I've been ruminating on some thoughts that were initiated by a friend's question a week or so ago. This friend, a church planter who has recently been touched by the prayer movement, asked me "If you were to plant...something. What would you plant?".
This question has prompted a lot of pondering what a new way of doing church would look like. I'm not thinking a simply as style of worship. I'm not thinking as simply as the casual versus formal debate (is that still a debate? I guess maybe in some places....). I'm thinking about the structural core of a community of believers.
- What does it look like to plant something built around prayer as opposed to injected with prayer?
- What needs to change about how we do church to sustain faith in our day?
- For all the talk of an emerging church, what does scripture say is really going to emerge as history plows forward?
Recently, an opportunity came my way that I just can't pass up. After the first of the year, I'm going to be thinking these sorts of thoughts over at the Luke18Project as the chief blogologist*, writing 3 columns/posts a week on the yet-unnamed TheLuke18Project blog (insert dramatic appeal for blog names here).
The Luke18Project bills itself as a peer-to-peer network and a clearinghouse for ideas related to prayer communities. It seems like a great place to ponder what the best version of next might be. I hope to see you over there after the first of the year.My guess is that The Luke18Project will become the place where I'll think my more serious thoughts. Don't look for too many Zion videos or Zoe pictures over there. Stuff I Think will remain, although my guess is posting will slow down some....unless, of course, I hang out with John Loux more, in which case I may just blog my life in realtime.
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*Chief Blogologist is a title I just made up, and one I'm as pleased with as the Director of Small Things role that I held years back. We'll see if this one sticks.
2 comments:
Sir I have several questions:Is there absolute truth? Do you believe the Bible to be the absolute truth? Think carefully and answer with a yes or no. The Bible tells us that the Lord God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. If you are to concern with offended non-believers watch out. Jesus throughtout the Gospels told people they were completely wrong or completely right. Look at the Sadduces. I am praying for you. Don't let the book of Jude be you story. The truth must remain: Without Jesus and his holy word there is not salvation. If one does not believe the Bible to be true then our faith is based on what. Just a feeling...NO! It is more than feelings for feelings lie to us. Do we always feel forgive...no is God concerned with your feelings...He is concerned with you soul....you! I love God with all my heart, and I love the people of this world...And that is why I will tell them there is a hell and God has given them salvation through Jesus Christ. We are sinners and we need God. We need Jesus. We need to be redeemed and cleansed. We need the Holy Spirit. Don't be so concerned with this world--that is the values and trends and fads of it---like 1 John says because it will pass away and if we love them more than the truth of God, God himself is truth and love( that doesn't mean you won't have consquences and get a free Heaven card without true repentance read Acts and Romans) and justice, then we would become heretics committing apostasy damning us to hell with the rest of the lost instead of showing them the light. I am praying for you to turn from your evil ways and stop leading people astray with another gospel. Like Paul said inspired by the Holy Spirit in Galatians 1:6-9 about preaching another Gospel but the one that was preached from the beginning...BE ACCURSED. Repent.
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Great question - where does the Bible say history is going? I'd love to challenge you (I don't mean this in a super-confrontational way; who am I to challenge anyone?) to reconsider what you think Scripture says about 'the end,' when it happened, and what comes Next. An excellent resource for all of the above is Presence Ministries. Tell ya what: If you're remotely interested in dialoging about it (yeah, I'm one of those emergent types, so I like 'dialogue' and other sissy stuff like that), I'll send you a copy of the Spirit of Prophecy DVDs and companion book on my dime. I've been wanting to engage an open-hearted IHOP-er on this kinda stuff for (if you'll pardon the eschatological pun) ages.
It might just be that God has fulfilled all God's promises, Jesus has completed the work he set out to do, and we are empowered by God to be co-creators with him of a new reality, inhabiting his New Covenant Heavens and earth. Just maybe. Drop me a line!
MM
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