Saturday, August 19, 2006

A new coffee house opened up last night. It’s close to my place so I will be here a lot. Good coffee.

My thing for the past year as been people. I’ve really been people based and focused on how I treat other people. I read through the new testament in the bible and see how Jesus went around treating others and how people based his ministry was. It’s the one thing we as Christians try and strive for (being like Jesus) but the one thing I feel we come most short of.

There was a commercial on tv a couple of months ago where all these different people are sitting in church ( a gay couple, a single mother with a baby, a homeless guy) and slowly, each one these people are ejected out of the church. I don’t remember what denomination of church is was but there slogan at the end of the commercial was We Don’t Exclude Others (or something to that effect).

This commercial made me say WTF? It made no sense. Why would you have a commercial where people are getting kicked out of church and your slogan be all are welcome. It was one of the worst concepts for a commercial I’ve ever seen.

There are times I question the churches desire to really love people. I go to church and it seems the point is to bring people in and get them saved. I don’t feel there’s anything wrong with getting people saved but if the point of every sermon is to get people saved then the people in church will never ever grow.

The most effective I’ve ever been in telling people about Christ has been when I’ve built relationships with them. I’ve shared Jesus with people while drinking beer. How many people get to do that? Not many I’m sure. People can smell a fake.

I’m not trying to hate on the church. People take things the wrong. I like to present things in a different light. I want to be like Jesus. Jesus partied with people. He ate with people. He healed people and he truly cared for others. Jesus had relationships with people. His friends weren’t the ones who went to church. His friends were the ones who needed him.

I’ve completely lost my train of thought. This happens from time to time.

Let’s try to wrap this up.

I’m sitting here in this coffee shop just before noon thinking about my relationships. I want to live like Jesus did, with people in mind. I want to truly care and love for people like he did. I want to have relationships with others because I care about them, not just to get them saved. The biggest impact I can have in this world is if first I love, and then bring people to Christ.

John 3:16

Saturday, August 12, 2006

I went to church this evening. To my surprise Dr. Frank Pedera was speaking. I always enjoy it when he preaches. He was talking about being content with what we have. His example was the children of Isreal in the dessert after they had been freed from Egypt. God provided water, food, guidance, everything they needed and all they did was complain. It got me thinking.

I've been looking for a new job lately. The main reason has been to make more money. I loe my job. I also really hate my job. The work is good, and the people aree great. Awesome creative enviorment. I couldn't really ask for better. The problem is I work really hard, putting out R-rated trash for pennies. I want to move away from Maryland (although this week I've second thoughts but that's I different topic). I'd really like to move out of my house. I'd really like to find a job in music. All these reasons are for me.

So I came to this conclusion. I'm a selfish bastard. I have a good job where I can be creative and do something I like doing. The fact that I am able to have a job in the recording industry is great. I have a place to stay with cheap rent. I'm pretty healthy. I have good friends. I have my family. I came to see that I have a pretty good life. That God has blessed me with so much and my selfishness over the last couple of months has really blocked all the good out.

I thank God that he loves me and sent his son to die for me. I'm thankful for my family. I'm really thankful for my friends. I'm thankful for my small church family and the encouragement they've given me. I am thankful for my job. I need to start bitching less and be more thankful for all the awesome things God has blessed me with.

Friday, August 04, 2006

I looked through a window and I saw into heaven
(Sweet) mother and child in a stain-glass reflection
Out over the gate we saw angels in the garden
We're gazing at a distance at our own resurrection

I'll block the door
Or I'll step outside
We'll change the world
If you want to


I was listening to Daniel Amos' Greatest Hits on my way home from the movies and their song "If You Want To" came on. Great song by a great band but not really the point.

Song verse above says we'll change the world if you want to. I feel this is something that gets talked about a lot in church and youth groups but is rarely executed in the right way. We feel like the only way to change the world is to get people saved. The goal might be to get people saved but a bunch of saved christians in church won't do anything. We'll all be in church, not out changing the world.

There's a movie out called Saved. I've gotten some crap about owning and liking this movie because people feel it makes fun of christians. I had a friend in high school. Mandy Moore's character in the movie and my friend are very similar in their personality. I've read countless articles with the people behind that movie that said they spent several months at youth groups and youth church rallys. I can tell. I think they nailed the extreme super hyped ready to roll christian youth culture.

The movie follows a character who sleeps with her boyfriend, who has just revealed he's gay, to get him back. She gets pregnant and finds real friends in the outcast of the christian school she attends. It's a great film about not judging others.

I feel we grow up in church and are expected to accept everything we're feed. We're never told to question people, never told to think for ourselves. I know one of the biggest things for me in youth group was going to bible study and being allowed to ask any question I wanted and argue any point I wanted. It helped shape my character and alot of what I believe now.

I don't believe the church can be effective and change the world by bring people to church to get saved or by going out and preaching the word on all the street corners. I believe there is some effectiveness to this but I feel there is a need for something deeper and more personal. people need to know that Jesus died because God loves them. The first thing I don't want to tell someone is that they're a dirty sinner and going to hell. The thing that has kept me going in my faith and walk is a knowledge that I'm loved by God no matter what and because his son died for me and I believe in him, God sees me as righteous.

I think as christians we need to start working on building relationships. Not so we can bring people to church and get them saved but because we care about them and want to invest in other people. If you show the love of God and people see that in you and know you've taken the time to care about them and invest in their life then you will get people saved and you will change the world.

It's time we take on a Jesus attitude and start caring about people.