Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Grammer

It is awesome that immediately following my post announcing my acceptance into grad school and I write a post dealing with teaching people who may seem simple-minded, with the worst grammer ever. Seriously, read the next post of you don't think it possible. .... Proof read...

Sorry, I was in a hurry and in a panera bread, (the only place I have internet access currently).
I left the post because I believe that this is a problem.

Most (if not all) of the great deceptions the devil pulls are through our pride. We don't even know it is there, and then all of a sudden we feel that we have an understanding that is above the comprehension of those we are supposed to teach.

How often do we hear about, get involved with, know of, or complain about how churches have a tendancy to become a baby-sitting service. The church gets full of people who only are there because of what they can get from the church. I would suggest that is because we get caught up in ourselves and treat people as though they were babies and needed us to grow. If that is the culture a leader sows...

I was recently told by a pastor that I know well that the people in his congregation simply could not do what was needed to grow the kingdom. This is totally contrary to the message of Christ. He was all about letting everyone in, and more importantly empowering them. The disciples were these guys, not the best or smartest and Jesus said you are capable to lead the church.

I doubt this problem is intentional, but we have to constantly check ourselves, and each other

Monday, November 13, 2006

A simple culture

On several occasions recently I have had people talking about teaching specific congregations within the church. More often than not, in my discussions of how to best teach a specific culture ( or subculture within western culture ) I have been told that the culture is too simple to understand deep teaching. Poor, rich, upper class, new christians, inner-city, suburban, rural, blue collar, you name it, all are used to rationalize a lack of solid teaching.

I can think of 3 seperate teachers/pastors in opposite cultural settings that have told me how their people cannot understand deep teaching due to being simpletons. Is this the truth?

I understand some people actual have mental problems that slow their understanding of basic truths, but everyone else just have not been educated. I wonder how dangerous it is for leaders to assume a lack of potential in their people. Doesn't God open the banquet to everyone once the original guests elect to see it as trivial and not show? Isn't there something to be said about how Jesus taught blue collar, uneducated people how to know God and they built the church?

Maybe it is just me, having a passion to teach, and thinking everyone else should. But maybe it is a huge problem, maybe many leaders in churches are dropping the ball.

I am still thinking through this and will post more, but it was a bit fresh today.

Thursday, November 09, 2006

hey big time college grad!

well, that is a while coming, but I officially have been accepted to graduate school and am now in the process of scheduling classes, and waiting for finacnial aide to come through. I am excited to go back to school.

I am currently at panera bread and a lady just sat down near me. Can I just comment on old lady smell? I used to think it was a natural smell, but now I realize that they actually purchase a pefume in order to make this smell. I am a second away from passing out from this mix of normal perfume, old spice, original lysol and comet. Seriously, feel free to dab. If you suffer from OLS, I apologize.

more news later