Tuesday, September 01, 2009
small church vs big church debate
check out the info at churchrelevance.com it is an interesting article that looks at the basic beliefs of christianity within different size churches.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
answers vs truth
i have been listening to the song through smoke by needtobreathe lately and there is a line that has hit me
"i was born in a house in a town just like your own, i was raised to believe in the power of the unknown, and when the answers and the truth take different sides, will you still see me, will you still find me through smoke?"
everyone today is searching for something. they are searching for truth but they are settling for answers. someone's answers do not have to be truth, and i am wondering how many are settling for the answers they are receiving? the truth is powerful. how will we lead people to the truth?
on this blog i have always been about asking the questions to find truth. i wonder how often though i have settled for a simple answer instead of digging deeper to find the truth. i do not think that i have allowed the answers to be separate from the truth. but maybe i have not kept looking at the whole picture of the truth.
the biggest part of this song is that they are wanting to see the truth through this smoke. a clearer picture of truth will help us know God and hopefully love God more. so i guess my challenge is to continue to search for truth and not to stop with a partial answer but to continue until i see the big picture.
oh and if you do not already own the album "the outsiders" by needtobreathe, you should go and purchase it. it is an amazing collection of music.
"i was born in a house in a town just like your own, i was raised to believe in the power of the unknown, and when the answers and the truth take different sides, will you still see me, will you still find me through smoke?"
everyone today is searching for something. they are searching for truth but they are settling for answers. someone's answers do not have to be truth, and i am wondering how many are settling for the answers they are receiving? the truth is powerful. how will we lead people to the truth?
on this blog i have always been about asking the questions to find truth. i wonder how often though i have settled for a simple answer instead of digging deeper to find the truth. i do not think that i have allowed the answers to be separate from the truth. but maybe i have not kept looking at the whole picture of the truth.
the biggest part of this song is that they are wanting to see the truth through this smoke. a clearer picture of truth will help us know God and hopefully love God more. so i guess my challenge is to continue to search for truth and not to stop with a partial answer but to continue until i see the big picture.
oh and if you do not already own the album "the outsiders" by needtobreathe, you should go and purchase it. it is an amazing collection of music.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
atheist on evangelism
this video has been out a while but i thought i would still share it today. i have heard this video used in a couple sermons. the second video is a follow up from penn. it shares his thoughts on the reception of this video. just for your knowledge the second video is rated r.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
service
the first church visited was saddleback. after hearing the sermon casper's reaction to it was something like this. "well it is good to hear about what i should do. but i would rather hear stories about how they are doing it."
stories of helping in the world will receive a better reaction then hearing directions on how to achieve it. i tend to agree that it is not hard to go find someone or some organization to help. i can think of a few places right of the top of my head with out referencing the yellow pages.
actions will always speak louder then words.
it is interesting however that later in the book that casper himself does not go out to his community and serve. he does expect the church to but the standard is different for himself. casper is an atheist, who says he does not have any beliefs. but believing in no God is a belief in and of itself. but not having a belief system entitles him to not have to help out others.
later in the book he says he might go serve in some capacity. but if he never does, we the church still have the responsibility to serve.
i ask myself on a somewhat regular basis, how can i bring people to Christ. as i am learning more and more it is not about bringing people to Christ but bringing Christ to the people. isnt that what Christ did by coming down to earth. he brought himself to the people.
i am reading another book now named "organic church" it is all about bringing the church to the people. starting churches in homes, coffee shops, bars, and any possible place where there are people who need Jesus. we need to become invested in the lives of the people.
i will finish this short blog with a quote from organic church. "every christian is a church planter, every home is a church, and every church is a training center." every thing about our lives need to transcend the love of God. how are we at living this out?
stories of helping in the world will receive a better reaction then hearing directions on how to achieve it. i tend to agree that it is not hard to go find someone or some organization to help. i can think of a few places right of the top of my head with out referencing the yellow pages.
actions will always speak louder then words.
it is interesting however that later in the book that casper himself does not go out to his community and serve. he does expect the church to but the standard is different for himself. casper is an atheist, who says he does not have any beliefs. but believing in no God is a belief in and of itself. but not having a belief system entitles him to not have to help out others.
later in the book he says he might go serve in some capacity. but if he never does, we the church still have the responsibility to serve.
i ask myself on a somewhat regular basis, how can i bring people to Christ. as i am learning more and more it is not about bringing people to Christ but bringing Christ to the people. isnt that what Christ did by coming down to earth. he brought himself to the people.
i am reading another book now named "organic church" it is all about bringing the church to the people. starting churches in homes, coffee shops, bars, and any possible place where there are people who need Jesus. we need to become invested in the lives of the people.
i will finish this short blog with a quote from organic church. "every christian is a church planter, every home is a church, and every church is a training center." every thing about our lives need to transcend the love of God. how are we at living this out?
Friday, June 26, 2009
insights from jim and casper go to church
jim and casper go to church
by jim henderson and matt casper
a book about two people, a christian and an atheist going to churches all over the united states. they write their observations about the church and their unlikely relationship.
i really suggest every pastor, christian, and atheist to read this book. anyone interested in the church would have a lot to take away from it.
casper, the atheist, has some great insights about relationships, service, transparency. it will only help the church if you take the time to read this book. i will try later to write a post on some quotes from the book.
by jim henderson and matt casper
a book about two people, a christian and an atheist going to churches all over the united states. they write their observations about the church and their unlikely relationship.
i really suggest every pastor, christian, and atheist to read this book. anyone interested in the church would have a lot to take away from it.
casper, the atheist, has some great insights about relationships, service, transparency. it will only help the church if you take the time to read this book. i will try later to write a post on some quotes from the book.
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
churches and the economy
the last few weeks i have heard some stories about some churches helping out different people during the rough times. i wanted to share what some of them are doing.
newspring church, pastor perry noble-- for mothers day gave away two paid off houses to two single mothers. the church purchased the two homes and fixed them up with volunteers from the church to bless the two families. this is something they do every mothers dsy.
12stone church, pastor kevin myers-- also for mothers day gave $50 to every single mom in the congregation and if anyone know a single mom they could take the gift for them as well.
mars hill church, pastor rob bell-- the church had an offering above regular giving to come up front and put money in the basket. if you needed money you could come up and take money out of the basket.
first of all, i want to applaud the churches because of their heart for helping out others. some of the gifts stand out to me because they seem to have put more effort into it. so it leads me to this, what has your church done? have you heard of any other churches that have helped out people during the economic downturn?
newspring church, pastor perry noble-- for mothers day gave away two paid off houses to two single mothers. the church purchased the two homes and fixed them up with volunteers from the church to bless the two families. this is something they do every mothers dsy.
12stone church, pastor kevin myers-- also for mothers day gave $50 to every single mom in the congregation and if anyone know a single mom they could take the gift for them as well.
mars hill church, pastor rob bell-- the church had an offering above regular giving to come up front and put money in the basket. if you needed money you could come up and take money out of the basket.
first of all, i want to applaud the churches because of their heart for helping out others. some of the gifts stand out to me because they seem to have put more effort into it. so it leads me to this, what has your church done? have you heard of any other churches that have helped out people during the economic downturn?
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
following Christ
assimilation is a term used by most churches to help bring people into the church body. assimilation can be defined as becoming like whatever you are being brought into. what is difficult here is are we trying to help people become like us or Christ?
i read an interesting illustration by one of my former professors dr. jim lo in his book intentional diversity.
there were missionaries to native americans and the told them “If you want to be good Christians, you need to… 1. cut your hair because good christians have short hair, 2. get rid of robes and wear pants, 3.get rid of sandals and wear shoes, because good christians do not show their toes in public and 4. build a church building, because good christians have a public meeting place. however when they had the grand opening of the church building they saw a picture of Jesus in long hair, wearing a robe and sandals and worshiping outside. this obviously confused the native americans, because everything they had been taught was to be more like Jesus but when they see Jesus, it looked more like their appearance before they changed.
how are we as the church leading? are we helping others to be like Christ or do we have our own perception of what a christian should look like? of course this is not just about mere appearance but also of the mind and heart. do you have any stories similar to that of the native americans to share?
i read an interesting illustration by one of my former professors dr. jim lo in his book intentional diversity.
there were missionaries to native americans and the told them “If you want to be good Christians, you need to… 1. cut your hair because good christians have short hair, 2. get rid of robes and wear pants, 3.get rid of sandals and wear shoes, because good christians do not show their toes in public and 4. build a church building, because good christians have a public meeting place. however when they had the grand opening of the church building they saw a picture of Jesus in long hair, wearing a robe and sandals and worshiping outside. this obviously confused the native americans, because everything they had been taught was to be more like Jesus but when they see Jesus, it looked more like their appearance before they changed.
how are we as the church leading? are we helping others to be like Christ or do we have our own perception of what a christian should look like? of course this is not just about mere appearance but also of the mind and heart. do you have any stories similar to that of the native americans to share?
Monday, March 02, 2009
100 people
F THE WORLD ONLY HAD 100 PEOPLE
Let us not be stopped by that which divides us but look for that which unites us
If we could reduce the world's population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all existing human ratios remaining the same, the demographics would look something like this:
60 Asians 12 Europeans 5 US Americans and Canadians 8 Latin Americans 14 Africans
49 would be female 51 would be male
82 would be non-white 18 white
89 heterosexual 11 homosexual
33 would be Christian 67 would be non-Christian
a.. 5 would control 32% of the entire world's wealth, and all of them would be US citizens
a.. 80 would live in substandard housing
a.. 24 would not have any electricity (And of the 76% that do have electricity, most would only use it for light at night.)
a.. 67 would be unable to read
a.. 1 (only one) would have a college education.
a.. 50 would be malnourished and 1 dying of starvation
a.. 33 would be without access to a safe water supply
a.. 1 would have HIV
a.. 1 near death
a.. 2 would be near birth
a.. 7 people would have access to the Internet
Let us not be stopped by that which divides us but look for that which unites us
If we could reduce the world's population to a village of precisely 100 people, with all existing human ratios remaining the same, the demographics would look something like this:
60 Asians 12 Europeans 5 US Americans and Canadians 8 Latin Americans 14 Africans
49 would be female 51 would be male
82 would be non-white 18 white
89 heterosexual 11 homosexual
33 would be Christian 67 would be non-Christian
a.. 5 would control 32% of the entire world's wealth, and all of them would be US citizens
a.. 80 would live in substandard housing
a.. 24 would not have any electricity (And of the 76% that do have electricity, most would only use it for light at night.)
a.. 67 would be unable to read
a.. 1 (only one) would have a college education.
a.. 50 would be malnourished and 1 dying of starvation
a.. 33 would be without access to a safe water supply
a.. 1 would have HIV
a.. 1 near death
a.. 2 would be near birth
a.. 7 people would have access to the Internet
Sunday, March 01, 2009
some more culture
I am not sure if one can “act American.” What I mean is that there is no clear definition of what is American. We have been called the melting pot of the world with great reason. In our metropolitan areas you can experience almost any culture from any of the four corners of the world. We are caucasian, asian, african, indian, hispanic. Our family might have moved here 200 years ago or just have migrated here 2 months ago. We live in rural, suburban and urban areas. We attend churches, mosques, temples or none at all.
What characteristics would be given to an American? If you were to go overseas we might be known as obnoxious, loud and rude. The media might portray us as obtrusive and ill tolerant. Others might look at us and say we work too hard. Some might say we spend too much money on entertainment. We could add any description that we want but Americans characteristics are as diverse as the nations we are from.
What characteristics would be given to an American? If you were to go overseas we might be known as obnoxious, loud and rude. The media might portray us as obtrusive and ill tolerant. Others might look at us and say we work too hard. Some might say we spend too much money on entertainment. We could add any description that we want but Americans characteristics are as diverse as the nations we are from.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
culture
people are different for example i was born in maine, went to college in indiana, have traveled to a different multiple countries; mexico, mozambique, brazil, england and france. since college i have lived in south carolina, new york and am now back in indiana. i have lived in a small town, a suburb and urban areas. i have worked with and ministered to homeless people and millionaires. i have seen the the best of what humanity has to offer and unfortunately have also seen the worst. all of these things have added to and help change my world view.
a quote from last nights class made me think. the professor said "the church has been effected more by the culture then the culture has been effected by the church." i am wondering, if anyone still reads this blog, what you might think about this statement?
a quote from last nights class made me think. the professor said "the church has been effected more by the culture then the culture has been effected by the church." i am wondering, if anyone still reads this blog, what you might think about this statement?
Monday, January 05, 2009
charging for church
i know this might be a weird concept. i never really considered it before until yesterday at church. john asked the question, "would you still come to church if you were charged ticket prices?" i know multiple people who spend money on season tickets to the colts, red sox, butler and i dont want to focus on them spending money on those tickets. if i lived in the boston area and could afford it i would try to have tickets to the patriots. but there is an anticipation that comes when you buy a ticket to go to a sporting event or a musical performance. we expect to go and experience a time of cheering on our team, yelling out specific things to players like we know them and they will hear everything we say. we hope to go an enjoy the contest with our team coming out the victor. but how do we approach going to church?
most of us, wake up on sunday morning and pile into the car to drive to church. we walk in the door and greeted by a friendly smile. we go grab a cup of coffee to help wake us up as we walk into the sanctuary as the first song has already started. we look around for friends and if we see them hope their is a few seats beside them, if not you know they will be there soon so you try to find a few seats on the end so they can join you when they come. instead of starting to sing you glance through the bulletin to see what is going on during the next week. the worship pastor greets you, reads scripture or opens in prayer and starts off into the second song. it is a new song, you have never heard it before so you listen to the words and try to figure out the tune. but it is kind of repetitious so you start wondering what you might have for lunch...
i am not sure if you have ever had a sunday like this. i have definitely had more then a few. it seems at times as soon as i walk into the sanctuary i have a.d.d. and i can not concentrate. however every time i go to a sporting event or concert i try to take in every moment. enjoy it, try to experience each part because a. i know this could be the only chance i have to attend something like this for a while and b. i enjoy this event enough to shell out hard earned money that i worked for.
i understand that we tithe but that is not seen as the same as buying a ticket. outreach for a church would be difficult because if you invite a friend to church you have to tell him to buy a ticket. so obviously charging for church is not a great idea. but it seems that we can take church for granted. it becomes an every week event and we become content where we are lacking a sense of passion.
a few questions. where is our passion? is it in the right place? being used for right motives? church will continue to go on but how can we make it a place that is not stale? is it the churches fault we have lost our passion? or can we blame it on ourselves for having a lack of heart and come to church with the anticipation of meeting with our heavenly Father who created us and loved us enough to send His Son to die and now He wants to meet with us, so He can know us and we can know Him.
as always just a few thoughts to get your juices flowing.
most of us, wake up on sunday morning and pile into the car to drive to church. we walk in the door and greeted by a friendly smile. we go grab a cup of coffee to help wake us up as we walk into the sanctuary as the first song has already started. we look around for friends and if we see them hope their is a few seats beside them, if not you know they will be there soon so you try to find a few seats on the end so they can join you when they come. instead of starting to sing you glance through the bulletin to see what is going on during the next week. the worship pastor greets you, reads scripture or opens in prayer and starts off into the second song. it is a new song, you have never heard it before so you listen to the words and try to figure out the tune. but it is kind of repetitious so you start wondering what you might have for lunch...
i am not sure if you have ever had a sunday like this. i have definitely had more then a few. it seems at times as soon as i walk into the sanctuary i have a.d.d. and i can not concentrate. however every time i go to a sporting event or concert i try to take in every moment. enjoy it, try to experience each part because a. i know this could be the only chance i have to attend something like this for a while and b. i enjoy this event enough to shell out hard earned money that i worked for.
i understand that we tithe but that is not seen as the same as buying a ticket. outreach for a church would be difficult because if you invite a friend to church you have to tell him to buy a ticket. so obviously charging for church is not a great idea. but it seems that we can take church for granted. it becomes an every week event and we become content where we are lacking a sense of passion.
a few questions. where is our passion? is it in the right place? being used for right motives? church will continue to go on but how can we make it a place that is not stale? is it the churches fault we have lost our passion? or can we blame it on ourselves for having a lack of heart and come to church with the anticipation of meeting with our heavenly Father who created us and loved us enough to send His Son to die and now He wants to meet with us, so He can know us and we can know Him.
as always just a few thoughts to get your juices flowing.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
nfl thoughts
1. the patriots had an amazing season this year. i listen to dan patricks radio show and they had a pole on the most disappointing nfl team this year. the jets were voted most disappointing with new england as second. i was never disappointed with the end result of the season. 11-5 is a good record any year, especially with a bunch of injuries specifically but not limited to brady, maroney and harrison. after the injury week 1 to brady i thought our season was over, after the 16 games cassel proved that he can play.
2. cassel had an amazing season in which he had some amazing accomplishments including back to back games where he passed for over 400 yards. this does not happen often. he will be a free agent and will receive a big pay day wherever he goes. i am still not sure if it was cassel playing well or if it was the patriots system and team that helped him pull out an amazing season. but i guess we will find out next season when he will probably suit up for another team. unless...
3. the news of brady healing slowly are true. it is possible the patriots will keep him around to ensure they have a proven qb for next season. i think brady will be back next year and be the comeback player of the year. but i guess we will have to wait a while to see if that is true.
4. living in indianapolis is pretty good, unless you are a patriots fan. some give me a hard time but it is pretty easy to brush off. i have lived in new york as a red sox fan and never received the same treatment as i do here. colts fans feel threatened by us, thats okay they have right to feel threatened.
5. i hate to admit this but it looks like peyton manning will be the mvp this year. he individually led his team to finish with 9 straight wins. coach of they year will either go to smith (atlanta) or pirano (miami). they took both their teams from the basement to the playoffs. my hat is off to both of them even if miami squeezed in just in front of new england to be the afc east division winner.
6. it should prove to be a fun playoff year. with the drama of philly squeezing in with a win over dallas and multiple losses from other teams it would really be something to see the eagles and phillies win the championship in the same year. atlanta and baltimore are great stories getting in with rookie qb's. i love that dallas didnt get in. in brings me the same joy when i see the yankees spend as much money as they do and miss the playoffs. giants, cardinals, and tennesee are teams that could do something in the playoffs but i really do not think they are up to it. in past weeks they are all spiraling downward.
7. super bowl predictions this year are tough. there are no clear cut teams that stand out. from the nfc i think carolina is the front runner. they have played solidly all year long and their running game is unstoppable. as for the afc i believe it will be pittsburgh if big ben is able to recover from his concussion last week. i think carolina will win the super bowl.
what do you think?
2. cassel had an amazing season in which he had some amazing accomplishments including back to back games where he passed for over 400 yards. this does not happen often. he will be a free agent and will receive a big pay day wherever he goes. i am still not sure if it was cassel playing well or if it was the patriots system and team that helped him pull out an amazing season. but i guess we will find out next season when he will probably suit up for another team. unless...
3. the news of brady healing slowly are true. it is possible the patriots will keep him around to ensure they have a proven qb for next season. i think brady will be back next year and be the comeback player of the year. but i guess we will have to wait a while to see if that is true.
4. living in indianapolis is pretty good, unless you are a patriots fan. some give me a hard time but it is pretty easy to brush off. i have lived in new york as a red sox fan and never received the same treatment as i do here. colts fans feel threatened by us, thats okay they have right to feel threatened.
5. i hate to admit this but it looks like peyton manning will be the mvp this year. he individually led his team to finish with 9 straight wins. coach of they year will either go to smith (atlanta) or pirano (miami). they took both their teams from the basement to the playoffs. my hat is off to both of them even if miami squeezed in just in front of new england to be the afc east division winner.
6. it should prove to be a fun playoff year. with the drama of philly squeezing in with a win over dallas and multiple losses from other teams it would really be something to see the eagles and phillies win the championship in the same year. atlanta and baltimore are great stories getting in with rookie qb's. i love that dallas didnt get in. in brings me the same joy when i see the yankees spend as much money as they do and miss the playoffs. giants, cardinals, and tennesee are teams that could do something in the playoffs but i really do not think they are up to it. in past weeks they are all spiraling downward.
7. super bowl predictions this year are tough. there are no clear cut teams that stand out. from the nfc i think carolina is the front runner. they have played solidly all year long and their running game is unstoppable. as for the afc i believe it will be pittsburgh if big ben is able to recover from his concussion last week. i think carolina will win the super bowl.
what do you think?
Sunday, December 14, 2008
light
it seemed so long that i was in the cave. still dark, still damp. my eyes started to adjust to the dark but it was still dark in the cave. i started trying to make my way out of the cave by feeling the sides. but i had been searching the cave so long that i forgot how long it might take to see the light. it seemed like forever since i had the comfort of the flashlight.my eyes were starting to make out the rocks and the form of the caves. i knew i was becoming ever closer to the freedom i once enjoyed. eventually, with a little luck and a lot despair i saw a little ray of sunshine. it brought comfort and hope. i had almost forgotten how gratifying the light could be. i started moving faster.
israel had been stuck in darkness approximately 700 years without hope. they prophet isaiah saw past the despair and in chapter 61:1 said
"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners."
i remember when i was in high school my family went somewhere and this funny little kid was running around. he would close his eyes and say "i am blind" seconds later he would open his eyes and say, "i can see, it is a miracle." we would laugh with him and he would say it again and again. it was quite entertaining. but for someone who is blind and all they have is darkness it has to be frustrating.
israel had a lot of time without the presence of God in their lives and i can not imagine the despair they felt. the search of trying to fill the emptiness but never being able to fulfill it in their lives must of made them feel hopeless.
john 1:1-9 captures for me the essence of the christmas story. i always enjoy the reading of luke 2 but i love how john captures the incarnation.
"In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him.
The Word gave life to everything that was created,
and his life brought light to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.
God sent a man, John the Baptist,
to tell about the light so that
everyone might believe because of his testimony.
John himself was not the light;
he was simply a witness to tell about the light.
The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone,
was coming into the world."
like the child said. it is truly a miracle to be able to see. i love the advent season. it gives us expectation and restores us with hope. we know the light and as each week we become closer to christmas we light the candle of hope, and peace, and joy and love. it only builds to the incarnation.
israel had been stuck in darkness approximately 700 years without hope. they prophet isaiah saw past the despair and in chapter 61:1 said
"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners."
i remember when i was in high school my family went somewhere and this funny little kid was running around. he would close his eyes and say "i am blind" seconds later he would open his eyes and say, "i can see, it is a miracle." we would laugh with him and he would say it again and again. it was quite entertaining. but for someone who is blind and all they have is darkness it has to be frustrating.
israel had a lot of time without the presence of God in their lives and i can not imagine the despair they felt. the search of trying to fill the emptiness but never being able to fulfill it in their lives must of made them feel hopeless.
john 1:1-9 captures for me the essence of the christmas story. i always enjoy the reading of luke 2 but i love how john captures the incarnation.
"In the beginning the Word already existed.
The Word was with God,and the Word was God.
He existed in the beginning with God.
God created everything through him,
and nothing was created except through him.
The Word gave life to everything that was created,
and his life brought light to everyone.
The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.
God sent a man, John the Baptist,
to tell about the light so that
everyone might believe because of his testimony.
John himself was not the light;
he was simply a witness to tell about the light.
The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone,
was coming into the world."
like the child said. it is truly a miracle to be able to see. i love the advent season. it gives us expectation and restores us with hope. we know the light and as each week we become closer to christmas we light the candle of hope, and peace, and joy and love. it only builds to the incarnation.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
darkness
i stumbled across the cave while not even trying to find it. i had been in the cave before but it had been a while and before today i always had someone else with me. i had my handy little flashlight with me so i thought it might be fun to explore. as i walked in i received a chill from the cool, crisp air. as i walked further into the cave the darkness started to get darker then the bright light of the sun.
i remembered how comforting the light was. it provided warmth and i could see where i was headed. i knew what to expect.
as i looked back, i could hardly see day light anymore. i had gone so far in the darkness that the light was being overtaken by the darkness. my eyes were starting to adjust to the darkness. it is amazing the ability the eye seems to have.
as i began to go deeper into the cave i heard a noise and pointed the flashlight in that direction. there were bats lining the ceiling of the cave. although i was scared i still had the light which made me feel safe. as i went further the cave became narrower, damper and colder.
i started to become scared, the light of day was now gone and the only light i had was artificial and cheap. curiosity and adventure made me want to go deeper. i wanted to experience something i had never done before. so i kept going forward. even though i thought it was a mistake, i felt intrigued by the mystery of not knowing what to expect. it gave me a thrill and i didnt even feel cold anymore. my body had adjusted to the temperature.
and then the battery died.
i remembered how comforting the light was. it provided warmth and i could see where i was headed. i knew what to expect.
as i looked back, i could hardly see day light anymore. i had gone so far in the darkness that the light was being overtaken by the darkness. my eyes were starting to adjust to the darkness. it is amazing the ability the eye seems to have.
as i began to go deeper into the cave i heard a noise and pointed the flashlight in that direction. there were bats lining the ceiling of the cave. although i was scared i still had the light which made me feel safe. as i went further the cave became narrower, damper and colder.
i started to become scared, the light of day was now gone and the only light i had was artificial and cheap. curiosity and adventure made me want to go deeper. i wanted to experience something i had never done before. so i kept going forward. even though i thought it was a mistake, i felt intrigued by the mystery of not knowing what to expect. it gave me a thrill and i didnt even feel cold anymore. my body had adjusted to the temperature.
and then the battery died.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Pete Ward quote
“The reason why people were beating down the door to get into the church was because the culture of early Christianity was seen as being civilizing and superior to the bankruptcy of paganism and philosophy. Yet I am not all sure we can make the same claim for what goes on in our churches today. Are we self-evidently superior culturally? Are people turning to us because we offer solutions for social and political ills? I don’t think so. In these circumstances what we offer may just turn out to be the equivalent to nailing our doors shut as we huddle together in the sanctuary.”
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
i stand by the door by samuel shumaker
I stand by the door
I neither go too far in, nor stay too far out,
The door is the most important door in the world-
It is the door through which people walk when they find God.
There's no use my going way inside, and staying there,
When so many are still outside and they, as much as I,
Crave to know where the door is.
And all that so many ever find
Is only the wall where a door ought to be.
They creep along the wall like blind people,
With outstretched, groping hands.
Feeling for a door, knowing there must be a door,
Yet they never find it ...
So I stand by the door.
The most tremendous thing in the world
Is for people to find that door--the door to God.
The most important thing any person can do
Is to take hold of one of those blind, groping hands,
And put it on the latch--the latch that only clicks
And opens to the person's own touch.
People die outside that door, as starving beggars die
On cold nights in cruel cities in the dead of winter—
Die for want of what is within their grasp.
They live, on the other side of it--live because they have not found it.
Nothing else matters compared to helping them find it,
And open it, and walk in, and find Him ...
So I stand by the door.
Go in, great saints, go all the way in--
Go way down into the cavernous cellars,
And way up into the spacious attics--
It is a vast roomy house, this house where God is.
Go into the deepest of hidden casements,
Of withdrawal, of silence, of sainthood.
Some must inhabit those inner rooms.
And know the depths and heights of God,
And call outside to the rest of us how wonderful it is.
Sometimes I take a deeper look in,
Sometimes venture in a little farther;
But my place seems closer to the opening ...
So I stand by the door.
There is another reason why I stand there.
Some people get part way in and become afraid
Lest God and the zeal of His house devour them
For God is so very great, and asks all of us.
And these people feel a cosmic claustrophobia,
And want to get out. "Let me out!" they cry,
And the people way inside only terrify, them more.
Somebody must be by the door to tell them that they are spoiled
For the old life, they have seen too much:
Once taste God, and nothing but God will do any more.
Somebody must be watching for the frightened
Who seek to sneak out just where they came in,
To tell them how much better it is inside.
The people too far in do not see how near these are
To leaving--preoccupied with the wonder of it all.
Somebody must watch for those who have entered the door,
But would like to run away. So for them, too,
I stand by the door.
I admire the people who go way in.
But I wish they would not forget how it was
Before they got in. Then they would be able to help
The people who have not, yet even found the door,
Or the people who want to run away again from God,
You can go in too deeply, and stay in too long,
And forget the people outside the door.
As for me, I shall take my old accustomed place,
Near enough to God to hear Him, and know He is there,
But not so far from people as not to hear them,
And remember they are there, too.
Where? Outside the door--
Thousands of them, millions of them.
But--more important for me--
One of them, two of them, ten of them,
Whose hands I am intended to put on the latch.
So I shall stand by the door and wait
For those who seek it.
"I had rather be a door-keeper ..."
So I stand by the door.
Sam Shoemaker, founder of Faith At Work at Calvary Episcopal Church in New York City, in 1926, was also one of the spiritual leaders who helped draft the 12 Steps of A.A.
I neither go too far in, nor stay too far out,
The door is the most important door in the world-
It is the door through which people walk when they find God.
There's no use my going way inside, and staying there,
When so many are still outside and they, as much as I,
Crave to know where the door is.
And all that so many ever find
Is only the wall where a door ought to be.
They creep along the wall like blind people,
With outstretched, groping hands.
Feeling for a door, knowing there must be a door,
Yet they never find it ...
So I stand by the door.
The most tremendous thing in the world
Is for people to find that door--the door to God.
The most important thing any person can do
Is to take hold of one of those blind, groping hands,
And put it on the latch--the latch that only clicks
And opens to the person's own touch.
People die outside that door, as starving beggars die
On cold nights in cruel cities in the dead of winter—
Die for want of what is within their grasp.
They live, on the other side of it--live because they have not found it.
Nothing else matters compared to helping them find it,
And open it, and walk in, and find Him ...
So I stand by the door.
Go in, great saints, go all the way in--
Go way down into the cavernous cellars,
And way up into the spacious attics--
It is a vast roomy house, this house where God is.
Go into the deepest of hidden casements,
Of withdrawal, of silence, of sainthood.
Some must inhabit those inner rooms.
And know the depths and heights of God,
And call outside to the rest of us how wonderful it is.
Sometimes I take a deeper look in,
Sometimes venture in a little farther;
But my place seems closer to the opening ...
So I stand by the door.
There is another reason why I stand there.
Some people get part way in and become afraid
Lest God and the zeal of His house devour them
For God is so very great, and asks all of us.
And these people feel a cosmic claustrophobia,
And want to get out. "Let me out!" they cry,
And the people way inside only terrify, them more.
Somebody must be by the door to tell them that they are spoiled
For the old life, they have seen too much:
Once taste God, and nothing but God will do any more.
Somebody must be watching for the frightened
Who seek to sneak out just where they came in,
To tell them how much better it is inside.
The people too far in do not see how near these are
To leaving--preoccupied with the wonder of it all.
Somebody must watch for those who have entered the door,
But would like to run away. So for them, too,
I stand by the door.
I admire the people who go way in.
But I wish they would not forget how it was
Before they got in. Then they would be able to help
The people who have not, yet even found the door,
Or the people who want to run away again from God,
You can go in too deeply, and stay in too long,
And forget the people outside the door.
As for me, I shall take my old accustomed place,
Near enough to God to hear Him, and know He is there,
But not so far from people as not to hear them,
And remember they are there, too.
Where? Outside the door--
Thousands of them, millions of them.
But--more important for me--
One of them, two of them, ten of them,
Whose hands I am intended to put on the latch.
So I shall stand by the door and wait
For those who seek it.
"I had rather be a door-keeper ..."
So I stand by the door.
Sam Shoemaker, founder of Faith At Work at Calvary Episcopal Church in New York City, in 1926, was also one of the spiritual leaders who helped draft the 12 Steps of A.A.
Monday, October 27, 2008
kingdom politics
i have been thinking way to much about politics lately and have even veered my purpose of this blog way to much. while i have still been non partisan i feel i have become a little side tracked. my goal has always been to ask questions that will lead people towards God.
the last couple weeks even though i have been blogging on politics my mind has been frustrated in what i was doing. i have been reading a lot lately in 1 samuel 8-14. this is the story of how saul became the first king of israel. the israelites wanted a king like all the other nations. God told samuel to give them what they asked for. it was not samuel they were rejecting, but God. they voted to put a human in the throne over God
God brought saul to samuel as a guy who was just trying to find his donkeys. in this meeting samuel told saul that he was the hope of all israel. here saul responds why me, i am the smallest of the lowest of all of israel, there is no reason you should choose me.
saul reigned as king for 42 years. but during his reign while off to war he decided to make a sacrifice to God that samuel was supposed to do but he was late. of course this was not his place and he disobeyed the Lord by doing this. saul's punishment for this act was that his family would not continue on the throne.
so many times we try to set up our own kingdoms and do things on our own. we want things just like others have them. we choose the temporary over the eternal.
where are the things that we set up and do on our own? do we know what the consequences would be? and would we still choose the same thing if we did? why did the israelites want a king? why did God appoint saul king when he knew he would mess up? or is this the reason that he chose him?
the last couple weeks even though i have been blogging on politics my mind has been frustrated in what i was doing. i have been reading a lot lately in 1 samuel 8-14. this is the story of how saul became the first king of israel. the israelites wanted a king like all the other nations. God told samuel to give them what they asked for. it was not samuel they were rejecting, but God. they voted to put a human in the throne over God
God brought saul to samuel as a guy who was just trying to find his donkeys. in this meeting samuel told saul that he was the hope of all israel. here saul responds why me, i am the smallest of the lowest of all of israel, there is no reason you should choose me.
saul reigned as king for 42 years. but during his reign while off to war he decided to make a sacrifice to God that samuel was supposed to do but he was late. of course this was not his place and he disobeyed the Lord by doing this. saul's punishment for this act was that his family would not continue on the throne.
so many times we try to set up our own kingdoms and do things on our own. we want things just like others have them. we choose the temporary over the eternal.
where are the things that we set up and do on our own? do we know what the consequences would be? and would we still choose the same thing if we did? why did the israelites want a king? why did God appoint saul king when he knew he would mess up? or is this the reason that he chose him?
Saturday, October 25, 2008
last weekend laughter in politics
last weekend was the funniest part of the campaign on both sides. palin was on snl and obama and mccain were at the alfred smith fundraiser. check these videos out. it is nice they can laugh at themselves
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