Sunday, December 29, 2013
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Ugly Christmas Sweater Service!!!
I've never been as excited to wear a sweater as I am now. Got mine in the mail and it's a gem! Hope to see your best ugly sweaters this weekend at Brindo mi Vida as we celebrate Christ and have fun (yes, celebrating Christ can be fun). Hope you enjoyed the Sounds of Christmas service last weekend. Brindo mi Vida is back in action this weekend. Can't wait to see you all!!!
Monday, November 25, 2013
Toolbox: Women's Roles in Church
Great Toolbox question a couple of weeks ago!
What is a woman's role in the church?
Many Christian denominations ordain women for ministry, and have women as senior pastors of congregations. On the flip side, many Christian denominations do not. Why the divide?
Well, to narrow it down quite simply, there are two views: Traditionalism and Egalitarianism.
Traditionalism basically argues that men and women are equal in value, but differ in roles within the church and the marriage. God established an order in the church, and in families, where the man is the head and takes on the role of leadership. Traditionalists quote passages such as Ephesians 5:22, and 1st Timothy 2:12, which forbids women from teaching or having authority over men. Traditionalism argues that men and women are different, yet complementary, therefore this view is sometimes called Complementarianism. This has nothing to do with the value of men or women, but about order and complementary roles God created. Traditionalists do not ordain women to leadership positions in the church which would put them in a position of leading men.
Egalitarianism basically argues that men and women are equal in value and are equal in the role they can play in church leadership and in the marriage. They argue that submission is mutual (Ephesians 5:21), that men ruling over women is a result of the fall (Genesis 3:16), and that in Christ social and gender distinctives are no longer relevant (Galatians 3:26-28). Furthermore, prescriptions by Paul that women should not teach men, or have authority over them, or that women should keep silent in church, are contextual and unique to specific situations Paul was addressing, and we see other examples where it seems that women are permitted, even encouraged, to do just that (See Colossians 4:15, Acts 2:18, Phil 4:2).
Either way, in my experience, many times when we begin arguing these sides, we talk past each other.
For me, the perfect example of what this all looks like is found in the book of Philemon. Philemon is a letter written by the Apostle Paul to a man named Philemon, who was a slave owner at the time. While Paul was in Prison, he encountered a man named Onesimus, a runaway slave who came from Philemon. As Paul encouraged submission, he encouraged Onesimus to return to Philemon, which was the right thing for Onesimus to do under the law and social order of the time. However, as Paul also encouraged equality in Christ, he encouraged Philemon to receive Onesimus as if he were receiving Paul himself. In fact, Paul told Philemon to prepare a guest room for his upcoming visit. So if Philemon is to prepare a guest room for Paul, yet he is to treat Onesimus even better than Paul, what does that imply Philemon should do for Onesimus? Actually, Paul tells Philemon to receive Onesimus back not as a bondservant, but as a brother.
Therefore, the result of Onesimus' submission isn't silence and passiveness continuance of the slaveowner/slave relationship. Instead Onesimus' submission was to result in his freedom, and even his elevation above Philemon. Here we see echoes of what Paul said in Galatians 3:26-28.
In all, Paul submitted to the social laws of the time, while at the same time fulfilling the new paradigm in Christ.
Think about what this means. And if you want to explore further, the two main places to explore these two differing views can be found here:
Traditionalism: Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
Egalitarianism: Christians for Biblical Equality
(note - links to these external websites do not represent an endorsement of either organization)
What is a woman's role in the church?
Many Christian denominations ordain women for ministry, and have women as senior pastors of congregations. On the flip side, many Christian denominations do not. Why the divide?
Well, to narrow it down quite simply, there are two views: Traditionalism and Egalitarianism.
Traditionalism basically argues that men and women are equal in value, but differ in roles within the church and the marriage. God established an order in the church, and in families, where the man is the head and takes on the role of leadership. Traditionalists quote passages such as Ephesians 5:22, and 1st Timothy 2:12, which forbids women from teaching or having authority over men. Traditionalism argues that men and women are different, yet complementary, therefore this view is sometimes called Complementarianism. This has nothing to do with the value of men or women, but about order and complementary roles God created. Traditionalists do not ordain women to leadership positions in the church which would put them in a position of leading men.
Egalitarianism basically argues that men and women are equal in value and are equal in the role they can play in church leadership and in the marriage. They argue that submission is mutual (Ephesians 5:21), that men ruling over women is a result of the fall (Genesis 3:16), and that in Christ social and gender distinctives are no longer relevant (Galatians 3:26-28). Furthermore, prescriptions by Paul that women should not teach men, or have authority over them, or that women should keep silent in church, are contextual and unique to specific situations Paul was addressing, and we see other examples where it seems that women are permitted, even encouraged, to do just that (See Colossians 4:15, Acts 2:18, Phil 4:2).
Either way, in my experience, many times when we begin arguing these sides, we talk past each other.
For me, the perfect example of what this all looks like is found in the book of Philemon. Philemon is a letter written by the Apostle Paul to a man named Philemon, who was a slave owner at the time. While Paul was in Prison, he encountered a man named Onesimus, a runaway slave who came from Philemon. As Paul encouraged submission, he encouraged Onesimus to return to Philemon, which was the right thing for Onesimus to do under the law and social order of the time. However, as Paul also encouraged equality in Christ, he encouraged Philemon to receive Onesimus as if he were receiving Paul himself. In fact, Paul told Philemon to prepare a guest room for his upcoming visit. So if Philemon is to prepare a guest room for Paul, yet he is to treat Onesimus even better than Paul, what does that imply Philemon should do for Onesimus? Actually, Paul tells Philemon to receive Onesimus back not as a bondservant, but as a brother.
Therefore, the result of Onesimus' submission isn't silence and passiveness continuance of the slaveowner/slave relationship. Instead Onesimus' submission was to result in his freedom, and even his elevation above Philemon. Here we see echoes of what Paul said in Galatians 3:26-28.
In all, Paul submitted to the social laws of the time, while at the same time fulfilling the new paradigm in Christ.
Think about what this means. And if you want to explore further, the two main places to explore these two differing views can be found here:
Traditionalism: Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
Egalitarianism: Christians for Biblical Equality
(note - links to these external websites do not represent an endorsement of either organization)
Coming Soon to Brindo mi VIda
Ugly Sweater Service!
December 22nd, come to church with your ugliest Christmas sweater!
Don't forget also that December 15th is our Christmas program, immediately following the Brindo mi Vida service. Just wanted to get those things on your calendar, especially the ugly sweater service, so you can prepare!
Peace!
Friday, November 22, 2013
This Weekend at BV.....
The heat is on!!! So you don't have to bring your Snuggie. And...you don't want to miss the sermon. Seriously. I'm so excited about it that even I can't wait to hear myself preach it! That sounds weird, and not very humble, but I mean it humbly. It's not that my preaching is great...it's that God's Word is great. I look forward to sharing it with you. See you then!
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Tonight....
Finding God while struggling up the mountains of life....
and
The Toolbox: What is a woman's role in the church? Ooh....good one!
Come check it out!
and
The Toolbox: What is a woman's role in the church? Ooh....good one!
Come check it out!
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Music at Brindo mi Vida
I get a lot of questions about what music we play in the background before the service and during the break. Here are a few of my personal favorites:
Saturday, October 19, 2013
This Sunday at Brindo mi Vida
The Pharisees Tweet: OMG, did you see that party @Matthew's house last night? You'll never guess who we saw hanging out with those sinners! #Busted!
See you at 6
See you at 6
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Friday, October 4, 2013
Moleskine/Notebook Spiritual GTD Hack
Looking for a way to track your spiritual life, thoughts, prayers, notes, etc? Here's a little hack I came up with for my notebook that puts a spiritual spin on the typical GTD hacks. Enjoy!
First, choose a notebook. I prefer the little black notebooks with the elastic strap. Several companies make them, and the one I use comes with pre-numbered pages, blank index pages, higher quality paper for writing with fountain pens, stickers for labeling the spine, and of course, a pocket in the back for odds and ends.
If your notebook doesn't have page numbers, you'll want to write them in. One of the most valuable resources in your notebook will be the index. From time to time I've wanted to go back and find an entry in a journal. Keeping an index and logging page numbers cuts a lot of time out of the page skimming process.
You'll want to figure out how to divide your notebook up into the categories most beneficial for you. I am currently using five major categories. They are as follows, in this order:
1). Memory Verses
2). Scripture Reading, Notes, Applications
3). Journal and Prayers
4). Spiritual Inbox (working from the back, after the index, towards the front)
5). Index (starting at the back)
Of course, you'll want a tracking system to find these sections quickly. Some people use little sticky tabs and label them with the sections, but personally I don't like tabs hanging out of the side of my notebook. For me, I found some people simply coloring the side of the notebook with different colors to mark where the sections are (see picture above). It's a simple, quick, clean, and free way to divide up the notebook.
As far as the sections, I'll start with my favorite...the Spiritual Inbox. This is the place where all things get dumped. If someone mentions a good book to read, a good album to buy, a church to check out, or you have a thought or prayer or project idea you want to follow up on - whatever it is - dump it into the Spiritual Inbox right away so you have it written down to explore later. When you do explore those further, you can use the Notes or Journal/Prayers section to write about it all.
My Spiritual Inbox sections includes the following: Hashtags (to quickly locate topics), a date column (not shown in the picture), and a page column (so I know what page to turn to after I've followed up on the though in one of the other sections). See the picture to the right.
The other sections are pretty straight forward. A few pages at the beginning to jot down several memory verses I want to focus on while having that notebook.
The Scripture Reading/Notes/Applications section is where I can keep sermon or Bible study notes, write about what I'm reading in Scripture, or exploring music or theological ideas, or whatever else I want to make notes on.
The third section is for my journal and prayers. I like to write my prayers, as I find it keeps me focused and more intentional.
The very last section is the index. I designate a few more pages than I think I'll need, started with the very last page and working towards the front. The Spiritual Inbox begins at the end of the Index, also working from back to front, so eventually the journal and inbox run into each other, and all of the notebook gets used up.
Just another tool for your toolbox to try as you explore what works for you as you grow in your relationship with Christ.
Take the idea, modify it, make it work for what you need, and enjoy growing in your faith.
First, choose a notebook. I prefer the little black notebooks with the elastic strap. Several companies make them, and the one I use comes with pre-numbered pages, blank index pages, higher quality paper for writing with fountain pens, stickers for labeling the spine, and of course, a pocket in the back for odds and ends.
If your notebook doesn't have page numbers, you'll want to write them in. One of the most valuable resources in your notebook will be the index. From time to time I've wanted to go back and find an entry in a journal. Keeping an index and logging page numbers cuts a lot of time out of the page skimming process.You'll want to figure out how to divide your notebook up into the categories most beneficial for you. I am currently using five major categories. They are as follows, in this order:
1). Memory Verses
2). Scripture Reading, Notes, Applications
3). Journal and Prayers
4). Spiritual Inbox (working from the back, after the index, towards the front)
5). Index (starting at the back)
Of course, you'll want a tracking system to find these sections quickly. Some people use little sticky tabs and label them with the sections, but personally I don't like tabs hanging out of the side of my notebook. For me, I found some people simply coloring the side of the notebook with different colors to mark where the sections are (see picture above). It's a simple, quick, clean, and free way to divide up the notebook.
As far as the sections, I'll start with my favorite...the Spiritual Inbox. This is the place where all things get dumped. If someone mentions a good book to read, a good album to buy, a church to check out, or you have a thought or prayer or project idea you want to follow up on - whatever it is - dump it into the Spiritual Inbox right away so you have it written down to explore later. When you do explore those further, you can use the Notes or Journal/Prayers section to write about it all.
My Spiritual Inbox sections includes the following: Hashtags (to quickly locate topics), a date column (not shown in the picture), and a page column (so I know what page to turn to after I've followed up on the though in one of the other sections). See the picture to the right.
The other sections are pretty straight forward. A few pages at the beginning to jot down several memory verses I want to focus on while having that notebook.
The Scripture Reading/Notes/Applications section is where I can keep sermon or Bible study notes, write about what I'm reading in Scripture, or exploring music or theological ideas, or whatever else I want to make notes on.
The third section is for my journal and prayers. I like to write my prayers, as I find it keeps me focused and more intentional.
The very last section is the index. I designate a few more pages than I think I'll need, started with the very last page and working towards the front. The Spiritual Inbox begins at the end of the Index, also working from back to front, so eventually the journal and inbox run into each other, and all of the notebook gets used up.
Just another tool for your toolbox to try as you explore what works for you as you grow in your relationship with Christ.
Take the idea, modify it, make it work for what you need, and enjoy growing in your faith.
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
Sunday, September 29, 2013
What's New?!?!
Tonight at Brindo mi Vida: Live worship and a sweaty shirt.
Also...check out the last ToolBox video (below and to the right) in case you missed it.
See you tonight @ 6!
Also...check out the last ToolBox video (below and to the right) in case you missed it.
See you tonight @ 6!
Sunday, September 22, 2013
TONIGHT....
Feeding unicorns...?
What is the message we are supposed to share anyway?
Meet with friends, worship God, study Scripture, tonight at Brindo mi Vida!
What is the message we are supposed to share anyway?
Meet with friends, worship God, study Scripture, tonight at Brindo mi Vida!
Friday, September 13, 2013
Touch Screen Fail...
I tried to tap on a piece of paper the other day like it was a touch screen... it didn't work.
Even still, Brindo mi Vida is a go this weekend! Continuing our series "Bridge the Gap." Specifically this week...what is our approach to those who live differently?
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Church
Just tried to scratch a comma off my computer screen with my nail thinking it was dirty.
By the way...Brindo mi Vida, Sunday at 6pm. See you there!
By the way...Brindo mi Vida, Sunday at 6pm. See you there!
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
PWOC Kickoff, TOMORROW!!!!
Come to the Chapel tomorrow at 9:30 for the fall kickoff of PWOC! Great fellowship, and a message from Chaplain Miller. Free childcare as well! Hope to see everyone there (all the women that is... men, you can't go there to meet women). PWOC has an exciting year ahead, and you'll want to make sure to be there from the start.
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
New Sermon Series!!! Bridge the Gap.
When the "social network" becomes a network of loneliness. How to connect with others and help them connect with God. Begins this Sunday, August 25th at Brindo mi Vida!
Monday, August 12, 2013
Great Night at BV
Great to see so many people at Brindo mi Vida Sunday night! We've had a great study though the book of James (I think anyway). We've got 1 more lesson to finish up James next Sunday, then it's on to our new series. Stay tuned for details!
Thursday, August 1, 2013
COMING SOON!!!!
She's been featured in Relevant, Relevant Leader, and Radiant Magazines. She's a singer/songwriter, author of several books, and a keynote speaker. AND SHE'S COMING TO BRINDO MI VIDA. This September and October, Brindo mi Vida, in conjunction with Protestant Women of the Chapel (PWOC) and Club Beyond (youth ministry) will welcome Tara-Leigh Cobble as she shares with us and leads us in worship. Stay tuned for more information.
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
MMATP (MEET ME AT THE POOL)
We'll be hanging out at the housing pool this Thursday evening at 5:30 for anyone who wants to join us. Just some time of fellowship, nothing fancy (except my fancy swimming moves).
Hope to see you there so we can all hang out!
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Toolbox Preview....
Tonight on the toolbox, I answer the question: What will happen when we stand before God on judgment day?
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Faith and Family Fun Night...TONIGHT!!!
Join us tonight at the Chapel for our Faith and Family Fun Night. 6pm, and free pizza! See you there!!!
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Tonight! James 3...continued
Tonight you'll see that James really ties together what he's been talking about.
Plus... the Toolbox, dessert, coffee, great people, and more! Hope you to see you all at 6:00pm at the Chapel.
-Peace!
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Run Run Run! And Then...PIZZA
Tonight (Thursday), for anyone interested, we are meeting at the Chapel at 6:30 pm for a run together.
Looking for an opportunity to start running again? Then show up! We're not going to be doing anything crazy long. Just a jog together as a community.
After our run we'll all head over to Pizza Villa together for dinner. Unfortunately it will be byop (buy your own pizza), but if you can't, don't let that stop you, just let me know.
Looking forward to it!
Hope to see you at the Chapel! 6:30 pm. Oh, and you can bring kids and push them in strollers if you have them.
Peace!
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Faith and Family Fun Night
Free pizza, great friends, amazing God, all wrapped up together in a night of fun for the family. Single service members welcome as well.
TONIGHT!!! 6pm at the Chapel.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
James in June
What's up Brindo mi Vida!
We've been covering some amazing words in the book of James over the last couple of Sundays, and I don't know about you, but I'm excited for more.
We've talked about some of the unique aspects of the way James writes, and why he says what he does. We talked about the generous God who gives good gifts. We talked about endurance, about not being "double-souled", and humility. Last week we wrapped up by talking about James' word on religion.
We've got some good stuff coming up for this Sunday night. Powerful and challenging words in James, chapter 2. I look forward to seeking, learning, and following with you as we join together to move forward on our spiritual journeys.
See you Sunday at 6pm!
Grace and peace,
-Chaplain Miller
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Current Sermon Series
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)