WARNING: POLITICAL POST

October 30, 2012 By 7 Comments

I have put this blog post off for a while because I wasn’t sure how effective it would be and wasn’t sure where I should stand on certain topics in the world. But, I’m am overwhelmed by conviction to say something about this year’s election.

I’m a person that separates my feelings and inclinations toward government and my hope and values in Christ Jesus. While my personal convictions strongly influence my position on government and civil liberties, my hope is in Jesus and I will not become a political zealot. Yet, in this general election, I feel as if we are a critical place for people around my generation to recognize the value and weight of voting. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Life Updates

Guess Who Moved?

March 7, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I was leaving my friends house the other night and saw a church sign that read like this one:

See, I struggle with this one. Obviously, the sign is trying to insinuate that we are the one that moved, right? But, that gets real tricky for me for multiple reasons:

  1. Who Knows Who Moved? Do you mean to tell me that the person that put this sign up knows that I moved away from God when I feel far from Him? It cannot be inviting for someone to look at that sign and think, “Gee, I bet that place is full of Grace and Mercy. I bet I’ll be accepted there.” Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for activating the Church to be who it is supposed to be AND continue to pursue God. However, this sign doesn’t speak love, grace, and the invitation of the gospel. It speaks judgement; it speaks typical American cynicism. I mean let’s be honest and agree that sometimes, God moves and the only reason we recognize that He moved is because we feel far from Him. When we feel far from Him, we pursue Him. Sure, He holds us up. But, He leads us as well. Sometimes, we need to feel the desperation of losing our parents in Walmart in order to be persistent in sticking with them.
  2. On a Church Sign, Really? I cannot stand it when a Body of Believers wants to represent itself by trying to cause waves with a stinking sign. If you want to simply create waves, LIVE LIKE JESUS CALLS YOU TO LIVE! Sometimes, I think that things like this are only in place to try and rustle some feathers so people will come check out the place. I tell you this: I never want to be a part of a Church that uses insinuating interjections and theologically threatening slogans to get people to check out what we are about. The Church Sign is about opportunity and information. The Church is about interrupting people’s lives with the testimony of Jesus Christ in the gospel lived out through His Body.

So, I was a bit frustrated and wrote a blog post in my head. But, God sometimes feels distant to me. However, it only causes me to figure out where He is going next.

And to answer their question, I think God is the one moving. So maybe I should shut up and start following.

Filed Under: Life Updates, Ministry

Conflict on Facebook and Twitter is Dumb

February 1, 2012 By 1 Comment

It’s funny to me how “drama” seems to follow people like a cloud of gnats on a hot summer day. But, more than that, recently I have been watching as more and more people have been jumping onto Twitter for its streamlined and  seemingly more “private” home. But, there is something that I can’t get over and find it somewhat troublesome when it comes to how people are using it.

The use of Twitter for resolving conflict or sharing a beef with someone is becoming more and more prevalent. And I have one question to ask in response to the idea that Twitter might be a positive way to share your personal issues:

Why give something from your heart to a world that doesn’t care when you could give it to someone who cares the world for you?

I just struggle with it. For a couple reasons:

  1. Who, through Twitter, really cares? Let’s be real honest with ourselves. When I swipe through the posts on Twitter, when I see someone complaining about someone else, I typically keep skimming on by. Maybe that is just me, but it just doesn’t seem profitable for me to get involved with someone else’s “drama.”
  2. Is public profession of frustration the best way to handle the situation? As I look at it, every situation that I have ever had in life where I was frustrated with another person, never (or very rarely) became resolved by telling everybody else about it. Most times, it took me “manning up” and approaching that person or persons about the problem that I had with them. There is just something about talking with a person one-on-one instead of slandering them to the world.
  3. It’s self-promotion and self-pity. If we are honest with ourselves, all we are doing when we post something that is rooted in our frustration with someone else, is fishing for affirmation of our position. And most times, that position is rooted in our own desire to be right or justified in our emotions. That’s not healthy, it’s not beneficial, and does nothing to resolve the situation.

So there are some thoughts. I just don’t see the value in trying to handle conflict through social media. It’s not loving. It’s not fruitful. And frankly, I think it’s just plain dumb. There I said it.

Filed Under: Life Updates

Friday Feature #1: PROMISES Blog

January 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Wanted to let you know about some pretty cool things that are out on the web that YOU can check out:

My church has organized a fantastic effort to share stories, scripture, and unite the family through a little blog called “PROMISES.” Each day, I think, there is a new post that goes up from someone inside the Church. It’s pretty cool and I love what it does for connecting our church body. If you are a part of that NMC family, be sure to check it out and maybe even share your own!

Filed Under: NMC