Notes from the Trail

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Nuff said.

Alrighty! Are you ready to tackle the next couple of reasons why churches choose NOT to start new churches (planting)? This has been an ongoing blog entry which began with a discussion about why churches choose to continue growing their existing congregation (and as a result, buildings and facilities) rather than starting new groups and congregations.

The other “parts” are here:

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
  

A lack of leadership from denominational or church leaders…

More »

You won’t read a better commentary from an informed Christian perspective than Brian McLaren’s. The interview has been preserved at Justin’s site here. Make sure you check it out. I couldn’t have said it better myself…

And before any of you get constipated about what MacLaren says about the Left Behind series… I agree with him on that too. I suppose now I’ll have to turn in my membership to SIUATTLFDM. (Suck It Up And Toe The Line Fundamentalist Ministries).

I’ve been reading McLaren’s book called A New Kind of Christian and am totally absorbed right now. I find myself protesting and arguing with it. I love books that make me think. It may have the whole modernity-postmodernity issue pegged better than anything I’ve read.

So many people in the church circles I grew up in are so hyper-sensitive/scared/mad about this upcoming movie… Hello! These ideas have been around for centuries! Why have they not been up in arms before now? Are they mad that people can now read this fiction book or go watch this movie? Are they mad that people have the freedom to decide for themselves? What’s the deal?

The bad part about it is that when the religious right begin sending mass emails from their different ministries to an uneducated and ill-informed mass group of American Christians with alarmist tones, you’re sure to stir up a ton of ignorant conversation! Then, when the church begins to "boycott" stuff, folks who aren’t Christian yet begin to wonder if maybe Dan Brown and others aren’t on to something.  It’s like the line in Hamlet…

Anyway… for a reference to my first post on the Da Vinci Dialogue, go here.

I insist.

All of you.

Go have some fun today.

Life’s too short.

Got this tag from Becca’s blog… Great gal! Here goes.

Instructions:
+ Put your music player on shuffle.
+ Press forward for each question.
+ Use the song title as the answer to the question.
+ No cheating!
+ If a song repeats, go onto the next one…for variety’s sake.

• How am I feeling today?: The Emptiest Day - Caedmon’s Call
• Will I get far in life? Grace Like Rain - Todd Agnew
• How do my friends see me?: Big Yellow Taxi - Amy Grant (this is definitely not working!)
• What is my best friend’s theme song?: The Birthday of a King - Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir (I’m feeling an infusion of estrogen)
• What is the story of my life?: All I Can Do - Jump5
• What is/was high school like?: Is Anyone Thirsty? - Jeff Berry (ok, this one was cool)
• How can I get ahead in life?: October - Mike Graham
• What is the best thing about me?: Free As a Bird - Beatles
• How is today going to be?: Hosea - Shane Barnard
• What is in store for this weekend?: I Have Been There - Mark Schultz
• What song describes my parents?: Lot of Leavin’ Left to Do - Dierks Bentley (honest, Mom! That’s what came up! … uh, can I have the Jeep?)
• My grandparents?: Unfazed - The Waiting (they’re probably unfazed because they’re dead…)
• How is my life going?: One of These Days - FFH (good for a perpetual procrastinator)
• What song will they play at my funeral?: The Battle Is Already Won! - Keith Green (this was cool too)
• How does the world see me?: Visions of God - David Phelps
• Will I have a happy life?: Holy Is Your Name - City on a Hill
• What do my friends really think of me?: Farmer’s Daughter - Beach Boys (ha!)
• How can I make myself happy?: Lush Life - Nat King Cole
• What should I do with my life?: Mother Nature’s Son - Beatles
• What is some good advice for me?: Carol of the Bells - Point of Grace
• What is my signature dancing song?: Wasted Words - The Allman Brothers
• What do I think my theme song is? Railroad Blues - Ben Coulter
• What does everyone else think my theme song is? The Jitterbug - Harry Connick, Jr.
• What did I think of this whole thing? I Write the Songs - Barry Manilow