Evil...

I am not sure which is more evil, people who plan to kill people in the name of God or those who plan to burn the Koran in the name of Jesus Christ.

Maybe you're right...

I was driving home from work, when my phone rings. It is from a friend whom I haven't heard from in a long time. He was asking me why I pick on the church so much. He wanted to know if I still believed in Jesus. He asked if I was hurt by the church or what was it that was making me so angry. What did the church do to me that was so bad?

So I thought for a while, hmmm maybe I was wrong. I mean after all there are good things going on in the church each Sunday. People getting together, singing, hearing messages, no drinking or cussing, rarely is there nudity, people dressed up and looking nice. Children walking up to the front to listen to a story just designed for them. Choirs singing, ushers ushering, preachers preaching. What am I so upset about? This is good stuff. Parking lots are clean, people parking their cars and walking into a beautiful building. Mellow out, Tony. What is the problem, dude?

I then started thinking why am I so upset with people who go to seminary? I mean after all they are high achievers and very successful in a very stressful arena. It isn't easy to leave the real world and be couped up studying for 3 to 4 years and get a Masters in Theology. Then to go on and get a Doctorate. I am not sure what a doctorate is but many are getting them. My brother in law and father in law both have Ph.Ds. I am not sure why they didn't get a doctorate.

The phone call really shook me up. A Shakabuku of sorts, a swift, spiritual kick to the head that altered my reality forever.

There is nothing dangerous here! Why don't I keep my mouth shut and just go along with the program. Someone once told me that I look at the glass as half empty and they prefer to see the glass as half full. I should begin to appreciate that the glass is not chipped or that the water is not polluted, or has teeth in it. Yeah, that is what I will do, go along...

Then I woke up.

Small things...

Mother Teresa said, "We can do no great things, only small things with great love."

I think about the heart to which Jesus gave Himself, and it was to the small things not the great things. He said "Consider the lilies..." "The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed..." "If you look upon another woman..." "blessed are the meek..." "Someone touched me..." etc. These are little things that make up the whole thing.

It is the little things that make a difference. A note saying thank you, not a banner; a single red rose is more romantic than a dozen roses; "I love you" is better said in intimacy than a diatribe on why I love you; remembering, not knowing; a smile and a kind word to the cinema ticket agent; a clean window; a cup of tea; a quiet walk; an oboe;...

It is a new litany that expresses the heart not repeating tradition for tradition's sake; speaking the quiet truth of God in worship, not using the Lord's name in vain; telling a story that will be passed on to the next generation, not another book on how to be a better man or woman of God; hearing a Word from The Voice, than all of the spam from christian booksellers, event organizers, TV evangelist, bumperstinkers, etc.

We are a vapor, here for a season, to connect the dots of believers who pass on the Truth of the Love of the Obedient One who came that we might have life, an abundant life of "small things with great love."

Thanks Bill...

In one of my earlier post, I had a dream... Bill commented, "Steven's confidence appears to be in that Church invisible, whereas Tony's skepticism appears to be of the visible one. " I thought he articulated this wonderfully.

I spend more time watching the food channel than any other network on TV. I love it. I have my favorites, just as everyone else does. I like the Iron Chef America, Everyday Italian, Nigella Bites, Good Eats, UnWrapped, and a new guy Michael Chiarello. I use to not like Bobby Flay, but I am starting to appreciate his cockiness. Christel and I sit and watch these guys cooking with some incredible ingredients. Basic cooking with some panache is my favorite.

Anyway, you are probably asking if I quit taking my ADD medicine. There is a point to tying the two thoughts together. Watching the show but never cooking the meal is for self entertainment value only and doesn't do anything to fill the belly of others.

The church visible (CV) tends to get an education on how to keep the church visible in control and not allow the church invisible (CI) much place. Authority is rarely transfered from the learned to the fishermen much these days. Apologetics has replaced humility and discernment. Church structures are built for impressing man instead of honoring God. The pastor seeking committee in searching for the best pastor usually listens for the work on his sermons and rarely looks for the work in her parish. Preaching the Word is important but does it drive the listener to do the heart of Christ or to sit entertained on the butt of man. We want cantatas not soup kitchens.

Clichés that sound nice but don't speak the truth of the situation only puts us in make believe that the CV is the CI. There are wonderful churches who struggle with listening for the Truth to lead them but there are far too many who filter out anything which will cause non-uniformity.

Pastor, what training did you get? Who did you read? What intention did you develop? Preaching or reaching? Are you ordained to serve or lead? What is the bottom line in which you measure your success? When you leave your position is it for something up the ladder? Has the neighborhood, not only the congregation, benefited from your servantship?

A couple of years ago, I was on a hike with a pastor friend of mine and we started talking about the emergent wave. He said, "what they want, I wasn't trained to accomplish. This is new territory." My concern is that are we training up people to move with the way of the Spirit or by the parameters of the education. And too often we are limited by the institutional limitations because we get those who know how to work within the institution and have been successful (good grades) in the confines of academia but cannot hear The Voice.

I am thankful for my friends who are pastors, my stones are not to knock you down but to prod you to listen. Now I am showing my arrogance...