I Am the Church...You Are the Church...We Are the Church Together...everybody sing...

You know - I struggle with the whole "I can go outside and worship God, thank you very much" attitude (yeah I know that wasn't what you were saying...but I'm on a roll here). While it is true - and I believe (though it's the post modern worship "buzz-phrase") that worship is a lifestlye, and thus we do it (or ought to) in every moment, there's still something important about worshipping in community.

I think you're dead on that one of the main reasons for church to exist is for us to be in community with each other - but if that was the only reason, well I'll take the Lion's club, thank you very much (not as much guilt associated with that) where I can hang out with people and be in community. We even do really great, mission type work there (all kinds of money comes in and goes out to help with sight and hearing - as well as some youth focus stuff). The "stuff they do" at Lion's club is very much like the "stuff they do" at church - but church is (and should be) deeper, richer and more meaningful because we don't just get together for a meal (though we do that a lot) and we don't just get presentations about stuff going on in the community (though we do that a lot, too), we gather around the communion table and draw into the presence of Christ - with each other. And all the things that we disagree on, and all the differences that we have, are a distant second to worshipping the very God of the Universe. And all the good things we do and all the great fellowship we have is a distant second to siimply being in the presence of God. And while I can be in God's presence alone, isn't it more powerful to be together with others?

What makes going to a concert different than listening to a CD (even a live CD)? What makes going to a theater to see a movie different from renting it and watching it alone? Or even renting it and watching it with two or three friends different from watching it alone? Together we are more than we are separately.

I confess I'm still working on this. The reality is that sometimes I get "better" community at the Lion's club meetings than I do at church - but I don't get the spiritual fulfillment that I get when I've worshipped with a dozen or a hundred other people - even if I don't know them - even if I don't like them...

So - church is all about community - but it's not ALL about community...or, something...

Chapter 2: The Church

People are as young as their dreams and as old as their cynicism. – Tony Campolo

I’m a pretty cynical person. I’ll admit that. I’ll also admit that most days I’m pretty cynical about the church.

The author of this book took it upon himself to church hop for this chapter. He visited nearly 50 churches to spot current trends. He found that many churches think they are being incredibly innovative when they are doing the same things as all the other churches – which are doing secular things … just 3-5 years behind the secular world. It was an interesting read, but I could never do what he did. I couldn’t church hop again. When I was in middle school (and coincidentally around the time that Daryl arrived) I began church hopping. I visited a number of churches and realized that they all had the same problems as my own church.

I’m thoroughly convinced that our need for a church isn’t so much for the act of worship ( I would prefer going out into nature and worshipping by myself) but rather for the sense of community that can only be found at a church – and only by attending actively a church for a period of time.

When I moved into my first place my church was hugely supportive. I don’t think they are done yet. I have a strange feeling that they won’t be done until I have every piece of kitchen equipment imaginable. I know that I am well prayed for and well provided for. I know that some members of my church have asked the pastors if they can help me financially. So far I’ve turned them down in the hopes that that money will go to a FAR better cause.

I love my church. I love my home church, Bill Beatty’s church, my sister’s church, Shane Hinderlighter’s church, and (yes, even) First Baptist of Toccoa. I believe in the idea that people can come together in community with a sense of love and grace and be a Church. I don’t think it happens all the time. It’s an exception at most houses of worship, but I believe it can happen.

Chapter 2: The Church

People are as young as their dreams and as old as their cynicism. – Tony Campolo

I’m a pretty cynical person. I’ll admit that. I’ll also admit that most days I’m pretty cynical about the church.

The author of this book took it upon himself to church hop for this chapter. He visited nearly 50 churches to spot current trends. He found that many churches think they are being incredibly innovative when they are doing the same things as all the other churches – which are doing secular things … just 3-5 years behind the secular world. It was an interesting read, but I could never do what he did. I couldn’t church hop again. When I was in middle school (and coincidentally around the time that Daryl arrived) I began church hopping. I visited a number of churches and realized that they all had the same problems as my own church.

I’m thoroughly convinced that our need for a church isn’t so much for the act of worship ( I would prefer going out into nature and worshipping by myself) but rather for the sense of community that can only be found at a church – and only by attending actively a church for a period of time.

When I moved into my first place my church was hugely supportive. I don’t think they are done yet. I have a strange feeling that they won’t be done until I have every piece of kitchen equipment imaginable. I know that I am well prayed for and well provided for. I know that some members of my church have asked the pastors if they can help me financially. So far I’ve turned them down in the hopes that that money will go to a FAR better cause.

I love my church. I love my home church, Bill Beatty’s church, my sister’s church, Shane Hinderlighter’s church, and (yes, even) First Baptist of Toccoa. I believe in the idea that people can come together in community with a sense of love and grace and be a Church. I don’t think it happens all the time. It’s an exception at most houses of worship, but I believe it can happen.

Chapter 2: The Church

People are as young as their dreams and as old as their cynicism. – Tony Campolo

I’m a pretty cynical person. I’ll admit that. I’ll also admit that most days I’m pretty cynical about the church.

The author of this book took it upon himself to church hop for this chapter. He visited nearly 50 churches to spot current trends. He found that many churches think they are being incredibly innovative when they are doing the same things as all the other churches – which are doing secular things … just 3-5 years behind the secular world. It was an interesting read, but I could never do what he did. I couldn’t church hop again. When I was in middle school (and coincidentally around the time that Daryl arrived) I began church hopping. I visited a number of churches and realized that they all had the same problems as my own church.

I’m thoroughly convinced that our need for a church isn’t so much for the act of worship ( I would prefer going out into nature and worshipping by myself) but rather for the sense of community that can only be found at a church – and only by attending actively a church for a period of time.

When I moved into my first place my church was hugely supportive. I don’t think they are done yet. I have a strange feeling that they won’t be done until I have every piece of kitchen equipment imaginable. I know that I am well prayed for and well provided for. I know that some members of my church have asked the pastors if they can help me financially. So far I’ve turned them down in the hopes that that money will go to a FAR better cause.

I love my church. I love my home church, Bill Beatty’s church, my sister’s church, Shane Hinderlighter’s church, and (yes, even) First Baptist of Toccoa. I believe in the idea that people can come together in community with a sense of love and grace and be a Church. I don’t think it happens all the time. It’s an exception at most houses of worship, but I believe it can happen.

This is our 100th post on TalkAboutSomething! I'm so excited I'm going to start a new series.

I'm reading "The Christian Culture Survival Guide" It was recommended by my friend Rachel. For my new series I'm going to discuss each chapter's theme and my own reflections on it. I'm not as cynical as Matthew Paul Turner (although I'm close and not nearly as funny.)

His first chapter is about "Getting Saved and Baptism." He discusses his salvation experience (when he was 4) and his baptism (a terrifying experience for him.) He discussed his Baptist churches scary quasi-military tactics to win souls. He makes it abundantly clear that winning souls is incredibly important and a necessity to the Christian world - but, he criticizes the heavily employed fast-food tactics we Christians use to reach the lost.

I was "saved" when I was 11. I was at Wesley Woods and went forward for an altar call. It was a beautiful time in my life. I became a Christian at the outdoor chapel at a side camp off of Wesley Woods - perhaps the same spot where my mother committed her life to Christ. I was baptized at Creationfest in a pond. I was submerged (like a good Baptist should be). I am glad I waited until I was older and fully understood what I was doing. If my memory serves me right I was confirmed before I was baptized. I became a United Methodist before I was baptized - definetly against the rules.

I feel that evangelism is important - and have, in the past, fallen for the "get people to say the sinner's prayer" to get a "get out of Hell free pass." I don't think that evangelism is the most important thing in a Christian's life. I think it's moe important than most Christian's make it ... but we make it such an extreme that most people can't handle it and give up entirely. Anyone can share his or her faith. When the church makes evangelism anything other than simply sharing our faith with others the church fails. Evangelism isn't going door to door. It isn't shouting at people as they go into porn shops. It's about loving the people that you're close to (saved and unsaved) and patiently explaining the story of Christ with them.

We've screwed up royally on this one. Those who think witnessing is the most important part of being a Christian often take it to unhealthy extremes. Those who don't think it is that important often don't do it at all because they feel they can't compare to those who share so boldly.

We need to bring evangelism back into a proper perspective. We need to teach openly that the only door to door we often need is inviting our neighbors to a football party. Maybe the only shouting we need is when the Steelers (or insert football team name) score a Touchdown.

I've been thinking about this. I'm not adding this to my list of doctrines or anything - but it has been something on my mind that has kept my mind churning. It's a thought process, not a single thought. Here goes:

In China the women riding bicycles wear garbage bags on their arms and giant visors on their heads. All this so that they don't tan. In a land of dark skinned people being white is beautiful. In America women lay in a "cancer coffin" to get their skin darker. In a land of lots of white people dark skin is beautiful. The first time I laughed at this notion and pointed it out to my friends an older friend said, "It's the mark of the beast - it's a sign of our sinful fallen nature."

Blondes want to be redheads, brunettes want to go blond. We want to be anything but what we are. Satan has done a very good job convincing us that whatever it is we are it isn't good enough. I've been wondering if this principal also applies to sin. Is our sincere desire to remove sin from our lives a sign that we truly want to follow God or is it a sign that we want to be anything but what we are? Do we desire to sin less because we fail to love ourselves as Christ loves us?

I'm not saying we should all go out and sin it up like fools. I think that our desires are out of place. Our desire shouldn't be to avoid sin - it should be to follow God. A lot of people would argue that if you are avoiding sin it means you love God ... but there are a lot of reasons why one would try and eradicate sin (most of them pretty selfish.) If you truly try and follow God I believe that eventually the sin in your life will becomes a lot less fun - and your desire to sin will decrease. I don't believe the converse is true. An eradication of sin does not always mean an increased devotion to God.

I've seen too many Christians who make it their life goal to eradicate sin from their lives. I haven't seen many Christians who have made it work. I've seen people who run scared all the time because they fear that they might sin.


If we loved ourselves as Christ does we wouldn't fear our sin. Eradication of sin isn't the ultimate goal of a Christian life. Have we fallen for Satan's trap and made our primary concern of the Christian's life something that isn't all that important? I think that sin is bad, but I know that Christ didn't die on the cross for the sole purpose of watching me struggling all day to try and rid my life of all sin. That's not why he died. He died to give life - and yes, the Christian life does contain an element of sin removal - and give it abundantly. There's a lot more to the Christian life than trying to live without sin.

I don't like the shape of my body. I know I should lose weight, but I also know that I shouldn't hate myself because of my weight.

I don't like my sin. I know that I should sin less, but I also know that I shoudlnt' hate myself because of my sin.

Christ died out of love for mankind. I know that he doesn't want us to hate ourselves because of the sin that he died to forgive. I'm not going to look longingly at the greener grass on the other side of the fence. I'm going to look instead at Christ.

Ministry Things

"So what do I do? My goal is turn all of the kids into wild, crazy, liberal, Jesus loving Catholics in the next two years." - Mary Sirianni, on youth ministry

Mary and I discussed ministry today. She works with her youth group and does an amazing job. She calls me for ideas and we brainstorm together for ideas. It works really well and we have come up with some great ideas. She wants to instill a passion in the kids and get them to start questioning the faith they have inherited to make it their own. Some pretty lofty goals for a Sophomore. We also discussed what she will do after college. It was fun to talk about some ministry goals.

Diane Miller called me today to discuss some options for my internship. It was really fun to discuss the options and places available for me. I will either go to Russia over a Christmas break and work with a missionary in Moscow and a short term trip from WPA in the Komi Republic or I will spend a summer in Israel/Palestine. It was so exciting to discuss these ideas - Diane's enthusiasm is contageous.

I've been thinking a lot about what ministries I want to work with. I might do the spring youth retreats in Georgia. I want to work with the Youth Group in Toccoa. I hope to do the youth internship. Or, I could apply for the Lavonia job and work with a youth group part time. I'd love to do that - but I'm not sure if that's what God wants for me.

I'm so easily excited by ministry ideas. I'm so bogged down by ministry. Not all the time ... not even most of the time. Just ... sometimes I feel so weary of all of the stuff that goes on.

I love the people who are in ministry for me. I spent a day with my adopted family at church a few months ago and when I was on my way out the door my adopted mom just threw open her arms for a hug. It meant so much to me. I hope that the people I am in ministry for feel the same way. Even when I'm bogged down.

Lemme Whine a Minute

Last weekend (over New Years) I was part of the leadership team for a youth retreat. I'm so frustrated about it. It wasn't that the retreat wasn't good - it was great. It wasn't because it was over New Years (though we don't want to do that again). It wasn't because I was the tech guy (I actually love doing that, you know - though we had a great guy running sound with my antiquated and completely inadequate sound system - he made the band sound really good). It wasn't my teaching (heh - it was called "A Diamond in the Poop" - no kidding - actually, I was JOKING WHEN I SUGGESTED THAT TITLE RICK...but it stuck...) I really enjoyed teaching - and hearing the guys teach - they are so talented.

I'm frustrated because while I poured all kinds of energy and resources into this event, not a single kid from my youth group went... I don't understand. It was the "big event" for December. I can get 15 kids out to go bowling or a dozen to make candy or take muffins to visit shut-ins - but to go to a retreat where they might actually experience a God moment...not a one...sigh... Well, not true, one girl wanted to go - but she didn't feel comfortable going alone. I understand, though I think she would have had a great time...

We have real commitment-phobia here at First UMC Warren. Not everyone, but quite a few - especially the youth. People don't sign up for events until the day before or the day of or they just show up...even if we needed an RSVP...sigh... Of course it's not just here - but here is where it impacts me.

Oh well...I'll get over it.

Hey, Michael - I'm told that if nobody complains about what you're doing, then what you're doing isn't effective :) Keep it up!!!

I've never been so unapologetic as today. My sister and I were called before the high council for a meeting after church. Becka and I sat down with the youth during a DIG meeting and gave them an open forum to discuss "whatever they wanted" with some adults closer to their own age. We let the kids know that nothing they said would leave the room. We also said that no one knew why we were there so they didn't need to be nervous that we would tell.

If we had to do it all again the only thing I would have changed was our wording about the nature of the meeting. What bothered me most was Pastor Craig talking down to us. He is paid to lead youth group and has routinely failed us as a youth leader. I love Pastor Craig, but it hurt so much having someone who doesn't even try to do anything create yelling at us for this. I think the kids really enjoyed it and I don't think it was a safe sanctuaries violation.

I would do it again in a heartbeat. I think that we accomplished a lot of ministry in that meeting. I'm sorry if we misscommunicated anything - but I think that the scolding we recieved from the pastors was unneccesary. I want Pastor Craig to have more accountability and to stop dishing it out.

We're waiting patiently for the rest of the world to return to 1957. The church, that is. Any minute now that long forsaken decade will return to us - we wait patiently for its arrival. Again.

Our churches are failing. Yeah, the suck factor ... we've gone over it and over it. We have audiences instead of congregations, people don't tithe to an institution this irrelevant, people don't even like themselves ... let alone their neighbor, and racism is still openly tolerated in our churches.

But, I feel there's so much more behind our problems. There are a few things that could be out of place. God could have forsaken us, we could have forsaken God, or it could simply be that we need to change our methods. I've basically ruled out the possibility that God has forsaken us. I'm pretty certain that to some degree we have forsaken God. I don't think that our methods alone are the problem. So, it's a combination of the second and third option with no possibility of the first.

It's pretty obvious that as long as there have been humans we have turned our backs on God. A lot of people, especially within the church, want to return to "better times" (aka the 1950s.) Was it the open racism in the deep south that made our country more Christian? Were we better Christians because men could beat their wives without fear of divorce? Was our church fulfilling the great commission because we had more people with unaffected lives? I don't think so. I think we are capable of so much more. Our methods were wrong in the 1950s and (since they haven't changed much) they are still wrong today.

So, here's a very brief list of some methods that need to be addressed:
* Our reliance on the "superpreacher" instead of allowing God to use the losers.
* Our Americanized "Bigger is Better" view of church.
* Our fear of the world.
* Our attempts to change the world before we change our own hearts.
* Our refusal to change our style to fit that of those outside the church.

I know it's not complete, I know I fail to learn from my own teachings, and I know that the church is capable of change. I'm not waiting for the return of that decade. I'm not using the excuse of "waiting on God." I'm ready for some change in our church.