Just What Does it Mean to Chase Jesus?
Having a relationship with a God like this requires that I am willing and prepared to move, serve, minister, care, comfort, challenge, and reconcile with him as he is going about these things himself. My relationship with this Jesus is not static, rather it is a wild, dynamic, flowing experience of the action and activity of God himself.
I Think Jesus Laughed At Farts
The other day, I realized something about my own particular Christology (that’s the fancy word for the stuff I believe about Jesus). I think Jesus laughed when people farted. It’s funny! Even grown-up, mature business men will laugh when someone farts in the men’s washroom. I think Jesus laughed at farts.
Who Do You Trust?
Jesus said once, “”Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”" (Matthew 11:28 MSG) The real question isn’t whether or not Jesus is capable of making good on that promise, it’s do we trust him enough to follow him there even if we don’t know what the final destination is?
Re-Thinking Missional Children’s Ministry
I have been wrestling, as a pastor, and church leader, with some of the missional concepts and also with some of the questions that need to help us understand how we got here in the first place. As I’ve been reading, and talking with others on the missional journey, I have noticed a disturbing gap in the thinking and theorizing that’s been done so far. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of talk about what children’s ministry might look like in this missional paradigm. In fact, it seems to me that a lot of the churches that might be considered to be missional are actually undermining themselves in their children’s ministry.
“Image”ine That
The chair you’re sitting on has never gossiped about someone, or flipped someone off in traffic. It has never been jealous of other chairs, or lusted after someone that walked by. According to a lot of sermons I’ve heard over the years, the chair under your but right now is a better Christian than I am. Does that make sense?
Now That’s Worrisome
I woke up last night at about 4:00 am with my head spinning. You see I’m the pastor of a small church here in Barrie, but we’re a small church with BIG dreams. The problem is that BIG dreams often take BIG money, and that’s not something we have in abundance. The down turn [...]