MOVING!!

This blog is closed down, and will be deleted once I find out how to move my posts over. Check out my new blog @

www.blogiccino.wordpress.com

See ya there!

~Michael

"Confirmation Button"

For us Christian's, knowing this will of God, specifically, knowing His will for yourself, is or paramount importance. Not nearly enough do we stress over God's will for others, certain issues, or communities. So, in this pursuit, several mechanisms have been employed. A famous one in the Bible is found in the book of Judges in the OT, where the once timid Gideon is now coming to terms with God's explicit direction to attack another nation. Outnumbered, he ask God for a sign. He asks that a sheepskin would have dew on it the next morning, and the ground to have no dew. The following day, He reverses it, so the sheepskin would be dry, but the ground wet. Both days, it happens as He asks. Later, in the new testament, God's will was determined by "casting of lots", which is a way of saying "drawing straws". After Judas betrayed Jesus, his role as the twelfth apostle was determined this way.

But for the last 500 years, Christians have had access, more and more, to the Bible, the most published book on earth. Now, we use it, in terms of it's message and content, to know His will. But, sometimes that doesn't quite speak to the situation. So, among some camps, in times of crisis, our cry has been something like "Lord, if you want me to do this, I'll open my bible to a page, plop my finger down, and please have it confirm what I think I should do". As silly as this is, like the fleece and casting of lots, He honors us where we are at, and I have seen this work for others with uncanny and highly improbable ways.

Now enter the digital age. More and more, our bibles are on our laptops, or online. How is one to have random finger placement confirmation? How will we know what to do? Enter the confirmation button. That's right, the confirmation button will, with one click, automatically select a random passage, by which you can digitally "cast your lots", or "put out your fleece".
~M

Biblical World View

I think Biblical worldview is such an attractive topic, when it's stumbled up by today's evangelical culture, precisely because of it's lack of understanding and implementation. We look around, see our desparate need, and, like a bad chef over a tasteless soup, we smack our lips and say, "No, I really think it needs something". Then, when we remember to add salt, we at once both crave it, and unconsciously understand how it will make everything work together.

And what is a biblical worldview but the most profoundly basic truths from the mind of God ~ the foundations of wisdom in which He's sees things? It's a razor which cuts through the most heart wrenching dilemma on the front page of the NY Times, and simply and clearly points out the way. Without it, we do the work of God's kingdom, but with the presuppositions and understanding of the world, wondering all the while why we don't succeed.

~M

Leadership - is it what we want?

There is a popular word floating are in some of my circles: leadership. I've heard it a lot. In fact, I started to notice and take count of how often I heard it. I counted: a lot. But not just in ordinary sentinces, such as "Hey, do you know who the leader of Bolivia is?", or "Excuse me, can you tell me who the line leader is?", but specifically in terms that would suggest that it's something to be highly desired, such as "You know, you really are a leader in this area", or the enticing "If you want to give good leadership, you need to do such and such". So, I asked myself: why do we talk about it so much? What's the draw of leadership?

Now, this word is found , in particular, in my Christian circles. So, I looked in the Bible to see from whence this leadership talk came. In the King James, it doesn't appear, though the word "leader" appears 3 times in the Old Testament. But so what - maybe leadership is corporate speak for a concept which is found in the Bible. And true enough, there, we can certainly find a wet basket load of good (and bad examples) of what we call leaders (get it? Nile? oh, I'm just awful). And we also find many people who would laugh at the idea of leading something, but were called to do so regardless. But take David as a good leader example. David was humble, focused, empowering of the outcasts, militarily great, personally talented and strong, creative, etc.,. No wonder we talk about him so much. And we can think of many examples to the contrary, Ahab, Jonah, Nebuccanezzer, etc.,.

OK, so leadership is a fact, it's how we organize, function and thrive. When Israel was forming, the people choose captains of their tribes, over 10's and 50's etc., .

BUT . . is it something we should want? Should we go after it, strive for it, work towards it? Speak of it with veneration? Dare I say to someone "If you want to be a leader some day. . ."?

Looking at Jesus' interaction with the disciples, we can see that, surprisingly, He's speaks often of eternal reward, and speaks of it in terms of ruling. In more than one parable, a good king rewards good stewards with leadership of cities. The principle is certainly there. So, from this, we could say, "There it is, put me in charge". But oh, how we have missed it. We have been so like the disciples, as they argued as to who the greatest was going to be. How is it that we strive for what God says He wants to give us, and lose our souls in the process? No, let's not tempt each other with titles, roles, charges, and offices. Let's not set out leadership as a goal, or term of affirmation. Let's not brag on one anothers great ability to lead, speak, or minister. Let's humbly do what's put in front of us, knowing full well of what we're made of, and knowing full well that God in His mercy delights to give us good things. Let's honor one another, but always make sure to honor those members whose tasks bring them no honor. Let's let promotion come from the Lord, and never seek to be a teacher, leader, or someone who influences others lives, unless that roles is entrusted to us from Him. Then, we can gratefully and humbly work in our occupation, remain loyal to Him, and not worry about the value it gives us to be recognized for our great contributions.

~M

Church around the Coffee Table?

How religious is our idea of the church? In reading about the governmental restrictions on the formation of the Turkish church, who is dealing with a government who will, in some cases, not allow for the building, the rental, or otherwise appropriation of a place to meet without the rarely given official permission, I asked the question which people have been asking since the Jesus movement "Who needs a building, man?!"

What if. . .
What if believers gathered around a meal, shared together, maybe sang a song or two, talked to one another, had some bring the word, someone offered an encouragement, some maybe would offer various practical helps to others in the body. Maybe some would give a prophetic, insightful, and challenging word to everyone else. Maybe one would confess problems and ask for prayer. Is it overly romantic to think that this would work really well? Would it be going too far to suggest that this would work better than the leader(s) up front, lay people in the pews model that is the norm? Can what we see and love about God in His up close and personal-ness, frankness, non-religiousness, and real-ness be more found in a normal gathering of friends, family, and acquaintances, than in a scheduled, orchestrated, and rehearsed format (as most church gatherings need be, because who wants to come together for a poorly run meeting?). What if the church in Turkey continued to seek to meet together in a building, but in the meantime, continued to meet in one's homes? Would they be worse for the wear? Please tell me if I am missing a big piece of what coming together is supposed to be. Because I sense that perhaps in some ways, the state run Dept. of Religious Affairs in Turkey is doing the fledgling Turkish church a favor. . .

My musing of the day

If you really think like Jesus does, you would honor, respect, and reward, not those who have accomplished much, but those who have accomplished much from what they've been given - not always the genius, but the dyslexic who taught himself to read; not the millionaire, but the single mom who avoided bankruptcy and put food on the table; not the teacher or pastor, but the meek soul who dared enough to apply the teaching to their life.

Quote of the Day

"Drudgery is the touchstone of character. The great hindrance in spiritual life is that we will look for big things to do."
~ Oswald Chambers