BOOKS I’M READING
Here’s what I’m reading in the first quarter of 2014…
Category "Life With God"
Starstruck & Blind With Celebrity Worship
Celebrity worship is a thing.
Just like social media addiction is a thing, there is a newly identified psychological condition: Celebrity Worship Syndrome (CWS).
Sure, it’s been going on for years in our culture. I’m sure you’ve seen old footage of the Beatles playing a concert with their frenzied fans entranced in worship… Read More
Our Weird Collections
We Christians (in the U.S.) are known for certain patterns of weirdness – and one of our weird tendencies is collecting stuff.
It’s very American, but it doesn’t look much like Jesus at all.
From celebrities who can’t stop purchasing shoes to guys who have more Hawaiian shirts than there are days of the year, we love to collect and accumulate… Read More
I Wish We Were Weird Like That
I wish we Christians would be weird differently.
We’re all weird. I am, that’s for sure.
People generally think I’m weird when I talk about not liking white things that spread (mayo, miracle whip, sour cream, cream cheese).
Nobody agrees with me when I say, “I don’t like Tom Hanks as an actor.” Instead, people walk away thinking, “That guy is weird.”
And then I have this thing where I enjoy sleeping in jeans – not all the time, but sometimes it’s nice. My wife really thinks this is weird.
But I’m not talking about that kind of weird today.
Everybody has quirks. We’d all be pretty robotic and boring without our little idiosyncrasies.
I’m taking aim at Christians (in the U.S.) in general. We are known for certain patterns of weirdness… Read More
Best of 2014
We’re just a few days into 2014 – and here are my favorites from around the web so far…
This post from Tullian Tchivdjian… Read More
King Moonracer
Do you remember King Moonracer from the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Christmas special?
He is the flying lion who lives in a castle… the king of the Island of Misfit Toys.
King Moonracer flies around the world each night to gather up unwanted toys and gives them a home on his island… Read More
Blessed By The Misfits
Two years ago, I did a series at my church called “Misfit Magnet.” It was all about the kind of people Jesus attracted. And, of course, the series referenced the Island of Misfit Toys from the classic Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer TV special.
From time to time, we need to be reminded to suspend judgement and just love people. We have a tendency to surround ourselves with a homogenized group of people who think, believe, look, act, and smell like us.
Here’s a little different take on the subject of misfits… Read More
It’s Just Average
I wish my church had cool features like hidden passageways or catacombs, but nope. There’s nothing particularly cool or unique about our building.
It’s not ancient enough or brand new enough to be cool. It’s just average.
No fountain. No outdoor fireplace. No bookstore. No gym. No library.
In fact, there is nothing stand-outish about our facilities. They just kinda blend in… Read More
Another Reason Your Church Is Better
My church just doesn’t measure up.
While other churches are describing themselves as “One church, three locations,” or “One church, fifteen locations,” we don’t even bother to announce that we are “One church, one location.” Although, I did once consider calling our Mother’s Room the “South Campus” because it has a live feed of our service and it’s south of our auditorium… until I realized we couldn’t give tours of our South Campus because of the moms nursing babies in there. Awkward.
Since we don’t have the McChurch franchise thing going on (yet anyway), your church is better than mine.
Here’s another one: our worship leader doesn’t have a beard. I mean, how is that even possible in 2013??!!?!?? I think you’re starting to get the picture: your church is better than mine… Read More
Your Church Is Better
Your church is better than mine
And I’m good with that.
To me, better isn’t the issue anyway. We’re different. I think we should be.
My church doesn’t do everything well, and it can’t.
The “my _______ is better than your _______” feels like a sassy elementary school yard conversation, don’t you think?
I can’t imagine how that type of comparison honors our Father… Read More