Celebrating Jesus this Saturday

Hello all,

This Saturday we'll gather at our place at 5ish pm for a potluck....so, yes bring some food to share with all. We will be having the Rose family-Mike, Andrea, and kids with us. They will be sharing with us whatever the Father has laid on their hearts...so come prepared to receive from God through the Roses, and also ask the Holy Spirit for something to encourage them with. I know they would appreciate that.

Just a heads up on some upcoming events involving our community. Next weekend Mac, Linda Hill, and myself will head down to Taber to minister to the simple church that the Roses are a part of. There will still be a gathering at our place on Sat. evening, and Beth has something she'd like to share or teach on our theme for this year of Growing Up in Jesus...should be good!

Doug is moving next weekend and could use a hand on Friday night or Sat. morning, so if you can help out let him know. His cell # is 403 -807-3679

On Saturday, March 12th we will be having another Feast Gathering in the early evening with some communities in Calgary and the surrounding area...so mark it down on your calendar....more info will be forthcoming.

See all of you who can make it on Sat.

Tim and Esther

Greetings and Salutations to you all,

It's already Friday, and I can hardly believe how quickly this week has gone by.

Tomorrow which, yes is Saturday, we're back to meeting at 5pm at our place. Seeing that sharing food together is a big part of community, please bring enough food for yourselves and to share with others: a main course and side dish or desert usually works, and if you have some drinks kicking around feel free to bring some along.

Feel free to invite a friend if you'd like to our time together.

This week we would like everyone to bring a gift to share with us. It may be a story, a song you've written, a poem, something you've learned from your Bible Study or devotional time and such. It's always cool to see how the H.S. weaves it all together and speaks to us the same message in all kinds of creative ways.

A reminder that if you haven't signed up for the MOSAIC website to do so. The site is www.themosaicnetwork.net You'll get regular posts with blogs, stories, upcoming events and gatherings, resources, and such.

Have a great weekend,

Tim and Esther

Change of Meeting TIme For This Week

Hey Everyone,

It sounds like for this weekend it would be better for us to gather on Sunday morning rather than Saturday night...this is one of the advantages of simple church...we can be flexible!

So let's meet Sunday morning at 10:30am. If you want to stay for lunch bring enough food to share and you're welcome to stay.

Let us know if you got this message and if you're planning to come on Sunday or not. Our theme will be "Where do I need to Grow this Year!"

Have a great weekend,

Tim and Esther

Where and How Do I Need to Grow this Year?

Hope all of you have had a good week, survived the cold, and that you're back in the swing of things.

At last Saturday's gathering we took some time to wait on God, and listen for one word that would describe what this New Year has in store for us. Here are some of the words for those of you who couldn't make it:

• ADVENTURE
• LIGHT
• HOPE
• RENEWAL
• REJUVENATION
• ANOTHER STEP
• "ON THE WING" with a picture of gliding, soaring like an eagle catching the thermals
• CONVERGENCE - a coming together of what has been disconnected or disjointed
• FRUITFULNESS
• SURPRISES and BREAKTHROUGHS

What we'd like to do this Saturday evening is to talk about what the personal application of these words are for each one of us. These words are invitations from God, but require a response on our part. What practical ways are we to live out these words? Another way to say this would be framed around the question: Where do I need to grow this year? We'll look at a few Scriptures that talk about "How to Grow Up in Jesus and What keeps us from Growing up and How can we help each other grow in Jesus?"

We'll start again at 5pm this Saturday evening with potluck, so please bring a main dish and side dish to share with everyone.,

We'd like to encourage you all to go to the www.themosaicnetwork.net and sign up to receive e-mails with regular blogs, stories, upcoming events, and so on from the collective of communities that are part of the Mosaic. It is real easy to do. Just look for the box that asks for your e-mail address, name, and click on submit.

Love,

Tim and Esther

FEASTING AND LISTENING

A Happy New Year to You All,

This Saturday evening we are planning for a deer roast dinner at our house at 5pm. We'll be supplying the deer roast, so if everyone could bring a side dish of say rice, potatoes, or soup, and a salad or desert to add to the feast that would be great. We need to know who is coming so PLEASE PHONE OR E-MAIL TO LET US KNOW, SO WE CAN PLAN HOW MANY ROASTS TO PREPARE!

After the meal, we plan to have a time of waiting on the Lord to see what He wants to say to us about the New Year and then close with a time of communion and prayer for one another.

Earlier in the afternoon we will be having the first Mosaic Ministries board meeting, and one of the board members from Three Hills, Don Maxwell and possibly his wife Shestin, will be joining us for our gathering. We would appreciate your prayers for our meeting that afternoon as we embark on this new adventure. We only want to do what the Father is doing...no more and no less. Pray for unity, creativity, and a comraderie as we learn how to work together.

Love,

Tim and Esther

Mac & Jo's New Year's Eve Gathering

Hey folks!


We're gathering a few friends and families from Close2Home, The Mosaic and The Arts Farm on New Year's Eve to welcome in the New Year and we're hoping you can come!

We'll be gathering at 2000 (8:00 pm). Please bring an appetizer/snack/dessert and a beverage. There will be time to visit with friends, eat, play board games, build puzzles and just hang out. Around 1100, we'll gather everyone for a song or two, perhaps some poetry, sharing, and prayer. And after we welcome the new year in, there'll be a light meal for those that want to stay a little longer.


So there you have it! Please let us know if you can make it and I'll send you the address.


Merry Christmas!


Mac
8--|~

The Master Story Teller

God. Master of all master story-tellers; his voice a feather floating gently upon the wind and then, all at once - without warning - a raging, uncontainable tempest of burning passion. Author of the greatest story ever told; his pen forever deftly skimming across the pages of time and space, filling it with lives, stories and history. God. Producer and Director of the Divine Cosmic Drama we know as 'life'.

Photo credit: Lars Hammar, Tuscon, Arizona

As I was preparing to worship God in the sharing of Bread and Wine last week, I began to write down these and a few other thoughts about God and how He has weaved His story into the very fabric of our lives and into the simplest of things and the humblest of practices; the practice of followers of Christ sharing Bread and Wine for instance. Here is some of what I wrote that day:

***

“This bread and this wine…this is God’s story. Jesus on the night that He died, said “Do this in remberance of me.” Who is Jesus, but God himself? Incarnate and clothed in humanity. So, this my friends, is God’s story (speaking of the bread and wine) - from the beginning to the end - from creation to re-creation - climaxing at the cross; complete, though we do not see it’s completion just yet.

This is The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit- Three In One - the mysterious Trinity - imagining, thinking, speaking, and working to create a world of unparalleled beauty; setting in place the lands and the seas and all that is seen and unseen.

This is the Creation of Humanity, whom God created in His own image - spirit, soul and body - flesh and blood - to be like him in every way.

This is Paradise Lost, when sin entered the world through a single act of selfishness and disobedience resulting in chaos and death. It’s Cain mudering his own brother out of selfishness and envy. It’s the broken body of Abel, his lifeblood flowing out on soil that had never known the taste of blood.

This is a Broken, Bloody World; a world in chaos. It is pain, suffering, brokeness, and the struggle for power, prestige and wealth. It is the taint and stench of sin; an insidious poison which only leads to death and eternal separation from God. It is war, homelessness, and poverty, known in every age of human history. It is the blood of the martyrs down through the ages who gave their lives in the service of God, but who’s message was rejected by a world consumed by it’s own lusts and desires.

This is The Incarnation of God clothed in flesh, born of a woman, becoming one of us; living among us, teaching us, healing us, calling us, guiding us and helping us when we were helpless to help ourselves.

This is The Death Of Christ, the God-man who of his own free will, took upon himself the punishment for every selfish thought, intention, dream, act and deed that ever was, is and shall be - by every person that ever lived, lives and shall live. It is Jesus, God in human form, freeing us from the power of sin and death, who’s body was broken on a cross and who’s blood was poured out on the rocks of the hill known as Golgotha, for our salvation.

This The Resurrection of Christ, who’s mangled body was placed in a tomb with the full expectation that it would remain there until time turned it’s essence to dust. It is the mystery of Jesus Himself, descending into the place of the dead, preaching liberty and freedom to the captives. It is Jesus awakening from his mortal slumber, breaking free from the clutches of cold Death and rising from the dead, immortal, yet in bodily form; conquering sin and death once and for all, that all who believe in Him will live in freedom and know eternal life. This is Jesus, who met with his disciples, showing Himself to them; sharing meals with them, talking with them, teaching them, allowing them to see and feel His wounds; putting to rest their doubts and fears and settling in their hearts and minds once and for all that He is truly alive!

This is The Ascension of Jesus, who, as He was blessing his disciples was taken up into Heaven and who now sits at the right-hand of the Father, interceding for us.

This is the Coming of The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, who is equally God and who, as our friend, helper, teacher, guide and comforter walks with us as Jesus did with His disciples during His time on earth. This is the Holy Spirit who reveals Christ to us, leads us to salvation, abides in us, performs the work of sanctification and who is faithful to empower us to live as followers of Christ upon the earth until we are all brought to the perfection of Christ on the day of Christ’s return.

This is The Church, the body of Christ, who has gathered in many forms throughout the millenia, sometimes in homes and sometimes in Cathedrals, to worship, pray, learn, fellowship, give, help and become the incarnation of Christ in every culture, language, and generation. This is the Church gathering here and now, to break the Bread and share the Wine of Life.

This is the Kingdom Come, the redemptive work of God in the world throughout time, as the Holy Spirit continues to change the hearts and lives of people everywhere and in every age. It is the will of God being done on earth as it is in heaven.

This is the Completion of God’s Work. Though it is complete in the finished work of Jesus Christ, we who live in linear time still do not see it’s completion and will not until the day that Christ comes again to establish His physical Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven. Until then, God’s work continues and His people, in anticipation of the Coming say, along with the Holy Spirit, “Come Lord Jesus.”

This is the Great Celebration, where the the people of God from the beginning of time itself, will gather in the presence of God to celebrate the completion of God’s work. It is the great promised Rest for those who will not give up, but who with the help of the Holy Spirit, will perservere to the end and enter into Eternal Life where we will be with God, and enjoy Him forever."

***

Pax vobiscum.

Mac

Photo credit: Lars Hammar, Tuscon, Arizona.http://www.flickr.com/people/7603557@N08/