As i watched the news this morning I found myself shaking my head at all the people from New Orleans and the surrounding areas hit by Katrina standing on their roofs as the rushing waters reached the tops of their homes. "Why did you not leave?" "What is wrong with you?" "Are you stupid?" all these comments came to my mouth in questioning disbelief. You would think that after days of warning and encouragement about the seriousness of the coming storm people would have been "smarter" and left their homes and saught shelter and safety. I was dumbfounded.
Compassion.
Where is your compassion Stephen? Why are you not weeping over that man's lost wife? Why are you not on your knees for those who have lost everything. How would you comfort them? Would you? Or are they just "dumb"?
Sometimes the Spirit troubles me at the wrong time, but making it the right time to hear.
Be Still. Listen. Learn.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Materialism
Found this article interesting. While i try to avoid the whole "left-right" banter it does share some insight and give thought especially on the whole concept of materialism in our country. Are we as Paul said content in all things? And if so were and why? Is social justice just that? Is financial inequality the real unequal in our lives? Faith, or Trust, we all have it and when we realize that its critical to ask ourselves where and in what do i place my trust. Idealism or Idols, Satisfaction or a Saviour?
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Churchianity
Excerpts from George Barna's forth coming book Revolution taken from:
Post Protestant Thoughts
• Regarding worship . . . bi-weekly attendance at worship services . . . is the only time they worship God . . . 8 out of every 10 believers do not feel they have entered into the presence of God, or experienced a connection with Him, during the worship service . . . half of all believers say they do not feel they have entered into the presence of God or experienced a genuine connection with Him during the past year . . .
• Regarding Faith-based Conversations . . . the typical churched believer will die without leading a single person to a life-saving knowledge of and relationship with Jesus Christ . . .
• Regarding Intentional Spiritual Growth . . . the typical believer contends that the bible is accurate in what it teaches, he or she spends less time reading the bible in a year than watching television, listening to music, reading other books and publications, or conversing about personal hobbies and leisure interests . . . what constitutes success in life, few believers define ‘success’ in spiritual terms . . . when given the opportunity to state how they want to be known by others, fewer than one out of ten believers mentioned descriptions that reflect their relationships with God . . .
• Regarding Resource Investments . . . churched Christians give away an average of about 3 percent of their income in a typical year – and feel pleased with their ‘sacrificial’ generosity . . . fewer than 1 out of every 10 churched Christians donates at least 10 percent of their income to churches and other non-profit organizations. (more than 1/3 claim to do so.) . . . most believers are unable to identify anything specific they have ever donated money to that they would describe as producing life-changing outcomes . . .
• Regarding Servathood . . . in a typical week, only 1 out of every 4 beleivers will allocate some time to serving other people. Most of that time is dedicated to volunteering in church programs that serve congregants; little effort is invested in serving needy people outside the congregation . . . the typical believer would rather give money to an organization to allow it to do good deeds in society than personally assist in alleviating the needs of disadvantaged people . . .
• Regarding Family Faith . . . majority if churched believers rely upon their church, rather than their family, to train their children to become spiritually mature . . . fewer than 1 out of every 10 churched families worships together outside of a church service . . . most Christian parents do not believe that they are doing a good job at facilitating the spiritual development of their children . . .
let’s look at the kind of
transformation that is evident in the lives of the 77 million american adults
who are churched, born-again Christians . . . contemporary Christians . .
.
• Regarding worship . . . bi-weekly attendance at worship services . . . is the only time they worship God . . . 8 out of every 10 believers do not feel they have entered into the presence of God, or experienced a connection with Him, during the worship service . . . half of all believers say they do not feel they have entered into the presence of God or experienced a genuine connection with Him during the past year . . .
• Regarding Faith-based Conversations . . . the typical churched believer will die without leading a single person to a life-saving knowledge of and relationship with Jesus Christ . . .
• Regarding Intentional Spiritual Growth . . . the typical believer contends that the bible is accurate in what it teaches, he or she spends less time reading the bible in a year than watching television, listening to music, reading other books and publications, or conversing about personal hobbies and leisure interests . . . what constitutes success in life, few believers define ‘success’ in spiritual terms . . . when given the opportunity to state how they want to be known by others, fewer than one out of ten believers mentioned descriptions that reflect their relationships with God . . .
• Regarding Resource Investments . . . churched Christians give away an average of about 3 percent of their income in a typical year – and feel pleased with their ‘sacrificial’ generosity . . . fewer than 1 out of every 10 churched Christians donates at least 10 percent of their income to churches and other non-profit organizations. (more than 1/3 claim to do so.) . . . most believers are unable to identify anything specific they have ever donated money to that they would describe as producing life-changing outcomes . . .
• Regarding Servathood . . . in a typical week, only 1 out of every 4 beleivers will allocate some time to serving other people. Most of that time is dedicated to volunteering in church programs that serve congregants; little effort is invested in serving needy people outside the congregation . . . the typical believer would rather give money to an organization to allow it to do good deeds in society than personally assist in alleviating the needs of disadvantaged people . . .
• Regarding Family Faith . . . majority if churched believers rely upon their church, rather than their family, to train their children to become spiritually mature . . . fewer than 1 out of every 10 churched families worships together outside of a church service . . . most Christian parents do not believe that they are doing a good job at facilitating the spiritual development of their children . . .
it's a sad day for us now. it's an
exciting day for what we can do!
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Monday, August 22, 2005
Growing Older
As i round the corner that is 35 years old i find myself thinking maybe getting older has its perks.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
mustard seed
The Mustard Seed
Again (Jesus) said, "What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what story shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade."
Could there be more? Ever ask yourself that? Ever stared into a childs eyes wanting to know what they will become, what they will do and who they will grow into?
Have you simply looked into the stars and seen a bunch of bright far off lights or have you pondered the the vastness of space? Sometimes the small things are only precursers to the enormous. Sometimes small things expand to become the tremendous mysteries of life.
"Never underestimate the power of a pebble"- I once read that on some guys skateboard. It made me smile years ago, it makes me really think these days.
The vastness of the Kingdom of God. The Word planted in us. The "stories" Jesus told and the stories being told in our own lives today. The smallest of things spoken into our lives, planted if you will. Mere words? A mere man? Could there be more?
What could the words of this Jesus grow into in my own life? What would this kingdom look like in me? Small Questions, HUGE implications.
Lets hold that thought and go deeper...think Larger. The Kingdom of God. That's Big isn't it? Jesus; however, compared it to a mustard seed? Could it start with the smallnes, the mustard seeds of our own lives? And if all the "small lives" of those who have chosen to Follow Jesus were to become one...to be united...to grow what would that look like? A tree perhaps? A community of like minded people resting in its branches? A KINGDOM of people living in shade of the King? Wow.
What has been planted in your life? What are you growing inside the soil of your heart? What will become of your mustard seed? Wha could your life now look like reborn? What fruit would you bear? Lush green branches full of colorfull fruit or withered, sickened, dying limbs. How much meaning would be lost...or found?
What story shall be told about our lives? What Kingdom will they say we lived in? The smallville of our own limited selves or the expansive empire of a living, growing, loving God.
-Steev
Again (Jesus) said, "What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what story shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade."
Could there be more? Ever ask yourself that? Ever stared into a childs eyes wanting to know what they will become, what they will do and who they will grow into?
Have you simply looked into the stars and seen a bunch of bright far off lights or have you pondered the the vastness of space? Sometimes the small things are only precursers to the enormous. Sometimes small things expand to become the tremendous mysteries of life.
"Never underestimate the power of a pebble"- I once read that on some guys skateboard. It made me smile years ago, it makes me really think these days.
The vastness of the Kingdom of God. The Word planted in us. The "stories" Jesus told and the stories being told in our own lives today. The smallest of things spoken into our lives, planted if you will. Mere words? A mere man? Could there be more?
What could the words of this Jesus grow into in my own life? What would this kingdom look like in me? Small Questions, HUGE implications.
Lets hold that thought and go deeper...think Larger. The Kingdom of God. That's Big isn't it? Jesus; however, compared it to a mustard seed? Could it start with the smallnes, the mustard seeds of our own lives? And if all the "small lives" of those who have chosen to Follow Jesus were to become one...to be united...to grow what would that look like? A tree perhaps? A community of like minded people resting in its branches? A KINGDOM of people living in shade of the King? Wow.
What has been planted in your life? What are you growing inside the soil of your heart? What will become of your mustard seed? Wha could your life now look like reborn? What fruit would you bear? Lush green branches full of colorfull fruit or withered, sickened, dying limbs. How much meaning would be lost...or found?
What story shall be told about our lives? What Kingdom will they say we lived in? The smallville of our own limited selves or the expansive empire of a living, growing, loving God.
-Steev
Monday, August 15, 2005
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