So I was washing dishes a couple days ago - Timothy was out - when some little devil started "accusing the brethren" in my ear. Where "the brethren" equals my husband. He must have been new at this little trick because the stuff he was trying to dredge up to get me upset was ridiculous. Stuff that is long since forgiven and so far removed that it was just impossible to attach any emotion to it.
"Remember this ... ? Remember when he said this? Remember that one time ... ?"
I was more irritated at the accuser than at the accused.
I know in that situation we're supposed to follow Jesus' example from the wilderness and combat with scripture, but I was feeling feisty and ... well I kind of used scripture.
"Remember that time you guys thought Satan could really ascend higher than God? Man, did you fall hook, line, and sinker for that one! Idiots. Who would actually believe that?! Talk about short-sighted. 'Fell like lightning from heaven,' is, I think, how that turned out for ya. Oh, and remember that time you thought you'd killed Jesus? Ha ha ha - and He showed up at your door and you got yet another beat down?! Oh to have been a fly on the wall ..."
It's not conventional, but it worked. I finished the dishes in peace.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
good weekend
I got to spend the weekend with my husband. How nice!
Saturday we ran errands together, cleaned the apartment (well - half of it) together, went to Guitar Center to look at basses together, wandered through Cabela's and looked at dead animals together, ate kettle corn and apple cider together, and got dressed up to eat finger food together.
Sunday we went to church together, watched a movie together, took a nap together and went to my parents' for dinner and laundry together.
We realized we'd almost forgotten how to just hang out and do nothing in particular. It was nice to do that again. And to actually have a relaxing weekend.
Saturday we ran errands together, cleaned the apartment (well - half of it) together, went to Guitar Center to look at basses together, wandered through Cabela's and looked at dead animals together, ate kettle corn and apple cider together, and got dressed up to eat finger food together.
Sunday we went to church together, watched a movie together, took a nap together and went to my parents' for dinner and laundry together.
We realized we'd almost forgotten how to just hang out and do nothing in particular. It was nice to do that again. And to actually have a relaxing weekend.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
cms
So you've heard me talk about this Church Marketing Sucks blog before. I like these people. Every so often (perhaps when they run out of updates), they "round up" some of their favorite comments from recent discussions. I was the favorite this time. That's right: I'm God's favorite and I'm Joshua Cody's favorite. I rock.
CMS is also talking about an article from last week titled, Willow Creek Repents? Apparently Executive Pastor Greg Hawkins decided that before launching another expensive program it might be good to see how the congregation was doing. They did some extensive surveying and found that a lot of what they were doing wasn't actually working.
Bill Hybels talked about the most dramatic finding at the last Leadership Summit. You can watch the video here, but basically, they discovered they weren't helping people become mature disciples:
They released their findings and, I hope, are in the process of turning themselves around.
For the leaders of a church that makes all of Outreach Magazine's lists (biggest, most innovative, fastest growing, etc.) to be able to admit their mistake and take action to fix it is pretty amazing. It would be so easy for Bill to ignore that information (which they instead published in a book called Reveal) and go on being a shiny, happy megachurch, but it sounds like they're stepping up to the challenge. Props.
CMS is also talking about an article from last week titled, Willow Creek Repents? Apparently Executive Pastor Greg Hawkins decided that before launching another expensive program it might be good to see how the congregation was doing. They did some extensive surveying and found that a lot of what they were doing wasn't actually working.
Bill Hybels talked about the most dramatic finding at the last Leadership Summit. You can watch the video here, but basically, they discovered they weren't helping people become mature disciples:
We made a mistake. What we should have done when people crossed the line of faith and became Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become self-feeders. We should have ... taught people how to read their Bibles between services, how to do the spiritual practices much more aggressively on their own.
They released their findings and, I hope, are in the process of turning themselves around.
For the leaders of a church that makes all of Outreach Magazine's lists (biggest, most innovative, fastest growing, etc.) to be able to admit their mistake and take action to fix it is pretty amazing. It would be so easy for Bill to ignore that information (which they instead published in a book called Reveal) and go on being a shiny, happy megachurch, but it sounds like they're stepping up to the challenge. Props.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
our store
Check us out.
The Switch Youth Ministry has a mall. Click me. We get a small %-age of purchases made through the website, so do all your Christmas shopping through us! (If you haven't converted to Christmas shopping online yet, let this be an excuse to start. It's way less stressful and you can do it in your PJs.)
It links to hundreds of stores, so you'll find everything you need. Examples: Target, Kohl's, Best Buy, the Apple store ... There's a ton more, but I can't even think of anywhere else you'd need to shop. The actual shopping is done on the company websites, so it's secure; you just have to get to the company website through ours.
So Bookmark that bad boy and tell all your friends! (Then buy them all a subscription to the Wall Street Journal 'cause we get a big cut from them!)
The Switch Youth Ministry has a mall. Click me. We get a small %-age of purchases made through the website, so do all your Christmas shopping through us! (If you haven't converted to Christmas shopping online yet, let this be an excuse to start. It's way less stressful and you can do it in your PJs.)
It links to hundreds of stores, so you'll find everything you need. Examples: Target, Kohl's, Best Buy, the Apple store ... There's a ton more, but I can't even think of anywhere else you'd need to shop. The actual shopping is done on the company websites, so it's secure; you just have to get to the company website through ours.
So Bookmark that bad boy and tell all your friends! (Then buy them all a subscription to the Wall Street Journal 'cause we get a big cut from them!)
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
i'm proud of me
Know what I did after work yesterday? Nothing.
(Well, okay - I did dishes, cleaned the stove, picked up a bit, and put away some clean laundry but we're talking 90 minutes of housewife activity tops.)
Timothy and I borrowed some movies and we sat on the couch, with the laptop on a kitchen chair and a frozen pizza on the couch next to us, and vegged until about midnight.
I didn't work on the worship night coming up. I didn't make a single Christmas card. I didn't zine. I didn't clean the bathroom. I didn't brainstorm sermon illustrations or fundraising activities. I didn't plan a set list for practice tonight. I didn't pay a single bill or even look at the checkbook register.
Then this morning I started to think ... for the briefest of moments ... about how I need to better schedule my time so I can be more efficient. I rubbed my sleepy eyes to squint at myself in the bathroom mirror and very politely advised me to shut up.
(Well, okay - I did dishes, cleaned the stove, picked up a bit, and put away some clean laundry but we're talking 90 minutes of housewife activity tops.)
Timothy and I borrowed some movies and we sat on the couch, with the laptop on a kitchen chair and a frozen pizza on the couch next to us, and vegged until about midnight.
I didn't work on the worship night coming up. I didn't make a single Christmas card. I didn't zine. I didn't clean the bathroom. I didn't brainstorm sermon illustrations or fundraising activities. I didn't plan a set list for practice tonight. I didn't pay a single bill or even look at the checkbook register.
Then this morning I started to think ... for the briefest of moments ... about how I need to better schedule my time so I can be more efficient. I rubbed my sleepy eyes to squint at myself in the bathroom mirror and very politely advised me to shut up.
Monday, October 22, 2007
how people read the Bible
Barna has released the findings of a new study. Survey respondents were given six "renowened" Bible stories and asked if they believe each is "literally true, meaning it happened exactly as described in the Bible," or "meant to illustrate a principle but is not to be taken literally.
Percentage of American adults who believe the following stories are literally true:
Jesus' Resurrection: 75%
Daniel in the Lion's Den: 65%
Parting the Red Sea: 64%
David Killing Goliath: 63%
Peter Walks on Water: 60%
Six Days of Creation: 60%
The report breaks the numbers down by region, ethnicity, education, etc. You can read all that here if you like.
George Barna made the following comment on the new report,
" ... the widespread embrace of these accounts raises questions about the unmistakable gap between belief and behavior. On the one hand we have tens of millions of people who view these narratives as reflections of reality ... On the other hand, a majority of those same people harbor a stubborn indifference toward God ... It seems millions of Americans believe the Bible is true, but are not willing to translate those stories into action. ... the Bible has become a respected but impersonal religious history lesson that stays removed from their life (sic)."
Lord, keep me out of that majority!
Percentage of American adults who believe the following stories are literally true:
Jesus' Resurrection: 75%
Daniel in the Lion's Den: 65%
Parting the Red Sea: 64%
David Killing Goliath: 63%
Peter Walks on Water: 60%
Six Days of Creation: 60%
The report breaks the numbers down by region, ethnicity, education, etc. You can read all that here if you like.
George Barna made the following comment on the new report,
" ... the widespread embrace of these accounts raises questions about the unmistakable gap between belief and behavior. On the one hand we have tens of millions of people who view these narratives as reflections of reality ... On the other hand, a majority of those same people harbor a stubborn indifference toward God ... It seems millions of Americans believe the Bible is true, but are not willing to translate those stories into action. ... the Bible has become a respected but impersonal religious history lesson that stays removed from their life (sic)."
Lord, keep me out of that majority!
Sunday, October 21, 2007
ready set go
We had been secretly planning to take over the youth ministry anyway, I just didn't think it would happen so quickly.
Word is out: the times they are a changin'. The Lord has something new for the Krauss family and something new for Switch (me). We made the big announcement Friday night, but I haven't stopped thinking about it for about a week now.
I've never - never - laid awake at night thinking about something. You see it all the time in movies, and I know some people who are way too involved with their work that tell me they do it but I've never had that problem. Sometimes I've even wished I had that problem; I've tried to have that problem because I run out of time to brainstorm. My midnights are pretty open, so ... It's never worked, though, until this week.
And then I came to my senses and decided the first thing to do is pray about stuff. I sat down to pray the other day and didn't even know where to begin. Seriously.
All I've come to is that I have to watch Holy Spirit. A month ago, I probably could have told you that, sure: as someone is moved to different levels of authority and responsibility, said person needs to better be able to hear from God. You need to watch Him, and go where He's going. It's amazing how, with anything, lessons lived are more difficult and more effective than lessons taught.
Word is out: the times they are a changin'. The Lord has something new for the Krauss family and something new for Switch (me). We made the big announcement Friday night, but I haven't stopped thinking about it for about a week now.
I've never - never - laid awake at night thinking about something. You see it all the time in movies, and I know some people who are way too involved with their work that tell me they do it but I've never had that problem. Sometimes I've even wished I had that problem; I've tried to have that problem because I run out of time to brainstorm. My midnights are pretty open, so ... It's never worked, though, until this week.
And then I came to my senses and decided the first thing to do is pray about stuff. I sat down to pray the other day and didn't even know where to begin. Seriously.
All I've come to is that I have to watch Holy Spirit. A month ago, I probably could have told you that, sure: as someone is moved to different levels of authority and responsibility, said person needs to better be able to hear from God. You need to watch Him, and go where He's going. It's amazing how, with anything, lessons lived are more difficult and more effective than lessons taught.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
leave it to the swedes
That's right: their names are Pee and Poo. I hate to admit it, but they're cute. You can get tshirts, socks (for baby or yourself), plush toys, temporary tattoos ... oh wait, the temporary tattoos are out of stock. Yup - Pee and Poo temporary tattoos are selling like hotcakes.There's also a link to Pee and Poo Memory. It's the card game. My top score is eight (8). Beat that.
(Thanks to DTR for the hot tip.)
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
click.
This just in ...
According to a recent AP report, "maritime pirate attacks worldwide shot up 14 percent in the first nine months of 2007 from a year earlier." Mua ha ha ... ah ... ahem. Nevermind.
According to Koala Wallop (I don't know), December 8th is "Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day." Suggestions are available on the forum. Sounds hilarious.
If you ignored me a couple weeks ago when I told you to watch the sessions from GCC's Innovate 2007 conference, stop it. Here's the link to the list again: link to the list. Rob Wegner is talking about Transferring Communication on the other half of my screen right now and it's wonderful.
A church in TN is suffering backlash for a red hot marketing campaign. Video. We could get some discussion going on that; watch the video and let us know what you think. Effective marketing, or did they go too far? I'm with the church, personally, and if I weren't overflowing with the love of Christ I'd like to hand a piece of my mind to the community member who doesn't think churches should spend money on marketing. *grits teeth* Overflowing with the love of Christ ...
So there's some fun for your Wednesday morning. (Subliminal: Watch the Innovate sessions.)
According to a recent AP report, "maritime pirate attacks worldwide shot up 14 percent in the first nine months of 2007 from a year earlier." Mua ha ha ... ah ... ahem. Nevermind.
According to Koala Wallop (I don't know), December 8th is "Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day." Suggestions are available on the forum. Sounds hilarious.
If you ignored me a couple weeks ago when I told you to watch the sessions from GCC's Innovate 2007 conference, stop it. Here's the link to the list again: link to the list. Rob Wegner is talking about Transferring Communication on the other half of my screen right now and it's wonderful.
A church in TN is suffering backlash for a red hot marketing campaign. Video. We could get some discussion going on that; watch the video and let us know what you think. Effective marketing, or did they go too far? I'm with the church, personally, and if I weren't overflowing with the love of Christ I'd like to hand a piece of my mind to the community member who doesn't think churches should spend money on marketing. *grits teeth* Overflowing with the love of Christ ...
So there's some fun for your Wednesday morning. (Subliminal: Watch the Innovate sessions.)
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
in hope believe
My journey through Judges continued the other night into chapter 10. The pattern of evil, bondage, crying out, deliverance, and peace continues until verse 11 (-14, embellished):
//So the LORD said to the children of Israel, "Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites and from the people of Ammon and from your addictions and from your pride and from your own lies and from the soul ties you forged and from the Philistines? Also the Sidonians and Amalekites and your ego oppressed you; and you cried out to Me, and I delivered you from their hand. Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods. Therefore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in your time of distress."
Days ago this was my response to Israel, but now, aware that I am Israel and not God in this story, I allowed myself to get a little worried.
I know how the story ends, so it's easy to call God's bluff, but Israel was probably worried and unsure at the time. They probably thought it was too hard, if not impossible, and hardly worth trying anyway since it seemed the Lord would not deliver them.
But they served Him anyway.
Imagine. Who would do that, really? You've gotten yourself in a mess (of course, many of us would never admit was our fault in the first place), you cry out to the Lord, and He says, "No! Get yourself out of it. I'm tired of your cold shoulder." Church attendance the next week would plummet. Tithes and offerings would all but dry up. Which side would I be on? I know which side I should be on, but in the midst of that ... who can stand?
Israel served God anyway. For better or worse, they realized their err and put away the false gods even though they had little hope that the Lord would act on their behalf. Which answers my question from yesterday ...
And I love the last half of verse 16. After Israel returns to the Lord, with no expectation for their own good, "His soul could no longer endure the misery of Israel." And He raised up a deliverer.
//So the LORD said to the children of Israel, "Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites and from the people of Ammon and from your addictions and from your pride and from your own lies and from the soul ties you forged and from the Philistines? Also the Sidonians and Amalekites and your ego oppressed you; and you cried out to Me, and I delivered you from their hand. Yet you have forsaken Me and served other gods. Therefore I will deliver you no more. Go and cry out to the gods which you have chosen; let them deliver you in your time of distress."
Days ago this was my response to Israel, but now, aware that I am Israel and not God in this story, I allowed myself to get a little worried.
I know how the story ends, so it's easy to call God's bluff, but Israel was probably worried and unsure at the time. They probably thought it was too hard, if not impossible, and hardly worth trying anyway since it seemed the Lord would not deliver them.
But they served Him anyway.
Imagine. Who would do that, really? You've gotten yourself in a mess (of course, many of us would never admit was our fault in the first place), you cry out to the Lord, and He says, "No! Get yourself out of it. I'm tired of your cold shoulder." Church attendance the next week would plummet. Tithes and offerings would all but dry up. Which side would I be on? I know which side I should be on, but in the midst of that ... who can stand?
Israel served God anyway. For better or worse, they realized their err and put away the false gods even though they had little hope that the Lord would act on their behalf. Which answers my question from yesterday ...
And I love the last half of verse 16. After Israel returns to the Lord, with no expectation for their own good, "His soul could no longer endure the misery of Israel." And He raised up a deliverer.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
hypothetical
Tami pants posts a question on Facebook about your dream job/career. A seemingly innocent question, but my first qualification is: do I assume I'm good at whatever I want to do or is she asking for my dream job given my current skill set?
So I'm randomly thinking about it as I'm driving somewhere, and I start to think about my one semester as a music performance major in Missouri. Sometimes I wish I had stuck with that; Alexis Wisniewski - Concert Pianist. That would be cool.
HS: Sure, but you'd be using your giftings for your own glory, instead of Mine.
AW: (selfish and argumentative) If that's what I wanted to do, would You disallow it?
HS: Should you be asking for permission, or guidance?
AW: What if you guide me to spend my life doing something I don't want to do?
HS: What could you want to do besides My will?
AW: I mean what if it was something really awful? What ever happened to the desires of my heart? Would being a disciple mean I have to spend my life doing something I really dislike? Or ignoring something I'm really passionate about?
HS: So what if it did?
Of course my rebuttals were weak and unfounded and unBiblical, but I think that last point is what He was driving home. And of course it probably wouldn't come down to that because He knows the desires of my heart because He made them the desires of my heart and He loves me best ... but He also knows how to speak to me.
Am I following Christ because it's convenient for me, or because He's Truth?
So I'm randomly thinking about it as I'm driving somewhere, and I start to think about my one semester as a music performance major in Missouri. Sometimes I wish I had stuck with that; Alexis Wisniewski - Concert Pianist. That would be cool.
HS: Sure, but you'd be using your giftings for your own glory, instead of Mine.
AW: (selfish and argumentative) If that's what I wanted to do, would You disallow it?
HS: Should you be asking for permission, or guidance?
AW: What if you guide me to spend my life doing something I don't want to do?
HS: What could you want to do besides My will?
AW: I mean what if it was something really awful? What ever happened to the desires of my heart? Would being a disciple mean I have to spend my life doing something I really dislike? Or ignoring something I'm really passionate about?
HS: So what if it did?
Of course my rebuttals were weak and unfounded and unBiblical, but I think that last point is what He was driving home. And of course it probably wouldn't come down to that because He knows the desires of my heart because He made them the desires of my heart and He loves me best ... but He also knows how to speak to me.
Am I following Christ because it's convenient for me, or because He's Truth?
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
good stuff ...
Barna released a new study called What Teenagers Look for in a Church. One really interesting statistic: One-sixth of teenagers (16%) and one-quarter (25%) said they had "a spiritual experience" online where they worshipped or connected with God. If you really care what I think about it you can read the work blog, but you'd better be pretty bored.
Granger Community Church recently wrapped up their Innovate 2007 conference. You can watch all of the session here. I'm watching Guy Kawasaki talk about The Art of Innovation right now and it's pretty spectacular. It started out with a cute live performance, a Granger music video that was pretty cool, a couple worship songs (which made me feel better about being a worship leader and a mediocre singer ...), and a really cool Granger video that wrapped up their 2006. It takes 25 minutes to get to Guy's presentation, but it's worth it. (Oh, and it's long, but I say keep it open on half your screen and respond to emails on the other half.)
For those of you who were looking for spiritual content, I will briefly describe my frustration as I read Judges last night:
I started to notice a pattern by chapter two, and began to jot subtitles in the margin. "Evil ... bondage ... cry out ... deliverer ... peace ... evil ... bondage ... cry out ... deliverer ... peace ... evil ... bondage ... cry out ... deliverer ... peace." I started to get frustrated with Israel and my righteous inner monologue was shouting, "Just get your act together already!"
Then I had a Calivn and Hobbes moment - one of those where Calvin looks out at the reader and the little asterisk (*) appears over his head. I was astonished at the grace of God in the Old Testament (when He's often accused by unbelievers of being mean and hateful - psh) and in my life. I'm used to it in my life, but to read it in the third person made it real again. Because I got frustrated and God kept sending deliverers over and over and over ...
Granger Community Church recently wrapped up their Innovate 2007 conference. You can watch all of the session here. I'm watching Guy Kawasaki talk about The Art of Innovation right now and it's pretty spectacular. It started out with a cute live performance, a Granger music video that was pretty cool, a couple worship songs (which made me feel better about being a worship leader and a mediocre singer ...), and a really cool Granger video that wrapped up their 2006. It takes 25 minutes to get to Guy's presentation, but it's worth it. (Oh, and it's long, but I say keep it open on half your screen and respond to emails on the other half.)
For those of you who were looking for spiritual content, I will briefly describe my frustration as I read Judges last night:
I started to notice a pattern by chapter two, and began to jot subtitles in the margin. "Evil ... bondage ... cry out ... deliverer ... peace ... evil ... bondage ... cry out ... deliverer ... peace ... evil ... bondage ... cry out ... deliverer ... peace." I started to get frustrated with Israel and my righteous inner monologue was shouting, "Just get your act together already!"
Then I had a Calivn and Hobbes moment - one of those where Calvin looks out at the reader and the little asterisk (*) appears over his head. I was astonished at the grace of God in the Old Testament (when He's often accused by unbelievers of being mean and hateful - psh) and in my life. I'm used to it in my life, but to read it in the third person made it real again. Because I got frustrated and God kept sending deliverers over and over and over ...
Monday, October 08, 2007
Sunday, October 07, 2007
I've been thinking about a story I read in college. I don't know how many years ago. At least three.
I could hardly remember anything about it except the end was so beautiful I almost cried every time I read it. It had something to do with a guy who'd had a rough go of childhood, but played piano and it ended in a blues bar.
It's been on my mind for weeks. I don't think I was Spirit-filled when I'd read it, but I remember the way it felt when I finally met the Holy Spirit. He seemed vaguely familiar. Which, as I thought about it, was strange because I was sure the story had nothing to do with religion or spirituality or Christ - because I would have rejected it immediately if it had.
Finally, yesterday, I dug through dusty piles of text books beneath the old bed at my parents' house and found the collection of short stories I'd been forced to pay too much money for years ago. It was late, so I brushed off the cover and brought it home.
An hour later I sat next to stacks of clean laundry that wouldn't be put away that evening and flipped slowly through the text. The Bible-thin pages stuck together and made for slow going, but I patiently scanned the italic text in the upper right-hand corner of the pages. I didn't remember the title of the story, but was sure I'd recognize it when I saw it.
I stopped several times to read the last page of a few stories with promising titles. None. 400 pages later I couldn't find anything. I started at the front this time, and began to browse the table of contents - hoping that I'd recognize the title. Then I did. "Sonny's Blues" by James Baldwin. I knew that was it. Page 25.
Excited and relieved and dying to sit and read this story again, I flipped through delicate pages. 15 ... 21 ... 24 ... 49. Between pages 24 and 49 were stubs. I'd torn it out years ago, sure that the rest of the text would be discarded and forgotten, in an effort to save it. And now it was gone.
Then I started to think of all the things I've tried to save in my own strength ...
I could hardly remember anything about it except the end was so beautiful I almost cried every time I read it. It had something to do with a guy who'd had a rough go of childhood, but played piano and it ended in a blues bar.
It's been on my mind for weeks. I don't think I was Spirit-filled when I'd read it, but I remember the way it felt when I finally met the Holy Spirit. He seemed vaguely familiar. Which, as I thought about it, was strange because I was sure the story had nothing to do with religion or spirituality or Christ - because I would have rejected it immediately if it had.
Finally, yesterday, I dug through dusty piles of text books beneath the old bed at my parents' house and found the collection of short stories I'd been forced to pay too much money for years ago. It was late, so I brushed off the cover and brought it home.
An hour later I sat next to stacks of clean laundry that wouldn't be put away that evening and flipped slowly through the text. The Bible-thin pages stuck together and made for slow going, but I patiently scanned the italic text in the upper right-hand corner of the pages. I didn't remember the title of the story, but was sure I'd recognize it when I saw it.
I stopped several times to read the last page of a few stories with promising titles. None. 400 pages later I couldn't find anything. I started at the front this time, and began to browse the table of contents - hoping that I'd recognize the title. Then I did. "Sonny's Blues" by James Baldwin. I knew that was it. Page 25.
Excited and relieved and dying to sit and read this story again, I flipped through delicate pages. 15 ... 21 ... 24 ... 49. Between pages 24 and 49 were stubs. I'd torn it out years ago, sure that the rest of the text would be discarded and forgotten, in an effort to save it. And now it was gone.
Then I started to think of all the things I've tried to save in my own strength ...
Friday, October 05, 2007
on my mind
Hi. Sorry about that lapse. It's been busy in my head and I don't think I have it all sorted out yet. Here's what I've been thinking about (in no particular order).
//Baking. I made some mean cranberry bars last night. I wonder if I could open a bakery. A café/bakery. Kind of a third place space. I could never work in a boring office ever again. I'd bake and do ministry for the rest of my life.
//Vacation. We signed up with American and United for miles accounts. Now I have to call to get retroactive credit. It looks like we'll be in Memphis for Thanksgiving, though, so with any luck that can turn into the elusive '07 vacation.
//Teenagers. Man ... *sigh*
//Church buildings. Partly because it's my job to think about church buildings, partly because it's come up at church. It's amazing to see what happens when ministries adjust to the idea that the space they're in really does matter. (For some it's natural, others fight the idea.) We've even seen it at home: the children's ministry is growing so fast that they need more space (I think they're trying to colonize Church in the Word and they're just being sneaky about it). Part of that is because Pastor Scott is doing a great job, but part of that is because they are using their existing worship space well. They are able to redesign their worship space to reflect the sermon series, and one little girl was just astonished. The kids know that is their space, and they're excited about it. Space matters.
//Worship. I cannot write a song. I can write prose and poetry and I can put together great chord progressions ... it seems like there should be at least one song in there, right? There's not. BUT whenever I sit down to do Harp & Bowl after a church service, or just worship by myself at home, the most amazing things come out of me. (I've tried to turn some of those into songs too, and that doesn't work either.)
//Prayer. I don't get it, and I'm pretty sure, somehow, that I'm doing it wrong. I don't know if that's possible, but if it is, I'm doing it.
//Moses' Cradle. I've got an idea for what could be a great not-for-profit, and it's been stirring (violently at times - stirring like a hurricane) inside me. I'm terrified about it. It is absolutely too big for me (Which is what every one says, I know. David and Gideon and Moses and Mary, I know, I know.), and even if it weren't I don't know when on earth I'd have the time. If it's NOT the Lord I'm totally going to fall on my face and waste a lot of time/money. If it IS the Lord, though, it could be amazing and I want to be faithful. A couple weeks ago the Sunday morning anouncements included a man at CITW who wanted to help people in their small businesses; if anyone knows that guy I need to talk to him please.
//Money. I despise money. That's all I'm going to say.
//The Esther Project. I'm still believing the zine is going to break up the darkness in the punk rock underground in this area.
There you go. That's why I haven't blogged in a couple days - it's a mess.
//Baking. I made some mean cranberry bars last night. I wonder if I could open a bakery. A café/bakery. Kind of a third place space. I could never work in a boring office ever again. I'd bake and do ministry for the rest of my life.
//Vacation. We signed up with American and United for miles accounts. Now I have to call to get retroactive credit. It looks like we'll be in Memphis for Thanksgiving, though, so with any luck that can turn into the elusive '07 vacation.
//Teenagers. Man ... *sigh*
//Church buildings. Partly because it's my job to think about church buildings, partly because it's come up at church. It's amazing to see what happens when ministries adjust to the idea that the space they're in really does matter. (For some it's natural, others fight the idea.) We've even seen it at home: the children's ministry is growing so fast that they need more space (I think they're trying to colonize Church in the Word and they're just being sneaky about it). Part of that is because Pastor Scott is doing a great job, but part of that is because they are using their existing worship space well. They are able to redesign their worship space to reflect the sermon series, and one little girl was just astonished. The kids know that is their space, and they're excited about it. Space matters.
//Worship. I cannot write a song. I can write prose and poetry and I can put together great chord progressions ... it seems like there should be at least one song in there, right? There's not. BUT whenever I sit down to do Harp & Bowl after a church service, or just worship by myself at home, the most amazing things come out of me. (I've tried to turn some of those into songs too, and that doesn't work either.)
//Prayer. I don't get it, and I'm pretty sure, somehow, that I'm doing it wrong. I don't know if that's possible, but if it is, I'm doing it.
//Moses' Cradle. I've got an idea for what could be a great not-for-profit, and it's been stirring (violently at times - stirring like a hurricane) inside me. I'm terrified about it. It is absolutely too big for me (Which is what every one says, I know. David and Gideon and Moses and Mary, I know, I know.), and even if it weren't I don't know when on earth I'd have the time. If it's NOT the Lord I'm totally going to fall on my face and waste a lot of time/money. If it IS the Lord, though, it could be amazing and I want to be faithful. A couple weeks ago the Sunday morning anouncements included a man at CITW who wanted to help people in their small businesses; if anyone knows that guy I need to talk to him please.
//Money. I despise money. That's all I'm going to say.
//The Esther Project. I'm still believing the zine is going to break up the darkness in the punk rock underground in this area.
There you go. That's why I haven't blogged in a couple days - it's a mess.
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
no it's not
There's an email circulating about how "In God We Trust" has been omitted from the new dollar coins. It has not. The motto, along with the Great Seal motto and the mint date are on the edge of the coin to make room for new features like the dates of each president's term(s).
There was a set released right after the first mint that accidentally got printed without the inscription on the edge, but it is not the intent of the designer to phase God out of America.
Just thought you should know.
Monday, October 01, 2007
730 days
Today is our second anniversary!
That's right - two years and going strong. Have I learned anything in two years? Let's review:
1. Freud was a weirdo, but sometimes I do wonder how I managed to marry my father.
2. Dating is more important after you're married than before.
3. The devil really hates it when passionate Christians get married.
4. You can, in fact, teach old dogs new tricks.
5. Romantic relationships with other people before getting married mess you up more than you know.
My parents gave us a little gift last night, and my mom mentioned this article she'd read a few weeks ago. A German politician has proposed adding an expiration date to marriage licenses. After seven years you would either renew or go your seperate ways without all the hassle of paperwork. Yike.
That's right - two years and going strong. Have I learned anything in two years? Let's review:
1. Freud was a weirdo, but sometimes I do wonder how I managed to marry my father.
2. Dating is more important after you're married than before.
3. The devil really hates it when passionate Christians get married.
4. You can, in fact, teach old dogs new tricks.
5. Romantic relationships with other people before getting married mess you up more than you know.
My parents gave us a little gift last night, and my mom mentioned this article she'd read a few weeks ago. A German politician has proposed adding an expiration date to marriage licenses. After seven years you would either renew or go your seperate ways without all the hassle of paperwork. Yike.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
sex
I know of two other Christian zinsters in the world. One of them sent me her latest project earlier this week. I really enjoy her stuff; her theology is not always the best, but she's artistic about it and I get inspired.
And she wrote this great article about sex. I wasn't really excited about it because sex was for some reason a hot topic this summer. Brian Zahnd talked about it for a few days, LifeChurch.tv talked about it for a few weeks ... I assumed I'd heard the Christian response to the issues of sex and didn't really need to hear them again. This article, though, was wonderful. Half-way through it I'm thinking, "How I wish someone would have told me this ten years ago."
She started talking about how the media influences our perceptions of what sex should be and how we conform our body images, etc etc. Ya ya ya. Then she started talking about how, as Christians, we only put it off until marriage ... and then we jump on the misconceptions-about-sex bandwagon.
Some of the issues that have been burned into the western brain:
1. Sex is always other-worldly, euphoric AND mind-blowing.
2. If you have sex that is not all of the above, you have just fallen victim to a tragedy comparable to the death of a child.
2. You ALWAYS want to have sex.
3. If someone doesn't want to have sex with you, it's because there is something wrong with you.
She writes about how this is what Americans are taught, and most Christians just ignore it until they get married. She goes on to plead with the reader that sex is just another part of life, and we really need to knock it off the pedestal it has been given. The sentence that encouraged the lament quoted above was something like, "Sometimes sex is great, sometimes its mediocre, and sometimes it is just bad."
Imagine how free our young people would be if they could go into marriage knowing that, hey, sometimes it's just not that and that's okay. They probably wouldn't believe it initially, but I'm guessing the first time it happened they'd be comforted to remember that bit of wisdom.
She went on to talk about how okay it is and a little bit about a woman's hormones. Apparently by about the second (I think) week of a woman's cycle, she is producing a lot of progesterine. This is a time when it will seem, for no apparent reason, that she is just not interested. Husbands, it's not you - it's the progesterine. (You can try to rebuke the progesterine if you want ...)
I thought it was good, so there you have it. I also thought it was amazing that a woman would have the boldness to just come out and say, "Hey, sometimes sex is bad." Or that her husband would be bold enough to let her ... either way. Imagine the effect we could have on a generation of young people if we would just get over ourselves and talk candidly about "the marriage bed" all the time. Imagine a generation of Christian teenagers growing up with a well-rounded opinion of sex. Weird.
And she wrote this great article about sex. I wasn't really excited about it because sex was for some reason a hot topic this summer. Brian Zahnd talked about it for a few days, LifeChurch.tv talked about it for a few weeks ... I assumed I'd heard the Christian response to the issues of sex and didn't really need to hear them again. This article, though, was wonderful. Half-way through it I'm thinking, "How I wish someone would have told me this ten years ago."
She started talking about how the media influences our perceptions of what sex should be and how we conform our body images, etc etc. Ya ya ya. Then she started talking about how, as Christians, we only put it off until marriage ... and then we jump on the misconceptions-about-sex bandwagon.
Some of the issues that have been burned into the western brain:
1. Sex is always other-worldly, euphoric AND mind-blowing.
2. If you have sex that is not all of the above, you have just fallen victim to a tragedy comparable to the death of a child.
2. You ALWAYS want to have sex.
3. If someone doesn't want to have sex with you, it's because there is something wrong with you.
She writes about how this is what Americans are taught, and most Christians just ignore it until they get married. She goes on to plead with the reader that sex is just another part of life, and we really need to knock it off the pedestal it has been given. The sentence that encouraged the lament quoted above was something like, "Sometimes sex is great, sometimes its mediocre, and sometimes it is just bad."
Imagine how free our young people would be if they could go into marriage knowing that, hey, sometimes it's just not that and that's okay. They probably wouldn't believe it initially, but I'm guessing the first time it happened they'd be comforted to remember that bit of wisdom.
She went on to talk about how okay it is and a little bit about a woman's hormones. Apparently by about the second (I think) week of a woman's cycle, she is producing a lot of progesterine. This is a time when it will seem, for no apparent reason, that she is just not interested. Husbands, it's not you - it's the progesterine. (You can try to rebuke the progesterine if you want ...)
I thought it was good, so there you have it. I also thought it was amazing that a woman would have the boldness to just come out and say, "Hey, sometimes sex is bad." Or that her husband would be bold enough to let her ... either way. Imagine the effect we could have on a generation of young people if we would just get over ourselves and talk candidly about "the marriage bed" all the time. Imagine a generation of Christian teenagers growing up with a well-rounded opinion of sex. Weird.
Friday, September 28, 2007
YouVersion
Whoa. LifeChurch.tv launched YouVersion Beta last night. It calls itself a "revolutionary online Bible that enables community and collaboration like never before." I might concur.
Unlike other online Bible resources, this one is your Bible online. You create an account (which is more simple than most websites that want you to create an account), so everything you do is saved. You can star and tag passages and verses, and you can keep an on-line journal that only you can see.
My favorite part is the "Community" tab. You can select a passage and share your thoughts in simple text, or post a link to an external site, image, or video. When I click on Psalm 139:14, for example, I get links to two videos and a note by Matthew Henry.
There are some quirks that look like they need ironing out. The "My Version" tab doesn't seem to be working yet, and the filter options on each tab are in a color that makes them really hard to read. My computer at the office is not the fastest, but this program is moving really slowly. And, this may be my computer, but the links in the upper right-hand corner don't seem to go anywhere at all.
The KJV comes up by default, but if you click on the translation you can change it. There are a half-dozen options available.
All in all - pretty stinkin' nifty.
Unlike other online Bible resources, this one is your Bible online. You create an account (which is more simple than most websites that want you to create an account), so everything you do is saved. You can star and tag passages and verses, and you can keep an on-line journal that only you can see.
My favorite part is the "Community" tab. You can select a passage and share your thoughts in simple text, or post a link to an external site, image, or video. When I click on Psalm 139:14, for example, I get links to two videos and a note by Matthew Henry.
There are some quirks that look like they need ironing out. The "My Version" tab doesn't seem to be working yet, and the filter options on each tab are in a color that makes them really hard to read. My computer at the office is not the fastest, but this program is moving really slowly. And, this may be my computer, but the links in the upper right-hand corner don't seem to go anywhere at all.
The KJV comes up by default, but if you click on the translation you can change it. There are a half-dozen options available.
All in all - pretty stinkin' nifty.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
bored
I'm anxious for something. I don't know what, and I don't think it matters.
I'm anxious for anything.
A vacation. A thunderstorm. Maybe a bass guitar. A house, or at least a clean apartment. The proverbial light to go on inside a teenager. Any teenager. My brother's salvation, a silk screening project, a song to come out of me. A new tshirt or a fresh dose of spiritual passion - sometimes it's hard to say. A miracle, breakthrough, something artistic. A new kitchen table.
I think I'm feeling artistic and spiritually thirsty at the same time and it's frustrating because both are generally veiled and constipated, at least initially, efforts for me, because while I long to do both I also seem to inherently know that I'll never do either well enough to feel satisfied with my efforts, so I put off starting both, distracting myself with thunderstorms and bass guitars and 45-cent tshirts, futilely browsing kitchen tables and run-on sentences. Eternity whispers to me and I distract myself with life.
I have become my own sermon illustration.
Which should be a comforting idea because I know how the sermon ends, but I don't know if I can get there. I know this is theologically incorrect and is about to make me sound like a spiritual toddler, but I don't feel like I love God enough. Or like I don't love Him the right way. You needn't refute me via comments, because I know what you're going to say, but that's what grips my heart lately. I read Psalms or listen to these amazing, modern worship songs and I just know I don't love God like that. I want to, but I've tried every path I know to get there I feel like I keep getting lost.
Sometimes it scares me; sometimes I just get anxious.
I'm anxious for anything.
A vacation. A thunderstorm. Maybe a bass guitar. A house, or at least a clean apartment. The proverbial light to go on inside a teenager. Any teenager. My brother's salvation, a silk screening project, a song to come out of me. A new tshirt or a fresh dose of spiritual passion - sometimes it's hard to say. A miracle, breakthrough, something artistic. A new kitchen table.
I think I'm feeling artistic and spiritually thirsty at the same time and it's frustrating because both are generally veiled and constipated, at least initially, efforts for me, because while I long to do both I also seem to inherently know that I'll never do either well enough to feel satisfied with my efforts, so I put off starting both, distracting myself with thunderstorms and bass guitars and 45-cent tshirts, futilely browsing kitchen tables and run-on sentences. Eternity whispers to me and I distract myself with life.
I have become my own sermon illustration.
Which should be a comforting idea because I know how the sermon ends, but I don't know if I can get there. I know this is theologically incorrect and is about to make me sound like a spiritual toddler, but I don't feel like I love God enough. Or like I don't love Him the right way. You needn't refute me via comments, because I know what you're going to say, but that's what grips my heart lately. I read Psalms or listen to these amazing, modern worship songs and I just know I don't love God like that. I want to, but I've tried every path I know to get there I feel like I keep getting lost.
Sometimes it scares me; sometimes I just get anxious.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
build your church
Pastor Conrad Lowe spoke at the closing session of our conference yesterday. It was the perfect way to close out a day dedicated to the process of building a ministry facility, and a message that every church leader needs to hear once in a while.
He talked about building the Church in and through the process of constructing a church building. He mentioned three, in order, that a ministry leader - namely pastors - need to build:
1. The Church in your heart
2. The Church in your home
3. The Church in your community
He insisted on prioritizing them and repeated the order over and over again. Two comments that really stuck out about this:
- He described standing in front of a congregation at a worship service and knowing that your family in the front row knows what kind of Christian you are because they see you live it day after day.
- "How can you build the Church in your community if you can't keep your family together?"
Some of the more technical, possibly less inspiring, notes from the day will be blogged here througout the week.
He talked about building the Church in and through the process of constructing a church building. He mentioned three, in order, that a ministry leader - namely pastors - need to build:
1. The Church in your heart
2. The Church in your home
3. The Church in your community
He insisted on prioritizing them and repeated the order over and over again. Two comments that really stuck out about this:
- He described standing in front of a congregation at a worship service and knowing that your family in the front row knows what kind of Christian you are because they see you live it day after day.
- "How can you build the Church in your community if you can't keep your family together?"
Some of the more technical, possibly less inspiring, notes from the day will be blogged here througout the week.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
conference.
I'm at a spiffy conference in Bolingbrook - in a church my boss designed. Sweet. If you're interested at all in church facilities, or creating relevant ministry I'll be blogging my notes from the sessions here. In the meantime, this is a funny video that Bill Couchenour used to illustrate the emerging generation.
Monday, September 24, 2007
i love proverbs?
I love how the Lord never answers prayer the way you expect Him to.Lately I've been asking for wisdom. God says if you need it, and you ask, He gives it liberally. I definately need it. I don't know how to minister to teenagers. I don't know how to lead a worship team, and there's a lot about being a wife that I'm still pretty terrible at.
At the same time, all of the above are so much on my heart that it hurts often times. I pray and I pray for the Lord to move on behalf of my teenagers, on my behalf, and for my husband ... but I know there are situations and seasons that I need to grow in and through. I know the Lord is not going to do it all for me all the time. So I need wisdom: abundant wisdom.
So do you know what He did? He set my heart toward Proverbs. I was never inclined to spend much time in Proverbs. For a half-dozen reasons it was never on my Bible favorites list. Recently, though, I can't get enough of it. I'm on my second read through it, and planning the third and fourth. It's color-coded; there are coding symbols in the margins. I love it. It's weird, but it's an answer to prayer.
Friday, September 21, 2007
a picture is worth a thousand longing sighs
Okay, so the blogs have been weak lately, I know. I've been busy. One more link to something else and I'll get caught up with actually posting good substance of my own (maybe even later today). In the meantime, if you need inspiration (or good desktop images) go here: Landscapes With a Soul.
Some examples:
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
abort73
I like Abort73 - it's no secret. If you're on Facebook, I've probably tried to recruit you.
Founder and director Michael Spielman has put together a compelling booklet (that sounds like a contradiction: "compelling booklet") called A Biblical Mandate to Do Something About Abortion. The title kind of says it all.
You can buy it on their website or, true to Abort73-loves-freedom-of-information form, you can download a PDF of the entire thing ("entire," it's 32 half-pages) here. I read it. It's pretty good. Some excerpts:
"We know it's happening; we know it's bad; but we seem content to remain as uninformed as possible, as if a general ignorance on the subject will somehow clear us of moral responsibility."
"The Old Testament accounts of child sacrifice give us as close a parallell to abortion as anything we'll find in Scripture. Though the nature of the idols has changed, the sacrifice is virutally the same. The false gods of today are not Molech or Baal, but wealth, freedom, and autonomy."
"With all of the lobbying, all of the rallying, and all of the petitioning, why do legislative efforts continue to fail? The fact is, most people just don't care about abortion. ... They don't care because they don't know. ... It [abortion] has never stood the test of full-disclosure, nor could it."
So if you want to know more, check out their website. I've never seen a website with so much information on it - but at the same time it's very organized and not one of those websites you get lost in.
Founder and director Michael Spielman has put together a compelling booklet (that sounds like a contradiction: "compelling booklet") called A Biblical Mandate to Do Something About Abortion. The title kind of says it all.
You can buy it on their website or, true to Abort73-loves-freedom-of-information form, you can download a PDF of the entire thing ("entire," it's 32 half-pages) here. I read it. It's pretty good. Some excerpts:
"We know it's happening; we know it's bad; but we seem content to remain as uninformed as possible, as if a general ignorance on the subject will somehow clear us of moral responsibility."
"The Old Testament accounts of child sacrifice give us as close a parallell to abortion as anything we'll find in Scripture. Though the nature of the idols has changed, the sacrifice is virutally the same. The false gods of today are not Molech or Baal, but wealth, freedom, and autonomy."
"With all of the lobbying, all of the rallying, and all of the petitioning, why do legislative efforts continue to fail? The fact is, most people just don't care about abortion. ... They don't care because they don't know. ... It [abortion] has never stood the test of full-disclosure, nor could it."
So if you want to know more, check out their website. I've never seen a website with so much information on it - but at the same time it's very organized and not one of those websites you get lost in.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
hip-hop culture and the church
Jeff Johnson spoke at the Q Conference this past spring on the church and hip-hop culture. I just found this video. Good stuff. It's almost 10 minutes long, so get a fresh cup of coffee and lean back for a minute:
Monday, September 17, 2007
worshipping
Thanks to everyone who was praying for the See You at the Pole rally last night. It went really well.
There were about 130 kids there, and a handful who were excited about worship. We got some of them jumping and most of them clapping. We ended with How Great is Our God, and everyone who wasn't engaged for the first five songs got into it. From the first line Athena and I quit singing because you could hardly hear us over the crowd anyway. Sweet. The last chorus we let them sing all by themselves and it was amazing. What moves God's heart more than a room full of teenagers singing, "How great is our God?" I don't know.
And I was so impressed with our team (as were a couple other youth pastors who were there, from what I understand). Most of the crowd was at least attentive, but I never felt our team get discouraged or annoyed or anything. Everyone had fun, played well, and really gave their all.
Best of all the Holy Spirit found our worship worthy to breathe on, and His presence was electric by the end. I'm praying, now, that students will remember that and not write Him off. Below are a couple shots Marianne took.
Connor and Tim Dwyer
How Great is Our God (and me and Timothy - at least our heads - in the back)
There were about 130 kids there, and a handful who were excited about worship. We got some of them jumping and most of them clapping. We ended with How Great is Our God, and everyone who wasn't engaged for the first five songs got into it. From the first line Athena and I quit singing because you could hardly hear us over the crowd anyway. Sweet. The last chorus we let them sing all by themselves and it was amazing. What moves God's heart more than a room full of teenagers singing, "How great is our God?" I don't know.
And I was so impressed with our team (as were a couple other youth pastors who were there, from what I understand). Most of the crowd was at least attentive, but I never felt our team get discouraged or annoyed or anything. Everyone had fun, played well, and really gave their all.
Best of all the Holy Spirit found our worship worthy to breathe on, and His presence was electric by the end. I'm praying, now, that students will remember that and not write Him off. Below are a couple shots Marianne took.
Friday, September 14, 2007
enthroned
I've had Psalm 22:3 stuck in my head for days. It's a strange thing to have a scripture verse stuck in your head 'cause it's not like it has a musical hook to it or anything ... well, I suppose some do, but not this one.
But You are holy,
Enthroned in the praises of Israel.
Pretty basic, and one that a lot of people know. I've been thinking about it, though, almost against my will. This, again, may be one of those posts where everyone goes, "Duh," but I think it's because the subject requires more meditation than reading.
1. If you start at verse one, verses three through five seem totally out of place. Most of Psalm 22 is David having one of those, "the world's against me and I can't find You" moments. In verse two he talks about how he's in trouble and God isn't listening, but ... It's as though David, in the midst of his complaining, has this revelation ... "But ..."
2. If this one, single verse were to repeat over and over and over again in your head, you'd start to wonder at how it seems to contradict itself, all ten words of it. How do you go from "You are holy" to "enthroned in the praises of Israel?" Why on earth would a holy God have so much to do with the worship of weak, broken people? (Love.)
3. "Enthroned." Some translations use "sit" or "inhabit," but I was listening to a sermon the other day wherein the speaker has done her research and gives the definition of the original word used. I wish I could quote it, but all I remember is "sit - as to govern." "Enthroned" is a good word.
Enthroned for goodness' sake. Think about that. God's going, "Yes, I want to set up My government and My authority and My kingdom on the earth, and it will happen when you worship Me." He sits on His throne, He takes His place as King of kings and Lord of lords, He establishes His authority, He rules when we ("spiritual Israel") worship Him. Not when we sing songs and hold our hands in the air - when we worship.
So (if I can just go ahead and give the exhortation this Friday morning), if we need God to move in our lives, we worship. If we need His authority over a situation, we worship. If we want to see His will be done in our families, our communities, our schools, we worship. Yes, we pray, give, fast ... but He takes up His position of ultimate authority in our lives when we worship.
Which is why - just a thought - every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord when He comes back. His return will inspire the whole earth to worship Him for who He is, and He will take up His position of ultimate authority over the whole earth.
But You are holy,
Enthroned in the praises of Israel.
Pretty basic, and one that a lot of people know. I've been thinking about it, though, almost against my will. This, again, may be one of those posts where everyone goes, "Duh," but I think it's because the subject requires more meditation than reading.
1. If you start at verse one, verses three through five seem totally out of place. Most of Psalm 22 is David having one of those, "the world's against me and I can't find You" moments. In verse two he talks about how he's in trouble and God isn't listening, but ... It's as though David, in the midst of his complaining, has this revelation ... "But ..."
2. If this one, single verse were to repeat over and over and over again in your head, you'd start to wonder at how it seems to contradict itself, all ten words of it. How do you go from "You are holy" to "enthroned in the praises of Israel?" Why on earth would a holy God have so much to do with the worship of weak, broken people? (Love.)
3. "Enthroned." Some translations use "sit" or "inhabit," but I was listening to a sermon the other day wherein the speaker has done her research and gives the definition of the original word used. I wish I could quote it, but all I remember is "sit - as to govern." "Enthroned" is a good word.
Enthroned for goodness' sake. Think about that. God's going, "Yes, I want to set up My government and My authority and My kingdom on the earth, and it will happen when you worship Me." He sits on His throne, He takes His place as King of kings and Lord of lords, He establishes His authority, He rules when we ("spiritual Israel") worship Him. Not when we sing songs and hold our hands in the air - when we worship.
So (if I can just go ahead and give the exhortation this Friday morning), if we need God to move in our lives, we worship. If we need His authority over a situation, we worship. If we want to see His will be done in our families, our communities, our schools, we worship. Yes, we pray, give, fast ... but He takes up His position of ultimate authority in our lives when we worship.
Which is why - just a thought - every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord when He comes back. His return will inspire the whole earth to worship Him for who He is, and He will take up His position of ultimate authority over the whole earth.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
new from barna
The Barna Group released the results of a new study this week in an update titled: Survey Reveals Challenges Faced by Young People. The researchers didn't survey young people, though, they surveyed parents. If there was a reason for that strategy it wasn't revealed.
"When asked to identify the most significant or challenging issues facing their teenagers, parents listed ..."
1. Peer pressure (42%)
2. Performance in school (16%)
3. Substance abuse (16%)
Keep in mind these are not the three most significant or challenging issues facing teenagers, these are what parents - who identify themselves as Christians - believe are the three most significant or challenging issues facing their teenagers. It would be interesting to survey the teenagers and see how well the parents did.
What really struck me was the bottom of the list: "Challenges related to their teen's faith were listed by only 3% (of) parents." Christian parents.
Christian parents (of teenagers) believe that while things like peer pressure, substance abuse, behavioral issues, values development, attitude and media use are "significant or challenging issues," but at the same time do not think that their children's faiths are being challenged.
You know what I'm going to say, so I'll keep it short: lukewarm, define faith, doer of the word, WEAK SAUCE, no role models, and bad teaching.
How much more compelling can the call to children's and youth minsitry be? If the Church doesn't confront a generation being raised on Burger King-faith, what will the next one look like?
"When asked to identify the most significant or challenging issues facing their teenagers, parents listed ..."
1. Peer pressure (42%)
2. Performance in school (16%)
3. Substance abuse (16%)
Keep in mind these are not the three most significant or challenging issues facing teenagers, these are what parents - who identify themselves as Christians - believe are the three most significant or challenging issues facing their teenagers. It would be interesting to survey the teenagers and see how well the parents did.
What really struck me was the bottom of the list: "Challenges related to their teen's faith were listed by only 3% (of) parents." Christian parents.
Christian parents (of teenagers) believe that while things like peer pressure, substance abuse, behavioral issues, values development, attitude and media use are "significant or challenging issues," but at the same time do not think that their children's faiths are being challenged.
You know what I'm going to say, so I'll keep it short: lukewarm, define faith, doer of the word, WEAK SAUCE, no role models, and bad teaching.
How much more compelling can the call to children's and youth minsitry be? If the Church doesn't confront a generation being raised on Burger King-faith, what will the next one look like?
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
you will be redirected as fast as you can click
I'm completely wired right now because I had two cups of coffee on a completely empty stomach. An all-I've-eaten-in-the-past-24-hours-is-a-slice-of-pizza empty stomach. Yowza.
I've been running into a bunch of good blogs lately, and I'm just too intimidated (and I have a lot to do otherwise) to post on my own right now, so I'm going to link instead. Pardon the run-on sentence.
Pastor Craig Groeschel has a great blog called Swerve. Craig pastors LifeChurch.tv and I like his blog more and more every time I read it. He does some great series'. Right now he's on three of five things to give up so you can "go up." Good stuff for church leadership types ... which is most of you.
Church Marketing Sucks is one of my favorite blogs too. Guest blogger David Zimmerman started a series yesterday called Church from a Visitor's Perspective. Yesterday was one of nine; I'm looking forward to that one too.
They also run a Church Marketing Lab on Flickr, where people post images of what they're working on for their next sermon series/summer outreach shirts/etc. and people suggest and encourage. It's pretty cool, and very inspiring.
And just this morning I found digital.leadnet.org. It's a blog dedicated to "using technology to mulitply the church's impact." Some of it is conceptual, some of it is completely practical. It's good. If you know any pastors that need to be drop-kicked into the 21st century, you might avoid drop-kicking them because that's not nice and send them this link. I don't know any myself, but I know they're out there.
I need to go find something to put in my stomach.
I've been running into a bunch of good blogs lately, and I'm just too intimidated (and I have a lot to do otherwise) to post on my own right now, so I'm going to link instead. Pardon the run-on sentence.
Pastor Craig Groeschel has a great blog called Swerve. Craig pastors LifeChurch.tv and I like his blog more and more every time I read it. He does some great series'. Right now he's on three of five things to give up so you can "go up." Good stuff for church leadership types ... which is most of you.
Church Marketing Sucks is one of my favorite blogs too. Guest blogger David Zimmerman started a series yesterday called Church from a Visitor's Perspective. Yesterday was one of nine; I'm looking forward to that one too.
They also run a Church Marketing Lab on Flickr, where people post images of what they're working on for their next sermon series/summer outreach shirts/etc. and people suggest and encourage. It's pretty cool, and very inspiring.
And just this morning I found digital.leadnet.org. It's a blog dedicated to "using technology to mulitply the church's impact." Some of it is conceptual, some of it is completely practical. It's good. If you know any pastors that need to be drop-kicked into the 21st century, you might avoid drop-kicking them because that's not nice and send them this link. I don't know any myself, but I know they're out there.
I need to go find something to put in my stomach.
Monday, September 10, 2007
prayer request
Happy Monday. I just wanted to post a quick prayer request. Background: See You at the Pole is coming up on the 26th. It's one morning a year that all the Christian kids in our public school systems get together before classes start (at the flag pole) to pray.
This Sunday evening, the 16th, EV Free in Crystal Lake is hosting a See You at the Pole rally. About a dozen youth groups in the area will come together to prepare. We worship together and break the students up according to schools so they can talk about logistics. Pretty spiffy.
This year, our Switch worship team is going to lead worship. We're really excited, but I really want it to be more than a "gig" for our team. There will be between 200 and 300 students assembled, many of whom do not go to Spirit-filled churches/youth ministries, or - from what I understand - get excited about worship. My vision for this thing is that our team goes in humility and meekness and the Spirit of God that we can lead them into His presence ... many of them for the first time.
So anyone who can remember us in prayer, please do. Pray our team will be led of the Spirit. Pray the Lord will prepare hearts to meet Him. Pray for expectancy. Pray for awakenings, rededications, encouragement, enthusiasm and encounter. Thanks.
Friday, September 07, 2007
broken lives
Fellowship Church in Texas (well, they're everywhere but headquarters is in Texas) is starting a sermon series this weekend called ineed2change. True to form, they have been doing a stunning job of promoting it. The center of their phenominal marketing job is a the website that all the fliers, billboards, iron-ons, etc. point to:
The website is pretty spiffy. There's a countdown running and videos promoting the series. You can send e-vites directly from the home page, or download banners and such to put on your own website.
There's also a small text box that will allow you, in 140 characters, to express what you would like to change in your life. Below that is a virtual Post-It pad with testimonies.
"I want to find patience in my life, enjoy my children more and treat my husband more lovingly."
You can click "View more changes" and load a page full of notes that can be moved around to read.
"I need to fill the emptiness."
Then, if you click on "View All" you get a new browser window.
"I want to be in-LOVE with my husband again!"
The bottom of the page reads, "page 1 of 38 (50 per page)." When I saw that I almost cried. That represents 1900 people who have logged on to reveal the brokenness in their lives ... since August 17th.
Some of them aren't painful - some of them express a need to get organized - but most of them hurt, and most of them are urgent.
Will you take five minutes in the next couple of days to pray for Pastor Ed Young and the campus pastors who will be facilitating this weekend? So many lives need the restoration that only One can offer ...
The website is pretty spiffy. There's a countdown running and videos promoting the series. You can send e-vites directly from the home page, or download banners and such to put on your own website.
There's also a small text box that will allow you, in 140 characters, to express what you would like to change in your life. Below that is a virtual Post-It pad with testimonies.
"I want to find patience in my life, enjoy my children more and treat my husband more lovingly."
You can click "View more changes" and load a page full of notes that can be moved around to read.
"I need to fill the emptiness."
"I need to change the way I look at myself, and try to see what my friends and family see."
Then, if you click on "View All" you get a new browser window.
"I want to be in-LOVE with my husband again!"
"I need to control my addictions."
"I need to love myself for me."
"I need to stop messing with a married man."
"I had what I now realize was an inappropriate online friendship. I would like to be a better husband and repair the hurt in my marriage."
The bottom of the page reads, "page 1 of 38 (50 per page)." When I saw that I almost cried. That represents 1900 people who have logged on to reveal the brokenness in their lives ... since August 17th.
Some of them aren't painful - some of them express a need to get organized - but most of them hurt, and most of them are urgent.
Will you take five minutes in the next couple of days to pray for Pastor Ed Young and the campus pastors who will be facilitating this weekend? So many lives need the restoration that only One can offer ...
Thursday, September 06, 2007
into the fray
This was published in May by InterVaristy Press. Has anyone heard of this? I admit, when I saw it I cringed. This kind of debate makes me restless, because I don't really see the point. (Which is strange anyway, because I'm very argumentative by nature.) Faith comes by hearing, right? And hearing by the word of God, so it's not leading people to Christ. I understand the threat one could argue it poses to Christianity, but many will be deceived, "if possible, even the elect." Weak, un-rooted faith will eventually be uprooted. Maybe that's pessimistic, but ...
Anyway I cringed when I saw this, but then I read a little about the author, "Alister McGrath ... [is] ideal to evaluate Dawkin's ideas. Once an atheist himself, he gained a doctorate in molecular biophysics before going on to become a leading Christian theologian." (Then I cringed again when I watched the interview with Alister on a Canadian teevee show. "Leading Christian theologian" might be generous - or misleading. He's not a man of great faith.)
Then I read some of the reviews:
"Addressing the conclusions of The God Delusion point by point with the devastating insight of a molecular biologist turned theologian, Alister McGrath dismantles the argument that science should lead to atheism, and demonstrates instead that Dawkins has abandoned his much-cherished rationality to embrace an embittered manifesto of dogmatic atheist fundamentalism."
- Francis Collins, Director of the Human Genome Project
"The God Delusion makes me embarassed to be an atheist, and the McGraths show why."
- Michael Ruse, Professor of Philosphy and Director of the Program in the History and Philosophy of Science Florida State University
I admit I'm interested, but still too afraid to throw my heart into the debate. Just reading these reviews I can feel my old nature trying to gain a foothold: it's Us verses Them, it's about being Right, Dawkins is your enemy. I have to remember Love, remember I "do not wrestle against flesh and blood," and remember to pray for Dawkins. I was once an embittered, insecure atheist too.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
times they are a changin'
Countless authors and sociologists point to the 1950's as America's greatest time for community and personal happiness. I wonder if part of my musing from Friday could be solved by bringing back some of these stunning, educational videos.
Cool, modern stuff, as I flip through the latest issue of Relevant:
I dig Abort73 anyway, but if you go here during the month of September you can get one of their shirts for $8. They're the unisex ones (which is why I'm abstaining), but if you're down for that ... or if you're a guy ... it's a great deal.
Randomshirts.com is pretty hilarious and surprisingly clean. They're affiliated with Shane and Shane somehow and have some cool Christian shirts too, also for a good deal. Check out the posters too.
The Life Straw is a nine-inch, plastic "straw" that "turns almost any surface water into drinking water" by filtering out harmful bacteria. I'm not kidding.
Feed Just One is a ministry associated with Feed My Starving Children that accepts donations in any amount because they can provide food to the hungry all over the world for just $0.04/meal.
If you're not satisfied with your current options for trendy, Christian clothing, etc. you can try the Twice Born store.
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Friday, August 31, 2007
knowledge vs. love
"And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." 1 Corinthians 2:1-2
I've read this several times over the past few days. I'm captivated by verse 2, "For I determined not to know anything ..."
It makes perfect sense that Paul would have to determine not to know anything. If you've been reading the New Testament from the gospels, by the time you get to this statement you've just waded through 16 chapters of Paul knowing quite a bit. In his letter to the Roman church he reasons and he argues and wields logic all over the place. Paul was an intelligent man; he probably had the Old Testament memorized. And yet here, as he recalls his visit to Corinth, he remembers that he purposed in his heart to be ignorant of anything but the gospel.
Paul did not set out to impress the Corinthian people with his vast knowledge, understanding, or divine revelation of the scriptures. He did not reason with them on theology, or share his ideas on angels and demons. He knew nothing among them, "except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."
I can't imagine the kind of humility that requires.
This morning I started thinking about the value of knowledge in our society. How much time and how much money do we spend trying to see how may facts we can make ourselves remember? Of course, a certain level of knowledge is good and necessary. But I had a high school history teacher who, when asked the annoying and very disrespectful "Why do we need to know this?" question, responded, "So you can look smart and pick up girls at cocktail parties." I wonder if most of our drive for knowledge - as a society - isn't rooted in vanity.
And I wonder, if I can be long-winded this morning, how that priority started. Somewhere during the genesis of our culture a group of people decided that an individual with a lot of knowledge is more valuable than a person who loves well, and the amassing of knowledge became the driving factor in our society.
When I was a freshman in college I spent one morning in an adviser's office agonizing over changing my major when she finally told me, "It really doesn't matter. As long as you get a degree from this school you can get a good job just about anywhere." It doesn't even matter, to some extent, what you know anymore, as long as you know a lot about something.
I wonder what it would do to our society - and our world - if we refocused some of that energy on teaching our students how to love (because "Jesus Christ and Him crucified" is the greatest expression of love). What if, instead of teaching 15-year-olds basic trigonometry, we taught them love? What if we took classes to homeless shelters or nursing homes where they could practice loving the unlovely? What if role playing had less to do with making a sale and more to do with turning the other cheek? I wonder.
I've read this several times over the past few days. I'm captivated by verse 2, "For I determined not to know anything ..."
It makes perfect sense that Paul would have to determine not to know anything. If you've been reading the New Testament from the gospels, by the time you get to this statement you've just waded through 16 chapters of Paul knowing quite a bit. In his letter to the Roman church he reasons and he argues and wields logic all over the place. Paul was an intelligent man; he probably had the Old Testament memorized. And yet here, as he recalls his visit to Corinth, he remembers that he purposed in his heart to be ignorant of anything but the gospel.
Paul did not set out to impress the Corinthian people with his vast knowledge, understanding, or divine revelation of the scriptures. He did not reason with them on theology, or share his ideas on angels and demons. He knew nothing among them, "except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."
I can't imagine the kind of humility that requires.
This morning I started thinking about the value of knowledge in our society. How much time and how much money do we spend trying to see how may facts we can make ourselves remember? Of course, a certain level of knowledge is good and necessary. But I had a high school history teacher who, when asked the annoying and very disrespectful "Why do we need to know this?" question, responded, "So you can look smart and pick up girls at cocktail parties." I wonder if most of our drive for knowledge - as a society - isn't rooted in vanity.
And I wonder, if I can be long-winded this morning, how that priority started. Somewhere during the genesis of our culture a group of people decided that an individual with a lot of knowledge is more valuable than a person who loves well, and the amassing of knowledge became the driving factor in our society.
When I was a freshman in college I spent one morning in an adviser's office agonizing over changing my major when she finally told me, "It really doesn't matter. As long as you get a degree from this school you can get a good job just about anywhere." It doesn't even matter, to some extent, what you know anymore, as long as you know a lot about something.
I wonder what it would do to our society - and our world - if we refocused some of that energy on teaching our students how to love (because "Jesus Christ and Him crucified" is the greatest expression of love). What if, instead of teaching 15-year-olds basic trigonometry, we taught them love? What if we took classes to homeless shelters or nursing homes where they could practice loving the unlovely? What if role playing had less to do with making a sale and more to do with turning the other cheek? I wonder.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
reincarnation request: denied
Titus sent me a link to a fantastic Newsweek article.
That sounds like the by-line of an article from The Onion. The Chinese government should start writing for American tabloids.
Of course the Dalai Lama has rebutted by refusing to be reborn in Tibet as long as it is under China's control. That'll show 'em. Instead, he'll probably reincarnate among Tibetan exiles in India, Europe and North America.
What about the U.S.?
Lama and the Chinese government can argue all they want about who is allowed to reincarnate and where, but what on earth is wrong with a society when one tenth of people who claim to be born-again Christians are voting for reincarnation? That doesn't even make sense: if you're all about reincarnation, why be born again?! Is Jesus a back-up plan?
One more sign that the last thing America needs is another false Christ. I'll be introducing a bill to Congress next week that would effectively ban the Dalai Lama from reincarnating in the U.S.
"In one of history's more absurd acts of totalitarianism, China has banned Buddhist monks in Tibet from reincarnating without government permission."
That sounds like the by-line of an article from The Onion. The Chinese government should start writing for American tabloids.
"But beyond the irony [way, way beyond] lies China's true motive: to cut off the influence of the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual and political leader, and to quell the region's Buddhist religious establishment ... By barring any Buddhist monk living outside China from seeking reincarnation, the law effectively gives Chinese authorities the power to choose the next Dalai Lama, whose soul, by tradition, is reborn as a new human to continue the work of relieving suffering."
Of course the Dalai Lama has rebutted by refusing to be reborn in Tibet as long as it is under China's control. That'll show 'em. Instead, he'll probably reincarnate among Tibetan exiles in India, Europe and North America.
What about the U.S.?
"If so, he'll likely be welcomed into a culture that has increasingly embraced reincarnation over the years. Recent surveys by the Barna Group ... have found that a quarter of U.S. Christians, including 10 percent of all born-again Christians, embrace it as their favored end-of-life view."
Lama and the Chinese government can argue all they want about who is allowed to reincarnate and where, but what on earth is wrong with a society when one tenth of people who claim to be born-again Christians are voting for reincarnation? That doesn't even make sense: if you're all about reincarnation, why be born again?! Is Jesus a back-up plan?
One more sign that the last thing America needs is another false Christ. I'll be introducing a bill to Congress next week that would effectively ban the Dalai Lama from reincarnating in the U.S.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
let go!
It is so hard for me to let go of stuff - in terms of releasing my cares to God and trusting Him to take care of it. Especially people. I'm losening the death-grip on our finances, but people that I feel at least in part responsible for are hard. I have this mother hen complex that I'm trying to rebuke.The real problem is that most of those I feel at least in part responsible for are teenagers, and teenagers are all over the place. Even the ones that are relatively stable and rooted - and we have several of those at Switch - can be all over the place.
Pastor has given me great advice, at least twice, without my even soliciting it. He seems to know that someone needs to remind me to pray for and with them, and then submit them to God and go home without them. Good advice. Difficult advice.
'Cause it kills me when they do stupid things. Not when they mess up, because everyone messes up and those we can get over pretty simply. It's when they deliberately do things that they know are beneath them. Do I sound like a mom right now, or what? I'll stop.
I guess this is a prayer request, then. I need to be able to commit them to God's faithful hands and not mull over their spiritual conditions at 1:30 in the afternoon while I'm at work.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Old Lutheran
My dear friend Nate directed me, recently, to the Old Lutheran website. Oh ... my ... goodness. I laughed out loud when I read the "You Know You're a Lutheran If ..." bit. If you are a Lutheran, or a recovering Lutheran, you should check this out. The Shop is the best part: hilarious tshirts, wind-up or bobblehead Luthers ... and I really want this shirt:
I still laugh out loud every time I read it. It's corney and I've read it dozens of times, but it still gets me. "A pulpit." Man, that's good stuff.
If you are not, nor have ever been, Lutheran you may not be amused. But if that's the case you were probably Catholic and Catholics have all kinds of humor I just don't get. We're even.
I still laugh out loud every time I read it. It's corney and I've read it dozens of times, but it still gets me. "A pulpit." Man, that's good stuff.
If you are not, nor have ever been, Lutheran you may not be amused. But if that's the case you were probably Catholic and Catholics have all kinds of humor I just don't get. We're even.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
authority
The Lord has been teaching me about authority. Spiritual authority and natural authority. Being put in a position of authority over people whom you don't feel like you should have authority over, or, conversely, who don't feel like you should have authority over them, is uncomfortable.
Natural authority is harder than spiritual authority. Being in a relatively exalted position of authority has definitely taught me how to better be under authority. One big lesson I learned was, "Always report the first signs of diarrhea to your team leaders." It started out as a bit of comic relief (with an important lesson embedded) when one of the girls had to be hospitalized for dehydration, but has come to be a bit of comic relief with a bigger and bigger lesson.
Diarrhea (or "The Big D" as we referred to it with our team) is an uncomfortable topic, especially with the girls. No one really wants to talk about it, so it's easy to ignore. It's also something that starts as a small problem, with seemingly natural causes and a seemingly simple solution. This leads one to believe that it doesn't have to be reported, because one can take care of it oneself.
I started to notice that a lot of problems take the same course. They start small, they're often embarassing, and we usually think we can take care of them ourselves. When we keep it a secret, though, it usually gets worse and we end up - proverbially, of course - in a second world hospital with nurses who can't get an IV in our rapidly collapsing veins. We need accountability, and for those of us in ministry, we need to talk to our leaders every time we stumble. (I am now convinced that anyone in ministry needs to talk to their authority, not just an accountability partner.) We rationalize, "I'm not addicted to _____ (pornography, alcohol, cigarettes, lying, etc.), it was just once. I'll be fine." And then it's twice and then it's a problem.
So the lesson of the day is the same it's been in my circle for the past two weeks, "Always report the first signs of diarrea to your team leaders." You are under authority so that authority can help you, but if you wait four days you will become severely dehydrated and you and your team and your ministry will suffer for it.
Natural authority is harder than spiritual authority. Being in a relatively exalted position of authority has definitely taught me how to better be under authority. One big lesson I learned was, "Always report the first signs of diarrhea to your team leaders." It started out as a bit of comic relief (with an important lesson embedded) when one of the girls had to be hospitalized for dehydration, but has come to be a bit of comic relief with a bigger and bigger lesson.
Diarrhea (or "The Big D" as we referred to it with our team) is an uncomfortable topic, especially with the girls. No one really wants to talk about it, so it's easy to ignore. It's also something that starts as a small problem, with seemingly natural causes and a seemingly simple solution. This leads one to believe that it doesn't have to be reported, because one can take care of it oneself.
I started to notice that a lot of problems take the same course. They start small, they're often embarassing, and we usually think we can take care of them ourselves. When we keep it a secret, though, it usually gets worse and we end up - proverbially, of course - in a second world hospital with nurses who can't get an IV in our rapidly collapsing veins. We need accountability, and for those of us in ministry, we need to talk to our leaders every time we stumble. (I am now convinced that anyone in ministry needs to talk to their authority, not just an accountability partner.) We rationalize, "I'm not addicted to _____ (pornography, alcohol, cigarettes, lying, etc.), it was just once. I'll be fine." And then it's twice and then it's a problem.
So the lesson of the day is the same it's been in my circle for the past two weeks, "Always report the first signs of diarrea to your team leaders." You are under authority so that authority can help you, but if you wait four days you will become severely dehydrated and you and your team and your ministry will suffer for it.
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