This is a guest post from Steel. Yes, Steel. Kind of like Cher, but not.
The modern, and by modern I mean the last 30+ years, approach to Christianity has become like some sort of college degree program. It’s like we’re all trying to achieve some state of learnedness, only its pursuit is perpetual. And that doesn’t seem reasonable does it?
The human brain has an amazing ability to justify its own actions (or inactions). It’s scary, really. We can convince ourselves of the legitimacy of almost anything.
Below are some of the most widely-used excuses for not integrating social media into the lifeblood of a church. Most are based on a misconception of what social media actually is. Some are based in obstinacy. Some are legit concerns.
Maybe you’ve heard some of these before. Maybe you’ve used some of these before. Either way, I think these will be helpful in moving the ball forward in your church and its use of social media.
Vincent Van Gogh is one of my favorite artists. His paintings are considered by many to be the epitome of Impressionism. I ran across this painting by Van Gogh today, and was not only struck by its beauty, but sensed something more in the symbolism of its colors and form, so I decided to do a little research. Here’s what I found out:
This is a guest post from friend and fellow Bethel Seminary grad Adam Silverness.
The Church is in transition. This is not the first time this has happened and certainly won’t be the last. Whether you are on the front edge of this shift, trying to convince your friends and family you’re not a heretic, or you are holding on to your traditions for dear life, the shift is undeniable.
Now if you’re like me and you are closer to edge, trying to push this transition forward, you are having a very difficult time explaining yourself to those around you. Whether they are at your church, your school or in your family, the task of playing the ‘postmodern’ in your community can be a taxing one. This gets even tougher when you aren’t really sure where you believe the Church should go from here, but instead are only able to define your views in negatives (i.e. I don’t think the Church should be seen as a service on Sunday, I can’t accept that the only Biblical view of women is one of subservience, etc).
Jim Collins spoke a phrase at the Global Leadership Summit that has sat on the front ledge of my mind since I heard it:
A signature of mediocrity is chronic inconsistency.
Yes.
In my own life, and in the lives of those where I see mediocrity reigning supreme, no truer words have been spoken. Allow me to illustrate with a story.
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This is a street preacher.
This video was shot in downtown Des Moines on September 4th, 2010.
Is this a good idea or a bad idea? Is this helpful or hurtful?
What is the primary motivator in this scene? Is it a desire for people to know Jesus or an individual’s need to feel and be perceived as faithful?
What do you suppose people who are walking by are thinking about this man? About God? About the Bible? Jesus?
You decide.
If you’ve been around the church for any length of time, you’ve heard of people leaving the marketplace to go into full-time ministry.
“God’s called me out of my full-time job as a banker/accountant/clown/baker/realtor to be a pastor.”
I don’t doubt these promptings by the Spirit. But why is it that we never hear of the opposite?
Why do we hardly ever hear of people being called out of full-time ministry into the marketplace? Surely they exist.
Last week I took a look at a New York Times article that said clergy were fatter, sicker and sadder than the rest of the population.
I was expecting a little more push back on my post and the article itself, but surprisingly most all of you were in complete agreement with what the article stated. This is what reader Megan said:
Oh My Goodness! I have been hoping someone else would notice this! It’s becoming such a trend in our churches, and it’s simply unbecoming. I’m a PK, and debating on going into ministry because I don’t want to turn into this person.
Some more insights from reader Keith:
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The Summit hath cometh.
I’ll spare you the details, but the Global Leadership Summit at Willow Creek came and went last week and I’m still feeling the effects of it today!
Challenging speakers.
Ideas that I’m still mulling over.
Conviction to act rather than just sit and theorize.
All that from the Summit.
You can read all my live-blogged notes from the Summit here. Otherwise if you’re short on time, here are some of my favorite insights from each speaker:
