thequest: keeping our eyes on Jesus

"We have all seen the simplest of weeds, the venerable dandelion, masquerading as a flower in the fullness of its yellow bloom, and then quickly fading to gray... Who knows how it came to this little garden, drifting in on the wind, no doubt, and settling unseen into the fertile soil to germinate. Soon it sprouts tiny green leaflets that grow and extend themselves upward... Who would want to pluck such a brightly colored thing from the ground? In its full flush it seems to exude the energy of spring and summer, tempting the pollinating bees as ably as any rose I have ever seen. Its slender stalks, so frail and milky when snapped away by the casual gardener, are in fact designed to give way easily, so as to leave the vital root of the plant intact. And its hour and day in the sun is fleeting and brief, a mere wink and a nod before the plant gets about its real business—the making of more dandelions.

In a matter of days the golden crown can wither and whiten to an afro of puffy white and gray seedlings. If your hand was in the slightest stayed, and you have not troweled up the deepest tendrils of its roots by then, you have lost your battle with this hardy weed. Try to pluck it away when it has gone to gray, and you ensure the next generation will colonize your world. The slightest touch sets the feather light seedlings to flight, and they drift and scatter on the barest whisper of a breeze. One dandelion can become a hundred in the space of a few short weeks, and any gardener arriving too late on the scene will have a great challenge before him. Just when you think you have plucked out the last of the feisty little demons, you find ten more have rooted somewhere else." *

This week during the INSTITUTE we were spending the hour in Solitude, during that time I started thinking about the seed metaphors that Jesus talked about. My mind ran onto dandelions. In the middle of my musing...one of those delicate dandelion seeds came floating right at me. It missed me yet landed right on the picnic table in front of me. (That cinched that I would be writing about it here in this email! )

The seed didn't find suitable soil there on the picnic table, but a gentle breeze whisked it away more than 20 yards in the air before I couldn't track it. In that little seed lies resident the whole potential to germinate, to grow, to produce a flower, then to produce seeds that starts the cycle all over again. Amazing.

It's amazing that the Good News Seed has resident in it the potential to germinate people into followers of Jesus, to grow, to produce fruit and seeds to start the cycle all over again. It's simple, light, and UNSTOPPABLE! Just like dandelions in the Midwest in springtime...

Press On,

Mike

*the dandelion article above was excerpted from an online article by John Schettler in his article found here

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Sundays at 10:30am @ the Library in 2nd Ave School, 68 E. Second Ave.

May 29 Memorial Day--cancelled

Want the notes from the last few weeks? Click on the title for a copy of the notes as a PDF (Acrobat Reader)

May 1 What is Jesus doing Now? Part 1 // Mike Jentes

May 9 What is Jesus doing Now? Part 2 // Mike Jentes

May 15 Jesus with Skin--a practical look at the Incarnation

May 22 Solitude Sunday // Mike Jentes

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Assembly

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Celebration of thequest and Commissioning of John and Kate Ward

Sunday, June 26th @ 9:30 & 11am

East Side Grace Brethren Church www.esgbc.org

We'll join our mother church for Sunday service...and then go out to lunch afterwards!!

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News Stuff

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Parisian CAFÉ

This week our missionary friends to Paris, Rob & Nichole Plaster, will be joining us and presenting a “PARISIAN CAFE” for your dining pleasure.

Thursday, May 26th at 6:30pm

Hosted at the Jentes Residence

Everyone is to bring a dessert. Rob & Nichole will bring the coffee. (hot tea and water for those who don’t drink coffee.)

Come ready to learn about what God is doing through Rob & Nichole to bring souls to Christ in the “uttermost parts of the earth”, to pray for Parisian individuals by name, and to dialogue with & pray for “The Plasters of Paris.”

Genesis to Jesus

Discovering the story of Jesus from the Beginning

Sundays @ 6pm

Seven Sessions

Meeting on Third Avenue

It's not too late to join this study

Baptism

We are looking to have a baptism on Sunday afternoon June 5th at the River. Details will be forthcoming. If you are interested in being baptized, please contact Mike mike@thequestcolumbus.com

June 15-18, 2005

@ Kenyon College

gathering a generation to become

catalysts for Christ within church and culture

DRIVEN is a conference for young adults designed to call and equip a generation to grab onto their God-given purpose and mission. The 19-29 years have been branded the "Lost Decade" time and time again. We know they are not spiritually disengaged, but maybe just disillusioned. DRIVEN is gathering a generation to become catalysts for Christ within church and culture.

Check out the website and register >> www.driven05.org

See the promo mailer by clicking here

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Do you need rooms painted in your home? We do that.

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Articles

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New Article

Radiant Singleness--Leslie Ludy

"Krissy is not just content in her singleness...she is radiant in her singleness. Not that she is just tickled pink about being single. But she sees this season of her life as nothing less than a precious gift from God...."

http://www.crosswalk.com/community/singles/1243633.html

Recent Articles

How's Your Swing? --by Leonard Sweet

http://www.leonardsweet.com/imgstatement.asp

More on Ten2b>> Have you caught it? an article from John White in House2House Magazine

Also check a past email for more: 04.20.2005 email

Leadership in Organic Church Planting Movements- sponsored by CMA Resources

Mike Jentes took some notes and posted them here (PDF)

DNA is necessary for every living organism to reproduce. The body of Christ, the church, is a living organism. As a living organism it also has a form of DNA that must be intact at every level

http://67.9.62.226:8080/valleylife/dna.html

thequest Resources Online