Friday Mashup

Lots of thoughts rolling around in my head and heart this morning.  I'm praying for Zain (he was admitted back to Abbotsford Hospital).  I'm praying for the Khela's.  I'm praying for this weekend's message that I might be accurate and effective in communicating its purpose.

I've been thinking lots about our Church and wrestling with what we do and why we do it.  A phrase from one of Jerry Cook's lectures at PLBC last year is rippling through my life.  He made a statement that, I believe was birthed of the Holy Spirit, "to the degree that the Church is wrapped up in its world is to the same degree it loses its voice."  It's from the 'in the world' but not 'of the world' vein.  It smacks of what our Church has been challenged with as we journey through Acts... will someone stand, will someone stand with you, and will someone speak prophetically?  It's that last question that relates most to what Jerry stated.  To the degree that I am entangled in my culture is to the degree that I lose my prophetic voice.   It is to the degree that what I say loses power.

Our Church knows the teachings and way of Christ, but we get entangled by our culture.  Through our own selfishness, laziness, and lack of discipline we give in to the comforts of our culture.  We live like our culture, look like our culture, and talk like our culture.  So when we do speak, we are just another person adding to the noise.  My hope is that we will begin to see a renewal of a Christ-centered culture in our Church where Jesus' teachings mean more on Monday or Saturday than they do on Sunday.  My hope is that living with Christ as our focus will change what we do and why we do it.  Not out of a sense of legalism, elitism, or separatism, but simply because following Christ looks much different than following our flesh.  It is my understanding that the closer we follow Christ, the deeper we will go into our culture/world and when we speak, our voice will be heard.  Perhaps, people will come to Christ.  Perhaps, many will be added to their number.

I could go on all day about that "stuff"...

Here's the explanation for the photo above:  1) a coworker at PLBC gave me a book to read yesterday, called "Deep Church" by Jim Belcher (what a last name) and I'm really looking forward to reading it (hopefully this weekend sometime); and 2) a while ago, my neighbour gave me an electric tea pot that brews loose leaf tea... I've been using it at the Church and I love it.

Today I'm hanging out with Isaac (our Summer Intern) for a bit, working on Sunday's message, and doing miscellaneous tasks.  Tomorrow, I'm hanging out with the family, working a bit more, and will mow the lawn

I'll leave you with the 2010 video report from the US Foursquare Church (it includes International figures).


2010 Foursquare Annual Report from The Foursquare Church on Vimeo.
An overview of the number of salvations, baptisms, churches openings and newly credentialed ministers that happened in The Foursquare Church, as reported in the 2010 Annual Report.