just a little

How sweet are words of encouragement from friends. Thanks.

don't be an egg-no-ray-moose

I don't want to write the whole great article I just read, like some pastors that would reteach their sermon in the closing prayer, but this is one of the most important things I've read about the church as it is today. It seems you're either one of two churches, one that does things as they've been done since the 1950s and one that wants to attract people that have never been to church before. But if you're the second one what do you do with the people that aren't historically part of the culture? Biblical ignorance is rampant and it really affects the church because ultimately people's daily lives aren't being changed.

Anyway, here's the article. My biggest passion is empowering people to be unpaid pastors, at work and in their local church. Not knowing the Bible is the biggest impedance to doing that.

Onward and upward

Your resurrection

Since going to Beulah Camp Meeting this last week, this revelation has changed my life. It really shouldn't have changed my life, since I've been reciting the Apostle's Creed for years, but I guess you can say something from memory and not connect with it in any meaningful way. But Dr. Steve Lennox preached really deep sermons on the Creed and I feel like my faith has gained something new. Nobody ever talked about a bodily resurrection at any time during seminary and I guess I've truly stayed the faith of my youth, and we certainly never talked about it.

Well, I just finished reading Miracles by CS Lewis and look forward to Keith Drury's Common Ground and Mike Licona's The Resurrection of Jesus. Good cigar books probably but I look forward to them.

Anyway, if you want to know more, here's a brief synopsis of my excitement on a site I often visit. Hope it changes you too.

CH Spurgeon on books

One of my cigar smoking brothers that I'll be excited to meet in heaven, CH Spurgeon, believed in the value of books. I've got lots of them. I think they're of great value for smart people as well as people that want to be smart. I'll get rid of lots of things with my next move, but my books won't be one of them.

Mark Driscoll

This doesn't encourage my hope in the megachurch. Apparently Mark Driscoll can say whatever he wants. Now I'm not exactly following this guy or holding him up as a banner of the faith, but I do believe men need to be men. But just what are we going to do to teach the ones that aren't our children or part of our youth ministries? Surely not what Driscoll does.

No bully pastors. I don't see it in the Bible.

Onward and upward

what were you thinking?

If you'd never been to church or had any friends or history there, what would you expect it to be like? It seems the only attention the church is given in movies and TV is the Catholic church, and I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've been in one in my life. So, what is a place you would want to go and just hang out?

I bet it would be like a combination concert/sporting event/bar. Cheers always said a place "where everybody knows your name." For me, it would have to have great music. I mean, at least semi professional level musicians-people that wouldn't be out of place in a bar band. There would need to be general excitement and proper publicity for when these meetings were going to take place. There would also need to be elements of my world there-a little of the regular music I love, the TV and movies I watch-that kind of stuff. This would be included in the sermons, and we'd all get to preach if we wanted to. I mean, not all at the same time but there shouldn't be significant separation between the people and the staff of the church. Sermons would cover growing as a follower of Jesus stuff as well as becoming a follower.

There would also need to be places where we could get together apart from these big group meetings. Places and times designed to help people really get to know each other and be open and honest. Getting together over good food and adult beverages and maybe an after dinner cigar. Opportunities for people to let their hair down in a Jesus-following environment. I'm kind of an academic type so I like to read really good books on philosophy/apologetics-type stuff and I'd love to talk about them with other like minded people. Seems it might be nice to me to do this with other guys since I know my wife might like a similar experience with other women.

Anyway, pleasant dreaming, no?

Onward and upward

on being the new kid

Everyone will probably be one once. The brand new person that nobody knows anything about. Nowhere to sit in the lunchroom-you don't know what other kids are like you. But it happens all your life. And so few of us will ever have a chance to let people know who we really are without an extended introduction period that lasts until the natives say it's over. And that can last literal years. But isn't it so nice when one of those natives accepts you ahead of time? Maybe you've had that experience-when someone reaches over and makes you feel welcome before their friends think you deserve it. Or starts including you in things before you have proven yourself worthy to other friends and colleagues.

If you're a Christ follower, be that person. REALLY love your neighbor-at work, at school, at church, and that club/thing you lead.

onward and upward