Weekend Wanderings

The first week of school is finished. It was a short week for the students as we eased into the year. No use jumping right in with both feet. My duties have changed, and I am spending most of the day in a self contained class. It's a small class, and so far the students are doing fairly well. I'm sure things will change throughout the year, as they always do. Here in the sunny South we are waiting to see what the the tropical storm/hurricane Isaac is going to do. It all depends on a front coming down from the north. We'll see.

Here are the links:

Barking like a dog may not be a spiritual gift.
Discipling as discipleship.
What if we didn't have "church"?
The multi-site option is growing.
Psunday Psalms: Psalm 2.

Good post from Eric Carpenter.
I can relate to this post from Brant Hansen.
Funny post from Frank Viola.
Dan Edelen on a question.
Thoughtful poem by Jonnia Smith.

Make pancakes.
Shattered reality (HT: Alan Knox).
Caring for those who've got it made.
Vow-keeping faith.
Stuff that never happened.

Good words from Jon Acuff.
Focusing on the flame by Keith Giles.
Orientation by Zack Hunt.
Allen Madding on being the church.
At odds with America.

Rolls Royce pickups.
Chocolate (HT: Scot McKnight).
New quiz show.
Shark callers.
What did Paul think of his subordinates?

Have a blessed week.

Repost: Falsetto Spirituality

First posted August 6, 2008.

In Soul Graffiti, Mark Scandrette writes, "A fascination with the supernatural can be a sign of spiritual fragmentation, a falsetto spirituality that strains to reach beyond the normal". As I pondered that statement, I realized that it is so true in much of what is called Christianity.


The obvious examples of this "fascination with the supernatural" are those who run from place to place seeking signs and wonders and "fresh anointing" from God. The supposed moving of God can keep arenas, and ministry accounts, full for months as people swarm to experience a touch from God to lift their lives above the ordinary sameness of their daily lives. While some would consider these events on the fringe, there are other examples that hit a bit closer to home.

Mainstream evangelicalism is concerned with showing people how to have their best life now, with programs that will enable folks to experience a life that rises above the ordinary. Church leaders are given opportunities to learn the secrets of success from The CEO: Jesus. Congregations strive to be extraordinary and have bigger and better facilities and programs. Supernatural power that gets prayers answered and our needs (wants) supplied is constantly sought.

Even those of a more conservative, fundamental bent are not immune to a hunger for the supernatural. They seek a home far away in heaven, a home where the physical no longer matters, a place to escape this broken world. Many of the rules and regulations in fundamental groups seem designed to limit contact with this physical world and its "corruption".

I'm not saying that the supernatural does not matter. I am awed when God performs genuine miracles of healing, and when he provides for his people in supernatural ways. I rejoice when prayers are answered and when godly leaders influence others to follow Jesus Christ. I too believe that this world is broken and corruption runs deep.

What I am saying, and what I think is the point of the quotation from Scandrette, is that the normal, ordinary parts of our lives matter. We are called to follow Jesus here and now, not in a future existence outside of this world. Jesus proclaimed that the Kingdom was here, that the King had arrived. Christ's Kingdom is not of this world, but it does have an impact on this world. We have been given the commission and privilege to participate in the work that God is currently doing in this world.

If we look around us with eyes that can see, we can notice how God is working in the day-to-day of our lives. In fact, I think the really supernatural and miraculous thing is that the Creator of all things uses broken, ordinary people like us to do the work of restoring his creation, a work that will finally be complete when Jesus returns. The work of the Kingdom is not just those things that we see as "spiritual". It sometimes involves getting dirty and dealing with ordinary things. But, then again, Jesus used ordinary things. He used spit and dirt to heal a blind man, for goodness sake! Why do we think we have to "rise above the ordinary".

Look for God at work in the ordinary, and ask him where he wants you to fit into what he is doing. Don't run after the supernatural. Remember, many times a falsetto voice doesn't sound very good.

World Vision Wednesday

Many American families are struggling in the midst of  the nation's economic troubles. It is difficult, and in some cases impossible for parents to provide the materials necessary for their children to be successful in school. World Vision is working to provide children in need with basic school supplies. For more information see this.

Weekend Wanderings

Summer vacation is over. Jan began classes at the school where she teaches, and I began in-service meetings this week. Our students come back on the 22nd. I'm not sure what my duties will be this year, as they've made a few changes. I'm sure that whatever I'm assigned to do will change multiple times throughout the year.

Here is some of what I've been reading this week:

Good post about church planting.
The felicity of Christ.
So, apparently God runs a fast food franchise? Sad.
Arthur Sido asks a good question.
Image vs. reality (HT: Scot McKnight).

The paradox of generous living.
Beautiful! (HT: Jake Belder)
Ronnie McBrayer on doubt.
The Internet Monk on baseball.
Alan Knox on doctrine.

Everybody wants to rule the world.
A parable.
Good poem by Emily Gibson.
For the sick.
Helping each other follow Jesus.

Is it really all that matters?
Interesting, and disturbing.
Finding ekklesia.
Great story.
Interesting post.

Have a blessed week

Repost: Hummingbirds II

Originally posted on July 10, 2008.


A while back, I wrote about the hummingbirds that come to our feeder. A couple of days ago, I was sitting on the back porch and a hummingbird came to the feeder. It was interesting to watch because it spent all the time looking around to see if another bird was going to come chase it away. The poor thing never did get any nectar because it was afraid of the other hummingbird.

I got to thinking how often we are like that hummingbird. We are afraid to really follow Jesus because we are afraid of being attacked, by non-Christians and by Christians. Those of us who grew up in more conservative circles know what it's like to always worry about doing something that will "harm your testimony" or "offend another Christian". When I first began to realize that many of the things I was taught when I was younger were more in line with the culture that grew around the American Church in the past century than with what the Bible teaches, I still had times of looking over my shoulder in fear of what people might think or say.

That is not a Christ-honoring way of thinking. Jesus has set us free from the expectations and opinions of others. He has called us to follow him, not any system or philosophy concocted by human beings. A quick glance at the history of Christ followers shows the diversity in the ways we are called to follow. Beyond what we find in the New Testament, Jesus did not give us an exhaustive list of how to live our lives. Yes, there are certain principles that inform our lives, the most important being love God and love others. But there is a lot of life that is not as cut and dried as some would like to think.

Galations 5:1 Paul tells us that it is for freedom that Christ set us free. Galations 5:13 does tell us that we are not use our freedom as an excuse to sin, but much of the time that verse is misused as a weapon to get people to do what a particular group or person wants them to do.

We are free. Free to follow Christ in the way that he calls us, without worrying about what other people think. What can they do? Take our things? It all belongs to God anyway. Will they refuse fellowship? We have fellowship with the Father. Will they try to damage our reputation? What reputation? We're all broken people in need of God's grace and none of us is better than another. Will they take away our position? That frees us up to pursue another avenue of service. The worst they can do is kill us. If they do that, then we are with Christ. If we realize that all we are is because of God's grace and that Jesus loves us no matter what, we can then be free to live our lives as the Holy Spirit leads us and become more like Jesus according to his schedule, not ours or any body else's.

Don't be like the hummingbird. Spend time drinking the nectar of God's amazing grace instead of looking around to see who might attack you.

Weekend Wanderings

Summer camp is over and it's bittersweet. I get to sleep in for a few days before school starts and can get some things done around the house. I always enjoy driving the shuttle bus and hanging out with the folks at camp, and I will miss that. It's a nice change of pace from the school year and replaces the coaching money I earn during the school year. It has cooled down a bit here in the sunny South and there hasn't been as much sun as usual. The Olympics are winding down, and the United States teams have done well. As a matter of fact, I heard that if the US women were a country, they would be third in the medal count, behind the US and China. Not too shabby.

Anyway, here are the links:

Been there.
This is very good.
Good post by Cindy Johnston.
Alan Knox on unity.

Standing on a new frontier.
Three little words.
Love vs. power.
Surprising encouragement.

Craig Schmidt on what Jesus gives.
Encouraging post from Ronnie McBrayer.
On giving to others.
Not irrevocably broken.

Interesting post from Kansas Bob.
Another look from Lisa Dye.
What makes it Christian?
God is bigger.

Absolutely crazy.
Not the church's greatest need.
Scot McKnight agrees with John Piper.
What Jesus does not want.

I hope you enjoy reading a small part of the good writing on the web. Have a blessed week.

Repost: Learning

This is something I wrote a few years ago. I'm putting it up today with the thought that someone may need some encouragement and possibly this will help a bit.


I was there
I knew the truth
Then you decided I had more to learn
At first it was easy
The new things were "positive" and encouraging
Then you decided I had still more to learn
Then it was hard
The new things were "negative" and discouraging
Hours of solitude and inactivity
Silence from heaven
I was in the desert
Waiting and waiting. Waiting and wondering
When will it end?
How long will I be out here?
Faith had been mine
But faith was misplaced
My faith was in what you would do
And you didn't do
What is going on here?
Why isn't this working?
You finally spoke
You told me to be patient
You sent me teachers
Those who had traveled the same path
I finally learned
To trust in you
Not in what you might do
But in you as you are
I departed the desert
But I left some things there
Just in case