Tom Wright on Heaven

As a compliment to my blogging through Surprised by Hope, Tom Wright was interviewed recently on Nightline. Click HERE to go to the video.

Relevant Posts:
Surprised by Hope, part 1; part 2

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No Real Human Creativity

“Creation” as applied to human authorship seems to me an entirely misleading term. We make, we re-arrange elements He has provided. There is not a vestige of real creativity in us.Try to imagine a new primary colour, a third sex, a fourth dimension, or even a monster which does not consist of bits of existing animals stuck together. Nothing happens. And that surely is why our works never mean to others quite what we intended: because we are re-combining elements made by Him and already containing His meanings. Because of those divine meanings in our materials it is impossible we should ever know the whole meaning of our own works, and this meaning we never intended may be the best and truest one.” - C.S. Lewis

(HT: the Plow)

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We consume too much!

You need to visit Chris Jordan's Running the Numbers

This is an amazing site. The pictures on Chris' site prove how visual imagery can at times communicate more powerfully than words can even describe.

His pictures depict -
The number used on airline flights in the US every six hours.

The number of plastic beverage bottles used in the US every five minutes.

200,000 packs of cigarettes, equal to the number of Americans who die from cigarette smoking every six months.

Here is an example:
1st picture depicts 106,000 aluminum cans, the number used in the US every thirty seconds.

2nd picture is a partial zoom

3rd picture is the detail at actual size

(click on each picture to see the full sized view)

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12 Marks of the Missional Church

(photo_from_iain Clyne's_Flickr_album)

This is a great post from Rustin Smith that paints a tangible picture of what a missional (sent out) church looks like. How are we doing Big Creek?

1. The missional church proclaims the gospel.

2. The missional church is a community where all members are involved in learning to become disciples of Jesus.

3. The Bible is normative in this church’s life.

4. The church understands itself as different from the world because of its participation in the life, death, and resurrection of its Lord.

5. The church seeks to discern God’s specific missional vocation for the entire community and for all of its members.

6. A missional community is indicated by how members behave toward one another.

7. It is a community that practices reconciliation.

8. People within the community hold themselves accountable to one another in love.

9. The church practices hospitality.

10. Worship is the central act by which the community celebrates with joy and thanksgiving both God’s presence and God’s promised future.

11. This community has a vital public witness.

12. There is a recognition that the church itself is an incomplete expression of the reign of God.

–GOCN’s 12 halmarks of the missional church

(HT: Rustin Smith)

Technorati Tags: Missional, Church, Ministry

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This is my kind of city!

Pop quiz: What's America's most wired city? You might guess someplace in Silicon Valley, Los Angeles or San Diego. East Coast fans might bet on New York or even Chicago.

But you've got to head south.

For the second year in a row, Atlanta tops Forbes.com's survey of America's most wired cities in the U.S.....To calculate our list, we looked at the percentage of Internet users with high-speed access, the range of service providers within a city and the availability of public wireless hot spots. Atlanta ranks highest in broadband adoption, access options and fourth in wi-fi availability. According to Nielsen Online, 97.2% of the city's home Internet users accessed the Web via a high-speed connection in November.

I am a mobile man. I am constantly meeting people in coffee shops throughout the Atlanta Metro area. I constantly work from my laptop and my Blackberry - so I am glad to live in a city that accommodates my life and ministry.

(HT: America's Most Wired Cities - Forbes.com)

Technorati Tags: Technology, WiFi, Atlanta

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Suprised by Hope- part Deux

This is part two of a series of posts on N.T. Wright's latest book, Surprised by Hope.

Chapters 3 and 4 are basically a summary of Wright's basic argument and apologetic for the historicity of the biblical Easter narratives. It is essentially a summary of The Resurrection of the Son of God, - a masterful, and scholarly tome of the issue.

I am not going to give you an outline of his arguments in these two chapters, but rather I want to share with you a couple of quotes that popped off the pages

The Resurrection redefined the meaning of the cross,

"The cross, we note, already had a symbolic meaning through the Roman world, long before it had a new one for the Christians. It meant: we Romans run this place, and if you get in our way we'll obliterate you - and do it pretty nastily too. Crucifixion meant that the kingdom hadn't come, not that it had. Crucifixion of a would-be Messiah meant that he wasn't the Messiah, not that he was. When Jesus was crucified, every single disciple knew what it meant: we backed the wrong horse. The game is over."

But that view of the cross changed after the resurrection.

Also, Wright asks in chapter 4 that with all the evidence to the resurrection, why is the resurrection still denied, Wright makes this salient point,

Who, after all, was it who didn't want the dead to be raised? Not simply the intellectually timid or the rationalists. It was, and is, those in power, the social and intellectual tyrants and bullies; the Caesars who would be threatened by a Lord of the world who had defeated the tyrant's last weapon, death itself; the Herods who would be horrified at the postmortem validation of the true King of the Jews. And this is the point where believing in the resurrection of Jesus suddenly ceases to be a matter of inquiring about an odd event in the first century and becomes a matter of rediscovering hope in the twenty-first century. Hope is what you get when you suddenly realize that a different worldview is possible, a worldview in which the rich, the powerful, and the unscrupulous do not after all have the last word. The same worldview shift that is demanded by the resurrection of Jesus is the shift that will enable us to transform the world.

Previous posts:
Surprised by Hope, Part I - a deconstruction of our view of the future.

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African Americans in the Presbyterian Church

This video is a great contribution during the celebration of Black History Month.

A DVD has been produced to inform African American seminarians and pastors of the work that Reformed Blacks are accomplishing in the PCA (Presbyterian Church in America). Praise God for this movement within His church.




Technorati Tags: African_Americans, PCA, Church

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God is not a Republican...or a Democrat

This isn't typically a political blog , but since this primary political season is unlike anything that I have ever seen in my lifetime, I thought that this recently reported trend from the Barna Organization was particularly interesting. Why this trend particularly caught my attention is because I have been reading the book, UnChristian. In the book, UnChristian, the authors make note that many outside the church view Evangelical Christian as synonymous as being Republican. This view has become a barrier for the church in reaching out to those Jesus' misses most, the least, the lost and the last. Here is an excerpt from the report:

Born Again Voters No Longer Favor Republican Candidates

One of the most reliable constituencies of the Republican Party in recent years has been born again Christians. Our latest national survey of likely voters, however, shows that the Republican Party has lost the allegiance of many born again voters. The November election is truly up for grabs - and if the election were held today, most born again voters would select the Democratic Party nominee for president, whoever that might be. The study also looks at the preferences of evangelicals, the role of "values voters," and people’s beliefs about whether Mormons are Christians. Read these new insights into the future of our country and the role that people of faith are playing in it by clicking here.

Born Again Voters 2008

(you can purchase UnChristian here)

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False Self - Part I

Now available, Nate Shattuck's first talk at the Men's Breakfast on the "False Self". Use the embedded player below to listen.


powered by ODEO

right click HERE to download the mp3

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Cautions About Film

If you are frequent reader of this blog, you know by now that I enjoy movies. But just like anything, with movies you have to use discernment. I appreciate this post by Christ and Pop Culture in raising certain cautions as you engage and watch movies.

Therefore on the eve of the movies biggest night, the Oscars, here is a excerpted overview of their cautions, with some of my adaptations:

Film can use sentimentalism to mislead.

Most film-makers have a clear picture of what most of us want from a movie. One thing they know without question is that we want a happy ending. And in many cases, they give it to us whether or not it makes any sense. Film can therefore distort our reality.

Film can discourage critical thinking

Film is often referred to a “ride,” evoking the common idea that one should approach a film passively, keeping all extremities outside of the vehicle, and being content to simply watch the sights fly by. The danger about being passive is that we willingly absorb ideas and values that may run contradiction to our Christian faith.

Film offers no opportunities for discussion

“No Talking.” It’s the supreme rule of the theater. At no point during the film can we carry on a conversation with our neighbor about its’ primary assumptions. Therefore often times, the messages in film go unquestioned.

Film can tempt us to sin without warning

These days, film is known for pushing the envelope, particularly in the areas of violence and nudity. These and other vices can become traps for those of us who don’t go into a film prepared and on guard. The key to avoiding this trap is go to a website that gives you a heads up about the movie before you watch it. There are plenty of sites that will give you the complete low down - try Moral Metric or Crosswalk Movies.

Film often leaves us trapped in a giant waste of time.

After watching a 1-2 hour movie, that is time you can't get back, so make sure that you invest it well.

(Of course the people at Christ and Pop Culture aren't just one sided. They also posted a list that mentions that film isn’t all bad. You can check it out Part 1: In Praise of Film)

(HT: Christ and Pop Culture)

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Freaky Friday Picture

Heavens-above: The famous Jesus statue in Rio De Janeiro is struck in a recent storm.

see full story HERE

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New Name, New Look!

Some big changes happened to to my other blog, First Impressions, within the last 24 hours. Two big things happened. The template changed. But more importantly than the aesthetics and look, was the change in the name.

Over the past year this blog has been evolving and changing. It first started as a simple communication piece to my First Impression Team - which I barely updated. At that point the blog was dying on the vine. Then, in keeping the name First Impressions, I tried to revive it and it became and developed into a Ministry Best Practices blog - including a variety of subjects from Assimilation to Small Groups to Communication skills.

That is why I changed the name to: www.ministrybestpractices.com .

I needed this blog to accurately reflect the content that I am delivering and writing about every week. So I figured, if I am going to change the name, I might as well update the look. There you have it :-)

I hope you will continue to find my other blog a good resource of ministry best practices and that you will keep going back and even subscribe in order to stay updated with future content.

Let me tell you what hasn't changed though:

If you have subscribed to either the email updates or the RSS feed of the old "First Impressions" blog, there should be no interruption to receiving the same content. You shouldn't have to re-subscribe.

Also what hasn't changed is my desire for this blog to be a conversation. I don't have all the answers. Sure I know some stuff and have learned about ministry having worked in it for over 17 years, but there is a lot I don't know. I am continuing to learn and to apply those learnings. Therefore the comments are open, don't hide and be a "lurker" - share the wealth and let me hear from you!

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The Life Cycle of a Blog Post

If you are a blogger then you will appreciate this. You write a post. You edit it. You hit "Publish".

Then what? Wired magazine has the answer.

Read what happens next HERE.

(HT: SetsnService)

Technorati Tags: Blogging

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The 4 R's of Small Group Connection

I posted over at my other blog, First Impressions, an interesting post concerning Willow Creek Association's very helpful 3 part series on Assimilation into Small Groups.

Here is an excerpt from the series, taken from the second post-

Broadly speaking, you can group unconnected people like this:

People who are actively looking for a small group. (Relentless)
People who would join a small group if asked. (Ready)
People who would join a small group if asked repeatedly. (Reluctant)
People who would rather be nibbled to death by minnows. (Resistant)

In the first class, folks are actively pursuing community and just need information. They are hungry for community, and will relentlessly pursue it. The Relentless comprise about 10% of your unconnected target.

The second class covers another 50%. An amazingly high number of folks are Ready, and would join a group if someone would just ask them. But no one has, maybe because the church has implemented a strategy designed for the Relentless (too much information, not enough invitation)....

Read the rest here at First Impressions

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E.R. discovers the flaw of post-modernism

This will preach!

The counselor says, "It is up to each one of us to interpret what God wants" - a typical example of the fuzzy answers that our culture often gives us.

The patient screams, "I need answers!...your uncertainty is making things worse." He is screaming for concreteness, certainty and real hope - the real desire of the human soul.

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There is no "Easy Button" in the Christian life

"It's_just_that_easy"? Is it? Yes of course the invitation of Jesus -that we would cling to the cross and put our trust in Him - is easy and simple. But a couple of days ago, Lauren and I had a couple over for dinner and they weren't experiencing "easy". Right now, they are going through a hard time in their personal life. And as we were talking through some of their challenges and even sharing the challenges we've faced in our faith and life, someone made the point that- too bad growing in our faith doesn't come with an easy button.

It seems as if it often takes hard, difficult and challenging times in order to bring about significant spiritual transformation. There is no easy button that a person can push to become more Christ-like. In fact it is just the opposite. Too often it requires going through the crucible of life and coming face to face with times that can be "dark nights of the soul."

Yes coming to Jesus is easy, as Peter said to the crowds in Jerusalem, "Repent and Believe", but walking with Jesus and being conformed into His image isn't. There is no EASY BUTTON. But thankfully that by His grace and work of His Spirit that it is POSSIBLE.

(ht: image from Purgatorio)

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Surprised by Hope

I just picked up the latest book by N.T. Wright, Surprised by Hope.

As with much of his writing, they provoke my thinking and are a fresh breath of biblical scholarship.

This book by Wright is a natural continuation of his previous book, Simply Christian.

Over the course of the next weeks, I would like to blog through portions of the book as I am reading it. The series of posts will not so much be a review of the book, but more of highlights and reactions to portions of the book.

Let's get started...

The first two chapters of the book are in total an attempt to deconstruct the way evangelicalism has viewed heaven, death and the resurrection.

In the first chapter, Wright poses the two questions he will address throughout the book,

"This book addresses two questions which have often been dealt with entirely separately but which, I passionately believe, belong tightly together. First, what is the ultimate Christian hope? Second, what hope is there for change, rescue, transformation, new possibilities within the world in the present? And the main answer can be put like this. As long as we see 'Christian hope' in terms of 'going to heaven,' of a 'salvation' which is essentially away from this world, the two questions are bound to appear unrelated..."

In the second chapter, Wright attempts to chronicle much of the sloppy and confused thinking of most Christians in relation to death, resurrection and Christian hope. Wright makes the point that it is important what we, the church, say about death and resurrection. Because what we say or don't say gives shape and color to everything else. Wright asserts that the implications are far reaching.

I agree, views of eschatology (the future and end times) have implications to how we then live in the present. If our Christian hope is simply to escape this world and make sure we don't get left behind, there appears then to be no motivation to engage and transform culture. If this world is simply to be left behind, then that thinking would naturally conclude to just simply let the world go to hell - there is no need to redeem it.

In chapter two, Wright typifies the kind of sentimental and confused thinking on heaven by quoting a children's book by Maria Shriver.

"[heaven] is somewhere you believe in...its a beautiful place where you can sit on soft clouds and talk to other people who are there. At night you can sit next to the stars, which are the brightest of anywhere in the universe...If you're good throughout your life, then you get to go to heaven...when your life is finished here on earth, God sends angels down to take you up to Heaven to be with him..."

Wright concludes the second chapter with a fine summation of not only of the goal of the book but what he desire the people of God to become.

"Our task in the present... is to live as resurrection people in between Easter and the final day, with our Christian life, corporate and individual, in both worship and mission, as a sign of the first and foretaste of the second."

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Take a look at President's Day a little differently

This holiday has to often become a pretense to find a sale on a mattress or take off from school. Considering we are in a hotly contested election year for the highest office in the land, it would be good to use this holiday to relect on men like Washington and Lincoln.

Here are some great links about Lincoln's spiritual pilgrimage:

Lincoln's Pilgrimage

Lincoln's Lessons


Technorati Tags: Lincoln, Washington, Presidents

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New Indy Movie

I have been an Indy fan since I was a kid, I can't wait for this next installment on the adventures of Indy Jones.

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The New Georgia Carnival is Up!

The Georgia Carnival of Bloggers is up and yours truly has a post submitted.

Go here for the Carnival and see what Georgia Bloggers are saying.

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Reason for God website

I can't wait to get my hands on this book (right now though I have started N.T. Wrights new book, Surprised by Hope)

From the website:

Why does God allow suffering in the world?

How could a loving God send people to Hell?

Why isn’t Christianity more inclusive?

How can one religion be “right” and the others “wrong”?

Why have so many wars been fought in the name of God?

These are just a few of the questions and doubts even ardent believers wrestle with today. As the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, Timothy Keller has compiled a list of the most frequently voiced “doubts” skeptics bring to his church as well as the most important reasons for faith. And in The Reason for God, he addresses each doubt and explains each reason.

Keller uses literature, philosophy, real-life conversations, and reasoning to explain how faith in a Christian God is a soundly rational belief, held by thoughtful people of intellectual integrity with a deep compassion for those who truly want to know the truth.

Check out the The Reason for God website.

And don't forget to check out these audio lectures here.

(HT: Buzzard Blog)

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Valentine History

February 14, 270: According to tradition, Valentine, a priest in Rome during the reign of Claudius II, is beheaded along the Flaminian Way. One explanation for Valentine's subsequent relationship to the romantic holiday is this: Claudius, seeking to more easily recruit soldiers, removed family ties by forbidding marriage. Valentine ignored the order and performed secret marriages—an act that led to his arrest and execution.



Technorati Tags: Church, History, Valentines

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The Simple Candidate

Barack Obama is a simple candidate. By that I don't mean that he is a simpleton. Rather his message is simple and because it is - it's resonating with the American people.

I was listening yesterday to a reporter on CNN talk about why Barack has been gaining momentum. And one salient point that the reporter made was that one reason why Barack has been gaining ground is that his message has remained "consistent" and has always been "simple". I am sure that even you know that message - it is "CHANGE". In contrast, the reporter stated that Hillary Clinton's message has not been simple and straightforward. Rather it has changed and fluctuated throughout the campaign.

What a great lesson for the church. Be Simple. Be Clear. Be Consistent. When you do, like Obama, people will get your message.

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All the stuff packed into a logo

In an earlier post I shared that our church is going through a branding process with Metaleap. Just one of the many deliverables from the process will be a new logo for our church. Of course anyone with a computer can slap together a logo. But a logo is much more than producing eye-candy.

Wired has an interesting article about the design of Google's logo and its many iterations.

The article talks about the evolution of the design and what reasons and rationales went into the design of their now ubiquitous logo.

Over time the Google designer came up with a lot of different iterations of the logo,

"from a pattern that suggests the infinite to interlocking rings that symbolize the power of search to transgress cultures, from a happy magnifying glass to sheer playfulness. By taking out the magnifying glass, Kedar, the designer, opens up the logo to signify that Google can become much more than just a search engine. By playing with the angles and colors of the letters, she tries to make clear that Google isn't a square corporation."

Ruth Kedar, the designer, explains that she chose the Catull typeface because "Catull borrows elements from traditional writing instruments such as the quill and the chisel with a modern twist. Search, by nature, is an activity that requires we look into the past. Therefore Catull's historical ties seemed appropriate, as did the bridging between the old analog world and the new emerging digital era."

From the examples above it becomes obvious that the simple and cheerful Google logo hides a lot of interesting ideas and concepts. A logo isn't just something that has to look cool, but rather, embedded in the DNA of the logo's design, is the communication of the organization's ethos.

There is more to a organization's logo than meets the eye.

I look forward to seeing what this branding process for Big Creek Church will eventually produce.

(HT: Google Operating System)

Technorati Tags: Google, Logo

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Free Internet! (sort of...)

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah!!!

"....The good news is that just for having a Starbucks card, you get 2 free hours of wi-fi a day."

Finally!

Read more about it here.

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Lent

ZoeWineskins has a helpful primer concerning "what is Lent and why we do it?" It features a dialogue by the late Robert E. Webber that functions like a catechism (this is a great resource to work through with small groups or with your children). Here is an excerpt:

Lent: Inquiry and Instruction

By Robert E. Webber

Question: What is the meaning of the word Lent?

Answer: It has no religious meaning like Advent or Pentecost. It comes from an Anglo-Saxon word, Lencten, meaning "spring."

Question: Why do we observe Lent?

Answer: The purpose of Lent is to provide a time for us to enter into the suffering of Jesus and to go with Him to the tomb.

Question: How can we do this?

Answer: The experience of the people of God who have gone before us is that we best identify with Jesus by adopting a discipline of prayer, fasting,
almsgiving.

Question: How should we pray?

Answer: Our prayer may be a spiritual meditation on Jesus Christ--His teaching, His suffering, His death on our behalf.

Read the rest here

Source: Robert Webber, The Family Book of Prayer (Hendrickson, 1996)


Technorati Tags: Lent

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Information Overload

Here again is a lot of good material throughout the week that I've come across. I feel the need to share some of the good stuff with you since I don't have time to comment on it throughout the blog.

This stuff shows up in my Google RSS Reader throughout the week and I use the widget from my "shared items" in my Google Reader to post the most interesting information that I've gathered from the web. Enjoy some fun, entertaining and provocative reading. (my shared items have their own individual rss feed that you can subscribe to directly)

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Follow up on Tattooed Pats Fan

This is a follow-up from my post here (watch the original news interview here)

If Victor Thompson had hair covering his Patriots-emblazoned skull, he admits he probably would have been pulling it out Sunday evening as New England went down to defeat in Super Bowl XLII.For the New York Giants, the 17-14 win was the realization of one of the biggest upsets in NFL history.But the man who tattooed his head like Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s helmet is definitely in the dumps.“The minute the Giants got that (last second) touchdown I knew it was done … it killed me,” said Thompson. Thompson, 39, of Laconia has gained both local and national attention for a stunt that saw him getting the Patriots logo tattooed on both sides of his shaved head and Brady’s number 12 on the back along with the American flag.

Full Article

(HT: BagofNothing)

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Some delicious audio

Tim Keller’s Preachings Series that his new book, “The Reason for God,” is based from is up for free!
(ht: setsnservice)

Audio from the Acts 29 Chicago Bootcamp (ht: Joe Thorn)


Technorati Tags: Tim_Keller, Audio, Mp3

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The Power of Buzz

There is an interesting article in the Portland Press Herald about the power of buzz marketing especially as it applied to the movie Cloverfield.

"So how does this explain the story of the unseen monster in the near-nameless movie with unheard of actors that grossed $40 million in its opening weekend?"

The key,

"Never underestimate the power of a mystery,"


(Read the rest here)

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Voted Today

It is a good feeling to have a primary vote count in Georgia. I must admit though I wasn't very passionate about any candidate, but I held my nose and I voted for a candidate that came the closest to my views.

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Glad to come home

I am glad to come home to my beautiful bride and my 2 little princesses.

“Let the wife make the husband glad to come home, and let him make her sorry to see him leave.” (Martin Luther)

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Communion Meditations

At Big Creek Church we celebrate communion weekly, you can read the theological and practical reasons from this series of posts on the Lord's Supper, part 1; part 2; part 3.

Do not think about how little you have to give to God, but about how much He wants to give to you - Andrew Murray, Christ & the School of Prayer, p. 39.

He teaches us how to be in prayer what we are in life and how to be in life what we are in prayer. - Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy, pp. 194-5.

As you are tested (have to persevere in prayer), your faith is going through the fires of waiting, in the midst of even painful circumstances. I love the illustration that Andrew Murray gives (see p. 76 - Christ & the School of Prayer):

Say you are working for your dad, and he sends you to another country to conduct business for him. You could write you dad 2 different kinds of letters or emails:

· Family letter - basically expressing your love and affection
· Business letter - contains orders for what I need.

There can be letters in which there are both. But, to the family news I don’t expect an answer. But, when I’m doing business for my Father . . . I can expect a definite answer.

Technorati Tags: Communion, Lord's_Supper

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This has got to suck

(HT: Bag of Nothing)
Technorati Tags: Football, Super_Bowl

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