Religion in General » SteveDennie.com - Miscellaneous inconsequential musings from Steve Dennie

A Pleasant Surprise

Posted on July 16, 2008 by Steve
Posted in Religion in General

Seth Godin ended a blog post with this line: “The value of a perk is inversely related to the expectation of that perk.”

Now that’s a fascinating observation. If you do something for someone, and they aren’t expecting it, then it means a lot more. If I send flowers to Pam on a day that isn’t Valentines Day, her birthday, or an anniversary, then it’s a pleasant surprise. Otherwise, it’s at least semi-anticipated.

I suppose the stimulus rebate we received is somewhat of a perk–an unexpected gift for being a tax-paying American. Whereas ongoing things like good roads, fire and police service, decent water–those are all entitlements of sorts.

How can we surprise people at church? Give them a perk, something they aren’t expecting?

A note of appreciation or affirmation that doesn’t come from the pastor’s office.
A refreshing, one-time change in the service format.
Public recognition for something they did.

I should be able to think of a lot more.

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Tiger Woods and Church Attendance

Posted on June 23, 2008 by Steve
Posted in Religion in General, Sports

The PGA, golf tournaments, and sports networks are lamenting the absence of Tiger Woods for the rest of 2008. Everyone predicts that the number of people watching golf will plummet.

It’s like when your pastor takes the week off, and you schedule a guest speaker. The less-than-faithful stay home.

I read last week about a megachurch pastor who, on his blog, reamed his parishioners for not attending when he took the week off and a guest speaker (a really high-calibre minister, no less) filled the pulpit. The pastor, Brian Jones, noting the “pitiful” attendance, wrote:

Many leaders at [our church] wonder if people chose not to come because you knew I was not speaking.

Please understand that if that turns out to be the case, honest to God you won’t hear me speak until 2009. I will hire first-year Bible college interns who can barely chew gum and talk at the same time to rotate the speaking responsibilities for the next 6.5 months.

I will not have any part in helping build a church around a person, personality, or particular style of preaching.

The issue here is discipleship. Are we trying to put on a “religious show” where people will attend based on the person presenting God’s Word, or are we fashioning a gates-of-hell-storming-community of disciples?

Wow, there’s a gutsy pastor. And now, to draw a parallel to the truly significant world of sports–what does this say about golf “fans” who only watch if Tiger is playing?

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Thoughts on Golf (Which I Hate)

Posted on June 18, 2008 by Steve
Posted in Christian Culture, Sports

BusinessWeek had an article about the decline of golfing. Still plenty of interest, but people are golfing less. Related businesses are hurting, particularly those offering consumables like golf balls and tees.

Three factors inhibit the spread of golf:

time
money
skill

Golf is mostly a suburban, middle-class sport (I don’t know anybody at my church who plays golf). It takes discretionary money, and lots of time. But to do it well, you need skill. And golf, as the article says, is not “beginner friendly.” Neither is tennis, which I played. Golf and tennis are all about technique, and good technique requires years of experience.

In music, playing the piano is not beginner-friendly. It takes years of lessons to get good. Whereas you can start banging drums immediately, and it’s much easier to pick up on the guitar (pick up–get it? Ha ha ha).

So I was thinking of church-related things that aren’t beginner-friendly.

Pastoral ministry–years of schooling, then you get stuck in a podunk church content with being podunk.
Bible translation–wow, there’s something that takes an enormous commitment to pull off.
And that’s all I came up with, but my mind is a bit fried right now.

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Let Your Light Shine, and Beat Them with It

Posted on June 3, 2008 by Steve
Posted in Christian Culture

The Ragamuffin Soul website showed this picture of a protest sign. Evidently, some confused Christian felt this was a good evangelism tactic.

I got a kick out of some of the comments:

Winning people to Christ…one picket sign at a time!
I once predicted the score of the Superbowl. I guess that makes me a “psychic sports fan” I’m screwed!
I do appreciate that their sign has no objections to my potty mouth.
I am glad Jesus was the one hanging out with those who needed Him, not holding signs up pushing them away.
Shouldn’t it be “Heaven’s Most Wanted”?
Sports fans? Wow, I haven’t seen that one in the scriptures. I thought running the race was a good thing.
Is there really a need to put psychics on there? I’m sure they already knew!
Tertullian did talk about Christians participating in sports as being immoral, but that was back when more people died during the contests.
Looks like drug lords, murderers, slave owners, and those responsible for genocide are safe…
I wonder why lesbians get hit twice?!?
Wow. I guess that’s one way to evangelize. ????
Since “people driving cars into people holding jackass signs” isn’t on the list, let me get my keys.

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Wearing the T-Shirt

Posted on May 28, 2008 by Steve
Posted in Books, Christian Culture

I’m only to page 28, but already I can say, “Wow! I love this book!”

The book is I Became a Christian and All I got was this Lousy T-shirt, by Vince Antonucci, a church planter in Virginia. He’s a very funny writer. Reminds me of me, when I was a funny writer (now I’m old and cranky).

The premise is that Christians don’t live the adventurous, abundant life Jesus died for. We never take the vacation. The First Century Christians took the vacation, the adventure. We just wear a T-shirt about an adventure we never experience. Is Jesus like a used car salesman, who exaggerates what he’s selling?

“The benefits he claims to give to those who say yes to him include abundant life, pure joy in the face of trials, peace that surpasses understanding, power to heal the sick with our prayers, assurance that we will never be tempted in a way we can’t handle, fearlessness, and the promise that we will do greater things than Jesus did. How many Christians would say these things are a good description of their lives?”

This is really good stuff. And it’s fun to read, to boot.

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The Point of Need

Posted on May 20, 2008 by Steve
Posted in Christian Culture

“The closer you are to the point of need, the more you can charge,” writes Seth Godin.

Airport food is outrageously expensive, but people buy it, because they’re stuck.
If you need a computer part tomorrow, you pay FedEx to make it happen.
If the pipes burst in your house, you sell your firstborn to pay the plumber.

How does this apply in the church world? We’re not “charging” anything, but we do want people to accept something–the life Christ offers. Just as people will part with their money when confronted by an urgent need that money can solve, people will respond to God’s truth when they are at point of need.

How do we get close to that point of need?

On Sunday morning at Anchor, and at churches across America, the people listening in the pews certainly have needs. But most are not at a point of urgency. Their lives are at least okay. No need to make any big changes.

But down the road from Anchor is a bar. On Sunday morning, there’s probably a guy slouched in a darkened booth nursing a beer, staring blankly, unhappy, not wanting to leave and have to face whatever awaits him–wife and kids, work, bills, an ailing car. He lives with cloud constantly around him, and would love for something to change in his life.

How do we get close to that guy?

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When Jesus Becomes Boring

Posted on May 15, 2008 by Steve
Posted in Religion in General

One of the blogs I read regularly is by Perry Noble, a megachurch pastor in South Carolina. He’s authentic, down-to-earth, and earthy.

Yesterday, Perry listed a bunch of statements which completed this sentence: “I don’t want to live a life….” Here’s the one that really grabbed me:

“I don’t want to live a life in which church becomes normal and routine and the person of Jesus becomes boring and dull.”

The thing is, church can be exciting and fulfilling, and Jesus can still be a sideshow. That’s what a lifetime in the church can do. There are times when I’m really plugged into Jesus, but other times when I’m very disconnected, despite being engulfed in church work. How to get beyond that…?

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Saturday Night at Granger Community Church

Posted on May 6, 2008 by Steve
Posted in Religion in General

Pam and I spent Saturday night in South Bend, since I would be playing in the table tennis tournament at 9 a.m. We decided to go early enough to attend the 5:30 Saturday night service at Granger Community Church. We’d been wanting to attend a service there, and this was our chance.

Granger, which always ranks high among America’s most innovative churches, is tightly focused on reaching the lost. There are a number of such megachurches across the country doing some amazing ministry. Last fall while on vacation, we attended another one: Quest Community Church in Lexington, Tenn. These churches magnetically attract unfair criticism for “compromising” the Gospel. But they’re reaching people that more traditional churches never touch. Don’t get self-righteously petty about that.

Here are some random reflections from Granger:

A guy in a cowboy hat, with a high “howdy” quotient, welcomed us on the sidewalk. I liked him.
Just inside the door, a big line had formed at the cafe/coffeeshop.
The sanctuary was like a big, three-section hotel ballroom, with chairs set up in a sideways format.
An impressive number of people–hundreds–for this Saturday night service (with another coming at 7:30).
When the band came out before the service started, they were just silhouettes against a white background. Looked cool.
The band did a superb instrumental jam for the prelude.
We sang two or three songs, and then got right into the message.
The sermon series is “Get in the Game.” They did an amazing video which put two people inside a shoot-em-up video game. This took time to develop.
Granger expends a lot of energy branding each sermon series, and it’s impressive.
The “Pastor of Life Mission” gave the message. Very energetic dude. I wasn’t taking any notes, but didn’t notice any traditional structure to his message. That doesn’t bother me. I’m a writer who tires of the creativity-challenged “three points and a poem” thing.
At least 90% of the people wore bluejeans. Maybe 95%. Bluejeans everywhere. As we walked from the parking lot, with dozens of other people–not a non-bluejean in sight. The worship team, the ministers–bluejeans. True, it was bluejean weather–rainy, chilly. But it was almost like bluejeans was the official Granger uniform, and the prevalence amused me. As for Pam and me: bluejeans.

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Notes on Ministering to the Emerging Culture

Posted on May 2, 2008 by Steve
Posted in Christian Culture, Religion in General

On Tuesday and Wednesday, I attended the “Hit the Bullseye” conference in Lima, Ohio. A lot of good stuff there, even though I felt sick the first day.

Here are some notes from “Leading Change in an Emerging Congregation,” by Brad Stahl. I took this workshop on Wednesday afternoon.

The emergent church is more about attitude than about age. Which thrilled me, because quite a few postmodern strains run through me, and I’m an old guy.
Some people will minister to, some with, and some as post-moderns. The workshop leader was in the “to” and “with” category, but didn’t consider himself thoroughly post-modern at the core.
The most dynamic testimonies come from people who are still struggling with their faith. But in traditional churches, we stink at admitting any struggles.
We know there are absolutes, but postmoderns don’t.
Sermons should be more an investigation of ideas than a sharing of objective truth. Lay the pieces out and let them put it together.
Builders (pre-1946) come for the sermon; boomers (1946-64) come for the high energy and quality; busters (1965-1980s) come for what they can feel–the music and worship.
Postmoderns value authenticity. If you screwed up, tell them you screwed up. They’ll relate to that, forgive you, and move on.
“I haven’t had a ‘sweet hour of prayer’ in years. I don’t pray that way.” Likewise for yours truly.
Conversion is a process. They can’t always pinpoint when they became a Christian.
You can reach people 20 years older than you and 20 years younger. Interesting idea. So I’m no longer relevant to anyone under the age of 31.
What you win people with, you win them to. You can’t expect to transition them to a service with a different style of music and preaching.
Post-moderns don’t want to commit to something unworthy of their commitment. But they’ll buy into radical commitment. We boomers were the original non-joiners, but still do a lot of stuff out of duty. Post-moderns don’t know from duty.
They like the idea of “hanging out.” Don’t want things to be planned. They engage with chaos. Uh…not me on this one.
Why am I the only United Brethren in this workshop? Out of the 40 UBs attending this conference?

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Life in Slo-Mo

Posted on April 24, 2008 by Steve
Posted in It's My Life, Religion in General

When Yao Ming entered the NBA, commentators noted how the game was too fast for him. But the more he played, the more it would slow down.

I remember my first school game, in 8th grade. I started. But the game was nothing like practice. Everything happened so fast, and I was lost. Probably looked liked an idiot out there.

Table tennis is a fast game, and I try to mentally slow down. Don’t rush shots. Try to get in slo-mo mode. Let the ball come further back before striking.

I’m reading The Revolutionary Communicator, by Jedd Medefind and Erik Lokkesmoe. It looks at seven communication practices of Jesus. The chapter on “Attentiveness” examines how Jesus noticed everything around him. He looked in people’s eyes and perceived hopelessness, fear, anxiety, heartbreak, frustration, and whatever else was going on. He noticed people on the margins, people others ignored.

Things were always happening around Jesus. When a man’s daughter lay dying, he hurried off to help her. But on the way, he stopped to say, “Who touched me?” As others waited impatiently, he talked to a woman and healed her before moving on. I think life moved slowly for Jesus, because he noticed everything.

I thought of this the other day while eating in a restaurant. I, as usual, was buried in a magazine, hardly noticing the waitress, who came by my table several times to make sure things were okay. I grunted replies without looking up. Finally, having just read this chapter, I realized how inattentive I was. Jesus would be paying attention to this waitress, not ignoring her. So the next time she came, I sat back, looked her in the eye, and spoke to her. Baby steps.

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Category Archives: Religion in General

A Pleasant Surprise

Tiger Woods and Church Attendance

Thoughts on Golf (Which I Hate)

Let Your Light Shine, and Beat Them with It

Wearing the T-Shirt

The Point of Need

When Jesus Becomes Boring

Saturday Night at Granger Community Church

Notes on Ministering to the Emerging Culture

Life in Slo-Mo

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