get_connected

summer break

2008-06-09T14:16:00.002-04:00

yeah, it's been a while since anything's been posted here. but, we've reached the end of our first season, and we'll be closing the café doors for the summer. there will be a summer concert & cookout sometime in july, though, so keep your eyes peeled for that.

we love hearing feedback about GET CONNECTED, because we want to make a meaningful spiritual experience for you. so, tell us about something we did that really meant something to you, or changed your perspective. also, tell us what we can do better or what we should add or take away. maybe then we can get more folks to find god in cups of coffee!

have a great summer, and see you all at the concert!

kevin

hospitality

2008-04-06T19:32:00.002-04:00

for the next four weeks we'll be running our "ACTS" series of café worships, which began tonight with the act of hospitality. we are extending our hospitality to you in inviting you to join us at the café for food, coffee, music, and a movie clip. plus maybe some new friends you'd never have met if you didn't come.

new creation

2008-04-01T11:34:00.002-04:00

springtime is here (at least, according to the calendar), and soon we will all be experiencing a new creation: animals returning from their winter homes (or sleep), trees sprouting new leaves, the icy cold of the winter melting away.

usually around this time we are thinking about new beginnings as well: spring cleaning, baseball season, new clothes. even spiritually we find new beginnings and new creations within us.

"What we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it!" (2 Cor 5:17 MSG)

"to burgeon", by the way, is a verb meaning "to put forth new buds, leaves, or greenery; sprout. to begin to grow or blossom. to grow or develop rapidly." (according to the american heritage dictionary.) may your faith begin to blossom this spring. amen.

a new life

2008-03-23T22:55:00.002-04:00

happy easter, from all of us at the get connected café and indiana jones.

what do you believe?

the breath of god -- only the penitent man shall pass -- the penitent man is humble before god -- kneels before god.

the word of god -- follow in the footsteps of god -- the word of god -- the name of god -- (remember, in latin "jehovah" starts with an "i").

the path of god -- only a leap from the lion's head will get you across -- a leap of faith -- believe.

the cup of god -- choose wisely -- the true cup will grant new life -- the false cup will take it away.

and...

the cup of a carpenter is not made of gold.

homecoming

2008-03-16T18:09:00.002-04:00

college makes you think about homecoming in a whole new way. not homecoming in the sense of football, pep rallies, and lots of partying. homecoming in the sense of "wow, I haven't seen my family in a long time." (whether that's a good thing or a bad thing.)

it's interesting to think of palm sunday as a homecoming. jesus had been away for a long time (40 days), and, while he had performed many miracles and preached many sermons, he was ready to return to civilization for what would be his final week of life. people praised him, threw their coats on the ground his donkey walked, waved palms, and so on. they were excited that jesus was coming home (even the rocks and stones would start to sing, apparently.)

have you ever had an exciting homecoming like that? probably not. but there are some who have. think of our military overseas. think of the prodigal sons and daughters of the world. think of the type of homecoming you can only see in movies like antwone fisher.

it's the kind of homecoming god gives all his children.

giving up roadblocks

2008-03-02T21:47:00.003-05:00

there are always obstacles no matter what: things we must overcome to achieve our goals. when faced with our roadblocks, we must remember that nothing is impossible with god. when we give ourselves a moment and ask god for guidance, the roadblocks seem to clear themselves. it takes time, sometimes. it takes patience, sometimes. but there truly is nothing we can't do with god on our side.

roadblocks can be frustrating. they force us to go a different way than we wanted. we may seem so close, but then there's a roadblock, an obstacle. sometimes the roadblock can save us from going down a dangerous and fatal path. sometimes the roadblock forces us to grow and get stronger. sometimes the roadblock even teaches us something we never would have otherwise known.

approach your roadblocks with patience and prayer; god will be there to help you out even in the most frustrating of times.

giving up your voice

2008-02-25T10:08:00.002-05:00

what does it mean in this day and age, in this country, to give up one's voice?

well, the constitution guarantees free speech and expression, whatever that means. and we are asked to express ourselves in every social and academic situation. ("how are you?" or "what do you think about...?") expression even comes down to what we wear, how we comb our hair, and who we hang out with.

we use our voices to communicate information, to give our opinion, to sing, to laugh, and to warn. some of us have been accused to giving up our voice too much, and others not enough.

our voice is enough to get people elected to public office. it's enough to have changes made to any part of this society—if the voice is strong enough.

shakespeare says: (polonius, from hamlet act I scene 3) "give every man thy ear, but few thy voice."

james says, in his letter to followers of jesus scattered around palestine:

"Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear...Don't fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don't act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like." (Jas 1:19,22-24 MSG)

giving up our voice is important, but giving up our ears is just as important, if not more so.

this was our first open mic event, and while it had limited attendance, we had a great discussion about voicing your concerns and listening. the clip was the last scenes of an episode of arrested development (titled "sobs" for "save our bluths"). it is recommended, as is the entire series, for it is very hysterical.

giving up peace

2008-02-18T09:30:00.000-05:00

forrest gump is a remarkable film in a few ways. it is mostly remarkable in the way it shows a range of historical events and human experience through the eyes of a man who is, shall we say, less than a genius. despite his lack of intelligence, his ability to tell the stories of his life makes him one of the most endearing characters in the cinema. tom hanks' performance as forrest earned him an oscar, and the film won five others in 1995.

perhaps this is because of the film's statements about something fundamental to human survival: peace. forrest goes to vietnam, and his description of the horrors of war (including how his best friend died and how he saved his commanding officer, lt. dan, who lost his legs) is one huge vote for world peace.

well, world peace is a huge goal. even jesus had to deal with a roman occupied judea.

there is this other kind of peace that all of us strive for. a personal peace. we war with ourselves over all sorts of things. in forrest gump, it's lt. dan warring with himself over why he was saved. he feels he should have been left in vietnam to die rather than have to spend the rest of his life without his legs. The scene that turns him around involves him and forrest shrimping. they are out on the water in a boat looking for shrimp when a hurricane hits. and while forrest is making sure the boat stays together, lt. dan is yelling at god. and laughing. telling god he can't sink this boat (though it's probably the very thing dan wants). in the next scene, we discover that they are the only boat that survived the hurricane. on calm waters, dan turns to forrest and says "i never thanked you for saving me", then shimmies out onto the edge of the boat and plunges into the water, doing a backstroke into the clearing sky. forrest narrates: "he never said it, but i think lt. dan made his peace with god that day."

we need to let go of our frustration to find peace. god can take it; he understands, and even welcomes it. throughout time god's followers have been frustrated, abused, ridiculed, persecuted, and lost. and the bible shows us time and time again when those people have made their peace with god. and god listens and understands.

perhaps when we all have made our peace with god, we will start making our peace with each other.

giving up chocolate

2008-02-10T22:04:00.000-05:00

typically for lent, many christians give something up in their lives in order to symbolize their devotion to god and jesus. this lent, we at the get connected café have decided to give up. give up to god, that is.

ok. perhaps that's a bit corny.

today we gave up chocolate, which is often a sacrifice made during lent. really, we were lifting the sweet things in life up to god, praising him and thanking him.

also, we asked for clean hearts and minds after watching a clip from chocolat. in it, père henri (played by hugh o'conor) gives this sermon:

"Do I want to speak of the miracle of our Lord's divine transformation? Not really, no. I don't want to talk about his divinity. I'd rather talk about his humanity. I mean, you know, how he lived his life, here on Earth. His kindness, his tolerance... Listen, here's what I think. I think that we can't go around... measuring our goodness by what we don't do. By what we deny ourselves, what we resist, and who we exclude. I think... we've got to measure goodness by what we embrace, what we create... and who we include."

jesus' humanity is often overlooked. he was a real guy, just like you and me. his human example is the one we should be following, because it is the way to his divine example. there's that old saying: "to err is human; to forgive is divine." jesus showed us that for forgive can, indeed, be human.

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right, persevering, and steadfast spirit within me.
Cast me not away from Your presence and take not Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit."
(Ps 51:10-12 AMP)

happy v-day

fourth and goal

2008-02-04T11:47:00.000-05:00

"I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back." (Phil 3:12-14 MSG)

the goal may be a far away thing to reach, all the way down on the other end of the field. or maybe the goal is so close you can almost touch it. either way, it's sometimes hard to make the goal all by yourself. not with all those other guys on defense. not with all those other guys barrelling down on you, taunting you, waiting for you to drop the ball.

it's a good thing you're on a team. it's at the moment where it matters the most that having good relationships with others really comes into play. if you're on a team of strangers, it's much harder to play the game than if you're on a team of buddies. and it's much harder still to play on a team of enemies.

players who cultivate a good, strong relationship with each other are far more likely to succeed than the team of strangers, enemies, or egotists. the goal is only as close as the players reaching for it.

watch jerry maguire to see how a strong relationship can make all the difference.

fitting in

2008-01-29T13:15:00.000-05:00

it's difficult in this day and age to be an individual: one, lone person standing apart from all the groups, cliques, and clubs. we all have an innate desire to belong, to fit in.

sometimes we force ourselves to fit into groups we wouldn't normally associate with. we pick up habits, change our language, wear different clothes, walk a different way, and even hate others to fit in.

then, once we're in, we're consigned to stick with the status quo or be thrust out into the land of misfits, odd-balls, and outcasts.

while our new-found clique may be counting on us to stay in, we have to break free and realize that we're all in this together. so it doesn't matter if you're a skater, jock, nerd, band geek, bully, prep, or artist. all 6.6 billion of us are part of one, major clique, and if you're not in, then you're definitely out: HUMANITY.

so stop being other people and be yourself. maybe you'll finally find what you've been looking for.

accepting one another

2008-01-22T01:02:00.000-05:00

check out some of the things dr martin luther king jr has said: http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Martin_Luther_King_Jr./

jesus says:

"You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.

You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought.

You're blessed when you've worked up a good appetite for God. He's food and drink in the best meal you'll ever eat.

You're blessed when you care. At the moment of being 'care-full,' you find yourselves cared for.

You're blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family.

You're blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God's kingdom.

Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don't like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble."

(Mt 5:3-12 MSG)

upcoming events

2008-01-16T19:05:00.000-05:00

20 jan – accepting each other
27 jan – fitting in
3 feb – football! football! football!

then...

for lent, we're just GIVING UP.

10 feb – giving up chocolate
17 feb – giving up peace
24 feb – giving up your voice (OPEN MIC)
2 mar – giving up roadblocks
9 mar – giving up giving up

swing by the get connected café and get acquainted.

as you can see, on february 24th we'll be holding our first OPEN MIC, where we let you take the stage and share a poem, song, drama piece, whatever. space is limited, so sign up quickly when the sign ups are up. let us know how god is working in and through you!

name tag

2008-01-13T13:14:00.000-05:00

we all have a name. but who are we? we may be called one thing or another. but who are we?

many of us struggle with identity, this issue of who we are. we're not always what other people think we are, and yet we are who we are in part because of the other people we hang with.

we are mainly what we believe, what we think, what we imagine. we are what we do, what we see, what we experience. we are what we feel, how we hurt, how we heal. most importantly, and the one thing we all are, without question, is human.

we are not copies, clones, or imitations. we are each uniquely human, in our own distinct way. sometimes it takes us time to realise how we are different, how we are the same; how we stand out, and how we blend in.

it's normal to feel lost, without identity. it's then that we must examine ourselves fully, and see how we are seen by others, but much more importantly, how we see ourselves and how god sees us. then we will find our true identity, who we truly are.

how are you called?

(video by Muddy River Media - check them out at www.muddyrivermedia.org)

life is short

2008-01-07T01:20:00.000-05:00

we are all guilty of being on this great journey called life. it's a relatively short journey; relative, that is, to the length of history, or indeed time itself. we are in constant need of fulfilling points on our journey, of getting places, seeing things, meeting people.

some two thousand years ago, some philosophers from further east in Asia are reported to have journeyed to a place in israel (then judea) called bethlehem, to meet what they called "the newborn king." all they had to guide them on this journey was a star, which they followed tirelessly over many miles, in order to get to the place where their journey ended.

we all have long journeys to accomplish. we never know when along that journey god is going to speak to us or, more importantly, speak through us. but there is one thing for sure: if we never step out that door, we'll never know if we were needed and when.

"There's an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth:

A right time for birth and another for death,
A right time to plant and another to reap,
A right time to kill and another to heal,
A right time to destroy and another to construct,
A right time to cry and another to laugh,
A right time to lament and another to cheer,
A right time to make love and another to abstain,
A right time to embrace and another to part,
A right time to search and another to count your losses,
A right time to hold on and another to let go,
A right time to rip out and another to mend,
A right time to shut up and another to speak up,
A right time to love and another to hate,
A right time to wage war and another to make peace.

But in the end, does it really make a difference what anyone does? I've had a good look at what God has given us to do—busywork, mostly. True, God made everything beautiful in itself and in its time—but he's left us in the dark, so we can never know what God is up to, whether he's coming or going. I've decided that there's nothing better to do than go ahead and have a good time and get the most we can out of life. That's it—eat, drink, and make the most of your job. It's God's gift."

(Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 (MSG))

get rich quick

2007-12-30T18:58:00.000-05:00

no one is poor who has friends.

an abunance of help sometimes comes from the unlikeliest of places. people are moved by the spirit to contribute, to help out. our own lives are affected by such people; we call these people friends.

no one is poor who has friends.

despite how empty our pockets may be, our souls are ever full of god's presence when with friends. even the richest man is somehow poor if he lacks other people to share his wealth with.

no one is poor who has friends.

a happy and healthy new year to you, friend.

lost in the glitter

2007-12-24T11:04:00.000-05:00

have you got all your christmas shopping done? hope so, 'cause there isn't much time left now. are the decorations up? are the stockings hung by the chimney with care? is bing crosby blaring from your stereo?

otherwise, it wouldn't be christmas. right?

"is there anyone here who can tell me the true meaning of christmas?!" CHARLIE BROWN yells, exacerbated. linus then steps up, walking out to the middle of the auditorium stage, and recites this lovely reminder:

"Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.'
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
'Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!'"
(Lk 2:8-16 NKJV)

then, linus walks back to charlie brown and simply says, "and that's the true meaning of christmas, charlie brown."

to you and yours, from all of us at the GET CONNECTED café, merry christmas. here's to hoping you find its true meaning this holiday season.