World Vision has designated October 1 as a day of prayer and action on behalf of the world’s poor. You can read more about it here.
Exult in What You Do
During the 2006 Winter Olympics, I watched an Italian female figure skater finish her Olympic routine. She had retired in 2002, but came out of retirement just to skate in her home country. She really didn’t have a chance to medal, but it was enough for her to skate at home. Near the end of her program she did two spin jumps in a row and nailed both of them. She threw up her hands and you could just feel the joy. I actually got chills and thought that, even though she might not realize it, she was bringing glory to God by doing what she had been gifted to do and thoroughly exulting in doing it well. It reminded me of what Eric Liddell said in Chariots of Fire – “God made me fast, and when I run I can feel His pleasure.”
How would our lives be if we recognized what God made us to do, and felt His pleasure when we did it to the best of our ability? What would our witness to the culture look like? I suspect far different than it currently does.
TGIF
This will be the last TGIF… of September. Autumn is officially here, although you wouldn’t know it by looking at the temperature. It’s supposed to cool down next week, and the temps will actually be cooler than normal for awhile.
Let’s get right to the links:
Giving refuge.
Stories of passion.
Church as a drug.
Tribe.
Finding community.
What “we” are missing.
Heaven is thick.
Leadership is not decision making.
The art of disagreement.
Christianity’s forgotten man.
Go to Hell.
Shared leadership.
Somewhere today.
Who’s in charge? A related post.
Enjoy your first weekend of autumn.
Teflon Church 2
I’ve been thinking more about the “teflon church”. A teflon pan is a useful thing until the teflon wears off. A teflon church is really not useful. Sometimes the cracks need to happen for the church to become what it was meant to be. If that’s the case, then I pray that God will remove the “protective covering” that is over so many churches today.
TGIF
Last Friday, I said that it was cooling off around here. Turns out, I was wrong. It’s been warmer this week than last. Maybe it’ll cool down by October. This afternoon, Josh and I went kayaking on the Catawba River. It was a good workout and the river was beautiful. It was a very relaxing end to the day.
As usual, there’s been some good stuff in the blogosphere this week. Here’s a sampling:
Here are some good thoughts from Dan Edelen.
Here is a good post about living the questions.
Here are Todd Hiestand’s thoughts on bi-vocational ministry.
Here are Matt’s thoughts on bi-vocational ministry.
Here is a post from Jared Wilson on sowing justice.
Here is a sign that you might be practicing churchianity.
It’s party time!
The myth of independence.
Alan Knox on qualifications and examples.
A family affair.
Circling the wagons.
Beyond redemption?
A Christian defense of irrationality.
Jesus lives in a rehab.
John Armstrong’s letter to the North American church.
Why Glenn Beck isn’t a big deal.
Show and tell.
Have a great weekend.
World Vision Wednesday
Sixty years ago, Bob Pierce asked for his heart to be broken by the same things that break God’s heart. God answered that prayer, and the rest is history. To read the rest of the story, go here.
Teflon Church
Here’s another blast from the past:
The other day, I passed a road named Mt. Elon Church Road. At first glance it looked like Teflon Church Road. Since my mind works in mysterious (some would say strange) ways, I got to thinking – What would a teflon church look like?
I imagine it would be a place where nothing “bad” sticks. Things of the outside world would have no effect. The church would be a “safe place” for Christians to gather and get away from “the world”. To those looking at it from the outside, it would seem like a place where everybody had it all together, a place where those within were just “holier” than the rest.
Of course, there would be other things that wouldn’t stick. Things like compassion for those outside, concern for those on the margins of society, a realization that none of us really has it all together, that it is only by the grace of God that we stand. Things like love for brothers and sisters in Christ as well as those who are neighbors.
Eventually, a teflon pan gets cracks and the teflon wears off. In a church, the cracks eventually happen and what is going on beneath the surface comes out. A pan that has lost teflon is useless and will be thrown out. Fortunately. a church that has lost its teflon can be redeemed and made useful again by our gracious Father.
Back To Church?
Tomorrow is “Back To Church Sunday.” Churches are making an attempt to get people who have left “church” to come back. I will not be participating, for a number of reasons.
First of all, I haven’t left the church. The church is Christ’s body. Leaving the church makes as much sense as one of your fingers saying adios to the rest of your body. The institution that most think of when they hear the word “church” is another matter. I have left that building, and I doubt I’ll be going back. I don’t “go to” church anymore. I do gather with the church, in different ways and in different places. I am part of the church everywhere I go.
The second reason for not being part of the festivities tomorrow is that I believe churches are making a mistake in continuing with the notion that the mission of the church is to go out and get folks to come in and meet Jesus. Jesus told his followers to go. He didn’t tell us to stay and invite. For many years we have invited people to come to church with the expectation that they would hear the Gospel, accept Christ, and join the church. One problem with that kind of thinking is that there are plenty of examples of church members and church leaders who live lives that don’t match up with the way of Jesus, so folks aren’t in a hurry to go someplace that has nothing to offer them (in their opinion).
Many members of the people formerly known as the congregation have got fed up with churches being more concerned with perpetuating the institution than serving their community, with the pastor as CEO mindset, and with the continual push for funds to create more programs and build bigger buildings rather than give to those in need. The culture war has sent some running for the exits. Others have left over a judgmental spirit and lack of grace. Some have departed because they don’t believe that you can only minister inside the church building. Still others just didn’t fit in.
Maybe churches should have a Sunday to take a good hard look at what they are doing, and see how much of it really fits with God’s mission in the world.
TGIF
This week has flown by, maybe because the work part of it only lasted four days. It’s cooling down a bit here in the sunny South, and fall is lurking. After a hot summer, I’m ready for some cooler weather.
Here’s the good stuff:
Learning to dance with the bride of Christ.
Chaplain Mike is an “egalitarian.” Here’s why.
Discovery of fire.
Bob Hyatt thinks Christians need to learn to party better.
Jonathan Brink reflects on the Big Tent Christianity Conference.
A narcissist’s fantasy.
Seeing through our work to the mountains beyond.
A prayer of remembrance for 9/11.
Talking with Muslims.
Have a great weekend.
World Vision Wednesday
Slavery is alive and well around the world. It is estimated that there are 27 million slaves worldwide, many of them children. To learn more about this, visit this page.