A little creative humor

A little humor for those familiar with Emergent Villege.

PURSUE

Here is an informational video that we put together about the PURSUE program.

Total Church

I am reading a book right now called Total Church by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis. I have found it to be quite engaging. They are leaders in a church community in England called The Crowded House. They focus on being an intentional gospel community and focus in urban communities with many social needs.

Here are some things that I have been reading:
"In any Christian ministry, including ministry among the poor, proclaiming and teaching the word of God must be central. And that is because the greatest need of the poor, as for us all, is to be reconciled to God and so escape his wrath. What makes Christian social involvement distinctively Christian is a commitment to reconciling the poor to God through the proclamation of the gospel."

"If we do not keep people's eternal plight in mind, then immediate needs will force their way to the top of our agenda, and we will betray the gospel and the people we profess to love. The most loving thing that we can do for the poor is to proclaim the good news of eternal salvation through Christ. It is by no means the only loving thing we can do for them, but it is the most loving thing we can do. It would be a crime of monumental proportions to knowingly withhold such good news."

These authors put a great emphasis on the responsibility of the church to be intentionally engaged in the lives of the poor and marginalized in society. But they also keep in perspective that the Gospel is the most important thing that any person needs.

Can we really care for people without being willing to share the Good News with them at some point?

Family Photos

One of my greatest joys in life is being a husband and a father. I can't say that I love getting the family together and taking family pictures, but I do appreciate the end result.

Total Church

"Church is not a meeting you attend or a place you enter. It is an identity that is ours in Christ. It is an identity that shapes the whole of life so that life and mission become 'Total Church'." from the book Total Church

Are your life and mission so connected that church is who you are and not a place you go?

Is your identity wrapped up in your church or is it just a part of life?

Is it reasonable to expect people to see church as a part of the core of who they are?

Voting patterns among Christians

There are no two voting blocks closer to one another in personal standards of morality than white evangelicals and black protestants. And there are no two voting blocks further apart.

How can this be?

Capitalism and the Kingdom of God

During this political season, Barack Obama has been and continues to be branded as a socialist. With that indictment comes the assumption that socialism is in fact evil and capitalism is good. I am personally questioning whether capitalism is actually inherently good. As I see it, capitalism, socialism, and even communism have their strengths.

The problem is humanity. The problem is sin. The problem with each system is that sinful people are involved in the system and so they end up being hurtful to people.
As a Christian, I see things differently then the world. I see the greed, the selfish ambition, and the ignoring of the poor and oppressed that often is evidenced in a capitalistic society. I also see that a system like socialism which is geared more towards community and the common good is often adulterated by corruption, arrogance, and the desire for power by a few.

I believe that we should seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness/justice.

So why do many Christians treat capitalism as if it is God’s way?

Why is socialism branded as “evil” by many in our society?

First Black President

No matter who you voted for, it is an amazing moment in our countries history. Historic. I can't begin to imagine the emotion that most African-Americans are feeling. Congratulations to our President elect Barack Obama!

How do you feel about this historic moment?

AI to the Detroit Pistons

Eight time all-star Allen Iverson was traded today to the Detroit Pistions for Chauncy Billups and Antonio McDyess. This seems like a risky move by the Pistons to me considering they won 59 games last year and barely missed the NBA Finals.

What do you think?

No Intelligence Allowed

Last night, I finally got around to watching Ben Stein's documentary EXPELLED: No Intelligence Allowed. Stein goes on a fact finding journey around the world interviewing scientists. He is trying to figure out why those who consider Intelligent Design worthy of study are being shut out of academia. It is quite interesting to say the least.

Stein, a scholar in his own right, stares Darwinism in the face and holds it to the light. Most of all, he is questioning why Intelligence Design is not even allowed to be considered with being "black listed" by the scientific community. Stein is mainly calling for the freedom to ask questions and explore.

Has anyone else seen this movie?

Do you think Intelligent Design is given a fair chance in the scientific community?

Inspiring young minds

If you watch the video in my last post, you probably had the song ringing through your head. I did like the song a lot and so I watched more than once, but I was equally impressed by the students knowledge and enthusiasm about politics. I get excited about examples of good schools. So I did the obvious and googled the Ron Clark Academy.

As I checked out the site a bit, I was impressed with what I saw. Innovative teaching. Engaged students. Exciting learning environment. Quality across the board.

We need more schools like this where the teachers go to great lengths to help their students learn. I believe that all children can be inspired for greatness.