I was cruising around the metacrtic site, looking at upcoming releases, when I came across the soon-to-be released Goo Goo Dolls album. The title of said album is "Greatest Hits Vol. I"
That may be one of the most optimistic uses of the phrase "Vol. I" that I have ever come across.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Post-Restorationist Podcast
If you're interested:
http://web.mac.com/disciplesfellowship/iWeb/Travelers/ChurchJourney/ChurchJourney.html
http://web.mac.com/disciplesfellowship/iWeb/Travelers/ChurchJourney/ChurchJourney.html
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Sabbath and the City
One of the bonus benefits of having house church gatherings on Sunday nights is that it frees us to Sabbath. Sometimes that means relaxing around the house or walking the neighborhood, oftentimes (like today) it means getting out into the city. Today was one of those days, walking around, breakfasting at Trudy's, picking out a pumpkin from the local pumpkin patch; general reminders of what I love about the city. I am reminded of this poem by Robert Frost
The city is all right.
To live in one
Is to be civilized,
Stay up and read
Or sing and dance
All night and
See sunrise by
Waiting up instead
Of getting up.
The city is all right.
To live in one
Is to be civilized,
Stay up and read
Or sing and dance
All night and
See sunrise by
Waiting up instead
Of getting up.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Be The Church and Go To People
I've been saying for months now that our "job" as the church isn't to get people to go to church, but to be the church and go to people. Just came across a quote that put it this way:
"The emerging movement is not attractional in its model of the church but is instead missional: that is, it does not invite people to church but instead wanders into the world as the church. It asks its community “How can we help you?” instead of knocking on doors to increase membership. In other words, it becomes a community with open windows and open doors and sees Sunday morning as the opportunity to prepare for a week of service to the community, asking not how many are attending the services but what redemptive traits are we seeing in our community. It wants to embody a life that is other-oriented rather than self-oriented, that is community-directed rather than church-oriented."
Yeah, what he said.
"The emerging movement is not attractional in its model of the church but is instead missional: that is, it does not invite people to church but instead wanders into the world as the church. It asks its community “How can we help you?” instead of knocking on doors to increase membership. In other words, it becomes a community with open windows and open doors and sees Sunday morning as the opportunity to prepare for a week of service to the community, asking not how many are attending the services but what redemptive traits are we seeing in our community. It wants to embody a life that is other-oriented rather than self-oriented, that is community-directed rather than church-oriented."
Yeah, what he said.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Risk Frustration
"To hope is to risk frustration. Therefore, make up your mind to risk frustration." -from New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton
Too often I find myself unwilling to hope. I find myself willing to wish, but less often willing to hope. In wishing, I conjure up an ideal that I am not willing to take part in and therefore have no hope of actually experiencing. In hoping, I realize that I must participate and accept the consequences of that which I am hoping for.
If I wish for peace on earth, then I am content to simply imagine a world in which there is no strife or meanness of hatred. I don't actually believe in it, nor am I willing to work for it.
If I hope for peace on earth, then I am expected to turn the other cheek, to love my enemy, to sell what I have and give it to the poor. I must be willing to make the sacrifices that come with hope.
Morgan Freeman's character, Red, famously spoke the tagline to the movie "The Shawshank Redemption" -"Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane."
At the very least, it can bring frustration. Because that which we hope for means that which we are willing to work for, and sacrifice for, and die for. And those sorts of things take time. The impossible can take awhile.
But it can still happen. And does happen. And has happened. And is happening. In the person of Jesus and through His Spirit at work in us, we see the impossible being made possible. Being made possible by the one and through the one who calls us to hope. Who offers us a new beginning and a new way and a new life, but only a life that begins with death, only a way that leads to a cross.
In "The Shawshank Redemption", the main character, Andy Dufrense, gets free from prison by crawling through a sewer pipe the length of five football fields. Red sums up his sacrifice this way: "Andy Dufresne - who crawled through a river of shit and came out clean on the other side."
Sometimes freedom means a river of shit. Most times hope means frustration. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't hope, it just means you should risk frustration.
Too often I find myself unwilling to hope. I find myself willing to wish, but less often willing to hope. In wishing, I conjure up an ideal that I am not willing to take part in and therefore have no hope of actually experiencing. In hoping, I realize that I must participate and accept the consequences of that which I am hoping for.
If I wish for peace on earth, then I am content to simply imagine a world in which there is no strife or meanness of hatred. I don't actually believe in it, nor am I willing to work for it.
If I hope for peace on earth, then I am expected to turn the other cheek, to love my enemy, to sell what I have and give it to the poor. I must be willing to make the sacrifices that come with hope.
Morgan Freeman's character, Red, famously spoke the tagline to the movie "The Shawshank Redemption" -"Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane."
At the very least, it can bring frustration. Because that which we hope for means that which we are willing to work for, and sacrifice for, and die for. And those sorts of things take time. The impossible can take awhile.
But it can still happen. And does happen. And has happened. And is happening. In the person of Jesus and through His Spirit at work in us, we see the impossible being made possible. Being made possible by the one and through the one who calls us to hope. Who offers us a new beginning and a new way and a new life, but only a life that begins with death, only a way that leads to a cross.
In "The Shawshank Redemption", the main character, Andy Dufrense, gets free from prison by crawling through a sewer pipe the length of five football fields. Red sums up his sacrifice this way: "Andy Dufresne - who crawled through a river of shit and came out clean on the other side."
Sometimes freedom means a river of shit. Most times hope means frustration. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't hope, it just means you should risk frustration.
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