Unbelievable

This is just incredible. Is it for real? Thanks to Randy for the link.

So That's Why We Do That!

Thanks to Fred Peatross for a list of things that we need to know where they came from. Things like a pulpit...

More Thoughts on Tithing

Len at NextReformation adds his thoughts to Pen's that I posted here on Thursday:

Now wait just a minute. Could it be that the Lord is trying to tell us something here? Could it be that people are "voting with their feet" that the church is becoming irrelevant. Could it be that money spent on buildings would better go to the poor and to help single moms?

Could it be that those who have tithed for years but never given of their hearts are finally getting the two together?

Is it time to quit hiring people to do the work we all should be doing? It is time to let this whole ungodly modern system die?

Maybe it's time to send people home. "Run your own church.. I'll be your consultant and cheerleader. Then you'll find out what ministry is really all about."

Amen! I have the hunch that all this really hit home after 9/11. As I said in an earlier post, people came to church looking for hope and direction and community and they found the church wanting. They discovered that the church has become more about buildings and control than it is about being disciples. We weren't addressing their issues, we were talking about ours and ignoring the serious implications of 9/11 for the people and the world. The world shifted that day in many ways, and we tried to find politics or platitudes or someone to blams. (typical overstatement, but not by much! Yes, they are voting with their feet. The modern system of giving a tithe out of "duty" instead of out of faith is based on culture and the modern world's interest in material things. People are saying 'no' to that and probably, hopefully, giving their tithes elsewhere.

Love Poems From God

I have been so taken by a book of spiritual poetry: Love Poems from God: Twelve Sacred Voices from the East and West translated by Daniel Ladinsky, that I am going to try to make a habit of putting one up here each weekend, hopefully by Friday evening or Saturday. Here is this week’s:

The Christ’s Breath
I am
a hole in a flute
that the Christ’s breath moves through,
listen to this
music.
-- Hafiz (1320-1389)

How Much God Wants Me To Listen

I realized this evening that God wants me to pay as close attention to Him when He talks as I want my daughter to pay attention to me with my deep and incredible insights. Probably more, since I know that I can be wrong.

So why don’t I take the time to listen more?

Baptism or Crocodile Feeding
Knowing the Culture

In the magnificent novel by Barbara Kingsolver, The Poisonwood Bible Nathan Price is a missionary in the Congo in 1960. He’s on fire to win souls for Christ. He’s burning with passion and his own prejudices of his day. Actually, more like a wildfire than a refining fire. Caution-- some plot items to be disclosed.

He’s on fire to get the people, especially children, to accept Jesus and be baptized. His own children remain un-baptized waiting for that glorious day when the people of the community would flock to the river. Just like in the Great Commission.

The river alongside the village offers an incredible opportunity. He preaches with passion about it. He gives the invitation over and over.

Then one Sunday, after a particularly fire-filled sermon, the woman acting as his servant/maid/housekeeper takes him aside and lays into him- then quits and walks away. One of his daughters joins him in his dying, sun-sweltered garden.

“Why didn't they tell me?” he asks. “Why did they wait so long to tell me that a young boy had been dragged by crocodiles into the river and killed? Why didn’t they let me know that no mother allows their children anywhere near the water?”

Several days later he is brought to the village chief who challenges him with the evil ways of the church. “You even want to feed our children to the crocodiles.”

Sadly, Nathan Price ends up getting more belligerent. He is sorry that he has given up his "Christian" ways to the heathen ways of Africa whether it be planting his garden in unheard of mounds to not preaching baptism. He just doesn't get it!!

Do we? How do we keep the unchanging and unchangeable foundations of the Gospel while making sure we are being culturally sensitive? What is “cultural” about what we preach, and what is “Gospel?” How can we keep the essentials and remain sensitive to the needs and concerns of the people?

These have always been difficult questions. They are more so in times of great cultural transition or when going across cultures. Today, going across cultures may be no more distant than down the street to a different generational family. May God give us wisdom to hear His word and the ability to share it in sensitive and loving ways.

Weekly (or so) Quiz Result

The Friday Five made me think too much. So I went and took the Matrix Character quiz for the fun of it.


You are Morpheus.

You aren't the highest power in the world of
humans, but the leadership is there. You have
faith in your beliefs & trust your life with
those close to you. However, you can be
stubborn & hard to consult with once a decision
has been made.


The Ultimate Matrix Character Quiz.
brought to you by Quizilla

Now I really do have to get to see the movie.

Doing the Christian-thing, sort of

Lee Anne Millenger is right. Go and Read this post from Real Live Preacher. Now. Don't miss it. My response to Preacher - Been there. Done that, too. With the hope that there is a tiny crack into which the seed can fall and germinate and grow. It's more common than any of us care to admit.

And now, more from PETA

Thanks to Joshua Claybourn who early this morning found the latest from PETA. They never fail to come up with a new angle. Remind me not to mistreat any fiberglass animals. And then go to this one that Joshua also found. I am amazed that they think this way.

Tithing

And Pen, over at Gutless Pacifist has a good post on tithing. What sparked it was that George Barna reported this past week, "The proportion of households that tithe their income to their church – that is, give at least ten percent of their income to that ministry – has dropped by 62% in the past year, from 8% in 2001 to just 3% of adults during 2002."

Pen ends with:: Gee -- and we wonder why God does not bless the American church with more -- when we can't even obey basic calls to faithfullness.

I couldn't have said it better!

Ascension Day

Today's NT Daily Text

" Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same wayas you have watched Him go into heaven. " --Acts 1:11

I have always loved that comment to the Disciples on the Mt. of Olives: ~~Why do you stand looking into the sky?~~ Isn't that what too many of us do in our Christian walk? We look into heaven, longingly perhaps, hoping and waiting for the promise of what will happen when we die. We forget that being a Christian is for this life and the next. It has to be a both/and. Jesus said to the disciples that eternal life is knowing God and His only Son. That is now! The sad thing is that if we spend our lives looking heavenward we will bump into a lot of things that we think are distractions instead of opportunities to BE Christ followers.

Outreach in a PM Culture

Over at Ginkworld.net they have a section of responses to 7 questions they ask. Found this answer from Karen Ward:

3) how do you see outreach being best accomplished in a postmodern culture?

the best "method" i can think of for doing outreach in a postmodern culture, is basically, the "jesus method." not necessarily in a "wwjd" way, but in a way which realizes that in our postmodern and post-chrisitan culture, it may not always be clear to us what jesus would do in every particular situation, but because god has gifted us with the holy spirit, we have the capacity to discern what it is we are to do, in harmony with the great and two-fold commandment that christ has given us, "to love god, and serve neighbor," as therein is all the law and the prophets.

outreach in the postmodern context needs to be relational, incarnational, honest and just. it involves: sharing (without arrogance or proof texting) the story of what god has done and is doing in the world through jesus christ. embodying that story in how you live your life before god. accompanying others as they enter the story and journey to faith and discipleship, teaching new believers to observe the things, which the lord has commanded (rather than marketing the faith or trying to meet superficial "needs" ).

the heart of outreach in the postmodern context is embodying the faith, as st. francis said, "preach the gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words." how you treat others… how tread upon the earth…how your conduct life… all speak volumes. the reason the message of the early church was heard is because they practiced what they preached. they cared for orphans, widows and all in need, and had love for one another that was obvious to the world.

outreach in the postmodern context will also mean hanging up the "bait and switch" and trying to lure people into becoming "members." loving those who come to us with god's own heart, means putting out to pasture our "head-counting" agendas. it will mean creating free and open space within our communities where the spirit can blow where it wills and where seekers can have the time and breathing room they need to explore the faith, try on the christian way of life, count the cost of discipleship, and discern for themselves if the way of christ will become their own way (or not).

out-reaching churches in the postmodern era will be confident, loving and brave enough to provide for the exit as well as the entrance of seekers. real doors are thresholds. a door with a way in, but with no way out, is not really a door, but a trap. the church is not in the business of trapping, but of flowing with the spirit as it moves in peoples' lives. this kind of honest, relational, agenda-free and process oriented outreach is nothing new, as it was practiced by the early church.

for more grist read robert webber's book "journey to jesus- the worship, evangelism, and future mission of the church

Since I am working on a "study" at church for the summer on evangelism, I found this particularly attractive. The old methods of evangelism are not the methods for today. Perhaps we need to look back at the First Century Church for some methods of evangelism that worked in a time and culture not all that different from our own.

Simple Spirituality

An email from the organization Off the Map mentioned something called Simple Spirituality Groups. So I followed the link and found a possible resource for those 12-step like groups that I have mentioned before.

Barb Henderson calls it A guide to help you maintain your personal peace and lovingly serve others . She then says:

My Story - After asking people “what do they know for sure about God” or “what do they use in their everyday life”, I developed materials for a support group for people who are trying to make sense out of God and life. I call this – Simple Spirituality. This approach is designed to help Christians become more real in their spirituality while also providing a safe place for non-Christians to discuss their spiritual experiences.

Simple Spirituality is an attempt to help people get God out of their heads and into their lives. It is built on the 7 Practices. These 7 Practices flow out of basic fundamental beliefs about God. The practices are important to practice even before the beliefs are acknowledged. Doing so can trigger surprises, unexpected coincidences and God anonymously showing up. Simple Spirituality has been growing in me over a number of years. There have been several influences.
...
I watched my mother-in-law’s spiritual transformation through AA.
...
I asked myself, after years of sermons and lots of Bible, “What do I really use?
...
I wondered, “What’s really portable?” In other words, “What can go with me in my heart,
wherever I go? Could my beliefs sustain me under any circumstance?”
...
If I had to explain what I use and what spiritually sustains me on a daily basis, how would I articulate it?
This is how Simple Spirituality was born. This is how the Practices came to be.
They sustain me.

There is a .pdf document for the practices and group guide. Looks interesting.

Off-The-Map

Off-the-Map is an excellent resource for ideas and directions in leadership and mission. One particularly good section is the Idealab Library. They have interviews and articles on The Missional Movement, Belonging and Believing, and lots more.

Passion for the Lost

On a subscription group I’m part of at Easum, Bandy and Associates, we have been learning and experiencing journaling this week. Today’s journaling on Romans 9 really hit me hard! So here it is in the format of the journal we are working with:

Scripture- Romans 9- The first chapter of Paul’s three chapter struggle over the ongoing place of the Jewish people, his people, in the plan of God’s salvation. There are really more questions than answers here, although in Paul’s struggling he uses many proof texts. The two most powerful passages in the chapter for me this morning are vss. 2-3 as Paul anguishes over his people and says -- I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel. Then in vss. 19-23 he talks about someone being condemned so that someone else might find God’s grace.

Observations- Such power, such struggle in these words. Paul is in the midst of a time of great transition. The one's who have been God’s people are not flocking to the new understanding of faith called Christianity. They are seeing new people, outsiders, people who are different, becoming part of God’s people. The cries of “But we’ve always been here. We have always been God’s people” ring out over the religious landscape of the First Century. “Who let them in?” cries from one side. From the other: “We’re the insiders now, they are no longer God’s people.” Such seductive power can get in the way. The seduction: “We were here first” –vs- “We’re doing it the new and right way.” Paul has such an anguish, however. Not over that but over the fact that so many are still on the outside. “I would cut myself off from Christ for the sake of my people.” WOW! Would I be willing to do that? Would I be willing to look beyond “ME” to the bigger picture, the greater glory of God? If Paul can wish this, how much more might God? It is all up to God’s mercy, not ours. Thank God.

Applications- Do I have Paul’s passion for “the lost?” Or do I stand defiant want “my way” or “no way”. Am I willing to be cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers and sisters who do not yet know Him? What a humbling question which is at the heart of being a Jesus Disciple! Am I willing, also, to let them in when they arrive, these lost and lonely, who will only mess up “my way” of doing “church”?

Prayer- I am humbled, Lord. I am disciplined – and hopefully on the road to being discipled. Hold me, open me up. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Note: As I said a few weeks ago, I am looking at setting up a second blog of a scripture reflection journal using this basic style. I should be ready with that in a couple of weeks.

Thoughts on Sex and Marriage

Thanks to Len over at NextReformation for links to two really interesting - and very challenging - articles.

There's No Such Thing as Pre-Marital Sex

Toward a New Theology of Marriage

They really make us think and bring a lot of questions. I can just hear the criticisms, but both are well thought through. I don't know where I stand at this point, but they are really good starting points for discussion ... and prayer. [Disclosure: By the way, as a pastor I have never told people they had to separate before I did the wedding.]

Go to the People

From Signposts through John Campea

Around 300BC the Chinese philosopher Lao Tsu wrote:

Go to the people,
Live with them.
Learn from them.
Love them.
Start with what they know.
Build with what they have.
But with the best leaders,
when the work is done,
The task is accomplished.
The people will say,
"We have done it ourselves."

Post-Christendom

While over at Signposts I also found a couple of posts about the cultural shift from Christendom to post-Christendom. One looks at leadership:

CHRISTENDOM: A hierarchical system in which authority flows from the top down.

POST-CHRISTENDOM: A system where leadership and direction are shared by those set apart, trained and commissioned, and by those of every rank and status.

Charles Bayer argues that the Christendom Church was dominated by hierarchy where the post-Christendom church is one that rejects domination by anyone. The laity (I don't like that word!) are no longer 'on the bottom of the totem pole. They are the Church even when no priest is present'.

These are from a book by Charles Bayer- A Resurrected Church - Christianity After the Death of Christendom. Phil says he's going to be posting a different image description from the book over the next week or so. I'm looking forward to it.

Evolving

According to the Blogosphere Ecosystem this Wandering pmPilgrim has evolved into a slimy mollusk with 9 links. Next stage- flippery fish.

from the Internet Monk

Thanks to Thinklings for this quote from Michael Spencer, The Internet Monk.

I'm weary of people saying God speaks directly to them about mundane matters of reasonable human choice, so that their choices of toothpaste and wallpaper are actually God's choices, and therefore I need to just shut up and keep all my opinions to myself until I can appreciate spiritual things. I'm tired of people acting as if the normal Christian life is hearing a voice in your head telling you things other people can't possible know, thus allowing you a decided advantage.
----------
I'm burned out on Christians telling me about the next big thing God is going to do, as if they really know. I'm tired of Christians predicting the future and being consistently, continually wrong, but acting like they weren't wrong. If you said that on New Year's Eve the east coast was going to fall into the ocean because of divine judgment and it didn't happen, you were wrong. Really, badly, embarrassingly wrong. So why can't you act like you are wrong? Why am I so sure you will have more absurd predictions next Sunday?

Read the whole article. I am glad to know that there is someone else who has some of the same problems as I do. What I have a hard time figuring out, though, is how to talk about what we sense is God's leading without getting into what Michael is talking about. One way, of course, is always to make sure you have what we are now calling "accountability" groups. To have mentors, spiritual guides, brothers and sisters who are willing to listen, be honest, call us up short when needed and always pray with us can help keep us from becoming the sickly sweet Christian that seems to know everything that God wants down to to the tye of clothes they are supposed to wear. Which leads me to...

One of My Personal Rants

I call them 'Parking Meter Prayers.' I came up with that name from the unfortunately too common practice I would hear people talking about. You know how it goes:

.:. I was driving around downtown the other day. I was in a real hurry and all the parking meters in front of the store were taken. So, I asked God to give me a parking spot... and you know what. There was one right there.:.

Baloney. Such lack of humility and such incredible self-centeredness. To think that the Creator of the Universe is going to give me a parking space when I ask for it just like that [with a snap of the fingers]. There are children dying of AIDS in Africa. There are children starving on the Reservation. There is ethnic cleansing. There is sin and fear in the world and I think God is going to pick up a car and move it out of the way so I can park within running-in distance from the front of the store. Where have we gotten this crazy, it's all about me kind of faith? Why have we perpetuated it? Why do we allow people to get away with it as we smile sweetly back at their sickly sweet smile?

OK, a confession. I do parking meter prayers from time to time. I usually preface them with, 'God, this is going to be a parking meter prayer....' I laugh at myself and then go ahead and be selfish and self-centered. Is that OK for me. Of course..... NOT! But I am kept humbled by it. I am reminded that I still have so far to go in my spiritual life. I do believe that Jesus promise that God will give His People all they ask for in prayer. But in the context of that prayer, I am not sure it meant - or means- every selfish little thing we ask for. In context, Jesus is speaking of the things that make for the growth of the spiritual life. He is telling us to be able to trust Our God who won't ignore us any more than a human father would in love. He will give us what we need. Which is not very often as much as we think we want.

So ends the rant. The small print....By the way, a rant is usually a disguised form of a confession. Sadly for me, it is often so disguised I miss the confession part.

American Memorial Day Thoughts

Clergy are by nature people of peace. I am the son of a WW II veteran who served in the 10th Armored Division at the Battle of the Bulge. I personally am not a man of war. I never served in the military. I pray and work for peace.

But I have learned much from men and women who have had to face the call to fight in war. I have always been an avid reader and fan of war movies. I have watched and learned much.

The second greatest lesson I have learned, I believe, is the same one that St. Paul learned before he wrote the passage from Ephesians 6: 10-18 about the armor of God.

10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

That is to always be ready for battle. Go in prepared. Do the hard work necessary for whatever may happen while praying it will never be needed.

Stephen Ambrose in the book that inspired the TV series, Band of Brothers chronicles the story of Easy Company, 506th regiment of the 101st Airborne from D-Day to the end of WW II. It was the preparation, the intense discipline that got them through in such incredible examples of bravery and strength.

But that leads to the greatest lesson, embodied in the title of the book- the Band of Brothers. They knew how to work together. No army of one can long survive. The greatest lesson of the greatest generation, now being learned again by a new generation. That is summarized in the closing paragraph of the book. Former Sgt. Mike Ranney wrote:

In thinking back over the days of Easy Company, I’m treasuring my remarks to a grandson who asked, ‘Grandpa, were you a hero in the war?’
‘No,’ I answered, ‘but I served in a company of heroes.’ Band of Brothers by Stephen E. Ambrose

I am thankful for those many different 'companies of heroes.' I may be a pacifist. I may be a peacefull person. I may pray and work for peace at every turn of the road. But I know sadly that the natural human failings cannot help but lead to wars and someone must fight them. So today, I paused and honored them all.

Times of Transition

Today has been one of those transition days.

Our only child graduated from college.

I have several insights from the activities of the day, but they will wait for another time. This is a time, if you will indulge me, of a little personal reflection.

There is a real bittersweet quality to it, of course. The deep pride my wife and I have for her. The hard work she has done to graduate from a good school with honors. The wonderful person she has always been and the wonderful person she continues to become.

But, in two months I will be 55. She is 22. After the ceremony and dinner, we left her at her new apartment where in a few days she will start her first truly full-time job. (And it is only for the summer at the moment. A Father's Panic!)

We waved, she waved, we drove away, she went in the apartment. Another part of the journey of growing up is over. Hers and ours.

Four years ago, when she graduated from High School we expected her to be away from us at school. As it turned out, we received- and accepted- a call to a church within an hour's drive of her school. We took her to her freshman year, cried for miles, then went home, packed and moved.

At the end of August, 2001, she left for Spain, by herself, to meet up with some other student group over there. We cried again. Two weeks later was 9/11. We were separated, but we knew she would be home.

In January, 2002, she was on a Jan-term trip in Cuba, got sick and spent two weeks in a Havana Hospital. We cried and then gladly paid a huge phone bill. She came home and recuperated, then went back to Spain where we visited her in April.

Now, she is on her own. Whatever that means. I am sad and I am happy; I am proud and I am terrified. Life is change. I am getting older- so is she. I can only vaguely remember 33 years ago. It was the middle of the Vietnam War, and I, as a Conscientious Objector was about to start my alternative service. I knew what I was going to be doing for two years. Or I thought I did. I ended up starting Seminary at the end of that time and getting married.

Times change. The only constant is change.

Tonight I want to cling on to the present. Not the past. That is gone. I don't want today to end. I just want it always to be like it is. For I do not want to get older. I don't want her to leave. I don't want to face the uncertainties and fears of what is ahead for any of us.

But I have no choice.

I can only begin to imagine, tonight, what God must have felt like as he watched Jesus leave the earthly carpenter shop. As Jesus went public, out on his own, only God knew what was happening and where it would lead. And He let it happen.

I am glad I am not God.

I am glad I am who I am- today- my daughter's Dad. Thank you, God, for the wonders and joys and life I have been blessed to be a part of. Thank you, God, for being with me- and with all I love- when we are simply being human and too short sighted to see that You are with us in all things. I know it is a cliche, Lord, but I may not know what the future holds, but I do know who holds the future.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

On the Mysteriousness of God

I have just discovered Fred Peatross and his Future Margins website. He has a wonderful parable posted that is mind-altering. Before you go there, think about how you would explain the color green to a blind person. It is no wonder we have a zillion different denominations just in Christianity alone. Go to the parable...

Survival Through Community

In the most recent issue of Christianity Today magazine is an interview with Charles Colson. One question and answer jumped out at me:

You say that the most profound picture of the church being the body is not in a successful megachurch, but in a gathering of society's losers, namely prisoners. Why is a group of believers behind bars closer to God's vision for Christ's body than a suburban megachurch is?

Because they concentrate on what life is all about. They are asking the fundamental questions. They cannot be taken in by the trivial and the banal, because they have to fight for their faith. It is a matter of life and death inside the prisons, where rape is an ever-present threat and where Christians are often abused and discriminated against. So they recognize that they can't survive individually. They can only survive as a community.

We haven't figured that out in the church on the outside. I love to be in prisons, because there isn't a person there who is not hungering for truth. There is not a person there who doesn't recognize that the Christian church is the community against which the gates of hell can't prevail. And the people in prison are up against the gates of hell. - Christianity Today

Again, back to my ongoing 12-step comparisons.. the recovering person knows that it is a matter of life or death and that there is a daily need to fight for their sobriety. That’s why they keep going back to meetings. When Christians realize that it is a matter of life or death, they build the community.

Jesus is First

Steve over at New Kind of Christian sorted his quotes file and posted this one...

Our Christian experience must agree with the Bible. We will be taught by the Bible and fed by the Bible. But we do not believe in Christ because He is in the Bible: we believe in the Bible because Christ is in us. -- Claxton Monro

In the Common Language... of Australia

Over at Martin Roth Christian Commentary, he has a quote from a new Bible...

Strewth
The Aussie Bible is due out soon (no links available). Here’s part of the story of the Good Samaritan, now retitled The Good Bloke:
A bunch of bushrangers attacked him, stole his dough, and left him as good as dead. A big wig from the Temple happened to pass by, took one look at the bloke, crossed the road and hurried off. Another official who was on the road that day did the same.

Then a really ordinary bloke (a grubby old street sweeper you wouldn’t look twice at) passed by and felt really sorry for him. So he used his first-aid kit to patch him up, and then put him on his old nag, took him to the nearest pub and took care of him.

Now THAT is making the language indigenous. Reminds me of the God is For Real, Man series from the '60s which were paraphrased by street youth from New York State.

God is For Real, Man

So, in light of the earlier post on indigenous language paraphrases, I went surfing for what I could find on the book- without looking on my office bookshelf.

Carl Burke, the author/editor, was a chaplain in a juvenile institution. He subtitled the book: Kids from city streets reveal startling insights into Bible passages… as they translate them into their own language for Carl F. Burke.

Here are two of the excerpts I found…

The Lord is like my Probation Officer,
He will help me,
He tries to help me make it every day.
He makes me play it cool
And feel good inside me. Yes, that is the 23rd Psalm

5. Honor your father and your mother.
It means no calling your father a wino or your mother the old lady, even if they are.
It means to love your mother, even if she hollers at you, and try to understand she is tired from working all day. It means to try to love your father, even if you don't know him or where he is.
Maybe the others are OK, but this one is a real gasser -- honor my father and mother -- to hell with that, man!
–God is for Real, Man, by Carl F. Burke, Chaplain of Erie County Jail, Buffalo, New York; Association Press, New York; ©1966 by National Board of Young Men's Christian Association.

Friday Five

OK, I join the Friday Five - the blogosphere's fastest growing event... or whatever.

1. What brand of toothpaste do you use?
Crest.

2. What brand of toilet paper do you prefer?
Soft. Sorry, my wife does the shopping.

3. What brand(s) of shoes do you wear?
Skechers for shoes; Birkenstocks for sandals. (Does that make me a postmodern hippie- or does that require Doc Martens?)

4. What brand of soda do you drink?
Pepsi.

5. What brand of gum do you chew?
Sorry, can't walk and chew gum at the same time.

The First Church of the Mallard

How did I miss this one on Jordon Cooper's blog. Some more Tony Campolo from Let Me Tell You a Story...

Perhaps my favorite Kierkegaardian story is his parable of the ducks. He describes a town where only ducks live. Every Sunday the ducks waddle out of their houses and waddle down Main Street to their church. They waddle into the sanctuary and squat in their proper pews. The duck choir waddles in and takes it place, then the duck minister comes forward and opens the duck Bible (Ducks, like all other creatures on earth, seem to have their own special version of the Scriptures.) He reads to them: "Ducks! God has given you wings! With wings you can fly! With wings you can mount up and soar like eagles. No walls can confine you! No fences can hold you! You have wings. God has given you wings and you can fly like birds!"
All the ducks shouted "Amen!" And they all waddled home.
How descriptive that story is of many church people. They hear of their potential in Christ. They agree with the declarations about the new life that can be theirs through a faith commitment. But in the end, they do not act upon what they have heard. They do not make the commitment. They simply say, "Amen!" and continue on in life as they always have.

Servant Evangelism Experience

I spent three hours standing by the Porta-Potties yesterday in the park. It was another of my efforts at Servant Evangelism.

Actually, it was my first real experience with this kind of Servant Evangelism. We’ve handed out candy bars and stuff like that in the past. But this was the first real “service” project.

I was giving out wet-wipes to people as they left the porta-potty. Free.

It was a community-wide event in the park right across from our church. I like to think of these as happening in our front yard so why wouldn’t we be there to serve.

It was a little difficult at first. I was self-conscious of the weirdness of a guy standing by the potties with a thing of wet wipes. I would reach out with the container and people would give me the strangest look. Some would try to avert their gaze. So, I started asking if they would like a wet-wipe. More began to take them. Some still looked at me strange. I began to relax and pray. Silently, of course, in that “pray at all times” kind of inward prayer that I have learned how to do. I became aware of praying for the presence of God to be over the park as the people walked around.

As lines began to form people actually began to notice me and talk to me. “Gee, that’s a neat idea.” “That’s a service that’s really needed.” “You got the good job.” (With a smiling irony in their voice, of course.) “Nice gig.”

Very few asked why I was doing this and I told them only if they asked outright. This is about serving. It is not about “proselytizing.” Or offending.

But just by being there it was bound to happen. One of the few people who did ask why I was there didn’t like my answer.

“No way! God doesn’t have anything to do with this. Don’t try to push your sh*t on me. God doesn’t care about sanitation. You trying to show how much better you are than the rest of us? Nobody is anyone else’s servant.”

Probably should have capitalized that considering how they were yelling. There was obviously a reaction. I remained calm and restated the simple fact that God wants His people to be there to help and serve others and this was a simple action of that. It didn’t appease the person. They kept commenting as they waited in line, pacing from one side of the area to the other.

It was a humbling and educational moment. We in the church aren’t used to reactions from people. Most of the time they ignore us. We’re not in their life, they aren’t in ours. Like this person, there are lots of different reactions to God and to us as His people. That was an education in patience and calm. And, like Jesus says to the church at Laodicea, I would rather you be anything but lukewarm. This person was passionate!

The humbling part was simply to do this simple action. Yes, I was out of my comfort zone, but I began to enjoy the opportunity just to interact with people. It was not earth-shattering, culture-changing, or even particularly religious. It may even seem trivial and silly and an attempt at “showing off.” But it was real. I need to do some more sorting out of the feelings and reactions. But it was quite a start.

And I have prayed a lot about that one person. Hoping that a small seed was planted. Not so much about God, but about being able to be there for someone else. I know that’s about God. Which is why I was there in the first place.