Fever induced thoughts....or I have the flu....

Tuesday 9/19/06 we attented a 'lecture' given by our recently returned pastor about his adventures in the emerging worship world. It was a very fascinating lecture/lesson about the emerging culture. His conclusion was that the two, worship and culture, are inextricablly connected. Now, why didn't I think of that? In a very small way maybe I did in that I stated in a previous blog that the new generation doesn't want our same old tired worship. It's not that the worship is tired and it's not that people don't reach God through it, although at times it is difficult (more later), it's that it's is not for a new generation. We don't worship or 'do church' as our parents did, well some of us do...but that's not the point either. What we consider modern is really not all that modern after all. I must say that the rise of the more "comtemporary" services is really fairly new in its rise, but it is already old. In this age of the internet and technology things age faster and the new becomes old rather quickly. Ideas are shared spontaneoulsy, used immediately and discarded in a matter of weeks. Knowledge, as we understand it, is doubled every few months. We as a group of Old Baby Boomers and GenXers can't remain in our newly old worship and hope to gain or maintain our young people. Cheryl and I figured that out about four years ago when we helped found an on line church called Grace On Line. To begin it was the brain child of the pastor at our old church. It was a simple Yahoo Group that grew to huge proportions. It was comprised of people young, and not so young, seeking another way to connect with God through a virtual world of believers. David posted his sermons on line. Cheryl was ever persent in the chat rooms and the Tuesday Night Gatherings to teach and encourage and I posted what were called Bible Shorts that were small thoughts/devotionals for the day. People found security in the midst of this group and found the freedom to grow in Christ and courage. It was a virtual realtionship we had with these people from US Canada, Australia, Brazil, New Zealand (One person actually lived in a place close to where I lived in NZ) and any other English speaking country you can think of. These people weren't really seeking Christ. They were seeking grace and that brought many of them to Christ. This is the new Church. It's not the only way to have a 'new church', but it's a beginning.

I sometimes think...and now we jump to a new subject having to do with Grace On Line.... that if we avoid saying we're Christians it is more likely to draw people. If we say we are offering grace, love, peace and understanding they might come and then we can then present Christ to those seeking a way to reach God.
The Christian Right has so infiltrated the true message of Christ with pollution of hate and legalism that the normal person doesn't want even hear about Jesus. It's sad. I have a friend that is a Buddhist who says she tried to go to church one time, but the message was so filled with hate for anyone not like 'them' (The 'Christians') she said she would never go back. And she didn't. Isn't that sad? Not that she is a Buddhist, but that there was no Jesus in the Christian church she visited. No Jesus for someone searching. That's a very sad, heart breaking thought. A body without a head. Essentially that's what we have here. A body trying to function without a head will soon cease to function. What is wrong with us?