Your Preconception and the Christmas Expectation

Have you ever noticed how people see what they expect to see?
It's like if you're looking for it you'll find it, kind of thing. You know how some people get to work in the morning and express just how miserably cold it is, while the next person walks in and says, "Today is the sunniest day we've had this week!"

Perhaps there is more truth in "Seek and you shall find," than we realize.

Recently I've been reading "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck. During one particular scene of the the story a local man is dialoguing with another man's Chinese servant, Lee.
Well the servant normally speaks in short broken English, or what they call pidgin. Except for this time. During this conversation Lee suddenly breaks out of the slow and broken English and begins discussing with the other man in a fluent manner. The man then inquires as to why Lee always speaks the way he does since his English is actually so good.
"Lee said, 'I know it's hard to believe, but it has happened so often to me and to my friends that we take it for granted. If I should go up to a lady or a gentleman, for instance, and speak as I am doing now, I wouldn't be understood.'
'Why not?'
'Pidgin they expect, and pidgin they'll listen to. But English from me they don't listen to, and so they don't understand it.'
'Can that be possible? How do I understand you?'
'That's why I'm talking to you. You are one of the rare people who can separate your observation from your preconception. You see what is, where most people see what they expect.'"

We often expect so many different things from Christmas every year, don't we? Lots of family time, presents, sweets, games, movies, new toys... and then perhaps we try to squeeze some of "the real meaning" of the season in on Sundays...

The question is though, what is it that your expecting to experience this season? What do you truly desire to see? What are you searching for? Because I bet, at some point, you'll find yourself in the midst of it.

This Christmas, what, or better yet, who are you expecting? Are you expecting more traffic? More travel? Are you expecting it to be filled with quality or quantity family time? Gifts, food, and so on?

Or this Christmas, are you expecting the Living God? Are you expecting the God who is coming to us in millions of unexpected ways?

Are you expecting the Jesus who would even to us come as a child?

May you this season, seek out, look for, expect the coming of our God... if you will expect with an open and humble heart, you will find Him. In countless ways.
Expect the unexpected this Christmas.

Merry Christmas,
~ Caleb

Culturally Appropriate Giving and Kingdom Living

Recently I was watching a brief segment on one of our few news channels that involved the topic of Who to buy for this Christmas... and What should you buy...

As I began to view this short piece of "news," I realized what was happening here. I was getting the privilege of hearing an "expert" on the issue of Christmas present purchasing!
How enthralling! (to be said in a sarcastic tone)

What struck me is that now we actually have our culture letting us know who its appropriate to give gifts to this season (which apparently involves my babysitter, my mail-carrier, my beautician, my daycare person, and my office assistant) and also what gifts and dollar amounts are socially acceptable... We've really got this down to a science don't we?

So lets take a second and lift the veil to see the issues that are really behind this discussion:

- Christmas has become primarily about consumerism. I'm culturally obligated to give gifts to all these people, and i'm afraid that if I don't they will either be hurt or insulted etc.

- I'm not giving because of some overflowing affection toward these people, i'm giving perhaps then out of guilt, or manipulation, or some other false motive...

Recently, I had someone say to me how they are "so sick of the consumerism of Christmas."

The fact is, we all should be. It should make us sick. It's a sickening thing to think that Americans spend $450,000,000,000 (that's billion) on Christmas every year... and the estimated cost to give clean water to everyone in the world is $20 billion...

It should make us sick to think about children going to bed hungry while other kids are swimming in new toys. Something is disturbingly wrong here.

For too long, the only difference between those who claim to follow Jesus and those who don't during Christmas is that they go to church. This is ridiculous.

Christmas holds so much more hope than this! This season we participate in a story that involves the salvation of the world!

As followers of Jesus we are called to live a life that rescues the world, that brings healing and restoration... not to live in such a way that we consume, take, and fed ourselves with no consideration for our neighbor.

When it came down to it, Jesus gave Himself. This Christmas, lets do the same.

Instead of buying guilty presents this Christmas... or even presents for people you really want to give to. Instead give your time, give yourself. Be creative!

There is great work to be done this season... be part of God's work in the world this Christmas!

-Caleb

Co-Pastor at Kaleo Nashville

Check out this video!

The Truth will set you free

We are getting ready to wrap up our study at Kaleo walking through the chapters of Love Wins. The book has provided a good platform for us as we've journeyed together in this discussion. The best part of the book, naturally, is the end. The Good News is Better Than That. Bell spends the chapter discussing the issue of trust.

Truth is, that we pretty much all have trust issues. One person feels unworthy, the other feels overqualified. Some feel unwanted, and some feel like they are the center of the universe. Some people feel handicapped to help the world. Some people feel like they've single hand-idly saved the world. But to each person, Jesus is there calling us into a better story.

When truth is extravagant, it becomes hard to swallow for most. But there lies the issue, the Truth is extravagant. If it was anything less, it would not be the Truth.

Even though for most, this extravagant truth is a tall order to swallow, deep within our hearts we wish it to be real. We long and yearn for it to be the Truth. Did you know that we are designed for glory? God glorifies us as He has made us in His image, and being so as receivers of glory in the image of God, we also are glory givers. Our only hope of living a life where we find “happiness” and joy, is by living a life for God and receiving glory for Him, and then in turn giving it back to Him in worship.

This is the story of all creation. Even the beauty of the trees reflect the glory of God, the earth declares the work of His hands and gives Him glory. So, how much more as we are human, created in His image, do we carry this beautiful glory and the responsibilities of it?

But to begin to do that, to begin to live in the way we are created to live, we must accept God's story for us. There is no alternative to finding life.

Here is the truth: God created you in His image, God loves you in an unconditional way, there is nothing you can do to make yourself more worthy of His love, there is nothing you can do to make yourself unworthy of His love. The Love simply is. This is the Truth, trust in Him - this is your story.

Maternal Health in Afghanistan

Current World Impact: Maternal Health in Afghanistan

Every 30 minutes, an Afghan woman dies of childbirth-related complications. In fact, tragically, almost half of all deaths of women age 15-49 in Afghanistan result from complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Most of these deaths could be prevented with increased access to maternal health services.

World Vision is hard at work in Afghanistan, training midwives and implementing child survival programs In order to reduce maternal, infant, and child mortality rates. They need our help to continue improving the health of women and children in Afghanistan.

Our gift will provide training for midwives, prenatal and ongoing medical care for mothers and children, improved nutrition, immunizations, and other critical interventions for those in need. We can help save the lives of mothers and children in Afghanistan today!

www.worldvision.org

See you Sunday at the Garden!
- Kaleo Nashville

Fall Festival!

This Saturday (October 1st) will be the Woodycrest Fall Festival!

Held at the Woodycrest Community Garden on Hutton Dr. (37210), there will be games for everyone, hay rides, some music by a few neighbors, a moon bounce, homemade chili, and a homemade pie contest! And we'll cap off the evening with some smores around the fire!

So come and hang out with your friends and neighbors this Saturday anytime after 3pm for the Woodycrest Fall Festival!

For more information contact Caleb @ 931-698-6605 or email us @ KaleoNashville@gmail.com

Sponsored by Kaleo Nashville

Love Wins - Life Group Study

This Tuesday (September 20th) Kaleo will be beginning a study on Heaven and Hell.

We will be using the book Love Wins, by author Rob Bell as a platform for this discussion over the next several weeks.

This is not to say Kaleo will be endorsing this book or everything it has to say, but we simply want to walk through these pages, along with Scripture, a look through our Traditions, Experiences and Reason... and find ourselves allowing God to lead us.

This will hopefully be a great study for anyone who is seeking to dialogue and who is open to learn about these issues of our faith!

Kaleo Nashville

Life Group - Tuesdays Evenings @ 7pm

Starts every Tuesday with dinner, so come and join us!

2015 Hutton Dr. Nashville, TN 37210

Creation Care - Learning and Doing - Saturday Sept. 10th

CREATION CARE SEMINAR

This coming weekend at Blakemore Church of the Nazarene (2800 Belcourt Ave. Nashville) there will be a Creation Care Seminare with Dr. Matthew Sleeth.

A decade ago, Matthew Sleeth was an ER doctor living out the American Dream when suddenly he and his wife Nancy were confronted by the powerful truth that the biggest problem facing humanity was environmental degradation. “If we don’t have clean air, clean water, and healthy soil to sustain life on earth, the other problems won’t really matter.” This profound realization spurred Matthew and his whole family to embark on a journey to a more simple and earth-friendly lifestyle. Matthew eventually quit his job, and together with Nancy, began the non-profit Blessed Earth (www.blessedearth.org.) Since then, the Sleeths have travelled the country speaking with churches, educational, media, and environmental groups about the benefits and blessings of caring for our environment. In addition to their speaking, Nancy has authored Go Green, Save Green and Matthew has written Serve God, Save the Planet as well as The Gospel According to the Earth. Their daughter Emma is the author of It’s Easy Being Green.

Creation Care Seminar - Saturday, September 10

9:00am - 10:15--Living the Good Life in Bad Economic Times (Nancy)
10:15 -10:30--Break
10:30 - 11:45--24:6 (Matthew)
11:45 - 12:30--Q&A (Matthew, Nancy and Emma Sleeth)

ALSO...

ENCM EVENT: CLEANUP DAY

Saturday September the 10^th, there is a Main Street to McFerrin cleanup project in East Nashville. Anyone can show up for an hour or two on this day as we make an Impact on the East Nashville community. There will be brand new ENCM t-shirts to identify those serving...

Meet at the East Nashville Cooperative Ministry (807 Main St. Nashville, 37206) at 7:45 am to impact our community. There will be an open house and food at ENCM as-well. If you would like to help by providing snacks, food or drinks for the workers please let say so in your RSVP know.

Please RSVP to alan@encm.org with your availability on the 10^th and to reserve your t-shirt size.