Padawan Pastor

God @ the Movies

Jen and I watched “Polar Express” on video the other night. I was impressed with the many spiritual themes represented. Here are some of the things that I noticed:

 

• It’s ok if you have doubts about Santa, you’re still invited to ride the train and make the journey with us.
• We all have our doubts, and we will not kick you off the train if you express your doubts. You don’t have to put on a pretense of faith in order to make this journey with us.
  
• This journey to the North Pole is filled with risk, adventure, and possibilities (sounds like faith). But don’t worry, you aren’t traveling alone (community).
• You will not hear the bells of his sleigh unless you believe. You will not see Santa unless you believe. You don’t see first and then acquiesce/believe. Others around you can hear the bells and see Santa. You can too if you believe. Belief is a choice.
• There are angels (or the Holy Spirit) on the train with us to help protect/guide along the journey.
• The biggest step is the first step on the train. 
• Can’t stay at the North Pole. You have to go back home to life. But life is never the same.

This is so offensive!

According to TIME magazine, Jerry Falwell is suing any business that doesn’t observe Christmas the way he does. Here is a quote from the beginning part of the article:

Falwell has put the power of his 24,000-member congregation behind the “Friend or Foe Christmas Campaign,” an effort led by the conservative legal organization Liberty Counsel. The group promises to file suit against anyone who spreads what it sees as misinformation about how Christmas can be celebrated in schools and public spaces.
….
Fanning the Yule log of discontent against what the Liberty Counsel calls “grinches” like the American Civil Liberties Union are evangelical-led organizations including the 150,000-member American Family Association. It has called for a boycott of Target stores next weekend. The chain’s crime, according to the group, is a ban on the use of “Merry Christmas” in stores, an accusation the chain denies.

“And [American Family Association President Tim Wildmon] isn’t worried if they offend people who aren’t Christian.”

THIS IS EMBARRASSING to the cause of Christ. It’s utterly bent logic to insist on Christmas being celebrated as Falwell wants it celebrated by crying about constitutional freedom, while ignoring the freedom of others not to celebrate!

How did it become Christian to act so unlike Christ?  Since when do we rely on lawsuits to season/redeem our culture?  Would Christ sue Rome?  Utterly discomforting!

Church in a Cafe?

Here is a church that is starting a cafe as a "third place" (very similar to some of the ideas we've been talking about it at our church on how to use our space as a creative way to bless our community or create a "third place")

http://www.christianweek.org/stories/vol19/no18/story3.html

They are only open from 4-10 PM Wed - Sat.  They focus on community, culture, and coffee in a relaxing, relational environment.  They only serve organic/fair trade coffee from Planet Bean (meaning that they are socially responsible to ensure that the farmer and worker receive a fair price)

not sure what a "third place" is?  click here

the website of the church, pronounced “freeway” café

http://www.frwy.ca/cafe.html

Recognize these laws?

Murphy's First Law for Wives:
If you ask your husband to pick up five items at the store and then you add one more as an afterthought, he will forget two of the first five.

Kauffman's Paradox of the Corporation:
The less important you are to the corporation, the more your tardiness or absence is noticed.

The Salary Axiom:
The pay raise is just large enough to increase your taxes and just small enough to have no effect on your take-home pay.

Miller's Law of Insurance:
Insurance covers everything except what happens.

First Law of Living:
As soon as you start doing what you always wanted to be doing, you'll want to be doing something else.

Weiner's Law of Libraries:
There are no answers, only cross-references.

Too busy to love

The ancient Latin poet Ovid may have got it right: "You who seek an end of love, love will yield to business: be busy and you will be safe." In other words, if you stay busy enough, you'll be protected from the demands of love.

Too busy to love

The ancient Latin poet Ovid may have got it right: "You who seek an end of love, love will yield to business: be busy and you will be safe." In other words, if you stay busy enough, you'll be protected from the demands of love.

A Porn Epidemic

It took 20 days for Apple Computers online store to reach 1 million movie downloads for the new movie playing iPod, it took only 7 days for the website which offers free porn videos for iPods to reach the same mark. 

pay attention

The missional church pays attention to at least 4 things...

Paying attention to the world .The missional community does not exist for itself, but for the world in which God is at work. It develops skills for discovering, interpreting, and purposefully engaging the cultural patterns, beliefs, and values that are shaping it.

Paying attention to the Spirit .The Holy Spirit is the active missionary who calls, forms, and empowers the church to participate in God's mission. Through biblical study the worshipping community is transformed by the Spirit to perceive, think, and behave as the People of God.

Paying attention to one another .The integrity of the church's witness is formed and transformed by the nature and expression of its common life. The missional community develops and sustains rich practices of "one-anothering" . . joining and sharing, eating and drinking, listening and caring, testing and deciding, welcoming and befriending..

Paying attention to change .The missional church is one that is on a journey, always seeking to learn and be open to change. Leaders cultivate readiness for significant spiritual renewal, building commitment to the major changes that are required.

eagle's nest

I heard the other day about a church that calls itself "Eagle's Nest."  I like that metaphor for the missional church.  When someone experiences birth, we nurture them, feed them, and protect them.  But make no mistake about it, you are expected to fly.  You will be nudged.  I know you like the comfort and warmth of the nest.  I know you like being fed by your mama.  But you weren't made for the nest.  You're made to fly, to soar.  In fact, if the nest gets too big, then something's not right.  Why aren't the eagle's flying?  Why aren't they starting new nests?  This is not a sign of health.  You're an eagle.  I nudge you because I love you.  Don't you feel the primal urge inside of you to fly.  Ever wonder why you're so envious when you see others fly?  I have fed you, now feed yourself.  Feed others.  You benefitted from a nest that you didn't make.  Now go make a nest for others to be born in and benefit from.  Look at your wings, they are strong.  Not one feather is missing.  When will you fly?  I'll fly with you.  Let's go!

nomads

What a journey!  The church that we planted four years ago has seen more changes than a Madonna concert.  We started off purpose driven, seeker sensitive.  We slowly transitioned into more of a postmodern gathering.  And now we are morphing into a missional church.  The problem is, there is no cookie-cutter, cut and paste method for this new expression of church.  I say "problem," it's actually quite exciting.  I feel similar to how Abraham must've felt when he was told by God to go to a land that would be shown to him later.  Abraham packed up his bags and left for a journey not knowing the final destination.  Yet, not knowing the end result of this missional morph is part of the adventure.  I'm just thankful to have such a wonderful community of faith as my fellow travelers.  What does a missional church look like in a suburban context?  What is it mean to be salt, light, and leaven in Pearland?  That remains to be seen.  But I do believe the best is yet to come.