I gotta have more cowbell, fellas!

I got a fever...and the only prescription is more cowbell!!!

Quote of the Day

"In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." -- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Creeps

Third Space

Fall is coming, and it's time to

EXHALE

@ the Elephant & Castle

3500 Cessna Dr. Richmond

STARTING SEPTEMBER 12

Since we never really finished this topic from the summer,
let's keep going

Six Trends Driving Culture

Come and enjoy some space to relax, have a drink, and good conversation!!

there's more here

I kinda wanted a yellow one

I've been thinking a lot lately about money. Well, that's not true, it's more like being generous. We've been discussing this at BREATHE and a couple of us are considering a covenant of sorts. Generous Living Covenant. I understand each of those words independently but, not as a principle. When we consider that we have more than the rest of the world, that we throw out as garbage what many in the world would treasure, it's an easy decision. All we have (and are) is a gift from God--even our next breath.

I have too many clothes (too much 'stuff' in general really), It's embarrassing. I want to reflect the open, giving, extravagant, character of God. Is what I have, my stuff outdated and not-good-enough? Compared to what, to whom?

My daughter works at a movie theatre--actually it's a giant complex with a dozen or more theatres, I-max, etc. She works in the concession area. A few days ago she told me about a mother and daughter who were trying to buy some popcorn to eat during their movie, though they didn't have enough money since they spent it all on the tickets. The guy behind them in line heard the conflict and while the pair stood to the side to accept that there would be no popcorn, said, "Oh that's alright, let me look after it." And dropped a twenty to cover their snacks, paid for his own too and ....
walked away.

I want to be that guy.

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 1 Timothy 6:17

Lost in Translation

Caption this 6 ...

That's My King

My King was born King. The Bible says He’s a Seven Way King. He’s the King of the Jews – that’s a racial King. He’s the King of Israel – that’s a National King. He’s the King of righteousness. He’s the King of the ages. He’s the King of Heaven. He’s the King of glory. He’s the King of kings and He is the Lord of lords. Now that’s my King. Well I wonder if you know Him. Do you know Him? Don’t try to mislead me. Do you know my King? David said the Heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament show His handiwork. My King is the only telescope can bring into visibility the coastline of His shore of supplies. No barriers can hinder Him from pouring out His blessing. Well, well, He’s enduringly strong. He’s entirely sincere. He’s eternally steadfast. He’s immortally graceful. He’s imperially powerful. He’s impartially merciful. That’s my King. He’s God’s Son. He’s the sinner’s saviour. He’s the centrepiece of civilization. He stands alone in Himself. He’s august. He’s unique. He’s unparalleled. He’s unprecedented. He’s supreme. He’s pre-eminent. Well, He’s the loftiest idea in literature. He’s the highest personality in philosophy. He’s the supreme problem in high criticism. He’s the fundamental doctrine of proved theology. He’s the carnal necessity of spiritual religion. That’s my King. He’s the miracle of the age. He’s the superlative of everything good that you choose to call Him. Well, He’s the only one able to supply all of our needs simultaneously. He supplies strength for the weak. He’s available for the tempted andone whom there are no means of measure can define His limitless love. No far seeing the tried. He sympathizes and He saves. He’s strong God and He guides. He heals the sick. He cleanses the lepers. He forgives sinners. He discharged debtors. He delivers the captives. He defends the feeble. He blesses the young. He serves the unfortunate. He regards the aged. He rewards the diligent and He beautifies the meek. Do you know Him? Well, my King is the key of knowledge. He’s the wellspring of wisdom. He’s the doorway of deliverance. He’s the pathway of peace. He’s the roadway of righteousness. He’s the highway of holiness. He’s the gateway of glory. He’s the master of the mighty. He’s the captain of the conquerors. He’s the head of the heroes. He’s the leader of the legislatures. He’s the overseer of the overcomers. He’s the governor of governors. He’s the prince of princes. He’s the King of kings and He’s the Lord of lords. That’s my King. Yeah. Yeah. That’s my King. My King, yeah. His office is manifold. His promise is sure. His light is matchless. His goodness is limitless. His mercy is everlasting. His love never changes. His Word is enough. His grace is sufficient. His reign is righteous. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Well. I wish I could describe Him to you, but He’s indescribable. He’s indescribable. Yes. He’s incomprehensible. He’s invincible. He’s irresistible. I’m coming to tell you, the heavens of heavens cannot contain Him, let alone a man explaining Him. You can’t get Him out of your mind. You can’t get Him off of your hands. You can’t outlive Him and you can’t live without Him. Well, Pharisees couldn’t stand Him, but they found out they couldn’t stop Him. Pilot couldn’t find any fault in Him. The witnesses couldn’t get their testimonies to agree. Herod couldn’t kill Him. Death couldn’t handle Him and the grave couldn’t hold Him. That’s my King. Yeah. He always has been and He always will be. I’m talking about He had no predecessor and He’ll have no successor. There was nobody before Him and there’ll be nobody after Him. You can’t impeach Him and He’s not going to resign. That’s my King! That’s my King! Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory. Well, all the power belongs to my King. We’re around here talking about black power and white power and green power, but it’s God’s power. Thine is the power. Yeah. And the glory. We try to get prestige and honour and glory for ourselves, but the glory is all His. Yes. Thine is the Kingdom and the power and glory, forever and ever and ever and ever. How long is that? And ever and ever and ever and ever. And when you get through with all of the evers, then, Amen.

First Fruit

There is something deeply satisfying about agriculture. Nurturing plants to the point of producing fruit is rewarding and renewing. It is spiritual and super-natural. That God blesses us with the privilege of caring for nature and to then be rewarded with food to eat...what a truly worshipful experience. And then to be able to share that fruit generously with others...whoa! can there be anything more divine?

"So, summing up: On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have brought your crops in from your fields, celebrate the Feast of God for seven days. The first day is a complete rest and the eighth day is a complete rest. On the first day, pick the best fruit from the best trees; take fronds of palm trees and branches of leafy trees and from willows by the brook and celebrate in the presence of your God for seven days—yes, for seven full days celebrate it as a festival to God." Lev. 23

What must change now Part 2

So now I draw back my bow and release the arrow into the mist to a target I can only see in my ‘minds eye.’ It is not my purpose to be comprehensive, but to focus on three sweeping issues that dominate my present state of thought.

1. The cultivation of appetite
The growth of the church in the Global South has to do with spiritual appetite. The lack of goods and services in places like East Africa contribute to the growth of the church. It is not that these people are different in their spirits than Westerners; it is that when the material comforts are stripped away, everything around you screams, “I need help.” Whether it is slaves in 19th Century America or unemployed young men wandering the streets in 21st Century Rwanda, deprivation and oppression tend to create a hunger for God. This is sorely lacking in the West and particularly in the gluttonous life that is the United States. If we would exchange places with those lacking in material wealth, I am sure they would become like us as fast as we would become like them. What does this have to do with creating a coherent alternative to our present system? There must be a concerted effort to create a spiritual appetite in the existing church. It could be argued that there already exists a significant spiritual appetite in the general culture. There are many signs that even when your belly is full of all that the “good life” can provide, there is still an inner emptiness that cannot be filled by the glut of opulence and entertainment. But I contend this search for meaning is selfish, demanding a designer god that can give meaning without sacrifice, forgiveness without repentance, and success without cost. So I say it very carefully, this appetite must be cultivated among those already Christian. The evangelical belly is full of CDs, DVDs, sermons, books, seminars, and packaged answers. Leaders look at this sumptuous feast before them and say, “ I can’t eat another bite” as they push back from the table. What is required is to find the kind of spiritual food that they are hungry for, that being I believe is the hunger to live and work from a satisfied soul. This means a radical change in what we teach, the environment that we create, what we reward, and what we punish. It will require a different kind of leadership, a rehabilitated clergy detoxified from the mania that drives them to cultural definitions of success. A newly defined laity that sees themselves as ambassadors and that the real action of making disciples is “out there” where they live work and play and, not “in here.” The gathered church.

2. Redefine what it means to be Christian
An interesting discussion that won’t take place here is why the word Christian won in general usage over Disciple. Christian used three times in the New Testament has been preferred over Disciple, used 269 times. Christian seems to be a word that has lost its meaning more so than those who think Disciple is passé. It seems that outside the Church Christians are thought of as intolerant, even hateful, they are critics and judges. It is a title that has disappeared into the fog of Western culture to define religious origin. Inside the Church, Christian has become a word that describes agreement with a set of religious ideas; it does not require action or movement. Some evangelical leaders don’t like Disciple because it sounds too demanding, too tired and out of reach for the seekers. This is not a call for the elimination of the word Christian; it is a call to recapture the richness of the word Disciple and how a change in language can be a change in mind set and then behavior. Disciple is a robust word; it calls upon a person to give an answer to God, to do something, to follow and in doing so create an opportunity for transformation. Answering the call to discipleship means positioning oneself for spiritual formation. It requires intentionality, self-denial, and commitment to follow Jesus wherever He leads. As Bonhoeffer aptly stated, “Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.” This really comes down to how members of the Church view themselves. Are we primarily members of an organization by belief or doctrine alone, or is the expectation that we are obedient followers of Jesus ready for a life of spiritual sacrifice? This redefinition is more than verbiage, it requires a change in the way laity and clergy alike see themselves and their work. This is at its genesis vital for leaders, because leaders create the environments in which the Church lives. In Working the Angles Eugene Peterson describes the problem of the pastor. “ The pastors of America have metamorphosed into a company of shopkeepers, and the shops they keep are churches. They are preoccupied with shopkeepers’ concerns-how to keep the customers happy, how to lure customers away from competitors down the street, how to package the goods so that the customers will lay out more money… The pastor’s responsibility is to keep the community attentive to God. It is this responsibility that is being abandoned in spades.” The Clergy must be introduced and trained in what it means to lead people into a life of humility, obedience, submission and sacrifice. Helping others learn how to seek God, to listen to God, and to follow God on that basis.

3. Change the center of gravity
This will call upon everyone to make significant sacrifice. What must be sacrificed are the rewards and advantages of our present system. The center of gravity is now the church meeting. It must change to the church, as it exists in the general community. For thirty years I have been writing about this needed shift and some progress, has been made, but thus far, the church meeting still reigns. Church attendance, as the measure of success remains an idol that too many dances before. It is not that the church meeting is not important; in fact it is absolutely necessary. The problem we face is that our system of thought rewards what happens on Sunday much more than what happens between Sundays. This may seem like an old and tired complaint, but it does not make it any less critical to a redirection of our effort. They’re no commands in scripture for non-Christians to go to church. The natural flow of the church was set on its very first day. The people had waited and God filled them with Himself, they could not contain themselves, they ran into the streets to tell everyone. Disciples are called to gather for edification, then to go tell the world in which they live. The present system rewards both the pastor and parishioner based on the success of a Sunday experience. That is where the money and talent is spent. The center of gravity needs to change from the church meeting and be reset in every home, business, club, where the kingdom exists in the hearts of its citizens. For this to happen, pioneers will be required to teach us how to make disciples where we live, work and play. The creation of communities of grace in the middle of the harvest field will be able to touch the people we are called to reach. As Elton Trueblood put it, “ If there should emerge in our day such a fellowship, wholly without artificiality and free from the dead hand of the past, it would be an exciting event of momentous importance. A society of genuine loving friends, set free from the self-seeking struggle for personal prestige and from all unreality, would be something unutterably priceless and powerful. A wise person would travel any distance to join it.”

*sigh*

What Must Change Now

German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer distinguished talent from genius, “ Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see.” Thus far the target has been to define the problem in the Church, now the mission shifts to the solution. The problem has been a target we can see and because of the intellectual talent of TACT, we have hit the target, probably not a “Bulls eye” but nonetheless, within the target. Now we turn to a work fit only for the genius, to shoot at a target that is unclear, that is illusive, and sometimes hidden. The only genius we have is the “mind of Christ.” The only access to the mind of Christ is the Holy Spirit, and so the target will be revealed via prayer, consideration of the scripture, and the wisdom of our years of knowing God and His work. We know what the target is not, it is not the conditions and results that we now have. Another philosopher, a former Baptist from Missouri, Dallas Willard has said that our current system is perfectly designed to give us the results we are now getting. Some of that current system is;
Worship as performance,
Leadership as celebrity,
Greatness measured by numbers,
Salvation by agreement with religious facts,
Evangelism without incarnation,
Discipleship as optional,
Catering to consumer mentality,

and I could go on. All this could be the result of the Gospel we advance. I am not adverse to Brian McLaren’s muse; “ It will serve the church if we spend the next 15-20 years asking the question, ‘ what is the gospel?’ So what is a different system that would give us different results? That would give us

Worship as a heartfelt answer to God,
Leadership as humble service,
Greatness measured by character,
Salvation by a decision to follow Jesus,
Evangelism as love,
Discipleship as normative,
Catering to the committed.

this from Bill Hull , M.Div. more to come...

Rule #1 Be Flexible

The bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you refuse to take the turn.

Live Nude God

Why is it that porn sites are so popular? Well, aside from the inherent appeal to all ESPN viewers, porn sites know a few things about human psychology (and anatomy, too, I guess).

One thing the builders of porn sites know is this: the Internet was built for speed and accessibility. Speed can be addictive and very powerful if used effectively. Porn sites give users quick hits (please insert pun here). They are addictive because they collapse the amount of time between each encounter with the ladies. If you don't like the blonde, then a brunette is just a click away.

Satan uses speed every day to addict men and women around the world to the darker side of sexuality. Satan also uses accessibility every day to lure people away from righteousness. Satan and his cronies give Internet users quick access to something they want. We all know that postmoderns want spiritual stuff, so why is it that churches don't give them quick access to God?

I believe the modern church has decidedly made God very inaccessible, especially to postmoderns. What do I mean? Well, take for instance the oft-repeated phrase "I believe in God, but not in religion." What's behind that statement is an underlying dissatisfaction with the church's presentation of God. It seems that the church is trying to hide God behind mediocre systems of theology and banal quips that attest to the fact we've put God in a box (e.g., "God never closes a door without opening a window." "God never gives us more than we can handle." Gimme' a break!). I think these cover-ups actually reveal a kind of hegemonic exercising of threatened power from those who "control" theology and dispense it only as it keeps them in power. That's a whole other discussion, but for whatever reason, church leaders often clothe God beneath impenetrable layers of muck.

What postmoderns really want is raw God. We want a naked God. We want an arousing God whom we can see, feel, and experience. And by the way, we want it instantly. Give a postmoderns instant accessibility to God and s/he will become addicted to the One Most High (What, you think porn is more addictive than God? Get real.).

VOICE IN MY HEAD: But wait. Isn't God a relationship, and don't relationships take time to develop? That's a good question. Let me address it with a story. I remember hearing an old James Dobson interview with Ted Bundy, you know, the serial killer from the 1970's. Bundy eventually became a follower of Jesus. But way before that dramatic conversion, he raped and murdered a bunch of people. In the interview with Dobson, Bundy attests to the fact that his road to infamy began with a fascination with porn magazines. Luckily, casual encounters with Playboy don't always lead to a life of mindless sex and violence - otherwise my entire 8th grade baseball team would have become serial killers.

However, Bundy touches on a powerful truth. In fact, Jesus mentioned this truth as well: mustard seeds eventually get big. Just as easily accessed encounters with nude women can lead to dastardly deeds, so too can brief, quick, and raw encounters with God grow into a deep and very personal relationship. But drawn out, boring, and insipid encounters with a bunch of God-talk will never amount to much of anything. If pictures of nude women can transform ordinary men into monsters, then what can a raw encounter with God do? Just ask S/Paul. A relationship with God does take time to develop, but it can start with one or more quick and powerful interactions with the Almighty. Get a postmodern addicted to God, and you will eventually have a follower of Jesus. The key is this: addiction results from easy access to a very powerful thing.

VOICE IN MY HEAD: Fine. How then does the church make God easily accessible?

Here are a few suggestions for church leaders.

First of all, we quit making excuses for God. I think that one of the keys to making God more accessible is to let the mysteriousness of God just hang there. Color commentary is for baseball, not for Christianity, so let's quit trying to explain God down. In doing so, church leaders too often insulate God and isolate him from those who are seeking a real encounter with him.

For instance, in Numbers 15 Moses and the rest of Jacob's descendants are commanded to stone to death a man who gathered some wood on the Sabbath. Be honest, we don't really like that passage. It sounds awfully harsh. So, we either ignore it or explain it away through some heavy theology. That's because if we can somehow understand it, then it will make sense (and be safe). The only reason any of us went to seminary was so that we could sleep at night after having read the Old Testament. But postmoderns don't really want to understand it or understand God. Can God be understood? For the most part, the answer is "no." But God can be known.

Get this point: Moderns want to examine and reexamine things and then categorize everything into neat little boxes. Pomos believe "boxes" (i.e., categories, systems, labels, etc.) are inherently false and manipulative. Modern systems for understanding and explaining God create a distance between postmoderns and the God they seek. Our neat little systems and explanations act as giant prophylactics that keep postmoderns from having a sensual and fertile encounter with God. Or, returning to the earlier analogy of porn, it's like we're putting little black bars over the really interesting (i.e., mysterious) parts of God's character. That's no fun! And postmoderns will never become addicted to God when the good parts are blurred. The church must present a live nude God to the world.

We can do this in worship by letting sermons end without easy resolution. Why did God have that dude in Numbers 15 stoned to death? I don't really know (When was the last time you said that in a sermon? Oh, I forgot, Pastors are the experts, so we know everything about God and we have a nifty explanation or teaching lesson for each of God's little quirks.).

VOICE IN MY HEAD: But if we don't explain it, then people will just make up stuff. We'll have a bunch of "build-it-yourself" theologies on the loose!

Well that's not really all that different than what we have now. Church leaders will have to learn to trust that God's Spirit is at least potent enough to guide postmodern people closer to God through ambiguity.

Secondly (remember, the whole point of this article is to give you another stupid list), we can make God accessible using the web. Let's put some naked pictures of God on the Internet!

I'm not web expert, but I guess we could start doing this by allowing people to express their real encounters with the Living Lord in chat rooms or on bulletin boards. Some of these postings will sound heretical, but half the Pentateuch sounds heretical to me (and at least a small portion of James), and the world hasn't ended yet. These raw, nude encounters with God will include a lot of heresy. But the heresy will mix with Truth (the person, you know, Jesus) and produce living interest in God. Think of it like an estuary, where fresh and salt water mix to produce all kinds of living things. Or, to switch metaphors, it takes a lot of crap to make a field fertile, so get used to the smell if you want to produce fruit in the postmodern digital fields.

Third, we can make God accessible by expecting God to be active in the world and by welcoming such activity. In my former hometown, there is a charismatic congregation that is growing like crazy. I mean, it's full tilt, too. They don't just raise their hands and stuff, they actually slay in the Spirit. That stuff scares the bejeebers out of me, but there is also something kind of cool about it because it seems to let God loose. A spring '01 front-page article in Newsweek described the changing face of Christianity in the world. Central to the article was the fact that the emerging theologies in Africa, Asia and Latin America are offensive to Westerners because they just let God too loose. I mean, God is roaming around healing people, providing for needs, raising people from the dead, releasing people from demon possession and stuff like that. That is raw. My contention is that these days the people in third-world economies are producing first-world theologies (i.e., raw, relevant, and real). Postmoderns don't want to hear that the age of miracles is over; we want God to miraculously heal us of our addictions, hurts, and maladies. When did God quit doing stuff like that? Maybe we can export some of that raw theology from the charismatic and third world believes.

Finally, we can make God accessible by becoming theological minimalists. Face it: there is only a little that we really know about God. Paul tells us that we now see through a glass darkly (and this from a guy who had a real-life encounter with Jesus and with angels and all that!). It's not that we are total agnostics. After all, as Christians, we know some basics:

a. there is a God
b. you're not God (and neither am I), and though we're created by God we are somehow not in harmony with God or with each other
c. Jesus is God and he demonstrated God's ultimate love for people
d. Somehow, through Jesus' birth, life, teaching, death, resurrection, and ascension we can have a right relationship with God and with each other (both now and forever)

We might buy those four statements, but there is just a whole lot more that we don't really know and that we really don't need to know. If we can admit our lack of knowledge and subscribe to a minimalist theology (btw-I'm not saying that a, b, c, and d above is the new minimalist's creed), then we can leave some room open for ambiguity and fertility. As one friend puts it, we need to have a "Who Cares?" theology. What he means is that so much of what we talk about (the exact mechanisms of atonement; the end times; fish or whale?; Calvin v. Wesley; etc.) really has no impact on ministry or on restoring humans into right relationship with God, so who cares about that stuff?

Now that you're really nervous, pray that God will give you a divine lobotomy and help you forget everything you just read. Then pray that God will bring one thing from this article back into your brain and that God will trick you into thinking that that one thing is really your own idea. Then pray that God will use that one thing that is really your own idea to help Jesus be lived more fully in your life, ministry, and context. Peace.


[This article was first published on Next-Wave in April 2002.]