80's youth ministry vs. emerging?
Check out these great posts on the "Out of Ur" blog... quite interesting. I've often thought that youth ministry is a great "growing ground" for church planting because of the cultural work and the relationships. However... (there has to be an "however" on this blog doesn't there?) is this emerging church thing just grown up youth ministry? I hope not in many ways, mostly theological and holistically.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Friday, August 25, 2006
Heaven tickets
Heaven. Hell. How do we talk to people about this in our new context? Is there more to heaven than just not going to hell? What is heaven anyway? (Check out this great video from Google!) What is hell?
Lots of questions... not many answers. I'm wondering these days about "evangelism" and how we do it in this postmodern context. As a base line I think we can all agree that relationship is a must as the beginning. What next?
I personally react very strongly against those folks who do the "heavy sell" trying to scare people into heaven or try to "do evangelism" through some sort of information share only. What about you? How do we share faith? How do we share our story? How do we invite others to faith?
If I reject the traditional "roman road" way or the fact, faith feeling, or the four spiritual flaws...er.... laws, then what do I embrace? Let's pursue this together
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Yearned for wholeness...
There's a quote I got from somewhere and have medtiated on it many times, to the point I can't remember where it comes from. Nonetheless, I share it with you here,
"I want Christ to search me in all the shadows of my yearned for wholeness."
It strikes me that all of us, no matter how we may pursue it or how we may show it, have this yearning (great word) to be whole. I think there are times that we put our yearnings and our shadows on others and so if I've done that to you, I'm sorry.
I also think there are times when we can see the shadows of others and CAN be a help to wholeness, but often charge in like a blowtorch in a toilet paper store, trying to bring light, but only burn everything in sight to ashes. Again apologies extended.
I also wonder if we ever stop to be honest enough with ourselves to realize our yearnings, to listen to our hearts calling, to recieve the gift of ourselves and our passion. Perhaps in the stopping we just may see light in some of our shadows... light that leads to wholeness.
My prayer for those I know is that they allow Christ into their shadows.
There's a quote I got from somewhere and have medtiated on it many times, to the point I can't remember where it comes from. Nonetheless, I share it with you here,
"I want Christ to search me in all the shadows of my yearned for wholeness."
It strikes me that all of us, no matter how we may pursue it or how we may show it, have this yearning (great word) to be whole. I think there are times that we put our yearnings and our shadows on others and so if I've done that to you, I'm sorry.
I also think there are times when we can see the shadows of others and CAN be a help to wholeness, but often charge in like a blowtorch in a toilet paper store, trying to bring light, but only burn everything in sight to ashes. Again apologies extended.
I also wonder if we ever stop to be honest enough with ourselves to realize our yearnings, to listen to our hearts calling, to recieve the gift of ourselves and our passion. Perhaps in the stopping we just may see light in some of our shadows... light that leads to wholeness.
My prayer for those I know is that they allow Christ into their shadows.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Pilgrimage
It's a journey to a sacred place. We did it this last weekend with our church Jacob's Well. It was a great time! We stayed in cabins, laughed together, played with the kids (ours and other people's), rested and worshipped together. It was very cool. We journeyed to YouthFront south camp where they have over 600 acres and 60+ sacred spaces. It's a great place.
One of the highlights of our time was Sunday morning. Carol was baptized! It was great. I love the way Jacob's Well really tries to journey together and find a rhythm of life together. It is so refreshing and generative!
I wonder what kinds of pilgrimage's some of you others go on?
It's a journey to a sacred place. We did it this last weekend with our church Jacob's Well. It was a great time! We stayed in cabins, laughed together, played with the kids (ours and other people's), rested and worshipped together. It was very cool. We journeyed to YouthFront south camp where they have over 600 acres and 60+ sacred spaces. It's a great place.
One of the highlights of our time was Sunday morning. Carol was baptized! It was great. I love the way Jacob's Well really tries to journey together and find a rhythm of life together. It is so refreshing and generative!
I wonder what kinds of pilgrimage's some of you others go on?
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Telling Stories: Missouri friends
This past weekend I spent at the Missouri NYI Convention. I was the "speaker" and had a great time with them. Mona Downs is the District President and is doing a great job and the people there were so kind (special thanks to Charlie for carting me around a bit and taking me to dinner!). I love making new friends!
I told two stories, one on Friday and one on Saturday. Friday night I shared the story of Ephesus and talked about how the Greeks valued beauty, performance, competition and achievement (which thankfully is nothing like our culture today). I went on to talk about that as the context of Paul's letter and shared some from there.
Saturday I told the story of Zaccheus. I pulled out the back story of who tax collectors were and how they were treated, etc.
Okay, so now here's my point, I told these stories and after each service people came up to me and started talking about how they found themselves IN the story. They related to someone in the story. They felt at home, sometimes even uncomfortable home. There wasn't 3 points and a power truth. Just the story from Scripture and our story, which as I think about it, is THE STORY.
This past weekend I spent at the Missouri NYI Convention. I was the "speaker" and had a great time with them. Mona Downs is the District President and is doing a great job and the people there were so kind (special thanks to Charlie for carting me around a bit and taking me to dinner!). I love making new friends!
I told two stories, one on Friday and one on Saturday. Friday night I shared the story of Ephesus and talked about how the Greeks valued beauty, performance, competition and achievement (which thankfully is nothing like our culture today). I went on to talk about that as the context of Paul's letter and shared some from there.
Saturday I told the story of Zaccheus. I pulled out the back story of who tax collectors were and how they were treated, etc.
Okay, so now here's my point, I told these stories and after each service people came up to me and started talking about how they found themselves IN the story. They related to someone in the story. They felt at home, sometimes even uncomfortable home. There wasn't 3 points and a power truth. Just the story from Scripture and our story, which as I think about it, is THE STORY.
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