the church geek

Here is this week’s photo:

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1.) Evernote looks like a pretty useful tool. Not quite sure what is the best way to use it, but at a minimum it can probably replace ‘Google Notebook’ whose idea I love but whose functionality has not been that great.

2.) Enjoyed this little vignette about Sunday Breakfast. Gives you a taste for why people are frustrated with church.

3.) The Internet Monk has spun off a new blog: Jesus Shaped Spirituality.

4.) One of my favorite photobloggers has stunned me again with this photo.

5.) In case you get these posts by RSS feed, my blog has undergone a bit of a makeover. It’s not quite perfect yet, but it’s coming together as I have time.

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Here is a picture of a Minneapolis icon I took on vacation last week:

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Young@Heart is an absolute must see movie. It is the moving and endearing story of a group of 70, 80, and 90 year olds who sing and perform their hearts out to the tunes of a variety of popular artists such as Coldplay, James Brown, and the Ramones.

The movie documents the group’s preparation for their first big concert of the performing year. As the story unfolds we are given an up close and personal look at the lives of a variety of the group’s members. Some of the more touching and moving moments of this film detail the struggle to hold on to life and the frailty that often comes with old age, while other moments show that character and dignity do not fade in the face of it.

I guarantee that you will laugh and cry while watching this movie which I rate at a 9 out of 10 stars. I would urge you to drop everything you are doing right now so that you can go see it.

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Just a couple of cool things to point you to:

1.) The Forgiveness Project.

2.) Creative Prayer - ideas for prayer stations for use in worship gatherings

3.) Pentecost: the church on fire.

4.) Here’s your photo for the week: just about the most adorable girl you’ll ever see.

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We’ve been on vacation and just returned from a few days in the Twin Cities.

Our original plan was to hang around to attend the weekly Sunday evening gathering at Solomon’s Porch, but for various reasons we headed back earlier in the afternoon. Still, we did get a chance to worship with the folks at the Spirit Garage, a ELCA church plant that meets at the Music Box theater.

I love going to these types of creative Christian communities. I get a big charge from seeing folks do church in totally different and unique ways. I love seeing folks who are intentionally reaching out to those who have little or no church experience, who are inviting the entire body to be part of and to participate in a truly collaborative worship experience, and who are being creative and intentional about the ways they are involved in mission and ministry in the larger community.

At the same time, I come away from these types of excursions with just a bit of sadness.

Now, don’t get me wrong…I love my church and I love my current ministry. It is the right place for me at this point and time in my life. But at the same time I wonder how can we (or I) do more? How can we reach out with greater intentionality to the world around us? How can we be more innovative and creative in order to invite those who may not darken the door of the church into a relationship with Christ?

Sometimes I think our church should start a weekly gathering that looks nothing like our traditional worship service, but then I think I’m only one person, I can’t do that on my own and still keep things going on a regular Sunday morning. I also don’t have incredible gifts of creativity and our church doesn’t have a very deep purse….so such a thing would require other folks who have caught the same sort of vision to step up to the plate, to say funds don’t matter, and to rise up and help put it together.

Other times I think I should go be a pastor for a new church development. But then I know myself well enough to know that I’m simply not the type of person who is going to sit in a coffee shop and talk to every person I meet or get out into the community and make so many contacts in order to invite people to gather. That is just not who I am or how I am wired. Plus the truth of the matter is that I like being paid for what I do and there is no financial stability in starting church plants…

Then I think, well, maybe a few churches in our Presbytery, or maybe within our Cedar Rapids areas, should just get together and collaboratively resource and put together an emerging church service and ministry. But then I get a big headache thinking about all the issues of control, and who has the purse strings, and how such a beast would ever get off the ground from the get go?

So, at this point I just have all this stuff swimming around in my head. I continue to study and to read about the emerging church and the great things that are happening in pockets across the country. I continue to visit these types of communities when I have a chance. And perhaps most importantly I continue to seek God in prayer, asking what I am to do with all of this innovative church stuff?

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I’m really looking forward to General Assembly this year as I’m going to be a commissioner. I was a TSAD (theological student advisory delegate) in 2004, so I’ve sort of been there and done that. But one of the primary reasons I’m really looking forward to this experience will be for the chance to meet up with folks I’ve only come to “know” through the blogosphere: folks like Shawn, Bruce, and Mark.

Speaking of Shawn, if you’re going to GA and if you are a blogger, check out his post on GA Web 2.018.

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Just two items for today:

1.) One of the primary reasons I’m in the ministry today is because of my friend Bill Crawford, so I’m both saddened and pleased at the news announced on his website earlier this week about his church’s departure to the EPC. It’s been a hard long journey for Bill and his family, but I’m sure that they are in the place where God has called them and that they need to be. I wish God’s blessings and peace upon them in this new phase of their life and ministry.

2.) Here is a stunning photograph for your pleasure.

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Today’s sermon, from the text of 1 Peter 5:5b-11

One person who has been in the news a lot over the last several years is Roger Clemens. This week he was in the news because of revelations of an inappropriate relationship with country singer Mindy McCready, which supposedly began when she was 15 years old.

Now, in my estimation Clemens is one of those people full of Hubris. For those of you who don’t know what Hurbris is, the wikipedia definition of its modern usage is this: Hubris describes someone who demonstrates exaggerated self pride, arrogance, or self-confidence.

Rogers Clemens was one of the most pre-eminent baseball players in Major League history. There isn’t another pitcher who has come even close to winning seven Cy Young Awards like he did.

Unless you’ve been living in some sort of hole for the last several years, you’re probably aware that the sport of baseball has been awash in a huge scandal related to the use of illegal performance enhancement drugs.

Subpeonas, congressional hearings, accusations, admissions and denials of guilt, and a pretty damaging 409 page report to the Commissioner of Baseball have kept the sports media very busy over the last several years.

On the one hand, some players caught in the midst of this scandal seem to have handled themselves fairly well given the pressure and the charges brought before them. On the other hand, Roger Clemens has not.

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Taken this morning on our back deck after the rain.

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