I was just thinking...

This is certainly not a rush to judgment, nor is it meant to be an attempt to vilify anyone especially since I don’t have all the facts. But since I can’t be silent, I’ll simply stick to discussing what we all already know because it’s been reported in the press. Steve McNair, former NFL MVP and quarterback of the Tennessee Titans, is dead! He was found on the sofa in the living room of a condo he co-rents with a friend. He had multiple gunshot wounds including a fatal shot to the head. On the floor, not far from Steve’s body, was the body of 20-year-old Sahel Kazemi, a “friend” of McNair’s, dead from a single gunshot wound to the head.

Recently I blogged on leaving a legacy as I reflected on the deaths of Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett, and on how it’s so much easier to be remembered more for the negative things that stand out in most people’s minds, regardless of whatever else it is you may have done well. Quoting McNair’s ‘condo-mate’ (who reportedly discovered the dead bodies), an NBC Sports report stated “Aaron said McNair’s wife, Mechelle, is “very distraught.”” Wow, thanks Aaron for stating the patently obvious! Sadly, what we really do need to know, we don’t know. We don’t know the who, the why, the when and so many other details of this dark tale. So the “million dollar” question is: what do we know?

We know that Steve McNair, 36, was married with children

We know that Steve McNair, 36, was found dead alongside a 20-year-old girl (Kazemi) purported to be his girlfriend.

We know that “Two days ago, Nashville police arrested Kazemi on a DUI charge while driving a 2007 Escalade registered to her and McNair.”

We know that the arrest affidavit said “Kazemi had bloodshot eyes and the smell of alcohol on her breath, but refused a breathalyzer test, saying “she was not drunk, she was high.””

We know that “McNair and his family frequented the restaurant where Kazemi was a waitress” and that “McNair and Kazemi met at the restaurant.”

We know that Steve McNair has left a widow and four sons asking questions that may never be answered.

So my question is: Was it worth it? Is this the legacy that Steve envisioned leaving for his sons as he raised them into young men? Having examined all that we do know, I’m still left with more questions than answers, and I’m saddened that all too often our lives are so self-serving and self-absorbed to the detriment of those that mean the most to us. Are Steve’s sons supposed to remember their dad as the man who loved and protected their family, or as the adulterous husband found shot to death alongside a lover almost half his age?

It really is black or white

Only history will fairly judge the lives that we've lived, because choices we've made in the moment are still too fresh in people's memories to afford them the ability to objectively evaluate our lives in their entirety. Having said that, there is only One whose judgment carries eternal weight and value and that is the One of whom we have to be aware. There are many whose tergiversation where Michael Jackson was concerned was done solely because of what they read in the newspapers and not from any personal encounter with him. Today, sadly, Michael Jackson is no more. Dead at fifty years of age, one can only wonder what could have been. And while we're at it let's not forget Farrah Fawcett, the blonde bombshell of the TV hit, Charlie's Angels. Farrah died yesterday too at the premature age of 62, from a debilitating bout with cancer.

While our recent memories of Farrah may be of her hard fought battle with cancer, her life didn't engender the kind of controversy that Michael's and his etiolated skin did, so her death hardly raises an eyebrow outside of the circles in which she interacted directly. History however has inexorably connected them forever because, while they were born in different seasons to very different backgrounds, they both ended their act on life's stage on the same day, and have both left enduring legacies. Guys from my generation (late forties) will always remember Farrah Fawcett as the woman who made us wish we'd been born a decade or so earlier (maybe we might have stood a chance at serenading her). She is the quintessential Angel for which the hit show Charlie's Angels was named. Her legacy? An incredibly beautiful star who lived life to the fullest, and graciously faced the challenges of cancer as it ravaged her emaciated body until she succumbed to its death-blow.

Michael still holds the record for the highest grossing album of all time with "Thriller," an album which also holds the record for the most expensive and most revolutionary music video of all time (it virtually put MTV on the map). Michael gifted the world with the now legendary "moonwalk" first seen in his "Billie Jean" hit-single video performance. Thriller received 8 Grammy awards and sold a reported 27 million copies in the USA alone. His legacy? Whacko Jacko. He is best remembered not for his pulchritude as a talented up and coming star, but for his complete and 'mysterious' physical transformation from black to white; for having more cosmetic surgery than Liz Taylor and Joan Rivers combined; for his best friend being a chimp; for allegedly molesting underaged boys... and the list goes on and on.

Life, unfortunately, is so fleeting and none of us really know exactly how much time is alloted to us. If the greatest thing we can bequeath those coming after us is an enduring legacy, then we'd better live our lives in such a way as to ensure that if they ended abruptly today the story and testimony we'd leave behind is one that we really would want written about us. So I'll simply end by saying, thanks Farrah and Michael, for giving us a glimpse into what mattered to you both the most. Rest well!

Iran Contra...ry!!!

Hortatory and incendiary speeches are the hallmark of the theocratic regimes that have ruled supreme over some of the nations of the Middle East, brainwashing the people with fictitious and imaginative stories of the “Great Satan” that’s poised to color the world American. But people are not cattle. They will not be herded into a pen of brainless obeisance simply because an angry dictator presumes to do so. The recent elections (and I use the word lightly) in Iran are proof positive of this fact. In a bid to remain in collective power Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei overstepped their mandate and counted more votes than actual people who voted. This naturally led to dissenting voices taking to the streets in protest. According to the Ayatollah though, the election of Ahmadinejad was a “divine assessment.” People like the Ayatollah have been known to issue fatwas (“divine” death sentences) for less heretical claims. Clearly the people of Iran are tired of this repressive government that rules by force and fear as opposed to the rule of law.

“Supreme Leader” Khamenei, in his continuing display of regrettable stupidity declared that the USA, Israel, and especially Britain were behind the street protests that have roiled Tehran. Why doesn’t he just come out and call the Iranian people idiots and brainless twits? I mean, seriously?! He really believes that the people of Iran don’t know what they want? He’s actually convinced himself that these three nations are powerful enough to incite the people of Iran to sacrifice their lives protesting on the streets of Tehran for no reason other than the fact that the US, Israel and Britain suggested it? If that were true what does it say to him about his people, and more specifically about the way his ‘small’ mind processes big ideas. The people of Iran have spoken. They don’t want Ahmadinejad or his repressive policies that threaten to stamp out every vestige of independent thinking that they have.

The people have spoken, and their collective voice reverberates from the streets of Tehran stained with the blood of the innocent that cry out, albeit in the most taciturn of ways, for freedom. Freedom can often be somewhat of a nebulous concept because often those who have it take it for granted and complain about all the things they can’t do. Others, by reason of their freedom make choices that lead them right back into bondage to something other than the chains of political oppression. Then there are those who are willing to die for it knowing that they will never benefit from the spoils of their war against tyranny and oppression. For the people of Iran, this is a mountain worth dying on. So today, if you’re a Christ-follower, then the least we can do as a demonstration of solidarity for true freedom is to pray for the precious people of Iran! Won’t you join me?

Are you dying?

In John 1: 35-39 we read the narrative of Jesus’ first encounter with two of John the Baptist’s disciples who later became His disciples. In the discourse that ensued between them the first invitation that Jesus issues (really the first words of significance that he speaks to them) are the words, “Come and see.” In John 16: 1-4, as Jesus speaks what is essentially His final charge to His disciples, He essentially calls them to "come and die." He informs them of a time that is coming when people will kill His followers believing that they are doing a service to God (Saul of Tarsus was one of such people before his conversion and name change to Paul). Jesus' cryptic warning, “I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you."

Over the last three years these verses have spoken loudly to me in more ways than I care to recount. In many ways I have died slowly (so that He can live through me). Just as the Scriptures predicted, some of the voices of judgment and condemnation have even spoken in the name of Jesus (believing they were speaking for God) as they have spoken death over my calling and purpose. How have I kept my heart clean through all this? Simply by buying into the idea that as Christ-followers we must learn to embrace the principles that take us from the elementary stages of “come and see” to the missional and visional place of “come and die.” After all, the Bible does say that unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed.

Whatever the process you must walk through to get from “come and see” to “come and die,” embrace that process fully, knowing that it is the only way that you can fully walk in the totality of God’s calling and purpose for your life. Remember that Jesus’ first call to those who desire an intimate relationship with Him is to “come and see” and experience the fullness of life in Him. In other words He first calls us to a relationship. Then He calls us to embrace the mission and adventure, which requires a dying to our own carnal desires and a willingness to live for Him. So the real question today is: Are you dying so that you can really live?

It's The End Of An Era!

Over the last week or so I've wrestled back and forth with whether or not I wanted to post a blog about the end of an era at The Well, and I'd been leaning toward not posting anything. I finally decided that the compromise would be that I would post the letter I sent out to all our regular attendees and friends so that you can get a direct sense from me as to what's going on as opposed to second-hand information, since, just like second-hand smoke, second-hand info can kill.


June 1, 2009


Dear CATWeller and Friends,

Yesterday was arguably one of the most difficult days of my life, yet one of the most inspiring and positive. We had an amazing service! The worship was so powerful and engaging, and the atmosphere was saturated with the presence of God. Sadly, it is with much regret that I inform you that it was the final service of The Well as we’ve known it. Now this may come as a bit of a shock to many of you, especially since, to all intents and purposes our church is growing and we are healthy and connected.

You see, over the last few weeks I’ve been wrestling with this decision for a number of reasons, not the least of which is my family’s wellbeing. The last three years have been at once the most incredible yet the most difficult journey of our lives, but we wouldn’t trade them for anything. I have personally grown in ways that I didn’t know were possible, and my kids have become stronger and more committed followers of Jesus because of our experiences. Sola has allowed her love for women to come to the fore and she has really shined as she has poured her heart and soul into “Thinking Pink.” I honestly can’t thank you enough for trusting me as your pastor and committing yourself to the journey. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we made a great community of faith, and I was truly inspired by the authenticity, friendliness, love, and heart of service that I saw constantly demonstrated in you and the rest of our amazing church family.

I must admit though that I am sad because of the relationships that I won’t get to nurture each and every Sunday, but I’m thrilled at the growth in maturity and leadership that you’ve shown over the times we’ve spent together seeking truth from God’s word. I’m convinced that because of your encounter with Jesus at The Well, you’ll do well (pun intended). God has something greater in store for all of us even though it may not seem like that at the present time. My family and I don’t know what God has in store for us next, but we know that whatever it is, it will be the next step in the journey toward fulfilling our destiny. After all, The Well is where your destiny begins! Our family will be remaining in the area for the month of June, and on the 24th we get to drop our son off at college at USF. Sola and I only have six more years before our youngest child goes off to college too, and so we want to be sure to give everything we can to enjoying our time with them.

As we seek for the next step in our journey we realize that it may well take us to any part of the U.S. (or the globe for that matter), and so while we’re still here in Central Florida we’d like to spend time hanging out with you too, so please don’t be a stranger. Call us up whenever you want, and if you need a Thompson fix then drop by and play a game of “Mad Gab” or “Balderdash” with us. I’d like to leave you with these powerful words that I’ve always spoken over you from the Scriptures in Isaiah 60:1… “Arise and shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.”

I love and deeply appreciate you always.

In His Grip
Joseph

What's love got to do with it? Everything!

I know many of you watched the youtube video of Sam and Esther which I posted a few days back (incase you missed it watch it here before you watch this one), and I know that it impacted many of you in much the same way it did me. Many of you didn't leave direct comments on the blog but left comments on facebook, while others of you actually called me on the phone or e-mailed me directly (I do wish all the comments were left on the blog so that others could read all the incredible thoughts that so many of you shared with me in private). A few days have now gone by since that post and you've had lots of time to digest it, so the question is: do you still feel the same way or have the emotions settled and the need to make a difference faded?

However you answered that question let me tell you that every little bit will make a difference in the lives of countless, faceless people whom you may never directly encounter this side of heaven, but whose testimonies will hinge directly on the fact that you were willing to do something besides pray. This video is a follow-up story to the original Sam and Esther saga. It has an incredibly inspiring ending and it's proof that there are people out there in our world who will do the right thing once they are made aware of a pressing need that borders on life and death. Please. please be one of such people. I ask you again to give, go, love, serve, pray... shall I go on?

Where did you bathe this morning?

I have to honestly say that when I watched this video it didn't tug at my heartstrings. It figuratively ripped them to shreds, stomped on them, and then threw them into the abyss of human pain and misery. Please watch this video! For the sake of your children you need to watch this video. I am not playing the emotional card here, I'm simply telling you that this video will change the way you see your children, and hopefully the way you see other children and your call to love, serve, give, and go. I pray that this video will undo you the way it did me. If it does, then don't just weep and say how sad this is. Do something about it! You can connect with the ministry that's serving these kids and help them help others. You can go and serve, and easiest of all, you can pray. Please do as many of those options as you humanly can. Sam and Esther and many others like them are counting on your brokeness to help them live.

We're so, so sorry!

Let me begin by saying, “I'm sorry! On behalf of all Christians everywhere, I'm deeply sorry.” Now in case you’re wondering on whose authority I presume to speak for all Christians, let me unequivocally state, “The Bible.” You see, the Bible teaches that we will be known by our love for all people. It calls us to be beacons of light in a dark world, reminding us that we are the salt of the earth, and that unsavory salt is useless salt. In case you’re wondering what my diatribe is all about this time, I want to draw your attention to a recent news article regarding the slaying of a pro-abortion doctor in Wichita, Kansas.

The news headline reads as follows;

“WICHITA, Kansas – Dr. George Tiller, who remained one of the nation’s few providers of late-term abortions through decades of protests and attacks, was shot and killed Sunday in a church where he was serving as an usher and his wife was in the choir.” (MSNBC.com)

Now I’m fairly confident that there are some Christians who will rejoice at this news and may even make so bold as to claim that his death is God’s judgment for his choices. May I even more confidently state that, that response is the response of unsavory salt. We are called to be bearers of Good News and not judges, executing sentence on people at will. I don’t know if the news headline was written as an incendiary piece to further undermine Christianity, because I can’t in all good conscience see the need to highlight the fact that he was killed in a church where he serves as an usher and his wife sings in the choir. I do however know that killing him serves no useful purpose. We don’t even know if the person who killed him was a member of the church, but the article certainly leaves you thinking that ‘bigoted’ Christians are up to their ‘hatemongering’ again.

At the end of the day, Christians must ensure that we are loving hurting people and serving the broken-hearted, rather than passing judgment and executing sentence on people who believe and live differently than we do. After all, Christ did die for the sinner so that the sinner might live (you and I are beneficiaries of that grace), so what gives us the right to expect that the sinner still needs to die for himself and his sins? Just my two cents.

One Speck of a Shuttle!

Titled “One Speck of a Shuttle” this photo was taken by photographer Thierry Legault. It shows the space shuttle Atlantis in silhouette as it crosses in front of the sun's disk on May 12. The other photo was taken from the space shuttle after undocking from the International Space station. It shows the earth against a backdrop of the utter and severe blackness of space.
As you may well recall, I recently posted a blog titled, "Inatentional Blindness," in which I alluded to the idea that we tend to take for granted things that should ordinarily be spectacular (but have become mundane and ordinary), simply because we’re around them often enough that we become oblivious to them. I wanted to be sure that you didn’t miss out on these spectacular occurrences simply because you’ve ceased to be fascinated by the technological mastery of man encountering the vastness and harshness of outer space.

So, here are some facts for you:

The distance of the sun from the moon is approximately 93 million miles. If that doesn’t fascinate you, let’s try this: The moon is roughly 240,000 miles from the earth, and it makes a complete orbit around the earth every 27.3 days. The moons diameter is approximately 2118 miles, a little more than a quarter of the earth’s diameter. Still not impressed? Okay try this: the International Space Station is approximately 220 miles from the earth at any given time. Now get this, both these photographs were taken from the vicinity of the International Space station against the backdrops of the earth and the sun. Look at the size of the space station relative to the earth at only 220 miles away, and then compare it to the size of the shuttle against the backdrop of the sun at significantly more than 93 million miles away. Do you know that it would take the space shuttle approximately 221.5 days to get to the sun (if it were able to actually get that close) traveling at its top speed of 17,500 miles an hour? If you’re still not fascinated, I give up!

Oh, by the way, I’d like to remind you that this masterpiece of creation was suspended in space by our God, Who, the Bible tells me, holds the waters of the seas in the palm of His hand. Bet you’re fascinated now!!

I Will Make You A Great Nation

I was recently reading an Old Testament Bible story that has spoken volumes to me over the years. It’s the story of Abram and Isaac in Genesis 22: 1-18. In case your recollection is fuzzy, this was before he became the great progenitor, as, at this time his only progeny was Isaac. The primary problem facing him though, was the fact that God had apparently instructed him to kill Isaac, thereby removing the only source of his becoming a great progenitor. This story has always motivated me to ask certain questions about Abrams psyche and emotional struggle as he walked this dark road from which there was seemingly no escape. Here are some of my questions (and by all means please feel free to add some of your own):

• What motivated Abram to action, even to the point of being willing to kill his own son, for whom he had waited so many years?
• What did he say to his son to convince him that it was okay to let his own father kill him with a knife? (Bear in mind the Scriptures tell us he placed Isaac on the altar and lifted the knife ready to kill him. No where does it suggest or state that Isaac resisted or that Abram drugged him so that he was in a coma)
• What made Abram so certain that he had heard God’s voice?The truth is we can only speculate as to the answers to these questions.

What we do know for certain however is where and how it all began. In Genesis 12: 2 God declares to Abram, “I will make you into a great nation.” However Abram chose to interpret the fulfillment of that promise, it was the one thing he held onto in the midst of his greatest crisis. When all else fails, only one thing stands sure in the midst of the uncertainty: His promises. Abram knew that God’s word was surer than money in the bank (or cattle on the range), and he wasn’t about to doubt God’s promise of making him a great nation. Whatever that looked like to Abram at the time of receiving the promise, I’m sure it didn’t entail his son on a sacrificial altar.

But he did it anyway!

When life seems so uncertain, you must simplify and go back to the beginning, so that the pain and anguish don’t speak louder than the promise. Do you really believe that it was easy for Abram to lift a knife against his beloved son? Abram’s obedience was a direct result of his confidence in God’s sovereignty, and so he obeyed God’s instructions even when they didn’t seem to make sense to his natural inclinations. You know the rest of the story: God provided a sacrificial lamb (Lamb) in place of Isaac, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, who became the father of the twelve sons who became the nation of Israel. “I will make you into a great nation,” God had said, and that’s exactly what He did.

For those about to die...

For those about to die... we salute you! For those who have given their lives... we thank you! To the One who gave it all... we worship You!

Michael Vick-torious... or is he?

Why do we do it? Is it because it makes us feel better about ourselves and our own human flaws? Or maybe it’s because we secretly pray for the downfall of those who are doing better than we are… Oops, I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there! I was just having a conversation in my head (don’t worry, there’s just one voice) about Michael Vick and the unrelenting press coverage of every waking moment of his life. Enough already!!! As I was saying, I wonder why we think we have a right to dictate and determine, or even express an opinion about people’s future simply because they live in a glass house. It’s not as if Vick’s life is set up for the sole purpose of providing entertainment for the couch potato who lives vicariously through the professional athlete.

There are polls as to whether or not he should be given a free pass back into the NFL or whether he should serve a suspension for a few games, and then be given a free pass. Who cares? No really, who cares? I sure don’t, and if I’m being honest, I don’t think you should either. I’m just glad those poor dogs found homes were they were more than just the next Neanderthal side-show. It’s really not up to us whether or not Vick plays in the NFL again (nor should it be), and in fact, whether or not he does won’t change the games I watch this season. More so than whether or not he’s reinstated into the NFL is whether Michael Vick, this time around, makes the right choices for his family. He has two little kids that need a father around who will be a great role model and bequeath a good legacy, as opposed to lots of NFL dollars.

Hopefully he’s learned that fair weather friends are just that: fair weather friends! They only stick around when the goings good. Hopefully he’s learned that money doesn’t buy good behavior. Hopefully he’s learned that being a pro-athlete doesn’t entitle you to any more than it does “Joe Bloggs” next door. If Vick can adequately demonstrate that he’s learned these and other valuable lessons about living life with boundaries, then whether he’s immediately reinstated into the NFL or serves an ‘umpteen-game’ suspension, he’ll still be Vick-torious!

And I quote: Words of wisdom from lives well lived!

I’ve been thinking lately about a few random quotes that I’ve either read, heard, or seen in a movie, which really impacted my life in a significant way. Below are a few of them. Can you think of any quotes that made a lasting impression on you?

When you can’t save them all, how do you choose who lives? – The Guardian

…I take the first one I come to, or the weakest one in the group, and then I swim as fast as I can… - The Guardian

He’s the Fisher of men. A last hope for all those who’ve been left behind. He’s the Guardian. – The Guardian

We may not be able to change the world with one act of kindness or generosity, but we can tilt it in the right direction. – Erwin McManus

People don’t argue with love in action. We are accountable to the world for how we portray Christ and consequently what they believe about him. – Ravi Zacharias

Sometimes a man finds his destiny on the road he took to avoid it. - The International

Sometimes the most difficult decision is, knowing which bridge to cross and which one to burn. - The International

Inatentional Blindness... the more you look the less you see!

I’ve talked before about a concept that I refer to as inatentional blindness. This is simply a term describing the idea of a loss of fascination with things that are ordinarily fascinating. This loss of fascination resulting from things becoming so familiar that we cease to notice them is often the bane of humanity. For instance, when’s the last time you were fascinated by the idea of the earth revolving around the sun while rotating on its axis? Exactly! That’s my point. Now consider this: The earth, according to Isaac Asimov’s accepted calculations, revolves around the sun at a speed of 18.5 miles per second which is 66,600 miles per hour, while rotating on its axis doing one full rotation every 24 hours (It’s literally enough to make your head spin). By comparison the fastest jet plane in the world is reportedly the SR-71 Blackbird, which flies at Mach 3.3 (or 3.3 times the speed of sound in air) which is 2,460.64 miles per hour.

In order to fly this supersonic aircraft, you’re required to wear special gear that prevents you from passing out due to the gravitational forces acting on your body (G-forces). You can find information about the SR-71 just about anywhere on the internet, largely because human flight at such supersonic speeds still holds a particular fascination for us. In reality though, it’s a miniscule feat considering we’re all riding on a planet that’s traveling at 66,600mph (and that without specialized suits). Or how about the idea that, as you read this, there are people walking in space orbit at about 380 miles above us, wearing specialized suits that cost millions of dollars, which prevent them from vaporizing in the unforgiving atmosphere of space. In addition, the precision of the mathematical algorithms that are required, to ensure that the astronauts are able to enter back into earth’s orbit at precisely the right angle so as not to bounce off the earth’s atmosphere and be lost in space forever, are mind boggling. But we have become inattentive to this and now take it all for granted. Hardly anyone even pays attention to the fact that we have people walking in space above us working on a telescope that can transmit precise and detailed images of coruscating stars that are millions of miles away.

Is it remotely possible that we might have done the same with God? Is it potentially possible that we have lost our fascination for the amazing act of love demonstrated in Jesus dying on a cross? Could we have begun to take for granted the fact that the One who holds the waters of the sea in the palm of His hands is the same one that calls us His own. Or are we blinded to the fact that the creator of the heavens and the earth (the One responsible for revolutions and rotations and coruscating stars) is actually our Father? If we are, it’s as a result of inatentional blindness. We’ve stopped seeing the wonder of His love and creation and, like we do with the astronauts walking 380 miles above us, we take Him for granted. If, as you read this, you can honestly say that shoe fits you… don’t wear it. Take it off and fall in love all over again with the Lover of your soul. Determine that from today you will give Him your full and undivided attention, so that you can again be fascinated by the wonders of His love and creation.

Boombox Christians in an Ipod age

Every church age has its critics. When the church was birthed on the Day of Pentecost, Peter and the Disciples were accused of being inebriated. The people observing them couldn’t understand the phenomenon of unlearned tongues being spoken by unlearned men. “What is this new doctrine?” the people asked. Through the ages people have always tried to build “sacred cows” and attribute more value to them than the actual message of the Gospel. Consider music as an example. 19th century Christians were convinced that hymns and the pipe organ were what brought down the ‘anointing’ of God. As the century turned people began to introduce guitars, drums, keyboards and other modern instruments into worship. A segment of the church called this heretical and declared that God could not be honored by this wanton display of ‘worldliness.’

The method was assigned as much value as the message and many people were convinced that the Christian subculture needed to stay away from anything that smelled remotely secular in its application. It never occurred to these people that as generations pass, the value of our message is strengthened by the vehicle that’s used to convey it. Relevant is not a four letter word, contrary to the opinion of many of the so called ‘purists.’ Can you imagine applying for a job in today’s world and when asked if you have any computer skills you reply “No, but I’ve got great typewriter skills.” Your typewriter skills are useless in a world that’s run by microchips and ipods. You may indeed have superior knowledge and abilities, but without the relevant vehicle to convey your skills, they are redundant. It's tantamount to being a boombox Christian in an ipod age.

The message of the Cross is timeless. However, we are not! This means that the methods that worked when our fathers were preaching the Gospel are by no means sacrosanct. One of the critical values for a church that’s trying to impact their community is the ability to speak the language of the people they’re trying to reach. Like many others who are questioning the effectiveness of our methods of ‘doing church’ and consequently challenging the status quo, I have faced my own fair share of criticism. I’ve been called seeker-sensitive, emergent, watered-down, and numerous other monikers that were not meant to be complimentary. I choose to interpret them as compliments. Jesus said He came to seek and save those who are lost. I guess that makes Him seeker sensitive and puts me squarely in the midst of phenomenal company.