A Year Ago Today...Our Lives Changed Big Time
03/12/08 16:28 Filed in: Family, Youth Ministry
This morning Hillary was reading through her journal and saw that this date, December 3 is a big date in our family’s history so far. One year ago, I tendered my resignation at Foothills and resigned from full-time youth ministry. This past year has definitely been an interesting one with some pretty unexpected changes. I know that God has a sense of humor and he showed us that throughout this past year. A year ago I was a full-time Junior High Director with hopes of working in the same church for fifteen years or more. One year later, I am a full-time Specialist at an Apple Store and working very part-time as a youth pastor at Faith Community. I am now looking forward to a future of working at Apple full-time and experimenting with ways of doing church as a tentmaker. As I reflect back on this past year, here are some of the changes that I have experienced:
- It was much easier to keep my mind on spiritual things when I was working full-time in the church. It is hard during the daily grind of work to focus my mind on the Lord.
- My ministry has changed for the better as I am out in the real world full-time now. The things that I was concerned with when I worked in the church are not important anymore. My whole paradigm for ministry has changed for the better. I only have time for what is most important now in youth ministry and I believe I am being more effective with less time to invest.
- After four years of working in churches, I now am surprised when meetings at Apple don’t end in prayer. This still throws me off because every church meeting had to end in prayer.
- I have had to change my theology of vocation because I am now working full-time outside the church. I have a college degree in Christian Education and a Master’s in Youth and Family, yet I am working at Apple. Am I wasting my education? Not at all! I am using my education every day at Apple and doing a different kind of ministry to those who might never darken the door of a church. What would happen if a church started calling those of us who work outside the church “ministers?” It would be very empowering!
- I have found that there are many “Christlike” practices in the business world and some very “unChristlike” practices in the church. If all truth is God’s truth, then God is showing up in the business world in how things are run. I chuckle when I hear business practices at Apple that are at their core, biblical. Could it be that a business environment could be more biblical than a church environment? I think so.
- My theology has not changed over the past year but my way of working out that theology into daily life has changed. It is easy to make strong theological statements until you enter into real relationships with those outside the church. Personally, I would much rather listen to a theologian who works in the business world than a theologian who studies in their office all day. Theology isn’t valid until it encounters real life scenarios in real life relationships.
- I have learned a lot about technology and am loving it! In “Chariots of Fire” Eric Liddell’s sister argued with him and tried to convince him to give up running and follow his call to the mission field. Liddell responded, “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.” Honestly, when I work at Apple and try to brighten people’s days, I feel God’s pleasure. This is an amazing feeling!
- I could go on because there is so much that I have learned over the past year, but those are the big things.
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Consumerism, Christmas and Focus on the Family
16/11/08 15:17 Filed in: Church and Culture
I sometimes wonder what Jesus would say if he came back to earth and traveled through our shopping malls and homes during the Christmas season. What would he say about how his birth is associated with the consumerism and gluttony of the American culture? What would he say about gaudy Christmas trees and expensive presents? Last night Hillary and I watched an interesting movie which speaks to these questions. “What Would Jesus Buy?” focuses on a group who toured the country attempting to make people think through how they approach Christmas. The movie is produced by Morgan Spurlock who produced the movie “Super Size Me” and gives a convicting presentation of what Christmas has become. Watch the preview below. I would highly recommend the movie as a way to correct our focus this Christmas.
Today as I was driving to church, I heard the radio broadcaster talk about Focus on the Family’s latest campaign called “I Stand for Christmas.” Their hope is that retailers will stop purging the word “Christmas” from their advertisements and marketing. Honestly, after watching “What Would Jesus Buy?” I think we should start a campaign to convince retailers to STOP using the word “Christmas” in their advertising. Why would we want to associate the birth of our Lord with the sickening consumerism and gluttony that Christmas has become? I personally don’t want to see a manger next to a sign tempting consumers to buy now and pay later. Walmart is one of the companies that has told Focus on the Family that they will continue to use the word “Christmas” in their marketing. Is this the same Walmart that supports child labor and horrid working conditions? And we are applauding them for using the word “Christmas?” Something isn’t connecting in my mind on this one.
So this is what I recommend this Christmas. Don’t be concerned with whether or not your cashier says, “Happy Holidays” or “Merry Christmas.” Don’t be concerned with whether retailers market this season as the “holidays” or as “Christmas.” I don’t think Jesus is concerned with that. We need to think wisely about how and where we are spending our money. Are the companies that we are supporting with our business paying their employees fair wages and giving them healthy working conditions? Are we aware that there are other holidays in December that people are celebrating? What would a Jew think of his manager making them say “Merry Christmas” when they have undergone suffering and ridicule from Christians? How are we treating the retail workers we interact with during the holidays? I worked at a Christian bookstore one Christmas in high school and experienced some pretty scary Christians.
For some creative and interesting ways to approach this holiday season, check out Advent Conspiracy.
Today as I was driving to church, I heard the radio broadcaster talk about Focus on the Family’s latest campaign called “I Stand for Christmas.” Their hope is that retailers will stop purging the word “Christmas” from their advertisements and marketing. Honestly, after watching “What Would Jesus Buy?” I think we should start a campaign to convince retailers to STOP using the word “Christmas” in their advertising. Why would we want to associate the birth of our Lord with the sickening consumerism and gluttony that Christmas has become? I personally don’t want to see a manger next to a sign tempting consumers to buy now and pay later. Walmart is one of the companies that has told Focus on the Family that they will continue to use the word “Christmas” in their marketing. Is this the same Walmart that supports child labor and horrid working conditions? And we are applauding them for using the word “Christmas?” Something isn’t connecting in my mind on this one.
So this is what I recommend this Christmas. Don’t be concerned with whether or not your cashier says, “Happy Holidays” or “Merry Christmas.” Don’t be concerned with whether retailers market this season as the “holidays” or as “Christmas.” I don’t think Jesus is concerned with that. We need to think wisely about how and where we are spending our money. Are the companies that we are supporting with our business paying their employees fair wages and giving them healthy working conditions? Are we aware that there are other holidays in December that people are celebrating? What would a Jew think of his manager making them say “Merry Christmas” when they have undergone suffering and ridicule from Christians? How are we treating the retail workers we interact with during the holidays? I worked at a Christian bookstore one Christmas in high school and experienced some pretty scary Christians.
For some creative and interesting ways to approach this holiday season, check out Advent Conspiracy.
A House Divided
04/11/08 13:54 Filed in: Politics, Family
The Newton family experienced a phenomenon that some other families around the United States are experiencing today. Our family is divided politically. My parents voted for John McCain and the Republican party like they have for many years. We grew up with the understanding that Christians voted for Republicans because of the abortion issue and moral values. But today the Newton children broke from the Republican party and all three of us voted for Obama. My brother Ben and his wife live in the swing state of Pennsylvania and until this morning were undecided. They ended up voting for Obama because as my brother put it, “John McCain’s foreign policy description featured a picture of an F-16.” We tried to convince Peter who still lives at home to put up an Obama sign in my parents’ yard late at night but he declined. My guess is that other young adults broke from their family tradition and voted for Obama. There will be some interesting Thanksgiving dinner conversations this year.
Hillary and I also experienced a divided house this morning. We asked Anna who the next president would be and she said, “John McCain!” We asked her who John McCain was and she said, “He’s the white haired guy!” She said she learned about John McCain from watching the news with Daddy. I guess we are raising Anna to be open-minded.
Hillary and I also experienced a divided house this morning. We asked Anna who the next president would be and she said, “John McCain!” We asked her who John McCain was and she said, “He’s the white haired guy!” She said she learned about John McCain from watching the news with Daddy. I guess we are raising Anna to be open-minded.
Television and Teen Pregnancy
03/11/08 08:17 Filed in: Youth Ministry | Church and Culture
This won’t come as a surprise to some of you but a new study has found that teenagers who watch racy television shows are twice as likely to be involved in teen pregnancy. The glorified teen pregnancies of Sarah Palin’s daughter and Jamie Lynn Spears have led some teenagers to view teen pregnancy as an acceptable and cool option. Though it is ultimately good that they are keeping the baby and not having an abortion, they are becoming adults far too quickly. This new study about teen pregnancy and television viewing shows that we as parents need to be actively engaged in what kinds of media our children intake. What we experience in the media realm always affects how we live our lives. Read more about the recent study on the correlation between teen pregnancy and television here.
Jesus for President
02/11/08 19:30 Filed in: Politics, Church and Culture
Election day is just around the corner so I thought I would share this video with you. It is an introduction to a thought provoking book by Shane Claiborne titled “Jesus for President.”
Check out more about the Jesus for President campaign here.
Check out more about the Jesus for President campaign here.
Recent Thoughts
27/10/08 16:13 Filed in: Church and Culture
I thought I would just mesh a number of different recent ideas that I have had recently into one blog post. So here we go:
- Are we still a Christian nation? What do we mean when we say that we are a “Christian” nation? Recently Australian politicians have been looking into why they need to have a closing Christian prayer at the end of their sessions. They are proposing a moment of silence for people to pray to whatever God they worship. Read more about it here.
- One of the tactics that some in the Republican party have been using to discredit Barack Obama, is to spread the rumor that he is a Muslim. What if he was a Muslim? Does that make a difference in why or why we wouldn’t vote for him? If we wouldn’t vote for him because he was a Muslim, then are some deep undercurrents of religious intolerance in our country.
- I have been realizing lately that my faith has to be in the Lord and not in our political system or leaders. God is still in control no matter who wins next Tuesday (or early Wednesday). Christians on both sides of the aisle (me included) can invest too much in the political process and put their hope there instead of in the Lord.
Why I'm Voting for Barack Obama
15/10/08 20:08 Filed in: Church and Culture, Politics
I’m coming out of the closet tonight. The closet of evangelical politics where it is looked down upon to vote for a Democrat. I grew up with the notion that a Christian could only vote for a Republican and that to vote for a Democrat was to go against one’s faith. Tonight I will attempt to explain why I will be voting for Barack Obama in this upcoming election. Though my faith is influencing how I vote, I am by no means saying that voting for Obama is the only “Christian” way to vote in this election. Well-meaning believers in Jesus Christ will vote either way on election day and believe that their faith is informing their decision. I just want to explain why I’m voting for Obama and that this decision is grounded in my faith. Read More...
God and Politics
14/10/08 09:07 Filed in: Politics, Church and Culture
I saw this video on Monday Morning Insight today and I thought I would post it.
What do you think? Is God taking part in some kind of cosmic throwdown with the other gods during the election? Or are these the kind of statements in the media that make me less likely to call myself a “Christian” because I don’t want to get grouped with people like this?
What do you think? Is God taking part in some kind of cosmic throwdown with the other gods during the election? Or are these the kind of statements in the media that make me less likely to call myself a “Christian” because I don’t want to get grouped with people like this?
Organizational Heresy
13/10/08 15:58 Filed in: Church
One of the things that I have had to give up because I don’t work in church full-time is slowly down to read. But this afternoon I had some down time to read finally. My pastor recommended that I read a chapter out of Don Cousin’s book “Experiencing Leadershift.” The chapter is entitled “Organizational Heresy” and talks about how the leadership paradigm in the institutional church is not biblical. Read More...
"Coffeehouse Theology" - Joining the Blog Tour
07/10/08 10:23 Filed in: Church and Culture, Theology
Since leaving Foothills, I have been on a quest to further develop my personal theology. I knew that I didn’t fit into some of the boxes of theology that I had seen before. I wanted to find a method of theology that took into account the culture around me but didn’t throw out the absolutes. I also didn’t want to arrive at a theological conclusion. I wanted to keep on searching Scripture, tradition and culture to find out who God was and is. Well, I have found the answer to my quest to find a theological method that takes this all into account. Read More...
Bad Ecomony = More Biblical Church
03/10/08 15:31 Filed in: Church and Culture
This downturn in the United States’ economy could be just what the Church in America needs. I know this will not be a popular argument but I think there is some truth in it. For the past two days I have attended the Missio Conference in downtown Denver which featured Rick McKinley, the lead pastor of Imago Dei in Portland. Rick brought up this argument and I think it is an interesting one.
It seems as though giving in American churches has been on the decline over the past few years. This recent crisis in our economy definitely will slow giving even more. People are fearful about the future and where the money will come from. Churches are having to look critically at their budgets and make some changes. Here are some ways in which this crisis in the economy could actually help the Church in America:
1. Pastors would have to find work outside the church. This would cause them to interact with real people outside the church and see what their everyday lives are like. They would develop natural relationships with those who don’t attend church. Imagine a sermon from a pastor who worked over 20 hours a week outside the church! Imagine the stories they would have about working incarnationally in culture instead of being holed up in a church office. Most pastors in the world are bi-vocational and I think this can be a very powerful thing.
2. Churches would have to look critically at how much money is thrown away on the church building to make Christians feel comfortable. Some churches have multi-million dollar building campaigns. If that money was used in the right way, it could help stabilize the water supply in a whole country. I often wonder what Jesus would do or say if he walked into some of our American megachurches that look like magnificent movie theaters. I personally think the scene would look a little bit like what he did in the temple. Thousand dollar projectors and beautiful Mac computers would go flying. The espresso machine would explode as it was shoved off the bar.
The list could go on and on but I think it is something that churches need to look at critically. If our church building is built in such a way that Christians feel safe and comfortable, then something is wrong with the “gospel” that we are presenting. Safety and comfortability were never part of the Gospel that Jesus preached.
It seems as though giving in American churches has been on the decline over the past few years. This recent crisis in our economy definitely will slow giving even more. People are fearful about the future and where the money will come from. Churches are having to look critically at their budgets and make some changes. Here are some ways in which this crisis in the economy could actually help the Church in America:
1. Pastors would have to find work outside the church. This would cause them to interact with real people outside the church and see what their everyday lives are like. They would develop natural relationships with those who don’t attend church. Imagine a sermon from a pastor who worked over 20 hours a week outside the church! Imagine the stories they would have about working incarnationally in culture instead of being holed up in a church office. Most pastors in the world are bi-vocational and I think this can be a very powerful thing.
2. Churches would have to look critically at how much money is thrown away on the church building to make Christians feel comfortable. Some churches have multi-million dollar building campaigns. If that money was used in the right way, it could help stabilize the water supply in a whole country. I often wonder what Jesus would do or say if he walked into some of our American megachurches that look like magnificent movie theaters. I personally think the scene would look a little bit like what he did in the temple. Thousand dollar projectors and beautiful Mac computers would go flying. The espresso machine would explode as it was shoved off the bar.
The list could go on and on but I think it is something that churches need to look at critically. If our church building is built in such a way that Christians feel safe and comfortable, then something is wrong with the “gospel” that we are presenting. Safety and comfortability were never part of the Gospel that Jesus preached.
Experimenting Again
28/09/08 18:49 Filed in: Personal, Church
When Hillary and I started the ministry at our churched focused on 20 and 30-somethings, we called it “The Experiment” for a reason. We knew the needs and desires of this generation were unique and we would need to experiment with methods of doing “church.” This summer we met our house and modeled the group after a house church. We ate dinner together and studied Scripture. We slowly found out that this venue was a little foreboding for a newcomer. Those who came enjoyed it but it was awkward to invite a newcomer to our home for the gathering. Another reason for meeting in our home was that we thought the church building would be a barrier for those who were unchurched or dechurched. It seems that the culture in our area of Littleton is not too far down the post-Christian road so the church building isn’t much of a barrier yet. We might have jumped the gun by meeting in our home for the main gathering.
This upcoming Sunday night we are experimenting again with form and meeting in our church sanctuary from 6-7:30 p.m. Our sanctuary at Faith has a great ambiance with stained glass windows, high ceilings and a waterfall at the back of the stage. It is a very reflective environment. Our format will consist of the following three elements: experiencing sacred wonder, examining Scripture and connecting in community. We don’t know specifically what each of these elements will look like yet, but we are excited to experiment again.
This upcoming Sunday night we are experimenting again with form and meeting in our church sanctuary from 6-7:30 p.m. Our sanctuary at Faith has a great ambiance with stained glass windows, high ceilings and a waterfall at the back of the stage. It is a very reflective environment. Our format will consist of the following three elements: experiencing sacred wonder, examining Scripture and connecting in community. We don’t know specifically what each of these elements will look like yet, but we are excited to experiment again.
The Shack: Burn it or Read it
22/09/08 15:47 Filed in: Church and Culture
Whenever a book that deals with Christianity and the Church gets thrust into the mainstream, it immediately becomes polarizing. Remember how polarizing The Da Vinci Code was a few years ago? The latest book to come as heresy to some and as a savior to others is The Shack by William P. Young. I love reading controversial books especially ones that are read by those outside the church. My view is that books like The Da Vinci Code and The Shack provide great opportunities for insightful dialogue with those who would never darken the doors of a church.
Hillary and I borrowed the book from one of our friends and both read it as we would any novel. I know that some of my readers have reacted strongly against The Shack because of its perceived heretical nature. (Side note: we are throwing around the word “heretical” way too often these days and using it flippantly.) I will address this idea of the book being heretical later but first let me give you a glimpse into which parts of the book really struck a cord with me.
I began reading The Shack at 9 p.m. one night and got through the fourth chapter before I was horrified. For those of you who haven’t read it yet, I won’t totally give away the plot but the main character, Mack, experiences great loss which involves one of his daughters. I couldn’t sleep that night as I thought of what it would be like if I lost one of my daughters. I couldn’t pick up the book for a month.
Finally, last week, I began reading it again and was immediately immersed in Mack’s darkness after loosing his daughter. A major portion of the book involves Mack coming into contact with the Trinity in the shack that saw unspeakable horrors done to his daughter. The author, William P. Young, uses artistic license to describe the members of the Trinity and how they each minister to Mack in the midst of his pain. If you use the tool of allegory to tell about a man’s interaction with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, you are bound to have someone call you a heretic in this powder keg of theological arguing. My experience with this book was different and I believe God used the book to speak to me in ways that I have not heard in the church for a very long time.
My Reactions
The first thing that struck me about the book was that God was personified as a large, black woman. Mack was struck by this as well and tells God that he would be more comfortable if God weren’t wearing a dress. God tells Mack, “Mackenzie, I am neither male nor female, even though both genders are derived from my nature. If I choose to appear to you as a man or a woman, it’s because I love you. For me to appear to you as a woman and suggest that you call me Papa is simply to mix metaphors, to help you keep from falling so easily back into your religious conditioning. To reveal myself to you as a very large, white grandfather figure with glowing beard, like Gandalf, would simply reinforce your religious stereotypes, and this weekend is not about reinforcing your religious stereotypes” (p. 93). I am not advocating that we discontinue using the male pronouns in relation to God but don’t you think that God has feminine characteristics as well? There is a love for children that only a mother can have. Wouldn’t it be true that this same type of love is the love that God has for us?
In another part of the book, Mack is pushed by the personification of wisdom to become the judge of the world because he was so quick to judge God for what happened to his daughter. Wisdom tells Mack to choose three of his children to go to hell. Mack violently refuses and struggles intensely with the decision. Finally, Mack screams, “I can’t. I can’t. I won’t!” he screamed, and now the words and emotions came tumbling out. The woman just stood watching and waiting. Finally he looked at her, pleading with his eyes. “Could I go instead? If you need someone to torture for eternity, I’ll go in their place. Would that work? Could I do that?” He fell at her feet, crying and begging now, “Please let me go for my children, please, I would be happy to... Please, I am begging you. Please... Please...” (p. 163). When I read this section, tears welled up in my eyes. If I were not reading in Starbucks, I would have been bawling. As I parent, I was immediately struck by the love that God has for us as his children.
I also really connected with a discussion that Mack had with Jesus about the nature of the Church and religion. Here is a little excerpt of the discussion:
“As well-intentioned as it might be, you know that religious machinery can chew up people!” Jesus said with a bite of his own. “An awful lot of what is done in my name has nothing to do with me and is often, even unintentional, very contrary to my purposes.”
“You’re not too fond of religion and institutions?” Mack said, not sure if he was asking a question of making an observation.
“I don’t create institution--never have, never will.”
“What about the institution of marriage?”
“Marriage is not an institution. It’s a relationship.” (p. 179)
For those of you who have been burned by a church or felt the abrasiveness of religion, this discussion will hit home. For those of you who have created church institutions, you will probably react differently and that is understandable. Just understand that there are people outside the church who have mistook the power politics and heavy handed leadership for Christianity and are scared to venture back into the institutional church.
Burn it or Read it?
Obviously, by now you know that I would definitely lean toward the “read it” side of this argument. Regardless of what you think about the theology within, you need to read it for the sake of dialoguing with your friends who wouldn’t darken the door of a church and have probably already read it. With every piece of media that we intake, we need to use discernment and see how it lines up against Scripture. This is where the Holy Spirit comes into play. On the other side, all Truth is God’s Truth. This means that Truth can show up in The Shack, The Matrix, or The Da Vinci Code. God is not done revealing himself to us and I believe he is revealing himself through this book. If I am drawn into a deeper relationship with God that is living and active, how can you disagree and say that this book is heresy and that God cannot speak through it? There are countless stories of those who have been drawn toward God through this book. God works through the mind and he also works through the heart. Both can be working at the same time are not exclusive.
Derek Keefe, the Assistant Editor of Christianity Today, said it best, “Showing good faith to Young and his empathetic readers means demonstrating pastoral as well as prophetic concern in engaging the book. If all we do is pounce on theological errors without first taking the time to understand the story behind them, we will only confirm the opinions of the church and its representatives that Young and fans of his book already hold.”
Feel free to dialogue with me on your experiences with this book. Please do not disagree unless you have read the whole book. I get frustrated with those who call out heresy when they haven’t even read the book they are burning.
Hillary and I borrowed the book from one of our friends and both read it as we would any novel. I know that some of my readers have reacted strongly against The Shack because of its perceived heretical nature. (Side note: we are throwing around the word “heretical” way too often these days and using it flippantly.) I will address this idea of the book being heretical later but first let me give you a glimpse into which parts of the book really struck a cord with me.
I began reading The Shack at 9 p.m. one night and got through the fourth chapter before I was horrified. For those of you who haven’t read it yet, I won’t totally give away the plot but the main character, Mack, experiences great loss which involves one of his daughters. I couldn’t sleep that night as I thought of what it would be like if I lost one of my daughters. I couldn’t pick up the book for a month.
Finally, last week, I began reading it again and was immediately immersed in Mack’s darkness after loosing his daughter. A major portion of the book involves Mack coming into contact with the Trinity in the shack that saw unspeakable horrors done to his daughter. The author, William P. Young, uses artistic license to describe the members of the Trinity and how they each minister to Mack in the midst of his pain. If you use the tool of allegory to tell about a man’s interaction with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, you are bound to have someone call you a heretic in this powder keg of theological arguing. My experience with this book was different and I believe God used the book to speak to me in ways that I have not heard in the church for a very long time.
My Reactions
The first thing that struck me about the book was that God was personified as a large, black woman. Mack was struck by this as well and tells God that he would be more comfortable if God weren’t wearing a dress. God tells Mack, “Mackenzie, I am neither male nor female, even though both genders are derived from my nature. If I choose to appear to you as a man or a woman, it’s because I love you. For me to appear to you as a woman and suggest that you call me Papa is simply to mix metaphors, to help you keep from falling so easily back into your religious conditioning. To reveal myself to you as a very large, white grandfather figure with glowing beard, like Gandalf, would simply reinforce your religious stereotypes, and this weekend is not about reinforcing your religious stereotypes” (p. 93). I am not advocating that we discontinue using the male pronouns in relation to God but don’t you think that God has feminine characteristics as well? There is a love for children that only a mother can have. Wouldn’t it be true that this same type of love is the love that God has for us?
In another part of the book, Mack is pushed by the personification of wisdom to become the judge of the world because he was so quick to judge God for what happened to his daughter. Wisdom tells Mack to choose three of his children to go to hell. Mack violently refuses and struggles intensely with the decision. Finally, Mack screams, “I can’t. I can’t. I won’t!” he screamed, and now the words and emotions came tumbling out. The woman just stood watching and waiting. Finally he looked at her, pleading with his eyes. “Could I go instead? If you need someone to torture for eternity, I’ll go in their place. Would that work? Could I do that?” He fell at her feet, crying and begging now, “Please let me go for my children, please, I would be happy to... Please, I am begging you. Please... Please...” (p. 163). When I read this section, tears welled up in my eyes. If I were not reading in Starbucks, I would have been bawling. As I parent, I was immediately struck by the love that God has for us as his children.
I also really connected with a discussion that Mack had with Jesus about the nature of the Church and religion. Here is a little excerpt of the discussion:
“As well-intentioned as it might be, you know that religious machinery can chew up people!” Jesus said with a bite of his own. “An awful lot of what is done in my name has nothing to do with me and is often, even unintentional, very contrary to my purposes.”
“You’re not too fond of religion and institutions?” Mack said, not sure if he was asking a question of making an observation.
“I don’t create institution--never have, never will.”
“What about the institution of marriage?”
“Marriage is not an institution. It’s a relationship.” (p. 179)
For those of you who have been burned by a church or felt the abrasiveness of religion, this discussion will hit home. For those of you who have created church institutions, you will probably react differently and that is understandable. Just understand that there are people outside the church who have mistook the power politics and heavy handed leadership for Christianity and are scared to venture back into the institutional church.
Burn it or Read it?
Obviously, by now you know that I would definitely lean toward the “read it” side of this argument. Regardless of what you think about the theology within, you need to read it for the sake of dialoguing with your friends who wouldn’t darken the door of a church and have probably already read it. With every piece of media that we intake, we need to use discernment and see how it lines up against Scripture. This is where the Holy Spirit comes into play. On the other side, all Truth is God’s Truth. This means that Truth can show up in The Shack, The Matrix, or The Da Vinci Code. God is not done revealing himself to us and I believe he is revealing himself through this book. If I am drawn into a deeper relationship with God that is living and active, how can you disagree and say that this book is heresy and that God cannot speak through it? There are countless stories of those who have been drawn toward God through this book. God works through the mind and he also works through the heart. Both can be working at the same time are not exclusive.
Derek Keefe, the Assistant Editor of Christianity Today, said it best, “Showing good faith to Young and his empathetic readers means demonstrating pastoral as well as prophetic concern in engaging the book. If all we do is pounce on theological errors without first taking the time to understand the story behind them, we will only confirm the opinions of the church and its representatives that Young and fans of his book already hold.”
Feel free to dialogue with me on your experiences with this book. Please do not disagree unless you have read the whole book. I get frustrated with those who call out heresy when they haven’t even read the book they are burning.
Men and Vocation
17/09/08 08:20 Filed in: Personal
One of the things that God has been trying to teach me over the past year is that I cannot find my true fulfillment and identity in my job. If I look to my job and accomplishments for fulfillment, then in the end I will just come up empty. It was easy in ministry to feel fulfilled because I was “doing the Lord’s work.” I knew that even though it wasn’t easy that I was a youth pastor and thus had a “special place” in God’s heart. Misguided as it was, I felt fulfilled and satisfied. Now as I am feeling a restlessness with my job, I feel like God is again trying to show me that the only place I can find true fulfillment and satisfaction is in him. This is much easier said than done though.
In The Shack, Jesus tells Mack, “There’s a larger twisting that makes sharing life with us difficult. The world is broken because in Eden you abandoned your relationship with us to assert your independence. Most men have expressed it by turning to the work of their hands and the sweat of their brow to find their identity, value and security. By choosing what’s good and evil you seek to determine your own destiny. It was this turning that caused so much pain.”
In The Shack, Jesus tells Mack, “There’s a larger twisting that makes sharing life with us difficult. The world is broken because in Eden you abandoned your relationship with us to assert your independence. Most men have expressed it by turning to the work of their hands and the sweat of their brow to find their identity, value and security. By choosing what’s good and evil you seek to determine your own destiny. It was this turning that caused so much pain.”
Young Evangelicals and the Election
16/09/08 07:40 Filed in: Church and Culture, Politics
One of the many interesting things about the upcoming election is how young evangelicals will vote. Many evangelicals under the age of thirty, Hillary and I included, have left the Republican party. This does not mean that they are necessarily voting Democrat though. Many are in the Independent camp and are waiting to see who they will vote for. Here is an interesting article that explores the voting tendencies of young evangelicals especially as it relates to Sarah Palin.
Coffeehouse Theology
15/09/08 11:51 Filed in: Church and Culture
How should we approach theology in a way that encourages dialogue and connects with the world around us? Today is the release of a book titled “Coffeehouse Theology” which is written by one of my friends from Taylor University. Ed Cyzewski tries to connect theology and culture in his new book. The Navpress website markets the book with the heading “Come to the intersection of theology and culture.” I have to like the book because it explains what I hope to do in my blog. I will hopefully be reading the book very shortly and will give you a review of it when I am done. Check out more on “Coffeehouse Theology” here.
Spore, Creativity and the Church
08/09/08 11:49 Filed in: Church and Culture, Technology
How would you create the universe? Yesterday a new video called “Spore” was released by EA Games and is changing the way that video games are played. Spore offers the game player the opportunity to simulate the creation of the universe and its development to a space traveling colony. Players create organisms and creatures and their decisions in the creation affect the next levels that the players takes part in. Most video games are guided by rules such as if the input by the user is a certain thing, then there is a resulting action by the computer. In Spore the game is guided by principles and not by rules. It is up to the players in the game where the universe leads. There is an enormous amount of creativity that is available to those who play Spore. They have the power of God in their hands to create whatever universe they want to create.
After I watched a show yesterday on the Discovery Channel about Spore, I was struck by how our culture is leading in innovation and our churches are being left behind. In our American culture we have more and more examples of user-generated content and organizations led by networks instead of top down leadership structures. The designers and engineers at EA Games were saying that one of the most important things about creating games is that the creative design is left up to everyone. Each person, regardless of their position in the company, needs to be involved in the creative process and is encouraged to do so. There isn’t a hierarchy of how creative decisions are made at EA Games. Everyone is empowered to make decisions on what they deem best for the game. The same can be said of the online infopedia Wikipedia. Everyone has an equal say on Wikipedia and they can create content themselves. The community keeps the entries on Wikipedia true to facts. There are actually studies done that show that Wikipedia is just as accurate as the Encyclopedia Britannica.
So why are many of our churches based on archaic hierarchies of leadership that stifle creativity and involvement by everyone in the organization? Hierarchies of leadership are great for protecting and shielding leaders but run contrary to the biblical idea of leadership. If the church acted like a body in how they viewed leadership then we would be the innovators in creativity and innovation. I have always thought that it is the administrative assistants and church janitors who had the most innovative and creative ideas for fixing the issues of the church. Might this be why Jesus picked the fishermen, tax collectors and zealots to push people out of their religious boxes and change the world?
Maybe as leaders in the church we need to step out from behind our protective barriers and involve our congregations in creatively thinking of ways to bring innovation and change into our churches and communities. Maybe we should ask those in our churches how they would create a church. They are the ones living their daily lives out in the community with those who are dying for a true message of hope. They know what works and what doesn’t. They know intimately what kinds of questions those outside the church are asking. They want to be creators not passive observers. Imagine what our churches would look like if everyone felt like they had a role and were encouraged to use their gifts to further the Kingdom of God. Sounds biblical doesn’t it? Then why aren’t we doing it?
After I watched a show yesterday on the Discovery Channel about Spore, I was struck by how our culture is leading in innovation and our churches are being left behind. In our American culture we have more and more examples of user-generated content and organizations led by networks instead of top down leadership structures. The designers and engineers at EA Games were saying that one of the most important things about creating games is that the creative design is left up to everyone. Each person, regardless of their position in the company, needs to be involved in the creative process and is encouraged to do so. There isn’t a hierarchy of how creative decisions are made at EA Games. Everyone is empowered to make decisions on what they deem best for the game. The same can be said of the online infopedia Wikipedia. Everyone has an equal say on Wikipedia and they can create content themselves. The community keeps the entries on Wikipedia true to facts. There are actually studies done that show that Wikipedia is just as accurate as the Encyclopedia Britannica.
So why are many of our churches based on archaic hierarchies of leadership that stifle creativity and involvement by everyone in the organization? Hierarchies of leadership are great for protecting and shielding leaders but run contrary to the biblical idea of leadership. If the church acted like a body in how they viewed leadership then we would be the innovators in creativity and innovation. I have always thought that it is the administrative assistants and church janitors who had the most innovative and creative ideas for fixing the issues of the church. Might this be why Jesus picked the fishermen, tax collectors and zealots to push people out of their religious boxes and change the world?
Maybe as leaders in the church we need to step out from behind our protective barriers and involve our congregations in creatively thinking of ways to bring innovation and change into our churches and communities. Maybe we should ask those in our churches how they would create a church. They are the ones living their daily lives out in the community with those who are dying for a true message of hope. They know what works and what doesn’t. They know intimately what kinds of questions those outside the church are asking. They want to be creators not passive observers. Imagine what our churches would look like if everyone felt like they had a role and were encouraged to use their gifts to further the Kingdom of God. Sounds biblical doesn’t it? Then why aren’t we doing it?
Random Friday Night Thoughts
05/09/08 21:13 Filed in: Personal
I am sitting in front of our beautiful iMac on a Friday night where I get some good computer time in after a full work week. I haven’t posted too much this week because of how busy it has been. So I thought I would give you some random snippets of what has been going through my mind this week.
I guess that is enough for now. I will try to hold back from posting too much on the current political situation.
- I am horrified at the fact that the Mets could fall apart this September like last year and miss the playoffs. Tonight they lost to the Phillies and are holding on to a two game lead in the NL East.
- I get discouraged when I see how divisive politics can be especially when you are a Christian Democrat.
- Our huge, rotting trees in our backyard were finally all cut down this week. Our backyard looks totally different and I swear it is bigger now.
- I wonder how Christian Republicans who won’t allow women to take leadership in the church can be excited about Sarah Palin as the VP candidate for the Republican party.
- I love being a father of two beautiful daughters. Anna is becoming a little girl and constantly looks to me for confirmation that she is beautiful and loved. It crushes my heart to think of the little girls growing up in this country without fathers. The power of a father in the development of girls is very humbling to me.
- The starter in my Camry died this morning so I am going to attempt to fix it tomorrow. We’ll see how that goes.
- I don’t know if we can survive financially with my current full-time job so I am once again entertaining the thought of another stable, full-time job. I naively thought that I would have a secure full-time job by thirty which would allow me to lay down roots. God had other plans though.
- This week I worked on the values that drive the Experiment. The Experiment is our attempt at driving to deconstruct how we do “church” to find what the core of the church should be all about. Check it out at www.littletonexperiment.com.
I guess that is enough for now. I will try to hold back from posting too much on the current political situation.
Women in Leadership
31/08/08 21:54 Filed in: Politics
Last week I read this article about a Bible church in Texas that is taking heat for allowing a woman to speak in their main service. It is interesting to see how the church decided to finally allow a woman to speak. One of the other pastors in the area had this to say, "If the Bible is not true and authoritative on the roles of men and women, then maybe the Bible will not be finally true on premarital sex, the homosexual issue, adultery or any other moral issue," he said. "I believe this issue is the carrier of a virus by which liberalism will enter the evangelical church."
The interesting part of this is that these same church going folks are probably going to vote for the McCain-Palin ticket. What is the difference between having a woman speak in church and having a woman as a Vice President?
The interesting part of this is that these same church going folks are probably going to vote for the McCain-Palin ticket. What is the difference between having a woman speak in church and having a woman as a Vice President?
Epiphany Moment
30/08/08 21:01 Filed in: Politics
I had an epiphany the other day. I realized that one’s political beliefs are directly correlated to what news media they intake. I have been hearing from a number of Christian Republicans and they have expounded on their beliefs about Barack Obama. The “facts” that they state about Obama are not the truth but they believe it is truth because they heard it from their news source. So what is the “truth” about Obama or McCain? Is it really possible to find the truth by listening to the news, whether it is Fox News or NBC?
Worship and U2
24/08/08 15:06 Filed in: Church and Culture
Religious Freedom?
24/08/08 13:40 Filed in: Politics
We have known for a long time that China imprisons its residents in religious oppression. During the Olympics, China is attempting to show a more positive side of their country. They continue to claim that they offer religious freedom to their residents. This story of a the Chinese government confiscating Bibles at the Kunming airport further demonstrates the true nature of the Chinese government.
Putting Together the Pieces
23/08/08 13:43 Filed in: Personal
Back on January 2, I wrote the following in a blog post:
It is very weird now not to know what is coming next. As a visionary it is hard not to have a context for a vision. It is easy to become discouraged and down when I lack a vision. Ultimately the only person I can lean on for encouragement and vision during this time is the Lord. A few weeks ago I asked my junior high students the question, “What if God never answered any more of your prayer requests the way you wanted, would you still be content with the fact that you have a relationship with God?” I am coming to grips with this question through this period of not knowing what is next.
When I wrote this almost seven months ago, I had no idea where the Lord would lead us as a family. Seven months later, after countless hours wasted on Craigslist trying to find a job, the puzzle pieces are starting to fit together. Eight months ago I would have given you my five, ten, and twenty year goals of remaining in youth ministry until my forties and then teaching at a Christian college. God has taught me a lot over the past few months and one of those things is not to make plans because God has a sense of humor and will surprise you.
Now I am six months into my second career and it seems to be what I was created to do. I just accepted a full-time job as a Specialist at the Apple Store and am enjoying the job immensely. My leadership gifts are being developed and utilized in ways that didn’t happen in the church. I am able to serve in youth ministry and pseudo church planting on the side. Hillary and I are now feeling like we are right where God wants us even though it takes an enormous level of trust to continue on down this path. We are experiencing traction for the first time in a while.
I don’t know where we will be in the next year, five years or ten years and honestly I don’t really worry about it. Why worry about something that is out of my control? Hillary and I want to thank all of you who have been praying for us during these last few adventurous months. We are forever grateful!
It is very weird now not to know what is coming next. As a visionary it is hard not to have a context for a vision. It is easy to become discouraged and down when I lack a vision. Ultimately the only person I can lean on for encouragement and vision during this time is the Lord. A few weeks ago I asked my junior high students the question, “What if God never answered any more of your prayer requests the way you wanted, would you still be content with the fact that you have a relationship with God?” I am coming to grips with this question through this period of not knowing what is next.
When I wrote this almost seven months ago, I had no idea where the Lord would lead us as a family. Seven months later, after countless hours wasted on Craigslist trying to find a job, the puzzle pieces are starting to fit together. Eight months ago I would have given you my five, ten, and twenty year goals of remaining in youth ministry until my forties and then teaching at a Christian college. God has taught me a lot over the past few months and one of those things is not to make plans because God has a sense of humor and will surprise you.
Now I am six months into my second career and it seems to be what I was created to do. I just accepted a full-time job as a Specialist at the Apple Store and am enjoying the job immensely. My leadership gifts are being developed and utilized in ways that didn’t happen in the church. I am able to serve in youth ministry and pseudo church planting on the side. Hillary and I are now feeling like we are right where God wants us even though it takes an enormous level of trust to continue on down this path. We are experiencing traction for the first time in a while.
I don’t know where we will be in the next year, five years or ten years and honestly I don’t really worry about it. Why worry about something that is out of my control? Hillary and I want to thank all of you who have been praying for us during these last few adventurous months. We are forever grateful!