BUT, when I receive their recent mailer containing Easter materials I almost fell off my chair.  Check out this postcard that you can send out to your community to encourage them to come to church.

Here’s the suggested text for the back of the postcard:

The “Me Generation”, MySpace, iPods, Internet sites that instantly recognize your login and preferences—in this day and age the focus seems to be on Self. And, sometimes we question whether that’s a good thing. But, on an Easter long ago, even God made it all about you. Jesus came to earth out of a great love—for you. Join us this Easter at (Church Name) as we make it all about you—in the very best of ways.

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! What in the world??
I would feel much better if it was posted as a joke, BUT its not!

You don’t need to be a theological genius to figure out that Easter is not about YOU!  Yes, I understand God came, lived, died, and rose again but He did it for HIS GLORY not for some self focused “all about you” promotion!! 

At least this one is joke!!

This probably won’t make me “boycott” outreach.  We may purchase something from them in the future.  But for now I am saddened by what we are holding up as legit theology.  And worse yet seek to use that to promote people coming to church. 

RANT – over

O.K. – breath, breath.

I readily admit that I have committed some of these errors myself!

Since we are on the topic of web video. This was a fascinating storyabout the current state of our culture and how web video is now apart of it. I would love to hear from you if you think youtube style video has legs and will continue to grow or it has run its course as a fade. And what might it look for for churches and ministries use that for kingdom purposes. Post a comment and let me know.

But, after thinking about it for a little bit I have a few comments on the debate and what I think it says about our culture.  So I writing this even though its yesterday’s news.

First – the format
I have to admit I turned on the debate not because I was deeply invested in the candidates, their positions, or even the future of our country.  I initially tuned in because I wanted to be entertained.  After Mitt Romney and an animated snowman got into a verbal war I wanted to see if it would continue.  But I guess it got too hot because the snowman was no where to be seen.  I think the fact that youtube has become a force in culture and politics is interesting.  We want democracy and want it as pure and direct as possible but I have to admit the fact that everyone can speak doesn’t necessarily raise the level of discourse.  I am glad that a few have exhausted their 15 minutes of fame.

Second – the questioners
I can’t tell you how many times I have been told that living in Huntsville that it’s not LA.  LA is seen by some as the “left” coast.  Outside of New York it is the place where all things debase are seen to originate.  However, I would submit that because of confluence of cultures there are more similarities then most acknowledge.  Case in point: There was a question about what will these candidates do to repair our reputation in the Muslim world.  It was asked by a Muslim woman.  From where you ask? from LA – no, from New York – no, from Atlanta – no, from Dearborn – no.  She was from Huntsville, AL.  While we may have southern roots, be in a baptist burned over district, and have suburban family values we are not monolithic, all-white, all-christian as we think.  The sooner we see and understand this diversity the more our eyes can be opened to what God may want to do in and through us in this place!

Also, we don’t have to bring God into the election or public life –  He’s already in the middle of it.  I am fearful too at times to speak about God but what continues to make me see our post-modern times as one of opportunity is that God is being brought into the public, open discussion – like presidential politics (and movies – check out this great article).  It seems like it is no longer “off-limits”.  While, I don’t think that post-modern “spirituality” is Biblical Christianity there is a path, an opening to begin the conversations.

Final – our response
I really don’t like talking about politics.  Not because I don’t have a view or I am a mushy republican.  But because I fear that sometimes we create fences to the gospel.  I don’t want my politics to be a hindrance to people understanding that the righteous creator God of the universe stands as their enemy outside of the substitutionary gift of Christ.  It has little to do if I have an R or D behind my name in the voting booth.  One thing that this year will bring is an increase in side taking.  But I am praying that we can communicate that R or D side taking is not a requirement of the gospel.

Now the question is rather to keep this blog or not.  I have considered keeping it and developing it some directions that may not fit with the churchwebsite.  (don’t worry – nothing weird or heretical but more theoritcal and rants).  But knowing the time that I need to commit to that site, church, preaching, family, etc.  I just don’t know if I would get back here.  Some possible topics that have been bopping around in my head for a while would a comparison of the “Jesus people movement” of the 60′s with the “Emergent” movement of the 00′s.  Another thing is the current lack of married couple on this sessions “Amazing Race”.  And a review of some books that I have been reading recently.  If any of those sound interesting please let me know via comments.  If not there is a good chance I am shutting this down. 

Also, I am considering recending my SEC neutral status.  Since AL is now home, sorry CA – it may be time.  BTW: I could be persuaded on this one to go in specific directions.  And gifts and/or tickets would aid in the decision. 

Andy

CHECK IT OUT @ WWW.HOPECHURCH-MADISON.COM 

Welcome back!

If you are reading this you are loyal reader and for that I am thankful.  The blog has been silent for several weeks for many different reason which include digital fasting, sickness, impromptu vacationing, and several other things screaming for my attention.

One of those things has been the development of the new Hope Church website.  We have not officially launched YET (Hopefully very soon!).  But because you are loyal readers (or lurkers) you can get a preview by going to www.hopechurch-madison.com/drupal .  When it is up it will be a great place for people both in and outside of hope to keep up on what is going on around here.  Feel free to leave a comment here.  I am interested on your feedback!

In the next few days I will post for something other then a “hello” but for now. . .  Thanks for sticking around!

With that in mind, I am turning off or at least down for the next week.  This week is our church’s week of prayer and fasting.  It is a week set aside to seek God in prayer and in time meditating on His word.  Fasting is a biblical concept that is simply denying yourself something for a spiritual purpose.  For some it is food.  For others it is media.  For others its internet surfing.  For others it might some delight or enjoyment that they normally engage in.  But to not do whatever it is and to set that time aside for a pursuit of God through prayer and through His word is an excellent thing. 

So in that spirit, this blog is going dark for the next week.  I realize that this may kill traffic (we turned over 1000 hits not that long ago) but so be it.  It is worth it.  I want to encourage you to do that same.  Just turn it off.  It will be there when you get back and if its not what of significance did you really lose? 

So if you are last one out please turn the lights off.

 Andy

On Sunday I mentioned some of the research that has been done into the “modern Jonah” story.  At least from the perspective of the articles author it seems to be a bit of a “fish” story.

This coming Saturday afternoon (Sept 22nd) our worship team will be playing an outdoor concert at the historic Ford’s Chapel UMC.  Come out, have some fun, and hear some great music. 

You can get all the details here.

As an culture America we have an incredible short attention span.  While things like 9/11 was only 6 short years ago I know for me and others it passed by this year with little notice.  But what I don’t want us to forget about is to pray for things that are important and which God has put in our path.  With that in mind I would like to share with you an update that I have receive from some ministry partners in Nicaragua.  The following e-mail was sent to me about the recent hurricane that hit Nicaragua:

As you must have heard Nicaragua was hit by huracane Felix  exactly a week ago.   The northern east coast was hit when Felix of category 5 made landfall near Puerto Cabezas on the Atlantic coast.   I was talking to a pastor friend of mine and he was telling me  about some christians that were killed including their children.   It`s been a tough time for all the people in that area. There are women that lost their husbands. Children who will grow up without their fathers and some without their mothers.   There are around 30 dead women and around 50 dead men and some children.   We`ve been watching the news everyday and we hear all of the time about a Miskito lady (local indian tribe) who lost her teenage son while she was in the Atlantic water. Both were hanging on to a peice of wood that was left after their boat collapsed and saw how the waves took her son away. She kept fighting for her life but suffering and not wanting to live without her son..   She and many others were rescued 2-3 days later. They were out in the water fishing and did not hear of the danger of Huracane Felix.   (As you know I was in a similar situation last year on lake Nicaragua and I think I understand what these people lived when their boat collapsed. Fear is a strong and permanent emotion until you get out of there.)   But, the sadest thing is that the Nicaraguan army keeps finding more and more bodies on the coasts or still in the water. While ladies, children and relatives await for the military boats to arrive with good news.   It is a tremendously painful scene when these people see only what is left of the bodies. Some recognize their relatives by the close they were wearing and most bodies are not recognized becuase of the flesh condition.   But, in the middle of pain and suffering, people are showing their good hearts to us. Planes from Spain, USA, South America and many more are coming with humanitarian aid.   The Nicaraguan people have organized a campain to raise more help inside the country taking place today in Managua.   The number of destroyed homes is over 16,000 and 115,000 people greatly affected by Felix.   70 bodies found in Nicaragua and 21 bodies found on the coasts of Honduras but all Nicaraguans.   There are still 105 people missing and as time goes on, the Hope is less.   Please pray for our country as we try to recover from this catastrophe. We know that without the help of other countries it would be almost impossible because of our great level of poverty. We hope that other countries will be touched by God and will arrive with more help.  
MINISTRY   After talking to some pastors, we strongly believe that God can use this tragedy for his Glory and that we must take this great opportunity to share the love of Christ with those people which know very little about God.   Some churches are getting ready to go and work for the Kingdom by sharing what they have but mostly by sharing the precious Gospel.   Again, we ask you to pray for Nicaragua and the believers who are going to work in the damaged area.   In advance, thank you all for your prayers and love!

Please continue to pray for our brothers ministering there.  Pray that the gospel would be furthered!

I have been ask recently by several people about the emergent church movement.  If you are unfamiliar with that is, it is a movement within churches where people are asking questions about how we should change “how we do” church and sometimes even how we should change our theology because we now live in a post-modern, post-christian America. 

If these ideas or this movement is new to you I would highly encourage you to read through the article written by Mark Driscoll on the movement.  It is a great primer to what the movement is, how it started, who is a part, some of the dangers, and what are some of the differences of people within this very wide movement. 

I will give bonus points to anyone that can identify the person pictured above and how he relates to post-modernism.