Ok, so I began today with one thought in mind but had it completely changed as God spoke to me over something I saw today. But have no fear because I will come back to my original post in due time. However, this was startling when you take a step back from the Christian culture I have been discussing.
Today, as I am driving in my truck, I drive by this parked van in a parking spot. I notice a bumper sticker on the back of this van. The bumper sticker reads "Jesus is coming, RUE?" This totally did not click with me, so I did what anybody that was interested would do. I googled it. Come to find out the E was red on the bumper sticker, which in hindsight is correct. So here is what that bumper sticker says, "Jesus is come, R (are) U (you) E (red E - READY)?" That is definitely not close to anything I could figure out. This precludes something that has been started by us as Christians.
If you are reading this and you have a "red E" bumper sticker, I am in no way claiming that it is wrong to have that. What I am saying is you have succumbed to the new era of Christian merchandise lines. Everything from apparel to bumper stickers has started this. "What is it?", you ask. It is this new method of releasing things that requires a Christian inside knowledge to understand. What do I mean? Think about the Christian fish. I wish I had a number for how many people had these little silver medallions on the back of their cars. However, what is the purpose of these items? When we have items that others outside of our faith do not understand, we aren't really outreaching to them. The problem has become that we want to show off our faith, but not be too bold. In doing this we figure out ways to show our faith to the point where other Christians will see our strong shows but non-Christians will not be offended or really understand what is going on.
These are not the only examples. I found a site with many of these at this site. All of these show how we have more and more become dependant on these shows of faith. I am in no way saying they are bad. I am also not saying that you should have the entire Romans Road put on back of your car with a vinyl overlay. What I think would be the right choice would be to find a happy medium.
Some of these shirts are good. They have an underlying meaning but still shows your faith to everyone. These kind of shirts (such as the Jesus died for myspace in heaven) allow you to demonstrate a love for Jesus while leaving a little open. It leaves the possibility for someone to come to you and ask, "How did he do that?" My only prayer is that whatever you do decide is you method of outreach in the sense of Jesus merchandise, I want us to be able to share His love and passion for others. Let's not get caught up in the "Jesus is my homeboy" style and remember that we don't want to overly dumb it down. Let's remember that this is the same person that went on that cross and died for our sins.
Please help me in this message. Before you get some "Jesus merch," think about the impact you can have with that. Mark 4:1-9 tells us about the sower of seeds. Jesus tells us to sow our seeds on the fertile ground but to spread them everywhere. I believe that if we can use all possible resources than we are increasing the seeds we sow, and as Jesus said, that will increase our chances of finding soft hearts and open souls. So I encourage you to use you "Jesus merch" to be a light unto this world and to truly scatter seeds more than you are already. Your shirt may introduce and idea that someone else gets to explain, as long as the person on the other end can understand the message and see Jesus in your life.
God Bless,
Gann
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Back to the Basics
So far I am managing to wrangle my borderline ADD into getting to this every night. Which is good because day 3 is here. This is a sort of a build on last night and a focus on what the church is doing wrong right now. Then there is a possible solution to the problem. I refuse to call it the right answer because there is always a better answer. This is worth considering.
As I did last night I will start with a little analogy-type story. When I was in middle school I played basketball and baseball. In both of these there are periods where you go through a slump. For those not sports savvy, this is a period of time when you either can't make simple shots or hit the ball (depending on the sport). In this slump period your coach can tell you one thing. They always tell you to go back to the basics. If it is basketball, you take out everything "fancy" and extraneous in your shooting motion and take it back to how you learned. In baseball you just focus on making contact and hitting the ball to find your groove before you can go back to swinging for the fences. Even professional athletes go back to the basics and just have to work through their slumps. Seattle Mariners RF Ichiro Suzuki says "When I am in a slump, I ask myself for advice." He knows you just have to go back and find a rythym so that you can work your way out.
I give you this story to say this. The church in America is in a slump. If you don't believe this, I will refer back to the statistic that 80% of churches are NOT growing. When churches aren't growing, they aren't doing something right. So what should the church do in this kind of slump? Well, I think we should go back to the basics. By the basics, I mean the church that does it right in Acts after Jesus ascends into heaven. This Church was the body, it was all based on relationships. There was no hierarchy, just people that were on fire for God. This point in time was the most explosive time of growth in the history of the church. The incredible thing is that this new "religion" of Christianity, then known as "the Way" branched out of a slumping religion. A religion that people had lost it's fervor for.
I am not suggesting we branch off and create a new religion. I am actually a proponent of the exact opposite. Let's take a look at the church from Acts. This church was built on relationships. It began as several small groups of people who would fellowship together and come together in a large group for corporate worship. They all felt comfortable with their faith and would go out and tell people of their faith. They would want to show people this new found Saviour who is the risen King. They wrote letters of encouragment to each other. They all functioned together as the Body of Christ. Church as it should be, all working together for Christ. So, why today, can we have churches on the same street that argue and won't come together to do the work of God? Why do we have denominations of Christianity that believe the same Holy Bible, the same God, the same Risen Saviour, and the same principles; but remain seperate because of a few issues based on Biblical interpretation that have very little effect on the goal of reaching people. Why in this Church does the Body not show love for one another as Christ loves us?
I think the problem today is that the Church in America is on its way back to the Church in Acts. The technological age has allowed for churches in different states and even countries to become interconnected in a web of sharing, loving, and community like never before. Now a church in Australia can have a band with great music that a band in Atlanta, Georgia can hear and within days, play for their congregation. Now, most of you are probably thinking, "Why is this a problem?" It is a problem because to get there, the church has taken a detour by the church of the days of Jesus. The legalistic church, the focus on elite, and the hierarchy is becoming prevalent in churches that are not part of this new "modern thinking" of a body of Churches to represent the Body of Christ.
The church today suffers from modern-day Sanhedrin and Pharisees. The Sanhedrin was a Jewish council of religous leaders. They determined the legalistic side of their religion. They were the "knowledgable" and were refered to for all knowledge. These could be likened to some of our commitees that are made up of a select few people that have power over everything in the church. Many churches may have everything from how the money is spent to how our services are run on Sundays. They would encompass the jobs of the Sanhedrin and the Pharisees. These are the people that flaunt their Christianity and feel they are better than you because they go to a better church or they are a better Christian. I am here to say that no one is a better person. "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23 NIV). These modern-day Sanhedrin run the church and determine how it goes. They have ornate prayers that are planned and constructed, instead of heartfelt and meaningful. These people judge others based on their opinions of right and wrong and they determine if you are worthy to hear the Word of God and the good news.
Well, Jesus told us to "make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19) not just the ones we determine are worthy. Just to complete this history lesson, the Sanhedrin are the ones who plotted with Judas and tried Jesus under a shroud of secrecy. They then charged Him as guilty in a rigged trial of their people leading to His crucifixion.
So as I leave you with this post into your day, my prayer for you is to seperate yourself for the church culture that feels that they are better because they are the "RIGHT" church. Love others as Christ has loved you. Work with other Christians as you should for you are the Body of Christ and as the Body we need to work together. Show God's love through your actions and words. Most of all I pray that you can see the wrongs that have become so prevalent in our "church models" and stand up and fix these wrongs. If one part of the church is in a slump, we are all in a slump. I pray that we can come out of this slump together in hard work as we go back to the basics.
God Bless,
Gann
views.perspectives@gmail.com
P.S. For those out there that want, this blog does have the ability for RSS feeds. Also, I plan to add a Twitter account and Facebook page solely for this blog within the coming week. Just pray for me and this blog and that it will touch others out there. Thank you all.
As I did last night I will start with a little analogy-type story. When I was in middle school I played basketball and baseball. In both of these there are periods where you go through a slump. For those not sports savvy, this is a period of time when you either can't make simple shots or hit the ball (depending on the sport). In this slump period your coach can tell you one thing. They always tell you to go back to the basics. If it is basketball, you take out everything "fancy" and extraneous in your shooting motion and take it back to how you learned. In baseball you just focus on making contact and hitting the ball to find your groove before you can go back to swinging for the fences. Even professional athletes go back to the basics and just have to work through their slumps. Seattle Mariners RF Ichiro Suzuki says "When I am in a slump, I ask myself for advice." He knows you just have to go back and find a rythym so that you can work your way out.
I give you this story to say this. The church in America is in a slump. If you don't believe this, I will refer back to the statistic that 80% of churches are NOT growing. When churches aren't growing, they aren't doing something right. So what should the church do in this kind of slump? Well, I think we should go back to the basics. By the basics, I mean the church that does it right in Acts after Jesus ascends into heaven. This Church was the body, it was all based on relationships. There was no hierarchy, just people that were on fire for God. This point in time was the most explosive time of growth in the history of the church. The incredible thing is that this new "religion" of Christianity, then known as "the Way" branched out of a slumping religion. A religion that people had lost it's fervor for.
I am not suggesting we branch off and create a new religion. I am actually a proponent of the exact opposite. Let's take a look at the church from Acts. This church was built on relationships. It began as several small groups of people who would fellowship together and come together in a large group for corporate worship. They all felt comfortable with their faith and would go out and tell people of their faith. They would want to show people this new found Saviour who is the risen King. They wrote letters of encouragment to each other. They all functioned together as the Body of Christ. Church as it should be, all working together for Christ. So, why today, can we have churches on the same street that argue and won't come together to do the work of God? Why do we have denominations of Christianity that believe the same Holy Bible, the same God, the same Risen Saviour, and the same principles; but remain seperate because of a few issues based on Biblical interpretation that have very little effect on the goal of reaching people. Why in this Church does the Body not show love for one another as Christ loves us?
I think the problem today is that the Church in America is on its way back to the Church in Acts. The technological age has allowed for churches in different states and even countries to become interconnected in a web of sharing, loving, and community like never before. Now a church in Australia can have a band with great music that a band in Atlanta, Georgia can hear and within days, play for their congregation. Now, most of you are probably thinking, "Why is this a problem?" It is a problem because to get there, the church has taken a detour by the church of the days of Jesus. The legalistic church, the focus on elite, and the hierarchy is becoming prevalent in churches that are not part of this new "modern thinking" of a body of Churches to represent the Body of Christ.
The church today suffers from modern-day Sanhedrin and Pharisees. The Sanhedrin was a Jewish council of religous leaders. They determined the legalistic side of their religion. They were the "knowledgable" and were refered to for all knowledge. These could be likened to some of our commitees that are made up of a select few people that have power over everything in the church. Many churches may have everything from how the money is spent to how our services are run on Sundays. They would encompass the jobs of the Sanhedrin and the Pharisees. These are the people that flaunt their Christianity and feel they are better than you because they go to a better church or they are a better Christian. I am here to say that no one is a better person. "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23 NIV). These modern-day Sanhedrin run the church and determine how it goes. They have ornate prayers that are planned and constructed, instead of heartfelt and meaningful. These people judge others based on their opinions of right and wrong and they determine if you are worthy to hear the Word of God and the good news.
Well, Jesus told us to "make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19) not just the ones we determine are worthy. Just to complete this history lesson, the Sanhedrin are the ones who plotted with Judas and tried Jesus under a shroud of secrecy. They then charged Him as guilty in a rigged trial of their people leading to His crucifixion.
So as I leave you with this post into your day, my prayer for you is to seperate yourself for the church culture that feels that they are better because they are the "RIGHT" church. Love others as Christ has loved you. Work with other Christians as you should for you are the Body of Christ and as the Body we need to work together. Show God's love through your actions and words. Most of all I pray that you can see the wrongs that have become so prevalent in our "church models" and stand up and fix these wrongs. If one part of the church is in a slump, we are all in a slump. I pray that we can come out of this slump together in hard work as we go back to the basics.
God Bless,
Gann
views.perspectives@gmail.com
P.S. For those out there that want, this blog does have the ability for RSS feeds. Also, I plan to add a Twitter account and Facebook page solely for this blog within the coming week. Just pray for me and this blog and that it will touch others out there. Thank you all.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Why Emerging Generations Aren't Emergent in the Church
Welcome back,
Day 2, Follower 1, been a wild ride. Today is simply a response to several things I saw today combined with some recent reading I have been doing and some visions of future churches I have seen. Todays is going to focus on the "Emerging Generations" as Dan Kimball puts it in his book, They Like Jesus but Not the Church: Insights from Emerging Generations . The emerging generation for the purpose of today will be 18-25 while still realizing it applies to the rest of the "emerging generation" (26-35).
I will start with a short story of something I witnessed today. I was let out of biology class a little early today. As I walked out the side exit into the courtyard, I see lots of commotion happening between the college mall and the english building. In this commons area courtyard I see everything from a basketball hoop to a rock wall. I then see that there is free food over next to the entrance to the college mall (basically the student union building). I walked over because, "If it's free, it's me." I see this elderly gentleman standing there with a box. Not really knowing what he has I move closer. I assumed this to be important as he was standing at the juncture where the most people would pass throughout the day. I walk up and see him passing out NKJV Bibles for the Gideons.
Now, this made me think and totally diverted what I had originally planned for today and I could feel God speaking about this. Why do we have to have a 60+ year old man handing out bibles on a college campus? Where have the youth of our culture fallen astray in their willingness to share their belief? I stood there for 10 or 15 minutes just watching as I saw numerous people accept his little green books of the New Testament. I just now wish I knew what happened afterwards. We have this man who is confident enough to stand here on a college campus and hand people, who most in our church community would consider "lost heathens," the word of God. All the while in a suit and tie. I am not saying the is the most effective outreach technique but it is one none the less. It is an attempt, and it is refreshing to see at least someone care about our generation.
Now to the point in the title. Our generation of 18-35 is being swept into a category most churches classify as "single adults 1." There is little outreach focused toward this age group. I was confronted after a meeting tonight and told it was refreshing to see a youth (church word for 25 and below) that could stand up for what is right and think for themself. I was greatly appreciative for this but the thing about our new generation is that they do think for themselves. This is why we need a new outreach strategy. Our current strategy is outdated and needs tweaking. We need to focus on the important things. Jesus is becoming an icon in the world, people don't have problems with Jesus, they have problems with churches. These churches need to realize we need to come together as THE Church. When we do this we are unstoppable for we are the Bride of Christ. We should love and show compassion to all in this world while avoiding the sad state of sucked into a Christian life of complacency. This will work for all generations but will help out much better for the new generation.
One more story. I was at work one day discussing religion and faith with a coworker. He was 18 at the time and was demonstrating incredible knowledge of the Bible. He told me he read the Bible and understood it and liked Christianity but didn't know which one was right (refering to denominations). I had already been considering denominations but this was a light to me. Individual churches are to concerned with small doctrinal issues that mean very little if anything in the big scheme of things. This is why my prayer for the church in America is to go back to the basics. I believe we are on our way and I pray that you will pray for the church in this process. The statistic says that 80% of churches in America are plateaued or declining. This means somebody is doing it right. If those churches can grow and incorporate the generations from all across the spectrum, WHY CAN'T WE? So as my prayer for you is that you will do some digging in your life to see if you have become focused on looking like a Christian with your Christian friends, music, and t-shirts. I hope not, I hope you have become focused on being a Christian with your Christan views, outreach, and love for others. When all else fails those non-Christian friends of yours will look to you in times of need and give you the oppurtunity to share the Good News or the Gospel with them. You must build these relationships first and then focus on presenting them when the time is right. Don't evangelize people because you feel you need to check a conversion box. Tell them about your Holy Father and His Son so that they can find Him and His love for themselves and enjoy eternal life with Him.
If you truly do love a brother you will share. This means invest in those you know but don't really talk too, help those in need, love those who need love. I pray for you and me that we will do this together and take the church in America from a Sunday group of interconnected church friends to an everyday group of loving and compassionate friends from all walks of life.
God Bless,
Gann
Day 2, Follower 1, been a wild ride. Today is simply a response to several things I saw today combined with some recent reading I have been doing and some visions of future churches I have seen. Todays is going to focus on the "Emerging Generations" as Dan Kimball puts it in his book, They Like Jesus but Not the Church: Insights from Emerging Generations . The emerging generation for the purpose of today will be 18-25 while still realizing it applies to the rest of the "emerging generation" (26-35).
I will start with a short story of something I witnessed today. I was let out of biology class a little early today. As I walked out the side exit into the courtyard, I see lots of commotion happening between the college mall and the english building. In this commons area courtyard I see everything from a basketball hoop to a rock wall. I then see that there is free food over next to the entrance to the college mall (basically the student union building). I walked over because, "If it's free, it's me." I see this elderly gentleman standing there with a box. Not really knowing what he has I move closer. I assumed this to be important as he was standing at the juncture where the most people would pass throughout the day. I walk up and see him passing out NKJV Bibles for the Gideons.
Now, this made me think and totally diverted what I had originally planned for today and I could feel God speaking about this. Why do we have to have a 60+ year old man handing out bibles on a college campus? Where have the youth of our culture fallen astray in their willingness to share their belief? I stood there for 10 or 15 minutes just watching as I saw numerous people accept his little green books of the New Testament. I just now wish I knew what happened afterwards. We have this man who is confident enough to stand here on a college campus and hand people, who most in our church community would consider "lost heathens," the word of God. All the while in a suit and tie. I am not saying the is the most effective outreach technique but it is one none the less. It is an attempt, and it is refreshing to see at least someone care about our generation.
Now to the point in the title. Our generation of 18-35 is being swept into a category most churches classify as "single adults 1." There is little outreach focused toward this age group. I was confronted after a meeting tonight and told it was refreshing to see a youth (church word for 25 and below) that could stand up for what is right and think for themself. I was greatly appreciative for this but the thing about our new generation is that they do think for themselves. This is why we need a new outreach strategy. Our current strategy is outdated and needs tweaking. We need to focus on the important things. Jesus is becoming an icon in the world, people don't have problems with Jesus, they have problems with churches. These churches need to realize we need to come together as THE Church. When we do this we are unstoppable for we are the Bride of Christ. We should love and show compassion to all in this world while avoiding the sad state of sucked into a Christian life of complacency. This will work for all generations but will help out much better for the new generation.
One more story. I was at work one day discussing religion and faith with a coworker. He was 18 at the time and was demonstrating incredible knowledge of the Bible. He told me he read the Bible and understood it and liked Christianity but didn't know which one was right (refering to denominations). I had already been considering denominations but this was a light to me. Individual churches are to concerned with small doctrinal issues that mean very little if anything in the big scheme of things. This is why my prayer for the church in America is to go back to the basics. I believe we are on our way and I pray that you will pray for the church in this process. The statistic says that 80% of churches in America are plateaued or declining. This means somebody is doing it right. If those churches can grow and incorporate the generations from all across the spectrum, WHY CAN'T WE? So as my prayer for you is that you will do some digging in your life to see if you have become focused on looking like a Christian with your Christian friends, music, and t-shirts. I hope not, I hope you have become focused on being a Christian with your Christan views, outreach, and love for others. When all else fails those non-Christian friends of yours will look to you in times of need and give you the oppurtunity to share the Good News or the Gospel with them. You must build these relationships first and then focus on presenting them when the time is right. Don't evangelize people because you feel you need to check a conversion box. Tell them about your Holy Father and His Son so that they can find Him and His love for themselves and enjoy eternal life with Him.
If you truly do love a brother you will share. This means invest in those you know but don't really talk too, help those in need, love those who need love. I pray for you and me that we will do this together and take the church in America from a Sunday group of interconnected church friends to an everyday group of loving and compassionate friends from all walks of life.
God Bless,
Gann
Monday, October 19, 2009
Views from the Middle 101
Hey Guys,
Welcome to my blog. This is just an introduction so you have an idea of what this is about and where this is coming from. A little information about me first. I am a freshman in college at the ripe old age of 18. I am a Christian in a somewhat inner battle of denominations. I guess that makes me nondenominational with a leaning toward Baptist.
The purpose of this blog is multifunctional. Simplistically put I am talking from the middle (DUH!). At 18 I am legally an adult but technically a teenager. It is amazing what you see from this point. By this I am mostly refering to the Church and its relation to the world and even the Christians in it.
This blog is in no way a final say or a guarantee but rather a viewpoint from me, an observer. I don't expect you to agree with everything I say. Somedays I may even ask a question or your opinion. This will start off unorganized and rather sporadic just to keep it interesting (and because it reflects me). It will be daily so you can get your read for the day and I will back up serious claims with scriptural references (typically NIV or NCV). I hope you enjoy this blog that will be a different view on Christianity and its relation to society. As a disclaimer, I will note some posts will be sarcastic and borderline satirical in nature, this is not meant to be offensive but rather just to get you thinking.
If at any point you have any suggestions, concerns, or ideas; feel free to let me know at views.perspectives@gmail.com . This will be my account for blog related information and I wil check it fairly regularly. Please get involved and post so I can get your feedback and stand up for what you believe. I would hate to be the only one doing the talking here and would love to see open discussions.
Enjoy,
-Gann
Welcome to my blog. This is just an introduction so you have an idea of what this is about and where this is coming from. A little information about me first. I am a freshman in college at the ripe old age of 18. I am a Christian in a somewhat inner battle of denominations. I guess that makes me nondenominational with a leaning toward Baptist.
The purpose of this blog is multifunctional. Simplistically put I am talking from the middle (DUH!). At 18 I am legally an adult but technically a teenager. It is amazing what you see from this point. By this I am mostly refering to the Church and its relation to the world and even the Christians in it.
This blog is in no way a final say or a guarantee but rather a viewpoint from me, an observer. I don't expect you to agree with everything I say. Somedays I may even ask a question or your opinion. This will start off unorganized and rather sporadic just to keep it interesting (and because it reflects me). It will be daily so you can get your read for the day and I will back up serious claims with scriptural references (typically NIV or NCV). I hope you enjoy this blog that will be a different view on Christianity and its relation to society. As a disclaimer, I will note some posts will be sarcastic and borderline satirical in nature, this is not meant to be offensive but rather just to get you thinking.
If at any point you have any suggestions, concerns, or ideas; feel free to let me know at views.perspectives@gmail.com . This will be my account for blog related information and I wil check it fairly regularly. Please get involved and post so I can get your feedback and stand up for what you believe. I would hate to be the only one doing the talking here and would love to see open discussions.
Enjoy,
-Gann
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