God, make up there come down here.

I have an awesome admin assistant. I asked her if she would be willing to take what I highlighted in the books I read and type it up for me. She agreed! I recently read a book by John Ortberg called God Is Closer Than You Think and the typed notes equalled 39 pages. Karen is awesome!

In looking back over these, a section of the book stuck out at me and I wanted to share this with you…

God, make up there come down here.

It can happen. Every time you are in conflict with someone, want to hurt them, gossip about them, or avoid them, but instead go to them and seek reconciliation and forgiveness—
The kingdom is breaking into this world.

Every time you have a chunk of money and decide to give sacrificially to somebody who is hungry or homeless or poor—
The kingdom is breaking into this world.

Anytime someone has an addiction and wants to partner with God so much that they’re willing to stop hiding, acknowledge the truth, and get help from a loving community—
The kingdom is breaking into the world.

Every time a workaholic parent decides to stop idolizing their job, rearranges their life to begin to love and care for the little children entrusted to them—
The kingdom is breaking into the world.

Every time you love, every time you include someone who’s lonely, every time you encourage someone who’s defeated, every time you challenge somebody who’s wandering off the path, every time you serve the under-resourced—
It is a sign that the kingdom is once more breaking into the world.

When Jesus entered humanity, when the baby was laid in the manger, the kingdom of God had a tiny little beachhead in this world. He formed a little community; and when he left, there was a toehold in Jerusalem. Then it started to spread—to Judea, to Samaria, to Athens, to Rome. To every country. From ancient cathedrals in England to underground house churches in China to storefront churches in inner-city Detroit.

One day a little beachhead got formed in your life. It doesn’t matter whether your life seems messy to you. It doesn’t matter if you don’t fully understand how the kingdom works. Someone has come from the other side of the hedge. And he uses you and me.

God, in our world, make up there come down here!

Should you (and do you) use a pulpit?

I got my weekly e-news from Preaching Magazine and it had this article in it…

Tom Long’s major book The Witness of Preaching (Westminster John Knox) has been released in a second edition, updated and expanded. In the last section of the book Long addresses a variety of questions asked by pastors and preachers, and one of those deals with the value of using a pulpit while preaching:

“As a piece of furniture, a pulpit can get in the way of communication. If it is too big, too high, or too remote, it can well hinder closeness and personal contact between the preacher and the hearers. Consequently, many preachers are leaving the pulpit behind and standing in the chancel or even moving around among the people as they preach.

“While this strategy can bring the preacher closer to the people and make communication more immediate, there are several issues the preacher should consider before deciding to step out from behind the pulpit, First, the pulpit is not just a stand for notes or a screen to hide the preacher’s legs (although there is practical worth there); it is a symbol of the presence of the Word. To stand at the pulpit conveys an unspoken message, namely, “I am the temporary occupant of a venerable office to which I am committed and obedient.” Most pastors would not administer the Lord’s Supper away from the Table nor conduct baptism away from the pool or font, and we ought to consider the symbolic power of the pulpit.

“Second, preachers tend to overestimate the value of physical closeness to the people. As Garrison Keillor of Prairie Home Companion fame once quipped, ‘A preacher is a person who engages in far more eye contact than people want.’ We sometimes forget the symbolic power we carry when we are preaching, and what seems like welcome vulnerability and intimacy to us may come across to hearers as a frightening intrusion, intimidation, or a transgression of private space.”

I personally don’t use a “pulpit” but have used a table to place my Bible on when I wasn’t using it as I was preaching. Do you, and what are your thoughts on a pulpit?

Christian T-Shirts More Popular Than NBA or Abercrombie

I got this press release from PR Newswire this morning and I thought it was interesting…I honestly wouldn’t have imagined this would be the case, but hey, I’m just a pastor in Delaware!

New Survey Reveals Popularity of Religious and Spiritual Clothing.

NEW YORK, Nov. 15 /PRNewswire/ — Christian t-shirts are a more popular choice among young adults than either NBA-themed or Abercrombie & Fitch logo tees, according to a new nationwide survey by Internet retailer DATOmana.

419 adults aged 18 - 34 from across the country were surveyed about their tastes in tees. When presented with a variety of t-shirts, including an Abercrombie & Fitch logo tee, a NBA-licensed tee and a Christian tee, 40 percent chose the religious tee, versus 16 percent for the NBA tee and 30 percent for the Abercrombie tee.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20051115/NYTU014 )

When asked what would motivate them to wear a t-shirt with a religious message on it, most said simply that they would do so if they liked the message on the shirt. Only 6 percent said they would only wear one “as a joke.”

“America’s love of religious t-shirts shouldn’t really come as a surprise,” says Tom Biggs, president of DATOmana. “Research has shown that almost three-quarters of Americans consider their faith to be a very important part of their life, and younger Americans are more likely than any previous generation to feel comfortable wearing clothing that not only reflects their personal attitude, but their beliefs, as well.”

On average, young Americans wear t-shirts five times a week, and own just under two dozen of them. About half of the respondents have purchased a t-shirt online. Buying religious t-shirts online are very popular. Over 1.5 million searches are conducted each month for “Christian t-shirts” (or some variation thereof, like “Jesus shirts”), according to WebSourced, a company that specializes in Internet marketing.

While Christian t-shirts are popular among young adults, they still rank below designer tees. A Polo Ralph Lauren t-shirt received the highest ranking in the survey, with 53 percent. All percentages are based on “top two box” scores in a five-level rating scale. Respondents scored each tee separately.

About DATOmana

DATOmana [pronounced DAY-toe-MAN-a] makes Christian t-shirts “with a surfing attitude”, designing and manufacturing their products in Southern California. The company has 30 designs and over 80 styles and colors for teens, women and men.

Just eighteen months old, the company was founded by two friends who were frustrated that the quality and style of Christian t-shirts did not match the lifestyle and expectation of Christian teens. DATOmana is an acronym of its founders’ names (”DATO” = DAna and TOm), while the word “mana” means “a force believed to dwell in a person”, which is appropriate for a company that designs clothing which empowers the wearer. More information about the company can be found at http://datomana.com/press.html

Adrian Rogers Passed away this morning

According to his ministry’s web site, www.lwf.org, he passed away this morning. The update was from 5:30 am CST. The update states:

ADRIAN ROGERS
FOUNDER OF LOVE WORTH FINDING AND PASTOR EMERITUS OF BELLEVUE BAPTIST CHURCH

September 12, 1931 - November 15, 2005

Dr. Adrian Rogers, Founder of Love Worth Finding Ministries, Pastor Emeritus of Bellevue Baptist Church and a gifted man of God passed away in to the presence of the Lord early this morning after battling cancer and double pneumonia.

I imagine literally thousands who came to know Jesus because of his ministry met him at the gate as he stepped over to glory and beheld the face of Jesus.

Details are incomplete at this time, but please continue to check this web site for updates and also please continue to pray for the Rogers’ family.

Pray for his family during this difficult time.

If you were doing a D. Min?

Let’s suppose for a moment that you have the opportunity to put together an individualized Doctor of Ministry curriculum. No cohorts and not using some schools D. Min track listing, what would you want to do in that type of program?

Once you’ve answered that, as you look over the landscape of theological education, where would you do your D. Min and why?

I’m in the process of applying to a school for entry into a D. Min. program and I have an idea of what I want to do. I looked into a couple of schools and have settled on one. But I am curious about what your interests would be in putting together a program for your specific context.

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