just remember - the day after tomorrow is the third day of the rest of your life...

reading over my blog comments i happened upon jim's resource on presentation software. although i think he doesn't highlight prologue sunday plus high enough, nonetheless it's the single best resource for getting beyond the powerpoint plague i have ever seen... bar none...

check it out here.

wendy messes with americans

Sometimes space is good for healing, as long as there is humility and love from each side.
more here.

seth writes about fixing really bad powerpoint here.

here's the real issue, why are people still using powerpoint anyway? with a myriad of better options out there why are people who consider themselves media savy even keeping a copy of powerpoint on their laptops? i haven't used powerpoint in 5 years, can barely remember how it works.

what a lame medium. if you are still using powerpoint for your primary medium it's time to spend 20 minutes looking for options.

and bullet points? don't even get me started...

i met dave today. i was doing a tour of the food bank in abbotsford and he met us at the door. i have to say that i was not immediately impressed. until he started to talk about the food bank, homelessness, and his "calling".

dave believes in his job. he is a part of abbotsford community services, an agency that does a better job at church than any church ever did. a thousand or so volunteers, 3-400 staff, with the singular purpose of helping people. they touched thirty thousand people last year, gave away 1.2 million in food, and fed 4000 people/month.

they freak me out.

i think part of the reason is that i have served as a pastor for 20+ years and never really known they existed on any substantive level. yet they do a better job than churches do at helping homelessness, recycling, working with people with physical and mental challenges, drug rehabilitation, immigration services, childcare, youth care, youth crisis management, counseling and 65 or so other programs that churches generally suck at. they started as volunteer programs, applied for funding, sought donors and eventually entrenched themselves into the community.

i found the whole experience humbling.

see the whole gig, less my bad singing here.

"There are two types of people who will tell you that you cannot make a difference in this world: Those who are afraid to try and those who are afraid you will succeed." Ray Goforth

And I am neither of those two types. You are making a difference. You will succeed. For those who tell you otherwise, tell them to Piss Off."

"Too much of the world's happiness depends on taking from one to satisfy another. To increase my standard of living, people in another part of the world must lower theirs. The worldwide crisis of hunger that we face today is a result of that method of pursuing happiness. Industrialized nations acquire appetites for more and more luxuries and higher and higher standards of living, and increasing numbers of people are made poor and hungry. It doesn't have to be that way. The experts on the world hunger problem say that there is enough to go around right now. We don't have a production problem. We have the agricultural capability to produce enough food. We have the transportation technology to distribute the food. But we have a greed problem: if I don't grab mine while I can, I might not be happy. The hunger problem is not going to be solved by government or by industry but in church, among Christians who learn a different way to pursue happiness."

-Eugene Peterson in A Long Obedience In The Same Direction, 1980.

via biscotti

finally, some male role models...

“Although we hear about successful attempts to revitalize existing churches, the overall track record is actually very poor. Ministers report again and again that their many attempts to revitalize the churches they lead do not yield the desired results. A lot of energy (and money) is put into change programs, with all the usual communication exercises, consultations, workshops, and so on. In the beginning things seem to change but gradually the novelty and impetus tends to wear off and the organization ends up settling back into something of its previous configuration. So, instead of managing new organizations, they end up managing the unwanted side effects of their efforts. The reason for this is actually quite simple, though often overlooked—that unless the paradigm at the heart of the culture is changed there can be no lasting change.” (more…)

via

this is not intented to insult, only ask the 'why' question.

i remember when we started our last church and there was a lengthy discussion regarding what time to hold services. after what seemed like an eternity we went with 10 am sunday morning. at the time it seemed like the best option.

12 years later i sat with annette at brunch this morning and asked myself why i would ever want to go to church on a sunday morning. at this season of my life it seems like the worst possible time. i hate getting up early on sunday mornings. it's the one day of the week i get to relax. i can't imagine attending something by choice at that time anymore.

before the apologists out there get offended, it is an important issue to discuss. when we started that church we sought to target several groups, among them the 17-26 year olds who were childless, flush with cash and options. today i wonder about 'targeting' at all, much less that age group. what age group could possibly be more hostile to a sunday morning religious service? sunday mornings work good for old people and parents with small children. they are already up at that time and the thought of a volunteer babysitter or a visit may be attractive. those of us with older kids, those with no kids, those who stay out late on saturday night, may wonder at the timing. there is no question that some of us still manage to climb out of bed, but from a marketing standpoint (gag) could you possibly pick a worse time to solicit involvement?

there are no good time slots in this crazy world; though i am fairly confident an evening may have a better chance at "attracting" people. it is already hard enough to get people out to a church service, especially some of the ones i've seen. why not stick the service at a time when people would rather be horizontal than dressed and on their best behavior?

it is no wonder churches have seen the importance of great sunday schools and attracting young families...
they are the only people up at that time.

last night the whole fam showed up to help kick off demo's cd release party with special guests faberdrive and viva la resistance. annette manned the product booth, i v.j.'d and unofficially stage managed, ben and nate played in the band for the accoustic set. nate and i showed up for the after party. it was a 11 hour commitment.

ben is a rock star.

he came on to the stage and bo roblee started chanting ben. i flashed his name on the prologue slide (leagues ahead of mediashout). 350 people started to chant - ben... ben... ben... and so he broke into a screaming solo of cheesy 'dueling banjos'. i came on stage and shot a pic of ben and nate.

i was marginally proud.

via dan kimball:

"Much of the criticism about the emerging organic church has focused upon the worries and reservations that, due to their engagement with postmodern philosophies, organic [emerging] churches may subtly begin to embrace heretical beliefs.

Quite frankly, before I embarked on my journey I had a premonition that I would find a proliferation of unorthodox theology..... I was surprised to find this not be widespread in the emerging organic church. The vast majority of my encounters were with orthodox theology, coupled with denominational predilections. Thus, while the methodology is experimental, entrepreneurial, and inventive, their theology usually follows quite closely orthodox and denominational roots."

truth is stranger than fiction

working as a social worker and sometimes pseudo-pastor i have often been frustrated by the apparent lack of tangible or measurable results in people's lives. it is virtually impossible to quantify how people grow or learn. sometimes the only measurements that we hear about are when people are mad at you. as a person who has a plethora of people who are mad at me at any given time, it is often tempting to wonder if i ever make a real difference.

i want to make a difference. i hope all of us feel that way. it's just so hard to see. when i sell coffee and a woman's group in peru or mexico get a fresh chance because of the proceeds donated, that i can understand. when someone graduates from miracle valley rehab or gets a sober chip representing a period of time, that i can measure. when i spent untold hours helping someone live their life, i rarely find out in any sort of concrete way how they have flourished.

dealing with people is messy. i was working with a couple some time ago and happened to mention to my wife that once they got turned around you could bet that somehow i would get blamed for taking sides, or complicating the issue, or starting it. and sure enough it happened. i have come to accept that whenever i deal with another marriage i will be somehow implicated. i am an easy person to scapegoat. there are dozens of people who want to believe i have somehow ruined their life. some of them probably read this blog.

i am learning that i can only do my best and hope at the end of the day that my wife and kids still like me. i have learned that the deepest and most profound friendships are still usually temporary. i have learned that everyone leaves eventually. pastors know that the most committed adherent is only one bad fight from leaving, regardless of the the string of platitudes about commitment and undying friendship. i have learned that it is up to me, not some counselor or pastor or woman, whether or not i want to be happy or free. it is a message i try to help my clients understand, though they are often tempted to keep a record of those who they want to blame. they don't understand that someday they are going to have to stop blaming their parents, their friends, their pastor, or their ex-wife for their horrible life....

first time since i was a minister that i'm getting paid to do nothing...
let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

sad but so true...

For many years, one of the most popular party games in the U.S. has been Mad Libs, a fast-paced exercise where participants must insert common words into a series of pre-set phrases. Have you ever wished there was a Christian version of Mad Libs for your next religious get together? Now there is! Here's a sample:
How many songs can you write?

O (Title) of my (Noun)(Title), when I (Verb) your (Noun)

Something in my (Body Part) just (Verb)

And I can't (Verb) anymore

When I'm in the (Noun)I know your (Body Part/Noun) (Verb) me

And I know I'm gonna (Blank) (Title) (Period of Time)

(Title), You're so (Adjective)(Title),

You're so (Adjective)(Title),

You're more (Adjective) than anything I've ever (Verb) before

And I'm gonna (Verb) You (Period of Time)

I'm gonna (Verb) You (Period of Time)

Because you're (Adjective), you're so (Adjective)

I wish I had the words to say

That I'm (Reaction) by Your (Divine Attribute)

I'm (Reaction) by Your (Divine Attribute)

I can't (Verb) that You would (Verb) for (Title)

And even if the (Noun) can't (Verb)

And I can't (Verb) Your (Body Part)

I'll still (Verb) You with all my (Body Part/Noun) for (Period of Time)(Verb) with all my (Body Part/Noun) for (Period of Time)....

Verbs
see, hear, feel, touch, taste, realize, acknowledge, praise, comfort, run, hold, forgive, live, accept, die, shout, sing, dance, tell, bleed, cry, call, stand, believe, trust, say, take, abandon, forsake, wash, live, dwell, find, rejoice, proclaim, walk, clothe, smile, tremble
Body Parts
hands, feet, face, eyes, heart, spirit, lips, ears, wounds, tongue
Nouns
wind, nails, cross, hill, mountain, valley, stream, sea, river, lightning, tree, stone, grass, bird, field, child, shelter, throne, angels, world, storm, thunder, tears, temple, sake, might, power, above, deaf, dumb, shadow, presence, sins, grief
Titles
I, You, Your, His, Lord, God, we, Savior, Redeemer, Messiah, Lamb, Lion, King, Shepherd, Keeper, Alpha, Omega, Beginning, End
Period of Time
always, now, forever, tonight, tomorrow, yesterday, never, thousand
Adjectives
amazing, wonderful, bigger, mighty, righteous, holy, clean, powerful, loving, merciful, full of grace, kind, caring, good, worthy, just, incredible, small, weak, alone, tired, angry, peaceful

from the door

Before we "knew what we were doing" or had the sense to admit guilt, Jesus uttered these haunting words from the Cross: "Father forgive them."
To that, William Willimon offers this thought:
What an interesting progression here. First, "Father forgive," then second, "They don't know what they are doing." Thank God our relationship with God this day is not predicated on our awareness of what we're doing and who we are and what this all means and what were our motives. Our situation with God is determined by God. Preemptive forgiveness.

via