Monthly archive: June, 2007

The Forgotten Ways – Chapter 7

June 5, 2007, by 5 comments

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Our network gatherings are finally (after three months) getting to the last two chapters of Alan Hirsch’s book The Forgotten Ways. As we prepare to summarize a bit of chapter 7 in this post and chapter 8 tomorrow I thought it would be good to be reminded of the elements discussed thus far.

Hirsch coins the phrase “Apostolic Genius” to help describe “that unique energy and force that imbues phenomenal Jesus movements in history.” Diagrammatically Hirsch envision Apostolic Genius looking something like this: Read more →

Praying with Kim Fabricius

June 3, 2007, by 1 comment

It’s a world of confusion, Lord:
we are muddled in our thinking;
we are mixed in our emotions;
we are inconsistent in our actions.

It’s a world of lies, Lord:
we deceive ourselves about our motives and intentions;
we mislead others with double-speak and spin;
we exploit you as an agent of social control and repression.

It’s a world of greed, Lord:
we worship the idol of the market;
we honour the false prophets of profit;
we reduce people to punters and nations to debt.

It’s a world of violence, Lord:
we deploy the technology of terror to protect our own interests;
we invest our children in the business of bloodshed;
we justify war as first strike, last resort, or final solution.

It’s a world of vengeance, Lord:
we allow the wounds of history to fester;
we refuse the healing of memories;
we betray the living out of mistaken loyalty to the dead.

Oh Lord,
in this world of confusion, make us a people of clarity;
in this world of lies, make us a people of integrity;
in this world of greed, make us a people of generosity;
in this world of violence, make us a people of peace;
in this world of vengeance, make us a people of mercy:
in the name of Christ: Amen.

- Kim Fabricius

Spiritual Transformation – Part 2

June 2, 2007, by 4 comments

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Last week my friend Georges Boujakly shared six introductory “keys” on spiritual transformation. This week he has added two additional principles (HT #7: Pastor Rod). Here are the eight principles that Georges is going to elaborate on over the next several weeks.

1. Spiritual transformation is an inside job.
2. Spiritual transformation requires deliberate effort.
3. Spiritual transformation has a specific goal.
4. The goal of spiritual transformation is conformity to Jesus Christ.
5. The progress of spiritual transformation is always slow.
6. Spiritual transformation is the “business” of the church.
7. Spiritual transformation (discipleship) is not a luxury for the spiritually elite.
8. Spiritual Transformation is plural.

Now a little more elaboration on inward transformation (#1). Read more →

Gordon Cosby

June 2, 2007, by 1 comment

gordon-cosby.jpg“If men and women today began by the thousands experiencing the depths of Jesus Christ in a transforming way, there would simply be no place for their expression of experience to fit into the present-day straitjackets of Christianity. Protestant or Catholic, neither one is structured to contain a mass of devoted people who long for spiritual depth. We are structured towards infancy.”

Gordon Cosby, The Church of the Saviour

Where The Streets Have No Name

June 1, 2007, by 6 comments

This is by far my favorite video of all time. If you are not familiar with this, it is a portion of the half time show at the 2002 Super Bowl four months after 911. Five years later it still brings a shiver up my spine and a lump to my throat.

Don’t Assimilate Me!

June 1, 2007, by 2 comments

blind-beggar.jpgHere is a very helpful post by Rick Meigs over at The Blind Beggar where he summarizes the last chapter of Gary McIntosh’s book “Beyond the First Visit: The Complete Guide to Connecting Guests to Your Church.”

While I shared with Rick that I was a bit uncomfortable with couching all of McIntosh’s thoughts in the “what the emerging church does” discussion (because I believe it is bigger/wider than simply what the EC does) I found the points to be right on and in many regards more biblically faithful than our typical modes of operation. I would like to hear your thoughts. Read more →