The innaugural conference in connection with the Call to an Ancient Evangelical Future is rapidly approaching (December 7-9) at Northern seminary in Lombard, IL.  I'll be blogging live from the 3-day conference, which will feature the likes of Brian McLaren, Frederica Mathews-Green, Aaron Flores, Lauren Winner, etc.

If you or someone you know is planning on attending, I'd love to know!
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Abba Isaiah said:  When someone wishes to render evil for evil, he is able to hurt his brother's conscience even by a single nod.

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Here's what I'm thinking about today:

1. Looking forward to attending the inaugural conference on The Call to an Ancient Evangelical Future. Despite Robert Webber's battle with cancer (please pray for him), it promises to be an important event.
2. At a gathering of area Free Methodist Pastors two weeks ago, bishop emeritus Kevin Mannoia, told us that he has begun a dialog with Orthodox Church leaders, pondering how they might increase their evangelical efforts and how we might benefit from the richness of their tradition -- a fascinating exchange in the works, no doubt.  I'll keep you posted.
3. Even after 3+ years of using Celtic Daily Prayer: Prayers and Readings from the Northumbria Community, I am more amazed than ever at how this daily prayer guide is so frequently aligned with exactly what I happen to be going through, and how the Holy Spirit uses this to speak so clearly to me. I had tried a number of other resources in attempting to faithfully pray the offices on a daily basis, but nothing was as successful at helping me to develop the rhythm of prayer as this resource from the Northumbria Community.
4. iPod is celebrating their 5th birthday today.  I sure am enjoying mine, as well as the weekly video podcast I download feathuring Erwin McManus at Mosaic.
5. Regrettably, I haven't been blogging nearly as much over the past few weeks as I normally would. This is mostly due to a rise in pastoral demands within my congregation, and subsequently, a rise in my level of fatigue (no comments on how old I am, k?).
6. I'm still praying, searching, and believing for an associate pastor to move to the high desert of  Southern California and partner with me in the exciting things God is doing in this corner of the world (and I'd still very much appreciate your prayers in this).
7. I haven't forgotten my commitment to share my thoughts on how radical egalitarianism continues to mess with our faith and how we live it out.  It's coming along. Stay tuned.

Hoping that your week has been blessed thus far,

- Chris

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image credit: © Nicola Vernizzi, iStockphoto.com

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One of the fathers said: Just as it is impossible to see your face in troubled water, so also the soul, unless it is clear of alien thoughts, is not able to pray to God in contemplation.

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In Scetis, a brother went to see Abba Moses and begged him for a word.  And the old man said:  Go and sit in your cell, and your cell will teach you everything.

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Here's what's on my mind today:

1. The majestic Sierra Nevada mountain range -- that's where I've broken away to spend a few days with the Lord, and do some hiking.  It snowed here yesterday, but the weather man says it'll stay clear through the weekend.  I've been looking forward to this for months.
2. We recently found out that my mother-in-law has cancer throughout her body.  She's undergoing chemo and radiation treatments.  Please pray for her (and the family) if you would.
3. I spent the past two days with my fellow Free Methodist pastors from Southern California for what we simply refer to as our annual "Learning Community."  It was a powerful time of hearing -- not from "Christian celebrities", but from our own family of faith.  God moved among us in a powerful way. When our superintendent and bishop-emeritus finally spoke and encouraged us, it was very affirming and even confirmed that much of our own congregation's direction and vision has been on-target.
4. I'm still giving a lot of thought to the ways in which radical egalitarianism has messed with the Church (and continues to).  Be looking for a post in the coming days.
5. I'm thinking that all which is claimed to be the "organic multiplication" of small groups just isn't. My fear is that our desire to see small groups multiply ends up getting corrupted by a misunderstanding of how to administrate our small groups. Where is the balance between encouraging an expectancy within small groups for organic growth and multiplication which eventually takes place, and the need to administrate so as to avoid in-grown unhealthy groups that never seem to produce disciples, leaders, or other groups?

Hoping that your week has been blessed thus far,

- Chris

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image credit: © Nicola Vernizzi, iStockphoto.com

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Some old men came to see Abba Poemen, and said to him: Tell us, when we see brothers dozing during the sacred office, should we pinch them so they will stay awake?  The old man said to them:  Actually, if I saw a brother sleeping, I would put his head on my knees and let him rest.

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Here are some of the things I'm thinking about today:

1. My feet ache.  Really ache. I've been hiking 4-8 miles each morning in the hills up behind my home.
2. To what degree has our culture's pushing of radical egalitarianism left its mark on the Church (both IC and EC) and how we tenaciously defend its various "expressions"?
3. In two days, our congregation will put on the first in a series of events, entitled "Sunday Sandwiches and Sports" -- a come-one-come-all invitation to make sandwiches and watch sports together after our worship gathering concludes.  In doing so, are we "caving-in" to our entertainment-addicted society, or are we simply becoming more missional?
4. The emphasis on music-oriented worship during the 70's, 80's, and 90's was a corrective within the greater body of Christ, recovering from a prior lack thereof.  The pendulum has been swinging the opposite direction in recent years, and I wonder:  how far it will swing? How long will it swing? And when will this swing eventually reverse directions again?

Have a blessed weekend.
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image credit: © Nicola Vernizzi, iStockphoto.com

It's one of the sadder repercussions of living in a consumerism-soaked culture that has infiltrated the Church:  the "church fix".

A "church fix" is what a growing number of people are looking for every 4-6 weeks or so.  After coming off the high they got the last time they attended a worship gathering, they begin noticing
how things in their life aren't going so well.  They may be worried about their future, concerned about their relationships, or just feeling guilty about the slipping condition of their spiritual life.  But whatever the reasons, one thing becomes clear: it's time -- they need another "church fix".

As far as these poor, selfish souls are concerned, the "church fix" works great. The depression has lifted, the anxiety is gone, and they know that Jesus still loves them.  They feel "fixed"!  In fact, they feel SO good, that theyautomatically convince themselves they're "good-to-go" for at least another 4-6 weeks.

And so... the body of Christ gathered, the Eucharist offered, the Word proclaimed, the worship of Jesus experienced -- these are the commodities which are being "used", the holy things which are being "exploited" to provide people with their precious "church fix" (I may be exaggerating a bit here).

Selfish souls? Yes they are.  Immature? Undoubtedly.  But it's probably not entirely their fault. 

I invite you to chime in with your thoughts as to: 

• What other factors have contributed to this phenomenon?

• Why does it seem to be growing so rapidly?

• What should traditional churches, house churches, and other alt.churches be learning from this?

• How should the Church (in all its various expressions) lead the way in providing a corrective to our culture's runaway consumerism?

• What will it take to help people place a premium on the value of meeting more frequently and faithfully as the gathered body of Christ?

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image credit: © Marcel Pelletier, iStockphoto.com