Old Chicago
As usual, we had a good night, this time at Old Chicago. What better evening is there than to talk about the Christian faith with friends while adding to your World Beer Tour stats?
Like last month at Keegan’s, we didn’t have a set agenda. Still, we managed to have some good discussion over the idea of spiritual gifts, and how some churches have gone to extremes. Another idea we talked about was that of a real-world version of Rivendell. It would be a place of refuge, refreshment, and a repository of knowledge and wisdom for world-weary Christian ambassadors and soldiers. The more we talked about it, the more it sounded like an ecumenical, but definitely protestant, type of monestary. We’ll have to keep playing with that one.
It’s almost Christmas, so most of our talk was of a light hearted nature. Still, we managed to round out the night with some thoughts on the tendency of small groups in evangelical churches to run a short lifespan, or to stay stuck in some kind of age-and-stage mode. We wondered if this transitory attitude toward small groups contributes in any way to a lack of intimacy that allows genuine confession of sins and shared struggle, which in extreme cases results in the high profile moral failures we see from time to time in the media.
They’re all good points to ponder over a pint or three. We like to keep these groups fairly small, but if you’re a thinking Christian in the Twin Cities and you’d like to have a good chat over some food and drink, let us know in the comments.
Until next month, may the blessings of Jesus, Christ and King be with you this Christmas season, and may your Advent be filled with the expectation of the return of King Jesus as you remember His first coming into the world. Grace and Peace to you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Jason
theologypubnight said,
December 24, 2006 at 7:05 pm
As an add on to Jason’s thoughts I would like to announce that we will be planning a weekend revitalization this winter. As of now I don’t have all the details hammered out but we will be meeting at Oak Hills Christian College late February. Oak Hills has a nice quiet hospitality building that will work perfect for long meditation vigils. Our goal is to have a small group of men gather to just bask in the presence of christ. This retreat in keeping with the old monkin tradtions is a guy’s only group. The whole weekend will be planned around us guy’s and how we can escape from the mundane to and from, and get into the presence of the most high.
My prayer is that the few of us who go will come back refreshed and ready for the business that awaits us back at home. It has come to my attention through my own personal life and through others that this is a key missing peice. We need time to just stop thinking about the worries of monotany and hone in on our faith and matters of the heart. Not to mention we get out of the big city away from people.
And speaking of prayer about 75% of our time will be spent just praying. If there is one thing we need more than we can ever imagine it’s this. Prayer for me is very centering activity that realligns my actions with what God wants of my life.
May the lord bless you and keep you may his face shine upon you, and give you peace. Merry Christmas EVERYONE!!!
Nathan