A Day With Reggie McNeal

Yesterday Reggie McNeal was in Tulsa for a one-day type of conference. Reggie is an author and consultant to churches who desire to transition from an attractional church model to a missional one. Perhaps his most well known book is The Present Future.

Here as some notes and soundbytes that I wrote down. Some of the quotes may not be verbatim, but should be pretty close.

One of his first points was that as leaders and congregations we don’t really see the outside world as God sees it. Were to busy trying to steer the mothership (read as the church) to even know what is going on. He challeneged church staffs to go to Starbucks, Wal Mart, a local mall, and just sit for 90 minutes and describe what they see. He said we are concerned about the 99 when Jesus is concerned about the one. The heart of the father is with the one.

Essentially he said we are the pharisees and that the reason we can’t see the world the way Jesus sees it is that we are trapped by a “come and get evangelism” approach, which was the pharisees approach. We want people to become like us and come to us on our terms before they can become part of the club. It is hard for us to realize that Jesus didn’t like pharisees.

They way forward is at least twofold: 1) We must shift paradigms from an internal focus (church centric) to an external focus (kingdom centric), and 2) shift from being program driven to people development.

Here are some quotes:

“Most of us got into ministry to change the world, but instead we got sucked into the church.”

“We think Jesus only hangs out at church.”

“The church has shrinked wrapped God’s redemptive activity.”

“Pharisees think they can clean fish first before they catch them.”

“People are desperate for God, but we give them the church, they need God.”

“The Spirit of God is always at work outside of the church.”

“The church is not the hope of the world Jesus is.”

“It is not every member a minister, but every member a missionary.”

Here are some questions he suggested we ask people in order to help them in their development.

1. What do you enjoy doing?
2. Where do you see God most at work?
3. What would you like to see God do over the next 6-12 months? How can we help?
4. How would you like to serve other people? How can we help?

I missed the last hour so I am not sure where he concluded. Much of this stuff is not new, especially if you have followed the emrerging church conversation, but to a primarily Southern Baptist crowd he set off some time bombs.

The Friday Quotes

“Most Christians live lives of practical atheism. … Atheism isn’t explicitly a denial of God, it’s to live in a way that God does not matter.” Stanley Hauerwas

“Never be entirely idle; but either be reading, or writing, or praying or meditating or endeavoring something for the public good.” Thomas A Kempis

“We must become holy not because we want to feel holy but because Christ must be able to live his life fully in us.” Alan Hirsch

“When we become aware that we do not have to escape our pains, but that we can mobilize them into a common search for life, those very pains are transformed from expressions of despair into signs of hope”. Henri Nouwen

“When I have money, I get rid of it quickly, lest it find a way into my heart.” John Wesley

“It is better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness.” Eleanor Roosevelt

Phat Drum Grooves

Well, I picked up the old drum sticks and being playing again. I have played off and on over the last 10 years, not professionally, mostly in local worship settings.

Recently, a friend of mine here in Tulsa asked if I would be interested in playing in a small band with him. I was both anxious and thrilled. I was nervous because I have never had formal lessons or training (code word for I am not very good) and excited because I have always wanted to be a part of a real band (I have lots of air band experience) Not sure what will become of it. We have been practicing the last couple months about once a week. Our first time to play publicly will be September 21st outdoors in the Brookside area @36th and Peoria (courtyard of Brookside Baptist Church). We will be part of a blessing of the bikes ceremony for a local motorcycle association. Ought to be intersting and fun. We will do about a 4-5 song set before the main band plays. We will do mostly cover songs from the 70’s rock genre.

Anyway, I have been listening to a lot of drum grooves to try and pick up some sticking patterns and various techniques. Here are some my favorite drum grooves.

1. Fool In The Rain - Led Zeppelin
2. Lowdown - Boz Skaggs
3. Rosanna - -Toto
4. Peg - Steely Dan
5. Pick Up The Pieces - Average White Band

Capitalism, Poverty, and the Gospel

It is no secret that there is a growing chasm in the world between the rich and the poor. Here are some interesting stats from the Causes of Poverty site.

*Half the world — nearly three billion people — live on less than two dollars a day.

*The GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of the poorest 48 nations (i.e. a quarter of the world’s countries) is less than the wealth of the world’s three richest people combined.

*The wealthiest nation on Earth has the widest gap between rich and poor of any industrialized nation.

*20% of the population in the developed nations, consume 86% of the world’s goods.

For Americans, particularly those of us who consider ourselves followers of Jesus, responding to these stats involve a wide range of issues that we must wrestle and grapple with.

First, we must deal with what the Gospel says our response should be to the poor. If liberation theology has done anything, it has at least sounded the alarm that we need to pay attention to the poor. Jesus himself echoes the words of the OT prophets when he says I have come to proclaim good news to the poor and to free those who have been oppressed. If we forget and ignore the plight of the poor then we have lost sight of a crucial element of the Gospel.

Second, we must critique and evaluate a system (capitalism) which has not only been embedded into our cultural DNA and has made us its economic beneficiaries, but has also contributed to much of the disparity listed in the above stats. Thus, many of us have been awakened to the fact that capitalism has a dark side. So, how do we guard against hyper-consumerism and oppressing the poor, and how do we lessen the gap between rich and poor in a capitialistic society and/or global economy? Is and can capitialism be a just and equitable system? If so how do we make it such?

Third, involves a discipleship response. What do we need to change in our own personal lifestyle in order to respond to these economic issues? Do we vow and seek to live a more simple life? Do we boycott certain companies? Do we move to the inner city or the poorest countries to live among the poor in order to stand in solidarity with them?

In addition, how are we to understand Jesus’ call to the rich young ruler that in order to follow Jesus he must first sell all his posessions and give to the poor, and then come and follow Jesus? Is that a universal call? What about the early church in Acts who sold their posessions and gave the funds to those in need? Does the NT call for this communal utopia of sorts? If we are to be a genersous and giving people how can we give to those in need if we have nothing ourselves to give, didn’t the early church find themselves in this very predicament? How then should we view wealth, and understand competing econoimic systems?

These are some of the issues that I am struggling to think through…

The Friday Quotes

“It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.” Mother Teresa

“”A white boy that makes C’s in college can make it to the White House.” Chris Rock

“In the Church of Jesus Christ there can and should be no non-theologians” Karl Barth

“Charity is no substitute for justice withheld.” St. Augustine

“Life’s most urgent question is: what are you doing for others?” Martin Luther King

“When someone asks you, A penny for your thoughts, and you put your two cents in, what happens to the other penny?” George Carlin

“Does the Gospel I preach and teach have a natural tendency to cause people who hear it to become full-time students of Jesus?” Dallas Willard

Greatest Bands In Heaven

Yesterday MSN had a fun article exploring which musicians who have passed away are getting together in heaven to play. They created a “dream team” of bands that might possibly be playing gigs together in the heavenlies. Here are two bands I put together whom I would definitely like to see jam together.

Ultimate House of Blues:
Janis Joplin - lead vocals
Stevie Ray Vaughn - lead guitar, vocals
Brian Jones - rythym guitar (Rolling Stones)
Neil Redding - bass (from Jimi Hendrix Experience)
John Bonham - drums (Led Zeppelin)

Psychadelic Rock Experience
Freddy Mercury - lead vocals (Queen)
Jimi Hendrix - lead guitar, vocals
John Lennon - rythym guitar, vocals
John Enthistle - bass (The Who)
Jeff Porcaro - drums (Toto)

Which dead musicians would you like to see play together? What name would you give them?

Let’s Build A Bridge

Warning:Plot Spolier Ahead

I recently watched the film Bridge To Terabithia. I have to say I was completely caught off guard and unprepared for the subject matter this movie explored.

The story is about a somewhat shy 10 year old boy named Jess. He is the middle child in a family of all girls, and desperately wants to please his rather demanding father, who seems to show favoritism towards his daughters. His family lives in a humble home out in the country and they struggle financially to make ends meet.

A new girl named Leslie moves into a house just down the road from Jess. At first Jess is rather reluctant to speak to her, primarily because she won a race at school that Jess had trained for and hoped to win. But Leslie wins him over after she offers him a piece of gum on the school bus. As the friendship grows Leslie discovers that Jess is a rather gifted artist, and Jess is envious of the healthy relational dynamics of Leslie’s family.

However, they encounter the brunt of bullying both at school and on the bus rides to and from. In order to escape the difficulties at school and the complexities of home life, they venture out into the woods and create an imaginary world called Terabithia. Here they become rulers of this mythological world. The menacing creatures and characters of Terabithia are based on those who give them a hard time at school. Most days they scurry off the bus, run into the woods, swing on a rope across a creek, and playfully enter into their imaginary world.

Their frienship continues to strengthen day by day. On one occassion, Leslie surprises Jess by giving him an art kit for his birthday, and in return Jess buys Leslie a puppy. The next day as they enter into Terabithia it is evident that the creek is beginning to swell and rise. The following day the story takes a quite dramatic and unsuspecting turn.

Ms Edmunds, Jess’s music teacher, asks Jess if he would be interested in going into the city to tour an art museum. As they pass by Leslie’s house Jess thinks about inviting her, but really wants to spend that time with just Ms Edmunds, as he has a secret crush on her. As they return home Jess’s father and mother had been worried all day about where he was, even though he asked them if he could go. His father painfully shared the news that Leslie had drowned earlier that day.

Jess was devastated, couldn’t believe it, and feels responsible. If he had only invited Leslie to go with him to the art museum. His father consoles him and reassures him that it wasn’t Jess’s fault. However, the pain of losing is best friend is still present. The rest of the story revolves around Jess building a bridge over the creek where she drowned that served as the entrance into Terabithia. He crowns his younger sister, May, the princess of Terabithia.

As I watched this with my 9 year old son I could tell I needed to be prepared to have several conversations with him once this movie ended. Its not that I didn’t want to talk to him, I just wasn’t expecting a disney movie to give birth to such conversatons. The themes ranged from how to respond to bullying, what it means to be a good friend, relationship with parents, how to treat your siblings, death, heaven and hell, and the importance of imagination and creativity.

One unexpected example is there is a point in the movie where Jess, Leslie, and May were riding in the back of a truck on the way home from church. The topic they were discussing was hell and why people would go there. Here is what Leslie says in her response “I seriously do not think God goes around damning people to hell.” Jess: “Why not?” Leslie: “He’s too busy making all this!” (referring to creation itself.) I think this is the first time my son heard of the idea and place called hell.

I highly recommend this movie it is a great story, but if you watch it with your children just be prepared to have some hard conversations with them. Also beware, your adult sensibilities may be reminded of your need to recapture the immagination and creativity of your childhood, or also pondering the bridge as a metaphor for redemption or a symbol and marker for keeping the memory of someone alive.

See You At The Pole (A Rant)

I recently recieved information regarding the upcoming SYATP event in Septemebr. Now I have been a youth pastor for the better part of my adult life and have participatred in and provided leadership to SYATP events since its inception as a nationwide event. So I have witnessed how it has evolved over time. Now let me say up front I am all for people praying…it is a spiritual practice that Jesus encourages us to do and serves as an avenue to connect with and know God. I also think the story about how this event was birthed is an incredible and inspiring story you can read hear. But it is troubling to see what it has become.

It seems that Jesus spoke of the value and importance of private prayer, and discourages people (his disciples in particular) from demonstrating ones practice of prayer in order to be seen publicly (Matt 6) Alternately, He encourages them to go into their closet and offer their prayers in privacy, so that only God knows and can reward them accordingly. Now I don’t think Jesus discourages public prayer, particualry within the context of a worshiping community, but I also don’t see much value in generic public event prayers either.

My experience with SYATP has been that it has been a public spectacle where many times very little praying was actually done, or when prayers were being offered it was quite difficult to focus on prayer itself. Here is how a typical SYATP went.

First, there are noramlly parents (mostly moms), sometimes youth pastors, who show up and have donuts, oj, and milk to serve. Second, there is usually a band or individual from one of the local youth groups who leads out in some worship songs. Third, someone either sang, shared testimony, performed a skit, read scripture, and/or all four.

Now usually the start time is at 7am. Most of the places I was at school started around 8am. So by the time we got through the above elements there was maybe 10-15 miniutes left to pray. Most SYATP events are obviously done around the flagpole (seems strange for Christ followers to gather under the symbolism of empire), which is usually in the center of the school, and every school I was a part of the flagpole was right near the bus loading zone. So during prayer the backdrop was loud busses pulling in and out, students talking loudly as they step off, and many of the participating students looking around during the prayer to see whose watching. So 45 minutes of pre-prayer elements and 10 minutes given to pray for a prayer focussed event.

Unfortuantely, part of the problem was the youth pastors who helped students plan it. Many of them had this vision that SYATP was to be used to “attract” and “entice” “un-churched” students to come stand at the pole, thus the event had to have a fun and exciting vibe, otherwise Christ following students might get labeled as boring. I kid you not its true I sat in on those planning meetings!

SYATP has also become a marketing spectacle. There are T-shirts, bracelets, badges, stickers, necklaces, book covers, follow up materials, promo packets for youth pastors, all packaged nicely for purchase. In addition, many local christian radios would announce and cover the event live from local schools, do interviews, and announce final head count of those in attendance. SYATP even has a place online one can go to enter your school numbers after the event takes place.

There are also pre-pole rallies and after pole rallies, where many churches spend lots of money to promote and celebrate their self righteous acts continue their attitude of prayer. They show video montages of each school, give number counts, give away T-shirts, have students share their exeprience, invite big name bands, and have speakers come and motivate students not to miss this incredible student prayer movement that is sweeping accross the country and globe. For a student led movement there sure seems like a lot of adults are pushing, promoting, financing, and marketing this thing.

All of a sudden it doens’t seem to be about prayer at all. SYATP states on their website that this is not a demonstration nor do they see any violation or contradiction to the ethics Jesus espouses in Matthew 6. Is this the kind of thing Jesus envisioned as he discussed prayer? Is SYATP a true prayer movement?

In all my years of youth ministry I never saw students, or youth pastors for that matter, get that excited about prayer. But by golly when SYATP rolled around in September all of a sudden people become “passionate” and “energized” about prayer. I witnessed very few if any students continue to get up early to pray for their school even just once a week after the SYATP event. What are we really teaching students about prayer with this once a year side show?

What if…students decided they wanted to pray more like Jesus described in Matt 6? No T-shirts, no rallies, no stickers, no flyers, no radio broadcasts, no promo videos, no creative themes or logos, no microphones, no bands, no flagpoles, no donuts, no press releases, no number counts, only an upper room closet on the top floor of their school. What would that do to the SYATP image or marketing strategy?

Surely there is another way…

Faith, Reason, and Irrationality

I have been thinking a lot about the relationship between faith and reason. Primarily as to whether or not the two are compatible. Can and/or should one use reason to articulate faith? Is there a point at which one must toss out reason or depart from rational thinking in order to embrace faith? Thus, conceding faith to irrationality. If faith is then irrational does that negate one from acting reasonable or foster and encourage irrational behavior? What then becomes rational and irrational behavior? In addition, if faith is deemed irrational what does that say about how one can know anything definitive about God, especially if we work from the premise that God created us with a mind capable of reasoning skills and then asks us at some point to abandon it? If we are given reasoning skills how do we know when to use reason and when to abandon it and enter the realm of faith? Or should reason be abandoned all together when it comes to issues surrounding faith? Or do they work together?

It seems that holding onto either extreme leads one to either atheism and agnosticism or to irrational beings and religious fundementalism and fanatacism…with almost no room for the middle ground. Surely there is a middle ground?

One of the critiques of the church during the period of moderinity is that they married the spirit of the age…in this case the age of reason…and thus have seemingly utilized and allowed philosophy to dictate the task of theology. On the other hand, non-theists have pointed out some of the philosophical and fundemental problems in relation to the premises of revealed religion and our pre-suppositions towards belief in God, which begs the question how do we answer our critics or better yet how should their criticisms shape and inform our own understandings about faith and theology or knowledge about God?

Now I confess several things. One, I may have just rattled a hornets nest that I will never be able to settle. Second, I only dabble in philosophy which means I know very little or nothing at all about the discipline, and find it quite dense and at times impossible to grasp, not to mention there are mounds of it to read. Third, this question is an old one, but seems to still be significant and worth asking, since philosophy and theology seems to work in close proximity. Fourth, it is important to wrestle through because we all have pre-suppostions and all make faith statements and confessions, thus it is significant to see where our ideas logically play out and consumate. Lastly, the complexity and volumes of material to sort through to help answer these questions seems overwhelming, thus, blind and simple faith seems much more appealing and less laborious to me. But the questions still swarm in my head and must be asked.

Just thinking…

Where Were You When…

This last week was the 30 year anniversary of Elvis Pressley’s passing. He was perhaps the first pop culture icon in America, and could be credited for creating the pop music revolution.

I was eight years old when he passed away, and I remember sitting in the living room with my dad’s brother (who was a musician) watching TV when the news came across the screen. My uncle Danny was devastated and I remember seeing him cry as he learned that one of his musical heroes had died.

Where were you when Elvis died? Or how about the events below:

When Ronald Regan was shot: I was in 6th grade and our principal had all the 6th grade classes move to the library to watch the news coverage. I also remember SNL making fun of the news coverage by creating a parody where Buckwheat from the Little Rascals gets shot.

When the Space Shuttle Challenger Blew Up:I was a junior in high school, and I had stayed home from school that day. I remember getting up and turning on the TV minutes after it had happened. Shocking

The Fall of the Berlin Wall: I was in my junior year of college and was just finishing up a semester in which I was enrolled in a Russian history class. It was truly a historical moment. The world certainly changed that year. Perhaps that was the end of the 20th century even though there was 10 years left to go.

The OKC Bombing: I was on staff at a church in Bartlesville and I was taking my pastor’s son to school that day when we heard the devastating news come over the radio. The next day was a state wide youth ministry meeting in OKC, after that a few of us went to the bombing site. Astonishingly we were able to get within 1000 feet of the site. Unforgettable.

Columbine Shooting: I had just heard the news briefly before I left to take our youth group in Bartlesville to a DC Talk concert in Tulsa. I didn’t find out about the horrifying details until the next day.

F5 Tornado in OKC: I remember watching the weatherman track this storm and watching all the live coverage and devastaing destruction on TV. Later that summer our youth group went to help clean up, and I was stunned by the catastrophe. I have never seen a war zone before, but that is how I would describe the scene I saw. I will forever hold that picture in my mind’s eye.

9/11: I had gone into the office early that morning and was online when I discovered the breaking story. I logged onto MSNBC to watch the live streaming coverage. That day the world changed.