Beyond Doing Church Better

The church stands at a booth in front of a river. At the booth they attempt to sell bottled water to people who pass them by and jump in the river. The church scratches it's head and wonders, "How can we get this bottled water into the hands of the people? Should we change the label? What catchy phrase can we place on the label to make it more appealing? We need a gripping brand..." Meanwhile, it matters not how they change & dress up the product. The bottom line remains, people aren't interested in what they are packaging. Word to the church: LEAVE THE BLOODY BOOTH & JUMP IN THE RIVER WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE!!!!!!!

See "The Present Future" by Reggie McNeal.

McNeal says there is a wrong question the church is stuck on trying to answer and a tough question the church isn't attempting to answer but must.

WRONG QUESTION: How do we do church better?
TOUGH QUESTION: How do we deconvert from Churchianity to Christianity?

An easy, practical read worth looking into.

What is a Friend?

I was looking back through an old journal of mine to discover that my oldest son lost his first tooth three years ago yesterday. I also came across a quote I had given to my best friend:

What is a friend? I will tell you. It is a person with whom you dare to be yourself. Your soul can be naked with him. He seems to ask of you to put on nothing, only to be what you are. He does not want you to be better or worse. When you are with him, you feel as a prisoner feels who has been declared innocent. You do not have to be on your guard. You can say what you think, so long as it is genuinely you. He understands those contradictions in your nature that lead others to misjudge you. With him you breathe freely. You can avow your little vanities and envies and hates and vicious sparks, your meannesses and absurdities and, in opening them up to him, they are lost, dissolved on the white ocean of his loyality. He understands. You do not have to be careful. You can abuse him, neglect him, tolerate him. Best of all, you can keep still with him. It makes no matter. He likes you. He is like fire that purges to the bone. He understands. You can weep with him, sin with him, laugh with him, pray with him. Through it all - and underneath - he sees, knows and loves you.A friend? What is a friend?Just one, I repeat, with whom you dare to be yourself.

~C. Raymond Beran, in Bits and Pieces, September 19, 1991, pp 3-4.

Silence

"We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls." ~Mother Teresa

The word listen contains the same letters as the word silent.

Appetites

I recently finished this great book by Steve Arterburn. It's an easy and quick read.

In it he talks about the 8 God given appetites we embody:

1. The Appetite for Food (Genesis 1:29)
2. The Appetite for Sex (Genesis 1:28)
3. The Appetite for Authority & Power (Genesis 1:26)
4. The Appetite for Pleasure (Genesis 2:9)
5. The Appetite for Work (Genesis 2:15)
6. The Appetite for Companionship (Genesis 2:18)
7. The Appetite for Fellowship with God (Genesis 1:29-30; 2:15-25)
8. The Appetite for Gaining Wisdom (Genesis 3:6)

As you can see, Arterburn points out that we've had these from the beginning.

He says, "Our appetites motivate us to seek fulfillment, but they must be managed or they will lead us into a world of regret and tremendous emotional pain. When an appetite intended to help us survive is managed incorrectly, it may become a deadly trap. Until we give ourselves and our appetites completely over to God, we remain trapped."

Satisfaction & Obedience

"The question of how to satisfy our appetites becomes instead a call to seek to obey God in all circumstances and through all appetites and desires. That means making the necessary choices to satisfy our appetites in a manner that honors Him. When we do, true fulfillment is our reward."

I give this book two salad tongs up!