In my post below, I hope I didn't come off as one of those "got it all figured out guys". I'm reading "Orthodoxy" by G.K. Chesterton and I think he has a great example of Christian SUPERnatural thought, vs. the naturalist explaination of the order of things:
"All the towering materialism which dominates the modern mind rests ultimately upon one assumption: a false assumption. It is supposed that if a thing goes on repeating itself it is probably dead; a piece of clockwork...Now, to put the matter in a popular phrase, it might be true that the sun rises regularly because he never gets tired of rising. His routine might be due, not to a lifelessness, but to a rush of life. The thing I mean can be seen, for instance in children, when they find some game or joke that they specially enjoy. A child kicks his legs rhythmically through excess, not absence, of life. Because children have abounding vitality, because they are in spirit fierce and free, therefore they want things repeated and unchanged. They always say, "Do it again"' and the grown-up person does it again until he is nearly dead. For grown-up people are not strong enough to exult in monotony. But perhpas God is strong enough to exult in monotony. It is possible that God says every morning, "Do it again" to the sun; and every evening, "Do it again" to the moon. It may not be automatic necessity that makes all daisies alike; it may be that God makes every daisy seperately, but has never got tired of making them. It may be that He has the eternal appetite of infancy; for we have sinned and grown old, and our Father is younger than we."
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Monday, April 23, 2007
The Problem
Hello blog people. I know entries have been a little spotty, but this should be a little thicker than posts of late. Last night John Drage from The Rock spoke at our High School youth worship, and he really put the capstone on lots of things that have been floating around my head, mostly from books i've been reading, which in the following paragraphs I will blatently plunder and pass off as my own thoughts.
In America, we've got phrases like "culture war" in our vocabluary. You can use that phrase for all sorts of trends/cultures/beliefs in our country, but I will present the "war" between Christianity and Naturalism (which we will define shortly). Just look at the litigation in recent years over curriculum in schools and separation of church and state, the whole "In God We Trust" on our currency, the battles over "one nation under God" in the pledge of allegiance, the recent "Lost Tomb of Jesus" stuff in print and on Discovery channel, TIME/People magazine going to the well for another "God vs. Science" coverstory every 3 months...I could go on. There's clearly a division among worldviews in our country. I will attempt to outline 2 in my meager way, and then reveal that we have the same problem on both sides of the spectrum.
I will define a Christian as one who believes in an eternal, personal God who is the author of creation, who revealed himself through the inspired holy scriptures (i'll leave what scriptures are included as scriptures and how they are interpreted up to the reader for simplicities sake) and ultimately in his begotten son Jesus Christ, and continues to reveal himself through the holy spirit. The Christian believes that the universe IS ordered and that there IS a moral/ethical absolutre and his name is Jesus Christ. I've tried to make this definition pretty generic, as most Christians couldn't agree what exactly a Christian is, which is kind of funny and sad at the same time. Anyways, moving on.
I will define a naturalist as one who does not believe in the existance of an eternal, personal God. The universe is a mysterious result of time + chance, yet this mystery can be "unlocked" or observed through impirical, observable evidence and rational reasoning. Mankind arrived through natural selection and therefore through his rational thought, progress, and advancement can make his own parameters about his past, present, and future with no absolutes other than whatever is existential.
Obviously, you can sense my bias towards the former, but here a goes.
The problem is this: Niether the Christian NOR the Naturalist REALLY believes what they say they believe. (or at least, not to the extent that they think they do. Read that last part again and see if it makes more sense the second time.)
The Christian is too lawless and the Natuaralist is not lawless enough.
As Dallas Willard points out, you can have a Christian family and a secular family living on the same street and you wouldn't know the difference. I'm not just pointing the finger here, i'm right up there with everyone else. If we REALLY think that Jesus REALLY existed and the story is not just a story with a nice moral code but a call to REALLY live wholly/holy and participate in the Kingdom of God then we are not doing a really good job, at all, across the board historically, and currently in every arena of American life- economically in our giving and stewardship, socially in our compassion, corporately in our churches, and MOST IMPORTANTLY personally in our relationships. We are too lawless- we are not living by Jesus command to love God and love neighbor, period. (is it neccessary to put an actually period after the emphatic word period that ends a sentance? Interesting digression...)
On the other end of the spectrum, the naturalist has not adequately dealt with his claims either. For if there is no God, no order from whence we were created, and as the naturalist doctrine claims- we are just a different configuration of natural elements, then there is no order or reason by which they can substantiate their very championing of reason and rationalization. Chaos does not move towards order. In less confusing terms, if we have no higher reason to think about any one but ourselves, then there is no absolute good and evil other than whatever we rationalize for ourselves. Therefore, whatever is immediately good for me and only me according to my "natural" instinct is how I should behave. Naturalists cannot claim that man has no higher purpose but then appeal to a higher purpose of reason in defense of man living for "the common good". The naturalist is not living as lawlessly as he contends the nature of the universe is.
The common thread is what Francis A. Schaeffer refers to as "Personal peace and affluence". We've all got it made. As Americans, and particularly where I live in West St. Louis County, we're comfy. Do I REALLY depend on God for "daily bread"? NO! Literally i've got bread thats probably to old to eat in my crisper drawer, and figurativley i've got all these plans and then try to include God somewhere in there. Other scholars (and this is what prompted my mention of John as he did a great job of outlining this for us on Sunday night) point to a historical period referred to as panem et circenses, or bread and circuses. Basically, as long as our needs are met and we're entertaining ourselves, we don't realize the rut we've gotten ourselves into, neither the Christian or the Naturalist.
So all of this "culture war" between religious/Christian and secular society is really just silly because both of us are in bed with our own comfort. As Christians, we will verify our claims to truth by the difference we make in our communities and the world (or rather, the difference God makes through us because of the difference God makes in us). So who cares if you're arguing about creationism vs. big bang vs. evolution vs. intelligent design if you don't LIVE LIKE YOU WERE INTELLIGENTLY DESIGNED (fearfully and wonderfully made!). Who cares what your kids are learning at school if you don't model it at home. For the Christian- we have a higher calling and we better act like it. For the naturalist- why do you really care if we all just die anyway?
But the problem is the same for both, we don't really behave like we believe. Jesus addressed this in his life on Earth, and perhaps we can have a nice discussion around this subject because i'm tired of typing and pretty much out of things to say right now. Peace.
In America, we've got phrases like "culture war" in our vocabluary. You can use that phrase for all sorts of trends/cultures/beliefs in our country, but I will present the "war" between Christianity and Naturalism (which we will define shortly). Just look at the litigation in recent years over curriculum in schools and separation of church and state, the whole "In God We Trust" on our currency, the battles over "one nation under God" in the pledge of allegiance, the recent "Lost Tomb of Jesus" stuff in print and on Discovery channel, TIME/People magazine going to the well for another "God vs. Science" coverstory every 3 months...I could go on. There's clearly a division among worldviews in our country. I will attempt to outline 2 in my meager way, and then reveal that we have the same problem on both sides of the spectrum.
I will define a Christian as one who believes in an eternal, personal God who is the author of creation, who revealed himself through the inspired holy scriptures (i'll leave what scriptures are included as scriptures and how they are interpreted up to the reader for simplicities sake) and ultimately in his begotten son Jesus Christ, and continues to reveal himself through the holy spirit. The Christian believes that the universe IS ordered and that there IS a moral/ethical absolutre and his name is Jesus Christ. I've tried to make this definition pretty generic, as most Christians couldn't agree what exactly a Christian is, which is kind of funny and sad at the same time. Anyways, moving on.
I will define a naturalist as one who does not believe in the existance of an eternal, personal God. The universe is a mysterious result of time + chance, yet this mystery can be "unlocked" or observed through impirical, observable evidence and rational reasoning. Mankind arrived through natural selection and therefore through his rational thought, progress, and advancement can make his own parameters about his past, present, and future with no absolutes other than whatever is existential.
Obviously, you can sense my bias towards the former, but here a goes.
The problem is this: Niether the Christian NOR the Naturalist REALLY believes what they say they believe. (or at least, not to the extent that they think they do. Read that last part again and see if it makes more sense the second time.)
The Christian is too lawless and the Natuaralist is not lawless enough.
As Dallas Willard points out, you can have a Christian family and a secular family living on the same street and you wouldn't know the difference. I'm not just pointing the finger here, i'm right up there with everyone else. If we REALLY think that Jesus REALLY existed and the story is not just a story with a nice moral code but a call to REALLY live wholly/holy and participate in the Kingdom of God then we are not doing a really good job, at all, across the board historically, and currently in every arena of American life- economically in our giving and stewardship, socially in our compassion, corporately in our churches, and MOST IMPORTANTLY personally in our relationships. We are too lawless- we are not living by Jesus command to love God and love neighbor, period. (is it neccessary to put an actually period after the emphatic word period that ends a sentance? Interesting digression...)
On the other end of the spectrum, the naturalist has not adequately dealt with his claims either. For if there is no God, no order from whence we were created, and as the naturalist doctrine claims- we are just a different configuration of natural elements, then there is no order or reason by which they can substantiate their very championing of reason and rationalization. Chaos does not move towards order. In less confusing terms, if we have no higher reason to think about any one but ourselves, then there is no absolute good and evil other than whatever we rationalize for ourselves. Therefore, whatever is immediately good for me and only me according to my "natural" instinct is how I should behave. Naturalists cannot claim that man has no higher purpose but then appeal to a higher purpose of reason in defense of man living for "the common good". The naturalist is not living as lawlessly as he contends the nature of the universe is.
The common thread is what Francis A. Schaeffer refers to as "Personal peace and affluence". We've all got it made. As Americans, and particularly where I live in West St. Louis County, we're comfy. Do I REALLY depend on God for "daily bread"? NO! Literally i've got bread thats probably to old to eat in my crisper drawer, and figurativley i've got all these plans and then try to include God somewhere in there. Other scholars (and this is what prompted my mention of John as he did a great job of outlining this for us on Sunday night) point to a historical period referred to as panem et circenses, or bread and circuses. Basically, as long as our needs are met and we're entertaining ourselves, we don't realize the rut we've gotten ourselves into, neither the Christian or the Naturalist.
So all of this "culture war" between religious/Christian and secular society is really just silly because both of us are in bed with our own comfort. As Christians, we will verify our claims to truth by the difference we make in our communities and the world (or rather, the difference God makes through us because of the difference God makes in us). So who cares if you're arguing about creationism vs. big bang vs. evolution vs. intelligent design if you don't LIVE LIKE YOU WERE INTELLIGENTLY DESIGNED (fearfully and wonderfully made!). Who cares what your kids are learning at school if you don't model it at home. For the Christian- we have a higher calling and we better act like it. For the naturalist- why do you really care if we all just die anyway?
But the problem is the same for both, we don't really behave like we believe. Jesus addressed this in his life on Earth, and perhaps we can have a nice discussion around this subject because i'm tired of typing and pretty much out of things to say right now. Peace.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Cards Game
Got some sweet tickets to the Cards game last Saturday. 17 rows behind home! It was freezing and we payed way too much for hot chocolate, but it was still a blast. They're above .500 now! In other news, i've finished Rob Bell's Sex God. Despite the provocative title, it's a really good book.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
23
Is it just me, or does Don Imus look like Magneto's grandpa?
In other news, i'm 23 years old today. Kind of a lack luster birthday. One of the only real implications is whether i'm in my early twenties or my mid twenties now. I contend that i'm in my late-early twenties. Car insurance will drop at 25, so I guess i'm looking forward to that!
In other news, i'm 23 years old today. Kind of a lack luster birthday. One of the only real implications is whether i'm in my early twenties or my mid twenties now. I contend that i'm in my late-early twenties. Car insurance will drop at 25, so I guess i'm looking forward to that!
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Easter Eve
It's about the 3rd post in a row i've started off with a "gosh I haven't posted anything in a while" mindset.
If you'd like to check out some devo's and something with a little more depth, check out www.lwyouth.org
If you'd like to hear some random thoughts i've had, read on.
People I think are creepy/annoying:
-The guy from the UPS "whiteboard" commercials
-The Dyson vaccum guy
-Joakim Noah (Florida Gators basketball star)
Stuff that i've recently found (or continue to find) awesome:
-www.phonezoo.com
-men's wearhouse
-Reeses Peanut Butter Eggs
-power tools (i've recieved a drill for my upcoming birthday)
-dual meat dishes (chili dogs, chicken cord-on-blue, etc. I think i've went over this a while ago.)
-no easter sunrise service
-lo-carb energy drinks
Other thoughts:
-blades of glory was hillarious
-remember when raising the roof was cool?
-Easter should be the same weekend as passover
-turning 23 isn't that cool, can't wait until 25 when the car insurance drops
-the more I learn about taxes, the more I learn i'm getting screwed. although, here's something I do...i know that the US gives foriegn aid to Africa and other places. I just imagine that all the money out of my check goes there! it makes paying 30% of your check almost fun!
-the Cardinals need to raise the payroll, geez. 1-4. awesome.
Well, I guess thats all for now. I hope everyone has a blessed Easter.
If you'd like to check out some devo's and something with a little more depth, check out www.lwyouth.org
If you'd like to hear some random thoughts i've had, read on.
People I think are creepy/annoying:
-The guy from the UPS "whiteboard" commercials
-The Dyson vaccum guy
-Joakim Noah (Florida Gators basketball star)
Stuff that i've recently found (or continue to find) awesome:
-www.phonezoo.com
-men's wearhouse
-Reeses Peanut Butter Eggs
-power tools (i've recieved a drill for my upcoming birthday)
-dual meat dishes (chili dogs, chicken cord-on-blue, etc. I think i've went over this a while ago.)
-no easter sunrise service
-lo-carb energy drinks
Other thoughts:
-blades of glory was hillarious
-remember when raising the roof was cool?
-Easter should be the same weekend as passover
-turning 23 isn't that cool, can't wait until 25 when the car insurance drops
-the more I learn about taxes, the more I learn i'm getting screwed. although, here's something I do...i know that the US gives foriegn aid to Africa and other places. I just imagine that all the money out of my check goes there! it makes paying 30% of your check almost fun!
-the Cardinals need to raise the payroll, geez. 1-4. awesome.
Well, I guess thats all for now. I hope everyone has a blessed Easter.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Back in the Motherland
We made it home from Mexico, to check out photos/videos go to lwyouth.org
I'm pretty tired.
Finished Dan Kimball's "They Like Jesus, But Not the Church". About 1/3 through Sam Harris' "The End of Faith". Whew.
Also was able to keep up with ESPN's Pardon the Interruption through podcasts. Sound good cause they free!
More, later?
I'm pretty tired.
Finished Dan Kimball's "They Like Jesus, But Not the Church". About 1/3 through Sam Harris' "The End of Faith". Whew.
Also was able to keep up with ESPN's Pardon the Interruption through podcasts. Sound good cause they free!
More, later?
Monday, March 19, 2007
Mexico
What up guys.
I'm in Mexico, with my computer and wireless internet! Cool!
Check out the youth web page for blog entries from south of the border, and some pics. As I write this they are taking a long time to load.
Again, sorry for the lack of posting, i've been busy boy. Who isn't?
Peace.
I'm in Mexico, with my computer and wireless internet! Cool!
Check out the youth web page for blog entries from south of the border, and some pics. As I write this they are taking a long time to load.
Again, sorry for the lack of posting, i've been busy boy. Who isn't?
Peace.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
New stuff
Hey gang.
Check out:
http://www.lwyouth.org
Thats what i've been doin the past couple days.
Leavin for Mexico on Saturday. I hope to have kids post things from there, maybe throw some pics up. More later.
Check out:
http://www.lwyouth.org
Thats what i've been doin the past couple days.
Leavin for Mexico on Saturday. I hope to have kids post things from there, maybe throw some pics up. More later.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Air Guitar
A month or so ago, the Blue Note in Columbia MO held an air guitar contest. I'm friends with the dude featured in the story, pretty hillarious. Check out the story here.
Customer Service
As a young male, it really bothers me when I walk into a store and am ignored by the employees who have obviously sized me up and deemed that I won't be a "big spender" and am therefore unworthy of courtesy. The worst examples of this are probably music stores. Where the dudes working treat you like an idiot and try to sell you some Fender Squire if they even talk to you at all. Arg!
Other exhibits include the odd glances and glassy stares of the cologne-perfume-behind-the-counter-ladies at Famous Barr/Macy's/Dillards/etc. As an "unkept" looking indvidual I often get passed over, or perhaps they're just intimidated by my man-size beard. I recall being at one of these stores as a child with my Father, trying to purchase some perfume for my Mom for her birthday or something. After no sales associates were of assistance my Dad literally got out his gold card, waved it above his head, and loudly proclaimed "I'VE GOT MONEY!!!"
Classic Brent Mustoe. I love it. Clearly a disdain for poor business practice is in my genes.
So, there's some background. Today I get on the phone with a guy from "Mac Headquarters" to ask them about whats wrong with my powerbook. After answering my query about how late they were open (which I asked in a very friendly tone by the way) I said: "So I have a couple more questions for you, can I just tell you whats going on with my Apple?" or something like that. He responds with some non-intelligable noise and then retorts in a demeaning tone "Uh....I guess". So I say: "I'm sorry, am I bothering you? I just want to buy some memory". Sensing my agitation, he makes up for it with: "Ya, I said I guess." Whatever.
The point is I hate when I.T. or computer dudes get all high and mighty as if you're an idiot. As a customer, I don't think I should get the impression that i'm inconviencing this guy when all i'm trying to do is drive half an hour to his store and buy a really expensive piece of plastic and copper. I can't stand indignant techies who are so mortified by the pleabians who can't do anything computer related for themselves.
The point? We can't do this as the church. "We" can't be like snobby Apple guy and get all high and mighty using our big fancy words and then scoffing when those who are new to the fold (or have made up the fold for quite some time for that matter) don't possess the same knowledge and passion for "our" terminology, history, and particular, granular theology. This certainly needs to be tempored with education, discipleship, and a call to conviction as sinners but let's not pretend that we're above that mentally or practically.
People in the church aren't customers and we shouldn't discriminate like the people at retail stores according to socioeconomic status...or even worse judging people's hearts and sinfull tendancies by outward things.
I hope my church models the value of every individual simply because they're created in God's image, not because we want another tither in our midst or a number to my attendance chart at youth group. Nothing repels a person more than being treated like they don't matter or maybe worse like they only matter because of their possible benfits.
Thats how people get treated in the economic realm, not the ecclesial one. (killer last line huh!?!?!?!)
Monday, March 05, 2007
Back in the saddle
Hello all my blog people.
Well, this officially ends my longest blog drought to date. Much like my friend Adam, I don't think i'll come up with some big apology. I haven't really had the muse upon me to blog, there's been a period of trial and sickness both in our congregation and my family, plus, I just got my laptop fixed today (more RAM, system re-install...UH, YOU'RE WELCOME!).
Also, I came to to the realization that not much of what I say matters. The blog is a great way to function, communicate, vent, ponder, share, etc. All of those good things. But at the same time...if I don't post for a month the world somehow soldiers on. That being said, i'm back!
I just finished "Listening to the Beliefs of Emerging Churches" and it was a good read. I also have been emersed in C.S. Lewis and got back my Sam Harris book from whom I leant it, so I've got some pretty good material lined up I think.
So, hopefully more will be coming. Thanks for checking back.
Well, this officially ends my longest blog drought to date. Much like my friend Adam, I don't think i'll come up with some big apology. I haven't really had the muse upon me to blog, there's been a period of trial and sickness both in our congregation and my family, plus, I just got my laptop fixed today (more RAM, system re-install...UH, YOU'RE WELCOME!).
Also, I came to to the realization that not much of what I say matters. The blog is a great way to function, communicate, vent, ponder, share, etc. All of those good things. But at the same time...if I don't post for a month the world somehow soldiers on. That being said, i'm back!
I just finished "Listening to the Beliefs of Emerging Churches" and it was a good read. I also have been emersed in C.S. Lewis and got back my Sam Harris book from whom I leant it, so I've got some pretty good material lined up I think.
So, hopefully more will be coming. Thanks for checking back.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Devotion
Here's a devotion I gave at our Church Council meeting. Just to let you know I don't just blab online and then never do anything beyond a computer!
Church Council Devotion, 1.22.2007
“Growing”
When I was in 6th grade, my voice started to crack and although it was not as impressive or respect commanding as it is now, I had facial hair. I was going through what biologists and middle school teachers call “puberty”. This puberty is well documented: hormonal balances changing, brain patterns altering, fuzzy feelings occurring, new odors emerging, all sorts of fun stuff. Some of us were early bloomers, some were late bloomers, which in retrospect didn’t really leave room for just bloomers. That’s another topic altogether.
I survived puberty and went to college. Then after college you’re thrust into “the real world” as biologists and middle school teachers call it. What I’ve found is that most young adults in America suddenly enter a second puberty no body ever told them would happen to them. All through school you’re told to go to college and everything will work out fine: you’ll end up 32 years old, married with a beautiful spouse, with 2 kids, a dog, and a great career. The problem is no body has an outline for how this is going to pan out. There’s no “7 effective habits” to figure out what you’re supposed to do to get through this spiritual and professional puberty. When you’re 13, it’s weird to have hair under your arms all of a sudden but it’s a lot easier to deal with being 23 and trying to answer the looming question what am I going to do with my life?
I was able to identify the call of God upon my life, so please don’t read too much into the paragraph above. You may be wondering…what is this dude talking about, and why have I already heard about his hairy nature so much? Well, I’ll tell you.
Our church is going through puberty. I don’t care what Willow Creek or Saddle Back or Windsor Crossing, or North Point Community, or The Rock (where I went to church during college), or Church of the Resurrection is doing, it’s not the same as here. We have different people in a different context with a unique playground in which God wants us to play. Let’s read books and go to trainings and figure out what has worked elsewhere, by all means! But what WE have to do is figure out how God is calling us to live, to be always discerning how God is leading us to function as a living body of Christ. Churches that are “successful” are not all following some mysterious paradigm we haven’t purchased the rights to, it’s not some model we’re just missing out on, they’re being faithful to how God is calling them to work, in their particular context.
What’s hard about puberty, about growing up, is that it always seems foreign and the other side of it seems unimaginable. Then, years later through a process of experience and learning you see that the changes you went through were good, hopefully. Those folks at Salem-New Ballwin sure were adventurous to plant a church further west. You can go down and see the names on a plaque of the people who built the new sanctuary, I’m sure glad they did. I’ll bet both those groups of people had tough calls to make. But we all have benefited greatly from their efforts in God’s name.
Throughout the New Testament Jesus speaks to us about trees, plants, seeds, fruit-- things that grow. With the possible exception of Chia Pets things that grow take nurture, care, and a lot of thought and even more time. Consider the following scriptures:
Matthew 7: 18, 20…”A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
Matthew 13: 1-9…The parable of the sower.
13: 23…”The One who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what sown.
Matthew 13: 32...The parable of the mustard seed. “Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows It is the largest of garden plants…”
John 15: 1-5…The vine and the branches. “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful.”
There’s plenty more, but I’m not trying to impress you with my ability to search biblegateway.com or go through the gospels or concordances. I’m trying to show you that in God’s Kingdom the seeds are planted, watered, grown, and even pruned. So this church council can prune our part of the vine which is embodied in our church. It ain’t always pretty. How many of you have splintered limbs out by the street corner?
Growing is a continual process. Pruning takes planning and care. When a seed is planted, it’s hard to imagine that it will one day be a massive living creature. When your kids went through puberty, I’ll bet it was hard to imagine them being a full fledged contributing member of society. At this point, with our congregation, it might be hard for us to conceive of all the great things God wants to do in us and through is if we remain faithful.
But just like puberty, it’s awkward, not very much fun, and sometimes you start to smell and you don’t know why. There’s no step by step manual for precisely how EUMC transforms into Living Word just like there wasn’t a pamphlet for how to be 13.
Puberty is the name we’ve given the biological changes in adolescence, and I hope this body can lead us through our church’s puberty, through our church’s flowering--with a proper respect and honor for what has been, a commitment to what is, and a healthy enthusiasm for what could be.
Church Council Devotion, 1.22.2007
“Growing”
When I was in 6th grade, my voice started to crack and although it was not as impressive or respect commanding as it is now, I had facial hair. I was going through what biologists and middle school teachers call “puberty”. This puberty is well documented: hormonal balances changing, brain patterns altering, fuzzy feelings occurring, new odors emerging, all sorts of fun stuff. Some of us were early bloomers, some were late bloomers, which in retrospect didn’t really leave room for just bloomers. That’s another topic altogether.
I survived puberty and went to college. Then after college you’re thrust into “the real world” as biologists and middle school teachers call it. What I’ve found is that most young adults in America suddenly enter a second puberty no body ever told them would happen to them. All through school you’re told to go to college and everything will work out fine: you’ll end up 32 years old, married with a beautiful spouse, with 2 kids, a dog, and a great career. The problem is no body has an outline for how this is going to pan out. There’s no “7 effective habits” to figure out what you’re supposed to do to get through this spiritual and professional puberty. When you’re 13, it’s weird to have hair under your arms all of a sudden but it’s a lot easier to deal with being 23 and trying to answer the looming question what am I going to do with my life?
I was able to identify the call of God upon my life, so please don’t read too much into the paragraph above. You may be wondering…what is this dude talking about, and why have I already heard about his hairy nature so much? Well, I’ll tell you.
Our church is going through puberty. I don’t care what Willow Creek or Saddle Back or Windsor Crossing, or North Point Community, or The Rock (where I went to church during college), or Church of the Resurrection is doing, it’s not the same as here. We have different people in a different context with a unique playground in which God wants us to play. Let’s read books and go to trainings and figure out what has worked elsewhere, by all means! But what WE have to do is figure out how God is calling us to live, to be always discerning how God is leading us to function as a living body of Christ. Churches that are “successful” are not all following some mysterious paradigm we haven’t purchased the rights to, it’s not some model we’re just missing out on, they’re being faithful to how God is calling them to work, in their particular context.
What’s hard about puberty, about growing up, is that it always seems foreign and the other side of it seems unimaginable. Then, years later through a process of experience and learning you see that the changes you went through were good, hopefully. Those folks at Salem-New Ballwin sure were adventurous to plant a church further west. You can go down and see the names on a plaque of the people who built the new sanctuary, I’m sure glad they did. I’ll bet both those groups of people had tough calls to make. But we all have benefited greatly from their efforts in God’s name.
Throughout the New Testament Jesus speaks to us about trees, plants, seeds, fruit-- things that grow. With the possible exception of Chia Pets things that grow take nurture, care, and a lot of thought and even more time. Consider the following scriptures:
Matthew 7: 18, 20…”A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
Matthew 13: 1-9…The parable of the sower.
13: 23…”The One who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what sown.
Matthew 13: 32...The parable of the mustard seed. “Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows It is the largest of garden plants…”
John 15: 1-5…The vine and the branches. “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful.”
There’s plenty more, but I’m not trying to impress you with my ability to search biblegateway.com or go through the gospels or concordances. I’m trying to show you that in God’s Kingdom the seeds are planted, watered, grown, and even pruned. So this church council can prune our part of the vine which is embodied in our church. It ain’t always pretty. How many of you have splintered limbs out by the street corner?
Growing is a continual process. Pruning takes planning and care. When a seed is planted, it’s hard to imagine that it will one day be a massive living creature. When your kids went through puberty, I’ll bet it was hard to imagine them being a full fledged contributing member of society. At this point, with our congregation, it might be hard for us to conceive of all the great things God wants to do in us and through is if we remain faithful.
But just like puberty, it’s awkward, not very much fun, and sometimes you start to smell and you don’t know why. There’s no step by step manual for precisely how EUMC transforms into Living Word just like there wasn’t a pamphlet for how to be 13.
Puberty is the name we’ve given the biological changes in adolescence, and I hope this body can lead us through our church’s puberty, through our church’s flowering--with a proper respect and honor for what has been, a commitment to what is, and a healthy enthusiasm for what could be.
Stuff It
Here is a good article I saw on Relevantmagazine.com today.
How much of everything we do is motivated by the accumulation of stuff? Or as Francic A. Shaeffer would put it: "Personal peace and affluence". Education, Career, the way we raise our kids...how much is taken over by the fact we want ourselves and our children to be "successful" which of course means, rich. Take a look, some of the stats are pretty shocking.
How much of everything we do is motivated by the accumulation of stuff? Or as Francic A. Shaeffer would put it: "Personal peace and affluence". Education, Career, the way we raise our kids...how much is taken over by the fact we want ourselves and our children to be "successful" which of course means, rich. Take a look, some of the stats are pretty shocking.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Quick Update and Story
Hello all my blog people, it's been too long! Things are nuts-o around here, in a good way. I've seen a couple movies and finished a couple books which I hope to "review"/share my thoughts on here. More on Sam Harris' stuff eventually as well.
So I was at the bank last week, depositing a check as our internet was down due to the power outages, so no direct deposit from the ol' Church. All this is to say that I normally don't go into the Bank, so I was a bit sheepish.
It wasn't to busy and I stepped right up to the teller, although I was greeted by the ...er...greeter and he asked "Hey, how's the youth group goin?" which I thought was cool. Anyways the teller and I get to talking and I presumed she noticed the check, or somehow we got to talking about the fact that I work at a church and she asked if I was Catholic. I replied no, and that I worked at the Methodist church down the street. To which she said: "So what to Methodists believe in?"
Me: *gasp* uh...you know...God...Jesus...really not too different from Catholics, some stuff sure, but basically the same stuff.
Her: (awkwardly) Oh, ok.
Me: (trying to muster a decent response) Well, the Methodists really emphasize grace alot.
Her: *blink**blink* ...like, grace before you eat?
Me: (feeling stupid/arrogant because I almost laughed) No, no, no, like...we're all really screwed up people but Jesus died for us and there's not much we can do to make up for that, but we try really hard anyway.
We somehow transitioned into scandals involving clergy and how destructive they are. Our conversation length was aided by the fact that the transaction I was trying to do was taking abnormally long.
But all this goes to show how insulated I am as a Christian, and a church staff person. Here you think that you can be all subvertive about the love of Christ and show people that in how you live, how you don't ever wanna be "in somebody's face" about relgiion/faith, whatever. Then next thing you know someone asks you a simple, honest question and you stand there dumbfounded! Ugh!
It also shows how "Christianeese" is not the vernacular of our time. What I meant by the deep, mysterious, theological contruct was taken for a much more practical ritual and they were both correct, but I assumed so much in my casual use of terminology. Whew. It was quite a trip.
So I was at the bank last week, depositing a check as our internet was down due to the power outages, so no direct deposit from the ol' Church. All this is to say that I normally don't go into the Bank, so I was a bit sheepish.
It wasn't to busy and I stepped right up to the teller, although I was greeted by the ...er...greeter and he asked "Hey, how's the youth group goin?" which I thought was cool. Anyways the teller and I get to talking and I presumed she noticed the check, or somehow we got to talking about the fact that I work at a church and she asked if I was Catholic. I replied no, and that I worked at the Methodist church down the street. To which she said: "So what to Methodists believe in?"
Me: *gasp* uh...you know...God...Jesus...really not too different from Catholics, some stuff sure, but basically the same stuff.
Her: (awkwardly) Oh, ok.
Me: (trying to muster a decent response) Well, the Methodists really emphasize grace alot.
Her: *blink**blink* ...like, grace before you eat?
Me: (feeling stupid/arrogant because I almost laughed) No, no, no, like...we're all really screwed up people but Jesus died for us and there's not much we can do to make up for that, but we try really hard anyway.
We somehow transitioned into scandals involving clergy and how destructive they are. Our conversation length was aided by the fact that the transaction I was trying to do was taking abnormally long.
But all this goes to show how insulated I am as a Christian, and a church staff person. Here you think that you can be all subvertive about the love of Christ and show people that in how you live, how you don't ever wanna be "in somebody's face" about relgiion/faith, whatever. Then next thing you know someone asks you a simple, honest question and you stand there dumbfounded! Ugh!
It also shows how "Christianeese" is not the vernacular of our time. What I meant by the deep, mysterious, theological contruct was taken for a much more practical ritual and they were both correct, but I assumed so much in my casual use of terminology. Whew. It was quite a trip.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Now I Understand
I had heard so many graduation speeches or sermons or blogs talk about C.S. Lewis I would get all snooty and thought he was played out. Now I know why so many people are just enamored with his writings. Some of us are going through "The Screwtape Letters" and i've been listening to "Mere Christianity" on audiobook. It's just nuts. Here's one good selection:
"One of our great allies at present is the Church itself...when he goes inside, he sees the local grocer with rather an oily expression on his face bustling up to offer him one shiny little book containing lituragy neither of them can understand...When he gets to his pew and round him he sees just that selection of his neighbours whom he has hitherto avoided...Provided that any of those neighbors sing out of tune, or have botts that squeak, or double chines, or odd clothes, the patient will quite easily believe that their religion must therefore be somehow ridiculous." (pgs 5-6) Written as a letter from one demon giving advice to another in securing a human soul for hell.
It's easy to have some high ideal of what church is like. But it's filled with people with a bunch of problems, just like me and you. Sometimes as a church staff member you can read so many books about leading or evangelising or discipling that you get so puffed up and concerned about the forest that you dont' take care of the trees. I hope that is as profound as it felt to type, or at least makes sense. More from Mr. Lewis soon i'm sure.
"One of our great allies at present is the Church itself...when he goes inside, he sees the local grocer with rather an oily expression on his face bustling up to offer him one shiny little book containing lituragy neither of them can understand...When he gets to his pew and round him he sees just that selection of his neighbours whom he has hitherto avoided...Provided that any of those neighbors sing out of tune, or have botts that squeak, or double chines, or odd clothes, the patient will quite easily believe that their religion must therefore be somehow ridiculous." (pgs 5-6) Written as a letter from one demon giving advice to another in securing a human soul for hell.
It's easy to have some high ideal of what church is like. But it's filled with people with a bunch of problems, just like me and you. Sometimes as a church staff member you can read so many books about leading or evangelising or discipling that you get so puffed up and concerned about the forest that you dont' take care of the trees. I hope that is as profound as it felt to type, or at least makes sense. More from Mr. Lewis soon i'm sure.
Comfortably Number
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
3 posts in one day...amazing!
This was sent from my boy Justin, pretty nuts. Makes you want to quit playing guitar.
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