Monday, June 12, 2006
ta da!
so please check out this article. this is the church i went to while i was in santa cruz this winter, and i loved it a lot. dad thinks the name is ironic - vintage faith is a 2 year old church. anyway... those are my good friends in the picture and i think that's fun!
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
go-go gadget gospel
it's always good to start off a post with a song reference.
there's a lot of talk about how this emerging church is "the next generation." that is because this is important. it is important to remember that in the fall, our church will be the newest, the next, and not the first or the only. there have been many churches before us, and even many like ours. hopefully there is not another one just like our church in the same area, because that's redundant and there's no point in planting when there's a tree in your way...
but back to the point. it has been important for me, and i think for other kids who are church searching and finding these days, to find a church that has wisepeople. men and women who have been around the church block and the world and can lead me and offer solomon-like words of advice and wisdom to help me in my spiritual journey. where would i be without wisepeople like annie lamott, c.s. lewis, oswald chambers or the ever-prevalent donald miller? with that in mind, it is crucial that this emerging generation of church-leaders let themselves be pushed in the right direction, rather than assuming their way is the best. because even if it is, their way was thought of by someone else first, i'm almost positive of that.
so while our church will be lead by two crazy college kids who don't know what their doing, they are also two crazy pastors kids who have been around more than one or two church blocks and can always pick up the phone if they get lost. we're not trying to do anything new or different, just what feels right.
in conclusion: we have a name! The Abandon House. in the tradition of abandoning ourselves and our church and our faith to Jesus. so there, reality has a name.
there's a lot of talk about how this emerging church is "the next generation." that is because this is important. it is important to remember that in the fall, our church will be the newest, the next, and not the first or the only. there have been many churches before us, and even many like ours. hopefully there is not another one just like our church in the same area, because that's redundant and there's no point in planting when there's a tree in your way...
but back to the point. it has been important for me, and i think for other kids who are church searching and finding these days, to find a church that has wisepeople. men and women who have been around the church block and the world and can lead me and offer solomon-like words of advice and wisdom to help me in my spiritual journey. where would i be without wisepeople like annie lamott, c.s. lewis, oswald chambers or the ever-prevalent donald miller? with that in mind, it is crucial that this emerging generation of church-leaders let themselves be pushed in the right direction, rather than assuming their way is the best. because even if it is, their way was thought of by someone else first, i'm almost positive of that.
so while our church will be lead by two crazy college kids who don't know what their doing, they are also two crazy pastors kids who have been around more than one or two church blocks and can always pick up the phone if they get lost. we're not trying to do anything new or different, just what feels right.
in conclusion: we have a name! The Abandon House. in the tradition of abandoning ourselves and our church and our faith to Jesus. so there, reality has a name.
cincy churches & the indies
thinking about cincy churches and their ability to reach little fish & the indies
four good churches have received my attention: (the names have been modified)
the world wide equipping center; an old, established church trying to redefine itself
the grape growers mother ship; a jesus movement church plant
the traversals; a gen X church plant
the skyline (not the chili); a boomer/buster church plant
for now, the grape growers win
it is huge, but she found her tribe within the hugeness
the music & messages are not always her, but the tribe is there
the skyline never had a chance if for no other reason than they are KJV only (more on that at another time)
the traversals are too slick for the indies
it's big, reaching lots of people, but very corporate
the world wide equipping center has lost its way
too bad, it's ideal for indies
as a participant and observer of church changes for thirty years, I've learned there are no easy solutions when reaching the next generation, nor the one after that
just when you have it, styles change
when little fish and screaming jon embark on their church plant next fall they will lead in a style that is natural for them not everyone will like it, but some will...
four good churches have received my attention: (the names have been modified)
the world wide equipping center; an old, established church trying to redefine itself
the grape growers mother ship; a jesus movement church plant
the traversals; a gen X church plant
the skyline (not the chili); a boomer/buster church plant
for now, the grape growers win
it is huge, but she found her tribe within the hugeness
the music & messages are not always her, but the tribe is there
the skyline never had a chance if for no other reason than they are KJV only (more on that at another time)
the traversals are too slick for the indies
it's big, reaching lots of people, but very corporate
the world wide equipping center has lost its way
too bad, it's ideal for indies
as a participant and observer of church changes for thirty years, I've learned there are no easy solutions when reaching the next generation, nor the one after that
just when you have it, styles change
when little fish and screaming jon embark on their church plant next fall they will lead in a style that is natural for them not everyone will like it, but some will...
god's last name is not damn
and God's first name is not God
at a recent staff meeting one of our faithful servants complained about movies using God's name in vain
i interjected that i had never seen a movie that used God's name in vain
shocked faces from all, except our generaltional pastor
she knew i was up to something
i explained that God's name was YHWH, which translates as "I am" or "I am what I am" (no relation to Popeye) or "I will be what I will be"
one asked, "what about Jehovah? isn't that God's name"
another answered, "no, German theologians created that name by adding the vowels from "elohim" to the transliterated letters JHVH and created Jeohovah"
spirited dialogue from all
general consensus: saying "God Damn" is using the Lord's name in vain
i elaborated, often turmoil is created by complaining about non-issues
there are important issues that deserve time, attention, emotion but too often the time, attention and emotion is channeled to non-issues
i also suggested that instead of using the word "God" we might begin following the example of Madeleine L'Engle and refer to God as "El"
they only frowned
but maybe later they thought more about it
at a recent staff meeting one of our faithful servants complained about movies using God's name in vain
i interjected that i had never seen a movie that used God's name in vain
shocked faces from all, except our generaltional pastor
she knew i was up to something
i explained that God's name was YHWH, which translates as "I am" or "I am what I am" (no relation to Popeye) or "I will be what I will be"
one asked, "what about Jehovah? isn't that God's name"
another answered, "no, German theologians created that name by adding the vowels from "elohim" to the transliterated letters JHVH and created Jeohovah"
spirited dialogue from all
general consensus: saying "God Damn" is using the Lord's name in vain
i elaborated, often turmoil is created by complaining about non-issues
there are important issues that deserve time, attention, emotion but too often the time, attention and emotion is channeled to non-issues
i also suggested that instead of using the word "God" we might begin following the example of Madeleine L'Engle and refer to God as "El"
they only frowned
but maybe later they thought more about it
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
deep and wide
where is the deep and wide church? seems like every hip church is a mile wide and an inch deep (code: seeker). weary of preachers without theological grounding -- guys in leather jackets and $100 jeans whose charisma quotient rivals Anderson Cooper without a clue about sanctification or spiritual disciplines -- but a ready arsenal of three point acrostics and glib, stand-up patter.
hungry, hungry for soul shaking, seismic worship and grounded, informed teaching that stretches my intellect and world view.
pfish
hungry, hungry for soul shaking, seismic worship and grounded, informed teaching that stretches my intellect and world view.
pfish
Thursday, May 11, 2006
alt-worship
"Jesus replied, 'Believe me, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father here or in Jerusalem...But the time is coming and is already here when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for anyone who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.'"
- John 4:21, 23-24
so just what is alternative worship, anyway?
When many of us think of worshiping God through painting, writing, reading, studying, conversation, it seems odd, and it is then called alternative worship. But if all that is required for worship is the right spirit and a heart of truth, then why would any worship be considered "alternative?"
It is a spiritual exercise to go outside of your normal boundries of worship and give God the invitation to speak to you in a new place. So do it.
- John 4:21, 23-24
so just what is alternative worship, anyway?
When many of us think of worshiping God through painting, writing, reading, studying, conversation, it seems odd, and it is then called alternative worship. But if all that is required for worship is the right spirit and a heart of truth, then why would any worship be considered "alternative?"
It is a spiritual exercise to go outside of your normal boundries of worship and give God the invitation to speak to you in a new place. So do it.
Monday, May 01, 2006
dont
funny anecdote
anecdote turns serious
serious turns bible story
bible story turns moral for our lives
three easy steps to accomplish this in our lives.
nononononono
here's a trick: that formula has been flowing in and out of our ears for our entire lives. it doesn't work. it doesn't hold our attention, and as a Christian College student, I am appalled that you think I am not intelligent enough to just dive into the Bible that I have been memorizing since I could speak:
"a little bit of fish, and a little bit of bread, fed a whoooole lot of people..."
Ever since the idea of starting my own worship service was planted in my head, I've been wondering what it's going to look like.
I've realized that I have things to say, and now I have an opportunity to say them, discuss them.
My goal, and hopefully the goal of others involved, will not be to entertain you for an hour or more on a sunday morning, but to challenge your life to change, to become God's creation rather than your own. And I know I can't do that through entertaining anecdotes and spewing a few bible verses at you. So bear with me as I try to figure out how I can do that.
anecdote turns serious
serious turns bible story
bible story turns moral for our lives
three easy steps to accomplish this in our lives.
nononononono
here's a trick: that formula has been flowing in and out of our ears for our entire lives. it doesn't work. it doesn't hold our attention, and as a Christian College student, I am appalled that you think I am not intelligent enough to just dive into the Bible that I have been memorizing since I could speak:
"a little bit of fish, and a little bit of bread, fed a whoooole lot of people..."
Ever since the idea of starting my own worship service was planted in my head, I've been wondering what it's going to look like.
I've realized that I have things to say, and now I have an opportunity to say them, discuss them.
My goal, and hopefully the goal of others involved, will not be to entertain you for an hour or more on a sunday morning, but to challenge your life to change, to become God's creation rather than your own. And I know I can't do that through entertaining anecdotes and spewing a few bible verses at you. So bear with me as I try to figure out how I can do that.
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