World Vision Opportunity
For those of you in the Charlotte, NC area, World Vision is presenting World Vision Experience: AIDS at St. Johns Episcopal Church September 12-15. The church is located at 1623 Carmel Road in Charlotte. You can find more information here.
If you don’t live in the Charlotte area you can find out if the tour will be in your area by going to this site.
Autopsy
The subject is dead. The history of the dying is as follows:
Twenty or thirty years ago, the subject had opportunities to broaden horizons and take actions to ensure long term flexibility and health. Like many others, the subject preferred to continue making the same lifestyle choices that were good during the early years, but that had outlived their usefulness. The subject not only refused to make needed changes, but began to speak out against those who did change and refused to work with them in the community. I believe this is the point when the subject began to die.
As the years went by, the subject became further entrenched in the old ways, even as life and vitality continued to wane. Friends and family members began to leave and find others to spend time with. The subject began to shrink and muscles began to atrophy. A form of dementia set in and the subject began to withdraw and close out the rest of the world, only opening the door to the occasional visitor. Visitors were few and far between, and those who did come quickly realized that the subject’s ways of believing and acting were not for them.
The old caretaker retired, and a new one arrived with dreams of revitalizing the subject. What the new caretaker and the subject’s few remaining friends didn’t realize was that the subject was already too far gone. Due to a lack of action, the muscles had deteriorated to the point where some of them had actually disappeared. This caused some of the internal organs to also lose function and die.
The subject was placed on life support in an attempt to keep certain functions working. These functions were seen as essential to the caretaker and those still gathered around the subject. What they didn’t realize was that the way these functions were performed, even some of the functions themselves, were actually contributing to the subject’s demise.
During the last few years life continued to drain out of the subject. Even the children, whom the subject professed to love, stopped coming around. Many of the ones who worked so hard to revitalize the subject have gone elsewhere.
The subject was declared dead on Sunday, September 8, 2008 at 11:00 AM. Artificial life support will probably continue, but any real life is gone.
TGIF
We enjoyed a nice weekend visiting my sister and her family and going to the beach. It was a four day work week, but it was busy. On Tuesday I had to help break up a fight between two sixth graders. It’s amazing how strong two boys can be when they’re really angry at each other.
I have a lot of stuff rattling around my head, but nothing to put in writing yet. So, I’ll just give you some of what others far wiser than me have written:
A Time To Laugh thinks back to the good old days(?)
Molly drops the F-bomb.
Rachel has finally picked a side in the political debate.
Bob Hyatt is feeling a bit of a chill.
Jesus Creed asks a good question about elders.
Kamp Krusty ranks ministries.
Jeff McQ has some good pics from Gustav, and asks about the kids.
Brother Maynard list ten movies to make us think.
How the entering college freshman class is thinking. It makes me feel old. (HT: Brother Maynard)
Good shopping site. (HT: Tall Skinny Kiwi)
Emergent Village has a blogologue going on between Bill Easum and Tony Jones. It begins here.
TGIF
This was the first full week of school. I’m tired and looking forward to the long weekend. I didn’t watch much of the Democratic convention, but I am glad to see the day when a person of color can be nominated by one of the major political parties. Vote for Obama or not, it is an historic time.
And now, what you all have been waiting for. The links of the week:
Philip at The Thinklings writes a letter.
Randy Smith has some good thoughts on “old people”. (HT: Jared Wilson)
Tall Skinny Kiwi has a good post on blogging.
This is heartbreaking. (HT: Brother Maynard)
Is your church like this?
Anthony Smith is going to vote.
Michael Spencer has some good questions.
imonk thinks we should take Frank Viola seriously.
More “me too” from the Christian subculture. (HT: Richard Wagner)
Camille asks what’s left and right.
Barb has some questions for leavers.
Enjoy the long weekend and please pray for the son of a former co-worker of mine who broke his neck in a diving accident. The doctors repaired the break but still don’t know if there will be permanent paralysis.
The Bible
In Eat This Book, Eugene Peterson describes how the King James Bible is still a best seller almost four hundred years after its initial publication, even though the English in the King James is a far cry from the English used in twenty first century America. I wonder why.
I’ve heard all the talk about the KJV being a best seller because it is the only translation that is God’s inspired and preserved word. I don’t think that’s the reason at all.
I believe that the fact that the KJV is still a best seller has more to do with the way most people see the Bible these days than in anything special about the language that is used. The Bible is seen by many Christians as a depository of “timeless truths” that can be pulled out and used whenever they are needed. Some see it as a rule book for life or a sort of owner’s manual that they can go to and find rules and procedures for the things they do. Others search out promises and use them as something akin to magic words to try to get God to do what they want. Still others read Scripture out of a sense of duty, because someone told them that to be a good Christian they have to read the Bible every day.
What all these reasons have in common is a lack of desire to really let God’s revelation of himself and the story of his people get inside them. I know from personal experience that it is easy to read the Bible on a regular basis and not be changed. I’ve studied Scripture (in Bible college I got A’s on both my theology written and oral exams). I learned the inductive, deductive, and any other ductive methods of Bible study. Those things really didn’t have much of an impact on my spiritual growth. I knew a lot of information, but it really didn’t mean that much.
Peterson tells a story of an adult class at his church that was studying the book of Galatians. His purpose was to remind the people of their freedom in Christ. Peterson noticed that the class was more interested in their coffee and conversation than they were with the Scripture. This frustrated him until he got the idea of taking the Greek words of the original and putting them in modern American English. He writes that very quickly the coffee was forgotten in the excitement of seeing the revelation of God in words that they were familiar with and could understand, words that they used every day. Peterson notes that the New Testament was written in the common Greek of the day – street language.
I think the reason many people buy and read the King James is that it is in a style of English that they don’t use in their day-to-day lives, and can therefore be kept separate. It’s part of the division between “sacred” and “secular” that many have to keep God from messing with their routine. It’s also useful as a sort of “code” that only the “sanctified” can understand. (I’ve noticed that a large part of some sermons is reading the King James and then translating it into modern English so the congregation can understand).
I believe that the Bible is not a book to be studied the way one would study a textbook or manual. It is not a collection of facts about God or a book of regulations and procedures. It is God’s story of himself and his dealings in this world, of how he is building a Kingdom and restoring all things, and of how he will finally bring about that restoration completely. It is a story that invites us to enter in, to join our story with God’s story. As we enter into this story we learn, in real ways, how to become like the Savior and King the story points to.
To do this, to enter into God’s story and open ourselves to being transformed by it, we must have this story in a language we can understand and relate to. For most people the KJV doesn’t fill the bill.
Be Blessed?
The sign guy has another one up. This one reads, “Be blessed. Stay in his favor.”
I grew up hearing messages along that line. If you want God to bless you, you had to make sure that you did things that would keep you on his good side. I remember making sure I had confessed any and all sins that I could think of before I would pray for something really big that I wanted from God. I always “searched my heart” before Communion to make sure I was “right with God” so I wouldn’t get sick or die. I lived in a carrot and stick relationship with God. The carrot was his blessing if I lived right, and the stick was missing blessings or being punished if I didn’t. Even through my teen years when I got involved in things that I shouldn’t have, I still held on to the idea of getting “things squared away with God” before I wanted him to bless me in some way.
One of the biggest things the Father has taught me over the years is that he loves and blesses me because he wants to, because I am his child. I am in God’s favor because I am in Christ. I did nothing to earn his favor, and I can do nothing to lessen it either. I sin, but my Abba Father loves me far beyond what I can understand. My performance doesn’t cause God to love me more or less. I am accepted as a son by the One who is over all, and therefore I want to do those things that are compatible with my standing. I want to do those things that bring glory to my Father and that advance his Kingdom. I don’t do those things because I think that doing them will keep me in God’s favor and bring his blessing down.
I am through with a performance based religion that keeps its followers in fear that they might knowingly or unknowingly do something that is going to cause God to take his hand off them. I am through with a religion that acts as if God can be manipulated to give favor by man’s actions.
I embrace a grace that loves me no matter what, that has already given me God’s favor, and that is forming me into the image of Jesus Christ
TGIF
This week was a wake up call for the American track team. Maybe if they practiced more than just a couple of times before the race, the relay teams wouldn’t drop the baton. It’s a problem that shows up far too often. This week has shown the sprinters that they are not untouchable.
Here’s the good stuff:
Dan Edelen has some ideas on cleaning up after Lakeland, etc. Part 1 is here.
AnneDroid has changed over the years.
Dan Burrell writes about church names. (HT: Scot McKnight)
Michael Spencer thinks about the cross.
Jeff McQ is dreaming some more.
Jonathan Brink ponders following.
Anthony Smith is running for President. Who knew?
Here’s a guide for sending those nasty e-mails.
This is hilarious. (HT: Brother Maynard)
We’re being repossessed.
Jared Wilson is being subversive.
Tomorrow night Josh and I are going to see the Panthers play the Redskins. Enjoy your weekend.
Church As Franchise
Slate magazine has an article here on multi-site churches that are being set up by some of the megachurches around the country. I see some problems with this way of “doing church”.
First, in these churches the video venues are set up in order for people who live in another area to hear one particular pastor preach. This can create a celebrity status that some of these men will not be able to handle. How many times have we seen leaders of large congregations or “ministries” fall to temptations brought about by being famous and powerful.
The second problem is the lack of opportunity for people to plant churches in areas and be the instrument God uses to have an impact on the community. With the video churches, anyone new coming into an area may have to “compete” with the nationally known preacher who is on the screen down the block.
The first two problems are not insumountable, and in some areas may not even be problems at all, but the third problem I see is one that is far more serious.
The franchising of megachurches and their pastors helps to perpetuate the wrong idea that the “main event” on Sunday morning is church. Too many still believe the old Sunday school song about church and see “church” as a place you go to. This place may be an old, ornate building with a steeple, or it may be a movie theater. It may be a school gymnasium or it may even be a coffee shop or pub. The type of place doesn’t matter, they still see church as a place to go on Sunday.
While you are at church you sit and sing a few songs, and then are entertained by the speaker. I have heard it said that the prefered type of entertainment in our churches is the pastor’s sermon. You may be inspired. You may be challenged. You may even be moved to action. But looking at the spiritual state of our churches today, how many are being changed into the likeness of Jesus Christ?
In every place the word church appears in Scripture, the idea is that of a group of people, not a building or location. The church is not seen as something you go to, but rather as something you are a part of. To steal Paul’s analogy of the church as a body, how well would your physical body function if the arms, legs, etc. only came together once a week to do what you do? I would guess not a whole lot would be accomplished. The parts of your physical body need to be together all the time in order for you to carry out the things you do day-to-day. In the same way, how can we expect the church to carry out the mission of God in advancing his Kingdom if we only get together once, or even three times, a week to sit and hear someone talk. We need to be making disciples of the Rabbi, followers of the true King. The only way this is going to get done is if we get out of the four walls of “church” and realize that we are the church. We need to do what Jesus and the original twelve did, and go to those in need and give them the good news that there is a better way, a way that leads to an abundant, free, eternal life. I fear that a church franchise will do little more than shuffle sheep from church to church.
TGIF
Today we finished up three days of teacher in-service. Things are going to be different this year. As of now, the class I assist only has two students. Of course that could change by Tuesday, but it looks like my duties are going to be a bit different. We’ll see.
Here’s the interesting stuff for this week:
Barb thinks some of us are dangerous.
Molly takes her kids to the doctor.
Rachel is content with crumbs.
An interesting article on abortion.
Cerulean Sanctum is about grace.
Michael Spencer writes about Jesus and our bank accounts.
Jeff McQ is wondering what to do now that the manna is gone.
Jonathan Brink knows what side God is on.
Shaun Groves asks if size matters.