Archive

Becoming the Church
April 15- May 20

Are you satisfied with who our church community is becoming? I hope your answer is no. If we are following in the way of Jesus then we ought to always be changing and becoming more like Him.

Consider this image: following in the way of Jesus, the church is to be a people who tend what is beautiful and mend what is broken? What if our church community was to begin with a new self-understanding that says we are to be a counter-cultural community for the common good of our city? What if our church community was to dwell, move in and live closely with one another? What if our church community was to unite and partner together in discovering and living out our mission? What if our church community was to reconcile with others, allowing God to heal our racial and ethnic divisions? What if our church community was to invest in our neighborhood by giving ourselves to the people and places around us? What if our church community was to abide in the risen Christ who is our source of strength and mission? What would happen if we continue to become this kind of community? On Sunday nights in our worship gatherings starting on April 15 through May 20 we will be exploring these questions together.

4 / 15 - Begin 4 / 22 - Dwell 4 / 29 - Unite 5 / 6 - Reconcile 5 / 13 - Invest* 5 / 20 - Abide

2 / 25 - Lent Week 1 3 / 4 - Lent Week 2 3 / 11 - Lent Week 3* 3 / 18 - Lent Week 4 3 / 25 - Lent Week 5 4 / 1 - Palm Sunday 4 / 8 - Easter

Gift
Jan 7 - Feb 18 '07

The whole Christian story is that of God being with us. God is near to us in creation. In particular God was intimately near as he made us out of earth and breathing his very own breathe into us, giving us life. At the climax of the story, God comes near to us and is with us in the Jesus humbling himself, being made in human likeness. In turn all followers of Jesus, like Mary, through the Spirit, become God-bearers bringing God near to the world. Yet the full and complete nearness of God with us is still to come; we are still waiting for God to set everything right. During advent we will explore the hope and the longing for God to be with us in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

1 / 7 - The Gift 1 / 14 - Gospel* 1 / 21 - Poor 1 / 28 - Money 2 / 4 - Earth 2 / 11 - Time* 2 / 18 - Work

God with us
Dec 3 - Dec 24 '06

The whole Christian story is that of God being with us. God is near to us in creation. In particular God was intimately near as he made us out of earth and breathing his very own breathe into us, giving us life. At the climax of the story, God comes near to us and is with us in the Jesus humbling himself, being made in human likeness. In turn all followers of Jesus, like Mary, through the Spirit, become God-bearers bringing God near to the world. Yet the full and complete nearness of God with us is still to come; we are still waiting for God to set everything right. During advent we will explore the hope and the longing for God to be with us in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

12 / 3 - Implications of Incarnation 12 / 10 - Implications of Incarnation* 12 / 17 - God-Bearers 12 / 24 - Creating a City

Jonah
Nov 5 - Nov 26 '06

Jonah... you know the story... call of God, running from God, storms, giant
fish, 3 days in the belly, vomited out onto the shore, Jonah is still
disgruntled, does what God is asking him, goes to his enemies, they have a
change of heart, God forgives them, Jonah is still disgruntled. God is
still calling people today. Where is God calling you? Who are your
enemies? Will you go with or without the fish?

11 / 5 - Jonah 1 11 / 12 - Jonah 2* 11 / 19 - Jonah 3 11 / 26 - Jonah 4

Missional Rhythms and Practices
Sept 3 - Oct 29 '06

If Jesus has sent us just as the Father sent him then how do we orient and center the lives of our church communities on such activity? How do we shift our congregations from voluntary members to missional partners? How can communities develop these kinds of rhythms and practices that form us in Jesus and propel us into the mission of God? Our community (The Open Door) is discovering that it has something to do with the rhythms and the way in which we agree to live life together. They are what we are calling missional practices and rhythms. Missional practices and rhythms are specific, intentional, organized and purposeful ways of living that a community agrees to live out together. They form us in Christ and propel us into the mission of God. They orient us around the common pursuit of loving God, one another and the world. Missional practices facilitate the ongoing creation of passageways to God, one another and the world, in the way of Jesus. Our practices are listening, learning, eating, encouraging and giving. Come join us in the journey and the conversation.

9 / 3 - End of Summer Bash 9 / 10 - Communion Dinner* 9 / 17 - Purpose of Practices 9 / 24 - Listen 10 / 1 - Learn 10 / 8 - Eat* 10 / 15 - Encourage 10 / 22 - Give 10 / 29 - Give (continued)

The Life of Jesus
May 14 - Aug 27 '06

Jesus was baptized in a river by his prophetic, gypsy cousin; he stood face to face with the devil, while others accused him of being the devil as he cast out demons; he called fishermen as his first protégés; he was a charismatic healer of the blind, the crippled and the terminally ill; he often withdrew from the crowds that followed him to meditate and pray to God; he disregarded religious laws that obstructed true mercy and justice; he was misunderstood and dishonored in his hometown; he fed thousands and individually touched ostracized lepers; he was hated by the religious and political establishments; Jesus told stories; he called us to marital faithfulness and concern for the poor; he was labeled a drunkard and glutton; he spoke out against materialism and embraced children; he spoke about the end of the world and announced the kingdom had come; he was honored by a prostitute and rejected by priests; Jesus was incarcerated; he was betrayed and deceived by his closest friends; he did not speak out against his oppressors and was executed as a criminal; he then was raised from the dead.

What happened to this Jesus? What happened to this movement? Join us this summer as we take a fresh look at the life of Jesus (in the Gospel of Mark) and what it has to say to us.

5 / 14 - Mark 1* 5 / 21 - Mark 2 5 / 28 - Mark 3 6 / 4 - Mark 4 6 / 11 - Mark 5* 6 / 18 - Mark 6 6 / 25 - Mark 7 7 / 2 - Mark 8   7 / 9 - Mark 9* 7 / 16 - Mark 10 7 / 23- Mark 11 7 / 30 - Mark 12 8 / 6 - Mark 13 8 / 13 - Mark 14* 8 / 20 - Mark 15 8 / 27 - Mark 16

From Death to Life
Reflections on what happened on the cross
March 12 - April 30 '06

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ has intrigued faithful followers and skeptics alike throughout history. The Apostle Paul said he resolved to know nothing… except Jesus Christ and him crucified. He also said that he himself had been crucified with Christ and he no longer lived, but Christ lived in him. But what exactly does that mean? What happened when Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross? How did it change our relationship with God, one another and the world we live in? As we move towards the celebration of Easter we will consider some of the major theological metaphors used in by the Apostle Paul that will some shed light on the work of Jesus Christ in and through the cross he bore.

3 / 12 - Justification 3 / 19 - Adoption 3 / 26 - Reconciliation 4 / 2 - Redemption 4 / 9 - Champion (Palm Sunday) 4 / 16 - Resurrection (Easter) 4 / 23 - Shepherds 4 / 30 - Mission (Pentacost)

Resident Aliens
Jan 22 - March 5 '06

How do we as a community of faith discern what is going on in the world and in turn figure out how to live faithfully and responsibly to the way of Jesus? Should we feel "at home" in our culture or should we be living distinctly and marching to the beat of different drum? Do you ever feel a sense of "homelessness" as a follower of Jesus in this world, like you belong but not fully? Well, in about 65 A.D. there was a group of church communities scattered throughout Rome who were struggling with similar questions as they lived under. The Apostle Peter wrote these communities a letter trying to encourage and instruct them in their situation as "resident aliens" in Rome. Join us as we listen to their story and discern together how their situation might shape us in following after Jesus today.

1 / 22 - Strangers, 1 Peter 1:1-2:3 1 / 29 - Stones, 1 Peter 2:4-10 2 / 5 - Superbowl Party 2 / 12 - Submission, 1 Peter 2:11-3:8 2 / 19 - Suffering, 1 Peter 3:8-22 &               4:12-19* 2 / 26 - Stewards, 1 Peter 4 3 / 5 - Shepherds, 1 Peter 5:1-14

A Subversive Christmas
Nov 27 '05 - Jan 1 '06

When Mary found out she was going to give birth to a son who would be the Messiah she, as most women would be, was blown away. She was overwhelmed, humbled and praised God. But her response, found in Luke 1:46-54, was not just joy and honor. She had a sense that the coming of (Christmas) would turn things upside down. The birth of her son, of God’s Son, Jesus would subvert the way in which the world was ordered and run. She said that God through the birth of Jesus would scatter the proud, bring down the powerful and send the rich away empty. The Christmas story is subversive and revolutionary story. Can the Christmas story and season be reclaimed as the subversive story that Mary and others saw it be? We think so. Join us as we rediscover the Christmas story together.

There will also be special activities going on as we near Christmas and New Year's, which you can read about by clicking here.

11 / 27 - Subverting Christmas           (from Luke 1:46-54) 12 / 4- Subverting Pride           (from Luke 1:51) 12 / 11 - Subverting Power           (from Luke 1:52) 12 / 18 - Subverting Materialism           (from Luke 1:53) 12 / 24 - Christmas Eve (Saturday)           @ Valley View Presb. Church 1 / 1 / 06 - New Years Open House           @ the Woodworth's House

I AM
Oct 2 - Nov 20 '05

Who was Jesus? Who is Jesus? Who did Jesus say he was? Jesus said before Moses was I AM. The complexity of the reality of Jesus is so profoundly simple yet simply profound. How can we really know Jesus, not just about him but really know him? Well Jesus knows our limitations to really know him -- so he pours on the layers of metaphors as to who he is -- different perspectives that give clues to his reality ("bread," "light," "gate," "shepherd," "resurrection," "way," "truth," "life," "vine," etc.). Join us over the next 2 months as we embrace, explore and revel in the images of Jesus, the great I AM.

10 / 2 - I am the Light 10 / 9 - I am the Bread* 10 / 16 - I am the Gate 10 / 23 - I am the Good Shepherd 10 / 30 - I am the Way 11 / 6 - I am the Truth 11 / 13 - I am the Life* 11 / 20 - I am the Vine

The Open Door Swings Eastward
Aug 28 - Sept 25 '05

The time has come! The Open Door is moving to the East End. We will take the month of September to build momentum by meeting at the Union Project for prayer, singing and some fun neighborhood exploration. Then on October 2 we will resume our weekly worship gatherings in our new home. To read more on this transition click here.

8 / 28 - 4pm: Prayer Walk to Union Project            6pm: Exploring the East End 9 / 4 - Exploring the East End 9 / 11 - Exploring the East End 9 / 18 - Exploring the East End 9 / 25 - 12-3pm: Neighborhood Bash

Acts
May 15 - Aug 21 '05

The book of Acts tells the amazing and surprising story of the movement of the Gospel through the Holy Spirit overflowing in the life of the church. It is packed with adventure, healings, betrayals, cross-cultural encounters, fears, racism, persecution, beatings, visions, mob violence, signs and wonders and the joy of seeing the Gospel spread. It is a book about the faith of the church lived out in real life. What do Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and Rome have to do with Pittsburgh? Join us this summer as we explore these ancient texts and how they speak into our urban, multicultural and postmodern 21st century culture and how they might shape the movement of the Gospel in our time.

5 / 15 - The Launching of Mission 5 / 22 - Tables of Fellowship 5 / 29 - Holistic Ministry [Summer Schedule Begins 5:30 Dinner, 6:30 Worship] 6 / 5 - Cookout at the Union Project 6 / 12 - From Doing to Being 6 / 19 - From Exclusiveness to Inclusiveness 6 / 26 - The Ethiopian Eunoch 7 / 3 - Cookout at the Union Project 7 / 10 - Worshiping, Working and Waiting* 7 / 17 - The Gentile Mission 7 / 24 - Success in the City 7 / 31 - The Jerusalem Council 8 / 7 - Community Jazz in the Park 8 / 14 - Cross Cultural Evangelism 8 / 21 - Missional Leadership*

Justice
April 10 - May 8 '05

Ethnic cleansing, AIDS, human rights violations, societal alienation of the homeless, child abuse, hate crimes, illiteracy, violence in schools, disparity between rich and poor, racism and the relational poverty that lies deep within each of us: what is our response to these dire problems? Why should we respond to their clamor? What is a just response? How does a community address issues of injustice? How do we participate in injustice? “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere," Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-68). Come join us over the next 5 weeks as we dialogue with the prophet Isaiah and see what he might call us to.

4 / 10 - The God of Justice 4 / 17 - Justice and Worship 4 / 24 - Broken Justice 5 / 1 - Justice is Jesus 5 / 8 - Vision for Renewed Justice*

More Than Not Eating Chocolate
Feb 13 - April 3 '05

What comes to mind when you think of Lent? Forgoing such luxuries of life as chocolate? Lent is much richer in meaning, as it challenges us to leave our desires and selfishness behind and follow Jesus more closely. Theologian Marcus Borg puts it this way:

Lent is about being born again, about following the path of death and resurrection, about participating in Jesus' final journey. To become somewhat more concrete, some of us may need to die to specific things in our lives--perhaps to a behavior that has become destructive or dysfunctional, perhaps to a relationship that has ended or gone bad, perhaps to an unresolved grief or to a stage in our life that it is time to leave, or perhaps to our self-preoccupation. So, the journey of Lent is about being born again--about dying and rising, about mortality and transformation.

Through each worship gathering in Lent and throughout the week, we will consider what we might need to die to and what God might need to bring to life in us. With or without chocolate.

2 / 13 - Hearing Noise & Silence* 2 / 20 - Seeing Light & Darkness* 2 / 27 - The Power of Touch* 3 / 6 - Tasting Bitter and Sweet* 3 / 13 - Smelling Death and Life* 3 / 20 - Palm Sunday* 3 / 26 - Easter Eve Worship** 4 / 3 - Stations of the Resurrection

The Generous Life
Jan 9 - Feb 6 '05

There is story about Jesus hanging out with some religious leaders of his day and this woman comes bursting in on the scene and proceeds to break open an alabaster jar of perfume and pours it on Jesus’ head. People were pissed! Some wondered who this woman was and what she was doing there and others wondered why she had wasted all that expensive perfume. Jesus responds by saying, “leave her alone -- she has done a beautiful thing to me.” What if we lived with that kind of reckless abandon and unbridled generosity? We all have an alabaster jar that we are unwilling to break open and share. We spend much of our life trying to preserve and protect that alabaster jar. It begins to control us. But what if we approached our money, possessions, talents, gifts, time and our very self with such extravagant, beautiful and reckless generosity? Our lives and world would be an extraordinarily different place. Over the next few weeks we will be exploring what it might look like to live such a generous life. Bring you alabaster jars...

1 / 9 - Money* 1 / 16 - Open Hand of God 1 / 23 - Tithing 1 / 30 - Debt 2 / 6 - A Heart of Generosity

Advent
Nov 28 - Dec 24 '04

Have you ever longed to be with someone? Maybe you were away from home on business or at school, away from someone you loved, maybe it was your first time away from home as a child. Maybe you have longed to know God in a way that is personal and real. Advent represents our longing for the Messiah and years of longing by the Hebrew people. It is the time in which we look forward to the birth of Jesus. During Advent this year come and journey with us for the four weeks before Christmas as we seek to know Jesus through his incarnation.

During Advent, there will also be a prayer labyrinth in the student lounge. Visit the online labyrinth to learn more.

11 / 28 - Faith 12 / 5 - Hope 12 / 12 - Joy* 12 / 19 - Love 12 / 24 - Christmas Eve

Rediscovering the Church
Oct 17 - Nov 21 '04

The trouble with the church is...? You can probably fill in the blank. We all have our issues with the church, some are legit and some our own baggage and issues. For better or worse, God has chosen the local, global and historical church to represent His kingdom in the world. God has no plan B. What do you think has gone wrong, and what might be some needed adjustments? We will be spending 6 weeks together trying to "de-church" ourselves, with the hope of becoming a more faithful communal representation on God's people on earth. Come join us in the discussion and journey.

10 / 17 - place to people 10 / 24 - consumers to contributers 10 / 31 - isolation to integration 11 / 7 - telling to listening 11 / 14 - propositions to Person* 11 / 21 - receiving to giving

Encounters With God
Sept 5 - Oct 3 '04

Over the next few weeks, our worship gatherings will focus on some historic Biblical characters and their experiences with God. What happened to these folks as they encountered and experienced the immanent yet transcendent God? What did they discover about who God is? How were their lives and communities altered by these encounters? Let's explore their stories together.

9 / 5 - Jeremiah* 9 / 12 - Elijah 9 / 19 - Hosea 9 / 26 - Gideon 10 / 3 - Rahab*