Writing on through the tears

Each week in the Apprenticeship, there are four Learning Assignments. These Assignments involve watching a video or reading a short article and then dialoguing with the Lord about the content. Then, people post what they heard on their cohort's online forum. Often these conversations with the Lord are quite powerful.

Here's one example...

"Checking in as happy after having a powerful encounter with our Father. After watching John's "Spontaneous Church" video, Assignment #1, I asked God how do I get to the place where I'm only doing what I see Him doing? I wrote what He said in red, which I thought was a really cool assignment....He said

"Lay aside your schedule, your plans, your urgings, and come to Me, you who are heavy laden and concerned with many things. Come be with Me and enter into My rest me. Let Me wash over you with My presence and My love. Let Me show you things to come. Let Me share My secret, let Me open My heart to you. Let Me heal your heart...so you can see what's important to Me. Then just follow Me, follow where you see Me going. Maybe we won't go anywhere today, maybe we'll just be together in My rest. Enjoy just being with Me, I love just being with you. I love you."

Well, by then I was blubbering and couldn't even see the page I was writing on through the tears. But I can tell you that after a while of just being in His presence, my heart is healed from some very painful things that happened today. His love reached down into the hurt places of my heart and washed it all out. Then He filled me back up with His joy. That's exactly how it happened. How powerful our God is."

10:2b Story (Part Three)

Great comment from Carolyn Spence (Clovis, NM) in response to Mike Deaton's interview in yesterday's post:

OK, agreed! We need the opportunity to see it practised. My mother (89 years young) cried to experience the very tiny taste of our gathering in Clovis with MRT members from Albuquerque and Colorado saying, "now I see what you mean"... If you are going to spread a virus, personal physical contact works best... Carolyn

Today, we have an interview with JoEtta Deaton. She tells a similar story. To paraphrase: "By visiting some of the house churches in Brighton (CO), I experienced a whole different paradigm of church. What I saw was church that flowed out of listening to Jesus. This was transformational and I want to begin to try this out when we go back to Virginia".

(JW: This is the third of seven LK10 Practices. Church = a spiritual family focused on listening to Jesus.)

Now, listen to JoEtta tell the story in her own words below. Share with us your response to what she has to say.

John

C02: Transformational or Hokey?

In this Part 2 of a conversation with Tim Morris, we continue our conversation about the impact that practicing C02 has had in his life.

We discuss the simple nature of the two practices and consider whether C02 is really transformational or if it is "hokey."

What are your thoughts about C02? How has practicing these two simple practices impacted you?

Share your experience and your thoughts in the comments below.

C02 & The Potential for Inner Healing

A major part of the power of practicing C02 is that we get to connect with both God and others at a deep level and in doing so, we are inevitably changed. In this regard, C02 is a transformational practice or discipline. As we listen to the Lord, He might tell us to do something - to be "missional" - or He might tell us to do nothing; to cease striving and to be still. For many of you, however, I would suspect that as you have practiced C02, you have begun to hear the Lord speaking words directly to you, about you. Words that reflect how the Father sees you, and how the Father loves you and how He delights in you. Words that any child would expect to hear from the perfect parent.

Recently, I (Tim Pynes) sat down at a local diner here in Denver to have a conversation with Tim Morris (pictured), a local house church leader, and to hear about the transformational power that God has begun to manifest in his life as a result of practicing C02. In the following audio recording (Part 1 of 2) you will hear Tim begin to share of how God has begun to heal some of the deep wounds of his heart as he has listened deeply and regularly to the Lord and as he has begun to connect with other men at a heart level using SASHET.