COTF- Mercy- CANCELLED

Hi all,  many among us will be out of town this weekend and the Newbys have a lot on their plate and cannot host, so we are going to go ahead and cancel this weeks gathering.  It is Palm Sunday.  Consider finding a nice faith community to attend and wave some palms.  Or stay at home and read or pray or meditate.  Whatever you do, I hope you have an enriching holy week.  We will gather on Saturday for our Seder/Passover meal.  We will be posting directions and requests for items soon.

Community Night at Miller's

March 17    4-6pm 

179 Bridgeport Way, Delaware, OH 43015

Please join us as we share a meal and share updates from our personal journeys in an effort to enhance our sense of community.

Meal:  We will provide the main entree which in honor of St. Patrick's Day will have a Irish connection of some sort.

Please RSVP and inform us as to which sides, snacks or desserts you will be able to contribute.

We will share communion.

Hope everyone will be able to make it!

Sunday March 10th Gathering

Hi everyone -

This Sunday March 10 we will gather at 3pm at the Schroeder's house in Grove City Nancy's House in German Village for an open and friendly discussion. The topic is from the Animate : Faith series, entitled "Cross: Where God Is." The speaker is Nadia Bolz-Weber, a tatted Lutheran pastor of an Emergent church in Denver.

Here is a sample:



Since the topic is about the cross, I thought it could be interesting if everyone brought a cross that they own personally. I know that in our house, I could find at least 10 - from wall hangings, to jewelry, to artwork - crosses are all around us. And sometimes they hold significance. So bring one or two of your personal crosses to share. How does the image, icon and idea of the cross impact your every day life?

As always, everyone is welcome! We'll try to have some snacks and coffee, but feel free to bring drinks or a light snack to share!

If you need directions or more info, you can email me (Jesse) at schroeder.jesse@gmail.com

Dinner & Discussion

Hey guys, this week we are meeting at the Hamilton's.  For dinner we are going to have a taco bar.  We will provide the fixings for tacos (an assortment of meat & beans plus toppings and shells) and we will have a few drinks, please comment or reply if you plan to bring something to share.

For discussion, I'm actually going to dust off my bible and share one of my favorite old testament stories and make a few comparisons to a Malcolm Gladwell book I recently reread (Blink).

To make the discussion a little more interesting, I would like for you guys to take a short online test that Gladwell wrote about in his book.  If you have a tablet use this link;

https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/user/yba/testtouch1/tablet.htm

PC users use this link;

https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/

If you take it on a PC you can sign on as a guest and select the Race IAT.  It only takes 5-10 minutes to complete.  You will receive a one sentence assessment at the end of the test.

We'll start with the discussion at 5:00.  If you have any questions post on blog or reply.  Call or text for my address if you need it.  

937 303 3362

Thanks, hope to see you.

Matt

Book Discussion Here If You Need Me

		Here If You Need Me A True Story by Kate Braestrup Published in Aug 2007,

Here If You Need Me

Summary:

Ten years ago, Kate Braestrup and her husband Drew were enjoying the life they shared together. They had four young children, and Drew, a Maine state trooper, would soon begin training to become a minister as well. Then early one morning Drew left for work and everything changed. On the very roads that he protected every day, an oncoming driver lost control, and Kate lost her husband.

Stunned and grieving, Kate decided to continue her husband's dream and became a minister herself. And in that capacity she found a most unusual mission: serving as the minister on search and rescue missions in the Maine woods, giving comfort to people whose loved ones are missing, and to the wardens who sometimes have to deal with awful outcomes. Whether she is with the parents of a 6-year-old girl who had wandered into the woods, with wardens as they search for a snowmobile rider trapped under the ice, or assisting a man whose sister left an infant seat and a suicide note in her car by the side of the road, Braestrup provides solace, understanding, and spiritual guidance when it's needed most.

 

To be honest, I don’t usually read these types of books.  Tragic stories of the lost, missing or victims are painful to enter into and the stories become memories.  But this book shifted something in me.  It made a difference about what I think happens when we suffer and about what I can change when someone else suffers. 

Please read for our book discussion on February 24 at Global Gallery in Clintonville. We will begin around 3:00 and end at 5:00.  I’m looking forward to talking to everyone about it

 

Lent

The Lent Season begins.

Remember that long ago temptation in the desert

words not crafted to deceive, 

just simple observations

                 reasonable

                             words

 

But not so different from Eden

            Be god without God

In an effort to be with God I offer four areas to move us towards awareness, intention and accountability.  You can focus on one or two or do all.

1.       Choose Acts of Service

2.      Spend time reading Scripture

3.      Develop relationships

4.      Choose to be still

In six weeks we will offer an evening to discuss what you choose and how it went.

If you would like further details or have questions, feel free to email me.  Nancykj10@yahoo.com

 

Nancy

Ash Wednesday

If you are interested in doing Ash Wednesday together, we will be meeting at Tommy's Pizza at 5:30pm (or whenever you can get there from work) and we will walk or drive to St. Stephen's Episcopal Church for the Ash Wednesday service, which starts at 7:00pm. If you are planning on coming it would be helpful if you post so we'll know approx. how large of a table we will need (but come on, even if it's a last minute decision).

Update: We will not be meeting for dinner. We will meet at St. Stephen's at 6:45PM.

Long Weekend in Hocking Hills

I double checked at the site and found that my memory of cabin costs were high.  They run in the approximate $110.00 to $120.00 range.  Availability is more open that it was when I last looked, so if we act soon we wil have a very broad choice.

I've been looking into our renting a couple of cabins in the Hocking Hills so hat the Cohort can spend some good long time together.  One of the reasons being that we are going to be having to say "Goodbye" to some of our long-time members.  It is evident that Adam and Kara and Nick will be findig new lives in other parts of the country, or even the world.  Selfishly, I want them to stay here, but I realize that I must let go and let God. 

Another reason for such a weekend would be to help us solidify and deepen our relationships so that we can grow in countless ways. 

I need to fix some dates and need to know soon, or we won't have any bookings available.  I was thinking about June 7-10.  If we have enough folks coming, it will costs us all a very reasonable amount.  The cabins are about $190.00 per night.  They can sleep six people.  (Two bedrooms and a convertable sofa.)  I am looking into the possibility of pitching tents by the cabins.  I don't mind paying a portion of the costs of the cabin.  I would prefer the privacy of my own tent because I never know for sure when and if I will be able to sleep.  It would be nice to have the bathroom and kitchen available, plus a solid roof in case it rains hard.  (Seems that whenever one plans a weekend such as this, the rain angels like to play with us.) 

Any earlier than the dates mentioned will be difficult to accomplish.  We might be able to get later dates but the cabins won't be next to each other as things stand.  So, we need to set a date and the will mean everyone telling me when would be good for them.  These are always so difficult to arrange because our lives are very different in many ways.  I'm free most of the time, so as long as I have someone to drive me, I can be there.  So, I am going to leave it up to the rest of you.  Julia suggested even going for a longer time so that people would have the opportunity to come when they can and leave with time requires it.  This could get very expensive if we rent two cabins.  We might need to consider one cabin with a couple of tents pitched round-about, so to speak. 

Here's the webpage of the cabin site map.  http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Portals/2/parkmaps/hockinghillscottagemap.pdf

Hocking Hills webpage  http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/parks/parks/hocking/tabid/743/Default.aspx

The best availability is non-smoking and no pets.  Take a look and see what you think.  My head spins when I look at this stuff. 

Please post your ideas as soon as possible.

Br. Curt

Follow Me

What does it mean to follow a man

who is going to ask you to give up everything

What does it mean to follow a man

who is going to challenge you to love at all costs

What does it mean to follow a man

who was afraid, who was wounded

What does it mean to follow a man

who was God

What does it mean for me to follow Jesus? Does it make a difference? What is supposed to happen? Does my life change? Do I care or do I think this question is unnecessary and superficial? Has it been asked too often or not often enough?

This Sunday evening we will discuss those questions and I will offer ideas around awareness, intention and accountability.

Kara and Adam Newby are hosting 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Please feel free to email for directions and respond with comment on whether you would like to bring food to share.

Nancy

Gathering at the Art Museum

Hi everyone -

We'll meet at the Columbus Museum of Art on Sunday Feb. 3rd, from 3-5pm. We can meet up in the lobby by the main entrance off of the parking lot, and then disperse through the museum as our interests and eyes lead us. Around 4:15 or so, let's plan to meet back in the same lobby for a discussion about what pieces struck our interest and to share our most insightful artistic interpretations (or not....)

If you want to do your research ahead of time, here is a Columbus Dispatch article about on of the current exhibitions: "Mark Rothko: The Decisive Decade." Also, you can look forward to this...

Looking forward to seeing everyone!

**UPDATE** Sunday Jan 27th

Hi everyone -

We found out last minute that Brian McLaren is in Columbus this weekend, and we figured this would be a great gathering for the cohort. Therefore, no afternoon gathering at the Schroeder's house. Instead, please see the information below regarding McLaren speaking at Broad St. Presbyterian Church.

It seems that several people will be definitely be attending the 11:00am service, and a few might also attend the 9:45 session in between services.

January 27, 2013

"The Commonwealth of God and a Colony of Caesar"

Rev. Brian McLaren

8:45 a.m. Worship

11:00 a.m. Worship

9:45 a.m.: Brian McLaren

Childcare Available

COTF, Jan. 20

Hello everyone,

This Sunday, the 20th at 5:00, there will be a Celebration of the Faithful at my house. It will be a service of some kind, followed by a potluck. As always, I'll post on the blog and please write what you are going to contribute.

Regarding the service - I don't have much of an idea yet, and I've got a couple big applications due next week, so I'm a little short on time. I can definitely do something, but I thought I would throw it out there and see if anyone wanted to run the service part? If you've got an idea send me a message and we'll figure it out.

Have a good week and hopefully I'll see you all this weekend!

Nick

Sunday January 6 Gathering

It is the new year, so time for a new gathering! We will be meeting at the Schroeder's house on Sunday, January 6th at 3pm. We'll probably take the first hour or so to catch up, share holiday stories, and just chat. Then we will watch the next episode of the Animate: Faith DVD series. This episode is by Shane Hipps and is entitled "Salvation: Abundant Life Now" -

Hope to see everyone! If you need more info or directions feel free to email Jesse (schroeder.jesse@gmail.com)

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!