this is brennan manning's new book. manning has written several other great books including, "the ragamuffin gospel", "abba's child", and a devotional that i am currently using, "reflections for ragamuffins". i haven't read this book, but i'm putting it on my list. also, if you haven't noticed, i'm trying the whole, lower case lettering thing. it's so much easier and faster. plus, i think it looks cool. i found this quote from the book on church marketing sucks :
Heightened by what someone has called "the agnosticism of inattention"--the lack of personal discipline to overcome media bombardment, sterile conversation, and utilitarian relationships--our self-awareness grows dim, the presence of a loving God fades into the distance and the possibility of trust and intimacy seems less plausible.
...But so many of the things we do in our solitary moments have nothing to do with the Spirit or with the living will of God. Bothered by this dichotomy, we plunge into spiritual activities and get involved in church-related organizations and events in an effort to fill the empty space we know needs filling. Disciplined to renounce managerial control of our lives and unwilling to run the risk of living in union with Yahweh, we seek personal security and reassurance in rituals, devotions, liturgies, and prayer meetings. These structures provide a modicum of peace and promise that the comfortable piety and material possessions that constitute the sense of self will not be disturbed. But something is missing.
end of quote. it is so true. blake talked on thurday night about how jesus is not in the building. the church building is not christ, his people, us, we are the church. so why do so many people pride themselves on going to three different churches, bible studies, prayer nights, worship bonfires, christian hoe-downs, full-moon festivals...i think you get the reference. the body of christ, our local body, needs to be poured into, to be nourished, to be made whole. this might not be a problem in your town, but for fresno, the college and young adult population at large is church hopping to see which one feeds them the best, which one has cooler people, which one has better worship, it really ticks me off. sometimes i just want to yell at them: just commit to something! stop being tossed from here to there and plant your roots by one stream, and build up the church body that is there.
Friday, March 24, 2006
Great quote
this is brennan manning's new book. manning has written several other great books including, "the ragamuffin gospel", "abba's child", and a devotional that i am currently using, "reflections for ragamuffins". i haven't read this book, but i'm putting it on my list. also, if you haven't noticed, i'm trying the whole, lower case lettering thing. it's so much easier and faster. plus, i think it looks cool. i found this quote from the book on church marketing sucks :
Heightened by what someone has called "the agnosticism of inattention"--the lack of personal discipline to overcome media bombardment, sterile conversation, and utilitarian relationships--our self-awareness grows dim, the presence of a loving God fades into the distance and the possibility of trust and intimacy seems less plausible.
...But so many of the things we do in our solitary moments have nothing to do with the Spirit or with the living will of God. Bothered by this dichotomy, we plunge into spiritual activities and get involved in church-related organizations and events in an effort to fill the empty space we know needs filling. Disciplined to renounce managerial control of our lives and unwilling to run the risk of living in union with Yahweh, we seek personal security and reassurance in rituals, devotions, liturgies, and prayer meetings. These structures provide a modicum of peace and promise that the comfortable piety and material possessions that constitute the sense of self will not be disturbed. But something is missing.
end of quote. it is so true. blake talked on thurday night about how jesus is not in the building. the church building is not christ, his people, us, we are the church. so why do so many people pride themselves on going to three different churches, bible studies, prayer nights, worship bonfires, christian hoe-downs, full-moon festivals...i think you get the reference. the body of christ, our local body, needs to be poured into, to be nourished, to be made whole. this might not be a problem in your town, but for fresno, the college and young adult population at large is church hopping to see which one feeds them the best, which one has cooler people, which one has better worship, it really ticks me off. sometimes i just want to yell at them: just commit to something! stop being tossed from here to there and plant your roots by one stream, and build up the church body that is there.
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2 comments:
I would definetly agree with you. Church hopping is an issue and people being committed to a community is crucial to the body of Christ. However, I don't think the problem just lies with the people who hop. I know I have not done my part to love people and pour into them as I am called to do. Some of these people who hop are looking for something, maybe its a date, maybe it's cool people, or quite maybe it's acceptance. The people who I know to be hopping are struggling in some area of their life, and that struggle has manifested itself as they try to keep relationships at the surface. So I think some hoppers are on the run from themselves or to something cool and need to be told, but I feel some have issues and need to be loved.
So true.
Good post, good quote, and great comment. Big subject, isn't it?
Today God (How do you use lower case and not lower case "God"...I always run into trouble trying to get casual 'cause I type His name so much!) kept reminding me of the verse "All my springs are in you.",and "My soul finds rest in you."and "On earth, I have no good thing except You." If we REALLY had that concept, our search would not be in who has the best people to meet our needs, but where we could best serve. I think church hoppers who struggle with being able to serve have a much better defense than the ones you describe, who annoy me also.
I struggle with a friend right now who keeps getting "led" or pulled into small churches so that they can quickly establish trust and rapport and serve. But, those churches tend to be more controlling, domineering, and legalistic, so they end up finding that out and leaving...or being pushed away. It makes me angry, both that people can't sit still and "get it", and that we as a church can't get our act together and love and support and develop people as disciples they way some long to be developed. So convicted personally lately at my lack of discipling others as I've been discipled.
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