Not forsaking the gathering together

Recent " Dear Network" messages.

Dear Network,

Thankful Communities of Christ ? #88

Dear Network,

The dictionary.com word for today is consanguineous \kon-san(g)-GWIN-ee-us\, adjective: which means "Of the same blood; related by birth; descended from the same parent or ancestor."

It is also Thanksgiving today. The Greek word for thanksgiving is Eucharist.

http://www.hisholychurch.org/sermon/Eucharist.pdf

The early Church was the only social welfare system in the world that was dependent upon the love and free charity of Christ. It was the only pure republic1 in the Roman Empire but not of it because its leaders were truly titular.

On the Living Network we are building a His Church Seed Bank where every congregation across attempts to produce and store some non hybrid, non GMO heirloom type seeds for gardening. http://www.hisholychurch.org/network/localnet.php

We have also been discussing the opportunity of establishing CSAs through the Living Network.  A CSA is a Community Sponsored Agriculture. This would be where people of a community of congregations would invest in a crop by purchasing the seeds and paying shares in the cost of farming. Whatever was produced would be divided up amongst the people who purchased shares. They could sell their share, trade it or just eat it. For a small investment they would each have some assurance of getting a return of a crop like wheat from which they could make wholesome and halthy bread for themselves and their families.

The foundation of almost all free communities centered around helping one another in an agricultural setting. A CSA would be a small step back in that direction and mind set.

One contact minister sent his comment on the idea of creating a CSA which actually helps us see, if not take, the next step back toward a society or community centered upon the Character of Christ.

OH HOW TIMES HAVE CHANGED.................

Almost funny isn't it , how today we need to come up with trendy sounding terms and names and acronyms for what used to be only a few years ago ie. my parents time...just a normal way of life for ever day hard working folk who cared about each other in love. Now we take something that used to be just a normal way of life and put a name on it , call it a "concept"....as though it is some abstract thing that only some higher enlightenment could help any to ever achieve the lofty goal of ever even understanding...

Heck, even I remember as a kid several farms and ranches for miles around got together to help each other when branding came around, putting up the winter's hay for the cattle, harvesting the grain in the fall...We would all take turns going to every one's place on a staggered schedule and everyone helped each other, worked hard , got the job done no one paid each other... then had a wonderful feast of a meal put on by all the women.....all home made from scratch....the women worked ever bit as hard as the men....but every one's needs were met and the work all got done......in love.....everyone cared for and about one another....I long to see those times come into reality again.....and they must or we have no chance of survival.

And hey...guess what....no computers even....everyone agreed a month or so in advance as to what day everyone would show at a certain farm and they followed through and were there, ready to work hard till dark....I remember one time one man was late and someone was about to go to his place and check on him and when he showed up he had just come from the hospital after having his arm put in a cast from being broken in a farm related accident.....but he showed up and worked all day saying to the others....you all helped me, so by god I'm gonna do my part to help you.....was he a special man of honor? was he more brave than others? was he tougher than others? What motivated this man to do such a thing at great cost of pain to himself ? As a kid of maybe 12 I was very impressed by this man having done this..Today you can scarcely PAY someone to help if another is in need !

What is it do you suppose that we have lost in only one generation in our present day America?? I believe it is our ability to love and care about anyone but ourselves.....I think that we do not have to learn anew how to work together or help each other ......CSA and all that is just rubbish......just more diversionary terminology to keep us blinded to the real problem that lies festering deep inside the modern human condition......pure and simple......a lack of love for any but self... I truly believe that until or unless we can become truly submitted to Jesus the Christ and His love re-written in and on our hearts then we will continue to labor in vain to achieve our goals and to understand what used to be a common every day way of life.....caring for and loving one another. When love for others is written on our hearts, then all these other things will come automatically, and what are now questions we struggle for answers to will be answered......because when we learn to love truly and unselfishly, we will be the living answers we seek.....and it will be contagious and spread..

This is my Thanksgiving Day sermon for my fellow Ministers....remember to give thanks for we truly do have much to be thankful for....in His Service............Rick, His Church at Cottonwood in Oregon. 

God did not have us sign a covenant with Him that if His son died for us on the cross that He would forgive us if we repented and believed in Him, sought His kingdom and His righteousness. Christ did not sign such an agreement either. He told us what to do2 and then He gave His life so that we might be saved.3  

It is up to us to repent and turned to His ways of faith, hope and charity, freely giving and freely receiving and freely giving again, of forgiving and being forgiven.... It is up to us to submit to the Eucharist of Christ in love for him and one another if we are to receive that gift. 

When we choose and do that we will be consanguineous with Christ.

When we repent and seek the kingdom in faith, hope and charity according to the perfect law of liberty we will be true brothers and sisters with each other through Christ, of the same blood, the Blood of Jesus Christ; related by re-birth; descended from the same Father who art in heaven.

If we are going to have something to be thankful for next year we are going to have to repent and seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness this year.

Happy Eucharist Day!

Other Dear Network Messages,

Footnotes:

The Living Network Links

You cannot love your neighbor in truth if you do not know who he is.

Join the Living Network and become a part of the solution

http://www.hisholychurch.org/network/localnet.php

Living Network Index page:
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Mapping the Network
A project of the chosen Contact Ministers
http://www.hisholychurch.org/network/networkmap.php

Guidelines and Purpose
The Living Network groups.
http://www.hisholychurch.org/network/purpose.php

Dear Network Messages
Some messages to the Living Network groups.
http://www.hisholychurch.org/network/dearnetwork.php

Articles on Networking

Fractal Networking
When Jesus was preaching the Kingdom of God at hand He talked about a mustard seed that could grow by faith into a mighty tree providing life and shelter for all who seek its branches.
http://www.hisholychurch.org/network/fractal.php

The Purpose and Guidelines of Local groups
"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20
The purpose of the network is to bring people together to seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.
http://www.hisholychurch.org/network/purpose.php

The Audacity of Hope
There are numerous institutions that may be created based on faith, hope and charity that can aid us on the road to the Kingdom and the righteousness of God.
http://www.hisholychurch.org/network/hope.php 

Newsletters

The Kingdom News go out over the network through out google groups which us the beginning of the The NetworkThe Living Network which is established by forming the Network of tens on free assemblies.

Seek the liberty which we have in Christ Jesus. ^[10]