Another blog to look at

Duska at luvmylord's Xanga Site

Brant Hansen Blogs!

Brant is an old friend of mine. Aquaintance might be a better description. He was on a local Christian radio station, then went to a huge Christian station in Houston, TX, then back to local, but with his own secular afternoon show, which was very good. Now he has a show in Florida. Now he blogs:branthansen's Xanga Site

I'll be checking it out!

Blog to Look Over

This guy is able to combine graphics and metaphors and really convey his thinking.

Small Ritual - Home

Dropdown Menus

I'm looking for some code to create drop down menu on my website. TuDogs javascript: Free software; freeware, web tools, clipart.

One of those where you click on the menu header and then the rest of the menu drops down.

My First Itunes download

I paid .99 cents for the Valley Song by Jars of Clay. My wife heard it on the radio and said we might want to do it in church. Rather than buy the whole album, I got it cheap and legal. Only problem is you don't get an MP3. You have to use the ITunes program.

Apple - iTunes

Dumb Parental Conversation

I took my son to the doctor today. As we waited, a woman and her three year old child walked by in the hall way. Here is the conversation:

Mom: Did you get a shot today?

Three year old: Yes

Mom: Did it hurt?

Three year old: Yes

Mom: Are you mad at mommy?

Three year old: Yes

Mommy: Why?!

Geek Joke

There are 10 kinds of people in the world -- those who understand binary and those who don't.

Change To Dreamweaver

I posted on our church planting blog (which I hope to move to a new location soon) that I want to start a website that creates culture. This will require community PLUS. I've been told that Dreamweaver is a much better program that Frontpage. It would make sense to start with the best.

Macromedia Worldwide Store - Macromedia Dreamweaver MX 2004 Cost: $399.

Upgrade to Office 2003

I think I want to upgrade all my computers to Office 2003 by the end of the year. Cost: $240 each.

Big Boy!

I've read that if you measure a child when he is two and double the measurement, you should be able to tell how tall he/she will be when they are an adult.

Saturday was my youngest son's (Ethan) birthday. About two months ago, I measured him. He was about 34" tall. People have told me how big he looks.

But his older brother, who is now 4, was 35 1/4" when he was two. I told my wife then, Cayden will be bigger. No way Ethan will grow that much in two months.

Well, I just measured the big boy. 36 1/2"! He grew over two inches in two months!!

I'm going to have two 6 foot boys. Can you imagine our food bill?

Why Do I Read the Blogs I Read?

I noted that I thought I might start reading Rachel's blog again.

She commented:

Thanks... was there some reason you stopped/started?

I don't read blogs for the same reason I blog. I blog mainly just for myself. I use it as a place to jot thoughts and resources that I want to be able to refer back to. If a conversation gets started, great. If not, then I admit to some disappointment, but oh well.

On the other hand, I do admit to checking technorati.com every week to see if anyone has linked to me. Ego vs dialogue. Don't know. I do like people to read it.

I read blogs that interest me. Simple really. Jordon Cooper's blog has consistently held my interest for almost two years. He writes about the emerging church, politics, his relationship with his wife, and new technology. Oh, and hockey. I don't read the stuff about hockey or the local Canadian politics. But overall I guess I am interested in what he is interested in.

He reads a lot more than I do so it gives me a glimpse into books I haven't had time to read.

I also read Darren Rowse's Living Room (interestingly enough Coop's and Darren's blogs are the first listed on Rachel's list too -- if they are in any order). I read Darren because he first read me and left a comment. He is a sincere guy, trying to minister in the 21st century. I was reading him regularly till he took a vacation to England. He blogged through his vacation, but it didn't capture my interest. (No fault of his.) I still read him, but haven't been as captured lately. Though he has given me most of the new links that have currently interested me. Well done Darren!

Sometimes the interest wears off. I read Rachel for a while. She lives in New Zealand, which is interesting because I know nothing of NZ except that is where Xena is shot and also The Lord of the Rings. Still, that can only hold my interest for so long.

Rachel asks good questions. Questions I needed to hear. I guess after reading her for a while, I just lost some interest. (BTW her web design is outstanding. You can purchase it for $150.)

There have been a couple blogs -- like Jason Evans, Karen Ward, as well as Rachel -- which I read for a while, wanted to feel a "kinship" to and didn't.

I am the emerging church in our denomination. Yet I don't feel as disenfranchised as many others do. I am frustrated. I see our denomination heading way too fast toward the PoMo corner and am fairly sure they aren't going to make the turn. But they have recognized me as a legitimate important voice.

I am not a boomer, but I feel like I'm not in the same generation as Rachel, Evans, and even Coop. I guess I'm not. They are late 20's. I am late 30's. Creech has captured my interest some lately. And I mentally don't mind his cussing, but somewhere in my heart, it puts me off a bit.

I once heard a PoMo (Post modern) characteristic is not being embarrassed by anything. Most of these blogs I've mentioned will tell almost anything on their blogs. As different as I feel from the generation before me (Boomers), and as open as I am with people in general (both privately and publicly), I can't share like that on the web.

But blog on my friends. I enjoy reading and learning from you all.

Lance from Moldova Part II

Hello All!

Two more days left in Moldova. It's been a good trip so far. We spent three days in the southern part of the country... very poor, war-torn area. I got to preach twice through an interpreter (their typical Sunday service
consists of at least TWO messages, so we've had plenty of opportunities to preach). Last night, all five of us had the opportunity to preach (three by surprise invitation) and it was nice to see the sermons get very, very short
by the end!!! Constant flexibility is a key here.

We visited an orphanage and home for the mentally challenged and elderly (possibly one of the toughest things I've ever experienced). The poverty here is devasting and this was particularly clear in both of these
visits.... tremendous need.

The most amazing part of the visit thus far has been the soil (I know this will sound strange to some). It reminds me of the rich black farm soil of central Illinois and northern Indiana. This is the bread basket and
fruitbasket of the country. The food has been pretty good, although I've ate some things that I'd never would have tried in the states.

We had a bit of a disappointment today... drove 3 hours north to hold our second seminar. There were supposed to be 200-300 in attendance, no promotion was done in that area and so no one showed up. We packed up and
drove three hours back to Chisnau. We will hold our final seminar tomorrow night and fly out Thursday afternoon.

Thanks for all your prayers and kind words via email. I'm enjoying my trip, but looking forward to getting home. I'd also give my right arm for a mountain dew right now!!!!!

I hope you are all doing well. Sorry for the mass e-mail approach, but the internet time has been limited here.

Take care, Lance

Ron Mortoia Blog

Ron Mortoia wrote Morph, which I haven't read yet, but have heard good things about. Here is his website and blog.

Too Cool to Make Web Announcements

Dfilm allows you to take their animations and add your words. You select music, plot, etc. Easy and fun.

May Need To Start Reading Rachel again

cre8d design journal - reflections from a 25 year old kiwi

Email from Moldova

Hi Everyone!

Some of you know I was headed for Moldova this week, for some of you this will be news. Sorry for the mass email approach, but internet time is at a premium.

I'm doing well, we got here yesterday afternoon. Will headed to the Southern part of the country today and stay there for three days. We are leading a youth meeting this evening, going to church tomorrow, and teaching monday night.

It's nice here. Very good experience thus far.

That's all for now. I will try to keep in touch.

Lance

Matrix Deconstruction

Matrix Reloaded Explained

Update: OK, I read it. Yikes! Deeper than me. But pretty interesting.

Email back up

Speaks for itself.

Lance goes to Moldova

One of my best friends, Lance Finley, flew yesterday (I think) to Moldova.

Formerly ruled by Romania, Moldova became part of the Soviet Union at the close of World War II. Although independent from the USSR since 1991, Russian forces have remained on Moldovan territory east of the Dniester River supporting the Slavic majority population, mostly Ukrainians and Russians, who have proclaimed a 'Transnistria' republic. One of the poorest nations in Europe, Moldova became the first former Soviet state to elect a Communist as its president in 2001.

He flew with a couple of other Churches of God leaders to do some leadership training. Wow.

Lance has become a world traveler. I know that he has been in several African nations and Haiti. Maybe others. Lance underestimates his leadership abilities. This guy is one of the really exceptional people in my life.

My email is down!

Actually, it is just my Outlook program which has crashed. It does this ever so often. And then after a while, it starts working again. Doh! So hopefully i will have my email up again tomorrow. I can alway reroute to another computer, but I'm a little particular about where stuff goes. Oh well, actually, I will check it tonight.

For my convenience

Microsoft Office 2000 Resource Kit

Church Theory for Math Majors

I liked this a lot, but some will find it confusing. But the heart of the issue is simply the most important question we face: What is the Gospel?

Learning From Losers

I read this article in Fast Company magazine. Unfortunately this article isn't online. It is about Clay Christensen's new book The Innovator's Solution. Listen to this:

Businesspeople, says Christensen, are victims of a kind of "academic malpractice" perpetrated by the interlocking worlds of management training and education. Through careful not to name names, he says "the whole arena of building management knowledge and understanding is fundamentally flawed." Take business school. "Eighty percent of the cases used in typical MBA programs are about successful companies," says Christensen. "Students graduate with this notion that 'If I do everything that the people in those cases did, then my organization will grow and be successful, too.' But in many ways, the causality goes the other direction. If you're successful and growing, you can manage any way you want to. Growth makes so many dimensions of management easier. It's when growth stops that things get tough."[emphasis mine]

There is more but this is enough for now. I've looked at successful growing churches to find out what I'm doing wrong. I don't see much. We're doing some things better in my opinion. These churches have bright, persistent, consistent pastors. Persistent consistency is often a key. Looking for opportunities is another and taking quick advantage of them.

I've thought for a while that the key to jumpstarting growth in a church (or in a business) is often a localized solution. We need innovation not copies.

Note to Self

I might want to check dtour.com.au - take the journey out.

Transparent Blogs

This is why I think Jordon Cooper's blog is so well read. He is transparent about his life. I mean he writes some good stuff. He has some great links, but he shares his personal life like it is a personal diary.

Looking back at the last six years, there were a lot of sorrow. I think Mom's cancer and dying kind of dominated the first year of our marriage and then it was understanding and failing to work through with her parents and family the issues surrounding Wendy being sexually abused while growing up. This year it is has been Wendy's depression that has kind of dominated everything. I keep waiting for a normal year and I don't think it has happened yet. If it happens, we won't know what to do with it...

I'm not going to do that. I'm not sure I even wish I could. Blogging is an odd thing. I use it to share information with others and to remind myself of information. Mainly, I write for myself. It hasn't always been that way.

So I noticed a rather negative, anonymous comment about some research on The Weigh Down. Oh well. But if it had been negative about an open and honest comment about my wife or my parents... yikes! Not sure I could handle that. I also don't want to show my kids across the global span of the internet, knowing even that there are computers that regularly copy EVERYTHING on the web! Nothing disappears!

This isn't a rant about Coop. I love reading Coop. I learn a ton reading Coop. But I'm not Coop. What a funny way to communicate -- the blog.

Vineyard Midwest Gathering

Since we are planning a Midwest gathering of our own in January, I thought it was great to be able to spy on another midwest gathering.

You can find more at Vineyard Central | Gathering.

I copied this one evaluation of the gathering by Bill Bean (Indy Church) ...

Why wasn't it your typical church conference? Here are a few reasons why I would say that:
- Virtually no sense of comparison. None of that 'How many are you running?' garbage.
- No presenters presenting solutions and winning strategies. As a matter of fact there were no presentations. It was the conference I always wanted, mostly conversational and spontaneous. Rather than sit in a seminar on the importance of relationships in the church we did it.
- No pretense. No facade. No experts. WYSIWYG church.
- Didn't have to spend big bucks. Didn't have to sit through a sales pitch.
- Alan Creech

I come away from this time couraged, built up and strengthened, ready to go a few more miles on the journey. We're not crazy! We're not alone. God is doing something in the Midwest.
God help us not to try and manage or market what's happening, to box it up or better it. 'I did not make it, no it is making me.' Help us resist the urge to reduce and master and franchise. Help us to get the point. Thank you for bringing us in to such a wide place.

P.S. Cindy, remember not to get a grip.

Friday Five

1. Name five things in your refrigerator. Leftover soup that Joe made. Leftover spagetti from lunch. A pound of hamburger. Milk. Apple juice.

2. Name five things in your freezer. popcicles, cubed ham, ice pack for Alyssa's lunch box, ice cube trays, and a hole where the bagels should be.

3. Name five things under your kitchen sink. Trash bags, a soggy floor (it took me too long to fix the last leak), ... Not sure. I moved most of it out when we had the leak.

4. Name five things around your computer. Well, we have three computers. In the family room/our bedroom, a toy box, our bed, a lamp, an unused stepper machine.

5. Name five things in your medicine cabinet. Aleve, Tylenol, razor blades, band aids, and oh what are those called -- sticks with cotton balls on the ends -- oh yeah , Q-tips. What does the Q stand for?

Re-Imagine

Via John Porcaro:

Just got Tom Peters' new book, 'Re-Imagine!' Wow. Great stuff! And oh-so-colorful. He's pushing the limits on even book publishing with a fresh, scanable, and technocolor book, co-published by DK.

My favorite quote so far (from the foreward):
' I happen to believe that all innovation comes, not from market research or carefully crafted focus groups, but from pissed-off people. People who just can't stand the opacity of current financial reports. People who are engraged when the CIA database doesn't connect to the FBI database. People who throw their hands up in frustration at the little slips of paper that fall out of their hymnals (and who thence proceed to invent Post-it Notes).

My old friend Bob Waterman, co-author of In Search of Excellence, once told a reporter, 'Tom's not happy unless he's madder than hell about something.''"

Forgive the language. I read a similar quote in Fastcompany magazine as well. I agree and am probably similar to this assessment. But I don't want to have a heart attack either.

Interesting Demographics

I got this from LivingRoom but it originates from Fox News:

- Women were more likely to believe in the supernatural than men.
- Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say they believe in the God, heaven, hell and the devil.
- Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say they believe in reincarnation, astrology, ghosts and UFOs.
- Young people are much more likely than older Americans to believe in both hell and the devil.

The last one surprises me the most.

Soup's On!

Joe and Michelle Lockhart came over yesterday evening and Joe cooked up a pot of vegetable soup. Delicious! Joe is a pretty good cook. Then we play a little Eucre. It was a fun night. We need to do nights like that more often.

Cooper talks about Church Buildings

Jordon Cooper went to a conference called Soularize in Boston.

Everywhere we went there were these stunningly large and old churches. Many over 300 years old. During Soularize, Spencer started to talk about exit strategies for church buildings. Many of these buildings are already seeing the death of the congregations. The Jorge Hernandez Cultural Center is an old Lutheran Church that was donated to the community after the congregation fled to the burbs. I wonder what will happen to many mega churches in 100 years. Bus tours of where Bill Hybels spoke? It has happened in Europe, who is to say it won't happen here. Living organisms aren't built to last, they are built to die. Who would have thought those churches would have died 200 years ago or a century ago? No one. Yet we continue to think that it won't happen in our church. Our church is timeless we think.

Toyota Corolla

jg-tc.com Classifieds

1997 toyota corolla automatic, air, CD, sunroof, spoiler, great car, $5995. 217- 429-3872.

Consumer Report

Used Car

Our 1995 Mazda MPV is having engine problems. I took it in to the mechanic and throughout our discussion he kept slowly shaking his head "no". "Get rid of it." Ouch. This is not a great time to have to buy a vehicle. But...

Used cars: Best and worst 4/03

Midwest Churches of God

I met Monday with the Midwest Region Churches of God Administrative Council.

The best part for me was that my wife Danelle got to ride up with me. We left Sunday afternoon (the kids went to Grandmas). We talked, ate at Panera's, visited our "adopted" daughter Nikki in Bloomington, and spent the night in a hotel. Monday morning, we slept in and watched TV. Very cool.

Our friend Tom Craig, who was also attending the meeting, asked for a ride over to the church. We all went to lunch at Pizza Hut in Savannah, IL. Seriously, it is the best Pizza Hut I've ever seen.

Danelle worked on her dad's accounting while I met with the Ad Council in the afternoon. I shared with them what we have been doing, which is mainly creating a culture among the church plants and the established churches that inspires us to daughter churches.

They asked what they could do to help. Create culture was my answer. They were a bit confused. We have a tendency to want to serve the culture that already is. But I believe we should inspire a better culture. We need to create a culture that creates healthy churches. They asked some good questions, but I left them a little confused.

But I am hopeful. I am hopeful because I truly believe we can acccomplish more together than apart. And if we don't inspire a culture among the churches then we will not accomplish more together than apart.

Danelle and I traveled home Monday evening (it was a 5 hour trip one way). We ate at Delaney's family restaurant on the way home in Oglesby, IL. It was good food, but a little slow. There was a sign for Salsa's Mexican food which was farther in town. We followed the signs, but it was closed. Agh!

If either of us looks a little bleary eyed, now you know why.

Should I Take Offense

Here are two statements said to me in the last week:

"You're blowing smoke in the lower gears."

"Before you started talking I thought I was an intelligent person, now I think I'm just stupid."

Of course I didn't provide the context. That makes them a little funnier.

A Man's Heart and Pornography

I hope you're getting the picture by now. If a man does not find those things for which his heart is made, if he is never even invited to live for them from his deep heart, he will look for them in some other way. Why is pornography the number one snare for men? He longs for the beauty, but without his fierce and passionate heart he cannot find her or win her or keep her. Though he is powerfully drawn to the woman, he does not know how to fight for her or even that he is to fight for her. Rather, he finds her mostly a mystery that he knows he cannot solve and so at a soul level he keeps his distance. And privately, secretly, he turns to the imitation. What makes pornography so addictive is that more than anything else in a lost man's life, it makes him feel like a man without ever requiring a thing of him. The less a guy feels like a real man in the presence of a real woman, the more vulnerable he is to porn. Wild at Heart p 44

A shallow reading of this sounds like the woman is to blame for the addiction. But a deeper reading asks that the relationship between man and woman have a chance to be what it is supposed to be. Who doesn't long for the fairytale?

Weight Loss Small Group

I have had some ladies interested in starting a weight loss small group. I had heard of the group called the Weigh Down.

The Southern Baptism website had this article: The Weigh Down Heresy:

A weight-loss program that has been criticized for its controversial health practices now is drawing fire for the questionable theological views of its leader, whose publisher has shelved plans for her next book.

Christians had earlier found fault with the Weigh Down Diet because it places no restrictions on what types of foods participants may eat. Apologists and church leaders are now asking whether founder Gwen Shamblin holds heretical views of the Trinity, based on her comments on the Weigh Down Web site.
Since 1992, Shamblin has taken her business from a garage start-up to a multimillion-dollar Nashville corporation. Her 1997 book The Weigh Down Diet has sold more than 1 million copies. There are 30,000 Weigh Down Workshop locations meeting weekly around the world, including in thousands of evangelical churches.

The controversy intensified after Shamblin posted a weekly e-mail communiqué to her followers on Aug. 10. 'As a ministry, we believe in God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit,' Shamblin wrote. 'However, the Bible does not use the word 'trinity' and our feeling is that the word 'trinity' implies equality in leadership, or shared Lordship. It is clear that the scriptures teach that Jesus is the Son of God and that God sends the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit does not send God anywhere. God is clearly the Head.'

Hmmm...

The Friday Five

1. Do you watch sports? If so, which ones? I don't watch any sports regularly. I do like to watch NBA basketball some, and college basketball a little less. I about always watch the Superbowl and the College Basketball championship game.

2. What/who are your favorite sports teams and/or favorite athletes? I was a big Bulls fan when they had Jordon. Right now, I don't really have a favorite team. I am a fan of Coach K and the Duke Blue Devils. But I don't think I can name a current player.

I can still name the 1977 (not sure the year) Cincinatti Reds. They won the World Series that year. Bench, Rose, Morgan, Concepcion, Perez, Gullet, Foster, Geronomo, and Griffey. Weird what we remember. I probably can't name five baseball players today.

3. Are there any sports you hate? Hate, no. I can't really get into hockey or soccer.

4. Have you ever been to a sports event? Sure. When I was in my teens, my oldest brother lived in Indianapolis and we saw a lot of Pacer games. A couple of times we sat on the court under the basket. That was really cool. He also had season tickets to the Colts a couple of years. There was something pretty cool about seeing pro football live that is more exciting than a lot of other sports.

5. Do/did you play any sports (in school or other)? How long did you play? I played basketball all the way through high school. It is still my favorite game to play, though I think I could like Volleyball if I ever had an opportunity to really play.

Heaven -- Picture Yourself There

I've been reading a lot about heaven lately. Well, to say heaven isn't really accurate. The Bible talks about a new heaven and a new earth. It is where we will live in the age to come, where there is no more day and night, no more death, and no more marriage. I've not read much outside the Bible about what this will be like. We are left with our misconceptions about living on clouds, singing in one huge choir, talking and talking to Biblical characters and lost family, and living in our own mansion that is surrounded by the most beautiful nature. But these aren't very Biblical pictures. In fact, we will most likely live on the new earth rather than in the new heaven (See Revelation 21).

The prophet Zechariah (yeah he's in the Bible) described the new kingdom with these words:

On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. It will be a unique day, without daytime or nighttime—a day known to the LORD. When evening comes, there will be light. On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, in summer and in winter. The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name. -- Zechariah 14:6-9 (NIV)

The prophet Ezekiel appears to be describing the new kingdom as well:

He then brought me to the outer court and led me around to its four corners, and I saw in each corner another court. In the four corners of the outer court were enclosed courts, forty cubits long and thirty cubits wide; each of the courts in the four corners was the same size. Around the inside of each of the four courts was a ledge of stone, with places for fire built all around under the ledge. He said to me, "These are the kitchens where those who minister at the temple will cook the sacrifices of the people." -- Ezekiel 46:21-24 (NIV)

Kitchens... in heaven? There is certainly this picture of a community with each person having their own task. (There are still a lot of questions of exactly when and how all this will happen.)

The problem is we can't picture ourselves there. We can't picture ourselves walking through the Kingdom of God. Part of the problem is that it will be so different from where we live. Another part is we don't feel like we belong. 

But we absolutely do belong there. We were created to be there. And by accepting the sacrifice offered by Jesus Christ for the corruption in our lives, we can once again find our destiny there.

Just as an exercise, I tried to picture some people from my church in this new kingdom. This is just my imagination at work, hopefully helped along by the Spirit of God.

In the New Kingdom, Mary is a confident, beautiful, and regal woman (the Bible says there is no male and female in Christ, but I'm only beginning to imagine). She stands straight, not proud, but whole. She is gracious and welcoming to all who come her way. Her task is to care for people. She houses travelers (Read Zechariah 14:16-19 if you wonder where the travelers come from). They love staying at her place. She makes them feel accepted.

Josh is strong and tall. His body is lean and muscular. His stance is tall and confident. He is the right-hand man to one of the great leaders in the city. He is trusted and responsible. His love for God shines in his face and in his flowing hair. With courage and integrity, he carries out his duties. (The Bible says we will all reign with Christ, but there seems to be some hierarchy. I could have pictured Josh as one of the great leaders, but that may not be who he was created to be.) His soul is satisfied when his leadership complements a bigger task.

Joe is quiet yet confident. He is usually at a desk studying ancient texts, but when he stands I am surprised by his size. He has enormous hands and strong arms for someone who spends most of his time reading. His official title is "Keeper of the Mysterious." (I was hoping that all would be clear, but there are still things not understood even in the New Kingdom. We are still learning and growing.) Joe is also a liaison to the angelic beings.

As for myself... I'm not sure. I can see myself visiting, but not finding a place. (Do you feel that way? You can picture others there, but not yourself?) There is so much turmoil, so much conflict in me. Sometimes I forget about the turmoil. Lately it has been stirred. Conflict lives in me. But the new nature will release it. I am created in the image of God. I can feel that too! I am destined to be there. I have placed myself in Christ's hands for healing.

So... who am I? A champion for the underdog. A visionary of a better future. A voice of reason. My tasks will not be ruling in any major regions. That isn't my giftedness. My tasks will be more local. Though I am curious, I will not be an explorer (yes, I believe there will be places to be explored. Will the new kingdom be smaller than this temporary one?) But my tasks will be clear; my creation will make sense. My soul will be satisfied with my place.

Again, this is only an imaginative exercise. But I found it helpful. It brought me closer to my final destiny. That is the power of imagination and story. Sit down and do the same. Write the destiny of your friends first. Share it with them. They probably can't picture themselves in the Kingdom either. Then give your own a shot. Send them to me. I'd love to read them.

Building Bridges

Former seminary president Donald E Messer tells a "true story emerging from World War II" which he offers as a "parable for our mission and ministry."

Russian soldiers at the Rzhev front, working at night in freezing waters, built a secret bridge under the river's surface. When darkness covered the moon and snow shrouded the river, strong Russian swimmers silently worked chest-deep in the freezing waters. Their bodies were bloodied by the ice floes.

Then one morning, to the utter shock of the Nazis, Russian tanks, whitened for winter war, came charging down the bank, crashed through the thin ice, and stormed across the river on the hidden bridge built beneath the water. Sqaudron after squadron roared across toward the stupefied Nazis, opening the Rzhev offensive.

Messer suggests that ministry in the twenty-first century needs to "construct bridges, not in order to assault others, but to create needed spans of understanding and communication. Perhaps we could even paraphrase Simon and Garfunkel and sing 'Bridge Under Troubled Waters'! -- Postmodern Pilgrims p 78

From Representative to Participatory

This is the difference between an institution and a movement. This is where I am trying to take our church culture.

A representative culture is based on certain beliefs:
-People want and need to be controlled and have decisions made for them.
-The task of leadership is to administer guidance and regulations.
-People do only the things they are rewarded for doing.
-People cannot be trusted to use their personal freedom in service of the society or organization.

A participatory culture is based on just the opposite beliefs:
-People want to make their own decisions and have multiple choices.
-Leadership is emboldening and empowering others to lead.
-People will make sacrifices for the good of the whole.
-Human systems are self-organizing, and people can be trusted to invest wisely of their resources and time.
-- from Postmodern Pilgrims p 59-60

Such a Time as This

The question I have had to face in myown ministry is this: Will I live the time God has given me? Or will I live a time I would prefer to have? Postmodern culture is my here and now. I will take the church back to the cyberage, or will perish in the attempt. I live my life between two metaphors: (1) the pioneer who has arrows shot in his back, and (2) the slow buffalo always gets shot. I am constantly aware that the difference between a leader and a martyr is about three paces. -- Postmodern Pilgrims, p 47

The Truth

You are worse off than you ever dared to imagine, but loves you more than you ever dared to hope. -- Manhattan church planter Tim Keller from Postmodern Pilgrims, p 2, by Leonard Sweet

Testing the Spirits

We do the same with any counsel or word that presents itself as being from God, but contradicts what he has said to us in his written Word. We walk with wisdom and revelation. When I hear something that seems really unwise, I test it again and again before I launch out. The flesh will try to use your "freedom" to get you to do things you shouldn't do. And now that the Enemy knows you are trying to walk with God and tune in your heart, he'll play the ventriloquist and try to deceive you there. Any "word" or suggestion that brings discouragement, condemnation, accusation -- that is not from God. Neither is confusion, nor any counsel that would lead you in your journey. Yes, of course, God needs to convict us of sin, warn us of wrong movements in the soul, discipline us for our own good -- but the voice of God is never condemning (rom 8:1), never harsh or accusing. His conviction brings a desire for repentance; Satan's accusation kills our heart (2 Cor 7:10). -- Waking the Dead, p 106.

Embracing the Glory

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, "Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?" Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlighted about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us... And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others (Nelson Mandella) -- from Waking the Dead, p 87

Postmodern Pilgrim

I finished Len Sweet's Postmodern Pilgrim last night. I liked it but he is preaching to the choir. As for someone trying to understand Postmodernism it might be a good book, but he can be pretty "academic" (read too intelligent) at points.

I will be posting some quotes from this book and Awaking the Dead which was a GREAT book.

I've been reading a lot lately. Hope it continues.

I Love This

The American Telemarketers Association get a dose of their own medicine

Dave Barry writes

It turned out that a lot of you were eager to call up the telemarketing industry. Thousands and thousands of you called the ATA. I found out about this when I saw an article in a direct-marketing newspaper, the DM News, which quoted the executive director of the ATA, Tim Searcy. Here's an excerpt from the article:

'The ATA received no warning about the article from Barry or anyone connected with him,' Searcy said. '. . . the Barry column has had harmful consequences for the ATA. An ATA staffer has spent about five hours a day for the past six days monitoring the voice mail and clearing out messages.'

That's correct: The ATA received NO WARNING that it was going to get unwanted calls! Not only that, but these unwanted calls were an INCONVENIENCE for the ATA, and WASTED THE ATA'S TIME!

I just hope nobody interrupted the ATA's dinner.

via Joi Ito via jordoncooper.com

Fighting the Demonic

There is frustration in evangelical religious circles because people don't believe in the devil. Barna Research says "Nearly three out of five adults (58%) say that the devil, or Satan, is not a living being but is a symbol of evil. (2001)"

The Bible says there is a devil. There is evidence of the devil, so why don't people believe in the devil.

Here's my question (and note I am asking what the church can do because it is the only thing I can change): If the church believes in the demonic, why don't pastors (at least in my group) have any idea of how to combat them?

I am seminary trained. I would think "Fighting the Demonic" would be a class. That may sound ridiculous. But then we wonder why the majority of people don't believe inthe demonic. The church doesn't believe in the demonic or at least refuses to face them.

There are some basics -- rebuke the devil and he will flee. I get that, but it seems a little vague. The Bible has several instances of demon possession and exorcism. But we totally ignore that. Why?

There are people in our church who have faced down the demonic. They aren't experts but they are quite sure they have been in the presence of the demonic and have rebuked them.

In Waking the Dead, John Eldredge touches on what I would think would be the next step for me. Finding out the names of the demonic. Not like Fred or Ashley, but like anxiety, depression, doubt, lust, anger, ... He says that every angel he has read about was created for a specific task. Perhaps each demon has a specific task.

He goes on to talk about a small group of friends who are committed to praying for each other as a group. They gather regularly to name the demonic and to pray it out.

CS Lewis, in his book The Screwtape Letters (which I didn't really enjoy), tells of demons like this. Also the poorly written This Present Darkness gives what could well be a balanced view of fighting the demonic.

The problem is as soon as you enter that realm of teaching, you are on the edge of the "wacko" label. The devil absolutely doesn't want us to believe in him. He has been successful.

What are the next steps for learning to battle the demonic?

I haven't wanted to do a lot of teaching on hell because I have felt we are trying to scare people instead of intice people with Jesus. But the demonic is the enemy. And Christianity is a battle. We need to know more about how to face it.

Another Web Website

Web Design A to Z List - Alphabetical Site Map

The Glory of Man

I have been listening to a very sharp pastor from Seattle named Mark Driscoll. He is successfully reaching postmoderns.

Clearly I remember Driscoll saying the only hero in the Bible is God. My heart resonated with that. I'm no good. My heart is corrupt.

Then I read Eldredge who says this is a lie. Our heart is good. And then reading the Bible, Esther is a hero. David is a hero. Samson is a hero. Gideon is a hero. Of course, we want to say only with God's help, but what if that is almost true. Here is the truth: There are the hero because that is who God created them to be.

Doesn't the Bible say we will reign with God in the new heaven and new earth? Why do we so quickly dismiss that?

I still like Driscoll. He is really sharp. But I think he is approaching this wrong. In theological terms, I was moving toward Calvinism. Now I am moving back the other way.

Everyone is Looking For You

"Everyone is looking for you!" Surely you can relate to that. At work, at home, at church, aren't there times when everything seems to come down on you? Now this is a tremendous opportunity. I mean, if Jesus really wants to launch his ministry, increase sales, expand his audience, this sure looks like the chance to do it. What does he do? He leaves. He walks away. Everyone is looking for you! Oh, really... then we'd better leave. It cracks me up. Wendell Berry might have been writing of Jesus when he said, "His wildness was in his refusal -- or his inability -- to live within other people's expecatations." We are just the opposite; our entire lives are ruled by the expectations of others, and when we live like that, the heart is always the first thing to go. -- Awaking the Dead by John Eldredge, p 215-216.

I just finished the book Awaking the Dead. Wow. It really spoke to me. The last book that did this was Bonhoeffer's Cost of Discipleship. Awaking the Dead may change my life. Seriously. I really want to start a small group to discuss it.

Other books that were this powerful to me? Christianity for Modern Pagans by Peter Kreeft. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by Tolkien.

I wish my life went on and on.

Nice Looking

This website, Welcome to Colony 320, has a design that appeals to me. I know whenever I want to redo a web, I look around to find something appealing. I'm not an artist so I have to steal (borrow) to some extent.

Friday Five

the friday five:

1. What vehicle do you drive? 1991 Toyota Camry with almost 200,000 miles on it. And 1995 Mazda MPV which has a terminally ill engine. Sweet.

2. How long have you had it? The Mazda since ??? 1999. The Camry since 1996??

3. What is the coolest feature on your vehicle? The Mazda has theatre lights which means they fade off slowly when the doors close. The Camry has a better radio. Also that they are fully paid for.

4. What is the most annoying thing about your vehicle? That I own them.

5. If money were no object, what vehicle would you be driving right now? A really reliable used Toyota pickup.

Starting Line or Finish Line?

From Sept/Oct 2003 NetResults.

Brian McLaren was asked, "What is the evangelistic mindset of Christians today?"

Our faith has become obsessed with how to get to heaven without loving God or loving our neighbor. Faith is not about crossing a line; it's about getting started on a lifelong path. We've turned the starting line into a finish line, as if in crossing that line they are completed in the faith when in fact, they're just starting. Jesus called for his disciples to be fishers of men. Today people like their fish, but they want them scale, gutted, filleted, and fried before they have to deal with them. They don't want the ones flopping in the bottom of the boat or swimming in the deep water.

I love book lists

This is from jordoncooper.com

A couple of you asked what I would recommend on the ordination process. Here is my list

Making Sense of Church by Spencer Burke
Purpose Driven Church by Rick Warren (I bet that suprised some of you)
The Emerging Church by Dan Kimball
Adventures in Missing the Point by Tony Campolo and Brian McLaren
A New Kind of Christian by Brian McLaren
Liquid Church by Pete Ward (that should mess some people up)
Birth of the Chaordic Age by Dee Hock
Soul Tsunami or Carpe Manana by Len Sweet
Contemplative Pastor and the rest of the series by Eugene Peterson
The Cluetrain Manifesto
Rise of the Creative Class by Richard Florida
Affluenza
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller

Emotional Day

It's an emotional day. Not sure exactly why. Relationships are a little stressed around me. Danelle and I have never been closer though. I read at Coop's that David Hopkins and his wife are expecting! I read David's blog now and then. I like it and I don't. But it keeps drawing me back. It will be interesting to see how a child will affect David's life and views.

I was sorting through the kid's drawers this morning. Danelle is working every day, so I'm home with the kids three days a week. It is strange that I feel a ton more productive working around the house then I do for the church. My job with the church is more in the idea realm. That is a hard realm to feel productive. Anyway, I was moving all the kid's shorts and tank tops out of their drawers and felt a surge of emotion. No tears but it was close. In a way, it was a good feeling. It was a feeling of the depth of what we have in our family.

Blogger Quiz

Are You A Blogaholic?:

"52 points is in the 51 through 80 precent
You are a dedicated weblogger. You post frequently because you enjoy weblogging a lot, yet you still manage to have a social life. You're the best kind of weblogger. Way to go!"