DWELL Missional Church of Burlington, Vermont - A Vermont Church Seeking to be missional in all areas of life.

Posted by: Nick Hoag | February 3, 2010 | Leave a Comment(2)

We are not meant to be self-sufficient - life in community is a better life than one of isolation. - @PastorChrisSeay

As Zach has said in the past, Dwell's origins were found in homes - homes filled with people who genuinely loved Jesus and loved each other. We have continually seen that God does not want us to "go it alone"; just as He is a community (the 3-in-1), so are we to simply 'be' community - engaging each other relationally, preferring each other over ourselves and our own needs, carrying each other's burdens, and simply doing life together as He directs our steps.

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. - Acts 2:42-47

As the Dwell community has grown, our desire for this close-knit feeling of community has only intensified. We currently have 3 intentional hangouts each week called Dwell/ings; this particular Dwelling happens every Tuesday night at 7:30pm in Burlington. We talk together, eat together, laugh together, encourage each other, pray with and for each other, and open up our Bible's together in hopes that God will meet us where we are and lead us forward as one, unified community - and that is exactly what He does.

I no longer want to see people choosing to go it alone, choosing a worldly, cavalier “freedom” that masquerades as liberty but actually isolates them from the full provision of God’s grace. - @jimhoagvt

I feel so blessed to have been 'grafted in' to this amazing gospel community and cannot wait to see how God shapes us and uses us for His Kingdom in the future. If you ever want to become a part of what God is doing at Dwell here in Burlington please contact us and we will make sure it happens.

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Posted by: Zach Hoag | February 4, 2010 | Leave a Comment(0)

I had an excellent conversation with friends this morning over bacon.

I mean, the conversation wasn't about bacon, it was over bacon, like a conversation over coffee.

It was about justification.

Anyway.

We read Romans 3, talked, and then flipped over to Romans 4. And this was striking:

But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.

The striking thing was that while Romans 3 - along with the vast majority of evangelical thought - associated justification with the cross, here Paul connects it directly to the resurrection.

Which is mysterious.

Of course, it's really only mysterious if you have a limiting view of justification. You may have heard, but in recent years there has been quite a hubub in evangelical theology regarding the nature and scope of justification. Just what is it, and to what does it pertain?

Better, how far does it go?

I am no pro, but it strikes me as odd that this is such a problem. Now, I know that there are issues regarding the way that some of the newer theology treats the doctrine of imputation - whether the righteousness of Christ, that is, his obedience in life to the law of God, his moral perfection, is credited to our account at the moment of faith, rendering us righteous before the Judge's bench. NT Wright, for one, has presented a different view on this finer point (with which I don't entirely agree).

But if we take a traditional view of imputation (and I think we have to, in light of 1 Corinthians 5:21) and also try to apply the discoveries coming at us in the newer scholarship, what do we get?

I think we get a more-than justification.

It's not that it's more than justification, ya know, as if justification is not enough. It's that justification is more than we thought it was, and not less. That's the kind of justification that this justification is - the more-than kind.

Let's be honest. More often than not, when Paul talks theology in Romans, he also talks about the relationship between Jewish folks, Gentile folks, and the new folks called the church. If we talk justification and don't talk about that, we are not talking about justification the way Paul did.

Why are justification and the bringing together of Jewish community and Gentile community into a new community so directly connected? It's because justification is as relational as it is judicial.

Which brings us back to the mystery.

When Paul adds, with brilliant nonchalance, that Jesus was "raised for our justification," he means that justification would not be effective without the resurrection. He means that justification is not merely about the vicarious satisfaction of judgment through the blood of atonement; it is about the vindication of the Son.

Because in the resurrection, the Son is vindicated as the Son, and raised to his proper relational position before the Father.

(See, God's a Father, not just a Judge.)

At Dwell, we've been studying the Story of the Lost Son. After spending his trust fund on the equivalent of a Vegas binge, the son realizes that he is no longer good enough to be called the father's son. Yet upon his return, something amazing happens:

But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.

I think this is the more-than picture we need to really get the doctrine of justification by faith. Justification is not merely right-standing before the Judge and a pardon from punishment; it is rather a resurrection and reinstatement unto full sonship in the family of God. This is what happened to Jesus, the firstfruits, when he was raised from the dead - sin could not separate him from the Father, the relationship had to be restored. His righteousness cleared him, and the Father vindicated him by raising him up to his right hand.

Likewise, by faith in Jesus and not by works, we are raised to full sonship in the Father's house, even though we don't deserve it - we are never good enough, but Jesus was, and we are in him.

Incredible!

And the more amazing thing is this: Justification means right relationship with the Father as sons and a restored place at the family table - that is, in the new community, the church. Justification means that through Jesus we are all raised to life in the kingdom of God, Jewish folks and Gentile folks alike, male and female, slave and free, because there is no distinction.

Justification means that the walls of religion, gender, ethnicity, and social status have been destroyed! All can be brought back to perfect relationship with the Father and unmatched community with one another!

And as we are reconciled to the Father and into his community, we are also sent to be about the business of reconciling others...and the world. Justification is the fact that we have been made right through Jesus, in a community of those who have been made right through Jesus, who are about the Father's work of right-making in the world through Jesus.

And that's more-than.

[Zach is the Leader for Teaching at Dwell. You can check out Zach's personal blogging at http://thenuance.tumblr.com.]

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Posted by: Nick Hoag | January 17, 2010 | Leave a Comment(0)

As many of you know, our friends at Divine Ministries Orphanage in Haiti are located in the city of Port Au Prince. We knew they were effected by the earthquake but we did not know to what extent. Today, God has answered our prayers. We received notice that not one of the family, staff, or children in Daniel Jean's care was killed or injured. Here was Zach's response:

I am weeping as I write this, and I must give thanks. God, you are astounding in your redemptive grace - light in darkness, light in darkness, light in darkness. We believe you will preserve this family - Lord help our unbelief. "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever." Amen.

God's goodness to Daniel and his children in the midst of this horrific tragedy gives us hope that He is still working and moving and faithful even though the situation seems so bleak. Seemingly negative things that have been happening at the orphange recently (such as not being able to acquire a house adjacent to their home) now can be seen as the gracious hand of God as that house was flattened. We are taking a special offering at Dwell tomorrow night so please be praying about how you can help.

Here are some additional on the ground prayer requests from Daniel:

1) Daniel says to just stay in prayer.  EVERYONE he meets is on their knees, confessing Christ Jesus as Lord, repenting, and coming to know Jesus as their Savior.  This is a Revival that is unimaginable, happening in the most unexpected and undesired circumstances.  When humbled and "ruined" to this level, it seems that no one is left unwilling to recognize their own need for someone to rescue them!

2) Pray for basic necessities: There is no food and water.  Everyone is desperate... but as Daniel's Faith of Christ has taught us over and over, he simply said over the phone "I am believing God for everything we need, and I am already thanking Him for providing it."  He adds to that "I believe God to keep us safe, and Jesus saves us.  Not one of my kids is lost!"

3) Shelter and Safety: they are living out on the street unprotected against the desperate and despairing all around, have no home, no possessions, and are in a situation worse than a war zone.

4) The injured: perhaps more pressing than the dead in the streets are the injured.  He mentioned some with ghastly injuries that are in torment now, with no one to re-set bones, bandage open wounds, even apply an antibacterial ointment let alone pain killers for severe injures (many crushed arms and legs- or even lost).  They have NOTHING.  We prophesied an outbreak of the Spirit's gift of healing, that miracles would abound as human capacity dwindles to zero.

5) The dead: they are everywhere.  There is immediate grief all around them, shock, horror, and stench.  Their is no capacity now to bury the dead.  Daniel said "I never even imagined I would see this with my eyes.  So many people cry out... they have lost their wife or kids."  It is beyond description.

6) Sickness: Pray against the outbreak of sickness from these bodies, injuries, lack of nutrition, and most of all the lack of water.  This has the potential to claim more lives than the earthquake.  Lord, send intervention before more are lost!

Let us join hands in prayer for this situation and believe that God is at work as He has already proven He is. Thank-you Jesus.

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Posted by: Nick Hoag | January 12, 2010 | Leave a Comment(0)

When I woke up this morning I had a feeling of dis-belief. I kept thinking about how amazing our community is and how awe-struck I am at the goodness of God. I love you all and hope these pictures from our recent gathering on 01/10/10 (taken by Dweller Redmond Deck) will encourage you to think on the unique and important part that you play in this amazing community called Dwell.

"..from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love." Ephesians 4:16

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