This entry from my friend Robbie made me think. Are we collectors of God’s Word or consumers of God’s Word. I hope we are all consuming God’s Word and meditating on it daily. So, here’s the poll for the day.
How many Bibles do you own?
Leave your comment with how many.
If you remember learning about icebergs in Elementary or Middle School you know that what you see sticking out of the water is only a small fraction of the whole thing.
Over the last 2 years I have walked through a major change in ministry. God began some things in the church I serve that have caused me to take a fresh and new look at my faith, my theology, my walk, and my views of what the church is and does. This has been an incredible journey of discovery. However, not everyone around you is ready to take the journey or handle what you discover. Like Jesus in John 6:66, many of His disciples turned away because they could not handle what He was saying to them, and they quit following Him.
For most, if you asked about or mentioned church, their first thought would picture a building located at some specific address. You know the question, “where do you go to church?” If this represents the iceberg above the water, what is below the surface. If all we experience is what we see on the surface, we miss the beauty of all that is below. Sadly, many believers will spend their whole life just on the surface and want nothing else or reject the notion that anything under the surface should be explored.
Let me prophecy (throw stones if you want), there is a shift happening – a global shift. As I have cried, prayed and searched, I am finding there are more people walking the way of Jesus than you will find warming a pew on Sunday. They are living in intentional communion and community with Jesus and other believers. They are committed to be the church, not just attend church.
The church as we have known it is in crisis. Our culture is changing and this current and next generation of spiritual seekers are looking for something more than church attendance. They are looking for more than religion. They want more than a life of lip service. For them, what is on the surface has no meaning without all that’s underneath.
What’s on the surface just doesn’t cut for me anymore. I’ve got to have what’s underneath. The truth is, the surface no longer satisfies and looses meaning without the beauty of the depths of Jesus and all that the church should really be.
Time is short, ‘ve got to leave off here. I will probably revisit this in my next post. I hope I have stirred something in you. If so please leave a comment. I cannot be the only one feeling this. I know I’m not.
I read an article this morning that made me think about the many trips I’ve taken with my family. When we pack the car to go to Grandmom and Pop’s house for Christmas with a family of five, packing becomes an art form if not an engineering miracle. If you ask my wife, I am the worst at taking less.
If you have flown lately you understand the value of less is more. Less baggage means more $$$$ in your wallet since they charge extra for each bag now. Not to mention less baggage to lug through the airport. We are having to learn how to travel light.
In the Fall 2008 issue of Leadership magazine, Skye Jethani, managing editor shares these thoughts:
Nothing to Declare (but the Gospel)
“To declare the gospel in a culture where fewer people are likely to step foot in a church means valuing swiftness over bigness, agility over security. This means smaller, missional communities with less baggage may be better equipped to advance the gospel than some larger churches burdened by their programming and overhead.
Does this mean we should abandon all our institutional baggage? Of course not. But like a smart traveler, conditions today require us to be more discerning about what to take on our journey, and what to leave behind.” (pg 5.)
What do you think?
I need your feed back. So please leave your comments and questions. Help create some dialogue here.
I am at a loss for words. This takes me to a happy place. To my brother Scott I give a big Star Wars shout out! I’m sorry for making fun of you as a kid and calling you Star Wars Freak. I admit it I’m afreak too and I’m now coming out of the SW closet. I love you man.
What makes you happy?
“It is ingrained in us that we have to do exceptional things for God – but we do not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things of life, and holy on the ordinary streets, among ordinary people – and this is not learned in five minutes.” Oswald Chambers
Discipleship is a process. It’s moment by moment. It’s the ordinary things that produce the character necessary to support the Great Moments. The exceptional things I may have the privilege of doing for God are only in proportion to the character built in the ordinary things. This is the stuff that qualifies you for the doing of exceptional things for God.
Living only for the exceptional moments in life will leave you with an emptiness most of the time. You will live in nostalgia, vicariously living through a few moments of your past or miss life all together being driven to achieve one moment of elusive greatness.
Discipleship is about character built through relationship. To be a disciple is to live so deeply and intimately with Jesus in every ordinary moment so when the time comes for me to do something exceptional, I will by nature be ready and not faulter – even if my greatest moment is the cross.
How are you doing in the ordinary moments?
What ordinary thing hae you done lately?
Here is another great post by Jeromy Johnson at A Mending Shift entitled DEEP RECESSION and THE CHURCH. You need to check this out.
How do you think a recession will affect the Church?
What would happen to your church if you lost your church building?
You can also see all posts related to the Series: So You Don’t Want To Go To Church Anymore…HERE.
Do you think about eternity?
What are your thoughts on heaven and hell?
Does the idea of heaven or hell have any affect or influence in how you live on a daily basis?
So You Don’t Want to Go To Church… Pt.2.2
17 09 2008Here’s your chance! Say what ever you want on the subject of church and a relationship with Jesus. Leave your raw and uncensored comments.
A few questions I’m interested in but not limited to:
What are you looking for in a church?
What do you struggle with in church?
What should the church be doing?
What are you struggling with in your relationship with Jesus?
If you could change something about church, what would that be?
Come on, jump into to discussion.
If you are interested in the current blog series “So you don’t want to go to church anymore” Book by Wayne Jacobsen and Dave Coleman you can READ IT HERE.
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