isn't she beautiful session 1

i've received several requests recently, asking me for the follow up to the isn't she beautiful conference held at mars hill and led by rob bell. i've decided to post my notes from some of the main sessions even though i haven't finished formulating all my thoughts yet. each day i will post a new segment of notes. i have included all scriptures in the notes, in full text because they were too central to the teaching to merely reference. they must be read with the notes. also understand that i have a weird shorthand so to speak, personal to me. so, if you have any questions, feel free to contact me:)



Isn’t She Beautiful Session 1 THE EUCHARIST

colossians 2

eu - well, good
charizomai - to grant, give
charis - grace, figt
EUCHARIST -

Jesus is a 'good gift' to the body, the body is a 'good gift' to the world

eucharist - body broken, blood poured

(this is why we are exhausted after the worship weekend, we break our bodies and spill ourselves out for others) and that's how it works

in the same way that Christ's body is broken and pours out to redeem us...we as leaders help others, redeem others by being the body of Christ for them. But there is a cost.


:What does it mean for the church to be a eucharist for the world?:


2 corinthians 4:7 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

1 corinthians 11:23 23For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." 25In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." 26For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
this is us, we are broken

Genesis 12 1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. 2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; 
I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, 
and whoever curses you I will curse; 
and all peoples on earth 
will be blessed through you."

:the only organization that exists to benefit non-members:

:if our church was taken away from our city/town/area, who would protest?: what are their names? what does the eucharist look like for them?

1 corinthians 9 19Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. 22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

He didn't become strong to win the strong

:The power of the eucharist is in it's weakness:

the problem is when we want to show how big our 'steeples' are.
eucharist is about the path of descent while our culture is about the path of ascent
Humanity over perfection. when it becomes about perfection something dangerous happens and it is contrary to the spirit.

:all we have to give you is ourselves:

we're done pretending. we can break ourselves open and pour ourselves out for you. no other organization in the world says that. agenda free

ephesians 2 11Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called "uncircumcised" by those who call themselves "the circumcision" (that done in the body by the hands of men)— 12remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.
14For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 17He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. 18For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

:the eucharist is about the new humanity:

Rejecting the cult of cool...


2 corinthians 11 28Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 29Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?

Acts 8 9Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, "This man is the divine power known as the Great Power." 11They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. 12But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.
14When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into[c] the name of the Lord Jesus. 17Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money 19and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."
20Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin."
24Then Simon answered, "Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said

:The eucharist is not a product:

you have to live with and discover what it looks like to be the eucharist in your area. how are we a eucharist for these people, in this place, at this time?

big isn't better, its just more...more problems and maybe more victories. but copying is a shortcut, it doesn't work because you rob yourself of figuring things out for yourself. what is true? so instead of copying, how can i take what 'they' have done there and apply the truth to here?


Hebrews 12 18You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; 19to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, 20because they could not bear what was commanded: "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned."[c] 21The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, "I am trembling with fear."[d]
22But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, 23to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, 24to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

:the magnetic draw of the tribe:

the magnetic hardwire to be a part of something greater. if we can't get it where god intended us to get it, we'll get it somewhere else (gangs).

:The eucharist is ultimately a mystery:

manage---------------both/and---------------mystical


:the problem is when the church tries to play by the same rules as everyone else:

:who is Christ in you?:

if Jesus isn't doing something in you then it won't work. you must be on your own journey. The church is a eucharist because you and i are a eucharist. a paycheck can mess things up as a pastor. what is you and what is your job? what is you and what is obligation? so can job descriptions.

:Christ in us:
:Christ through us:

if you are going through a theological crisis, then follow that through, don't neglect it. the power of the eucharist is in it's weakness, not it's strength. we believe too often that our gift is to have it all together. sometimes the best sermon we can preach is called..."me too"


1 ABSOLUTE ABOUT THE EUCHARIST

1. Your own journey, whatever it looks like

Luke 5:16 16But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

:letting the body be put back together and the blood be poured back in:

there is a loneliness to leadership that cannot be explained. i needed to hear this. there is a supernatural weight that is felt. if you do not allow yourself to be aware of what is broken and poured out, it will 'catch up' with you.
(rob bell points to spiritual battle, in resistance)