August 2

This past weekend, we had our church-wide Family Camp: time for the church family of Antioch to meet up at Camp Tadmor and spend time with each other. I had the time of my life getting demolished in volleyball by a couple far more intimidating former volleyball players (they had to have played volleyball back in their college days, or something). Anyway, helped with skits and setup with the theme of the weekend: Superheroes.

Saturday night, I headed back home early because for yesterday morning’s service, I played special music – a song I wrote while here in Bend. It went well. As soon as I get the link for the video, I’ll post it for you. Most people weren’t there, as they were at Family Camp still, which should take a bit of the pressure off, but I still managed to forget a word. Oh well.

Matt, my mentor and ministry focus leader this summer, delivered a great message this Sunday about wisdom. Again, I’ll post a link to the message as soon as I get it. He spoke of the secular/sacred divide and how to find wisdom, truth, and discernment. It was delivered in a very different way than I expected, and I enjoyed it.

This Friday, I speak at Paradox again, and then Saturday I lead some interns out on a hike to practice solitude and to pray and to meditate on specific truths and questions about God. I hope that it will be rich with beauty and rest and satisfaction. I’m excited about it.

I’ll be posting a few posts this week. It’s our last week here! It’s gone by so fast already, and I feel there’s so much still to do and to prepare for this fall. Overall, in all areas, I’m excited for what God’s done and what he’s going to do in the future. Stay posted!

Day[1].

(I was going to post this yesterday morning before I left, but my computer wouldn’t let me, then it died.  But we can pretend like it’s still yesterday.)

Good morning!  In just a while, we will be having our first official meeting of the internship to kick off the next ten weeks, get our intern vehicles, and get everything set into motion with our respective leaders.  With Paradox, I’ll be meeting with Matt – I don’t know him very well yet, but I’ve heard such great things about him and the wisdom he has to offer that I’m looking forward to learning from him, growing because of what God is doing in him, and participating with him in what God is doing here in Bend and at Antioch.

Today, kicked off the day at 5:00AM with a 4 mile run in the woods.  Jen and Forrest are running the half marathon coming up here, and they’re training, so I might join them.  They ran the whole 13 (or so) mi course on Sunday.  I’m not in good enough shape to have that endurance, but hopefully by the end of summer I can.  It’s great all the outdoor sports and activities that are available here throughout Bend and out in the woods, caves, mountains, and rivers.  Yesterday the church leaders took the interns that had arrived already out to the lava tubes and we went spelunking.  Which is pretty much cave exploring.  We went as far as we could go, belly-crawling through the dirt and climbing over rocks.  I’d post a video, but apparently it costs money to do that here on WordPress.

Sunday evening Paul and I were given tickets to go see a show at the Les Schwab Amphitheater downtown.  Three bands played: Dawes, She & Him, and Band of Horses.   They were great, especially Band of Horses.  There was even an accidental simultaneous fireworks show just down the river a bit from the amphitheater during the band’s final song.  We had a good time, and got to know Cole, one of our Bend friends, and a few of his friends.  A big thanks to Jen and Forrest for giving those to us.  That was an amazing blessing.

Yesterday was Paul’s birthday, too!  He just turned 25.  The boys made cards for Paul when we got home from spelunking, and we had apple pie and ice cream with them, and played a little “would you rather” game.  That’s always a blast.  He loved it.

So now I’m about to eat breakfast and head out for the church offices with Paul, and we’re going to get this thing started!  Please continue to pray for everyone here.  It means so much, and it is our act of surrendering our lives and the lives of those we know and love in speech before God.  That’s a big deal to me, and I deeply appreciate your prayers and support.  I can’t say it enough: can’t do it without you all.  And I wouldn’t be where I am were each of you not present in my life.  Thank you.

Now let’s get this party started.

Here’s some pictures from the past few days!

Antioch meets in a nearby high school. There were more people there than we expected.

Redux meets after the morning service as a Q&A time where people can text or ask questions.

At the Les Schwab amphitheater, She&Him played. Zoey is "she", but the old guy here isn't "him".

She&Him

Band of Horses.

Band of Horses.

Spelunking in the lava tubes with Jarrell.

Interns riding back from the caves.

Paul, hangin in the caves. Happy Birthday, Paul

This is Angus. He came spelunking with us. It was pretty amazing.

Support Progress & Update.

Thanks to all of you who have been so generous in supporting my ministry as an intern here at Antioch Church all the way out here in Oregon.  It’s been such a blessing so far.  The people here in Bend have already been so good to us and we’re already making great friends.  Please continue to pray for everyone here – for the internships that will be beginning this Tuesday, for the church leaders, for Antioch, and for the people of Bend.  Pray that our eyes would be opened to where God is moving and working and healing and teaching.  Pray that we wouldn’t get in the way and that we would instead join in the work that he is already doing.  He is establishing his kingdom.  And it is glorious.

I want to keep you all posted on how funds are going – you all have been amazing and have helped to support me with a current total of $500 – that’s incredible.  I haven’t heard back from many friends and family yet, and I’m excited to see how God provides through each of you to help continue to support me and my internship here in Bend, OR.  Again, I need to raise a total of $2,000 for this entire summer’s internship in Bend.  I’m so grateful for your participation with me.  And I’m so grateful that you’ve become a part of what God is doing here.  That’s amazing.  Every blessing he pours into me here, he is pouring over you.  I hope that you will continue to support me and be a part of everything going on here.  I will be keeping you posted often, complete with stories, names and pictures!

I love you all.  And I love that God is using each of you here in Bend.  With gratitude,

Tony

HOST FAMILY.

Just got an email from Brandon and Erin at Antioch letting all the interns know that each of us has been paired with a host family that we’ll be staying with throughout the summer.  This is really cool.  I think that this kind hospitality and generosity is so important, and we are all so grateful!  It’s amazing.  So thank you, host family!

I should be receiving a call or email from the family at any time.  I’m looking forward to hearing from them and getting to know them this summer.  I think they’ve got to be some pretty awesome folk to open their home to a college student or two for a whole summer – that’s a big deal!  Throughout my time in Oregon, I want to demonstrate to my host family and other host families, as well as Antioch Church as a whole, that we love them and are more than blessed to serve alongside them.  I’m looking forward to helping out in any way they need: from painting a house to scrubbing dishes.

I am an intern at Antioch to serve – to join with another part of the body of Christ, his glorious bride, and to learn how I can best be poured out on behalf of them.  This is what it means to be part of the church, part of the body.  Service is not a bunch of ceremonies or meaningless movements performed once a week, but an ongoing, sacrificial, love-filled desire to build up the object of God’s love.  God delights in his bride.  How could I not enjoy that which God finds joy in?  And so I will serve in joy.  Antioch has already eagerly served us by planning and providing 24 internships for 24 interns, host families to house us, prayer support and encouragement, and one-on-one mentorships each of us will have throughout the summer.  We will not only be pouring ourselves out; we will be constantly being filled.

Once again, thank you for being a part of serving me and my needs, for allowing God to provide through you and your resources to build up the body of Christ.  Thank you for your prayers; continue to pray!  Pray for my host family, that God would really bless them for their over-the-top hospitality.  Pray for me, that I would be effective and creative in how I can serve them this summer.  Pray that God would continue to provide financial support this summer – I can’t do it without his provision and without people like you supporting me.  Pray that I would be a learner, that I would not think that I have more to offer than I do.  Pray for compassion and humility.    Pray also for Bend, Oregon – that we would collectively, as a church, be ready and willing and able to reach out and meet people where they are, not where we think they should be.  Pray that we would show our love for them completely and fully, that we would be filled and encouraged, and that we would never tire of doing the work of the gospel: it is love and it is hope and it is redemption.  It is Jesus.