Declaration of a Marketplace Christian (Part 1)

Posted on April 14, 2021 by jwfisch

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This declaration is so central to all that we believe and represent here at the Catch that it is a permanent document always accessible here at our website. However, I have found it necessary to review it often as it is prophetic and remains true to how we interact with the culture around us. Therefore I bring it up today as a Catch so that you, as fellow disciples of Christ, will review it, too, and see how you are doing. I also look forward to your comments as to how these declarations relate, or don’t relate, to your experience in the world today. 

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Posted in discipleship, grace turned outward, Marketplace Christian, Worldview | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Courageous Heart

Posted on April 13, 2021 by jwfisch

One light fixed in the darkness

One heart calling me to give mine

                 – from the song, “Courageous Heart” by Dan Cunningham

Susan Burton’s whole life is an illustration of Grace Turned Outward, but on a big scale. After circling back into prison six times because she had no idea or opportunity for any other life, by grace alone, God brought her out of that toxic environment to where resources were available for her to change. She not only received those opportunities and acted on them, she turned around and immediately set upon a course to make those same resources available to other women coming out of prison like her with nowhere to go. In fact most of her first guests were her friends from prison. Now her organization, A New Way of Life (ANWOL), has transitioned over 1,200 women out of the prison system through 10 homes in the Los Angeles area, and into jobs and contributing roles in society. These are surely not criminals; they are simply women who never had a chance. Give them a chance, and look out!

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The Advocate

Posted on April 12, 2021 by jwfisch

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Angela walked off the Greyhound bus in downtown Los Angeles near skid row with a paper sack of belongings and $200 minus her bus fare that got her there from prison. She was dusty and scared, with nowhere to go and no hope of changing the circumstances that put her in prison in the first place. Everyone she passed on the street knew she had just gotten out of prison, and she tried to avoid their eyes because she knew there were any number of drug dealers and sex traffickers among them ready to relieve her of her $200 in exchange for some kind of coping mechanism or security. Angela was about to become another statistic — another of the majority who come out of the criminal system only to be ushered back in in less than a year.

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Posted in community, grace turned outward, leadership, Marketplace Christian, racism | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Come together

Posted on April 9, 2021 by jwfisch

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It’s a silly, nonsensical Beatles song (even George Harrison admitted that), but its most memorable line is the word for the church in 2021: “Come together, right now, over me,” if by that we mean: Come together over Jesus.

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Fearless Faith

Posted on April 8, 2021 by jwfisch

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In this season it is good to keep a close eye on our emotions.

There are two that are especially prevalent, and seem to grow as political activity increases, and signs of the times seem to indicate, more than ever before, that we could be in the last days. Neither of these emotions should be found as a motivator for a follower of Jesus Christ and yet they are everywhere. I am speaking of the emotions of fear and anger.

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Posted in end times, grace turned outward | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Coloring eggs

Posted on April 7, 2021 by jwfisch

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My wife got upset with me yesterday because, in my eagerness to keep Easter going, I came home from the grocery store with a dozen hard-boiled, colored eggs. Now admittedly, eggs and bunnies and little chicken peeps are not what I’m talking about when I’m talking about keeping Easter going, but they are a part of the secular side of this holiday, and I thought perhaps having some of that stuff around might remind us of the spiritual significance of Easter week that we want to remember at all times (see yesterday’s Catch).

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The conspiracy of the cross

Posted on April 6, 2021 by jwfisch

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I want to keep Easter going. I want to stay focused on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I want to keep having the Lord’s Supper every night so we can remember Christ’s death until He comes back. I want to hang around the empty tomb for as long as possible, and remember the new covenant in His blood that has not only forgiven us, but empowers us daily with His Holy Spirit.

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Posted in Easter week, gospel of welcome, grace turned outward | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Rent-a-tomb

Posted on April 5, 2021 by jwfisch

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There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. (Matthew 28:2)

I’m unwilling to leave the Easter theme just yet. Think about that stone. The authorities were worried about the disciples stealing the body of Jesus and spreading rumors about His resurrection, so they had the stone over the mouth of the tomb sealed to make it even harder — virtually impossible — to move, and gave a couple of soldiers weekend duty to stand guard. It already was way too heavy for one person or even the group of women who made their way to the tomb Sunday morning to move; but once it was sealed … forget it.

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View from the cross

Posted on April 2, 2021 by jwfisch

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We dare not judge anyone that Jesus gave His life to forgive. And today is the day Jesus gave His life to forgive us all. Today is Friday. Good Friday.

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

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Posted in Easter week | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

The worst exchange

Posted on April 1, 2021 by jwfisch

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The worst exchange of all was thirty pieces of silver for the life of Christ.

Thirty pieces of silver for the creator of the universe. Thirty pieces of silver for the savior of the world. Thirty pieces of silver for the only begotten Son of God. It was a bargain to say the least. Thirty pieces of silver bought freedom for us, but total devastation for the man who did the deal.

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Posted in Dealing with sin, Easter week | Tagged | 8 Comments