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Let Mercy Come

A few weeks ago Ryan did a sermon that really moved me, based on the song "What I've done" by Linkin Park. It was part of a sermon series on spirituality and pop culture. We've had a lot of amazing sermon series, but I think this one has been the closest to my heart: exploring how God bears witness to himself even through secular movies and music.

And I just have to say -- an Adventist church that isn't afraid to play a Linkin Park song as part of the service? And find legitimate spiritual truth in it? I love this place.

Listen to the sermon here (Let Mercy Come)

Recovering Evangelism

Missional Church: Recovering Evangelism as authentic, credible Witness (Ryan Bell) Click to listen


The word "Evangelism" is in bad shape these days. The church's methods of evangelizing the world often do more harm than good. Why? Let me make a confession. I'm more interested in winning people over to my point of view than engaging in authentic friendship and being there when my neighbor's in need. I'm more interested in validating my own sense of value and importance to God's kingdom than in spending myself unconditionally, loving someone who shows no signs of ever reciprocating or turning to God. I think the church is more interested in a 10-step plan to "winning souls" than in befriending our communities, more interested in numbers and efficiency than in genuine life change. I think we're willing to give up our bodies to be burned, but we don't know what love is.

Just recently Pastor Ryan got an inside look at how the world views us Christians, talking to a girl in a barbershop on Sunset Blvd. She told him about her absolute repulsion when a Christian asks her if she goes to church, and then condescendingly tells her "I'll pray for you." This girl can sense that such a Christian isn't really interested in getting to know her or in finding out what she thinks, as in winning her over to a point of view.

What would it take to restore "Evangelism"? What would it take to restore the church's image as a group of the most radically loving and alive people you'd ever met? . . . Let me rephrase that. What would it take to restore the church as a group of the most radically loving and alive people you'd ever met?

I think its possible, but it will take a pretty radical transformation inside all of us.

I would love for you guys to hear Ryan's presentation:
Missional Church: Recovering Evangelism as authentic, credible Witness

I think it really nails the issue head-on. I could hardly sit still while listening.


"How is it possible that the gospel should be credible, that people should come to believe that the power which has the last word in human affairs is represented by a man hanging on a cross? I am suggesting that the only answer, the only hermeneutic of the gospel, is a congregation of men and women who believe it and live by it." - Leslie Newbegin

Zeal for your house shall consume us

Hello friends,

I'm writing to you tonight not about Marbles, but about the project that has consumed the other half of my existence - a documentary on the Hollywood Church.

I'm writing to ask for your prayers because I believe that the success of Marbles rode mainly on the backs of your prayers . . . and I consider this documentary to be more important and further reaching in its impact for God's kingdom.

I started attending the Hollywood Church a year ago when it was empty and broken. I got to watch and participate as this group of people began to ask God to dwell with them; to ask him what his purpose was for them in Hollywood. And I got to watch God's Spirit fill the place and a true community, a true family -- a true church -- begin to form.

For the rest of this year I'll be editing 100+ hours of footage into 60 minutes of content that will tell that story.

At a time when "church" is often thought of as no more than an obligatory, compartmentalized, once-a-week ritual, I think the Hollywood Church's story desperately needs to be heard. The North American Division of the Adventist church will be distributing the videos online throughout North America as a resource to church leaders.

I need your prayers! Watching the Holy Spirit work is one thing; catching it on film is another! I think it might be possible to do the story justice, but I need him to guide me.

Participating in the formation of this community has been one of the greatest blessings of my life. The people at Hollywood have become like brothers to me -- my church -- a group of people who have covenanted together to live missionally in a certain place.

I feel like I'm using lots of superlatives in this email. Let me go back and check if they all apply. Yup, pretty much.

Psalm 40 is my prayer for the Hollywood Adventist Church.

Psalm 66 is my prayer for this documentary.

Thank you for being part of my extended church family,
Lotsa love,
Mel

p.s.
Kevin Ekvall and Brian Bazemore are doing similar projects at two other churches in California. Keep them in your prayers too (as long as you pray for me more... J.K.!)