How do non-Christian young people view Christianity?

Here is an excerpt from a blog post by Kurt Frederickson. Kurt and Eddie Gibbs are at Fuller Theological Seminary, and they write a blog together. Kurt provides some interesting research on how young people who are not Christians perceive Christianity.

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David Kinnaman, president of The Barna Group, shared the results of new research that investigated how young people (16-29 years) who are not Christians perceive Christianity. They wre asked “What is your current perception of Christianity?”
- 91% said antihomosexual
- 87% said judgmental
- 85% said hypocritical
- 78% said old-fashioned
- 75% said too involved in politics
- 72% said out of touch with reality
- 70% said insensitive to others

What do you think of these stats? How can we overcome these perceptions? Check out Kurt's fuller post at http://www.netbloghost.com/tiggertalk/?p=75.

Mercy Triumphs Over Judgment

Becki and I got back in on Saturday. We had a good trip.

To all those who emailed or called us while we were gone, we will be catching up on our messages today.

Here is a passage from James that I stuck out in my mind this past week:

12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment! (James 2:12-13).

For some reason, despite having taught the book of James 2-3 times, I had never caught the phrase, "mercy triumphs over judgment!" This really has application today, doesn't it? There are all kinds of publications that regularly pronounce judgments on other Christians. Any time we do this, we risk bringing judgments down on us.

Where is the patience? Where is the kindness? Where is the humility that we might be wrong on some issue of worship, structure, leadership, or other issues? Does mercy triumph in our publications?

At the Beach

Here are a few pictures I made up from our time at Ventura Beach. These are low-resolution pictures, but the originals on these are simply stunning. Many of these will make for great background slides for ministry, but a lot of them will probably end up framed in our house.

Vacation Time!

Well, I finished up my class, and my Becki flew out to California to join me last Wednesday. We are spending some time together on vacation. Yesterday we went to Malibu beach, and tomorrow we are going to Ventura. I won't be blogging much this week, but I'll catch you guys when I get back. Please pray that we and our children have safe trips this week. Check you later.

James

Talking About God with Non-Christians--Be Upfront With Who You Are

My D.Min. teacher, Dr. Richard Peace, has written a book called Holy Conversation: Talking About God in Everyday Life. In this book he advocates that Christians need to pick someone outside of the church to be their "conversation partner" about Spiritual matters.

In this, he says that Christians should be upfront about what they are doing--trying to learn how to talk with non-Christians about their faith. Furthermore, he says that we should be honest and tell them that of course we would love to see them come to believe in Jesus.

We need to be more upfront about who we are with our non-Christian friends. This may spur conversation and interest in Spirituality, and it is disarming. Too many times we don't talk about our faith at all.

Here is the link to his book:
http://www.amazon.com/Holy-Conversation-Talking-About-Everyday/dp/0830811192/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/105-2351964-9998862?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182899372&sr=8-1

What struggles have you had in talking about God with non-Christians? What triumphs have you had?

Missional Church Seminar Review

I finished up my seminar work this weekend at the Glendale Church of Christ. There is a good young core there that really has taken the concept to heart (thanks, Brice, for your passion!). They are scoping out gathering places for the church to engage in mission.

Fortunately, the Burbank area, which is nearby, has many such places. It is a neat urban area, with many coffee shops, a theater, and shopping. They pointed out the Starbucks and street where a scene from Jurassic Park 2 and Fun with Dick and Jane were filmed.

I reorganized some material for this seminar, dividing the presentations into the following sections:

• Session 1: The Biblical-Theological Basis for the Missional Church


• Session 2: Developing a Missional Church Strategy


• Session 3: Making Disciples Through Mission (includes Missional lifestyles)


• Session 4: Impacting Every Ministry for Mission


• Session 5: Evangelistic Methods and Messages to Reach Today's Postmodern Culture


• Session 6: The Story of Redemption (my Evangelistic Bible study for Postmoderns; see http://www.storyofredemption.com/)

The second session on develping a missional church strategy was reorganized material which emphasized the comprehensive process involved in evangelism, and the many entry points needed. Other new emphases included picking target groups and evangelistic small group process. I hope to pick up some additional tips on the latter in my D.Min. class this week.

I love helping churches become more missional and outward focused. It was a good experience, and the group talked about the concepts long after both the Friday night and Saturday sessions.

On Sunday, I spoke on the lordship of Jesus Christ, emphasizing discipleship in all areas of life. Again, this seemed to be well received.

Signing off for the night. Tomorrow!

My run-in with a cop

Thursday night at about 11:00 PM I returned to the apartment that I am staying at, having spent a late night working at Fuller. There is no parking in this city. I had to drive for forever, up and down the streets, looking for a spot.

Finally a spot opened up. It was on the other side of the street, and a car was behind me. I zipped in as quickly as I could, got out, went inside and went to bed.

On Friday morning when I got up and went to the car, I saw that there was a cop beside the car. He asked me if I knew whose car this belonged to. I said it was my rental car. He said it was parked the wrong way. I told him my story, how it was late, I was tired, etc. Then he said, "So you were drunk, and you parked on the wrong side. You left the lights on."

I said, no, the lights were flashing because I was hitting the find button on my keyring, trying to figure out which of the 15 white cars on the street was my rental car. I said I was a D.Min. student taking a class at Fuller, and that I was from Missouri and not used to this parking problem. (You know it is bad when even Denny's offers Valet parking!). He said, They have laws in Missouri, don't they? I said yes. I then apologized repeatedly, and he let me go.

Wow--talk about assuming the worst! Why do cops always assume people are drunk? That is the second time in my life that has happened. I guess it is easy to get jaded in that line of work. Thought you might find that story interesting.

A Movie, A VBS Card, & A Missional Church Seminar

Yesterday after class I worked on designing our VBS postcard/flyer (see picture). Then I went out and saw Oceans 13. Lest you think I'm a heathen, on Tuesday night I went to a mid-week small group meeting. We had some good singing, and we then studied about envy. It was a good mix of older and younger, as well as a good mix racially. It is so wonderful to meet with God's people wherever you go.

Oceans 13 was pretty good. But I missed the last scene because I got a phone call that I had to take at the end. I guess I'll catch the ending on DVD.

Tomorrow and Saturday I'm doing a Missional Church Seminar for the Glendale Church of Christ. Glendale is a suburb of LA that is 40% Armenian, and more than half of this group speaks Armenian at home. A missional approach to outreach is even more important in this type of multi-cultural setting, for a "build it and they will come" mentality simply does not work well when people have to cross socio-economic and cultural lines.

I am looking forward to working with this church to help them in their outreach. A multi-layer strategy will be necessary, for the types of things which will reach affluent white, English-speaking families will not work as well with the Armenian population. There is a good core at the church who really have a heart for outreach. It should be a good dialogue.

Music, the Arts, and Spirituality

I'm reading a good book right now called "All in Sync: How Music and Art are Revitalizing American Religion" by Robert Wuthnow. In this work, Wuthnow shows how those who engage in musical and artistic interests have a heightened interest in spirituality. And this flows the other way as well.

Some items of note on this:

• 61% of Americans say that "listening to music" has been very important or fairly important in developing a closer relationship with God. The same proportion give these responses for "reading literature and poetry."
• The memory of religious pictures and music from childhood often play a powerful role in helping someone re-connect with God.
• There is considerable evidence that crisis in one's life, such as divorce, leads one to greater interests in music and the arts. These often have a healing effect, and lead people to greater interest in spirituality.
• Among those who say they have experienced illness, loneliness, or grief, 70 percent report that music was helpful during this time, and 77 percent say this about activities such as sewing, woodworking, or painting.
• 30 percent of those in small groups discuss art or music; those that do are better able to connect with young people; art and music seem to foster the small group's ability to grow spiritually
• Music or art help a great number of people to pray or meditate.

We have underestimated the ability of music and art to impact our lives. This morning I arrived at class about thirty minutes early. I stayed in my car and turned on classical music that was soothing. I have to say that this was a very spiritual experience, allowing me "space" to think about spiritual things.

What role has music and the arts played in your spiritual life?

Here is the link to this book:
http://www.amazon.com/All-Sync-Revitalizing-American-Religion/dp/0520246853/ref=sr_1_1/105-2351964-9998862?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182358338&sr=8-1

A Root Canal, Pie & Burger

This morning I got to class and checked my email, and I found an email from Becki saying that she had to have a root canal yesterday. Her tooth had been aching, and when she went in to see the dentist they diagnosed it and did the procedure right away. Ouch! Please give Becki all of your sympathy. And us. It was $1300. Ouch again.

I went to lunch today with Kurt, the D.Min. director, and one of the D. Min. office staff, Julia. We ate at "PIe and Burger"--real subtle advertising. I got the spagetti. Just kidding. No, I got the burger and a piece of coconut creme pie. It was very good.

Growing up in suburbia, you always gravitate to safety and security--and name brands. This goes for food too. Suburbanites eat at "safe" chains like Chilli's. Very boring and very pre-packaged. I learned about real food from Chuck, my preacher friend, who took me around to all of the "holes in the wall" in OKC. That is where the good eatin' is.

What percentage of churches convert 5 adults a year?

Well, I arrived last night safely in LA. Going from the airport to Pasadena, where I am staying, I got into the wrong lane and lost about an hour. Not fun.

I began my class in evangelism today with Dr. Richard Peace. One interesting stat I learned was this: of 30,000 mainline denominational churches, only 150 had five or more adult converts for three years (for a total of 15). Wow. That is really bad. Last year we had a down year on conversions; however, so far this year, we have had 11 converts from the community.

The reasons for the decline in the mainline are many, including bad theology and poor adjustment to culture. Hopefully, with God's help we can avoid these problems and share God's love with our world.

Do mission and you get a church

I wanted to give a caution for the previous post. The sending action of the church is primary, and it is through this mission that all else is achieved.

This is what I mean. The church is called to go out into the world and 1) seek and save the lost; 2) proclaim the good news; and 3) serve. When it goes out and does this, then it makes possible everything else it is called to do. Jesus called his disciples to follow him, and it was on the road that they were shaped into his image. The Sermon on the Mount happened on their missional journey. As they journeyed together, they bonded with one another. Mission enables discipleship, fellowship, and brings glory to God.

Those involved in our Starbucks outreach have gotten a glimpse of this. Our mission is to engage non-believers in this place, sharing the good news in subtle ways and blessing the lives of those who come and those who work there. Those involved in this mission have grown very close, and it is a time we very much look forward to. We are excited about those outside the church who have come and are now a part of the group. As we have met, we also have been shaped--learning to be respectful, being patient with one another, and praying for our times together.

When you do mission, you get a church. If you try to "do church"--sitting around--you never get to mission.

20 Characteristics of the Missional Church

What is the missional church? It is the church that is sent out into the world, taking up the mission of Christ. By looking at the narrative of Christ's life and ministry, his statements about his mission, and passages which detail the fundamental mission and nature of the church, I have come up with the following 20 characteristics of the missional church.

1. The missional church loves God and neighbor.
2. The missional church views itself as a missional community.
3. The missional church lives incarnationally amongst the people whom it seeks to save, and thus its mission is contexualized for its community.
4. The missional church follows the Spirit who has preceded them into the world.
5. The missional church engages in table fellowship.
6. The missional church actively seeks and brings salvation to the lost.
7. The missional church serves the world and one another.
8. The missional church provides ministries of healing to the world, ministering to the brokenness of humanity.
9. The missional church proclaims the good news of Jesus and the kingdom of God.
10. The missional church lives under the reign of God and witnesses to this reign through its lifestyle.
11. The missional church ministers to the poor, needy, and outcasts of society.
12. The missional church is being made holy, transformed into image of God.
13. The missional church emphasizes heart over ritual, continually seeking to shed itself of burdensome rules that are oppressive.
14. The missional church challenges all structures and powers, both religious and political, which fall short of the kingdom of God.
15. The missional church brings glory to God through its worship, its being, and its service.
16. The missional church seeks to keep all believers faithful.
17. The missional church offers repentance and forgiveness of sins.
18. The missional church reaches out all nations/ethnic groups.
19. The missional church is an agent of reconciliation, breaking downs all barriers.
20. The missional church forms disciples of Jesus Christ (as it goes out into the world), baptizing them and teaching to obey.

All such lists are by nature reductionary. This list could be expanded or reduced further, based upon need. It could even be divided into traditional categories of evangelism, discipleship, service, fellowship, and worship. However, these categories alone fail to capture the essential missional (sent) nature of the church. These things happen in the midst of the world, in the public sphere so to speak, not primarily in a church building. The church should be thought of as being rather than as a place.

What do you think of these characteristics?

Shopping--A Spiritual Quest?

Well, I am working hard to finish my paper on missional engagement in suburbia. Below is an exerpt on the "spiritual" nature of shopping.

In the materialistic worldview, shopping itself becomes a spiritual quest and an all-important religious ritual.

In his book Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping, Paco Underhill details the shopping habits of both men and women. In one section about women and shopping, however, he upholds the spiritual nature of women and shopping, stating that there is nothing superficial about the female relationship with consumption:


"In fact, it’s women, not men, who plumb the metaphysics of shopping—they illuminate how we human beings go through life searching, examining, questioning, and then acquiring and assuming and absorbing the best of what we see. At that exalted level shopping is a transforming experience, a method of becoming a newer, perhaps even slightly improved person. The products you buy turn you into that other, idealized version of yourself. That dress makes you beautiful, this lipstick makes you kissable, that lamp turns your house into an elegant showplace."[1]

This endless consumptive cycle—for both men and women--can only bring emptiness.[2]

Have you ever tried to find purpose, meaning, or identity when buying clothes, cars, homes, or the like? I have. In that new shirt, I'm that hip young dude. In that home, I have arrived and find respectability. And so on. What about you?

[1] Underhill, 117

[2] While Americans have made the pursuit of material things a spiritual exercise, at the same time, religious expression has been commodified. Obvious examples of this include televangelists who promise prayers of healing in exchange for money, but religious consumerism is prevalent throughout America. Spiritual seekers will buy religious t-shirts, pictures, videos, pens, bookmarks and much more religious “stuff.”

Those religions that are most visual and therefore most marketable will be most popular in a consumeristic society. Note the popularity of the Catholic religion—which is rich in visual imagery--in movies. As Vincent Miller says rather wryly, “Sales and rentals of videos of Quaker prayer meetings have been disappointing in all markets.” Vincent J. Miller, Consuming Religion: Christian Faith and Practice in a Consumer Culture (New York: Continuum, 2005), 73-106.

A Giant Leap of Faith

Some personal reflection today . . .

For those of you familiar with the Strengths Finder test (http://www.strengthsfinder.com/), I am an Achiever. Achievers work long and hard to accomplish their goals, and they want to do their jobs well. They find great value in this, and enjoy working alongside other hard workers.

I also have strengths in Ideation (concepts and visualization), Learner, Futuristic, and Input (research). These are all very strong as well.

I think that God has used these strengths in me to accomplish some good things. However, it is easy for me to overly rely upon my ability to work hard to achieve, to learn, to plan for the future, in order to "achieve" some spiritual goal.

Sometimes, though, God leads us in ways that we cannot prepare for. We cannot study our way into, nor work our way out of. Abraham's call to go to some land that God would lead him to, for instance, fits this bill. Abraham could do no research on the place to which he was being called--God didn't tell him. He could not envision the future--there were no hints. He could not work hard to do the job better--he didn't know what he was supposed to do.

I am good at having faith in God when I can be a partner, working as he has made me. And I can have faith that God does great things in others, and that he is active in the world in ways I cannot understand. I believe that the Spirit has gone out into the world before us.

I suppose I have not been often tested on trusting God in my own life when I cannot see the way forward, when I cannot achieve or plan. Dropping out of medical school, with some vague idea of doing ministry, was the closest thing to this. I wonder what God has in store for me . . . Whenever we have not been tested in an area, watch out! God will shape us.

Small Group Evangelism

I am getting excited about an upcoming D.Min. class that I have at Fuller Theological Seminary, beginning next Monday. It is a class on evangelism with Dr. Richard Peace.

Peace has written several books on evangelism. I wanted to highlight one of his books, Small Group Evangelism. Here is the link.

http://www.amazon.com/Small-Group-Evangelism-Training-Reaching/dp/1881266206/ref=sr_1_1/104-3613242-1630310?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181595588&sr=8-1

Too often we rely upon mere personal witness and conversation in sharing our faith. People are drawn to community, and the most effective evangelism happens in a community or small group setting. As people witness the love in the group, this testifies to the truth of the gospel and is appealing to non-Christians.

Peace gives several practical steps on how to set up an evangelistic small group. A few good pointers:
1. Be up front in this invitation. Tell people that it is a group that will have some Christians and non-Christians, designed for those who are interested in exploring faith and spiritual issues. Ask someone if they are interested in being a part of this type of group.

2. Choose a topic that fits a felt need or seeks to provide an answer to something non-Christians are asking about.

3. Give specifics on how long the meeting will last. Tell people it will be 4 or 8 weeks, so that they can see that it has an ending. People find it difficult to commit to something without a potential stop date.

4. Hold the meeting in a location that is comfortable with the target group.

5. Have a target group, and make this group fairly homogenous. People with similar backgrounds and experiences find it easier to share and form bonds of friendship, which will keep them going to the group.

Do you like the idea of small group evangelism?

Coming Back from West Texas

Hey guys. I'm sitting in the airport in Midland, Texas, about to fly back to Oklahoma City. There we will meet my parents, pick up our kids, and drive back to Kansas City and preach tomorrow (on the Lordship of Jesus). I'm tired already!

We had a good time with my aunt and uncle and cousin out here. They live in exurbia--those big country estates outside the outer suburban ring.

This kind of living has its appeal for Americans who love their space. In fact more than 60 million Americans now live in exurbia. But this kind of living is also very isolating and lonely. I lived in an exuban area until I was 14. Our country estate was nice, but I missed having friends. I wonder how the church can connect to those living in these areas.

I've been without email access for a week now, and for some reason, I can't access it right now either. So if you guys have sent me messages and I haven't responded, this is why.

Check back in with you on Sunday or Monday.

Democratic candidates talk about their faith

Well, I don't know how many of you on this blog are interested in politics, but I found the following news story interesting. In a special forum, the democratic candidates talk about their faith. Hillary Clinton shares how her faith helped her through her husband's affair, and John Edwards talks about how his faith helped him through his teenage son's death in 1996.

Read the full story here.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070605/ap_on_el_pr/democrats_religion_10;_ylt=AgThCjHdx1LHJ17LXawfhlUE1vAI

In general, Americans want their candidates to have a strong faith, but for them to be governed by American principles first and foremost.

Do you think candidates should talk about their faith? What are you looking for faith wise in a candidate? Should Christians put their hope in politics?

Also, Edwards talks about poverty in relationship to his faith. Where do most Christians place this concern in their assessment of candidates?

Ten Facts About TV Watching

Here are some statistics on TV watching that I thought were interesting.

1. Time per day that TV is on in an average US home: 7 hours, 40 minutes


2. Amount of television that the average American watches per day: over 4 hours


3. Time spent daily with screen media for U.S. children age six and under: about 2 hours


4. Percentage of US families with children age 0-6 with at least one television: 99


5. Percentage of US households with 3 or more TVs (2003): 50


6. Percentage of parents who say that if they have something important to do, it is likely that they will use the TV to
   occupy their child: 45


7. Percentage of Americans who always or often watch television while eating dinner: 40


8. Percentage of Americans who say they watch too much TV: 49


9. Time per week that parents spend in meaningful conversation with their children: 38.5 minutes


10. Percentage of 4-6 year-olds who, when asked, would rather watch TV than spend time with their fathers: 54

See the full list of TV watching statistics at http://www.tvturnoff.org/images/facts&figs/factsheets/FactsFigs.pdf

Which of these do you find most troubling?

Poverty in Suburbia

We usually associate poverty with the inner city, and affluence with suburbia. Indeed, they often go hand in hand. However, a new phenomenon has surfaced in the last couple of years--poverty in suburbia.

In December of 2006, The Brookings Institute reported that “by 2005 the suburban poor outnumbered their city counterparts by at least 1 million,” and that the poverty rate in the suburbs was 9.4 percent. This poverty rate held steady in the West and Northeast, while increasing in the Midwest and South.[1]

One surprising example of suburban poverty is found in Rockford County, New Hampshire. Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in Rockford County, was identified by Money Magazine as the fifth place to live in the United States. And yet, the Red Cross in Rockford County had nearly 7000 people visit its food pantry last in 2006, up nearly sevenfold since 2000. Many of those seeking help do not have cars, and with the high price of gas and the lack of public transportation in the suburbs, it is difficult for those needing help to receive it. Many suburban areas do not even have organizations in the area that provide assistance for poverty-stricken families.

One Red Cross worker said, "Public hospitals, nutrition assistance programs--most of these things are still overwhelmingly urban. You see small-scale operations in suburbs getting inundated. They just can't deal with the demand."[2] Affordable housing for the low-income workers who provide the service jobs in suburban areas is difficult to find, and foreclosures in suburban areas are increasing dramatically.

This shows that despite Liberty's affluence, we have great opportunities to reach those who are poor among us. Our "Children's Outreach Ministry" has been attempting to do just this, as we seek to provide school supplies for needy children and help them financially throughout the year--at Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and VBS.

Do you find suburban poverty surprising?

[1] Alan Berube and Elizabeth Kneebone, Two Steps Back: City and Suburban Poverty Trends 1999-2005(Brookings Institute, December 2006, accessed 6-03-07 2007); available from http://www.brook.edu/metro/pubs/20061205_citysuburban.htm.

[2] Eyal Press, The New Suburban Poverty(The Nation, April 13, 2007, accessed 6-03-07); available from http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070423/press.

Do we have a responsibility to the inner city?

Here is an interesting piece from my research on suburbia. As the suburbs grew, businesses and homeowners moved out from the inner city. The inner city, devoid of high paying jobs, began to deteriorate dramatically.

In 1986 an angry resident from a Philadelphia suburb disavowed any responsibility for the problems of the inner city, stating: “It is ridiculous to suppose that those of us in the suburbs have any responsibility to help in the current Philadelphia school crisis. We did not create the problems of the inner city and we are not obligated to help in their solution." See Crabgrass Frontier by Kenneth T. Jackson. http://www.amazon.com/Crabgrass-Frontier-Suburbanization-United-States/dp/0195049837/ref=pd_bbs_2/102-5518143-5243312?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1180894371&sr=8-2


Sadly, the sentiments expressed in this letter are too often found in suburban Christians—if the plight of the inner city is even noticed by them.

Do surburban Christians have a responsibility to help the inner city? How can we do this?

Quest, Taking the church to a little girl

Today I helped facillitate the Missional Church sessions at Quest, and spoke on a panel with Grady King and Poncho Hobbes. Grady is at the South MacArthur Church of Christ in Irving, Texas. Back in the 1970s it constructed a 3500 seat auditorium, the largest in our fellowship. At that time, Irving was a thriving suburb, and the congregation was almost all white.

Today the neighborhood around the church is very much Hispanic and African-American and poor, while the church membership has stayed Caucasian (people drive in to worship) and wealthy. The minority groups will not come to worship at their building, because of socio-economic differences. They do not feel comfortable there.

So the church rented an apartment which the neighborhood people would feel comfortable going to. And on Wednesday night many Christians go over to the apartment and play with the kids, loving on them and telling them about God. And guess what? One little Hispanic girl said, I love Wednesday night. When asked why, she said, because this is our church!

Isn't this a great story? Rather than insisting that people come to them, this church went to the people--on their terms, and to bless their lives. Isn't that a great story?

How could we apply this in our local context?

I'm off to Quest and West Texas

Hey guys. I'm leaving today to go to Oklahoma. I'll be a facillitator and discussion leader for Oklahoma Christian's "Quest" program, a specialized lectureship on missional church and evangelism issues.

Then I'll be heading to West Texas--Midland--to see my aunt and uncle and one of my cousins. I have not been able to visit them in years, so it will be good to get together with them.

See you guys later, and I'll try to keep posting during the trip. Later.

The Dream of Suburbia: Is our home our god?

Hope you guys had a good Memorial day. We went to a neighborhood block party and met some new neighbors, and in the evening we went to a Royals game--courtesy of Marc Vasquez, who gave us free tickets. Thanks, Marc! The girls loved it. Gina is a big baseball fan. She asked, can we do this every night? :)

I wanted to share with you some of the research I'm doing on suburbia. Suburbia, in turns out, has always been promoted as a sort of fantasy way of living--closer to nature than the inner city, with technology that makes life easier, and close to, guess what--shopping. Materialistic dreams and suburbia go hand in hand.

Note the following from Dolores Hayden's book, Building Suburbia:
http://www.amazon.com/Building-Suburbia-Fields-Growth-1820-2000/dp/0375727213/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-5518143-5243312?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1180471059&sr=8-1

• In 1869, Catharine Beecher urgered women to take charge of the suburban house and family, which she called the "church of Jesus Christ." (p.34)



• In 1921, an editorial writer in the National Real Estate Journal actually told readers that the Garden of Eden was the first subdivision!



• In the 1940s, ad writers for GE promoted purchasing a home as "an adventure in happiness."

This shows that materialism really has been an idol for Americans, with spiritual and biblical imagery being used explicitly at times to promote it. Why do we "buy" into these liese that homes and things can bring us happiness?

Funny Quotes on Marriage From Sunday's Sermon

Sunday's sermon on Desperate Marriages seemed to be a hit. I talked about five myths that we believe that can cause desperation in a marriage. These myths are:

1. Love is all about sex and romance.
2. My spouse should meet all my needs.
3. The grass is greener on the other side.
4. Marriage should be easy.
5. There is no hope.

Here are two of the funniest quotes/stories on marriage from the sermon.

“Some people ask the secret of our long marriage. We take time to go to a restaurant two times a week. A little candlelight, dinner, soft music and dancing. She goes Tuesdays, I go Fridays." --Henry Youngman

-------------------------------------------------------------

While attending a marriage seminar on communication, David and his wife listened to the instructor declare, "It is essential that husbands and wives know the things that are important to each other." He addressed the man, "Can you describe your wife's favorite flower?"

David leaned over, touched his wife's arm gently and whispered, "Pillsbury All-Purpose, isn't it?”

Did you like these?

Desperate Marriages

On Sunday, we'll continue our Desperate Households series, and I'll be speaking on Desperate Marriages. I have held off having a whole sermon in this series on marriage, because I didn't want the series to be perceived as applying only to married people. But having established that fact, I will speak about marriage on Sunday.

There is no doubt that many struggle in their marriages. We need to help people through their problems, offering practical, "how-to" points, biblical teaching, love, prayer and support. See many of you guys on Sunday.

James

My daughter's last day of school, Memorial Day

Well, it is Gina's last day of school today. She has "graduated" from kindergarten. She gets out at 11:15 AM, so I am going to take the afternoon off and spend it with her. I'll work later tonight instead. So if I don't catch you later today, I hope that you have a great Memorial day weekend!

One of my friends, Marc, is giving us four Royals tickets and a parking pass from his company to see the Royals on Monday. Gina has been begging us to go see a baseball game, so this is great timing. The Lord provides!

Finding Purpose in Life

On Wednesday I was talking with one of my friends, and she shared with me how she had struggled to find her nitch in the church for some time. But then she got involved in our Starbucks group, and has really found meaning in inviting others, sharing her faith, and encouraging those who are coming.

I met with another member on Thursday, a new convert, and went through her Strengths and Spiritual gifts with her. This woman has great gifts in mercy, faith, and evangelism. As we talked about her gifts, she felt affirmed in what God created her to do and encouraged to practice these gifts even more.

I feel blessed to be able to use my gifts, and I love helping others see their place in the kingdom as well.

How has using or discovering your gifts helped you in finding purpose in life?

A Horrible Story of Modern Day Slavery

Here is a horrible story of modern day slavery. A millionaire couple confiscated the visas of two immigrants and forced them to work as slaves in their home. They abused them, and despite having millions of dollars, refused to pay them.

http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/wealthy-couple-charged-with-slavery/20070523190809990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001

This is true evil at work. I really am amazed at how anyone could so despise another human being and be so callous as to do this type of thing.

The two women are now being taken care of by Catholic Charities, thankfully.

It must pain God to have his children treat one another like this. I just talked with a member today, and she was very upset at the fact that her adult children did not get along with one another. I know my parents felt the same way when my brother, sisters, and I did not get along. Think how God--who created us out of love and in his image--must feel about humanity's inhumanity towards one another. Sad.

If there were ever a call for the church to be missional, to go out and proclaim the reign of God and transform society, it is now.

Do you think things like this happen more frequently now, or less? Why?

The Limited Power of Preaching: Can you remember last week's sermon?

It may be strange to hear from a preacher, but preaching has a limited power. Note what George Barna, researcher, says:

"We know that within two hours after leaving a church service, the typical individual cannot recall the theme of the sermon they heard. But if they have a discussion about a principle and its application to their life, or if they have a multi-sensory experience with those principles, they retain the information much longer and the probability that they will act on that information rises dramatically."

http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdate&BarnaUpdateID=194

Note that I did not say that preaching was a waste of time or that it did not have power or that it ought to be done away with. It does have power, and Paul confirmed this, stating that God had chosen the foolishness of preaching.

However, preaching ought to be one of several ways that we communicate truth in the assembly. Video, discussion, sharing of stories, art, and multiple voices help in communication and understanding the biblical message. And preaching itself ought to be more interactive. Alas, our physical arrangement and expectations of what constitutes an assembly limits us.

How do you suggest making the worship assembly more interactive and multi-sensory?

I'll Be Helping with OC's Lectures (Quest) May 31-June 2

Just a brief note to let you know that I'll be helping lead some of the "break out" discussion sections on missional church at Oklahoma Christian University's lectures (Quest), May 31-June 2. We'll also have a chance to see my sister and brother-in-law and their new baby. It will be a full time, because I have my paper on Missional Engagement in Suburbia to finish before going out to Fuller for another D.Min. class on June 18.

It is great to see OC putting missional church on the schedule. Many movements begin in our Christian colleges, and I am happy to help with this in any way that I can.

The Celtic Way of Evangelism

In his book, The Celtic Way of Evangelism, George Hunter tells the story of (Saint) Patrick and how he evangelized Ireland. Growing up in England, he was captured by Celts and lived in slavery for many years. He finally escaped and went back to England. However, in a dream, he heard a "Macedonian call" to go back to Ireland and share the gospel with these "barbaric tribes."

Patrick's method for evangelism was to form an apostolic or missionary team, who would spend weeks ministering to a local tribe. They would live within this tribe, bless them, and share the gospel in creative ways--song, dance, and the like. This fit with the creative Celts. During his lifetime, 30-40 of Ireland's 150 fiercely independent and pagan tribes became Christian.

You would think that the church in England, which had commissioned Patrick to go to Ireland, would be thrilled at this. However, they were not. They saw the role of a bishop as only having to do with two things: administration and chaplain duties. In other words, caring for faithful Christians. They were offended and angered that Patrick was spending the majority of his time with "pagans," "sinners," and "barbarians."

Sad, isn't it? But is that not the attitude of most churches today? Ministers should be the chaplains of the church, giving a peppy sermon on Sunday and spending the week hanging out with Christians, visiting hospitals, and the like. In other words, pastoral care and an internal focus. It is not that these things are bad, but that they are the overwhelming focus.

What if ministers acoss the nation spent the majority of their time with non-Christians--Wednesday night service at a local school function, Sunday night neighborhood fellowship groups, and the like. Which would reach more people for Christ? For that matter, what if the whole church--which is made up of ministers--did the same thing? We learn a powerful lesson from Patrick on how to reach the world today. We must go out, live incarnationally, and bless others' lives. And we need ministers who will take the lead in doing this.

What do you think most people's expectations for a minister is?

John and Ric shared a powerful story in our worship gathering

On Sunday during our worship gathering, John and Ric shared a powerful story of how they became friends and the value of friendship. Through this sharing, mulitple voices were heard, making this more of a communal event.

Younger generations are moving towards a worship gathering that is more participatory, and less of a spectator event. This is a challenge in larger churches, but can be done through video, through multiple speakers, and by having a worship space that allows for phyiscal interation (tables, empty spaces, and the like).

For a look at some of these concepts, check out Dan Kimball's Emerging Worship.
http://www.amazon.com/Emerging-Worship-Creating-Gatherings-Generations/dp/0310256445/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-5518143-5243312?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179766134&sr=8-1

There are elements of emerging worship that are very good and biblical. 1 Cor. 14:26 says,
"What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church." Preachers like Timothy still had a central preaching role, but clearly many people were involved in the assembly. Recovering this practice not only is biblical, but it can really help younger people connect as they hear many different people's stories. Remember, truth is intensely personal today.

There are some elements of emerging worship that are being done without much theological reflection. Theological reflection needs to occur on worship issues, otherwise emerging worship can become the new pragmatism--doing whatever works. As with all things, we should take the good and leave the bad.

What do you think of hearing more stories and more people participating in worship gatherings? Does hearing stories of people like Ric and John help your faith and worship experience?

New Book for Our Starbucks Group--Velvet Elvis

We have started a new book in our Starbucks group, Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell. Rob Bell is a Gen-X preacher, and is very popular with Young Adults.

Bell combines a postmodern style with some deep and interesting biblical gems. He has done a lot of study on Judaism, which gives a lot of insight to some biblical texts on Jesus.

http://www.amazon.com/Velvet-Elvis-Repainting-Christian-Faith/dp/0310273080/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-5518143-5243312?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179759480&sr=8-1

Our Starbucks group continues to be a great gathering place for young adults, who love the atmosphere, the music, and the interactive setting. I also see in Starbucks some Boomers. People my age, Gen Xers, like Starbucks, but often have young kids and aren't able to go hang out a lot, though they enjoy it when they do. It is a good "third place."

A good friend of mine is coming in town today

A good friend of mine, Chuck Monan, is coming into town today to lead our men's retreat. Chuck is the pulpit minister at the Pleasant Valley Church of Christ in Little Rock, Arkansas. He and I used to work together at the Wilshire Church of Christ in Oklahoma City.

I owe a lot to Chuck. He took me down to the jail to do Bible studies with inmates when I was a college student. This raised up in me a love for sharing my faith and leading others to Christ. I dropped out of medical school, and decided to go into ministry. The Wilshire congregation hired me full-time, and Chuck and I worked together for about four years.

This impressed upon me the importance of befriending, encouraging, and mentoring those around us. If you have a younger person in your life, seek to call them alongside you and help them grow in the Christian walk. You will enjoy this, and it will have a powerful affect on his or her life.

Better Together: Restoring the American Community

I just started reading "Better Together: Restoring the American Community." http://www.amazon.com/Better-Together-Restoring-American-Community/dp/0743235460

It is written by Robert Putnam, author of Bowling Alone. I can tell you already it looks to be a great book. Putnam opens up the book talking about a group named Valley Interfaith, which worked with the community to improve the local schools. 86% of the students were economically disadvangeted, and 58% had limited proficiency in English.

Note these significant actions by Valley Interfaith:

1) Putnam states that "the teachers did not ask parents to come in to the school, but made visits to students' homes, asking parents about theirt hopes and worries regarding the school and their children. For many parents, it was the first real connection with the school, the first time anyone had bothered to ask their opinion." p.11

2) The workers in Valley Interfaith seek out community leaders whom they can train in leading ministries that help their community. Reformer Saul Alinsky believed that "reform could best be achieved when the citizens of poor and neglected communities organized and exertted power on their own behalf." Their motto is, never do anything for anybody that they can do for themselves. p.12

3) Their ministries were based around local support and ideas. "Unlike activist organizations that develop a public agenda first and then try to attract people who support it, the IAF encourages the emergence of local agendas from these congregations." p.12

4) Assessing community needs was done through "hundreds of one-on-one conversations."

It seems to me that this is a missional approach to serving the community--going to where people are, finding their needs, listening to them, and helping them be a part of improving their community.

These one-on-one interviews sort of reminds me of what Rick Warren did, but with a missional emphasis.

What if we took this approach to helping our community?

Books that I have read in the last year

I was recently asked what books I have read in the past year. I thought about this, going through my books, and I came up with the following list. It mainly covers missional church, postmodernism and culture, and evangelism.

It came to 41 books, nearly a book a week. That was a little higher than I thought it would be, but I do like to keep up with what is most current. On the other hand, my wife reminds me that my pleasure reading has taken a big dip, and she is right.

Anyway, here is the list. I'll try to go back and add links later. I have highlighted the top five I enjoyed for various reasons. If you have a question about one, let me know. I also have book reviews of many of these on my website, www.storyofredemption.com

1. God's Missionary People: Rethinking the Purpose of the Local Church by Charles Van Engan
2. Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission by David Bosch
3. Organic Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens by Neil Cole
4. The Missional Leader: Equipping Your Church to Reach a Changing World by Alan Roxburgh, Fred Romanuck, and Eddie Gibbs
5. The Present-Future by Reggie McNeal
6. The Spontaneous Expansion of the Church: And the Causes Which Hinder It by Roland Allen
7. Liquid Church by Pete Ward
8. The Forgotten Ways by Alan Hirsch
9. Off-Road Disciplines: Spiritual Adventures of Missional Leaders by Earl Creps
10. Exiles: Living Missionally in a Post-Christian Culture by Michael Frost
11. The Way of Jesus: A Journey of Freedom for Pilgrims and Wanderers by Jonathon S. Campbell with Jennifer Campbell
12. Emerging Churches: Creating Authentic Community in a Postmodern Context by Eddie Gibbs and Ryan Bolger
13. An Emergent Theology for Emerging Churches by Ray S. Anderson
14. Post-Christendom: Church and Mission in a Strange New World
15. Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
16. Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller
17. A New Kind of Christian by Brian McLaren
18. The Gospel According to Starbucks by Leonard Sweet
19. Sprawl: A Compact History by Robert Bruegmann (on surbanization)
20. The Blogging Church by Brian Bailey
21. The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell
22. Seeking a Lasting City: The Church’s Journey in the Story of God by Randy Harris, Richard Foster, and Mark Love
23. Missional Church Planting by Ed Stetzer
24. Simple Church: Returning to God’s Process for Making Disciples by Thom S. Rainer
25. Breaking the Missional Code by Ed Stetzer
26. Death by Suburb by David L. Goetz
27. The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations by Ori Brafman and Rod Beckstrom
28. Confessions of a Reformission Rev.: Hard Lessons from an Emerging Missional Church by Mark Driscoll
29. Everyday Theology: How to Read Cultural Texts and Interpret Trends edited by Kevin Vanhoozer
30. The Big Idea: Focus the Message—Multiply the Impact by Dave Ferguson, Eric Bramlett, and Jon Ferguson
31. Revolution by George Barna
32. Biblical Preaching: The Development and Delivery of Expository Messages
33. Preaching that Speaks to Women
34. Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon
35. Velvet Elvis: Repainting the Christian Faith by Rob Bell
36. CrazyBusy: Overbooked, Overstretched, and About to Snap
37. Culture Shift: Transforming Your Church from the Inside Out
38. Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping by Paco Underhill
39. Mission in the New Testament, edited by William J. Larkin Jr. and Joel F. Williams
40. Exploring the Worship Spectrum: 6 Views Paul E. Engle, series editor
41. Contextualization and Syncretism: Navigating Cultural Currents by Gailyn Van Rheenen

How big is your house?

Here is an interesting stat:

The average size of a new home from approximately 1000 square feet at the end of World War II to nearly 2500 square feet by the end of the 20th century.[1] Meanwhile, the number of people per household has shrunk dramatically, from 3.14 persons per household in 1970 to 2.63 person per household in 1990.[2]

Isn't it ironic that our homes have exploded in size, while our families have decreased in number. We talk about needing to work longer today. But what we are actually working longer for is a perceived middle class lifestyle--which is vastly inflated from past years. If people 50 years ago saw most of our homes, they would think that we are all rich. And most us us are.

We are finishing out our basement--most of it ourselves--because it adds value to our home, is a big tax shelter for ministers, and can be used for fellowship. We are looking forward to this being done in the next month, and we believe we can really use this as a gathering place for both churched and unchurched Christians. But we can hardly make the argument that we "need" a bigger home.

What is up with the bigger houses today all across America? Hmm . . .

[1] Robert Bruegmann, Sprawl: A Compact History (Chicago: University of Chicago, 2005), 58.

[2] Ibid., 60.

http://www.amazon.com/Sprawl-Compact-History-Robert-Bruegmann/dp/0226076911/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-5518143-5243312?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179345705&sr=8-1

Your Kids--Part of the Next Great Generation

I tell you, I am excited about the upcoming generation--the Millennials, or those born 1982 or later. Sure they do not know anything much about the Bible, but I believe that God is going to use them for something truly great.

Check out Millennials Rising, the next Great Generation by Neil Howe and William Strauss. http://www.amazon.com/Millennials-Rising-Next-Great-Generation/dp/0375707190/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-5518143-5243312?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179333663&sr=8-1

I am really amazed at this group of young people. They are polite, well-behaved, and well-adjusted. Unlike my generation, which grew up with parents constantly gone, they have had much parental involvement, a ton of coaching, and a lot of other adult involvement.

They also:

• Are racially diverse and accepting. They grew up with Tiger Woods and Halle Berry.
• They are team players.
• They are the most watched over generation in recent memory. They have had very little unsupervised time.
• They believe in the future and in themselves.
• They have high self-esteem.
• Well educated.
• High achievers.
• Techno wizards
• Look up to their parents

There are challenges with this generation, of course. But they are poised to truly be great. I sense an openness to authentic following of Jesus. And this is a good thing.

What positives do you see in Millennials?

Missional engagement in suburbia

I wanted to introduce you guys to one of my teachers and mentors, Alan Hirsch. He is world-renowned missional leader and the author of The Shaping of Things to Come and The Forgotten Ways.

One of his latest posts is on missional engagement in suburbia. He says:

Clearly mission to the burbs is a major issue for the vast majority of missional minded followers in the West. This is especially true for America where the cities are comprised of what seems to be never-ending suburbia. I have always experienced middle class suburbia as soul-less places, symbolizing consumptive lifestyle, the loss of adventure, and a slow but inevitable death of the spirit. So how do we engage the suburbs?

You can follow the discussion, including some of my comments, on his blog at http://www.theforgottenways.org/blog/index.php/2007/05/14/the-gospel-and-the-god-forsaken/.

The rest of the site has some great resources on missional church. Check it out.

What do you guys see as areas of brokenness in suburbia? Emptiness? Materialism? The Rat Race of Busyness?

My neighbor asked me to bless his house yesterday

On Sunday, at about 3:30 PM, one of one neighbors asked me to cover over and bless his house, citing some difficulties that he and his family had recently experiencd. This is a fairly common practice with those with a Catholic background. Though less common in Protestant circles, there is some biblical basis for this. Jesus told his disciples to let their blessing fall on the house of those who received them when they went out.

Jesus may have been using house as in "household" and not a physical dwelling. But houses and households are usually quite inseparable, and usually the word translated "house" (oikos) has a double meaning.

I was thrilled to have this opportunity to bless my neighbor's house. I went over to his house, and we held hands with him, his wife, children, and extended family, and I prayed for them. I asked that God give them love, laughter, light, and blessing in all areas of their lives. I prayed for each room (living room, bedrooms, and kitchen), and I prayed that God might keep evil away from them.

It is great to know and be known by your community and your neighbors, and to have opporunities to serve those around us.

Viewing the church as story, rather than structure

In their book, Seeking a Lasting City: The Church's Journey in the Story of God, authors Foster, Harris, and Love propose that we look at the church in narrative, rather than structural terms.

http://www.amazon.com/Seeking-Lasting-City-Churchs-Journey/dp/0891120394/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-5326567-7226513?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179151456&sr=8-1

They say that the advantages of this perspective of the church are:

1. It reflects the truth of our experience. We all live our lives as stories.

2. It prevents us from overly identifying with external characteristics. We certainly have had a problem with this. A faithful church has been defined as to whether or not it had the right organization and structure, not how much it loved, proclaimed the good news, or ministered to the poor and the like.

3. It reminds us of the importance of the moment. Each part of the story is significant.

4. It points us to the unfolding part of the story--that God is working but still has much he will do ("now" and "not yet").

5. It shows that the church is not an end in itself. We are part of God's mission, the vehicle for much of his mission, but not the whole enchilada.

6. It reminds us that the church must include both continuity and change.

7. It replaces a defensive mentality with a sense of adventure and engagement.

These are good points, and it seems to me, a better self-understanding than that of the "structurally right" church.

Which of these points do you like?

What I did for Mother's Day for my very special wife and very special mother

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers everywhere!

This morning I got up very early to get some things to surprise Becki. I went and bought some beautiful, fresh flowers, a balloon, and some pastries, setting them out on the table. I even cleaned up a few dishes. And of course I wrote a nice card.

Underneath the card is a digital camera, replacing the one that was stolen out of Becki's car. Well, she's still not up yet, but I hope she will enjoy the surprise and advanced thought.

Later today I will call my mother and thank her for all that she has done through the years. I wouldn't be the person I am today without her reading Bible stories to me at a young age, and teaching me throughout the day all through the years. Her warm smile and servant's heart will always make me smile.

Thank you to all mothers out there. We fathers (and sons and daughters) would be a mess without you!

The Rise of the Millenial Generation--and unlike Boomers, they don't like to argue

My brother recently sent me a great article on the Millennial generation. http://www.bullnotbull.com/archive/fourth-turning-2.html

Here is what they say about the Millennials, which are called the next great generation. Here is what they say about the Millennials, who will not tolerate the Don Imus' of the world.

The current Millennial Generation . . . will correct for what today's teens perceive are the excesses of middle-aged Boomers - the narcissism, impatience, iconoclasm, and constant focus on talk (usually argument) over action.

Interesting that Newsweek's Boomer Fineman asserts that, "America was built on argument. Arguing is what we are." According to Strauss & Howe, it would be more appropriate for him to say "Arguing is what Boomers are."

In other words, the new kids are growing up to be anti-Boomers, the same way that Boomers themselves rebelled against their own parents and grew up to be anti-conformists. The Millennials should grow to fill the social role of the departing GI generation - the likes of Joe Dimaggio (died 1999) (Where have you gone, Joe Dimaggio? Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you…), Ronald Reagan (2004) and Jimmy Stewart (1997).

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Arguing is death in talking with Millenials. They will turn off argument and steer very clear of those who engage in it. If we want to reach this generation with the gospel, we must show our love and win hearts and minds through action. So we need to resist the urge to argue, "win our points," and the like. We can win the argument, put the millennial will say,"Whatever, dude," and just walk away.

US Divorce rate at lowest lewel since 1970, Cohabitation is up

http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/us-divorce-rate-at-lowest-level-since/20070510163709990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001

The above news story on the US divorce rate is quite interesting. Some key points:

• The US divorce rate peaked in 1981 and is now at its lowest rate since 1970. That's not too from far from the time of the Beaver


• Families with two incomes and of higher education levels tend to have lower divorce rates


• Part of the decline is due to the increase in co-habitation and waiting longer to get married, so these numbers may be a bit deceiving.

Here is a good quote from the article on young adults and marriage/divorce.

"In the past 30 years, we've had more divorce than any culture has ever had," [Glenn Stanton, family policy expert] said. "A lot of young adults now are coming out of the family upheaval of the '70s, and they are cohabiting out of fear. They don't want to mess up the nice clean carpet of marriage - they saw their parents do that."

What implications does this have for ministry and outreach to young adults?

Is coffee unhealthy for you?

"Coffee is the drug of choice for the majority of North Americans." But is coffee unhealthy for you? According to Leonard Sweet, no. In his book, The Gospel According to Starbucks, http://www.amazon.com/Gospel-According-Starbucks-Living-Passion/dp/1578566495/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-5326567-7226513?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1178894300&sr=8-1

Sweet says that "coffee delivers more health-giving anttioxidants to our diet than fruit, vegetables, and nuts."

Coffee reduces the change of getting Parkinson's disease, liver and colon cancer, cirrhosis of the liver, Type 2 diabetes, and, if you are a fast metabolizer, heart disease.

An added bonus--coffee improves male fertility.

I'm not sure if you want to take Sweet's word on this or not. But I found this interesting.

The question I have is, why do we need three cups of coffee to get through the day? Are we pushing our bodies beyond their limits?

New Christians help us realize how blessed we are

Dennis (our associate minister) and I just got back from having a Bible study with Eloise and James, two new converts. Several times tears came to their eyes as they spoke of the blessings that they have found in Christ.

New Christians bless our lives in so many ways. They have a gratitude and wonder that we long time Christians often do not have. I think of new Christians like Kim Smith, who inspire me every week as they talk in wonder about God and his blessings. My faith is built up through theirs. Thank you to all the new Christians who have taught me so much!

You won't believe these stats on time wasters

In his book Margin, Richard Swenson tells how in the 1960s people were testifying before Congress that in the future, one of the greatest challenges people would have would be filling all the extra time that they would have from the time-saving advances of technology.

Yeah right. Technology actually takes time from us, because it speeds up the pace of life.

And note these stats. In a lifetime, the average American will:

• Spend six months sitting at trtaffic light waiting for them to change


• Spend one year searching through desk clutter looking for misplaced objects


• Spend eight months opening junk mail


• Spend two years trying to call people who aren't in or whose line is busy


• Spend five years waiting in lines


• Spend three years in meetings

This is a great book that talks about the dangers of leaving no "margin" in our finances, time, relationships, physical condition. It is a great book, written by a doctor.

http://www.amazon.com/Margin-Restoring-Emotional-Financial-Overloaded/dp/1576836827/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-0811016-6015263?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1178808634&sr=8-1

Can you believe these stats?

Who do you want for a friend--Paula or Simon?

Okay, I just watched the results of American Idol tonight, and I was glad to see that my two favorites, Melinda and Blake, were safe. LaKisha went home, which is sad--she has a great story--but was the right choice.

It struck me as the judges went around and commented on who they thought would go home that Paula had read that stat about needing 10 positives for every 1 negative. Paula just encouraged the contestants, while Simon said bluntly that he thought LaKisha was going home.

True, even I find Paula a bit sickly sweet at times. And it seems she often fails to say the obvious--that someone stunk it up. I guess it just goes to show how hard it is to hold back sometimes. We think that we have to always say the obvious. But we don't.

We all need a little Simon in our lives sometimes. But most of the time, we probably want someone to encourage us rather than kick us in the shins. It may look weak when we look at it from afar, but if we were on stage in front of millions of people, we probably wouldn't want someone to say we were horrible, ghastly, or the like.

Who would you want as a friend--Paula or Simon?

What is the relationship between physical health and spiritual health?

One of my relatives just emailed me, asking for some resources that give a biblical perspective on the relationship between physical health and spiritual health.

I did a search at Christianbook.com on the link between these two subjects. If you click on the link below, you will see books that they have that address these subjects.

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/easy_find?&N=5100&nav_search=1&event=ESRCN&Ne=200900+201400+1000000+10000&Ntt=physical%20health%20spiritual%20health&Ntx=mode+matchpartialmax&D=physical%20health%20spiritual%20health&action=Search&Nu=product.endeca_rollup&Ntk=keywords&Nao=0

This is an area that I need to more fully explore. I am currently reading books on busyness, adrenaline and stress.

See Crazybusy (previous post) and Adrenaline and Stress, by Dr. Archibald Hart. http://www.amazon.com/Adrenaline-Stress-Exciting-Breakthrough-Overcome/dp/084993690X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-0811016-6015263?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1178741529&sr=8-1 Both are written by doctors. The latter is from a Christian perspective.

If anyone has any books or thoughts on this, please share.

Could busyness be an attempt to avoid looking into the abyss?

I am currently looking at some of the areas of brokenness in suburbia, which includes hyper-busyness. Edward Hallowell, author of Crazybusy, http://www.amazon.com/CrazyBusy-Overstretched-Overbooked-Strategies-Fast-Paced/dp/0345482441/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-0811016-6015263?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1178742797&sr=8-1, states that "we stay busy to avoid looking into the abyss."

Busyness is an attempt to control our lives, and to not face the emptiness that we may feel. If we slow down, we may realize that we have few meaningful relationships in our lives, or we may have to deal with life's difficulties.

I am a very busy person, a high achiever. This has its benefits, and Paul certainly fell into this mode. Sometimes, though, I wonder if I am addicted to this life. That I might not be able to slow down if I wanted to.

What do you guys think--are we addicted to speed and activity? Does being busy give us a feeling of importance or cause us to ignore problems in our lives?

Reconnecting with friends through technology

I got a message today that I was pretty excited about. A close friend of mine from high school, named Erika, found me on my myspace.com network. We were in music together and lived in the same neighborhood.

I know that myspace has gotten a lot of bad publicity. But I am glad to have technology like this that allows us to keep track of our friends all over the country. True, it is not a subtitute for living in community, but it does help one feel connected with a wider circle of friends. Before myspace, I would have had to wait until my 20 year reunion to find old friends.

People my age use sites like myspace mainly to reconnect, while younger people use it for much more. What online social networking group do you use, and how do you use it?

James

Add James' Blog to your Yahoo News Feed

There is now an +My Yahoo icon on this blog (see to the left under the blog name), so adding this is even easier. (see previous post)

I keep learning new things on this from a book I got in yesterday, The Blogging Church by Brian Bailey. Part of the fifteen books that I got in from amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Blogging-Church-Brian-Bailey/dp/0787984876/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-0811016-6015263?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1178631492&sr=8-1

Thanks for your patience!

Cool Church Website

I recently checked out a great church website, www.jacobswellchurch.org. Jacob's Well is a church here in Kansas City.

If you go to the community section on their website, you will find one of the most innovative church sections around. It works a lot like myspace, allowing one to add photos, subscibe to blogs, post comments, and more.

Would you like to see these features in the church's website, and would you use them?