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Thursday, October 7, 2010
Starratt Road Makes a Difference
Check out what we are doing this Sunday. Ask me more or find us on Facebook, facebook.com/starrattroad
Tension is Good
Sitting in the worship waiting for Andy to hit the stage to speak to us this morning at Catalyst.
The theme of the conference is Tension, focusing on Tension being good. Wanted to think on this for a minute. This seems counterintuitive for us. We like peace, harmony and lack of discord. We don't like for the boat to be rocked at all.
But isn't Tension good? It creates a space for us to make change, think things through differently. To challenge the ways that we have always done things. It allows us to get beyond the sacred cows that too often get hung up on and refuse to leave behind. Tension is good because it allows for more people to join the conversation we are having. Getting people to join in and share their story within our story is the key to effecting change in those we encounter.
People don't want a monologue. They want a dialogue.Will you join the conversation? Will you join the discussion and be the catalyst for change?
The theme of the conference is Tension, focusing on Tension being good. Wanted to think on this for a minute. This seems counterintuitive for us. We like peace, harmony and lack of discord. We don't like for the boat to be rocked at all.
But isn't Tension good? It creates a space for us to make change, think things through differently. To challenge the ways that we have always done things. It allows us to get beyond the sacred cows that too often get hung up on and refuse to leave behind. Tension is good because it allows for more people to join the conversation we are having. Getting people to join in and share their story within our story is the key to effecting change in those we encounter.
People don't want a monologue. They want a dialogue.Will you join the conversation? Will you join the discussion and be the catalyst for change?
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Individuality vs. Community
As sit here taking a break for the labs at #CAT10 I am reminded of a subject that I wanted to share with y'all.
I'm reminded of it because this morning I was very excited, yet nervous and anxious about coming to Catalyst. I was excited because this potentially could be one of the most amazing things to happen to me this year. Being at a conference where 17,000 other church leaders are with the ideas and questions and techniques and all of the glory that God can bring to an event like this... but at the same time I knew of no one that I know that was going to be here. So I facebooked a fellow Jax youth minister to see if he was gonna be here. A friend of mine saw this post and suggested that I meet some of her friends she knew were gonna be here. So I texted them and have potentially made some new friends (at least digital ones). We will be hooking up tomorrow. As I wandered around the open area where all the vendors are I randomly ran into an elder from Campus Church in Gville and was able to see him and his wife along with Campus' new Family Minister. I've never met Phil. I think there might be a new friendship there as well. We went on to sit during 2 labs and lunch together.
So I went from knowing no one, to being able to connect with other 'real' people. Also, I have increased the number of people I follow on Twitter while here. Building digital relationships as well.
I like my alone time, don't get me wrong. But I also like my people time. God created us for community. Remember in the Garden when he said it is not good for man to be alone? I think this was speaking to a greater desire than for us just to have mates, but to the desire that we need community. Our lives are not meant to be lived in seclusion. Reggie Joiner said in his Lab today, "There is a difference between doing faith alone and owning your own faith... we need to own our own faith, but we CANNOT do faith alone." I totally agree with him.
We have to have others to help us through this life, we can't do it alone.
Who is in your community that helps you through life?
I'm reminded of it because this morning I was very excited, yet nervous and anxious about coming to Catalyst. I was excited because this potentially could be one of the most amazing things to happen to me this year. Being at a conference where 17,000 other church leaders are with the ideas and questions and techniques and all of the glory that God can bring to an event like this... but at the same time I knew of no one that I know that was going to be here. So I facebooked a fellow Jax youth minister to see if he was gonna be here. A friend of mine saw this post and suggested that I meet some of her friends she knew were gonna be here. So I texted them and have potentially made some new friends (at least digital ones). We will be hooking up tomorrow. As I wandered around the open area where all the vendors are I randomly ran into an elder from Campus Church in Gville and was able to see him and his wife along with Campus' new Family Minister. I've never met Phil. I think there might be a new friendship there as well. We went on to sit during 2 labs and lunch together.
So I went from knowing no one, to being able to connect with other 'real' people. Also, I have increased the number of people I follow on Twitter while here. Building digital relationships as well.
I like my alone time, don't get me wrong. But I also like my people time. God created us for community. Remember in the Garden when he said it is not good for man to be alone? I think this was speaking to a greater desire than for us just to have mates, but to the desire that we need community. Our lives are not meant to be lived in seclusion. Reggie Joiner said in his Lab today, "There is a difference between doing faith alone and owning your own faith... we need to own our own faith, but we CANNOT do faith alone." I totally agree with him.
We have to have others to help us through this life, we can't do it alone.
Who is in your community that helps you through life?
Thoughts from Ron Edmondson & Pete Wilson
This is a great post that need to read. Pete is right on target with this.
http://www.ronedmondson.com/2010/10/pete-wilson-plan-b-for-church-leaders-at-catalyst-lab.html
I wanted to post what Pete had to say, but felt like I was stealing from two sources, not just one so I'm posting the link here for all you read.
What do you think about what he has to say?
http://www.ronedmondson.com/2010/10/pete-wilson-plan-b-for-church-leaders-at-catalyst-lab.html
I wanted to post what Pete had to say, but felt like I was stealing from two sources, not just one so I'm posting the link here for all you read.
What do you think about what he has to say?
Friday, October 1, 2010
Toxicity
I just couldn't help myself with these two great pics of coffee. But the toxic one is really the heart of the matter here.
Why is it, the things that are most toxic to us are the things that we desire the most? I feel this way with many things, coffee being one of them.
It gives me heartburn/acid reflux but I just can't help myself sometimes... strike that most of the time. It just tastes so good. I used to keep the coffee industry in business by myself. Not any longer.
I think of the fruit on the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The very thing that we couldn't have, was the only thing (seems like) that Adam and Eve wanted. It was toxic. God even warned them: ‘Don’t eat from it; don’t even touch it or you’ll die.’
It doesn't get any more toxic than that... this even came with a warning label of its toxicity.
Look any other list of sins in the Scriptures and they are all toxic to not only ourselves as individuals, but to the community with which we associate (whether that's a faith community or not). Think about. Doesn't it seem at times though, that we are drawn to the behaviors which destroy our community and ourselves? Why is that? What is it about something that is toxic to us that we can't ever seem to get enough of it?
Is it some sort of design within that compels us to constantly move that way? I suspect we live in a fallen world in which what we value most has been distorted and maybe even destroyed to the level where we don't even or can't even recognize on a subconscious level we are drawn to that which destroys. Does that make any sense? What I'm trying to say is, as a being in a fallen world where sin is now the predisposition we are more likely to move towards sin. If this is the case then it makes sense that we would be drawn to what destroys us... we almost can't help it. We are stuck in a cycle of destruction with no way out...
Or are we? Yes & no. We are stuck and there is no way out... except through the blood of Christ. He is the only one to save us from ourselves. Christ came to seek and save the lost. That would be us.
How can we overcome that which is Toxic to us? Only by asking Christ to assist us in that struggle.
Daily rely on him in prayer.
Daily trust in him for strength.
Daily seek him to guide us.
Daily let his experience (as one who struggle through this life too) get us through to the end.
I Love it when a Plan comes Together
What we consider Plan B, God considers Plan A.
Swiped this from a dude I follow on twitter, Lance Morgan.
It seems appropriate. Never though of it in those terms though.
Think of all the 'plan b's' in scripture and how they obviously were God's intended purpose. To name a few:
*Christ on the cross
*Abraham & Isaac
*Noah & the ark
*a system of animal sacrifice that could only atone for sin a year at time vs the substitutionary death of God himself.
Only a couple of examples to illustrate that God always has a plan. In the immortal words of Hannibal Smith, I suspect God sits back and comments that he loves it when a plan comes together.
Swiped this from a dude I follow on twitter, Lance Morgan.
It seems appropriate. Never though of it in those terms though.
Think of all the 'plan b's' in scripture and how they obviously were God's intended purpose. To name a few:
*Christ on the cross
*Abraham & Isaac
*Noah & the ark
*a system of animal sacrifice that could only atone for sin a year at time vs the substitutionary death of God himself.
Only a couple of examples to illustrate that God always has a plan. In the immortal words of Hannibal Smith, I suspect God sits back and comments that he loves it when a plan comes together.
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