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.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
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
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
Friday, July 16, 2010
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.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
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'
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
93 Nance Lane, Apt A12 Nashville, TN 37210
(615-720-1922)
For more information on Modern Parables go to: http://modernparable.com/
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
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
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