searching the sunsets

N.T. Wright on a Christian Ethic of Blogging

My friend and fellow PSU fan shared this great quote with me from Tom Wright. There is a lot of people spreading hate in the name of Jesus and ministry in the blog world. Here's the quote:

Test this out.  Go to the blogsites, if you dare.  It really is high time we developed a Christian ethic of blogging.  Bad temper is bad temper even in the apparent privacy of your own hard drive, and harsh and unjust words, when released into the wild, rampage around and do real damage.  And as for the practice of saying mean and untrue thing while hiding behind a pseudonym - well if I get a letter like that it goes straight in the bin.  But the cyberspace equivalents of road rage don’t happen by accident.  People who type, vicious, angry, slanderous and inaccurate accusations do so because they feel their worldview to be under attack.  Yes, I have a pastoral concern for such people.  (And, for that matter, a pastoral concern for anyone who spends more than a few minutes a day taking part in blogsite discussions, especially when they all use code names:  was it for this that the creator God made human beings?)  But sometimes worldviews have to be shaken.  They may become idolatrous and self-serving.  And I fear that that has happened, and continues to happen, even in well-regulated, shiny Christian contexts - including, of course, my own.  John Piper** writes, he tells us, as a pastor. So do I.

Too true.

What To Do, What to do, what to do

I don't know what to do with my blog. I heard a really good quote this past week and I've got a few posts sitting in my folder for such things but I haven't had much motivation to actually post anything for a while. I'm not sure why. The truth is that I've hardly written anything not work related at all this summer.

Part of the problem is that I'm not sure what direction I want to take this blog. Right now for instance, there is a man that has some very nasty followers on his blog and he has linked to this blog. Well, that would seem to stop me from putting up anything related to my kids as you never know what hyper fundamental people like that might do.

Then that actually begs the whole question of blogging. I have thoughts that are not completely formed and as I write them, I know that someone somewhere is going to want to argue about it or someone will take offense. I mean, let's say that I wrote about our last church in Ohio, my perspective is probably completely different from at least some of the people who might read it. This is probably true of the thoughts I would consider completely formed and those I wouldn't think of in that manner.

For the most part, this blog has kind of gone in whatever direction I was feeling at the time I was writing and I assume I'll probably stay in that vein. I've thought about having themed posts, SOC posts, and even shutting down and blogging completely anonymously.

I worry that blogging actually makes me a more poor writer than it helps me in my writing.

If I boil it down, I think that I'm just at a low level of tired. We've been pushing hard for quite a while now and I'm not sure I have the energy to engage all the way around. I'm definitely not to the point where I "have to blog about this." I've been there before and I've been here before. What does that mean for the future of me blogging? I don't know but I thought I should put up some sort of explanation.

Little Diddy From Rob

It has some all fired up, but that goes with the territory I suppose. Enjoy

Enjoying country life

Expecting The Best, Joe

100 Bible Stories 100 Bible Songs: A Review

This book has been a huge hit around my house. My girls love it. It has provided a wonderful rhythm to the end of our day. My wife has been reading a story each night to the kids. Both mom and girls look forward to it as a way to transition to bedtime. 
Each story comes with the book and chapter of the Bible it is taken from for parents who might want to read the story strait from the text. As do all books written for children, this book has to wrestle with many of the Old Testament stories.
The CD will remind older users (such as myself) of the old Uncle Charlie LP’s. I’m pretty sure there wasn’t too many songs on there that I didn’t know. The CD is the exact kind of corny and cheesy that is necessary to draw in two and three year olds. That said, even my 6 year old enjoyed the book and I believe the CD.  There is a rousing version of “Father Abraham.” For those who are looking for a fun book that teaches the basic truths of Scripture this is a must have book. I highly recommend, as does my clan.

test

This is just a test. Seeing how feasible mobile blogging would be while I wait for the afternoon session to start

Stark Raving Obedience: Are You Crazy Enough?

Do you want a free book? Do you have a blog? Have you bought something from Amazon? If you answered yes to any of these questions email me. I have a friend who wrote a book on praying and I need people to review it. Short, easy read. FREE book. Should be a great conversation.

Communion: Mars Style, LOVE WINS

Mars is an amazing place. The grace and healing that people have found there has been/is/and will no doubt continue to be absolutely amazing. One of the most amazing things you can experience is a Sunday where we participate in the ancient ritual of communion. There is always a large cross in the middle of the shed (the area you probably refer to as the auditorium or sanctuary). People come up and pray and we sing. It has been proven to be an extremely moving time for my wife and I in the few years we've been here at Mars.

This past Sunday we finished a series on forgiveness. If you're not a regular podcaster you may want to consider downloading the last three weeks.  They were amazing. This past Sunday we were asked to bring to the cross the names of the people we struggle forgiving and another list putting it at the foot of cross in a symbolic gesture. (On a side note, I love all the things we do that we tried to do in Ohio).

Near the end, I took a picture of it for my twitpic. I thought I'd share it with you here today. Sometimes, I get really frustrated with the things I read about Mars or when I get in conversations with people who tell me what we believe even though, they've never been to Mars. I actually had a guy tell me that he heard we dont' have any crosses in the building. Most of the time, I have as a policy that I don't discuss Mars or Rob online because most of the people don't really want to discuss they want to prosecute. But today I am going to share this because LOVE WINS.
Grace and Peace

Tim Stevens Asking a Great Question

If you spend any time at in the blogosphere and happen to come across some self-proclaimed discernment type blogs, you've no doubt heard about Granger's reveal study that they did last year. Big bold letters will proclaim, GRANGER COMMUNITY CHURCH PRODUCING FALSE CONVERTS!!!!

Never mind all the delicious irony that could be examined in these bloggers. They start that beating their chests, and slapping their palms down to the self study that Granger did. For one example go here. For more just google it or click here to see my google results.

Tim Stevens (one of the pastors at Granger) has finally asked the question I've been wondering for these past months. Essentially, my question was "So What?" Tim is much nicer than me. He says,

You gotta help me here, cause I don't get the problem...

What is wrong with having a gathering every week where half the people who are in attendance don't yet understand salvation by grace?

Where do we want them to go? The bar? The local golf course? To bed? Don't we want them in church where they're hearing the word fo God? Don't we want them meeting other Christians? So tell me what you think. Help me and Tim out, if you don't want them in church on Sunday mornings where do you want them?