next to us and residing within us.

But thats not enough. God calls us beyond being comforted. To the point where He says to us that we are so much His and His very own body, that He will use us to comfort others.

Our prayer is that this discussion of the beatitudes doesn't end with a conclusion. - But that it ends with the beginning of a Christ-like lifestyle that comforts those who mourn.

We extend our prayers to Haiti right now, pray with us.

Kingdom Experiment

2010 is here. And it seems crazy.
We began meeting as Kaleo almost four months ago. It is amazing how time passes.
Ya know, the gospel that we proclaim is a gospel of transformation, of hope, and healing. A gospel that uses time as an indespensable tool for our lives and all of creation to find itself bent toward heaven.
So we are excited. Excited for what time holds for us as we continually find ourselves on our knees praying for God to show up through our faithfulness to His ministry.
We are excited to see in 2010 and the years to come how the gospel will expand through Kaleo Nashville as wild mustard bushes expand. We want to see how the good news of Jesus Christ will creep up through the sidewalks of our neighborhoods, into the abandoned-nobody-wants-houses, and eventually up through the doors of our hearts.

--- This week in our life groups we are beginning a series called the Kingdom Experiment. We will take a closer look at the gospel of Jesus, and each week put in practice that message in tangible ways.
Can't think of a better way to start the year than practicing the words of our Savior.

Love, Grace, & Mustard.