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• hope is preferential, HOPE is providential.
• hope is what people would like to see happen, HOPE is what God is doing in spite of what we see.
• hope is like wishing on a falling star for our dreams to come true, HOPE results from trusting in the solid bedrock of God’s goodness and His plans.

”Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living HOPE through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:3-9)

 ”We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this HOPE we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we HOPE for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. (Romans 8:22-25) 

”Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the HOPE of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, HOPE. And HOPE does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  (Romans 5:1-8)

“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no HOPE.  For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.  According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17)
 

“A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria [an area about the size of Connecticut]…  But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went.” (Acts 8:1-4)

• How are you responding to the news that you can’t go to church for the next month…or possibly longer?  Will you just put your spiritual life on-hold, or use this opportunity to grow in a new way?  
• What will you do with all this time in societal quarantine?  Will you just resign yourself to two weeks in your jammies on the couch with Netflix & beer, or will you include activities that stimulate healthy gains in body, mind, and spirit? 
• How will this impact your intimacy with your Heavenly Father?  How will this challenge your identity as part of the Body of Christ?  How will you continue to take initiative with the Holy Spirit in the world?  

• Read your Bible – at least a few chapters a day
• Pray a lot – for yourself, for others
• Watch/listen to online services from your church, or sermons/podcasts
• Read a book that will stimulate your relationship with God

• Call/text/video with people about what you’re learning or struggling with
• Pray together on the phone or computer
• Get together with 1-2 people for prayer, even if you don’t touch
• Start a virtual group to discuss a Christian book or movie 

• Post encouragements on social media about trusting God
• Look for ways to show Jesus’ compassion to others
• Look for ways to share Jesus’ truth with others
• Continue giving to your churches/non-profits

“Where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”(Jesus, in Matthew 18:20)

“A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home….“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”(John 16:32-33)

“Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”Romans 8:35-39

1. How are you blowing kisses to your Heavenly Father?
2. Would you say that you’re experiencing intimacy with God? Why/why not?
3. How would you describe your worship in terms of lifestyle?
4. In what ways do you sense the Father trying to draw you deeper into Him?
5. What will you do today to align yourself  / develop intimacy with Him?

As you may know, I’ve been in a course of study and coaching for the past 2 years with Underground Network in Tampa to re-ignite greater Kingdom effectiveness in our work.  This year our Board of Directors, Sean Thome’ from NW Christian Evangelistic Assoc., and Renee Boucher from 24/7 Prayer have been working on creating new descriptions & pathways for ministry based upon the successes of the Catalyst model.  This includes the creation of an “onramp” for individuals and groups to launch new “Micro-Expressions” of Church according to their own callings.  We acquired the name “Catalyst Network” to refer to the new network of Mircro-Initiatives and Micro-Churches that we envision.  

I’m not sure if you’ll be interested in reading all this, but I’ve been working hard on it and am super-stoked for what God is doing!  Here’s a sneak peak at our restated FOUNDATIONS for moving forward with the “re-launch” of the Church Side of Catalyst in 2020.  

If you have any comments, I’d love to hear them….but if the “comments” function doesn’t work for you, as I’ve been told by some, feel free to email me at [email protected]. 

Catalyst is a different kind of Church; an experimental community pursuing change in the church and its mission, designed to re-contextualize the Gospel of Jesus Christ to reach people in the Post-Christian Pacific Northwest.  Rather than adopting traditional models that emphasize professional leaders, costly resources and centralized programs; our passion lies in equipping ordinary individuals and small groups to incarnate the Church’s mission in the world – impacting every sphere of influence, confronting every form of evil and injustice, reaching every kind of person, in a way that unlocks the genius of the Body of Christ to effectively reach the world with the Good News.

We envision a reality where followers of Jesus are valued for their kindness and generosity toward people in their communities; demonstrating God’s presence in ways that transform neighborhoods, equip ordinary people to become His heroes, and draw new people into His family.

Catalyze God’s people to serve together as the Body of Christ in their communities.

1. INTIMACY WITH THE FATHER – We pursue unceasing connection with the Father.  
We affirm that every believer is meant to know God personally, intimately, transformationally.  This type of relationship with God is cultivated both alone and with others.  Intimacy with God grows through personal spiritual disciplines like Bible study, prayer, fasting, and meditation; as well as lifestyle choices that align us with His purposes for us.  It also grows by fellowship with other believers in worship singing, sharing concerns and testimonies, group prayer, caring for one another, and being on-mission together. 

2. IDENTITY WITH JESUS – The way of Jesus is our way. 
Before and in all things we value Jesus as the image of the invisible God. We long to worship Jesus by imitating his life, ministry, and connection with others. Both our theology and praxis are relentlessly Christological. He is our model, mentor, hero, mediator, savior, judge, king and ruler of all. All of our values flow from what we understand about his character, concerns, and the practices of his ministry. We recognize that we, His followers, are His Body in the world today, and commit to partnering together to manifest His character and mission.

3. INITIATIVE WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT – The Holy Spirit empowers us to serve and save the lost.
God’s personal favor, calling and revelation is available to every follower of Jesus by His Spirit; according to his/her specific gifts and measure of faith. We encourage use of all of the gifts shown in scripture, with appropriate order and purpose.  By walking in the Spirit – individually and corporately – we are enabled to experience His desires and plans for us, and to join Him in His work all around us.  He grants each of us supernatural abilities and relationships to carry-out His initiatives in the Church and world.  The Holy Spirit empowers us to carry Jesus’ mission into the world; including Social Justice, Evangelism, and Discipleship.

4. THE BIBLE – The Bible alone is our source of faith and practice.  
We implicitly believe in, trust, and endeavor to obey, the teachings and practices set forth in the Holy Bible. We believe that it contains the written Word of God.  It records the “salvation history” of God’s work with humankind, and details His intentions for our beliefs & practices.  We understand that there are misperceptions of the Bible, but we affirm that it is meant to be understood and championed by every follower of Jesus.  It is imperative to us that every believer be well-read in scripture, and trained in Gospel-fluency.

5. THE MISSION – The Church is a “sent people” to carry-out Jesus’ mission.  
The Church’s mission is not to perpetuate or serve itself, nor to promote comfort and prosperity for her people; but to reconcile every person in the world to the Father.  We follow Jesus’ example by seeking, sacrificing for, and saving what is lost.  Jesus’ purpose is to bring about justice for the poor, hope for the marginalized, and regeneration for the lost.  This worldwide mission is advancing, and we are part of His story – to impact every sphere of influence, confront every form of evil/injustice, to reach every person with the Gospel of Jesus.  This includes both service and salvation, works and words, all of which lead to Jesus.

6. ONE CHURCH – We work toward unity with all followers of Christ. 
We affirm that the Church is the method of God’s mission.  There is one universal Church (with a Big “C”), comprised of all followers of Jesus everywhere.  Jesus is the Head of His Church, His people who manifest His presence in the world today.  There are countless denominations, congregations, and groups who gather together for worship, discipleship, and service; but we are all members of Jesus’ diverse, worldwide Body.  We recognize that disagreements of theology and practice will arise between brothers and sisters in Christ, and that this is unavoidable; but we pledge to avoid division and work toward unity, that we may truly be “one” in heart and purpose.

7. MISSIONARIES – Every believer is an agent of God’s mission. 
All followers of Jesus have a unique calling to walk with Him in this life and to serve as His representatives in their spheres of influence. Therefore, we work towards empowering people to understand and contextualize God’s mission through them.  While we appreciate the role of clergy in the Church, we emphasize the ministry of laypeople in relation to God’s mission.  Leadership in the Church exists to equip the “priesthood of all believers” for the work of ministry. 

8. MICRO – The small, missional group is the essential unit of Church.  
We believe that the traditional congregational church expression exists to serve the smaller, micro-expression…and not the other way around.  Our ecclesiology is simple: When a group of people band together to build Intimacy with the Father, Identity as the Body of Christ, to accomplish the Initiative of the Holy Spirit in the world, they are the Church.  Intimacy, Identity and Initiative then are the ecclesial minimum.  God calls us into his mission together, in small missional groups. These groups, no matter their name or size, are the basic unit of Church; and every follower of Jesus needs to be part of at least one. Our model of Church is to affirm, empower, and release a network of Micro-Initiatives and Micro-Churches.  

9. COMPASSIONATE – We serve others in need with no strings attached.  
We affirm that compassion is the posture of God’s mission in a hurting world.  Compassion literally means to “suffer together,” and no character trait exemplifies Jesus’ interactions with people better. We’re called to constantly give ourselves away, individually and corporately caring for the needs of others.  The Work of the Gospel is to serve to the poor, marginalized, and lost; the Words of the Gospel follow.  In this way, evangelism is secondary to service.  This applies to miraculous works of the Spirit, as well as seemingly mundane acts of kindness.  

10. RELATIONAL – We prioritize healthy and caring relationships.  
We recognize that although we live in a fragmented culture characterized by broken relationships, all people need and deserve to belong – to know and be known, to care and be cared for, to love and be loved. Our goals, strategies, and endeavors are fashioned to nurture healthy and caring relationships. This begins with marriage and family, moves outward to friends and associates, and extends to society. In this way, we extend Jesus’ love to a world in need of Godly models of relationship.

11. HUMBLE – We seek humility in relation to God and others.  
We voluntarily surrender control of our decisions, aspirations, and affections to God; believing that He can be trusted with our destinies.  We also submit to one another, understanding that none of us is an island unto ourselves but that we need each other.  By pursuing humility we are able to experience God’s contentment, rest and peace in the midst of a complex, corrupt, and competitive world.  Individually and corporately, we pledge to remain open and flexible to concerns from others, new learning, and discipline from the Lord; ever seeking to refine our commitments and expand our understanding and revelation of God and His call upon us. 

12. BELONGING AND BELIEVING – We both accept and admonish each other.
We understand that every person is journeying through life, and that discovering/following Jesus is a lifelong learning process.  Therefore, we welcome all people to explore God and community with us, without excluding them based upon areas of their lives that are not yet consistent with the way of Jesus.  That being said, it is also essential that we carefully and lovingly hold each other accountable to His character and teachings.  So we live within the tension between grace and truth, acceptance and conviction; in our pursuit of loving God and loving others as Jesus modeled.

13. DIVERSE – We embrace diversity and uniqueness in the Church.  

We affirm that every ethnicity culture, and individual – while imperfect – reflects the mosaic of God’s own image and together we better glorify and serve the God of creation.  The Church is made-up of individuals and groups from countless backgrounds, beliefs, and callings.  As we all journey toward maturity in Christ together, we will naturally experience and express this in a variety of ways.  Therefore we do not reject people we disagree with, and avoid division over debatable matters.  We minimize conformity, but emphasize freedom of preference and creativity within the boundaries of God’s mission. 

Isaiah 58 (excerpts) “Loose the chains of injustice, untie the cords of the yoke, set the oppressed free, share your food with the hungry, provide the poor wanderer with shelter, clothe the naked…Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear;then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.” James 1:27“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
 John 4:35“Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.”

“I want to be part of what brings about the liberation of the Church from the imperium that took it captive 1,700 years ago”

“The Church, whatever else it may be, is not the organizational apparatus. It is a community of memory, keeping alive the story of Jesus Christ. The Church is an in-the-flesh connection to him – or it is nothing.”

“In the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these people also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.  

You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings…yet from them all the Lord rescued me.Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned itand how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the person of Godmay be complete, equipped for every good work.” 

I used to believe that once I learned something, I had it.  That the acquisition of knowledge or some specific skill, once taken into my mind & body, would somehow remain there indefinitely…ever ready thereafter to be called upon to inform my intellect or empower my actions.  What I’ve come to reluctantly realize, along with many others, is the truth that my psyche and ability have holes in them.  Stuff gets lost all the time.

As a petulant and somewhat proud young man watching my father mature many years ago, I just thought there were deficiencies about him when he forgot stuff or couldn’t do what he used to do.  You know how we do that to our parents, right?  “I’m not going to be like that,” we confidently predict.  I started realizing the immaturity of that position when I was in my late-thirties.  I was deep in my career, married with two little terrors, trying to make my way in a confusing & challenging world.  The relentless stress was much more than I had anticipated.  I began noticing that the veneers that lay over my ego started melting away due to forgetfulness, a layer of fat around my midsection, and a crisis of confidence.  It was around that time that dad and I started getting much closer as friends and confidants. It’s funny how life has a way of teaching us humility.

What I mean by “crisis of confidence” is not that I lost my hope, but that my limited version of “hope” started getting cracks in it.  As a follower of Jesus, I was deeply comforted by the eternal hope I have for the afterlife because of my connection with Him.  I also had a lot of hopes for my earthly future that were based on pictures in my mind that I had adopted from the world around me…things, relationships, and experiences I wished for and asked God for.  Some of these hopes were more noble than others: 
“I want to be a good husband and father”
“I want to be well liked and successful”
“I want to have good friends”
“I want to be healthy and athletic”
“I want to have a nice looking yard”
 “I want to be close to God”

Interesting that all of those start with “I want.”  As I matured during this season, I began to realize that my hopes required work.  They weren’t free, like salvation in Christ is free.  He is pleased to give us the Kingdom, and to fulfill our desires with good things…but they are not cheap.  When I ask God to bless my future with a hope that I have, He always give me challenges in order to obtain it.  The way I handle those challenges determines the outcome…not of my ultimate hope, but the individual one.  I also learned during this phase that I no longer had enough time to invest in all of my hopes simultaneously in order to experience their fruition all at once….so there was always something that wasn’t living-up to the picture in my mind.  In those times, I had to be content with that aspect of hope that involves waiting.  I began to see glimpses of a hope that is not connected with my circumstances and abilities.

The Biblical word for “hope” can also be translated as “expectation, trust, confidence.”  It’s not some elusive, childish dream that’s meant to put pretty pictures of our preferred self just beyond our reach…urging us to strain to better ourselves.  It’s the realistic result of the practical, real and daily efforts we put into trusting that God’s way is right…and that He can be trusted with the results, whether they look like our vision or not.  I haven’t experienced anything truly good in my life by wishing that I would; but by praying, working, investing, and trusting my way into whatever outcome He has for me.  It’s not really about my projected destination; it’s about the Hand I’m holding, and trusting Him to lead me.  Whenever I stray off that path, hope eludes me and dreams crumble.  When I repent, redirect my affections toward Him, and turn my aspirations toward the goals that line-up with Him, hope wells up in me anew.

So,to me, hope is not a lazy wish-upon-a-star; it’s a heat-seeking missile.