Social Justice Is Sexy, Starting A Church Is Not

This caught my eye while browsing my blog/news subscriptions today and so I thought I’d share it:

Shared by TravisM

I feel the same way – social justice is fantastic, great, wonderful. But as soon as we begin to talk about creating communities (churches) to cultivate these ideas and fellowship with Jesus – then the sexiness goes away…

Poland missions… not sexy. It’s not Africa, it’s not China, it’s not social justice (although it will be cultivated), and it’s not tangibly building church buildings… so what is it?? That’s a blog post to come.

In the mean time read about Soul City Church, b/c those ideals are ideals that I (and Alexis) certainly have in common. And give you feel lead, we’re all about expanding all part of the Church world wide.

sscsq

Here’s the deal.
Social Justice is sexy.
Just ask GAP, Bono, Angelina, and the slew of others who have decided to give back.
I am all about the sexiness because it opens peoples eyes to the needs of this world.
Giving to help children across the world makes peoples hearts full.
And it should.
I sponsor 3 kids through Compassion International and their lives are changing every day.

What isn’t sexy?
Giving to a church in downtown Chicago who will soon preach a story of transformation to the hustlers that live there.
So I’m going to simply ask.
Would you pray about giving to my new church?
Soul City Church
We are slowly trickling into the city of Chicago over the next few months and need all the help we can get.
No it’s not sexy.
But it is a need and I’m not ashamed to ask on behalf of my church family that you pray and if you feel led…
Give Here.
10 bucks. 25 bucks. Whatever you have.

Thanks Ragamuffins for contributing to lives changed in the city of Chicago
Los

Click here for the original and full post

Read all of my Google Reader shared items

This past week’s summary

A real post, for real

So I have no idea who even reads this on any regular basis… apparently there are still about 43 people subscribed to the feed… so someone cares 🙂

Now, what do I have to say these days?  I guess a lot, but not a lot.  There are a lot of hot topics out there, many of which have all kinds of commentary you can easily find.  So what can I talk about that is unique?  Different?  Relevant? – that’s my challenge.  A lot of people simply don’t like to read a lot, I myself find it hard to read long posts.  So how do I write something that I myself would read?  That’s my conundrum.

So I’ll talk about myself, it’s easy enough, and might be interesting to someone, and certainly isn’t repeating anything anyone else is talking about….

I’ll keep it short, and hopefully give some extra time to each point in following posts… firstly, I’m finding myself come full circle in a lot of things, but mostly in my faith in Jesus.  For the past few years I kept looking for “more”, to find some kind of “better” experience, a life with Christ that was “more” like the early church.  In this pseudo journey for “more” I have discovered that I had it all along, it’s just that I was looking for others to do it, when in reality, it only takes me to have a church experience that I desired.

You might ask, what kind of things was I desiring?  Authenticity, generosity, genuine love, and hearts after God.  It seems that somewhere along the way I forgot that God used humans, people who make mistakes.  Over the past few years I have realized that those things that I listed are all it takes to see the magnificent things of the early Church show up in today’s Church.   The key to provoking that kind of culture in our churches?  Humility, repentance, and forgiveness!

Any group of believers who have humility, repentance, and forgiveness as their foundation for relationship building, will experience the authenticity, generosity, genuine love, and heart of God in people,  just as the early Church did.  This is what I believe Jesus meant when he said “and even greater things you will do”.  What’s greater than healing the sick, raising the dead, and the repentance of sin?  It’s people living in harmony, love, and for each other rather than themselves!

This past week’s summary

  • Actually I'm wearing black underwear, thanks. #
  • 1 week until the surprise is in full swing! #
  • Oh, goodness, so tired I just tweeted what should have been a text message to my boss… lol #
  • This time next week… surprise will be in full swing! #
  • Final details for Surprise Winter Vacation finalized. except for the $$ part, but that's on its way 🙂 #
  • Why does this bus trip in seem so long? #
  • Random thought: I really wish I didn't have to shave, it's annoying. #
  • another one bites the dust…. #
  • Finally resting for the first time in days. #
  • So looking to the surprise trip, much needed vacation! #
  • After a day like today, I'm VERY much looking forward to the surprise getaway, only 3 days away and we'll be comfortably on our way. #
  • Finally on my way out! #
  • Absolutely deserved after the past few days! http://twitpic.com/tynnd #
  • Hey @trimet when will transit tracker work again for MAX? #
  • My Pandora station is playing the best 80's and 90's dance music right now, don't know why but it's just the right thing for this crazy day! #
  • It's as official as it gets! We have officially purchased our tickets to Poland for January! w00t! #
  • Had a fantastic time at the Smarsh company Christmas party! Fantastic! Thank you JESUS! #

This past week’s summary

  • Desperate for someone to watch Emma tonight, 4:30 to 9:00… while we are at our Small Group Christmas Party #
  • The beginning another week, start it off well, fall to your knees and hear the angels sing. #
  • Sometimes, ok maybe far too often, I put too much pressure on my self. I'll try to stop now. #
  • Portlanders, it has officially hit 32 degrees, fun times eh? #
  • Wow, right now it is clear skies, sunny, beautiful here in PDX – except that it's 13 degrees (F), fun times! It might warm up to 32 (0 C). #
  • People who think they can get their way by force are simply mean, immature, and do not belong in society…. #
  • Ug last night's fishsticks are still swimming in my stomach 🙁 #
  • Warp 5 – Engage. #
  • Out of warp, running on impulse…. #
  • Mmmm wings are better than fishsticks… for sure #
  • Looks dry outside to me. #
  • Well, it has happened, I'm listening to "christmas in the northwest" right now… oh the nostalgia. #

A Counter-Cultural Quiet

This caught my eye while browsing my blog/news subscriptions today and so I thought I’d share it:

For some people, the Advent season on the church calendar is one of the most anticipated times of the year. For some, there is no other time in which their love of God is stronger, there is no other time in which they are more aware of God’s mercy in their lives and in the world, there is no other time in which their hearts go out to others with such affection, and there is no other time in which their joy is more profound.

I am not one of those people.

Click here for the original and full post

Read all of my Google Reader shared items

This past week’s summary

  • So far so good, still have escaped hearing "Christmas in the northwest" … 26 more days of avoidance. #
  • Oh so glad to be home! Even if it means cleaning up cat puke… #
  • Another week starts, nearly fell asleep on the bus, time for some kawa (coffee). #
  • Oh so tired, not really feeling in the mood to practice/study Polish but we will push on. #
  • Overcome w/ compassion, between the boyfriend desperate to talk to his upset girlfriend, and the guy next to me with a strong smell of MJ #
  • In a confusion of thoughts this morning. #
  • I think it's time to open day one of my advent calendar that our manager gave me and my co-worker… chocolate helps any day be better. #
  • Finally on my way home. Good things happening at work too! #
  • Who knew that a Savage Garden song could change the morning attitude?? #
  • Good morning world, you seem to have started earlier than I wanted. #
  • My left eye is twitching… stupid stress. #
  • oh, why do I subject myself to these strange sports which use balls. http://twitpic.com/s2f67 #
  • Um, 26 degrees, brrrr. Glad I've got a handy android phone with that tells me exactly when the bus is coming! No wait for me! #
  • The view from my desk at work – love it! http://twitpic.com/s3te0 #
  • RT @ledub13: smarsh in oregon business http://bit.ly/4Btdg3 #
  • Yay tonight @trimet MAX operator announced the delay, gave reason, and was pleasant sounding. Thanks. #
  • Anyone else using latitude? I'm finding some actual good reasons besides just creepy "track my friends". #

I Was Wrong About Church Buildings

This caught my eye while browsing my blog/news subscriptions today and so I thought I’d share it:

If you had asked me eight years ago what I thought about church buildings, I would have said, “Who needs a building? The early church didn’t have buildings, and we don’t need them either!” But I was wrong.

dans-head.jpg

My anti-building phase was a reaction to having seen so much money spent on church facilities, often for non-essential, luxury items. I was also reacting to a philosophy of ministry that treated church buildings like Disneyland; a place consumers gather for entertainment. But these abuses had caused me to unfairly dismiss the potential blessing of buildings as well.

Consider the building occupied by Compassion International in Colorado Springs. It has a well-groomed lawn with sprinkler system, an attractive sign, and an expansive parking lot. It’s a nice facility. But it’s more than just a building—it is the headquarters and training center for a ministry that brings physical and spiritual nourishment to more than one million children in 25 countries. The Compassion building is used for a missional purpose, not simply as a place for Christians to gather and consume religious services.

When we planted our church in 2004, we needed a place to meet. We found a very traditional church building that had a sizable “fellowship hall” originally used only for donuts and coffee on Sundays. Wanting to use the building differently, we converted the fellowship hall into a public coffee lounge featuring music and art from the outside community. The Abbey, as it’s now called, is open seven days a week and offers free internet access.

Continue reading …

Click here for the original and full post

Read all of my Google Reader shared items