Advent

Advent has become one my favorite times of the year.  It allows me to remember and honor a quiet waiting in the darkness and fills my heart with hope.

My favorite thing about the Christmas story is that it depicts how gently Jesus came into to the world.  You would never have known unless you happened to look for a star or unless you happened to listen for angels singing.

You would never have known Jesus came unless you entered into this magical event with awakened eyes, awakened hearts, awakened minds.

Jesus--the embodiment of that rare combination of sorrow and sweetness.

 

I write to tell you that my circumstances have turned once again.  My husband left his part time job he had held only three months because he could not physically continue.  It was causing him more damage than staying brought good.

So I find myself back in the darkness of adversity and uncertainty once more. 

It feels the same as it did the times before.  Those old familiar feelings rise up of being lost, angry, overwhelmed and helpless.  Pride and selfishness storm in. Vicious judgments circle and threaten…You can’t go through this again.  You’re not going to make ends meet now.  Debt is your only choice.  Run away from this.  You can’t do it.

I have tasted adversity often enough to know and expect its bitterness, stench and poisonous affects.  But I know of its sweetness as well.  It is the place I become most vulnerable most human.  It is the place that I always know I will find Jesus and I follow.  We have done this together before.

This darkness is not the same because I am different.  This darkness is not the same because of those of you who love me.  This darkness is not the same because my husband has awakened eyes, an awakened heart and an awakened mind.

This darkness is not the same because

I am heard

I am known

I am loved

I am found

 
With my deepest gratitude, I thank you and know you are for me.
Nancy

Christmas Party!!

The annual cohort Christmas Super-Fun Night is this Sunday! (Yes, you *should* be excited)

Join us at the Schroeder's house (2406 Altenburg Ct) from 5-9 for food, drink, merriment, singing, maybe a little dancing, and some party games (hopefully Pictionary!!)

Everyone is welcome, including kids and family. Please post if you will be bringing a food or drink item to share.

Looking forward to seeing everyone and celebrating!

Animate : Faith - Discussion #4

This Sunday from 3-5pm at the Schroeder's house, we will have another Animate Faith discussion, this time after watching a video by Shane Hipps. The video clip is entitled "Salvation: Abundant Life Now."

We are looking forward to seeing everyone! If you need more information or directions, feel free to email or call/text (schroeder.jesse@gmail.com or 557.5768)

Animate Faith Discussion: Sunday, November 18

Tomorrow we will meet at 1:00 PM at Nikki & Ian's to discuss another segment of Animate Faith. Mark Scandrette will discuss Jesus | The Revolution of Love. 

From the guide:

In the last session, Lillian asserted her belief that spirituality is not enough. In this session, Mark guides us to think differently about living in Jesus' way. It began with a moment of truth: Mark realized that his sermons weren't doing anything important. What to do?!?! He decided to make a church a place of practice rather than just belief and learning. The rest is history.

Hope to see you there! Email ian at ian.r.cohoon@gmail.com for directions.

HURRICAIN SANDY RELIEF

Just wanted everyone to be aware I have a friend with a ministry to the poor and homeless based out of  Flushing,  NY.  Most of their work is in NYC.  They are pouring all there efforts into providing relief to victims of Sandy.  Of course that takes $$$.  If anyone is wanting to help but not sure where to send help because you're not sure a particular outfit is legit I can vouch for Street Life Ministries.

love to all

Scot

http://www.streetlife.org/donate.html



https://www.facebook.com/SLM.NYC

11-11-12: Operation Christmas Child

Hey everyone -

For this week's gathering we will be doing the Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes again (this has become a much-loved Cohort tradition)

If you aren't familiar with the program, check out the website here. Basically, we will purchase small items to pack into a shoebox that will be sent to a child in an impoverished country that otherwise would not receive any Christmas presents.

It's simple. It's fun. It's a small way to make a big difference around the world (8 million shoeboxes were delivered last year alone)

We will meet at Kara and Adam's house at 3:00pm. We'll travel to Target (or similar store) together, purchase items to put in the shoeboxes, and then come back to the house. We'll pack the boxes together, maybe have a short reflection about Advent, and just hang out and have a good time.

Please bring a shoebox and wrapping paper and supplies if you have them.  We will probably have some here to share, as well.  

There is a $7 shipping fee required for each box. Also, it can cost up to $40 for the items in each box. If you are unable to cover the full cost, please still come and hang out. We can combine items and "share" a box. It's still a fun, simple thing to do together. This is also a great activity to do with children. 

I will be making some soup in the crock pot as well if you want to stay and hang out for dinner when we are done wrapping our presents. 

Hope to see everyone on Sunday! Please comment if you need our address.

Stories that Compost : Web-gathering This Sunday

Hi everyone -

I am very excited for our gathering this Sunday, Nov 4, 5pm, at Scot and Mary Miller's house. Not only will we be enjoying some of Mary's amazing cooking, but our topic will be Stories that Compost - a "web-gathering" with Melvin Bray. Melvin will be joining us via Google+ web-chat from Atlanta to offer a more in depth look into the idea behind Stories that Compost. Some of us had the opportunity to attend Melvin's workshop in D.C. and we've shared the idea with the group in a few gatherings since. But this will be a chance for us to hear about the ideas from Melvin himself, practice re-writing (composting) a story together, and discovering this exciting way to engage with Scripture.

We'll connect with Melvin from 5-6pm. If you can't make the meeting, you can join the Google+ hangout from a webcam and computer at your location (you'll need a google+ account). After the web-gathering, we will have  a potluck dinner. Please plan to bring a side dish or a drink to share. **Update: Mary will be making enchiladas as the main dish.** 

Hope to see everyone this Sunday! If you need more information or directions, you can email me (Jesse) at schroeder.jesse@gmail.com or Scot at scooterg55@yahoo.com

Community Night Sunday

The Cohoons will be hosting community night this Sunday, October 28 at 5:00. I will probably be making a soup. Please bring a dish, dessert, or drink to share and post in the comments what you plan on bringing. Nikki will be out of town, so it will be just me. I look forward to sharing.

Check your email for our address, or contact me at ian.r.cohoon@gmail.com

Animate Faith Discussion on 10/21/12

Tomorrow we will meet at 3:00 PM (changed from original 1:00PM) at Adam and Kara Newby's house to watch another Animate Faith video and discuss. This week Lillian Daniel will speak about reclaiming religion (see preview below). From the Facilitator Guide:

"Brian McLaren encouraged us [in the last video] to reflect on what it means to be embarked on a quest for God. In this session, Lillian Daniel helps us reclaim religion, saying that spirituality is not enough. Lillian encourages us to root ourselves in the depths of the Christian tradition - its history and texts, beliefs, and practices."

I think this will be a particularly rich (and perhaps challenging) topic for me as I have recently questioned the need for these traditions in my own life. While for others in our community, these traditions are very important.

If you need directions, please email adam.f.newby@gmail.com or call 614-388-8947.

I look forward to the discussion. And the more people we have, the richer the discussion. So please don't hesitate to come if you've never been to one of our discussions.

CotF Update

Our little cohort has come a long way in the past few years. While we began primarily to discuss theological issues, we have since experienced the joy of new life together, and the pain of death. This Sunday will center around the figure that for two-thousand years Christians have contemplated, the Virgin Mary. She experienced great joy at the birth of Jesus, and great pain at his crucifixion. But she is also a figure of hope, as she brought the Son of God, and salvation, into the world.

We will read texts about Mary from the Bible, as well as prayers that have been written to her over the centuries. We will listen to a few of the most beautiful Marian compositions ever written. Most importantly, we will pray for each other as we share each other's joy, pain, and hope.

The service will start at 5:00, and we will have a potluck at 6:00.

Hail Mary,
Full of Grace,
The Lord is with You.
Blessed art thou among women,
And blessed is the fruit of they womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death.

Celebration of the Faithful

Hi Everyone,

This Sunday I am hosting a COTF at my house (299 E 9th Ave) at 5:00. We will have a time of worship and (much needed) prayer. This is a potluck, so please bring some food or drink to share if you are able. Please comment with what you will be able to contribute so there isn't too much overlap.

I look forward to seeing you all,

Nick

"God: Faith is a Quest"

"God: Faith is a Quest" is the title of the first DVD session of the Animate: Faith series we'll be starting this week. The speaker is Brian McLaren. You may have heard of him, or perhaps even met him :)

We will be meeting at the Schroeder's house from 3pm-5pm on Sunday Oct. 7th, watch the DVD clip (about 10 minutes) and have a discussion. There is no planned meal, but feel free to bring cookies, popcorn, snacks or drinks if you would like.

If you have questions, need directions, or feel nervous about coming to a meeting at someone's home and wanna talk to us - call/text Jesse @ 614.557.5768

Here is a brief preview:

Community Night: Compassion 2.0

Hi cohortians -

This weekend, we will celebrate our faith together in community. We will gather at Jesse & Kellye's house at 5pm on Sunday evening (9/23). I want to share a short section from the book on Compassion that I have just finished reading. Then each person/family will have a chance to share any recent updates, challenges, successes, exciting news or prayer needs. The community will respond with compassion, and we'll eat and drink!

Speaking of eating and drinking.....

Kel and I will provide barbeque shredded beef, coleslaw, and buns to make sandwiches. If you plan to come, please bring a side dish, drink or dessert to share.

Also, I received the materials from Animate: Faith, and so everyone can look at the journal and the facilitator guide that we will be using in upcoming weeks.

Meet & Greet: What does "faith community" mean to you?

Hi everyone -

This Sunday, September 16th, we will meet from 1-3pm at the Global Gallery on North High Street in the Clintonville area. This is an open gathering, and we would love to formally invite all of those individuals who have been following the blog, emails, and conversation from "the fringes" to come for a casual discussion about what exactly "the cohort" is and does.

In addition to meeting new folks, we will also discuss the topic of what a "faith community" means to you. What do you look for in a faith community? What is important to you? Ultimately, we'll be talking about how we approach the cohort every week, and what practices we value in our communal spiritual life.

Hope to see some new folks, and of course all our favorite "oldies" - if you need more information you can email Jesse at schroeder.jesse@gmail.com  or Nancy at nancykj10@yahoo.com

Community Ice Cream

Hi everyone -

We will be meeting Saturday evening, 6:30 pm, at Jeni's Ice Cream in German Village (corner of Mohawk and Whittier by the Brown Bag Deli). We'll get some ice cream, and then walk to Schiller Park to relax and catch up.

If you are a little late and are coming to the park, look for the Schroeder's with Aleli in the stroller, and our little Shih Tzu dog Darsi :)

Feel free to bring your dog if you have one, a ball and glove, or any other fun park activity. Hopefully it will be a nice evening.

From Julia:

Hey all,

So the movie has been chosen. We are officially going to be watching The Interrupters tomorrow evening at Nick's place 299 East 9th Ave. I was thinking about meeting at 7pm but let me know if that's too early for anyone.  I'm really looking forward to watching it especially since this movie has influenced a few programs that our own(Nick, Chris and I) neighborhood has talked about starting. My cell is 937 572 2751. Could someone post this to the blog too?

Here is the description:
The Interrupters tells the moving and surprising stories of three Violence Interrupters who try to protect their Chicago communities from the violence they once employed. From acclaimed director Steve James and bestselling author Alex Kotlowitz, this film is an unusually intimate journey into the stubborn, persistence of violence in our cities. Shot over the course of a year out of Kartemquin Films, The Interrupters captures a period in Chicago when it became a national symbol for the violence in our cities. During that period, the city was besieged by high-profile incidents, most notably the brutal beating of Derrion Albert, a Chicago High School student, whose death was caught on videotape. The film's main subjects work for an innovative organization, CeaseFire, which believes that the spread of violence mimics the spread of infectious diseases, and so the treatment should be similar: go after the most infected... Written by Kartemquin Films  

And here is the link to the trailer http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1319744/

Really looking forward to watching and discussing this acclaimed work tomorrow night!
Warmly,
Julia

Celebration of the Faithful 7/29

Ian and I will be hosting the Celebration of the Faithful this Sunday at 5pm. Please post in the comments if you can bring a dish to share for dinner.

Before dinner, we will be discussing Rob Bell's "Still Painting" event, which can be viewed here: livestream.com/robbell. (Scroll down and click the "Video Library" tab to view.)

We look forward to seeing you!

Rob Bell Livestream Event

This Tuesday, July 24th, Rob Bell will host a live event where he will talk about "What's next" for him. As we all know, only Rob Bell could have a random event with basically no information on a Tuesday night at 10pm, and tens of thousands of people (if not more) will tune in to hear what he has to say.

As ridiculous as the Rob Bell hype is sometimes, count me in for this one! But I'll be viewing from the comfort of my couch, as I think most of us in the cohort will.

A link to the Livestream event is here: http://www.livestream.com/robbell

If you log in through facebook, you can chat with other people watching. Hope to see some of you on there!! Perhaps post your thoughts on the "event" in the comments section on this blog.

7/15/12

A few of us (myself, Matt and Curt probably) will be getting drinks tonight (Sunday, 7/15) at Bob's Bar (4961 North High Street, Columbus, OH) around 7pm. Anyone is welcome to join the conversation and hang out - 

Community night 7/8/12

Everyone is welcome to join COEC for what we call a community night this Sunday 7/8/12.  It's a time to get acquainted, share a synopsis of what's happening in your life at different levels, encourage someone and build relationships in general.  None of the aforementioned activities are mandatory by any means, no pressure.  Just being there and knowing you are among friends can be "life giving" in itself! 

Of course there will be food, the host will provide grilled chicken and hotdogs along with a assortment of beverage.

Please comment if you plan to attend and what you will be bringing to share at the table.

There is a very good chance it will be very hot.  Sorry, no pool, BUT we"ll be glad to turn the sprinkler on for those who would want to run through it.  No age limit.

Note: time change (Her Ladyship has spoken) 4 pm 

 Address : 179 Bridgeport Way, Delaware, OH 43015

We hope you can join us!

PAINTING WITH THE NEWBYS

This coming weekend, Sat, June 30th and Sun, July 1st, we will supporting a family in our community as they prepare for the birth of their 2nd child. We will be painting the "Choice" office space, an organization that has been a vital part of their preparations, and we need your help! Beginning at 9am Saturday morning, we will be painting. 

We welcome any help you can offer during the weekend.  You don't have to stay the whole time, but can come and go as you are available to help.  We will be there all day Saturday and Sunday until the project is finished.

The office address is 5721 N. High St, Worthington, Oh 43085

We will have everything needed, but if you have extra painting supplies, ladders, etc. please bring them.  Otherwise, all you will need is yourself.  If you have any extra friends, bring them too :).  The more help, the faster we will get this projected finished.

Email Adam, adam.f.newby@gmail.com, if you have any questions. 

Thank you all for your help! Please post if you are planning to come and when. Watch the blog for schedule changes and updated information. 

Victor Frankl Discussion

This Sunday, June 24, 2012, we will be having a discussion on Vicktor Frankl at our home, 2406 Altenburg Ct., Grove City, OH 43123 from 2pm-4pm. 

Viktor Frankl was a survivor of the Nazi concentration camps and went on to be a leading psychotherapist, developing existential therapy, and what he termed, "Logotherapy" - in short, Frankl believed that life, even in the midst of suffering, had profound meaning. And no matter what is taken away from us, we always have the power to choose the meaning of the events around us.

Here is a short video of Frankl presenting a lecture:

Come share in the discussion. Looking forward to seeing each of you; please post if you will be attending. 

Baby Blessing

This Sunday, June 17, 2012, we will be having a Blessing Ceremony to celebrate the impending arrival of the Newby's new family member! We will be taking some moments to mark this time and surround them with their communities' love and well wishes.

Place: Julia and Chris's House -- 216 East 9th Ave. Columbus, Ohio.
Time 3pm to 5 pm 

As far as gifts, your presence is the most important thing. They already have a lot of the material baby things they need. If you would like to contribute, I am sure that the Newbys would appreciate any financial contributions towards their many medical/new baby expenses.  Julia will also be starting a sign up for meals if you would like to to bring them a meal post baby! More info to come. 

PLEASE post if you are planning to attend and/or plan to bring any light refreshments or beverages.


Contact Julia for questions. Hope to see you all on Sunday!   
(937) 572-2751

Upcoming Events- Come and Picnic with us!

Hope you all had a wonderful 3 day weekend.  We have made a few small changes to the cohort calendar for our upcoming events.  First, this Sunday we are meeting at Schiller Park in German Village to have a time for a Celebration of the Faithful lead by Nancy, followed by a picnic.  For those who would like to stay, there will also be a performance of Shakespeare in the Park at Schiller starting at 8pm.  Please post on the blog if you are planning on coming, and what you will be bringing.  Hoping for great weather!!  You might want to bring a blanket or chair.

UPDATE: We have only heard from a few people, so I'm not sure how many we will have.  I am going to go ahead and make a decision that we are NOT going to have a meal/ picnic at Schiller.  We will still meet at 6:30 and then we can walk to get something to eat, or make a decision from there.  Hope that works for everyone.  See you tomorrow at 6:30 if you can make it.

The following Sunday you are invited to join us to celebrate and congratulate Jesse on his graduation from the masters of Social Work program.  We are so proud of him and his hard work!  The party will be at Jesse's parents, 503 Brandon Ct Columbus 43213,  from 5-8pm.

We look forward to seeing everyone there!  

Enjoy Memorial Weekend

No meeting this week, though there is a lot going on in our community!  Hope you all have a good Memorial Day weekend.  Next week we are going to meet for a picnic at Schiller Park in German Village and those who want to can stay for Shakespeare in the Park!  More to come on that soon....

The State of Emergent Cohorts

Interesting blog post on the Voices of Emergent Village Patheos blog - they mention COEC as one of the most active cohorts in the country! Yeah!!

Check it out: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/emergentvillage/2012/05/state-of-emergent-cohorts-2012/#comment-4071

(And be sure to read my comment toward the bottom where I give a "shout out" to other folks in the cohort)

What is the Emerging Church??

Thanks to all those who came to the planning last night.  Please check through the calendar.  YOU may have been selected to host something...and let me know if that date is not good for you so we can re-arrange as necessary.  We have several fun outings outside to celebrate the summer, and we are ending the summer with a fun labor day barbeque at the Hamiltons'.  

This weekend we will be getting together to watch the video "What is the Emerging Church" by Fr. Richard Rohr that Brother Curt recommended to us, followed by a discussion.  This will be a great opportunity for all of the "lurkers" out there who may be wondering what we are all about.  We will be meeting at 3pm at the Newbys.  Feel free to bring some snacks or beverages if you have any to share, but it is not necessary.  

You can e-mail me if you need directions or an address.  

Here is the description from the back of the video:

"In this November 2008 webcast, Fr. Richard offers a wide view of what is being called the emerging or emergent church.

There are many definitions for this phenomenon, but Richard gives us four main categories that indicate something new and hopeful is happening in many denominations.  He then delves into each of these four areas to examine more closely what he has observed happening in many parts of the world.  It appears the fruits of the Holy Spirit are at work in this broad field of what is being called "the emerging church." This talk is a clear and very helpful introduction to this dynamic new phenomenon."  

Hiatus

It seems that this is a fairly hectic time for everyone. People are moving, finishing the school year, recovering from being sick, etc. So consider this somewhat of a "break," and we will reconvene with a planning meeting soon. Check back for more posts about upcoming gatherings in the near future.

"Video By Matt"

Put on your traveling shoes and book your ticket for the car pool because this week the Cohort is communing in Marysville  (actually Broadway, which mapquest calls Raymond, despite the confusion, we call it home).  We have decided to watch Rob Bell's "Everything is Spiritual" for the video presentation, a look at how science and faith are intrinsically linked together, with the "proof" coming from the ancient poem that our Holy Scripture's open with. 

We will prepare some soup to share, before we start the movie, as well as some popcorn to go along with the movie.  The soup will be ready at 5 pm with the intent on starting the movie around 5:30.  The video is just under an hour long, which should leave a little time for discussion afterward.   Since I have seen this video numerous times, I'll probably take the kids with me on a walk or to the park across the street with the hopes of eliminating some distraction--so please bring the children. 

Please post in the comments if you're planning on attending and if you are bringing anything.  I will also send this through the email with my address so you know where you're going :)  Lastly,  I would much rather have as many involved in watching, so if it would be easier for the majority to meet in cbus somewhere, that's always an option, we just need a venue--the soup can be made transportable.

Thanks, hope to see you
Matt

Planning Meeting

Hi everyone,

A friendly reminder that we have a planning meeting Thursday night at 7:00 at the Newbys. Someone correct me if I'm wrong on that. If you haven't been to a planning meeting before, we get the calenders out for the next couple months and plan out worship services, fun things to do, discussion topics, etc. Do you have an idea for a service project, discussion topic, or a special event you thing would be good for us to attend as a group? Come and voice what you want to do! (an example event: make lots of brownies for Nick...) If you can't make it, but have an idea of something you want to do, please post it on the blog in the comments and we will make sure it gets added. Planning meetings usually last around an hour or so.

Cheers,

Nick

Blue Like Jazz The Movie

Here is the trailer for Blue Like Jazz The Movie (based on the book by Donald Miller). We are planning to go see this as a group on Saturday April 28th. at the 4:45pm showing. We'll also get coffee or drinks after and have some open discussion.

You can buy tickets here (movietickets.com), and because it's an early showing, tickets are $7.



(By the way, not sure if any old-school cohortians remember traveling to Ohio Wesleyan University in mid 2008 to hear Don Miller talk about supporting Barack Obama. We had a nice in person chat)

This Sunday - Community Night

This Sunday - April 15 - we'll meet at Scot and Mary's house for "Community Night" which is just a time for everyone to share recent experiences, challenges or joys and for the group to respond in affirmation. We'll meet at 5pm, and the Millers will have the grill going. If you can, bring a side dish or dessert to share. We don't post addresses here for obvious Internet-related reasons, but if you need directions or more info, feel free to email Jesse at schroeder.jesse@gmail.com Post in the comments if you are coming and what side you are bringing. Hope to see everyone there!

I AM

You don’t know who you love
Stop pretending that you do
This is a God who takes sides
This is a God who murders firstborns
to teach a pharaoh and the world
I AM

Stop pretending that you know who you love
When you say yes to this God
Be ready to leave everything
be ready to suffer

But you don’t want to hear these words
You want to keep pretending
it’s about Heaven or Eden or a promised land

And that it’s not about
a God who led his people out of Egypt through bloody doorposts
a God who let a girl place a baptist’s head on a platter
a God who abandoned his own Son

When you enter into this Mystery
enter at your own risk
enter at your own peril
know that you will be devoured by The One and Only God

who will teach youhow to bleed and die with Him
how to live and breathe in Him
how to love

When you stop pretending
I can tell you in all honesty this is the God you will find

This God I love
This God I choose
This God I AM

Seder Dinner

This Friday, April 6th, we will gather to celebrate a traditional "Passover Seder." We will meet at Ian and Nikki's house at 5:45pm and start the dinner at 6pm (sharp!) After completing the traditional seder, we will share a meal together.

The Seder is the traditional meal that starts the celebration of Passover in Judaism. We will most likely have a more Christian oriented Passover, recognizing the connection of the symbols to Christianity and the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is a very rich, meaningful, interesting, and enjoyable experience. Hopefully everyone can join us!

The meal will be a potluck, so please post in the comments if you will be coming and what dish you will be bringing to share with everyone.

This Sunday (4/1/12): "Feedback"/"Self-Sabotage"

Hi everyone -  We'll be getting together this Sunday, April 1, at 3pm to watch and discuss a short film based upon Derek Webb's music, "Feedback" - the film is called "Self-Sabotage" and you can see some info about it here: http://derekwebb.com/store/feedback Kellye and I will host at our house (2406 Altenburg Ct Grove City, 43123). We will have coffee and other drinks and maybe a few small snacks but no meal to share. We'll try to finish around 5 pm.  Hope to see everyone!  Jesse

More about the film:

Self-Sabotage: the deliberate subversion of oneself. Destructive or obstructive action that hinders the person who acts. 

See also: the Lord's Prayer. 

The Lord's Prayer is inherently violent towards the one who prays it. 

Self-Sabotage is an exploration of the Lord's Prayer based on and inspired by Derek Webb's electronic all instrumental album 'Feedback'. It follows six characters in a narrative with no words - only the music to parallel the stories.This film has come to pick a fight, and any viewing that fails to recognize that may put the viewer at risk in one way or another.  Self-Sabotage rests firmly amidst the tension between the prayed and the praying; the single-minded character and vision of the Lord's prayer serves as the sub-text through which we enter into the lives of its characters. Their lives, like moving icons, open windows into the great mystery of communion through self-dethroning sabotage.

Celebration of the Faithful

Hi everyone! We will be gathering this Sunday at 5pm at the Cohoons for Celebration of the Faithful and a potluck.

Please post in the comments and let us know if you can come and what you will be bringing. We will prepare some sort of vegeterian dish. Hope to see you all there!

Saturday- Game Night, SUPER FUN!

Just a reminder that we will be having a game night on Sat night at 6pm at the Newbys.  I will be making pizza, and ask that you bring your favorite pizza toppings and perhaps a snack or side to share.  Dessert will be provided.  You can also bring your favorite game.  We will have a few here, but if there is one that you love to play, bring it along.  Looking forward to a great night of FUN! Please post and let me know if you are coming and what you are planning on bringing.  Hope to see you there (here). Let us know if you need directions.

Musing instead of Muesli for breakfast

Right now I don’t care whether Jesus was the Son of God. I don’t care whether he rose from the dead or performed miracles. I don’t know, and I don’t care. I choose to believe, however, based on the historical record and my own beliefs, that there was a man named Jesus who tried to get people to live a new way and was killed for it. Many men and women have also done this with their lives, some emulating Jesus, some who never heard of him, and some for entirely different reasons. I lack the character and conviction to ever be that kind of a man, but I will try this Lent to honor them and remember them. I am not sure if I can even go one day a week without food (my current goal), but by struggling through this comparatively meaningless task I will remember the actions of far better people who have gone before me, some of whom pointed to God, some of whom fought for freedom, and some of whom did both.

As a confession – my actions are equally, if not more so, motivated by a desire for health. As I told the group last night I am a stress and depression eater, and my current life has quite a bit of stress and depression, and consequently quite a bit of junk food. I hope to somewhat break this habit and come out a healthier person. Right now my breakfast ice water tastes quite nice. Perhaps I’ll give an update in the comments.

Celebration of the Faithful: Lent Edition

This Sunday, February 26th, we will have a "Celebration of the Faithful." We will meet at Jesse & Kellye's house at 5pm, and will participate in reflections and readings regarding Lent (as led by Brother Curt and Matt). We will also take communion together.

We will continue the "celebration" by enjoying dinner together, potluck style! Everyone is invited to bring  something fresh to share. Please post in the comments if you are coming, and what food item you will be bringing so we can plan accordingly.

This can be a great time for us all to connect, share, pray, and engage not only with each other but with God's Spirit.

To be honest, this gathering may have a bit of a "mourning" sense to it, as some of us have experienced death very close to us recently. I guess this is appropriate, in a way, for the period of the Christian calendar that we are entering.

Sun Feb 12 - No Gathering

Due to scheduling conflicts, we will not be gathering on Sunday February 12th. The Marcus Borg discussion will be rescheduled for another date.

Sunday Feb 5

The Faith, Film, and Philosophy night was cancelled. For those who want to, we invite you to our house Sunday night at 6:00PM. Yes, there is a sporting event on TV. We'll have it turned on if you'd like to watch. But more importantly we'll have food, conversation, and maybe a board game or two. Email me at adam.f.newby@gmail.com or call 388-8947 if you need the address. Please let us know if you are coming if you haven't already.

Celebration of the Faithful

Update: Location changed to Nick's house. 1270 Courtland Ave.

This Sunday at 5:00pm we will be having a Celebration of the Faithful at the Nick's house Newby's house.  Potluck dinner will follow a time of worship and communion.  We will probably make a pot of soup or chili so bring sides, desserts or drinks please.  Please post and let us know if you are coming, and if so what you are planning on bringing.  We are looking forward to seeing everyone and spending some time with you.  Everyone is free to join in.

Book Discussion - 1/22/12

This Sunday, January 22, we will have a book discussion about The Secret Message of Jesus. We will meet from 3-5pm at the Global Gallery, 3535 N. High St. Global Gallery is a not-for-profit, fair trade coffee shop. You can get a good cup of coffee or tea for less that $3, and some snacks as well. We meet in the back room around the big table.

We have had one discussion already about Brian McLaren's book, The Secret Message of Jesus. There is no set agenda for this book discussion. However, I would suggest that every take a look at the discussion questions in the back of the book, and pick one or two questions that are interesting to you. Mark these down and bring them to the meeting as "discussion starters."

Discussions are open to everyone, if you have read the book or not, if you agree or disagree, Christian, Atheist or otherwise. All are welcome, and we try to offer an open and affirming opportunity for everyone to share viewpoints and learn from one another. By doing so, we believe that we take on a posture of humility and attempt to engage with "the Other," - both in one another, and in the Divine.

The Middle

Hi friends -

This poem came through the MINemergent daily email, and I thought it was fitting for our cohort:

Christ, the Middle 

Sean Hall

  

As we eat together

Have a drink together

Friends, this is our worship

Christ, the middle of every part

Christ, the core of who we are

As we talk for hours

Share the love that's ours

Friends, this is our worship

Christ, the middle of every part

Christ, the core of who we are

Living life together

Sharing dreams together

Friends, this is our worship

Christ, the middle of every part

Christ, the core of who we are

When we cry together

Laugh out loud together

Friends, this is our worship

Christ, the middle of every part

Christ, the core of who we are

When we kiss our lover

When we dance together

Friends, this is our worship

Christ, the middle of every part

Christ, the core of who we are

Say a toast together

Lift our cups together

Friends, this is our worship

--

Eating, drinking, talking, living life, sharing dreams, crying, laughing, dancing, toasting, lifting our cups - these are all activities we share in the cohort. And I truly believe that Christ is in the middle, the core, the center, of these activities. 

I think its helpful to remember that, to picture it poetically or imaginatively. I also wonder if there are ways that we can acknowledge the center place of Christ in our cohort? I don't believe that the Spirit of Christ relies upon our verbal acknowledgment or invitation to be present. But I think words, rituals, and expressions can be helpful for us to remember that Christ truly is in the middle of our gatherings. 

As Paul says, "In him we live and move and have our being." I believe this is fully a reality, but as the contemplatives remind us, our role is to awaken to the reality around us. How do we "see" Christ "in the middle" more clearly and more often? How do we awaken to the reality of the beauty that this poem embodies? 

This Weekend - Community Night

On Sunday, January 8th, at 5pm, we will have a "Community Night."

This is a time particularly designed to allow each person present to share what is happening in their life. What are the good things? The bad things? The challenges? The joys? Whatever the person or couple wants to share.

In response, the other people present will listen - truly listen. In some ways, our best response is simply, "We hear you." Other responses may be words of affirmation, love, or reminders of truths learned in the past.

To make the gathering that much better, everyone will bring food to share! Eating and drinking makes sharing life together so much more beautiful. For the sake of our hosts, Ian and Nikki, please post in the comment that you will be attending, and what food you will be bringing to share.

You can click on the calendar link to the right for more information, or email/call Jesse if you have questions: schroeder.jesse@gmail.com / 614-557-5768

Hope to see everyone there!

Planning Ahead

We will be meeting Thursday (1/5) at 6:30pm at the Newby's house to talk about planning the first few months of 2012. We will tentatively put down dates for gatherings and schedule in "special events" (for example, Peter Rollins is in Columbus in February).

We would love your input! Here's a brief description of the types of gatherings we have had in the past:

• Celebration of the Faithful - about an hour of songs, prayer, Scripture, reflection, communion - designed by anyone in the cohort, and shared with the group, followed by a potluck meal
• Community Night - each person shares latest news, triumphs, struggles, upcoming challenges, etc. The group listens and responds with affirmation. 
• Discussion - about a book, a topic, a passage of Scripture, whatever we've been thinking about or reading lately. Usually suggested and led by one member of the group. 
• Composting Stories - Reading and discussing a familiar story from Scripture, and then retelling it in our own words
• Faith, Film and Philosophy - Watch a thought-provoking film and discuss. 
• Service Projects - such as picking up trash in the community or volunteering at a local agency
• Super Fun! - any sort of fun activity like games, concerts, festivals, parties, food, etc. 

These are just a few of the things we do somewhat regularly. We have also had baby blessings, nature walks, singing, fire nights, prayer, and various guest speakers. We have met in coffee shops, libraries, parks, and of course, homes. 

The cohort is only what we make it. These are just a few things we've done in the past that folks have seemed to enjoy and benefit from - but what do we want to do in the new year? Do we have new ideas, new areas we want to focus on, issues we are wrestling with, practices we want to introduce or revisit? 

I look forward to hearing from different people in the cohort, even if you've only visited once or twice. My favorite thing about the cohort is seeing what happens when we collaborate, sharing our faith in various ways, and going through life together. 

Feel free to post comments or ideas here on the blog, or come to the planning meeting Thursday night!