An Interesting and Insightful Article in the Atlantic re Prosperity Gospel

I know the title of the article is a bit too much; but hold on. It is one of the most insightful articles I've read about the prevalence of the prosperity gospel within the Evangelical churches. I was deeply sadden by this article. It slayed my soul. HOW CAN WE REDUCE THE GOSPEL OF THE CROSS TO THE GOSPEL OF MATERIAL PROSPERITY? It is so sad! I love what Rick Warran said to the TIME magazine in response to the idea that God wants everyone to be wealthy: "baloney! It's creating a false idol. You don't measure your self-worth by your net-worth."

Click here to read it.

Current Series at New City: The Adventures of Jonah

People of New City

Here are some of the peoples of New City Church of LA. Thanks Anthony for putting this together!

Solitude at LATC

I went to see Solitude last night at Los Angeles Theatre Center. It was in theater 3, where New City Church used to worship on Sundays. We are now in theater 1 to accommodate this play.

This play was awesome. I thought it was thought provoking, funny, and deep. It not only showed a glimpse of the struggles of Mexican-Americans, but also the common struggles of the human heart, our desire for purpose and meaning--for something greater than ourselves. Solitude is a state of being lost and being without purpose, and the only way to meaning, the play implied, was through getting involved in something bigger than ourselves in community with others--out of solitude.

I dare to say that the play was a spiritual in the way it showed the struggles of the human heart. I applaud Jose Luis Valenzuela who directed the play, and Evelina Fernandez who wrote the play.

Courtney's Brain Surgery

Let's pray for Courtney. Here is a letter from Courtney and Jason on Courtney's brain surgery. She has given everyone permission to share and pray for her.

Dear friends and family,

We wanted to let you know what is going on in our lives. Next week, Courtney is having brain surgery to have a brain tumor removed. This will hopefully be the end of a nearly 10-year battle with this tumor. The neurosurgeon, Dr. Keith Black, is at a top hospital in the US--Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, located here in LA. The doctor specializes only in brain tumors, and is incredibly skilled. We are grateful he accepted Courtney as a patient.

Courtney's surgery is October 8th (this upcoming Thursday). She will be in ICU for one day, followed by three more days in a regular surgical unit. Please pray for our family, as we attempt to be together, with our three-month-old, Norah, who will stay with us at the hospital after Courtney is out of ICU. Please pray that Courtney will recover quickly to be able to care for Norah when Jason goes back to work. The doctor says that she should be feeling herself two weeks after the surgery, though other surgeons have quoted us a recovery time of 3 months. Please pray that there are no complications--no bleeding or infection, no permanent neurological damage. Also, pray that Courtney would not need much physical therapy to regain normal fine motor skills (writing, walking, lifting, etc.). Thankfully, Courtney's mom will be here when we get out of the hospital to help with the transition back home.

Finally, we could really use your prayers for our finances. This neurosurgeon is not contracted with any insurance company. Our insurance will still help pay, but we estimate we will be paying $7-15 grand out of pocket. We have some savings, but we have been living as grad students with a small income, and this will probably wipe out all that we have. We think that it is worth it to obtain this neurosurgeon, but it is a big decision for us.

Thank you so much for your prayers. What has been one of the roughest years of our lives has been made so much more bearable by your support. You serve as reminders to us of God's goodness and love. Please join us in rejoicing that this medical battle is almost over. God has been good to us.

With love,

the Bilbreys

Jason, Courtney and baby Norah

A Reflection on the First Anniversary of New City

Here is a prayer written by Nori Henk, one of our members at New City Church, reflecting on New City's First Anniversary:

Dear God,

Today we celebrated our first annual anniversary at New City Church. It wasn’t until later this evening that I found myself vacillating between acknowledging that this first anniversary was a big deal to this anniversary was a BIG DEAL. Perhaps it is because this year has gone by so fast. It seems like yesterday that we were just getting used to 740 and making the environment work for our needs, and now we’re in an entirely new place that we have comfortably made our home. We have seen our children and ourselves grow closer together. Our church has expanded; babies have been born and will soon be born. We have had a steady stream of new people coming every week, and by your grace and their openness many have chosen to stay. After service every Sunday, the time flies as I find myself catching up with as many people as possible before we all go off to do the work and live the life you have given us for another week. No wonder this event didn’t really sink in until much later, just how significant this moment is, because every Sunday at this church has been a moment of deep gratitude for me. This church has served as a backbone for my spiritual and interpersonal growth, and I assure you that support has not been taken for granted. Still, I think anniversaries are meant to be reflective, especially as I anticipate what the next year might hold. It is on my heart to pray for these three things:

1. God, creator of all things, may your hand be upon the downtown LA community. May we work alongside you to lovingly and thoughtfully provide for our neighbors, and with your wisdom and direction, may we understand and live out a Christ-like model of community.

2. God, omniscient and all-powerful, may you bless and make possible our vision to connect people to you, grow together, serve the city, and extend your kingdom. Challenge and empower us to consider the fullness and sheer wonder of what this vision could absolutely look like.

3. God, abba father, may your hand be upon New City. May our differences be a source inspiration and hope in a world that refuses to let go of bigotry, hatred, and violence, and may our singular focus on Christ and the sacrifice he made for us all be the courage and strength that we need to appreciate and understand every blessing you give us and every challenge you present us.

I pray these things alongside all the prayers that have been lifted on behalf of New City, and there are many, God that you would hear our prayers. In our celebration of our first anniversary, we recognize that through you we have done much here at New City, yet, we humbly and expectantly recognize that we have much to do.

Amen.

New City Celebrated its First Anniversary Last Sunday

Here is a slideshow that was shown at New City's First Anniversary Celebration last Sunday, September 13, 2009: