Fuzzy Thinking

Summer here (not really, but it sure feels like it) and I’m trying to figure out a new summer schedule. My office hours and everything stays the same, but the kids are home. This means I don’t have to be at school to pick them up from school, practice, etc. So, my schedule is different. It isn’t better or worse, just different.

I’m working on several online projects, the main one being a complete redesign of UMSource.net. I was hoping to be able to make it ‘live’ before now, but, I feel like there are a few more things I would like to do to it first. Hopefully it will be up and running in the next few weeks.

This blog has MOVED to http://fuzzythinking.davidmullens.com. So…if you want to read any more of my posts, you will have to go there. Blogsome has been alright (I like WordPress), but, I am limited in what I can do. I have full control on my own domain at http://www.davidmullens.com. Also, for any wanting to get a free blog on blogsome, just know, they do _not_ have any type of export that I could fine. It was a real pain transferring all the posts on here over to my new blog. Please visit me at the new site.

Wow. It seems like I’m just posting once a month. Not good. I’ll try to do better.

The reason why I’ve not posted is just being involved in other things. I’m doing a couple of shows over at talkshoe.com and that is keeping me busy. Once is the Two Middle Aged pastor’s podcast and then I just started doing a new one called What Would Jesus Podcast. I do it along with two other guys. We look at news stories from “a Christian perspective”…whatever that means.

I’m also trying to keep up with my doctoral studies. I hope to post on that pretty soon over at the InnerJourney page. Other than that, not too much is going on….oh yea…I’m trying to keep up with the kids with soccer and all too.

Read this post and found myself wondering…if low number can be good (God’s winnowing) or bad (reflecting a group becoming too exclusive) and if high numbers can be good (God’s spirit moving) or bad (people coming for wrong reasons), then what’s the point of numbers? Do we really need to count the heads to know if what is going on in a youth group or church is good or bad? Perhaps if we could leave the numbers behind, we might be able to focus on more important matters.

Good reflection from N. T. Wright on Mark 11:1-11 (Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem)

Over the next few chapters, in fact, Mark will show us what Jesus meant when, in chapter 10, he radically redefined kingship. This is not to be the sort of royalty that either Israel or the rest of the world were used to. But the passage already raises questions for us in our own following of Jesus and loyalty to him. Are we ready to put our property at his disposal, to obey his orders even when the puzzle us? Are we ready to go out of our way to honour him finding in our own lives the equivalents of cloaks to spread on the road before him, and branches to wave to make his coming into a real festival? Or have we so domesticated and trivialized our Christian commitment, our devotion to Jesus himself, that we look on him simply as someone to help us through the various things we want to do anyway, someone to provide us with comforting religious experiences? In our world where most countries don’t have kings and queens, and where those monarchies that remain are mostly constitutional offices with the real power lying elsewhere, have we forgotten what, in biblical terms, a true king might be like?

Random Stuff. That link is to my Tumblr website . It is basically a simple blog, but it allows me to do a few things I can’t do on any of my other blogs. Anyway, I’m keeping it for more random stuff, what I’m doing (via Twitter) and links via Del.icio.us and especially quotes I run across.

I keep forgetting that in a church there are various types of individuals. There are some, who seeing the church as they would any other organization, will take part in its programs, its committees and other activities even though, they don’t understand the deeper issues of being sent or that Jesus calls them. There are others who come out of a sense of history because it is what they have always done. They don’t always understand why they are there or what part they play.

Perhaps the trick is to find those people who have been touched and transformed by Jesus and who still have their hearts open and receptive to what he is wanting to to through them and understand that. If you can get those folks together it would be powerful.

Of course, the other side of this is to discover ways to draw all in the church to a deeper relationship with Jesus so they will begin to understand their part in the kingdom of God.

Well, I’m sitting here and we are getting like a foot of snow. They have blizzard warnings out and my kids have been home from school and they have already canceled school for tomorrow.

The bad thing is, I tend not to get a lot done when this happens. I was able to get my sermon written this morning but my big plan was to get quite a bit of the first draft of my DMin paper finished. That has not happened and is not happening. Not sure what tomorrow will bring. Today is kind of lost for the most part.

I’m thinking that maybe later tonight I can spend some time at least thinking or research some of it.

Right now I’m posting from a tool called IMified. It allows me to post to my blog by using a chat client. I know this will change the way I do things | | hopefully, this is a new line (but I don’t know for sure). The formatting probably leaves something to be desired and I still don’t know if I can tag this as anything other than ‘default.’

It’s been a while since I’ve posted here. I’ve been so busy trying to get stuff up at UMSource that I haven’t posted here. At first, I just thought I had too much to do, but now I think there is another reason. Basically I keep getting confused on the purpose of the two sites. This one, I believe, is more of a ‘personal’ site while UMSource is more of a commentary, thoughts about the UMC. Then my Doctoral blog is for thoughts/quotes, learnings, etc. from my doctoral program and the process there.

With that in mind I wanted to post on what has been keeping me ‘busy’ over the past week or so. Through a series of ‘odd’ happenings, I discovered David Allen’s concept of GTD (Getting Things Done) which has given me an odd type of hope. I can’t remember where I first saw the reference (perhaps 43Folders.com) but it has changed how I’ve been doing things.

GTD is a productivity system. I was a bit skeptical at first. The one thing that ‘hooked’ me is how GTD believes that all the ’stuff’ rolling around in your head all the time steals mental energy from what you are presently doing. I could relate to that. I know that even when I’ve mentally placed something on the back burner it ends up taking energy from my current activities. I keep thinking about things that I should be doing, but I think about them when there is no way I can do it. I head out of town and of course remember that person I was going to visit…but now I cannot.

One of the activities of GTD is getting everything ‘out’ of your head and deciding what needs to be done with it. So basically you don’t have to keep thinking about all the ’stuff.’ Once you write it down you can concentrate on the activity at hand because you know you can deal with what you wrote down later. The rest of the GTD is the process of making _sure_ that none of the stuff you wrote down falls through the crack.

Anyway….as of today I’m much more organized than I have ever been. For the first time…ever (I guess) I feel fairly good about what I did this past week. I wrote things down, put things on the calendar, filed things away where I could find them and actually did the things I was suppose to do! My INBox is at Zero and I’ve gone through all my mail. This is not the way I usually operate.

It has only been two weeks…and I keep figuring that at somepoint I will ‘fall off the wagon’ but I don’t want to. We will see. I’m posting here…in a way…to keep me accountable. Perhaps in the future I can post updates and also some of the tools I’ve found helpful.

Well, I went and did it. I completely overhauled my UMSource site. Over the past year or two I’ve let the site become outdated. One of the reasons is the software I was using was prone to hackers. They never really effected the site much, but they did bother the server and my host would take the site down, tell me about the problem, then I would have to try to fix it. Usually this meant some type of upgrade which, at times, was a pain. I’ve moved the site to Wordpress which I hope works better.

I’ve also decided to change the focus of the site a bit. I believe the UMC needs to deal with issues such as being missional, emergence and even postmodernism. Within these ‘buzzwords’ there is a foundational need for true Spiritual Formation (There is a pop-spiritual formation which is a form of secular counseling with religious garb surround it). So, these are the issues I’m going to try to address, one way or another, on the site.

Along with those changes, I’ve invited a friend of mine Jeff Newtwon to put some articles on the site too. He is fully involved in a missional ministry and has wonderful insights.

Okay…. I had to post this. Found this over at Mustardseed. He posted his NFL Conspiracy theory. And since 1) he is right so far and 2) I am a huge Colts fan, I thought I would post a link to it: http://www.whatischurch.com/mustardseed/ Enjoy!

Dave.

On Sunday we did the song “O Come O Come Emmanuel.” Some in the band said something about it being a ‘downer’, not to mention the fact of it being in a minor key. For some reason my mind has been reflecting on this hymn ever since. I feel that because we live in culture that is one of plenty, it is easy for us to forfeit our cries of Emmanuel coming and rescuing us for a Advent full of Christmas shopping, catchy songs about Santa, fireplaces and snow.

For many, the pleasures of now outweight the promise of heaven (or should I say, rescue). It is easy to forget in the land of plenty that we are, after all, in exile awaiting our savior to come. Yes, he has come and now we are in the time of “the now and not yet.” He calls-invites us to labor for His kingdom and His purposes. The more we embrace this call-invitation the more we discover a longing in our hearts. When we understand that God’s kingdom is about ‘putting things back to rights’ (N. T. Wright) the glitter of earth ceases to fulfill us. Instead we discover a deep yearning within us. A yearning for the kingdom of God to come to full consemation.

It is to this yearning that the hymn speaks. It is a deep call to those who long to see God’s kingdom fulfilled. It speaks to those who have discovered that nothing this world offers can fix the deep emptiness in one’s soul. It speaks to those who have taken up their cross, left the world behind, and look forward and work for God’s kingdom. For those phrases such as “morns in lonely exile here” is more than a catch phrase. It is the cry of their souls. They understand what it means to wait for that final Avent.

O come, O come, Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear.

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might, who to Thy tribes, on Sinai’s height,
In ancient times didst give the law in cloud and majesty and awe.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save and give them vict’ry o’er the grave.

O come, Thou Dayspring, come and cheer our spirits by Thine advent here;
O drive away the shades of night and pierce the clouds and bring us light.

O come, Thou Key of David, come and open wide our heav’nly home
Where all Thy saints with Thee shall dwell — O come, O come, Emmanuel!

Chorus: Rejoice! rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

It is no secret that North American culture is a noisy culture. It is difficult for many people to turn off their TV or radio. It isn’t that people are watching or listening to it, but rather, the noise makes us feel comfortable, or like we aren’t alone. Add to that the explosion of music and musical genres, the ability with mp3 players to listen to your music anywhere and everywhere, we end up with very little time for silence. All this noise has caused us to loose our center.

There are segments who are calling for more silence, but for many modern Christians the call goes unheeded. The Buddhists, among others, have found benefit from silence. Those who spend time in meditation tell of its calming effects. There is even more power and peace for the Christian who discovers silent centering on Christ.

Silence has been an important discipline throughout Church history. In the modern church it seems largely lost. Instead we focus on pragmatic activity, busyness, and activism. We struggle with silence because we feel like we “aren’t really doing anything.” In our modern culture we feel that the only thing that matters is what we ‘do.’ If we do take time for silence, we may even feel guilty.

Yet, in the silence we discover our center. In the silence we can discover peace (true peace). In the silence we discover our center, Who is Christ. In the silence we discover our purpose so our actions aren’t merely activism. Through silence we are able to allow our actions flow from our center, rather than living in the realm of reactionism. Through silence we are able to see how much of our living is shallow and trendy.

Of course silence comes easier for some than for others. God has made each of us differently with comforts and preferences. However, silence is beneficial for all. As we discover the gift of silence, for it is a gift, we discover a peace we never knew before and a Center who is Christ. Perhaps, the first spiritual discipline we should incorporate into our lives is silence. Silence will flavor everything else.

Many Christians have settled for the simplicity on the naïve side of complexity. They do not want to be disturbed by issues that unsettle the status quo and deny them their passions and pleasures. They repeat the elementary truths of the faith over and over again, with little movement toward maturity. In the face of suffering and death, they become as vulnerable and self-centered as non-Christians, sometimes even more so. Success reinforces pride, personal opinion and independence. Failure produces resentment, insecurity and bitterness. They are “saved,” but overwhelmed by waves of popular culture. Their lvies follow the fashions and trends of the age. Beyond a few basic convictions, they remain as opinionated and culture-bound as the next guy. Their understanding of evil and salvation is superficial and simplistic.

- Douglas D. Webster in Finding Spiritual Direction.

Perhaps, in order to understand, agree, or believe that Webster is on the right track, one has to hear the call of God to leave their current level and state of spiritual maturity and begin yearning for something more. Perhaps before we can see our naivety, we must get to a place where we desire God more than anything else; positions, success, respect, fame, or anything else that we believe will fulfill us. Perhaps we must get to the place where we realize that there is nothing that can fulfill our deepest desire other than God. Maybe then, we will realize how we have all along exchanged God for dirty rags. Then, we will know, that Webster is right.

I am being more and more convinced that the best route for the UMC would be to do two things: 1) Get rid of membership. 2) Stop asking for church statistics.

I write these things because I believe if we stopped doing those two things, we would have to revisit what it means to be a church. If we stopped doing those two things, I believe panic would ensue because it would signify that things “are different.” Then, we would have to catch our breath, step back, and figure out what God is wanting us to be about.

On my way through Kentucky I saw this on a church sign near Lexington:

“Christians make good citizens”

What does this sign say about the church? About our nation? About God’s call? What cultural issues does this statement impact?

Shell says biofuels from food crops “morally inappropriate” - Yahoo! News

Here’s something that has never crossed my mind. A producer of biofuel believes that using food (I’m guessing corn) to create fuel is morally wrong. The argument is, if there are people without food, using the food we do have to create fuel isn’t a good thing.

They said they could make fuel out of plant waste and wood chips (the trees suffer again) to make fuel instead of food crops.

Some food for thought. Of course, our concern is never with the hungry or poor, so perhaps it is good that some companies are (even if in the end it is self-serving). I’m sure if we put our minds to it, we already have the resources to get food to those without food. It just isn’t really cost effective.

The bottom line will probably end up being how to cut energy costs. We will spend plenty of $$ to figure out how to do that. How to get food to those without (or even getting people clean water) will just have to wait.

Right now I have three kids in soccer. My son’s team didn’t have an assistant coach, so I told the main coach that I was willing to help and he ask me to “be with him on the sidelines during games” and help with practices. I’m assuming this makes me the assistant coach.

What I’m discovering is that I have a need to be in control. I find it very hard to stand back and allow the “real” coach to make decisions and run things the way he wants to. Neither one of us knows that much about the game….but I’ve been going to these soccer games for about three years and I have had up to four kids in the program at one time. I think that gives me over 100 games in the stands (putting it that way, for some reason, makes me very sad…and tired)

I’ll see how things go. I’m trying to stand back….listen…and tell the kids to do what the coach wants them to be doing. After the games, however, I find myself wanting to make changes, or use different strategies.

Since I’m having so many “issues” I’m sure this is good for me Although right now we are 0-2 but…I keep telling myself winning doesn’t matter….which is a good thing.

In ministry you find yourself doing various activities such as driving, reading, talking with people, visiting in hospitals, going to meetings and hopefully finding time to think and pray.

Of course, one of the things to think and pray about is poverty. It is a real issue. It is a sad issue.

The county I live in is one of the lowest for per cap income for our state. It is a problem. I know others for who the issue of poverty is a subject of prayer, thought and action.

So, I was really glad to read this article from MSNBC.

Americans keep buying up second homes - Real Estate - MSNBC.com

It happens very often that one tries to do something and fails. He feels discouraged, and yet he may discover years afterward that the very effort he made was the reason why somebody else took it up and succeeded. I really believe that whatever use I have been to progressive civilization has been accomplished in the things I failed to do rather than in the things I actually did do. - George W. Norris

I saw this article in the South Bend Tribune. While the topic of ‘church’ going into the bars has always been an interesting idea, I often wondered what it might “look” like. Well, here is what it could look like. Apparently this is working.

Perhaps it is true that people aren’t anti-God or anti-Jesus. They are simply anti-church. Some have been saying this for a while. Maybe if we get out of the church buildings, we might find some success with the ‘crowds.’

So, being a good UMC pastor, I have to ask, If a UMC was going to start such a ministry, where on the forms would you keep the statistics? After all, should we only keep the ‘count’ if they come into the church or, can we count them even if they showed up at a bar (not knowing something like “Theology on Tap” was going on)?

Hmmm… Apparently a former minister and an MP with the governing Liberal Party in Australia says that they are “literally aborting themselves out of existance.” She is concerned about RU486.

So, if she is right, could that mean that America could end up being pro-life?

Australia ‘Will Be Muslim In Fifty Years’

The title comes from the last section of the article… So, if you are in a good mood, this is a good read…if not…well, perhaps you don’t have to read it

All kidding aside, the point is basically that while life is good, it can also be painful. Sometimes in a world that is focused on happiness, it is good to find balance….

Salon.com Life | Getting over happiness

Jeff and I were able to get together again and do another episode of our podcast. In this episode we discuss incompetence, Why American Idol is so popular and what we are watching on TV. Join the fun!!!

Incompetence and Why American Idol is So Popular

I heard about this around 1990 or so. A professor at Cornell University studied incompentence in people. Why are some people just plain incompentent? Dunning discovered that those who are truly incompetent also have the inability to see their own incompetence. If you think this is a Joke, they won the Nobel prize in 2000.

You can check out the link below for more information. Also, if you “google” dunning incompetence and cornell you should be able to find more links. Check This link out too…It is from the American Psychological Association…..

EducationGuardian.co.uk | eG weekly | Incompetents are clueless, research shows

Does this apply to churches????

Does life really take Visa??

I’m still trying to figure out what the new Visa commercial says about the times and culture we live in….

Asbury College: Wilmore KY » Catalyst for Renewal: Continous Chapel Services Concluded

I missed this as it was happening…Ironic, but I was probably working on my paper for my doctoral studies at Asbury Seminary while the renewal (revival?) was going on at Asbury College). Anyway, the link is at the top and you can also read more here

It is interesting that because of the revival at Asbury in 1970 people don’t want to make too little of this…but it seems like they are also cautious. The revival at Asbury in the early 70s was so pure, so good, and so far reaching, that I can understand the caution.

It looks like things are back to ‘normal’ now…if things can ever be normal after God does a work like this…..

I found the following quotes interesting to say the least… For background info, the government is trying to cut its budget and many Christians are having issues because many the cuts are coming to areas that help the poor and children.

Budget Battle - Christianity Today Magazine
Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., said of the protesters, “They don’t know what they’re talking about. There’s $1.7 billion fraud in the food-stamp program.” Congress decided against decreasing funding for food stamps.

Coburn cited other examples of federal waste and said government is not suited to aiding the poor. “If the churches had done their job and followed Jesus’ teachings,” Coburn told CT, “the government wouldn’t have started all these programs and created all these problems.”

But Coburn also cautioned against moving forward with further tax cuts. “We need to get our spending in order first,” Coburn said.”Then we can consider tax cuts, so people will have more money to do things like give to their churches.”

Here is another great quote from Rep. Jeb Hensarling. If you ever wanted who the “least of these” were that Jesus mentioned in Matthew 25, Hensarling knows….

“I believe the ‘least of these’ is my daughter, who’s 4 years old, and my son, who’s 2 years old, and all of those not born,” Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, said. “I believe it’s unfair to saddle them with debt way into the future.”

We sat there each knowing what the report would bring but unable to bring ourselves to deal with the realities. We wanted to hang on to hope even though all hope was gone. She had been in ICU for two days. The pressure on her brain was at 120, it was suppose to be 20-30. We all knew what was going on, but we kept praying just the same.

She was so young with so much potential. It was an accident. She wasn’t practicing dangerous behavior. No one knows what happened….perhaps she simply ran off the side of the road and over corrected, but it is all speculation. Yet, the accident was so bad, she was lifelined to a trama center. It was there we waited and prayed.

Ministry brings you into various situations. Many times you have entry to some of the most holiest times in people’s lives. Many times you have entry into some of the darkest times in people’s lives. I can’t think of anything darker than hearing the doctor say there is nothing that can be done for your 16 year old daughter…your only child.

There was nothing in my training that would prepare someone for such times. Perhaps that is because sometimes words just fail and the less that you say is the most healing. They say at times like this, silence and presence are the most healing balms.

Sometimes “getting over it” isn’t an option. Sometimes the prayer is to just get through it. Moment by moment becomes the only plan that you have for the future. Please remember this family in your prayers as they walk through this valley.

Also, if you ever find yourself in a similar situation, check out Compassionate Friends. And if you have lost a child, you might be able to hook up with a local chapter and help a family in the healing process.

You got to love some of the quotes you find….especially when reading books from the late 1800’s early 1900’s.. I don’t read much like this any more. It causes me to wonder how different Christian culture would be if we followed such advice…..

Study universal holiness of life. Your whole usefulness depends on this, for your sermons last but an hour or two; your life preaches all the week. If Satan can only make a covetous minister a lover of praise, of pleasure, of good eating, he has ruined your ministry. Give yourself to prayer, and get your texts, your thoughts, your words from God. Luther spent his best three hours in prayer. — Robert Murray McCheyne quoted in Bounds, E. M. Power Through Prayer. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1999.

Well, I finally admitted defeat and had a second phone line installed into our house. Defeat? you might ask… Well, I was holding out for DSL or Cable, or some type of broadband access, but it just wasn’t happening in my area. In fact, the phone guy told me I’m only about half a mile away from having DSL. Oh well….for now it is dial up. Hopefully this will at least allow me to blog and post to umsource.net a bit more.

As I was pondering the account of Joseph (or the story of Joseph) in Genesis 39, I started wondering, what would have happened if Joseph would have given in to Potiphar’s wife’s advances? After all, by not giving in and thus standing up for what was right he ended up in prision. How different would the story be if he had just said, “Sure! Why not? Mr. Potiphar isn’t around, he’ll never know.”

I guess I really don’t want to think about what would have happened. I assume that Joseph wouldn’t have ended up in prision. The bottom line is: The story would have been vastly different. I’m not sure in what way, but, it would have been different.

I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t have been as an inspiring story, or a story that sets forth an example . It would have been another story in the motif of Adam and Eve….see the one thing you can’t have, desire it, do it anyway (even though you know it is wrong). Joseph’s story, as is, stands as an example that our actions do matter. Even though we are saved by grace, our actions matter. Our actions have the power to change our story.

So, as I ponder Joseph, I have to ask myself: How different would my story be if I could be more like Joseph? How different would our collective stories be….our story as a people of God, if we, like Joseph, were able to walk (or run) away from that which temps us. It doesn’t really matter if that tempation is sexual in nature, or the desire for power, or recognition, or an easy life.

How different could our stories be…than they are right now?

And here we are getting at the root of the matter. A Jesus who does not look like us, doesn’t talk like us, doesn’t dress like us, and lives according to a different culture is alien to us. He is very hard to identify with. Instead of changing ourselves into an image more like his which requires hard work and not a little imagination, it is so much easier to mentally change him into the image of ourselves. And this domestication of Jesus if taken to an extreme (for instance with the Aryan Jesus concept) becomes in fact idolatry— the attempt to recreate God in our own image. But for most of us, it never goes that far. We just desperately want Jesus to be approachable, someone we could actually imagine emulating.

[Ben Witherington]

This is from Ben Witherington III’s blog. When I read it, I thought of the reports that people seem to like Jesus (when they do polls and such), yet, they have a low view of the church. Whenever I see articles reporting that Jesus is held in high regard, I always ask myself, “What Jesus?” My feeling is that the people responding to these polls really haven’t taken time to know who Jesus is, or what He calls us to. If so, then they either wouldn’t hold in in such high regard, or they would be living a very different kind of life. I believe that Witherinton is right, we would rather change Jesus to match our image, than to change ourselves to match His. For us to match His image means that we too must take up a cross…..

While I believe that what I’ve written isn’t Witherington’s point in the article, I believe the tendancy to create a new Jesus based on our likes and our image (Jesus as my fishin’ buddy) should be explored.

Web 2.0 Show - Episode 8 - Tara Hunt

That is what was said in an interview on the Web 2.0 show. I know a show about the web, isn’t about the church, yet, it seems, like businesses see trends in society before the church notices them.

The comment causes me to think of postmodernism and their focus on small or communities. Big isn’t seen as being better any longer. During the interview Tara Hunt, they talked about how smaller organizations were better able to make changes (being agile) and how they were better able to work with the community.

Now, the questions I have is: how does all of this relate to the church? Does it? Could the church be better served if those of us in smaller church (not megachurches) see our size as an assest rather than working to become what we are not?

One of the problems I have with the church growth movement is that it adopted methods with the assumption that methods are value neutral. This is false: some methods by their very nature distort the message. Focusing on method we bought uncritically into worldly assumptions about how the world works. Most insidious of these were worldly ideals of success (ABCs.. attendance, buildings and cash). In the Enlightenment framework, we were convinced that we could reduce unknown factors sufficiently that we could quantify and therefore control outcomes. We didn’t see our practices as idolatrous.

[NextReformation.com]

I really appreciated this article and makes some of the same points I’ve tried to make in the past…basically, we need to relook at how we, as the Church, measure success. Because the standards we use, will affect how we do ministry. I’ve just included an excerpt above. Follow the link for the full story.

Missional Church - LifeWiki

Ah….Now this is more like it. A pretty good start on the definition of a missional church. Now…how does one transform from a from a traditional 100+ denominational church into a missional church?

Helping “the poor”

This has been on my mind and there is much rattling around regarding issues of poverty in America and what can be done. Perhaps I first need to make something clear. Poverty in America is of a different degree than poverty in the rest of the world. It seems that our lifestyle in America creates poverty in America. It isn’t that people here don’t have basic needs, or access to help, but rather, people for whatever reason, when people can’t rise to a certain lifestyle level and that makes them poor.

However, one could say that in order to rise to a ‘normal’ American lifestyle it causes people to make decisions that are not helpful or healthy. For example, the family that takes whatever they have and purchases the large screen TV, or orders satellite or cable service while the children go hungry. Yes, because of the American lifestyle some are left in need.

Some of the need is caused by an inability to understand future consequences. I don’t know of any scientific studies, but antidotally, I know people that don’t seem to be able to understand the consequences of current decisions. They don’t understand that if they spend their $200 for (whatever) they won’t be able to pay for their heat. They have the $200 now, and can’t see the bill at the end of the month. I use to believe this was all budgeting issue, or “self-control”, but now I’m not so sure.

I’m not sure if it is a lack of planning, or if they are literally missing something in their physiological make up. It seems like even though they understand the concept of future consequences (or budgeting), they can’t seem to do anything about it.

Usually when someone finds themselves in a difficult place because of 1) faulty planing, 2) irresponsible lifestyle, 3) some type of mistake they’ve made, etc., many will respond with care, but not grace. Care tries to take care of the person’s need. Grace receives them as they are. Care is concerned about being taken advantage of. Grace asks no questions. Care wants recognition. Grace works behind the scenes.

What would happen if we setup a Grace ministry, or Real Grace ministry? I believe it would look like this: We help, no matter what. Will RGM (Real Grace Ministry) be taken advantage of? YES! Of course! Will RGM make people change their lifestyles? No.

The whole point of such a ministry would be to let people know they are accepted just the way they are…even if they are scamming the ministry. It is a risk, just as grace is a risk. RGM takes a chance.

What would happen? For some, they would remain the same. Others might see this as a cash (or care) cow and abuse the system. But what if….what if after receiving grace after grace after grace, something deep within is awakened? What if after decades of receiving Radical Grace a light comes on deep within their soul?

Most of the care ministries I know require those who are helped to do _something_. RGM wouldn’t. They would be helped and loved.

Why do I write these things? Because as I reflect on the love of God through Jesus, I see real, radical grace. Do some abuse this grace? Yes! Do some receive this grace, yet remain the same? Yes. Do some after years and years of receiving radical grace from a loving God have something deep within awakened to the reality of God? Yes. That is the point.

I have not dealt with the resources to do something like RGM. They would be enormous in my opinion. Yet, God’s grace and God’s resources are also enormous, so when I look at it with a ‘faithfilled’ eye it seems doable (grin).

I usually like to have things pretty much mapped out before I start a journey. However, this has not happened with my doctoral program. So, I’m basically stepping out on faith. I’m finding that doctoral programs are not cheap. So, I’m trying to find various ways to fund this adventure I’m on.

So far, I have some money via my professional expenses and the possiblity of a conference funded grant. Beyond that, I’m not sure. I know God is faithful and where He calls, He provides.

I’ve setup a paypal account for any “online” friends who may want to support me in this. I’ve also setup yet another blog (http://innerjourney.wordpress.com/) to chronical this journey and whatever else I might come up with. To donate, click the “donate” button on the right. Thanks!

Jeff and I are at it again…this time talking about “Control Issues.” You can find the podcast here.

Well, I just found out yesterday that my domain (umsourse) expired and goDaddy is charging me $80 to get it back. I’m pretty disappointed considering I can get a new name for about $8. Right now I’m not sure what I’m going to do. I can get a different domain a lot cheaper, or I can wait and see if I can get the domain after it expires from goDaddy.

Usually there is a ‘grace’ period where domain name owners can get the name after it expires. It is usually 30-45 days. Many registrars don’t charge extra during this time. GoDaddy has decided that it can charge quite a bit more.

So for now, my domain is gone…… This site is still working though…..

It’s been a while since I posted last. Thought I shoudl at least get on and post that I have been accepted to the Doctoral program at Asbury Theological Seminary. I’ve been accepted to start the January 2006 session.

This means a couple of things for me. One, it means that I must get back to reading, thinking, writing, etc. It also means that I will have to figure out how to pay for all of this.

I’m not sure which will be harder. Right now my attitude is to just do this and see how far I get. I’ve discovered time and time again that God seems to surprise me and do things that I don’t always expect Him to do.

Hopefully I can get on and write more later. I also may setup some type of paypal account or something if anyone wants to help me fund this thing!

» CA targets Sony DRM as spyware | Spyware Confidential | ZDNet.com

Here’s another reason why you should probably stay away from any CD produced by Sony until they have this mess cleaned up…. (see link above). You might want to check out the ’steps’ one has to go through to uninstall Sony’s spyware….

Jesus has always many who love His heavenly kingdom, but few who bear His cross - Imitation of Christ

I was able to get gas today for $2.17….happy days are here again!

PCWorld.com - Sony Uncloaks Hidden DRM Code

I thought I’d post a link to an article about Sony’s music recent practice of installing “copy protection” software that has the potential of making your computer instable and opening up your system to hackers.

This is a pretty big deal and has caused me to decide not to buy a CD by my favorite band Switchfoot (take time to look at some of the comments about the CD. The music/lyrics are supposed to be awesome, but many mention the code that is dropped on your system.)

The other issue is that because of the software, the CD may or _may NOT_ play on your regular CD player. At this time I’m not sure I want to drop $16 to find out I have limited access to the music. I’m pretty bummed about this….

If you have played a Sony Music CD on your computer, you can go to this web site and grab a free copy of Rootkit Revealer which will let you know if you have this, or other, rootkit type of software installed on your system.

It seems like it is very hard to remove this software, but Sony has a here allowing you to download software that is suppose to remove the software.

For more information, check these sites:

A working list of CDs
Link
link

Happy listening……

Just posted a new TMAP episode. It is again recorded at a Taco Bell. We decided to ask real college students some questions.

You can get the podcast from here

Jeff and I have a new episode of Two Middle Aged Pastors. We are sitting at Taco Bell discussing church programs.

We did a second podcast while at Taco Bell. We were in Lafayette because I was taking my MAT test at Purdue. Since we were there, we decided to talk with a few college students about “church.” I also took time to add some music to it. Not sure when it will be online, but I thought I’d give a short teaser

Well, I took my MAT test yesterday. I needed a 419 in order to get into the Doctorate program. My “preliminary” score? A 419. I wish I knew there were study aids available for this test. Also, I wish I would have had a liberal arts degree too. There were many questions about literature, history, music…not one question about technology.

I hope the preliminary score holds up. I don’t want to have to take it over…but at least I can study for it next time.

TownOnline.com - Beacon Villager - Local News

I guess all is fair in love, war and business. I’m sure the Christian’s at the Christian radio station feel justified in taking the local school’s frequency (after 35 years of the school broadcasting in the community) after all, they are broadcasting God’s Word. Seems ironic to me.

I guess I would feel much better about this _if_ it was the FCC making the decision and the Christian company “Living Proof, Inc” doesn’t really know that there is the potential of taking this schools freq.

“Enter through the narow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” - Jesus (Matthew 7:13-14)

Starbucks to put God quote on cups

Thursday, October 20, 2005 at 07:46 JST
NEW YORK — U.S. coffee giant Starbucks will put religious quotes from Rev Rick Warren, author of the mega-selling “The Purpose-Driven Life,” on its cups from next spring, USA Today reported Wednesday.

The paper said the quotes are part of the “Way I See It” campaign which includes 63 quotes from writers, scientists, musicians, athletes, politicians and cultural critics on cups for company-run and licensed locations to carry on the coffeehouse tradition of conversation and debate.

The cups will carry a disclaimer that the opinions “do not necessarily reflect the views of Starbucks.” (Wire reports)

from Japan Today

What I’m finding is that Jesus is right. As I struggle with prayer and the inner life, I find that it is difficult. The road that I know leads to life is narrow. I want it to be easy, yet, it is not. The easy roads that I have tried taking have always left me wanting in the end. When I do walk the road that Jesus calls me to walk, I find it is difficult and, at times, even lonely.

What surprises me is why it is difficult. It is difficult because I have to continually deny myself. In order to find, in Madame Guyon’s words, Union with God, I must first allow myself to become less and less. Sometimes I feel like the Incredible Shrinking Man who found himself becoming smaller and smaller. Yet, as he became more ‘insignificant’ in the sceme of things, he found acceptance and discovered his true existance within the universe (or something like that). What I find is that acceptance is difficult when your agenda and will is called to shrink.

While in one way I celebrate that Starbuck’s is going to start putting quotes on their cups that I can applause, I fear those quotes, the quotes that point toward life, will be put on equal footing with all the other quotes. They will become just another option for our culture. We will be the one’s in control and instead of our agenda’s falling away, they just become stronger.

We will find people combining those quotes with other quotes and create a new religion, not based on Jesus, but rather based on our own agendas. Instead of allowing Jesus’ words to be our Master, we will be masters over his words; accepting some, rejecting others, adding what He says to what others say until we discover our own personal spirituality. The question becomes, which road are we on?

Subversive Influence » Rick Warren and the PDL Cathedral of Comparisons

Ah…I read the quote referred to about a week ago in Christianity Today and thought Warren’s metaphor using the computer was a bit uninformed. I just put it off as someone in one discipline trying to use a metaphor from another discipline that he really doesn’t understand.

For one, not all computers use Intel. In fact, fewer and fewer do. Also, Windows is not the only Operating System and I sure wouldn’t want to say I was the “windows system for the 21st century” like Warren did. I would hope we would have a bit higher standards especially after Microsoft finally realizes (or admits) Windows is really broken.

Maynard is right on target comparing the traditional model church with Microsoft and the ermegent church with Open Source though. In fact, I’ve felt for a few years that the Open Source model could perhaps help us in the church figure some issues out.

Open Source is about distributive computing and creating. Open Source development needs people who know what’s going on and people who can actually do the work.

The traditional model doesn’t work that way. Basically, you have one entity (could be a pastor or “The Staff ™” who calls the shots. They tell “The Others ™” what to do. As long as “The Staff ™” know what their doing and “The Others” follow along everything is alright. It bcomes a top-down organization which worked in the past, but, isn’t really geared for the present or the future.

The problem, I see, in the top-down model is, “The Others ™” never really get to experience ministry first hand. Sure, they are followers, but they really aren’t experiencing the full move of God in their lives. While they may do what the leaders tell them to do, the experience is top-down (Although I should compare top-down to Top-down)

I’ve often wonder how we can have UM churches that have people who have been a part of it for years and decades, yet, they are unequiped to really do ministry. Sure, they might paint a building or two over the years, or give money, or work with kids at VBS, but really, do their day to day lives reflect a ministry or missional mindset.

There are some and, thank God for them, who have been able to rise above and discover God’s call on their lives. They are not Purpose-Driven ™, but rather Spirit led. God moves in their lives. They know what they’re about.

Perhaps I’m just ranting and I’m sure I’ve gotten off topic. The bottom line is this: I believe we, as the church, have stopped equiping and empowering Christians to make a difference in the world in which they live. Instead we have created followers of programs.

If there isn’t a DVD or book, or training involved, we don’t know what to do. We have forgotten how to listen for God’s Spirit moving in our lives. We study our Bibles, but do we allow God to speak through them?

There are some connections between Open Source software development vs. Traditional (read Microsoft) software development and the Emergent Church vs. Traditional Church. Perhaps I can flesh that out some more. The thing to remember is Microsoft is finding out the old software model doesn’t work. We, in the church, are discovering the old model doesn’t work. Yet, just as it is very difficult for Microsoft to change, so it is for us.

SouthBendTribune.com: ‘Jesus’ beckons ND flock

This article appeared in the South Bend paper before the ND - USC game. It was pretty cool what Jim Caviezel did and said, but what I found interesting was the following:

The candle-filled cove is a place set aside for prayer and reflection. Every evening at 6:45, the rosary is said. The quiet ceremony draws 25 or 30 people.

Last night, it drew several hundred.

It just points out how we still don’t really get the spiritual life in our current culture. I guess people would rather get together to hear what an actor has to say rather than spend time with unknown others taking a journey inward.

Brighthand — Wireless Networking Will Change Your Life — Part II

I love Wi-Fi. I love to be able to sit down at home, or better yet, at an internet cafe somewhere and be able to access the web, get email or download my favorite podcast using QuickNews for Palm. All in all, it is a pretty sweet setup that I’ve used many times.

Yet, this article scares me to death! I read through it and my throat starts tightening up. I love gadgets, but it took me a while to get a cell phone because there were times when I didn’t want to be reached! Now, I have a cell phone…

The worst part about this article is this quote:

After lunch, Bob heads off to his son’s Little League game. When his son isn’t on the field, Bob makes a couple of business calls and uses the voice-recognition capabilities of his handheld to work on a report he’s writing. He doesn’t feel uncomfortable doing this, as about half the people in the bleachers are doing the same thing.

Yea….I want to be so weighted down with work that I have to make some calls and write a report while my son isn’t on the baseball field. Too bad my son plays soccer…he’s constantly on the field.

That sad thing is, when I first read the article I thought, “Gee…that would be so cool to do.” I now repent.

While I look forward to the future and the ability to do such things, perhaps we need to keep things in perspective.

Apple - iPod

Ah…the new Ipod plays video! How awesome. Too bad that I would need broadband to download videos. Pretty cool nevertheless….

Well, my good friend Curt asked that I be a bit more specific on the Doctoral program I’m looking at. So, I thought I’d just do the update here for all to see.

I want my concentration to be in Spiritual Formation, so that left quite a few schools out. I found a program I liked at Gordon-Conwell, but didn’t feel comfortable with the theological slant. I am very much Wesleyan-Arminian, so I don’t believe I would be very comfortable in a Calvinistic environment (which I believe Gordon-Conwell is).

So, I went back to the other program I had been looking at. It is Asbury Theological Seminary’s Doctorate of Ministry. They have a concentration in Spiritual Formation. This program was also listed on Reovare’s site under training.

I was hesitant because I received my M.Div degree from Asbury. But, after looking at the program I felt like it was more in line with what I’m hoping to accomplish. The program at Fuller looked interesting….but it would mean trips to California

I’m filling out applications now. IF I make it, I’ll post more information.

Thanks Curt for making me do this update!!!

I’m in the midst of filling out an application for D. Min studies. Not sure how I will be able to pay for it, but it is something that I sense will help me to fulfill God’s calling in my life. Not sure if I will make it or not, but I feel for now it is the next step for me.

The track I’m signing up for is Spiritual Formation. I look forward to getting into the classics of faith and spirituallity. Perhaps I can write more later.

Any suggestions on this process is greatly appreciated.

I’m reading the book Culture Shift: Transforming Your Church From the Inside Out. For quite a while I have not been real thrilled with the church model of following other church’s models. I’ve seen way too many churches buy into a market-driven christianity and implement programs from market-savvy companies.

That might be a bit harsh, but I wonder what churches would do if churches couldn’t purchase the 40 days of purpse, Purpose Driven Church, Willow Creek programs, etc. Are we getting to the point where we wouldn’t really know what to do at all? If there were no ‘programs’ what would the church do?

So, at my current church I’m trying it a different way. First, we started some prayer groups. Second…well, I’m not sure yet. I’m finding “doing church” this way slow and I’m lacking patience. Culture Shift has helped me a lot because they are calling leaders to know the current culture of their church, discover the type of cutlure God is wanting to create, and then, through the Spirit, shift the current culture to the culture God wants.

The author’s use a phrase that I would like to coin for this process, “Innovation of the Spirit.” I’m convinced that instead of being program-driven or perhaps even purpose-driven, we should strive to be Spirit-driven. A very important part of my argument is that programs such as Purpose-Driven church, for Saddleback were very much Spirit-driven. But in our current church culture we have a way of taking something that was Spirit-driven, packaging it up, and marketing it, so other churches can implement it. It would be so wonderful, if each church could discover for herself what Saddleback, Willowcreek and others have discovered of God doing a “new” and unique thing in their midst.

The first step is to begin listeing to the Spirit of God. This happens through prayer. Could it be that we have lost this ability and skill? We are more comfortable with brain storming sessions. Could it be we lack the patienced to be God led? We are more comforable with “Git-R-Done.” Could it be that to again be moved by the Spirit means that we must leave our current comforts and cultures behind?

Lewis and Cordeiro admit that this is a slower process, but the results are worth it. Here’s an extended quote:

As church leaders merely duplicate someone else’s vision, they diminish their innovation, creative, and entrepreneurial side. Their gears become frozen; so long as they focus on copying someone else’s ministry, they don’t learn to get the stuck gears going.

If you don’t live by God’s promises, you’ll never advance and grow. You’ll clone, continue, duplicate, and maintain. Building by program is faster, but it doesn’t last. Programs build a presence but not a future. Building with programs means building a subculture for today, but building your unique culture releases your future.

In moving with the innovation of the Spirit to develop new vistas, you say, “Lord, we’ve not gone that way before, but we need to hear the Spirit speak to us.” You look at the peope in your church and understand why God put them there. You recognize that there are thousands of people in your community yet to be reached. You rejoice in the resources available to you, agreeing that God “is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think [the New International Version translate this word imagine] according to the power that works within us…”

We need an innovative edge to spiritual leadership in the twenty-first century. Business as usual isn’t changing the world. Something isn’t working when we see churches closing and too many others continuing just what they’re doing and never noticing that the Holy Spirit didn’t show up. Living by promises rather than others’ programs, you sense the Spirit saying to you, “This is what you’re doing to destroy the culture.” You also see how the Spirit wants to ignite your church. You discover afresh that no one is more creative than the Creator of the universe — and that if you can tap into him, you’ll be surprised at the things he shows you.

Culture Shift: Transforming Your Church From the Inside Out

USB Keychain TV Tuner picks up Analog and DVB-T TV Signals

Now…this is a product. How cool would it be to be able to watch TV on my laptop when ever and where ever. Too bad my palm doesn’t have a USB input

Hey, if you could please go to This link (by clicking on this link), sign up for an account and then complete one of the “offers” (there are several to choose from). By doing so, you can help me with my dream to get an IPod Nano. There really isn’t any catch. The offers are valid and from what I’ve been able to find out the website is legit. So, if you want to help me fulfill one of my ‘dreams’ then put your finger on the mouse button and click here I really appreciate it.

I only need 5 ‘friends’ to sign up for an account and complete an offer. Thanks! - Dave.

The question then I wish to pose is— if Christians should give up the quest to ‘get back to Christian America’, what then should we do? I would suggest we should go forward towards a Christianity in America that does a better job of being an advocate for its own position in all spheres of life and public discourse, not retreating into the narrow bubbles of holy conventicles, churches, home schools and the like.

If we really want to help our nation to go to Hades in a handbasket more quickly we can continue to retreat into our holy huddles, counting on the separation of church and state to protect us— when ironically there is no such written down principle in our founding documents.

[Ben Witherington]

A great post from New Testament scholar Ben Witherington from Asbury Theological Seminary. The question he poses is a wonderful one. Perhaps it is time to get away from trying to go back (to a time that probably never really existed (read the post)) and start moving forward. I believe that is what those of the “emerging” church are trying to do. They (we??) are trying to discover an authentic faith and live it out in the time period and place we find ourselves. All to the glory of God.

Well, I said I would drive my 1992 Geo Prizm until it stopped…and it did. Too bad I was about an hour from home. Also, too bad my wife was with me (so she couldn’t come and pick me up).

While driving the transmission went completely out. So, we were there on the side of the road. Good thing I knew one of the local UMC pastors. He pointed me to a good towing service, who then pointed me to a good repair shop.

I don’t have my car right now. We decided to get it fixed. It was more than I want to pay on a car with 165,000 miles, but it was cheaper than I expected. Now, I guess we get to start the process of looking for a different car so we can replace the Prizm.

So, I am a bit stressed trying to keep up with everything at church, the Katrina Relocation Plan (although Jeff is doing basically _all_ the work now), and trying to find a new car.

Although I have found a cool Volvo, I think because of family issues, we will end up with some type of 1999-2001 Ford Taurus Wagon.

That’s where I am…and why I haven’t written much here.

p.s. Make sure to check out The Katrina Relocation Plan and find some way to implement it (or some type of plan) in your community. This is something that everyone should be involved in because it really does effect all of us.

Online reunion efforts overlap, confuse some - Tech News & Reviews - MSNBC.com

It’s not just the reunion efforts that overlap. I keep hearing stories of evacuees coming into communities, but I’ve yet to discover who is actually in charge of placing the evacuees.

Right now it seems like FEMA is trying to take the lead. There is not one central plan in place to deal with the evacuees so, basically, individuals are left to come up with their own plan.

I’ve posted on the plan that I believe would work, but, the plan was developed because it really didn’t look like anyone else was heading anywhere.

The best plan was a “call” for people to open up their homes. There are big problems with that solution. For one, it isn’t really long-term (the evacueess will have to move at least one more time), and it can be dangerous, both for the host home and for the evacuees (unless you do background checks for all involved). As of now, it seems like, around Indiana at least, there are still some unresoved questions such as, if I have a home and a group to support that home, how does an evacuee family make the move?

Hopefully answers will come….

I’ve been talking to a friend of mine about this whole hurricane Katrina evacuee relocation issue. I just haven’t felt comfortable with the “opening up your home” solutions I keep hearing about. While I agree it is a very generous thing to do, I’m not sure it is the best thing to do for the evacuees. After all, they are displaced and putting them up in someone’s home doesn’t make them less displaced.

I’ve felt that if it were possible to get them to an apartment or rent a home, there would be a chance they could have a normal life. I also knew that I would be willing to partner with others to do this. I felt that if at least ten churches came together, they could probably find some type of creative solution.

Well, I found out that my friend got up early this morning and put skin and flesh to our conversation. After talking with him again and reading the plan, I really feel this plan can be used in other areas. The costs will be different because of the cost of living, but, the basic plan would be the same.

Hopefully, the domain will be active in the next day or so and you can visit the “real” website at http://www.KatrinaRelocationPlan.com. If not, I have it up at http://davidmullens.worldfreeweb.com/KRP/. If you want to read how the implementation plan is going, you can go to http://kokomokatrinarelocation.blogspot.com/.

I’ve been effected by the images I see on TV from the aftermath of Katrina. Perhaps, because we have so much in this country, such devestation strikes deeper. It pains me to realize that many of the people effected in New Orleans were poor, they were probably renting their home, now that home is gone, along with their job (if they had one), their ability to get any type of governement aid (Food stamps, etc.).

If they were renting and the house is gone, what means do they have to “rebuild” their home and/or their lives? What modivation do they have to return to New Orleans? What if the 25,000+ people decide to stay in Texas?

I guess what I’m wondering is, are we really ready for the new realities that the hurricane has brought? The situation is not going to be over in a few weeks or even a few months. Peoples lives have been forever altered which leaves the question, what is the best thing for us to do? What is the best way for us to live? Will this not only change those in the effected area, but us as well?

It has been a strange day…in a good way. This morning I was invited to “pray” or “do a blessing” for the local United Way campaign kick off. I was honored to be asked. I have a few people in my church connected to the organization and I’ve worked with others on the board before, so I knew quite a few people. I felt it was important to include those that have been effected by the hurricane Katrina.

Later that afternoon I was in my office and received a call from the High School Athletic director who asked if I would be willing to pray before the football game tomorrow night because of the Hurricane. I don’t know if the two events are connected or not. Again, I am glad that for whatever reason God is using me even if that means a short prayer. Even though the prayer will only be about 30 seconds or so (by request), my prayer is that in 30 seconds God can touch hearts here and lives in the South.

A friend and I have ventured out into the world called Podcasting. We really don’t know where this project will lead, but for now, we are reviewing books.

The first podcast is discussing Rob Bell’s Velvet Elvis.

You can find the new blog (and RSS feeds) at http://TwoMiddleAgedPastors.blogspot.com. Drop us a line to let us know what you think!

Churches seeking marketing-savvy breed of pastor - Yahoo! News

My friend Jeff sent me an email with this link. It is a pretty good article… Here are (a few) of my thoughts:

I was struck by this quote:

“Nearly every pastor is a salesman or a marketer of one kind or another because … we have a philosophy to sell,” he says. “The best marketers and best salesmen will have more converts, will have more people, will take in more money…. Evangelicals are marketers because they’re really passionate about their product.”

So, what we are selling is a certain “philosophy” that, I guess, we believe is better than the other philosphies. I guess the end always justifies the means because after all, isn’t it all about having more converts, people and money! I wonder which of the three are the most important

Anyway, this really says something, I believe, about where we are at as a Church. I know we UMs have issues, but I’m not sure evangelicalism is in a much better boat. Yes, some churches are reaching large groves of people, yet, the command was to make disciples not make converts, or people or money.

Tallahassee Democrat | 08/20/2005 | Hope renewed

Yes, there is (or there can be) hope for us UMs, but it will take courage. It will take courage for us to look around at the “new situation” we find ourselves in. It will take courage to ask difficult questions, including “What kind of church (or denomination) do we want to be? It will take courage to reach out people we don’t know in a land we are unsure of (even though we have been living here a very long time.

I found this newspaper article about a church that, it sounds like, is vernturing out with courage. The article is here (unless the newspaper takes off the link at some point). It is about New Life UMC in Florida. Because of (it sounds like) a nasty situation, it is forced to basically start fresh, yet, there are issues that an established church has that a new start doesn’t.

It is a hopeful article and I pray that you too find hope in it.

I see that Eugene Peterson has been credited with saying that if the church is dying in any way it’s dying from lack of imagination.

I’ve seen at least three churches in my general area have “Try our Sundays, they are better than [Name of Ice Cream place].” Based on the above, I guess I can agree with Peterson. Why is it that we (as the church) come up with new, interesting and creative things…instead we have to copy each other (of course our love of marketing helps). I’m not saying we shouldn’t work together, it just seems like many times it is just easier to copy the sign (or ministry, or program, or whatever) from the church down the street or across town than do the difficult work of prayer and imagination.

There…I’m done now…I feel better

Here’s my top 10 list on why are we dying?

I’m sure there are others….

10) Because we believe salvation is within our walls.
9) Because we are so busy with our own “stuff”
8) Because we have no idea what we are doing and we stopped being a long time ago.
7) Because we don’t really understand (or care to understand) what is going on with the people around us.
6) Because ministry is what is done to us (rather than what we can do for the others)
5) Because in all our breadth, we have forgotten our depth.
4) Because we don’t know how to be neighbors to the strangers.
3) Because we like the good gig we’ve got going.
2) Because mission is somewhere out there, not somewhere right here.

and the top 1 reason on why we are dying….

1) Because we seek to not die and thus never really live.

Now…for some ramblings….

I’m a structure kind of guy. I use to be a Systems Administrator (computer) and so systems and structures facinate me. Now, I’m bringing the same thought process into the church. But recently I’ve been looking at things differently. I use to be into programs and stuff, now, I think as a chuch simplicity is what is needed.

Yet I serve a traditional church in a traditional denomination. I don’t think I can simply stop everything to implement a more simple existence. Instead, I would love to be able to work and keep what is working, yet tweak the structure some.

As I see things currently, there are basically three dimentions I would like to see: Celebration, Cell and Service. I redefine the term cell to mean any type of group that brings you community. Celebration is basically that. Celebration/worship/whatever you want to call it. Service is on hands, on going serivce to those in your community.

What I’m finding is that we have celebration (or something like celebration), we are beginning to find cell, but I believe we need to focus on service. The two Cs should empower our service to the community. Yet, what I’m finding is that between the choir, worship team, youth group, committees, Sunday School, Dance groups, kid’s ministry, there is quite a bit of service but it basically focuses on keeping the Sunday Morning celebration going, or keeping the building open.

I have a hard time telling someone that the work they do on the finance committee, or trustees, or in the choir, isn’t really service. Yet, the service that I am convinced we need is service beyond ourselves into the community.

There seems to be a catch-22 here. People are involved in service, but not in service to the community. They are already busy, perhaps so busy that choices must be made….so, how does one choose and what does one loose?

The party was great - hotdogs, hamburgers, squirt guns for the kids, dads trying to get charcoal lit, moms passing around Baby Hudson like he was a football. An interesting realization hit me about halfway through the party as I was flipping burgers. No one there with the exception of myself, Amber, and her parents were “church people”. I’m looking at these friends celebrating Jackson’s birthday and thinking to myself, “How did this happen?” Five years ago, our life revolved almost exclusively around church people. At that point in my life, I was clueless how to relate to anyone outside of that context, almost to the extent of being fearful and avoiding social situations where unchurched people would be present.

[The Mustard Seed]

Some interesting reflections. I have often wondered what would happen if ‘chuch’ didn’t take up so much time and energy. I have a friend who at one point was a pastor, now he is not. It seems like he is able to ministry in a different way now. He has been able to shed the ‘churchiness’ and continue to reach out. At one point he said that it has taken five years, but now the neighbors are beginning to open up.

There are times when I wonder what life would be like if we could create a new type of church culture. One that isn’t focused on buildings and budgets but rather living an authentic life marked by the grace of God through Jesus Christ. What would happen to our communities if church ceased being about a ‘great meeting’ once a week and became the conversations we had with those around us and the time we spent with them.

Link to the PDF file.

Here McLaren tries, to share his background and biography as he moved to emergent. Of course many might already have seen this, but I post it for those who come here from non-emergent backgrounds…

Vintage Faith: Reality Church?

Ah…I loved this post from Dan Kimball. He has 10 stages…of course, these are not ’scientific’ stages (he has a disclaimer at the end), but it is enjoyable reading and I see myself in much there.

Not sure what stage I’m at now. Perhaps around stage 5 or right before stage 6 . Anyway, I know I’m not in stage 8 because I do not plan on going to see the Dukes of Hazzard although I do watch quite a bit of TV it seems

Men do have trouble hearing women, scientists find - Yahoo! News

Wow, I don’t know how to feel about this. I find it interesting that when articles come out like this we find that men are more ’simple’ than women. Women can multitask better, they are more complex emotionally, etc. Now, the report says, their voices are even more complex.

Well, at least I have scientific evidence to backup why I don’t end up doing what my wife asks me to

“Yes, post-Protestant churches see everything as spiritual formation — everything worth doing, that is. Public worship is an exercise in group spiritual formation through rituals like the Eucharist and preaching. Fellowship is exercise in the spiritual practices of community. The success of a church isn’t measured by the numbers who attend but by the formation of people as agents of the Kingdom of God…” - Brian McLaren’s - The Last Word and the Word after That

As I read this I realized how much I agreed with it. I also realized it is how I approach ministry and ecclesiology. I am also realizing that it is different from how others “do” church. There’s the rub.

Perhaps that is why I’m so turned off by the programmatic influence of church growth formulas. It is perhaps why I am so tired by ministry conferences that continue to say the same thing in different ways hoping that pastors, starving for validation, appreciation and recognition, continue to spend $$ and (more importantly time) to travel to the conferences to learn about the next big thing (NBT) that will transform their church, their ministries and their lives.

Ah…to be able to sit back, bask in God’s glory, experience his presence and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10)

One in six Americans visiting blogs | CNET News.com

So, if you ever wondered if “blogging” was worth it, here is some information on how popular blog reading is. Blogging, I believe, is changing the landscape of how people gather information. Also, I believe, blogging will change how people think about a variety of issues.

Blog on….

Man dies after 50 hours of computer games | CNET News.com

Wow…. Talk about a man that needs a few more relationship. Not sure why I’m posting this to my blog, but I find this very sad…that someone could be able to spend that much time sitting around playing games. Also, I guess I’m not as obsessed as what I thought….

Well, I made it back from vacation. I actually added a couple of audioblog posts to my audio blog. Still messing around with that a bit.

On Sunday I went to church at Mar’s Hill in Grandville, MI. It is only about 2 hours away. I have some pictures that I might post later in the week. I also plan to post some of my reactions to the church.

I wanted to go because I have been listening to the audio of the sermons and wondered what the rest of the service was like. I also was curious about their location and their buildings. Stay tuned…

Well, this is pretty cool. I just signed up for AudioBlogging (Podcasting). I’m not sure if this is the same as a podcast or not. I know it could easily become podcast. Well, anyway, the link is here. For my audio blog.

Basically, I can call in from any phone and leave an entry. Since I have free long distance on my cell phone, I can call on my cell, leave an entry and it doesn’t cost me a thing…pretty cool. Of course, now I will have to have something to say.

Well, it was a pretty good week for our VBS. We allow kids from age 3 through grade 5 to participate. We had no idea we would have about 18 preschoolers there…man…do they have energy.

Last year we decided to do VBS a bit differently. We decided to begin it on Sunday instead of Monday and to have a celebration night on Thursday night. What we discovered is that it seems VBS goes quickly. Sunday works well because people don’t have to rush home from work (we do the VBS at night).

What happened on Thursday was simply amazing. We decided last year to have a full blown celebration rather than a “VBS Program.” This means, we call the kids up and have them sing songs (with a live band consisting of my wife and me, some of our praise band members and some high school students). The music is ‘edgy’ and the kids love it.

I do the story time. Instead of just telling the story I brought some kids up and had them help me act it out. That worked out well.

Each day we took up an offering. We made it a competition between the girls and the boys. We were giving the money to Hefer International so we were trying to connect the kids with the animals and how they would help families. The kids raised $175!

We had planned on challenging the congregation to match that, but someone from the congregation matched it on Wednesday, so we were up to $350.

Then the amazing happened. After the celebration night one of the grandparents came up and matched it! That brought us up to $525. Also, someone came up and handed on of the helpers some money for the offering (we didn’t take one up). They said that they just wanted some part of the “joy in this place.”

Of course the workers were amazed…to say the least. There was joy that night and many were probably surprised. My prayer is that same joy will spill over into the congregation. The emerging church folks keep saying that we (as the church) need to move from propositional truth, to experience. During the VBS celebration, I did not preach a 3 point sermon on joy, yet, there was joy. People didn’t leave with new knowledge about joy, they experienced it. Perhaps we need more experience of God’s truth on Sunday mornings…

Well, last night as I was editing the DVD for our VBS, the administrator of the computer I host UMSource off of emailed me to say my website had been hacked. In situations like this, those hacking (or rather craking) don’t do it to deface the website, but rather to get access to the host machine. The Admin took my site offline

So, some of you are coming here because of that. I’m working to get UMSource back online, but I don’t have as much time as I once did. Security issues are found all the time and I don’t always have the time to update the site.

For example, the software I run on UMSource is PHPNuke. I’m running version 6.0 and the current version is 7.7. I’ve updated the 6.0 software with all the security fixes, but the real solution is to update to version 7.7. That _usually_means the database tables have to be updated, etc, etc…long story short, most of the time it is a time consuming process.

So, for the time being, enjoy my blog. It is a bit more personal than my UMSource site, but I will try to post some UMSource style articles here.

- Dave.

Perhaps this should be subtitled as “for those who care…”

I find that since I only have dialup at home, I get behind the technology curve quite easily. That is certainly true of podcasting. Even though I’ve figured out how to capture shows such as Prairie Home Companion with Total Recorder podcasting is a bit easier because the feeds are easy to find through iTunes or other podcasting directories.

However, trying to download 6 - 13 meg files over dialup is a real pain. So, for others who are trying to do the same thing, here is my solution.

I use Omea Reader 2.0 (currently beta) to keep current with the podcast feed. Once I find the feed, I can choose to download the enclosure. Since I only have one phone line in which to download files, I use a download manager called Free Download Manager (it’s free!) to queue the download and then set FDM (Free download manager) to download the file later at night when the phone probably won’t be used.

If everything works well, then I’ll have some new podcasts to move to my Tunsten Palm to listen to on the road or other places.

I realize this has nothing to do with Christianity, but many of the podcasts do. Alan Hartung is one who has a podcast on emerging church issues.

There it is….if you are on dialup, I wish you luck. If you are on broadband, I guess this is a document on why you don’t want to go back

A Christian bookstore nearby just went out of business. Each week they would increase the discount price by 5%. So, I was buying books anywhere between 30% - 50% off the cover price. So, now I have many books to read…perhaps too many. I also frequent the library and find books that I want to read there. Right now, here is my list:

Your God is Too Small - J. B. Phillips (I’m rereading this for a sermon series)
Mistaken Identity - Gaultiere (I’ve read it, but re-reading for a sermon series)
Uprising - McManus
Shaped by God’s Heart - Minatrea
On Loving God -
Madam Guyon
Shaped by the Word - Mulholland (Have read once, but wanted to read again)
Revelation - Mulholland (Been on my shelf way too long without reading)
The New Testament and the People of God - N. T. Wright (working my way through)
Rethinking the Church (Pastor friend of mine loaned me this)
Stories of Emergence (Same Pastor friend loaned me this)
The Last Word and the Word After That (McLaren)
Birth of the Living God - Rizo (??) (Again, for a sermon series)

Well, I believe that is about it…like I said, too many books, not enough time. I have other books I want to read, but the above is my “short” list.

Logos is doing a survey of pastors and their books for an upcoming website. You can help by taking a survey. Just click the link.

“…by loving God, who is the sum of all good, for Himself alone, we cannot help loving ourselves, our neighbor, and everything else in heir proper place and degree.” T. C. Upham (from a biography of Francios Fenelon.

Well, I kept hearing about podcasting so I’d thought I’d check it out. I understand the concept, yet, on dialup it isn’t as easy. To make a long story shorter, I was finally able to figure out a way to automatically dial the internet (after midnight) to download a 15 meg podcast. The dialing up was automatic, but I had to manually tell the program what file to download…

Anyway, my first podcast was by Alan Hartung. One of the comments I found interesting was his discussion on church structure. Basically (and I hope I am doing him justice), he said that if your church is still structured around a weekly meeting, you might have some emeregent style changes, but basically your structure remains the same as most churches.

It is easy to say, “We are radical”, but if most of your resources are used by the one weekly meeting, then you are functioning like most other churches (emergent and non-emergent). He had some other comments about this, but you will have to listen yourself.

This topic is one thing with which I struggle. I believe that the church needs to re-evaluate itself, but it seems like the weekly meeting is off limits. After all, the weekly meeting is our life blood. It is where we believe people ‘become’ followers of Christ, it is where we ‘believe’ we disciple others, it is where we believe people should come after our evangelistic efforts. However, it could be that our focus on the weekly meeting is creating followers whose lives focus on that weekly meeting and not the daily days they are living.

As I struggle with this, I have no idea what should take place of that weekly meeting, or what kind of model would work in its place.

He also had some comments about the sermon’s place in this new world, but that is a topic for another time….

I was talking with a pastor friend the other day. He is one of those who seems to be able to do just about anything. He started an orphange in Uganda and now is in my area (his home town) starting a church). He still goes to Uganda a couple of times a year.

To help support his church planting he operates a couple of businesses (I don’t think he has turned 40 yet).

Since I pastor a traditional UM church, my world and his are vastly different. However, he shared with me that he lost his Children’s director and Youth director because he asked them if they had vision for the area or were just doing it out of obligation. Of course, he said, they told him they wanted the meeting so they could resign from their positions.

At that point he said, “I have a lot of people willing to be helpers, as long as I’m the one giving them the vision.” Now I understand as pastors we do have responsibility for vision setting, but I tend to fall on the side that God can (and will) share his dreams with His people.

Churches need the helpers, but they also need those who are willing to step up and help make God’s dream a reality. If it is only the pastor with the dream or the vision, it is easy for the ‘helpers’ to one day decide they don’t want to help any more.

How do helpers become visionaries? Good question. My answer, so far, has been helping people be “open” to God’s will in their lives. Plans can be imitated, passion can not. Passion comes when people encounter a living God. People encounter that God when they make space in their lives for God. My quesiton is, how does one convince people to make space in their lives for God?

Phil Goodacre saw Andrew Jones do a teaching in the UK. He has posted his notes on the talk. There’s quite a bit to think about in his post. Some of my favorite things are:

We then moved on to look at Luke 10, from which I noted down a number of things that grabbed me.

We are told to enter other people’s houses, rather than us dragging them into ours. What does this say about the way we do mission, and the way we do church???

God HAS prepared a harvest. The harvest IS out there. We must learn to find where God’s favour is.

The 72 were told to go out, eat, drink, heal etc etc. THEN tell people about the Kingdom of God. Is this the way we do it? Or are we often in a hurry to get all the ‘God stuff’ in right at the beginning. People need to experience the Kingdom of God before we start banging on about it verbally.

A definition of ministry was presented that seems so simple, but is really quite profound:
1. giving gifts
2. telling stories
3. throwing parties
4. making friends
[philgoodacre.blogspot]

I just love the definition of ministry. However, I realize I only do one of those things well! I do have some work to do.

What is odd, is that even though I resonate with the emerging church and such, I’m a product of a modern church institution. I’m finding I want to learn some ‘new’ lessons while feeling some ‘pangs’ of guilt of moving away from the established way of doing things. I figure at some time the church I serve will figure this out too (I think some of them already have).

A case in point: My wife and I were discussing our VBS which is coming up. She asked the question, “Why do we do VBS?” It was a good question because I realized I really didn’t have a good answer for it. The ‘real’ answer was, “Well, VBS is what churches do in the summer time. It is what we must do as a church to be considered to be a legitimate church.” Hmm…I’m finding that I’m driven to do a lot so I can feel like I am a legitimate pastor and serve a legitimate church. I want to stop it….being legitimate that is…..

Here’s a link about a teaching by Andrew Jones. It looked pretty interesting but I don’t have time to read through all of it now. Perhaps I will reflect later

Now…back to vacation.

I have no idea how others are able to post to their blogs while on vacation.
Right now, I finally have a few moments and thought I’d try a post during
my vacation. It seems like a geeky thing to do. Also, if all works well, I’ll
have wireless access my last day of vacation and I can do a post via my
Tunsten handheld.

After reading some blogs this week (I’ve been able to keep up with some of
the blogs I read because of my wireless Tunsten), I’ve begin to think of
‘culture’ as it relates to established traditional churches. There are some
who are diving deep into various cultures to try to understand the mindset
so they can be missional. What if, the establish traditional (or even not so
traditional) churches need the same missional reach. After all, many
established churches have been around for a long time and they have their
own culture; a culture that has become ingrown. The question for me is,
how does one infiltrate and effect this culture? It is a culture that has
taken decades to create. It isn’t going to disappear over night.

One of my fears is, those who are more missional in nature, will choose to
leave these churches because the culture is so quasi-christian, that those
within the culture can convince themselves they are doing the work of God
and so they have no motivation to change.

My hope and prayer is that various missional minded pastors will begin to
see the churches they serve in a new light and begin the difficult task of
reaching the established traditional church so that they might become a
missional community doing the Kingdom work of God.

I mentioned in my last post (the one I did from my Palm Pilot) that I have been quite busy. Too busy in many respects. The summer brings with it camps to lead, weddings to perform, funerals to lead, kids to be played with, family to vacation, VBSs to organize and a host of other responsibilities. Since no one is telling, or asking, me to blog, my blog doesn’t get very high priority. I’ve even had difficulty keeping up with the blogs I read!

Well, in respect of full disclosure, I probably have had some time I could post to this blog, but I’ve been spending time with my Father’s Day present…which was the new NewsRadio DVD. I loved the show, now I can watch the first and second seasons on DVD.

I’ve also been doing reflection and thinking about church and all. It is beginning to be a pain to be quite honest. After all, I’m part of a denomination who is trying to survive. Numbers are very important to us. So, after 6 1/2 years of being out of pastoral ministry I’ve been placed in a church that is declining. Over the past 2 years we have had over 20 people from our congregation either move to other cities or die. That is over 15% of our congregation that isn’t here any more. To make it worse, a few of these folks were very generous in their giving. So, the issue I’m facing is a declining congregation with shrinking resources.

It could be worse though. Over the past 2 years we have also seen an increase in giving, but it isn’t enough to keep up with the increase in costs.

Of course I would love to see the church grow. But, here, I’m seeing what happens when an organization is looking toward survival issues. The questions surround, how can we make our church grow. Now, I’m all for growth, but deep within I wonder if that is the goal we should be working toward. I’m not convinced that Jesus’ goal was for the church to grow. I believe, rather, His goal had to do with the Kingdom of God. Yes, I know about the great commission. Yet, getting people into a church and through some type of ‘program’ isn’t what I would consider discipleship.

The first disciples were literally world changers. They were not content to sit in a church, join in a few programs, and go home and watch DVDs of NewsRadio. What I yearn for is the same Spirit that empowered those first disciples. What I yearn for is a church whose “motto” isn’t “Come Grow With Us” but rather “Come Help Us Change the World.” I’m hoping and praying that in the midst of us trying to survive (the church I serve and also the denomination I’m in) we will begin looking not at the numbers, but at the purpose for which God has called us into existence. For if we are not about our purpose, what is the point of existence?

It’s been a while since I’ve posted something. June has been a very busy month with many adventures. And before long I will be going on vacation. So, now, I’m testing this blog thing out using my Palm.

Yes, I can be quite the geek. I have my Palm hooked up with a new wireless card. I’m using my portable Palm keyboard to type this in. I’m curious if this works.

There was an excellent blog entry at TheBlogBlog. The term Emergent and Postmodern is getting thrown around quit a bit these days. The post I’m quoting from basically reflects my feelings on the issue. For me, the biggest change, in my understanding, has been moving more to a missional arena. I’m not there yet, but I am in transition. When I was studying to become a pastor (In the last 1988-1992), I had no idea that one day I might see myself more as a missionary to the culture around me than a pastor, but, that change is happening. I believe the who Emergent movement is trying to deal with the issues surrounding such a transition.

Perhaps when I have time I’ll go into more detail on where I’m at in relationship to all this and include links as to why. Here’s a quote from the blog entry:

When the organization started as Young Leaders in 1996, they, like everyone else, were talking about generational ministries, connecting to Gen X, looking for techniques to reach out and become relevant. At their conference in 1997, there was a bit of  disquiet, as some of the younger leaders felt that much more than a generational change was at play, and some began to use the postmodern word for the first time. By 1998, the third YLN conference put generational strategies to the back-burner and really began to look at culture and mission. This was the first conference planned by Doug Pagitt, and was the first conference attended by Brian McLaren and Tony Jones. By 1999, their name changed to Terra Nova Theological Project reflecting their change from technique modification to something entirely new. Two years later, Brian McLaren’s New Kind of Christian reflected this new understanding of postmodern culture that was developing in the movement.

At this time also there was a budding sense that cultural changes required new theologies. At the same time, NT Wright and Dallas Willard’s influence grew — not only was there a new culture, but a new understanding of gospel, kingdom, and atonement emerged. It was at that time that it dawned upon the leaders that a whole new theology needed to be developed, i.e. a new message as well as a new method was required. Terra Nova Theological Project became Emergent at that time.

[TheBolgBlog]

We had our first non-pilot prayer groups last night. Right now we have two different groups. A third one will be starting in about 2 weeks. I was pretty amazed last night. I was surprised and even overwhelmed. What was perhaps the coolest thing is I really haven’t been doing that much in relation to these groups. I believe that God has called us to this.

The term I’ve been using is organtic (which might be overused, but it fits). Just like a farmer cultivates his fields and waits, that’s basically how these prayer groups operate. Just getting together to pray is a good thing. These groups are not about numbers (but we did have good groups), but about prayer. I don’t feel presure to make sure they ‘work’ or anything.

I am convinced that when we gather to pray we are more open to God than when we don’t. It is this ‘openness’ I yearn for here. When we are open to God then we are more able to ‘hear’ and follow Him. I’m not sure where we are going from here, but, deep down, I believe that when we are actively praying we are in a better position to follow God’s vision for our church and lives.

So, here I am at annual conference. I’m surrounded by a lot of great people. They love God. They want to work. So, then why is our conference looking people?

As I sat there, I had to honestly admit to myself that I didn’t know. Well, I think I have an idea. It seems like things are changing, but we are still defining ’success’ my statistics. We keep comparing this year to last year to the year before, etc. But what if things have changed? What if things have changed so much, that one of the first things we need to change is what we even base our ’success’ on.

I do believe that if we are going to make disciples (I’m not sure I know what this means anymore), if we are going to help people move closer to Jesus, then I believe it will have to happen outside the church walls. This means, that the folks we reach may not come to church (egads!). If they don’t, then what do we count and how do we count?

Now, the thought of helping people move closer to Jesus without the church worries me. Yet, I think that perhaps I’m worried because that is the only ‘model’ I have. I’m sure there could be other models out there where people grow closer to God through Jesus, become followers of Jesus, live generous lives, etc, yet, the church (or what I think of when I say church) may not be involved like it once was.

But…then again…I really don’t know either.

Ah…the joys of Annual Conference. Right now, I’m sitting in the Hotel lobby because I’m having trouble with the internet connection. The manager/owner/whoever just went up to reset it or something. I don’t know. He hasn’t been back yet. At first people seem to feel the problem is on your end and you really don’t know what you are doing. Since he has been gone for a while, I wonder if he realizes there is problems.

Wow…talk about service. Never did figure out what was the deal with the ethernet connection, however, he said he had wireless in one of the offices so if I wanted to change rooms, I could use the wireless (which I did). The only problem was the room with the best connection had a broken lock (it didn’t lock when you left), so, he basically is letting me use two rooms! Since I’m not planning on going anywhere tonight, I’ll probably just stay in the room with the broken lock (but make sure to lock the other two locks).

I’m a happy camper now!

Well, our pilot prayer group met last night and two of the participants are going to start a prayer group on Monday’s at 5:30 starting next week! They caught me off guard with starting one next week, but it’s a good thing.

Mine will continue meeting, but we are moving from 9 pm on Tuesdays to 8 pm on Mondays. I’ll see how that works.

Another group is going to start Sunday mornings in about two weeks.

I’ll be interested in seeing how these groups mature over the next few months. Right now, people kind of know that a pilot group was meeting, but the end of this week they should be getting more information with a FAQ section and the chance to sign up for one of our three new groups. I’ll have to update my blog on their status from time to time.

Last night I had the privilege of having dinner with a few friends. One of the couples is moving 1000 miles to minister to artists. They are artists, but for the past few years they have been Pastors of worship and arts at a mid-size church (700-900). What struck me was how comfortable they seemed with ‘emergent’ issues, even though they really haven’t studied or moved into the ‘emergent’ scene too much.

I told a different friend that I believe the Spirit of God moves and is moving. The question is whether we are open to hear it. My worship pastor friend definitely is. He is moving and doesn’t yet have a job or a place to live. He is leaving, because he heard the Spirit of God say “go.” As I struggle with the current issues within the church, I realize as we follow the Spirit of God, our lives will look different than those who don’t. I don’t want to be too judgmental here, but I will say it anyway, I wonder, in the traditional church, how much we have either stopped listening to God’s Spirit. Perhaps it isn’t that we have stopped listening, perhaps it is more of an unwillingness to allow our lives to be made uncomfortable or messy. After all, the church hasn’t done very well with the messy and we sure love to be comfortable. As I think along these lines, an Old Testament story comes to mind. What I wonder is how many of us are bowing down when the music plays, to what are we bowing down, and what penalty does standing involve?

I love the following stuff from theBlog blog. I wonder what will happen when the people of the Church stop seeing the ’sanctuary’ as where God is and is released to discover God where ever God might be. I wonder how a view of “God outside of the box” of our buildings would change the way we do what we do. I wonder what would happen if we stopped trying to get our church statistics up and started seeing ministry as “out there” rather than “in here.” What an interesting time we would live in…..

The postmodern, in social terms, is the end of secular space. It is the acknowledgement of the spiritual connectedness of all reality. Emerging Churches look to embody their way of life within postmodern, or holistic, or spiritual cultures. These postmodern missionaries accept the givenness of culture, look for the fingerprints of God there, and hopefully, on their best days, get behind and support the work of God in the unlikeliest places. The rallying cry of Emerging Churches is Psalm 24:1 (I heard this all over England), ‘the earth is the lords’. No bad people, no bad parts of town, and no bad times, just those areas waiting/groaning for redemption…to be transformed…to connect with God…

[TheBolgBlog]

A (re)blog post got me thinking…I’m realizing that my understanding of scripture is determined by the context of my life. How then, can I have a ‘fresh’ or ‘new’ reading of Scripture which is more in line with the original understanding of the text. In other words, how can I break free of my “rich, dominant, white, male American” context and be transformed by a truer reading of the text.

[the (re)blog]

I think the person who posted this is from the UK, but the analogy still fits (in my opinion). Anyway, the post is called “Emerging Church and All That.”

Emerging Church and All That

Sometimes I want off the ship…other times I want to help others find the lifeboats.

Wow, now I have a couple of tools that seem, at this time, to work well for me. I can now read my RSS feeds (Blogs and others) through a program called Omea (see below) . It looks good. It also has an option that I can hook it up to w.bloggar and can blog right from the reader (for the most part). If I want, I can save the post and upload it later. Cool.

In the February, 2005 issue of Home Computer Magazine (www.homecomputermagazine.com/),
Omea Reader was announced as their Five Star Pick for free RSS Readers. But you knew that already… isn't it nice
to be proven right? Check out page 34 of issue #4 for more details.

[Omea News]

I wonder how other people feel about doing “good works” but not “stamping” Jesus all over what we do. I’ve had some conversations with people at my church and many feel it is giving God glory to let people know the reason why we are doing what we are doing is because of what Jesus has done.

After a recent short term mission trip to Thailand to help with tsunami
relief on Koh Phi Phi Don Island, I asked myself is there another way to do
missions in an emergent context. What I came up with was Flash Mob Missions.
There are already several agencies doing work on this island, what they need is
people to come and be hands. These agencies are not "Christian" per
say, but they are doing the work of the church even if they don’t know it. So I
figured why create another organization, with a Christian banner, just to
justify the work? So what I have done is created a website with all the details
on how to go and serve the people of that Island. Wouldn’t it be a great representation
of the church if a couple of hundred Christians from all over just showed up on
the island to help? No fan fare, no press, and not "We need to stamp Jesus
all over what we do."

[open source theology - collaborative theology for the emerging church]

Jesus seemed to work “outside” of the religious establishment when He was on earth. What if He still is? My fear is that while I’m on the inside, I end up on the outside.

In my quest to catch up with my blog and rss feeds, and also be able to manage my own blog, I’ve discovered http://www.newzcrawler.com . It is pretty cool so far, although it isn’t free. I have 14 days to try it. This is basically a test post while I’m offline

NBC.com > The Apprentice 3

Ah…Kendra pulled it off. I’ve felt that she had a very good shot for about a month now. However, after I saw the way she pulled her team together for the final task I told my wife that she had it. After all, it comes down to how you treat people…even with the Donald.

The thing that caught me about the final task was it seemed like Kendra was being genuine about how she felt. Tana may have seemed behind her team when they were around, but when they weren’t she let the insults fly.

Causes me to wonder how I as a pastor feel and treat the people I am called to lead and serve.

the (re)blog: QUIET TIME

Here’s a good post on the Quiet Time. I’ve had my own issues in the past. Now, I feel comfortable with what I’m doing to connect with God. That is the point, after all, connecting with God. However, far too often the QT can become a type of merit badge and instead of us connecting with God it causes us to move farther away. The kicker is….we don’t even know it.

“O merciful Father! let me no longer reason about grace, but silently abandon myself to its operation” - from Spiritual Progress by Francois Fenelon

Ah..Numb3rs. I love the show…but I also seem to love numbers. Perhaps it is because I am, in real life, a computer guy. I dig math. However, God called me out of the computer matrix into the church.

What I find is I can still dig math, statistics, and numbers. Yet, I’m begining to sense a dark side to the whole numbers game.

Living in the United Methodist tribe, I find we love numbers. We have forms to fill out and get in on time so others can see our numbers. We have websites that track numbers. We even (for a while) had a catchy slogan; “We count people because people count”

Why do we keep track of our numbers? So we can know how we are doing….ah…there’s the rub. What I’m discovering is that when I become focused on the numbers, I’m focused on the wrong thing. What I’m finding is, when the folks in my congregation are focused on the numbers, they are focused on the wrong thing. Actually, as we focus on the numbers, we take our focus off the main thing. Bottom line: we get distracted.

Numbers do have their place I guess. But they also can generate a very real problem especially as we try to find new forms of ministry. Here’s an example:

In our community there are several “social networks” that meet on Sunday mornings. Perhaps they are Pop Warner players, flea market shoppers, model airplane flyers, or some other ’social network’ that people belong to.

If the social network meets on Sunday, guess what, that is the main time for worship in the area I serve. If I’m focused on the Numbers, I will have a great tempation to “convince” people to forgo their social network and come join the social network I’m a part of (Church).

If I’m focused on reaching social networks with the Good News, I might be more apt to convince folks to go ahead and be a part of their social network and to inflitrate it with the Good News (which could take quite a while). With the focus on reaching new social groups it means that the Sunday morning numbers will be down.

Also, if the congregation is more focused on social groups than numbers then it means we will ‘do’ church differently.

I am becoming more convinced that it is time to do away with our Number crunching. So far it has caused us (United Methodist Tribe at least) to be far to focus on things to get people into the church building so we can count them (because they do count after all). If we do away with the Numbers, perhaps the church will be free to focus on reaching new social groups and going out to them rather than bent on getting them into the building.

I’m sure I’ll have more later…..but this was quite a lot.

The Faithful Skeptic: Community

A wonderful post with some very good questions. Hopefully today I can post my thoughts on Numbers and the UMC. The issue I think that we must deal with is “Social Networks.”

When I post about “Numbers” this will be an important concept. There are “Social Networks” the church ignores. IF we decide to inflitrate these “Social Networks” will depend on how we view our Numbers and what they mean to us.

More later….

Pluck: Your Personal Web Information Center with RSS reader, bookmark manager, and publisher
Thursday May 12th 2005, 11:09 pm Edit This
Filed under: General, Computing

Pluck: Your Personal Web Information Center with RSS reader, bookmark manager, and publisher

Ah….the joys of rss and blogs and other stuff. Over the past few weeks I’ve realized that reading other people’s blogs may be an important thing to do. OTOH, sometimes I wonder if I’m not just wasting my time. What I’ve discovered is there are others voicing some of the things I’ve sensed for quite a while. It is a very interesting experience.

That being said, I’ve been in search of some good RSS readers. I use multiple computers and I am also forced to connect via dialup. I was hoping to find something that would dial in automatically, update the pages and give me the ability to read my feeds or is it, feed my reads. Anyway, Pluck doesn’t seem too bad. The downside is it only works with IE and I use Firefox. The nice thing is there is a web interface that may come in handy.

My point in this rambling is simply to say there is a conversation going on via blogs. Some of the stuff is fluff and I’m not sure it is worth the time to read all of it. However, there are some very important things being said. So, if you know of a great RSS reader, let me know.

Why Here? Why Now?
Monday May 09th 2005, 4:50 pm Edit This
Filed under: Church

I’m very interested in knowing the answer to the question, why am I here? Not on earth, rather in this place at this time… There is a lot of work to do here. I really don’t want to just do business as usual. However, I realize that there are many people that will have to literally “get on board” if we are going to move where God wants us to move. It is a new day and we cannot afford to do ministry _or even approach ministry_ the way we have for the past 20 - 50 years. I believe that reality is not just relevant here, but anywhere ministry is being done. People have moved on, so should we. People are asking different questions. So should we. People are at a different place. We should go to that place.

Label: Chistian
Monday May 09th 2005, 4:47 pm Edit This
Filed under: General, Church

What if Christians stopped seeing themselves as Christian? What if the label Christian lost its significance? What would happen if instead of answering the question, “Are you a Christian” affirmatively, we stepped back and found some other way to define who we are?

We are in a mass marketed, mass communication, mass information Culture where labels have been defined. The label “Christian” has a lot of baggage. Not all of the baggage is bad, but to many in our culture the label Christian means certain negative things. Some are trying to cast off the old label for a new focus on Jesus.

It was difficult for Coke to introduce “new” Coke. Perhaps we are having the same issue with a new flavor of “Christianity.” A flavor that is not focused on dogmas or what one believes, but rather if one is integrating the teachings of Jesus into one’s life.

It will be difficult for the church to discard the label Christian however. Not that “Christian” is bad, just the way the label has been defined. Many in our culture turn away when the label Christian is used. It has to much bad baggage.

Instead of Christian, perhaps we should focus on Spirituality with Jesus as the central figure. There are times when I’m not sure that Jesus is the central figure of the label Christianity. Jesus says feed the hungry, which I don’t do too well. He said clothe the naked, which I don’t do too well. He said to love your enemy…again…I don’t do too well. The problem is, I’m not alone in those who claim the label Christian.

When I claim the label Christian, I can feel good about myself. When I claim my spirituality is based on the person Jesus, then I don’t feel as good about myself because I don’t actively integrate His life and teachings into my life.

I still claim the label, yet now I struggle with the distance between what my life is and what Jesus teachings say. Progress is slow, but there is progress. My question is, how can we get more “Christians” to integrate Jesus?

Church Thang
Thursday May 05th 2005, 2:22 pm Edit This
Filed under: Church

God still calls out to all who will listen. SOmetimes I feel like, in the church, we have God all figured out. Sometimes I feel like we believe that if God is going to work he must and has to work through us.

Of course, this isn’t the first time people believed this. Jesus was traveling and his disciples said, “Jesus someone was healing in your name and we told him to stop.” They were probably waiting for Jesus to commend them and thank them for taking the situation in their own hands. Jesus however doesn’t. He didn’t seem to mind that someone outside of their group was doing things in his name.

We get upset when the church down the street does something. What would happen if God decided to work outside the church? What would happen if God decided to move away from our planned, packaged and marketed programs and went into the streets and started loving people? Would we freak out? Would we invite them to one of our programs? Would we be surprised if they said our programs lacked the reality of their meeting with God?

The real cool thing is that God is still moving. God is still calling. I get so hung up about my church and my programs and my ministry. God is moving. He is able to do far more than I ever give him credit for. He really doesn’t need my programs. In fact, perhaps the definition of grace is that at times he reaches through my human offerings to change a life.

What would happen if God stepped outside the church to do His work? What if He already has? What if, after getting the machine rolling, we are just keeping it oiled?

Jesus
Thursday May 05th 2005, 1:40 pm Edit This
Filed under: Church

I use to think of Jesus a certain way and I’m finding more ‘voice’ to my views through N. T. Wright and others in the postmodern genre. Jesus is the one who tries to teach His followers the best possible way to live. Following Jesus doesn’t mean that things will be wonderful in my life, or that everything will work out. Following Jesus doesn’t mean I have to hold on to a set of beliefs and/or dogma. Following Jesus means living life the way He lived it. When I don’t, basically, I am swimming upstream from how life really is and operates. When I choose to live some other way, then I am trying to live a lie. Jesus _is_ the truth. He _is_ the Life. Any other way basically says, I don’t believe that Jesus knew the best way to live. What he calls me to is substandard to another way to live.

This has huge implications to how I live and how I lead. It effects my view of sin and why sin is so destructive. Sin becomes trying to live by swimming against the flow of how life really is. Sin is denying the reality of life and living. Sin is trying to find a “new” way to discover abundant life. It just doesn’t work.

…more later….

Post-modernism
Wednesday May 04th 2005, 9:33 pm Edit This
Filed under: Church

I think the thing about the whole post-modern movement is the feeling that some are making it into some program. It seems like if there is anything that effects the church, we are able to turn it into a program and try to market it. For me, post-modernism is not a program, it is simply the way things are. For a while I was turning away from all the post modern books and such, but what I found is that I felt most comfortable when thinking about the issues post-modernism resources address.

I am beginning to have some clarity about where I am in the mix of all this. I have stopped seeing life, and reality as some type of machine to be manipulated. Instead I see it more organically. This has huge implications for me as I serve a church. I’ve long ago tossed aside the programs that the Christian subculture keeps telling me I need to embrace to “save” my church, or have a “successful” church. Instead, I’m seeing this job as much more difficult than knowing the ‘right’ programs to implement. If this church was a machine, then having the right parts might be helpful. It ain’t no machine….I am finding more art to this gig than science. Although, perhaps science might be more art than science too.

The Church Why Bother? - Christianity Today Magazine
Saturday January 08th 2005, 3:30 pm Edit This
Filed under: Church

The Church Why Bother? - Christianity Today Magazine

A pretty good read and it reminds me of the fact that there is more going on with the church than what I believe. I get so concerned with all the ‘trappings’ of the organization when in reality there is something more important. My growth in Christ. God wants me to be mature in my faith and for this to happen I need to be with people whether I like it or not. It is as I interact with people, the good and the bad of people, that I become more Christlike.

A New Year…again
Tuesday December 28th 2004, 11:06 pm Edit This
Filed under: General

I was wondering what my “Focus” was going to be for the new year. Then it kind of hit me. Perhaps this year I can stop trying as hard and simply start trusting.

One of the areas I’ve been trying to work on is having true joy in my life. I know that through Jesus Christ my sins are forgiven and that does bring me joy, yet, my life doesn’t always show it. For some reason, I’ve been making a connection between joy (or the lack of joy) and feeling like I need to be trying. So, I’m going to try to allow myself to trust God rather than feeling like it all falls on me.

Dave.

My Day At the Convent
Sunday December 12th 2004, 11:38 pm Edit This
Filed under: General

As we got out of the car I felt different. For the past couple of months my soul had been aching. I had been longing for something that was missing. For the past several years I felt I was groping in the dark. It was easy to hide this groping because those around me were groping to. We don’t always talk about it, in fact, it is rarely that we even acknowledge it. Like two people passing one asking “How are you doing”, the other answering “just find thanks” we simply continue on our way without thinking about the answer, or the question.

So, we fill our lives and our souls with projects, programs, and possessions that help us take our mind off the real issues within our spirits. We turn, or rather run, away from John Wesley’s question, “How goes it with your soul.”

It could be that we don’t understand the question. It sounds like a different language to us. It might be that we don’t know how to respond to the question. We have become so good at allowing the noise of life to crowd us that we are no longer comfortable with the silence it takes to answer such a question.

All around us sounds abound. Of course there are times we take to get away, to leave the noise to others, to find a place to think and reflect, but those times are rare. We have been unable to cultivate a sense of silence and wonder into our everyday life.

So, as we pulled up to the convent things ‘felt’ different. I can’t explain it. It was as if a puzzle piece was moved and finally everything fit. The flurry (activity, not ice cream) of my life was replaced with a familiar, yet far away friend.

Sister Magdalene showed us around the facilities. There were rooms with beds and showers. There were meeting rooms. There was a library and even a bookstore. Perhaps the most impressive item there was silence.

The rooms looked a lot like hotel rooms. Yet, there was one vital difference. There was not a TV or a Telephone in any of the rooms. The difference between these rooms and those in a hotel was simply that silence was expected. People were there not to get away from life, rather, people came there enter into life.

It isn’t the silence that takes us away from our lives, it is the silence that helps us to enter into our lives. Our true lives.

As we got out of the car, even though I had left home, I was in fact coming back home. Home to where my Father was waiting. Home to the Open Arms. Home to the robe of acceptance and the ring of belonging. The noise was gone. In the silence I heard the Father of Life. In the silence of letting go of the noise, I discovered the one thing, the only thing that I needed.

Letting Go
Wednesday December 08th 2004, 11:22 pm Edit This
Filed under: General

There are times when you simply have to let go. Although letting go is seldom a simple thing.

For the past several weeks I’ve been evaluating my spiritual life especially in the area of prayer. I’m finding, that in order to discover a greater sense of God’s grace I simply have to let go of other things.

For me, the most precious item in my life is time. Yet, this is the one thing that gets chipped away little by litte. Before I know it, my time has been spent and I can’t get it back.

In order for me to deepen my relationship with God, I’m finding that I must spend time with God. Even though I’ve been a Christian for over 20 years and have been a pastor for over around 15 years I always tried to ’speed’ up my relationship with God by trying to spend ‘quality’ rather than ‘quanity’ time with God. Now, I’m discovering that the only quality time is quantitative time.

For our culture it is difficult to let go of things. It is difficult to free up ourselves. We want to squeeze everything we can out of life. When we do we are making a statment and a choice. I’m finding that in order to grab onto God, I must let go. Letting go is a difficult thing.

Finally….
Tuesday December 07th 2004, 9:41 pm Edit This
Filed under: General

The joys of dialup are simply amazing. I guess once you have a cable modem you really never want to go back. Now that I only can get dialup I find that statement is true.

Actually, I have a pretty good setup. I have my computer set to automatically dialup and get my email. The problem is, I’m unable to respond to my email unless I fire up my laptop, dial into the internet, start MS Outlook, download and finally answer my email. Usually I decide not to mess with it. The downside is that I’m finding I’m not answering my email, my email box keeps filling up and when I’m not online I don’t post to my blog.

Well, tonight I decided to bite the bullet, get online, answer my email and post to my blog.

So…there you have it…what my life has become

Church Marketing Sucks: No Need to Impress
Tuesday October 26th 2004, 7:33 pm Edit This
Filed under: Church

Church Marketing Sucks: No Need to Impress

An interesting website that I plan on mining some more. Living in our current culture, I find I keep osolating between living in, accepting and “doing life” like the culture suggests and living ‘against’ the culture. One good thing, I believe, is being free and brave enough to question the culture in which we live. Too often we simply accept the ‘wisdom of the age’ or the ‘thoughts of the culture.’ Most of the time this might now be a very big deal. However, when the subject is the church, then we must ask questions of our culture and place our agendas before God.

It seems as if this website is questioning some of the ‘common sense’ of our culture. This is a good thing.

My Time with Leonard Sweet
Monday October 25th 2004, 11:03 pm Edit This
Filed under: General, Preaching, Church

Well, I did it! I sent my registration in for a workshop with Leonard Sweet. After reading his books and website I finally am taking an opportunity to see him live and in person! The workshop includes three sessions, worship and dinner.

It sounds odd (even to me), but I am having difficulty decided whether or not to stick around for the final session. If I do stick around it means I will miss the first couple of hours of The Indianapolis Colts on Monday Night Football.

Even if I don’t stick around, I know the time spent will be well worth it.

One little tidbit was the brochure mentioned that Sweet is working on a book on preaching. After being a part of preachingplus.com I’m sure that will be quite an interesting book.

Dave.

Pursuing God
Sunday October 24th 2004, 10:07 pm Edit This
Filed under: Church

I started re-reading “The Pursuit of God” by A. W. Tozer a few days ago. I originally bought the book in the late 80’s for 99 cents. That was an excellent price. In fact, for this book it was better than an excellent deal. If you ever haven’t had the chance of reading this book, I would encourage you to.

As I reflect on the church and its state, I realize that I am a reflection of the church. The church’s problems are reflect in me. Because of the issues within me, the church reflects those same issues. We often talk about the church being “the people” yet, it is easy for us to forget that any ‘problems’ we see in the church are only there because we are there.

One of the area’s I’ve been struggling with is simply connection with God. I’m not sure I always see a strong connection between God and God’s people. It seems we tend to get sidetracked and do all kinds of things, but we forget to be connected with God.

A. W. Tozer writes, “The stiff and wooden quality about our religious lives is a result of our lack of holy desire. Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth. Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people. He waits to be wanted. Too bad that with many of us He waits so long, so very long, in vain.”

I find that it is much easier to ‘do’ than to ‘wait.’ However, there are times that I find holy desire only comes in the waiting. We live life at such a frantic pace that we allow holy desire to dry up and blow away. God is waiting, yet my heart moves so fast that I pass God by.

The one thing I want is the One. I wonder if that is why my heart is so restless. I want to know God. I am tired of my apathy. I am tired of my complexity. I want to simply bow before God and allow him to speak. I want to know him who loves me beyond belief. I feel that is the only thing that will satisfy my soul.

Postmodernism and me
Friday October 08th 2004, 11:19 am Edit This
Filed under: General, Church

Reading some books on postmodernism, the church and such issues. I have to wonder where I fit into all this. Some of the leanings of postmodernism I have. However, there is still much that I’m not comfortable with yet.

Dave Tomlisin in his book “The Post-Evangelical” lists many things that resonate within me. Yet, there were some things in the book that I cringed at. Perhaps it is the nature of postmodernism, the now and not yet.

I realize that culture is changing, and I am, for better or worse, a product of my culture. Yet, I want my culture to be changed and transformed by Jesus.

I guess the one thing that I’m rejecting from the more ‘traditional’ church or the ‘traditional way of doing church’ is that there doesn’t always seem to be a focus upon Jesus and his call on our lives. It seems like church (or christianity for that matter) becomes more of a business and that is how we end up structuring things.

At times I wonder if I’ll make it though all the cultural shifts and changes…

Africa Challenge
Monday October 04th 2004, 11:05 am Edit This
Filed under: Church

Well, if you want to be challenged, here’s a link to go to It is from SansBlogue and has a quote from Bono (U2 fame) dealing with how the west has basically forgotten (or chooses not to acknowledge) the issues in Africa.

I’m not really current on the issues, but I do know one of our conference missionaries has also said that he feels the west has given up on Africa.

Free Culture and the Church
Friday October 01st 2004, 11:54 pm Edit This
Filed under: General, Church

Just posted on UMSource a bit about Leonard Sweet’s new book. I was lamenting the fact that we in the church have not picked up on the the Free Culture movement. I didn’t say too much on UMSource, but since no one has found this site yet, I thought I’d post a bit more.

I understand the need for someone to make a living, but it seems like those of us in the church are doing quite well for ourselves. We talk a good game about doing things for God, yet, we have no problem in getting compensated for those things that we credit to God. For example: A pastor may say God inspired him/her or God led her/him to a certain idea, sermon, program, etc. Yet, no one has a problem with that same person marketing that idea/sermon/program and making a lot of money.

Now, I’m not against making a lot of money. The problem is by not participating in a ‘free culture’ or allowing ‘free access’ there are barriers to creativity and extension of ideas. By copyrighting that which we believe God ahs given us, the ability for someone to build upon the thing copyrighted is limited.

My hope is that in the church there would be a free culture movement. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if those who are considered “top notch” move outside the mainstream and risk profit and future to allow God to use their work to enhance others (churches included).

Well, it is late and I’ve rambled a bit, but hopefully someone will be able to build upon these ideas.

Dave.

Sims 2
Thursday September 23rd 2004, 10:31 pm Edit This
Filed under: Computing

One of the Youth Group kids told me they just got the Sims 2. Man. I’m still on Sims 1. I don’t play it very much because I tend to loose track of time. Perhaps at times that is a good thing. I can fall into a ‘driven’ state and Sims might be a good deversion. However, I have trouble limiting my time on the Sims. Plus, I’m always thinking of other more important things I could be doing.

I guess the trick is to somehow get my kids involved That way, playing the Sims could also be spending time with my kids. Or, better yet, perhaps I could pretend I’m a Sim and instead of play the game I’d live my life

Simple Simplicity
Thursday September 23rd 2004, 10:25 pm Edit This
Filed under: General, Church

Just some ramblings ruminating around my mind. I’ve read various books about the church and how to “do” it so it is “successful.” There are people (and some churches) that are making quite a bit of money trying to convince me (and to some extent my church) that if we attend their conference or purchase their material, we too can have ’success.’

What if we are making church just too complex? Is it possible that we believe the complexity of how to “do” church gives us a sense of importance?

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