Comments for In the Storyline

Comment on Christmas – religious holiday or cultural holiday or yes? by charleskiser

charleskiser — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:55:07 +0000

One of my friends took this route with Santa Claus – they told their 3 year old daughter that Santa Claus is also known as Saint Nicholas. He was a follower of Jesus who lived a long time ago who gave gifts to children (he actually did), but he is not alive anymore. We want to be like Saint Nick because he was like Jesus and gave generously to those in need. That is the spirit in which we give gifts at Christmas.

I like that!

Comment on Christmas – religious holiday or cultural holiday or yes? by The Vine, a church of Christ

The Vine, a church of Christ — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 21:41:34 +0000

Glad you engaged the debate. I put it off another year….

I like what you’re saying about option #4. A question I’ve been wrestling with is whether or not the Santa Claus tradition (not to mention the new ‘elf’ tradition I was introduced to this year) eventually builds a level of distrust in our culture between children and “traditional” stories? I can imagine some child somewhere thinking, “if they lied to me about this, then how can I believe that?”

Since most of us would fall in the camp of children who have faced this delimma, I suppose that we’d answer it did not effect us strongly. Still, is it ‘OK’ to perpetuate and even threaten children with a cultural myth when we are supposed to be truth-tellers?

Comment on The Post-Congregational Church by Jim Martin

Jim Martin — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 19:29:59 +0000

Charles, glad you posted this! I like Reggie McNeal and have been blessed by his speaking and writing. Hope you are doing well.

Comment on David Watson and Church Planting Movements by 21 Critical Elements of CPM | The Kiteline

21 Critical Elements of CPM | The Kiteline — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:20:02 +0000

[...] 21 Critical Element of CPM – a blog post from 2009 of someone who went to a simular training. [...]

Comment on Ambition for good: something to applaud or something to confess? by Tim

Tim — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 02:43:37 +0000

@Phillip – I watched an old movie the other day and the following scene appeared: the time had come for a father to have that “talk” with your adolescent son. He started off by speaking of “desire” and then “love”. He made the distinction between the two, saying “desire” without “love” is evil. And “love” without “desire” will wither up and die. Reading your comment about “sex” reminded me of this scene. I would suggest that “ambition” without love can be as evil as “desire” or “sex”.

Comment on David Watson and Church Planting Movements by Randy Travis

Randy Travis — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:41:47 +0000

God knows who has worked where and what each has done. He will reward each according to his work. Nothing is lost. Even the giving of a cup of water is recorded. Our passion should not be who gets credit for this or who gets the credit for that but our passion must be for lost souls and expansion of the Kingdom of God. If we can stayed focused on this then we will want to employ whatever can best help us accomplish this. I still don’t completely understand CPM principles as taught by David Watson but I employ them simply because it results in faster kingdom growth and more sinners coming to know Christ than any other set of principles I have previousley employed in over 30 years of ministry as a missionary in several foreign countries. I am sure I have labored and reaped where others labored before me. I am also quite sure I have labored and have seen no harvest but someone else will come along and reap the harvest. Does it really matter? My job is to be obedient to the Word, love people, follow Christ and He will grow His church, however, and with whomever, He sees fit to do so. Nevertheless, none shall lose their reward. I really believe God is absolutely going to be completely and perfectly JUST about all this. Many times we have trudged in the rain..the mud..crossed swollen rivers…in danger of thieves and murderers to reach villages with the gospel. Going places others didn’t want to go. Only to have other denominations or missions come in afterwards and do everything they could to get the new church to join up with them. Some did. It used to really bother me. Nowdays I can say it doesn’t bother me anything like it did. I am just glad they are still serving God regardless of the name over the church building.

Christ’s mission was and is to seek and save that which is lost. Is that my mission too? Is that your mission too? Should it not be every christians overriding mission and passion?

Comment on A New Family Advent Tradition by Wendy Kilmer

Wendy Kilmer — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 02:50:28 +0000

We have done an advent wreath and candles before (similar to what Jesse mentioned), but I like the idea of incorporating the Jesse tree (and chocolate).

Comment on A New Family Advent Tradition by Jesse Faris

Jesse Faris — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:18:10 +0000

We do something similar to this–an Advent wreath. (Well, our “wreath” is a leafy iron candle holder that hangs on the wall–it has four votive holders so it works!) We read a verse everyday of Advent while we light the appropriate number of candles. I’ve been wondering how we’ll make it more kid friendly for Rhet–can’t wait to incorporate some of your ideas!

Comment on Hitting the Sweet Spot in Discipleship by Gailyn Van Rheenen

Gailyn Van Rheenen — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:42:52 +0000

This is a great summary of the first chapter of “Building a Discipling Community!” Thanks for your transparent reflection and your journey forward in disciple-making.

Gailyn

Comment on David Watson and Church Planting Movements by Julie

Julie — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 11:59:22 +0000

Thank you for writting this overview of your opinions on this subject. I found it very helpful. Some of the people I have been working with are very interested in this model for church planting and I have been questioning some of the things they have been pushing for. For me one of the main concerns is the way unbelievers seem to be pushed away as I have seen in the past that many people in a similar cultural setting to the one I am now living in came to the church first because of the community and to see what the community was about before becoming believers.
It is exciting that there is great growth particualily in Northern India but I think people also lose focus of the past when they look at current growth. I recal a seminar at a large missions conference a few years ago where the presenter was excitedly telling of how they were the first missionaries into an area and how the church had just exploded and grown rapidly. Sitting there was an old missionary with our mission who was greatly moved by this. Not because these people claimed to be the first missionaries and that the church had grown seemingly without much work but becasue this was the area he and his wife had worked in for their whole lives until they had to leave India. They had prayed for the area and strived without fruit. He was not upset at these people for not realizing just thankful that the seeds he had planted were ready for harvest and that someone was there to do it. As a friend of mine once stated “If you are succeeding without suffering, it is because others before you have suffered; if you are suffering without succeeding, it is that others after you may succeed.” — Shane Nabess
We look at out lives and minsitries too often forgetting who has been their before perhaps they didn’t talk to these particular people but they were preparing the area with prayer and Grandparents and Parents teach theier children what they have learned even if they have not become believers but have simply seen principles they liked in the community of belivers near them. I really feel there is a danger in focusing so much on numbers and not on community and depth of growth in the believers.