Expert on the Experts #3: A Hollow Fulfillment

I spoke earlier about how I was having disagreements with my Church's leadership.  I hope that no one misunderstands me that I dislike the people in my congregation or thought them poor Christians.  On the contrary, they are my friends, my brothers and sisters in Christ and they have helped my wife and I when my wife and I lived hundreds and thousands of miles from our family.  

Things were, for the most part, good then too... even though I was having disagreements.  Our congregation, as much as I love and loved it, had some issues.  Nothing out-of-the-ordinary for congregations like mine; we had questions and aspirations revolving around terms like "seeker sensitive" or "relevant" or "needs-based" or "modern" or cutting-edge worship, or "purpose-driven."  We needed more numbers; not for vanity's sake, but so we could reach souls.  But still, numbers (and what drew them or turned them away) became something of a discussion and slowly it became an obsession.  Our congregation was largely, spiritually immature and (by my own, imperfect and spiritually immature observation) and largely Biblically illiterate.  Some people wanted to take "Baptist" off of our Church name.  A few of them even suggested we take "Church" out of our name.  

7 Quick Takes Friday (vol.3)

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Lent snuck up on me.  Living in the Evangelical bubble, where lint is mentioned but never Lent, it is no surprise that it did so.  However some online friends of mine (translation: I have no life) have encouraged me to observe Lent in my imperfect little Baptist way.  That should be an interesting source for posts... not that I'm doing it for that reason!  

Expert on the Experts #2: Am I Guiding my Guide?

Don't misunderstand me I didn't have blind faith in people with degrees, books or popular pulpits.  I had always known that you could never 100% fully trust everything any human said.  We are all fallible, even the most brilliant of us.  But when the experts guided me through my interpretations of Scripture to arrive at the theology I accepted... it all made sense, I could see it so clearly.  But then I noticed something else... if an expert of an opposing theology guided me through the Scriptures I could (often, but certainly not always) see their point of view as well.

So... why was I choosing to listen to experts I had always chose to listen to?  There were other writers and people who were obviously smart who I would allow to influence me but I never considered them to be on my "go-to-list" for real theological answers.  Why had I always steered clear of the more post-modern or emerging Church guys like Rob Bell, Donald Miller or Brian McClaren?  Probably because I knew where they would lead me!  Why had I avoided writers whom I knew to be Methodists, or Pentecostals, or Presbyterians, Catholics or charismatics?  Probably because I knew where they would lead me!

Expert on the Experts #1: Which Expert?

It may seem like a strange subject to discuss but this train of thought was instrumental in whisking me off on a wild search for answers. Prior to thinking this thought I had always been content to keep my searches for truth safely locked inside my cozy house with the comforts of familiar names and authors, no theological loose ends and answers I half-knew already.  After thinking this thought I was startled to hear a booming knock on the door of my cozy house; it was the beckoning of Christian perspectives and traditions I had never before considered, all asking me to come outside and play.  I had rarely played with the other kids on my block.  My cozy cast of familiar experts said there was no reason to give them due consideration.

Good thoughts often come at times that do not seem to suit them.  The particular line of thought that is now on my mind came to me when I was unloading supplies for my youth center's cafe.   Somewhere between hauling flats of Mountain Dew and boxes of Kit-Kats it hit me.  I don't specifically remember what triggered this thought.  Something to do with somebody about something.  Anyhow this something said by this someone had really stuck in my craw.  I remember muttering to myself (as I often do when I get ruffled) the words spoken to me by this someone:  "Oh.  Oh, I see.  So you disagree with [Joe Expert]?"  said this someone.   "Do you think you are smarter than they are?  How many Ph.Ds do you have?  How many books have you written?"  

I was a little upset.  Actually I was pretty stinkin' annoyed.  The nerve of this someone to accuse me of arrogance and pride simply because I disagreed with a so-called expert.  It was a poor argument on their part, I knew it but I didn't have a good reply and I knew in their eyes I had "lost" that round.  Too bad I didn't have a good comeback:  Oh yeah, well the Jerk Store called and they're running out of you!!!!

7 Quick Takes Friday (vol.2)

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My first full week running a blog and what happens?  I get sick.  Sinus infection... my face feels like its been hit my a Mack truck.  That would explain why this is the only post over the past week.  I'm hoping to get one or two backed up posts finished in the next day or so once my brain escapes the crushing sinus pressure and can function again.

7 Quick Takes Friday (vol.1)

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I am gonna have to agree with my wife that it is way too cold out there.  That little bit of whining is coming from a guy who actually likes cold weather.   If we haven't been out of the single digits in nearly four days then maybe that is God's way of telling me it is time to relocate to a subtropical beach location.  For now I'll just stay on Hoth and wait for it thaw a little bit before I ride my Tauntaun out from Echo base to pick up some Wampa burgers for lunch.

Church and No-Man's-Land

I may be called many things, but a shop-a-holic isn't one them.  I'm not a violent anti-shopper, but honestly the only times I enjoy/tolerate shopping are when:

1)  I'm shopping for food
2)  I'm shopping for fun stuff
3)  I'm sure I get to eat Chipotle's at some point


It is one thing to shop for the temporary, fleeting things of life.  It is another thing entirely to shop for the timeless and permanent things.  I'm of course talking about "Church Shopping."

The wrong way to Chick-fil-a (An Intro to this Blog)

Strange fact:  I own up to an odd fascination with maps.  I'm no professionally trained cartographer, but for whatever reason I love maps.  I can pour over an atlas looking at places I have never been and will likely never go.  Weeks and months before a major road trip I begin to stake out my routes, the topography, the layout of the city.  There is never a trip that goes by where I do not consult the atlas or Google maps and I know exactly what I am going to do.  

Another strange fact:  The long drive I make most often (my cornfield to the Music City) is also the only trip I've ever gotten lost on. I made a wrong turn.  A big wrong turn.  I started driving home on the wrong interstate.  As it turned out this accidental route wasn't that much slower but it had a unexpected advantage over our pre-planned route...Chick-fil-a!!!