I’ve just finished reading through Doug’s latest book, A Christianity Worth Believing.
Disclaimer: Doug is one of my heroes. Not for theological reasons, but for his prowess in cultural understanding. He knows his audience because he values his story.
This book is simply amazing. Through his own story Doug walks you through a process of deconstruction of the methods and practices that have invaded the church. He forces you to rethink and question why you do what you do. It’s honest and revealing.
It’s also applicable to ministry to children and families. Doug came from a completely unchurched background before his conversion, which took place later in his teen years. He shows you how some of your traditions and methods are a hinderance to kids and families from backgrounds like his. He forces you to step back and evaluate how you minister to kids and if your methods are purposeful and strategic.
Honestly, I found that I was doing my kids a disservice in many ways after reading this book. The postmodern culture communicates through a storying process. They see themselves as part of a metanarrative. I realized that my methods weren’t involving kids to participate in sharing their story and because of this they aren’t able to make the needed connection points to the Christian journey.
I would highly encourage you to get this book. It’s a transparent and refreshing word on the opportunities that face the church.
A Christianity Worth Believing: Doug Pagitt July 27, 2008
Battle of The Office(s) July 27, 2008
The eternal questions:
When it rains, why don’t sheep shrink?
If you’re driving at the speed of light and turn your headlights on, what happens?
When French people swear, do they say, “pardon my English?”
Why is the word abbreviation so long?
Which Office is better? BBC or NBC?
I am a HUGE, HUGE fan of The Office. I started watching the first season of the NBC Office in the first season during the Christmas Party episode. Classic stuff.
During the summer I borrowed the complete set of the original BBC version of The Office. It’s much different, but brilliant.
So, I’ve been wrestling with the 8th Wonder of the World; which one is the best?
So, here’s how I broke it down.
Ricky Gervais as David Brent VS. Steve Carell as Michael Scott
Winner: Ricky Gervais. Hands-down one of the most brilliant comedians/writers alive. His role as David Brent is the definition of comedic genius. I love Carell, but it would unfair to pit anyone against Gervais in this role.
Martin Freeman as Tim Canterbury VS. John Krasinski as Jim Halpert
Winner: Martin Freeman. Again, not a fair comparison. You know the camera stare that Jim does? He stole that from Martin. Tim Canterbury is an epic character. He originated the role and unfortunately John is just an imitation of Martin.
Lucy Davis as Dawn Tinsley VS. Jenna Fischer as Pam Beesly
Winner: Jenna Fischer. The NBC’s first win! I find Jenna’s character to be much more clever and a bit more endearing. I don’t think they really did all they could do to develop Dawn’s character throughout the series. Pam’s character has been consistent and plays a much bigger role in the series, in my opinion.
To be continued…
Children’s Ministry and Missional Context July 18, 2008
Children’s Ministries should be about forming people who love God and follow Jesus. One way to keep this and coming generations outwardly focused is to provide a missional context in the church and, more specifically, in those programs and opportunities directed toward children. Faith communities desiring to form children who participate in God’s kingdom work will be faith communities who care more about works of peace and justice, who care more about “doing what people who follow Jesus do” than about attracting large numbers through glitzy programs and providing a “holy huddle” for those who are on the inside. When children see an ethos of mission modeled for them by parents, church leaders, and other significant adults they can be transformed to live in the way of Jesus as they begin to understand their responsibilities to the world and other people God created in the holy image.
~ Ivy Beckwith
I read this quote when reading through Ivy’s book Postmodern Children’s Ministry. It’s intriguing on so many levels.
First, it deals with what I have been teaching our leaders and parents about recently. Faith transference will ONLY happen through modeling. We must model a Christlike attitude and Christlike actions for children in order for them to live missionally and for their faith to carry on. If kids don’t see it in their parents, they’re generally not going to follow.
Second, Ivy urges participation in a “faith community” rather than just big “glitzy” events. That’s a huge trap for today’s church. Too often we focus our time and efforts on big events and/or programs not realizing that this is not going to encourage faith habits and life transformation in kids and families. Children need to understand at a young age what a community of believers really is (and isn’t). It’s all about “doing life” together with others going through your same life stage. This is the definition of a healthy church and a spiritually healthy child. It also gets kids and adults away from becoming closed-off or stuck in what Ivy labels a “holy-huddle.”
So often we get focused only on our responsibilities in our church. We never look outward and notice the needs of those around us. Missionally minded kids will see the needs of those within their faith community, but in the same manner, they will notice and get involved in resolving the needs of others around them.
A Refreshing Experience! July 7, 2008
For those who attended The Austin Stone Community Church yesterday, “refreshed” was probably not the word they used to describe themselves when leaving. It was a very intense experience for all. However, it moved me deeply.
I treasure the chance to attend a church and just be a participant and not a church staff member. So, I donned my flip flops, blue jeans, and t-shirt and headed to the coolest church in Austin… The Stone (as it’s known to its parters).
First, the Stone probably has the most amazingly gifted worship band in Central Texas. They are talented musicians, for sure, but they excel the most in the act of leading in worship. They bring you into an intimate experience of awe before God. It was beautiful.
Matt Carter is an amazing dude. He is a rare breed of “preacher” who is relevant in a mecca of postmodernity, such as Austin, but holds to a strong conviction to speak and teach the Word. I’m not sure if you can find a more relevant and reaching church in America that teaches in an expository manner.
Matt is moving through 1 Corinthians in his current series and was in chapter 6 yesterday. He spoke on verses 15 through 19, which deal directly with sexual immorality. I won’t go into the details of his message because EVERYONE needs to hear it… and you can listen to it HERE!
Matt approached this subject and exposed these verses in a manner that I have never heard before, but was completely honest to the message of the text.
It was a refreshing experience in so many ways. It was great to be a participant in worship. It was amazing to see an authentic community unfold in a tangible way. It gave me hope for what the church could and should be.
Repotting Yourself July 1, 2008
Probably a pretty confusing title, huh?
So, about a year ago I bought a hibiscus plant per my mom’s advice. My parents have a really huge and beautiful hibiscus by their pool. It’s massive and has these awesome orange blooms.
I noticed about a month ago that mine looked like it was dying. The weird thing is that I water it almost every day and spray the leaves with mist, etc. I couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t growing and why it almost died. So, thinking through this obvious crisis, I realized that the pot had probably become too small for the roots and so I headed over to Wal-Mart to buy a new pot and soil.
Three days later… the plant is growing insanely. There are new leaves sprouting all over it and you can actually see where the branches have grown. It’s pretty cool because I’m horrible with all things involving green thumbery.
I was bragging (in a very manly way, of course!) to someone about my agricultural success. I must say, I’m holding my head a bit higher these days. However, something occurred to me. There is an obvious parallel in the life of a believer.
Sometimes believers (aka Christians) get caught in a “slump” or “rut” in their walk with God. They can’t figure out why they don’t have the same joy or why they aren’t growing at the same pace they once did. They are spending the same amount of time in personal study, attending church services, even volunteering in their children’s ministry (hint hint). But, they just don’t “feel it” anymore.
Let me suggest that they need to repot themselves. Change is good and is a part of growth. Routine, in my opinion, is limiting and deadly. They need to put themselves in a new “culture” within or outside of the church. A change of routine or schedule forces you to rethink and rework your entire day. Maybe join a new small group that you would have never considered. Force yourself to go to a different Starbucks in the morning… or maybe not go at all! Surround yourself with new believers who might provide a new perspective on life and the Christian walk.
Looking at the life and missionary journeys of Paul, you can see that he was all about change in culture and environment. His passion for God stayed fresh because he never fell into the rut of routine. He was constantly exploring new methods to present the Gospel and contextualize the message. His life is an example for the “stuck” believer.
This is, in a sense, “repotting” yourself. Give it a try if you feel stuck!
