Starting... Now...

A few years ago Katie, the boys , and I were visiting my family on a typical holiday weekend and our boys were driving us crazy. Parents, have you also noticed that your normally great kids just get annoying when they get around other people sometimes? I don’t know if it’s the need to show-off, the changed environment, or the hope of a present from Grandma and Grandpa, but it drives us crazy. This particular time, Katie had gotten to her wits end - as had I - and she said, “Okay, we’re starting over right now!” But unfortunately, she didn’t have God’s power to speak things into existence and her declaration had little effect. But she didn’t give up. Katie would go on to start over about fifty times that day, hoping one of them would work. My dad still teases her about starting over… “now”.

There are times that we do need to just start over. Some of those times are because we need to put the past behind us and begin anew with open hearts and fresh eyes. We do this when we obey Jesus’ command to forgive each other and offer grace.

But sometimes we start fresh for positive reasons instead of negative ones. A few weeks ago we completed our pledge drive to finance the new parking lot and we celebrated and dedicated our lot by having worship outside on it. It was an amazing day! I’ve written all about that experience here because it really was phenomenal.  One thing that struck me that Sunday morning as we committed to use our parking lot for the furtherance of God’s Kingdom was that it is a new beginning for us. Of course, the fact that we have new concrete isn’t remarkable, but on October 4th as we worshiped outside, we have a day to remember God’s faithfulness. Though parking our cars is a small part of what needs to happen on this land God has provided for our ministry, He still gave us what we needed to repair a dire need. God proved His faithfulness. If He will be faithful in the parking lots, why should we ever worry that He will be faithful in other ways?

Two prayer warriors of our church shared with me that they have felt that the parking lot may be step one to big things God is doing in us and through us here. And I believe them. God’s desire is to radically change this world through His church, and we have the chance to be a big part of that here in Mount Pleasant and our surrounding area.

So what if we start… now? What if we look back on God’s faithfulness in 2014 and say “that was the beginning”? It doesn’t matter what has happened before, good or bad. We are going to go forward with the knowledge and experience that God is going to be faithful to us so we will be faithful to Him.

This gets me so excited for what is coming. I want to be a part of something that matters, don’t you? I want to see that my life has mattered, and that I haven’t just wandered lazily through the life God has given.

So let’s start over. Let’s start now, knowing that God has plans for us and He’s going to lead us, provide what we need, and come through faithfully.  This is going to be fun… starting… NOW!

Faith in the Furnace

I just came up from telling a bunch of preschoolers the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and it reminded me that it’s one of my favorite stories in the Bible.  You may or may not know the story so here’s a summary. These three men from Judah, along with Daniel, were made into leaders within the Babylonian government and were found to be wiser and more helpful to the king than any other advisors.  In Daniel chapter 3 we find that the king has built a statue that he requires everyone to bow to.  Of course, the three men of God refuse and are tattled on by others.  

This is where the story gets good.  The king brings up these trusted advisors and angrily gives them one more chance to bow. There, before the king, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego show their faithfulness.  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you.  If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty.  But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18)

Having heard this story my whole life, it’s easy to imagine these three men choosing to follow God because I know the ending. Of course God saves them so the choice was simple.  But they didn’t know that God would save them. They trusted in God’s power to save, but they weren’t sure that He would choose to do so. They followed anyway.

It seems to me that this is what faith is really about. Does following God mean that He will always protect you from harm? Absolutely not. And having problems in our lives doesn’t mean we have too little of faith. If that were the case, then Jesus would have never been faced with the cross.

The words of these three men remind us that our heroes of the faith didn’t always know God would come through for them. Abraham didn’t know God would stop him from sacrificing his son, David didn’t know he’d defeat Goliath, Elijah couldn’t be sure God would bring fire for his altar, and Daniel didn’t know the lions’ mouths would be shut. But they all walked in faith anyway, and gave God the opportunity to work.

I want to be someone like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; willing to follow God’s leading even if He doesn’t protect me from the consequences. After all, Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Running for Good

Dare I say it? I’m a runner. I don’t know when it happened.  I have run off and on for exercise over the last 10 years but never with any consistency.  Whenever I’d spend a few weeks getting going, I’d find a reason to miss some runs and before I knew it, I was out of the habit.  Last summer I did some running but it was always in spurts.  But this summer I’ve been running with more consistency than ever before. I can’t believe this, but I’m actually starting to really like it. It feels good to have some soreness in my legs all the time, and I love to push for faster and farther runs. After a few 5K’s and a 10K, I’m signed up and ready for my first half marathon on October 11th. (Pray for me.)

Recently I was on a long run training for my half marathon and I was struck by an idea. I was running 14 miles around and through Mount Pleasant, beginning on county highways.  With no real space for pedestrians, I was running against traffic forcing many of them to go wide around me.  As I did, I found myself waving to each passing car, knowing that I was imposing on their normal driving space and trying to acknowledge their kindness in not running me over. 

I don’t know if it was the voice of the Spirit or if two hours of running is just too long for me to remain focused on the music in my ears, but I began to recognize as cars and houses passed me that each one contained people created by and loved by God.  Someone should be praying and offering a blessing to these strangers on my route. Finally it clicked and my run became a prayer run. My waves at passing cars instead became a prayer of blessing and a motion of the cross towards them. I began to pray for the people living in the homes and neighborhoods I passed, knowing that God would know their needs even if I don’t.

Then I had a thought. What if I started doing this on every run? What if I did it while driving through town. What if we all did? I can’t claim to fully understand how intercessory prayer and blessings work. But it’s clear that we are told to pray for others and there are people throughout our communities that are in need of God’s touch on their lives. What if we were a church that prayed for those we saw in passing?

Here’s what it did for me while running:

· It helped me to notice.  Before I was oblivious to the people I encountered on my run; instead paying attention to myself alone. In prayer, I noticed every house, every car, every pedestrian.

· It eased my anger at those texting and driving. After some close calls on the highway while drivers didn’t see me cause their eyes were on their phones, I was pretty mad. My prayer running allowed me to instead see them with love.

· It reminded me that I don’t pray enough. As a follower of Jesus and as a pastor, I should be connected to God in prayer more than I’m connected to the internet. I need an “always on” connection like my phone has through its cellular network.

So what do you think? Want to be a prayer-runner with me? Or prayer-walker? Or prayer-driver? Imagine what God will do in our community when we pray.

On the move

I'm still flying high from yesterday.  What a great day we had as we worshiped together on our newly poured concrete parking lot, dedicating it to the work of the Kingdom.  We prayed, we sang, we wrote blessings in sidewalk chalk.  The cold wind and sprinkles of rain gave way to sunshine and warmth all in the course of an hour of celebration.  I can't remember a better Sunday.

But that may be a problem.

Preparing for this Sunday worship was a joy.  I was excited that we were taking a risk and doing something different.  And believe me, everything about this was a risk.  First, we took a risk by choosing to take on a parking lot restoration project that cost more than our yearly budget.  (A yearly budget that we are often behind on, by the way.) And we didn't just decide to raise the money, we had the construction company start the work.  Talk about risk.  We aren't one of those churches that complains about being behind financially while sitting on an endowment or large savings that no one wants to touch.  We have what is provided by those that give in faith every Sunday.  And we cut it pretty close sometimes.  The parking lot was a risk, but in a matter of a few months, the work is done and as of yesterday, all $157,000 has been raised through donations, gifts, and pledges to be paid over the course of a year.  God is faithful.

The parking lot was a risk, not just financially, but in regards to following God's plan for our church.  I didn't even want to do the thing.  I couldn't wrap my head around putting an unbelievable amount of money into the place that we park our cars.  Aren't there other places we could invest that kind of money that would be more in line with our call as a church? But the reality was that it had to be done. We didn't have potholes, we had craters two feet deep and ten feet long.  Someone was going to be hurt or a car was going to disappear into the underworld.  But would God bless the use of money for something such as this? We had all the conversations and ultimately had to make a choice.  Like Jonathan and his armor bearer, we decided to push forward and know that if it was a success, then God was on our side.

Our Parking Lot Worship was also a risk. When I shared with our church that we were meeting outside for the entire service in October, there were some skeptical faces.  Thankfully, this isn't the first time I've asked people to do something weird.  After all, not that long ago, we left worship on a rainy September Sunday to take "Christian toilet paper" door to door and pray for those we encountered.  This seems tame by comparison, but the cold can cause some problems.  My first conversation of the day as I was setting up outside and the first people were coming for Sunday School went like this: Senior Adult: "Are we still having church outside?"  Me: Yep, it'll be brisk."  Her: "Well, I have a coat."  It was a great way to start our day. I didn't encounter someone complaining about the cold, but ready for what God had in store for us.

And Parking Lot Worship really was awesome. But what about the rest of our weeks in worship?  I have to admit something here that's hard to admit as a pastor.  I don't always get so excited for a Sunday morning.  Actually, between you and me, I sometimes dread them. Yes, I know, I should love to come together with our church to worship; and in a lot of ways I do. But it's also a stressful day full of work and pressure to lead the time together. I want the music - that I help lead - to usher people into God's presence.  But I also want it to sound good. I want my sermon to help people to grow closer in their relationship to Christ.  But I also don't want to sound like an idiot.  Every week I fight through my challenges to try to be the leader I'm called to be among God's people.

I think maybe it comes down to one thing.  I'm super excited when I can see and feel God moving.  And I wonder how many Sundays out of the year our churches can say that is really happening.  Rev. Eddie Cruz was our speaker at the Mid-American Baptist Churches Biennial this weekend and something he said speaks directly to this. He told of an encounter he had with some young adults who had little interest in church.  They told him the typical responses: it's boring, it isn't relevant.  It's like going to a funeral.  He then reminded us that there are great celebrations that we see around us.  In celebrity culture there are Grammys, Espys, Oscars, Emmys, etc, and what do those people have to celebrate other than their own accomplishments?  But we have a God and a Gospel that give us a reason to celebrate. With that to celebrate, how could our gatherings look more like a funeral than a celebration?

I need to get excited about every Sunday because it is a celebration of the God of the universe who gives us life in Jesus Christ. It shouldn't take doing something crazy to be excited.

So what do you think? How do we as the church make every time we gather in Christ's name a time where we see and feel the movement of the Spirit?

Cause I'm up for feeling like this every week.

Won't you be my neighbor?

The other day through the wonders of online streaming video, I had the opportunity to introduce my boys to Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.  They didn't quite get it, I don't think, but I got to reminisce a bit watching this show from my childhood.  And of course it helps knowing that Fred Rogers was truly an exceptional man.  He was a Presbyterian minister and spent over 30 years treating America's kids as neighbors, teaching them values, and show them how to use their imagination. 

What struck me as I watched the show again, was how Mister Rogers invited you right into his "house" while singing the famous song and changing his suit jacket to a sweater and dress shoes for casual ones.  I wonder how often I even treat my own kids with that kind of warmth as soon as I walk in the door after work, let alone random kids and neighbors.  Mister Rogers knew hospitality.

But I think - and I can only guess - that when Mister Rogers' show began in 1968, a neighborhood meant something.  Being a "neighbor" was a term of endearment that meant that you were friendly and welcome.  Neighbors helped look after each other; keeping an eye out for your house when you were gone, making sure your kids weren't getting into trouble, and sharing a cup of sugar when you ran out.  At least that's the stereotype that I imagine when I think of neighbors before my generation. 

Someone noted at a recent MCLE (Missional Church Learning Experience) gathering that people used to sit out in their rocking chairs on the front porch engaging with their neighbors.  Now we build 6 foot high privacy fences and back decks so we can sit outside and talk to no one.  It's unfortunate that we've lost the ability to be neighbors.

We're trying to change that at First Baptist Church of Mt. Pleasant.  In June, we had 6 "hosts" reach out to their neighbors with an invitation to relationship in exciting ways.  Five of those hosts invited their neighbors to block parties at their homes, hosting food and conversation for neighbors The results were amazing, as each party had many guests and created opportunities to get to know neighbors like never before.  Personally, I felt like we just gained a neighborhood after eight years of living in this house.  Who knew we were surrounded by such kind and fun people?  The other "host" instead baked pies and delivered them to her neighbors as a gift.  Again, this was well received by those in her neighborhood.

And here's the fun part.  A few days ago, while outside spraying for weeds, one of my new neighbor friends yelled over from across the street.  We met in the middle and chatted for a few minutes and again, I was reminded that this is what a neighborhood is.  And this is what Jesus commands us to do; to "love your neighbor as yourself". 

Doing this also reminds us that we are not a church by showing up for an hour a week to worship together.  Yes, that's important, but we are God's church when we follow His commands.  As Rev. Glynis LaBarre said, "Jesus did not die to save your church.  He didn't even die to save THE Church.  The Church exists to carry out His mission."  When we get outside our building and live among and love our neighbors, we begin to be who God has made us to be.

I get excited when I imagine a church of people living in Mount Pleasant, the surrounding countryside, and neighboring communities as far as Fairfield and Waterloo living out a love for their neighbors.  Imagine the reach that the Kingdom has if we go and love our neighbors and live as witnesses to the grace and peace that comes from a relationship with Jesus.

Lord, build Your Kingdom here,

Regan

Team Umizoomi, ready for Baptism

My 3 year old son, Hayden, loves Team Umizoomi!  I mean, loves that show.  Whenever he wakes up in the morning or from his nap, his request is well known by all around.  Turn on Team Umizoomi.  Hayden can also answer questions about Jesus like a champ.  If you ask where Jesus lives, he'll answer confidently, "In my heart."  If you ask who made the grass, world, or us; he'll answer, "Jesus" or "God" without skipping a beat.

So shouldn't he be baptized?  Has he "asked Jesus into his heart", "prayed a prayer of salvation" or "gotten saved"?  NO!  He's three.

I read an article recently on Christianity Today stating that in the Southern Baptist Convention, baptisms are dropping off at a record level for all but preschool aged kids.  You can read the article here.  This is alarming to me.  I'm not that worried about Southern Baptist general baptisms, but I am concerned about the growing practice of baptizing children before they're capable of making a commitment for Christ.

Is this weird coming from the guy who just wrote a post about allowing children to join us in Communion?  Maybe.  But as a Baptist, I see baptism as a profession of our faith that represents a lifelong commitment to Christ, and I'm not sure that's something a preschooler can make.  (Communion, on the other hand, is a practice of the presence of Christ and He consistently called children to Himself while on earth.)

According to Piaget's stages of brain development, children don't have the ability to think  concretely until ages 7-12 and don't usually begin to develop the capacity for abstract thinking until around age 12.  Many are still developing abstract thinking well into their 20's.  I don't know about you, but being able to understand cognitively that there is an invisible God who created the universe, is Trinitarian, and sent Himself/His Son to earth to die on the cross as atonement for our sins and raise from the dead requires a bit of abstract understanding.  

And it makes me wonder if the reason we're losing our young people as they acquire the ability to think abstractly and are challenged by the world, is because we push them to make commitments they can't cognitively make when they're younger.  So they abandon what they were taught because it all seems like it was forced, and now they are trying to come to terms with it all.

The truth in my family is that all three of my boys could answer the questions right; especially if I asked the questions in the right way.  My 5 and 7 year olds could even tell you that they love Jesus and know He is an important part of their lives.  But that's because we have taught them those things.  And on their level, they really do believe them.  (Of course, they believe in Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, and that they can be super heroes when they grow up too.)

So be careful, parents, pastors, Sunday School teachers.  The only good you are doing by pushing your child to "get saved" and be baptized at an early age is to make yourself feel better.  But are you willing to do that at the expense of a real commitment?  I'm not.  I'm not, because I get to walk with teenagers and adults as they actually go through this struggle to faith on their own and see that true commitment is worth waiting for.

What do you think?

Is it time to rethink how we treat kids and Communion?

Let's get this out of the way; I'm an American Baptist and have been my whole life.  I recognize my thinking is going to be out of traditional ABC church practice, and definitely outside other church traditions.  So just know where I'm coming from.

I think it's time to let children join us in Communion (or Lord's Supper, or Eucharist, or The Table).  

Growing up in ABC/USA churches, I learned that Communion was an ordinance of the church that we began to partake of after our baptism.  There were a few exceptions like Christmas Eve or Maundy Thursday, when I got to take the elements with my family, but otherwise I waited till after my baptism at 8 years old.  It was only then that I was ready to understand and take the bread and juice that represent Jesus' body and blood.

And I get it.  I do.  After all, 1 Corinthians 11:27-29 says, "So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.  Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.  For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves."  So we make sure that we take seriously the taking of Communion and keep children from it until they can take it seriously.  (Though our 'age of accountability' is open for interpretation and many still may not be able to grasp its seriousness after baptism.)

But I've been challenged to understand Communion differently lately and it's affecting much of how I've been practicing it.  I've always struggled with Communion because I didn't really understand it.  As Baptists, we tend to see the bread and juice as symbols of the body and blood of Jesus, and let it simply serve as that tangible reminder of Jesus' sacrifice for us.  But I've been challenged by teachings by Dr. David Fitch from Northern Seminary and by conversations with other pastors - like my dad - that there is more happening at The Table.  As you read through the New Testament post resurrection, it seems that the "breaking of bread" brings more than remembrance; but the acknowledgment of the presence of Christ into the mix.

My favorite example happens right after the resurrection as Jesus walks the road toward Emmaus with two followers who don't recognize Him; even telling Him about His own death.  Even as Jesus unpacks the Scriptures, they don't know that it's Him.  But when they arrive at their destination and Jesus breaks bread with them, they realize that it is the risen Christ with them.  There must be something significant about eating together that allows Jesus' presence to be tangibly known.  

That brings me to the issue of children in worship.  I have three boys and we found pretty early on that Communion would be a challenge with our oldest when he started sitting with my wife in worship.  When the time came for bread and juice to be passed around, he didn't understand why he wasn't included.  My wife quickly came to the conclusion - out of a desire to eliminate distractions - that our 4 year old would receive it too.  (I know; sacrilege.)  And I agreed with her.  But each month on the first Sunday as we prepared to pass out the elements, she would talk with my son about the significance of the bread and juice.

As you can imagine, some didn't like it.  And we didn't really start this because of some deep theological understanding of Communion that differed from our congregation's traditions.  It was just a desire to not have the pastor's son cry loudly from the second pew during Communion.

But all that has changed.  This question of Communion and kids has reminded me of another passage of Scripture.  Matthew 19:13-14 says, "Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.  Jesus said,  'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'" (emphasis mine.)

So if Communion is truly what the word means; a close intimate fellowship with another - namely Jesus - then we are in the same situation.  At The Table, our children could be exposed to the presence of Christ while we, like the disciples, tell them to "get away.  The presence of Jesus is no place for children."  

So maybe it's time to really rethink how we deal with this issue.  Are kids sometimes irreverent?  Yep.  Were they probably irreverent when they came to Jesus as the gospel stories tell?  Yep.  

And to be clear, the 1 Corinthians passage used to put kids off wasn't written to deal with children and Communion, but to adults who were refusing to reconcile their relationships or live in communion with one another.  Paul wasn't talking to children at all.  But we adults better be careful if we're to take seriously what he says in this passage.  I don't know about you, but I have some relationships to reconcile if I'm going to be right before The Table.

What do you think?  Am I totally off base?

Growing Smaller

So what is the long term plan for our church?  If you asked me that 8 years ago when I came, I would have had many answers.  Maybe we would grow to where we had to fill the balcony with church-goers.  Our programs would be top notch, offering great opportunities for discipleship for kids and adults.  We may even get to the point of hiring new staff for youth ministry or music.  And of course, we could always build that gym - ahem -  Family Life Center.

But what if those dreams were all based on the wrong model of church?  I’m becoming increasingly convinced that the multi-staff, mega-church, mega-programs, mega-buildings kind of ministry is inconsistent with what our culture needs.  In fact, I think that this “consumer church” model is dying, even though every church seems to be seeking to live it out.  I mean, think about it.  What church isn’t trying to grow its attendance, have more professional gatherings, and better programs?  Churches are more and more centered around a model from churches that “bring in” thousands to hear their celebrity pastor speak; sometimes even via video satellite feed.  But is that how we should do ministry in Mount Pleasant, Iowa?  What if, instead, we focused on bringing the Kingdom of God to the places we inhabit rather than making “church” enticing enough to get people into it?

I know this kind of sounds familiar, but I’m talking about moving from even a “missional” perspective to an “incarnational” model of ministry.  Dr. David Fitch taught at our Prairie Pastors' Conference that the church is not the Kingdom, and neither is the world.  The Kingdom breaks out when the disciple encounters the world.  So instead of trying to grow our church and reach people for Jesus through large budding programs, what if we were open to bringing the Kingdom of God to the places we inhabit?  This means that Kingdom can break out in your neighborhood, in the break room at work, even at McDonalds over a Big Mac. 

We have seen some amazing life changing ministry in our church.  We’ve seen people called out of dead end lives and into God’s will, we’ve seen people catch fire for Christ and change their entire families.  We’ve added to our church family people who have been transformed by God’s grace.  But none of those lives were transformed in traditional churchy ways.  They weren’t transformed by a challenging sermon I preached, or through a Sunday School class that opened their eyes, or a youth group meeting.  Lives have been changed by disciples living out Christ towards them till they are struck by His love and goodness.

This is church, I think.  This is where we need to strive to go.  What if we dream of being a church who loves our neighbors instead of being the next big impressive mega-church.  (Love being an action verb.)  That’s the vision I think God is setting before us.  I’ve given up my picture of successful church for the one God is challenging me with.  Will you?

Youversion Live Events - A Review

How do we get people to interact with the worship and message on Sunday mornings?  Not a new question at all.  (And the answer probably has less to do with a method of interaction, and more to do with changing the way we do these gatherings.  A topic for another day maybe.)  But churches have tried all kinds of ways to help people connect to what is going on in worship.

First, we created the bulletin.  This way everyone knows how far along we are in the order and any announcements they may need to know.  (Which they won't read anyway.)  Oh, the bulletin.  Church secretaries spend most of their week putting together this uber important document that will get tossed or left in the pew when the gathering is over.  But we hope it will help people engage.  (It doesn't.)

Then we realized that nobody ever brings their Bible anymore so we chose one of two options.  We either bought Bibles for the pews or began to post Scripture verses on the screen so people can follow along.  (Or both).  Pastors, how many of you have asked people to turn to a certain passage and reminded them there are Bibles in the pews and heard not a single page turn?  Yeah, me too.

Some well-planned pastors then decided that people need a good outline of the sermon so they can take notes and up their engagement on the message.  So sermon outlines are put in our beloved bulletins; some even attached with a perforated edge!  Maybe a few use the outlines for notes, but many also become the place for a little kid to draw to keep busy or for teens to pass notes down the pew.

So the most popular Bible app in the world made a different way possible using their Youversion Bible app.  (Available on all mobile platforms as well as in a browser.)  I've been using the Youversion Live Events for a few months now so here's my take.

The Bible's Live Events gives a church or group the chance to let people connect through the app to take notes, read the Scripture, submit prayer requests and much more.  I don't use all the options, but each week use it for people that want to follow along with the sermon or communicate with us a need.


First, you can only set up a Live Event via a computer. (PC, Mac, or ChromeOS)  There is no option within the mobile app to set up or edit Live Events.  (PLEASE MAKE THAT POSSIBLE, Youversion.)  But it's quite easy within a browser to bring up my sermon notes on Google Drive and Youversion in another tab to lay out the Event.  I don't use all the options, but do some simple things.  First, our Event has some info about our church and a link to our website.  Next, there is a place to fill out prayer requests that will submit them to us.  (Though, there are no notifications that alert me to a submitted a prayer request.  I have to manually check to see if anyone has submitted any.  Another flaw.)  Then I can go through my sermon structure to put in places for notes.  For me, these are just a basic point of the sermon or questions related to it, and then there is a place for the user to input their own notes or thoughts.


The best part, to me, is that I can put in all the exact Scripture references that I'm going through in the version I want to use.  So I'm not handcuffed to the NIV or some other version that's sitting in the pews, and users can follow along exactly with what I'm reading.

When I began using this, there was no one in our church interested in using it.  But as more and more people are buying smartphones and tablets, the interest has risen.  Now, we have many that are using it weekly.  My 7 year old son was even using it on my wife's smartphone last Sunday, even taking notes.  I've heard report after report from participants that they love using it to follow along, and love emailing themselves their notes from the event at the end of worship.

If you are interested in using this for your church, here are some requirements.  (In my opinion.)

1. Offer free wifi in your church.  You can't invite people to use devices if they can't get online.  This means having a separate wifi network that is accessible for everyone without getting access to your sensitive administrative info.  We ran a separate router to the balcony in our sanctuary and set it up as "FBC Guest" for anyone to connect to.  And make sure it's working each week.  All it takes is a flicker of power loss in the building and the router will need reset to work correctly.  If McDonalds and Starbucks can be a wifi hotspot, so can we.
2. Lay out specific instructions for using the app.  Many people are not good at figuring this stuff out.  We're having more of our older members getting Kindles, iPads, or Android tablets and they need instructions for getting connected.  In our bulletin it says, "If you have a smartphone or tablet there is a new way to interact with our worship services.  First, connect through our free wifi called "FBCGuest".  Then, download the Bible app by Lifechurch.tv (Youversion).  You can find it in the Appstore, Google Playstore, or Amazon Appstore.  Next, tap your menu and look for the section called "Live".  Tap 'Search for a Live Event' and it will bring up local live events.  Ours is called "Sunday Worship at FBC".  There, you can learn more about us, read Scripture, take notes, and even share prayer requests.  Check it out."
3. Have someone available to help people who need help.  (We don't have this set up well yet, but I'm working on it.  Normally the person who would help someone with tech is me and I'm up front.)

So give it a try sometime; it just may be useful in your church.  It's not the answer to getting all people involved in worship, but for those that want to, it's a good tool.  It's not perfect, and there are things they could add to make it much more useful, but it's good at what it does.

And to users:  We're not stupid; we know when you're looking at Facebook, playing Flappy Bird, or texting instead of using the app.  Don't fool yourself.

See, you're an idiot for wearing those crazy toe shoes!

I'm still wearing my Vibram FiveFingers and I'm not stopping anytime soon.  Yes, I've seen the articles.  It seems everyone who knows of my VFF obsession has messaged or posted on my Facebook about articles like this one that tell of the lawsuit Vibram is settling.  So here's my take.

There are two stories going around and so I'll address both.

First.  This story came out showing that Vibrams are terrible for you feet.  According to this report, it is harder on your feet to transition to minimalist running shoes than it is to wear shoes with two and a half inches of padding underneath them.  DUH!  Is this a surprise?  Yes, transitioning to Vibrams for running takes time and your feet need to adjust.  This is not news.  But here are some real flaws in this study:

• 19 people were in this study running with VFF's.  That isn't a large enough group to make any real claims.
• Though the claim is that 10 of the 19 were injured, there were only 2 that had actual stress fractures.  (And there was 1 in the control group of 18 running in regular shoes.)  Again, this is not indicative of anything.
• There are no studies of people who use minimalist shoes long term, just transitions.  I wear Vibrams almost exclusively and have for 2 years.  Even when I go a few months without running, I can take off for 3 miles with no pain or injuries.

Second. So some random lady buys a pair of Vibram FiveFingers shoes because they claim that they'll strengthen her feet and decrease injuries.  And they don't magically make her fit and strong; they must be lying.  This kind of litigation drives me insane.  Vibram makes a common sense claim that using your feet the way nature (God) intended will be better for you and are sued because they haven't done years of studies to back up the claim.  It's ridiculous.  I understand why VFF settled the lawsuit and are paying out millions; since they'd probably get worse publicity and spend more defending themselves against such a frivolous suit.  (And don't get me wrong; I don't believe VFF to be a nonprofit who hasn't made a bundle off of these shoes.  They are financially motivated to convince you their toe shoes are a good idea and worth the $100 you can often pay for them.)

But I'm still wearing them.  I got my first pair planning to use them canoeing and fishing in Canada.  The first time I tried running in them, I went way too far and ended up with fist-sized knots in my calves for a week.  (Though no bone injuries.)  But even that first run was easier and less painful than the shin splints and lower back pain I always got running with regular shoes.  After getting used to my VFF's, I didn't want to wear other shoes anymore.  Even my beloved flip flops were a chore to walk around in compared to my toe shoes.  So no I wear them everyday.  I have kangaroo leather ones for the office and even for preaching on Sundays, I have casual ones that look like vintage tennis shoes - with toes, and I have trail runners for harsher grounds.  And I love all of them.  I'll keep wearing them cause I feel good in them, and love how they feel.  (My wife and our boys will continue to wear them too.)  To me, it's simple.  God made our feet to be used a certain way.  Instead, we shove them inside shoes that make us walk and run completely differently, and then we wonder why we have bad backs, knees, and hips.   Maybe someone should sue Nike, Reebok, and Adidas for all the knee replacements and chiropractic appointments from a lifetime of use.

Ordination Song

What song should I sing for Scotty's ordination?  It took me a few tries, but I think I found the right one.  But there's a few rejects that give some advice to a young minister.

What do we do with Membership?

In multiple talks, I'm finding that membership is going to be a challenge going forward.  While I find it to be essential to the work of the church body, it probably can't continue to look the same as it always has.  As usual, Fitch hits it on the head with his article.

Membership Has It's Practices.

Not-so Quick Review: "God's Not Dead"

Hold on.  Stop.  If you saw this movie, loved it, felt encouraged, even blessed by it; that's great.  Maybe you sent "God's Not Dead" texts to all your contacts like the movie encouraged.  That's good.  It was, after all, a big Christian pep rally by the end.

And I don't want to rain on your "God's Not Dead" parade, so maybe just be happy with the movie that you liked and move on.  My only warning for you is to be careful not to become a Christian victim, believing that everyone is against us and we must debate them into submission.  We still live in a country overwhelmingly open to Christianity compared to every other nation in most of the history of the world; so we need to be careful not to be over dramatic regarding our minor "persecutions" in today's culture.

"God's Not Dead" movie lovers, read on at your own risk.

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I get embarrassed by movies like this.  I know I should be happy that there are Christian movies in mainstream theaters for everyone to go see, but I am almost hopeful that non-Christians didn't go see this one.  Have you ever watched a mainstream TV show or movie that has a Christian character in it?  Almost every time, the Christian character is one of two things: a hypocrite or a hick.  They are either a super conservative believer who's secretly picking up prostitutes at night - showing how ridiculous their belief really is; or they're some stupid brainless Christian with faith based only in Sunday School teachings from their childhood.  I hate when I see these characters because they are caricatures of reality.  If I were not a Christian, I would feel the same about how the characters are portrayed in this movie.

So let's get into it.  (Spoilers below)

It feels to me like this movie was created to be similar to the Garry Marshall movies like "Valentine's Day" or "New Years Eve".   There are multiple character that are seemingly unconnected that eventually show their relation to each other.  Unfortunately, in "God's Not Dead", the characters are terribly shallow and extreme versions of themselves.

• There's the "liberal blogger" with a car covered in liberal bumper stickers - like "I love evolution".  She tries so hard to ambush the Duck Dynasty stars with her desire to make them look bad for killing ducks and praying to Jesus.  And she's in a relationship with the typical high powered lawyer who responds to her terrible news casually and selfishly; ultimately breaking up with her over her illness.  So cliche.  
• There's the overbearing girlfriend of the hero of the story who, though she met him at a Christian rock concert, forbids Josh from debating his philosophy professor over God's existence.  (The only reason I mention the concert is cause the movie makes sure you know it.  Clearly, she is supposed to be a Christian just like he is.)  And though she supposedly attends her third choice college to be with him and has their life planned out, she dumps him over disobeying her mandate and throws away their 6 years together.  OVER SOMETHING THAT HAS NO EFFECT ON THEIR RELATIONSHIP.  So stupid.  
• Then there's the demonized professor of Philosophy.  He walks into class with one purpose; to make all students into atheists, even requiring them to write "God is dead" and signing it.  Is this what Christians think all atheists are like?  He's arrogant, biased, and even treats his girlfriend like crap.  Did I mention his girlfriend is a Christian?  (Yeah, a die-hard atheist who can't stand having a Christian student would date one?  Give me a break.)  And ultimately, of course, the real reason our professor is an atheist is because he's mad at God, not because he's convinced God doesn't exist.  Again, this is what I think most Christians think about atheists, but I'm not convinced this is the reality for many.  (If I were an atheist, I'd be offended at this extreme portrayal.)
• Of course, there has to be the strict, authoritarian Muslim father as well in the movie.  What kind of Christian movie would it be if there weren't some portrayal of another religion's adherent showing why Christianity is better.
• There is also the duo of ministers; pastor and missionary, who just can't make it to Disneyworld cause God keeps their car from starting in order to keep them in the right place for the right time of encountering many of the above characters.  I can't figure out why God never forces me into right circumstances for ministry using unbelievable methods.  I guess I'm not a good enough pastor.

I'm sorry to be so hard on a movie with good intentions, but my fear is that it does more harm than good.  For Christians, it gives us a victim mentality and the thinking that we can argue someone into faith in Christ.  (Which I've never seen work.  Ever.)  It also makes us look at anyone that isn't a Christian as an opponent who is seeking to destroy our faith or take our freedom to believe away.  That just isn't the case.  Jesus certainly didn't teach us to see His created people as enemies, but as deserving of love.  (Remember, it is through love that people see God's hand at work.  Not debate.)

The debate ends with a climactic scene as Josh interrogates his professor, badgering him into admitting his hatred for God.  This leads to Josh getting in the final blow: "How can you hate someone who doesn't exist."  The audience gasps and Christians let out a celebratory cheer.  But I'm afraid it just wasn't the mind-changing hit to me that it should have been.  Catching his professor in a logical fallacy isn't really making the case for God; it's just making the professor look silly.  (And any professor should have seen that coming a mile away.  I did and I'm not that smart.)

Finally, I was amazed at how flippantly the movie dealt with death.  I guess we can smile at death or the prospect of dying as long as the person knows Jesus.  Yes, we can rejoice in the eternity Jesus offers us when we know Him, but that doesn't erase the sadness and loss that death brings to those left behind.

On a positive note, the arguments made by our young student are well articulated and spark thinking by the audience.  (Honestly, I love apologetics and debate.) I was glad to see respected Christian philosophers and scientists quoted in the debate.

Ultimately, I think most of my criticisms are simply my own and that most people will come out of seeing "God's Not Dead" feeling encouraged in their faith.  And that's okay.  But please beware of how you think of and treat those who disagree with you.  Cause it's the love of Christ that will lead people to Him, not harsh words of debate or short-sighted caricatures of them.

Flame on...

Superhero (as told by the Stoops family)

With 3 boys, our house is full of superhero toys, costumes, and weapons.  We love to play but sometimes our superheroes combine into new and different guys.  So here's the story of our life.

Quick Review: "Son of God"

Before I get into discussing "Son of God", let me start by saying that I don't really like most Christian movies.   Whenever they come to town,  every church-goer around begins moralizing about how we should support any movie with "Christian values". Too often they're poorly written, poorly acted, with terrible special effects, and often bad theology.   (Don't get me started on the prosperity theology of "Facing the Giants".) So I was skeptical when "The Bible" came to History Channel and even more so when they made their Jesus footage into a full length movie. But as I drove by our local theater this week and saw that the movie shows at 7pm on Wednesdays, I thought this might be a good thing to do for our youth group time.  After all,  we can discuss the movie, whether good or bad at our next group time.

I'm not movie critic but here's what I thought of "Son of God" after watching tonight.

To sum it up. Not bad. Overall, "Son of God" did a good job of telling the story of Jesus' life allowing the watcher to connect with the characters and the drama within it. I found myself with goosebumps as Jesus performed miracles, stood up to the religious leaders, and certainly when He appeared to Mary at the empty tomb. There were even moments when I couldn't help but think,  "Dang, Jesus was BA." I think the movie is good enough to tell an important story without taking too much away from it.

But, yes, there were some issues.   First, the English accent Jesus has annoys me. Is there a reason that a first century Jew that spoke Aramaic should be British in a movie? Is American English not as "Jesus-y"?  (I won't go into the issues with a super white Jesus.) And there were moments where Jesus descends into very cliche lines almost straight out of the KJV, many of which were poorly placed. For instance, as Peter gets into an altercation, Jesus says, "Peter, turn the other cheek." Peter hadn't been slapped and Jesus hadn't taught that lesson. It happened again when Peter cuts off a soldier's ear at Jesus' arrest. Jesus spits out a very cliche, "Those who live by the sword, die by the sword." And it's enough to make Peter drop his sword on the ground.  Ugh. (Yes, it's part of what Jesus says to Peter in some gospels, but was not said alone and in such a cliche way.)

I also had a bit a hard time with the effects.  The Temple looked like a toy model and so did the city of Jerusalem. Most miracles look decent, but the beating and crucifixion were a little less than realistic. Maybe the violence and realism of "The Passion of the Christ" make anything else look lame, but after almost 40 lashes, Jesus' back was in too good of shape. (Though, honestly, it was probably the right choice to reach a wider audience, so I'll give them a pass.)

When it comes down to it, there were moments that I recognized issues, but it's a worthwhile movie. I can't recall any major eye-rolling, and I felt very satisfied with the movie. My youth loved it; many were moved to tears. There is no perfect Jesus movie. Every one of them will fall short of the reality of God's Son coming to earth, but this one is worth seeing, talking about, and using as a slightly out-of-focus picture of the Gospel story.

Oh, and there was one great moment! SPOILER ALERT! Jesus goes to the tomb of His friend Lazarus who died 4 days earlier to raise him from the dead.  Jesus walks around behind Lazarus who's lying on a slab on his back. Jesus bends down and kisses his friend on the top of the head, suddenly opens His eyes, and then so does Lazarus. It was a powerful moment and a great way for them to show an amazing encounter.

My 2 cents...

Too much Walking Dead?

I used to be scared of my bedroom.  There, I said it.  When my family moved to this new town and new house, for the first time I got my own room.  At 10 years old, I was excited to have my own space where my brother couldn't lay his wet towels on my bed any longer.  But there was a problem.  In this particular house, the way to the attic was in my closet.

Let me paint a picture for you.  You open the door to my nice walk-in closet and see space for clothes as any other closet would have, until you turn to the right.  To the right in the closet are large steps leading up to a square hole in the ceiling that would take you into the attic.  But that area wasn't covered with a door.  Instead a styrofoam piece about 3 inches thick fit into the ceiling doorway to the attic.  And on a windy day, I could open my closet door to see that styrofoam lifting up as if some axe murderer was getting ready to make his way down to me.  It. Was. Terrifying.  So most nights I piddled around until my brother's bedtime so I could go and sleep in his room.

Needless to say, I was not a fan of scary movies either.  We weren't allowed to watch the classics like Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, or Friday the 13th; and that was fine by me.  I'd get nightmares from watching the trailers for those movies on television.

So when The Walking Dead came to AMC I had no interest.  Even as an adult I have little interest in gory horror movies, and still don't understand people's obsession with being scared.  But more and more, people told me how great this show is.  And I began to feel a bit tempted to try it out.  So through the magic of Netflix, Katie and I sat down to begin the first season of TWD.  Long story short: we watched 2 episodes and were done.  Too gory, too terrifying.  (I mean, this is a worst nightmare scenario.  Disgusting looking zombies eating you alive.  No thanks.)  

A few months passed and the lure to try TWD again was strong; more of my friends and family were hooked and I was missing out.  So I decided to try again, but with a catch.  I only watch during daylight.  Otherwise my sleep is too affected.  

I watched three and a half seasons in about three weeks.  (I would have gone faster but the sun kept setting every day.)  And something crazy happened; I stopped being grossed out or afraid of zombies.  My friends and family were right that the show is phenomenal.  It is fascinating to watch what happens to people when the structures of civilization fall apart.  The zombies are an important part, but they are more the cause that allow you see the effects on human characters.  And no matter how gory and tense the episodes, I find them affecting me less and less.  

I've gotten used to zombies!!  

Is this what happens with sin in our lives?

Those things that we used to think were abhorrent become the norm when we let them little by little into our daily lives.

I've read that in support groups for broken marriages they call this "the fog".  This term refers to the way that living in the midst of sin begins to fog up a person's ability to see right and wrong.  When sin makes its way into our lives and goes unchecked, it begins to change us.

Have you ever experienced "the fog"? Have you been desensitized by sin?  Don't worry, there's a way out.  Encountering Jesus has a way to cut through the fog so you can see reality.

It worked for Zacchaeus.  A tax collector, traitor to his own people, cheat, and sinner; one encounter with Jesus and the fog was lifted.  (Luke 19)

I love that story.  This "wee little man" must have known that something was different about Jesus because he was determined enough to scurry up a tree to see Jesus walking by.  The Bible never says if Jesus even mentioned Zacchaeus' sin, but almost immediately the man was changed.

It may not be that sudden, but reconnecting to Jesus will always get through the muck so you can see clearly again.