Category: Uncategorized
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Whew!
The past week has been a blur! In the last seven days I have had more papers, tests, to dos, and get dones than could possibly be done by one sane person! I’ve loved all of it, but I’m ready to get back to a life that has a little time for relationships and relaxation.…
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The cringe factor
This post isn’t a reflection, but it’s related to a lot of what we’re discussing in class. When an institution is out of touch with the subculture/culture it’s within, people outside of the church culture just won’t get it. Off key music and lousy graphics can produce the cringe factor, but even more than that,…
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All types…
From Ben Arment … I believe a sign of spiritual maturity in pastors is seeing that God uses all types of churches to build his kingdom. By my standards, their tactics are absurd; their approaches are irrelevant; and their decisions are irrational. But one thing is certain ~ God uses all types of churches to…
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A Hummer? Or the poor?
If you’ve ever pondered whether Jesus would use $50,000 to help the poor or buy a Hummer, this site is for you. It’s a series of “public service announcements” created in the style of NBC’s The More You Know campaign and covers topics such as worship, attendance, clothing, and tithing. Check it out at thechurchyouknow.com.
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Tuesday reflection for week five
Jesus continually redefined roles. He challenged expectations. In class, we discussed four different types of resistance that have been found where the weak are able to confront the powerful. The two extremes are public lobbying/confrontation and bitter grumbling. In the middle are everyday resistance and symbolic resistance. Symbolic resistance is like burning a flag. Everyday…
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Book Review: Fences and Windows by Naomi Klein (Picador, 2002)
The Author and Book Fences and Windows is a collection of columns and speeches by Canadian Naomi Klein, author of No Logo, from the time just before, during and following the events of September 11, 2001. In Fences and Windows, Klein follows the political movement against globalization, showing the human side of a movement that…
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Start moving!
I’m a big picture person. So when I start thinking about ministry, or plans, it’s easy to start looking at the whole picture. “What’s the point? Where are we headed? What are our values?” A lot of that is good and valuable. A lot of people don’t take long enough to do that. But at…
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Plant sequoias
I found this on a classmate’s blog and just thought it was a cool metaphor (he got it from Wendell Berry’s Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front). It’s an image worth sharing here … … I did not grasp the fullness of what it meant to “plant sequoias” until I visited Sequoia National Park on…
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What is Biblical community?
When churches talk about small groups, teams, cell groups or anything like that, how would you define it? What’s the goal in simple, easy to understand terms? I think a lot of people are intimidated or overwhelmed by the idea of meeting together in small groups. For some, it feels programmatic. We’ll read a book,…
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If I could play, I’d want to sound like this
Today I discovered a great musician through a (humorous) story on Bob Hyatt’s site. Trace Bundy plays the acoustic guitar and has an amazing sound. Plus, no lyrics make it great study music (good for me, maybe not for you). Check him out. You can listen to his most recent album on his site.
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Driven to do something
While we’re on the subject of book reviews, I posted review for a class I’m in here. I think The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne is a must read for anyone trying to figure out what it means to live like a true Christ-follower. He’s a guy who has lived out his faith, and it’s…
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Chase a lion
I just finished reading the first chapter of In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, and I’m already inspired to go take a few risks and grow in how I live out the “God-chasing” life. Mark Batterson, pastor at National Community Church in Washington D.C., is a great storyteller with an innovative…
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Rain
It rained today in Pasadena. It’s the first time I’ve seen rain since we moved to California from Texas at the end of July. It lasted just a few minutes and then was gone …
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Change – from the inside out
“Conservatives stand up and thank God that they are not like the homosexuals, the Muslims, the liberals. Liberals stand up and thank God that they are not like the war makers, the yuppies, the conservatives. It is a similar self-righteousness, just with different definitions of evildoing. It can paralyze us in judgment and guilt and…
Jon Sampson 