What's So Great About Television?

For the last ten days, I have made a conscious effort to avoid television. Now, for the sake of full disclosure, it does help that my Colts were unceremoniously dumped from the playoffs.

But, in those ten days, I have been able to read 3 books and I'm nearly done with another one. I've been able to start several projects that I've been thinking about doing.

What I've found is that I've been wasting a lot of time staring at my beautiful Sony Bravia television instead of doing things for the Kingdom. We wonder why we're so ineffective and we don't see the things we dream about. One of the reasons is that we spend so much time wasting time on things that don't matter at all. In the end, Rock Band, Sportscenter, and Netflix will have all passed away and only the Kingdom of God will remain.

At least, that's what I think.

What do you think?

Are You A Fan?

Karla and I are reading a book entitled "Tribes" by Seth Godin. It's a very interesting book and I'm really enjoying it. Basically, the book is about the need for leadership in a world that has dramatically changed through media and technology.

In one section of the book, the author writes, "In an article posted on his Technium Web site, Kevin Kelley brilliantly described the world of '1,000 True Fans.' A true fan, he argues, is a member of the tribe who cares deeply about you and your work. That person will cross the street to buy from you or bring a friend to hear you or invest a little extra to support you."

I'm a fan of many things: the Chicago Cubs, the Indianapolis Colts, the Indiana Hoosiers, Bruce Hornsby, Heroes, the Matrix Trilogy, and Blu-ray movies. I am really, really interested in all of these things.

But there is something in me that makes me hesitate in becoming a fan of things that really matter. Why does it feel funny to be a fan of Christ Fellowship Church? Why does it seem weird to be a fan of my wife and children? Why does it seem strange to be a fan of another human being that I count as a friend and comrade in the faith?

I know that we should worship God and Him alone. I get that. Not a problem. But I'm not talking about worshipping another person. I'm talking about being a fan. I'm talking about crossing the street to see you, or changing my schedule to listen to you, or giving a little more to support you. By those definitions, it sounds like the church of the first few chapters of the book of Acts were fans...of one another.

What do you think?

Radical Or Just Tired?

We had a wonderful time at church last night. Instead of having 50 people spread out through a sanctuary that can seat 225, we packed the same 50 people in a cafe that can comfortably seat 20. What a different feel!

The soul of Christ Fellowship Church is much more at home in the radical air of secret home meetings than in the comfort of a modern church building with steeples and paved parking lots.

We started in the atmosphere of people who had been thrown out of comfortable denominational settings because of our love for God and the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit. We met outdoors, in homes, in abandoned buildings deep in the countryside. We were radicals. We were in love with God. We were comrades in the fight for a Christianity that truly meant something.

Last night reminded me of who I am at my best.

A radical.

Where has that guy been? Am I who I think I am, or am I just tired? Who are you?

Tell me, what do you think?

The Need For Discipline

I hate routine!
I hate schedules!
I hate calendars and appointment books!
I love discipline.

(Well...maybe love is a bit strong.)

I need discipline, anyway. I'm a person who can't eat just one potato chip. Once I start, I'll keep going back until they're all gone. I can't have a box of chocolates in the house. I'll let myself eat one, and before I know it, the box is empty.

And really, the same is true of my spiritual life. I would like to think that my heart is so pure in God that I'll just WANT to read my Bible, and pray for hours, and worship the Lord at my piano in enraptured ecstasy. But the truth is: if I don't make myself do things through discipline, I'll just sit in my easy chair and watch my life slip away like the sands in an hourglass. (Anyone still remember those things?)

Anyway, I have to be disciplined to be happy with myself...not to get God to like me more. Maybe we can talk about that subject soon.

This is a great time to work on your discipline. Try getting up at a regular time or going to bed a bit earlier. Try a Bible reading program. Make a covenant with someone to pray together. Determine to be a regular commentator on this blog. Start a diet. Start an exercise program. Do something interesting with your spouse. Try something new!

Karla and I are going to read the Bible together this year in the morning and read another book at night. How about you? What do you think about discipline? Are you going to try something new this year?

Happy New Year!

I want to take time to wish all of you a very Happy New Year!

I'm hoping that this coming year will be the best one that we've ever experience while walking with the Lord Jesus. I hope that this blog will be an encouragement to you during the coming year.

Feel free to invite someone to take part in the community.

If you want to extend your greetings to everyone, feel free to use the comments.

Excited or Steady?

Excited about Jesus or Steady in Your Walk...which is better?

Those of you who know me well understand that I have a personality which demands that I must always be involved in something new and exciting. I want to be challenged with some fresh idea or with some concept or action that demands my attention. Within days or a few short weeks, I am ready to move on to something different.

Some of my friends are not built that way at all. They don't like change. In fact, they hate change. They want life to be slow and predictable. They love to know what they are going to be doing next week, next month, next year, and next life.

I can see the pitfalls of my personality. Now that I'm rapidly approaching sixty years of age, there is less and less about Christianity or church work that I haven't heard before. I've tried a lot of methods, and have been excited about a few of them. I still love Jesus...I love His ideas and radical lifestyle...but, right now, I'm not too excited about it. I'm stuck in the mundane. And I don't wear it well.

But, this could be the right time for being steady. It could be the right time to walk things out. It could be the time to learn how to put those concepts into practice. It could build that dreaded thing called character.

Could be. What do you think?

It's Been A While...

All right then, I get the message! It's time to write again.

To be honest with all of you, I was kind of wondering if this blog was a very good idea or not. I was really looking for the kind of community that I had in the original blog and wasn't seeing it. So, I thought that maybe it was a waste of time.

But...

In the last couple of days, I've had people ask me about the blog and why I hadn't been posting anything. So, I get it. I'll start writing again.

But in the mean time, remember this: I'm looking for your input. I really want to know what you think, even if it means commenting that you read the post and want to think about the idea for a couple of days. That helps me to know that you're following the blog. By the way, you can subscribe to the post and be notified when there's a new post. Then you don't have to remember to check every day.

I hope that 2009 will be the best year ever for all of you. So, thanks for the encouragement and start looking for regular posts.