YAM eNews Week of July 27, 2003
If you would like to contribute to the YAM eNews, send an email to tfbyam1@hotmail.com.
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IN THE eNEWS THIS WEEK
CALENDAR
SUMMER EVENTS
STUFF FROM THE WEB
MAKING MOVIES A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE
[YOUR CONTRIBUTION COULD BE HERE]
THE GATHERING—The Matrix?
TUESDAY BIBLE STUDY
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CALENDAR
SUNDAYS
Worship @ 8:45 am—Main Worship Center
The Gathering @ 10 am—YAM room
Current Study: "The Matrix?" taught by Tom
An online summary is available weekly at http://tfbyam.blogspot.com/
Eating together (most weeks) @ 11:45 am
TUESDAYS
Bible Study @ 8 pm—YAM room
Current Study: How it all began... Genesis 1-11
An online version is available weekly at http://tfbyam.blogspot.com/
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SUMMER EVENTS
Matrix at Tom’s house
Wednesday, July 29
Email Tom for details
WNBA Basketball: Sparks v. Charlotte
http://www.wnba.com/sparks/
Saturday, August 2 @ 6:30 pm (game is 7:30)
Hollywood Bowl
Yoyo Ma’s Sounds of Brazil
http://www.hollywoodbowl.com/tix/performance_detail.cfm?id=1476
Sunday, August 10 @ TBA (evening)
Experience: Worship Space—Holy Wind
Saturday, August 16 @ 8 pm
Getty Museum
http://www.getty.edu/museum/
Saturday, August 23 @ TBA
COLLEGE BRIEFING
***SIGN-UPS HAVE BEGUN!! INVITE A FRIEND!!***
August 29 to September 1
Forest Home
…CHRIST IS ALL THAT MATTERS… Colossians 3:11 NLT
Cost: $145, $25 non-refundable deposit due at sign-up
Scholarships available, ask Laura or Tom
Visit http://www.gospelcom.net/foresthome/collegebriefing2003.htm for info
Dodger Baseball—early September
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STUFF FROM THE WEB
One of Laura’s blogging friends, Wade Hodges, had a blog about Sacred Places on July 22. Here’s his list of sacred places mentioned in scripture:
The mountain--a place to encounter God--worship
The desert--a place of testing, preparation
The house--a place to learn, be taught
The boat--a place to be challenged (Think of Jesus' dealing with the disciples while they're together in a boat)
The marketplace--a place to interact with others and demonstrate the grace and wisdom of the gospel
The river--a place to be saved or cleansed
The table--a place to experience community and acceptance
The pit--a place to despair and cry out to God
What sacred places and their related themes come to your mind?
Read more of Wade’s blogs at http://wadehodges.com/
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MAKING MOVIES A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE
Movies are entertainment, but they are also art; art that is designed by the artist to make you think. Check out the Relevant Magazine “Making Movies a Spiritual Experience”
“Most movie plots contain a lot more than the action, romance and comedy that line the surface. There are often moral lessons and spiritual symbolism that can be interpreted if the viewer watches the movie with the right mindset. If we are active instead of passive movie watchers, with our heart prepared for a direct revelation from God, then the $7.50 movie ticket would offer us so much more.”
Click here to read the tips.
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[YOUR CONTRIBUTION COULD BE HERE]
I know some of you write… if you’d like to contribute your thoughts—on anything from God to the best place for hotdogs—then this spot’s for you.
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THE GATHERING—The Matrix?
[also available at http://tfbyam.blogspot.com/]
The question for the week:
How do you know what is real?
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TUESDAY BIBLE STUDY
Well, we all decided that Song of Songs was a bigger bite than we could chew—some of the non-English major types commented that studying Song was a bit like English class—so, Song of Songs is officially on the back shelf. You live, you learn…
So, beginning this week, we’ll start looking at a section of the bible that answers some of our toughest questions:
Why are we here?
Why is everything so messed up?
Why are there so many languages and cultures?
Why are people so mean to one another?
Why are there so many religions?
How did all this come about?
…and many more.
What’s the book? The book of Beginnings: Genesis 1-11
--Laura
YAM eNews Week of July 20, 2003
If you would like to contribute to the YAM eNews, send an email to tfbyam1@hotmail.com.
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IN THE eNEWS THIS WEEK
CALENDAR
SUMMER EVENTS
NEWSFLASH—SOMETHING’S HAPPENING IN THE YAM ROOM
[YOUR CONTRIBUTION COULD BE HERE]
THE GATHERING—What is church? AKA “Orientation”
TUESDAY BIBLE STUDY
=============================
CALENDAR
SUNDAYS
Worship @ 8:45 am—Main Worship Center
The Gathering @ 10 am—YAM room
Current Study: “What is church?—AKA Orientation” taught by Laura
An online summary is available weekly at http://tfbyam.blogspot.com/
Eating together (most weeks) @ 11:45 am
TUESDAYS
Bible Study @ 8 pm—YAM room
Current Study: Romance? Sacred? Song of Songs
An online version is available weekly at http://tfbyam.blogspot.com/
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SUMMER EVENTS
Movie Night—WWII: Band of Brothers
Bring a few buck for pizza; other snacks are provided—including SUNDAES!
Saturday, July 26 @ 6 pm
WNBA Basketball: Sparks v. Charlotte
http://www.wnba.com/sparks/
Saturday, August 2 @ 6 pm (game is 7:30)
Hollywood Bowl
Yoyo Ma’s Sounds of Brazil
http://www.hollywoodbowl.com/tix/performance_detail.cfm?id=1476
Sunday, August 10 @ TBA (evening)
Experience: Worship Space—Holy Wind
Saturday, August 16 @ 8 pm
Getty Museum
http://www.getty.edu/museum/
Saturday, August 23 @ TBA
COLLEGE BRIEFING
***SIGN-UPS HAVE BEGUN!! INVITE A FRIEND!!***
August 29 to September 1
Forest Home
…CHRIST IS ALL THAT MATTERS… Colossians 3:11 NLT
Cost: $145, $25 non-refundable deposit due at sign-up
Scholarships available, ask Laura or Tom
Visit http://www.gospelcom.net/foresthome/collegebriefing2003.htm for info
Dodger Baseball—early September
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NEWSFLASH—SOMETHING’S HAPPENING IN THE YAM ROOM
This afternoon a transformation took place. The world has been reoriented. The walls have changed (and there’s lots more to come). You’ll be amazed at what you find.
We’ll be having another workday in a few weeks—see Jeff Barnhart for info—so if you don’t mind getting your hands in it, join on in.
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[YOUR CONTRIBUTION COULD BE HERE]
I know some of you write… if you’d like to contribute your thoughts—on anything from God to the best place for hotdogs—then this spot’s for you.
=============================
THE GATHERING—What is church? AKA “Orientation”
[also available at http://tfbyam.blogspot.com/]
Today we looked at the church as a serving community.
In John 13, Jesus did something extraordinary—he washed the disciples’ feet. Now, footwashing was normal in first century Palestine; it was an ordinary thing for the host to provide a servant to wash the feet of his guests. After all, the roads were dirt and everyone wore sandals—feet were hot, sweaty, and dusty, and besides, who wants all that dust tracked into the house. So when the disciples gathered for Passover dinner, it would have been proper for one of them to wash the feet of the others. Problem was, not one of them did, so Jesus, their Lord and Teacher, took the towel. Read John 13 for the whole story.
In the next few weeks, we’ll be taking applications for the Sacred Order of the Towel. Start thinking now of what you might do to pick up the towel and serve your fellow yammies, the TFB body, the people of Torrance, and the people in your life.
-Laura
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TUESDAY BIBLE STUDY
Romance… Sacred? The Song of Songs
There was no official YAM Bible Study this week
Special thanks to all the VBS workers!
Tuesday, 7/22, we’ll look at 2:8-3:5.
--Laura
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YAM eNews Week of July 13, 2003
Online version available at: http://torrancefirstyam.blogspot.com/
If you would like to contribute to the YAM eNews, send an email to tfbyam1@hotmail.com.
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IN THE eNEWS THIS WEEK
Calendar
Summer Events
NewsFlash—Something’s Happening in the YAM Room
[Your Contribution Could Be Here]
The Gathering—What is church? AKA “Orientation”
What do YOU want YAM to BE?
Tuesday Bible Study—Romance… Sacred? The Song of Songs
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CALENDAR
SUNDAYS
Worship @ 8:45 am—Main Worship Center
Current Study: Pastor Charlie is teaching through Paul’s Letter to the Romans
The Gathering @ 10 am—YAM room
Current Study: “What is church?—AKA Orientation” taught by Laura
An online summary is available weekly at http://tfbyam.blogspot.com/
Eating together (most weeks) @ 11:45 am
TUESDAYS
Bible Study @ 8 pm—YAM room
Current Study: Romance? Sacred? Song of Songs
An online version is available weekly at http://tfbyam.blogspot.com/
=============================
SUMMER EVENTS
Experience Prayer Space—Living Bread
Saturday, July 19 @ 8:00 pm
Movie Night—send your theme ideas to Megan
Saturday, July 26 @ TBA (evening)
WNBA Basketball: Sparks v. Charlotte
http://www.wnba.com/sparks/
Saturday, August 2 @ 6 pm
Hollywood Bowl
Yoyo Ma’s Sounds of Brazil
http://www.hollywoodbowl.com/tix/performance_detail.cfm?id=1476
Sunday, August 10 @ TBA (evening)
Experience: Holy Wind
Saturday, August 16 @ 8 pm
Getty Museum
http://www.getty.edu/museum/
Saturday, August 23 @ TBA
COLLEGE BRIEFING
***SIGN-UPS HAVE BEGUN!! INVITE A FRIEND!!***
August 29 to September 1
Forest Home
…CHRIST IS ALL THAT MATTERS… Colossians 3:11 NLT
Cost: $145, $25 non-refundable deposit due at sign-up
Scholarships available, ask Laura or Tom
Visit http://www.gospelcom.net/foresthome/collegebriefing2003.htm for info
Dodger Baseball—early September
=============================
NEWSFLASH—SOMETHING’S HAPPENING IN THE YAM ROOM
This afternoon a transformation took place. The world has been reoriented. The walls have changed (and there’s lots more to come). You’ll be amazed at what you find.
We’ll be having another workday in a few weeks—see Jeff Barnhart for info—so if you don’t mind getting your hands in it, join on in.
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[YOUR CONTRIBUTION COULD BE HERE]
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THE GATHERING—What is church? AKA “Orientation”
[also available at http://tfbyam.blogspot.com/]
Today we looked at the church as a learning community.
Matthew 11 tells us about apprentices (vv. 2-6, 28-30), revealers (vv. 7-15, 25-27), and rejecters (vv. 16-19, 20-24). Revealers are chosen by God—like John the Baptist—or are God—like the Father and Jesus. Apprentices and rejecters choose. Between them there is no middle ground; you are either an apprentice of Jesus or you are a rejecter of Jesus. Who are you?
What is apprenticeship? It is Jesus call. He does not call us to bide our time while we wait for heaven. He does not call us to be good or act nice. He calls us to COME to him—that’s relationship, not religion. He calls us to TAKE UP his PLOWING HARNESS. A plowing harness joins two oxen or workhorses together so that they can pull a load together. Jesus is calling us to harness ourselves to him, to join him in his work. Finally, Jesus calls us to LEARN from HIM. Unlike religious rules that push us around, Jesus is gentle and humble. Harnessing ourselves to him gives us refreshment rather than the struggle and weight of religious rules. Apprenticing with Jesus is about harnessing yourself to him. His harness fits perfectly and his burden won’t weigh you down.
Here’s the keys:
1. What you do flows from who you are.
2. What you do reveals who you are.
3. The key question: Who are you? Are you an apprentice to the Messiah or are you a rejecter of the Messiah? There really is no middle ground.
Last week we looked at the church as relational community. Three metaphors used by the bible are “body” (the church is made up of many parts, but there is only one body), the flock (the church is made up of many sheep, but there is only one shepherd), and the temple (the church—the people of God—together are the place where God dwells).
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WHAT DO YOU WANT YAM TO BE?
Given all of this what do you want YAM to be?
- accountability
- fellowship
- encouragement
- comedy club
- eating yams
- prayer
- meditation
- music
- to be an environment where you can grow in strength and commitment
We did some dreaming this morning. Here are our dreams:
- to fly like in Matrix and live in the forest
- to go yachting
- to go to Scotland and play bagpipes
- a jewel-encrusted tuba
- to live in a pretty, warm place with lots of animals
- to write books about God for a living
- to play professional tennis
- to go fishing
- to go backpacking in the Sierras
- to be late for work because I had trouble deciding which car to drive
- to own a Ferrari dealership
- to be in a coffee bar band
- to get a PhD
- cars
- to live on a floating island
- to own yankee stadium
Imaging through these desires and dreams. Look for connections. Look for trends.
Next week we’ll put our dreams together with the next reality about the church: the church is a serving community.
- Laura
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TUESDAY BIBLE STUDY
YAM Tuesday—Romance… Sacred? The Song of Songs
Song of Songs 1:1-2:7
Here’s the lowdown on the Song of Songs—See the bible study blog [http://tfbyam.blogspot.com/]
for the full summary—and more explanations.
Well, this last Tuesday was intense. Boy, does Song of Songs have lots of metaphors or what! For those who were at the study and felt a little overwhelmed… agreed… next time (July 27, we don’t meet this week due to VBS) we’ll change the format to make it a bit less like a tidal wave… promise.
Anyhow, here’s the big picture for the week:
The woman is looking for her lover among the shepherds, but does not want to appear to be a “loose woman” (after all, what proper woman would be wandering around among the shepherds?), so she asks him where they are. He tells her to follow the sheep’s footprints. They then begin to praise one anther and to revel in their love. She is compared to a horse, to doves, and to wildflowers. He is compared to myrrh, to an apple tree in the forest, and to shade. What in the world does all this have to do with anything? Good question.
Verse seven gives us the moral of the story:
Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you by the gazelles and by the does of the field: Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.
In other words, this romance thing is serious. Don’t stir up someone’s emotions for your own pleasure. Don’t get into stuff that should be left until after you’ve made that lifetime commitment in the presence of your community (we call this marriage, by the way).
Next time we’ll look at 2:8-3:5.
--Laura
YAM eNews Week of July 6, 2003
If you would like to contribute to the YAM eNews, send an email to tfbyam1@hotmail.com.
=============================
IN THE eNEWS THIS WEEK
Calendar
Summer Events
NewsFlash—YAM Gets FotoLog!
[Your Contribution Could Be Here]
The Gathering—What is Church? AKA Orientation--Church as a relational community
Tuesday Bible Study—Romance… Sacred? The Song of Songs
Studying Romans with Pastor Charlie
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CALENDAR
SUNDAYS
Worship @ 8:45 am—Main Worship Center
Current Study: Pastor Charlie is teaching through Paul’s Letter to the Romans
The Gathering @ 10 am—YAM room
Current Study: “What is church?—AKA Orientation” taught by Laura
An online summary is available weekly at http://tfbyam.blogspot.com/
Eating together (most weeks) @ 11:45 am
TUESDAYS
Bible Study @ 8 pm—YAM room
Current Study: Romance? Sacred? Song of Songs
An online version (with more stuff) is available weekly at http://tfbyam.blogspot.com/
=============================
SUMMER EVENTS
Experience: Prayer Space—Living Bread
Saturday, July 19 @ 8:00 pm
Movie Night—send your theme ideas to Megan
Saturday, July 26 @ TBA (evening)
WNBA Basketball: Sparks v. Charlotte
Saturday, August 2 @ 6 pm
Hollywood Bowl
Yoyo Ma’s Sounds of Brazil
Sunday, August 10 @ TBA (evening)
Experience: Holy Wind
Saturday, August 16 @ 8 pm
Getty Museum
Saturday, August 23 @ TBA
COLLEGE BRIEFING
August 29 to September 1
Forest Home
…CHRIST IS ALL THAT MATTERS… Colossians 3:11 NLT
Cost: $145, $25 non-refundable deposit due at sign-up
Scholarships available, ask Laura or Tom
Visit http://www.gospelcom.net/foresthome/collegebriefing2003.htm for info
Dodger Baseball—early September
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NEWSFLASH—YAM Gets FotoLog
We have a new Fotolog where we can post one picture everyday—no cost!! So, if you’re a digital camera buff, send your photos to tfbyam1@hotmail.com and (given the usual editorial stuff) I’ll post them!
As of today, we have a group shot from last year’s College Briefing, an art photo of the cross in our room, and last year’s freshman drag. Check it out.
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[YOUR CONTRIBUTION COULD BE HERE]
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THE GATHERING—What is church? AKA “Orientation”
[also available at http://tfbyam.blogspot.com/]
Today we looked at the church as relational community. The New Testament uses a number of metaphors to teach us about the church, and we looked at three of them today: the body, the flock, and the temple.
Ephesians 4:10-16 describes the church as Body. The parts are distinct, but they are all the body. All the parts come together to make one.
John 10:7-16 describes the church as Flock. There are many sheep in the flock, but there is only one shepherd.
1 Corinthians 3:15-23 describes the church as Temple. The members are different, but like the stones that make up a temple, they are only one temple. The congregation interacts with God—the Trinity—and with one another.
What does this mean for YAM? We are the church. We are this relational community. The “look” of YAM—its ethos—is determined by the body parts-sheep--stones, that make up this body-flock-temple. In other words, if you want YAM to be a great group, let’s make it a great group. Dream big! We have Jesus for our head-shepherd-God—we can do anything he wants us to do.
Next week we’ll talk about the shape of YAM and what it means to be a relational community that is also a learning community. If you want to start thinking ahead, read Matthew 11:28-30
- Laura
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TUESDAY BIBLE STUDY
YAM Tuesday—Romance… Sacred? The Song of Songs
Here’s the lowdown on the Song of Songs—See the bible study blog
for the full summary—and more explanations.
The place in scripture: Song of Songs is in the Ketuvim—the Writings—of the Hebrew Bible. The Song is also classified as “wisdom literature” along with Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes.
The date: if written by Solomon—and I believe it is—it was written in the mid-10th century BC, between 971 and 931 BC.
The interpretation: The “natural” interpretation is the only one that takes the Song at face value—it is a love poem.
The structure: The structure of the Song is difficult to discern. There are two repeated phrases/ideas that help. The repeated phrase is found in 2:7; 3:5; and 8:4. The repeated idea (the idea of “bringing in”) is found in 5:1b and 8:14.
The purpose: The Song celebrates humanity, romance, and/or marriage.
What the Song is NOT: it is NOT a dating guide and it is NOT a how-to manual. Remember, the bible is about God and God’s stuff!!!
The writer: Most likely Solomon since he is mentioned or referred to a number of times: 1:4-5, 12; 3:7, 9, 11; 6:12; 7:5; 8:11-12 (also see 1 Kings 4:33).
The writing style: The Song is poetry. Much like English poetry, it is difficult to understand Hebrew poetry, but it is doable.
Does it belong in the Bible? Yes. Though there are those who say No.
I know this is a difficult subject—judging from the amount of giggling—but it is an important subject. Sexuality is probably one of the most misunderstood and misrepresented things in our culture. Our culture represents sex as something we “do for ourselves.” God represents sex as something we do for the person to whom we have committed ourselves. Have the courage to set aside what the media has taught you and come see what God says about this important subject.
--Laura
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STUDYING ROMANS WITH PASTOR CHARLIE
The Christian View of Life, part 17
THE CIVIL WAR INSIDE YOU
Romans 7:14-25
Pastor Charlie
THE CAUSE:
EVERY CHRISTIAN HAS TWO NATURES THAT OPPOSE EACH OTHER.
Ephesians 4:22-24
Galatians 5:16,17
THE EXPERIENCE
EVERY CHRISTIANS STRUGGLE TO LIVE THE GOD-LIFE
We All Experience Confusion (V.15)
We All Experience Frustration (V.17-19)
We All Loose Some Battles. (V.21-23)
We All Feel Trapped. (V.24)
THE RESPONSE
CONFRONTING THE WAR WITHIN US
Admit It When We Are Confused.
Accept Our Own Imperfections. (18)
Leave Room For Failure. (19)
Admit Our True Feelings To God.
Stop Depending On Rules And Resolutions For Our God-Life.
Surrender Our Will-Power To God’s Spirit-Power. (V.25-8:2)
