two "paths" of thought

the following quote is from simply christian by nt wright, in describing what christianity is NOT about - brother george had it on his website:

Christianity is not about a new moral teaching as though we were morally clueless and in need of some fresh or clearer guidelines. … Christianity isn’t about Jesus offering a wonderful moral example, as though our principal need was to see what a life of utter love and devotion to God and to other people would look like, so that we could try to copy it. … Nor is Christianity about Jesus offering, demonstrating, or even accomplishing a new route by which people can “go to heaven when they die.” … Finally, Christianity isn’t about giving the world fresh teaching about God himself though clearly, if the Christian claim is true, we do indeed learn a great deal about who God is by looking at Jesus.

what is christianity about according to nt wright?

Christianity is all about the belief that the living God, in fulfillment of his promises and as the climax of the story of Israel, has accomplished all this … the finding, the saving, the giving of new life in Jesus. He has done it. With Jesus, God’s rescue operation has been put into effect once and for all. A great door has swung open in the cosmos which can never again be shut. It’s the door to the prison where we’ve been kept chained up. We are offered freedom: freedom to experience God’s rescue for ourselves, to go through the open door and explore the new world to which we now have access. In particular, we are all invited, summoned, actually, to discover, through following Jesus, that this new world is indeed a place of justice, spirituality, relationship, and beauty, and that we are not only to enjoy it as such but to work at bringing it to birth on earth as in heaven.

many christians understand christianity to be the first description of what nt wright claims christianity is NOT. but as i read through and studied luke 7:36-50 over this past week, i see what wright is talking about. the story of a prostitute who seeks out christ at a religious party to anoint his feet with her tears. a woman who encountered god in the flesh - and experienced first hand the radiant, magnificent love of god for herself and because of that encounter subjected herself to more judgement and condemnation just to express her love and adoration to the "god-man" who gave her, her very life back. the gospel is full of this type of "good news." the types of stories we read over and over, and totally miss the depth and scandal to be uncovered. reading the gospels has lead me to agree with nt wright, and begin to encounter this god, on his rescue mission, in my daily life. and every now and then, he allows me to even be used by him..........

words matter

heard this quote today.
"when we change the words we use, we change the people we are."

some know that i am not a big fan of how we use the word church. not because I don't like the word, but because how we refer to it, impacts how we think of it, and ultimately how we act. so, ask yourself the below questions and see of my responses are accurate.

how do we talk about salvation?
- transactional, one time event and getting to heaven.
how does the bible talk about salvation?
- ongoing, process, "walking in the light" and rescued.

how do we talk about church?
- place, institutional and what we do.
how does the bible talk about church?
-body of Christ, missional and community of called out people.

how do we talk about the kingdom of god?
- heaven after we die and sometimes the church.
how does the bible talk about the kingdom of god?
- it is at hand, we seek it, reign of god, the kingdom of god is like, revolution of hope where the lame walk, the blind receive sight, and the oppressed are set free!

words matter a great deal.

current book list

below is the current list of books I am working through:
-dissident discipleship
-the gospel according to Jesus
-god of the possible (open theism)
-surprised by hope

i am most excited about the first, third and fourth. i am reading the gospel according to jesus to engage a buddy in discussion.

tonight was the kickoff for vbs. kylie and j are sure to have a great time over the next several days. treasure hunt is the theme - hoping no major damage is done in the teaching on the kingdom. we tend to talk of the kingdom as if it is only something we are waiting for in the future. seeking first god's kingdom is not about seeking after heaven, but seeking after the amazing rule of god in our midst, and learning to be sensitive to what god is doing in the world.

side note: got tickets to brian regan for 9/6 in louisville. should be an awesome show!

i like to laugh

i couldn't resist sharing this one as well - listen to the english accent and tell me it is not one of the funniest things you have seen.

need a laugh?

sometimes life is filled with little silly moments like this dad was having with his kid. you need to watch all 1 and 1/2 minutes of this - you will crack up! i am sorry if you end up peeing yourself.

bath time

Kylie made me a pic today. She was so excited to show me when I got home. It made me cry.

kylie and j update

they have really done a good job sleeping in the same room together. jackson has been getting up some during the night, but when we walk him back to his room, he goes back to sleep. they both get up at the crack of dawn, so we are beginning to keep j up a little later in hopes he will sleep passed 6am.

we are hoping to get the bunk beds in the next couple of weeks. i think that will help kylie - so when j gets up he won't walk right passed her. i don't know, we shall see. this weekend has been pretty lazy so far, just like i like them, and not much planned for the remainder.

hope to blog about something more meaningful in the future, but until then......

house church

read a good article on house churches from a missionary in sudan. i met with him about a month or so ago over coffee. he recently sent me the below regarding house churches. much, ok all, of this rings true with me. this form of the church gathering is what i would like to seek out in the future.

For the past 3 years our family as has been meeting in house churches. Why? It is not because house churches are more common in Sudan than America. Quite the opposite! I would like to share our reasons with the hope of persuading you to consider New Testament-style church. My purpose for writing this article is not disunity, but that we as a unified body of Christ might recover some New Testament principles that I believe will strengthen us and contribute to the fulfillment of the Great Commission. First, a little church history.

All the churches planted by the apostles in the New Testament met in homes. Church buildings did not become popular until the 4th century when the Roman emperor Constantine converted pagan temples into Christian churches. The Protestant Reformation of the 15th century saw multitudes return to biblical doctrine but Roman Catholic church practice remained to a large degree. There has always been a remnant of believers throughout the ages who have sought to obey biblical principles for the weekly gathering of the church to one degree or another.

When we trace modern church planting movements in China, India, Cambodia, etc. we find similarities to the churches planted by the apostles. We find house churches, participatory church meetings, abundant evangelism, lay leadership that springs from within, rapid reproduction of churches, and mature believers. Currently there are more house churches in the world than there are churches that meet in buildings. When we see rapid advancement of the gospel, we find house churches. This is my main reason for advocating house churches...... to fulfill the Great Commission to "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them" and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commanded as written in Matthew 28.

The strongest biblical basis for intimate church is found in 1 Corinthians 14. Nowhere else in the Bible do we have 14 consecutive verses “commanding” (vs.37) us what to do when we gather for church. Verse 26 says, "What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation.” It is a fact of church history that the churches planted by the apostles were gatherings where mutual edification, interaction, and spontaneity were the norm. It was far from being a spectator sport. The goal of the gathering was simply to “let all things be done for edification” (vs.26). It operated more like a family and less like a staged performance. Believers came to church not only asking "What can I get out of this?" but also asking "What can I give to build up the brothers and sisters here?" Someone once said, “If you tell me to do something, I probably won't. If you show me how, I might. If you involve me, I will.” When all the believers present begin to have ownership of the weekly church meeting, they mature spiritually.

Imagine going to a park to play some pickup basketball. You see one guy on the court shooting around while he has told everyone else to sit and watch him. That doesn’t fly anywhere. We, especially us men, want to play. We want a piece of the action. Don't make us come to church, sit, and listen to one man talk. An impression without an expression can lead to depression. We will grow in spiritual maturity when we are given opportunity to express what God is teaching us. Then we will be more of the husbands, dads, and friends we should be. The most practical place to obey the Lord’s commandment (vs.37) of interactive, open church gatherings is in homes. When the gathering becomes too big and time does not permit all to participate, another house church can be planted to reach and teach more people in a new neighborhood. In China, a believer is considered to be maturing in Christ if he has a church that meets in his home.

Other reasons why we gather in homes:
*You reveal your true identity at home. Gathering in homes fosters transparency and intimacy. (Romans 12:9)

*We are obeying biblical commands to follow apostolic tradition as well as apostolic teaching. (2 Thess. 2:15 NASV)

*The Lord's Supper can be eaten as a full meal as the early church did. They looked to the cross with the Eucharist and looked to the future wedding feast of the Lamb with the fellowship meal. (1 Cor.11:20-22)

*There are more opportunities for believers to practice their spiritual gifts. (Romans 12:6-8)

*Authority resides in the church corporately and decisions by consensus of all the believers present are possible. (Matthew 18:17)

*Meeting in homes positions the church closer to lost family members and neighbors. (Acts 1:8)

*Currently 38% of American evangelicals listen to a sermon via podcasting each week. (Barna 5/26/08) With this phenomenon occurring, why not let the weekly gathering of the saints return to the New Testament-style meeting? (Ephesians 4:11-13)

*Multiple lay elders need not concern themselves with buildings and salaries, but are able to focus their attention on their relationships within the church.

*The Holy Spirit is more free to move as He spontaniously impresses something upon someone's heart during the meeting, or as He leads someone to prepare a teaching days before the meeting. (1 Cor.14:30-31)

*There is greater potential for relationships that are more community based, seeing each other more than just once a week. (Acts 2:46)

*Formality can be minimized while reverence for God can remain high.

*Intimacy fosters accountability. (James 5:16)

*Believers would be less likely to invite a non-believer to a church program and more inclined to personally speak with them about salvation. (Acts 5:13-14)

*Believers become loyal to God’s kingdom and each other, not programs and buildings.

*Each time we see the word “preach” in the Bible it always refers to something taking place outside the church….. evangelism. In a house church we teach one another and preaching is returned to it’s proper place.

*The unfortune event of church discipline can be applied with greater effectiveness. (Matt. 18:17-20)

*Evangelists and church planters can be supported with voluntary gifts rather than the unbiblical practice of salaried positions within the church. (Matt.10:8)

*Tithes/offerings are given to the needy instead of buildings and salaries. (James 1:27)

*Before the 1950s churches in America were not 501c3 incorporations. It is much easier for a house church to be a free church rather than the unbiblical practice of falling under the government’s jurisdiction. (Matt.22:21)

*Prayer requests can be heard and prayed for individually. (Acts 1:14)


A few objections answered:

“Our church has Sunday school classes and small groups that meet in homes. Isn't that enough?”

It is definitely a step in the right direction. I’ll be the last guy to say that the traditional church model with it’s building, pastor, and denomination is “bad”. The Lord saved and discipled me in the traditional church, and He will continue to use this model to expand His kingdom. It’s not a matter of “good” or “bad”. It’s a matter of “good, better, or best”. A traditional church with home groups is better than a traditional church without them. I’m persuaded that a voluntary network of autonomous house churches is best.

During the small group, is there freedom for a believer to share a teaching, song, or testimony as the Lord leads? Do you eat the Lord's Supper as a full meal like the churches planted by the apostles? With our time, talents, and treasures do we demonstrate that we value buildings and programs more than the simplicity of the 1 Corinthians 14 church meeting? Do we feel we have simply inve$ted too much into our traditional church buildings to walk away from them? Are we more focused on how many people are coming to our church than how many believers are coming to maturity in the kingdom? There are few paid ministers who will encourage small groups to become house churches, for obvious rea$ons. It just wouldn’t make cents.

”Does it really matter how we gather as long as we are loving Jesus?”

Jesus says that those who love Him will obey His commands. Do we really think that Christ would leave us without instructions about something as precious to Him as His church? A legalist exalts a rule above the principle behind that rule. Without becoming legalistic, how can we best apply all biblical principles in our church gatherings?

”Wouldn't house church foster heresy?”

Actually, the participation of all believers in the house church minimizes heresy. Heresy was maximized when church buildings became the norm and silenced the pew sitter. When all believers have the freedom to speak within the church gathering, teachings can be questioned and other passages of scripture can be presented. Is it possible that denominations began when pew sitters were silenced and unable to share their interpretation of scripture in regard to a certain doctrine? Can we not joyfully gather with believers who disagree with our interpretations in regard to doctrines not related to salvation? As important as many secondary doctrinal issues are, is there one greater than the unity of believers? Can we trust the Holy Spirit to give life to house churches that honor Him and to give death to those churches that do not? It is much easier for a church to die when it’s members have not inve$ted in it’s building.

”What about the guy that just keeps talking?!”

A more mature believer, possibly an elder, needs to speak with him privately. The elder must learn how to use his relational influence, not the power of his position, to persuade.
Could 1 Cor. 14:30 have been written with this in mind? Could it be understood that if you’ve lost eye contact with most folks that it’s time for you to wrap it up? In the traditional church where the pew sitter is silenced, his character flaws are rarely discovered, but his non-Christian co-workers know them well.

”What do we do with the children?”

Children can be taught to sit quietly. Younger children can sit on the floor and play quietly, or if needed, play in a room beside the gathering room. Flexibility is the key. We want our children to see us interacting with other believing adults in spiritual conversation and prayer. Children should learn the Bible primarily through their parents, not the weekly gathering. House church is a gathering of families.


I speak daily with Muslims who have never questioned their Islamic traditions because they have never experienced an alternative. Even when a Muslim is persuaded by the truth of the gospel, fear of man often influences his decisions. Many of us here in the west have never questioned our church traditions because we have never experienced anything different. If you are persuaded that some biblical principles are missing from your current church experience, will you obey whatever God tells you to do? Are you more comfortable following the church traditions of a 4th century Roman emperor than the church traditions of the apostles?

Personally, our family’s experience with house church has been far from perfect. Maybe years from now I will not keep the same convictions about church that I have now. Above all is Jesus Christ….. His glory, His kingdom, His praise. Lord, help me to never to focus on the bride above her Groom.

a sticking out thing

so i am using the restroom today, with j and kylie in there of course (they pretty much follow me everywhere). below is my conversation with my oldest daughter.

kylie - "daddy, why do you have a sticking out thing?"
me - "because that is what boys use to go pee pee."
kylie - "j has a little sticking out thing."
me - "yep."