We Christians are a funny bunch of people

isn’t it funny that we Christians condemn Christian artists for not talking about Jesus enough, but when an artist who wasn’t thought to be christian talks about the Divine we claim them as our own…

The Value of the Homeless

Here’s a question: What is the value of the homeless in our church today. If we are to do to the least of these, then what value do we place on the dirtiest of these? I once worked at a church where a pastor said, “maybe we could bus the homeless over to the video venue…they might be more comfortable there, don’t you think?” No joke, I was not happy about it. To give this story context, we were talking about the homeless program at the church bringing people in and how they disrupt the service or make people uncomfortable.

So, I ask again: What value does  the church place on a dirty, no money having, probably still drunk, disrupting the service bum?

Dirty Talk in the Church

This past sunday we had “the talk” at church.  “The talk” was the money talk, and how we don’t have it. We didn’t meet budget, in fact we were several thousand dollars off. It was hard because of course it’s an awkward conversation, but in the end I think that the people walked away encouraged rather than guilt riden. We showed our budget and where the money is going (i.e. staff, insurance, RCC/NCC, bulletins, etc) and explained what we have cut and/or are cutting. The miracle is that last year we were able to give 20% of our budget away to non profs, benevilance funds, and other various people/organizations in need.

We, the church, make this money converstaion such a dirty talk. Have you ever noticed that when we talk about money, usually it is solomon who is quoted and not jesus. I think this is because Jesus’ words are a little harder (sell everything you have…). I’m not going to get into this right now though, because that is a whole other can of worms.

Anyways, after the talk I felt like we walked out encouraged rather than discouraged. We know exactly where money is going and what we do with it. Unfortunately we live in a time of economic crisis and our human nature tells us to keep it.  I saw this cartoon at ASBO Jesus a while ago that showed a pastor asking a person, “Do the birds worry?”  t o which the person replied, “Do the birds have a mortgage?” This is are human nature taking over our faith.

So I wonder this:

1. Who else has had this talk with your church? How did you handle it/HOw did they take it?

2. If you are a church worker (Pastor, director, etc), what changes have you seen in the church staffing and budget?

Bursting Your Christian Bubble

A friend of mine here on the blogosphere and in Tweetsville (twitter) made me think today. His name is Tyler. He is the “Man of Depravity” and he lives in Portland (my third favorite city on the west coast). He posed the idea of the Christian bubble. The Christian bubble is the seperation of the sacred and the secular in our lives. We see it all the time when christians go to christian stores to buy christian albums or christian books of christian artists written specifically for christians. This is the bubble that we live in. We live in it and when we do, we lose touch of the world outside of it.

When I was going to Trinity Western University, I saw this bubble first hand. I would drive on campus and see all of these students who knew each other, took classes together, had bible studies together, went to games together, and went to chapel and church together. The students were all stuck in the trinity bubble together, but had no need or even want to get out.

So Tyler had two questions:

1. Does this apply to you?
2. How can Christians avoid this happening (practical ways)?

I saw this happening in my life. It’s hard not to when you work in a church. I wanted to get away from the bubble. I wanted to have “normal” conversations. I say normal because christianity is such a sub culture that we speak a whole different language. I wanted to converse with my friends who spoke with a native tongue that I once spoke before I met Jesus.

I got a part time job outside of the church. I did this for two reasons. 1) we needed money and 2) if I taught guitar lessons part time instead, my only clients were going to be references from churches. and so I donned the green apron and began pushing caramel machiatos to the masses. This is the idea of the bi vocational pastor. Though I do not hold the title pastor, I do work inside of a church and am therefore thrusted into the bubble.

I think the bubble is a sad place to be at times. Non Christians (NC) are uncomfortable being there and Christians try to be hospitable but their language and culture is so foreign that the NC’s feel even more awkward. Another thing is I feel that the Christians sometimes feel that their job is to make sure that the NC’s must leave having made some sort of progress toward becoming a Christ follower. This is just wrong. Now they are a project not a friend.

But if the Christian has lived in the bubble for so long, they may have nothing to talk about. They have seperated themselves from the culture. They couldn’t talk about things that may matter to modern day culture. again, awkward conversation. The bubble must be popped.

Now I am not saying to join the culture and abandon all that matters to you. What I am saying is that if we are to pop the bubble, we must no what matters outside of the bubble. Have an opinion but don’t think that it is the only one that matters because God is on your side (this drives me bonkers when Xtians pull this one out).

thoughts on the bubble?

An Open Letter to Youth Workers Everywhere

Dear Youth Worker/Big Brother/Parent/Whoever Reads this,

What is is about awful smelling deodorant and body spray (i.e. Axe Body Spray) that attracts teenage boys to it? Also, what is it about these things make teenage boys think that it makes up for a shower? I walked by some teenagers at Target yesterday and they just reeked! It smelled like butt and Old Spice mixed with cooking oil. gross.

If you are involved with Youth Group or work with the youth in some kind of way, please, I beg of you, please tell them that a couple stripes of deodorant or an Axe bath does not make up for what a shower could do for you.

Thank You,

Ron

The Numbers Game of Churchdom

Something that really frustrates me in the church world is the importance of numbers. Case in point: in the past two days, I’ve talked to people who went to the church that I used to lead worship at. Both people asked me where I’ve been, to which I replied that am leading at Roosevelt Community Church. First question out of both of their mouths (at different times of course) was “How are the numbers?” Augh! it’s so frustrating! Something that our culture has taught hte world is that numbers = success. But what about numbers says that your church is successful? We continue to live the lie that we have been taught that says that the more butts in the pews (or seats) that you have means that you are making a big impact.

My question is this – What about attendance says success? Is it really the number of people that dictates how well you are doing? Another idea: is it the purpose of the church to be successful? Is it our goal to have thousands of people coming to the church?  How does this measure the impact on the kingdom?

Maybe it’s not the idea of the successful church but instead it is the idea of the thriving church. Maybe it’s the idea of what you do with the numbers as opposed to just having them come to your church. It reminds me of the parable of the talents. When given many, if you stay within the walls, you will answer for it. But I wonder if it is bigger than we all could imagine. Imagine if you took the biggest churches in your town and began quarterly service projects. Service projects where they get no recognition and nobody wears shirts or hats with church names on it. Imagine if this was a regular thing.

I guess I just get angry at teh numbers game. It’s basically a pissing contest between people who are a part of the same body of Christ. Why do we divide ourselves over something as stupid as numbers? I once went to a service at a rehabilitation center and a guy who was there was telling us how he goes to the big church up the street and that they have over 3000 peopel and 5 services. How is Jesus moving in the church? That’s the question. Luckily I know that Jesus is doing incredible things there, but what are they teaching this guy who lives in the rehab center? Who is visiting him? Has he created an idol in his head over the size of the church? Does he realize that we are all God’s children and that it’s not just the church we go to that determines us christians?

I’m starting to rant. Any thoughts on this?

Blessed are the Sex Offenders

I was at Jack in the Box yesterday, when a lady who comes off and on from my church saw me and asked me to send out a prayer request to people in my church (if you are comfortable with it, please join me in praying). She asked me to pray for one of her sons who was going to reveal to his fiancee that he is a sex offender. This started me thinking…

I began to pray for him, but the prayer felt so recycled. It was the normal, “give him strength and wisdom/ soften her heart/ let them see eye to eye”. Then I began asking God for some understanding. How do we pray for somebody who has done something that society deems so atrocious? Can we honestly look into the mirror and say that we are okay with this because God can redeem it? I wondered these questions to myself as I walked out.

I know a few sex offenders, in fact, I am directly related to one. When I look at a sex offender, I try not to see an ugly person. I try not to see the broken past that they left behind for me or my family. One thing that I do see when I look at them is somebody that society has forgotten and the only way that they are remembered is when they have to check in with probation officers. Are these one of the least and lost that Jesus spoke of? Are even the sex offenders included in the Beatitudes? If so, then how do we love the Sex Offender? How do we show them compassion and grace without seeing the ugliness of their sin? These, to me, are the questions leading toward true Christianity…sometimes I find myself far from it.

I Miss Ray of Hope.

 

This summer has been kind of sad for me. For the previous four years, I had been working at Ray of Hope – a summer day camp for kids who had been through various forms of physical and emotional abuse, are socially awkward, or just plain forgotten or given up on. I really miss it. My job was to give a summer filled with fun for the kids who otherwise would be stuck at home in not so ideal conditions or in front of a television alone. It was one of the greatest jobs I’ve ever had. I see kids once in a walking past starbucks. That rules. I just really miss having fun with the kids. Giving them a summer was one of the best things I could do.

Starting a Church? Involved in Church? Going to Church? This is a Must Read!

My friend Sam’s, also in my links, friend Wade Hodges wrote this:

“A friend of mine celebrated one year of sobriety today. We got to talking about Alcoholics Anonymous and how helpful it has been to him. He said that from a marketing standpoint AA is hopelessly antiquated. The material was written in 40’s. It uses sexist language, outdated illustrations, and awkward syntax. Yet countless people from all walks of life come to AA and are given the tools they need to make a change in their life. Nobody gripes about the way AA does things. As far as my friend knows, there is no feminist agenda within AA to update the masculine pronouns of the Big Book. There are no young people campaigning to make AA more relevant to their generation. At AA those things are not issues. AA is made up of a bunch of alcoholics who have hit rock bottom and have no other place to go. This reality allows them to see past the irrelevance and grab onto what really matters: a plan that works and a group of people who understand and are there for you no matter what. I guess when you’ve got those things, relevance isn’t that big of a deal.

I wonder how much of our effort in churches to stay relevant, to be hip, and act cool is actually a sign of how little we really understand the gospel. If our churches were full of people who have been grabbed by the gospel—what it means to be lost, what it means to be saved from sin, what it means to die someday and give account to our creator for the mess we’ve made of our lives, what it means to join God someday around his banquet table in the new creation—then would they really care how relevant we are? If they could come to our churches and have their lives changed, really changed, would they gripe about the length of our services? If they found in our assemblies people who really cared and welcomed them into the family and loved them into a relationship with Jesus, would they hop from church to church looking for better music? I don’t think so.

Rock bottom alcoholics aren’t looking for a cool program. They’re looking for one that works. Sinners in search of salvation aren’t looking for a cool church. They’re looking for one that can show them the way to salvation.

Until we understand this, everything else is irrelevant.”

How Much Is A Pastor Worth?

Interesting thought…How much is a pastor worth? I’ve heard of some here in bellingham making upwards of $80,000+. I tell you what, I barely cut a quarter of that. What makes a pastor worth $80,000? What, in a church occupation, makes anybody worth this much money? What are the determining factors? Let’s start a discussion on this. 

Go.