Thoughts

Christianity started out in Palestine as a fellowship; it moved to Greece and became a philosophy; it moved to Italy and became an institution; it moved to Europe and became a culture; it came to America and became an enterprise.

Agree/Disagree?

A new experience

So I have heard people talk, write, romanticize about this... but it has never happened to me ... until now!!! You know how it goes ... you are standing in a crowded room and a certain person walks into the room. Your both scanning the room and when your eyes meet theres something that stirs you inside. And as you continue to gaze you know thats its a mutual feeling. Fortunately I was able to catch this moment on video tape [although a little shakey- stupid zoom]. Take a look. I have to admit .... my heart melted.


I learned a thousand lessons in those few seconds that transpired. One of them was the desire for a son to have Dad's recognition and the depth that that brings to his life. I can never forget the power of that light that came into his eyes when he saw his dad.
Ethan and Aidan I am your biggest fan and know that I am proud of you, I love you and I will always support you!!! NO MATTER WHAT!!!
[PS Love the nose picker classmate too...]

Expectation

In many leadership roles a leader must learn to manage expectations.
What is the greater challenge?

Working through the expectations of those you lead and lead with?
or working through your own internal expectation of yourself?

Jettison the Candy Canes

Just a few short weeks until Xmas. Every year I try a strategy with my boys. I get one of those mini-candy canes and I put it in a highly visible spot in our home. I tell the boys when thet see these candy canes that if they wait they will grow and Grow and Grow. My plan is that every few days I get a bigger candy cane and trade it while they are asleep so eventually they would have one of those massive candy canes. It would bring out this wonder and awe of a mysteriously growing candy cane and an element of perseverance.
Now of course all they can think about is that little one before their eyes. So far no matter how well we lay out the plan they jettison the plans for a taste of that little candy cane.

I have experienced this on several levels with many people. One thing that I know about myself is that I REALLY believe in people and I want to see them succeed. Often times I have sat down with a person and helped them discover some personal goals. In doing this I have watched some pretty amazing and inspiring plans laid out BUT in the midst of tough times people jettison themselves from those plans. Challenges come and panic sets in and quick decisions are made that throw everything out the window. So this leads me to a few questions

1. How many times in our lives do we jettison ourselves from a preferred future in a moment of difficult times?

2. When are there moments when we exchange a better future to ease that sense of panic or fear?

3. Why do we avoid fear?

4. Are we aware that in the middle of those moments of panic those are the moments where we are able to find solutions and breakthrough?

In your dark moment... don't panic ... don't jettison yourself on the eve of your breakthrough?

Just maybe ... just maybe tomorrow morning there will be a bigger candy cane.

And Now for something Completely Different

I haven't really allow this side of my life to be expressed on this Blog ... I am an avid entrepeneur. I love to see ideas become reality and then monetized. I am always exploring ideas and finding ways to create wealth. Maybe in the near future you may see a blog dedicated to this avenue of my life, I am bouncing some ideas around about starting a group of entrepeneurs that want to create wealth together and explore and pursue ideas. These things are important to expanding our 'kingdom' influence

But for now I thought I would post this article that I wrote for another entrepeneurs blog. This is one strategy that I have found to be working well.

Give it a read...



6 Simple steps to Creating your wealth.

There are a variety of options to build a wealth portfolio. I have a strategy that I have done that is working well, has marginal risk and would be considered a conservative approach. My primary residence is my source of building a portfolio. When I purchase a home I have a certain criteria that I follow. There a different options here depending on your own preference. I focus on new homes but it can be done with older homes... Just more hassle. A caveat must be laid out here... It does not always work as planned so a person must be ready to hold on to a place if needed.

1) Look for a new development in a community that is growing. New developments tend to want to get some of their first units sold. So pricing is aggressive and a quick research study will show that your best opportunity is in phase 1. The last place I bought I got a 3000 $ gas card as well as a good price. I bought the first place in the whole complex (keeping on top of the emerging developments always helps).

2) The strategy is to decide before you even move in what your magic number is. How much equity gain is worth the flip. My number is usually 40000 this will cover all your legal fees as leave you with some good coin.

3) Timing - when the market has grown and your equity is where you want it begin to shop around and kick the tires on some deals. Be prepared to move quick if need be. Our last place sold in 1 showing.

4) always always always... Buy something that will fit in with market demand. Don't buy a one bedroom condo in a community that is built towards young families. 2 bedroom townhomes 1200 -1300 square feet are good items right now because the market caters to first time buyers who probably will not want much more or can't afford much more.

5) Keep it rollin...try as much as possible to roll your gains into your next purchase. I have not done this in every case simply because I wanted to do other ventures but as much as possible let that money roll into your equity. You decide what that means for you... I like to risk and try new things thus I have lost a lot of money as well as made a fair sum.

6) Stick to the plan do this strategy every 12-18 months depending on the market and you should be able to have next to 500,000 after about 6-7 years ... Provided you keep rolling and do your homework.I have done this threetimes in the last 24 months and have grossed over 115,000.

Love to hear your thoughts...

What is your Question

I hear many times in many conversations with people emerging, submerging, diverging, or other [insert your own] a common thread. I am not sure where it comes from but its a common thread. "I want to know my purpose" "Discover what your purpose is and you will live a fulfilled life." This seems a bit of a myth to me.

We spend a lot of time in our lives looking for 'OUR DESTINY.' BUT I want to encourage you Rather than look for your purpose look at all the questions that you have... about life, about God, about whatever. Sift through all of those questions and find one. I would think that even more important than discovering what your purpose is, is discovering what your question is. What is your big question? The question you always come back to regardless of the shifting landscape of circumstances in your life. When times are good... the question is there... when times are Bad the question is there.

What is your question? that might shed a light on your life journey more than you think. Your questions say much about you and how you see you world. There is no such thing as a wrong question.

Some might say "Who Am I?" for others it might be "Am I good enough?" For others it might be "What next?" or Why?

Take a moment to think it through and then if you dare... Post your question?

FYI - for all you who like to 'fix' others please refrain ... the purpose of this exercise is one of self discovery in a learning community.

Uncertainty

I figure with some blogging happening on truth and certainty . I want to mention I think that the most certainty I have on anything is that we are in times of uncertainty.

Within uncertainty it is more important to identify direction rather than destination. Goals should be replaced by ethics, and transparency enables leadership and management to face uncertainty & complexity in an unknown future.

We must learn how to thrive and grow in uncertainty rather than trying to find certainty.

Agree disagree?

'Nothing' is the space for everything. Live with Negative Capacity

Oh and BTW I am very excited that Kim has decided to enter the world of Blogging

Interesting things to be aware!

There are some interesting things in development in our world ... I track the development of a group called the World Futurist Movement [WFM]. Late last year ... the group came up with 10 major issues that the world will face in the next 50 years.

Many demographic specialist predict the world will reach 9 billion people within 30 yrs. This prediction is based on current trends in population growth. This projection made by many is incorrect however. According to the WFM we fall behind [yearly] in global grain production by 10%. That means 10% of the world is not getting staple foods [aside from the other issues that are causing mass starvation]. North American Corporations such as Ford Motor Co and Husky Oil, as well as several members of Congress and Canadian Politicians are attempting to make a motion that 45% of all North American Grains will be utilized for the production of Ethanol [a fossil fuel replacement]. This again causes a greater need for food and proves a severe lack of vision by several North American Leaders.

In all this ...the bottom line is that the world population will decline.

Found a few interesting articles today that state that this is already happening in Europe and Russia.
"A dramatically declining population is one of the most acute problems facing Russia today. The country's official population, now around 143 million, is shrinking by 700,000 every year. By 2050, some experts predict that the country's population could be as low as 120 million."
Radio Free Europe

"In countries - both modern and less developed -throughout the world, birthrates and fertility rates have fallen at an astonishing rate. Because of extremely low fertility, Europe has already begun losing population and is projected to fall from 725 million today by approximately 100 million people or more by mid-century, and continuing thereafter. Japan will fall from over 125 million to just 110 million. In less developed countries the fertility rate is about 2.7 and falling fast; about 25 such countries are already at or below replacement level.
Among the modern nations, only the United States is an exception to the trend, as it is likely to grow from about 285 million to about 410 million people by mid-century because of higher fertility and continued robust immigration."
FutureScan

Now interestingly enough there is a movie about to come out that kind of plays into this... On Christmas day for that matter [stop and think about this for a second].

Now I don't know about you ...
but someone is trying to say something...

But what
are they trying to say?


This leads me to a few questions
What are the causes of the decline in the Birth rate? Keep in mind that this is a global issue not just a pocket of populations here and there. So its not just economic.

Are there significant sociologic, economic, environmental and theologic implications to this?
How should the church respond to this type of trend?
A fundamentalist approach might be the thoughtless... 'this is a judgement from God.' Is it that?
Or is it something more? Maybe if we dig a little deeper we may uncover a 'Cry from the hearts of men.'

Are we mere victims to a evolutionary development in humanity or are there some key significant thinking processes that are causing this shift?


Is anyone making the connections? Seeing beyond what the trends seem to be saying?

Does hope tie into this? Does hopelessness effect the
birth rate?

Or Trust?

Or community?

Reel Courage

Hey

I think its something to celebrate when someone takes a step towards a dream. Many people dream but few dare to pay the price to see those dreams come to reality.

PROPS to Matt Hawkins who has stepped out in a journey... I am glad to knwo him and have the honor to call him a guy who I work with. Matt if you read this know that I celebrate your successes and will be in your corner in the dark moments.

Read this for more info.

Take courage folks and step out. Stop Dreaming!!! Its time to Act!!!

Confession Time

Ok I have to make an honest and frank confession . . . Many of my acadamia buffs will cringe and maybe not wanto be my friend any more ;) but I just have to throw this out there.

I HATE READING BOOKS... I DO NOT READ BOOKS ... I DO NOT VALUE READING BOOKS!!!

Several times in conversation and someone will stop me and say... you've read Rob Bell's book, or 'that idea is from... such and such a book' and Folks I have to confess .... NO IT IS NOT!!!
I have never read Rob Bell!... I find Brian Mclaren ...very boring, and Donald Miller is a great guy and I have learned a lot from him but I have'nt read his books. Last time I heard him speak I found myself going... these thoughts feel stale.

WHY? YOU ask? Well thanks for asking ...

1) I cannot converse with a book... I cannot challlenge and expand a thinking process. Its there and its static and glaring at me telling me I cannot challenge it and expand on it. I cannot read a book and say... 'WEll I think I agree with a few points and I disagree with others.' That to me is not learning... all that has done is proved that I have an opinion and possibly a very arrogant one.
2) I have been taught all my 'leadership development' years that 'he who reads...leads'... I know many people the claim they read two and three books a month... but where are the exceptional leaders that are emerging from this discipline. People that are going to help shift and change culture. IF those that read lead...then ... PLEASE STAND UP AND DO SOMETHING!!!

3) Regurgitating ideas to me are just that - ... PUKE plain and simple... its when we own an idea that we are transformed by it. NO Let me restate that... Its when we are ready to die for an idea that we are proven to be brilliant/ or delusional.

4) Application of knowledge is what makes people brilliant... not the acquisition of knowledge.

5) What about atmospheric learning... understanding whats happening on a grander scale by processing knowledge thought a wider grid... simliar to that of radio waves. Imagine tuning into all the radio waves that are passing through the air at this moment. Can we intuitively learn from things happening around us? Ever Seen Conspiracy theory... Gathering data and connecting the dots... Those dots can lead you to a remarkable truth.

6) As Alex has mentioned in his blog... Can we learn from the Holy Spirit?

7) Could our system of grading learning be off? Maybe reading is not the best way to learn? My Case - I have never done well in school but I know my mental abilities are above average. I am not suggesting we go out and burn books ... nor am I suggesting people do not learn... but maybe could we try thinking differently about it. I am simply trying to pose a few questions about our value systems.

Of course you are reading this blog ;) Can I get an Amen from anyone out there... or not?

Short and to the point.

The Scriptures have authority ... but the problem is that we mave given our interpretation the same authority. Many times our limited understanding, but arrogant approach has left us shaming the name of Christ.

I believe in the authority of Scripture ... just not our interpretation of it!
When someone today attacks the authority of Scripture stop and think... maybe they are attacking a poor cultural interpretation that has been skewed as the authority or absolute truth.
I do not believe in our perspective on absolute truth and absolture authority... it has been so confused and mixed with cultural Xianity.

It is not our job to defend the scriptures! They Can stand on their own!!!...maybe we should listen to what people are saying and dig a little deeper. I think many people who question authority have a good point but they are too often marginalized as rebellious or faithless.

Many would make accusation of this being heretical and dangerous... but on whose authority?

Comments?

A Progressive Conversation III

Very Good conversation!!!

So the essence of what man lost was the ability to sustain life... [life being a broader word than just the physical]

the fall of man was not that he became evil, bad, or depraved. But more the fact that Man has lost the ability to sustain life... our sinful nature is that death is at work in us... ... Jer makes a great point in that 'man's perception of self was changed.'.. he no longer saw goodness but he saw evil.

the purpose of Jesus was to bring the life giving nature of humankind back to a place where we can live in that sustaining element. And see that he was created and intended for good.

Here is the clincher ... any where there is a life giving element... God is in it!!! I have seen this First hand in my experience. People doing good ... the spirit of Jesus oozing out everywhere.

Jesus is a 'life giving spirit'... 'I have come that you might have life and have it to the full'

One of the mysteries of the kingdom I think is that the lifegiving nature of Christ is 'amoung men, in the the midst of men' and at work in them eventhough they do not know it.

Life can be given by even those who we do not recognize as Xian... is it still God? How is it that in some cases the lifegiving nature of Christ is completely absent from those that call themselves Christian?

But yet those that do not know Christ operate in this regularly. Its almost that they know the spirit of Christ but not him personally.

Does this make any sense?

Now filter all moral decisions through this grid... does it give life or death. That is more accurate to the nature of God over a 'right and wrong' approach.

A Progressive Converstation II

So here is a thought ....

****Note --for all those BIBLE/DOCTRINE police out there ... all of these posts are filtered through a scriptural grid... [YES I know some may find it hard to believe I do believe in the BIBLE ] ... there is a scritpural lense to corraborate this 'theologicial exploration.' I purposely do not list it to save time, and keep it simple.***
***Nor do I try to expand on all the conceptual triggers I am making to peoples comments and thought processes...it would take too long to do this****
****To be conclusive with my thoughts would defeat the purpose of this conversation.***




Looking at some of the great stuff folks have been writing I have to summarize a few


Alex --- Good = the likeness of God.



Cathy --- Some good can bring death?




Jeffro --- All good is God's



Matthew --- good is finding those redeeming qualities of life


Good is the essense of God... Good is life... God is life... All life comes from God... God saw what he made and that is was lifegiving and complete[it was good].




What was lost when man[kind] 'fell'?

Did everything become evil?

Was the good that God spoke of completely removed erased from existence?

Was God looking at his creation and saying 'It is very bad?'

Does any creative being after their creation appears to be less than ideal say such things about their handiwork?

God's articulation on 'good' is its ability to sustain and create life.
If its good then its lifegiving and produces more life... if its evil it brings death!

Agree....Disagree?

A Progressive Conversation

So after a meaningful converstaion today over slurpees with a few thinkers [Steveo, Dan, and Blake, and some Metrosexual who sat and gazed into his philosphy textbook but said nothing]. I was provoked to look at some things...

a little different

So I want to try something a little different...

I want to post three posts over the next seven days ... Several questions and several statements?
Its a progressive conversation... BUT The only way this works is if you share your thoughts so lets give it a try ...

First Question....

God Created man 'after his own image.' When all was said and done God said "IT WAS VERY GOOD"

WHAT IS GOOD?

Reflections from an airplane...

On a recent flight to Toronto I met an absolutely intriguing person. I found myself engaged on a meaningful and inspiring conversation for the full flight...from the moment I sat down to the moment I got up to leave [with the exception of the inflight movie and a few bathroom breaks].

Mary Doyle-Powell is a brilliant woman who works with Gifted Children in Ireland [and is a part of the Legion of Mary (another post I will write on this)]. One of the things that we spent quite some time dialoguing on was that every person needs someone else to draw out of them their potential. Many people who 'do not succeed' are unsuccessful because they do not have someone simply believing in them and acknowledging them in their uniqueness.

"Gifted children have special needs that other children do not have. It is often said that "the cream rises to the top" but it is not true that gifted children will succeed on their own without help"

... now stop and think about this for a minute...

how many times to we take this 'cream' mentality to our leadership development and people development? Maybe some of the greatest leaders in your group/class/organization are the quiet ones who don't seem to fit in or are hiding their giftedness to avoid being isolated from their friends.

Those ones who make your job difficult and are somewhat a pain in the keester... are probably the ones who could make a significant difference in your organization.

Now lets shift again for a moment... much talk is spent on the degenerate nature of humanity [frankly this tires me and really accomplishes little] ... but lets think for amoment about the beauty and wonder of God's amazing Creation. Every person created has a uniqueness to contribute to humanity [a special giftedness]. Each persons contribution has a value ... but ...
does your value system embrace their uniqueness? ...
Does it allow them to grow and discover who they are? ...
Does your value system release people to be eccentric or 'to color outside the lines'?
or does it require a certain conformity to fit into your value currency?


Many people claim to value people but at the end of the day do we really value them? Or are they simply a commodity that can be exchanged in our human-economic system?

Thoughts ??? ...

Mary ...You brought hope to me that there are people who honestly and genuinely BELIEVE and want to see people succeed in who they are made to be. Your FAITH IS REAL!!!

I hope to visit you with my family one day in your beautiful little 1000 yr old town. Meetings are never by Chance ...

What is the picture in your mind???

I think when it comes to our understanding about 'the poor' we are continually missing the point. This was inspired after having a great dialogue with Jeremy Postal and the young adult gang at Classic Rythms a few months ago. We were dialoging on Kingdom language.

In talking about the poor we automatically assume we are talking about a certain class of people. As soon as we envision “poor people” we would most likely have a neighbourhood in mind which would be classified as poor.
Or maybe we have a person in mind, or a street corner where a lot of homeless people seem to hang out. The first thing we should all notice is that whenever we think of poor we think of lack of money. We think of bad housing, crappy jobs, kids with old clothing, sleeping on cement and welfare; all benefactors of not having enough money.

What if the poor that the Bible speaks of isn’t a money thing?

It’s difficult for us to separate the term money from the term poor because money is easy. It’s easy to look at someone and know they are poor. It’s also easy (so we think) to fix them, we just throw money at them.

If we stopped using money as our judgement system I think we would have a lot different of a definition of what poor was around us. Just because someone has lots of money, doesn’t mean they are not poor, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t in need.

Just because someone has no money, and may live in conditions we wouldn’t wish for our pets doesn’t mean that they are poor and want our money. If we could actually train ourselves to not think in terms of poor and rich but in terms of Christ’s value upon them I think we would start to see progress.

The kingdom seems to be about abolishing our cast systems, and that doesn’t happen by constantly pointing at a group of people and saying that they are poor and that you (being rich) are there to help them.
This is probably why Christ told the rich to get rid of everything and give it to the poor and in the same lifetime commended the poor widow for getting rid of everything also.

Jesus took money out of the equation. Money does not matter to God... it is not a factor of value. If you have lots thats ok... if you have little thats ok too. So stop trying to fuss about those that have and those that don't. Sometimes I want to stand up and say ...Just Stop it!!! Our theology of economics is way out of wack!!!

After the poor widow gave her two pennies and if the rich young ruler ever sold all his stuff, they would be equal, the would be where Christ wanted them, unable to achieve status through which we are inclined to try to, through money.

What if in the kingdom, poor wasn’t about money at all?

What if in the kingdom money wasn’t our currency for goods, love, power and security but it was something else?

Jesus ministry didn’t just consist of the poor, it also consisted of the rich, money swindling tax collectors also. Obviously Jesus saw some sort of ‘poor’ characteristic in these rich tax collectors. Maybe our definition of poor needs to change.

But what would it even change to?

On the beach for last week of Summer... but ...

What is the Gospel?

We speak so much about incarnational ..but when it comes to evangelism there are so many people that are so disconnected from their faith that it is not only irrelevant to the world around them but it is powerless in them as well.

Mental assent is not missional life! We like to cramm our evangelism in a moment when we have someone cornered in the bathroom or in a line up at starbucks, or lunch etc [or enter cheesy street evangelist with 'Turn or Burn Sandwich board].

I have a friend who encountered a certain rally of Christians marching and waving their 'Pro-life' paraphanalia for all to see. MY Friend decided to make a sign that said 'Pro-choice' and stand in an alternate line and wave her banner. The result was interesting... the people began shouting and swearing at her and speaking 'death filled' words. These people were Waving one sign for life and their words and actions were speaking death.

Is this the Gospel that we are proclaiming?

Do we assume that everyone who is not a "Xian' is deaf and cannot hear from God?

My thought I want to throw out this week is this...

"Christians would be far more like Jesus if they focused on drawing out of people what God has already left in them rather than trying to put in what God has left out"

Comments?

Art? Lost in the walls and hallways of our minds.

Take a minute to watch the Video...




In summary
Respond accordingly

1) What does this art say/mean to you?

2) What are you doing to make statements/cause tension/stir conversation in your community?

3) Where in your life are you getting your faith off the 'walls' and into the real world?

Inspired by a Friend

Avenge-lism ... What the...????

"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
Ghandi

What does it mean to be effectively reaching our world?

What really bothers me is that in many cases we have made evangelism to be something so unnatural and awkward. I think some of this comes to our misunderstanding of what the Gospel is... as well as our misunderstanding of what people think about God and spirituality.

I have many many thoughts to share on this[in following articles]. To be short this time I want to make a statement:

Of all religions, Christianity is without a doubt the one that should inspire tolerance most, although, up to now, the Christians have been the most intolerant of all men

Agree/Disagree? Why?

Faith and Mission ... the Seed bed for doubt and confusion.

Our faith should not harness us
it should release us.

If you are not doing things for the kingdom because you are overtly concerned with whether its the 'right thing' or that its 'being done right' then I might suggest your faith is weak and not accomplishing its work in your life.

**** DON'T READ ANY MORE ****You could stop right here and respond....


Has your faith or mission brought you to places of doubt and confusion?

True Mission and faith will always lead us to places of question and even confusion about what we really believe about life and Godliness.

How has your faith pushed you to think about expressing things differently? Living life a little on the edge of that line... And in some cases over the line?
Has your faith caused you to ask yourself... There must be more to this?

**** IF YOU HAVE READ TO HERE **** Maybe you want to stop and respond now

Has your mission caused you to go to places that some (or even yourself) would say its not a good place to be but yet your relentless desire live a missional life draws you in like magnet to steel.

Are there moments where your mind (and sometimes a few self-righteous people) suggests I should not be here but your spirit says boldly 'I was made for this'

Have you discovered that there is more life in the world that you thought was dead?

Or are you comfortable with your paint and canvas and really only painting what you imagine the world to be like. Almost blindly stroking the canvas of your world with your black and white and grey but the color and experience that you long for (That will make your painting a real masterpeice) is where you are not supposed to go?

I have come to a place in my life that I want color ... Color is life and I will walk any path, embrace any confusion, and question any question in order to find that perfect tone or hue of the real Jesus at work in the world around me.

Am I opposed to black and white and grey... No! But I want more. There has to be more and I refuse to live in a grayscale world.

Where are you? RESPONSE?

What is Church Anyways?

One of the defining features of our culture is the desire to self-resource. And the internet is probably the ultimate expression of that self-resourcing. I seek the resources I need for my holiday, my banking, and my insurance on-line. I must confess I have probably spent well over 50,000 on ebay alone.

This change has affected the way that many of us think about our belonging. No longer do we belong to an organization or an institution in order to serve that organization or institution. We look to it to serve us. Instead of being contributors to our communities, we are 'consumers' of them. Now before we jump on the 'consumerism is bad' band wagon and its THE problem of the Western world... hear me out.

It may well be that participant members of Churches remain participants, regardless of the difficulties of participation, because they have a sense of the importance of the institution for the maintenance and transmission of the faith. The key task of the church is to maintain and transmit the faith to others.

On the other hand it may be that the increasing failure to participate by so many is a direct result of a loss of faith in such institutions as places that are effective in their key tasks, and these institutions make demands on us that do not contribute either to mission or personal growth. No help maintaining our faith and no help transmitting our faith. Confession again... I am embarrassed to take my unbelieving friend to church because it feels like a strange world ... even for me.

This is not necessarily a good thing. It may not be a healthy thing. But it is happening, and if the Christian Church is to be truly incarnational, it cannot simply decry what is, and become fruitlessly self-absorbed in what might be.

So it should be no surprise to discover that there are some people, maybe more than a few, who want to be part of a Christian community, to commit themselves to one another in prayer, in learning, and in social action, without the hassle and clutter of participation in the local church?
We could, of course, simply respond by saying that "the Church is, above all things, a sacred community where meeting together is of the essence of what we are. And those people are falling away from the essence of the Christian faith."

But if that was the sum of our response... We would merely add to the number of people that we fail to reach, and increase the number of people that we alienate because we want them to be other than what they are. Creating a hypoctical faith and something that is anti-christ. Jesus was about helping us be who we are not someone we are not.

We cannot blame people who are taught all the skills of self-resourcing from primary school upwards, if they then take those skills and use them to resource their own spiritual pilgrimage.

But could we blame the Church if we failed to respond to them by offering an alternative way to participate in Christian community, and confining them to a choice of sunday-worship-based congregation or nothing?

Thoughts?

Ring Ring.... BLOGGO! Trying to blog from my phone... a new experience.

In an interesting dialogue with a friend establishing a very valuable ministry in a community...
We began to wonder if Jesus really cared whether he was written in the Values of the organization... Is Jesus a value? Are we so intense about proclaiming our stance or our position that we exclude others who may be on the same journey to God as us? What does Jesus value more... our doctrinal position or people?
Is He so insecure that He has to be named in the foundational values of the or is he more focused on valuing community?
Rather than focusing on distinctives maybe we should be focusing on similarity?
...
I know, I know... what about watering down the truth? Well as I see it...distinctives have led us to so many wars, and crusades of varying sorts they have only marred a beautiful story that God has been desiring to pen in the heart of every culture and people.I would suggest inquiry with those that tradition has seperated might lead us to a deeper understanding of the Grace, love and judgement of God. More judgement is reserved for our distinctives than anything.

Don't have a Vision statement - HAVE VISION - For Christ's Sake

WHO ARE YOU?
What you see is who you are!!!

Vision is more than a statement.
Statements only make statements;
they do not
conjure images,
or stir faith in people
or give a
sense of preferred future.
A vision is nothing
less than a vision;
it is
something you can see,
something that is better
than what exists,
and is the meaning
behind your relentless action.

IMAGE IS EVERYTHING!!!

Values

a value system is essential to being human.

W H Y ?

if you have not
already thoughtfuly articulated one,
then you are using the default one that your brain
has gathered from experience and passed down by family.

living with your default value system
means that you are always reacting to life
in a way that you can't control.
you do things
that you don't understand.
your thoughts
are confusing to you.
your choices
are inconsistent.
your friends
could be harmful.

your brain
HAS a value system...
but you just don't know what it is.
it's been placed there

subliminally

and does not
necessarily have any rhyme or reason.
the brain automatically
files experiences
and does not determine the true value of long-term gain.

Think about your Vision and Values...

Might help you
Remember

Who you are?

Theotech - A theology of Technology

When we refuse to incorporate computers into a coherent, comprehensive world view that includes who we are materially, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually, we perpetuate a host of time-honored Western dualisms between self and other, mind and body, nature and culture. These false dualisms -- which have been the intellectual vogue for 400 years -- have created enormously damaging personal and environmental consequences. We struggle desperately to find meaning in a splintered world. We live in a vast chasm of our own creation located between the organic and the made, the sacred and the profane. When all around us is split into pieces, there is no center that holds. We are aliens in the very world we have constructed.

The Scriptures teach that 'a double minded man is unstable in all his ways' Could it be that the ineffectiveness of the 21st century church is due to this doubleminded world view?

Its not what we create that is detrimental to us [for creative power is from God] but it is the dual view that there is such a thing as sacred and profane [secular] that creates dis-integrated humanity.

The only thing that is secular is SIN [Period].
Reading this demands a response.

Can we say Hygenically Challenged!!!

Well this is the real story! More on the historymaker DVD. I don't know what to say?



Nice work Matt Hawkins and Steve Zunic!

Thinking Critically about Critical thinking

I find it interesting in much of the dialogues that I hear today that there are two worlds. Those that think, and those that don't. Sounds odd but it is true. There are many people that just live life without much thought at all. So in saying that I have heard much of in my life is ... So as a man thinks - So is he. This leads me to another thought... for people that tend not to think... are they nothing???
For those that do think ... they only seem to think in one way ... is that thinking? Or merely a ghost of genuine/virtual thought?

The people who are praised as such intelligent thinkers are applying citical thought to their world. How is that intelligent? I must admit that critical thought is valuable but its limited in its outcomes? There are only so many outcomes that come out of critical thinking processes. Its usually a win lose dynamic every time. One or the other.

So can critical thinking actually bring change? Is it really thinking? Thoughts?

A Special Clip for a friend

Hey folks! Just for all your Mullet lovin, Dreams Unlimited people here is a little something special for you.