Posts
The Ultimate Endorsement
By Summiteer | August 28, 2010
Just found a great quote: “I have decided not to put any real stock in having famous people endorse Jesus and have concluded I would be happier having Jesus endorse me.”
-John Fischer, Fearless Faith.
(This is a book I often recommend, by the way. It challenges comfortable norms of churchy-ness.)
Topics: Quotes I like | No Comments »
Notes from Sunday School
By Summiteer | August 26, 2010
Now, some kid’s thoughts on Angels, contributed by my friend, Chuck…
~~~
I only know the names of two angels, Hark and Harold.
Gregory ~ age 5
Everybody’s got it all wrong. Angels don’t wear halos anymore. I forget why, but scientists are working on it.
Olive ~ age 9
It’s not easy to become an angel! First, you die. Then you go to Heaven. And then there’s still the flight training to go through. And then you got to agree to wear those angel clothes.
Matthew ~ age 9
Angels work for God and watch over kids when God has to go do something else.
Mitchell ~ age 7
My guardian angel helps me with math, but he’s not much good for science.
Henry ~ age 8
Angels don’t eat, but they drink milk from Holy Cows!!!
Jack ~ age 6
Angels talk all the way while they’re flying you up to heaven. The main subject is where you went wrong before you got dead.
Daniel ~ age 9
When an angel gets mad, he takes a deep breath and counts to ten. And when he lets out his breath again, somewhere there’s a tornado.
Reagan ~ age 10
Angels have a lot to do and they keep very busy. If you lose a tooth, an angel comes in through your window and leaves money under your pillow. Then when it gets cold, angels go south for the winter.
Sara ~ age 6
Angels live in cloud houses made by God and his Son, who’s a very good carpenter.
Jared ~ age 8
All angels are girls because they gotta wear dresses and boys didn’t go for it.
Antonio ~ age 9
My angel is my grandma who died last year. She got a big head start on helping me while she was still down here on earth.
Ashley ~ age 9
Some of the angels are in charge of helping heal sick animals and pets. And if they don’t make the animals get better, they help the child get over it.
Vicki ~ age 8
What I don’t get about angels is why, when someone is in love, they shoot arrows at them.
Sarah ~ age 7
Topics: Humor | No Comments »
Postmodern Church
By Summiteer | August 23, 2010
I ran into this comment recently in a five-year-old paper by Richard Tiplady, European director of European Christian Mission and principal of International Christian College. He makes a valid observation, I think, about the changing landscape of the church in the 21st century.
If congregation was the normative model for the church in a modern era, then communication will be the dominant theme for the church in postmodernity. The growth in fragmentation and individualism leads some to conclude that community is dead. But I think that this is wrong. It is not dead – it is just different. People still want to be with each other, to find significance in relationships, and to make a difference in other people’s lives. But in our postmodern context this is not expressed so much in organised meetings; it is expressed through constant communication. Cell phones, email, instant messaging, photo and video messaging – millions of European young people have developed new forms of connectivity. It is community based on communication rather than meeting. But it is more than a virtual community, since these young people also meet face-to-face regularly. The network church needs to take this form of communication seriously.If you’re interested in the full article, you can find it at
http://www.tiplady.org.uk/pdfs/EndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt.pdf
Topics: Christian Living, Community, Society | No Comments »
First Ever School of Prayer
By Summiteer | June 25, 2010
Abide Ministries is the name of a ministry set up by a group of women to take training in prayer, ministry and leadership to women worldwide for little or no cost. The first of these schools, the School of Prayer, was held this week up at MacArthur Blvd. Christian Church (they call me “pastor” there). What a blast! It was attended by about 80 women, and some men. Everybody was to be majorly blessed. The next of the schools of prayer will be in Colombia (yeah, South America) in November. If you want to know more about the ministry, and see some photos of the event you can go to the Abide website at http://abiding.airset.com.
Topics: Abide Ministries, Conference, MacArthur, Prayer | No Comments »
And while we’re thinking of church…
By Summiteer | June 25, 2010
I guess I’m just feeling in the mood to squirm a little as I think about how we do church. Here’s yet another clip designed to make us Church types go, “Hmmmm….”
Topics: Christian Living, Video | No Comments »
Church for a New Millennium?
By Summiteer | June 9, 2010
Nervous laughter. A feeling of familiarity. Something about this piece that causes me to wonder what a gathering of the church ought to look like. A concert? College classroom? Funeral? Open house?
“Sunday’s Coming” Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.
Topics: Christian Living, Society, Video | 2 Comments »
Theater, Relationship & Saturdays
By Summiteer | April 28, 2010
I’ve been filling a pastoral and teaching role at a church in Vancouver, MacArthur Blvd. Christian Church for a few years now–still hangin’ with the house church tribe, but enjoy the relationships at Mac, too. The excitement in a church like this is in moving forward into new seasons while honoring the faithfulness of what’s come before.
On the horizon is something on Saturday nights–how’s “Saturday Night Church on the Boulevard” sound? Wait, though. I don’t know how it’s going to look, or even if that’s what we’ll call it, because our first couple of gatherings (May1st & 8th…wanna come?) are going to be to ask the “head office” for directions (ie, pray, listen, plan). I hope to see an open, participatory, and relational time. Maybe start with food (YUM!) and then do something artsy–let’s do some DRAMA. I’d love to mix in some THEATER–and then we could…Hold on, now, I’m getting ahead of myself. We haven’t even had our first meeting.
I’ll keep you updated. Message me if you have any ideas.
Topics: Christian Living, MacArthur | No Comments »
Trapped in a Generation
By Summiteer | April 15, 2010
Everywhere I go it’s the same. In the gym, the satellite radio station is tuned to “Classic Vinyl–first generation rock n’ roll.” Burgerville, it’s the sounds of the Mammas and the Pappas singing “Monday, Monday.” In Safeway I hear instrumental versions of the 60s. And that doesn’t take into account how many pop hits of 1969 are the theme songs for products on prime time TV.
Help! I’m a prisoner of my generation! I don’t mind an occasional stroll down memory lane, but don’t leave me there. There is so much that is new. I don’t want to miss it while staring into the rear view mirror. Older isn’t necessarily better, it’s just, well, old.
Topics: Personal, Random Thought, Society | 2 Comments »
Christ-haunted Atheist
By Summiteer | April 3, 2010
For 38 years, Anne Rice, author of Interview with the Vampire says she was a “Christ-haunted atheist.” Says Rice:
“You can’t save yourself through art. You can’t save yourself through music. You can’t do it through travel. You can’t do it through wealth. All your attempts at saving and transcending through other means will ultimately fail. You save yourself or God saves you when you turn to Him.”
Full interview: http://www.iamsecond.com/#/seconds/Anne_Rice/
Topics: Quotes I like | No Comments »
School of Prayer soon
By Summiteer | March 9, 2010
Jody and a team of women have been working hard to put together a series of training schools: a school of prayer, of leadership and of ministry. Each school, presented by Abide Ministries, will be offered at low or no cost to regions that request them. We’re looking forward to the first school of prayer in Vancouver, WA in June and then in Columbia and Ecuador in December. For info about Abide Ministries and the schools you can click on the site link: http://abiding.airset.com .
Topics: Abide Ministries | No Comments »
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