Written by Thanks for your comments on Me Church.
Patrick Mead has written an excellent piece on his blog that relates to what I wrote.
Read it HERE.
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Monthly archives for May, 2006
Me Church
What is it about some church members who think that the local church exists for THEM? Their attitude is “What have you done for ME lately?” instead of “What can I do to serve? What can I do to help? How can I contribute? How can I serve?”
These are the people who get all bent out of shape when things don’t go their way. They get upset and threaten to leave (and often do) if you don’t pay enough attention to them and don’t visit them often enough. If they miss a Sunday or two and no one calls or visits, they accuse the church of not caring for them.
Some church leaderships make a mistake by coddling these people, instead of confronting their self-centered attitude. When a person like this leaves our congregation to attend elsewhere, I am usually relieved. Nine times out of ten, the church will be stronger and healthier when they’re gone.
Am I off-base here? What can be done about these selfish malcontents? How should church leadership respond to them? How would Jesus respond to them?
Here’s a Great Video on the subject.
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Spirit-Filled Worship
One thing that I just love about the Pastors of Excellence program is the daily worship. It is wonderful, God-honoring, Christ-centered, Spirit-filled, and life-changing. During Wedesday’s time of worship, I found myself in tears for most of it (and I’m someone who does not cry easily).
Being a preacher, it is sometimes hard to really let go and give my all in worship. If I raised my hands, or shed a tear, or got down on my knees….. well, let’s just say that the folks would have more to talk about after church than where they’re going to go eat!
Also, I’m usually thinking about the sermon I’m going to preach, and am not able to focus like I should (which is no one’s fault but mine). And then, it is hard to really worship when we sing songs like “Camping in Canaan’s Land” — which have little or nothing to do with praising and adoring God.
That’s why those times of worship this week were so meaningful. But then I think, why should we have to settle for mediocre, bland, irrelevant, just-going-through-the-motions worship? Its a struggle my wife and I live with every week. But it really hit me between the eyes after the times of worship at P.O.E.
While listening to a worship song on the computer this morning, I told my wife, “I want Chris Tomlin to be our worship leader!”
Pastors of Excellence
I’m having a good, but very busy week. I was nominated and chosen to participate in the Pastors of Excellence program at Ashland Theological Seminary and the first retreat is this week. The program lasts two years and consists of 5 retreats and several other activities. It’s just started, but has already been great. I’m beginning to ‘bond’ with my small group (we will be going through the entire two years together, so we will get to know one another very well).
I’ve also had the opportunity to connect with an old friend and mentor, Mark Frost, who is also in the program. Mark and I are rooming together. He is the Preaching Minister and an elder for the Trenton Church of Christ. My wife and I attended the Trenton Church when we were first married, and Mark served as a great example of what a minister should be.
I will try to have more to say about the program later this week.
Bob Seger
I was listening to a Bob Seger CD the other day, and I got to thinking about what an amazing songwriter and artist he is. I think he has been overlooked/underrated, while artists like Bruce Springsteen have been overrated (don’t get me wrong, I like Springsteen — well, except for stuff like This — I just don’t think Seger has received the respect he deserves). As one fan said, “He wrote about Lucy Blue, Chicago Green, Already Eddie and other characters long before Springsteen created Crazy Janey and her mission man. His songs, he thinks, reflect a certain morality… ‘what happens when you do it wrong and when you do it right.” Thankfully, he finally made it into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
I had these thoughts when I was listening to “The Fire Inside.” Check out a sampling of the lyrics:
“Now the hour is late and he thinks you’re asleep
You listen to him dress and you listen to him leave
Like you knew he would
You hear his car pull away in the street
Then you move to the door and you lock it when
He’s gone for good
Then you walk to the window and stare at the moon
Riding high and lonesome through a starlit sky
And it comes to you how it all slips away
Youth and beauty are gone one day
No matter what you dream or feel or say
It ends in dust and disarray
Like wind on the plains, sand through the glass
Waves rolling in with the tide
Dreams die hard and we watch them erode
But we cannot be denied
The fire inside”
Now that’s good stuff! I wish Seger would put his songs on iTunes. I own most of his stuff, but there are a few songs I would buy if they were available. He’s supposed to be releasing a new CD this year.
Any other Seger fans out there?
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