July 05, 2009
July 03, 2009
Church: Love It; Don't Leave It
Read this today on David Kerr's blog.........states my sentiments exactly.
By the way, this is the very reason we 'planted' Harvest: As a SOLUTION to those no longer interested in 'traditional' church. But make no mistake about it.......Harvest is a CHURCH.
Enjoy your weekend, and, please, .... be in CHURCH this Sunday! :)
PB
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Here's what Bono, Oprah, and the guru speakers on PBS won't tell you: Jesus believed in organized religion and he founded an institution. Of course, Jesus had no patience for religious hacks and self-righteous wannabes, but he was still Jewish. And as Jew, he read the Holy Book, worshiped in the synagogue, and kept Torah. He did not start a movement of latte-drinking disciples who excelled in spiritual conversations. He founded the church (Matt. 16:18) and commissioned the apostles to proclaim the good news that Israel's Messiah had come and the sins of the world could be forgiven through his death on the cross (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 2:14-36).
For almost two millennia, it was axiomatic that Christians, like, actually went to church (or at least told other Christians they did). From Cyprian to Calvin it was believed that for those to whom God "is Father the church may also be Mother." But increasingly Christians are trying to get more spiritual by getting less church.
Take a spin through the religion section at your local bookstore. What you'll find there is revealing - there are "revolutionary" books for stay at home moms, teenagers, and Christian businessmen. There are lots of manifestos. And most of the books about church are about people leaving the church to "find God." There are lots of Kerouacian "journey" stories, and at least one book about the gospel according to Starbucks. It used to be you had to overthrow a country to be considered a revolutionary, and now, it seems, you just have to quit church and go pray in the woods.
We've been in the church our whole lives and are not blind to its failings. Churches can be boring, hypocritical, hurtful, and inept. The church is full of sinners. Which is kind of the point. Christians are worse than you think. Our Savior is better than you imagine.
But the church is not all about oppression and drudgery. Almost every church we know of visits old people, brings meals to new moms, supports disaster relief, and does something for the poor. We love the local church, in spite of its problems, because it's where we go to meet God. It's not a glorified social/country club you attend to be around people who talk and look just you do. It's a place to hear God's word spoken, taught and affirmed. It's a place to sing praises to God, and a place to serve others. It's a place to be challenged.
The church is more than plural for Christian. It is both organism and organization, a living thing comprised of a certain order, regular worship services, with doctrinal standards, institutional norms, and defined rituals. Without the institution of the church nurturing the flock and protecting the faith for two thousand years, there would be no Christianity. If Gen Xers (like us) and their friends want to be against something, start a revolution. If you want to conserve truth and grace for twenty centuries, plant a church.
We love the church because Christ loved the church. She is his bride--a harlot at times, but his bride nonetheless, being washed clean by the word of God (Eph. 5:25-26). If you are into Jesus, don't rail on his bride. Jesus died for the church, so don't be bothered by a little dying to self for the church's sake. If you keep in mind that everyone there is a sinner (including yourself) and that Jesus Christ is the point and not you, your dreams, or your kids, your church experience might not be as lame as you fear.
Perhaps Christians are leaving the church because it isn't tolerant and open-minded. But perhaps the church-leavers have their own intolerance too--intolerant of tradition, intolerant of authority, intolerant of imperfection except their own. Are you open-minded enough to give the church a chance--a chance for the church to be the church, not a coffee shop, not a mall, not a variety show, not Chuck E. Cheese, not a U2 concert, not a nature walk, but a wonderfully ordinary, blood-bought, Spirit-driven church with pastors, sermons, budgets, hymns, bad carpet and worse coffee?
The Church, because it is Christ's church, will outlive American Idol, the NFL, and all of our grandkids. We won't last, but the Church will.
So when it comes to church, be like Jesus: love it, don't leave it. As Saint Calloway once prophesied to the Brothers of Blues, "Jake, you get wise, you get to church."
July 01, 2009
The Colosseum in Rome
Now that things have settled down (a little :) ), I am going to finish out this next few days looking back on Deb's and my 25th Anniversary trip that was now over 2 months ago!!!!
Crazy....but for our own sake, I am determined to post some remembrances here...
The 2 pictures above are from the Colosseum in Rome. No other word can describe it besides "Unforgettable". We took the tour and learned so much that made it so, so worthwhile.
First, the Colosseum was the very first of its design. The world had never seen something of its shape and kind. It actually had a big retractable 'dome' made of fabric that when it was hot would be pulled up by huge pulleys. The sports domes we have today ALL utilize the same basic design.
Just imagine the SMELL with over 70,000 sweaty Romans, no AC, cooped up under a steaming, non circulating dome..!!
ewwww....!!
Over 700,000 people lost their lives in the Colosseum. The gladiators were only part of it. The first picture you see above shows the intricate system that was UNDER the actual floor. All the corridors were filled with various kinds of animals that would pop up to fight each other or the gladiators, or the Christians or slaves, at times. They would also fill the floor with water and stage famous naval battles.
Amazing!
The Romans were not that different than us. They worked, ate, then went out to be entertained. The Colosseum was the main place to go. And it was FREE, paid for by the spoils of war as the Romans conquered various nations.
By AD 375 or so, Rome began to cave in on itself morally. Finally, the Goths took over and conquered them. The city was surrounded and the water supply cut off. Disease ravaged Rome, taking it from almost a million people to less than 20,000. The Colosseum was turned into a huge 'tent city' of sorts where the poor were moved to.
Over the centuries, the Catholic Church took all the marble seating and pillars to use for their new Cathedrals. What remains is but a shell. But if you look closely on the 2nd picture, you can see a white cross. The cross was put at the exact place the Emperor would sit to give a thumbs down or up to indicate a wounded victims fate.
Ironic.
More to come from Rome tomorrow...!
PB
June 30, 2009
Ask....And Keep On Asking
After church on Sunday, Deb left to go to Lafayette to be with her sis on her birthday. I, in turn, was honored to be a part of Bryan and Brooke's wedding ceremony.
I left the reception around 8 or so, got in the car, and promptly noticed I had a number of calls from my honey. She had left a message around 6 that her car had broken down in Hammond.....
"PLEASE CALL!!!'
By the time I called, the wrecker had already come and brought it to a local shop there. The next morning, after finding out that the transmission was completely shot, I called the Acura dealership in Ft. Walton. The transmission was replaced at 82,000 and it is only at 128,00. These things are not something you associate with the name 'Acura'.
Long story short, the service manager stated the following: "Let me be honest with you Mr. Lepinay.....8 months ago we would have replaced it, no questions asked. But with the economy, Honda and Acura have stopped giving handouts and we can't cover it."
??????
There was no way I was going to settle for that one. I asked his name and asked for the national number to call for who was higher on the food chain. I spent the next few hours stating my case. Finally, I was told to just get it towed to Baton Rouge, the nearest Acura dealership so they could look at it.
Well, this morning, after getting it there, the Service Manger in Baton Rouge called me. I explained the situation and that the treatment I felt I was getting was not what I expected of the Acura brand. He agreed and said he would see what he could get from National.
Well, at 5:30 this afternoon I got the call. They will cover 75% of the cost of the job, and warranty it for 36,000 miles, rather than the usual 12,000! It's still a chunk of change, but no where near what I was originally facing if I had just taken the first guys answer.
So, Deb is getting a 4 day longer stay with her family and I am playing Mr. Mom! I know "ask and keep on asking" is directed to the Father, but I sure am glad I didnt stop asking on this one. It took about 3 hours on the phone, but those 3 hours are now worth about $800 an hour ($3200 for the whole job)!
To persistance...
PB
June 29, 2009
Michael Jackson
This past weekend, the world marked the passing of Michael Jackson. Without question, MJ was THE single biggest 'icon' of my generation. His death can't help but to be felt, even as weird as he got toward the end.
It really is strange that I feel impacted. The only thing I can reason is that with his passing, it makes my own mortality that much more real. His music in may ways served as 'mile-markers' for my generation.
I can remember like yesterday the 1st time I heard and saw him. I was 10 years old, watching Dick Clark on Saturday after cartoons. The Jackson 5 came out and sang "ABC".
I couldnt get it out of my head. Whatever 'it' is, Michael Jackson had 'it'.
In those early years, they rolled out a number of hits. I remember so well going on a 4th grade field trip and listening to "Rockin Robin"....tweet tweet...:) It really is funny how songs indelibly mark an exact time and event in your life.
I got into high school and "Ben" was the rage. It was a song MJ wrote for a movie about a mouse. It was huge though. Then, his breakout album came out, "Off the Wall", in my Junior year. EVERYONE had to have that album!
Michael was only 21 when Off The Wall came out, but from there, you never heard of the Jackson 5 anymore. Michael Jackson was in a league of his own. Every school dance had to have "I Want To Rock With You", as well as "Dont Stop". It was like some unwritten code.
I got saved in late 1981 and totally lost track of MJ for a few years, as I really embraced "the world behind me, the cross before me". But I will never forget walking through a Bradenton, FL mall in 1985: Posters for "Thriller" were, again, EVERYWHERE.
I remember telling Debbie (we had just gotten married) how much different he looked than before. Boy, if I had only known how much MORE different he would look in years to come!
But you could not escape "Thriller-Mania".......the world was overtaken by the biggest cultural idol it had ever seen, bigger than even Elvis! Seriously, unless you lived it, you really can't imagine just how HUGE this guy was in the mid 80s.
In the mid to late 80's, I was busy pastoring and raising babies, so I didnt keep up with popular music. But again, Michael Jackson had a way of always touching your life somehow. In 1992, I took the family to Disney. The big 'thing' they were promoting...?
...Captain EO, ....aka, ...Michael Jackson in 3D!
I know this is waxing long, but I felt I needed to write to mark a milestone in my life. With Michael's passing, in a wierd way, a part of me feels deeply sad.
Its like the 'official' end of youth, maybe..???
I find myself watching the endless replays of his videos much like I watched the endless replays of the Twin Towers falling. You know what is going to happen as you've seen it a hundred times, but still, you feel compelled to watch again.
It's like some kind of catharsis.
Michael Jackson's life really is a tragedy. Abused. Deformed.
Lost.
You hurt for him in so many ways.
I had heard a rumor that Andre Crouch, the pioneer of the modern Gospel music movement, spent some time with him a few weeks before his death. I went to his Facebook account. This is what is on there, written by Andrea's account administrator:
Andrae' Crouch ...Michael wanted to see Andre and called him to come over, as he had questions. So Andrae and Sandra (his wife) explained to Michael about the "anointing" and about Jesus. Michael wanted to know what makes your hands go up, and what makes you “come out of yourself”, and what gives a "spirituality" to the music? He then requested to hear his favorite song that he loves, and wanted them to sing to him, so they sang that song to him, and joined hands and sang together. Michael said, “That's beautiful”...
Who knows but God what transpired in Michael Jackson's heart in those few weeks after? The thought of seeing someone so deformed by sin and pain transformed by resurrection life.......???.......
Wow....that would be amazing and WONDERFUL, as it is every time I see broken humanity restored by grace. I sure hope so.
OK, I have written what I had to say. Regardless of where Michael is now, one thing is certain and I never want to forget:
"Tis just one life,
Shall soon be passed,
Only what's done for Christ
will last"
Grace,
PB
June 26, 2009
25 Things I Hate About Facebook
Its Friday.....! I usually don't post on Friday, but decided to have a little fun with it.:)
Some of the things here, I have to disagree with, namely, OLD guys being on Facebook. But it is what it is, I suppose, so here goes.....
PB
June 24, 2009
Personal Fast Retreat
I am going to try to get away for a mini retreat for a few days, so will not be posting the rest of this week. Since my dad died, I have had NO time to really process it (grieve) so for the next 2 days, I will just be journaling, reflecting, praying.
On that, I want to ask you guys to please continue to bring McKenzie Ongalo to the Throne of Grace. My experience is that when something like this happens, and the person is miraculously spared, everyone kind of lets their hands down and stops praying.
Please, DO NOT STOP!! Her body was exposed to 130 mph impact force and until she if FULLY out of the woods, we need to pray. Just bring her before the Throne of Grace, pray for full healing, intercede in the Spirit.
Love you guys and looking forward to seeing you Sunday!!
PB
