Well, if you haven't yet received your book, stop now and go to this link and select the "excerpt" and you will get 6 of the 7 pages of Chapter One. The last half-page is recap, so it will be enough to get you into the dialogue today.
Again, I picked up an extra copy of the book this weekend for anyone who wants it. Just let me know and you can come pick it up. $25 for the hardback version I have.
Okay, let's dive in to the book.
As I have said before, I have not read any of the book prior to this morning. I read the "Invitation" and Chapter One on the bike at the YMCA this morning. As I started chapter one, entitled "Fiona," I was expecting something about the church being an ogre, but being beautiful to other ogres. Fortunately that was not the case at all. Here are a few of the highlights for me in Chapter One...
"If God had not called Hugh to plant churches, he'd never go to church." (p1) I have to admit that I completely resonate with this statement made by Halter's wife. I'm not sure that my level of "jadedness" is quite where his is, but it's close. I can honestly say that if my only choices for "church" were the ones I grew up in, I'd definitely have every Sunday morning free to go to the beach or play golf - as it is, that's not my only option and I am planting a church...and I can still go to the beach or play golf on some Sunday mornings! I struggle with my frustration with the local church because I did have some good experiences growing up. My struggle today has more to do with the lack of fulfillment that church has for me if it doesn't extend outward beyond the walls of the building. God has called me to serve in a local church setting, to set a path for a preferred future, to be radically committed to the things Jesus was committed to (and is committed to), and to strip away anything that might hinder us in that pursuit. For me, Sunday morning attendance at church, is nothing more than an entertainment venue - and that's about me, not about the churches! I go and I sit and I listen to a decent "talk" and listen to good music and leave...and there is no real connection to the rest of my life. I feel like it's not much different than watching a good episode of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition," or maybe a "20/20." I get a little inspiration, but not much more. Shouldn't a gathering of Christ-followers worshipping the living God be more than that? For me, I think it has to be. If it's not, then I'll chuck it all.
"You've got to hear how he talks about God." (p6) Here is another stop-me-in-my-tracks statement. There is so much packed in this one little statement. Fiona, the waitress at the Irish pub in NYC, was so intrigued by Hugh's conversation about God that she grabbed her bartenders and brought them over to the table so they could join the conversation. Today's version of the woman at the well that Jesus talked to in John 4. I wish I was one of the bartenders. I want to hear more of the conversation. I want to know what made this conversation different than the ones I have with people. I was taught differently growing up. I was taught that when talking with people who are "lost" that you maneuver the conversation in such a way that presents the "gospel" so clearly that they have to make a decision...right then! Eternity is too important to let any opportunity slip by. Four spiritual laws...Roman Road to Salvation...Continuing Witness Training...Evangelism Explosion...all were canned expressions of a faith that is not contained in a formula. Uuugggghhh! This guy sat around with bartenders and waitresses telling them about "the only thing I knew they might like: Jesus and the alternative world he called the 'Kingdom of God.'" (p6) After the night-long conversation, he went outside and his heart broke for those people and others like them. Wow!
I have found that living in the bible belt, it's easier to talk to people about church than it is to talk about Jesus. Think about it. If you're like me, you've had more conversations with others about your church than you have about Jesus, right? In doing so, we just might be neglecting the "only thing they will be interested in." I was thinking about some of my new friends that don't go to church and I was wondering about the possibilities of them meeting and connecting with Jesus, but never attending church - ours or another. Is it possible? Is it even okay to think this way? My desire is to connect people to Jesus and to other Christ-followers, regardless of church attendance. Then, just maybe "church attendance" might be a response to the other two connections and what God is doing in their lives rather than a coming, hoping He will do something.
Okay, that's a longer post than I wanted it to be, but it's the first one and I'm excited. I'm going to try to keep each post from here forward on one thought. Let me know if you have the book or are waiting, so I won't move through too quickly. I'll probably be reading a chapter every day or every couple of days, then resting on the weekends. There are 21 chapters and I know it may be a lot to read a chapter a day or every other day, but you can do it! I'll try to start discussion early enough in the day to get things going. If the dialogue is good, then we will just enjoy that then move on. I'm really glad you are jumping in with us - at whatever level - and I hope that you will let us know your thoughts through the process.
You can respond to my post, something else in the chapter, or the "reflection" questions at the end of the chapter. Here they are if you don't have your book yet...
1. Describe some times in your life when you've wanted to tap out on God and the activities of the church.
2. Describe the last time your heart broke for someone.
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4 comments:
I was drawn to Hugh’s discussion on being a card-carrying member of the “jaded” denomination. He summed up my experiences with church when I was younger when he describes the jaded as, “people who have a hard time finding coherence between their faith in God and their experience in the church.” That was me- couldn’t see the reason for organized church and made me avoid going because I didn’t want to be a hypocrite or a clone.
I had to laugh about his late night pub conversations. I remember having “hard’ conversations with people who were followers and being the cynic who always challenged the systems that I saw as so flawed (I am sure I offended many people over the years but the ones that heard me out and didn’t beat me down with verses or tell me I was going to hell were the ones that allowed me to ultimately continue on my journey (they showed me grace- and I am sure I didn’t deserve it most of the time); the ones that tried to win the argument turned me even more hostile towards the church. Have to admit there are still times today that I have to hold my tongue because of the bitterness towards that kind of attitude- I get angry with my fellow Christians who can’t let go of the issues that aren’t eternal and in doing so push people away from Christ).
On the reflection questions I have to admit that most of my life (up until about 10 years ago) I was tapped out of church. As a kid I remember leaving the house on my bike on Sunday morning under the disguise of going to church but instead would stop at 7 Eleven to pick up some baseball cards and a drink. I’d hang out in the park until I knew church was over and head home with my additions to my collection. No one knew, no one cared, so went my spiritual life. As I got older it was easier to avoid- stay out late the night before and sleep through it. Of course I attended on holidays to keep mom happy but for the most part that was church to me. Memorize, recite, and check the box.
But as I let the question sink in I realized that just recently I took a flyer on church. I was very involved in a ministry but my role kept changing. It morphed as we grew and ultimately the things that had provided me joy and fulfillment in service were gone. I struggled with it for almost a year but couldn’t take it any more. When I addressed it I was heard but not listened to. I found that my gifts weren’t the issue it was my service (I was a body to them- or at least that’s how it felt). I left the ministry and slow withdrew. Over time the wall went up- when I finally addressed my feelings it was too late too much time had passed and my heart wasn’t in it. It took a long time to want to try it again but as Hugh puts it: “it was time to get back in the game” I wanted to be a part of the church again but only if it was different.
I had a stack of prayer requests left on my desk a couple of months ago. I had intended pray over them but hadn’t gotten to it. About a week ago I sat on my bed and read them all. My heart broke for the illness, broken relationships, abuse, financial struggles, and other things listed on the requests. There were some asking for someone else, some for themselves, for their spouses, for their children, for their parents, bosses, neighbors, and even teachers. As I read them I realized how much pain there is right in my back yard. How little hope some people have. How sometimes life isn’t fair. I struggled to find the words in my prayer because I felt so bad that so many people had so many things going on that made my issues look like specs of dust. I still have the stack and I’m going to make an effort to pray through them more often. God has drawn me to these unknown people and given me a glimpse into my neighbor’s lives.
On a far less serious note, I was in a waiting room today and glance over at the stack of magazines. One of which was the May issue of Oprah’s O magazine. The heading on the spine said something like, “simple spirituality.” I almost busted up laughing because of Hugh’s reference to Oprah and Larry King as “spiritual guides” to the extremely jaded.
very nice cubsfan...glad you read ahead and were able to post today! seriously, way to let it get inside you. I am really glad that you have "gotten back into the game" with us!
The gift God has given him- amazing. I walk in to Starbucks and look at the menu as though I'd never been there before. I see the people, and I think about their stories- a little. But inevitably I am back inside my lovely coffee, and it's about me. I like to make people comfortable, so I open doors, smile at the cashier, make small talk, try to compliment a stranger on their earrings or purse, smile or hair. I am scared to death of conflict, so the idea of sitting in a bar and having people challenge my faith makes my stomache drop to my feet. I want them to know what I know, but I'm not sure how to get over the bump of questions. I laughed out loud at his description of his cell phone being hurled in the air, but was saddened as I realized the metaphor in the shattered phone as it related to his dreams and hopes for the church.
The last time my heart broke for someone was a few months ago when American Idol had that Idol gives back episode-- they showed kids in Africa who had no parents becuase of AIDS. The oldest, a 15 year old, was in charge of the family. He had an AIDS test himself, and you could see the relief in his eyes, and the eyes of his siblings as the result came back negative. I wanted those kids to come live with us, and to be kids with my kids and only have to worry about what is for dinner!
The gift God has given him- amazing. I walk in to Starbucks and look at the menu as though I'd never been there before. I see the people, and I think about their stories- a little. But inevitably I am back inside my lovely coffee, and it's about me. I like to make people comfortable, so I open doors, smile at the cashier, make small talk, try to compliment a stranger on their earrings or purse, smile or hair. I am scared to death of conflict, so the idea of sitting in a bar and having people challenge my faith makes my stomache drop to my feet. I want them to know what I know, but I'm not sure how to get over the bump of questions. I laughed out loud at his description of his cell phone being hurled in the air, but was saddened as I realized the metaphor in the shattered phone as it related to his dreams and hopes for the church.
The last time my heart broke for someone was a few months ago when American Idol had that Idol gives back episode-- they showed kids in Africa who had no parents becuase of AIDS. The oldest, a 15 year old, was in charge of the family. He had an AIDS test himself, and you could see the relief in his eyes, and the eyes of his siblings as the result came back negative. I wanted those kids to come live with us, and to be kids with my kids and only have to worry about what is for dinner!
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