The Fall Retreat was excellent. And Jesus is relaxed.

I was thinking of so many different words to describe the weekend-  glorious, off the hook, sick, awesome, fun, incredible, amazing.

But excellent works.  The planning team was excellent.  The small group leaders were excellent.  The youth program and the kids’ program:  excellent.

By way of update and reminder, I want to list our quotes from our speaker, Todd Hunter.  If you were there, it will remind you of the excellent things he said.  If you missed, perhaps it will inspire you to ask someone who was there more about it.

Do you think Jesus is smart?

 

Did He say anything that corresponds to the realities of your present, every-day life?

 

God wants to cooperate with your set of desires.  He’s a genius.  He’s stunningly brilliant.  He knows what He is doing.

 

You are what you love (quoting James K. A. Smith).  But you may not love what you think you do.  (which explains why you might do something and then say, ‘I have no idea why I did that…’  Perhaps you don’t love what you think you do.)

 

The Christian story begins with divine intention (not things being broken and busted, not even things being created) and moves to a good and peaceful Telos.

 

Whatever you think salvation is will determine your discipleship.  Do you see the Gospel as more than just a vision for a secure death that is rooted in mere cognition?  Do we have imagination for discipleship, followership, apprenticeship?  Do we believe that Jesus has something to say about our life, now, and not just our death?

 

When Jesus announced the Kingdom, he said…  ‘the reality of the Kingdom is here and it calls for choices.  Repent.  Re-think your life.’

 

Jesus is relaxed.  He has a confident relationship with His Father that funds everything.  He was ok about Judas, about James and John, about Peter, relaxed about the trials with made-up charges.

 

THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT YOU DON’T HAVE TO CREATE A SELF!!  Think how peace you could be if you didn’t have to manage what others think of you.

 

The church is the instrument and the means of the Kingdom.  The only 2 verbs in the New Testament that are given in reference to the Kingdom are ‘receive’ and ‘enter’.  We are not called to build it or extend it.  We are invited to receive it and to enter it.  Through the church.

You can listen to all of Todd’s talks here.

What a great weekend.  I love the Fall Retreat!

-David