:: Merry Christmas '09 ::

Giuseppe Sammartino, Nativity (A.D. 1780's)

"And the angel said to them, 'Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
'Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
(Luke 2:10-14)

These are familiar verses. But in them, we find the depth, beauty, and meaning of Christmas that many of us have forgotten. Or maybe better, it's a message that has become overshadowed by busy-ness of packing to get out of town; by the half-hour wait of angry drivers in mall parking lots; by the good feeling we get when we buy a gift for someone else, or by the anxious expectation of wondering what we're getting. Or maybe it's been overshadowed by a million other things, like economic or political stresses you're facing, those end-of-the-year work frustrations, relational struggles, the constant buzzing of a BlackBerry or a cell phone, or a rough year. Maybe it's sadness. Longing. Worry.

As I read these verses this morning, however, and reflected back on the brief discussions of "Advent" we've had in our church family this season, I found myself (for the first time this Christmas season), truly embracing Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. I don't know if it's the snow falling on Christmas Eve after yesterday's "December in Texas" high in the 70's, or the quiet empty house, the smell of breakfast in the oven for Jess and I as we celebrate our own Christmas before heading out to be with her family, or the prospect of a taking off the last week of '09 after a marathon July-December [that includes this blog, by the way]. But I do know that when I look at Sammartino's 'crèche,' what strikes me most is two things.

Make the picture larger. Stare at it for a few moments. First, notice the light-dark contrast: the hope of the world; the promised Messiah; the savior is born, after 400 years of silence between God and his people. That's what God is doing. Second, look at the man on the bottom right: the earnestness with which Sammartino painted him, full-body on the ground, worshipping and clamoring to get close to the God-Child who is so very small in the painting. That's our proper response to what God is doing, isn't it?

My prayer for you - and for me - this Christmas, is that no matter what holiday stresses; no matter what great sadness; no matter what worries or anxiety or busyness or distractions, we might spend a few moments on the floor of a manger with this shepherd. That we might put aside everything else and fall on our faces, pulling ourselves desperately to worship at the feet of the Christ. That we might cling desperately to the promised fullness of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love, despite the hopelessness, chaos, sadness, and emptiness we sometimes experience. That we might be in awe of what God the Father did in sending God the son; in thanksgiving to God the Son for coming to live and die for us. And that our words might echo the angels, and that our lives might follow, that in all things, we will pursue "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased."

Merry Christmas. Celebrate well.

:: Advent Beard Devo, wk 4 ::

Unveiling Our Faces (compiled from a web search at images.google.com)

[Learn about the Advent Beard, and these weekly devotionals, here; read all the devo's: wk 1, wk 2, wk 3. Enjoy.]

“But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed… And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” (2Cor 3:18)

The time has come, gentlemen… Let us unveil our faces. Just as creation has waited, longing for the day of its glorification and perfection (Rom 8:20-22), and just as every human groans inwardly for the redemption of our bodies; for the hope of salvation (Rom 8:23-24), so have our chins and our wives been groaning for this glorious day. A day when our beards disappear and our faces turn, fully revealed, to the Lord. A day of celebration; a day of rejoicing; a day of shaving. For upon us now is this most blessed of births; this is the end of advent and this is the incarnation of the Christ child.

The celebration of Christmas is here, and our wait is over. The long-expected Jesus has come; unto us is born this week in the city of David the savior, who is Christ the LORD. Why no more itchy beards, goatees, chinstraps, soul patches, and mutton chops? Because we no longer wait. Why do we shave? Because our time of anticipation is over. Christ is born, the newborn king! Why, according to 2 Corinthians 3 (above) do we unveil our faces? Because at Christmas, we behold the glory of the lord.

What is this glory of the LORD, which we blessedly get to celebrate and behold? The Gospel of John says it like this:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’” And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.” (John 1:1-5; 14-17)

Light. Life. Glory. Grace. Truth. These are the things of God. These are the glories of Christ we’ve so long awaited; for which Israel longed for centuries awaiting their coming Messiah. As we behold Christ this Christmas, with shorn chins and baby’s-butt-smooth cheeks, let us reflect. Let us remember the time of waiting, when the veil of prickly hair veiled our faces.

But now, the wait is over. Let us be transformed, from one degree of glory to another, into the image of Christ! Let us not hide one inch of our faces from receiving that glory! Let us reveal our faces to the world in great exultation, that our chins may breathe the fresh air of new life offered through this babe in a manger! Let our faces join the heavenly host celebrating the birth of the Christ child! Like King David at the coming of the LORD”s commandments, let our chins dance naked before the LORD, in unveiled celebration of his glory!

And as we shave; as we end our time of waiting and hair-growth, let us pray, beginning now and continuing through the new year and throughout our lives, that God will indeed transform us from one degree of glory to another, day by day, as he progressively changes us each into the same image of his Son. Happy shaving, gents, and merry Christmas.

:: AIP#89 - Starting the Countdown to 2010! ::

With December 2009 disappearing quickly, The City Church is gearing up for our official church "launch" in late January 2010! In just over a month, the [now 50+] folks who have been gathering to form the core of our church family will break into five Villages, sent into different neighborhoods across our city, on mission "for the glory of God and the good of Fort Worth."

While Villages will meet various days and times throughout each week, beginning Sunday, January 24, we'll bring everyone together for All-Church Gatherings every other week through Easter. These Sunday, 6pm gatherings will take place at Four Day Weekend Theater, will offer Kid City Ministry ages birth - preK, and will be great times of celebration of God, of God's word, or Christ's work, and of what God is doing in and through our church family.

We'll be posting more details in the coming weeks, but for now, below is a video recorded at our December gathering, sharing the vision and the challenge for The City Church as we move toward our launch. Please forgive the sound quality in the video, and please consider being a part of what we're doing, in prayer, in person, or in financial support with a year-end gift. Email Ben for details; thank you!

Devotion + Where We're Going in 2010 from The City Church [Fort Worth] on Vimeo.

:: AIP#88 - Monday Missions #10 ::

This is the last of several Mondays this fall, where I've posted some practical ideas o help answer the question "what does 'living on mission' look like every day?" These are just example ideas to hep you live with "gospel intentionality"; consider how you could tweak each to fit your life. As you do, I'd love your input, ideas, and creativity as well. If you have ideas for the list, email me or comment below, and I'll get them up here in the coming weeks*. Here's this week's list:

1. Find a widow and ask how you can best serve her.
   
2. Build a relationship with that widow and invite her into your life.
   
3. Look at cashiers’ nametags. Smile and thank them by name.
   
4. Do the same for waiters, administrative assistants, and other “generally under-thanked” folks.
   
5. Do what you normally do; just do it with other people.
6. For the past several weeks there have been 10 of these - for this last installment, there are only seven [technically six, but whatever]. What would you do write as the final three?
   
7. Bottom line: do things you would normally do; just do them with the gospel at the forefront of your mind!

[*Note: Some of these suggestions are original; some have been collected from others. In gratitude to them, and as an encouragement to you, I freely pass them along to copy, read, repost or otherwise use liberally. However, one reason for compiling this list is for an upcoming booklet/workbook, so I ask that you link back to this site if making any of it public, by including: "Ben Connelly, www.oneglory.org." Thanks!]

:: Advent Beard Devo, wk 3 ::

Beards on the faces of six influential Christians (compiled from a web search at images.google.com, with help from wikipedia.com)

[Learn about the Advent Beard, and these weekly devotionals, here]

“Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes!
It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion!
For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.”
(Psalm 133)

Unity. It’s one of the core teachings of the Christian church. To be one in Christ; to be united; to be a band of brothers; to be of one accord; to be a team. How good is unity, according to Psalm 133? As good as oil on our beards. Now, some of us have tried soap, or maybe shampoo on our hairy faces, sure. But most of us aren’t familiar with the idea of “anointing oil” in today’s society. To fully understand the Advent Beard, and the unshaven unity therein, we must understand anointing.

To be anointed with oil in biblical times – and in some traditions today – is to be made sacred; to be declared “set apart.” To be anointed with oil was to be dedicated to serve God. So the true meaning of Psalm 133 is this: “unity is sweet” – and that unity within our faith is something that spans history, continents, and every other border that generally divides people.

What else crosses time, space, and walls of division within Christian history? The obvious answer, found in this Psalm, is the beard. In countless ceremonies anointing kings, priests, and servants of the Lord, generous amounts of oil were poured onto one’s head – and for every man united in service to God, would continue down to wet the hairs of his chin. These oil-drenched mutton chops, these dripping goatees, these soaking soul patches, have remained a symbol of devotion and service through the centuries. From the time of Aaron (Israel’s first high priest), to the time of Bro. Steve Winter[1], the beard has united men in service to God, and this trans-millennia brotherhood is the kind of unity described in the 133rd Psalm.

The founders and thinkers of great Christian movements have been unified by their love for Christ, and by their beards. Seen above, from left to right, are the beards of (1) John Calvin, author of the first systematic theology; (2) Athanasius, the Alexandrian bishop who did early work on the incarnation and defined the New Testament; (3) Augustine, one of the earliest prominent figures in developing western Christianity; (4) Charles Spurgeon, the pastor of London’s largest church; (5) Paul the Apostle, the great missionary and New Testament author; (5) Justin Martyr, the earliest Christian apologist; and (6) Jesus the Christ, the savior of God’s people who will reign for all eternity. And these six could be joined by countless unshaven others from times past, present, and future, who pursue God, minister to people, and proudly grow their beards.

We, the growers of facial hair; the non-shavers for December, have likewise devoted ourselves; dedicated ourselves; set ourselves apart. We are at least awaiting Christ’s Advent. But let our beards do more than that during this joyous season. As we see our hidden faces in the mirror; as we scrape our hands on fuzzy chins, let us be united with these centuries of bearded brethren who have gone on before. Let us be set apart. Let us be holy. Let us be one. And in our beards, dripping with oil or not, let us experience “how good an pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity”
_____
[1] “Bro.” Steve Winter is a gent with a huge beard (sans ‘stache even!). He also has a completely off-the-wall video on YouTube where he does a Bible Study on beards (no joke). Favorite quote from the portion I watched: “If you’re a preacher & you’re watching this & you teach against beards, you sir are a liar. And all liars will have their part in the lake of fire.” Hopefully it goes without saying, but the content is a little off. But to continue the satirical spirit of the Advent Beard, give it a watch here (at least check out the bush on his face!), here.

:: AIP#87 - Join us WEDNESDAY NIGHT! ::

Join The City Church THIS WEDNESDAY (12.09.09), 7pm, to tour our All-Church Gathering location, hear where we're going in 2010, and more! Read on for details:

We generally gather together the first week of each month, to remind us of our mission: we worship in singing, creed, and prayer because we exist for the glory of God, and because we exist for the good of Fort Worth, we will pray for the city, for the hurting and broken people in the area, for our mission, and for each other.

This month we're doing things a little different, and a week later:

This Wednesday, December 9, we're asking everyone involved or interested in The City Church to join us at 7pm, as we not only worship & pray, but also cast vision for 2010, as we start the countdown to the "official launch" of The City Church in January!

No childcare provided, but kids are welcome to come. And of course, we invite anyone interested to join us afterward for a late-night dinner in downtown Fort Worth.


DETAILS:

7:00pm - 8:30pm Wed, December 9, 2009

Four Day Weekend Theater

312 Houston St.

Fort Worth, TX, 76102

See map: Google Maps


PARKING/GETTING AROUND:

• The Four Day Weekend Theater is on Houston St, between 2nd and 3rd St. The entrance is just north of The Reata.
• You may park FOR FREE in the lot on between 4th & 5th St., between Houston & Main.
• You may park FOR FREE in the parking garage whose entrance is on 3rd St, between Taylor and Houston.
• OR, if you want to roll high-class, the Reata offers valet parking, curbside in front of Four Day Weekend!

:: Why We Long for Stories, 3 of 3 ::

My final lecture in my TCU communication class this week spoke to the human longing for "story" as one of the primary means of persuasion and communication. First, we spoke of the use of story through all of history's communication, and the return to story that's currently occurring in our post-literate society. Then we introduced the idea that story resonates because it reflects a much larger story, of which we see echoes in movies, literature, history, and our own lives. That story has four part: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration. Today we ask, "why end the semester this way?":

Why End This Semester on this Topic?
For two reasons. First [remember, this is a communications class, and I'm speaking of story as a means of persuasion], to truly connect with people, no matter what your topic is; no matter the need you're addressing; the audience you're speaking to; or any of the other variables of your speech, if you can speak into this story - the movement of Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration - you'll find a point of connection that every human shares. If your topic can offer redemption to your audience's brokenness; it if can speak on some level to our hope of restoration; if it can move us from our current state, more toward fullness, your audience will respond. You make a connection. It enhances your speech, builds trust, and brings your audience in. We all love this story.

The second reason we end our semester this way might be more personal; it is for me. My hope is that you'll realize that each of these little glimpses; these little, repeating, continual versions of this story we see everywhere, are just echoes of the same story, but a richer, fuller, and greater version.

I submit that this story is the arc of history: this is what God is doing in the world, and this is why we love this story; long to see versions of it in movies, books, and our lives. We were created (we know that, because we're here!). Then evil, distrust, disobedience, and a fall entered the world and entered our lives as well, and we find ourselves broken, in so many ways (again, think of strained relationships, physical pain, emotional hurt, or your tears). This is where we find ourselves in the story. But if I'm right, then in the greater version of this story, there's a promise of restoration: a time at the end of history when all things will be made right again; when every bit of this brokenness we feel will be gone. And that's why we each feel this longing; this yearning; this hope - on some level, we know it can happen!

But to see this restoration, there needs to be a redemption: because of our brokenness, we can't get to act four on our own; we don't have the ability. The very idea of redemption is "being bought." That which is redeemed is passive in the process; we don't have the ability to do it ourselves. Something outside has to come in an do the redeeming. In this greater story of history, I'm submitting to you that God does this work for us: paid the price and covers our brokenness; brings us from Fall to Redemption because we can't do it ourselves. And he does that through the life, death, and resurrection of God the Son, Jesus Christ, whose birth we celebrate in the coming weeks.

A Christmas Break Consideration
You may not believe this story. And that's completely fine with me. I'm just submitting it to you as a reason why story connects with each of us. And I would ask that over the break, you might take a moment and think about it: Why is it that you connect with stories of Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration? Why in your brokenness do you have a reason to yearn - or hope - for something better? Why is it that in every culture, in all time, every human has resonated with that pattern?

Because until we grasp this greater story, we don't fully understand the full meaning of life or the full reason why story connects so well with our audiences. That's all I've got today; you're dismissed.

:: AIP#86 - Monday Missions #9 ::

For several Mondays this fall, I'm posting some practical ideas o help answer the question "what does 'living on mission' look like every day?" These are just example ideas to hep you live with "gospel intentionality"; consider how you could tweak each to fit your life. As you do, I'd love your input, ideas, and creativity as well. If you have ideas for the list, email me or comment below, and I'll get them up here in the coming weeks*. Here's this week's list:

1. Use the “Tom’s Shoes” principle: instead of buying a $100 pair of jeans for yourself, but yourself a $50 pair and buy another $50 pair to give away. Or shirt. Or shoes. Etc.
   
2. Go meet your neighbors.
   
3. Go meet your co-workers.
   
4. Meet with a local principal: ask what some of the needs are in his/her school. Work toward meeting them.
   
5. Build relationships with homeless folks. Go spend a few hours in their community, simply asking their names, hearing their stories, and sharing yours.
   
6. Go hang out with the homeless folks regularly.
   
7. Do the same thing with the immigrant population.
   
8. Find at-risk, abandoned, or otherwise needy kids: give your time to get to know them and as they allow you, take them under your wing.
   
9. A little less “everyday,” but consider adopting a child: it’s a visual reflection of the gospel, and there are 100,000 orphans in the U.S. alone (+ millions worldwide).
   
10. Call up an old friend and rebuild a relationship that used to be there.
    

[*Note: Some of these suggestions are original; some have been collected from others. In gratitude to them, and as an encouragement to you, I freely pass them along to copy, read, repost or otherwise use liberally. However, one reason for compiling this list is for an upcoming booklet/workbook, so I ask that you link back to this site if making any of it public, by including: "Ben Connelly, www.oneglory.org." Thanks!]

:: Advent Beard Devo, wk 2 ::

[various artistic renderings of John the Baptist, compiled from images.google.com]

[Learn about the Advent Beard, and these weekly devotionals, here]

“Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, ’After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.’” (Mark 1:6-7)

It could be said that John the Baptist is the embodiment of the Advent season. The very role given by God to this cousin of Christ was to prepare God’s people for God’s coming Messiah. “For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight” (Matthew 3:3). This is John, who lived in the wilderness, who wore leather and camel’s hair, who ate locusts and wild honey, and who obviously had a beard.

How do we know John the desert baptizer was bearded? Well culturally, men at the time had beards. Since John was a man, we can almost certainly say John had a beard. Plus, John was a “man’s man” – he was a “dude” – he lived a nomadic life; ate grasshoppers and honey; and dressed in leather. Have you ever seen a biker-leather dude who didn’t have a massive beard – at least a goatee? And finally, nearly every artistic rendering of John the Baptist sticks a good, healthy beard on his chin (see samples above). So it was John, complete with desert-preacher lifestyle and full chinstrap, who prepared the way of the coming Lord.

If John is the embodiment of Advent, then it could also be said that John’s beard was the embodiment of the Advent Beard.

It was from that bearded face that John preached. It was from the hair-hidden mouth that he proclaimed the coming Messiah. A booming call to repentance brought his listeners to confession of sin, and water dripped from grisly whiskers as he baptized people in the river Jordan. It is John whom Isaiah prophesied; it was John who readied Judea and Jerusalem; and it was John of whom Jesus said “I tell you, among those born of women non is greater than John” (Luke 7:28).

But John the Baptist, like Isaiah and so many bearded men before him, was not the ultimate end; even this one who was the greatest of all men was not supreme. “After me comes he who is mightier than I,” said John of his cousin Jesus. John and his beard; Isaiah and his beard; and even the apostles, church fathers, early believers, and their beards afterward, existed not for themselves or for their own beards. Instead, they all pointed toward One who was coming, and who will come again; One mightier than themselves; One whose glory far surpassed their own; One who was ultimate in God’s plan. To Christ they pointed; Christ they served; and it was Christ whose mission they existed to carry out, in the world and in their lives.

From these great bearded examples of old, we learn our own place in God’s story. Like John the bearded Baptist, we point to Christ. Like John’s bristle-surrounded mouth, our voices point to the One who is most worthy of our words and our praise. And, especially during this time of preparation of the celebration of Christmas – but really all year long! – our very lives exist to point toward Jesus and to clear the path for his coming, to do his work and to accomplish his purposes in us. Thus, in both our current beards and in our continual lives, let us model ourselves after John the Baptist, as we dwell, faces covered, in the wilderness of this world, to prepare the way of the Lord this Advent season.

:: Why We Long for Stories, 2 of 3 ::

My final lecture in my TCU communication class this week spoke to the human longing for "story" as one of the primary means of persuasion and communication. First, we spoke of the use of story through all of history's communication, and the return to story that's currently occurring in our post-literate society. We closed that section by asking "Why might this return be happening?" Here's the answer, & the next part of the lecture:

Why might this trend be occurring? Because as much as humans are logical, and have become accustomed to learning by logic, analysis, and literate-style thinking, research shows that as we connect best with story. And I submit that humans have always connected best to stories, because we're a "story-formed" people. What I mean by that is that on some level, we realize we're part of a greater story, a history that's far bigger than any one of us. And so in every story we hear, we get to experience echoes of that greater story we're a part of.

I submit that the story we're a part of has four basic parts; four movements; four acts: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration.

Seeing This Story Everywhere
Think about it: we love stories of brokenness being restored; of underdogs pulling it out; of the impossible becoming possible, especially if it happens at the last second, just when it seems hopeless. We love happy endings. So consider movies we love: whether it's Braveheart, or Star Wars, or any romantic comedy, or any suspense thriller, we love this same pattern: something is good [Creation], it becomes broken, bad, hurting, or wrong [Fall], and there's an expectation that by the end, it's fixed [Redemption]; everything's resolved, settled, and made good again [Restoration]. In fact, think of movies where resolution doesn't happen: we leave feeling a yearning, a longing, a suspense, because we know what should be there, isn't. This same pattern follows the best books, short stories, plays, musicals, historical accounts, and any other expression we love.

But we don't have to look to the works of others to see this same story: we find this same pattern in our own lives and experience. Think of nature: obviously, it was created and is good, but you don't have to look far to know that it's broken, hurting, and we're kind of destroying it. Think of human relationships: we've all been in friendships, family situations, and romantic-type relationships that were good, but are now hurting, broken, and experiencing pain. Think of the world around us: physical pain, financial hurt, war, famine, disease. We know all these things were created (because they each exist), and we see ourselves living in this state of fall; of brokenness; of "this isn't what it should be." And in each of these - in nature, in relationships, in pain, famine, hurt, and disease - as a human race, we're collectively longing, hoping, yearning for it to be made better. We see creation and fall, and we're desperate for redemption and restoration.

It's in our literature. It's in our drama. It's in our history. It's in our art. It's in our very lives. This story connects. To every human; to every aspect of life; to every need. We see it over and over again, in different situations, books, and experiences. The same story repeats itself. And we love this story, and we long for its happy ending. Because each of these "little stories"; each of these repetitions; each variation of this central theme, reminds us on some level of the same story, the greater story - the main story, which being played out on a much grander scale than we often realize.

[Next up - Part 3: Why end the semester this way?]

:: Why We Long for Stories, 1 of 3 ::

This week I taught the semester's final session of "Business & Professional Speaking" in my first semester at TCU. The final days of the fall are now up to my students: they're in the midst of their final presentations, and I'm sure are already studying hard for their final next week... But I wanted to share the way I wrapped up my part of the semester, because I think we all resonate with it.

Several times throughout the semester, our class has mentioned the importance of stories, in public speaking settings. We've made claims that stories back up main points; they add personal experience to statistics and facts; they paint a picture for your audience; they engage listeners (or readers); they connect; they draw people in. In fact, statistically, personal experience stories are the most meaningful, persuasive way to prove your point. Bottom line, humans like stories. So I wanted to wrap up the semester by asking "why is that?"

The Use of Story in Communication
From the earliest days of human communication, mankind has communicated through story. In pre-literate societies, oral communication was all humans had: we learned through observing, imitating, and retelling. Shared experiences and stories were the means of packaging information. So for generations - and in many cultures, for centuries - story was the primary (if not the only) means of communication. Even during the following short period of cave drawings, pictograms, and pictographs, one drawing scrawled on a rock quickly became a series of drawings, showing a progression in time, movement, or action. These pictures told stories.

As humans became literate, and as writing became more prevalent, communication changed. As print communication increased, communication moved from stories and pictures to words and ideas. Learning shifted from observing, imitating and retelling, to reading, individual studying, and analyzing. Facts, lectures, and print became the means of packaging information, and learning became more linear, based on logic and fact. This is where the west has been since the Enlightenment.

But in a twist of irony, as digital communication continues to become the newest widespread communication method, is a return to story. We're now on the cusp of a post-literate society. That doesn't mean we can't read; it just means we choose not to! Hearing, seeing, interacting, and retelling are rising again as the methods of learning - in an oversimplified example of this, picture the "retweet," or email forwards, or viral videos. Shared experiences, images, and stories are the renewed means of packaging information. Even major media outlets are turning their digital expressions into video, shortening or deleting text content, and replacing it with visual and audio stories.

Seeing the Return to Story
Here are just a few of many examples of this post-literate shift: over the past couple years CNN.com's homepage has added 3-4 bullet points at the top of each of their written articles, and embedding video links as often as they could, decreasing the need for reading the entire article. Beginning in October of this year, they even moved their headlines (which linked to text-based stories) down their page, and now features links to numerous video stories at the top of their page. YouTube is one of the most popular sites on the internet. According to a letter posted this week by facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, "more than 350 million people around the world are using Facebook to share their lives online" (italics mine). There are millions of blogs. Many universities are encouraging professors to move away from lecture as the primary means of teaching, instead focusing on interaction (shared experience) and practical examples (stories). Political candidates share not only facts and stats about a situation, but also names and experiences. And I could go on...

It's not hard to see, as a culture and society, we love story. We love heroes. We love personal experiences. We love having pictures painted for us. We're experience a shift in communication - a return to story. Why might this trend be occurring? Because as much as humans are logical, and have become accustomed to learning by logic, analysis, and literate-style thinking, research shows that as we connect best with story.

[Tomorrow - Part 2: Why do we connect with story?]

:: Support The City Church: Year-End Giving ::

This has been a crazy year in the Connelly casa. But for sure the biggest new adventure of '09 is is The City Church. If you're new to this process, I invite you to click here to get to know our new church a bit. Our vision is to see people “live as the church,” rather than just “going to church,” in the heart of Fort Worth. We live in the fastest-growing city in the country, with a population that just topped 700,000 on the way to one million. 10,000 new living units are being built in downtown, and there’s a great need for a church who believes the Bible and preaches the gospel, while at the same time loves our neighbors and seeks the redemption and welfare of our city.

That’s the mission of The City Church: we exist for the glory of God and the good of Fort Worth. Forty or fifty folks have joined us already this fall, we’re excited to see the vision becoming reality, and we look forward to our launch in January!

But as with any non-profit in its early years, we’re in need of outside support. We are in a position not unlike missionaries, who instead of being sent into China, are headed into downtown Fort Worth, which has over 80,000 residents on top of the new living units currently being built. Our church budget in 2010 is just over $150,000, which is thrifty for a church but is still a significant amount of money. A portion of that is a stipend for Jess and me, so I can be a good husband and provide for my family.

We know that many of you are looking for places to give a year-end gift, and we’d like to ask you to prayerfully consider supporting our new endeavor, as we seek the redemption and good of the city we love. All donations are 100% tax-deductible, and there’s more specific information in the image below. I’d be happy to talk through any budget specifics with you. Your contribution is an amazing Christmas gift, both to us and to the growing City Church family.

If you choose to give, you may do so either online [click here for an intro and our secure giving site], or by printing out the "Budget/Need Info" image below and mailing it to the address listed there.

We can’t tell you how grateful we are for your love, prayers, and support. We hope and pray that this year ends well for you, and that God pours out his mercy and blessings in your life in 2010. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts, and wish you a very merry Christmas season!

Printable 2010 Budget/Need Info:

:: AIP#85 - Help us start Villages well! ::

If you have had any involvement in The City Church's core team this fall, or have any desire to be involved as we "launch" in 2010, we need your input!

We're trying to be as wise as possible in determining the number, times, and locations of our first Villages in January, and are looking to you for help. PLEASE copy and paste this and email it back to Ben, or print out the form (click the .jpg below) and scan or send it back to us.

Here's the content of a form we produced and had folks fill out at last Sunday's Village; as we try and discern where our first spring Villages will be, your input will be a huge help. Thanks!

1. Please rank (1, 2, 3) the best three times/days for you, and for the sake of doing this digitally, please delete all those that are impossible for you:

• SUNDAY ___10AM-12PM ___11AM-1PM ___12PM-2PM
• MONDAY ___6PM-8PM ___7PM-9PM ___ 8PM-10PM
• TUESDAY ___6PM-8PM ___7PM-9PM ___ 8PM-10PM
• WEDNESDAY ___6PM-8PM ___7PM-9PM ___ 8PM-10PM
• THURSDAY ___6PM-8PM ___7PM-9PM ___ 8PM-10PM
• OTHER? _______________________________

2. Please write your physical address and zip below:


3. Will you need Kid City ministry at your Village? If so, please list names/ages of your kids:


4. Please check if you would be interested in ___co-leading or ___hosting a Village.


Let us know if you have any other comments; thanks for helping us!

Printable version of this form: