Good Afternoon!
I hope you are having a great week.
After last week’s scorching heat, I am very thankful for the rain. It’s awesome to see things come back to life again. And that is an incredibly appropriate visual for me as am preparing for this Sunday’s message. I’ll be teaching from John 7, which is one of my absolute favorite passages in all of Scripture. In it, Jesus will exclaim, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” (John 8:37-38, NLT). We are going to look at the absolute brilliance of that statement. It’s an example of “conflict and fulfillment” at it’s finest. I can’t wait to share with you what I am learning.
I’m also excited about this Sunday’s historical tour of Downtown Nashville. The purpose of this tour is for us to understand the history and cultural roots of our city. Many in our church, including myself, are “transplanted Nashvillians.” I think it is important that we understand our city if we are going to serve it. Marilyn Switzer is one of the foremost Nashville historians and will be leading this adventure for us after lunch on the 15th. The suggested cost is $10 per person, or whatever you can afford. We will be eating a potluck lunch right after church before heading over to Ft. Nashboro to begin the tour, rain or shine. Check out the Facebook event page for more info and to RSVP.
Also this week, we are putting into action our partnership with Nations of Nashville, as the first wave of the international students from Vanderbilt whom we are serving will be arriving in our city. This is going to be a lot of fun getting to know these students and learning from them as we serve them.
On another note, I am trying to be more intentional about writing and blogging. I have moved my personal blog over to Tumblr (does that make me a hipster?). I hope it is helpful … I’d love for you to check it out. I posted a set of links this afternoon to some articles that I have found insightful regarding the issue of homosexuality and the church. If you are interested in this issue, these posts are a good place to start.
I’m looking forward to gathering with you again this Sunday!
Blessings,
Jason
Ekklesia Toolbox
Nashville is a booming city. The growth here is really unbelievable as people continue to pour into our urban core. While we are excited about the opportunities this brings, there is also a flip-side to that coin. This article in the Nashville Tennessean exposes some light on the gentrification that is taking place in parts of our city. The idea of sustainable growth really is a justice issue. Read this article and consider how we, as Christ followers, should respond.
In Nashville, housing options push working class to the edge
