Categotry Archives: Rantings

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Defined (Imprisoned?) by the Meetings

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Categories: changing mindsets, church, Meanderings (look it up), Rantings

(If you have come to this blog because you’re still working through yesterday’s massive synchroblog on “What Is Missional?”…you can read my entry here.)

I’m finally making my way to the end of the book Exiles: Living Missionally in a Post-Christian Culture by Michael Frost. Yesterday I read some things that have already started re-shaping my thinking. Here are a couple of quotes:

“Why can’t we think of churching together as a web of relationships? Why are we obsessed with the singular event rather than seeking the rhythm of a community churching together?”

“The result of nearly two centuries of Christendom is that Christians have become used to the idea that their faith is primarily about attending meetings–worship meetings, weddings, funerals, prayer meetings, and so on.”

This is a preview of Defined (Imprisoned?) by the Meetings. Read the full post (916 words, 2 images, estimated 3:40 mins reading time)

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Questions of heresy?

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Categories: Meanderings (look it up), Rantings

In response to one of my posts about the mistaken identity of the church, I got an interesting comment from a guy named Michael who expressed some concerns because he felt I was using too broad of a brush stroke when I spoke of pastors and others getting fearful over people finding alternative methods of expressing their faith. I felt it was significant enough to devote a post to it. Let me quote him here:

This is a preview of Questions of heresy?. Read the full post (592 words, 1 image, estimated 2:22 mins reading time)

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I Believe It, I Don’t Believe It

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Categories: food for thought, Rantings

Ever wonder why preachers just can’t talk normal?

“Praise God, the fire of God is gonna FALL in this place tonight, amen? We’re blessed beyond measure, we’re the head and not the tail. We’re gonna have us a TIME in the Holy Ghost. Can I get a witness in the house tonight?”

And that’s just the warm-up.

The sermon is usually full of the same kind of hype. If I hear one more preacher say, “How many know that _____________?”, I don’t know what I’ll do. I’ve gotten to the point where I almost can’t listen to a sermon anymore. (I like to preach ’em, just not listen to ’em.) 🙂

This is a preview of I Believe It, I Don’t Believe It. Read the full post (564 words, 2 images, estimated 2:15 mins reading time)

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Be the Change

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Categories: church, Meanderings (look it up), Rantings

So as I was sitting at a dance recital (of all places) last night, mulling things over while watching what was happening on stage…out of the blue this thought came into my head:

“Be the change you want to see.”

It was so profound I wished I had my laptop there so I could blog about it in the dark and irritate lots of people around me. But something told me someone else had come up with this phrase before me, so I Googled it when I got home.

Dang you, Gandhi.

This is a preview of Be the Change. Read the full post (556 words, 1 image, estimated 2:13 mins reading time)

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A Conversation I Had Yesterday With a Nashville Producer, the Two Reasons I Think Indie Music Is Exploding, and Why I Am Telling You About It

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Categories: food for thought, music, Rantings

As a musician and songwriter, one thing I’ve been doing lately is to take steps to make my music more visible and accessible. One way I’ve done this is to create a MySpace Music page and use it for networking.

The other day I got a very complimentary message from a producer/songwriter in Nashville regarding my songs, telling me that he felt the recordings were rough (which I knew) but that the songs themselves had potential to reach a wide audience if they were re-cut.

This is a preview of A Conversation I Had Yesterday With a Nashville Producer, the Two Reasons I Think Indie Music Is Exploding, and Why I Am Telling You About It. Read the full post (963 words, 2 images, estimated 3:51 mins reading time)

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Why Are Christians Mean?

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Categories: Meanderings (look it up), Rantings

I made a statement in a recent post that some of the nicest people I’ve known have been non-Christians. I followed that by sharing how my early childhood illusions of Christians being always nice and friendly were shattered when I saw increasing numbers of them being grumpy, snappy, and sometimes just plain mean.

I know it isn’t true of all Christians (and I bake myself in this pie, too), but this phenomenon is prevalent in our Western culture. While I no longer expect Christ-followers to be perfect, I do think something must be wrong when there are so many people in this culture who can identify Christians in a crowd by the scowls on their faces.

This is a preview of Why Are Christians Mean?. Read the full post (893 words, 2 images, estimated 3:34 mins reading time)

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Shiny Happy People

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Categories: food for thought, Meanderings (look it up), Rantings

Some of the nicest people I’ve known have been non-Christians. Just sayin’.

 

Oh, I’ve known some pretty mean, crappy non-Christians, too–make no mistake. But I’ve also known unbelievers who were genuinely nice, friendly, welcoming people–people who often acted more like Jesus than a lot of Christians I know.

 

This is a preview of Shiny Happy People. Read the full post (759 words, 2 images, estimated 3:02 mins reading time)

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Jaded? Or Just Hungry for More?

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Categories: Meanderings (look it up), Rantings

Heather began her latest post with a monologue of hype many of us churched folks have heard–about going to the next level, getting fresh vision…well, heck, read it for yourself:

“I’ve decided. I’m going to the next level in God. I’m going to be empowered by an incredible, enthusiastic, visionary leader and take this city for Christ. I’m going to be a vibrant, passionate, charismatic believer who takes excellence seriously. I’m joining a vibrant, contemporary, growing church with a powerful message that impacts the world and has a vision statement that involves loving life, loving people and loving God. I’m getting connected to a small group that will move me into that next level and take me into the unknown, teaching me to drink that living water and walk by faith. I have a vision for this nation, I’m going to see revival sweep across this land.”

This is a preview of Jaded? Or Just Hungry for More?. Read the full post (736 words, 1 image, estimated 2:57 mins reading time)

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What It’s All Going to Look Like

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Categories: Meanderings (look it up), Rantings

After the bajillion cards, letters and emails sent to me by inquiring minds all over the globe* with the pressing question, “What’s This All Going to Look Like? What Will This Re-shaping of the Church Look Like When It’s All Over???”….

I’m happy to say I am finally ready to give you the answer you’ve all been waiting to hear:

(drumroll…….)

I haven’t got a freaking clue.

This is a preview of What It’s All Going to Look Like. Read the full post (531 words, 1 image, estimated 2:07 mins reading time)

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The Search for a Better Way

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Categories: food for thought, Rantings

I’m reading a book right now that, quite honestly, is ticking me off.

I’ll withhold the title of it until I’m finished with it, then I’ll write you a nice scathing review. But it’s one that’s been going around and talked about, and one that a number of bloggers have already reviewed, about some things that traditional church does that have nothing to do with the Bible. Knowing what this blog is about, you’d think I’d be all over this one–and it does contain some useful information–but the overall tone of the book is just ruining the experience for me. It’s preachy and dogmatic, and even angry…and the authors’ solutions for what the church should really look like are, in my opinion, just as legalistic as the traditions I’m trying to get away from. Something inside me keeps saying, “Yes, we need to re-think this stuff…but nah, THIS isn’t the way to go about it.” What good is it to trade off one form of legalism for another?

This is a preview of The Search for a Better Way. Read the full post (884 words, 1 image, estimated 3:32 mins reading time)
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