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How to be relevant…(it’s not what you think)

admin — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 18:09:16 +0000

I don’t claim to be an expert on this. If anything, I’m the non-expert because I tend to have different tastes and viewpoints from people around me… So in a sense, I ought to be incapable of being relevant to most people, but I found a hack, a work-around. Deep withing the bowels of Scripture is the secret formula for how to be relevant… It goes something like this: Love people, along with a little respect and humility.

A funny thing happens when you love people and respect them, their interests become interesting to you, when they weren’t before. Things that you used to assume were ugly or dumb, you now realize can be funny or cool or clever. You can appreciate music or movies or clothes that might not be right for you…but you can appreciate them because they’re right for the people you love. It’s like rooting for the character in a movie that reminds you of someone else, rather than rooting for the character that reminds you of you.

Love that doesn’t include respect is deformed; kind of like the love between an abusive parent and “good for nothing” children. Real love sees value in the thoughts and tastes of those being loved. When someone loves and respects you as a friend, they learn to appreciate the things you love. They learn to speak your language. They are able to imagine what the world looks like, a little bit, through your eyes. And sometimes when they see something they can know instantly it’s something you would like, and they like it in turn.

What the world needs now is not more relevant Christians and churches, but more loving ones. If you try to be relevant, you just might succeed for the present, but as the culture changes you’ll be left behind. The music, the language, the dress, all of it changes. So why not stay true to yourself, be authentic in who you are, and be loving at the same time? Then you’ll always be relevant.

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How to get what you want…

admin — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 20:41:59 +0000

Someone at church has a funny phone: it looks like a flip phone, only it won’t flip open. I looked for a latch or a button but didn’t find one. I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to force it or if that would break it. I tried sliding it open, but it wasn’t a slider phone either… In the end it turned out that the front top portion “twists” open horizontally (not flip or slide). Good thing you told me before I broke your phone!!

Life is kind of like that sometimes. There’s something you want and you don’t know how to get it. If you knew that it was definitely a flip, you could focus on flipping it open, or if you knew it was a slide, you could look for the slide – but you don’t know – so you try this, then that…

But what if there were a clear simple direct way to get what you wanted? Would you consider it? What if it’s something you already kinda’ have in your repertoire, but just weren’t sure of? What if everything in your life was leading you to the point where you could realize this thing…whatever it is?

If you’re interested you can download a beta version of this free e-book.

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A New Look for the Summer

admin — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 21:16:21 +0000

In case you didn’t notice we made a couple of changes to the Church Blog site. It’s not just a new dress…we actually got something new under the hood. Check out the search feature! Thank you, thank you, it was nothing really. No really, you’re too kind.

Anyway, let me know if you have any suggestions…this can be the “church blog suggestions” post.

[About the photo: if you don't know what it is, then you probably wouldn't care... Although this one's from a Saleen]

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