A win is a win, right?

A win is a win is a win….right? Or so the Minnesota Vikings say about their nail biting game on Sunday. One missed 44 yard field goal in the last seconds of the game and a Brett Farve who couldn’t even watch ended up gleeful as the Viking won 33-31.

A win is a win—right? I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to live in a society rooted at what it means to “win”-- you know a society based upon competition. You know the phrases:

• “I won—you lost!”
• “We’re winners—you’re losers!”
• “I’m right—you’re wrong!”
• “We’re stronger—you’re weaker!”
• “The bible says this—the bible says that!”
• “I’m really saved—you’re not!”

A win is a win—right? But at whose cost?

All of a sudden a sense of superiority takes hold and good fun turns ugly and someone ends up getting hurt. Ok—I am not bashing sports or good healthy competition but I do wonder how this pervasive message is playing out in life around us.

So let’s just talk:

•  How is this culture of winning influencing our lives?
• What does this say about our culture?
• What does this say about our churches?
• And does God have anything to do with this anyways?

As always I look forward to hearing what you have to say. The older I get the less interested in winning I become and am more interested in playing the game. So let’s just talk!

Are we Spiritual Yet?

The Parade section in the Sunday, October’s 4th paper yesterday posed the question “How Spiritual Are We?” I found the results very interesting.

     • 69% of people believe in God,

     • 77% pray outside of religious services

     • 75% believe that it is a parent’s responsibility to give children a religious upbringing.

Yet, 24% of people say they are “religious, not spiritual” and 45% of people who consider themselves religious do not participate in organized religion. Wow, how the landscape of religious life has changed. There is not an expectation of being a part of a church, there is no longer the fear of God that once dominated religious belief—So what does this mean as we “rethink church”?

Let’s just talk:

     • Are these statistics surprising to you?

     • Does your local community of friends and relatives reflect this information?

     • What does this mean for the local church?

There are people in my own family who say the same things—church just isn’t relevant anymore. They believe in God and are comfortable practicing their faith in their own way. I am really interested in what you think—so let’s just talk!

Reshaping the landscape

Welcome to the Homefront….

I am excited about entering into the world of blogging and discussing real issues! We have a great opportunity to demonstrate what it means to “reason together” in civil discussion. In the last week we have seen a Congress member, a tennis superstar and a music pop icon all be disrespectful—the Good News is that there is a different way. Let’s begin!

One year ago today a shockwave was sent across the globe with the bankruptcy and collapse of Lehman Brothers, a financial giant (or so it seemed) and the greatest financial crisis of our time began. Do you remember the New York Times headlines?

Lehman Files for Bankruptcy; Merrill Is Sold

The article stated that this event would “reshape the landscape of American finance” and it did. Many companies have gone out of business, and millions are unemployed. All you have to do is turn on the television, radio or pick up a newspaper and know that the life is very different for many people.

Let’s ask questions, let’s just talk:

• How did it affect you?

• How has the last year of your life been affected by Wall Street some 12 months later?

• Reshaping of the landscape---what an interesting term, what does your landscape look like now?

• Less cluttered, more cluttered, less hopeful, more hopeful?

We started reading the book of Acts together yesterday at worship….what a story of reshaping the landscape! The world would never be the same…..imagine the headlines on that day when the Holy Spirit empowered the disciples into the streets. What would the headline have read?

What can we learn from these seemingly unconnected events?

So let’s just talk……