Church Archives - Page 6 of 8

That’s Why We Pray…

Does anyone else remember the all-too-catchy, soft rap song “That’s Why We Pray,” by MC Hammer? Don’t tell me you didn’t slide across your kitchen floor in your Hammer pants. Just me? Um, okay, this is awkward.

Anyway, I ran across this video the other day and I had to laugh. It’s pretty true, at least for me, some days.

Day in the Prayer Life of Joe Christian from The Summit Church on Vimeo.

Why is it that, for many of us, praying is hum-drum, squeezed in, get it over with, and perfunctory? Although, before I had children I prayed like “Joe Christian” all the time. But having no time to yourself and limited time to sit alone with God actually forced me to pray more. Go figure.

Because, the thing with prayer, I’ve found, is that you can do it almost anytime. I can pray while washing dishes. I can pray while cooking dinner. I can pray while feeding a baby in the middle of the night. It seems that as my life has become busier and more hectic, the more I have found ways to converse with God.

I also made a promise to myself that whenever I say I’m going to pray for something, I actually do (or I try very hard to do so). I never want to be the flaky Christian who says “Oh, I’ll be praying for you,” to someone only to walk away and never think twice about it. Once I committed to praying for the people God brings into my life, the more fruitful, fulfilling, and rich my prayer life became.

Sure, I still have some not so stellar days of talking (or should I say, not talking) to God–days where I resemble the guy in the video. But, I’m getting better, with each and every busy day.

So, how’s your prayer life? When do you find time to pray? When do you find you are the most distracted from talking to God?

Questions About Jesus

There is so much to know about Jesus, so much more than we could ever know. The scriptures, for all of their accounts and stories of Christ, only capture but a sliver of His Personhood.

He is infinite. He is immeasurable.

And yet, I so often wonder about Him, as a boy, as a young man, as the Lamb. I wonder about His humanity, instead of always trying to grapple with His divinity.

I imagine Him as a child hiding behind His mother’s skirt. I picture Him in fields, running alongside His brothers being soaked in the sunlight. I see Him laying down to bed, praying a prayer to His Father–a prayer filled with gratitude and intimacy.

Of course, while there is so much more to know of Him, we have to be content with the little details we hold now, knowing too that His work on the cross is neither tarnished nor undermined by our lack of details regarding His life.

Yet, still I wonder…

Continue reading Questions About Jesus

Haters Welcome

Somewhere along the way, in our politically-correct, touchy-feely, walk on eggshells, be-tolerant culture, it stopped being okay to hate. The word “hate” has actually become a banned word. No, there hasn’t been an official ban on the word, but no one is walking around talking about the things they hate.

We can be opposed to something. Resist something. Object to something. Politely disagree with someone. But what we cannot do, what we are told is unconscionable, is hating anything, because hating something means we are operating in black and white. Right or wrong. Good or evil.

The problem, however, is less and less people believe in the idea of good and evil. Black and white makes them uncomfortable. Truth makes them squirm. The in-betweeness of gray, is a much more comfortable place to dwell–the uncertainty of life, as it were.

But, I believe in right and wrong, Light and darkness. Good and evil. I believe in God and God hates. Oh, we don’t like acknowledging that fact. We would rather run a thick, black, permanent marker over those passages of scripture.

But He does. God hates and well, then, so do I. Continue reading Haters Welcome

Mark Driscoll is My New Best Friend

In general, I like to avoid writing about divisive people. I find no joy or profit to be had in writing about someone with whom I theologically or fundamentally disagree. I don’t like to pick fights, as it were. And, as I’ve said before, I never want to stir up controversy for controversy’s sake (despite what some might believe).

But recent events have driven me to take notice. What I once shrugged off as Christian banter, I now recognize as something much more. I now know that Mark Driscoll has a lot of enemies, those who would desire to see him fail, be fired, or worse. And well, I just wanted to let Mark Driscoll know that he is my new best friend. You see… Continue reading Mark Driscoll is My New Best Friend

“I’m a Reject” Because…

People ask me all of the time why I named this blog Modern Reject. I have to say, I love the name. It was inspired. It captures me so perfectly and the things I like to write about. But more and more, I have come to realize that it represents many of you, as well.

Lately, I’ve had the idea rolling around in my head to start a “I’m a Reject” series written by all of you. I mean, I love that you show up and read what I have to say, but wouldn’t it be nice to hear from someone else for a change too?

So what is a reject? Well the dictionary says this:

A reject is someone who is dismissed as inadequate, inappropriate, or not to one’s taste. A person or thing dismissed as failing to meet standards or satisfy tastes.

I also always think of Christ stating in Matthew, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” And isn’t that always the way it seems to go? That which the world finds useless, unlovely, imperfect, Jesus redeems and makes perfect.

So, I am asking for you to share your stories of what being a reject looks like for you. Do you reject the norms of American church life? Are you a rebel in your family, among your peers, workplace, or community? Have you been rejected for following after Christ?

Why are you a reject? But don’t just answer here. If you are so inclined, I am taking submissions to this question and will be choosing a few (I haven’t decided on a number yet) to publish here on Modern Reject.

The guidelines for submission:

Tell the story of why you are a reject.

Make it 300-500 words.

Have fun.

Tell me a little bit about yourself too.

Email me your stories by February 25th

But don’t think you have to send in a submission to answer the question. I want to hear from you right now, too. So let’s hear it. Are you a reject? If so, finish this sentence: “I’m a reject because….”

Why I Don’t Like Women’s Ministry…

I have some kind of adverse reaction to all things “womanly,” meaning all things related to women’s ministry. If I take it a step further, I really mean all things Christian and women.

…Things like scrapbooking, play dates, girls night out, quilted Bible covers, any mention of the Proverbs 31 woman, Beth Moore, touchy-feely-ness, emotions, and Christian romance novels. Eek!

Now don’t get me wrong, individually, I have secretly (and even occasionally, publicly) enjoyed many of these things, but that doesn’t change the fact that they also simultaneously make my skin crawl.

For a long time, I used to believe that I was just born a bit of a rebel. I can remember as a child naturally questioning authority. I never just took someone’s word for it.

As I grew older, that tendency to question turned into a bit of skepticism, but not for long. Upon knowing Jesus, I really did let much of my skepticism go. It seemed that the answer to so many of my questions was Him.

However, I remain somewhat of a rogue agent, I suppose. I never like doing what everyone else is doing, but I also get icky feelings about participating in certain things. Women’s Ministry, as it were, is one of them. As for why, I’m still trying to figure that part out.

Perhaps I don’t like being a part of the crowd, just another face, just another number. Much of my experience in women’s ministry has been sort of that–me, alongside dozens, if not hundreds of other women. Perhaps it’s something else though… Continue reading Why I Don’t Like Women’s Ministry…

Your Faith, in One Word

A couple of months ago, I wrote a post called The Twitter Gospel. I asked people, if they had to share the Gospel in 140 characters or less, what they would say. I loved reading the unique, thoughtful, concise, yet powerful responses roll in.

More recently, my husband and I have begun discussing what it would look like if you had to describe your faith in one word. That’s it. No flourishes. No explanation. Just one word.

And then last week, a video called Why I Hate Religion, but Love Jesus, began to make its way around the Internet, primarily bombarding Facebook and YouTube (Here it is, in case you are one of the 11 million who hasn’t seen it).

The hubster and I took the bait, like so many others, and pressed play on said video. I grumbled a few times. “That’s so not true,” I exclaimed. “I totally disagree.” But, by the end of the video, I shrugged my shoulders and thought, yeah, I get the point he’s trying to make, even if I don’t agree with each and every word.

Then I watched and read, as some bloggers, Facebook friends, and others either passionately agreed or vehemently disagreed with the message of the video. Some thought it was pitch perfect, a well-done representation of the Gospel. Others, thought the films creator Jefferson Bethke, was a little too careless and flippant with his words, substituting soundbites for Truth.

Yet, after considering both sides of the argument regarding this video phenom, I realized that it all comes back to one word. If I had to describe my faith in one simple word, what would it be? If I wasn’t able to present a polished and produced video or a lengthy, articulate speech regarding my faith, what would I really say?

If I could utter but one word to describe my Christian life, walk, faith…what would escape my lips?

Because at the end of the day, it isn’t about religion, or orthodoxy, my theology vs the guy’s down the street. It isn’t about dogma, or traditions, rituals, or denominations. It is about one very simple, yet simultaneously incomprehensible, vast, and complex person: Jesus.

So, if I were left with nothing left to say, but one word…it would be His.

Now for the obvious question. What ONE word would you use to describe your faith? It could be Jesus, or it could be something else….grace, hope, joy, peace, redemption. You name it.

Do You Have a Spiritual Resume?

from the archives

I have often felt that I work for God, which isn’t entirely wrong, but also not entirely correct.

I have awoken far too many mornings feeling like I need to put on my interview suit and best shoes in order to gain access to God.

I have positioned Him as the ultimate employer, who is only willing to hire me if my resume is exceptional. Do I have all of the necessary credentials to apply for the job of Christian? And not just Christian, but “super Christian”?

I list all of my qualifications before God. I tally my moments of service, my hours of reading the Word, my number of disciples.

Then, I submit my spiritual resume to God. Continue reading Do You Have a Spiritual Resume?

The Prayer God Didn’t Answer

Last Thursday, I posed the question: Who Has Most Influenced Your Walk with Jesus? Many of you left such inspiring answers, from grandparents who taught you what living for Jesus is really like, to pastors, teachers, friends, authors, and parents.

I had one commenter ask me if I was going to share my influences, as well. I hadn’t thought about it upon asking the question, but as I began to read everyone else’s answers something became very apparent.

I didn’t really know how to answer the very question I had posed to all of you. Truth be told, I was jealous of most people’s answers, because the reality is, I don’t really have an answer.

How can that be? Well, I’ll tell you… Continue reading The Prayer God Didn’t Answer

Top 5 Lies About Christians

I’ve written before about the lies that Christians believe, but what about the lies people wrongly believe about Christians? Are all Christians judgmental jerks, out to convert you at the drop of a hat? Maybe, but not most of the ones I know.

Yet we all know there is a long history of people misunderstanding, and flat out not knowing what Christians are really like. I don’t want to pick a fight, but I do want to set the record straight.

Here are the top 5 lies about Christians, starting with our so-called “lack of intelligence…” Continue reading Top 5 Lies About Christians