Lost puppy...

I hope this doesn't offend anyone, but I couldn't stop laughing, so I finally gave in and posted it here.

You need to see this...

You probably need highspeed internet to see it properly, but it will affect you in a profound way.

Sarah McLachlan - World On Fire

Here's to a dangerous Lover...

From Daily Dig, a quote by Kahlil Gibran

"When Love speaks to you, believe in him,
though his voice may shatter your dreams,
as the north wind lays waste the garden.
For even as love crowns you, so shall he crucify you.
Even as he is for your growth, so is he for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and
caresses the tender branches that quiver in the sun,
so shall he descend to your roots
and shake them in their clinging to the earth."

I don't long for the breaking - for the shattering of my dreams. A person would be crazy to want that. But I do long for Jesus. And if the way to Jesus entails a shattering of what I want - of what I think I need - then I want to go that way. Don't you?

I bought a CD...

...two actually. That may not sound like a big deal, but I don't buy a lot of music these days. In college I spent every penny I had on music, but not anymore. I did come across this CD by a guy named Derek Webb. He was formerly with Caedmon's Call. The CD is called "She must and shall go free." It's a CD written about the church. I like his style of music (acoustic with a contemporary bluegrass feel) but the lyrics have really impacted me. He writes in the liner notes,

"After ten years in a Christian band, backstage in the music industry and in the hallways of church buildings across America, my attention as a songwriter has turned to a fresh affection for the Church. It seems we know too little of who She is, how She should dress, or what She was made for. I have found that Scripture is provocative when it comes to these issues and so these songs are not for the faint of heart. ...She is both wretched and radiant...For the believer, truth is freedom, even truth that is hard to hear. May these sounds stir all of us to see, as if for the first time, that we have (still) a great need for a Savior, and a great Savior for our need."

Derek has a prophetic voice, but it's laced with honesty and humility. And underlying it all is a love for Jesus and His church. As you may have gathered from my previous postings, I am becoming more convinced of the central nature of honesty in our spiritual growth. We have to realize that the evil is not out there, but it is in us. The line that separates good from bad runs through the center of my heart. And only as I offer that weakness to Jesus can it be transformed. Maybe that's why Derek's lyric from his song called "Wedding Dress" hit so close to home. I share it with you as a window into my own heart, and as a longing for the day when I'll be the Bride that Jesus can make me to be.

Wedding Dress (words and music by derek webb)
Real Audio Sample Clip

if you could love me as a wife
and for my wedding gift, your life
should that be all i'll ever need
or is there more i'm looking for

and should i read between the lines
and look for blessings in disguise
to make me handsome, rich, and wise
is that really what you want

(chorus)
i am a whore i do confess
but i put you on just like a wedding dress
and i run down the aisle
i'm a prodigal with no way home
but i put you on just like a ring of gold
and i run down the aisle to you

so could you love this bastard child
though i don't trust you to provide
with one hand in a pot of gold
and with the other in your side
i am so easily satisfied
by the call of lovers less wild
that i would take a little cash
over your very flesh and blood

(chorus)

because money cannot buy
a husband's jealous eye
when you have knowingly deceived his wife

A big thank you to Derek, for his prophetic voice, for his transparency, for the love for Jesus he evokes in my heart as he sings.

"Honesty" by Johann Christoph Arnold

A while back I posted on the need for honesty on our spiritual journey. I found this article from Bruderhof which says better than I could what God seems to be teaching me.

"If someone asked me to pick the most fundamental requirement for inner peace, I would probably take honesty. Whether taken to mean truthfulness in a general sense, or knowledge of one’s condition, or the ability to call a spade a spade, or the willingness to admit failure in front of others, honesty is a basic premise for peace. We may strive and struggle for peace until our dying breath, but we will never find it as long as we are unwilling to place ourselves under the clear light of truth. Dishonesty is one of the greatest impediments along the path to peace, because it prevents us from finding a square footing on which to base our search...Peace can be lost in a moment – through stubbornness or deceit, pride, self-will, or the false comfort of an easy way out. Yet it is never too late to start looking for it again, even if it has eluded us for years. Whenever we are able to take an honest look at ourselves – who am I, not in the eyes of others, but in the sight of God? – it should not be hard to refocus on our need for Jesus. In his truth there is always peace."

Read More

Sacred Space - the prayer site run by the Irish Jesuits

One of the best sites I've found to help me focus and grow in my prayer life. Use it with discernment, but use it.

Link

On a Rite of Passage...

Once again, Desert pastor writes things that stimulate thinking and are worth reading...

"Contemporary Western society has virtually eliminated the once prevelent rite-of-passage and its welcoming of children into adulthood. Surprisingly, few people today realize that the entire concept of “adolescence” is a modern construct – only appearing in the last century. Prior to then, in nearly all cultures in all places at all times we observe a two-stage development of humanity: children and adults. Rather than children anticipating and preparing for his or her journey into adulthood (e.g. Jewish bar/bat mitzvah, Amish Rumspringa), it seems that contemporary culture is sending a double-message: "you're teenagers now and won't be adults for quite awhile," AND "we want you to go ahead and act like adults though, endulging yourselves in anything and everything."

Read More

The Blog Addiction spreads...

Hey, my friend Brian Wiebe has just started a blog. Check it out in the coming days. He has alot to offer.

Link

A Generous Orthodoxy

Here's a blog about Brian McLaren's new book, A Generous Orthodoxy. It's all pretty positive and doesn't seem to be really critiquing the book very much, but it's good info and gives links to a few chapters that are online.

aGenerousOrthodoxy.com

This is for all the lonely people

I've had an interesting week. I've been forced into the realization that there is huge group of people in the world who, for all practical purposes, are almost invisible.

I am doing a funeral tomorrow for a 67 year old man who died when he was hit by a train. He suffered from Alzheimers and had wandered away from his family. He walked on the railroad tracks for 20 km. before being hit. However the thing that made the biggest impact on me wasn't the way he died, it was where he lived. He lived in a duplex right behind the church that I pastor. I walk or drive by his house every day. He'd lived there for almost two years and I didn't even know that he existed. What makes it even worse was that he was Mexican. One of the things I have lamented about living in Hope was that there is very little opportunity to practice my Spanish. Meanwhile, 50 meters from my office is a family who is speaking Spanish in their home. Yet in the midst of my "ministry", they had been invisible to me. When I asked them if there were people in town who would come to the funeral they said that they really didn't know anyone in town. They'd made efforts to get to know people, but no one seemed to connect with them. They had assumed that it was something wrong with them.

I've been trying to reflect on this experience with some sort of openness to the Spirit of God. I realize that I can't take responsibility for everyone in my town. There is no physical way that I can meet every individual and help them connect to a social/support network. But I have been challenged. Challenged to look for the invisible people. Challenged to slow down enough to say hello and see what happens. Challenged once again to get to know the people that Jesus called "...the least of these..."

Friend of Sinners

Food for thought from the House Church Blog...

I like this post from thedeepend:

A survey has been conducted in Newcastle, UK, about how practising Christians are viewed by their work colleagues. They were fairly much liked, actually, but their top three perceived characteristics were as follows:

1. They go to church

2. They don't have much time to socialise with work colleagues

3. They don't like drinking alcohol

When you consider that Jesus was known as a Sabbath-breaker, friend of sinners and drunkard, you have to conclude that something's gone badly wrong...


Link

The Collapse of the Church Culture

Posted by Len over at Resonate. I found it via Jordon Cooper.

"The current church culture in North America is on life support. It is living off the work, money and energy of previous generations from a previous world order. The plug will be pulled when either the money runs out (80 percent of money given to congregations comes from people aged fifty-five and over) or when the remaining three-fourths of a generation who are institutional loyalists die off or both...

"The first Reformation was about freeing the church. The new Reformation is about freeing God's people from the church (the institution). The original Reformation decentralized the church. The new Reformation decentralizes ministry. The former Reformation occurred when clergy were no longer willing to take marching orders from the Pope. The current Reformation finds church members no longer willing for clergy to script their personal spiritual ministry journey. The last Reformation moved the church closer to home. The new Reformation is moving the church closer to the world. The historic Reformation distinguished Christians one from the other. The current Reformation is distinguishing followers of Jesus from religious people. The European Reformation assumed the church to be a part of the cultural-political order. The Reformation currently underway does not rely on the cultural-political order to prop up the church. The initial Reformation was about church. The new Reformation is about mission." (Reggie McNeal, The Present Future, pp.1 and 43.)

We had an interesting talk last night with our "pot-luck group" regarding the changing face of missions today. This quote seemed to echo many of our feelings.

Link

A personal note

I have been wanting to sit down and write some of my personal thoughts in this blog, but this past week has just not made it possible. It will be forthcoming.

When we get our spiritual house in order...

"When we get our spiritual house in order, we'll be dead. This goes on. You arrive at enough certainty to be able to make your way, but it is making it in darkness. Don't expect faith to clear things up for you. It is trust, not certainty." - Flannery O'Connor

A great quote via Daily Dig.

It's the little things that could make a difference...

Jordon Cooper led me to this one...

"Think about it. In America, people can afford $90.00 a month on the convince of espresso drinks. i'd bet the average suburban person drinks two or three espresso drinks a week. That is at least $30.00 a month depending on your drink. My friends spend an average of $30- 45 dollars a month. (i just overheard a barista say that one gentleman comes in three to four times a day.)
Just think of what a large group of us could do if we fasted one or two drinks a week and used that money to help the less fortunate."


Read more

Just one more proof of the importance of Hockey to Canadians

"WHITEHORSE, Yukon Territory - An exuberant dog left in a truck while the owner watched Canada win the World Cup of Hockey managed to throw the vehicle into gear and coast down a city hill.

A man out for a walk called police after seeing the vehicle coast by with a black Labrador retriever behind the wheel. Police arrived to find the truck in the middle of a road, blocking traffic, with the dog still at the wheel. No one was injured and there was no damage. Going door to door, police managed to track down the owner.
'Subsequent investigation indicates that the dog was celebrating the Canadian victory in the world hockey game and knocked the truck into gear, causing it to roll down the hill,' Whitehorse Royal Canadian Mounted Police said Wednesday in a firmly tongue-in-cheek news release.

'No word yet on how the dog is doing studying the rules for negotiating the new traffic circle.' "

Read More:

I'm not exactly sure if I'd brag about this or not...

A Great Dream...

Len at NextReformation.com has a great dream...

"On another note, I have another dream. I dream of a non-profit foundation that would fund a downpayment for a duplex, and guarantee the mortgage. Each side of the duplex would then be gifted to single parent families, who have enough of an income to carry the mortgage. Too many single parents can never afford their own home, and they pour their meagre earnings into renting run down shacks with landlords who couldn't care less. By owning their own home they secure a better future, control of their environment, and some dignity. I think this is a good dream!"

Thanks for sharing that one, Len.

Great Analogy (and a little history too...)

From Jamie Hoskins over at BeChurch

I'm adding "Ana-" to my "Baptist"

After several years of thinking about it I've decided to come out of the closet. I am definitely more of an Anabaptist than a Baptist. I'm not that interested in denominational "names", but the more I see of the foundational ideas of the Anabaptists the more I am willing to identify with them. There are several reasons why:

First, Anabaptists stress the centrality of the teachings of Jesus. That may seem like a no-brainer, but what I mean is that they actually believe that we are called to follow Jesus and His teachings in our day to day lives. While most "Baptists" won't usually admit it, we have tended to look at teachings like the Sermon on the Mount as the ideal way to live, but not that practical. Often Jesus' teachings are seen more as ideals that make us realize that we don't measure up to God's standards than as characteristics of people seeking to live in God's Kingdom.

Second, Anabaptists see the meaning of Baptism as more important than the method. I think if hard-core Baptists are honest with our position of "total immersion only" we have to admit that we are bordering on sacramentalism. We may say that salvation is by grace alone, but in elevating the method above the heart commitment we often make immersion something that we do to earn God's favor.

Third, Anabaptists believe in the Kingdom as more than just something that will happen one day. It becomes their way of life. They seek to live in counter-cultural ways, as strangers and aliens here on earth. One thing that I'm learning about the Kingdom of God is that if you take it seriously it has far reaching implications, many of which will be viewed as strange or radical by outsiders.

Finally, Anabaptists aren't afraid to live at the margins of society. Brian McLaren says it well,

"Believing as I do that modernity is slowly but surely being replaced by a new postmodern ethos -- and believing that in the postmodern milieu Christians will have neither the dominating position that they had through the Middle Ages not the privileged position they had during much of modernity -- I believe we have a lot to learn at this juncture from the Anabaptists, who were willingly marginalized throughout modernity. Because they rejected the idea of the state church that the early Reformers accepted, they were welcome in neither Catholic not Protestant countries and for some years were bitterly persecuted...As outsiders they learned to function at the margins, and they learned that the gospel functions there just as well as or better than at the centers of power, prestige, wealth, and control. Rather than lamenting that 'Christendom' is over, Anabaptists have always felt 'Good Riddance!' Ever since Constantine, they believe, the church has been perverted by copulation with the Empire and its seductions." (A Generous Orthodoxy, p.206)

The current desire by many North American Christians to use the political process to legislate Christian values scares me. It appears to be causing many of those outside the faith to draw conclusions about Jesus (and Christianity) that I don't believe are accurate. The church seems to have lost it's prophetic voice in critiquing the current "Christian" administration. And finally, if it was so important to use the state as a vehicle for Kingdom growth doesn't it make sense that Jesus would have sought to do the same thing?

I should also say that I realize that there are no Anabaptists that live completely true to their convictions, but I believe that their convictions are more compelling (and more in line with the teachings of the New Testament) than the ones that I have held for years. So as far as I'm concerned, I'm adding "Ana-" to my "Baptist".

Top 10 Ways The Amish Like To Party Like It's 1699

This is... um... unusual. Taken from The Door Magazine.

Top 10 Ways The Amish Like To Party Like It's 1699

Web Evangelism

I've never been that great a proponent of web evangelism, it always seems a bit detached. But this site is making me re-think that a bit.

rejesus

Churches are Not Cool

From Roger at House Church Blog...

"Churches, themselves, are not cool. House churches are not cool. Traditional churches are not cool. Emerging churches are not cool. Mega-churches are not cool. Seeker churches are not cool. Cell group churches are not cool. Churches with buildings are not cool. Churches without buildings are not cool...

Wherever and however we gather today, may we be on our knees asking God to take our frail, weak, and fully imperfect human lives and gatherings and somehow, by His grace, display His wonder through our brokenness. Let's do it in cathedrals, and let's do it in houses, and let's do it in the streets.

Then, if God's grace does, in any way, show up and move hearts and touch lives... let's remember that it has nothing to do with how cool our church or gathering is. Rather, it has everything to do with how cool God is."

Read more of "Churches are Not Cool"

Body and Spirit

I've felt really crappy for the past few days, some type of cold or sinus infection. It's made me kind of lethargic. Not only physically, but spiritually. It's funny how our physical body affects our spirit. There is some type of link between the two. I often tend to view my body as nothing more than the car in which my spirit drives around, but there is more to it than that. The body can be a help or a hindrance to the growth and nurture of my spiritual life. I guess that's why things like posture affect our prayers. That's why kneeling or raising our hands can actually enable our spirit to physically express a spiritual attitude. The body is our primary vehicle for acting out what our spirit is becoming. This is interesting when you consider that Jesus was the "incarnation" - the Word made flesh. In the same way, the Holy Spirit works in our hearts to help utilize the body for the Kingdom of God. It is the theatre where the truth of God is "incarnated" for the world to see. That's why Paul says, "I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasting to God -- this is your spiritual act of worship." (Rom 12:1)

Our body is not just a vehicle to drive a spirit around, but becomes the area where we work out our salvation. It is the testing ground where our spiritual growth is visibly developed and demonstrated.

Dallas Willard writes, "So what we find, then, is that the body is the place of our direct power. It is the little "power pack" that God has assigned to us as the field of our freedom and development. Our lives depend upon our direction and management of it. But it has and acquires a "life of its own"--tendencies to behave without regard to our conscious intentions. In our fallen world this life is prepossessed by evil, so that we do not have to think to do what is wrong, but must think and plan and practice--and receive grace--if we are to succeed in doing what is right.
But Christ shows us how to bring the body from opposition to support of the new life He gives us, "the spirit" now in us. He calls us to share His practices in sustaining His own relationship to the Father. Indeed, these practices--of solitude, silence, study, service, prayer, worship, etc.--are now the places where we arrange to meet regularly with Him and His Father to be His students or disciples in Kingdom living.
Some may think it strange that such practices, the disciplines for life in the spirit, are all bodily behaviors. But it cannot be otherwise. Learning Christlikeness is not passive. It is active engagement with and in God. And we act with our bodies. Moreover, this bodily engagement is what lays the foundation in our bodily members for readinesses for holiness, and increasingly removes the readinesses to sin -- "So that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Phil 1:20-21)"

Read more by Dallas Willard

The Unlikely Prophet...

Truth can be found in some pretty strange places sometimes.

"Well , I may not know much about God, but I have to say, we built a pretty nice cage for him ."

(Homer Simpson after helping some island natives build a chapel.)

Loving Someone

I believe in the church. It's God's way of bringing about His kingdom. No, it's not perfect. It's full of people who have their own agendas and selfish inclinations. If I am willing to be honest, I have to admit that I am one of those people. I've also realized that one of the reasons I get angry with the church is that I'm too interested in "the church". As a pastor church can become a hobby, a passion, an addiction. When it's not moving as I think it should I get frustrated. As I was praying a few years ago God spoke to my heart and asked me, "Do you love me or do you love my bride?" It was one of those moments of clarity that I will never forget. I love the church, but I have to realize that the reason I love the church is because I love Jesus. And as I love Jesus, I find myself more patient and willing to work among the muck and mire that I find in my own life and in the lives of those who are the church. Brian McLaren sums my thoughts up in his newest book, A Generous Orthodoxy,

"A friend of mine once said that every new Christian should be equipped at baptism with a manure detector (not his exact words) because their is plenty of it around in the church world, and I agree. I've seen it and smelled it (and too often tracked it through the house). Sometimes, honestly, I've felt like giving up and walking away in search of fresher, healthier air. But there is something here that I love and can't stop loving, and that something is actually Someone."

May the Someone that we love so consume our thoughts and emotions, that we may walk together as His bride, painting a picture for the world of how beautiful He truly is.

The Jesus Creed

From Brian McLaren's website:

We have confidence in Jesus
Who healed the sick, the blind, and the paralyzed.
And even raised the dead.
He cast out evil powers and Confronted corrupt leaders.
He cleansed the temple.
He favored the poor.
He turned water into wine, Walked on water, calmed storms.
He died for the sins of the world, Rose from the dead, and ascended to the Father, Sent the Holy Spirit.
We have confidence in Jesus
Who taught in word and example, Sign and wonder.
He preached parables of the kingdom of God On hillsides, from boats, in the temple, in homes, At banquets and parties, along the road, on beaches, in towns, By day and by night.
He taught the way of love for God and neighbor, For stranger and enemy, for outcast and alien.
We have confidence in Jesus,
Who called disciples, led them, Gave them new names and new purpose And sent them out to preach good news.
He washed their feet as a servant.
He walked with them, ate with them, Called them friends, Rebuked them, encouraged them, Promised to leave and then return, And promised to be with them always.
He taught them to pray. He rose early to pray, stole away to desolate places, Fasted and faced agonizing temptations, Wept in a garden, And prayed, “Not my will but your will be done.”
He rejoiced, he sang, he feasted, he wept.
We have confidence in Jesus,
So we follow him, learn his ways,
Seek to obey his teaching and live by his example.
We walk with him, walk in him, abide in him, As a branch in a vine. We have not seen him, but we love him.
His words are to us words of life eternal, And to know him is to know the true and living God.
We do not see him now, but we have confidence in Jesus.
Amen.


Brian McLaren: The Jesus Creed

A call to honesty...

Jesus prayed that we (believers) might be one even as He and the Father are one. Yet it only takes a cursory glance at the church today to see that we are far from being one. In my little corner of Canada alone there are 5 different types of Baptists. And a look at the differences in our statements of Faith shows that the divisions have been made over non-essential issues. Of course, each group has the final word on these issues, at least to the point that it keeps them separated from one another. I was reflecting on this because of a quote from N.T. Wright taken from a lecture that he gave at Regent College back in 1988. He said, "My experience is that unity is a by-product of honesty...". Is that what keeps us apart? Our fear of being honest and saying that we don't quite understand everything? My prayer is for a generation of people who will seek to "speak the truth in love", being honest about what we know to be true, and honest about what we aren't sure about.

I don't understand economics...

...but quotes like this one make we wonder if something isn't working the way it should.

"...Today the top 400 income earners in the U.S. make as much in a year as the entire population of the 20 poorest countries in Africa (over 300 million people)...A series of reports released in 2003 by the UN and other global economy analysis groups warn that further increases in the imbalance in wealth throughout the world will have catastrophic effects if left unchecked. UN-habitat reports that unless governments work to control the current unprecedented spread in urban growth, a third of the world's population will be slum dwellers within 30 years. Currently, almost one-sixth of the world's population lives in slum-like conditions. The UN warns that unplanned, unsanitary settlements threaten both political and fiscal stability within third world countries, where urban slums are growing faster than expected." Read more

I'm still a capitalist, but I think that capitalism without morality and integrity can destroy the world.

"The freest government cannot long endure when the tendency of the law is to create a rapid accumulation of property in the hands of a few, and to render the masses poor and dependent." – Daniel Webster, 1782-1852

Sanity?

"If the world is sane, then Jesus is mad as a hatter and the Last Supper is the Mad Tea Party. The world says, 'Mind your own business', and Jesus says, 'There is no such thing as your own business'. The world says, 'Follow the wisest course and be a success', and Jesus says, 'Follow me and be crucified'. The world says, 'Drive carefully-the life you save may be your own-', and Jesus says, 'Whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it'. The world says, 'Law and order', and Jesus says, 'Love'. The world says, 'Get', and Jesus says, 'Give'. In terms of the world's sanity, Jesus is crazy as a coot and anybody who thinks he can follow Him without being a little crazy is labouring less under the cross than under a delusion. 'We are fools for Christ's sake,' Paul says, faith says--the faith that ultimately the follishness of God is wiser that the wisdom of men, the lunacy of Jesus saner than the grim sanity of the world." (Frederick Buechner)

"Great things..."

I've always been motivated by the quote by William Carey, "Attempt great things for God, expect great things from God." I'm a dreamer and I want to make a difference in the world, the big world, not just "my little corner". But lately I've been learning that I need to be careful how I define "great". Jesus compared the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed that was planted in the ground. A small, seemingly inconsequential act, when empowered by the Spirit, accomplishes "great things". It reminds me of what Mother Theresa said, "We can do no great things; only small things with great love."

So I'm looking for mustard seeds to plant. I'm asking God to help me serve in small ways that will multiply the Kingdom. And it's amazing the different perspective it gives. Pierre Teihard de Chardin said, "Do not forget that the value and interest on life is not so much to do conspicuous things...as to do ordinary things with the perception of their enormous value." Am I willing to be "useless" for God and spend my life doing small things, knowing that He takes small things and uses them to build a never-ending Kingdom? I hope so.

Why?

I'd just like to know why.

Link

Acts 2:42 and what the church should look like.

In a very inspiring article from the archives of Next-Wave, Mike Bishop writes, "For the past few years I've been captured by the idea that the Gospel is an invitation into a new way of life - something God-shaped, kingdom oriented. This is what it means to become a follower of Jesus, to “repent and believe the good news” that the kingdom of God is near. Being renewed from the inside that transforms outward conduct, taking on a new character…a new lifestyle, with a new Master. Meditating on this process - a journey in which I've embarked - has produced in me the beginnings of awareness. Seeing and hearing what the Father is doing. Tending the good soil. Everything around me, every passing moment is shaping me. I am recognizing how the Spirit is forming me and those around that he is calling."

Bishop encapsulates a vision for church that is not confined to the four walls of a building, but one that is alive in the day to day life of every believer. Take a look at this article.

Read More

Brian McLaren's new book

It's coming soon. Should be an interesting read. The full title is "A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I Am A Missional, Evangelical, Post/protestant, Liberal/conservative, Mystical/poetic, Biblical, Charismatic/contemplative"

Link to Amazon.com

Link to Amazon.ca

Real Headlines (via Debby Flynn)

Actual Newspaper Headlines (collected by journalists)
==========================
1. Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says
2. Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers
3. Safety Experts Say School Bus Passengers Should Be Belted
4. Drunk Gets Nine Months in Violin Case
5. Survivor of Siamese Twins Joins Parents
6. Farmer Bill Dies in House
7. Iraqi Head Seeks Arms
8. Is There a Ring of Debris around Uranus?
9. Stud Tires Out
10. Prostitutes Appeal to Pope
11. British Left Waffles on Falkland Islands
12. Lung Cancer in Women Mushrooms
13. Eye Drops off Shelf
14. Teacher Strikes Idle Kids
15. Reagan Wins on Budget, But More Lies Ahead
16. Squad Helps Dog Bite Victim
17. Shot Off Woman's Leg Helps Nicklaus to 66
18. Enraged Cow Injures Farmer with Ax
19. Plane Too Close to Ground, Crash Probe Told
20. Miners Refuse to Work after Death
21. Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant
22. Stolen Painting Found by Tree
23. Two Soviet Ships Collide, One Dies
24. Two Sisters Reunited after 18 Years in Checkout Counter
25. Killer Sentenced to Die for Second Time in 10 Years
26. Drunken Drivers Paid $1000 in '84
27. War Dims Hope for Peace
28. If Strike isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last a While
29. Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures
30. Enfields Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide
31. Red Tape Holds Up New Bridge
32. Deer Kill 17,000
33. Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead
34. Man Struck by Lightning Faces Battery Charge
35. New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group
36. Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft
37. Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
38. Chef Throws His Heart into Helping Feed Needy
39. Arson Suspect is Held in Massachusetts Fire
40. British Union Finds Dwarfs in Short Supply
41. Ban On Soliciting Dead in Trotwood
42. Lansing Residents Can Drop Off Trees
43. Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half
44. New Vaccine May Contain Rabies
45. Man Minus Ear Waives Hearing
46. Deaf College Opens Doors to Hearing
47. Air Head Fired
48. Steals Clock, Faces Time
49. Prosecutor Releases Probe into Undersheriff
50. Old School Pillars are Replaced by Alumni
51. Bank Drive-in Window Blocked by Board
52. Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors
53. Some Pieces of Rock Hudson Sold at Auction
54. Include your Children when Baking Cookies

Disciplemaking in a Postmodern World

Excellent article that covers some of the basic concepts of post-modern thinking and how they affect disciplemaking.

Disciplemaking in a Postmodern World

"Forgetting God"

Thanks to Backyard Missionary who directed me to this article by Phillip Yancey.

Yancey writes, "Observing the modern world, French sociologist Jacques Ellul noted a striking trend: As the Christian gospel permeates society, it tends to produce values that, paradoxically, contradict the gospel."

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They will know we are Christians by our ??????

Okay, I know the song. They will know we are Christians by our love. But what I've been wondering lately is this - If we didn't have a "church" and we didn't have the Bible, how would people know that we are Christians? I know that there are many groups in North America who are moving "church" out of the building and into their lives, but what if a church building wasn't even an option. What if we had to communicate who we were without a building or a book like the early church had to do? Don't get me wrong, I thank God for the Scriptures and for resources like the building my church has, but I think the "what if?" questions can help us make sure that we're more than just a group of people who read their holy book in their building. I believe we have a lot to learn from the persecuted church. They have to learn to be the church in a culture that is hostile to all the things that we see as so necessary for the church in North America. How will they know that we are Christians? It's a question worth asking.

You have to see this...

Here's a flash video that can start a discussion. Thanks to Jay Voorhees for the link.

If you're curious about the quotes in the video then check them out by clicking here.

Link

Clarity of Perspective

We need to see things as they really are. Far too often we are lulled to sleep and our perspective of reality gets distorted. Henry W. Longfellow writes,

"If Spring came but once in a century, instead of once a year, or burst forth with the sound of an earthquake, and not in silence, what wonder and expectation there would be in all hearts to behold the miraculous change. But now the silent succession suggests nothing but necessity. To most, only the cessation of the miracle would be miraculous and the perpetual exercise of God's power seems less wonderful than its withdrawal would be."

God give us clear vision and enable us to live life in light of that perspective.