watch me reOrient

All good things...

2008-03-04T08:07:00.000-08:00

I apologize right off for the cheesy Star Trek reference.

I'm not going to stick with blogger any more and I am moving to the simpler and cleaner Wordpress. It's all the same content, but in a different place.

So, change your links and now go to the new Re0rienting

Thanks -
J<><

Loose Change

2008-02-29T17:15:00.000-08:00

tonight we are going to have an ending party to the youth ministry's Loose change to Loosen Change campaign.

We're trying to raise 200 pounds of change to be able to send to International Justice Mission so they can use it to free more and more people from the bonds of slavery.

Should be a great night.

UPDATE: the kids brought in 136 pounds of change!! We haven't counted it yet, but it's a lot of money!

Hiatus

2008-02-25T09:10:00.000-08:00

Since a lot of my master's program is next week and my weekend sickness has put me behind again I am going to extend grace to myself and take a break from some of the regular posting that I do here. I've finished Tony Jones' new book, The new Christians, also, and will talk about it here too.

Yeah.

Go do some homework, that's what I'm doing.

Simply Bizarre

2008-02-23T22:48:00.000-08:00

This is simply bizarre. A church in Tampa, which calls itself Relevant Church (what, was Cool Church already taken?) has decided to put this challenge out to its members!

Here's my questions:
>> What about people who have past trauma involving sex, like rape or abuse? Is this going to minister to them?
>> What does this look like for the senior's ministry? Or the youth ministry?
>> Would you actually go to this church? How awkward would that be!

To me, this is clearly an attempt to spike web traffic. It's the same tricks youth ministry used 15 years ago, and now those youth ministers are "senior" pastors. It's classic bait and switch.

Dang...

To quote Brent (Corner Gas): "There's a new low."

just when you thought

2008-02-23T10:56:00.001-08:00

you were going to be able to catch up - the flu catches you.

This weekend I am praising God for the advent of modern plumbing technology.

Searches that land here

2008-02-20T12:11:00.001-08:00

Words that people end up here from, with frequency.

1. watch 9
2. me 9
3. reorient 9
4. tim 4
5. albany 4
6. j. 4
7. pope 4
8. oregon 4
9. focus 3
10. fallen 3
11. keel 3
12. condition 3
13. blog 2
14. Carmichael 1
15. Keel 1
16. James 1
17. re-orient

Reality

2008-02-20T11:45:00.001-08:00

I always try to keep this blog from becoming more important than living real life. so, that's why I got away from daily posts. If I were to pay and get typepad I could set it up to post when I am away, but that's a cost and I'm not gonna do that until this blog makes me enough money to do that.

So, I'm gonna try to catch up today.

Also - much props to commenters Darrell and Andrew. I love to make this more of a discussion, so always feel free to comment!

Lent 10

2008-02-17T00:49:00.000-08:00

Saturday's lent reading gives this quote, the author's prayer during a crises in vocation, education and calling,

"I cannot believe that you intend the best years of my life as a disciple of jesus Christ to be experienced between the ages of nineteen and twenty-one. I cannot accept that I have peaked in my experience of you and the church and that I am to spend the rest of my life going through the motions. I cannot accept this."

I really hate the way the worldly trait of youth worship has seeped into the church. High school is should only be the best years of your life if you are in high school. In the world, youth is worshipped as the thing we wish we all were. There are very few television shows with old heroes. I have heard people brag about high school sports endeavors ten years removed from high school - like they have been living memories for a decade. When does it stop?

In the church, we have also succumbed to this "memory living" as student ministries are living front edge of the gospel and many, many adults are content to ride their pew into eternity. As a leader, I really hope that we can figure out how to break through the numbness that so many churched adults live in and bring people back to that first love for Christ - that which they (at least 85% of them) first experienced as a teenager.

May we live more fully everyday.

Lent 9

2008-02-16T11:00:00.000-08:00

Today Tim Keel talks about his expereinces in growing frustrated with being in youth ministry in a time when games where the most important part of the agenda and churched kids were entertained as much as possible in order to distract them from the evil (and fun) ways of the world.

Tim does what most young frustrated leaders do - seminary. Yet at seminary he experiences much of the same frustrations, as the institutions are forced to demand requirments that support the institution or else we'll dive into a version of Christianity that has deregulated leadership (and we all know what happens when we don't standardize...taking tongue out of check...).

Anyways - seminary is frustrating for most young leaders as their living in a holding pattern that seems to never end. I understand that and I think today's application would have to be to encourage some young leaders to act on their frustrations and put their energy to work in the kingdom of God - rather than just staying up late and complaining.

BE THE CHURCH!

Foo Fighters

2008-02-14T15:18:00.000-08:00

I am listening to the Foo Fighters here on my office couch right now as I do some studying. They are just one of those bands who just sound so much better when their music is loud enough to fill the room.

I wonder how they do that? How do you make a record where the awesomeness is directly related to the volume? In order to find out, let's make a list of other records that hold to the same axiom. Then we can find some commonalities and postulate a thesis.

Also, let's call the axiom: Grohl's First Axiom. Of course, if we logically deduce further applications we will change this to Grohl's First Theorem.

Lent 8

2008-02-14T15:08:00.000-08:00

Perhaps the hardest discipline in reading through Intuitive Leadership by Tim Keel is not taking off with it and reading ahead. I have set small chunks for me to read each day. This is hard, because his dominant theme is to embrace narrative, metaphor and chaos. In this, he determines that the medium will be the message. His message is found in story form and he is just getting into the parts that are attractive. At the same time, Lent is a time of discipline, which is something I love to be able to have the Lord develop in me.

I am having conversations with high school students as they go through lent right now and it is so awesome to see them struggle through and be dedicated to letting God develop discipline in them. Just last night they even had a whole (loud) discussion on what fits the category of fast food. What they don't realize is that they are really trying to figure out how to deal with the temptaion of legalism that invades people who are seeking discipline.

Anyways...what I really want to remark from my lent reading today is that I love watching college students who are really living life for Jesus. Not in a cultish kind of way, but in a way that gives life and shows how desperate they are to follow Jesus and live the gospel all around them.

If I could only hang out with three kinds of people for the rest of my life it would be:
1. New converts who are amazed at the love of Jesus
2. College students who don't even realize what they are doing as they live out the gospel so fully.
3. People who sleep at my house. That means my family. They are easily awesome.

Lent 7

2008-02-13T12:09:00.000-08:00

In today's section of Keel, he writes of the difficulties of growth. Specifically he talks about the difficulty of growing something else.

Not much said in these 5 pages. Maybe I should take bigger chunks each day.

Lent 6

2008-02-12T17:19:00.000-08:00

On page 43 Keel writes, "We no longer live in the world of modernity...We are indebted to it and wary of it, and well we should be."

I love this quote because I find a lot of postmodern-loving people who are really just modernism haters. When, in reality, modernity haas given us so much. Through categorization we have been able to find and learn and discover all sorts of exciting things about ourselves and our world. The problem occurs when we substitute the worship of God with the worship of the modern understanding of God. Keel deals with this very well. It seems that, over time, modernity no longer worshipped God but worshippped their understanding of God.

It's a tricky little nuance, which makes it hard to detect. So you don't even know you've got a problem until its too late.

Lent 5

2008-02-11T23:41:00.000-08:00

On page 36 Tim Keel writes about the ways that we try to hide our stories by aplogizing, domesticating and neutering them. By 'our stories' I mean the stories found in the Bible. This is something that frustrates me to no end. I wonder how we can do this better. The problem seems to be that we tell children the stories of the bible, but not adults (which Keel agrees with). When children are young, we cannot tell them about David's adultery, Noah's drunkenness or Judas' messy suicide without getting interesting questions (at best) or giving them scary dreams (at worst). For this reason, we must revisit stories when people are teens, young adults and fully into adulthood so that the stories can be better understood. Consider the story of Abraham and Isaac, specifically, when God tests Abraham by asking him to sacrifice Isaac. For a child, the story makes sense from Isaac's perspective. However, when a father hears this story, the empathy for Abraham's pain is clearly seen. I would even say that godly parenthood exposes God's love for us in the love found for one's children.

So here's a prayer for those who try to expose the truth of God at it's rawest and those who refuse to let God's story be apologized, domesticated and neutered.

Lent 4

2008-02-11T00:09:00.000-08:00

When I was in high school my family was involved in starting a Saturday night service at our church. We were not following any models or had any idea what was going on other than we were full on Sunday mornings and Saturday night services were culturally acceptable because of the dominant Catholic influence in northern Ontario. My dad told stories. To the children officially, but anyone who has been in church with a decent story teller knows that the adults are all listening in, very interested.

Then our church spilt. It was so ugly it was funny. One of those 'God told us so you can't argue' deals.

In less than a year my dad went from storyteller to chair of the elder board. It was so beautiful it was funny. One of those 'what just happened?' deals.

After reading Intuitive Leadership tonight I thought of that history of mine and remarked to my invisible sidekick (a la Craig Ferguson) that, perhaps, it is genius to have great storytellers in leadership positions in a church. Mysteriously, storytellers have this quality of Jesus that many regular people do not have. The ability to transform communities through the telling of stories.

I wonder what would happen if, when considering people for leadership positions in the church, we considered their storytelling skills. What would happen if the key leaders were all storytellers?

To bring life with words.

Just like God.

Thank God for storytelling leaders.

Free Time

2008-02-10T19:47:00.000-08:00

Doodle by Lee. The code for this doodle and other doodles you can use on your blog can be found at Doodles.

Lent 3

2008-02-09T15:15:00.000-08:00

Today I read the introduction of Tim Keel's Intuitive Leadership. I think one of the hardest part of this lent journal will be not reading ahead. It's a real discipline to refrain from reading books that I am interested in. Instead I need to spen my time reading my books for PESM, which I will be posting a bunch of my reading on here someday.

In teh introduction fo Keel's book he expressed the need in the postmodern world to go "beyond pragmatism." I think this is such a wonderful little package to express the massive shift happening in many churches. At Toccoa Falls, Doug White used to teach us that 'pragmatism is not the panacea.' This means that just becuase something works, does not mean it should be done. For a long time churches, especially evangelical churches have used pragmatism to justify practices that are harmful to the gospel. This is recognizable when people say, "Whatever it takes to get them in the door, right?" My answer is no. It's not alright to do whatever it takes to get them in the door. It's not.

That, I believe it one of the fundamental struggles for people engaging in ministry in a postmodern world. It's not about models and programs that work for me. Instead I would like to see what the real live gospel looks like lived in the context that I find myself in.

RCA Church Conference

2008-02-09T14:43:00.001-08:00

Lent 2

2008-02-08T09:44:00.000-08:00

Today I will post on the acknowledgements. Like I said, these are small bites. The thing that I noticed right away in the introduction is that the leadership of the church is comprised of men and women, including husband and wife sets. There seems to be an influx of emerging church wives who possess the spiritual gift of leadership and want to exercise it. In the past it has been assumed, by and large, that the pastor's wife would take a supportive role, like playing in the band or leading the hcildren's ministry - and these have been productive models of church leadership. It is at least interesting to note that many young men who are becoming pastors are attracted to women who possess leadership gifts and want to partner with them in overall leadership of ministry.

I know that's true for me :)

Lent 1

2008-02-08T09:33:00.000-08:00

Tim Keel's book, Intuitive Leaderhip is subtitled, Embracing a paradigm of narrative, metaphor and chaos. This subtitle is why I picked up the book. One of the things my Strentgh Finder test (which our staff did) talked about was my intuitive skill at knowing what the right things to do are. For some reason I am often able to discern what the right actions are, but I struggle at explaining my reasoning to others because it is almost an intuitive knowledge to me. It's like trying to explain to someone why they should jump when there is a loud noise. there's no reason, it's just the right thing to do!

To that end, today I will simply provide some quotes that resonate with the past journey I have been on. I figure I am a couple years into this thing and don't share some of the same frustrations as very young leaders, but I recognize it from my own journey. Also, Alan Roxburgh wrote the introduction, so it's quite inspirational for people who love Jesus' girlfriend the way I do (Jesus marries the church at the end of everything...that means we are his girlfriend right now...wrap your head around that...)

>p.10 "He has a strong sense of vocation...called into leadership...but feels stuck and frustrated. His sense is that something is not right...but he doesn't have the language to give words to his experience...He wants to discover friends and mentors with whom he can partner in this confusing time of transition."

>p.11 "There is little permission given to leaders to attend to the narratives going on inside themselves."

p.14 "Let's see how these narratives and metaphors shaping your life might provide all kinds of clues for the risky ways in which God is calling you to embrace the chaos of our time with hope and expectation."

Lent Blog

2008-02-08T09:20:00.000-08:00

This year I am going to blog through my growth of lent. In our high school community called Driven (even though Marko says don't be Driven anymore...lol) we begin lent every year with an observation of Ash Wednesday. The students remark to me that they really like doing things that are tactile (not in those words) because it really helps them understand and experience truth, instead of just being taught about it. Each year on Ash Wednesday the seniors apply the ashes to all the other students and leaders while saying a blessing over them. It is such a powerful thing to see ninth grade students kneeling before a senior while they are receive the ashes. Perhaps even moreso when watching the adult leaders submit themselves to the seniors. For me, it's a beautiful picture of the kingdom of God, where no one is better than anyone else, we simply play the parts of God's story that he lets us.

So this year for lent I am going to be reading through a new book I bought with a Christmas gift card, Intuitive Leadership by Tim Keel. Tim is the founding pastor of Jacob's Well, an emerging church in Kansas City. Each day I am going to blog an interaction with what I read, or some other thoughts that are inspired by the little pieces (5-6) pages that I read.

Happy Lenting.

Leadership Tip

2008-02-07T11:57:00.001-08:00

From Sam Chand on a Leadership Network podcast.

Your vision statement should be able to fit on a tee shirt. It should also be designed so that others can understand it.

And - about 10% of the church is there to bring you grief, pain and increase your prayer life. They are joy suckers. A key leadersh ip question is 'how many of these people can you handle?' (If you can handle 2,000 of them, then you can lead a 20,000 person church.)

Pastors are in constant pain. We play with pain, like a football player. There is a high cost to be where we are at and to do what we do. This is often overlooked for people looking from the outside. This is why healthy pastoring is so important.

Also - these are really important questions, but it doesn't matter to joe visitor to your church on a Sunday. Which makes them hard to spend time on.

Angry Politics

2008-02-07T10:31:00.000-08:00

Perhaps the most dangerous thing about this election season is anger. People do nutty things when they are angry. I would like CNN to keep track of Americans' anger and see how it relates to their support of different candidates.

Also, does the anger come from hope, love or fear?

These are the questions that matter, much more than who wins or loses.

Tasty...

2008-02-06T10:44:00.000-08:00

52%

Sorry friends...

Giants Win

2008-02-03T22:44:00.000-08:00

What a great day - good Sunday School, good church (great volunteers), really awesome party. And the super bowl was super entertaining - the half time show even didn't suck as much as i thought it would.

We had about 10 high schoolers over to watch the game. Coolest thing - absolutely no clicks - second coolest thing - no programs, no agenda - just a bunch of kids who wouldn't normally be able to hang out together chillin - enjoying pretty much everything (only 2 of us actually watched the whole game - lol) and having a great time.

Church Architecture

2008-02-03T08:15:00.000-08:00

Since I can't spell the title word I know I'm going to get a bunch of hits from people who can't spell either. So, welcome. I just thought I'd post this picture.

You can see more at Cool Hunter.

Chickified Church Dudes

2008-02-01T13:23:00.001-08:00

wiggles?

2008-02-01T01:12:00.000-08:00

it's quarter after one in the morning and khobi and i are up. She's mad cuz i won't play wiggles from youtube on the computer and i'm mad because she isn't asleep.

so, this one's for khobi....

Holy Rule 9 - How Many Psalms are to be said at the Night Office

2008-01-31T12:03:00.000-08:00

This rule is a detailed list of how the night office is to happen. It is wildly detailed and gives a structured routine to the monks' lives before they go to sleep. It's kind of like how we give our kids a routine before bed. Except for our kids it's a lot of cuddling, for monks it's psalms, hymns and lessons.

And in case your wondering...the answer is 14.

jonny depp

2008-01-27T16:26:00.001-08:00

LJ saw the commercial for the Pirates of the Caribean online game and so we downloaded it, created our own pirate and played it.

IT IS THE WORST GAME EVER. totally stupid.

This confirms my previous evaluation of the POTC franchise.

Conversations

2008-01-24T11:38:00.000-08:00

I love youth ministry simply for the conversations. On any given week I get to have a whole bunch of conversations with all sorts of young people where the topics range from families to christianity to calling to sports to music to friends to youtube to whatever. In college our definition of youth ministry happens when an adult enters the world of a teen an applies the gospel to their young life. It is an awesome priviledge to be allowed to apply some gospel to today's generation of youth who are so open to whatever Jesus has for them. They are stunningly remarkable.

Judgmentalism Rehab

2008-01-23T14:43:00.000-08:00

My name is james and i am a recovering judgmentalist. It is interesting to me to see myself recovering from being judgemental. I hug more. I lke old people more. I am more patient of things. Yet at the same time I am more sure of myself and have grown significntly through this. A couple observations follow. First, it is interesting when God lets u suffer and how we react to it. If u can manage to get past the hurt and grow healthily then ur in the good. If u alow the initial hurt to continue and let it ruin u it will. U have to remember that the devil hates u but that doesnt mean u have to hate urself. Secondly, when recoverng from judgmentalism one must be careful not to become judgmental of others who are judgmental. One must remember that I was once them and just because I am no longer, does not mean I have the right to judge. In the past tis was called secondary separationism - if u gogle that u will see how ugly that is. Finally, growing totally sucks. It is dirty, messy, difficult and hard. Anyone who wants an easy no-hurt version of Christianity is going to have a boring life. If you want examples of this go to any church - its pandemic. Thats truth.
with apologies for the syntax because i wrote this on my Q.

Old but Sweet

2008-01-17T15:16:00.000-08:00

Back in October I attended a long lecture with Leonard Sweet up at George Fox Seminary. He covered a few topics and it was, at least in part, in promotion of his book, the Gospel According to Starbucks. His book does not mention the gospel being overpriced, but does make some other comparisons. I have blogged through this book, you can read about it by clicking on the link in the topics section. Meanwhile, I'm gonna file away my notes and I wanted to put them here for organizationality sake. Reminder: Theres are my notes on what Len Sweet discussed, not necessairly what he said!

>> Power is moving from center to sides (margins) (well curve) (Jesus ->)
>> Wireless - boundaryless - electricity - wireless video projection
>> Genetic Engineering
>> Robotic Engineering - 50 million robots by 2025. Current leader in applications of new technologies is the posrn industry. Implications...
>> Information Techology Egineering
>> Nano Engineering
>> Future - 1. size does matter. do little large. 2. Well cure replaces the bell curve. 3. Epic Rules = Missional/Incarnational/RElational vs. Attractional/Propositional/Colonial. These can be metaphored at operating systems.
>>1st communal, here's the progression - eat freely [sin] kosher [jesus] freedom
>> Church service name: feedback
>> Masters of media have the hardest time changing. The church is the master of print publications. Implications...
>> eternatech - invent a chip to give memories after death.
>> organizing learning and our checkpoints
>>for my book, Dirty Holiness = wesley and women; with X I can do all things, with X I can do no thing. I wrote to myself that I should email this to Len Sweet
>> "daniel Pink" on well curves and bell curves; "general" motors is over
>> Opposite things are not contradictory
>> Slow Life with "lee Gyu" - no desire to speed so no brakes are needed.
>> Well curve fits a phenomenal explanation of the trinity
>> weak is the new strong; we should have spiritual weakness inventories; moses
>> "balance" in life is stupid
>> Challenge of Islam - new communism in the sense of the attraction element to the disenfranchised
>> Size does matter. Laws of simplicity; minimalism and reductionism; tall building in Dubai
>> Why hasn't Wal-Mart built churches? They do everything else.
>> "wild wild east" - globalization - tribalism (except not with domination in mind)
>> Languages of the future = english, spanish, mandarin
>> life goal: developing a walkable lifestyle in an urban context
>> the 2 car family has become the 2 home family.
>> Asthetics is replacing apologetics.
>> Question: Where did shepherds go/stand/walk in relation to the herd?
>> Ugly America - a lament for a dying culture
>> 3 most hated nations = Iran, Israel, U.S.
>> APPETITE
>> So the county's dying...who cares? The gospel will continue just fine. Why can't the USA see their effective improvement fo the whole world. This is a capatalistic/boomer effect. Communists would see this better.
>> beauty, truth, goodness (a holiness that permeates everything) - 3 transidentals fo being
>> grey goo

Widget

2008-01-16T10:12:00.000-08:00

I've added a new widget down on the side column. It's kinda like an airport terminal except it reports who comes here and where they go. It's fun for everybody!!

Bennett, Intentional Disciplemaking

2008-01-14T14:56:00.001-08:00

So, I was required to read Bennett's Intentioal Disciplemaking for this year's mentoring course at PESM. It was okay, kind of a holiness adaptation of Coleman's Master Plan, which I suggest you memorize.

I'm not going to give any quotes except this one:

"Spiritual generations are God's strategy for reaching the world. Any plan that ignores the natural process of parenting through successive generations is doomed to fail because it cirumvents God's design for maturity. Furthermore, failure to pass on the truths of the faith to another generation is a mark of immaturity in the church." (29)

As a pastor to young people I could not agree more. If the church is not willing to pass the faith on to younger generations it anathematizes itself. This, I believe, will be the mark of the boomer generation on the western church. Boomers are the first generation of Christians who have thought it was their right to have the kind of church that they desired. For me, this isn't a blame issue as much as it is a heart issue. The boomers, who usually don't listen to those younger than themselves, need to hear the prophetic calling of the young. The young people in America today are desperately searching for God - and can't find enough Christian adults to help them find Him.

Mike King has also blogged on this, after a recent research study showed

"that most Christian adults strongly agree that their own faith development was shaped by adults in their lives during their youth. And yet, less than half of this same group believes that they have a responsibility to nurture the emerging generation of Christian young people."

How can this be? How can the current adult generation allow themselves to fade into history letting themselves be known as the generation who thought passing on the faith was important - BUT DIDN'T DO IT!

Right next to my door I have a two-page article called "That Sucking Sound you Hear" by Tim Elmore. I frequently use materials from Tim's organization, Growing Leaders, to train young people. I reccommend you read it in order to understand why we are in the hole that we are in, and Tim's suggested ways out. I keep the article next to my door so that every time I leave my office I remember the current task of church leaders and I remember to fight to stop the sucking.

The emerging generation is rocking about 4% adhereance to evangelical Christianity. I don't blame them for even a second. Instead I get them excited about the opportunity to ignite a revival among their generation - the generation that isn't getting this whole faith just handed to them. God loves to use generations to fulfill his mission; thankfully, He doesn't depend on them.

Organic Leadership

2008-01-08T08:43:00.000-08:00

Over the last two weeks there has been no music at Kainos. A couple that is involved with our band were away as one of them was "enjoying" some surgery - so we thought it would be a good time to not sing. An organic congregation, I believe, behaves in this way. Instead of going out and getting some other people to fill holes, we decided the holes can stay empty if no one wants to fill them. We also went a few weeks with no childcare. It's seriously great.

Also, last week I was away for schooling and Jason preached. I'm really thankful for that. And the kids particpated in sharing and one of the 1st (2nd?) graders lead a prayer time.

To me, this is what orgainc is. I love the Kainos folks for their willingness to explore. I can't wait to see what's around the corner.

Adequacy Delusion

2008-01-08T08:14:00.001-08:00

I'm thinking of using this name for the youth missions team to San Francisco this year.

Adequacy Delusion

What do you think?

Fallen Condition Focus

2007-12-31T16:08:00.001-08:00

This is a paper that I wrote for PESM.

The main purpose in God’s existence is to glorify Himself through the redemption of all creation. Said redemption is needed because mankind exists in a fallen state, incapable of overcoming the curse that sin has wrought without divine intervention. The Scriptures, then, reveal the response of God by his incarnation, showing him to be faithful and loving towards those he made in his own image. According to Bryan Chapell in his book, Christ-Centered Preaching, “all Scripture has a Fallen Condition Focus…so that it can expose God’s redemptive purposes” (Chapell 14).
Chapell takes his theory of the FCF and applies it to preaching. He proposes that the message of a sermon and the Holy Spirit’s purpose in the inspiration of a text can be one and the same through the determination of the FCF (Chapell 50). So, finding the FCF becomes the first, and most important, step in sermon preparation. The preacher must find what FCF “required the writing” (Chapell 51) of a particular passage. The FCF is found by first understanding what the text says and, then, what spiritual concerns it addresses that are common to both the original context and today’s listeners. If he is able to specifically discern the FCF, the preacher will be able to develop a message that is relevant for his modern listeners while remaining true to the original intent of the Scripture.
In Deuteronomy 6:4-9, we find this Scripture,
“Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord
your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all
your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be
upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them
when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you
lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands
and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames
of your houses and on your gates” (NIV).
I believe this passage is written in response to the FCF that asks, “How can I follow the Lord in a way that leads my children to also follow Him?’ This question of passing on the faith to the rising generation is applicable to both the original context of the Scripture and to today’s families. God honoring parents deeply desire for their children to experience the love of God to the same saving measure that they do personally, yet sometimes struggle to know how to do so.
From this FCF several applications directly flow. The first would be for a parent to love God with all their being, exemplifying the kind of passionate relationship with God that they would like to teach. Secondly, the parents should talk about the Scriptures as much as possible. A parent that talks about the Scripture will be more likely to pass on a positive relationship with God to their children. Finally, families should create visual reminders of the Scripture in the places that they live as a way of creating homes soaked in the Words of God.
The story of the woman at the well appears in John chapter 4. Towards the end of the story, the woman goes to her own people and tells them all about meeting Jesus and many of the townspeople place their belief in Him. In verse 40-42, the texts reads,
“So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with
them, and he stayed two days. And because of his words many more
became believers. They said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe
just because of what you have said; now we have heard for ourselves
and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world” (NIV).
This passage addresses the FCF of how people need to avoid following God with a second hand faith. Both for those who lived in this story and for modern followers of Jesus, it is absolutely necessary to grow in one’s faith to the point where Christ is known personally and not just through another person’s experience.
This FCF applies itself first by showing the way to experience Christ first hand is to push past the stories and find the source of the joy that is being expressed. Then the person must spend extended time with Jesus, allowing the words of Christ to work their way into the soul. Finally, the Word must be received personally and the joy of a saving faith will be experienced.
In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians we read,
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does no envy, it does not boast, it is
not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but
rejoices with the truth. I always protects, always trusts, always hopes,
always perseveres” (13:4-7).
Today’s world has much in common with the city of Corinth because of a perversion of what true and real love looks like. The FCF of this passage tells people with a stained experience of love that perfect love really does exist and this is what it looks like.
The primary application of this FCF is to respond to the perfect love of God by receiving the hope of his loving salvation, purchased on the cross and available to all. Secondly, for those who are Christians, or perhaps have positive experiences of love, this FCF applies itself with a challenge to become Christlike by reflecting God’s perfect love to others and helping them to see the love of God in their lives.

Liesch on Worship

2007-12-31T15:57:00.000-08:00

Congregational worship continues to be an interesting subject in the western church. Just when many churches have begun to use more modern worship songs and choruses, a new wave has emerged, longing for the richness of the ancient Christian traditions. A worship leader must be able to balance the many musical tastes and desires represented in the worship service and manage to help people make a worshipful connection to God. Barry Liesch’s book, The New Worship: Straight Talk on Music and the Church is an excellent resource for today’s worship leader and pastor.
Liesch begins the book with a short historical comparison of today’s culture to that of the church’s history. Over time, he argues, culture and worship interact and effect the church as worship begins to fit and reflect the culture it comes from. He then gives very helpful and descriptive treatments to the major schools of design in congregational worship services. One of the most beneficial things is the way that Liesch points out both positives and negatives to the different styles available without showing any bias. Bravely, Liesch takes on the issues of performance in today’s church worship and shows how excellence can be beneficial for worship without becoming focused on the person or band who is leading. The book finishes with some helpful guidance for worship leaders about working with senior pastors and with volunteer musicians.
There are two applications from the book which relate to my role in ministry right away. I spent a lot of ink underlining and understanding the models of designing services. Since this is the biggest weekly event in most churches, church leaders need to be able to use music to maximize the impact of connection with God for people. The service design section really had great information that I will apply to services I am leading. There is also a section for senior pastors who are working with or hiring worship pastors. Worship pastors are usually wired differently than senior pastors and if that is not understood then expectation will not be met. That was a great chapter for me, though I am not a senior pastor, because I already work with worship leaders in different areas I lead.
Overall, this is a really great book that helped me understand theologies and philosophies of worship. It is clearly written without being overly simple and gives a lot of useful information.

Coup de viser

2007-12-31T10:35:00.000-08:00

After re-reading my last post I think two things. First, I wish I had a better spellchecker except I think spelling is too absolute for me and I enjoy language too much to let spellers ruin it for me. Secondly, I wonder what anyone would comment if they did comment. I've gotten a couple spoken affirmations to the post, but how is anyone supposed to comment on something so deep and personal. Either you blow smoke or you disagree and have a hopeless faceless argument on a blog. Both of which don't hlep us.

Isn't it hopeless.

Over this mid-week holiday I hope to begin two new posts: one as a year in review and the other as a number of topics that I want you to blog on.

Postmodern Christians?

2007-12-26T11:18:00.000-08:00

How can you be postmodern and be a Christian?

Short answer...you can't. Long answer...you can't not.

There are some tenets of postmodernism that simply run contrary to the gospel. The biggest of these is what is known as the death of the metanarrative. The metanarrative is the one over-arching story which gives meaning to all humanity. For Christians, this story is the gospel, as recorded in the Bible. For a person to say that there are many stories which give meaning to all humanity they would need to deny historical orthodoxy. The story does have many expressions, but there is only on mediator between God and man, His Son, Jesus Christ.

Sidebar: it is just as easy to find problems with a modernist worldview that would make it impossible to be a modern christian. i won't argue those here because this part of the discussion is useless beyond preamble in this context.

At the same time, however, there are several characteristics of postmodernism that Christians can embrace. George Cladis, in his book, Leading the Team Based Church (an obscure resource for postmodern thought...) gives 9 characteristics of postmodernism that Christians can embrace, and, perhaps, become thereby more effective. I will interact with these here:

1. Creation is an organism rather than a machine: In the modern era there has been a lot of effort put into controlling nature. It's exciting to us that we can predict earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes. It's even more exciting that we are developing scientific means by which we can eliminate these natural disasters, or at least make them happen in ways and places that are less destructive to our societies. We wanted to set up a hierarchy where nature was under man and at mankind's disposal. In postmodernism, nature is seen in a relational way. The reason that those natural occurrences are disasters must have something to do with our relationships with nature. Putting New Orleans below sea level was an economic decision - it was worth the risk for the monetary benefit. The levees were built so more sea faring vessels could port there and it became a disaster when they didn't work. Could it be that the natural disaster is really the way that we have let things other than relationships dictate our involvement with the natural world? This is an advantage of postmodern thought.

2. Hierarchical structures are reduced: In a postmodern culture there is a lot of value in innovation. New discoveries excite people. In a church that is stuck in hierarchy, all the new ideas are the ones thought of, or approved by, the highest level of leadership. Thus, innovation is stifled. Further, hierarchical structures deny the gospel as they resist the greatest becoming the least and the highest serving the lowest. In short...hierarchy can quickly kill the gospel; the gospel is flat.

3. Authority is based on trust: Remarkably, years and years of education do not make better pastors. I love that we think this is a new discovery! Look at the disciples, they were not the most highly educated folks - but they had massive amounts of authority in the beginning to the early church (and still do today). I really don't care what position you hold, I'm not following you if I don't trust you. I want leaders that lead from their hearts, not from their degrees and training. I want leaders who lead from their convictions, not from the latest business or leadership book they've written. Tell me the truth, show me empathy, expose the kinks in your armor or else you'll find your leading nobody to a land that no longer exists.

4. Effective Leadership is Visionary: In the modern world managers motivate through job descritpions and threats with a paycheck. There was a position description and units of production were delineated, with monetary rewards and consequences. In the postmodern world money is not enough and threats are poor motivation. Motivation must come from vision and heart potential. Leaders must help people see the importance of their work. Church leaders, then, must respond to the prophetic voice that God has placed within them and cast a vision of the future that is hopeful (and therefore attractive) and help people contribute towards that vision.

5. Life and work are spiritually rooted: In the modern world, your life was what happened outside of work. Today, in the age of Ralph Nader and Coupland's J-pod and Microserfs work is your life. In the same way, a job is no longer secular and life is sacred; rather, all becomes spiritual and people seek the sacred. I don't think argument is even required here. Instead, I think Christians in postmodernity have opportunities for christian spirituality in the workplace. Discussion groups, lunch gatherings, book groups are all effective ways to engage the spiritual people around you. People want God...if you know where he is you could at least share that information!

6. Structures are smaller; networks are bigger: While some would think that this shows the leftist tendencies of postmodernism, I think, again, it's more of a small business/organization leadership principle. A great example of this takes place in the youth ministry here at SACC. Over the past couple years we have employed former prostitutes in Calcutta, sent $17,000 to fight world hunger, bought 3 goats and 24 chickens for a family in Peru, freed fetish slaves in Ghana, brought joy to a soldier in Iraq and got active in Compton (including 22 salivations), Pasadena, New Orleans, Vancouver and San Francisco. We are a regular old youth ministry in Albany that has a network that extends our influence worldwide while remaining very lean, organizationally, here.

Further, postmoderns have a general distrust of bureaucracies and favor extremely broad networks. This is influencing the way denominations have to operate. There is less and less volunteer submission to denominational authorities because they 'don't know us.' This is even evident, I believe, in a local mega-church pastor's public comments that his church no longer 'needs' the denomination. While this pastor cries out the evils of postmodernism, he reveals his own temptations against denominational leaderhsip, revealing a postmodern influence in his own life.

7. Innovation is rewarded: The best ideas come from the trenches. A general in an air-conditioned office has no idea about the efficiency of a shovel. In the postmodern world, the general who knows how to listen and adapt will be the most effective. We no longer need people to convince us of the vision, we need leaders who can detect the vision put within the priesthood of the believers, and call it out for us. we need leaders who can name the vision that we already have!

This is especially interesting to me considering the emergent church. In the past success or failure has been based on church survivorship, or, even better, growth. That was when we all were asking, "What does church look like?" Now, at least in my denomination, leaders are wanting to ask, "What could church look like?" The problem comes, however when the two questions are answered with the same metrics. In the former question we value success, perfection, achievement of a model. In the latter, we value, exploration, experimentation and have to live with the reality of a failed experiment. If Edison were trying to invent a light bulb in the modern church his program would have been shut down after so many failures. In the postmodern church, his explorations would have been celebrated regardless of success.

8. Work follows gifts, and gifts are used collaboratively: In the modern world the work of Christianity was done out of a sense of duty and obligation. Today, we have an opportunity to enable people to consider their gifts and talents and help them to find themselves contributing to the gospel in ways that they can see God using them best. No longer do we need to enlist megapeople to a megaprogram. In a relational network era, we can avoid needing people to fill spots and instead create ministries that match people.

9. Mainline church domination has ended: This is one effect of the seeker-sensitive/purpose driven model. While those are great in and of themselves, they have widely been received as the only way to 'do' church (Even the fact that we have a saying like 'do church' is alarming). Further, this is a wild westernization of postmodern theory. Mainline churches are now historical centers all over Europe and we are quickly heading the same way in the new world. I think this is wildly sad because it is happening for, I perceive, two reasons. First, mainline loyalty is over and done with. If I were to move to another city, I would not ask, "Where is there a ________ church?" I would, instead, ask, "Where is there a meaningful church?" People are no longer dividing themselves theologically and denominations are just not getting this as they continue to argue over there distinctives. Secondly, this is happening because of what sociologists call the circulation of the saints. Churches with older people and older leadership are having a killer time relating to the young and so the young are leaving to go to the church that has meaning for them. Yet, nobody is calling out these young people for being lazy. I will! I think the mainline church (heck any stagnant church) can grow if the young people roll up their sleeves and do the work that it will take to turn the tide. I desperately pray that the young will stop letting the boomers do all the work for them and that they would act like the church of today. Youth pastors always say that the youth are the church of today, not just tomorrow. I say that if the church of today (youth) don't start taking responsibility and involving themselves then they will quickly turn into the church of nothing happening. If you are a young person stop being so satisfied with your life - CHANGE EVERYTHING!! Today the postmoderns are crying for collaborative leadership - mainline denominations are best equipped with old folks with resources to make this happen.

May God be faithful!

Addendum: This post took me two weeks to write. Comment!!

LJ is sick

2007-12-20T09:55:00.000-08:00

So last night LJ and I spent some time togethrer. LJ calls this DaddyLjKhobi time. Last night's activity was watching LJ puke. I held him up, Khobi rubbed his back and LJ, or course, was doing the puking. So, he was pretty ill and feel asleep and slept really well all night long and wakes up feeling much better. This morning I ask him how he's doing and mention that last night was kinda junky and he says, "Yeah. But I kinda like watching the food come out of my mouth like a waterfall! It's like a hose!"

Dreamer

2007-12-18T10:02:00.000-08:00

Here's a fun little personality test that I saw on Marko's blog. Apparently I am a dreamer - not to be confused with "dreamy" !!

INFPs (Dreamers) are introspective, private, creative and highly idealistic individuals that have a constant desire to be on a meaningful path. They are driven by their values and seek peace. Empathetic and compassionate, they want to help others and humanity as a whole. INFPs are imaginitive, artistic and often have a talent for language and writing. They can also be described as easygoing, selfless, guarded, adaptable, patient and loyal.

QUESTIONS!

2007-12-13T09:50:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I don't know what to blog on, so I love getting ideas from y'all - the people who dare read the reorientation. So, I'm putting this post up to give you space to ask questions that will get blog posts. I will talk about anything that's not stupid, just put your questions below.

Podcasting

2007-11-28T12:20:00.001-08:00

Up until now Kainos has largely been an underground alt worship community - we have had no advertising of any kind. At least in part because we wanted to see what happenned...

Now, this is going to be our first wave of advertising and generating buzz. I think I am breaking the first rule of buzz creation, since I just told you what I was doing....but if you know a principle and knowingly violate it, that's not breaking the rules, that's good tactics. I learned that watching the Unit last night.

Each week Jason, our resident guru of digitailia, produces a podcast on itunes. If you have itunes you can search in podcasts for Kainos, or you can go to Kainos' website and subscribe there. If you don't have itunes, then you can just go to the website, or via the title link, and listen to a feed in internet explorere there.

Thanks y'all - hope you like it. Comment if you do, comment if you have any problems...

New Youth Group Game

2007-11-27T11:12:00.000-08:00

Tozer on Worship

2007-11-12T10:40:00.000-08:00

Not only should worship be passionate, but it should be explored, discussed and felt deeply and with much conviction. This is extremely evident in AW Tozer’s book, Whatever Happened to Worship. Through a series of printed sermons, Tozer lays forth an aggressive consideration of the current state of congregational and personal worship and offers the church a beautiful way forward in our worship of God.

Tozer very much believes that there is a correlation between worship and Christian service. While some people would say that if the church will worship more, “no one will do anything” (19). In fact the opposite may be true. Tozer believes that everyone will do more and do it with a deeper understanding of the meaning behind Christian deeds. This is an important observation for Christian leaders, whose responsibility it is to equip the saints for good works. Accordingly, the pastor who helps his congregation to give them selves to worship will see his congregation give themselves to the work of the kingdom of God.

I really appreciated Tozer’s comparison of the Roman empire’s demise to the church’s demise in worship. Many times, Christians blame outside influences for the weakness in their local church’s worship. Often there are complaints of not being able to compete with music video channels on television, or with local concerts. I believe it is a sad day when our worship becomes a part of a competition! Tozer points any blame for internal worship decay directly onto the church as it deviates from it’s original purpose. When a church behaves like a social club or a current events forum (96), the worship will not be all that God dreamed of for His church.

This book is a concise discussion of the current state of worship in the western church, we would do well to heed it’s observations, warnings and instructions. As a pastor Tozer had a strong desire to help his church experience true worship and this comes across clearly in this book. He encourages Christians to give up whatever is holding them back, whether it is from sin or mere inhibition, and to worship our Creator with spirit and truth.

Worship Journal 8

2007-11-06T10:30:00.000-08:00

Many times people say we should join God on mission to the redemption of all creation. This is what God is doing, so it should be what we, as Christians are doing. I just read, however, a reasoning why. Why does God work for the redemption of all people? In John Piper’s book, Brothers We are Not Professionals, he says God’s main purpose in existence is to glorify Himself. So, everything He does can go back to this root – God is working for the redemption of the world, because it will glorify Himself. If this is true, then worship is the way that we can most closely join God in His mission! This is the first time that I have thought of worship in this way – joining God in honoring God – that’s really an new and awesome thought to me, and I’m not sure yet what implications that’s going to have on my life…

Worship Journal 7

2007-11-05T15:08:00.001-08:00

I have finished the Tozer book and have a lot of thoughts about it. He seems to have this
old school fire to his writing, the kind you don’t see very much anymore. I was really interested in his statements about God saving us for/to worship. It makes sense that God would do things to enable us to worship him, since God’s main purpose is to glorify Himself.
Tozer also manages to talk about fear and mystery being important elements for worship.
Like we should be kind of close enough to the edge of something great that it makes us nervous, but not terrified. Good stuff, I think, but the way Tozer says a lot of stuff there doesn’t leave a lot of room for discussion.

Name

2007-10-31T14:28:00.000-07:00

Holy Rule 8 - of Divine Office during the NIght

2007-10-30T09:51:00.000-07:00

With the vast majority of the credit going to emergents, new monasticism is very sexy right now. However, this does not seem to be a case of bringing sexy back - monasticism was never meant to be this sexy.

Chapter 8 of St. Benedict's rule gives direction for the nighttime and daybreak observances of the daily office. The times differ according to season, because of the amount of sunlight received during the different seasons, for the Holy Rule was established before the discovery of electricity.

And just in case you still think monasticism is sexy, chapter 8 directs that during the summer, the monks are to observe Matins at night, then they "may go out for the necessities of nature" before returning to participate in Lauds. For we all know a monk really needs to go first thing every morning.

Worship Journal 6

2007-10-29T13:27:00.000-07:00

I just finished listening to a podcast from Mars Hill Michigan where the teacher made connections between worship service and service as worship. I liked it a bunch because I like to see when people put real actions into their words. I guess I think talk is cheap, but when I see Christianity in action, it’s a beautiful thing.

Part of this in me, I figure, comes because the music that I hear on Sunday mornings just doesn’t resonate with the music that plays in my soul. That sounds cheesy, but I figure most everyone has a soundtrack playing inside of them and they hear music and they like it when the music they hear resonates with whatever is already playing inside of them. This little theory of mine has no backing, but I think it’s true anyways. I figure that’s why the oldies in church sing louder when it’s time for a hymn, and that why I find myself lost when I try to sing them. It’s like the beat or the rhythm or the mood of the music just doesn’t match with the music that’s already playing inside of me. And that’s why I work better when the music is louder – my soul soundtrack is loud, aggressive and has a heavy bass line.

One the other hand…maybe I’m wrong. Either way, there’s something about certain types of music that matches with certain types of people – and that’s very clear in corporate worship services all over.

Worship Journal 5

2007-10-28T13:31:00.000-07:00

I’ve been reading the Tozer book. He sure has some strong things to say about worship. It’s kind of interesting to see someone saying the things he said, back when he said them. I appreciate his assessment of the leaders of the church and a consideration of their influence in leadership according to their passion in prayer and worship. I hate when church leaders pray and it lacks any passion.

Someone also mentioned to me this week that he sees a lot of children worship happening in our culture. I thought he was right on with that thought. A lot of people with kids are worshipping (ordering their lives to ascribe supreme worth) to their children. I wonder how Tozer would speak into this phenomenon. I’d love to see his reaction to hearing that a church is family-centered instead of Christ-centered!!

Special News for Khobi

2007-10-24T14:46:00.000-07:00

Planting Missional Churches 3

2007-10-17T13:41:00.000-07:00

The third chapter of Stetzer's book is the token chapter on biblical basis. These chapters in every textbook drive me crazy. It's like every person has a biblical basis for their own slant on whatever. It's like treating the Bible like a horoscope.

That being said, this chapter isn't horrible, but it's not the kind of subject matter you wake your wife up to discuss. Here's some quotes of interest:

p.38 "Until the late eighteenth century, most Protestant Christians believed that Jesus' commisions applied only to those disciples who actually heard his words."

Worship Journal 4

2007-10-17T12:30:00.001-07:00

4. October 16, 2007

Worship this weekend was alright. The sermon was excellent for me, the singing kind of regular – it didn’t really go anywhere for me. I didn’t really go anywhere either. I know that’s not supposed to be the point of worship, it’s supposed to be like is God honored and stuff like that, but that seems to be an ‘of course’ answer. I mean, wouldn’t a better question be – how was God insulted? That would be a way more interesting discussion, that’s for sure.
We had our first night of the year with singing worship at the high school worship gathering. I was also a night with HS volleyball, water polo and JV football. Needless to say, our attendance was down significantly and overwhelmingly male – it wasn’t exactly a great night to try and get them to sing. I thought it went well, though. I certainly don’t think God was very insulted by it! Great!

VOTE!

2007-10-17T11:39:00.000-07:00

Mars Hill Church in Seattle is putting their sermon topic selection in the hands of bloggers in pajamas. You can vote up to 10 times per day and get a question put into the series.

Of course, I put one in and would love to have some of your votes!

See my question here

Let's see what we can do!!

Book Nut

2007-10-15T11:55:00.000-07:00

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm You're probably in the final stages of a Ph.D. or otherwise finding a way to make your living out of reading. You are one of the literati. Other people's grammatical mistakes make you insane.
Dedicated Reader
Book Snob
Literate Good Citizen
Non-Reader
Fad Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Create Your Own Quiz

Sex God 5

2007-10-09T10:57:00.000-07:00

The fifth chapter of Sex God goes after the relationship between risk and love. It draws the two closely together showing how great risk potentializes great love. This is used as the descriptor of the incarnation - God's great risk because of his great love.

p.101 "As we read the Gospels, we find Jesus' message putting him more and more in conflict with the religious and political leaders of his day. He's threatening their power. This is what love does, it threatens the empires of power and control and wealth and manipulation."

Planting Missional Churches 2

2007-10-05T12:11:00.000-07:00

Chapter 2 of Stetzer's book is on Redeveloping a Missional Mind-set for North America. I loved it from the get-go because he admitted that there is a great big country right about USAmerica. The one that most consumer oriented Christian writers ignore because there's just not enough Christians there to support the Christian merchandise machine. Not that that's a sore point with me...

The chapter begins with some horrible math and misuse of statistices (as do most) but then settles down into a valid assessment of the influence of madern rationalism on Christianity in the western world. To the point that, in my estimation, Modern Western Christianity has become more modern and western than it is Christian.

Here's some great quotes:

p.19 "The end of Christendom allows the church to recognize that the gospel is distinct from Western culture."

p.22 "Instead of engaging in missional thinking, churches tend to fall back on one of two positions...an appeal to tradition of an appeal to technique. Neither is the response of a missional congregation."

p.24 "The church absorbed in technique is convinced that it's missional - that it's techniques actually are actually expressions of misison, while they are actually methods that replace missional thinking."

p.29 "Most church planters start the church in their head and not in their community."

A great and accuarate warning for the western church that pastors must put some thought to.

Sex God 4

2007-10-05T12:05:00.000-07:00

The fourth chapter in Rob Bell's book is on lust. It's a great centerpiece for this book as Bell disects what makes people sin - continually. It isn't the lust, either - it's the willingness to accept what one is told (by your mind, desire, the devil, etc.) as truth coupled by the inability to see that the chosen path does not lead to life - which means it works in opposition to God.

One of the things I love is the way Bell instructs the reader to redirect their (sexual) desire into something much much better. It's a very different approach than that of my "we-put-the-mental-in-fundamental" bible school, where the over-riding approach was duck and cover in the face of anything beautiful. Under that system some relationships and marriages were based solely on finding someone with the same calling as yourself to be a partner with - with little consideration of the beauty in the other person.

Great chapter, insightful and would be a great discussion starter!

Everything is Spiritual

2007-10-05T11:59:00.000-07:00

So, Rob Bell has just released the website for his everything is spiritual tour. That's the one where the lady from zondervan told me I could just go down to Los Angeles to see him, that'd be my closest venue (Great west coast geography...). Hi snew tour, The Gods Aren't Angry is coming to Portland (much, much closer) but would cost me $45 to take my wife. I'm sure it goes to a good cause, but it's just not gonna happen, especially in a blog world. Last week I got to learn from Len Sweet and he talked about how people are going to pay for content less and less - what they'll pay for is a relationship. That's exactly why I don't need to pay $45 to hear something first hand - I can get info for free from blogs!

!Viva la revolucion!

Muslim Punk Music

2007-10-04T15:14:00.000-07:00

So, the Rolling Stone magazine is talking about it and I have no idea what to do with it. How is the rise of Muslim music going to be accepted?

Read the ariticle by clicking on the title link - what do you think will happen? What can the businessmen learn from CCM? What will come of Taqwatour?

Worship Journal 3

2007-10-04T14:59:00.001-07:00

1. October 4, 2007

Well I haven’t really gotten to the Tozer book. It’s been put behind two other textbooks,
but I will get to it eventually. Thinking about worship – this past weekend was pretty regular. A lot of time people think that good worship is all about that big moment, that one thing that surprised everyone. I think that’s really true, those moments are awesome and enjoyable, but, there’s something to be said for the steadiness of God and the people who worship him. Maybe that’s why people like the hymns so much – because they’ve been around so long, there’s a certain amount of trust in a faithful song that has been a part of keeping the church steady in worship so long.
I am going to be picking up the new David Crowder Band album, hopefully this
weekend. I will surely love to worship along to those songs as they just seem to be able to wonderfully put words into my feelings about God. I am also excited to see them live on the 18th of this month – I think we can anticipate a worship journal that is a little excited about that experience. I’m looking forward to a big moment!

Holy Rule 7 - of humility

2007-10-04T14:20:00.000-07:00

This is the longest chapter so far in the Benedictine rule. It lays out the 12 levels of humility, so that, by attaining the 12 levels a monk will reach full and perfect (fearless) love of Christ.

It is so intresting to read because I thought the peak was a t level three and then it kept going and going - and gives a lot of conviction and challenge into the world of humility - and perserverance of spiritual discipline - as a monk develops. The relationship between humility and perserverance is direct according to the Benedictine Rule. To say humility is growing and not be developing in patience and perserverance is a impossibility for this way.

2 clappings songs, no handshakes

2007-10-03T10:58:00.000-07:00

Name Your Blog

2007-10-01T21:01:00.000-07:00

You know you want to be a published superstar who gets 10 independent hits a day!!

It all rests on your ability to pick a good blog name. Here's some help: BLOG NAME GENERATOR

Worship Evangelism

2007-10-01T11:50:00.000-07:00

I really love Sally Morganthaller (sp?). I've always had a funny feeling about her contending for worship evangelism. Her book was put into much practice in the youth ministry I now lead, and "successfully" so (quotes indicate success according to formerly chosen metrics, of which I disagree).

She now has gotten out of the worship industry and published a really wild article through a little ministry in Idaho. Here's a taste:

No sad songs. No angry songs. Songs about desperation, but none about despair. Worship for the perfect. The already arrived. The good-looking, inoffensive, and nice. No wonder the unchurched aren't interested.

Read the rest here.

Life

2007-10-01T10:54:00.000-07:00

The American businessman was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them. The Mexican replied only a little while.

The American then asked, “Why didn't you stay out longer and catch more fish?”

The Mexican said, “I’ve got enough to support my family's immediate needs.”

The American then asked, “But what do you do with the rest of your time?”

The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life, senor."

The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats; eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you would run your expanding enterprise."

The Mexican fisherman asked, "But senor, how long will this all take?"

To which the American replied, "15-20 years."

”But what then, senor?”

The American laughed, “That's the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions.”

”Millions, senor? Then what?”

The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos..."

ht: bob

In honor of marriage

2007-09-27T14:07:00.000-07:00

A married couple who didn't realise they were chatting each other up on the internet are divorcing.

Sana Klaric and husband Adnan, who used the names "Sweetie" and "Prince of Joy" in an online chatroom, spent hours telling each other about their marriage troubles, Metro.co.uk reported.

The truth emerged when the two turned up for a date. Now the pair, from Zenica in central Bosnia, are divorcing after accusing each other of being unfaithful.

"I was suddenly in love. It was amazing. We seemed to be stuck in the same kind of miserable marriage. How right that turned out to be," Sana, 27, said.

Adnan, 32, said: "I still find it hard to believe that Sweetie, who wrote such wonderful things, is actually the same woman I married and who has not said a nice word to me for years".

Worship Journal 2

2007-09-26T13:45:00.001-07:00

September 26, 2007

So this past weekend we had a change in our Sunday morning corporate worship – the
main leader is stepping down or taking a break so there are new leaders – and new experiences. The worship team actually laughed on stage (something I haven’t seen for quite a while), though it was at a ‘mistake’ when they were coming into a song. I loved it. For me, I love seeing others who aren’t perfect being willing to be leaders. There’s a phrase going around about worship needing to seek ‘excellence’ because it’s for God. I don’t disagree with that in principle. I do disagree with that when life (love, laughter, peace, etc.) is sacrificed for excellence. That kinda freaks me out. So I actually enjoyed singing along to the old songs this week because I got to sing them with people just like me.
Sunday night we had a worship service (Kainos) also. It was pretty decent – the band was just a piano/guitar with the players singing, but it seemed like people engaged with God. We participated in communion also – which I always appreciate, especially when I partake with my son.
Finally, I got my AW Tozer book in the mail this week. Looks like a collection of sermons, so I’ll probably be commenting on those here as well.

Recent Searches

2007-09-26T11:41:00.000-07:00

I always get a kick out of my keywords!

1. wears
2. stetzer
3. god
4. story
5. Jones
6. scandrette
7. shults
8. by
9. mark
10. graffiti
11. lipstick
12. Tony
13. soul
14. leron
15. bell
16. rob

Sex God 3

2007-09-26T11:40:00.000-07:00

In chapter 3 Bell takes on the challenge of living in the tension of honsety in regards to sexuality. He talks about the 'animal' side, where people just give into anything or live in a sexual despair. He also talks about the 'angel' side, where people deny any attractive feelings and completely abandon intimacy.

Both of these extremes, according to Bell, take us out of our natural way - being human (not animal or angel). He does a great job at tying it all in together at the end and making it concise, clear and engaging. Probably the best chapter yet.

Worship Journal 1

2007-09-25T10:42:00.001-07:00

For my schooling I have to keep a record of a worship journal. So I am going to post them here also.

1. September 12, 2007

I write this as class is finishing up so I am going to discuss class a bit. I really resonate with the consideration of the influence of Judaism on Christian worship. Today is actually Rosh Hashannah, Jewish New Year, which we normally celebrate with the youth ministry. I think I have a willingness to be experimental with my worship. I like to try new things or different traditions. Sometimes it’s a great experience, sometimes I don’t understand what’s going on at all. At the same time, though, an experimental attitude sometimes gets me in trouble with fundamentalists who think its this way or the highway.
I also appreciate in class the way that when we really actually look at the emerging church we can appreciate the contribution that they are making to the western church. This takes a bit of humility from both sides though. The emergents need to remember to be patient, and the ‘old school’ needs to remember that they are old (kidding…mostly).
One thing I am still wondering is about the relationship between worship and personal taste. I wonder if its alright for me to like a certain style and not like another. It seems normal to me and it seems biblical. I wonder, then, why people say that it is a sign of growth when I worship God in styles I don’t like. Wouldn’t that make me a faker? Hmmm….

Planting Missional Churches 1

2007-09-25T08:27:00.001-07:00

I am also reading a book by Ed Stetzer as collateral reading for my church planting class. The book is a rewrite of an older Stetzer book about planting postmodern churches. I will be doing chapterly reviews on the blog as it is a subject area that I am really interested in knowing about. There's 29 chapters, so this will go on for quite some time!

Chapter one is called the Basics of Church Planting and goes through the underlying reasoning for the promotion of a chruch planting movement in North America. Stetzer writes, "Establishing a missional church means that you plant a church that's a part of the culture you're seeking to reach." (1) The way to do this is by being missional, incarnational, theological, ecclesiological and spiritual (3). I laugh out loud that, according to this short list, you don't even have to be Christian to plant a church!

Objections to church planting (or even missional church progression) are tackled well and general statistics are given. I leave you with this quote:

p.11

"During a recent breakfast conversation with Len Sweet, Len explained to me that recent studies show that nine of ten people who are told by doctors to 'change or die' cannot do so. In other words, they are told to stop smoking, lose weight, or quit drinking in order to survive, and nine out of ten die rather than change. Churches are similar; they often choose their traditions over their future."

Sex God 2

2007-09-25T08:22:00.000-07:00

In chapter 2 Bell talks about our desire to be connected to others being (at base) an expression of sexual desire. In a tragically trendy way he talks about some celibate single people being the most sexual people he knows. This is justified by their connectedness to so many different people in real and honest ways.

I appreciated this chapter's consideration of the distinction between intimacy and physical sexual activity. At the same time, Bell appeals to the postmodern mind by redefining sex to mean something new (non-traditional). This was not done in the most smooth way...

Sex God 1

2007-09-24T16:20:00.000-07:00

I picked up Rob Bell's Sex God with a bunch of other textbooks for school this year. Becuase it's fun reading, I am going to post by chapters to milk it all the way out. Most of my textbook reading is done with speed in mind, so Sex God will be read with enjoyment.

The first chapter is called, God Wears Lipstick, in which Bell revolves a discussion of humanity's attitude towards itself impacting it's ultimate reality around a story from a Nazi concentration camp in which lipstick was given to the women who were being rescued. It also talks about lust and torture and how we treat others reflecting on our own health.

An interesting chapter.

Virkler, Hermeneutics

2007-09-24T11:56:00.000-07:00

I had to read this book for my preaching class at PESM. There is a slant in this hermeneutics book towards exegetical preaching and application. It's a fantastic hermeneutics book for beginning preachers.

That all being said - its way to long because it takes on much more than it should. I don't need a hermeneutics book to explain to me as much as this book attempted to. I found it hard to stay on track because of the amount of rabbit trails that this book follows - especially presenting the personal dogma of the author - and remembering the point of hermeneutical study is difficult.

Holy Rule 6 - of Silence

2007-09-18T10:26:00.000-07:00

This becomes a tough chapter to swallow as it goes on. In the beginning the silence is meant for the purpose of learning and discipleship. The monk is instructed to do the listening and the master is instructed to speak and teach - it's a relationship working the way it is intended to.

However, at the end of the paragraph the monk is instructed not to make jokes or cause laughter through his words. This becomes a little frustrating for me, as times of celebration and laughter would seem to be to be instructed biblically. I am holding out hope that a communal rule later in the text will give instruction in celebration and laughter together at festive times.

Applying this in a secular setting becomes challening as silence is increasingly difficult to come by. Even if we can eliminate talking there's still traffic, dogs, airplanes and more that will burst into our attention when we are living silently. Perhaps this is why I (more and more) believe that camping is a biblical mandate.

Slience is valuable enough to pay a high price for.

Sick

2007-09-15T23:48:00.000-07:00

I feel great today. Other that sweating all day and feeling like throwing up everytime I stand up - life is great!

I watched a bunch of football, researched, studied and outlined a talk for tommorrow night, played video games, read a whole book, watched Civic Duty (which suced) and Letters from Iwo Jima (which was well done) and successfully made myself microwave popcorn and started getting hooked on the original British version of the Office (which made me laugh out loud)

Now I am going back to laying still, since Khobi is on her way home and she's throwing up - yep, she's taking her turn being sick also. I've got a great family.

Robinson, Biblical Preaching

2007-09-15T23:44:00.001-07:00

Today I read this, my second in a week, book by Haddon Robinson. I borrowed it, so I didn't underline anything. I have become a quick fan of old (that's truth y'all) Haddon, though. For an old skool preacher, he is definitely good and I will for sure be perusing his books again when I am done with PESM assignments able to do so a little slower.

Chapell, Christ Centered Preaching

2007-09-14T22:12:00.001-07:00

Chapell's book is very dry and long and detailed. Great book for entry level learning preaching.

His whole premise is based on a fallen condition focus, which grated at my personal theology, but his last two chapters on redemptive preaching have much to offer as an alternative to the theapeutic style that is prevalent today.

Robinson, Making a Difference in Preaching

2007-09-14T21:58:00.000-07:00

This book is a collection of writings that Haddon Robinson has published in various books and magazines. It's a great little collection to give the young preacher a jumpstart and the old preacher a check-up. I didn't underline because I was reading it fast for school, but the last two chapters on preaching on money are worth the whole price of the book. Fantastic theological preaching!

Moore, Starting a New Church

2007-09-14T21:11:00.000-07:00

This is the first book I read for PESM this year. Ralph Moore is the founder of the Hope Chapel Movement, and he plants churches in California and Hawaii (I know - that's called 'call envy'). I found myself alternatively loving this book for it's quick tips and practical ideas and hating it for it's focus on growing the church by putting butts in seats. Here's some stuff I highlighted:

>p.39 "If there is one predictor of success...in church planters, it has to be that the good ones are voracious readers. Well-read people tend to be able to find solutions to any problem and they always seem to have a fresh supply of ideas."

>p.144 "I preach without a pulpit...we meet between services at round tables under umbrellas in a courtyard. The setup resembles a large starbucks. This is intentional because our target audience for evangelism is still under 30...we work hard to look and feel different from any other church in our community."

Then I stoppped underlining. I have two MAJOR objections to this book. The first is that he gives his doctrine of tithing by comparing it to the doctrine of marriage. One is a sacrament, the other is not. This is ridiculous. the other is that Moore calls the baby boomers the "first postmodern generation" when what he means is the boomers are the first consumption based generation. postmodernism is wildly different than consumer driven culture. What he describes is clearly the latter.

Good try though...

For Aaron

2007-09-14T18:51:00.000-07:00

Not one lesson

2007-09-12T10:29:00.001-07:00

I drew this today. I call it warmed helium.

13

2007-09-12T08:04:00.000-07:00

13 hours left in my day, till I can go back home. PESM classes today from 8 am till 915 pm - that's a long time.

It's been pretty good at the parts that I dig and funny to see how opinionated I am (often in disagreement) in my preaching class. Classes that make you become a type of something you don't feel called to be are an interesting discipline. Our little discussion times aren't my alley either. It appears not everyone is comfortable with being committed to each other and still being able to have robust dialogue. That, and, I still believe that pastors never shut up fast enough :)

2 hours 45 minutes

2007-09-11T13:32:00.001-07:00

that's how long my class is on preaching. My prof just threw this one out:

The Scripture is always relevant, our sermons are not always relevant.

Awesome stuff.

High School Musical

2007-09-10T09:08:00.000-07:00

One of the most creative high school students I know sent me a link to this article on High School Musical from Uncyclopedia. Apparently, it may or may not be true, but this section is worth recording here:

It is said that High School Musical was written by Dick Cheney to distract the Americans from the war in Iraq. They assumed it would work since most Americans have very short attention spans and randomly jump to protest at random causes - most often a different one every week. So they thought that it would cause all people to love it and forget about the war in Iraq. It worked like a dream. People who liked it obsessed over it, while people who didn't dedicated their lives to protesting and putting it down.

One of the reasons rumored to be the sole reason to the movie's sudden and overwhelming success is a subliminal message played throughout the entire movie, layered twenty-seven times, so no one would be aware. The message contained is, "Zac Efron is the man of your dreams. You want to marry him, even though his sexuality can be compared to twenty-thousand David Hasselhoff fans. You worship anything he is in or on, including movies, TV shows, albums, conditioners, and any other dingdingding you see his face on." This message is believed to have enslaved the minds of any girl (or boy) that is unfortunate enough to see it.

It is also rumored that the song We're All in This Together was meant as a means of persuading people to join the Communist Party. Lyrics such as "...we make each other strong...", "...when we work together all our dreams come true", and the obvious "...we're all in this together..." suggest that the writer, who was killed in a freak accident while mixing pure phosphorus and vodka, was in fact trying to persuade people to join him and establish him as a communist leader.

Recent Searches that Landed Here

2007-09-04T22:06:00.000-07:00

1. coffee
2. church
3. isolationism
4. emergent
5. THURTON
6. on
7. urn
8. putting
9. WINSTON
10. for
11. labels
12. shop
13. james
14. carmichael
15. youth
16. all
17. movie
18. families
19. oregon
20. are
21. pastor
22. psychotic

Holy Rule 5 - of obedience

2007-09-04T09:46:00.000-07:00

The fifth chapter of the Rule of St. Benedict instructs in immediate and joyful obedience. It guides the monk to follow the instruction of the abbot, under whose authority he has willingly placed himself, without delay. Then, the command goes even further to instruct the monks to obey without complaining, for this is what the Lord is seeking.

It is interesting to think of voluntarily giving yourself to the command of another. The trust of an abbot would have to be very high in order to do this with a fully pure heart.

Back At It

2007-09-04T08:53:00.000-07:00

Today is very much a Rosh Hashannah for us - coming back from our Canadian vacation and getting LJ back into school and beginning the fall ministries.

There is a bit of anxiety around the house though that this fall is going to be more of what last spring was - over working and over stressed and over strectched. We got away from operating the way that God designed me to work and we're going to be actively committed to not letting that happen again.

And I'm committing to not "working through" burnouts anymore. lol - I love that God is still with me and working in me and through me - it's a huge blessing, as cheesy as that sounds.

May Grace and Peace with a Divine Origin Rest on my house and yours...

Calvinic Wesleyanism

2007-09-01T11:11:00.001-07:00

I don't want to be a Calvinist mostly because of how mean some Calvinist come accross. But I have a hard time swallowing the theologically smurffy holiness peeps too.

So I was reading this post of mine (yeah, I reflect at times!) and thought it ended Cavinically, so I am considering a new bent called Calvinic Wesleyanism.

I'll have to google it to find out what it is.

Up in Arms

2007-08-31T13:19:00.000-07:00

Flying home last night I wondered. I was holding my son in my arms and my elbow was killing me, and I didn't care as much as I wanted him to be able to sleep. We'd been delayed because of a storm, which is not such a big deal unless you are travelling with your children. Then, you'd do anything to get them into a comfortable position so they can get the sleep that they so desperately need in order to function well.

I often think of my relationship with God as my Father through my experiences as a father. Last night I was wondering what God felt like when he was holding me.

That's how I see God - holding me, holding you. And being so willing to experience pain so that He can help you get what you need to have in order to be well. God endures the pain so that you can have great life.

Usually when we hear this we run to the cross and talk all about how Jesus' suffering paid the price and provided for our sins - but my son had not sinned. There was nothing my son was doing that was wrong, unnatural or sinful. He was just hoping to sleep. For some, the metaphor breaks down at this point, but I don't think so.

I wonder if God is willing to go through discomfort right now, so that we can have a great, full, rested, well life.

This flies in the face of what I have been taught throughout most of my life. I have been told that my whole existence is all about being good so that I don't make God sad, mad, angry or otherwise provoked. It has always been as if I don't want to screw up and end up having to depend on God - I need to leave him alone to deal with the big stuff like poverty, global warming and televangelists.

So what will it take for me to allow God to suffer for me? What do I have to change in me so that he can minister to me in the full measure that he wants to. It seems a major shift - a wholesale change, where I can no longer earn my way into impressing Jesus.

Sure, salvation is through grace and faith - but what about my rewards in heaven - don't I have to earn them?

I am changing though. I want to just sleep and allow God to suffer for me because he loves me. He loves me even so much more than I need.

IKEA today

2007-08-01T09:24:00.001-07:00

This morning righ tbefore leaving home we noticed an IKEA ad (since I am going there today) which features a quick shot of an inter-racial ggay couple with a daughter and a dog towards the end of the ad. It's the first time I've seen (personally) a company intentionally advertise to the homosexual community in a commercial. It will be interesting to see what happens with this.
One would assume that some Christians will now boycott ikea and that's OK for two reasons. First, we'll be able to go to IKEA and incarnate the gospel there without the baggage of having to explain those Christians who are busy pouring out their haterade on IKEA for having a business plan that works economically (honestly, are these people surprised from a purely economic standpoint?); and second, I'll have way cooler furniture than them.

Top ten

2007-07-30T11:43:00.000-07:00

I love Scot McKnight mostly because he is emergent without being a hipster. He is hosting the emerging conversation/book promotion tour when it goes down to Austin and posted a Top Ten List of why you should go to an emergent event. It's killer funny.

New Orleans Video

2007-07-26T12:15:00.001-07:00

Here's the video we presented to the church highlighting our team in new orleans.

Jr. high

2007-07-26T10:51:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged nearly any enough lately - I am having a little case of the burn-outs and trying to work through that. Here's some preliminary reports on my summer though:

I got to be the speaker at our conference junior high camp this year and it was such a great time. I really enjoyed seeing God work in the lives othe tweens and being able to lead them through some great scriptures. I think many people don't give them as much credit as they deserve - in some moments they are astoundingly mature and focused people - the problem is many people can't get over the moments that they are wild, crazy and not thinking consequentially.

I loved it though - I was probably most nervous just speaking in front of my peer youth pastors - that's a little more intimidating, but they were really encouraging and it was great to experience this all.

Cody's New Orleans

2007-07-16T20:37:00.000-07:00

Just got back from helping rebuild New Orleans. This is a video that Cody, one of our sophmore boys made. I know Cody made it because of all the flying scenes - Cody loves airplanes.

Monday in New Orleans

2007-07-09T21:51:00.001-07:00

here's what a group did today - can't write much since it's after lights out - but the kids are doing so great - it's hotter and humid than imaginalbe, but everyone is really sticking to it - later