"When Loving You Is Killing Me: Thoughts On Pastoring The Small Church"

Wow. As someone who has been a part of a church plant and also know of many others, I thought this was another great article from the iMonk:

Some of my readers condemn me for my sympathy with the emergent church. I understand the problems and concerns you have with many emergent writers, and I am opposed to churches that are so generationally specific they would have no idea what to do with a senior adult. Still, I believe we need thousands of new churches. It breaks my heart to know that there are so many pastors living out there lives in small churches that are nothing more than "family chapels." Gatherings of family and cultural loyalty where the question of ball caps in church becomes a major division and an ugly testimony to the disunity of Christians.

Still, another part of me wants to love these churches. Many times, I wish that I could go back and try again. I still dream of seeing the small church becoming the church of Jesus, and not just a building where a few families gather a few hours a month. I sometimes long to preach the word and do pastoral labor among such people, and to plead with them to refresh their weariness and pettiness in the springs of living water.

The small church has probably killed more than a few ministers. Its antics and fights have discredited the name of Christ. Yet, it is the small church that nurtures and cares for most of the Christians in our culture. Should it die, or fade away in the shadow of the megachurch, Christianity in America would be greatly weakened. There are small churches everywhere that are wonderful witnesses to Christ and caring bodies of believers loving one another in Jesus name. These churches need pastors and elders. They need someone to lead and to love them.

Read whole article here.

Look Sir, Droids

From http://www.r2d2central.com/

Check out the overnight remodeling done by a group on Astronomy students to the University of Arizona Steward Observatory, completed at 12:01 AM May 12, exactly one week before they get to see Episode 3. CaptKieranFlar of the stealthy clone commando team responsible for this reported in with this info:Early this morning several notes appeared across the Observatory building, condeming the Imperial servants working there, and a not so subtle bribe of doughnuts to not interfere with the display.

3 cans of spray paint + 20 square yards of fabric + 4 hours of time = One sexy droid

(Click on pic for larger size)

"Wal Mart Christianity"

Mike (@ 412 Students) rants about Wal Mart Christianity.

I think that same mentality has creeped into Christianity. We want the cheapest thing out there, and don't really care about quality anymore. We want a name-your-own-price kind of faith.

SBC Ends Disney Boycott

I guess 8 years was long enough.

Gosh, there must be at least 5 kids out there dying to see the Incredibles.

;-)

Read article here.

College & High School Mascots

If you know me, you know I like to pick on Seminoles and Bulldogs and Hurricanes and other non-Gator mascots. But hey, after reading this article, things could have been much worse...

Crazy College & High School Mascots

Some examples:

+ University of California at Santa Cruz Banana Slugs
+ Amherst College Lord Jeffs (yes, the mighty Lord Jeffs)
+ Webster University Gorlocks (these are not typos)
+ University of California at Irvine Anteaters
+ University of Idaho Vandals
+ Campbell University Fighting Camels (whoa! look out!)
+ Scottsdale Community College Artichokes (what?!?)
+ Williams College Ephmen (proof)

and my favorite: Presbyterian College Blue Hose (proof)

SW Exegesis: How does Leia remember Padme?

Episode III reveals that Padme dies of a broken heart shortly after the birth of the twins. So how can her daughter, Leia, have memories of her more than 20 years later?

Read explanation here.

Another good blog

Found this from hitting the "Next Blog" button.

A Biblical Lens in a Secular World

Pretty cool...

Best ROTS Lines that Never Were...

Here are some neat lines that never made it into Revenge of the Sith: (cut lines in red)

Mace Windu: You are on the council, but we do not grant you the rank of master.
Anakin Skywalker: What? How can you do this? This is outrageous, it's unfair. I'm more powerful than any of you. How can you be on the council and not be a master?

Count Dooku: "You’re moves are clumbsy, Kenobi. Too Predictable. You’ll have to do better." (Dooku did have his number!)

Anakin Skywalker: I swear to you... I didn't ask to be put on the council.
Obi-Wan: But it's what you wanted! Your friendship with Chancellor Palpatine seems to have paid off.
Anakin Skywalker: This has nothing to do with this.
Obi-Wan: Anakin, regardless of how it happened, you find yourself in a delicate situation.
Anakin Skywalker: You mean divided loyalties.
Obi-Wan: I warned you there was tension between the Council and Chancellor. I was very clear. Why didn't you listen? You walked right into it.

General Grievous: You Fool! I have been trained in your Jedi Arts... by Count Dooku!
Obi-Wan: You forget I trained the Jedi that defeated Count Dooku.

Anakin Skywalker: Don’t make me destroy you Master. You’re no match for the dark side.
Obi-Wan: I’ve heard that before Anakin, but I never thought I’d hear it from you.

Any others?

Southern Baptists in doldrums, leader says

A friend sent me an article from MSN this morning.

Here's a quote...

The Southern Baptist Convention, the nation’s biggest Protestant denomination and the largest gathering of evangelical Christians in the world, is in the “doldrums” and faces a challenge to determine whether it is on the right path, its leader said Thursday.

Whole article here.

Ethics Test

I got this in an email today...

This test only has one question, but it's a very important one. By giving an honest answer, you will discover where you stand morally. The test features an unlikely, completely fictional situation in which you will have to make a decision. Remember that your answer needs to be honest, yet spontaneous. Please scroll down slowly and give due consideration to each line.

You are in Florida, Miami to be specific. There is chaos all around you, caused by a hurricane, with severe flooding. This is a flood of biblical proportions.

You are a photojournalist working for a major newspaper, and you're caught in the middle of this epic disaster. The situation is nearly hopeless.

You're trying to shoot career-making photos. There are houses and people swirling around you, some disappearing under the water. Nature is unleashing all of its destructive fury. Suddenly you see a woman in the water. She is fighting for her life, trying not to be taken down with the debris. You move closer. Somehow the woman looks familiar. You suddenly realize who it is. It's Hillary Clinton!

At the same time you notice that the raging waters are about to take her under . . . forever. You have two options--you can save the life of Hillary Clinton, or you can shoot a dramatic Pulitzer Prize winning photo, documenting the death of one of the world's most powerful women.

So here's the question, and please give an honest answer:

Would you select high contrast color film, or would you go with the classic simplicity of black and white?

It's Not Easy Talking About Jesus

Here's a quote from a great must read essay today from iMonk...

Because I work with so many unbelievers, I'm constantly reminded just how difficult real communication is between Christians and those who don't share our faith. There's all this emphasis on creative ministry, technology, cute churchy tricks, etc, but virtually none of it has anything to do with the kind of communication we are most concerned with: one human being talking to another about things of deep and ultimate importance.

Whole essay here.

Charismatic Chaos-The Book

Have many evangelical believers shown a dogmatic and unloving spirit towards charismatic and pentecostal brothers? Do all charismatic have a skewed view of orthodoxy? Have we lumped all charismatic into the same category based on what we have seen on television?

Rich Nathan, from the vineyard movement feels that many charismatics have been misrepresented in John Macarthur's popular book, Charasmatic Chaos. He further believes many views represented in the book (which many evangelicals hold to) are unbiblical.

While I don't agree with every detail in his article, he makes some great points!

If you have adopted the view that certain spiritual gifts have ceased and have a bad taste in your mouth for charismatics, I suggest you read this article. Many, I feel have adopted this view based on unbiblical emotions!

Consider some excerpts form his article:

"I personally agree with a number of points in Macarthur book. Like many Christians, I too have grave problems with the prosperity message and the positive confession movement. Suffering, as much as faith, as an integral part of the Christian life (Phil. 1:29). I also share the general disgust that most Christians have for those television evangelists who are simply money grabbers. Like my colleagues in the Vineyard, I oppose a view of spirituality that eliminates the maturing effect of traditional means of sanctification, such as Bible study, prayer and fellowship. And I hate the hyped testimonies of alleged healings that evaporate upon honest investigation."

"Throughout this entire book, MacArthur has chosen to exaggerate the weaknesses of the charismatic viewpoint by selecting examples of the worst or the weakest of charismatic proponents rather than the best."

Full article (pdf) here.

Good Morning?

Got up.
Got ready.
Headed out.
Lots to get done.
Leaving kinda early.
Truck feels a little funny.
#10 screw in right rear tire.
Must be hottest day of the year.
Another little sovereignty lesson I guess.
Hopefully not a preview for the rest of the day.
How in the world am I going to get everything finished?

Then I remember Ecclesiastes 7

13 Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked? 14 In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider: God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him.

A So-So Review of "Batman Begins"

With comparisons drawn to "Revenge of the Sith"...

"Batman Begins" is suffocatingly self-serious. And to continue the comparison, that only makes "Sith" look superior.

Read whole review at My Way News

Jacksonville.com: Sports: It's easy to sympathize with Sexton 06/15/05

By MIKE FREEMAN, Times-Union columnist

The news comes that Wyatt Sexton was allegedly laying in a Tallahassee street, then yelling at passers-by, then jumping on cars and loudly proclaiming that he was God. How are we supposed to react to this?

A. You tell your friends back home: "See, football really is a religion down here."

B. Luckily, since Sexton was allegedly doing push-ups in the street wearing nothing but shorts, that counts as part of his offseason workout program.

C. Sexton can't be God, because in Tallahassee, Bobby Bowden is.

D. Sexton was returning from a Dave Matthews Band concert, which, of course, explains it all.

E. You realize this could be another tragic tale of a young kid trying to live up to the image and pressures of being a star college quarterback, becoming overwhelmed and suddenly suffering a breakdown. So you immediately cease and desist all jokes and feel empathy for him.

Whole article here

Moonwalker walks

I sincerely hope justice has been served. Hopefully the jurors were not swayed by the celebrity status of the accused. And I haven't seen the evidence. I can't say for sure if he did it or not. I will trust in the judgment of my peers.

All I know is that we were creeped out by the stuff he admitted to when we saw him interviewed on ABC last year.

Dr. StrangeLiturgy (iMonk)

I was reading over at the Boars Head Tavern about the Christian calender. It is interesting isn't it, that we really follow the Hallmark holidays even within our churches. This isn't too much of a big deal to me (Is it really wrong to have a special day to honor mothers!?!). I think the only concern is if we shape too much of what we do around what we're "supposed" to be doing according to the calender. Anyway, the BHT had a link to the Internet Monk and an essay he composed regarding liturgy. Here's a quote...

Evangelicalism has become a cult of celebrities. Leading pastors are superstars, even cult-like figures of adoration and near-worship. Most evangelical worship encourages this imitation of the entertainer. Musicians, preachers, worship leaders all take their cues in style, dress and manner from the entertainment idolatry of our culture. Liturgical worship does not encourage this, and actually works against it by restraining the minister within the liturgy. The minister is the servant of the Word. He is ordained for the ministry of Word and sacrament, and his personality must become his servant that the Word might be heard and seen.

You can read the whole thing here.

Thoughts?

Cats use fax as toilet, spark house fire - Yahoo! News

Too funny, read here

Grill

Admit it.

Things just taste better cooked on the grill.

OK, time to head home.

So, why does Vader torture Han, Leia and Chewie in ESB?

Great explanation here

Latest 'Star Wars' score is an emotional adventure

Boston Globe article here

Tracking Arlene: First Coast Will Feel Impact By Tomorrow

Here we go again...

First Coast News | Top Stories

FIRST POST

I've taken my first step into a larger world.