I have a lot of little thoughts from the week. These are not big enough for a whole blog entry of their own. So instead, they get thrown into a blog melting pot for you to enjoy. So here goes a rapid fire rundown of my latest random thoughts:
True community is not a matter of just knowing each other it is really about being willing to be honest with each other.
A youth recently asked me if he did a good job while facilitating a meeting. I responded with a question. I asked, "Where you obedient to what God placed on your heart?" He said, "Yeah, I think so." I then told him in that case it didn't matter what others think or how the crowd responded. Sometimes even the crowds walked away from Jesus. It was not that the speaker did a bad job it was really just that the message was too hard for the masses to accept.
When seeking to determine if something is a sin or not, we shouldn't just ask what is wrong with it. We should also ask what is right with it. If an action cannot be done as an act of worship, we should really consider whether or not we should do it in the first place.
The other day I saw an ad showing a woman enjoying her retirement. The tagline asked, "Why do we work?" I have been asking myself the same question lately. Many might say for a pay check. Others work because they want something to do with their time. Others like the feeling of accomplishment and purpose that comes from their job. Still, another might say that they work to worship God. Many people work because it is expected of them. Reflection on why we work can lead to better job performance as we examine our hidden motives and assess our goals.
Why do we focus on labels so much? People talk about being emergent or postmodern in their ministry. Others bash the institutional church as if it is a requirement to recover. Why does it matter if something is cutting edge or emergent? We are called to follow Christ not jump on the latest ministry revolution or ideological bandwagon. A lot of people debate details. They join the theological war going on for the soul of the church. While the rhetoric really makes us think, sometimes I believe it makes us run around in circles too. It distracts us from the core mission while the world is still waiting for the church to be the living, active agent of transformation that God called it to be.
If I believe that God really wants churches to assemble in a way far different than the institutional church does (including my own fellowship), why has God called me to join and serve in a big mega church? If I believe that God wants less sermons and more dialog, why don't I leave where I am? Why do I feel so strongly that God has me there for a purpose if I would rather be in a more intimate, small church environment? I know that I am where I need to be. But sometimes I long to be yoked to a different chariot.
The other day I canceled my subscription to Netflix. I felt that the Holy Spirit was calling me to deeper levels of consecration. DVDs coming in the mail are a distraction that I just don't need. There are so many better uses of my time. I struggle to find the time to do things that I want to do. But then I would go waste hours watching movies that I have seen in the past. Life is short. I'd rather be in on the action than see how others live on the screen.
One cool thing about Netflix though, when they confirmed my decision to cancel its service, the company sent me an e-mail saying that it would love to have me back. The e-mail said that I could renew at any time. Netflix signed the letter "Your Friends at Netflix" instead of something like "Netflix Customer Service" or some other official sounding name. This personal touch surprised me and helped me see how knowing how to end a relationship is just as important as knowing how to begin one.
