To Write Love On Her Arms

Recently Lance saw a young man with a tee-shirt bearing the inscription "To Write Love On Her Arms." It was so unusual that he looked it up on the internet, and found the story of a remarkable group of young people who became friends with a 19 year old woman who was depressed and addicted to cocaine, and how they used rock and roll and lots of love and compassion to help her.

This is a video of the young woman herself: Renee has a powerful story to tell, and so does To Write Love On Her Arms (definitely take time to read Jamie's version of this story on the site). This is a picture of the church rising, and God's hope being made real.

Click to comment and share where you have seen Jesus People bringing hope to life.

Our Advent Conspiracy: A Well for Liberia

Come be a part of this incredible Christmas gift! We're a part of the Advent Conspiracy, working with Living Water Carolinas to build a well in Liberia. Our team will go to Africa in February 2008, so we are working to get the money raised now. A small-capacity well costs about three thousand dollars to build. Our team also trains the people in the village to maintain and repair the pump system so that everything remains functional.

Checks can be made out to Connections Church, marked "For Liberia" and mailed to PO Box 4401, Cary, NC 27519-4401. Or get directions and join us here on Christmas Eve at 7 pm and bring your offering as we share in worship together.

Secret Actions and Addictions

by Alicia Hemphill

Dictionary.com provides the following as the definition of “addiction.”

1. Being abnormally tolerant to and dependent on something that is psychologically or physically habit forming.
2. An abnormally strong craving
3. (Roman Law) A formal award by a magistrate of a thing or a person to another person (as the award of a debtor to a creditor); a surrender to a master.

Under Roman Law, addiction was the justification for slavery.

If you are addicted to something, you are its slave. If you are doing things in secret, then they are a type of addiction. If your secret is a one-time action in the past that you are not willing to talk about with even one other person, you’re just as enslaved as someone battling a drug addiction right now. You’re dealing with the same issues of fear and shame. If your secrets are more thought-related the same principles apply. Whether you’re battling actions or thoughts, this topic is for everyone.

How do addictions begin?
To understand how we can get free from the shame of our secret actions, it’s helpful to understand how we end up addicted to them in the first place. Scientists have identified 5 stages of addiction. Let’s use a pornography addiction as an example.

1. Learn mood swings – Since porn is readily available and the Internet makes it absurdly easy to access, initial exposure can happen at almost any age. The person realizes that engaging in this activity creates a thrill.
2. Seek mood swings – The person begins to use illicit materials to regain that same rush, in order to feel alive and positive and energized. Or it might give them a way to calm down or feel comforted when they are under stress.
3. Early dependence – Viewing porn becomes the primary or the only method the person has to deal with stresses or disappointment. For many, it becomes a reward. The thinking becomes, “Hey, I worked really hard this week. I’ll just look for a minute.”
4. Use to feel normal – Using pornography now becomes an everyday, common occurrence. If they try to quit, they feel horrible, often jittery, anxious, irritable. In order to feel good, or even OK, they need to use.
5. Escalate – After a while, looking at the same old pictures, the same old sites start to lose their thrill. As the person becomes desensitized to what they are seeing, they will seek more explicit and more graphic images.

What happens as a person progresses through these stages of addictions is that they get into a vicious cycle. Their addiction/actions become a part of their identity. They try to quit and fail, multiple times. This causes the person’s self esteem to plummet. Then the addict begins to view a threat to their addiction as a threat to them as a person. They may also begin to lose money, jobs, friends, family and finally, freedom, and maybe their life to their addiction. And of course, the addict will ease the pain by getting their next fix, which begins the cycle again.

How do we find hope in the midst of pain and fear and shame?

Confession – You need to tell.
Proverbs 28:13: He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

When you admit to God that you are doing something you know isn’t God’s best for you, you’re not surprising Him. When you pray, “God, I’m addicted to alcohol,” or “I can’t stop hitting my child,” He is not scandalized. It’s not news to the One who sees what you do in secret. When you confess something to God, you agree that you are no longer lying to yourself about that issue. That’s why the writer of Proverbs said the one confessing would find mercy. God knows that telling Him is the first step toward freedom. And, freedom from the bondage and pain of sin and shame is what God wants for each of us.

The next step is to tell one or two people you know you can trust. AA has a saying. “Every time you tell someone your secret, its power over you is cut in half.” When you share your secret with another trustworthy person, your shame isn’t doubled. It’s halved.

James 5:16 says “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”

Galatians 6:2 says “ Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.”

Absolute trust and confidentiality is a requirement here. This is something you don’t discuss with ANYONE, even your spouse. And, this is no time for judgment or accusation. When Paul said to bear one another’s burdens, he was talking about helping another person with a load too heavy to bear alone. Secrets are the heaviest things we carry.

Community – You need company.
Ecclesiastes 4:12 And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.

The man I chose to marry was abusive. When I finally found the courage to admit what was happening, my pastor and my therapist were great. Both encouraged and affirmed me. Both were extremely knowledgeable about domestic violence. I defied the odds and left that situation never to return.

But, honestly, their role in my becoming healthy enough succeed was secondary. The primary source of community, my encouragement, accountability, information, and acceptance was an online community of people dealing with abusive relationships. I’d read their stories and think, “That’s MY story!” I wasn’t the only one. I wasn’t alone.

Cope – You need to replace your bad habit with a healthy alternative.
Secret actions and addictions become coping mechanisms. When you eliminate the unhealthy actions, you need to replace them with healthy alternatives. This is where a community of support can be invaluable.

For most of us, there are two components. First, the physical motions associated with our secret actions often have a power of their own. My friend Terry, who struggled with an alcohol addition, began to feel calm the moment he opened a beer can – before he even took a sip. In some cases, you might need medical intervention to break the physical dependency.

The second component is the emotional/coping aspect. To succeed, you must develop healthy ways to cope with the reasons you became addicted or secretive in the first place. This might mean introspection, talking in a small group or therapy. This is much harder work and might take a lifetime of diligence.

Conquer – Prepare for the best and plan for the worst.
If you are going to overcome your secret actions, you have to be the one to make the decision that you no longer want to be enslaved to your habit. Excuses like, “This is the way I am,” or “I know others have quit, but my life is just so stressful? Difficult?” have to be canned. In your own strength, you probably will not be able to change.

The good news is…God has promised to walk with you and give you the power you need to overcome your habits.

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. Jeremiah 29:11-14

I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13

Will you have setbacks? Almost certainly. But, if you are truly seeking to be set free, God promises that He will set you free. That is what He does. That is who He is.

Everything Must Change

Conversations around the idea of Global Christianity are BIG in the universe right now. I just watched Brian McLaren's promo video for his new book called "Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crises, and a Revolution of Hope".

Brian says of this book: "This book... asks two essential questions: What are the world's top crises, and what do the life and message of Jesus say to those global crises? I spent a few years researching the global crisis literature and tried to synthesize the best thinking on the subject. I developed a metaphor to help people understand global crises - a machine with four moving parts, corresponding to the four critical crises that create so much human suffering. Meanwhile, I was studying the gospels in a concentrated way, seeking to understand how Jesus' original hearers would have heard and understood his message of the kingdom of God. The two pursuits enriched each other in ways that I will probably never fully be able to communicate. This book is by far my most ambitious project yet, and I can't imagine ever writing anything that is more important and urgent."

Something for the "gotta read" list!

Don't Defend the Faith!

Instead, heal the people. God hardly needs us for protection, but the world most assuredly needs us to act as agents of Christ's hope and healing.

When I say "Don't defend the faith," I'm talking about how established Christians have this overwhelming urge, whenever a non-Christian makes a strong attack (either rightly or in error) on Christianity, to erect a defense. I spend a fair amount of time talking with people outside the church and I haven't found this to be helpful in any way, ever.

When the attack is accurate: confess
Sometimes people outside the church will tick off the reasons why they dislike God, the church, or church people, and they may be right on target. "The church is full of hypocrites," they'll shout, or "The church is responsible for some of the worst sins against humanity. Just look at the crusades, the Inquisition, and so on!" This is our opportunity to do a little confession. After all, there are these and more. The church could do well to spend more time listening to our sins and being heartbroken over them. And a sincere, heartfelt "You're right," often makes a tremendous difference to people outside the church.

When the attack is in error: wait
Sometimes the attack on God is spurious and insubstantial. Usually that means that there's something that isn't being said, an injury that goes deeper. These attacks usually turn up the greatest opportunity for healing, but you have to wait and watch for it. Sometimes you'll miss the cue, but you can count on getting another opportunity. There are still plenty of people in the world who understand very little about God.

Once the main part of the initial attack passes, you can begin to look for your friend's injury. Sometimes all it takes is making an observation, or asking a question.

I recently met a young man named Brandon. He initiated our conversation by telling me in fairly strong terms that he didn't believe in God, and that all religion was a crutch, or a drug. "Science explains everything," he adamantly assured me. Curious, I let him rant, and pretty soon the conversation took an unexpected turn. He shared with me an incident in his life in which he had treated his wife very badly. His speech slowed down some as he expressed his remorse. I knew my chance was about to arrive and started looking for it.

"Why do you feel such remorse?" I asked.

He looked at me as if I were nuts. "Because," he cried, "what I did was awful! It was a horrible way to treat her."

"How do you know it was bad?" I asked.

"I just know," he insisted.

"But how do you know?" I asked, "Science didn't teach you that. Science is impartial. Science doesn't care how you treat your wife."

He looked at me, silent for once.

This is when I knew I could offer the healing God brings. You never know if someone will accept it, but you if you can find the injury, you can always offer it.

"Science didn't make the world," I said quietly, "God did. And because God is good, and we are made in God's image, we're hardwired to know the difference between good and bad. Maybe that's how come you knew that you had treated your wife badly."

That was it. That was the end of my speech. For someone as angry and dismissive of God as Brandon was, I didn't want to bombard him with God talk, and he didn't ask. But in the end, the edge was gone from Brandon's anger, and I think he left with a new idea to mull, an idea which is pretty radical for him, and one which has the power to bring healing to his relationship with his wife.

Whenever I hear someone building walls around themselves or their faith (or lack of faith) I always wonder who or what they are trying to keep out. Jesus was more of a wall-remover than a wall builder, and our faith isn't a city to be defended from attack. It's a light to be shared.

How to get ready for your next non-defense of the faith: learn from the Master
The best way to share Christ is to know a little about him. Don't let your faith be a Sunday-only kind of thing; get involved in spiritual friendships, serve your church or find a ministry you can be a part of. Be a part of a small group or find a prayer partner. Read the great Christian leaders. The more you actively follow Jesus, the more you will know about how he operates.

Two of the tools Jesus used most to heal people were his ability to listen, and his well-put questions. Without being obnoxious, he was able to uncover what people didn't know about God. And when a person was vulnerable, he didn't rush to exploit, or crow about his superior way. Instead he invited people to join him on the journey and experience the peace and healing of living in harmony with God.

Keeping the Back Door Open

by Lisa Creech Bledsoe

The more I place myself on common ground with people outside the church, the more our language inside the church strikes me as strange, or even scary. I was at a state conference of pastors and leaders and heard an entire presentation centered around churches working to "close the back door." When did the language of “closing the back door” show up in the church, and why? How did the notion of drawing people into our communities, and then locking all the exits, become standard operating procedure?

Does the church have something that we think might be stolen or vandalized? Is the effort to close the church’s back door driven by a desire to make sure the institution has enough captive workers to keep profit high, loss at a minimum, or to stay in operation?

On the church’s best day I think the phrase arises out of a desire to keep people from restlessly moving from one faith community to another, consuming the best of the buffet and never really experiencing spiritual growth or exercising their faith. But the simple fact is that the mission of the local church is not to perpetuate the institution, but to make disciples of Jesus (Matthew 28:19-20), even if those disciples never become attending, contributing members of that local church. When did we Jesus-followers decide that we would only take on God’s mission if there were a direct numerical benefit to the institution or the local congregation?

Recover the Mission
The way to retake this ground starts with a very simple idea: rather than continuing solely as a “come to us” institution, the church of Jesus Christ must also become a “go to them” people.
The reality is, people don't stay in one place as much as they used to. The back door to most churches is open whether we want it to be or not. So what does it look like to be a local church with an intentionally open back door? There are several keys to creating this kind of environment in our churches.

From NIMBY to Networks
Churches with a NIMBY, or “Not In My Back Yard” attitude, feel threatened that another church near them might “steal” members which they should be getting, or undercut program attendance by offering something better.

But one of the marvelous things about an open back door is that not only do we not feel threatened by other congregations doing Christ’s work around us, we don’t have to feel pressured into having something for everyone. Instead, we are freed to see other communities of faith as a tremendous resource, meaning we can have someone for everyone, even if that someone belongs to a different congregation.

All of the leaders in our congregation take off at least one Sunday every month. Once a month I worship or lead in another community of faith. Not only do I find this deeply refreshing, but it also means we are well-networked with other churches in our area. If you look out our back door, you will see a number of well-traveled paths between these churches, and we are all stronger because of it.

From Committees to Communities
Our church is also notable for the fact that we don’t have committees. What we have are communities – small relational networks or groups where the people are friends with each other, sometimes because of age and stage (new parents), a shared affinity (music), or even because they work for the same corporation. These communities are not only doing the work of leading the church in various areas, they also grow the church. The lead pastor or teacher is not the one responsible for “bringing in new families” or “doing the follow-up on visitors,” or even providing pastoral care for the entire congregation. Instead, a community will often make the connection with a visitor, naturally doing follow-up and giving care according to their ability.

Communities have permission to be on mission, and rarely need to “run anything by the pastor.” If an individual is struggling and sends out a cry for help, our first two questions are: With whom is this person connected? What does their community need to support him or her?

And because of our open back door, we might help someone who seems consistently at loose ends in our midst to comfortably follow the many tendrils we have connected with other communities of faith in order to find the experiences and relationships which will help them grow toward Christ.

From members to missionaries
Not incidentally, we also don’t have members. But we do have people on mission. When there are multiple entry and exit points to a community of faith, the people in the church have no trouble getting out on the field with Jesus. The whole body has a flowing, breathing feel.

In one new church plant I hired a worship leader who was also an incredible baseball coach with a gift for sharing Christ with the young boys on his teams. The teams he coached sometimes played on Sundays, and rather than condemning such a league (Have you done that before? I admit I have), or refusing to allow the worship leader to lead (Have you made 100% worship attendance mandatory for church leaders before? I admit I have), we made it our practice to “send out” our worship leader on a regular basis as a missionary to the ball field. The result was win-win: our worship team grew (it had to!), and the boys heard about Jesus.

Granted, this way of living with each other is necessarily messy and largely uncontrolled, and it certainly takes work and struggle. Our church looks more like a herd of cats than a well-oiled machine. But because we try to keep so many doors and windows open, we end up with lots of growing edges!

Christ called us to gather, and we do need some definition and boundaries. Not all structure is bad. But a structure that seeks to constrict and control by closing and locking all exits may be courting disaster. Instead, throw open a window or two. Hang around a church's open back door; you may be surprised at the Friend you meet there.

I Want My 50 Cubits!

By Lance Bledsoe

I recently engaged in an email discussion that began with a question about what exactly it means for a pastor to have authority. And where did this authority come from anyway?

Authority appears to have more than one form, and we began discussing a form called “spiritual authority.” This is important because – for example – one doesn’t generally have a lot of say in whether one will submit to “civil authority.” If you are convicted of breaking a law that a government has enacted, you’re probably going to suffer the consequences whether you like it or not, since governments generally have courts and jails and police to make sure of it. You do, however, have a say in whether you will submit to the spiritual authority of a particular person (e.g., pastor) or group (e.g., church or denomination). My contention is that ultimately I decide what people (or groups, or documents, etc.) will have spiritual authority over me, and how much authority they will have. Regarding pastors in particular, in any given local church the pastor may have some degree of authority over the congregation, but that pastor has authority because the people give it to him/her.

(Brief parenthetical diversion: It was at this point in the discussion that it was suggested that there might not in fact be some “biblical allotment of authority” conferred on certain people. I was so enamored of the idea of an authority allotment that I began joking that we should measure it in drachmas; it was later agreed that cubits would be a better unit of measurement.)

Spiritual authority is related to but distinct from “leadership.” In my mind, leadership is a gift (in this context, a spiritual gift) that some people have been given. Whether or how someone uses their gift is up to that person. It's also true that whether a person chooses to follow a particular leader is up to the follower, but the leader has the gift regardless. Authority, on the other hand, is primarily determined by the follower. If you decide you’re going to follow someone (e.g., listen to their advice, follow their instruction, etc.) then you have given that person some degree of authority over you. And if you decide you’re not going to follow, then that person has no authority over you.

Even Jesus was forced to suffer the sometimes annoying ability of others to deny his authority over their lives. In Mark 6, after performing some pretty impressive miracles (including raising a little girl from the dead) Jesus went to his hometown to teach in the synagogue but, “They took offense at him… He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith.” It seems to me that in this case “lack of faith” is closely related to an unwillingness to recognize Jesus’ authority. While some of us might consider the healing of a few sick people to be pretty miraculous, it kind of makes you wonder what Jesus could have done in these people’s lives if they had actually recognized and acknowledged his authority.

Pass the Chicken and Beam Me Up

by Matt Brown

Hey, let’s get the sauce on and then talk some God stuff, and how it may or may not relate to Star Trek.

2 cups of plain Kraft BBQ sauce
2 cups of Texas Pete
3 heaping tablespoons of frozen orange juice concentrate
3 heaping tablespoons of minced garlic
1 stick of butter

Place ingredients in a pot and simmer until the butter and orange juice are melted.

Heat charcoal. If you do not use a charcoal grill, then you should be banished from BBQ land, and you probably never really appreciated why some of us like to play with fire, but God probably loves you, so I guess you can stay.

If you are using charcoal, then watch those flames as they leap and dance out and around the Weber. Don’t tell your fireman friend, but sometimes the flames almost reach my tree in back. Anyway, as you wait for the charcoal to ash, and as you watch the smoke rise (hopefully not from your burning house or deck) you can ask yourself this question:

Ever wonder why the apostles saw Jesus “taken up into Heaven” Luke 24:50? I mean, that’s a metaphor. Jesus does not live in the sky – heaven is not in a blimp or something, so it makes me wonder: what would the ascension look like today? Now I am not saying that the ascension of Jesus did not happen, and I am not at all saying that Jesus did not go back to heaven, but what I am saying is that to the 1st century audience going up into the sky would be a powerful image. However, the 21st century audience sees stuff go into the sky all the time (small children’s balloons, heavy airplanes, UFOs, and blimps (blimps are cool). So if we saw Jesus ascend today, I think it would be more like seeing him get beamed up like on Star Trek. We would not even call it the ascension, but the beam up, or time-warp or something like that. All those paintings that depict Jesus going up on a cloud might look a lot more like an episode of Deep Space Nine or something (I’m not a geek, but I know a lot of geeks – no really, I can only name like 10 or 11 original Star Trek episodes by title).

You might say “hey that’s a stupid thing to think about” or you might roll your eyes and ask “hey is that charcoal ready yet?”, but here’s the thing that scares some people, but that I think is cool. God speaks deep truths to us in metaphor and image. Our broken and fallen language is often too feeble to even begin to touch some of the truths that God lays out for us. Our life, like scripture, is multilayered and rich with meaning. Sometimes I wonder if the people who want the Bible to be totally literally true are really afraid of the deeper meanings that they might uncover if they had to deal with its nuances.

Think about that while you watch the fire.

Now that the coals have ashed over, place the chicken on the grill (make sure to manage those flare-ups). Sprinkle the chicken with a nice dry seasoning (rotisserie seasoning works well) and cook covered for 5 minutes. Flip the chicken, sprinkle the dry seasoning again, and cover for 5 minutes. Now get the sauce.

Flip, baste, and cook until the chicken is done.
Heat the left over sauce for dipping.
Say grace.
Take no (chicken) prisoners.

Connecting the Physical and Spiritual

If you read Rob Bell's "Velvet Elvis" you know how powerful his spare, elegant way of thinking and writing can challenge you to explore the God-human connection.

Sex God, his latest offering, is another such treasure. What appears to be a short, simple read will likely take you months to truly digest. It isn't a sex manual or a marriage treatise, but rather a beautiful exploration of how our physical relationships are also spiritual relationships.

Jennifer Davis recently sent me this powerful quote from the book:

You can't be connected with God until you're at peace with who you are. If you are still upset that God gave you this body or this life or this family or these circumstances, you will never be able to connect with God in a healthy, thriving, sustainable sort of way. You'll be at odds with your maker. And if you can't come to terms with who you are and the life you've been given, you'll never be able to accept others and how they were made and the lives they've been given. And until you're at peace with God and those around you, you will continue to struggle with your role on the planet, your part to play in the ongoing creation of the universe. You will continue to struggle and resist and fail to connect.

Being a Christian vs. Being Religious

A quote collected by Dana Derosier from the book Circle of Seven, by Clay Jacobsen:

There is a big difference in being religious and being a Christian. Being religious is following a system of Do's and Don'ts. The Do's- go to church, read the bible, help others, pray. The Don'ts- don't drink, don't smoke, don't kill people. The trouble with religion is that it traps people into a flash sense of security that if they follow the rules, then they will somehow be acceptable to God. Christians believe that no matter what you do or how perfect you are- you still aren't good enough to be accepted by God. With other religions you have to achieve some level of perfection within yourself by adhering to their guidelines. With Christianity it's all about Grace. It's not about what you can do- it's about what Jesus did. Being a Christian is not a boring set of rules or following a fun killing religion. Being a Christian is an exciting daily walk doing our best to follow what we see out God doing.

The Worship Industry

If God "provides all our needs" why do so many third world babies starve? (and more)

Q. If one of the foundational truths of our faith is that "God will provide all your needs", how do we put that in context with martyrdom, God's sovereignty, the third world, and Psalm 116:15 (Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints). If we exclude life, limb, comfort, food, and clothing from this promise, what exactly is it promising? Is it only spiritual? If so, why are we considering birds and flowers (Matthew 6:28 and 10:29)?

To begin with, I probably wouldn't characterize the idea that "God will provide all your needs" as a foundational truth of our faith. When I think "foundational truths" I hear one of the ancient creeds of the church. These creeds embody beliefs like "God made the universe," "Jesus is God's son," "Jesus was raised from the dead," and things like that. And in America, the notion of "what I need" is very often at odds with the Way of Jesus.

However, to address the idea of God's provision and sovereignty, and their relationship to the third world and martyrdom, we can begin with some basics.

First, Scripture is best understood as a whole piece of fabric; not every thread can equally represent the whole. God's provision for us can be seen from our perspective (a limited kind of view) or from God's perspective (of which we only have the barest understanding). There are good times to consider the birds and flowers, as Matthew 6:28 enjoins us, and there are other times when we are overwhelmed by the sorrow and suffering of the world, and we wonder what on Earth God has in mind. In the end, God's sovereignty means that there is so much more to life, death, and life after death than we will ever understand.

We do know this: God made us creatures of choice, and since we don't always make the best choices, there's going to be a lot of brokenness in the world. Americans are overweight while Rwandans starve. God could step in and address this, and God does it all the time: ever known a young person who left a promising career in law to feed children in Thailand? Ever been a part of a church that consistently creates opportunities to collect food for hungry people? Then you've seen, or been a part of, a tiny part of God's provision.

The issue of martyrdom and God's provision and sovereignty is more complex, but we still have some handles on it. Martyrdom, when it means dying for the cause of God (people will die for lots of causes, not all of them have anything to do with God), has long been understood in the church to be an act imitative of Christ's sacrifice of his life on our behalf. My understanding of God in Jesus does not make me think he enjoys death. In fact, the resurrection shows us that he will stop at nothing to be united with us in love no matter how much death we deal out.

The fact is that Jesus had the power to kill his enemies, and chose to love them instead. He died because he refused to kill. Many Jesus-followers have found themselves in similar situations. We often have the power to kill our enemies. Very often we tie our cause to God so that it feels morally right, although how often we've discerned that correctly is up for debate.

Sometimes we don't have the power to kill our enemies, but we do have the power to deflect our own deaths or suffering. On my first day in seminary, a teacher read aloud to our class the ancient account of the martyrdom of Saints Perpetua and Felicity, much of which was written by Perpetua herself. At the end, many of us were in tears, and indeed, these two women's faith -- even unto death -- seemed deeply precious. Both of them could have avoided death by recanting their faith. They chose instead a path I can hardly fathom. In their story I see the brokenness of the world, the faith of two women (one pregnant and one a slave), and a God who inspires a kind of devotion I've never been called on to show. I come away with a different perspective on my life, and God's provision for me.

How do you know if it's God?

Q. I know someone who says God spoke to her in a dream. How do I know whether it was really God?

This is a question about discernment. In knowing what is or isn't "of God," there are at least three good sources of authority you can utilize.

1. The witness of Scripture. People love, of course, to pull out specific verses that they can use to "prove" or "disprove" things, but the best way to use it is as a whole, with an emphasis on the life and ministry of Jesus. In this case, Scripture shows us that God does in fact show up repeatedly in people's dreams, visions, musings, writings, and even in person.

2. The witness of God's people. The Bible and God's continuing interaction with creation is best interpreted in the context of a community of faith. The first thing young Samuel did when God called him in a dream was to go to Eli, his mentor in the church (1 Samuel 3). A great verse that tells about discernment in the New Testament church is Acts 15:28, in which the apostles say, "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and us…" There's the community of faith working to know God's will in the specifics.

3. The witness of the fruit that is borne (Matthew 7:16). The great evangelist, biblical scholar and teacher John Wesley was calm in the midst of the howling going on over women preaching in his day. In the end, he simply said that women's preaching bore great fruit, and people's lives were transformed as a result of his willingness to enable women to continue their service. With regard to dreams, the question to ask is how it played out. Did the results build the Kingdom? Were lives changed for the better?

A Quote for Questioners

"Be patient towards all that is unsolved in your heart and dreams, try to love the questions themselves." -- Rainer Maria Rilke

How do I give 100% of my efforts to Jesus?

Q: How do I give 100% of my efforts to Jesus? There are times I feel it is so easy and other times it is such a struggle. Does the day come when everything falls in place and stays in place?

This is the constant struggle of a Jesus-follower: Can I watch the game, love my spouse, teach high school, play in a rock band, and discipline my toddler, all for God? The answer is yes, you can. There are a few really big things that can help you become fully alive in Christ (or give 100% of your life).

1. Make worship a way of life. If you try to live each day honoring God in all that you do and loving and serving creation, you'll be less tempted to box away small sections of your life that "don't count". Having Jesus as Lord means his Way is the guideline for everything you do, not just what you do on Sunday. That includes relationships, finances, mental and physical health, work, and play.

2. Be a part of a community of faith. Having other people around who are trying to do the same thing you are – follow God – is a huge help. It's a big reason why Jesus created the church, in fact.

3. Find out what your strengths are, and operate out of them. When you love and live and work primarily out of your strengths, you honor the way God made you and you live really well. So, if you are by nature and giftedness an incredibly skilled mathematician, your job as a property manager may not honor God and inspire people the way a job as an engineer might. Where natural and built-up ability, special giftedness, and personal passion intersect, there is a beautiful and holy synergy. When you get there, you can function at the center of God's purpose for you.

4. Serve. It's amazing how much service helps us understand Jesus. This is another great thing about being a part of a community of faith – we are always seeking opportunities to serve because it matures us in our faith.

And yes, there are days (weeks, months, seasons) when it seems nearly effortless. And yes, there are days (weeks, months, seasons) when it's an incredible struggle. And we mess it up plenty. The good news is that God's love for us is not dependent on or equivalent to how much we "get it right". And there's a remedy for our sin, which the church calls confession (naming our sin before God), repentance (turning back toward God), and forgiveness (being made clean again by God).

Does the Bible have relevance today?

Q: The Bible is old and pretty sexist; how can it have any relevance today?

The Bible is a record of God's interaction with creation, in all creation's glory and brokenness. In other words, when our lives are broken, bound up in sexism or any other "ism", scripture reflects that brokenness, as well as the power for healing that God brings.

So, yes, it's old; God's been interacting with us since "in the beginning". Yes, you'll read about lots of messed-up people in there. And given how broken we still are (after all these years!), it's still speaks with profound relevance to our lives.

Three great quotes from today's worship

"There is no point in getting into an argument about this notion of loving. It is what Christianity is all about -- take it or leave it. Christianity is not about ritual and moral living except insofar as these two express the love that causes both of them. We must at least pray for the grace to become love." - Brennan Manning, "A Glimpse of Jesus," quoted by Matt Brown in his teaching today.

"Love is so boring to people who crave controversy." - Matt Brown

"Easter was our Independence Day from sin and death." - Matt Brown (who added, over lunch, "We should have fireworks on Easter!")

“I can feel God’s pleasure”

by Lance Bledsoe

There’s a great line from the 1981 movie “Chariots of Fire,” which is a dramatization of the life of the British Olympic sprinter Eric Liddell. At one point in the film, Liddell is trying to explain to someone why he enjoys running so much, and he’s having a hard time putting it into words. He finally says, “When I run, I can feel God’s pleasure.”

Anyone who’s ever been a runner, even a casual runner, knows that sometimes while running you will find that you have entered that place known as “the zone.” When you’re in the zone, everything feels effortless, and you just feel like you could run forever.

A few days ago I was running and I found myself in the zone, and I remembered Liddell’s quote about feeling God’s pleasure. It occurred to me that while Liddell was specifically referring to running, I like the quote even outside the context of running.

Liddell wasn’t so much declaring that running was somehow an especially holy or noble activity, though I suspect that for him it was. What he was commenting on was the fact that he had discovered a particular gift that God had given him, and when he made use of that gift, he knew that God was pleased. He could feel it. God had made him to run, and when he ran, he was perfectly in tune with the person God had created him to be.

I have known a number of people over the years who have discovered gifts that God had given them in different areas, some of which you might not think of as being particularly holy. Parents, teachers, artists, musicians, nature-lovers; I knew one woman who cleaned houses for a living, and she absolutely loved her work. It’s a wonderful feeling to discover a gift that God has given to you and to feel the pleasure of using that gift, not just the pleasure that it gives to you, but the pleasure that it gives to God, and often the pleasure that it gives to others.

Liddell’s comment about feeling God’s pleasure is also a wonderful way to think about being the people that God has made us to be. What gifts has God given to you, and how do you use them? When do you feel God’s pleasure?

Living Real

by Cara McLauchlan

It’s time for me to start being more honest about things. Like the fact that I don’t like Starbucks Coffee. There. I said it. I know everyone loves Starbucks Coffee and how great it tastes. But I really think that it tastes like someone’s socks that have been boiled for long periods of time.

I've decided that this is going to be my “Year of the Real.” I’ve noticed that my life has slowly gathered a lot of unwelcome clutter. Things that I have not really said “yes” to, but that I have not said “no” to in an out loud way.

My life has become about keeping my options neatly packaged and hermetically sealed. I don’t know how I got so afraid. It seems to go out and claim your “Yes!” you have to be a bit naked. I have been silently closing, locking and boarding up every open door of risk for fear of something bad happening.

Thoughts of the Boogie Man, children dying in the night, robbers, house fires, IRS audits and the fact that I haven’t cleaned out my dryer lint trap fill my head every night. I have found so many things to fear. I think there is a demented place in me that thinks if I actually worry about it, I can somehow prevent it from happening.

The truth is that bad stuff happens even if we worry about it. But so does the good. And you might as well go about enjoying your stay here on earth until the Big Guy calls your number.

Which brings me to the subject of God. I think God likes to hear us speak to him in a real way – even if it’s not holy or flowery or even happy. And praying does not just happen on our knees or with the Bible neatly placed before us. I pray to God as I am driving, when I’m exercising, when I am cooking. My favorite time to pray is when I am pumping gas. I have found that because I drive a ridiculous gas-guzzler, I can create a bit of peace about it by praying for people while I fill up. I think God likes it when we include him our days, even if it’s at the gas station.

Living real can be hilarious. This week I was driving past a group of construction workers and for the 999th time they all stopped, stared and oogled me as I went by. Instead of my typical approach of feeling intimidated and averting my eyes, I did something else. I looked them all directly in the eyes and like a five-year-old I stuck out my tongue, crossed my eyes and made an absolutely ridiculous face.

They were stunned. They couldn’t believe this well-dressed, suburban woman would do such a thing. I roared with laughter as I watched their faces in my rear-view mirror.

I was real. I didn’t back down. And it felt really good.

Cara McLauchlan is really a writer that lives in Fuquay-Varina, NC. When she is not making ridiculous faces at construction workers, she is also a mommy and believes that Flavia makes the best coffee on this planet. She can be reached at cara@crankymommies.com or 919/552.1818.

Should women lead in church?

Recently I had another person ask by what authority a woman could lead a church. You would think I'd have my answer down pat after 15 years of doing this. But I still don't, and as a result I started a conversation about it with friends. Here's what came out of it.

No agreement necessary
Churches don't agree on this issue any more than they agree on divorce, the virgin birth, homosexuality, the Pope, or drums and projectors in church. And honestly, most of the issues we argue and fuss about in the church are field mice, not tigers, and the forces that oppose God get a lot of mileage out of our being embroiled in them. The question of whether women should lead churches is a field mouse. You can feel one way or the other (and go to a church that agrees with you) but it is not a question which will lead to your salvation. In fact, you can get so tangled up with it that you never get on the road with Jesus.

Scripture
You know, I had the classes in seminary on the "texts of terror" so often used to keep women from leadership in the church. Paul takes both sides of the issue, depending on where you look. Jesus doesn't say anything about it, but women fund his ministry, travel and minister with him, and are consistently accepted (healed, touched, fed, loved) by him. There are powerful women of scripture who prophesy, lead, judge, and serve God's people in a multitude of ways.

Experience
I didn't grow up in a church with a model of women in leadership. My experience of being called into ministry started the first time I ever saw a woman lead a worship service; I was about 25 years old, and utterly astonished by the power of that service. A year or so later Jesus came to me in a dream (very Biblical), and invited me to enter the life he led; guiding, being in relationship with, and teaching his people. My pastor and community affirmed this call, and here I am. Were all of us wrong? Could be. And I'm okay with that. I feel ready to face God and tell how I spent my life.

Err on the side of grace
My girlfriend Alicia had this wonderful thing to say: "If I’m going to err, I’d rather err on the side of freedom to serve Christ. I think the radical freedom God offers us in Christ — some have called it scandalous — has to be more than just freedom from… Yes, we have freedom from sin, freedom from rules, freedom from fear. But, we also have freedom to… We are free to serve, free to worship without fear of God’s rejection, free to love God and other people in wild and extravagant ways. For me, that’s the heart of pastoral ministry." You can read the rest of her thoughts here.

You shall know them by their fruits
The best response I heard to my inquiry came from my friend Mary Jo, who posed (and answered) the question this way: Does God have the power to call women into ministry if God chooses? If God has the power, how do we know if God has used that power to call women into ministry? As John Wesley said (and he got it from Jesus): by their fruits.

I'm good with that.

Meet a modern-day Paul

by Marty Linn

"In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' " Acts 20:35 (New International Version)

My perspective on the life of the apostle Paul is that he was so totally convicted by his experience of Jesus that he gave up everything to embrace a life of serving the world and encouraging everyone he encountered to follow the Way of Jesus. He became completely reliant on God for all provisions for his life and God provided it to Paul through God's people.

Recently I have gotten to know a modern-day Paul. Some of you met him when he was at Connections in February: his name is Wadsene.

Wadsene lives with his father, who was a preacher and never had much money with which to support his family. When Wadsene was a child, they sometimes had only mangos to eat for an entire week at a time. Wadsene said that growing up he understood that in order of prominence, God was first, the Haitian President was second, and missionaries were third. The reason missionaries were so prominent? They could bring their families something to eat other than mangos.

Wadsene is a US citizen but he chooses to stay in Haiti and serve his people. He is the administrator for the ministry called Horizontal Love Ministries, which offers food, medical care, and other services to elderly persons in the city of Les Cayes and south Haiti. From time to time, HLM brings the individuals they serve together. They play dominoes and other games and enjoy each other's company. When it’s time to go home, none of them want to leave.

All of the workers at HLM are volunteers; Wadsene says that he is somewhat embarrassed at times because he cannot pay them. Wadsene is actively involved in the care giving as well, and rides his bike to visit the various individuals who receive HLM's services.

He tries to have a few dollars to give when he visits someone. One time when he was visiting a 70 year old man he didn’t have any money, and Wadsene apologized for not having anything to give him. The old gentleman told him he shouldn’t apologize because just the fact that Wadsene was visiting him had changed his life. Seeing Wadsene visit, the people in his community had changed their perceptions of the older man and had begun to watch out for him and give him food. Wadsene says that even the smallest gesture or deed in Haiti is significant. Wadsene put it well: "I have a lot more than the boy with two fishes, and look what the Lord did with that!"

Wadsene was recently able to buy a small piece of land, and his dream is to build a 3 to 4 room house in which the people he serves can live.

I am grateful that Connections is already supporting this ministry but I also think we can do more. Haiti is a hidden corner of the world where this ministry may well be the only hope some people have to see Jesus. As we enthusiastically pursue growing the kingdom here, I propose we also consider doing the same there.

The Jesus Tomb

There's lots of press right now around the small ossuary (bone box) that was found in the 1980's, which is now being said to hold the bones of Jesus. If you google "jesus tomb" you'll get over two million hits. The fuss is heating up because of a "documentary" (by Hollywood directors, not scientists, if that tells you anything) that will be aired to coincide with Easter celebrations. Some of the press is eagerly casting doubt on the resurrection of Jesus as a result of this dubious film, in much the same way as the DaVinci Code (which was a work of fiction) press did.

Here's a great quote from a master on the subject:

"There is more evidence that Jesus rose from the dead than there is that Julius Caesar ever lived or Alexander the Great died at the age of 33. It is strange that historians accept thousands of facts for which they can produce only shreds of evidence. But in the face of overwhelming evidence of the resurrection of Jesus Christ they cast a skeptical eye and hold intellectual doubts. The trouble with those people is that they do not want to believe." - Billy Graham, Peace with God 


Looking ahead to Palm Sunday

"Both children and theologians were part of the Palm Sunday throng. One can only imagine that the theologians had spent a very hard morning working with old Hebrew word roots. Their scholarship was rigorous, and it left them so distracted, they never saw the Son of God when he entered the city. The children, well ... they were quite another matter. They loved Jesus and were so glad to see him coming into Jerusalem, they began to shout their uninhibited praises." - Calvin Miller, The Christ of Easter (Broadman & Holman, 2004) 


Turn-Key or Fixer-Upper: Which church is best for you?

By Shane Bazer

If you are thinking about finding a new church home, you might want to consider doing your shopping with a real-estate tip in mind. The "perfect" church might not be the best spiritual investment.

In the real estate market, a house that is in tip-top shape is often referred to as a "turn-key" house. Someone else has done all the work and the only work you need to do is "turn the key" and move in. Such homes are popular, and they usually sell for a premium.

My wife and I, on the other hand, have purchased seven fixer-upper properties over the years. These homes needed "cosmetic" repairs, rather than highly qualified, skilled work. They needed new paint, flooring and fixtures; maybe a new kitchen counter or bathroom sink. We’ve put many hours of labor into our properties, and we've spent quite a bit of money on tools and supplies. Sound crazy? Let me share with you some of the benefits of getting involved with a fixer-upper:

• The more work you put into a place, the more it feels like a home.
• You might wonder at times if all the work is worth it, but when the job is complete you realize it was worth every bit of effort you put into it.
• By doing most of the work yourself instead of paying others to do it, you discover and develop skills and talents you might not have realized you had.
• By choosing your own colors and decorating schemes, you can create an atmosphere that meets your particular needs.
• You have more pride in your property. You are more likely to take better care of it and want to share it with others.
• And of course, the financial rewards can be substantial.

I’ve found that it’s much the same with a church. (I’m speaking of a congregation, not a building, of course.)

• The more work you put into church, the more it feels like home.
• You might wonder at times if all the work is worth it, but when you see how your work has touched people’s lives, you realize it was worth every bit of effort you put into it.
• By doing some work yourself instead of paying others to do it, you discover and develop skills and talents you might not have realized God has given you.
• By choosing your own name, styles of worship, children’s church program, women’s and men’s ministry programs, etc. you can create an atmosphere that meets your particular needs.
• You have more pride in your church. You are more likely to pray for it and take better care of it and want to share it with others.
• And of course, the spiritual rewards can be substantial.

If you are interested in "fixing-up" your church, make sure you aren’t doing it alone. Otherwise you will soon become overworked and burned out. Find a handful of others who see the potential and sit down together to assess the areas that need to be improved, figure out who has the skills and tools to do the job, and even consider whether you need to hire outside laborers to help.

As long as your church has the solid foundation of Jesus Christ and the leaders are supportive of the makeover project, it will be well worth it to roll up your sleeves and start making your church the glorious spiritual home it is meant to be.

Matt Answers Monster Questions: I want to read the Bible each day, but never seem to have enough time. What can I do?

To understand how to start a good habit, you first have to think about other habits you have.

We have habits around things that we like to do and things that are easy for us to do. These may be good or bad habits. To start a good habit we have to use knowledge of ourselves and from that create effective patterns.

Patterns are actions that we can repeat every day and that will, over time, become habits. Here are some tips on creating patterns.

Start a pattern based on your habits and schedule:
If you are a morning person use that. If you stay up late, then use that. Do not try to shoehorn a new habit into an area of your life that will guarantee failure. If you have trouble getting up in the morning, then don’t try to get up earlier to read the Bible.

Keep the pattern going:
Do it even when you don’t feel like it and even if you don’t do it well. A winning streak matters more than the individual efforts. Maybe you have a bad day and don’t feel like reading the Bible. Do it anyway – make yourself read 5 verses – just a little bit can change your mood, or at least allow you to keep the pattern going.

Try to get the pattern to run downhill:
Think about how to make the pattern more pleasurable. Maybe involve music, going outside, another person, or some tool that helps you establish the pattern. Maybe you have a long commute each day and can get the Bible on CD to listen to in the car.

Try those things and let me know what you think. Next time, I will tell you how to make some really tasty BBQ sauce.

Matt Answers Monster Questions: How do I know when to wait for God to lead or to figure things out for myself?

I think a lot of people talk about waiting to hear from God to either do what they want to do or to not do the things that they know they should do.

We are not automatons (mindless robots) waiting for the next instruction from God. We should be in a relationship with God. People who are in a relationship are in communication and will know what actions:

1. Enrich the relationship
2. Erode the relationship
3. Have no effect on the relationship

Often WE want what WE want and will pretend that God wants that too or that God may not have an opinion on it.

The best way to get on the same page with God is to:

1. Serve others: in your home and at your job.
2. Give your honors to God: your titles, your accomplishments, your status.
3. Let go of material things: Identify the thing that you value the most and ask yourself if you could give it away.
4. Meet with others who want to know God.
5. Study God’s word.
6. Pray.

Matt Answers Monster Questions: Why did God make us?

I’ve given this a lot of thought, and when I ran out of ideas I asked my Thursday night small group what they thought. The universal sentiment was that they really don’t know either – some help they were.

However, we do know that God loves us. We know that God sacrificed a lot to save us from our sins. We also know that we are made in God’s image (though marred by original sin).

More interestingly, we know that the universe is a very large place and as beings that will live forever, we will have a lot of space to roam around in.

Many of us do not think that God made us because he was lonely. The closest thing that I can draw on is from my personal experience of having children. Karen and I did not have children because we felt lonely or incomplete. We had children as a natural outgrowth of who we are. Maybe the answer is as simple and as abstract as that.

Un-Offendable Christians! Watta Concept!

"Much time is spent among Christians trying to smooth over hurt feelings and even deep wounds, given and received, and to get people to stop being angry, retaliatory, and unforgiving. But suppose, instead, we devoted our time to inspiring and enabling Christians and others to be people who are not offendable and not angry and who are forgiving as a matter of course." - Dallas Willard

Good to Remember

"God has given us our ministries. We don't have to prove our worth through our ministry, and we don't have to wallow in our mistakes. You don't have to earn your place as a pastor or leader in the church." - Rick Warren

Matt: Practical Leadership

I am finding that there are several practical things that one must consider when leading:

Daily and intentional prayer for those that you directly lead.
This can and probably should include the people that God has placed around you. Many of us work full-time jobs. As God's people, we carry his mission into the work place.

Self assessment.
What are your prejudices? What are the economic, social, class assumptions that you make? What are the caustic effects of nationalism, or sexism, or racism in you (if you think that you are not plagued by these things you might be in trouble)?

Building into a handful of people around you.
Who are you sharing your things with? What personal time and possessions are you letting go of?

What are you spending your money on and how do you view yourself within the American consumer complex?
Are you striving to simplify and create space for God or are you trying to fill up time and space because someone is telling you to? Leaders are watched by those they lead.

A lot of being a follower of Christ is about never being satisfied in what YOU know, and about resting in the feeling of patient unconditional love.

Lance: How to Know if it's "of God" or "of Me"

I think the struggle to know what things are "of God" and what things are just "of me" is an ongoing one for everyone. We all have our ideas about what we'd like to see happen or what we think would be great, and some ideas are less God than others.

While there's no magic or easy way to guarantee that everything you do will always be of God, I've always thought the best way to increase the chances is to make sure other people are involved in it, especially other people in your "community." If you're the only one thinking about it or involved in it, you only have your perspective, and therefore your blind spots, guiding the process. But if other people have some input, it's a lot more likely that somebody will see something you don't and be able to say, "Wait a minute, what about this" or "Yeah, I did that once and here's what happened."

It's like if one (genderless) spouse wants a new Ibanez SR900 bass with Bartolini pickups and a thru-body neck and goes out and buys one without discussing it with the other (genderless) spouse, and then Spouse #2 says, "Have you lost your mind? If we don't pay the light bill this month they're going to cut off our electricity!"

And FWIW, I've always been a fan of allowing/encouraging people to "bloom where God has planted them," which for me just means working out of the gifts that God has given to them. If people aren't working out of their gifts, they're not going to be particularly effective or happy (or aligned with God) and their efforts are going to be unsustainable and, ultimately, less God than they could be.

Leading by Community

In this article on leading by community, George Bullard succinctly notes seven major differences between committees, teams, and communities.

Unity Among Leaders

Jesus prayed for unity among the leaders of the church; leaders must practice it so that the church might reflect it. Unity in the church is fragile and must be actively defined and cultivated...

Needs:
1. Theological agreements (define tigers)
2. Friendships
3. Staying on mission (define)

Spiritual Dangers:
1. Pride, bitterness, jealousy
2. Legalism
3. Distrust
4. Failing to correct or remove troublesome leaders

Sociological Dangers:
1. Meeting environment
2. Putting business ahead of relationships
3. Frequent turnover

Protocol:
1. Work to share understanding
2. Bring drafts, not final proposals, to be considered
3. Keep no secrets from the Board
4. Be accountable with the Board
5. Submit to the Board's authority
6. Care for each other's families

Seven Questions for Finding/Cultivating New Leaders

1. Are they known and respected by the church and by outsiders to the church?
2. Are they already looked to for leadership, not by virtue of a position held?
3. Are they a functional/theological/relational fit with the other leaders?
4. Would the other Leaders consider them a "peer"?
5. Are they generous in service and financial giving?
2 Corinthians 9:11-13
Leviticus 27:30
Malachi 3:8-10
6. Are they supported in their ministry by their family?
7. Do they show the marks of a leader?

Marks of Leaders: Right Relationship with Church

1. Pulls the church toward God's mission with strength and love
2. Will live a disciplined life
3. Strong in battling the forces that oppose God

Marks of Leaders: Right Relationship with Others

1. Welcomes strangers, especially non-Christians
Deuteronomy 10:18
1 Timothy 3:2
Titus 1:8
2. Peaceable, not divisive
Romans 16:17-20
3. Cares for the people of the church
Acts 20:28

Marks of Leaders: Right Relationship with Family

1. Faithful in marriage, celibate in singleness
1 Timothy 3:1-2, 12
2. Family well-managed; children well cared for
1 Timothy 3:4-5, 13

Marks of Leaders: Right Relationship with Self

1. Mentally and emotionally even-tempered; self-controlled
1 Timothy 3:2
2. Not given to addictions
1 Timothy 3:2-3
3. Not a lover of money; finances sound
1 Timothy 6:10

Marks of Leaders: Right Relationship with God

1. Not a new Jesus follower; spiritually mature
1 Timothy 3:1,7
Ephesians 4:14-16
2. Knows, employs, builds gifts to serve God's church; serving according to strengths
1 Corinthians 12
2 Timothy 1:6-7
1 Corinthians 14:12
3. Worth imitating and following
Hebrews 13:7
1 Timothy 3:2
Titus 1:6-7