Critciize By Creating

This summer during our Small Group semester, we decide to journey with our @NCC Kingstowne Couples Group through the Bible Study Sacred Roads, written by my great friend, my colleague in ministry, someone who I high respect for and one of the best teachers of the Scriptures that I have personally ever heard - Heather Zempel.

Sacred Roads has been an amazing study to go through with a community and I loved every moment reading about and discussing as a community the different facets of discipleship that came at certain times in history.

I find different aspects of the five different discipleship journeys that are outlined and talked about in this study, that totally resonates within me. For me, I see one or two of them being more prominent in different seasons of my life, for my own spiritual journey and in the growth of my faith.

The last session/chapter is Incarnational Discipleship, which is absolutely resonating where I am currently at in my journey and I am being discipline in my own faith and journey to be more like Christ and seek to follow His way of life and how He ministered so practically to the needs of people.

Jesus was the living and incarnational Word of God. He was the Good News and He lived it out before others. He did not stand behind a podium in front nicely seated rows of people inside of an air conditioned building preaching at people for 45 minutes to an hour. He did not give his 3-5 principles and 2 conclusions at the end of the message. He shared stories that spoke to the heart and the culture of where people lived...he stood up and served people practically and he led the way by being an example of incarnational living on Earth. He was the Gospel, He lived and taught it through stories and real life examples. Simple Jesus=the Gospel=the Good News...He lived first and then spoke to where people were at and it wasn't in the same place, it was at a well, on boat, with his disciples, with the beloved, in front of Caesar on a Cross.

With all of that said, I am challenged by one notion in session five where Heather quotes Michaelangelo, "Criticize by Creating" and she goes on to say on page 109 of Sacred Roads, "While protests has a place in the history of the Christian activism, bringing real change requires more than speaking out against something."

I could not agree more with that statement. I know there are fundamentalists out there who would say this is heresy, they would argue against this thought. But there arguments are unfounded...please show me where Jesus did not reach out to sinners, to the brokenhearted, to the spiritual outcast, to the irreligous, with an open hand and love. Where did he not offer them hope and forgiveness. Show me where he was picketing on a protest line or where Jesus Himself did not error on the side of grace and mercy. Jesus was indeed the incarnation of God on this Earth...are we not called to follow in that same example?

We need to be a people, a Church...that "Criticize by Creating!"

Thanks Heather for writing Sacred Roads.

Keeping It Real

For awhile, I have been both busy and a little lazy when it comes to the neglect of www.chrisjarrell.com, for that I apologize.

When I am not busy with my amazing wife, raising my 21 month old son or doing priestly duties (think Nacho Libre). I have been lazy with neglect of this great forum and online journal that I have and actually invest into.

Shame on me! No excuses...

Moving forward I will use this piece of the web with a lot more intentionality. I will use this space to share my heart, mind and pour out my soul. Yes, put myself out there for the world to see. As Christ followers, we are challenged to live our lives on display.

I look throughout Scripture, I see the men and women in the pages with their business, their garbage, their STORIES on display like it was the Evening News. We see men and women, that us pastors preach passionately about put out there as examples of what to do and what not to do with our lives. However, we pastors and Christ followers get behind our walls, masks, in our offices, in closed in space and we allow no one to see our lives as examples of what to do and not to do.

See my STORY is messed up, I am messed up...but I keep living my life following the life, teachings, example and principles of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ...here the thing I fail too often. If we are all honest we all fail but we have gotten so good about hiding it, we push it down, we cover it up and we come across as be without fault...dare I say, we act like we are sinless.

This blog and this space will be used to share who I am...good, the bad, the ugly and hopefully I can inspire and be an influence along the way. Atleast, that is my hope and prayer.

A Concert for a Cause

On August 18, 2010 National Community Church's Kingstowne Location will be partnering with Top Golf of Alexandria to present...

A CONCERT FOR A CAUSE
at Top Golf Alexandria
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
6pm-10pm
BRING A DONATION FOR THIS EVENT

CONFIRMED MUSICAL ARTISTS:

* Along those Lines: http://www.myspace.com/alongthoselinesmusic
* Bethany and The Guitar: www.myspace.com/bethanyandtheguitar
* Kurtis Parks: http://www.myspace.com/kurtisparksmusic

Three amazing local organizations will benefit from this great event. This is a FREE event, however we are asking people to bring a donation for the three organization that will be represented.

CARPENTER’S SHELTER: http://www.carpentersshelter.org/
As Northern Virginia’s largest homeless program serving nearly 1,000 homeless and formerly homeless children, families and adults each year, we rely on the support of our community in order to continuously provide for the needs of this vulnerable population. Currently we are in need of donations of the following:

* Food Items: coffee, 100% juice, powdered juice, drinks, cereals, oatmeal, children’s snacks, salad dressing
* Medicines: first aid supplies, aspirin, vitamins
* Toiletry Items: razors, deodorants, diapers, toothpaste
* Miscellaneous: wash cloths, umbrellas, new adult underwear, socks, gift cards to Target, Old Navy and Walmart, metro fare cards
* Aftercare Client’s Needs (family sized): sugar, flour, jelly,
peanut butter, laundry detergent, dish soap

KOINONIA FOUNDATION: http://www.koinoniacares.org/
The Koinonia Foundation, Inc. is the local nonprofit agency providing basic needs services and seasonal programs for communities surrounding the Greater Franconia, VA area. Our assistance to the community is free-of-charge. Items we receive are given to individuals and families who live in our local area and are in need of help.

* New and gently used clothing
* Household Items

OUR DAILY BREAD: http://www.our-daily-bread.org/
Our Daily Bread (ODB) is a volunteer-based organization focused on easing the plight of low income residents in the area of Fairfax, Virginia. It draws volunteers from local faith-based groups, community organizations, local businesses, schools and universities.

* We’d like to focus attention on the Back to School Program and Food Program. We can use gift cards for our clients from grocery stores and office supply stores in increments of $10 or $20 would be helpful.
* How the gift cards will be used?
o $40 supplies a child with required school supplies for the upcoming year
o $20 helps a single mom purchase produce and milk for the week

TopGolf Alexandria will also donate a portion of the proceeds for this event to the three organizations. Come on out for a night of fun and music!