I'm Sorry, Did I Offend You?

Very recently I made the choice to start a blog (which you are reading!) I didn't know if anyone would ever read it, but it sounded like a fun way to pass the time. Shortly after I started, I began my 'Marketing Fails of the Day' which are geared to improve the quality and relevancy of Church media. The blog's popularity began to rise rapidly as did my understanding of humanity. I have been blessed to receive a lot of feedback over these pieces, some good, some bad, and some very, very ugly. This last week as I was being chastised for my colorful, yet generationally appropriate language, I began to wonder.....

Why are we (Christians) so very sensitive? I mean seemingly so much more sensitive than the rest of the world?

A Road Less Traveled

I've been thinking a lot lately about my walk with God. You see I always thought that it would get easier as I grew in my relationship with God, but here I am more than 10 years in and I'm realizing that might never be the case.

Now don't get me wrong, I love my life with God, but it's not always easy. Sure coming to Jesus and getting 'saved' was pretty easy and it was designed to be, but the journey, while full of immeasurable treasures, is not so simple. The older I get the more convinced I become that the journey isn't supposed to be easy, especially if you're in ministry.

Love Never Fails

"Love Never Fails"- I love that phrase. I love saying it. I love singing it. Most of all I love the implications of it. For those who don't know the phrase originates from 1 Corinthians 13- also known as the love chapter. The most well know portion is in verses 4-8:
⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  ⁸ Love never fails. 

You've probably heard parts of it read at weddings or etched on to photo frames. Most people associate it with the way love should look in a marriage. All of that is well and good but it goes way beyond that.

A question I can't answer.....

What is worship? Somehow I always get asked this question and I seriously hate answering that question.

*sigh*

I know, I know. I'm a worship leader and so I'm supposed to have this completely epic answer, but the truth is when I get asked that question I usually stand there with my mouth gaping open until some generic answer I heard at some conference or read in a book falls out of my mouth.

How to Not Fail at Church Marketing 101

For months now I have been posting the numerous marketing failure that exist in this world of Church Media. People think it's funny, and yeah, it can be. However, it really is an issue to take note of. As the culture we live in becomes more visual and people become more technological, this gap continues to widen. It makes the Church appear less and less relevant when really we should be on the bleeding edge of our culture. We shouldn't copy TV shows, corporate logos, or MTV. As Christian author and screenwriter, Craig Detweiler so aptly explained in an interview with ABC News:

"If you are truly connected to the creator of the universe you should be the most creative and risk-taking people on the planet," he said. "You would be coming up with new ideas and new visions all the time. That's our heritage and hopefully we'll get back to it. "For hundreds of years, Christians were the patrons of the arts," he added. "You have the renaissance that resulted. ... You had Michelangelo and Leonardo DaVinci paid by the church to make masterpieces. And now we we're reduced to pale imitation of the worst elements of pop culture. I rather have us lead a renaissance in the arts instead of imitate those who have gone before us."

Bubble People

Do you or someone you know live inside the ‘Christian Bubble’. I borrowed that term from a book I read once called ‘They Like Jesus but Not the Church’ by Dan Kimball. It’s a term that describes the ‘inner circle’ type of mentality that many of us have. So many believers throughout history have fallen into this bubble mentality without even thinking twice. It pains me to think about how many people I can think of that I know and love who spend their days shielding themselves from the world instead of bringing light to it. These people love Jesus, and they know all about the Bible and they pray like crazy- many of these people are viewed as being really good Christians people, but they are missing the point! I love it when these people say “Well, we’re supposed to be in the world, not of it” I nearly bust out laughing every time one of the ‘bubble people’ say this to me. I mean, really? You think that justifies legalism? Being judgmental? You think God’s cool with the fact that you don’t have any friendships with non-Christians because of that? Do you think that being ‘in the world’ is only a reference to the fact that you live on the planet earth? Do you really think that living a super conservative lifestyle means you’re not ‘of the world’? I mean the list of questions goes on. This is why it’s so dangerous to base your lifestyle on just one verse in the bible.

Cultural Relevance begins at the Cross

Relevance is such a buzzword in churches right now. We all say that we are and we take a great deal of time ensuring the cultural relevance of our services. I’m a huge fan of what I call ‘intentional relevance’ in churches. I believe that intentional relevance can be a very powerful tool to create an environment that is optimum for reaching the unreached. It’s really just a term I use to encompass how we use various elements like drama, music, lights, sound, visual art, etc. to get the message across on any given Sunday.

I was on a walk not long ago doing some brainstorming. As I strolled around, I passed a church in my neighborhood. I’ve passed it a million times, but this time it really caught my attention. The sun wasn’t quite up and this church has a glowing cross lit on the top of it. I just stopped and stared. This cross that I had seen before suddenly was so mesmerizing. I felt God say; “This is relevant above all other things” It just really spoke to me as a creative in the church.

We Are The Poor

"-and the good news is preached to the poor." Matthew 11:5 (NIV)

I've probably read that line several times and I don't think I've ever thought of it as significant before. Jesus said this when he was speaking to some of John the Baptist's disciples. For those of you who care, here it is in context:
"⁴Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: ⁵The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. ⁶Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me." Matthew 11:4-6 (NIV)

humanity to divinity

The other day I was commenting on a blog over at Revolution115 and I said: "God takes our ordinary humanity and infuses it with His extraordinary divinity". It was one of those statements that made me pause and think. I have to give credit to God for it, because I really am not smart enough to say something that profound on my own. It stuck in my head and as I began to chew on it, I decided I should try to expound on it.

Think about all the people you know from the Bible, even if you don't know their whole story or even their whole name. I would bet you that person was really nobody special at first. Look at people like Moses, David, Paul, Mary, or any of the Apostles. All regular people. Some of them were even considered evil by our standards. So, why do we remember them? The simple answer is that we remember them because of what God did with/through them, not really for any reasons that have to do with the person.

One is the Loneliest Number

This was hard for me to write. I like to observe and discuss things that happen around me, but I'm not a big fan of discussing my own problems. I just felt really strongly when I woke up this morning that some of you out there may be wrestling with this issue of loneliness. I'm not really writing this to say "woes me, I'm so lonely", but instead I feel compelled to write it for those of you out there in the same boat. As I work through this, maybe it'll help you work through it and know that you're not alone in feeling how you feel.

I've never really been one of those people who has a ton of friends. I don't have 60 people who call me when I'm down. I don't really ever go out with people other than my husband. I have very few people who really know me on a personal level. Is that by choice? No, not really. It just is. It's been like that for many years, but I never really thought much about. As I get a little older, I'm beginning to think more about my connections with others.

"My Precious"

OK so I'll admit it, I'm a total geek. Today as I was reading the Bible (Matthew) I started thinking about the Lord of the Rings, and not just because it was a kick-ass movie. I was reading in Matthew 6:19-21:

¹⁹"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

I know most of us have heard this verse in some interpretation many times. As I read it today I kept thinking of Gollum. More specifically how much I can be like him at times. Yeah, I am more attractive on my exterior, and I can speak in coherent sentences, but there are days when I become just as rank and nasty on the inside. Don't we all?

Jesus knew this. He knew that we would want to follow Him and do well, but at the same time the forces of evil are constantly pressuring us and luring us into a prison of our own selfishness. It doesn't matter whether you're a Christian or not, we are all subject to this torment at times.

We begin to think that our lives depend on superficial things. By doing this we misplace our faith. We stop placing our faith in God and instead we place it in something else like money, appearance, sex, status, jobs, etc. Then our mind, energy, and heart goes into securing and replicating whatever that is. Are you starting to see the danger here?

There is nothing wrong with having money, looking nice, or even sex (within God's standards), but none of them should rule our lives or dictate our day. Our thoughts should not be monopolized with getting 'more' like a crack addict looking for his next hit.

I live on the beach, so I am in sand all the time, and let me tell you it's not stable. If you scoop up some sand and try to squeeze it, you will quickly find it slipping between your fingers- the tighter you grip; the more you lose. That's what happens when we try to hold tight to our treasures. The things that may seem important are really just powdery sand- it's fun, smooth, and feels good between your toes, but it's not good for much more. God is a rock or better yet a mountain. You can hold him as tight as you need- He will never crumble, never move, and never fail.

What is your "Precious"?

Beautiful, Beautiful

I was listening to a song today called "Beautiful, Beautiful" and it really made me reflect on God's grace. The opening words in the chorus are: "Like sunlight burning at midnight, making my life something so beautiful, beautiful" And it just made me think about how endless my failures are and how endless God's grace is. I know we all have failures, but I always feel like my past is so much more shady than that of my peers.

10 years ago, I was just some 17 girl. I was hurting and lost. I was addicted to drugs such as meth, cocaine, ecstasy, whatever I could find really. I wasn't so much addicted to the drugs chemically as emotionally. I used them to deal with my social and romantic pains and the shame of my sex life and emotionally abusive boyfriend. I knew about God, but never felt like I could be into that type of stuff. About 9 years ago, God went to work. I was set free from problems I didn't even know I had and God began to show me what I am worth to Him. I grew slowly over the next several years. Then I went through a really difficult divorce. I won't retell that story here. If you want, you can read my posts: Yeah I'm Divorced- Part 1 & Part 2.

I felt like that lost 17 yr old again. I felt so unworthy to even go to church, let alone approach God. It wasn't long before God went to work again, showing me how He sees me. Showing me that I could never make Him not want me. Sometimes, I think we are harder on ourselves than God will ever be. I know this is true for me. I can sit for hours and self evaluate my actions. What I've learned is that God approaches things so very differently.

God is fully aware of our condition. He knows we will mess up many things, big and small. Yet, He chooses to stick by us anyhow.

There are times in my life when I feel like I've just messed up too much. Like God is gonna say, "Well, that was the last straw! You're on your own kid!" - I actually think that sometimes. However, I'm beginning to notice a pattern......

I constantly screw things up, like everyday, and yet, God has never so much as shaken His head in disappointment at me. I've been broken in some of the most deep and painful ways a person can be broken in and yet I always seem to come out with out so much as a scratch. As a matter of fact, I always seem to come out looking better than before.

That my friends, is Grace.

No matter what we do, no matter how far we go off the path, God is right there with open arms ready to accept us and change us with His grace, mercy and love. Where we see mistakes, God sees opportunity. Where we see failure, God sees potential. If I had a perfect or even normal life, I would not be who I am. It's the friction of my life that has shaped me into who I need to be in God's Kingdom, so I can do what He has for me to do.

There are still days when I feel regret and get overwhelmed but the inevitable backlash of my failures. However, I am always reminded of Romans 5:3-5:

³Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; ⁴perseverance, character; and character, hope."

I have suffered, some caused by my own hand and some not, but I know that God doesn't want us to dwell in it. He wants us to look at our sufferings as opportunities and see the hope we have in Him. He will use our brokenness, both past and present, to recreate us into something better.

We have all failed, but God doesn't see that when He looks at us. God doesn't see what we are, He sees who we will be. We can try to mess things up a hundred times and He will never stop believing in us. I think we too often forget that God is love and love never fails. Don't ever feel ashamed to run to God. He is for us. Even when we walk away He never stops believing in us. He never stops wanting the best for his children.

I look at my life today and the direction God is taking me. It overwhelms me with joy and humility. He really has made my life beautiful before Him and it's not because I'm "super special", it's only because He loves me. It's a humbling thought.

How about you? Do you struggle with this? How do you work it out?

Marketing Fail of the Day

"It's a 'Spiritual Accessory'- Personally I think the background music is the best part :)

Love can be the Hardest Thing

Sometimes being yourself in church can be the hardest thing. I almost feel bad for saying that, but it can be very true. Most of us have been hurt badly by people. We've been misunderstood, lied to, and just treated unfairly and not just in the world but in the church too. I know that sounds sad but it's not all bad. After all the Church is made up of people. We've likely hurt others as much as we've been hurt. I once heard Rick Warren say, "Hurt people, hurt people" How true is that? There was a day when people went to the church for sanctuary. It was a place to be at peace and find comfort regardless of your condition. Nowadays, I think many people aren't afraid of God they are afraid of us.

Now, there are many awesome churches and I believe that in general, Christians have a heart to do good things, so why is it that we have such a hard time walking in love with one another? Once again, I don't pretend to know, but here's a couple of things I've observed:

1. We are insecure- I have a strong personality and that makes a lot of people feel intimidated but what those people don't get is that I am just as insecure as they are. I have the same need to feel loved, accepted, and encouraged. I just express myself differently. We are all laced with insecurities and they often get in the way of our relationships with one another.

2. We are skeptics- Our society teaches us not to trust, especially when people are too nice or too eager. We are taught that there is so selflessness. I've learned that if you continuously question someone's motives, eventually they will let you down. So really instead of believing in our brother and sisters to succeed, we are just waiting for them to fail.

3. We are afraid- If you've been hurt, and let's face it, we've all been hurt. The worst thing you can imagine is being hurt again. These emotional scars are painful reminders of what we fear most and our natural human reaction is to flee anything that looks like it might reopen our wounds. I know this from experience. This kind of fear kept me from being in a small group for years and it is very unhealthy.

The solution? Heck, I don't know! I'm not a great philosopher or theologian. I'm just some chick who's been there and maybe you can relate? The only answer I can offer is in the Bible (cause let's face it those answers are usually the best ones):
"I want you to think about how all this makes you more significant, not less. A body isn't just a single part blown up into something huge. It's all the different-but-similar parts arranged and functioning together. If Foot said, "I'm not elegant like Hand, embellished with rings; I guess I don't belong to this body," would that make it so? If Ear said, "I'm not beautiful like Eye, limpid and expressive; I don't deserve a place on the head," would you want to remove it from the body? If the body was all eye, how could it hear? If all ear, how could it smell? As it is, we see that God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it. ^19-24But I also want you to think about how this keeps your significance from getting blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of." 1 Corinthians 12:14-19 MSG

We are all important. Just realizing that we ALL matter helps. Sometimes we get consumed with feelings of self importance and this can set us up for even bigger hurts and sometimes we are consumed with feeling insignificant and the result is the same. Remembering that we are all not just A part but an IMPORTANT part of God's big picture can give us great security and strength when we feel hurt, neglected, or alone and it can give us perspective when we need it.

^"4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸Love never fails. " 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 NIV

We've all heard this a million times but it will always be relevant. This is how God defines love and this ought to be the standard for how we treat one another. At the end of the day we are all in this together. Loving each other with Christ-like love can be hard, but sometimes allowing ourselves to receive it can be even harder. I believe that the more we love each other, the greater our witness is. Let's all challenge ourselves to take the next step in love and let's do it together. It's when all of us journey together in love that we can do the greatest things for God's Kingdom.

What do you think? Am I being too harsh? Have you ever felt this way? How do you handle it?

Marketing Fail of the Day

(OMG Clipart from my old Windows 3.1 pc threw up all over this banner!)

Leftovers???

Being in ministry you often hear people talk about how difficult it is to balance time in ministry and time with family. Ministry is a tough field. We work 40-50 hours per week in a battlefield and I've yet to meet a pastor who is paid what he's worth (at least not an honest one!) We come home tired to families, ready to give what we can. Many people refer to this as the 'leftovers'. I've heard it several times and I heard it again today. Why do we feel this way? Why is it that when we work hard for the Kingdom, we allow ourselves to feel guilty? Why do our spouses make us feel guilty?

Anne Jackson wrote recently on her blog that "When you say yes to something, that means you're saying no to something else." This is very true. When I say yes to spending time at church, I am essentially saying no spending that time with my family. My question is why is that always seen as a bad thing? If I say no to time at church, I am saying no to something much larger. I'm saying no to preparing to do my part in the body. I'm saying no to raising up the next generation. I'm saying no to my calling. I'm saying know to my church family.

Now, don't get me wrong; a healthy family is vital to a healthy pastor, but it shouldn't an either/or thing. Ministry requires a significant amount of time above and beyond what you're paid for (if your lucky enough to be in paid ministry) and that's just what it is. This is a reality that should be discussed with our families before we go into ministry or get married if you're already in ministry.

My husband is not in ministry, but he is very aware of what it demands. He knows that I will always work more than I'm paid for (if I'm being paid at all). He knows that Christmas Eve, Easter, Mother's Day and Father's Day are the highest visitors week in churches, and therefore I may be absent from home on those days. He knows that if there is an opportunity to expand God's Kingdom that my needs and his needs have to take a back seat. He also knows that I love him, I appreciate him, and I support him in what he does just as much as he supports me.

So I refuse to call what I have to give at the end of the day, "leftovers", because it's not. My working hard for God during the day doesn't mean I only have junk left to give my husband. Do I get tired, beaten, and grumpy- absolutely, but it's job to know how to work hard for God and be a good wife. When I struggle with it, I know God can show me how.

Being a good spouse is less about quantity and more about quality. If you feel like your giving your spouse 'leftovers', don't immediately think you shouldn't do so much at church. Try to look at the quality of the relationship. Here are a list of questions to help you determine why your involvement might be causing a problem(some of them seem silly, but they're true!):

1. Do you have at least one quality evening together a week?
2. Do you send each other romantic or even sexy little texts/emails/notes?
3. Do you tell your spouse how much you appreciate them at least once per week?
4. Do you kiss each other for at least 5 minutes everyday?
5. Do you have a healthy sex life?
6. Do you CLEARLY communicate where you are and when you'll be home
7. If you have kids: Do you try to give your spouse at least two hours a week without them?
8. Do you know that you have your spouse's support when you're away from home?
9. Do you demonstrate support for each other emotionally and practically?
10. Do you tell your spouse how attractive they are to you everyday?

If you answered 'no' to at least 3 of these, then I would say that it's not the amount of time you're involved, it's the strength of your relationship. Try doing each of these things, and try having a heartfelt discussion with your spouse. Usually the non-involved spouse is really just feeling shafted by your busyness or sometimes just insecure. Strengthening the relationship from the inside is what needs to happen. Cutting back the time you spend in ministry WILL NOT fix the problem, it will only put a band-aid on it. As someone who's been divorced- I know this first hand. If the problem is in the relationship, then address it with your spouse and address it with God.
-JUST MY OPINION

DISCLAIMER: This article does not apply to workaholics. If you work more than 50 hours per week on a regular basis, then please buy Anne Jackson's Book 'Mad Church Disease' and take a vacation!

New Essentials Courses: Songwriting (Baloche) and Worship Leading (Park)

This is a post from Dan Wilt's Blog. I've already taken the 3 core Essentials Modules and they were AWESOME! I'm looking forward to taking these on! Let me know if you want to join me!

From DanWilt.com:
it’s a privilege to do what I do, and I get to do it with some beautiful souls who have the fame of God on their mind. We’ve just handcrafted two new works of art for the service of creatives in the missional Church. Weha. Hope these can serve you and lift your calling in God.

Write A Song. Learn Songwriting.

ESSENTIALS IN SONGWRITING
LIVE GUESTS: PAUL BALOCHE (God of Wonders), ANDY PARK (In The Secret)
PRIMARY RESOURCE: God Songs (Baloche),
SECONDARY RESOURCES: Songwriting For Worship DVD (Vineyard Music), Worship Songwriting DVD (Doerksen)

Write a song in the month of January, while you learn the craft of songwriting with some of today’s best. Learn More.

Learn The Skill Of Worship Leading.

ESSENTIALS IN WORSHIP LEADING
LIVE GUEST: ANDY PARK (In The Secret)
PRIMARY RESOURCE: To Know You More (Park),
SECONDARY RESOURCES: Leading Worship DVD (Vineyard Music)

Learn the foundational skillset of great worship leaders, while you learn from today’s most effective worship leaders.

Plus A Free One Year Learning Community Membership.

Every course now comes with a full ONE YEAR COMPLIMENTARY MEMBERSHIP TO OUR LEARNING COMMUNITY if you sign up by DEC. 1.

I.e. A year of other amazing free training resources, live and in media. Learn More.

Yeah, baby. We’re pumped. Hope you and a group can join us, blog friend crazies.

Dan out.
www.WorshipTraining.com

Marketing Fail of the day!- Day one!

I am blessed to have the opportunity to do church marketing and design on a regular basis. It's fun and I love it. It's awesome to try an think of new, relevant ways to get the message out there.

I regularly search the internet looking for new ideas and inspirations. There are so many talented artists in the church that are constantly coming up with beautiful ways to share faith through media.... then, there are the other guys. I know you know what I'm talking about. Who hasn't gotten a track or seen a billboard that makes you shudder at the fact that you get lumped in with 'those people' because of your faith.

So, in the spirit of improving the quality and relevancy of Church marketing, I will be posting these everyday (with commentary). Feel free to send anything my way that you deem offensive, stupid, funny, or just plain sad. It can be anything from billboards to t-shirts! TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE :-P

We will start out with a few here today:


(I can practically feel the love spilling off this, can't you?)


(Just in case you forgot: Jesus is watching you buy that porn)


(Um.... somebody didn't think this through. I don't know who that guy is but I think he's giving it an 'amen')

And first up a personal favorite:

(yeah, because that's so going to happen. Just do what we tell you and don't think about it, dang it!)

Psalm 25

^"12 My question: What are God-worshipers like?

Your answer: Arrows aimed at God's bull's-eye."
Psalm 25:12 (the Message)

I was reading Psalm 25 this morning. I was actually reading it in the New King James Version (my fav translation) and I felt God really speaking to me through it. Then I felt like He wanted me to go read it in the Message Bible (my fav paraphrase). So I did, and verse 12 practically jumped off the page at me. I just love how it describes what Christians should be like. , "Arrows aimed at God's bull's-eye" It challenged me to look at the trajectory of my day/week/year and ask myself, "What is my aim?". Are the tasks/goals that I have laid out for myself aimed at God and His Will? The truthful answer is 'no'. This verse is really challenging me to change that.

So, think about the day and what you plan to do. Ask yourself, why am I doing these things? Are my tasks aimed at God or am I just self-seeking or am I just "going through the motions"? Think about how you can take your everyday and aim it at glorifying God and furthering His Kingdom.

^"15 If I keep my eyes on God,
I won't trip over my own feet"
Psalm 25:15

Newness of the Spirit

Romans 7 was my spiritual food today. Is it me or is that chapter a particularly hard read. I had to read it in like three different translations before I could start getting it. I think this chapter is confusing for many because it is so loaded. If you really drink it in it could very well undermine your entire way of thinking about your spiritual life and church in general. I mean...yikes...who wants that? As I started to read it, I actually thought to myself, "Maybe I should go read Psalms instead, there's an easier book" Then I realized wow there must be something good in here if Satan is trying so hard to keep me from reading it. In this chapter Paul is talking about the Law, not the constitution, but the Law/Rules/ Traditions of the religious "right" of that time. I don't know much about Biblical history but I do know that these Laws and Tradition were essential to the way of life back then. People based their lives and careers around religious laws and traditions. In chapter 7, Paul basically says that the Law has no bearing on salvation and furthermore can become an open window for Satan. I began to think about this passage and how it pertains to the current western church. My father, for example, is a very traditional man in his belief system. he believes strongly in the doctrine of the Catholic Church because he was raised in it. He believes that is he follows all the rules and is "basically good" that he will go to heaven. This "living a good life" theory of salvation is shared by many people from all faiths. But my friends it is terribly flawed. Number one, that is nowhere in the Bible. Number two, that thoery is based on the concept that human nature is inherintly good. In Romans 7:24 Calls himself a "wretched man" To truly grasp the concept of salvation and being in a spiritual and real relationship with God we have to recognize and accept our own sinful nature. We have to admit to ourselves that without Christ there is no "Good" in us. I started asking people around me why they believe the things that they believe about God and I was able to break 90% percent of those people into two categories: One group who attends church said, "Because it just is, it what my parents told me. I don't want to go to hell, so I try to be good" and another group who tries to seek God outside the church. They ussually said "I don't believe that there is just one way to God and I don't like all the rules in church or I just can't relate to church". Wow..... how the "church" can undermine itself. This is what I got from the passage I read today. God's not about rules. God's law that he sets forth in the Bible is solid and meant for good, but those things are not the main idea behind God. He gives us commanments and wisdom through the Word to guide us in leading a good life. It when we start to interject or put our own spin on it that we give Satan that open door to come in and perverse the Laws that God created to help us. For example, I think that everybody can agree that we should pray daily as individuals, that's very Biblical. Here's where the perversion happens:
In our human need for structure we will start to ask ourselves "well, how much should I pray? If I forget to pray today do I have to make it up the next day?" So we start looking for the answers and instead of seeking God about it, we hear a pastor or a book or whatever tell us that we should pray for 30 minutes everyday. So we start making ourselves pray for 30 minutes a day. And it goes well for a while. Then we forget one day and we begin to feel guilty and like we've failed somehow, so we try to make it up. Then we continue to force ourselves out of this desire to do what is "right" until it become another chore in our day. One day we get fed up with the chore and we begin to ask our selves why we are even praying or who we are even praying to.
You see friends, we can set these rules without even knowing and most of the time it is out of a desire to do what is right. Paul says in Romans 7:11 "For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death." He saying that even when we try to do good Satan will try to decieve us. Satan knows that if he can convince us that all of our manmade rules are God's rules he can divide us. In closing Let me challege you to think about your life and ask God to show you what rules you follow are from Him and what are from you or the people around you. Begin to think about why you do or believe the things that you do. In romans Paul uses the term "newness of the Spirit" This really jumped at me. God's is steady and unchanging but He continuously uses the Holy Spirit to refresh and transform our minds and ideas about God. God is never old or outdated, only we can become irrelevant by refusing to allow God to set the rules.

Rob Bell has been heavily criticized by the more conservative sects of Christianity for his challenging thoughts of what it means to be spiritual. He challenges both believers and non to examine their belief and not take them without careful examination. Here is what he had to say in response to some of these attacks.
"When people say that the authority of Scripture or the centrality of Jesus is in question, actually it's their social, economic and political system that has been built in the name of Jesus that's being threatened, Generally lurking below some of the more venomous, vitriolic criticism is somebody who's created a facade that's not working"
- Rob Bell to the Chicago Sun Times