Last Wednesday was a momentous occasion for me in several ways. First, sweet goodness, Texas dust storms are AWESOME! It was like I was in the movie Hidalgo! We were sitting around at church, and all at once, the wind starts hitting our building as if it is about to push the thing over! I looked out a window to see dust filling the sky…our own Texas hurricane in the middle of the desert.

Even as amazing as that was (and believe me, the cold front this dust Storm ushered in was exactly what I needed!), the Spirit (or “wind” in Hebrew) was also moving fast inside our church community!

Wednesdays at HOPE Church, the adults are going through a series called, “Freedom Through Discipline”. This is an overview and practice of the Spiritual Disciplines. We have placed the class in a circle formation, and rather than a lecture from one teacher to his pupils, one merely agrees to facilitate the conversation. Last Wednesday, through a miscommunication, we didn’t even have a facilitator. For about 30 seconds, everyone seemed to panic. “Who will teach us? Who will lead?” That’s when the Spirit agreed to step in! Everyone became a teacher in our class last Wednesday. I was amazed to see the shiest people in our group open up to share their insights, others confessed sin, and each of us went away knowing that something special had happened.

While I will always see the importance of the “preached Word”, I can only hope that I never see sermons or lectures as the end of the conversation, but rather the beginning. We all have a right to be the preacher at times, sampling the Word of God for ourselves, and sharing it with others. Last Wednesday all of us “preached”, yet none of us stood behind a pulpit. We were conversation starters, each blowing what we could into our church’s own dust storm; one that will not settle until God sees his royal priesthood established in his children at HOPE Church in Abilene.

So what is organic church anyway? Is it just the latest fad, right along with organic soymilk, peas, and carrots? Is it the reaction to the mega-church that led the conversations of so many pastors and evangelists throughout the 1990’s? What is TRUE church growth? I don’t put steroids in my food, and I won’t put them in my church either.

From the 1500’s to today, the world has been impacted by what happened during the Reformation. Martin Luther, among others saw to it that the Bible be taken out of the hands of the church leaders, and given back to those it was meant for in the first place - the people. Many see what is happening in Asia, Africa, as well as Europe and North America as signs that a second Reformation is coming - one that will put the church back into the hands of the people.

Why is it that so few life-long Christians feel up to leading a bible study, or are bold enough to share their faith with a neighbor, or live a life built on the power of the Holy Spirit? Why do so many Christians leave their church buildings with little more than they entered with spiritually, all the while hungering for the true and living God?

Amos 8:11 says, “The time is surely coming,” says the Sovereign Lord, “when I will send a famine on the land - not a famine of bread and water but of hearing the words of the Lord…” The Word of God is our food. It is the Bread of Life. Thanks to the Reformation, almost every American and still countless more around the world own a Bible in their mother tongue; yet we feast on junk food. We feast on the hollow words of our culture. Why do we neglect the organic, natural, life-giving Bread from God? Why do we not listen to his voice?

My thoughts? We don’t swallow the Word of God even when we taste it. We may have the Bible, but what good is a book in and of itself? Our communities, and churches (where the Word is made flesh) do not enable the life-giving Spirit that fills our hearts, and many of these Spirits are now beginning to starve. What would happen if the Word was properly digested throughout an entire community? Where everyone had a chance to “taste and see that the Lord is good”!

This kind of rich community is one that already exists - 10 million Chinese will affirm that living the kind of life that allows the Word of God to infiltrate a community, and for that community to infiltrate a neighborhood, spreading organically through and for the glory of God.

I will not and could not tame what some are calling “organic church” by labeling it as a “movement”. It is a discovery; a rediscovery. Not is not from man, because man is not in control of it. Churches are popping up everywhere, in places where no missionary or pastor would dare to go. It is the beginnings of a new work of God among his people. It is a chance to take a bold step and begin living the Christian life in worship and Word in the vulnerability of your own home. Scary, huh?

Last night Katrina and I watched a pretty interesting DVD documentary on the Christian movement in China. The film began in the early 1900’s and made its way up to the present. Very fascinating; my first real experience with what went on behind the red curtain in China. Christians were tortured, thrown in jail, and publicly mocked for their “ignorant faith”, while a billion Chinese literally worshipped Emperor Mao.

Many years ago, a Christian man entered the office of a die-hard atheist. He looked around the room, noticing it was filled with books from wall to wall, and books piling the man’s desk. “I see that you are a seeker of truth!” The Christian proclaimed. “Yes, I am,” replied the atheist. “Truth cannot be found looking for it on earth, it must come from above.” The Christian continued, “Once there was a apricot tree full of delicious fruit. One of its apricots fell from its branches and hit the ground below. Later a pig finds the apricot and devours it. Immediately, he begins sniffing, rooting, and digging into the earth trying to find more fruit. The pig never thinks to stop look above to see the delicious feast.”

The atheist, knew that this was so true, and continued to think about this story even after the Christian left him. Although the Christian had never mentioned God, or the Bible, the atheist began searching “truth from above” and eventually accepted Jesus as the TRUTH. He is our feast from above. If we eat and drink him up, we will find truth that leads to life.

This morning was my first actual conference call (I think that’s a milestone towards becoming an adult!). The conversation was held by some pretty amazing people; all servants of Jesus throughout North America. Many of them are initiating church planting movements in cities like Madison, WI, New York City, Mexico City, and elsewhere. I was humbled to be a part of the conversation, though I didn’t feel like I had much to give. In the past week, God has been showing me some real flesh and blood examples of what I am studying in my classes! I was able to hear stories of great encouragement, challenges faced, and hopes and dreams from a people I do not know yet connect so deeply with.

It isn’t about a model of church or a certain philosophy that ties us together. I am not planning to live my life in a simple church structure because I believe in its power. I believe in GOD’S power to change lives, and I do whatever I can to get in the way of his transformative touch. I want my family right there beside me, and I pray for a community to surround me in this journey of “new creation” God has set us on. The model of church is unimportant. More importantly - in what specific ways may God find me and soften my heart so he can mold it to his design? For me, and for millions of others around this nation, a family-based, simple, house church community is the road God is taking us on. For those I heard over the phone line sharing their hearts and prayers (which was also a first for me), I hear a similar hunger. When a hunger is strong enough, people begin to follow the smell of delicious food. It could be that God is cooking up something entirely new…

Yesterday afternoon I took a stroll through the Faculty offices in the Bible, Missions, and Ministry College. There is a room in the center labeled “Missions Strategy Room” - a room filled with chairs and tables; great for conversation. I quietly entered, examining the library of videos, the familiar marker board up at the front, and the giant map of the world affixed to the back wall. As I looked closer, I saw that there were faces and names scattered all over the map’s continents. “Juan Monroy - Madrid”, “Andrew Jacobs - St. Petersburg”… It showed teams on every single continent. I looked over towards the Pacific Ocean, and saw a long list of those still here at ACU, in training. Many of these people are those who I know well and have been through classes with.

Chills ran down my spine as I imagined all the places where God’s people are battling for souls. Still more were felt as I thought about my name and picture among them. Where would I be headed? Where would God send Katrina and I? The statement above this map read, “Our vision: By 2010 prepare and train teams to initiate at least 4 church planting movements on every continent.”

Church planting movements are just what they sound like. Churches that plant churches that plant more churches. It is a grass roots reality - the way the Kingdom of God exists! I want nothing more than to be a part of God’s Kingdom; just gotta figure out where he’s taking me!