There's a good article at worshipleader.com by Robb Redman, that is a review of and response to George Barna's Revolution. The article is called Revolution or Renewal? and it brings up some good points about the book.

"Revolution" means a clean break with the past and the introduction of something completely new... Historically, Christians have been more comfortable with renewal and revival to describe "radical and pervasive change," rather than revolution, because they point to the providential hand of God, rather than impersonal forces of history. Those of us who have been around long enough know that the Church in every generation has its "Revolutionaries" who are disillusioned with the local church and yearn for something more... [It's] not a revolution, but a rhythm of renewal and revival in response to the movement of the Holy Spirit among and within ordinary communities of faith.

So what happens to "revolutionaries" who separate from local churches to pursue ministry? They end up starting new ministries. In a sense, Redman is right, that this isn't about revolution as much as it is renewal. But I think it's a game of semantics, and I don't think that Barna would disagree with the heart of what Redman is saying.

Labels: books, church

The phrase "third place" refers to the place you go to hang out, the gathering place, separate from home and work. Mark Batterson of evotional.com talks about this in a recent post:

I just read an interview with Howard Schultz, Starbuck's chief global strategist. He said, "The physical environment has become as important as anything we do, including the coffee."

Think about the profundity of that statement. Starbucks isn't in the coffee business. They are in the third place business.

Schultz said, "The environment and the experience is the brand. It's a very important distinction that people use our stores all over the world as an extension of their daily lives, and sometimes the coffee is subordinate to that."

Mark has a interesting background on this, because his church in Washington, DC didn't build a traditional church building -- they built a coffeehouse. In his post called Thou Shalt Hang Out at Wells, he describes his approach in more detail:

Wells were ancient hang outs. They were the BC version of coffeehouses, chat rooms, and malls. Jesus didn't invite people to the synagogue. He hung out at wells. He was often accussed of hanging out with the wrong people at the wrong places. But Jesus didn't let that keep him from a party with a tax collector or a conversation with a Samaritan woman at the well. He went to where the people were. Maybe the gospel has been quarantined behind the four walls of church buildings long enough? The church is called to compete in the middle of the marketplace.

That's why we've built a first-class, fully-operational coffeehouse on Capitol Hill. It's a place where the church and community can cross paths. That's why the vision of NCC is to meet in movie theaters @ metro stops throughout the DC area. And that's why we do events at the largest nightclub in DC.

Coffeehouses, movie theaters, and nightclubs are postmodern wells.

He also makes reference to something that I've thought about in the past couple of months:

I recently heard about a church that was building a community center for their community and they "rent" from themselves on the weekend for church services. I think that is genius!

So do I! The more I have different ideas, the more I find that God is putting similar thoughts into others also.

Labels: church

You gotta think that good old Leonardo might be spinning in his grave with how his name has been associated with all of these grand conspiracies. A couple of interesting columns about The Da Vinci Code:

Debunking the Debunkers
C.S. Lewis's message to "Da Vinci Code" fans.

Holy Sepulcre!
"The Da Vinci Code" shows that conspiracy theories have no limits.

My brother's post is certainly worth a read as well.

As for myself, I'd like to see it, but there's just too many other movies coming out that I'm interested in. And the reviews have been pretty bad. I'll catch it on cable in a couple of years...

Labels: church, movies

From Evotional.com:

I just think the church has focused too much on sins of commission--not doing anything wrong. And neglected the fact that you can do nothing wrong and still do nothing right! We've produced half-Christians.

Stewardship is making the most of our God-given potential. When we fail to chase God-given dreams we rob God of the glory that rightfully belongs to him! At the end of our lives we won't regret the mistakes we made nearly as much as the God-ordained opportunities we missed.

Labels: church

I've had a pretty long pause on my review of George Barna's book, Revolution. See The Revolution Begins and Values of the Revolution for my thoughts about the first four chapters.

In the fifth chapter, Barna takes a look at the transitions that are leading the revolution. These transitions reflect massive changes in our culture.

The Changing of the Guard: In our society, power is shifting from the baby boomers (those born before the mid-60's) to the busters ('65 through '83) and the mosaics ('84 through 2002). The new generations are "altering the ways in which people relate to each other, the types of outcomes deemed desirable, the procedures used to achieve meaningful results, the values and beliefs that underlie critical decisions, and the role of technology in our lives."

The Rise of a New View of Life: Like it or not, postmodernism is changing everything. "The threat to the Church lies in the fact that surprisingly few Americans are sufficiently reflective about the implications of this shift to critically assess its pros and cons."

Dismissing the Irrelevant: "Excellence is less meaningful to [the post-Boomer generation] because it sometimes reflects the slickness of exploitation and manipulation... they [also] have little patience for anything based on tradition, customs, ease, or social acceptability."

The Impact of Technology: Pretty self-explanatory, but should not go without saying: new technology opens new possibilities for churches.

Genuine Relationships: Personal authenticity. "In ministry and other areas, we will emphasize personal stories and experience instead of principles and commands."

Participation in Reality: "People expect to be active and creative participants in developing the reality of their experience. Fewer and fewer people are willing to sit back and endure what the world throws at them; rather, they are seeking the means to exert greater control over their lives."

Finding True Meaning: Struggling to discover meaning is nothing new, but Barna notes that "society's complexity and fragmentation have only served to heighten the struggle to make sense of our place in the world. One of the most startling signs of growth, though, is Americans' accelerated openness to understanding themselves through two components that have been largely ignored for many decades: sacrifice and surrender."

Barna then analyzes how these trends will affect what elements of society will have influence on spiritual growth. Currently, about 70% of the country express and experience their faith primarily through the local church. About 5% through some type of alternative faith-based community (such as a house church), another 5% primarily through family, and another 20% through the general media, arts, or culture.

Barna predicts, based on his research, that these numbers will look vastly different in 20 years: the local church will be at about 30-35%. Alternative communities will be at about 30-35%. Family will be about the same at 5%, and media, arts, and culture will grow to about 30-35%.

In other words, Barna is seeing the decline of the influence of the local church.

We have to ask the question: what is it about alternative faith-based communities that will draw so many believers out of local church organizations? The answers to this question are at the heart of what Barna calls the Revolution, and the answers lie in the previous chapters I've already covered. But keep in mind this quote from chapter 2:

[Revolutionaries] are seeking a faith experience that is more robust and awe inspiring, a spiritual journey that prioritizes transformation at every turn, something worthy of the Creator whom their faith reflects. They are seeking the spark provided by a commitment to a true revolution in thinking, behavior, and experience, where settling for what is merely good and above average is defeat.

Labels: books, church, emerging

Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously. Don't think you have to put on a fund-raising campaign before you start. You don't need a lot of equipment. You are the equipment, and all you need to keep that going is three meals a day. Travel light. When you enter a town or village, don't insist on staying in a luxury inn. Get a modest place with some modest people, and be content there until you leave. When you knock on a door, be courteous in your greeting. If they welcome you, be gentle in your conversation. If they don't welcome you, quietly withdraw. Don't make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way. You can be sure that on Judgment Day they'll be mighty sorry - but it's no concern of yours now.

This is a large work I've called you into, but don't be overwhelmed by it. It's best to start small. Give a cool cup of water to someone who is thirsty, for instance. The smallest act of giving or receiving makes you a true apprentice. You won't lose out on a thing.

Matthew 10:6-15, 41b-42, The Message

Labels: church

From What Would Jesus Ask?:

The Jesus we create in our mind, you know the one that works for us, perhaps, this Jesus is not the real Jesus. Last time I checked, this Jesus does not demand my life. Actually, this Jesus tells me that everything is going to be okay and that I should just fall in line with the rest of them. Somehow the Jesus of the Gospels does not fit the Jesus we make up in our church gatherings.

Would Jesus be as concerned with appearance as we are? Do we ask the questions Jesus would ask? Do we have the people in our communities which Jesus would have? If Jesus showed up to our quaint religious services, would we let him in with his town whore and fishermen buddies?

Since when did Jesus' message become nice, tame, and purposed in serving the individual soul? Didn't Jesus give us a mandate to go into the whole world and make disciples? Is that not different than an altar call to save souls?

I'm left wondering which Bible we read in America...

God help your church.

Labels: church

The Summer movie season, that is. With the release of Mission: Impossible III today, the summer movie season has officially begun. While this season isn't offering anything in the way of Star Wars: Episode III, Batman Begins, or Lord of the Rings, there are some interesting things coming up that I'm looking forward to..

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Poseidon (May 12th)
It might end up being just like the original, but who cares? Kurt Russell rules. And he hasn't shown his action star capability in years. Speaking of Kurt, did you know that he was the voice of Elvis in Forrest Gump? My prediction: fun flick, but won't have as big of an impact as the tidal wave shown in the preview.

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The Da Vinci Code (May 19th)
There's a lot of buzz going around about this. The plot is full of a bunch of bunk, but hey, so was National Treasure, and that movie was cool. (Speaking of which, yes, National Treasure 2 is in pre-production.) My prediction: a lot of people will see this movie, and even more will misunderstand it. It's fiction, folks, not religion.

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X-Men: The Last Stand (May 26th)
So what if Brian Singer didn't stay on as director of the X-Men series? He had more important things to do (see "Superman" below). Brett Ratner has done a couple of respectable movies, including Rush Hour and The Family Man. But as long as Hugh Jackman is still Wolverine, it can't be all that bad. My prediction: this will feel much different than the first two X-Men movies, but will still rock.

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Superman Returns (June 30th)
Brian Singer certainly did have better things to do. For all of us who won't admit that Superman 3 and up were even made, this movie is right up our alley. Singer decided to start telling the story right after Superman 2, which is fine with me because that movie is awesome. My prediction: this will be as good as Batman Begins, if not better.

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Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (July 7th)
Shiver me timbers, it's a sequel! And since they filmed two sequels back to back, we'll be seeing another next year. I had very low expectations for the first Pirates, and I ended up thinking it was one of the best action movies of 2003. This one appears to have all of the same elements. My prediction: probably about as good as the first one, and definitely better than the ride at Disney World.

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World Trade Center (August 11th)
If you haven't heard about this one yet, you most definitely will. Oliver Stone takes on 9/11. Nicolas Cage plays a Port Authority police officer that gets trapped in the rubble. If you thought the buzz surrounding Flight 93 was polarized... wait until you see what happens as this gets closer to release. Actually, it might start very soon, since the trailer is rumored to appear this weekend. My prediction: a million times more interesting (and accurate) than Fahrenheit 9/11... of course, that's not saying much.

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I'll warn you now, some of these movies might end up not being any good. So if you go and see one, and it stinks, don't blame it on me. It's all part of the season. But sometimes you gotta go through a couple stinkers to get surprised by one that's really good.

Of course, I'm sure you noticed that most of these movies are sequels. The others include a remake, a book adaptation, and one that is historical fiction. Even the sequels this year are sequels of movies that were based on TV shows, comic books, or Disney World rides. Gotta love Hollywood. The biggest movies have to be "sure things."

Did I miss anything? What movies are you looking forward to this summer season?

Labels: movies