FINALLY!

I was finally able to post today! My internet service provider out here in the sticks is just not working for some reason. I connected through an AOL trial and was able to post right away. Hopefully things will get sorted out and I'll be able to post through my ISP soon.

Anger or Dallas Willard is the man!

I am slowly working my way through Dallas Willard's excellent book, The Divine Conspiracy. It is a great book that I have been living with for a while, challenging me in many ways. The book is a powerful exegesis of the Sermon on the Mount. Here's a quote from his discussion on Jesus teaching concerning anger in Matthew 5:

The first illustration of kingdom dikaiosune (righteousness) is drawn from cases in which we are displeased with our "brother" and may allow ourselves to treat him with anger or contempt.

When we trace wrongdoing back to its roots in the human heart, we find that in the overwhelming number of cases it involves some form of anger. Close beside anger you will find its twin brother, contempt. Jesus' understanding of them and their role in life becomes the basis of his strategy for establishing kingdom goodness. It is the elimination of anger and contempt that he presents as the first and fundamental step toward the rightness of the kingdom heart.

The emphasis is mine because I find it amazing to think that the elimination of anger and contempt is fundamental, elementary to my spiritual life. Yet how many times have I heard this proclaimed? How many times have I been challenged to eliminate the anger in my life?

To this end, I am experimenting with a couple of new spiritual discipline tool idea thingys. I'm calling them "anger mapping" and "contempt mapping". As spiritual mapping has become popular among church planters and missiologists, I think anger mapping could reveal a powerful picture of particular geographical locations and the abstract relationships of those in a particular community.

I think it would look a lot like a mind map at first but could probably be overlayed a geographical area to demonstrate strained relationships and the "anger terrain". I'll be experimenting with this as I get a chance. What do you think?

THE MEATRIX

This is a very creative short animation lobbying against corporate farms. It's rather timely in light of the recent developments in the animal cruelty legal battle between PETA and KFC.

Vacation

I was on vacation most of this week and since I have been home I have been attending to cleaning and putting away our camping gear and officiating two weddings, and preparing for a funeral on Tuesday, not to mention this mornings sermon. Yikes. I'll post the Hosea 1 sermon soon, Lord willing.

Evil Empire

In rural areas focused denominational interests are becoming more and more a hindrance to the furtherance of the Kingdom.

This sounds like the Presbytery's Committee on Ministry! I know this is an overstatement in this article. But there definitely have been times that the denomination gets in the way. Especially between the pastors in town.

Being a denominational mut, I don't get it. I don't understand the blind loyalty to a particular stripe of Christian.

Missional rural churches

This author believes that out of the culture of the post-industrial era a new rural and Christian community could arise, from which a new authentic rural culture could be regenerated. This then is the call - to return to a model of apostolic times when the church formed strong local entities that nurtured the people to reach out to a hostile environment. The challenge is to find an appropriate way of communicating "the Gospel" to this new culture - even as it forms. And so the future mission of the rural church is "stretched between a great vision of the past and a new vision not yet fully formed." Midwives are needed to help a new church emerge.

The question in my mind is whether or not the existing churches can become this or if we need new churches to do this, especially in rural areas. But who wants to be a church planter in rural areas?

Even as a called pastor it has been very difficult to break into the community. I am and always will be viewed as an outsider. I can't imagine what a church planter would experience.

Plowing hard ground

Ray Simpson wrote that "the ground is so hard, and the people so pagan, that perhaps nothing less than a community of love in action will suffice to transplant the Body - the Life - of Christ."

They will know we are Christians by our love. The trouble is this is rarely the case. I know that in my two churches there are terrible feelings of hatred and animosity between people. We even have a lawsuit between two parties! The ground is not only hard outside of the church but inside as well.

This statement is so neat and clean. So easy to say. But how do you create a community of love in action? Especially in a community were people have known one another's families for generations and have handed down prejudices against one another?

Reinvention of the church

Here's a great quote from the article on transforming the rural church. I think it applies to churches across the board.

Loren Mead opines that there is "a call to something genuinely new ... our task is no less than the reinvention of the church."

Towards A Transformed Rural Church And Community

If by church we mean a community of believers, there is every reason to expect that the rural churches will be with us for a very long time. If, on the other hand we view churches as institutions within the local community, the question of their survival in the rural communities is less certain ...

Rural communities tend to be small and built on cooperation. According to Shannon Jung, "given the pressures on small communities from the outside world, congregations that squander precious resources on simply keeping a building open, instead of pooling resources, are sinful." The reality might well be that rural poverty will eventually force churches to work together to survive. It is now recognized that the days are gone where everyone was assumed to be a Christian and church member. Yet this assumption lives on in the "status quo," making new initiatives very difficult, if not seemingly impossible.

The challenge of advancing God's Kingdom in the rural church. I have been amazed at the desire to hang on to the good old days, the desire to return to the programs that worked in the past. But this article nails it on the head in rural churches...we must boldly work against the status quo.

If your church experience consists of "but we've always done it that way" kind of people read this article.

Sermon on Hosea

I've been asked to post my sermon on Hosea 1. I will try to get this posted later in the week. I have been thinking about posting my sermons for sometime. Part of the problem for me is that I don't always have a completed manuscript to post. I also preach my sermons twice and they tend to emphasize different things at the different churches. It's weird how the Holy Spirit prompts me to say certain things at one church and not the other (at least I trust it's the Holy Spirit!). As soon as I can record in manuscript form the message from this past Sunday I will post it.

Hosea and the Emerging Church

In continuing to prepare my message for Sunday on Hosea 1:2-10 (really all of chapter 1), I came across this in Gary Smith's NIV Application Commentary on Hosea/Amos/Micah. See if this resonants with you as it did me:

...one can begin to suggest areas where the theological message of Hosea relates to theological issues the church has struggled with in every era of its existence. If one views Baalism as a cultural expression of a Canaanite religious worldview, the true comparison for modern application is not limited to situations where pagans are worshiping idols in India or involved in some perverted sexual cult in some faraway country. The Canaanite culture needs to be copmared to the British culture, the Hutu culture, the American culture, or the Brazilian culture.

Each of these countries has a popular "religious" philosophy of life that explains how the world works. Each culture includes ethical standards for appropriate conduct, ecomonic ways of gaining prosperity (fertility in ancient Near Eastern terminology), and an explanation of how people are related to the divine powers. The questions that the church in every culture must ask are similar to the questions Hosea raises. Are the people who claim to be believers actually the people of God, or have they so accepted the popular religious culture of their day that they, like Israel, are "not my people"? Has the syncretism of the church with modern religious culture so infiltrated the fiber of the fellowship that people can no longer see a distinction between the two? Has the church lost its identity by compromising its beliefs and accepting the moral standards of the society that the church was supposed to transform?

Some in the emerging church discussion are asking very smiliar questions to Hosea! I meet for prayer with several lol's (little old ladies) once a month on Tuesdays. My faith and their faith are in very different places. My beliefs and their beliefs are very different. Much of their thinking and prayers are based on a popular religious philosophy of how to get ahead in life and how God interacts with us. Very little of it is shaped by Scripture especially not Hosea! Please know I love and care for each of them greatly! Yet they fail to recognize how much the American popular religious philosohpy has influenced their lives.

And quite frankly, it is unappealing to me and to many "natives" in today's culture!

Microscopic Model of Sydney Opera House

Yahoo! News - World Photos - AP This is truly amazing! As they have been saying the next big thing is small.

Three great kids I can't afford! Three great kids you couldn't pay me enough for!

Owning Up to Abortion

The New York Times > Opinion > Guest Columnist: Owning Up to Abortion. Here's a disturbing quote from this column:

Honesty begins at home, so I should acknowledge that I had two abortions during my all-too-fertile years. You can call me a bad woman, but not a bad mother. I was a dollar-a-word freelancer and my husband a warehouse worker, so it was all we could do to support the existing children at a grubby lower-middle-class level. And when it comes to my children - the actual extrauterine ones, that is - I was, and remain, a lioness.

This statement strikes me as terribly sad. Actually terribly sad doesn't even begin to relate how I feel. It is a terribly sad day when our economic status determines whether we will carry through a pregnancy or not.

No wonder God spends so much time in Scripture talking about money. He is concerned about it because we are concerned about it. If God can't transform our relationship with money, it's doubtful he can transform us in any arena.

My wife and I had our first child when I was in seminary. We struggled mightily to make ends meet. Then 16 months later we had our second after I had graduated from seminary and while I was underemployed looking for a calling. We didn't have insurance. We were scrapping by. But it never crossed our minds that we should have an abortion because we couldn't afford our child.

We now have three kids, we get by on one income, and my future earning prospects are modest. (You don't enter the ministry to get rich!) In fact, by this writer's standards, we probably earn a "grubby lower-middle-class" income.

I guess it comes down to trust and faith. Do you trust God or do you trust yourself and the dollar to provide for you? It's also a question of sacrifice. Are you willing to sacrifice some financially in order to bring children into the world?

Finally, I don't understand why this writer didn't decide to give these babies up for adoption. There are so many people who want to have children but can't. There are so many wonderful homes where a child would be welcomed.

Wired News: Duke Gives IPods to Freshmen

Wired News: Duke Gives IPods to Freshmen:

Duke University will give each of its 1,650 incoming freshmen a free iPod this fall as part of an initiative to foster innovative uses of technology in the classroom

Wow! Just another reason to go to Duke! This is also more evidence of just how much technology is changing the way we interact with our world. By the time my kids get to college (in another 12 years or so) what will technology be like then? What will learning look like?

With this shift in mind, how should the church change? I pastor two churches full of immigrants who want to preserve the immigrant mindset. But clearly change is happening and natives will thrive in the new emerging culture. Immigrant churches are already stagnant and will continue to decline if they are unable to rethink ministry and mission and retool to reach natives.

If you aren't familiar with the terms "immigrant" and "natives" check out this interview with Len Sweet.

Who Wants to Marry a Prostitute?

The book of Hosea fascinates me. This week, following the lectionary, I am preaching Hosea 1:2-10. It is a troubling passage in many respects. God commands Hosea to take a prostitute for a wife. Why would God do this to Hosea? Can you imagine the humiliation he must have felt in doing this? Can you imagine the risk this entailed for him and his children?

Think how many in the church would respond today if someone in our midst believed that God had called them to marry a morally questionable young woman let alone a prostitute. Wouldn't we doubt God had spoken to them? Wouldn't we challenge this notion? In fact, it appears that in regards to Hosea and I would argue many other prominent people in Scripture, that God violates the first spiritual law:

God LOVES you and offers a wonderful PLAN for your life.

I doubt Dr. Bill Bright had marrying a prostitute in mind as part of God's wonderful plan for anyone's life. Yet that is exactly the plan God had for Hosea's life. This is just one of the problems with reductionist thinking. We want to boil down the gospel in four spiritual laws, pithy statements that summarize our core beliefs concerning God and our relationship to him. Yet Hosea's understanding of God and his relationship to God was a tad bit more complex then a set of spiritual laws.

Hosea may have given rise to the entire reality TV genre. The original show was, "Who Wants to Marry a Prostitute?"

Bless This House?

LeadershipJournal.net - Bless This House?:

Could it be that the church is as it is in so many places not because of a lack of effort or a lack of sincerity or a lack of spirituality (or even a lack of money, commitment, or prayer), but rather because our sincere efforts, passionate prayers, and material resources are all aimed in the wrong direction—the direction of self-preservation, self-aggrandizement, self-improvement?

Some interesting thoughts from Brian McLaren. I know that for my two, small rural churches it's easy to focus on self-preservation, namely survival. It is often very difficult to get folks thinking in terms of mission here. But if what Brian suggests is true, that's the best thing we could do out here in the sticks:

How ironic if the church were to find life by losing it, by giving it away.

Declining Rural Communities

Great Plains: Rural Communities

Rural dwellers are now prepared to go to the larger centres to obtain the services desired and in the process bypass the local centres, eventually leading to the demise of the latter. Thus while these local centres have suffered the major centres have expanded.

Read Wal-Mart. We live 90 miles from the nearest Wal-Mart and yet we find ourselves making the trip 2 to 3 times a month. Prices are so much more reasonable, the selection is much greater, and the quality (especially of produce) is far superior to our little local grocery store.

Future Church: Ministry in a Post-Seeker Age

Amazon.com: Books: Future Church: Ministry in a Post-Seeker Age
This looks like an interesting book. Has anyone read it?

Weblog: Federal Marriage Amendment Doesn't Even Make It To a Senate Vote - Christianity Today Magazine

Weblog: Federal Marriage Amendment Doesn't Even Make It To a Senate Vote - Christianity Today Magazine
I guess I'm not terribly surprised. I am still trying to sort out how I feel about this issue. I am not terribly concerned with the government defining what marriage is or isn't. According to James Dobson, in an interview, he argues that "the legalization of homosexual marriage will quickly destroy the traditional family." Dobson sites evidence from "Scandinavian countries" that

when the State sanctions homosexual relationships and gives them its blessing, the younger generation becomes confused about sexual identity and quickly loses its understanding of lifelong commitments, emotional bonding, sexual purity, the role of children in a family, and from a spiritual perspective, the "sanctity" of marriage. Marriage is reduced to something of a partnership that provides attractive benefits and sexual convenience, but cannot offer the intimacy described in Genesis. Cohabitation and short-term relationships are the inevitable result. Ask the Norwegians, the Swedes, and the people from the Netherlands. That is exactly what is happening there.

But doesn't this sound a lot like the state of marriage here in America?

Next Dobson argues for a slippery slope, that "the introduction of legalized gay marriages will lead inexorably to polygamy and other alternatives to one man/one woman unions." Yet the legalization of polygamy for generations as described in the Bible didn't destroy the "traditional family". How quickly we forget that the heroes of the faith had a very different understanding of what a traditional family was. Abraham, Esau, Jacob, Gideon, David, Solomon, and Hosea all practiced polygamy and yet the Judeo-Christian ethic of monogamy came from this polygamist heritage.

Finally, Dobson argues,

With marriage as we know it gone, everyone would enjoy all the legal benefits of marriage (custody rights, tax-free inheritance, joint ownership of property, health care and spousal citizenship, and much more) without limiting the number of partners or their gender.

Though he overstates the number of partners based on his slippery slope argument, I find it difficult to object to giving these rights to homosexuals. Homosexual couples can already adopt children, so custody rights should naturally follow. I don't really care about tax-free inheritance, joint ownership of property, and spousal citizenship. Health care would seem to fall into the relm of social justice. Who doesn't need health care today and who couldn't stand to have better health care?

Is this really what's at stake? If it is, we've already lost the most profound portions of this battle.

Business Copycatting the Church @ e-Church.com

Business Copycatting the Church @ e-Church.com: I guess the church isn't the only organization with something to sell! Yikes.

Dr. Danny Carroll article on Society of Biblical Literature

Society of Biblical Literature:

This group of scholars tends to be members of the Fraternidad Teologica Latinoamericana (FTL), an association of a broadly evangelical persuasion that was founded in 1970 with the express purpose of reflecting upon the Bible in light of the needs of the continent. On the one hand, they were frustrated by the failure of more traditional evangelical circles to respond adequately to those realities; at the same time, their interaction with liberationist scholarship stimulated them to look at the biblical text through a more contextualized lens.

Here is a great article from a great professor, Dr. Danny Carroll at Denver Seminary. Dr. Carroll wrestles with contextualized readings of the Bible. If you are not familiar with his work, I'd encourage you to check it out. Here's more from the article, the first part from the text of the article and the second from a footnote related to the clipped text.

Sometimes formal academic training dichotomizes exegesis and contextualization; some believe that such a combination diminishes their academic standing, especially in the academic guild beyond the continent; [4] and, to be honest, others are themselves detached from the warp and woof of their context and thus to incorporate those concerns is not a natural move.
[4] In my own experience I have sometimes found that First World scholars have not taken work from the Two-Thirds, or Majority, World seriously. In various ways they have communicated that, whereas those approaches might be "interesting," "real academic study" is done in North America and Europe according to more traditional methods. I have had students from the Two-Thirds World, who are studying in the West, confide in me how they have been discouraged from relating their research to their home context and have been told to "just deal with the text."

I believe that the emerging church in many respects is seeking to do contextualized readings of the biblical text. The emerging church in many respects is "doing theology" as the liberationist scholars often put it.

Obviously from the footnote and from my experience, many evangelicals are uncomfortable with this practice. The idea of "just deal with the text" is in many ways a western modern notion in which the text is seen as the subject of objective scientific inquiry. However, this is impossible. We all arrive at the text with many biases and our interpretation of any given text is greatly shaped by these biases. I believe that we will continue to see more untraditional methods employed in the study of Scripture in the years to come. And I believe that these methods will prove to be very beneficial.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer: AP - U.S.: Catholic Church urged to draw on laity

Seattle Post-Intelligencer: AP - U.S.: Catholic Church urged to draw on laity:

Roman Catholic officials need to look to the laity for many parts of the church's mission that historically have been dominated by priests and nuns

Wow, is the priesthood of all believers even going to apply to the Catholic church? It is amazing what necessity will do to a church...

Bishop William B. Friend of the Diocese of Shreveport, La., said there used to be large numbers of people taking holy orders, enough that Catholic schools and hospitals once were heavily staffed with nuns working as teachers and nurses.

"Now their numbers have diminished. But the good news is there are large numbers of young lay people" who are interested in helping the church, Friend said.

Makes you wonder if they would be considering help from lay people if there wasn't a shortage.

As a pastor, I am always trying to help my congregations understand that they are the ministers. They do the ministry.

Vicar sorry after Church carpeting

ic Birmingham - Vicar sorry after Church carpeting:

A Midland vicar apologised to a Church of England court yesterday - for laying a new carpet.

The Rev Nigel di Castiglione, Rector of St Mary's and All Saints' Church in Trentham, Staffordshire, covered some rare tiles with the carpet, took out some pews and moved the font to tidy the place up.

But he carried out the work without the permission of his diocese.

Gotta love church politics and power struggles!

Churches Ministering to the Public Through Signs

Churches Ministering to the Public Through Signs:

'Don't let worries kill you; let the church help.'

I'm not sure if the church that ran this saying on their sign understood what it sounds like they are saying!

U.S. church signs known for groaners

TheStar.com - U.S. church signs known for groaners:

'The best vitamin for a Christian is B-1.' 'God answers knee-mail.' 'Free Trip to heaven ... details Inside!' 'Running low on faith? Stop in for a fill-up.' Motorists glance at them for just a moment, but ministers see church marquee messages as a great chance to attract people with a groaner of a pun or a thought-provoking phrase. Coming up with pithy messages has even sparked a cottage industry of sorts, inspiring a half-dozen books and e-mail traffic.

This seems to be the epitomy of reductionist thinking. "If we only have a pithy enough saying on our sign, then people will come to church."

This reminds me of a joke I heard in seminary. The homelitics professor assigns his students to come up with a sermon title that is so powerful it will cause people riding the bus by the church to come to church to hear that message.

One students sermon title: "There's a bomb on your bus."

Cultivating what we honor

Here are some great quotes from William Sloane Coffin from an interview on beliefnet:

The churches are a reflection of the truth of Plato’s statement, "What’s honored in the country will be cultivated there." When we got started as a country, we had no more than 3 million people--less than Los Angeles County today. Yet we turned out Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, Adams, Hamilton--you can name a list as long as your arm. How many people on the public stage can you name today who are of the caliber of those first men? And why aren’t there more? Because what’s honored in the country will be cultivated there.

Or how come those itty, bitty Italian city-states turned out one fantastic painter and sculptor after another? Because every kid couldn’t wait to get his mitt on a paint brush. What’s honored in the country will be cultivated there. We have fantastic athletes. I watched the Spurs and Lakers yesterday. Those guys play basketball like nobody’s business. Yet we have mediocre politicians, and the clergy is pretty mediocre also. But what’s honored in a country will be cultivated there. The greatest recession in this country is not economic; it’s spiritual. And so the great biblical mandates of pursuing justice and seeking peace are shortchanged.

How true these words are! There is much to digest in this excellent interview.

CBF workshop explores postmodern phenomenon in churches : Wednesday, July 7, 2004

CBF workshop explores postmodern phenomenon in churches : Wednesday, July 7, 2004:

In the postmodern worship experience, emphasis is often placed on the feel of worship, incorporating the five senses into a service.

This article discusses several of the differences in a "postmodern church" but the feel of the overall article is that the differences are merely on emphasis and on feel and structure.

Yet I believe from my reading that much of what the postmodern church is espousing is far more than new dressing on old forms. The postmodern church is often emphasizing a new theology, a rethinking of the gospel and our understanding of the gospel. It is in many ways a reaction to modern reductionistic thinking especially in regards to the gospel and the church.

Hence the strong reaction to slogan, bumper-sticker theology from the postmodern church. For more on this see Doug Pagitt's blog Camping Mocks the Homeless .

Ultimately, many in the emerging church discussion are seeking to become more authentic followers of Jesus Christ. And to do this, they instinctively know it is far more complex than the simplistic, reductionistic slogans offered by the modern church.

Bloglines | My Blogs

Bloglines | My Blogs:

Bloglines Clip Blogs - The easiest way to create a blog - Fully integrated with all your Bloglines news feeds- One-click blogging from any Web page

Some interesting changes at bloglines.

Syncretism or Contextualization?

HatchSpace:

In other words, is the emerging church movement a vital example of contextualizing the gospel, or is it a syncretism

This is a great question and I assume that the answer is far from easy. Like most things, I believe that the overall picture of the emerging church is a mixed-bag with some crossing the line to syncretism and others doing a great job of contextualization.

One thing that some critiques of the emergent church discussion miss is the fact that our culture is changing and that clearly the church is losing ground in the modern culture. Because of technology, younger generation's minds are wired differently and therefore require a different style of teaching and learning. Unfortunately the church is often slow to address these changes.

My two churches can serve as a great example here. They both are very traditional or in Len Sweet's lingo, immigrant. They both have hymns which are spread throughout the service. They both have traditional liturgy and nobody knows why it's there. They both emphasize the sermon (much to my delight). Yet there is very little energy in the service. Most of those coming to church are 55 and over. Attracting young families to this type of worship service is difficult if not impossible. Slowly but surely these two churches will die for failure to contextualize the message to the younger population.

Firefox Help: Extensions

Firefox Help: Extensions: "BlogThis"
Testing the BlogThis extension in Firefox. Looks like it will work nicely and save me repeated trips to the Blogger Dashboard or to IE to use the BlogThis form in the Google toolbar.

Kerry selects Edwards as running mate

Here's an interesting choice of words:

The two men will be formally anointed later this month at the Democratic convention in Boston

Last I checked anointed means:

1. To apply oil, ointment, or a similar substance to.
2. To put oil on during a religious ceremony as a sign of sanctification or consecration.
3. To choose by or as if by divine intervention.

Perhaps republicans aren't the only ones who believe God chooses certain people for certain tasks at certain times.

Allelon Ministries

Check out Allelon Ministries:

The ongoing vision of Allelon is that the Church would be a people among whom God can live, as sign, symbol, and foretaste of his redeeming love and grace; who in their life together will, reproduce God's Kingdom life; who will as God's creative instruments, embody, announce, and demonstrate the Gospel of the Kingdom; and, as God's redeemed and redemptive alternative community, will be allelon for the whole church and for the sake of the world.

Some real quality people make up the advisory board. Plus there are lots of excellent articles to plow through! Enjoy!

Visual Poetry: Vampire Christians

Here's the Google visual for a Vampire Christian using the Google Hack Visual Poetry:



Yikes! Kinda scary!

Vampire Christians

Another powerful quote from the Relevant Magazine interview with Dallas Willard.

[RM]: “I think you quoted Tozer a while back in another interview where he suggested that a new heretical thought had entered the modern Christian thought. The idea that people come to Jesus and say, ‘I want some of your blood for the forgiveness of my sins, but I don’t have any intention of following you or obeying you, and now if you’ll excuse me I’d like to get on with my life’.”

[DW]: “Those are what I call ‘Vampire Christians’. Tozer actually does say that this is outright heresy. He was very clear about this and the dear man was such a Christ-like man that he could do this and get away with it. But, on the other hand, you’ll have people who will hear this and say, ‘Isn’t that pretty?’ and they’ll do absolutely nothing about it.”

Wow! Heresy! I wonder how many of folks in our churches today would bristle at that word? I wonder how many Christians are truly Vampire Christians?

So what's the antidote to vampire Christians? Discipleship! Making disciples! Let us go and make disciples of all nations!

Poor Preaching

Another great quote from the Relevant Magazine interview with Dallas Willard.

As intelligent men they were capable of addressing issues clearly and that is what you do not hear today. The level of intelligence in our sermons, the abysmal story telling that you hear constantly is just hopeless. The power that comes through the Bible itself, which is the most intelligent book ever written, is lost.

I have read many blogs bemoaning the role of the sermon in the future church. But maybe many are so critical of the sermon because so many sermons are done so poorly.

I am a rather inexperienced preacher. I have only been preaching weekly for the last 20 months or so. I am constantly amazed at the excitment of my parishioners when it comes to my preaching. They are regularly extremely complimentary. I find this surprising and sad as many of these folks are in their 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's and have gone to church faithfully throughout their lives. Shouldn't I not be one of the best preachers, with my relative inexperience, that they have had at their church?

Yet, I fear that I am one of the better preachers from their point of view. The only reason I can give for this is that many of their previous pastors were going through the motions and not faithfully and diligently working at the task of preaching.

I don't mean to be overly critical but in the two denominations I serve (the PCUSA and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) I haven't been very impressed with much of the preaching that I have been exposed to. If I had to endure some of the preaching I have heard week in and week out I'd have long ago left the church. Fortunately, I grew up sitting under some wonderful preaching at Cherry Hills Community Church and Dr. Jim Dixon.

I believe their is a bright future for preaching in the church. But great preaching doesn't just happen, you must work at it and cooperate with the Holy Spirit as you prepare each week.

A9 hits

I received my first hit from the new A9 search engine and my first hit from Altavista. The A9 hit was for "Groothius" my Philosophy of Religion professor at Denver Seminary. The Altavista hit was for "Eintein's General Theory of creativity". It's always fun to see how people end up Out in the sticks.

Fourth of July Syncretism

From Open Source Theology:

I lived for two years in the Netherlands as an “expatriate” - someone who lives as a non-citizen in a country not their own. I learned a lot of things, but most of all, through the homesickness I sometimes felt, even in the midst of loving my experience of living abroad, I learned an excellent model for our time here on earth. We are, all of us who know Christ, expatriates- living for a time in a foreign country. We can enjoy it, but if we ever stop feeling homesick, we are in trouble.

So, next Fourth of July, go ahead and light off some fireworks, thank God for the freedoms you have, enjoy a nice parade or picnic… but maybe leave the Star-Spangled Banner out of the worship set, okay?

I really appreciate Bob's thoughts in this article and yet I know that to not have any patriotic songs in my churches on July 4th would be seen as anathema to my church members.

Part of the issue is that my churches are full of WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam vets. They take their patriotism seriously! And since my generation has never been to war, I can't easily stand in judgment of them, speaking prophetically to them. Yet I feel the "God and Country" view does need to be challenged. (Sorry dad!) So how do we challenge this attitude with gentleness and respect for our Veterans of Foreign Wars?

It feels to me that when we include "God and Country" themes we are delving into syncretism. We are fusing worship of our country to worship of God in our churches. This is a dangerous practice indeed. It is dangerous to our souls. It is dangerous to our understanding of the Kingdom of the Heavens. We must gently challenge this idea with the old war veterans and fervent patriots in our midst. Ultimately, all disciples must be called to allegiance to the Kingdom of God.

Books & Culture's Book of the Week: Insect Theodicy - Books & Culture

Books & Culture's Book of the Week: Insect Theodicy - Books & Culture:

Perhaps what most weighed upon my mind as I read Lockwood's book was his diagnosis of religious responses to the locust plagues. On the American frontier, farmers who faced the oncoming cloud of ruin were forced to ask for aid. At first, they asked the church, and the church responded with prayers. But when it came time to ask for more than prayer, the church shut its doors. As Lockwood states, 'Offering up prayers was one thing--giving up wages was quite another.'

In the end, the destitute turned to the federal government for their subsistence, eventually raising a series of fundamental political questions that would set precedents for agricultural policy, natural disaster, and federal relief into the present time. Today, we wait for the government to pronounce a 'natural disaster'--where 'natural' means precisely that.

This sounds like a fascinating book. I hope to pick it up someday soon! The comment from this review that caught my attention was the idea that farmers turned to the church for help with the locust plagues and the church had little to offer other than prayers. I'm sure that this is a gross over-generalization. I would imagine that some churches and some Christians responded in very tangible ways for the needs of the farmers. And yet there is little a small, rural church could offer if the community's corps were wiped out in one plague.

As a small, rural church pastor, I often feel like all I can offer are prayers. Yet many do ask for more than prayers from the church and the pastor. How should the church repond? What should the church do?

Google, visual poetry, and the emerging church

Here's a fun Google Hack that's called Visual Poetry. Enter the words "Emerging Church" into the search field and here are the images that you get:

Book Meme Redux

Here's another look up in a book thingy making its way around the blogs...

Reviving a meme borrowed from my cousin a couple months back . . .

1. Grab the closest book.
2. Turn to page 64.
3. Find third complete sentence.
4. Print sentence in comments here or on your own site (a trackback would be nice).

Here's mine from Dallas Willard's The Divine Conspiracy:

Now, Jesus himself was and is a joyous, creative person.

Now that's a great quote and a great thought to ponder!

Dallas Willard Interview

Here's a great quote from the interview:

The greatest challenge the church faces today is to be authentic disciples of Jesus. And by that I mean they’re learning from Him how to live their life, as He would live their life if He were they. So that means, whatever I am, whoever I am, I take Him into my whole life as my Lord. Lord means that He’s my teacher. Another way of putting this is to say that our greatest challenge is to recover Jesus the Teacher. You know, if you don’t have a teacher you can’t have a disciple. Disciples are just students. Unfortunately, it’s a long and convoluted story, but roughly over the last two hundred years, Jesus as Teacher has simply disappeared. Whether Liberal or Conservative, it doesn’t make any difference. This is the unfortunate fact, and it lies at the foundation of the efforts of many people today to find a different form for the Church.

I am currently reading The Divine Conspiracy by Willard and this is a theme that he continues to emphasize. So how do we do this? How do we create new forms of church where people become "authentic disciples of Jesus"? As a pastor, I am often frustrated by the lack of authentic discipleship and yet I often feel powerless to change or challenge much of it.

This is one reason why I believe that prayer is so important to the pastoral calling. Eugene Peterson discusses this extensively in Working the Angles. Pastors must be people who pray...yet I so often neglect this. Why? Because much of the time it isn't urgent. It doesn't call me, setup an appointment with me, end up in the hospital, or show up in my inbox. Prayer is the essential non-urgent task that all pastors must diligently engage in.

CNN.com - Wi-Fi farming expected to catch on - Jun 18, 2004

CNN.com - Wi-Fi farming expected to catch on - Jun 18, 2004:

Pocknee's lab has created a boxy contraption that has rubber tires, a jumble of wires and hoses, a GPS system and several computers. It can be guided by GPS signals or a human with a joystick through a wireless network.

I know several farmers who already use GPS to guide there trackers through the field. With robotic tractors, there will be even fewer people living in the rural areas. Wow, now we can all go live in the cities and add to the congestion, pollution, traffic, noise, violence...

Prostitutes love Jesus too

Continuing in the vein of Nouwen's book here's Dallas Willard's thoughts on the relationship between love and faith from his excellent book The Divine Conspiracy:

"Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You didn’t give me a kiss of greeting, but she has kissed my feet again and again from the time I first came in. You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume. I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” (Luke 7:44-47, NLT)

“Loved me much!” Simply that, and not the customary proprieties, was now the key of entry into the rule of God.

Jesus went on to say to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you. Go with peace in your heart.” Here is God’s rule in action.

We must not overlook the connection between faith and love. The woman saw Jesus and recognized who he was and who dwelt in him. That vision was her faith. She knew he was forgiving and accepting her before he ever said, “Your sins are forgiven.” She knew because she had seen a goodness in him that could only be God, and it broke her heart with gratitude and love.

I find this passage fascinating! She hadn't attended a new members class or a confirmation class. She hadn't been instructed as to what the correct propositions concerning Jesus were that she needed to believe. She didn't pray the "sinner's prayer." She simply observed Jesus, was attracted to him, and fell in love with him. She just loved Jesus.

This is of vital importance for us today. Acts 1:1 says,

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach.

I thought it was finished? But no, Christ's work continues through his followers! Therefore, the question for us is, do our lives attract people or repel? Do they observe us, are attracted to us, and fall in love with Jesus who dwells in each of us who are now in Christ?

Sadly this is often not the case in my life...forgive me Father, let me fall more and more in love with you so others can too.

Relevance and the Emerging Church, part 2

Nouwen in his book In the Name of Jesus states that the discipline to overcome the temptation for relevance is contemplative prayer.

The question is not: How many people take you seriously? How much are you going to accomplish? Can you show some results? But: Are you in love with Jesus? Perhaps another way of putting the question would be: Do you know the incarnate God?...

To live a life that is not dominated by the desire to be relevant but is instead safely anchored in the knowledge of God's first love, we have to be mystics. A mystic is a person whose identity is deeply rooted in God's first love.

If there is any focus that the Christian leader of the future will need, it is the discipline of dwelling in the presence of the One who keeps asking us, "Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me?" It is the discipline of contemplative prayer. Through contemplative prayer we can keep ourselves from being pulled from one urgent issue to another and from becoming strangers to our own and God's heart...

It is not enough for priests and ministers of the future to be moral people, well trained, eager to help their fellow humans, and able to respond creatively to the burning issues of their time. All of that is very valuable and important, but it is not the heart of Christian leadership. The central question is, Are the leaders of the future truly men and women of God, people with an ardent desire to dwell in God's presence, to listen to God's voice, to look at God's beauty, to touch God's incarnate Word and to tates fully God's infinite goodness?

Wow! Challenging stuff! So let's ask the question...Are we truly men and women of God?

Relevance and the Emerging Church

A few days ago Maggi Dawn referencing a few posts from for the time being made the point that we should regard attempts at relevancy with adequate suspicion. Geoff states:

I want to explore the significance of replacing the project of relevance with the project of identity. Let us not seek to be relevant but to express our identity as follows of Christ, as Christians within the particular cultures that we are in.

As I mentioned last week, I re-read Nouwen's excellent book In the Name of Jesus. In this book Nouwen looks at the temptation of Jesus Christ in the wilderness and the reinstatement of Peter by Christ following his denial as helps in shaping Christian leadership. Christ's first temptation was relevance. "Turn these stones into bread." Nouwen states:

Jesus' first temptation was to be relevant: to turn stones into bread. Oh, how often have I wished I could do that! Walking through the "young towns" on the outskirts of Lima, Peru, where children die from malnutrition and contaminated water, I would not have been able to reject the magical gift of making the dusty stone-covered streets into places where people could pick up any of the thousands of rocks and discover that they were croissants, coffee cakes, or fresh-baked buns, and where they could fill their cupped hands with stale water form the cisterns and joyfully realize that what they were drinking was delicious milk...

The leader of the future will be the one who dares to claim his irrelevance in the contemporary world as a divine vocation that allows him or her to enter into a deep solidarity with the anguish underlying all the glitter of success and to bring the light of Jesus there.

Clearly relevancy is an issue and even a temptation in ministry.

The solution for this, according to Nouwen is the discipline of contemplative prayer. Tomorrow I'll write about Nouwen's ideas concerning contemplative prayer.

In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership

Amazon.com: Books: In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership
This weekend, I am re-reading this excellent book by Nouwen. I'll post some quotes and comments when I get a chance.

We are in Breckenridge this weekend as I am officiating at a friend's wedding. It is so beautiful here! And performing weddings for friends in beautiful places is one of the best perks of pastoral ministry!

Finished "When the Kings Come Marching In"

When the Kings Come Marching In
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I have an earlier version of the book. I am tempted to buy the updated book! Much of Mouw's discussion is relevant for the emerging church discussion. Here's a quote to wet your appetite (gleaned from pages 61-63):

This fact, then, (that Jesus is the light of the Celestial City) must first of all be pointed to for the benefit of those who have professed to honor Jesus as the Lamb of God but who have paid little attention to the cultural dimensions of his atoning work. Some Christians have greatly emphasized the individual benefits of the redemptive ministry of Jesus Christ. They have viewed the work of the Cross almost exclusively in terms of a transaction that took place to effect the salvation of individuals...

We ought not to belittle this important emphasis in any way. It is an emphasis that has come to be associated with an "evangelical" type of faith; indeed, it expresses something of the very heart of the Protestant Reformation. Jesus died to cancel debt of our individual sins, and the believer is justified by faith in this atoning sacrifice. Every person who trust in Jesus as the one who has "paid it all" can live in the confidence that he or she has been granted an everlasting pardon form the penalty of sin...

Some Christians have expressed suspicions about this emphasis on the salvation of individuals; some have even ridiculed those who have insisted that this is a central emphasis in the Gospel. They have feared that a strong pattern of "individualism" lurks just beneath the surface of "I-centered" expressions of Christian faith.

We cannot deny that dangerous tendencies manifest themselves in this kind of piety...

There is nothing that is intrinsically inappropriate, then, about an understanding of the Gospel which strongly emphasizes the individualizing love of God. Indeed, properly understood, this emphasis can express a profound comprehension of the Gospel.

The dangers arise when this element is emphasized to the exclusion of other important dimensions of the work of the Lamb. Jesus died to save sinners--but he is also the Lamb who serves as the lamp in the transformed City. As the Lamb of God he will draw all of the goods, artifacts, and instruments of culture to himself; the kings of the earth will return their authority and power to the Lamb who sits upon the throne; Jesus is the one whose blood has purchased a multi-national community, composed of people from every tribe and tongue and nation. His redemptive ministry, as the ministry of the Lamb, is cosmic in scope.

Let me encourage you, in the words of Augustine to "pick up and read" this excellent book.

Postmodern Community and The Colonial House | PBS

I was reading an interview of Stanley Grenz by ginkworld on Stanley Grenz's site. The interview includes a discussion about community. Here's a quote from Grenz:

Postmodern people do indeed "crave" community, but unfortunately they so often settle for "lifestyle enclaves," largely because the only way they know how to relate to others is as "consumers."

I agree with Grenz that we are greatly shaped by our culture as consumers. Consumerism informs so much of our lives. So the question in my mind was what does community look like that is not radically shaped by consumerism?

Enter Colonial House, a wonderful PBS program documenting the efforts of twenty-first century westerners to live like 17th century American colonists.

Colonists around the campfire. 

These individuals experienced community in terms that few in our modern age ever will. They had to depend greatly upon one another for food, shelter, and companionship. Their experiences included shared grief, mutual suffering, celebration, intense conflict, and a common mission. Sounds like koinonia doesn't it?

Yet how much of our current communities even church communities are based on consumption?

National WWII Memorial

Finally! 
National WWII Memorial
Finally, the veterans of WWII have a powerful memorial to their incredible sacrifices. Unfortunately millions did not live to see this day. 1,100 die each day.

Homeland Security

 
I saw this t-shirt when we were in Santa Fe, NM. Very profound statement. Why don't we think of our colonies as terrorism? Is the US truly a morally superior nation like so many wish to believe?

Audioscrobbler :: User :: Hawkenstein

The Man! 
Audioscrobbler :: User :: Hawkenstein
Here's what I'm listening to. All of the information is uploaded using the Audioscrobbler plugin for iTunes for Windows. Cool stuff! So what have I learned? I am Phil Keaggy's biggest fan!

Floods kill 270 in Dominican Republic, Haiti

HoustonChronicle.com - Floods kill 270 in Dominican Republic, Haiti
We sponsor a Compassion child named Johan who lives in the Dominican Republic. He is only 5 soon to turn 6 in August. Please keep him and his father and mother and his 7 brothers and sisters in your prayers!

Johan, may God bless you and keep you, may his face turn toward you and be gracious to you, may he smile upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Passion: Hymns Ancient & Modern

Excellent new CD I picked up today in Greeley. Yes I have to drive 3 hours to get to a retailer that carries new CD's like this one! 

THEOOZE - ETREK >>> a learning journey

THEOOZE - ETREK >>> a learning journey
This sounds like a great venture! I hope I can attend someday though I am afraid that my learnings may not help much in my current ministry setting; a rural, modern culture and mindset.

Astronomy News - Cosmos 'A Billion Years Older'

Astronomy News - Cosmos 'A Billion Years Older'
Oh great! Now the young earth creationists have another billion years to explain!;)

PoMoMuSiNgS: ec04: A New Theology for a New World

PoMoMuSiNgS: ec04: A New Theology for a New World:

it seems to me for now that this is a pretty good way of understanding

This is a great quote from Doug Pagitt on Pomomusings. I use to struggle with my lack of certainity when I was in seminary. I felt that a pastor needed to know with certainty everything that he/she discussed, especially in a sermon. But I have given myself the freedom to change my mind even week to week at times. This is a phrase I know I will be using quite often in my preaching and teaching!

Denying the eucharist to pro-choice Catholic politicians

The New York Times > Opinion > Hustings and Pulpits:

But any attempt to make elected leaders toe a doctrinal line when it comes to their public duties raises multiple risks.

Though I don't agree with the Catholic bishops on this one, I don't understand the dichotomy that so many want to place between one's beliefs and one's practices. Shouldn't our politicians doctrinal beliefs influence their public duties?

The question of censoring "renegade" belief in the church is a sticky issue. On the one hand, should we not submit ourselves to the community of which we are a part? I strongly believe in a communal hermeneutic because the imput from others as they read the biblical text helps me better understand the text and keeps me from cocooning with too many like-minded readers. Yet on the other hand, were would the church be without those who challenged the churches teaching and sought to reform it?

Seems to me we need both. The difficulty for us in the discussion surrounding the emerging church is walking this fine line. I for one believe that we should submit our thinking to the scrutiny of the wider church community while at the same time continue to push the envelop for reform, rethinking, and re-imagining. Perhaps this is why blogging about these issues feels so relevant.

Glavine's near no-hitter

Glavine nearly throws a no-hitter against my Colorado Rockies. Ouch! 

When The Kings Come Marching In by Richard J. Mouw

I started reading this book this morning. It has sat on my self for years. I bought it when I was in seminary and Douglas Groothius recommended it in a class discussion concerning Christ and culture and our understanding of heaven. So far it's a great read. Here's a quote that stuck with me today:

God's Word is a unity--although the unity is often more like that of a symphony than of a geometry textbook.

Martin B. Copenhaver - A Story and Song for Every Occasion

Martin B. Copenhaver - A story and Song for Every Occasion:

And the stories that fill our lives are not just ways to pass the time, mere diversions. They have a meaning and power beyond anything we usually recognize. All stories reveal underlying assumptions about the way the world works, what is important in life and what is not.

This is an excellent reflection on Acts 16:16-34 and the power of stories in our lives.

Why the 'Lost Gospels' Lost Out - Christianity Today Magazine

Why the 'Lost Gospels' Lost Out - Christianity Today Magazine
A good article on the bad history related in The Da Vinci Code.

2004 ChristianityToday Book Awards

Church Central home - church growth and church health resources, research and news:

Among the books recognized were Dan Kimball's book, "The Emerging Church: Vintage Christianity for New Generations" (Zondervan). The judges commented that Kimball, "thinks biblically about the nature of authentic church life -- including worship, evangelism, and discipleship -- and helps us to understand the church of the next generation."

Way to go Dan!

Rock of Ages - Music has power

The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Contributor: Rock of Ages:

Youth is a quality not unlike health: it's found in greater abundance among the young, but we all need access to it. (And not all young people are lucky enough to be young. Think of those people at your college who wanted to be politicians or corporate lawyers, for example.) I'm not talking about the accouterments of youth: the unlined faces, the washboard stomachs, the hair. The young are welcome to all that � what would we do with it anyway? I'm talking about the energy, the wistful yearning, the inexplicable exhilaration, the sporadic sense of invincibility, the hope that stings like chlorine. When I was younger, rock music articulated these feelings, and now that I'm older it stimulates them, but either way, rock 'n' roll was and remains necessary because: who doesn't need exhilaration and a sense of invincibility, even if it's only now and again?

My two aging churches could definitely use this! But alas, we are saddled with the worship wars here and they want the hymns on the organ. No wonder there is so little life and energy and vitality! The music we choose zaps it out of us! Perhaps this is in part why music in church is such a difficult issue. Music has power. It creates a feeling. What is the feeling we want to create in a worship service? What is the mood of a worship service?
For more fun, what are moods and feelings that the music of modern worship services produce versus postmodern worship services? I am glad to see the emerging church working diligently to delight the senses. It is wonderful to see the emerging church incorporating art, music, poetry, visual loops, computers, technology, etc. into worship. It is great to see the emerging church working to understand how our entire being is involved in worship, that the facilitators of worship (liturgists) create a mood, an environment, an atmosphere for worship.
And yet, I have experienced powerful worship with an organ and some old hymns. Why was it powerful? Because it was authentic. Because it fit. Because it brought God to bear on my reality.
So why doesn't the organ and hymns work in my churches? Because we are going through the motions! We do it because we have to do it, because we are told to do it. No one is even close to loosing themselves in the worship, giving themselves totally in free expression to God. No one would dare to dance like David!
Let's be passionate worshipers of God in spirit and in truth! Start this Sunday! Don't just go through the motions but be aware that God has called you to this place at this time to focus on him. So do it. It just might change you.

The Church of England Newspaper

The Church of England Newspaper:

Church as we know it is past its sell-by date, says Chris Neal, Rector of St Mary's, Thame. And it seems that people all over the Western world think so, too. Neal goes on to quote a figure of 53,000 who leave church every week - leave church, but do not abandon faith...

Five years ago we developed three statements which have informed what we’ve done since then: from programmes to people; from organisation to organism; from grind to gifting...

"I believe we are going through a big cultural and social paradigm shift and that we should be aware of that," Neal suggests. "The cultural shift is about community, it’s about open-ended questions, it’s about discovering the answer for ourselves."

Very good thoughts on ministry!

unlearning Church

unlearning Church:

If we continue to copy the models of the 1980s and 1990s, we're going to miss the next generation. I'm now learning to take my cues from the age group that's under thirty-five.

Good article on the emerging church.

The First Station - Jesus is condemned to die

The First Station. Jesus is condemned to die. 
I thought I'd share more of the Stations of the Cross shrine from San Luis, Colorado.

Christ and Culture

Fun book, bad history. 

I am amazed at how some Christian's interact (or rather don't interact) with culture.

Tonight, I presented a seminar on The Da Vinci Code. We had a pretty good turn out for our little community. Knowing that the audience would be moderns, I was comfortable presenting a very modern, foundational view of the New Testament (you must exegete your audience!) while throwing in plenty of post-evangelical comments and thought for them to chew on. The seminar went really well and I had a lot of fun doing it.

Afterward a person from one of the non-denominational charismatic churches asked me alot of questions. "Why would we 'stoop down' to reading something that isn't God's truth? Why should we engage the culture with these secular books?"

I remember when I was afraid of the culture. I remember when I believed in guilt by association. I am so glad that I have moved beyond that! And I hope this person can and will too!

I am becoming more and more sensitive to just how intolerant and close-minded evangelical and especially fundamentalist Christians are. And most just don't get it!

May the emerging church continue to work toward open and healthy dialogue with people of all beliefs. May we humbly seek to share Jesus Christ faithfully, trusting that the Holy Spirit is already at work in the lives of those around us, even if it is through those secular books like The Da Vinci Code.

W.W.J.D. What would Jesus do?

What would Jesus do? 

A comedian on Leno told a very funny joke tonight:

I was wearing one of those W.W.J.D. bracelets and I was at the movies. One guy's cell phone starts to ring, you know, one of those obnoxious rings that's a song. But he won't answer it because the good part of the movie is coming. Finally he answers it like nothings going on, "Hey, what's up? Nothin'. Just sittin' in the movie theater.

I say, "Hey would you please hang up the phone, please."

The guy turns around and says, "Shut up pal. It's none of your business, punk!"

I'm a man and I'm about to stand up to this guy when I look at my W.W.J.D. bracelet and think what would Jesus do?

So I set him on fire and sent him to hell!

My blog went on a diet!

Out in the sticks
With the recent improvements in the blogger experience, I decided to streamline my blog and lose a lot of the superflous stuff. Hope you like the new look.

Jesus and the mountains

Jesus and the mountains, 

Stations of the Cross

On our way home from New Mexico we stopped in San Luis, Colorado which has a wonderful Stations of the Cross trail on a mountain side. It was a powerful hour or two praying the stations of the cross and marveling at the beauty of God's creation.

It is truly a mystery that the creator of the mountains came and gave his life for us!

If you ever get a chance to go to San Luis, be sure to do the Stations of the Cross!

The New York Times > Science > Space & Cosmos > Venus Returns for Its Shining Hour
A once in a lifetime event. Don't miss it!

Dangerous Religion

Dangerous Religion, Sojourners Magazine/September-October 2003:

The real theological problem in America today is no longer the Religious Right but the nationalist religion of the Bush administration--one that confuses the identity of the nation with the church, and God's purposes with the mission of American empire.
America's foreign policy is more than pre-emptive, it is theologically presumptuous; not only unilateral, but dangerously messianic; not just arrogant, but bordering on the idolatrous and blasphemous. George Bush's personal faith has prompted a profound self-confidence in his 'mission' to fight the 'axis of evil,' his 'call' to be commander-in-chief in the war against terrorism, and his definition of America's 'responsibility' to 'defend the--hopes of all mankind.' This is a dangerous mix of bad foreign policy and bad theology.

Amen.

What's Going On? Starting a Conversation with Rural America: "They hoped their pastors and people would be vigilant about caring for one another--especially that member or family whose regular pattern of worship attendance has suddenly changed."

Good advice from farmers for pastors.

Caleb Ministries Home Page
This looks like a good resource for rural pastors. Brian is speaking at a conference on church growth. His topic is the Emerging Rural Church. Sounds interesting.

American Society for Church Growth - Conference: "Brian McGaffigan, pastor Alberta, Canada
Presentation: 'The Emerging Rural Church'"

Sounds interesting.

TheSubversive Art - LeadershipJournal.net:

Two weeks ago I sponsored a 'Doubt Night.' I said, 'I want to talk about my own doubts about God, Jesus, the Bible, salvation, faith. And if you have some, bring them. Write them down and pass them forward, we'll read them and we'll see what happens.' We had a huge box--you would not believe--and I just started going through them, reading them and discussing them. It was so awesome.

Great idea!

TheSubversive Art - LeadershipJournal.net:

A lot of Christian preaching isn't really seriously about story. I don't want to conquer mystery. I want to celebrate it. And in the modern era we have 'Seven Steps to Prayer,' 'Four Steps to Financial--whatever.'' Those all, I assume, have their place.
But what often happens is God gets shrunk down in the process. In the effort to boil things down, God gets boiled down. And there have to be spaces where mystery is simply celebrated.
The true orthodox faith is deeply mysterious, and every question that's answered leads to a new set of questions. A lot of preaching tries to answer everything. At the end of the sermon, people walk out with no more questions. But if it's truly proclamation of truth rooted in God--
The rabbis believe that the text is like a gem: the more you turn it the more the light refracts. I heard a guy one time say, 'Oh yeah, I got a sermon on that verse. I got it pretty much nailed.' What? Are you out of your mind? You have that nailed? I just endlessly turn it.

Wow great stuff! So how do I apply this to tomorrow's sermon...a text and a sermon that I am not all that excited about?

There is some mystery in this text...let the mystery speak.

TheSubversive Art - LeadershipJournal.net
Great article.

The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: Columbine: Parents of a Killer:

My instinct is that Dylan Klebold was a self-initiating moral agent who made his choices and should be condemned for them. Neither his school nor his parents determined his behavior. Now his parents have been left with the terrible consequences. I'd say they are facing them bravely and honorably.

Powerful story about Dylan Klebald's parents trying to rebuild and go on with their lives.

My wife and I are currently attending theWee Kirk conference in Glorieta, NM. It is a great idea for a conference. It is geared to small churches (Wee Kirks) and it is sponsored by Presbyterians for Renewal. So far the conference has been okay. Nothing earth shattering for me. My wife has really enjoyed it.

My frustrations with the poor preaching led to a discussion between her and I about pride. I must say that having attended seminary I am now rather critical of sermons.

Is it prideful to be critical of sermons? This question stimulates my thoughts on the entire emerging church question: is it prideful to be critical of the modern church?

In general I don't feel that it is prideful to criticize poor sermons or be critical of the modern church. But I do believe that the spirit in which we do so is important. What is a healthy spirit for criticism?

Perhaps if our criticism is in an effort to make others better, to make the church more effective, rather than to place ourselves above others, to make ourselves better than others.

A fine line but an important line. What are your thoughts?

The New York Times > International > Africa > Hundreds Die in Attack on Nigerian Village:

"An attack by a Christian militia"

Isn't this an oxymoron?

[Listening to: Between You and Me - dc Talk - Jesus Freak (4:59)]

Yesterday was a frustrating and difficult day. It was frustrating because it was The National Day of Prayer and I am sick of hearing American's pray that God would heal our land via 2 Chronicles 7:14. Newsflash - THIS DOES NOT APPLY TO AMERICA! Sorry, I feel like yelling!

Couple that with several diatribes concerning liberal judges, abortion, and homosexuals I felt very frustrated.

It was a difficult day because most if not all of my churches parishoners whole-heartedly and unquestioningly agree with these things. It was difficult because my post-evangelical convictions are not terribly welcome in this small town. In some respects I feel it is even dangerous to post this.

Yet despite any potential misunderstanding, I feel the need to challenge much of what is seen as "Christian" by evangelicals.

My frustration yesterday began at a prayer breakfast I attended. Now let me commend the men's non-denominational Thursday morning prayer group that organized this event without the assistance of any church in town. It was great to see laity who are passionate about something from several different churches and denominations work together on this event.

However, the speaker offended me by describing non-Christians as long-haired, pierced, tattooeed, raggedly dressed people. He did acknowledge that some Christians look like this but that they are not fully conformed to the likeness of Christ yet. WHAT?! Since when was the likeness of Christ equal to middle-class American values?

It is amazing the walls the church puts up. Ironically and probably unknown to the speaker, the restaurant that catered the event is owned by a tattooed, pierced, openly gay woman. I wonder what she heard in that statement! I bet she made huge strides to coming to embrace Jesus Christ yesterday!

I could go on and on about this but I won't. I love the folks in my town and churches. And that love and concern is what fuels my frustration. I so desperately want the Christians in our community to be reached for Christ as Brian McLaren explains so well in his book, More Ready Than You Realize.

Here's a quote from his book on the Lectionary reading from Acts 11:1-18 for this week. I can't wait to preach on Sunday!

But even better than reading a book is engaging in spiritual friendship with [postmoderns], because their stubborn refusal to be content with our modern depiction of God will pus us better than any book could to realize that God is not limited to our modern conceptualizations. In this way, engaging in spiritual friendship will not only help others become Christians, it will help us become better Christians, who love God more than ever. This occurs because our concept of God is expanding, deepening, and growing more glorious through conversation with our seeking friends. In essence, the Christians are "converted" first in authentic spiritual friendships.
There is a wonderful story in the New Testament that prepares us for this kind of profound transformation in ourselves as "converted" people who seek to help our as-yet "unconverted" friends. As you read the story found in Acts 10:1-11:18, be careful not to reconfigure it to fit into your preexisting categories. Try to let it stretch or even deconstruct your current categories.

Several pages later, still discussing this passage, McLaren writes,

When we become spiritual friends as Peter did with Cornelius, we similarly become sensitive to issues of language. We become uncomfortable labeling people. Whether it's "impure or unclean" or more contemporary labels like "unsaved," "non-Christian," "lost," or "pagan," we become increasingly sensitive to the way that such in-grouping and out-grouping can itself be sub-Christian behavior. On the one hand, by using such language we can unintentionally elevate ourselves to a superior category; on the other hand, such language can degrade others--in our minds or to their ears or both. Either way, careless language sabotages spiritual friendship.

For more, I'd encourage you to pick up the book. It gives me great hope as I struggle to emerge as a new kind of Christian, neither liberal nor conservative nor evangelical, rather like someone without a home or country to call their own at this point of the journey.

[Listening to: When I Stand With You - Charlie Peacock - Love Life (5:14)]

The New York Times > Opinion > Op-Ed Columnist: The Oil Crunch:

"So what should we be doing? Here's a hint: We can neither drill nor conquer our way out of the problem. Whatever we do, oil prices are going up. What we have to do is adapt."

Human nature is so short-sighted.

[Listening to: Landslide - Dixie Chicks - Home (3:50)]

When Mother's Day is Hard - Christianity Today Magazine

Powerful article for pastor's to consider for Mother's Day written by a woman who attends Solomon's Porch.

The New York Times > Business > Average U.S. Car Is Tipping Scales at 4,000 Pounds:

"Average fuel economy peaked at 22.1 miles to the gallon in the late 1980's, according to the agency, but has eroded since then to 20.7 miles for the 2003 model year."

Why? I imagine that this even takes into consideration the new hybrids. How discouraging.

Go Figure - Christianity Today Magazine:

14 million - AIDS orphans in the world today
25 million - AIDS orphans expected by 2010

Sobering statistic. Does anyone know what the church is doing about this?

[Listening to: Echoes of Eden - Steven Curtis Chapman - All About Love (5:04)]

"Being controlled by the opinions of others is a guaranteed way to miss God's purpose for your life." - Rick Warren

[Listening to: Sweet Nadine - Arc Angels - Arc Angels (4:31)]

Rick Warren's Ministry Toolbox:

Scripture is filled with stories of captivating characters whose lives help us better understand God's truth. What must it have been like to be Joseph, alone and abandoned in an Egyptian jail, yet still clinging to faith? What was it about Joshua and Caleb that allowed them to stand against the majority when they returned from spying in the Promised Land? What would it have been like to be Hosea, with an unfaithful wife and a call from God to take her back again and again? Those are the images that will stay with our congregations long after they have forgotten the points of our homiletical outlines.
Don?t be afraid to take time to tell their stories, and allow your listeners to be pulled into their lives.

If preaching has a future in our culture it is the telling of the great stories in scripture.

Great storytellers have always used detail to make their tales come to life. Why shouldn't those of us who proclaim the greatest story ever told take advantage of every tool available? The great African-American preachers are masters of this art; they use words to paint a picture that grabs our attention and makes us see.

Doubting the Doomsayers - Christianity Today Magazine:

I have learned not to believe everything I read on the Internet, and not to believe everything I hear from doomsayers.

Great article from Yancey. Very encouraging news.

[Listening to: Like It, Love It, Need It - dc Talk - Jesus Freak (5:23)]

PC(USA) - Evangelism and Church Development -
From the PCUSA.

[Listening to: Missin' You - Chris Rice - Past The Edges (9:57)]

Regional Congregations Network
Another article about rural churches.

[Listening to: Missin' You - Chris Rice - Past The Edges (9:57)]

The Rural Church: Its Future Challenges by Lance R. Barker
I am starting to list articles that deal with rural churches. Here's one that is interesting.

[Listening to: The Last Of The True Believers - Nanci Griffith - The Last Of The True Believers (2:53)]

eBay item 4146756343 (Ends Apr-28-04 15:37:01 PDT) - SIZE 12 WEDDING DRESS/GOWN NO RESERVE
This guy has gotten a lot of attention lately. This is one of the funniest things I have read in a long time! He needs to be a blogger!

[Listening to: Jesus Is For Losers - Steve Taylor - Squint (4:18)]

Leadership Network - Archives:

The New Sunbelt

Beyond the old north to south migration, Frey calls the New Sunbelt ?the American suburbs.? It has 13 states and while it contains only about 20% of the population, it includes the states growing the fastest by domestic migration. These areas are particularly growing in young adults and retiree populations. Also in this region, the fastest growing areas are suburbs, exurbs and smaller metro areas. States in the New Sunbelt include AZ, CO, DE, GA, ID, NC, NV, OR, SC, TN, UT, VA, WA...

Each region has different predominant characteristics. Don’t assume that an approach that works well in one region will work equally well in another.

New Sunbelt States
As Frey suggests, these states are the most “suburban” in mindset. Churches using the strategies pioneered over the last 20 years in suburbs could do well.


Additionally there is opportunity to plant churches targeting seekers, gen-x adults, and retirees.


An opportunity may exist to plant new churches in smaller metro areas. In many cases, the largest churches in smaller metro areas are relatively new churches.

Very interesting article. Find your region and think through the implications for you and your church.

[Listening to: Who Needs Sleep? - Barenaked Ladies - Stunt (3:44)]

The New York Times > Opinion > The President's Testimony:

The strangest of the president's conditions is that he will testify only in concert with Vice President Dick Cheney.

I don't understand what Bush is thinking on this one!

I am an independent. In many ways, like many postmoderns, my politics feel like they transcend the traditional categories of republican/democrate and liberal/conservative. One of my elders said he couldn't figure me out whether I am liberal or conservative. Cool. Keep 'em guessing and keep challenging them in the process.

[Listening to: The Finish Line - Steve Taylor - Squint (5:28)]

The New York Times > Technology > Circuits > Playing Catch-Up on the Console:

To topple Sony from its No. 1 position any time soon would be a 'titanic event, up there with the fishes and loaves on the all-time miracle list,' he said.

From the random biblical allusions file.

[Listening to: When I Believe It - Dogs of Peace - Speak (5:00)]

Found some fun plug-ins for posting what I am listening to on my blog. I'll play with it a few days and see how I like it.

[Listening to: Apple A Day - David Wilcox - Into The Mystery (3:40)]