Like a mixed metaphor we’re miners squeezing out of a wave’s pipeline before the tube falls over us. Our eyes are still adjusting to the light, but we’re climbing out of boxes into our house and back into life, soaking wet. There’s an end to our move, transition is coming to a close. Though dizzy from the continual change, we’re loving it! God is showing up all over the catachresis of life.

Leaving our basement home was hard. With joy and sadness we pulled away from the great family that had so generously housed us for a month and a half. Thank you Carnocks!!!!! We love you and are so glad for God’s provision and hospitality through you all.

In the midst our transition, a friend and leader extended my mix up even further. “Do what’s counterintuitive,” he said. “Die to your expectations, vision, and plan. Abide in Jesus in prayer and with others, while slowing down to enjoy it all.” He’s been at this a while longer, bearing lots of fruit, the juiciest being an obvious intimacy with Christ, so I’m taking his advice!

I’m dying to my expectations: my timeline, the pace of creation and implementation, numbers, hoards of people coming to Christ, my perceived ability to make things happen. I’m abiding in Jesus: ordering my day around space for silence and prayer, inviting others into the communion, and slowing down to look for, list, and celebrate God’s movement.

What’s it all look like? We are pushing back the start date to gathering people in our basement until the last weekend of September or the first weekend in October. We know God will provide the right core team as He desires. There’s no need to rush His movement (even as I say this, there’s tension in my impatient heart!). Our initial gatherings will not be vision oriented “work” meetings, but will focus on prayer, enjoyment of community, communion, and worship around His word. I’m letting prayer shape my priorities. Most mornings I’ll run the neighborhood, praying for the 900ish homes, and for Silver Spring as a whole. In these times He is burdening my heart to love the people here, and shaping the direction of this new community to share the gospel with Silver Spring. I’m allowing the Spirit to interrupt my planned schedule, leading to some awesome conversations with non-believers. I’m opening my life to relationships with a coach bi-weekly, a trusted friend weekly over coffee, and Courtney nightly over a glass of wine.The counterintuitive helps me take myself less seriously, and Him more-so.

It’s so funny, that as you and I head to the right, He might want us walking left. Let’s reorganize ourselves around the counterintuitive: “Be still and know that He is Lord.” As we die to our expectations, abide together in Christ, and let prayer shape our priorities, He will exalt Himself in our lives, neighborhoods, and all over the world (Psalm 46.10).

Please Pray for: 1.A pattern of leadership which abides in Christ and lets prayer shape our priorities. That those who will lead with us would also follow this pattern. 2.Our basement. That, it would be a space for life change, both in shaping the leadership core team, and as a place where those who don’t know Jesus would significantly interact with Him. 3. Our family to fall in love with the people and place of Silver Spring, that we would gladly expend ourselves for the good of them both. 4. The right job to open up for a family looking to move here from Dallas to partner with us in the church plant.

Updates. –You can now expect shorter and weeklyish updates from here on out. –On Saturday, 20 people helped us move into our new home (map)! It was a great time to celebrate God’s provision for helping hands, relationships surrounding the church plant, and a place to live in the heart of Silver Spring. –A Dallas family came to visit from Friday to this past Wednesday to receive vision/direction from God in their plan to move to Silver Spring. They currently wait on God’s provision for a job, the sale of their Dallas home, and parent’s blessing. It was more than encouraging having them here with us in the chaos. –We have met 7 neighbors, including running companions for Courtney, a guy who helped all Saturday move us in, and lots of families with kids on every street. We are super encouraged! –We continue to meet one on one with those interested in the plant, local pastors, and our church planting network leaders. These meetings have been very insightful, encouraging, and are knitting us into the community here. –Courtney is beginning home school for Jake and has found a group of homeschool moms in the SS area. They assured her that this is not a religious group, and if she was looking for something religious this would not be it. We are psyched about this and the other communities we are stepping into which are adverse to Jesus! Most people we meet here have no idea what a “community/bible church” is. It’s refreshing and exciting to know these relationships will make up some of our closest friends. –I’ve gotten to share the gospel with a few people who are interested in investigating the community when we start things up. –Three families have committed to being a part of the plant, and many others are considering it. Two of the couples are looking to relocate to the apartments in Downtown Silver Spring, seeking God’s provision for a place to live among the young professionals there. –A friendly neighbor helped us find the local Giant, now we can buy groceries.