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| Hey Gang, This is going to be where we discuss Theological questions about your faith, and any questions you have about your walk with God or whatever you're curious about. Keep it cool, and keep it appropriate or I'll block you :) Here's what we've been discussing lately at our Theology nights at Cafe Delirium: Last time we talked about "Authenticity in our Faith." What the heck does the 'real' church look like? Is it just four walls, some singing and then a preacher talks? Or is it something more? I mentioned that you all are looking for something more than what is being offered you, but what is it you are looking for? We had some interesting dialogue and some intense conversations around a more 'organic' church setting rather than the 'traditional' building setting. What do you think? What is "Authentic Christianity?" The month before our topic was "Why do I love God but hate the Church?" This was a particularly great evening because you all shared with me your frustrations with the Church in a responsible, loving way. Some frustrations were pretty crazy, like hypocrisy, judgemental, the church is clickish, one kid said it was 'boring,' some others said it was non-personal, etc... What was great is we asked ourselves the question 'Who is the Church?' I think where we ended was that 'we' are the church, and we are Christ's bride. So amidst our frustrations with the Church we need to always love the Church, right? Don't stop asking questions, I want to see some questions posted on this blog, then I'll take some of the hard ones and we'll talk about then at the Theology Night at Cafe D. Ask away... | | |
| Letting my daughter and younger peers mentor me? Here's a shot of me playing a gaming system with my daughter Cheila, and although she's not as good as me yet, she will be in a couple of years. I have slowed her process because we don't own a 'gaming system' in our home: I never wanted her staring at someone else’s idea of entertainment. But she knows 8 yr old pop culture and jokes by the back of her hand from school! Dani is another character in my life at age 16 who sees me as an 'old man.' Someone out of touch with hip culture and music. I am out of touch, but I'm only 26. I work at Starbucks during Friday and Saturday evenings, and I'm totally clueless to high school students, they seem so different. I use to do High School ministry, and was in High School only a few years ago, but I'm honestly afraid to minister to them because I feel clueless as to who they are. Reading Earl's chapter on 'Reverse Mentoring' shows me some ideas to connect with younger culture in order to effectively minister in this up and coming world. He states the world is changing, and our 'old school' tactics of talking down from the pulpit are falling short. Earl is arguing we need to start talking UP to the pulpit and teach these 'old guys' a thing or two about how young people understand life. His suggestion is to befriend someone younger than you and become a genuine friend in order to ask questions, shut up and learn. Earl also follows up by stating it is a two way street, while your friend is able to mentor you, doors will open to legitimately help your younger counterpart have a deeper walk with the Lord. Here’s to a 26 yr old husband and father who feels out of touch with modern culture. It is hard to lose touch, but I'll never lose touch my faithful Jesus, and He will always leed me down the path of understanding Him. God's character never changes with the tide of culture, and that's a good thing :) "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom." I always remember culture doesn't have the answers to God's character, it is only the water we are swimming in of our day. Till next time folks, put the gaming system away and pick up in the Word of God where you left off. | | |
| CHAPTER 3 - DICSIPLINE OF POV "At its heart, postmodernism is a philosophy of no. Nothing can be known because everything we think of as reality depends on our interpretation and expression of it. Truth, then, is a hostage of our point of view and arbitrariness of the sounds we organize into language." -Earl Creps The world is not separated by oceans, miles, meters or long flights anymore...it is separated by our 'point of view.' With the increase of technology, the world has become smaller and more introspective, but not a larger community. With the loss of absolutes as a presupposition for society, Earl states in his book every individual is being held captive by their own point of view. Earl argues with traditional geographic missions (ie: are you a missionary to Egypt or Cambodia?), and lays a foundation for us to ask a different question. "Who are you a missionary to?" Are you a missionary to the post-communist culture group striving for 'western' thought and commerce to permeate their culture? If you are, then you better hop on a short 12 hour flight to NE Europe, specifically Lithuania. Are you a missionary to a pioneering liberal group of people where rejection of authority is king (even amongst the emergent Christians), and anything wierd should be accepted and practiced by all, but 'don't you dare preach to me about Jesus you bigot.' Then let us get inside our car and drive downtown Portland, OR. The concept of missions in Earl's book suggest a POV missions mindset may be a better one than a Point of Geography. Take blogging for example, geography has little to do with your blogring, but your POV is king to your bloggers. | | |
|  THE GUARDIAN
I'm going to postpone my post about Earl Crep's book to do a little blog about a movie I watched this week with my wife. Also, I haven't quit finished the chapter. 'The Guardian,' a heroic story of the Coast Guard's finest (rescue swimmers). This movie hits home for a couple of reason; the first is the theme of the movie, ' So others may live."Would you lay your life down so a stranger may live? This is the commission of the Coast Guard, but it sounds strangely familiar to Christ's calling on our own lives. 'Go into all the earth and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.' You will most definitely sacrifice your life for others under this commission. The disciples paid the price, getting martyred one by one and Christ paid the ultimate price so you may live. This is the theme of the heart of Christ. Also, it was my dream to fly a rescue helicopter for the USCG. Graduating High School, I pursued a career in the Coast Guard. I remember during my senior year as I was strongly pursuing Christ, I was trying to find a career honoring to God. One afternoon I walked by my dad's 4' tool chest and saw a bumper sticker on it reading "Saving Lives, USCG." When I looked into flying a rescue helo, there was no propaganda; you truly would be saving lives. This seemed to be the ultimate calling, so I pursued it, only to find out the vision God had given me was not sufficient to fly a USCG helicopter. On top of that, I was not accepted to the USCG Academy in New Haven, CT. I asked God, "what am I to do? What could your will be?" And the obvious became true! "Come and follow me and I will make you fishers of men." During the next two years I committed myself to mentoring youth in my church, seeing them grow into leaders of the same youth group. Afterwards I moved to Portland to meet a XA group waiting for young men to join leadership, and served for another two years watching the group grow in size and grow in vision. Now, two years after XA at PSU, I have fallen in love and married Janae and adopted a young girl named Cheila and we have been a family for nearly a year. As well, I meet with young guys from Starbucks and we talk about the deep things of God. Soon we'll see where God leads next. Is this the life I was expecting? No! Absolutely not! These things weren't on my radar, but they were on God's radar. I followed Him and He made me more of a 'fisher of men' than I ever would have been jumping out of helicopters or even flying them. I know this because I followed God and this is where He led me. Sometimes I wonder how many 'saves' I would have had in the Coast Guard? Who knows, maybe I would have been a hero, went to Washington DC and became some famous elected official strolling through the White House with my 'First Lady' waving at my constituents as I walk off Air Force One. That is definitely what I dreamed of. To all those who jump into hypothermic water to save strangers, I would join you if I could, but my calling is elsewhere and God has other plans for me. When I look back over the last 7 years of my life...I understand what Christ meant when He said 'I'll make you a fisher of men' | | |
| I am going to dedicate every Monday's xanga entry to reviewing Earl Creps' new book "Off Road Disciplines." I will do a chapter a week and conclude with an overview and a review on Amazon.com. So please tune in every Monday for the next chapter of Earl's book. This Chapter is "Truth, The Discipline of Sacred Realism" The last chapter, "Death" was all about how Earl had to put to death his preconceived notions and presuppositions about 'doing church' in a postmodern (and post-Christian) culture. His point was that somewhere, somehow culture changed outside the walls of our churches, and we missed it. Now when we step out of the front doors, we have to watch out or we'll fall into the chasm between postmodern culture and us. This next chapter talks about our response to this changed culture. Have you ever went overseas? Have you ever moved out of dad and mom's house into a big city from a small community in Alaska where you lived on an island with 14,000 people and one high school? If you have done these, then you understand 'culture shock.' Earl talks about how many pastors are going through this shock, and don't know what to do about it. I particularly enjoy Earl's conversation with Wanda, who like many people in society, have a prototype philosophy of Buddhism+ capitalism +emergeny prayers+self-reliace+pluralism. If you are a baby boomer pastor, or in your 50-70's your next question is, "where did this idea of reality come from!?" One thing is certain, in the early 1900's society generally believed there is a God, so your job as a pastor was to simply tell them who this God they believed in was. Now, the typical person outside your church building doesn't believe there even is a God, they believe they are their own god, and see you (a Christian) as a member of a colt. Earl speaks to this culture shock, where you can either 'drive your congregation deeper into itself' and hide behind those doors with your fellow Christian warriors and fend off the evil outside. This shock is neutralizing to many ministries. Or, like many missionaries, realize your completely out of your league, don't understand this culture and 'plunging into a season of near-despair and breaking of the will to relinquish control and turn to God as sustainer.' God has a plan to reach this generation, and He intends to see this generation seek Him, ALL OF THIS GENERATION, and you are part of His will to reach it. Don't drive into yourself and fears, get out on the end of the branch where you know it can't hold you and trust God to hold it up. He will use you, if you Die to yourself and hold onto that Sacred Realism of truth and faith in Him. Tune into next week to hear more about this postmodern generation from a man who has been a pastor, died to his methods and held onto the truth and is stirring thousands of young and old Christians to step outside the doors of their church and stop using it as their castle, but now using it as their Galgatha. Or go to Amazon.com and buy the book for yourself and save yourself 10 weeks of reviews :) Your friend, Matt | | |
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