Our eldership team is heading to Atlanta on Tuesday to attend the Catalyst convention. This is my second year heading down to this 2 day gathering of over 11,000 church leaders and I am getting more and more pumped.

Most blogs will tell you about the great speakers, worship, and fun that is available there and they are right. The line up of speakers is (again) impressive: Andy Stanley, Chuck Swindoll, Louie Guglio, Tony Dungy, Matt Chandler, Dave Ramsey, Francis Chan, Josh Hamilton, and many others. There are so many great ideas, instruction, and encouragement and I continue to be challenged while watching the teachings on DVD from last year and even the year before. The worship is incredible as well! The Worship leading of Aaron Keyes and Fee were instant classics for Josh and I last year. Not to mention the intensity of worshiping the living God of all creation with so many church leaders from around the country! As for the fun, there’s plenty to be had through the creativity and hospitality of our hosts.

I have decided to blog my way through Catalyst this year with what little internet time I will get. One added feature for this event will include video blogging as well as text. This is thanks to flip video camera that I won from Catalyst this year. Thanks guys! (Also, you can get more info by following me on Twitter at @tsfGodguy)

However, this blog will be a tad different from many of the other blogs. While I will surely cover some of these same details as the experience rolls on, there is something even more exciting to me that I want to document and share.

Last year, we went to Catalyst as a faith step. Our church was financially tight last year and while we could have easily skipped the conference and saved some bucks, the elders felt called to go to conference. We presented this to our little ban of 40 church folks and they came together to raise the funds to send us. We knew, even before we started raising the funds that there would be great teaching at Catalyst, that God was wanting to move in a new way in our church and that taking the faith step was more important than anything else. We were right!

At the conference, a new refreshing wind of the Holy Spirit came over us. It ushered us home and invaded our church. We were called to standing for integrity even though some of the conversations would be tough. We were called to holiness even if it meant people would leave and we’d be more stretched financially and people wise, not to mention the emotional pain of saying goodbye to those who would leave over things not going their way. We were finishing a year of healing from a worship leader leaving in a painful way and in a time we just wanted to rest, God was calling us to action.

So we followed…what else could we do? In His faithfulness, God moved as well! Long story short, some people left, some new people came, finances are more free than before, a passion for outreach is more intense, God sent a new worship leader after waiting a year and a half, a new youth leader to be mentored and use his natural gifts and heart in working with our kids, and we went from healing to action.

This year, we have a similar feeling! While we can afford the trip, there are other faith steps to be made. God is speaking to our hearts that’s He’s about to take things to a new level (through His Word, circumstances, words of encouragement (even some visions and dreams) and the enemy is aware and fighting against us (struggles, time constraints, financial attacks in other areas) … just a spirit of fear due to uncertainty).

So, while I will be chatting with you (whoever you are) about the great elements of the conference, I will also be sharing (and I say this in faith) the details of the testimony that God is creating in our midst as He defeats the enemy and leads us upward. Any interest in what God is doing? Then stop back and get the play by play from an anxious spectator. God is good…All the time!

Our church has a 24 hours of prayer and fasting about once or twice a year when we feel we are being called to draw close to God. Sometimes this is due to a challenge we are going though but this most recent time, we were drawing close in a season when we feel God is about to bring a breakthrough! Not only in the life of the church but in the lives of those within the community as well. This 24 hour period of time has just come to a completion.

I want to thank everyone who came on board and fasted and prayed over our church! I am very much looking forward to any personal testimonies, thoughts and impressions as the Holy Spirit moved. I have had several comments though Facebook about the event and others joining in. I believe more than anything else, God was having us toiling the field for what is soon to come but I am aware that He has other things to reveal about Himself along the way.

Personally, I was a little more intimidated then I let on. I had a few blocks totally about 9.5 hours of prayer time. I am not a natural extended remix prayer. I tend to get right to the point and pray as the day goes on often. I have gotten myself to a point of enjoying a half and hour a day of devotions and prayer. However, large chunks of time just praying is not my norm. I was convinced God was calling me to this type of praying for His own reasons and for my own growth. I was convinced that it would work itself out to His glory and that I was worrying for nothing (but none the less, I was still a little worried). I shouldn’t have been…. I was blessed to be part of this as a pastor, as an individual, and as a child of God needing to feel His touch.

I used several different techniques to have beneficial time including journaling, praying the Psalms, praying over individuals, sitting on the front porch in the middle of the night, but the one I love best and don’t do often enough is praying while I drive. I put some miles on the SUV driving to the homes of the elders, some Ministry Support Members, and through communities. It truly helps me to focus and to pray. Sometimes passionately… sometimes gently and just rested and listened for His voice.

Several things happened over the last 24 hours including some spiritual warfare, a challenge to not rest in comfort when others are crying out for help, ideas flowing from nowhere to be jotted down and revisited later….. However, one thing that I came across is my favorite though I don’t fully understand it yet. Maybe it’s for me…. maybe it’s for some one else.

As I drove, I kept praying for God to reveal to me whatever He wished. Just to speak to me, show me something, whatever He wished. After about a 1/2 hour of driving, I noticed two buildings within 10 miles of each other. Many of you have probably seen them so forgive me for being behind the curve. They are two different one room school buildings.

I have seen many around Marion and take note when I do. There are some out where I grew up and there is a sense of history and nostalgia every time I happen across one, let alone two so close together. However, there was a very real difference between the two that gave me two very different impressions.

One that I saw is pretty close to the prison off of 23. as you can see, it has not been well kept. The beat up road was not very inviting as I drove back to the abandoned, beat up brick structure. It was empty, trashy, and reminded me of something you might see in Blair Witch Project as they are running through the woods. The empty house beside it completed the eery feel and I didn’t even get out of the car to take the pics.

The other is on Route 4 a few miles off 23. This one was quite different! The paved parking lot was fresh and newer. Off to one corner was a picnic table inviting any family to take a break from their busy lives in this throw back environment. The building had been renovated, the landscaping was pleasant, the white sign stood out in magnificence against the natural backdrop. I noticed the signage of days the building was open to any one who wanted to retrace the historic past of this little building. Looking in the windows at the rows of desks, you could almost picture the children who are now the elders around us telling us the stories. It was pleasure to walk these grounds, touch the building, and feel a part of it’s community.

Two buildings with similar look and purpose but two completely different feels as one was neglected and one was nurtured.

The way my mind works, I started making several comparisons to why people are drawn to some church and not others. In the same way, why are people drawn to some people and repealed by others. I started my own little lesson plan for an upcoming message to challenge ourselves if we are living nurturing spiritual lives that renovate and attract or are we status quo which leads to a place of complacency that chocks the life out of our witness and relationships.

Then I decided not to. It didn’t feel right. It felt like this was a message for us right now as we complete our 24 hours of prayer and fasting. Not something that I need to knit together for the group but something to present and let the Spirit speak to you concerning our church, our vision, and any personal thoughts He might share with you.

I know we all wish to be associated with the nice, little red schoolhouse. I think for the most part we are. However, I heard some challenges whispered in my ear as I stood there pondering….do you?

Thank you again for all who jumped in and continue to keep our church in prayer! Blessings!

OK, Ted might not be comfortable with my blog title but I think he’ll forgive me anyways.

Last week, I was blessed to be able to host Christian and sports author, Ted Kluck into our little town. I first came across Ted when reading the book he co-authored called “Why We’re Not Emergent by Two Guys Who Should Be” with his friend and pastor, Kevin DeYoung. The book really captured my attention due to my history with and interest with the challenges of the Emergent church. They do a great job of surfing through the multiple authors of the Emergent movement and address many theological issues that need checked and addressed.

From there, I continued to touch base with Ted through his blog, Ted Wins a Blog. His CCM Smackdowns are still the funniest thing I have seen in a long time (a fresh batch are waiting for me when I get some free time)!

Recently, they have another book called “Why We Love the Church”. In our discussions, Ted was gracious enough to accept an invite from me to come down State Route 23 from Michigan to Marion, Ohio and pay us a visit. First, a book signing at the store, then some dinner conversation, and finished the night with Ted giving a speaking presentation at our church. It was a neat evening with a unique collection of brothers and sisters in Christ from all walks of life. Wonderful to see people who do not want to ignore the problems within the church but not willing to to break up with the bride of Christ either. I know several wanted to be there that could not and I have good news! Ted was also gracious enough to allow us to put his presentation on line on the church web-site. You can hear it here! (Thanks to Scott Szuch for his help)

If you are in town, Ted and Kevin’s two books are on sale at The Shepherd’s Nook (316 McMahan Blvd. – by Kohl’s in Marion, Ohio) right now until 8/30/09 for half off. If you are outside of town, I’m not going to give you an Amazon link. They get enough business. Take a couple minutes and drive over to your local Christian bookstore and support them with your spending dollars.

I appreciated Ted coming to share his ministry with us and I truelly enjoyed, more than anything else enjoying wings at BWs talking about adoption and ministry. Ted is a good man and I count him as a new friend. I highly recommend checking out his books.

I’ve been thinking about hope lately, as well as everyone else I guess. Like many, we are struggling here and there; the store is struggling hard finanacialy and with landlord issues, trying to raise our kids right, dealing with contracts, full schedules, and overwhelming challenges.

Lately, I have been looking for the source of our hope. Why do we have hope? Do we have hope? How to look up with so much storm raging in our lives?

I’m going to be sharing about this Sunday at church and, if you are in the Marion area and you have struggles too, I want to invite you out. You can find all the info about our church, directions, times and what not on our web-site. However, I really want to open the doors to others in a similar boat as ours to come together and focus on hope. It could change your perspective on the days you are going through.

If you aren’t from the area or you see thi slate, the podcast will be on the web-site (www.theshepherdsfellowship.org)  in a week or so from the writing of this blog. Fell free to listen but I do think this is one of those times where being together, talking together, and sharing life together will add to some of the truths I have been seeing.

Join us this Sunday, won’t you?

Pics from our Community Block Party at The Shepherd’s Fellowship in July 2009. To the tune of “Let It Rise” from Chris Tomlin….

I was at the gym today and had an interested passing conversation with one of the employees. A few of us were standing around joking with each other and someone mentioned I was a pastor. He said, in a jubilant way, “Me and Jesus are tight! We’re connected!”

I asked him in a more serious way, “Cool – How?”

It really threw him for a loop. He stumbled a bit and said “I don’t know. We just are.”

I told him the same thing I would tell you if you had this uncertainty….there is only way to be tight with Christ. He did all the hard work to make it easy for us.

“But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” Romans 10: 8-10

There you go…..that’s the start of a beautiful relationship. Again, it’s the start but there is so much more! However, that would be a whole new blog…..that’s all I wanted to cover on this one.

See ya soon! Blessings!

OK – it’s been awhile so I thought I’d jump back in with something that became clear to me while working on the sermon for last week……. Unity is natural (in the spiritual realm). If you want the Scriptural reference for what I’m about to babble about, it is Ephesians 4: 1-16.

The first hint to this fact was in verse 3 which is “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace”. This statement not only assumes unity as the starting point that takes effort to keep, but the unity is natural when rooted in the Holy Spirit.

From here, Paul addresses many foundations that those who are in Christ have that should bring unity including that there is “one body, one Spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all, through all, and in all” that have accepted Jesus as leader and forgiver in their lives. If you (assuming you are a  Christian) have one Triune God who has one purpose and dwells within us, then what cause so much division within the “one body”?

James 4: 1-3 poses this question “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?” If you are a Christian and you are struggling with another Christian…. If you are in a church that is divided and fighting…… then someone (or maybe even everyone involved) is not submitting to the Holy Spirit. When we do, unity is natural even if we have different ways of looking at things.

Maybe it’s time to step back….take a second look…..spend some time in prayer…. and take a new stab at unity. You should be making every effort.

So I’m traveling right now and thought I’d take a sec and give a brief update (though I will go more in depth later).

My first stop was day in Nashville, my favorite city so far in my travels over my life. I stopped there to spend an evening with a Christian buddy of mine named David. Like others I will discuss on this trip, we had not met before but have known each other for the last couple years on an on-line discussion board of a wide range of people. There you find Christians and Non-Christians, Straight and Gay folks, grace giving and, well, let’s just say, not so grace giving folks. It’s an interest on-line community that I have come to love. I have had the privilege to meet some of the friends from there (my buddies Kevin and Pat) and on this trip, I got to meet two more.

Anyways, back to David. David is a Christian man who has pastored in the past. He is also a Side A homosexual man who is in a long term relationship. David and I got to have dinner and I met his partner Curtis as well. I had a great evening visiting with this two men and David was every ounce I pictured him to be.

The next day, I enjoyed a great lunch with my niece, Anna who lives in Nashville before heading out for another hour and a half drive to Fayetteville to visit Pastor Jim, another long term friend from the on-line board. Again, I was not disappointed. I had the honor of being given the full tour of his community, the church in which he serves, and even a home cooked meal. I have a ton of respect for this Christian man who is also a Side B homosexual man.

I don’t know what all is going to happen with it but both men sat and talked with me on video about their beliefs on homosexuality, why they believe it has a sinful element or not, and how it has effected their lives from their very different perspectives. Sooner or later, a full or edited version of those tapes will make it here……

I left Fayetteville and just got into Townsend, Tennessee…..my wife and my’s favorite place period in the whole world! =) I am hear for a couple days of R&R before having a 3 day retreat with 6 other pastors in Pigeon Forge. I will be spending time here with my buddy, Pastor Darren and folks from his church while here. (Just for the record, Darren is heterosexual with a large family. Just keeping in theme=) He has a great ministry here in the Smokies and it’s always a pleasure (which we try to do a couple times a year).

That catches you up to date. More soon. Blessings!

Guest Blogger: Joe Williams – Joe is a buddy from my church who has a skater ministry. I liked this most recent blog of his and wanted to pass it on!

This is something that has been on my heart for awhile, and I’m finally getting it down in writing. There are some things as Christians that we can learn from skaters. This will also point out some of the things that make skaters such strong warriors for God once they give their life to Christ. The first thing is the Christ like love that skaters unknowingly show almost every day. Skaters show a great love towards other skaters that is undeniable. No matter where you are in the U.S. or any other country, if you have a board in your hand or show any signs that you are a skater, you will have friends and a home with other skaters. They don’t care about race, age, or sex. There is just an immediate connection and friendship through skateboarding. Even if you don’t speak the same language, you can still have a session with each other, and there will be praise for what you land, and they will share in your frustration of missed tricks and injuries. Are we truly like this with all of our brothers and sisters in Christ? Or do we catch ourselves shying away from other churches and denominations, simply because they do not believe exactly the same way that we believe? Could we go to another country and be taken in with open arms to worship God with them even though we can’t fully communicate with them? Do we shy away from certain “crowds” because they are different than us, based on income status, lifestyles, pasts, or neighborhoods?

Many people are not involved in a Christian community for a multitude of reasons (including lack of belief, tired of hypocritical Christians, have been hurt by a church or a pastor, and so on). This is no different in our little city of Marion, Ohio than it is any place else. I wish I had some kind of magic answer to share with people to show the difference a real Christian community can make in your life but I don’t. I had to find it myself while working through my own issues with my church experiences. I understand the frustration, pain, and challenges many people in this boat feel. However, when I saw the life of the Jesus Christ of the Scriptures, I was convinced there was something more than what I had experienced in my church past. Once I found it, it was worth going through all the beauty and challenges of a real community committed to being real with one another. It is out there. It may be hard to find sometimes but it is out there and worth finding.

In my case, I found it in The Shepherd’s Fellowship, a church several of us started about 5 years ago. Maybe it can be a community for you as well (if not, touch base with us and we’ll help you find another home in the area).  I do know it can be tough to try something new so I thought I’d let you know about some upcoming events and some things we are celebrating that may be of interest to you. In the same way, if you have a question or want to talk some, feel free to contact me by going to our church website and go through the staff page.

Rice Bowls – January was our month for “Rice Bowls”, a time of collecting change to give to orphanages in India, Haiti, and South Africa. On the last Sunday of the month, we busted open the Rice Bowls from each family and poured them into a giant kitchen pan! After some help from our bank, the coins and bills were counted and exactly $250 was raised! We have a couple late turn ins as well that we will add to that and send it to, as our daughter understands it, the babies without mommies and daddies. Thank you for everyone’s help!

Food Pantry – Add a new twist to your Valentine’s Day by serving people who need some help! Once a month, we help with a Food Pantry in Kirkpatrick, Ohio and can always use your help. We meet in Marion at 8:30am and convoy the 10 minutes to the Food Pantry. We pack boxes with food as a team and get them into the hands of people from our community. We are always done by about 11:30am or so which will give you plenty of time for any other Valentine plans. If you can’t make it out this Saturday, then still touch base with us. We do this once a month all year long! For more details, contact Jenni Hypes, also through the staff page at our web-site.

We also have another Food Pantry we are currently talking to in Marion that we would love to start helping. We are in the starts of creating a team of people to help them so that might be of interest too. Just let me know!

Valentine’s Dinner – This Sunday, 2/15/09 at 5pm, our church will be having a Spaghetti Valentine’s Dinner at our church. This is a free dinner and all donations and tips for our servers will be going to our Youth Group which has been exploding here of late! After dinner, we will enjoy a short reading and then live music from Keith and Jessica Howard. You can hear a sample of their music on my My Space page. Child care will be provided for this event. If you plan on coming, please RSVP as soon as possible by contact Tom Hypes (yet again) on the staff page of our site.

Kid’s Day at the Mall – Did you know that the Southland Mall is having it’s Kid’s Day again this year on Saturday 2/21/09 from 10am – 5pm? This is a great time for the whole family where they offer entertainment, games and much more! We will also be there with a booth where you can get your kid’s picture with a huge Veggietale standee and then we will put their pics on line so they can view, download, or print their picture at home. We have found that kids LOVE seeing themselves on line and are happy about offering this opportunity again this year! Stop be and say hi!

Gosh, I haven’t even invited you to a Sunday morning Gathering yet, have I? Well, we’d love to have you and no need to RSVP! The next few weeks we are talking about being able to stop just living and move into loving which makes all the difference in our lives and for others. After that, starting in March, we will be exploring what it means to be a real disciple (or follower) of the Jesus of the Bible and exploring His teachings, example, and heart as the Christ.

Other things to know before stopping by a Gathering is while all our welcome, most tend to dress casual. Also, our music is more of the modern style and rather organic (meaning we are not all professionals but enjoy worshiping together). We start about 10am as far as hanging out, drinking coffee, and what not and then we start the music at 10:30am. Also, we are a small church so if you are looking for a big church with a ton of programs and resources for you, we may not be the place. However, if you are the type of person who wants to be part of building something, investing into life with others who care about each other, and put into something special as well as benefit from it, you may want to stop in.

Again, we would love for you to give us a chance. Are we perfect, no. However, it’s the most real people in Christian community I have experienced in my life and hope you may give it a chance. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to touch base with me (Bet you can’t guess how to send me an email)!

Blessings,

Thomas

www.theshepherdsfellowship.org

As much as I am not an Oprah fan (at all), I did Tivo today’s episode out of curiosity about the person being interviewed, Ted Haggard. Even as a somewhat conservative guy, I knew nothing about him before his “fall”. I knew about as much as most as it unfolded. During that time, while there is repercussion to the decisions we make, I was bothered by some of the actions I saw within the church towards partnering (or not) with him in the healing. I have heard little pro and con since and so to hear from him and his wife was of interest.

I was very impressed with what Ted, his wife, and his family had to say and share in the episode. If you missed it, he was everything I hoped he would be. He was honest, open, caring, and loving. Even with those who I feel did not partner with him from a Christian perspective during that time, he defended their intentions when they were brought up. I believe from what I saw that he deeply loved those in the church in Colorado and wanted to apologize to them for the mistakes he made. His family is a testimony of what love and commitment is through the darkest of days.  He believes in Jesus Christ, His body as revealed in the Church, and in real struggle of who we are and moving forward to holiness in the reality of messiness.

While many will not agree with him, I think they have to give him credit for knowing the complexities of His belief (as well as mine) that there is a sinful element to homosexulaity. I was taken by his constant effort of being real to his struggle instead of trying to put a quick title on himself of straight or homosexual (he defines himself as a heterosexual with complexities). I can see how that will cause frustration for people on both sides of the conversation but his refusal to going back to saying or acting like an ideal for anyone was telling in a good way.

Well, I can go on and on about it but I’m tired. I think the main point I wanted to make was this, I think the church as a whole failed Ted as much as he feels he failed the church. Probaly more. For someone to be struggling, no matter what the struggle, and not feel at home to share that without fear of being “kicked out” is disgusting, sad, and disheartening. IF the “church” was open to getting into the messiness of who we each are as humans, the pain and bondage of the enemy in our lives would greatly be diminished. In other words, if Ted reads this and is ever in Ohio, let’s hook up for some lunch. My treat. I’d love to encourage you and I am sure you have things to offer that would encourage me.

If you want more info on that, there is a documentary on Ted getting ready to run on HBO if you get it.

Church….I think we learned something with the abuse towards struggling Christians in the past (Jim and Tammy Fay Baker, Michael English, Amy Grant). However, I think, for the most part, we have subsituted this failure with another, ignore it ever happened and shove them quietly as possible under the rug (Ted Haggard, Ray Boltz). I am not saying let’s not call sin, sin. That would be wrong when it comes to the Truth. But let’s pick up the slack in talking about love by actualy loving. Again, balance.

All that said, geesh, pray for me in my dislike of Oprah. I get so annoyed with those trying to push thier agenda and I lose patience. Pray for me…..

This week is “Sanctity of Life” week which made yesterday “Sanctity of Life” Sunday. As a pastor, I received many tools and material pieces that I could use via mail and on the Internet all focused on one aspect, Abortion. Every tool that I reviewed that was sent my way were in line to accomplish one goal, teach the people in our churches that abortion is wrong and motivate them to do something about it. For the most part, we are motivated to make direct statements about the murder, promote legal change with posters of aborted babies, and have rallies with politicians who may or may not agree but say they do to get some votes. The whole thing made me unnerved. Here’s why…… (as I explained in church yesterday. If you go the Fellowship, this might be repetitive and boring for you =)

A topic like abortion is a multifaceted, multileveled issue that invites a messy combination of theology, emotions, and experiences. This is not a bad thing at all! However, the problem that I have seen is that most do not give the conversation it’s real due, no matter what side of the line you fall on.

From a theological standpoint (or my belief from the Bible) is life begins at conception. Simple enough. From this belief, I believe abortion is wrong. Since I believe it is wrong, and it is a issue of life, I do believe it should be illegal. (Which will confuse some who know my legal beliefs on gay marriage in another blog but maybe we’ll save that for another day.) So, yes, I am one of those people. At this point, you are either disgusted be me or ready to march on Washington with me. Well, hold on either way. We’ll get through this together.

The next thing I hear once this is laid out is usually “What about in the cases of rape, incest, and the health of the mother?” While these do not make up most of the abortion cases in America, it is a valid question. It brings up the unbelievable amount of complex emotions and situations represented in this topic when you take it from the picket lines and dig into real lives. These complexities (as well as other challenges) do not change my belief but do they do effect my actions on how I carry out my belief in love.

For instance, if I have someone in my life that is considering an abortion, you can bet I am going to offer love as well as advice to consider other options than aborting the baby. If someone has already made the decision and has already had the abortion, you can also bet I will be there by there side as a friend and pastor as they deal with the emotions that come afterward (and they do come afterward). I will partner through the aftermath because I know the complexities and hardships that come from that path and it is a path were you need love and mercy.

Since I am not a guy you will see out on a street corner holding a pro-life sign in front of an abortion clinic (it’s too short of a conversation), I frustrate some who hold the same basic belief on abortion that I do. I get that. It’s just my way to rather be at the coffee house, or the pregnancy distress center, or with a family member talking with them instead of at them during that time.

OK, I can get babbling on this for awhile. Again, it is a multifaceted topic that will invite me to drift from point to point without a real map of what point I am trying to make when my real point is this…….

We, as Christians, need to remember when we make blanket statements about abortion being murder that for some who need mercy, they receive those statements like rocks against their body. Stoning people for their sins was not something Christ looked favorably upon and neither do I.  I ended up throwing out 95% of the resources sent to me because it took no care in realizing there could be a young woman in my church who had an abortion last week and came to church looking for some love and help to forgive herself and working through the pain inside.  We need to enter into the conversation in a more messy and complex way instead of putting quotes on our My Space about “Abortion is Murder!” and not realizing why those have taken a spill in life does not see the church as part of their answer on getting back up. We need to remember our audience and, without changing the belief, deliver the message with more love and tenderness.

(At the Fellowship yesterday, we decided the best course of action was to enter into prayer as a community for God to take these things in His hands and guide us in courage, wisdom and discernment. To guide us as a church and individuals on how to deal with these issues as the Holy Spirit guides us through these challenges. I believe prayer is always a great course of action when something is so big and effects so many people. and then follow His leading.)

If you have had an abortion or considering one and you would like to talk….touch base with me. I can talk with you and also get you help through others if you need someone.

One last thought: If it is “Sanctity of Life” Sunday, why didn’t any of my resources that came to me deal with issues within this statement besides things dealing with abortion? Where were the resources addressing homeless people, starvation, decease, and the like? Just a question…..

I am hesitant to start writing this post. Not because I am leary of what people will think of it. That’s no real concern at all. Those who will take issue with it, will take issue with most anything I write. Those who enjoy ignoring the heart of a post and try to find one sentence here or one sentence there and pick a fight with it will do so no matter what I write. Then there will be those who love what I have to say as if it is something new and fresh when really I am just one of many who feel this way. No, the reason I am hesitant has to do with my concern of not representing my feelings as clearly as I think they should be. I’m a babbler which is challenge number one. Also, this is a vital issue that has many levels. These two concerns are  a recipe for disaster but I want to give it a shot anyways.

The Church (capital C) is the body of Christ. In modern day America, it’s had a disease. I highly doubt that anyone is going to argue against that part. Where the controversy comes into play is what different people diagnose the illness to be. For some, we have gotten away from that old time religion. For others, we are holding onto past traditions that have no Biblical basis and holding onto them as idols. There are many vocal champions that will say it is because the church cares to much about theology and judgment. Still others, think it’s a watering down of truth to be all mushy in a version of love that negates accountability. Everyone who has an opinion of what church should look like will say the problem is those in the body who do not see things as they do. It’s a non ending cycle that keeps the vocal Christians debating, the quiet ones hiding in their pews once a week, and those who don’t know Jesus from seeing any reason to want to get into the middle of the whole mess.

I don’t want to tell you what I think the church should look like. I want to focus on some key Scripurtures that I think that, for the most part the church is dropping the ball in that leads to good people rejecting Christ. It’s not Him (Christ), it’s us.

For instance, the Great Commission…..

“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28: 16-20 (NIV)

I would have to assume that the last words Jesus decided to say to His friends, his followers before He ascended back into Heaven would be something He is quite passionate about. I also believe these words are ones that any church would say they are passionate about as well. Then why do we fail so miserably as a whole? Did you know the average Christian will not lead one person to Christ according to the stats in their lifetime? Even when they do, many believe that once someone does come to the Lord by….

“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9

…then that’s all that matters?

I remember a good buddy of mine accepted Christ as Leader and Forgiver in his life on a retreat we were on. He’s one of the neatest people I have ever know. At the same time, when he came to this decision in his life, he was into some serious habits in his life that were not good for him. When I was talking to someone from our church at the time, I said it was great that he accepted Christ but that he would need a lot of support from us in the path he choose. The other person said “Oh, well. At least he’s going to go to heaven now.”

The Great Commission does not say to get people to the point of having a “Get out of Hell Free Card” and that’s it. We are called to lead others to and to grow ourselves into an intimate, real relationship with Christ. Introduce, teach, grow, and follow and HE IS WITH US!

If this is true, than why do so many of our churches look like private social clubs that make no difference in our life and the lives of others?

Speaking of community, let’s consider this in the first centruy church…

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” Acts 2: 42-47

I believe in real Christian community and the need and power of such community. However, I have not seen a lot of churches that match what is written above. This is part of the problem!

Consider some of the following stats from renowned pollster George Barna in his newer book, Revolution…

- The bi-weekly attendence at worship service is the generaly the only time Christians worship God

- Half of Christians sat they have not felt they have entered into the presence of God in the las year

- Most churched Christians feel they do not have the “gift” of evangelism so outreach is not a responsblity for them (I guess I missed that small print on the Great Commission)

- The average Christian believes the Bible if the Word of God but spend much less time in the Scripture than watching TV, listening to music, or hobbies

- When asked what they want to be remembered for after thier passing, fewer than 1 out of every 10 Christians mention anything to do with God or thier spirituality

- Fewer than 10% of church going Christians give a tithe (10% of income) to thier church or other organizations though more than 1/3 of them say that they do (lyer, lyer pants on fire)

- Speaking of tithing, when talking about stewardship, less than 1 out of every 20 Christians realize that stewarship is more than the almighty dollar and includes your time, gifts, realations and skills

- Only one out of every four Christians spend time volunteering and when they do, most is for thier church and not for those in need

- The typical Christian would rather give money and have someone else help those in need than do it themselves

- Fewer than 1 out of 6 Christians have someone in thier life for accountablity to help them with the areas they struggle with and spur them on to holiness

- Outside of church, the typical Christian spends less than 3 hours a month on thier spiritual growth

Are you getting this? It’s more than saying, compare this list with the list within the community of the early church as mentioned above. It’s more than a guilt trip that we as Christians are dropping the ball. Here’s the rub……when we live like this instead of like Christ, we usher ourselves into bondage, away from freedom, dampen our relationship with Christ, and worse yet……we show the world a hypocritical version of Jesus Christ so they don’t want anything to do with Him. They want something better, legit, consistent, and real! They desire the Jesus of the Bible and by our actions, we show them something counterfeit. What’s worse, they think we are giving the real deal so they walk away.

Religion has become a word of digust! I hate that! Let’s reclaim that word shall we?

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1: 27

What a difference this world would be IF the church practiced this type of religion instead of what we have been offering. No more hyprocrisy, no more ignoring the needs of others, no more protecting ourselves by hiding in the church building, and no more comfort zones of the society club of “we’re better than you”.

Now see, I’m babbling again. It sure does sound like I am church bashing which is not my intent. My intent, as previously mentioned, is to look at what is the disease within the church and it is ill.The simple fact is, that for the most part, most can not tell the difference between the life of a Christian and an Atheist. If we have been saved by Christ’s grace, changed by His love, and trust in His promises….. shouldn’t it show somehow? shouldn’t it? Buehler? Buehler?

It’s first and foremost a personal choice.

If you are a Christian, then what are you willing to do to be real…..to be like Christ? Don’t be one of these, “You’re right! I’m not going back to church ever!” people. Acts 2 shows us how important community is! Are you struggling in your church? Let me first suggest that you do a self check. It could be you! Pray it through, work it through, and talk to your leaders about it. However, if you really open yourself up to this and find it is not you, leave. Find a church family that encourages you and partners with you in a real relationship and life in Christ! It’s hard to find sometimes to be honest. It can be somewhat intimidating. However, once you find it, it’s so worth it!

If you are not a Christian, and the reason for it is because a church or Christian has hurt you before….I am sorry and you are not alone. I pray you will take a chance and serach out the Jesus of the Bible instead of the “Jesus” you have seen presented by others. If you wish to take a new look…….. feel free to touch base and I would be thrilled to talk with you. Maybe there is someone else in your life that you know who is the “real deal”. Invite them to have lunch, please. There is something better than what many have been shown.

I believe God is raising something up! In many ways, I believe it is not being lead by the church but by individuals within the Church, the body of Christ. Too many people are feeling restless like I am that there is a problem. We feel that it is not acceptable for politics and turf wars to take the place of the perfect balance of God’s truth and love.

Maybe you have some thoughts on all this. If so, I hope you comment. However, more than anything else, I pray we start living what we say we believe, I pray it intesifies our personal realtionship with Christ and within His Church and that it changes the world of those around us for the lost, the hurting, and those in need.

Blessings,

Thomas
The Shepherd’s Fellowship

A Gathering Force
By Francis Chan

Is there any logic in believing that God started His Church as a Spirit-filled, loving body with the intention that it would evolve into entertaining, hour-long services? Was he hoping that one day people would be attracted to the Church not because they care for one another, not because they are devoted to Him, not because the supernatural occurs in their midst, but because of good music and entertainment?

Try to imagine what conclusions you would come to if you had no prior church experience. The things in church services might make sense to the American church-attendee, but they don’t make sense biblically.

Picture yourself on an island with only a Bible. You’ve never been to a church-you’ve never even heard of one. The only ideas you have about church are what you’ve read in your Bible. Then you enter a building labeled “church” for the first time. What would you expect to experience as you entered that building? Now compare that to what you actually experience when you attend church.

GANG RELATED
A while back, an ex-gang member got baptized at our church. He fell in love with Jesus and turned from his old lifestyle. But after several months at the church, he stopped attending. When we asked him why he stopped attending, he answered: “I had the wrong idea of what church was going to be like. When I joined the church, I thought it was going to be like joining a gang. You see, in the gangs we weren’t just nice to each other once a week-we were family.”

That killed me because I knew that what he expected is what the church was intended to be. It saddened me because I realized that the gangs paint a better picture of loyalty and family than the local church body does.

But what if the church looked like this?

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47)

That describes what the ex-gang member was looking for. It describes what the world is waiting for. I used to look at this passage as something that was wonderful but could never happen in the twenty-first century. There are just too many cultural obstacles for the Holy Spirit to overcome. He is powerful enough to raise the dead, but not powerful enough to form a sharing and loving body in our individualistic society. I doubted God’s ability to stir a body of believers to love tirelessly and give without restraint. I reasoned that this type of fellowship was probably not intended for our time. Besides, we don’t have time to love like this.

Looking back, I wonder if I came to those conclusions because there was a part of me that wasn’t sure I wanted it. It’s interesting how much our theology is driven by desire.

There came a point where the elders at our church concluded that there was no reason why God wouldn’t want the church to look like it did in the beginning. From there we reasoned that if God wants that, then we want it too. But the exciting part came when we resolved not to settle for anything less. We would pursue this for His Church regardless of how many would be turned off and move to other churches. If this is God’s standard, then we will one day give an account for how we led His people toward the biblical model.

But where do we go from here? The hard part is answering the question of how. There are probably many who want our churches to function like the early church, but how do we get there?

START WITH WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL
In other words, start with yourself. It’s wrong to blame others for the condition of the Church. And it’s silly for leaders to blame followers. God wasn’t satisfied when Adam blamed Eve or when Eve blamed the serpent.

Our elders started with what we could control. We can’t control other people. We can’t make the congregation “break bread in their homes” or “sell their possessions.” We also can’t control God. We can’t make Him do “wonders and miraculous signs” through us. I can, however, sell my possessions as people have needs. I do have control over that, so that became the first logical step. As we do our part, we trust God to bring about the “awe” and “wonders” in His time.

It was a beautiful time of sharing as our elders laid “everything” at each others’ feet. We surrendered the keys to our cars, homes, and bank accounts. I actually believed the elders who looked me in the eyes and said, “What’s mine is yours. If anything ever happens to you, I will support and care for your kids as much as I would care for my own. I will be your life insurance.” And because they had a history of genuine sacrifice for the sake of the gospel, I trusted what they said. From there, we began going to some of our friends in the congregation and expressing our commitment to them (something anyone can do).

And now this mentality is spreading. New life is permeating the church as individuals are backing up their words with sacrifice. Cars and homes are being sold or given away. Expensive vacations are joyfully replaced with spending on others. People are being taken into homes-not only for meals, but to live. It’s still the beginning of the process, and most people probably still come for the teaching or the music, but there’s a growing number at our church who are coming to be with their church family and they don’t care about who’s teaching or leading music.

THERE MUST BE MORE
Something real was happing in the early Church. It was something of the Spirit, too powerful to be replicated by human effort. Imagine taking a friend to one of their church gatherings. Your friend might not experience a smoothly run, professional service. But one thing he would experience: God. Do we even need to ask which is better? So much of church growth today has nothing to do with the Holy Spirit. The right team of talented people can make any church grow. When people sit through creative services, is it really God they’re experiencing?

Don’t get me wrong: I’m not saying that we shouldn’t give our best to God. If you’re a musician, work diligently at your music. If you’re a teacher, labor intensely over your messages. I’m just asking you to be willing to rethink what you’re doing and ask: How can we create a more biblical environment where people see and experience God?

I’m reminded of the story of Gideon in Judges 7. God tells Gideon, “You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into their hands. In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, announce now to the people, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back and leave Mount Gilead.’ So twenty-two thousand men left, while ten thousand remained.” (Judges 7:2-3)

If you remember the story, God then reduced the army to 300 soldiers. God did not just defeat the Midianites-He was careful to do it in a way that gave Him all the glory. He did not want to allow Israel to boast “that her own strength has saved her.”

May people see our churches and know that mere human beings could not have created what they experienced. May we seek the priorities of the early church and trust God to once again produce the fruit of the early Church.

“And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:47)

Francis Chan is the pastor of Cornerstone Church and the president of Eternity Bible College in Simi Valley. In addition to being a pastor, Francis speaks to thousands of youth throughout the U.S., challenging them to deeper commitment. He can be heard on his radio program “Truth Be Known.” Francis has a great sense of humor, a genuine love for Christ, and a commitment to teach straight from the Word of God. Francis and his wife Lisa have been married for twelve years and have three daughters and one son: Rachel, mercy, Eliana, and Ezekiel. He is a graduate of the Master’s College and Seminary.

I’ll be back to normal posting soon. Until then, here is the year end wrap up video for The Shepherd’s Fellowship (our church) for 2008. Enjoy!

From Holiday Blood

The holidays are upon us and in the midst of carols, cookies, lights and gifts it can be easy to lose sight of the wonderful reason we celebrate this season.

The Promise Foretold
Jesus’ birth, foretold hundreds of years before his arrival, was the fulfillment of a promise spoken to the Jewish people who were awaiting freedom from an oppressive government. But the world got more than they ever hoped for. Jesus came, not to bring peace between people, but rather to bring a much more significant peace: peace between God and humanity. Follow this amazing story as it unfolds before your eyes.

God With Us
Jesus’ birth was no secret. As a nation eagerly awaited their savior, they looked for a conquering king. Little did they expect a child in a manger, born in obscurity to a teenage virgin. Though armies of angels announced his coming and the stars aligned to point the way, the only ones present to greet this child’s arrival were lowly shepherds, and wise men who had traveled from a distant land. Most people couldn’t believe that he would come like this. But through this child, the cries of a people for a savior were answered. This was God’s only son, Jesus. Immanuel. God with us.

Love, Peace, Hope
As with his birth, much of his life was lived in a similar way. Simple obscurity. He was a humble carpenter who loved people, and obeyed God. Moving quietly among his friends and neighbors, he lived up to the names by which he would one day be called—Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace. Jesus’ life was marked by love, forgiveness, compassion and miracles. He consistently loved the unlovely, comforted the brokenhearted and brought hope to the helpless. And his message was simple: Love God with all your heart, and love others as much as you love yourself. There was no condemnation through guilt, only liberation through grace. He didn’t come to judge but to save, as the Bible says so clearly, “because God loved the world so much”.

Perfect Death
And then, this much-anticipated savior of humanity, who taught the truth of love, grace and peace, poured out his life was killed when he was only 33 years old. But, what seemed like a horrible twist of history, had been anticipated centuries before just as his birth had been. At the hands of his own people, he willingly died in our place, taking on himself God’s full and terrible punishment of our sin. Dying a thieves’ death on a cross—he bridged the deep chasm of separation between a fallen, corrupted humanity and an everlasting Holy God—God’s gift to us was delivered through the bloodied body of His only Son so that we might be reunited with him. Generations earlier, a prophet had written about Jesus, “he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”

Perfect Life
This perfect life of Jesus produced the holiday blood. The son of God poured out his blood for you, so that you might experience true peace, true love, and true joy. His blood offers forgiveness from guilt, and removal of shame and condemnation. This holiday season, experience the real reason Jesus was born—to offer you unconditional love and forgiveness. It’s the best gift you could ever receive.

For those who know us, you know I pastor a church called The Shepherd’s Fellowship and we own the local Christian bookstore called The Shepherd’s Nook. It’s actually a pretty blessed life as things go.

That said, it also means Decembers are very, very full. For this reason, I may be a little MIA here on the blogs. I will come back soon. Until then, play in the archives and catch up if you wish (including last year’s Christmas blog). IF you get REALLY bored, maybe go to the right and take in a pod cast or two (or go here).

Before I sneak off,  I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas! No matter how busy things get, I love this celebration of Jesus’ birth. The unfolding of this crazy master plan for God to give his only begotten Son. A story that includes the most unlikely characters including a bitter priest, a teenage virgin girl, a carpenter step dad, shepherds (a spit job at the time) to proclaim the truth, foreign astrologers dating back through Daniel’s time, and the Messiah being born in a barn behind the local Days Inn. Seriously, if this was made up, there is no way they would have chosen these details. However, God loves to use those who are willing to be used and this is a great celebration of God’s love!

Merry Christmas!

OK, now it’s just shameful that I have moved two posts from Steven Furtick’s blog to here. Sorry…… I just like this one as well. Enjoy!

I came across this clip on Simply Ecclesia. It’s a great site with different contributors and I encourage you to check it out. However, this clip from “Speaking of Faith” with Chuck Colson, Greg Boyd and Shane Claibourne is very interesting. Check it out….

Do you want a great way to make a real difference? Soles for Souls is a ministry I ran across at Catalyst last month and they have a current campaign where they are trying to put together 50,000 shoes for people in need within 50 days and you can be a part of it!

If you go to their site, you can buy 2 pairs of shoes for children in poverty for only $5! That’s only $5!

Here is more information about their group from thier web-site…

“Footwear – it is a basic need that most of us take for granted every day. While most of the world does not have one adequate pairs of shoes, Americans have an abundance of footwear sitting idle in our closets. Your consideration of simply cleaning out your closets can make a significant difference in the quality of life of someone in need.

For us, comfort and style are the primary reasons for the footwear we select. For those without shoes the healthcare benefits is the most urgent reason footwear is so desperately needed. A quality pair of shoes protects their foot from scrapes, cuts, and contaminants that lead to potentially serious healthcare issues.

Soles4Souls along with its many distribution partners are working “around the corner and around the world” to make a difference with the gift of shoes. We are presently working in over 35 states and 50 countries.”

Jump in now! You can make a difference!

A church staff member from Nashville wrote a pretty interesting post today about how some people enter into the church ministry service because they think they can get away with less than normal work loads. The church I pastor now is the third church I have been a part of, each one of the smaller size, and I have already run across such an individual myself.

For the most part, from my exposure to pastor’s through my calling and the Christian bookstore we own, I believe many pastor’s are hard working people. To be honest, I run across more people who are pastor’s because of their egos than those who are lazy. None the less, it can be a problem.

So, if you are interested in her thoughts, I thought I’d give you the link here.

Like a billion other people I know, I have felt a desire to write a book for years (even if I suck at spelling). There have been topics that come and go in my mind and never felt right. Every once in a long while, I would get a topic on my heart that I would get excited about but would not work out do to time constraints. Then, with a little time passing, I would get to the point that I would get bored with or at least loss the zeal for it.

However, something feels a little different with what is happening at this point (now I just need to find the time to type).

About a month ago, Josh (friend from our leadership team at church) and I went to Catalyst in Atlanta. If was a faith step for us since the natural tendency was to save the money for the church. However, we felt we were called to go so we opened the doors on the finances, raised the funds, and went. Before I left, I talked to our church that I was not sure what God had for us there but I was convinced He was leading us there. I felt that God might be leading us there to see if we would act in faith even more than any kind of instruction we would receive there. That ended up being correct.

Before a speaker spoke a single word, before one lyric of worship, God put on my heart the word “RE:boot”™. OK, when it was laid on my heart, it wasn’t with funny spelling and it wasn’t trademarked. =)

Re:boot is however a season that God is calling The Shepherd’s Fellowship to. If you want all the grooling details, stop by our sermon audio page for all the fun details. However, this is not what this post is about (per say).

I think Re:boot might be the first book for author Tom Hypes. There’s something there that’s more than I originally thought. Something on my heart that goes beyond our church walls and beyond. I highly doubt you will see it on New York’s Top Sellers list anytime soon (or even see it soon for that fact) but I am going to move forward with it the best I can with what spare time I do have. Until the, the audio version will be coming weekly above.

OK, I said in an earlier post that I was taking a break from addressing frustrations in the “Emergent” camp. That lasted a couple days.

I came across a youtube video where Doug Pagitt offers some ”reflection” on the terms emergence, Emergent, and the emerging church. You can view it here…

 I’m not even sure where to begin…

A while back, when I made note that there seems to be a evident attempt by some within Emergent Village to blur terms to make their pet project larger than what it is, someone got very mad at me. They blasted me for being negative and assuming things about anothers heart. The problem with their statement is I have been around these talks for a few years now. I have sat and dialogued with or at least listened to the voices I am addressing. I have watched their work and have watched their trends. As a pastor and a bookstore owner, I have had two very interesting vantage points to take all this in. I do not speak off the cuff or without consideration.

So, with that in mind, the “reflection” above is again, different than what I have heard before from Doug Pagitt. This is another example of when a term is not working, we redefine it. Then if we say it enough and in our best “professor” type format, then maybe they will believe it.

Emergence – My definition? A new word for postmodernism. Yes, it does effect more than just the church and should not be ignored. It does not redefine Christianity or Truth but it is a factor in reaching the world. I get it. However, it’s been around for 500 years? Um, OK? Ah, no.

Emerging Churches – Churches who are addressing the postmodern community in none traditional ways. It is not a statement about theology as much as style. A church can be theological sound and emerging as well as a church can believe falsehoods and be traditional. They are independent of one another.

I can see the emerging church movement as a subculture within emergence. Still with ya Doug on this little part.

Emergence = Emergent. Ah, no.

Now he does mention Emergent Village and Emergent at different times so you could say “Tom, you’re being a jerk. Obviously he means the two as separate.” If this was the only video or “reflection” I have heard on this, I would probably give the benefit of the doubt. However, it’s not. I do believe it is a conscience confusion to add more credence to the organization of Emergent Village, which commonly goes by “Emergent”. If this is the case, then saying that the emerging church movement which embodies thousands of churches is a subset of Emergent, a few leaders having a following of a few hundred churches is a little bit of a stretch.

But for fun, let’s say I’m wrong. OK, Tom you’re wrong. Doug is drawing a distinct line between Emergent and Emergent Village.

OK, then why the need to call Emergence…..Emergent?

Second, Emergent is not the network within the emerging church movement! There are several different options. There are many fab churches within Emergent Village. I don’t deny that. Just because I disagree with many theological stances of some of the “leaders” including a disbelief in hell, salvation through an accepting of Christ as Leader and Forgiver, and some others. However, I don’t believe in guilt by association so I’m not saying that. There are many theologically messed up churches in Emergent as well as in any network.

For instance, I am getting more and more involved in Catalyst, a network for emerging churches as well that I am very excited about, challenged by, and encouraged within. I’m sure there are many teaches that are scary and some awesome ones as well. That will happen when there are thousands of churches coming together. However, on the main points of salvation beliefs, I agree with the leaders and the message they are putting out there.

Sorry, that was a side rant. If you want to say that Emergent Village is “A” network within emerging church movement but it is not “THE” network.

Yes, I am on a rant. Sorry. I really want to take a break from it but it’s kind of liking having an idiot brother-in-law (Emergent, not just Doug) in the family. You want to keep your distance  and not get affected by the goofiness. However, they just do something else at the family get together and you just want to bang your head against the wall.

Here’s what I would love to see happen……the leaders of Emergent repent and move forward more Biblical sound. I am praying for this.

In the mean time….

Be a network of emerging churches. Stop claiming to be “the” network

Don’t talk about others using labels and then dance to redefine them to create an illusion

Don’t talk about traditionalists hiding behind education and intellect and then list your credentials on your home page and pull them out when a skeptic disagrees with you

Don’t say others are branding and marketing Christianity and then go out and do it yourself including a jazzed up “Old Time Revival” book tour

(Forgive me Republicans) Don’t pull a Palin where you put blogs out there and then refuse to answer questions or challenges. When you do finally take on a high profile skeptic to push the agenda, answer their questions and converse with them instead of talking to them tongue in cheek trying to expose them as “hypocrites”.

 OK, that’s enough for now. If you disagree with me, that’s more than fine. My blog for my vent, I guess. If you think my blog lacks the grace I should give, you’re probably right. Pray for me. However, that doesn’t change the points made for your consideration.

Well, it’s that time of year again so I thought I’d pull an oldey but a goody out……..

Here ya go….