Please don't stare.
For me, church at its best is when it's double the trouble.
Two churches, two services, one weekend.
It's good to hear two views, two sermons, two lessons, have two worship times, during a 24-hour sabbath time (except when every church in America is doing an unintelligent Da Vinci Code series- but that's another topic for another day).
At its very best, these two churches would be different- preferably one inter-generational and the other a nice mix of scenesters/hipsters and indie kids (that way, you can wear whatever you want, but the worship team knows how to rock).
The second church, being made up of my people, my worship, my (deep) sermons, is, of course, a little more little-fish-friendly. But the first is of equal importance. That is wehere families can sit together, pray togetehr, worship together. That's where we find mentors, where our parents teach us how to love Jesus, and just generally interact with people oever the age of 25 (gasp!).
But this Sunday, I realized that it might be just as uncomfortable for the old people to go to church with us as it is for us to go with them. As my precious friends sat a row in front of me, and I watched a parent-aged woman begin to stare at them with the "may God save your soul" look, I saw the younger couple through her eyes: the tattoos, piercings, unbrushed hair, unshaven face, pink leggings and vans. To her, they didn't spell "I love Jesus," they didn't convey the talented, blossoming tatto artist and hard-working graphic design major that they are. That lady just saw two hoodlums. And because she saw two of those for thirty minutes, she missed one sermon.
As the intergenerational church continues to decline, following the trend to home churches, and just more stylized churches in general (blame the terrible postmoderns for that, not me!), I have one request when we do show up: Please Don't Stare. We wouldn't come to your church if we didn't want to hang out with you, to soak in some of your life experience and wisdom. And besides, you might be too busy staring to say hello, and meet the future of your world and your church.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
But Will You Wash the Dishes?
A few months ago, I read a news article concerning a movement among some conservative Christians to turn South Carolina into a modern promised land. Christians from all over the country are urged to emigrate to South Carolina in order to tip the scales of the state further to the right. It sounds like once they have completed their exodus from the other 49 states and driven the democrates out of S.C. they will secede from the union and set up their own country. So far, twenty people have moved there.
This news reminds me of the community living so many of us tried in the early 1970's. We knew that day to day living would be so much easier if we were sharing a house with other Christians. It was going to be our own protestant version of a Catholic monastary without the fancy robes or Latin chanting. Unfortunately, the downfall of many of those community living experiments was dirty dishes. It seemed that everyone wanted to eat, but no one wanted to wash the dishes. Arguments, stessful encounters, and many failed cleaning schedules resulted in strained relationships among Christians who previously really liked each other. Little Fish is going to share a house this fall with several other students. One of my prayers for her is that everyone enjoys washing dishes!
I'm not sure who is going to wash all the dishes in South Carolina, but if my reference to 1970's community living does not disuade anyone, try reading about John Calvin and Geneva. Talk about a failed experiment in Christian community living. If you don't learn from history, you are destined to repeat it. Besides, Jesus commanded Christians to go to the non-Christians, not huddle together with only the Republicans.
This news reminds me of the community living so many of us tried in the early 1970's. We knew that day to day living would be so much easier if we were sharing a house with other Christians. It was going to be our own protestant version of a Catholic monastary without the fancy robes or Latin chanting. Unfortunately, the downfall of many of those community living experiments was dirty dishes. It seemed that everyone wanted to eat, but no one wanted to wash the dishes. Arguments, stessful encounters, and many failed cleaning schedules resulted in strained relationships among Christians who previously really liked each other. Little Fish is going to share a house this fall with several other students. One of my prayers for her is that everyone enjoys washing dishes!
I'm not sure who is going to wash all the dishes in South Carolina, but if my reference to 1970's community living does not disuade anyone, try reading about John Calvin and Geneva. Talk about a failed experiment in Christian community living. If you don't learn from history, you are destined to repeat it. Besides, Jesus commanded Christians to go to the non-Christians, not huddle together with only the Republicans.
conspiracy theories
In visiting church plants, I encountered an old church dogma that I thought was long forgotton and yet has been revived by a new, contemporary church plant. It is the KJV Only dogma. In it's simple form, it is a church dogma that tries to convince people that the King James Bible is the only English translation that correctly communicates the truth of God to English speaking people. The KJV Only folks believe that any other English translation contains errors that lead to watered-down truth. I'm amazed this dogma has ever existed in the church, confounded that it continues to exist and perplexed that a contemporary church plant would voluntarily embrace and propogate this dogma.
The origin of this dogma seems to be the 1940's or 50's and some of the controversy around the publication of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible. The dogma re-surfaced in the 1070's with the publication of the New International Version. In some circles the dogma is very anti-Catholic.
The primary fruit I have observed from this dogma is it plants fear into a person's heart; fear that a person will miss the real truth of God if any version of the Bible is read but the KJV. A secondary fruit is it demeans the King James Version, turning it from a beautiful, though archaic English translation, into an object at the heart of a conspiracy theory.
Curb your dogma! If you enjoy the KJV, bless you as you read, study, memorize, and pray over God's word. If you enjoy other translations, bless you as you read, study, memorize, and pray over God's word. If you are really uncomfortable reading an English translation out of fear that God's word has been distorted in the translating process, you can take time to learn Ancient Hebrew & Koine Greek in order to read it in it's original languages. Of course, then you'll have to decide which version of the Hebrew & Greek texts to use...
The origin of this dogma seems to be the 1940's or 50's and some of the controversy around the publication of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible. The dogma re-surfaced in the 1070's with the publication of the New International Version. In some circles the dogma is very anti-Catholic.
The primary fruit I have observed from this dogma is it plants fear into a person's heart; fear that a person will miss the real truth of God if any version of the Bible is read but the KJV. A secondary fruit is it demeans the King James Version, turning it from a beautiful, though archaic English translation, into an object at the heart of a conspiracy theory.
Curb your dogma! If you enjoy the KJV, bless you as you read, study, memorize, and pray over God's word. If you enjoy other translations, bless you as you read, study, memorize, and pray over God's word. If you are really uncomfortable reading an English translation out of fear that God's word has been distorted in the translating process, you can take time to learn Ancient Hebrew & Koine Greek in order to read it in it's original languages. Of course, then you'll have to decide which version of the Hebrew & Greek texts to use...
Monday, June 12, 2006
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
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