Has Christianity Been Hijacked?

Bear with me... I want to make a point that will take a few sentences to develop. Here it is: March 29, 1984 will be remembered as a sad day in the corporate memory of many Baltimore sports fans. Just after midnight on that date the Baltimore Colts were HIJACKED! Robert Irsay, the Colt's unpopular owner, understood that his decision to move the Colts to Indianapolis would be a devastating blow to Baltimore Colts fans and decided to pack up and sneak out of town under the cover of darkness. Now here is where I want to make my point, so pay attention. WHAT IF... Baltimore Colts fans showed up at Memorial Stadium the next year just as they had showed up in previous years? And what if the vendors showed up and continued to serve Natty Boh and Eskay Franks? And what if the pep band showed up and played the same old tunes? And what if the fans came dressed in Baltimore Colts caps and T-shirts? And what if they continued to chant the old familiar cheers? AND what if this pattern continued over the years into the next generation? If that had happened, there would be a whole new generation of Baltimore Colt's fans who confused REAL football with an empty Sunday ritual that involved little more than gathering in a "sacred" space to sing fight songs and chant familiar cheers.

Fortunately, Colts fans have too much sports savy to confuse mere Sunday rituals with real football. Unfortunately, Jesus fans haven't always been able to make the distinction between mere rituals and real faith. Mere rituals are powerless to change real life. The power to affect and influence real life requires the exercising of real faith. When John the Baptist was languishing in prison he began to doubt the identity of Jesus, so he sent a couple of his disciples to ask Jesus if he was the REAL thing. Jesus replied, "Go and tell John what you see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, and the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor," (John 11:4-5) Jesus knew that the authenticity of his claims was irrevocably tied to the quality of his actions. The precision, and even the passion with which we do our rituals (whether Presbyterian, Baptist, Anglican, Catholic or Pentacostal rituals) cannot measure the authenticity of our faith. Rituals move nothing. Faith moves mountains! With more than 2 Billion Christians in the world you would think we could do some serious damage to the other team. The reason we do so little damage to the other team is because most of us are content to sit in the stadium singing fight songs and chanting old famliliar cheers while the real game is being played out on the streets. -- Bob

Tell Me A Story

Donald Miller is in a room of 500 or 600 people, all waiting for him to speak. But as he steps behind the podium and begins, his voice seems more suited to a small group of five or six. "Okay," he starts, "what are some of your favorite movies?"

A murmur of response—"Come on!" Miller encourages—and then people start shouting out titles. The Matrix! A Beautiful Mind! The Straight Story! Finding Nemo! The audience oohs and aahs at each other's choices. Little Women! Napoleon Dynamite! It's a Wonderful Life! The shouting goes on for a while; they forget this is a workshop.

"Okay, great," Miller says, bringing attention front and center. "Now, call out your favorite parts of the Nicene Creed."

Awkward giggles throughout the room—they know they've been had. Then one man pipes up: "It's a wonderful life!"

Miller laughs along with, maybe louder than, everyone in the room. He's enjoying that his point was made for him: We know our movies better than we know our creeds. And now self-help banalities—Your life can be wonderful—compete for our attention with the classic truths of the Christian story.

In the next half hour, Miller delivers a variation on a theme ascendant in evangelical Christianity: Truth is rooted in story, not in rational systems. The Christian mission is not well served when we speak in terms of spiritual laws or rational formulas. Propositional truths, when extracted from a narrative context, lack meaning. "The chief role of a Christian," he says, "is to tell a better story."

You can read more HERE

OUCH!!!

If you are a fan of Pit Bulls, this is probably pretty painful to look at. If you are NOT a fan of Pit Bulls, shame on you for thinking, "Take that! You vicious, ugly, nasty beast!" Though I can't ever remember having a single tender thought about any of the Pit Bulls I've encountered. Nevertheless, they are one of God's amazing creatures and even vicious, ugly, nasty beasts that attack innocent children and sweet little old ladies need love and understanding. Here is what we can learn from the painful experience of this poor guy... here it is... are you ready... Listen, there are some things we are simply not equipped to deal with in our own strength! Even though porcupines don't look all that formidable, they are able to fire their quills with accuracy and precision. And once the quills hit their mark they aren't easily removed.

The Apostle Paul has some pretty awesome counsel about dealing with the painful darts that are fired from the dark side. He says that we aren't equipped to deal with enemy fire in our own strength... we need to put on the full armor of God to protect us from painful darts that are fired from the dark side. Here is the list Paul posted in Ephesians chapter 6:

• Belt of Truth... keeps us from being exposed
  
• Breastplate of Righteousness... protects our hearts
  
• Gospel of Peace... helps us to walk the path of peace
• Shield of Faith... enables us to keep the faith
• Helmet of Salvation... so things can't mess with our heads
• Sword of the Spirit... powerful ammo from the Word of God

Don't try to deal with enemy fire in your own strength. Regularly put on the FULL Armor of God. And when you are hit by painful darts from the dark side, don't try to hide your wounds. Allow others to apply the love of Jesus to where it hurts. Be Blessed and Stretched... Bob

Practicing RIGHTEOUSNESS
doing JUSTICE

I was about to preach at an evening service in a small church in a remote village in rural Honduras. I could barely see my notes, because the church was lit by only a few candles – all the congregation could afford, after their village was devastated by Hurricane Mitch a year earlier. Without wishing to be too graphic, the truth is that I was also fighting the worst case of diarrhea of my life! To top it off, I had just finished a bitter argument with one of my students, who refused to eat the food offered to us – because (very understandably) he didn’t want to end up getting sick like me.

In short, I was miserable! So I said to my friend and translator, “Miguel, I’m not sure I have a good message for these people tonight. So if I’m preaching badly, you just go ahead and say whatever you want to say.” Without missing a beat, Miguel responded, “Jeff, that’s what I always do when you preach.”

What power a translator has! The Italians have a saying, “traduttore traditore” – “the translator is a traitor.” I don’t know about that, but I do know that a translator has the potential to dramatically alter the meaning of the words she is using.

With that in mind, translating the words of the Bible must be a dangerous undertaking! I was thinking about the danger of translating today, after reading a comment about the book of Matthew, in David Bosch’s masterful book, “Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of Mission.” Bosch focuses our attention on one of Matthew’s favorite Greek words “dikaiosyne,” which shows up in some of Jesus’ most famous sayings. For example, “…seek first the kingdom of God and his dikaiosyne, and all these things will be added to you.” (6:33)

According to Bosch, dikaiosyne can be translated as righteousness (a distinctly religious concept, suggesting a spiritual/moral quality to which we can aspire and receive from God), justification (God’s merciful act of declaring us just), or justice (our right conduct toward others, and especially those who are oppressed). All three concepts are contained in the one word, dikaiosyne. What a rich word it is! (You can continue this guest article by Jeff Johnsen HERE)

Here's the catch... We translate the scriptures with our lives, not merely with our words. We might say the right words, but how are these words translated by our lives? What we really believe is most accurately translated by our actions, not by our words. The problem with that is that... the first book of the Bible others are likely to read is the Book of You and Me. -- Bob

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Here are some pics from our Earth Day outreach
in the Butchers Hill community

Created
in
Our
Image

Which Jesus do you worship, the Vegan Jesus, the Weeping Jesus, the Gentle as a Lamb Jesus, the Political Activist Jesus, the Plastic Dashboard Jesus? We have a tendancy to want to create him in our image rather than being created in his image. In spite of the archaic language, I like the imagery created in the old gospel hymn:

Have thine own way, Lord. Have thine own way!
Thou art the potter, I am the clay!
Mold me and make me, after they will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.

That imagery comes straight out of the Book of Jeremiah: "The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, 'Go down to the shop where clay pots and jars are made. I will speak to you while you are there.' So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so the potter squashed the jar into a lump of clay and started again. Then the Lord gave me this message: 'O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand," (Jeremiah 18:1-6). I'm not completely comfortable with the idea of being squashed by the hand of God like a lump of clay. But I love the idea of being gently shaped by the loving hands of my creator. And if we are completely honest, most of us haven't done the greatest job of shaping our own lives. We are always at our best when we give God full creative rights to our lives.
One of my sons goes to Vintage 21 Church in Raleigh, NC. They have put together a hillarious set of videos that pokes fun at the way we sometimes distort the image of Jesus. You can view one of the videos here. Enjoy! -- bob

The New Trinity
"Me MySELF and I"

From the folks who brought you Me/Church, now you can order Me/Worship. Isn't it about time someone was willing to produce a worship CD about the one person we really want to worship!

Check it out here. Enjoy -- bob

Me /Church...

Where it's all about Me!

Check it out here here --Bob

The Quality of Mercy

The quality of mercy is not strained.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown.
His scepter shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings.
But mercy is above this sceptered sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings;
It is an attribute of God himself;
And earthly power doth then show like God's
When mercy seasons justice.

(From Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice)

Sweet Jesus!
What have they done
with my Lord?

Forgive me, but I've been living in Africa for the past couple of years, and they don't do "Chocolate Jesus" in Africa. By the way, it has nothing to do with the weather. Many of us who live on this side of the ocean have accepted a parody of Jesus that looks nothing like the Jesus of the gospels. Regrettably, the sugary sweet Jesus we've grown fond of in western culture is as likely to melt under the heat of our everyday demands as a chocolate Jesus would be to melt in the heat of the hot African sun. This diatribe was brought on by the sight of two things that I never saw while living in African. One is the Easter candy display I saw at the grocery store this morning. I had completely forgotten about chocolate crosses and marshmallow peeps. I think the absence of sugary sweet Easter candy made it easier to savor the bitter/sweet flavor of Christ's painful execution followed by his glorious resurrection. Another thing I forgot about while living in Africa is the huge difference in the demographics of the church there and here. All of the African churches I attended had a large number of young men. Many of our North American congregations have a growing number of older women and few young men. I haven't given a lot of thought to why there is such a difference in the church demographics of Africa and America, but I think it has something to do with our view of Jesus. In Africa, Jesus seems to be more masculine. He is the Lion of Judah, the King of kings and Lord of lords. In America, Jesus has become more and more emasculated. He is the Lamb of God, sweet gentle Jesus who holds our hands and sooths our fears. Of course, Jesus is both the Lion of Judah and the Lamb of God. He both reigns as our King and walks beside us like a loving friend. The gospels portray Jesus as both gentle and mighty. Through the ages courageous elderly women, wise old men, strong young women and daring young men have courageously and faithfully followed him. -- Bob

We Are in the PEOPLE Business

Zig Zigler or one of those other consultants who makes big bucs telling people how to succeed in business gives this piece of advice, "To succeed in business you need to be able to answer two questions: 'What business are we in?' and 'How's business?'" Those are pretty important questions. One of many reasons why the influence of Christianity has declined so dramtically in North America is that we have forgotten what business we're in. We have spent far too much time and money trying to succeed in:

• The Moralizing Business
• The Finger Pointing Business
• The Political Action Business
• The Theological Reflection Business
• The Televangelism Business
• The Worship Entertainment Business
• The Christian Music Business
• The Christian Book Distribution Business
• The Tacky Religious Paraphernnalia Business
• The Church Building Business
• The Antique Preservation Business
• The Pastoral Employment Business

What business are we in? We are in the People Business. People were at the center of everything Jesus did during his brief sojourn on this planet. He broke with the religious customs of his day to heal people on the sabbath. He skipped lunch so he could spend time with a Samaritan woman who needed a drink of living water. He became indignant when his disciples tried to chase away a noisy bunch of children.. Rather than spending his time alone with a good book he chose to spent most of his time with hurting people. He delighted in hanging out with smelly fishermen, crooked tax collectors and hardened sinners. Why? Because Jesus loved people... "For God so loved the world that he gave his only son so that those who believe in him wouldn't perish, but would have eternal life." Churches will continue to decline and the influence of Christianity itself will continue to diminish until we remember what business we are in and invest ourselves in taking care of business. -- Bob

Enjoy this final burst of Winter.

Sorry we'll have to miss it.

We're off on an important

Mission in the islands.

Back soon.

Maybe!!!

Lord, may your kingdom come and your will be done, here in Baltimore... I graduated from seminary more than 3o years ago, and moved with my wife and 7 month old son to Baltimore to become the pastor of a small congregation in the Roland Park area. I jogged into Baltimore as a young idealistic pastor with big plans for engaging the city. Two years later I limped out of Baltimore as a weary young pastor who had trained to run a 100 yard dash, and didn't have the right stuff to run the Baltimore marathon. In spite of my inability to complete the marathon, I've always loved this city and wasn't really surprised when I sensed the call of God to return 30 years later. After all, I had never completed the race. About a year ago, while we were still living in Africa, I printed this satellite view of the Canton community from Google Earth and began praying for the area. My boat is now in slip A-42 which is along the bottom right edge of the ceramic cross sitting on the picture. I invite you to breathe a simple prayer as you jog along the promenade or drive through the streets or cruise the harbor... Lord, may your kingdom come and your will be done here in Baltimore. -- Bob

Jesus Came to Show Us the Way, Not Give Us a Show

For most of my life I have had to tiptoe through a mine field known as Sunday morning worship. My mother and my sisters and I all sang in the church choir. Since I was a fairly good boy soprano, I was invited to join the adult choir when I was only 10 years old. At first that seemed like a high honor, but the luster of that honor began to fade when I realized that singing in the adult choir meant that I had to sit up straight and pretend to listen to the sermon. Yawning, talking and reading comic books were all forbidden. Sleeping was completely out of the question, except for my Dad who sat in a pew close to the front of the sanctuary with his back to the rest of the congregation. Only those of us in the choir loft could see that Dad's eyes were closed. One of my more painful childhood memories was the fear that my Dad would fall asleep and start snoring. The fear of Dad snoring, right there in front of God and everybody, caused me to pray with a sense of urgency that no 10 year old should have to pray with. Every Sunday Dad's head would begin to bob forward, but thanks to my fervent prayers, he never fell into a deep sleep. God answers prayer. Thanks be to God!

As a child, it didn't take long to figure out that worship was a staged performance for the benefit and enjoyment of the spectators in the pews. It honestly never occured to me that worship had much to do with God. It was something that musicians, liturgists and preachers did for the benefit of the congregation. Because of that, the worship experience must appeal to the tastes and earn the approval of the worshippers. This thinking was confirmed when I was a music major in college and took a job as the choir director of a large church in the suburbs of Philadelphia. One Sunday I brought the choir out of the choir loft and placed the singers around the sanctuary. I thought it was pretty cool until the music and worship committee reprimanded me and warned me to never try anything like that again. I foolishly defended my actions by saying, "I don't think Jesus would have minded." Bringing Jesus into the discussion infuriated the chairperson of the committee whose reply was swift and to the point, "Well mister, Jesus doesn't sign your pay checks." My thanks to Matt Redman for reminding us that worship isn't about us, it is all about Jesus. His song, The Heart of Worship challenges us to move beyond the mere repetition of rituals and invites us to press into the heart of Jesus. That is what's at The Heart of Worship:

When the music fades and all is stripped away

And I simply come

Longing just to bring

something that's of worth

That will bless Your heart

I'll bring You more than a song

For a song in itself

Is not what You have required

You search much deeper within

Through the way things appear

You're looking into my heart

I'm coming back to the heart of worship

And it's all about You All about You, Jesus

I'm sorry, Lord, for the things I've made it

When it's all about You

All about You, Jesus

Woven together in Christ... In his book, Waking the Dead: The Glory of a Heart Full Alive, John Eldredge includes a chapter on the importance of authentic, intimate community. Here is an excerpt from chapter 11 which he entitles Fellowships of the Heart. I've also created a link to chapter 11 in its entirety. Enjoy! -- Bob

(Excerpt from Waking the Dead... Fellowships of the Heart)
When he left Rivendell, Frodo didn’t head out with a thousand Elves. He had eight companions. Jesus didn’t march around backed by legions of angels, either. He had twelve men – knuckleheads, every last one of them, but they were a band of brothers. This is the way of the kingdom of God. Though we are part of a great company, we are meant to live in little platoons. The little companies we form must be small enough for each of the members to know one another as friends and allies. Is it possible for five thousand people who gather for an hour on a Sunday morning to know each other? Okay, how about five hundred? One hundred and eighty? It can’t be done. They can’t possibly be intimate allies. It might be fun and encouraging to celebrate with a big crowd of people, but who will fight for your heart?

Who will fight for your heart?

How can we offer the stream of counseling to one another, unless we actually know one another, know each other’s stories? The reason counseling became a hired relationship between two people was largely because we couldn’t find it anywhere else; we haven’t formed the sort of small fellowships that would allow the stream to flow quite naturally. Is it possible to offer rich and penetrating words to someone you barely know, in the lobby of your church, as you dash to pick up the kids? And what about warfare? Would you feel comfortable turning to the person in the pew next to you, and, as you pass the offering plate, ask them to bind a demon that is sitting on your head?

Where will you find the Four Streams?

The Four Streams are something we learn, and grow into, and offer one another, within a small fellowship. We hear each other’s stories. We discover each other’s glories. We learn to walk with God together. We pray for each other’s healing. We cover each other’s back. This small core fellowship is the essential ingredient for the Christian life. Jesus modeled it for us for a reason. Sure, he spoke to the masses. But he lived in a little platoon, a small fellowship of friends and allies. His followers took his example and lived this way, too. “They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts” (2:46). “Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house” (1 Cor 16:19). “Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house” (Col 4:15).

Church is not a building. Church is not an event that takes place on Sundays. I know, its how we think of it. “I go to First Baptist.” “We are members of St. Luke’s.” “Is it time to go to church?” Much to our surprise, that is not how the Bible uses the term. Not at all. When the Scripture talks about church, it means community. The little fellowships of the heart that are outposts of the kingdom. A shared life. They worship together, eat together, pray for one another, go on quests together. They hang out together, in each other’s homes. When Peter is sprung from prison, “he went to the house of Mary the mother of John…where many people had gathered and were praying” (Acts 12:12).

Anytime an army goes to war or an expedition takes to the field, it breaks down into little platoons and squads. And every chronicle of war or quest will tell you that the men and women who fought so bravely fought for each other. That’s where the acts of heroism and sacrifice take place, because that’s where the devotion is. You simply can’t be devoted to a mass of people; devotion takes place in small units, just like a family. How is it that we have come to be warehoused in Sunday services with people we do not really know, for an hour a week, separated the rest of our days of real living, and call that church? You might have a guess who pulled that off on us.

We have stopped short of being an organization; we are an organism instead, a living and spontaneous association of individuals who know one another intimately, care for each other deeply, and feel a kind of respect for one another that makes rules and bylaws unnecessary. A group is the right size, I would guess, when each member can pray for every other member, individually and by name.

This is the wisdom of Brother Andrew, who smuggled Bibles into communist countries for decades. It’s the model, frankly, of the church in nearly every country but the U.S. Now, I’m not suggesting you don’t do whatever it is you do on Sunday mornings. I’m simply helping you accept reality – that whatever else you do, you must have a small fellowship to walk with you and fight with you and bandage your wounds. Remember: The path is narrow, and few find it. Few means small in number, as opposed to, say, massive. This is essential. This is what the Scriptures urge us to do. First. Foremost. Not as an addition to Sunday. Before anything else.

Here is the link to the entire chapter.

Our Quest for Authentic

Community

"Two people can accomplish more than twice as much as one; they get a better return for their labor. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But people who are alone when they fall are in real trouble. And on a cold night, two under the same blanket can gain warmth from each other. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken." -- Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Several years ago the Gallup Poll organization asked Americans to reveal their greatest problem. Their answer might seem surprising: Our #1 problem is loneliness! How can that be? With cell phones, wireless Internet, chat rooms, My Space, You Tube and any number of other communication resources, you would think we are the least lonely, most connected society in civilization. Here's the problem... an experience of authentic community involves more than the sharing of information. Community isn't created by shared information but by making a heart connection with living, breathing people. Most of us aren't looking for an organization to join... most of us are searching for an organism to be joined to... "a living and spontaneous association of individuals who know one another intimately, care for each other deeply, and feel a kind of respect for one another that makes rules and bylaws unnecessary," (Brother Andrew). Be honest. Don't you long to be joined to a living, loving, healing, helping, giving, growing organism? It is possible wherever two or three of us gather in Jesus' name. -- Bob

The Dome of the Rock is built right on top of one of the most hotly contested pieces of real estate on the face of the earth. The Muslems call is Mount Moriah. The Jews call it Mount Zion. The outcropping of rock under the dome is believed to be the site where Abraham offered to sacrific Isaac. It is a place of great historical significance to Jews, Christians and Muslems. The Muslems completed the Dome of the Rock in A.D. 691. According to their tradition, it was the place where Mohammed ascended to heaven. However, long before the Dome of the Rock was constructed Solomon's temple was built on that same rocky outcropping. Archeologists believe the rock was used to slaughter the animals for temple sacrifices. They point to channels that have been hewn into the rock to carry the blood of sacrifices away from the temple to a valley below the temple mount. Because of its historical significance, Muslems, Jews and Christian crusaders have fought over this rock for more than a thousand years. Ironically, the more these religious groups have fought over this sacred place, it has become less and less sacred. If you go there today, the temple mount is swarming with soldiers carrying machine guns.

Jesus made it clear that there is only one rock worth holding on to. He said, "Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock," (Matthew 7:24). Rather than fighting to hold onto a piece of rock, let's build our lives on solid rock. There's only one way to do that: Hearing the words and doing the will of Jesus. Several years ago, Tony Campolo was invited to speak at the annual meeting of the Southern Baptists. At that time they were quite divided over what a proper Southern Baptist should believe about the authority of the Scriptures. Campolo said, "I don't know why you baptists are fighting over what you believe about the Bible when you don't do what the book says anyway!" Right on Tony! If people of faith would stop fighting over what we believe and start to actually put what we believe into practice, the world would be far less aflicted by the insanity of religious zealots. The ancient song writer wrote, "Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever." Trust in the Lord... that's where I'll try to make my stand... all other ground is sinking sand. -- Bob

WHAT DID JESUS SAY AND WHAT HE DID NOT SAY - Victor Choudhrie

• Jesus never asked you to worship only on Sundays. His disciples worshipped daily, broke bread from house to house and the Lord added to the church daily and the churches were planted daily. ( Acts 2: 46-47; 16: 5; Heb. 3: 13)

• Jesus did not say that you appoint qualified professional pastors. He gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers to equip His church. (Eph. 4: 11-12)

• Jesus never said that only the pastors can serve bread and wine. Jesus served roast lamb, bread, bitter herb and wine for the last supper. Whenever His disciples gathered they shared Agape meals together in His remembrance. (Exo. 12: 8; 1 Cor. 11: 20-26)

• Jesus did not say that you should tithe. According to His teachings, the disciples opened their homes and shared their possessions with others so that no one lacked anything. (Acts 4: 32-34; Deut. 8: 17-18)

• Jesus did not ask you to build a church building. He said God does not live in houses made with human hands because the heaven is His throne and the earth is His foot stool. Now we are the temple of the living God. (Acts 7: 48-49; 2 Cor. 6: 16; 1 Cor. 3: 9)

• Jesus did not say that only the Pastors can baptize. Jesus said you go and make disciples and baptize them. (Matt. 28: 19)

• Jesus did not ask the pastor to bury. He said let the dead bury the dead, you go and raise the dead. (Luke 9: 60; Matt. 10: 8)

• Jesus did not ask you to follow the church program. He said follow me and I will make you fishers of men. He did not ask you to send believers to Sunday service or the Bible school. He said send the laborers to the harvest fields. He said he who gathers is with Me and he who scatters is against Me. (Matt. 4: 19, 9: 38, 12: 30)

• Jesus did not ask you to organize crusades and conventions. He will not judge you on the basis of large crowds or the wonderful worship and beautiful music. He will judge on what you did for the little and the least of the world. (Matt. 25: 31-46,18: 3-6; Isa. 58: 6-9)

• Jesus did not say that only men can talk in the church and the women should cover their head and keep quiet. He made them talk, even allowed them to argue with Him in public. ( Luke 10: 40; Mark 7: 24-30)

• Jesus did not say that you are just a layman. He bought you with His blood and ordained you priest and king. As royal priests, make disciples, baptize, equip fishers of men and rule on earth. (Rev. 5: 9-10; 1 Pet 2: 9)

(You can read this and other challenging/interesting articles at SimpleChurch.co.uk -- Bob)

Where do Super Bowl losers’ hats/shirts go?

You know that both teams printed up “Super Bowl Champs” shirts and caps, right? But only one team can wear them. Where do the other shirts and caps go? They are donated to people in a developing nation, via World Vision.

The Super Bowl ended about 10 p.m. Sunday, and by 10:01 every player on the winning team — along with coaches, executives, family members and ball boys — was outfitted in colorful T-shirts and caps proclaiming them champions.

The other set of championship gear — the 288 T-shirts and caps made for the team that did not win — were hidden behind a locked door at Dolphin Stadium. By order of the National Football League, those items are never to appear on television or on eBay. They are never even to be seen on American soil.

They were shipped Monday morning to a warehouse in Sewickley, Pa., near Pittsburgh, where they will become property of World Vision, a relief organization that will package the clothing in wooden boxes and send it to a developing nation, usually in Africa.

You can read the full article from the New York Times here. -- Bob

Homeless in Baltimore

Census Results Reveal Almost 3,000 People Homeless in Baltimore

BALTIMORE, MD (June 13, 2005) - A census conducted by Baltimore Homeless Services, Inc. and Center for Poverty Solutions counted 2,943 individuals as homeless in Baltimore City on January 30, 2005. This is a 10% increase from the initial census done in April of 2003 where 2,681 homeless residents were counted.

The census, sponsored by the Abell Foundation, provided three valuable pieces of information:

an estimate of the number of residents who are homeless on any given day throughout the City,
detailed personal data than is otherwise possible, and
data on where individuals and families are located so that social service providers can target needed services to those areas.
Survey results show that overall demographics form a general picture of the homeless population in Baltimore City: high rates of disability, low levels of education, very low levels of income, and lower levels of any supportive aid.

78% male and 22% female
82% black, 14% white, 4% other
40% did not complete high school
Average age: 40 years
High rates of disability
Average annual income: $486
High prevalence of veterans
59% homeless less than 1 year
27% homeless 1-3 years
15% homeless more than 3 years
15% homeless due to housing problem
12% homeless due to family problem
38% homeless due to health problem
23% homeless due to lack of enough income
5% homeless after institution discharge
Many want housing & help with education/jobs
Census estimates indicate 7,023 individuals will be homeless in the City each year. To prevent homelessness, system changes are needed along with more affordable housing and supported housing, increase in the minimum wage, access to appropriate healthcare, jobs and adult education, and better coordination of discharge planning.

"It is possible to end homelessness. However, coordination and determination together as a community can make homelessness rare and brief," said Laura Gillis, President of Baltimore Homeless Services, Inc. To obtain more information regarding this census, contact Baltimore Homeless Services at 410-545-3409.

Meet a Man of Peace

When Carol and I returned from Africa last summer we moved to Baltimore to launch a house church project that we're calling Believers Church Network. I began to ask God to identify persons of peace who would help to launch this project. When Jesus sent a group of his followers out on their first mission trip he told them to find a man of peace to stay with and announce to his household that "The kingdom of God is near," (Luke 10:9). So I started to ask God to identify a person of peace that I could connect with. That's when Phil and I met, in the marina shower house of all places.

Our conversation that morning was a bit awkward at first, but we were soon involved in an animated discussion about world events. The conversation eventually focused on the invasion of Iraq and shared our deep regret for all that is going on there. It was then that we discovered that our thinking about Iraq was shaped by a mutual commitment to Jesus. "Why," we asked "have many Christians given such enthusiastic support for the war in Iraq without ever asking 'What would Jesus do?'" I didn't make the connection that morning, but it become clear that Phil was an answer to prayer. I had been praying for God to raise up a man of peace, and Phil is a man who is passionate about being a peace maker.

That morning in the shower house Phil didn't look as dashing as he looks in this photo. This pic was provided by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra where Phil plays horn. The Baltimore Sun had a great article about Phil and his family in yesterday's newspaper. I've included that link here. Jesus said, "Blessed are the peace makers." The more I've gotten to know Phil, the more I have enjoyed that blessing. -- Bob

What's Happening
* * *
The latest look at
What's Hot and What's Not

ABC News Article

Every Monday night, Meredith Scott and eight of her friends get together at one of their homes in St. Paul, Minn. They cook a meal, share what's going on in their lives and pray together.

But Scott and her friends don't call this a Bible study or a support group — they call it a church. They are part of the growing number of Americans who are shifting from traditional churches toward more informal, intimate settings, dubbed "house churches."

"How do you form a community in a church of 4,000 people?" asks Scott, who used to attend a megachurch in St. Paul. "Sometimes it's hard to get really connected. What I've really been looking for is community."

And so are many others. The number of adults attending house churches in the United States has grown substantially over the last decade, according to George Barna of the Barna Group, a Christian ministries market research firm. Though official numbers are hard to pin down due to the nature of these churches, Barna said a conservative estimate is that 5 million adults attend a house church every week...

For the entire article click here. -- Bob

Our Mission

Offering the Life we
experience in Jesus
to the people
all around us

These happy people are a pastor and a rabbi. Why are they so happy? The rabbi, on the right is happy because he is getting a kidney transplant. The pastor, to the left, is happy because she is able to share her kidney with the rabbi. Her beautiful smile may just be for the camera... but I doubt it. I think her smile is a reflection of the joy that people often experience when they are engaged in the mission of Jesus. The joy of Jesus is just one of the things that happens when people engage in the mission of Jesus. I believe the mission of Jesus is simply this: offering the life we experience in Jesus to the people all around us.

The folks from our house church experienced the joy of engaging in Jesus' mission today. We didn't give anyone a kidney, but we did pass out kidney beans. The kidney beans were in the steaming hot chili we passed out to the grateful people who happened by our chili outreach. I know, I know, giving away one of your kidneys takes a lot more commitment than passing out free chili. But the chili outreach was a good beginning. When our house church got together last week one of our number said something like, "I've been sitting around in churches for most of my life. I'm tired of sitting around! We need to give legs to our faith." So that's what we were trying to do today, practicing the kind of faith that isn't content to just sit in a church service. We were trying to give legs to our faith as we engaged in the mission of Jesus. The chili we passed out contained a little of the life we experience in Jesus. We really enjoyed offering it to those who gratefully received steaming hot chili on a blustery winter day. -- Bob

Try this test: Stare at the three blacks dots at the center of the image for one minute.Then look at a white background, or close your eyes. What do you see? Do you see an image of Jesus? Congratulations! You are normal. Now try this: Ask your neighbors to take an honest look at your life. What do they see? Do they clearly see Jesus? Congratulations! You are normal; that's what a Christian is supposed to look like. Those who follow Jesus should reflect his attitudes, values and actions. This is how John puts it: "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is," (1 John 3:2). -- Bob
A more important question

Bob's Beat

"The Sunday Show"

File this blog under the category of personal grips! After working for 30 years as the artistic director, producer and paid performer of the "Sunday Worship Show," I just can't take it any more. Forgive me if this sounds sacrilegious, but in far too many places the worship service focuses more on pleasing the worshippers than on pleasing the one we claim to be worshipping. As a pastor,

I used to spend the biggest chuck of my time each week preparing the Sunday production. And I felt pretty good about the crowd of people who would gather. After all, that's what we're supposed to do isn't it? Isn't Sunday about creating a worship environment that will bless the members and attract newcomers? In the past I was committed to doing whatever I could to draw a crowd and introduce them to Jesus.

That just doesn't work for me any more. It feels dishonest and manipulative; not the kind of stuff that we want to be wrapped up in when we approach the living God. Jesus said that true worshippers worship in spirit and in truth. We will never be able to get very close to God if we aren't willing to take off our shoes: that is, humble ourselves and become vulnerable. Jesus talked about the danger of doing things in order to be seen by others; things like prayer and giving and fasting. He said that if we do those things in order to be seen by others we may impress them with our piety, but that's all that will happen. I'm tired of trying to do things that will impress people. I want to give myself to doing the things that will impress and honor the Lord.

That is one of the things I like about being part of a house church. The worship that takes place when a small group of believers gather in someones living room is more likely to authentic than gathering with a crowd of strangers in an large auditorium. It is far harder to fake authentic worship when you're in a living room than when you're in an auditorium. Auditoriums are for performing. Living rooms are for living. I think God is bored by our maticulously rehearsed worship productions and our beautifully performed songs. God longs to meet with us right where we live. Why do you think we call it the lliving room. -- Bob

The Blog is Back!!!

My 2 faithful readers will be delighted to know that my blog is back after a longer than expected holiday hiatus. I knew that travel plans and family gatherings would keep me from posting a lot over the holidays, but I thought I would be up and running again long before now. So I apologize if the two of you have felt neglected or ignored. You will be happy to know that big plans are in the works for 2007. Here's a little preview:

• Bob's Beat - a cutting edge, insightful, sometimes inspirational, usually informational and always entertaining look at the places were church and culture collide (at least where they should collide when the faithful follow the radical concepts of Jesus).
• Truth is Stranger than Fiction - a look at the bazaar, zany, sinful and some times just plan stupid things that some folks do in the name of God.
• What's Happening! (my favorite expression back in the good old hippie days) - What's Hot... What's Not... I'll try to offer a look at the cool things God's people are doing all over the world; including books, music, videos, projects and happenings from near by and far away.
• Love Shack (this name is still under prayerful review, though I personally would prefer House of Hope or the Village People) - our first house church has emerged, with several more on their way. At our last house church gathering one of our number, let's call him Michael for the sake of anonymity, suggested that we call our house church "The Love Shack." The idea (I think) being that we want to create a community that exudes God's love. We had a good laugh, and then imaged what it would be like to actually be part of such a community. I got to thinking, it would be cool to regularly post what's going on as our house churches grow and evolve. That might be helpful to others who are just starting out on this journey of faith.
• Homeless Anonymous - even though my boat is docked in an area where most of the people are pretty well off, there are nevertheless a lot of homeless people in the area. I'm trying to get to know these neighbors and hear their stories. As I get to know them and hear their stories, I want to create a side-bar with their pictures and stories so they will no longer be nameless and anonymous. I will do this only with their permission, of course.

That's a glimpse of what I want do this year. My goal is to double the number of hits on this blog. Who knows, maybe the 5 of us could share a quart of eggnog next Christmas. -- Bob

God is doing a New Thing

The beauty this morning was overwhelming. I snaped this as I stepped from the boat onto the dock in the dawn's early light. Here are a couple of great promises to go with this portrait of God's handiwork:

"The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,

shining ever brighter till the full light of day," (Pr 4:18).

"Commit your way to the Lord;

trust in him and he will do this:

He will make your righteousness

shine like the dawn,

the justice of your cause

like the noonday sun," (Ps 37:6).

As we begin a brand new year, may God help us to commit our ways to his cause, so that our righteousness will shine like the dawn and the justice of God's cause will be as bright as the noonday sun. -- Bob