June 19 - Merisha!
At our next retreat, we have the wonderful privilege of hearing the Holy Spirit speak to us through Merisha Janke. We continue to press into the theme of community. Merisha grew up in a community based in Lüdenscheid, Germany but with smaller outreach communities around the world. Merisha now leads one of those, based here in Central Texas. We have much to learn from her.
Here are the details for the retreat. You all have done a great job of registering early for the last two retreats ... keep it up :-)
Date: Saturday, June 19
Time: 9:45 am - 2:30 pm
Location: CTR
COVID protocols: Stay tuned, we're discussing potential changes given the new CDC recommendations
Cost: $25 / individual, $35 / couple, $5 / child
Lunch: CTR will provide the main course (to be announced next week), bring a side / salad / dessert / drink
Registration: https://form.jotform.com/210904131654043
Pre-Retreat Homework
To prepare for the retreat, please take the time to listen to Merisha's teaching on The Gift of Repentance. You can find it as the Teaching of the Week:
Merisha gave this teaching on Palm Sunday of this year at San Marcos Community Church. We are considering it to be teaching #3 in our "Foundations of Community" series, because it so perfectly fits between Amy & Caroline's two teachings on the Accuser and the Advocate, and Merisha's upcoming teaching on June 19 (which will be the fourth in our series). We are grateful for the Holy Spirit arranging this ahead of time, before we realized that there was even such a series in the works!
Amy Ohler - That They May Be One
The new Book of the Month for June is from Turkey, and is a surprise for sure. Amy is a friend and co-laborer with Noah & Kara in Ankara. Apparently nobody knew she was writing a book, and - voila! - she suddenly produced a new book on unity in the body of Christ. Who knew?
You can read the entire review by clicking here. But below is a fun last part at the end that shows how timely Amy's book is for what God is speaking to our community:
I can’t help but also be amazed by the timing of reading this. I have been looking for a chance to do so for several months, but didn’t find the time until I took a trip to California to see my sister. I am so glad that I read this after Caroline’s teaching on The Accuser of the Brethren. Here is part of Caroline’s talk, next to some of Amy’s writing - as an encouragement that the Lord is speaking! Let us have ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the church …
Caroline Owens:
Today I am going to talk about the Accuser of the Brethren. Who is this Accuser, and what is his role? He is the ‘great dragon”, that ‘ancient serpent’, Satan. The name “Satan” itself means “Accuser” or “Adversary”. His very nature is to constantly accuse us. The devil is no friend of humanity. And yet, when we look at the world, we can see his influence everywhere. The saddest place to see him working is in the church, and this is far too often. How this grieves the heart of God!
… Jesus … says to we who would harbor such thoughts or words: You do not know what spirit you are of. He is not talking about the Holy Spirit. I would say the spirit we are of, is the Accuser.
Amy Ohler:
Seeking out what is wrong in order to accuse does not generally bring life and there is good reason for this. Let’s consider for a moment where we first see accusation appear in our story. Back in the garden, the first to accuse is the second voice that speaks to humankind. Accusation is his tactic and his nature, and it is also his name - both ‘satan’ in Hebrew and ‘devil’ in Greek mean ‘the accuser’. If only we could fully recognize who we are partnering with, and who it is we look like when we accuse others, especially when we accuse others in the body of Christ! God already has one who stands before him day and night accusing the brothers and sisters. He does not need or want that from us.