A New Word and My Blog
0 Comments Published by Bryce Ashlin-Mayo on Tuesday, November 18, 2008 at 7:48 PM.
I thought of a new word for the English language that I think sums up the approach I am going to take for my blog over the next while: "Sporactivity." I like to blog and write, but sometimes life is life and it gets busy. Therefore, I am going to embrace some sporactivity (sporadic activity) for my blog in the days to come. I haven't left, I'm just "sporaticizing" the blogging world.
Labels: misc
Rhythm of Time
1 Comments Published by Bryce Ashlin-Mayo on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 at 9:18 PM.
I preached on rest last Sunday and what it means to keep Sabbath rest in our lives. In tackling the subject, I used the illustration of rhythm. Interestingly, what makes a beautiful rhythm or melody are not just the notes played (the musical activity done) but equally important are the rests, or the ceasing/resting of activity in the music. If the ceasing of sound did not occur, then it would be just noise. I related the Genesis creation account to this (on the seventh day God rested/ceased then blessed it and called it holy) and that God has establish a rhythm of rest that we as humans, too often, war against. This warring comes at great cost to our lives and relationships as it was never how we were created to live.What would it mean to live in a proper rhythm of activity and rest in our lives, that when working together, would create a beautiful sound scape?
How ??? is your God
5 Comments Published by Bryce Ashlin-Mayo on Tuesday, September 09, 2008 at 12:23 PM.
This Sunday I preached on the concept of time. Among other things, I communicated that time, unlike our marred concept of it, is beautifully and wonderfully created by God and in Genesis is called 'good.' In the process of my sermon preparation I keep coming back to the popular, yet not completely accurate, phrase: "How big is your God?" The reason I wonder about the accuracy of the phrase is that since all matter is created by God, then God isn't "bigger" than it. God is not bigger than anything, because God created the conceptional nature of size. God would, by definition, be "beyond size." That does mean, even more profoundly so, that the universe pales in comparison to God who created all that we know and experience.So..."How 'beyond' is your God?"
Being the full "you"
0 Comments Published by Bryce Ashlin-Mayo on Friday, September 05, 2008 at 1:10 PM.
The following stems from conversations I have had with recent graduates who are attempting to determine where God is calling them. It is meant as a reminder to both myself and others:
If you truly believe you have been called by God to serve in the capacity your in…and…If you truly believe that you are in the place God wants and desires for you…and…If you believe God only ever desires us to be real, authentic and without pretense…then…you must also equally believe you must be yourself and yourself alone. You can’t be anyone else, no matter how great or gifted they might be. It is not only impossible but a worthless exercise that only will end in disastrous disappointment.
This of course is difficult. It is difficult because people often project their opinion of who you should be. However, the only expert, besides God, on you is, well, you. Then I would simply ask: What are you waiting for? Who are you trying to be? Why are you spending so much energy trying to be someone or something you can never be? Why, instead, don’t you just be you and allow God to profoundly use you as the exact person he wants in your present location and circumstance. To be anything else would simply be hypocritical and dishonoring to yourself and, more importantly, to the God who wonderfully and beautifully created you.
If you truly believe you have been called by God to serve in the capacity your in…and…If you truly believe that you are in the place God wants and desires for you…and…If you believe God only ever desires us to be real, authentic and without pretense…then…you must also equally believe you must be yourself and yourself alone. You can’t be anyone else, no matter how great or gifted they might be. It is not only impossible but a worthless exercise that only will end in disastrous disappointment.
This of course is difficult. It is difficult because people often project their opinion of who you should be. However, the only expert, besides God, on you is, well, you. Then I would simply ask: What are you waiting for? Who are you trying to be? Why are you spending so much energy trying to be someone or something you can never be? Why, instead, don’t you just be you and allow God to profoundly use you as the exact person he wants in your present location and circumstance. To be anything else would simply be hypocritical and dishonoring to yourself and, more importantly, to the God who wonderfully and beautifully created you.
Labels: article
My TV appearance, New Church Website, Renovation Overdrive and Missions Rethink
2 Comments Published by Bryce Ashlin-Mayo on Friday, August 29, 2008 at 9:49 AM.
My TV Appearance
I was recently on TV talking about "The Edge," our Youth Drop-In Center, at Parkview. It was a cool experience to talk about our church's vision for engaging our community by meeting practical needs within. It was facinating to have talked for several minutes on camera and then only see two small clips on TV - but there were good clips:)
New Church Website
Our church is going through a major website overhaul and are launching our new (very cool) site in a few day. If you get a chance check it out www.parkviewalliance.com. We still have a lot of "polishing" to do and the potential of things we can do through it is amazing.
Renovation Overdrive
I been in renovation mode in our house for the last couple months since moving it, but for the next few weeks, I officially move into "renovation overdrive" as I complete our upstairs installing counter tops, new flooring, painting, shelving, lighting, building cabinets and cabinet doors. I like doing it but the pace is a bit much these days.
Mission Re-Think
I have been facinated with world missions lately which has trusted my into several books that I will post about together soon. There are:
I was recently on TV talking about "The Edge," our Youth Drop-In Center, at Parkview. It was a cool experience to talk about our church's vision for engaging our community by meeting practical needs within. It was facinating to have talked for several minutes on camera and then only see two small clips on TV - but there were good clips:)
New Church Website
Our church is going through a major website overhaul and are launching our new (very cool) site in a few day. If you get a chance check it out www.parkviewalliance.com. We still have a lot of "polishing" to do and the potential of things we can do through it is amazing.
Renovation Overdrive
I been in renovation mode in our house for the last couple months since moving it, but for the next few weeks, I officially move into "renovation overdrive" as I complete our upstairs installing counter tops, new flooring, painting, shelving, lighting, building cabinets and cabinet doors. I like doing it but the pace is a bit much these days.
Mission Re-Think
I have been facinated with world missions lately which has trusted my into several books that I will post about together soon. There are:
- Glocalization by Bob Roberts Jr.
- GloboChrist by Carl Raschke
- Revolution in World Missions by K.P. Yohannan
Labels: misc
Colonial Carry-Over
4 Comments Published by Bryce Ashlin-Mayo on Wednesday, August 20, 2008 at 9:21 PM.
I had a great conversation with one of our church leaders the other night about the possibility of bringing someone from overseas to do a short-term ministry in our church sometime in the future. In other words, reverse the traditional North American mission's model - which would be interesting to say the least. In the midst our conversation, I began to realize how much our culture's colonial roots still exist in my thinking. I talked about the appropriate concern of making sure that this person was ready for a ministry like this and then I thought: Why don't we assume that when we send a team to a different country that they would have those questions of us? Do we just assume that they should be grateful to have a group of North Americans minister to them? I guess it has just made me think about some of the things we assume when we interact with other cultures - often without even realizing it. Maybe our ancestor's colonial worldview still lingers closer than we think.Labels: article
Satellite Church Article
0 Comments Published by Bryce Ashlin-Mayo on Monday, August 18, 2008 at 8:22 PM.
I stumbled across this article on satellite churches that is asking some of the same questions I have been asking. I am not against satellite churches per say, by why aren't these question and potential problems discussed more?
Also, the article mentions Shane Hipp's book, Hidden Power of Electronic Culture, which I would highly recommend - you can read my review of it here.
Also, the article mentions Shane Hipp's book, Hidden Power of Electronic Culture, which I would highly recommend - you can read my review of it here.
Labels: article
Haggai: Re-Trace Follow-up (Prayer of Examine)
0 Comments Published by Bryce Ashlin-Mayo on at 12:38 PM.
As part of our current sermon series on Haggai, this morning we talked about the idea of RE-Tracing our spiritual journey and how God has worked in our lives (individually and together as a community) so that we can then see our present and future with a new perspective.As part of RE-Tracing our past, I mentioned the Ignatius Prayer of Examine and so I thought I would include a few links here:
- Written Prayer of Examine that you can use to reflect on the end of your day.
- Free MP3 Prayer of Examine that you can listen to with your Ipod, Mp3, media or CD player at the end of your day.
As always, I hope my messages get to the route of what the word "sermon" stems from (conversation) and that they would truly start spiritual conversations. Thus. I would always invite your comments, concerns, stories, prayer requests, etc. as we pursue life together.
I'm Back and Thinking
0 Comments Published by Bryce Ashlin-Mayo on Friday, August 15, 2008 at 9:33 AM.
Well, I back to the blogging world after a bit of a hiatus. With moving, doing a bunch of work on our new house and starting my new role (Lead Pastor of Parkview Alliance Church), things have been busy to say the least. Although things have been busy, I am feeling like I am getting into a routine and looking forward to reentering the blogging world. With that being said, I am still trying to decipher the direction my blog should take. I have some interesting thoughts and ideas that I have been working through and at least for know, I am looking forward to examining them here.Labels: misc
