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What Came First: The Mission or The Church? (Part 2)

I have heard (and read) a quote that many pastors and church leaders regurgitate so many times I don't think anybody knows where it came from.

"Christianity is the most exciting thing that has ever happened in the world....and it has taken the church 2,000 years to make it boring!"

This comment is usually used to inspire justification of their local institution's attempt to become attractive, exciting, safe, trendy and friendly to the surrounding target audience. But where does Jesus say this in his commission? Where does he tell us that the "church" has to attract all people, that it has to be exciting and friendly? Where does it say that everybody's even getting into heaven? Ironically, a well known Atheist, Hemant Mehta, author of the book, "I Sold my Soul on Ebay," said this in a Fox New Interview:

"...the stereotypical image I had of church; that it's this boring place to go to on a Sunday, that it's a dull place,that it's don't do this, don't do this. That [image] has definitely changed. The churches I've been to have had incredible music, incredible speakers, some of the pastors are great and I did get a real sense of community being there and that wasn't there before."

So maybe the Pastors have done a good job not making church boring anymore. Maybe the quote works. Maybe more churches are becoming more attractive, exciting, safe, and friendly place to be. After all someone who doesn't even know God, no scratch that, someone who doesn't even Believe in God, said that it wasn't boring and that his mind was actually changed...."Mission" Accomplished! Well done!

Oh, but wait, he still doesn't believe in God! So who's mission is being accomplished again!?!?

Locks of Love???

Setting: Friday night family dinner. Sitting at the table.

Makenna: "Daddy, I want to cut my hair and give to Locks Of Love so they can make it into hair for someone else"

Daddy: "Really??? Why do you want to do that?"

Makenna: "Remember when we went to breakfast the other day?"

Daddy: "Yeah."

Makenna: "Well, we saw that girl with no hair and you told me that she was probably sick and her medicine made her lose her hair."

Daddy: "Yeah."

Makenna: "Well, she needs hair."

Daddy: "Wow! What made you decide this?"

Devin: "Because she is a Christ follower and God is calling her to do it!"

I think they are starting to get it! By the way, she told me tonight that all she needed was at least 10 inches to do it, so she was going to go measure her hair. Now based on her determination here and the fact that Brenda and I absolutely love her heart in this, I'm sure there will be an update sometime in the future.

What came first: The Mission or The Church?

When I read Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus seems pretty clear about what our mission should be as his followers. In concept, Jesus' mission statement is not very complex, in fact, it's really quite simple - make disciples - baptize them - teach them. And the idea is to do this over and over and over again, and to do it so well that those who become disciples will in turn, do it over and over and over again. Unfortunately, this commission by Jesus has become much more complex than I think Jesus ever intended it to be.

So I ask you - How do you think we have done? How have we done in fulfilling the greatest mission that any leader of any movement has ever given. How pure have we really kept Jesus' words to the original mission? Have we bolted on endless ideas, programs, organizations and models since the Jesus movement began through his eleven disciples on a mountain in Galilee almost 2,000 years ago? Are we still letting this mission drive us as the followers of The Way of Jesus, or, are we letting what we have made it into drive us into participants of a sub-culture that is closely tied to this world?

I'm going to explore this and welcome you to ring in your thoughts. Post them Anonymous. Post them controversial. Post them however you want. Just post them. I have my own thoughts tumbling around in my brain, but I'm not sure how how they will spill out yet.

Boat Sold!

After only using our boat 3 times in the last two years we decided to sell it. I am happy to say that I sold it today!! It is true what they say, "The two happiest days for a boat owner is the day he buys the boat and the day he sells it!" Although it is bitter sweet because I liked having it. Devin and Makenna both learned to ski behind this boat.....

Filler Post

I'm working on a series of posts: What came first: The Mission or The Church?

So in the meantime enjoy this irrelevant nonsense from the swedish chef:

How Do You See It?

Which way is she spinning?

I saw this post on Emerging Pensees and thought it was fun. It is from an article here that indicates; if you see her spinning clockwise then you use more of the right side of your brain and vice versa.

LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS: uses logic, detail oriented, facts rule, words and language, present and past, math and science, can comprehend, knowing, acknowledges, order/pattern perception, knows object name, reality based, forms strategies, practical, safe

RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS: uses feeling , big picture" oriented, imagination rules, symbols and images, present and future, philosophy & religion, can "get it" (i.e. meaning), believes, appreciates, spatial perception, knows object function, fantasy based, presents possibilities, impetuous, risk taking

Anybody want to guess which way I see her spinning?

ASBO Jesus

Adding a new blog to my links. It is a satirical, yet truthful look at the church and christianity through comic strips. Jon Birch is the artist behind it and the website is called: ASBO Jesus.

According to the website:

for the non british among you… an ‘asbo’ is an ‘anti-social behaviour order’… the courts here award them to people who are deemed to be constant trouble in their neighbourhoods… presumably according to their neighbours!

Here are a few samples of his work:

Makenna the Brave

I love this girl!! She is soooo much like me! On Sunday afternoon she was bound and determined to pull her tooth. She worked on this thing for over an hour. She pulled, she had me pull, she cried, she pulled again, she cried again. She even went and got the dental floss on her own and asked me to tie it around her tooth and pull it out. She would not give up. Then at the end she wanted to do it on her own, she would not let me help - she wanted to be the one to actually pull it out of her mouth. So....I just snapped a few pictures. Enjoy

An Apology I Can Say

I saw this on Daley Hakes blog. A friend of his in a community in Phoenix, AZ did this as an art piece on outside of the place they gather for worship. Can you relate?

Quote of the Week

"There are, no doubt, passages in the New Testament which may seem at first sight to promise an invariable granting of our prayers. But that cannot be what they really mean. For in the very heart of the story we meet a glaring instance to the contrary. In Gethsemane the holiest of all petitioners prayed three times that a certain cup might pass from Him. It did not. After that the idea that prayer is recommended to us as a sort of infallible gimmick may be dismissed."

C.S. Lewis, The World's Last Night and Other Essays, "The Efficacy of Prayer"