Swim and Gym

Well in a few hours from now I will be swimming with a bunch of teenage boys and playing some basketball. My foot feels better but I still have a bit of a limp. Oh well, there are new feet for me in Glory! This is a weird event. The kids love doing it... swimming in February in Ohio, and it's a good outlet after a long winter, but it is sometimes so unpredictable. Sometimes 25 sometimes 50 and you have to plan accordingly! Such is the youth ministry. We have seperated swimming. The girls will swim first, then the boys. I get a kick out of how many youth pastors think this is so "old-fashioned". I bet most people would be appalled if someone showed up to church in their wearing a bra and panties, but the same Christians will wear that same stuff to the beach. What a carnal bunch of Christians we are.

Ask Not...

what your church can do for you... but ask what can I do for my Church and Christ.

"Being" the Church (Part 1)

I said earlier that I would write more about this new phrase "Being The Church"TM. I have read repeatedly on all the PoMoEm blogs that we have to stop going to church and just "be the church". Sounds very existential, very mystic, very New Age... it also sounds dangerous if not defined. In a generation of "youth dudes" (don't call me a minister) that hate to have to worry about definition and just want to "be", we need to set down some guidelines for "being" the church.

Although is a very popular catch phrase most people even in their big, [cue the scary music] cold, "corporate headquarter" "religious-Mafia" churches believe that the church has always been the people and not the building. The problem arises more out of the "religious people that gather together" that have become a social club. When ever the WORLD or the WORLD system governs a "church" there is destined to be a contradiction of what the Word of God says church should look like.

The discouragement should not be directed at the "Church" but the denominations that have tried to add their traditions to the guidelines God set down as a church. God gives strict guidelines to the churches. An example is there are only two official offices in the church. Pastor and Deacon. Ways of dealing with those who live in sin, by the church. It is even shown that there were no denominational hierarchies and that each church was independent of any franchise as they were just local embodiments of the greater and complete "body of Christ" (some call the "universal" church). I say this to draw the attention to where much of the error has come from. It doesn't come from a local body of believers (church) owning building's, ministering with different event's and programs, running bus routes, or any of the other things that many of the "Youth Dudes" despise. When you really get down to it most of the "YD's" have a problem with Pastoral authority and anyone who rains on their "theological entertainment" philosophies for ministry. Or it comes from Senior Pastors who disagree with their local "precincts" and "bishops" over something. Maybe sometimes it comes from people who's denomination offends or hurts them in some way. Or maybe an individual offends them. The point is that the "church", Christ's bride is not to blame, but man in everyone of these instances.

The real dilemma comes because of the way God designed us as men and women. We can accomplish more when we work together collectively. When we see someone hurting or in need we can accomplish great things that allows the whole church body to be used of Christ to minister to others in the body. We do this by organizing. We do this by buildings, Sunday schools, bus routes, organized visitation, Prison Ministries, YOUTH MINISTRY, and many other ways. There is no one way that is the right way to do it. Christ gives to us all different means and gifts to reach different people. But that is the whole purpose of our ministries. We are to be ministers of reconciliation. And all things [are] of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; (2 Corinthians 5:18) It's why Christ come and why we are left here and not raptured upon salvation. The trend would end pretty quickly if that were the case... "Hey I just figured out how to get saved...[poof] Oh, Hi God!". The church is the vehicle for this. The buildings are a meeting place, an identifying mark. We live in a carnal world and a temporal world and as such there is a portion of the church body that has to be represented to the populous in a carnal and temporal way. God doesn't hate building programs [in fact he has had quite a few of them himself that he thought were pretty important*** more later]. God has given us the mind and capability of organization and expects us to be good stewards of that. A good steward was never punished for feeding the household and using the oils and reserves... only for wasting them. God isn't unhappy when we have building's etc. as long as they are for the SOLE purpose of leading the lost to him.

So lets get to my point of "Being the Church" and how it is dangerous unless defined. So many hurt people are turning away from institutions to a life of isolationism or at best, limited fellowship.

How do you "Be the Church". Isn't it true that when we repent and receive salvation that we already become members of the Church Body? If that is the case then technically we are already the Church and should worry no more about going any further. The problem is this is not the model we see in the much vaunted "1st Century Church". So how do we "Be the Church". The answer is fairly simple. Can you identify someone that is a Police Man? Most of the time he has a police uniform, unless he is under cover. If he is undercover or not, a uniform is not the sole identifying factor. He probably has a gun or night stick. He may even have a cool cop car. But all those things are just props. What makes him a cop is that he DOES cop things. It is the same with the Church.

Being Means Doing... I have to go DO some stuff and stop just BEING for a moment. Catch you next time round for PART TWO.

My Blog Ratings (at the right)

Just a little clarification for those who are new to my page. You may ask "What does it mean when it says "80% + Blogs". This is MY way of saying that I agree with somewhere between 80% - 100% of the content on a given blog. It is no way intended to be anything but my opinion. If you disagree... I can live with that. I will say that i think that all of the blogs I have listed are interesting to read and if nothing else they are good for the sake of seeing how other people think. The "Sigh Blogs" are 0 - 39% and most of the time I do sigh when I read them. I really enjoy some of the "40% +" blogs but some things they have posted or said I don't agree with. For example, for sheer entertainment, I enjoy reading KT ROCKS!. That girl cracks me up. I am sure we have some different theological sways as she always talks about her rock and roll band church thingy... but I still just love her rants about work etc.

Don't feel bad. I am very close to my wife and she and I probably only agree 95% of the time... so two strangers on the net... 40% + is not too bad! :)

He must not be cool enough?!

I tend to avoid the YS Forums (for those of you untrendy Youth Pastors, that's the discussion bored (pun intended) for YOUTH SPECIALTIES), because the radical brand of "christianity" they seem to foster. I had a friend of me ask why I don't post over there, as I tend to disagree with MOST of the postings. It's a whole "casting your pearls before swine" thing actually. It would be hard for me to explain that although I use powerpoint on my Wednesday night programs and that I believe relationships are ultra important (of course Jesus called it discipleship), that being an independent fundamental Baptist, I have never became "modern" yet as far as what they all call the "modern" church. Our programs have NEVER been more important than the people and I have pity on any "denomination" that has. Our pastor has never lorded over the people and I have never felt disconnected because the church can't meet my needs. For that matter they wouldn't even understand that I am not nor never have been a "Protestant" that we were never "in" the Catholic church to come out of it. So I don't post at the YS FORUMS because it would be fruitless on most parts. I occasionally do get a "highlight" thred to read. I receive their newsletter and read some of those discussions... but usually I am so peeved by the time I get to the fourth or fifth post that I feel like sitting down and writing a bitter diatribe. So I just stop.

I figured I was one of the few who felt that way but I am glad to say I read a good article over at theophilus' blog. He must not be cool enough either! Check out the comments as the "freaks come out and write". I sure look forward to Christ's return.

This will probably forestall any future book deals but I am telling you now: "beware of the dangerous philosophies at Youth Specialties". I will detail this warning some time in the future. Be careful of ANY printing house that's sole purpose is to make a buck. They go where the money is. Some books need to be printed even if they aren't "bestsellers". Bestsellers appease us... true Godly writing should convict us.

I hate genetics

No not the class. I hate genetics when it comes to diseases. I have a genetic deficiency called gout. Anyone who has ever had gout can tell you it is horrible. You can learn more about it here The only category I fall into now is the overweight one, which I am working on with diligence. But as you may have read it is a genetic disorder that causes uric acid in the blood stream to not be cleaned effectively. I do not have pills that I take as I could not afford the prescription right now anyways. But I am expecting it to not affect me as much after I take the weight off. I will tell you the pain is far worse than any broken bones I have ever had. I have broke toes and ankles that have hurt less. To get an idea of the feeling there is an old illustration that shows what it feels like.

So anyways, I have had an attack and all day yesterday my dress shoes were KILLING me at church. In the evening service I actually took off my shoe but with goat even your sock hurts to wear. Praise the Lord it feels better today. I take a natural remedy of black cherry concentrate that helps to eliminate the uric acid in the blood. So I haven't walked much in the past 24 hours but I am up an around a bit now. It is really agonizing but it does give me compassion for those who are debilitated by this and other diseases that limit their mobility. Praise the Lord I am actually fairly healthy.