Portlandia and Beyond...

Hanne and I just returned from a trip to Portland, OR where we attended an assessment with Christian Associates International.  We met a lot of great people there and it was very encouraging and exciting to be around people who have the same ideas about what it means to be the church that we do.  We are excited to begin working with Christian Associates and planting a church at some point in the foreseeable future.

As far as what Hanne and I are thinking in regards to the church, and not to get too in depth with this, but we believe that the church is a moving, dynamic group of believers called to go out into the world to embody the teachings of Jesus, follow his example, and love others the way Jesus did, and to do these things in every sphere of our lives.  The church was never meant to be confined to a building the way it is today.   In Matthew 18:20 Jesus said, "for where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them."  This is the church...when believers gather in the name of Jesus, wherever that may be.  So, Hanne and I are excited to embark on a journey of exploring what it means to be the church in various contexts and cultures and to experiment with different expressions of church.

And for Portland...probably one of the coolest cities I've ever been to.  The people of the city were friendly and had a real sense of community.  They seemed to actually care about their city.  They were environmentally conscientious and supported local business.  Their public transit system is awesome and it was a lot of fun being there.  Not to mention, there is a donut shop there called Voodoo Donuts.

 Yes, that is a donut with bacon on it, and it is good...
 
Fruitloop Donut...

                                                                                                Grape Donut...
I also got to see a couple of awesome friends whom I haven't seen in a long time.

This is Rusty who used to live in Albuquerque, but moved to Portland and got married!

And this is Mike, whom I haven't seen in almost ten years.  After we all went and played pool, Mike and I talked for hours, catching up and just talking about life.  He drove down from Seattle to hang out with us.

And here's the whole crew at the bar where we played pool.  Good times in an awesome city.

We're now back in Albuquerque, gearing up to leave the country in a few weeks...and I turn 31 this week...crazy!  I'm excited to spend more time with my family (my grandfather turns 90 this month) and this little guy.