We celebrated Ashley, Hannah and Silas’ birthdays tonight by singing the birthday song and watching them blow out candles and of course eating CAKE, did I mention there was CAKE?

Anyway, here are a few photos of our lovely community members:

The part of the video we watched starts at about 2:34 and ends at around 6:10.  In the video Peter speaks of our true selves, and the possibility that we have been lying to ourselves about who that person is.

As you can imagine this led us to a pretty good discussion where we considered the possibility that we could be currently lying to ourselves about just how good we really are.  Someone mentioned as well that at times we tell ourselves lies about ourselves that are negative and harmful to our hearts and minds.  We at times pretend to be someone we are not to cover up our insecurities about who we really are.  The outcome was that we all felt encouraged to just be ourselves and to try to get in touch with who we really are, submitting the parts of ourselves that we see as wrong to God for transformation.

After discussion we all took a few moments to consider the lies that we might be telling ourselves whether good or bad.  We wrote those things down on a piece of paper and pinned them to the cross symbolically giving those things over to God and submitting our real selves to God and each other for acceptance and change for the good

Then we took some time in small groups to pray for each other’s needs.  After prayer time we all just kind of hung out and ate some real Cadbury chocolate exported from England and brought to us by those lovely British folks who copastor our church (you know who you are).

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. – John 10:10 (NKJV)

This is a great verse.  It brings comfort and hope; it calls to people who want more out of life to “choose Jesus” because He has more to offer than a meager existence.  Everyone wants more from life, especially when life gets really difficult!  Churches prefer to focus on verses like this because, well, it feels better than the reality of life’s difficulties.  It makes for better promotional material – God loves you and He wants to make your life easier!  I like that idea, but it isn’t the whole story.

Life has difficulties: bad days, bad weeks and bad years.  Things don’t always go our way and it can feel like the whole world is against us.  You know – “the man”.  What do we do at these points?  Sure we hope for a brighter tomorrow, but sometimes that seems to take more energy than we can muster!  What does God have to offer at these times?  “Don’t worry, be happy!”?  Heaven is coming soon, so try and make it!?  You’re not alone (although it feels like that), so toughen up, you can do it.  God knows that life is difficult (people seemed to hate Jesus ‘cause, well, He loved them too much?).  So what now?

The apostle Paul had some experience with this issue.   In 2nd Corinthians he discusses his “thorn” which he wanted gone, but God allowed to remain.  This thorn humbled Paul – it reminded him of his frailty and weakness.  More than that, in fact God used that weakness to demonstrate His power or strength.

“And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities [weakness], that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Cor 12:9 (NKJV)”

God, I believe, is not using Paul as a demonstration of His strength, simply to show off.  Rather, His strength is being used to hold Paul up from falling down to the dust.  God knows life is hard and could at times even crush us, but His grace (love that He has for us, just ‘cause) will keep us going.  We may feel beaten, but God is there, stemming the tide that wants to drown us.  We may get wet, we will see the flood waters rise, but His grace is enough to keep us from drowning.

Yes, I want it to be “all good”!  I want the trials to end and life to be easy, but that isn’t the way it is.  Indeed God wants us to have life more abundantly, and I believe we will see glimpses of that here, but between those times, when the flood waters well up, God’s grace and strength is enough to keep us going.  Then as others look on and see the waters rise and the devastation mount, they too may see God’s grace – and that is good for everyone!

Life is hard regardless of having faith in God or not.  You can blame the bad on Him; you can say He gets let off easy when destruction hits the world – whatever.  For me, I like knowing God has the strength to hold back the flood.  I can’t do it alone, I need His power and I need to see His strength at work in the life of others.  His grace is sufficient, so now I can get some rest for the next challenge is on its way…

You have been planning on visiting The Distillery Church for months now, but for some reason you have held back, held off.  Maybe you thought that we were just too serious all of the time?  Maybe you are not sure if we know how to have fun.  Maybe you’re concerned that we might be having too much fun.  Well, for whatever reason you have chosen not to come, this post will drastically change your mind.  Prepare to be dazzled by a rare look into

THE DISTILLERY CHURCH — A Fun Place

I bet you have always heard that Copastors are creepy and a little too serious all the time.  Maybe you have not met our wonderful Copastors Martin and Carolyn below.  Here is an image of the two of them just cutting loose and having a good time:



Next is a birds-eye view of the exciting and often times explosively joyous children’s department.  Here is an image of Miri and Beth just being themselves after an enjoyable day at the Children’s Gathering.

Enough proof for you?  Well than what are you waiting for?  Come to our Sunday gathering at 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM EVERY Sunday!

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lol – okay the images above were actually taken from our copastor Martin’s Blog and they were images used for their VISAs .  Just having a little fun at their expense.  But come on and join us anyway!

Below is a video from our friend Kathy Escobar, who fittingly Copastors a church called The Refuge in Colorado.  why is it when I see this video I find myself wanting to be a “blue person.”  Maybe, everyone is a little “blue.” What do you think?

church refugees – part 1 from kathy escobar on Vimeo.

If I’d had a chance I’d have made an excuse.
I’d have stayed at home. I’d have hidden away.
I’d have looked after myself.
But I came.

I didn’t have to explain, but when I did
I shared the pain and found it lessened.
I didn’t have to come.
But I came.

I’m glad I did.

That was the motivation of course. Isn’t that everyone’s motivation for finding a large home? What they didn’t realize is that the neighborhood was growing at a rather deceptive rate, well all of Houston was really, and by the time I was around the age of 10 that part of Houston was no longer considered the boonies.

It became what is now known as Spring Branch – one of the older suburban neighborhoods in the Greater Houston area, just outside the 610 Loop. So that would make me of course a child of the suburbs.

Suburbs were known for having the best schools, being somewhat safe as far as crime was concerned and neighborly. I can understand why my parents would want to raise me in such a place, and as an adult I did the same for my kids.

They too went to the best schools around. They too grew up each having their own room and a back yard and other good things. We always made sure that they had the best of everything. I think that being raised this way certainly had a bearing on why I chose to raise my children the same.

Now though, I wish I would have chosen the unfamiliar over the familiar. I wish I could have been brave enough to choose something different for my kids, for me and Tammy.

It all started about 3 years ago when we planted this church. I was becoming more and more discontent with the suburbs and wanted more and more to move into the city. The only problem is that at that time I still had two children in the “the best school in the area” and the city of Albany is not known for its “good” schools.

So I suffered, living in the burbs another two years or so. It was not until I was free from that environment that I truly realized the impact that it had on me. It is with a little reservation that I speak to you about the burbs, knowing that many of you live there and find your home there.

So I will say up front that this is not a criticism of you or your lifestyle, but more of a realization I have been having now for several years. After taking some space and time to gather my thoughts on this issue, I realize that the true insidious nature of living in the suburbs is not found in the physical place that you live, but in what I call Suburbanisn – a way of living based on conditioning, expectation and modeling by others.

I now see that we could have done things differently and could have benefited greatly from doing things differently, but it is what it is. Of course you also have to understand that I am writing this piece from the perspective of following Jesus.

I understand that living in the burbs is actually part and parcel of the American dream as well and that the things I will be saying here are in direct conflict of that dream. So please bear with me as I recklessly make my point.

“Believing vs. following” or “two kinds of Christians”

It has become ever more clear to me since becoming a Christian that “believing” in Jesus is merely the tip of the iceberg. Believing is not “following” nor is it even close. Following Jesus is much harder.

Believing in Jesus is easy. It requires nothing of yourself to do this and a peaceful suburbanite can quite easily believe in Christ and go to church and get on with life unhampered by the actual ways of Jesus.

A follower of Jesus cannot. They suddenly find that “church” doesn’t look anything like what Jesus would have wanted for a church. They soon realize that their calm comfortable existence is to be called into question by the Lord of the poor. They cannot with clear conscience follow Jesus and continue to exclusively pamper themselves at the expense of others.

Followers of Jesus, can’t justify having things in general. Lots and lots of things. I mean of course we have stuff, because many of us have jobs and we have to live and survive like everyone else. But can I really choose to have a collection of expensive cars while others go without where I am in the position to help?

In my experience, that seems rather excessive. Do I really need a five bedroom house with three bathrooms for me and my wife? Maybe I am using it to help people in need and in that instance of course that’s a good thing.

Do I really need to be paying a 400k mortgage when there are plenty of low cost rentals in the area that fit me just fine? I expect that these statements will meet you with much disagreement, but again I am really just telling you where I have been lately, not where you should be.

For me, following Jesus meant giving up on material possessions. Not selling everything I have and giving it to the poor mind you, but giving up on the hold that the material has on my life. Giving up on the special place that I had reserved for “stuff”.

Following Jesus means inviting people into your life en mass. It means dropping the privacy positions we have adopted from our parents and that we have been conditioned to believe. That means we take huge risks. We put ourselves out there. We open our doors.

Since we have let go of the hold that stuff has on our lives we are not as concerned when the stuff walks away with our new acquaintances. Following Jesus means placing the value on people not stuff, people not privacy, people not US.

Following Jesus is all about sacrifice, and serving and death. If we follow Jesus to our death, we don’t care about suburban things anymore. No I am not talking about physically dying here, although that could happen while following Jesus. I am talking about dying to self.

Ars Moriendi

We’ve probably all heard the phrase “Dying to Self” before and understand what it means, but I want to take a step in a different direction when talking about this. By “self” I don’t mean sin, or our old wicked ways, or the flesh or anything like that.

By self I mean who we have become through years of conditioning. By self I mean the things that our parents and our schools and the TV have sown into us for years that are not consistent with following Jesus- really following him.

By dying to self, I have to die to racism. By dying to myself I have to die to selfishness. Dying to self means that I must lay down my desire to always win the argument. Dying to self means that I die to not talking to strangers, not allowing people that I don’t know into my home, and not getting dirty. By dying to self I die to my desire to be in a smoke free environment. By dying to self I give up my desire to only befriend pretty people that make as much money as I do..

Dying to self would be easier if at the end of it we could actually die, but the problem is that we are still alive and we still have ourselves to deal with over and over and again.

My tattoo is a constant reminder of what this means. It says “ars moriendi” which in Latin means “art of dying.” So for me following Jesus is all about the “ars moriendi.”.



So what’s wrong with Suburbanism?

Again, the problem is not where you live but how you choose to live. It has only been through my experience of both living in the suburbs and living in the city that I have been able to truly slow things down a bit and notice a few oddities about suburban living that are not good for a follower of Jesus to subscribe to.

This is mine, that is yours

This one is pretty cut and dry. I mean when I lived in Loudonville, I possessed a few things that were clearly mine. For instance, my driveway, my front yard, my car, my grass, my tree, my fence, my side of the fence, my house, my curb, my ditch, mine, mine, mine.

No one in the suburbs had a problem with this, nor did anyone try and argue with me about what was mine. Why? Because they had theirs – their cars, their fences, their yards and so on.

As children we are all taught the value of sharing, but then we grow up and it becomes about what is ours. We justify this by saying bold statements like “I earned the money to pay for that, I have a right to fully possess it.”

Which is true, but a little sad too. The suburbs teach us that we have a right to our stuff, and no one else has a right to it. Compare this with the city where my back yard is actually my neighbor’s back yard too. I park on the street and share parking with everyone else in the neighborhood. My front yard is actually the city sidewalk where anyone can just walk through – anyone.

Bushes and Big Dogs

Bushes, fences, trellises, tree lines, blinds, guard dogs, and gates are all designed to keep people out of our yard, out of our stuff, and out of our lives. Especially those folks that are uninvited. The Suburbs tell people that do not belong to “Stay Out.”

We have become very private people which take the very word private to extremes. We seem to take pride in just how private we can be. Unlisted phone numbers, gate entry systems, windowless garage doors that allow us to pull into our homes in privacy, camera systems set up on the perimeter of our yard.

Sure these are extreme examples, but you see what I mean. Suddenly the value of privacy is more valuable than following Jesus into the unexpected. Suddenly privacy takes precedence over chance encounters, and relationships in general.

We use it as an excuse to isolate ourselves in our big houses and only spend time with the people we choose. This leaves God out of the picture. How will we ever meet that new person if they have to get through the German Shepherd in our yard first?

Dying to self means giving up on the clique, throwing open the curtains and being available to all. That is not to say that there is no room for privacy, but we are a lot less private now.

The Smiths and the Joneses

Subarbanism creates a competitive atmosphere for material accumulation. Now maybe this does not apply to you, but when the neighbors got that new snow blower last season and proceeded to bring it out and show it off, I felt envious. I wanted to replace my single stage snow blower and go for the big one.

Sure it costs more money but look at how well it works I justified. The price tag of 1200 dollars was a bit of a deterrent, but I needed to get this thing. I needed it. Funny thing is before I saw my neighbor with one my little single stage was the talk of the hood. It was more than adequate for the amount of snow we were getting.

But something happens to us. It’s like some kind of disease. We need things that we never had before – things that we never needed before. And why not, I mean it is the American dream isn’t it? We must have what we must have.

Dying to self means dying to Americanism, consumerism, suburbanism and all of the other “isms” out there. As I recall from my time in the burbs, I never really remember thinking about this stuff much. For awhile there it was like living in the Matrix.

Now I feel as if I have been set free from the Matrix. Someone has pulled the plug and I cannot go back there. I know that it is an easier more convenient existence. I know that the air conditioning is cooler and the heat always comes on. I remember what it was like to own my curb.

Nope. It’s city life for me now. It’s sharing, and being concerned for my neighbors. It’s not being worried about my security of stuff and not being worried about who knows that Tammy and me fight occasionally. It is about not having to own everything. It is the opposite of the American dream. It is my dream.

Let’s get our lives off this track

In the song “American Empire” by The Cobalt Season the lyrics say it all. Check them out:

Well you take me out and you drag me around
And I’d do anything ’cause all I’ve found in you
In you
You broke my heart with my soul laid bare
But you didn’t know, didn’t care, now did ya?
Even care?

Still I followed you
’cause you promised me
More than I ever really wanted

Well damn this American Empire
We all overpaid to be sure I know it
But even still
All these needs and wants and toys and taunts
They follow me everywhere
Everywhere

But still I followed you
’cause you promised me
More than I ever really wanted and now…

I wanna get my money back
I wanna get my life off-track
I wanna find my one true friend
If I could just begin again
I want to find my way back home
I want to find I’m not alone
And I’m not alone
Not alone…

Well the money’s in the plate and your life’s in my hands
And you wonder if I’d even understand your situation
In this great nation
Where the sick heal the sick and us blind lead the blind
Maybe together we can find what we’re looking for
What was it we were looking for?

So don’t follow me
’cause I’d promise you
Nothing more than what you need and…

You’d wanna get your money back
You’d wanna get your life off-track
You’d wanna find your one true friend
If you could just begin again
You’d wanna find your way back home
You’d wanna find you’re not alone
Friend, you’re not alone
Not alone…

Here’s hopin’ I find my way back to you
Here’s hopin’ that one day I’ll follow through
Here’s hopin’ they read me between the lines
Until then I’m fine, I’m fine, we’re all fine

So we don’t get our money back
Let’s get our lives off this track
Maybe you’re my one true friend
Here we go, let’s begin again
Maybe we’ll find our way back home
Now that we know we’re not alone
Not alone…

From But I Tell You (2005) and LIVE: Deconstructing the American Dream (2006)
So, with all of that said let’s get our lives OFF this track and begin again. God Bless.

Sunday we will have our first Sunday of the month Meal to celebrate 4th of July and any birthdays in July.  To celebrate we will be providing brisket, burgers, hot dogs and veggies from the grill.  Everyone else is supposed to bring a side dish.  So feel free to bring salads, side dishes, drinks, etc  Also bring friends and of course bring yourself.  We will eat together and then meet in the gathering space for some musical worship and then prayer time.

Time:  4:30 PM

Date:  July 4th (Sunday)

Place:  The Distillery @ 67 Watervliet Ave, Albany, NY 12206

So hope to see you there!

We had some snacks, cupcakes and conversation in place of our usual gathering on Sunday. It was great. We were celebrating Father’s Day, Miriam and Beth’s birthdays and our community life together.

I am a great believer in community – not just this little community at The Distillery, but that too! Let’s start with a definition of community (adapted from Kathy Escobar of The Refuge in Colorado who a couple of our community were visiting while we were eating cupcakes!):

Community is learning to love God, love one another and love ourselves. Allowing ourselves to be loved by God, be loved by one another and to accept that we are lovable.

Of course, in other contexts, the ‘God’ clauses might disappear or change, but I suspect in some way the rest of it would stand. I have a sense that if we embrace true community in this way and open it to include as many as we possibly can, we will do more to bring God’s kingdom as Jesus intended it than any amount of arguing about theology or worrying about what is or is not sin or about who is in or out of the kingdom.

I read somewhere recently that if you pray without seeking to be the answer to your own prayer, you are not truly praying as a Christian. That was a challenge to me. It reminded me of a conversation I had at college. I was a proudly evangelical Christian with all the answers talking to the relatively liberal chaplain of our college chapel. He dismissed the idea that prayer could change what God did. My reaction on the inside was “What’s the point of praying if it doesn’t change anything?” but also, deeper inside, ‘Now you mention it, it does seem strange that my prayer could change God’s intentions.’

I suppose the polarized sides of this debate boil down to “What’s the point of a God who is swayed by mere human desires?” vs “What’s the point of praying if God has already made up his mind?” So, shall we argue until we all agree (or fall out) or shall we get on with praying, having faith and acting in love? These principles of Jesus transcend theological arguments.

We don’t have to agree on all the theology to be in community together. We just have to get on with it. In love.

This is the conclusion of Solomon in chapter three of Ecclesiastes. Yet he seems less than satisfied with this and wants more (at least it seems like this to me). He says that “there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil — this is the gift of God (Ecc. 3:12-13)”. Yet throughout the chapter and the book he seems distressed at the temporary state that life is; what does it all mean? Why do we live? Is doing good enough? Perhaps enjoying your toil and labors is the best you can hope for, but shouldn’t there be more?
He states in chapter 3:11, “… He [God] has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” So our hearts feel eternity, but our minds fail to grasp the forever. Is this not the definition of frustrating? The gift of God is to eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow you die…? That seems cruel – eternity rests within our hearts, yet we fail to understand it. There must be more to this puzzle.
Indeed there is much more! Unfortunately for Solomon his kingdom lacked one critical part – he was king and God was a side note at best. When Jesus came to the Earth, He revealed that the Kingdom of God was the real place to be – not this earthly kingdom. What we lack is the understanding of eternity, which after all, resides within our heart. Earthly kingdoms pass away, but God’s kingdom last forever! This is where we will pick up the discussion this week.
In Luke 9:23-27, Jesus talks about the way we save our lives and that is what Solomon really wanted to understand (so much for his wisdom)! The meaning of life is not a mystery; we just may not like the answer.