contests

Forgive me,  I'm a bit confused. For the past week, I've been tracking the countdown to Itunes 10 billionth download. Why? Because Apple is giving the owner of the 10 billionth download a 10,000 dollar Itunes card. Hey, why not? Well, last night it was pretty close, and when I awoke this morning I watched it ebb towards the goal and at the last second bought a Johnny Cash song (no regrets there!). Just after, the screen flashed 10billion! A second later, it reset to 9,994,382,192  … what?

I've won contests in the past. In junior high, for example, I won a "boom box" stero complete with DUAL cassette decks (knarly)! It this contest, all the people who helped clean up the city that day got their names added to a box and the principle randomly pulled out my name. Just like that. So, I think I've had a weird relationship with looking at contests as "possible" from then on. However, the older I get, the most disillusioned I've become in trusting the integrity of contests. Does McDonald's ever really pay out on their Monopoly? (in fact, they got in trouble years ago when it was discovered they weren't paying out). Why do we put faith in randomness? Why trust in something you have no real chance of winning? Remember the old phrase, "you have the same chance of dying in a plane crash than winning the lotto….but when asked, many people would say to the plane crash 'that'll never happen"…those same people would say to the lotto 'well, it's gotta happen to someone.'"

Wrestling with Jesus

Tonight, we talked about the moments leading up to and during the
“Last Supper.” We wondered about why Jesus sent two disciples in
secret to prepare the feast w/out telling the others? We also got a
little caught up in the mood of the room and what it must have felt
like to be Jesus sharing this last special meal with his dear friends,
all the time knowing one of them was betraying him. We spoke a little
bit on the Jewish customs for the feast of unleven bread during
passover and the symbolism in that meal to the death of Jesus….all
this and more.

I’m really getting to love this group of friends and appreciated
everyone’s comments and questions. See you soon!

tonight

Getting ready to head out to our second College Organic Worship
Gathering. We’re studying the Last Supper tonight and (appropriately)
are serving lamb Gyro’s. 6:30pm-9pm 254 Hollister Grand Rapids, MI

Give me a call w/ questions: 616-633-6046

tips on saving your church/denomination (and other stuff I don’t know)

So here’s some thought’s I’ve been spooked by lately.

1. If you want to save your church, or your denomination for that
matter, the best thing to do is to stop trying to save your church, or
your denomination for that matter.

– maybe the lesson to learn is that each congregation serves a season,
and that season has passed.
- maybe the lesson to learn is that if you re-focus your
church/denomination on building holistic disciples of Jesus,
everything will work out ok.

besides, desperation is a cologne best not smelled

2. What if we added a new department of “Church Reduction” who’s
mission it was to close churches, rather than simply adding more and
more of them. I’m just not so sure more is always better.

– seriously, maybe the best thing we could do is to close churches at
their prime or at least be willing to as the Spirit callled?

– or, what would it do if we took a hard look at ourselves and just
closed the churches who aren’t building disciples (and I DON’T mean
adding new members by that – I mean churches that foster people that
live like Jesus)

– Neil Cole made a great point last week. He can’t find anywhere in
the Bible where Jesus commands us to make churches. He can find where
we’re commanded to make disciples. Maybe we should just trust that
Jesus will build his church and focus on living like Him and carrying
forth His mission?

Ok, that’s enough for now.

Sickness

Mel’s back from the doc, she’s got double ear infections and more!
Pray for wellness

new ooze tv channel for mclaren

http://ow.ly/15F3N

There is a new dedicated video channel on Spencer Burke's "Ooze Tv" site just for Brian Mclaren. He will be discussing the ten questions for the Church that are found in his latest book, "A New Kind of Christianity" – along with that, the Ooze is offering a prize for one person to host a book discussion along with a live chat with Brian! 

church sign

Ah, if I could only have it to do over again…