Lack of Passion

I had the opportunity to visit a church last weekend. It was a surprisingly big church and felt rather comfy until we got hounded by two leaders of the church. It felt as though they tried to immediately assimilate us into their culture. We were at the church, so we must be church people. Despite the crappiest music ever, not just in selection, but also in congregational response; and a sermon that took one verse dealing with following hard after GOd alone and then some how jumped onto a soap box of of talking about Pre-marital sex, the unchurched couple we were with didn't have a good experience. I wonder why, gee I don't know, I guess some people just aren't ready to hear from GOd.

I have been jumping from anger and sadness as result of going to that church. I cannot say this without sounding like a mega/ seeker sensative church lover, or a gen X-tradition hater, or whatever othe adjective falls into this category, but what the crap? I is tearing me up to think that individual churches feel it is OK not to follow the call of the Lord. I have been trying to pay attention t o different churches to get a vibe of how we are doing, and it is not all that good. I am a part of a church that is growing, whose people are passionate and spreading the gospel, but I look around and see so many other who are not. They instead focus on their services, or their classes, or what will make people more comfortable. I don't want to be where a church is trying out new things with the same lifeless motions. I would just a soon go someplace that sings "Blessed be the tie that binds" and "love lifted me" and on fresh days, "Lord I lift your name on high" as long as the people are on fire for GOd and are being encouraged to go into the world as well as to grow in t heir faith.

In that service this weekend, I wanted to stand up and scream. I am sure that there are good things happenign in that church, but why do I have to preface all the good things about that church weithin the bigger church, before I say " shame on you for not being so passionate about Jesus that it oozes off of you onto everyone around you." That was the shorter version of a longer rant.

Imogen Heap

OK, so I am usually not on the cutting of hot music, but I just heard a couple of songs for a lady called Imogen Heap. SHe is all keyboard, electro, drum machine stuff and she is from the UK ( which doesn't mean much except the genre similarities to what is coming out of the UK currently). Any ways, if you like new and sort of a break from the norm, check her out.

THis will not meet the approval of rock -n-rollers, lovers of country, rap, or metal, Michael W., orthe occasional boy band.

Passions 2

OK so builing on the premise that, If our passion is pointed in the wrong direction, it can and will cause bad things to happen; (It might not be seen right away, but it will on some scale be negative.) and on the idea that no matter who we are there is at least someone for us to lead and somefor us to follow, is where I want to continue.

THe reason bad happens when our passion isn't right is that passion, begets passion. Look at at anyone close enough, and see who they lead and follow... their passion, no matter how great or focussed or intentional is passed down. THink of any successful business, somebody somewhere got passionate about smoething and it passes through the company. It is also why businesses fail or are stagnant. if there is no passion for what is being produced, and the passion is instead somewhere outside the workplace, it won't flourish and folks will not love their work. Obviously, I do not think work should be anyone's primary passion outlet, but it should occupy a little space in their heart.

Also, look at sports teams, the team that aligns their passions wins, which usually comes from a passionate coach or a Joe Montana or Michael Jordan. OK lots of secular examples to reinforce in my own mind that people see and respond to my passion. If I am fired up about something the people that see me as a leader will be fired up to.

IF I am a naturally high level leader ( lots of people will follow) then consistant passion is necessary to drive those followers.

Was Jesus a strikingly handsome dude? Was he exemptionally strong, smart, loud, quiet? Upon looking through scripture, I see other people described in such ways. I suppose Jesus was described as an exeptional teacher. I think more importantly, the thing that drew people to him was his heart. His Passion for the Father came out in everything he did, even when he talked back to his mother. It was so evident that it went beyond talking and into the miraculous.
I will stop there.... this is like the tip of the iceberg in my head.

Passion

OK, so this is an intro into a new era for my blog for a time. I have not had the opportunity to access it in a while, so there has been nothing new. I have had the opportunity to wrestle with some things that I see God doing with me and in the church.

IT all centers around the idea of passion. Michael Jordan, Braveheart, mother Theresa, Napoleon ( what? ), Joan of Arc....Pause, my office neighbor just stuck her head in the door and asked about Passion cd's, that's a mistery..Resume... freakin William Booth, Martin Luther, Hitler, Terry Bradshaw ( 1 pt. for Steelr reference.) the terminator, FDR, Bono, (1pt. Bono), Muslims, John Maxwell, Jehovah's Witnesses, Druggies, Rocky Balboa, if you know their name, they were probably passionate about something. Passion works in wierd ways, for some its awesome like Mother Theresa, for Hitler... not so awesome.

I have been hit hard with this idea that, being created in God's image means we were created with Passion. Realizing that passion unleashed can be so very awesome and so very dangerous in the same breathe... how much more bigger does this idea make the commandment for us to have nothing else come before Him in our Passion pecking order. Holy geeze, when a person's Passion is not on God whether by choice or ignorance, it is dangerous. But, when our passion that gets unleashed on the world is on God....

Warning... this will be the topic of several posts to come.