Weekly Update

We are at a key time for Reconciler as we take time to look at who God calls us to be and how we are to live into that call and reach out to those in our circles and those who live in our neighborhoods. I think it might be easy though to be caught up in the planning as if we will make things happen. As we rewrite our vision statement and make a strategic plan as our denominations have requested of us, we need to remember that for this work to be more than just our human effort it must be prayer.
I mean several things by this: first that as we ask ourselves the questions of to whom and how well will reach out, and questions of money and time needed to be who we are called to be that we need to be asking these questions intentionally seeking the presence of God. Second, we need to open ourselves not to the possibilities that are before us in a year, three year or five years, but open ourselves to God, who holds all possibilities in his hand and who builds up his people. Lastly, we must keep in mind not who we think should come but be seeking God to send us the people he has for us.
This is important for all church plants but especially for Reconciler, as we are choosing to set aside the good success oriented models that use very good human rational for what is to be done and when and with how many people. We cannot fall back on a good rational plan because we have already simply begun without it all planned. All we can fall back on is God, but in the end in truth it is who we are called to rely, not on human wisdom and the wisdom of sociology but the wisdom of God, which is foolishness to all human wisdom and science. Thus, it is imperative that all we do is prayer, that is seeks to be in God and rely on nothing but what God is doing in our midst by the power of the Spirit.
Lately, I have purposefully been hanging out in the cafes and walked more the streets of our neighborhoods. As I have done this I realize that I do not know what God has in store. It is apparent that there are so many possibilities, the only way we will settle on the right one is to be open to what God has to as we plan to do so seeking what God is doing in us and in Edgewater, Andersonville and Roger’s Park. It was nearly two years ago that God brought a group of people together at Seabury and that group affirmed that the Spirit was at work, now we seek God to show us specific ways that we are at work.
Tripp and I as was announced last week have “office hours” in local cafes.
Monday nights Tripp is at Kopi Cafe (5317 N. Clark) in Andersonville from 7:00 - 9:00pm
Tuesday nights I am at Metropolis Café (1039 W. Granville) in Edgewater from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. (this is a revised time since Metropolis closes at 8:00 pm)
Wednesday nights Tripp is at Pause Café (1107 W Berwyn) just off the Berwyn Redline stop from 7:00-9:00 pm
Thursday nights I am at Ennui Café (6981 N Sheridan) in Rogers Park at Sheridan and Lunt from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.
Lastly Reconciler is coordinating a monthly meeting of Artist who are Christians or who are interested in the meeting of spirituality and art. We meet the third Thursday of each month. We meet this week the 19th at Moody’s Pub on Broadway.
God is at work in us may we continue to be prayerfully open to God’s continued guidance.
In Christ,
Larry