Reading through 1st Kings, I came across a passage where God is explaining what will happen to His people if they turn from Him, disobey His commands & worship things other than Him. Read this and see if it sounds familiar:

“Israel will be become a byword and an object of ridicule among all peoples.”

That is what happens when we leave God out of our churches & Christ out of our Christianity. It happened to ancient Israel and it seems to me that it still happens every day

In the last 10 years of my life, I’ve been to A LOT of conferences. And they’ve been awesome (except for one that was super lame).

But this is the thing: you go to a conference and it’s like putting your brain in hyper-drive. It goes spinning at 10,000 mph for the next week. But then what? Maybe a few changes are made, maybe a few new “nuggets” of info get stored into your brain. Maybe not.

Retreat. A time of pulling back. A time of regrouping. A time to slow down, instead of speed up.

Rob Bell – who receives criticism for being TOO creative in his preaching – says he hasn’t been to a pastors conference in years. But he has started doing a lot more “slowing down.”

Think about it. Which “superstar” pastor or youth pastor is going to conferences? I’d say hardly any. I’d bet most all are putting on the conferences. They’re not sitting in the middle of the crowd to get into worship, they’re sitting backstage with the other “superstar” pastors praying, laughing, and talking.

So think about it, if we’re trying to be like those “superstar” pastors. If we’re trying to tap into a depth of relationship and wisdom, then shouldn’t we unplug? Shouldn’t we – when we need recharged – slow down instead of go into hyperdrive?

Good things happen at conferences. I’m not afraid of them. I’d love to be going to SYMC this weekend (they dWo A LOT to make small, intimate connections happen).

But if given a choice, I’d choose retreat. I’d choose a weekend in the woods with a handful of close friends. I’d choose to be close with 20 people and sit in prayer, worship, and discussion for a couple of days.

Which is why I’ll be attending Seismos on March 20-22. There are still a few spots available. Will you join me?

• Seismos information page: http://joeldaniel.wordpress.com
• Seismos Facebook page:  http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=251227003445
• Download Seismos registration packet (PDF): http://go2.wordpress.com/?id=725X1342&site=joeldaniel.wordpress.com&url=http%3A%2F%2Fjoeldaniel.files.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F01%2Fadvert2.pdf

Over the past 6 years, I’ve talked to SO SO SO many people about their understanding of God and faith and whatnot….

Here is the key. Here is the root of it all.

Scripture.

What you believe about Scripture is the root of everything else you believe. Everything stems from that.

If you believe that the Bible is God’s love letter, then you read verses a certain way. You understand Jesus a certain way. You see church as a certain thing.

But if you think the Bible is a history of God’s interaction with humanity, you’ll treat those same things much, much differently.

If you think the Bible is the COMPREHENSIVE word of God, then you filter EVERYTHING through the lens of Scripture.

If you believe the Bible is merely 1 sources out of many sources of God’s Word, then your interaction with God is going to be massively different.

If you’re trying to understand your own thoughts about God, take some time (maybe a year) and do some digging and figure out what you think the Bible is.

These are questions I ask myself each Sunday?

• Isn’t it theologically wrong to call a building “church?”
• Is God proud of us for our faithfulness to a denomination?
• Isn’t it really, really shallow when we call a half hour of music “worship?”
• Are there people who are withholding their talents and time from others?
• Would Jesus be bored at church?
• Would Jesus know that our church service is supposed to be about him?

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There are 2 ways to walk into a church building on Sunday morning.

These 2 ways are shaped by 2 questions that you’re asking (whether you know it or not…).

1.What will I “get out of it?”

This is a questions asked by a consumer of a business. When I walk into Taco Bell and don’t get what I want, they’ve screw up. They owe me. I might not come back there. I’ll ask for a refund. I’ll talk with a manager. In our culture, it makes sense. It’s obvious. Even writing it all down feels redundant.

I’ve seen people complain about the worship band – even though the entire band is made up of volunteers who are spending LOTS and LOTS of time outside of Sunday morning to make it all work. I seen people complain about “not feeling connected” though they can’t take 1 day out of their week to join a small group. You shouldn’t being the same set of assumptions to Sunday morning church that you bring into Taco Bell.

2. What can I give?

I know people from each church I’ve ever been a part of who enjoy neither the preaching style nor the music style of church they attend. However, those people are committed to the church. They show up every Sunday. They don’t expect a sermon that moves them and sometimes they’re surprised. They don’t anticipate music that gives them goosebumps. They show up  and then notice people. They introduce themselves to new people. They tell strike up conversations. They pick up chairs. They help stuff bulletins.

These are the people who make church a blast each and every week. Those that show up and give make the church a family. Take those people out, and the church is merely a building that houses a passive, whiny audience each week.

I don’t care if you go to a church of 3 or 30,000, these 2 questions define you as a church-goer.

ps. i’m horrible at this, i have to re-preach this sermon to myself every Sunday as I’m driving to church.

Sitting in a meeting, one person used the word “missional” and another asked what it meant. Therefore, I am posting this video which I found via Alan Hirsch.

One of the more valuable bits of information I picked up in my undergraduate studies was Thomas Groome’s 5 movements. These movements describe Groome’s theory on how

people best learn and share faith. Each movement opens the door to the next culminating in the final movement of deciding/responding to live the Christian Faith. For a more detailed look, check out this detailed article. I’ve included the outline of the 5 movements below….

buzzword: authenticity

I recently listened to a youth pastor talk about the difficult time he was having with some of his volunteers. His volunteers would be distracting during important portions of their weekly student ministry gathering. Also, he had wanted to call them out on their crude language. When he hinted around that they were being distracting and that they ought to knock off the crude language (especially around the teenagers), the volunteers simply shrugged it off and commented, “we’re just being real.”

first. hear this.

I’m all for being real. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been told I don’t sound like your typical church worker. I screen-printed my own shirts with the Coldplay lyrics, “Give me real, Don’t give me fake.” Authenticity is very important to me. Sometimes thats a good thing. Sometimes it’s a bad thing.

second. hear this.

Sometimes when we’re being authentic, we’re being authentically bad.

Here is a list of things you can do authentically:

• murder
• gossip
• slander
• degrade
• mock
• judge
• blaspheme

For we will know they are Christians by their authenticity? for how real they are?

nope.

We’ll know they are Christians by their love. Jesus said that. He was awesome

Love and care for one another trumps authenticity.

the Church is the Body of Christ

your local congregation is not the entirity of the Church

the Church is supposed to be a lot of things

• caring for the marginalized
• teaching Truth
• providing for one another
• spending time with one another
• visiting those who are sick
• teaching children
• teaching teenagers
• a place for everyone to belong
• a place to share needs
• a community
• a place that cares for every nation
• a center for communal worship
• a center for communal action
• a center for communion

your local church doesn’t have enough people to do all these things regularly and with perfection

so understand that your church isn’t going to be everything.

and that’s OK

your church may just be a ligament in the Big Toe of the Left Foot of the Body of Christ

if you try to be a bicep, you’ll ruin the whole Body

if you get strained, then the whole Body gets spiritual turf toe