Sunday, August 27, 2006
Sundry Sunday
Lord, thank you for the rain.
x x x
Lord, comfort the survivors of the Kentucky plane crash. And, well, the victims, too.
Odd that Dr. ER, who flies frequently, is glued to the TV. Odder that such tragedies make me sad but not nervous about flying. I am scared to fly, period. Nothing can make me any more or less uncomfortable regarding air travel.
"Low," Jesus said, "I am with you always." ;-)
x x x
Lots of dyin' going on lately in my still-new church family. I knew none of them personally, after only a year of attendance and just under two montbs of membership.
The deceased, including the extended church family, include The Rev. Dr. Gary Cox, author of the wonderful book, Think Again: A Response to Fundamentalism's Claim on Christianity.
He wrote: “When I entered the ministry, it was not for the purpose of saving souls. The purpose of my ministry is to point people toward a relationship with God, because I believe the soul of a person who honestly seeks a relationship with God is in good hands.”
Amen.
x x x
Prayer of Confession today at church:
"Lord of Life, we gather to work together for peace and justice, and to live each day as a member of a beloved community. If that makes us look strange sometimes, or if others misunderstand, we will not be deterred. For we have it on good authority that misunderstanding is the norm, and discipleship is rare. Help us, we pray, to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, not argue endlessly about who he was. In Christ's name, Amen."
If discipleship is rare, then what should we make of the booming megachurch-religious lifestyle centers, especially those that preach that "life more abundantly" means prosperity?
And what should we make of the fact that the mainline ... churches are in decline?
Could it be that broad is the way to the megachurch---prosperity joints? Could it be that decline among the mainline churches itself is a testimony to the veracity of the Gospel they preach? I think so.
x x x
For fun. Jesus Religion. I've barely skimmed it, but it looks interesting.
--ER
x x x
Lord, comfort the survivors of the Kentucky plane crash. And, well, the victims, too.
Odd that Dr. ER, who flies frequently, is glued to the TV. Odder that such tragedies make me sad but not nervous about flying. I am scared to fly, period. Nothing can make me any more or less uncomfortable regarding air travel.
"Low," Jesus said, "I am with you always." ;-)
x x x
Lots of dyin' going on lately in my still-new church family. I knew none of them personally, after only a year of attendance and just under two montbs of membership.
The deceased, including the extended church family, include The Rev. Dr. Gary Cox, author of the wonderful book, Think Again: A Response to Fundamentalism's Claim on Christianity.
He wrote: “When I entered the ministry, it was not for the purpose of saving souls. The purpose of my ministry is to point people toward a relationship with God, because I believe the soul of a person who honestly seeks a relationship with God is in good hands.”
Amen.
x x x
Prayer of Confession today at church:
"Lord of Life, we gather to work together for peace and justice, and to live each day as a member of a beloved community. If that makes us look strange sometimes, or if others misunderstand, we will not be deterred. For we have it on good authority that misunderstanding is the norm, and discipleship is rare. Help us, we pray, to walk in the footsteps of Jesus, not argue endlessly about who he was. In Christ's name, Amen."
If discipleship is rare, then what should we make of the booming megachurch-religious lifestyle centers, especially those that preach that "life more abundantly" means prosperity?
And what should we make of the fact that the mainline ... churches are in decline?
Could it be that broad is the way to the megachurch---prosperity joints? Could it be that decline among the mainline churches itself is a testimony to the veracity of the Gospel they preach? I think so.
x x x
For fun. Jesus Religion. I've barely skimmed it, but it looks interesting.
--ER
Comments:
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Megachurchs taking over?
check out this from
Thom S. Rainer
in Outreach magazine, 2006
Every level of research I have seen on megachurches in the past 20 years, including my own, has pointed to a clear and growing trend: The percentage of American churchgoers attending churches with an attendance of 2,000 or more is increasing. More church attendees are worshipping at megachurches, and fewer attendees are heading to smaller churches.
That trend seemed unabated until 2003, when our research team began to notice that the rate of increase in megachurch attendance was slowing. Indeed, if this new trend continues, the aggregate attendance in American mega-churches will begin to decline in 2010."
more:http://www.christianitytoday.com/outreach/articles/megachurchfuture.html
Megachurches always have a megaleader do they not? Most do anyway. Maybe these guys lose their charm after a bit.
Anyway numerically it looks like the immediate future for American Churches belongs to the Catholics and the the Pentacostal Protestants.
check out this from
Thom S. Rainer
in Outreach magazine, 2006
Every level of research I have seen on megachurches in the past 20 years, including my own, has pointed to a clear and growing trend: The percentage of American churchgoers attending churches with an attendance of 2,000 or more is increasing. More church attendees are worshipping at megachurches, and fewer attendees are heading to smaller churches.
That trend seemed unabated until 2003, when our research team began to notice that the rate of increase in megachurch attendance was slowing. Indeed, if this new trend continues, the aggregate attendance in American mega-churches will begin to decline in 2010."
more:http://www.christianitytoday.com/outreach/articles/megachurchfuture.html
Megachurches always have a megaleader do they not? Most do anyway. Maybe these guys lose their charm after a bit.
Anyway numerically it looks like the immediate future for American Churches belongs to the Catholics and the the Pentacostal Protestants.
# posted by 
: 8:48 PM
: 8:48 PM
Check out that Jesus Religion site. There;s a link to a site about ghosts, and on there is a link to an Oklahoma City ghost chasing site, with a link to a web cam at closed-down Capitol Hill Hospital. Freaks. Me. Out.
Say, I know that Hosptal. My uncle Bob died there when I was 10 years old. He was a big guy.6'4" and the size of the doors he walked through.
Hey, if you see him let know.
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Hey, if you see him let know.
# posted by : 7:48 AM
: 7:48 AM << Home
