As the months and years roll by will the saints keep going to New Orleans?
They say it could take as many as 10 years to help the gulf coast to fully recover.
This video reminded me that the church cannot forget and move on, but we need to keeping going to the gulf coast to help and to share the love of Christ through unconditional love and service to our neighbor.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
The saints are coming...
Friday, July 27, 2007
The Waiting Game...
Well it is Friday and the weeks seem to be getting longer and longer.
Why?
Well it is not because the Texas summer heat is getting worse. And It is not because summer vacation is still to come.
It is because we are waiting for the arrival of our first child. Our new little girl should be arriving in 4 weeks. What sounds like a very short time, but has created one of the longest week ever.
They say patients is a virtue...
I need prayer for patients.
I need to be patient that she will arrive in due time.
I will need to be patient with her in her crying after she arrives.
I will need to be patient in many different ways.
I guess that is why we have 9 months to wait...
At the end of the day, I know that it is worth the wait. It is worth all the long nights, doctor visits, and hours getting the nursery ready.
Why?
Well it is not because the Texas summer heat is getting worse. And It is not because summer vacation is still to come.
It is because we are waiting for the arrival of our first child. Our new little girl should be arriving in 4 weeks. What sounds like a very short time, but has created one of the longest week ever.
They say patients is a virtue...
I need prayer for patients.
I need to be patient that she will arrive in due time.
I will need to be patient with her in her crying after she arrives.
I will need to be patient in many different ways.
I guess that is why we have 9 months to wait...
At the end of the day, I know that it is worth the wait. It is worth all the long nights, doctor visits, and hours getting the nursery ready.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Different image of the church
This past week I was reading both some stuff by Rob Bell and Leonard Sweet. So, I cannot claim this as completely my original thought, but they have really pushed me to continue to dream about a new image of the church.
What if we did not lose our image of the church as being a hospital for sinners and Christ as the great physicians, but we add an image of the church as also a “singing school” and Christ as our tuning fork. “Jesus came to show us how to be in tune with the song.” (Rob Bell) And God is the song. Over the generations, the song never has changed. God is the same.
For me God is love. The love song has never changed. The song is about love, forgiveness, grace, hope, new life, justice, and mercy…
In the world of music, the rhythms, styles, and genres have change over the years, but the notes are the same. You are either on pitch or off pitch. In this re-imaging, I cannot say one style or genre of music is the best way to present the song to the people in our communities. Instead I want to be part of a movement of people who have accepted that they have the song within them. That the song was with them even in their mother’s womb. I want to be part of a community in which believes the song, but more importantly that the song is in us. I want the church to provide ministries where individuals are daily working on being in tune, no matter what instrument they are playing. I want to be with a community of people who are willing to tell me when I am out of tune and at the same time willing to help me get back in tune. I want to be part of a community in which music is being created. I want to be a part of a community in which believes that the song is not something we internalize, learn, or master, but the song is in us so that it might be shared with everyone. To be with a group of people committed to letting the song transform their lives so that everywhere they go people will hear the song.
See, I think as a Christian I am not so much out of tune. But I have forgotten how to keep the song alive. I think in some ways the church needs to become a training ground for musicians in one or maybe two styles. I think at times I have become focused on getting the song mastered, being able to play every note perfectly and without mistake, and thus forgotten how to perform it. I have at times forgotten how the song can become embodied and can change my life. I think I may have gotten so good and comfortable with the song that I have lost the joy and the transformational power within the song. I just play the song, but I do not perform it.
As a pastor, I think at times the church have gotten so comfortable and good with the song we think everyone should know it and should join us right now and with our current style, instrumentation, and rhythm. And in our current state we have forgotten that there are many different instruments, styles, and rhythms. We have forgotten or are ignoring that not everyone has as much training as we do. We have forgotten or are ignoring that not everyone plays the same instrument.
In my journey I hope to be apart of a new kind of church. A church where we are constantly learning about the song, practicing the song, joining in the performance of the song, and allowing the song to transform our lives and the world around us.
What if we did not lose our image of the church as being a hospital for sinners and Christ as the great physicians, but we add an image of the church as also a “singing school” and Christ as our tuning fork. “Jesus came to show us how to be in tune with the song.” (Rob Bell) And God is the song. Over the generations, the song never has changed. God is the same.
For me God is love. The love song has never changed. The song is about love, forgiveness, grace, hope, new life, justice, and mercy…
In the world of music, the rhythms, styles, and genres have change over the years, but the notes are the same. You are either on pitch or off pitch. In this re-imaging, I cannot say one style or genre of music is the best way to present the song to the people in our communities. Instead I want to be part of a movement of people who have accepted that they have the song within them. That the song was with them even in their mother’s womb. I want to be part of a community in which believes the song, but more importantly that the song is in us. I want the church to provide ministries where individuals are daily working on being in tune, no matter what instrument they are playing. I want to be with a community of people who are willing to tell me when I am out of tune and at the same time willing to help me get back in tune. I want to be part of a community in which music is being created. I want to be a part of a community in which believes that the song is not something we internalize, learn, or master, but the song is in us so that it might be shared with everyone. To be with a group of people committed to letting the song transform their lives so that everywhere they go people will hear the song.
See, I think as a Christian I am not so much out of tune. But I have forgotten how to keep the song alive. I think in some ways the church needs to become a training ground for musicians in one or maybe two styles. I think at times I have become focused on getting the song mastered, being able to play every note perfectly and without mistake, and thus forgotten how to perform it. I have at times forgotten how the song can become embodied and can change my life. I think I may have gotten so good and comfortable with the song that I have lost the joy and the transformational power within the song. I just play the song, but I do not perform it.
As a pastor, I think at times the church have gotten so comfortable and good with the song we think everyone should know it and should join us right now and with our current style, instrumentation, and rhythm. And in our current state we have forgotten that there are many different instruments, styles, and rhythms. We have forgotten or are ignoring that not everyone has as much training as we do. We have forgotten or are ignoring that not everyone plays the same instrument.
In my journey I hope to be apart of a new kind of church. A church where we are constantly learning about the song, practicing the song, joining in the performance of the song, and allowing the song to transform our lives and the world around us.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Church of Misfits
This morning I have been working on a sermon series for this fall. I am looking at the topic of sin and virtues and their relationship to the journey of faith.
Have you ever noticed that the more you "sin" in society the easier it is to fit in? And the more we seek to live in the example of Christ the more society labels us as misfits.
Eric Elmes says, "A healthy church is a church of misfits."
What do you think?
It is my prayer that I might count myself as a misfit. I try each day to be someone who seeks to be humble, grateful, faithful, hopeful, mindful, generous, and loving. But let me be honest, I am not there yet. I still have days of pride, envy, anger, sloth, greed, gluttony, and lust.
What keeps me going is the message of God's Love. Even though I do not have my act together God still loves and values me. It is only through God's transforming grace which we bring me closer to perfection.
The truth is I will always be striving to live a virtuous life. And I will probably never practice these virtues to the level of resolve and perfection in which Jesus modeled for us. As misfits we find liberation in our confession of our failures and inabilities.
I do not know about you, but I would rather be a part of a misfit church than a perfect church. I would rather journey together with people who get labeled "bad Christians" because we still live days where sin shows up in daily living. To be with people who still get angry, are envious, or might struggle with greed or lust but are willing to confess these sins. To journey with people who recognize these thoughts, actions, and habits as counterproductive to God’s Kingdom and thus are authentic and honest about our need for Jesus and God’s grace. I would rather journey with this group of misfits, than a group of "good Christians" at a perfect church who have no need for Jesus or God's Grace.
How about you?
Have you ever noticed that the more you "sin" in society the easier it is to fit in? And the more we seek to live in the example of Christ the more society labels us as misfits.
Eric Elmes says, "A healthy church is a church of misfits."
What do you think?
It is my prayer that I might count myself as a misfit. I try each day to be someone who seeks to be humble, grateful, faithful, hopeful, mindful, generous, and loving. But let me be honest, I am not there yet. I still have days of pride, envy, anger, sloth, greed, gluttony, and lust.
What keeps me going is the message of God's Love. Even though I do not have my act together God still loves and values me. It is only through God's transforming grace which we bring me closer to perfection.
The truth is I will always be striving to live a virtuous life. And I will probably never practice these virtues to the level of resolve and perfection in which Jesus modeled for us. As misfits we find liberation in our confession of our failures and inabilities.
I do not know about you, but I would rather be a part of a misfit church than a perfect church. I would rather journey together with people who get labeled "bad Christians" because we still live days where sin shows up in daily living. To be with people who still get angry, are envious, or might struggle with greed or lust but are willing to confess these sins. To journey with people who recognize these thoughts, actions, and habits as counterproductive to God’s Kingdom and thus are authentic and honest about our need for Jesus and God’s grace. I would rather journey with this group of misfits, than a group of "good Christians" at a perfect church who have no need for Jesus or God's Grace.
How about you?
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