"Original Idea"

We're gonna be "busting" some myths about the Bible this week. The scary thing is that I'm gonna be using a metaphor for scripture that I have never heard anyone use before... I don't make a practice of repeating what other preachers/writers say...but this is an idea that came to me that is really "out there". An idea that I have been rolling around in my head for some time. Something that seems to make "too much sense". We'll see.

I'm glad you all can txt in during the service...instead of just asking for questions and comments I'm gonna ask people to tell me "what's wrong with this analogy?". I'm really not sure some days if I have had an "original idea" or if all the paint fumes are starting (!?) to get to me :-)

"Special Music"

I almost forgot to post this with all the "moving" stuff after Sunday. For those of you who didn't grow up in churches that had "special music" like this...enjoy. For those of you who did...this may cause nightmares. I especially love at the end where the person behind the camera seems to lose consciousness...

As I said Sunday: "Everyone is important- No one is (talented and gifted) the same."

God's Pottery on Last Comic Standing...

I saw these dudes (link to God's Pottery website) on Last Comic Standing last night. I laughed, I cried...I think I threw up in my mouth a little bit. They have captured everything "cheezy", "too nice", "preachy", and just over-the-top-annoying about "Christians" and turned it into a comedy act. Their "act" is funny,and "true"...but sad when you think about the "caricature" that Christians have become in our society...yikes.

Dan in Real Life Clip...

Here's a "bonus clip" from Dan in Real Life. Unfortunately the Ruthie "pigface" Draper song won't be one of the clips used Sunday...so here it is for your listening (and singing) pleasure. I am really looking forward to Sunday. I love this movie and I feel like there are great biblical truths in it that will help all of us in our relationships. I'm definitely looking forward to preaching week 2 of "actionchurch-at the movies".

Happy Birthday Reagan!

I can't believe my little princess is turning five today. Being Reagan's "Daddy" is truly the best thing that has ever happened to me. Happy Birthday birdie...

Reagan loves to Dance and Sing at actionkidz...apparently she is doing the "Elaine Dance" in this photo...(see below) She definitely got her beauty from her mommy and her "dancing ability" from me!

Sunday Recap- Summer at the Shore (pt.1)

We kicked off the Summer at the Shore Series today. I talked about Jesus calling the first disciples to "come fish for people"...played a clip from "Deadliest Catch" where the crab fishermen stopped crabbing to rescue a crewman from another boat that had fallen overboard...I couldn't have possibly "explained" Jesus offer better than the clip did.
Here's the highlights

• Jerry and the "AC All-Stars" on Stage. More of an accoustic vibe today but wow did they bring it. Lynn Royer Closed the service out with "Anyway" (Martina McBride) It was amazing...It was difficult to speak after she finished.
• Really a downer to say Goodbye to John and Yvonne today... they have been with us from the beginning and are moving back to England...We will miss them so much.
• I wish I had more "answers" for some of the stuff going on with some of our actionchurch "peeps" right now...I feel so helpless sometimes when all I can say is "I don't understand either"...I want so much for God to "show up" in these situations...
• I'm also praying for all the people struggling right now about whether to chose respond to Jesus' call to "Follow Me"...I love the fact that people are honestly struggling and questioning spiritually... I know that "If you seek, you will find"...
• It was nice to have Bill Galinato and his Evangelism Sunday School Class drop by for a "field trip" form Church of the Open Door...I like Bill a lot, he is definitely a dude that "Gets it" when it comes to "fishing for people"...
• Good crowd today...offering was low. It honestly doesn't surprise me a bit...whenever we are getting ready to bless others as a church (Relay) we are tested financially. We are going to chose to be generous and God will provide. That's just how we roll.
• I was envying the people setting out on the Deck today. How cool is it that we have a facility where you can actually be outside and still be able to hear and see the service...I love it!
• I'm pumped that every week new people chose to give actionchurch a test drive...
• A very "different" Sunday morning at actionchurch...but that is why I love doing this so much...you just never know what God is going to chose to do on any given Sunday.

Here's a little Bonus footage of something "at the shore" that didn't make the final cut for video this morning...but it makes me laugh...

Sunday Recap: "The Game of Life pt 4"

Today was the final week of the "Game of Life" series. I think this series kind of broke new ground for us as a church... I think we are just starting to "zero in" on what we can do as a team with visuals,video, etc to communicate truth. I used "Pong" as a metephor for relationships. It looks so simple...is deceptively difficult...we volley back and forth until someone "drops the ball"...we keep "score" by seeing who "drops the ball" the least...eventually someone "loses" and someone "wins" and we go looking for someone else to "play". I shared from Mathew 18:21-35 that we must choose between "justice" and "mercy" when it comes to our relationships with God and others...we can't have it both ways.

The highlights:

• The Recovery on stage today...what a great band. We haven't seen them since Easter and they did not disappoint! Set list today "Whatever it Takes" from Lifehouse and some really top notch originals "Shadows" "Final Remedy" and "Disease". I am definitely looking forward to having them in the line up this summer.
• I had no idea if "anyone" would be there on our first Memorial day weekend...lots of people out but thanks to The Recovery being a draw, we had a really great crow today.
• It was awesome to see so may actionchurch T-shirts in the crowd today...very cool that so many people not only bought T's (proceeds go to Relay for life)...but put them on.
• Speaking of T-shirts...Only a few weeks 'til relay (June 13th-14th) I can't wait to see the crowd filled with actionchurch T's...I'm really starting to get excited.
• Our crew rocks...less people in set up and tear down due to the holiday thing...everything still went really smoothly.
• What a week of dealing with "relationships" I am so thankful that our team puts up with me...I definitely need "mercy"...It seems like everything I have touched this week has ended up messed up.
• I'm excited about the opportunities we are getting to spread the word about Sunday mornings...We have about zero advertising budget but people keep coming up with creative ways to let people know "where the action is..." I love all the requests for logos, decals etc. It's very cool to see that people want to display them on everything from guitar amps to race cars!
• LOTS of kidz upstairs in actionkidz...Chrissy, Jeff, and crew had their hands full.
• I'm looking forward to this summer at actionchurch.

Here's a little "bonus footage" from the Seinfeld "Frogger" episode that we showed today. This clip says it all...

Have a great Memorial Day... be sure to thank a veteran!

Money matters...

I'm going to be kicking off the "Game of Life" series on Sunday talking about what Jesus taught about dealing with finances. Think money doesn't "matter"? Check out this clip (link for email subscribers) ...sometimes even five dollars can completely change a situation...

Oooh sorry, I didn't say five dollars would change the situation for the "better"... enjoy!

Sunday morning at Fat Daddy's....

Here's four minutes of what church is like on Sunday mornings at Fat Daddys. Sorry the audio is so bad but it was recorded on my Flip video about 3 inches from the speakers. Link for email subscribers.

Amen...

I don't believe it's possible for a song with a "message" to become popular and move up the charts unless it echoes the feelings and thoughts of a very large group of people... I think Kid Rock's "Amen" is the anthem of the large segment of America disenfranchised and disillusioned with religion, government, and society...but still hopefully looking for a Savior. When I first heard this on 105.7 the X (where we will advertise our launch) it literally stopped me in my tracks. I have never been more certain of anything than that God is creating actionchurch to be a place to welcome the group of "searchers" that can relate to this song... Although I may have reached some different "conclusions" than those found in this song...I have certainly asked the same questions. Amen, Kid Rock, Amen.

Disclaimer: Do not watch the video if you are easily offended by language, white rappers turned rockers, fur coats, or a gratuitous display of Pontiacs.

(link) for email subscribers.

Happy Festivus

I couldn't let the holiday go past without posting my favorite episode of Seinfeld (link for email subscribers.) What really makes me laugh is that people now actually celebrate this made up holiday... Festivus for the rest of us!

Another news story on Forefront Church

Here's another news clip about Forefront Church. (link for email subscribers) I have been following their new campus in White Horse Pub for a while and I just love their heart to reach "people who don't like church". The cool thing about this clip is that the reporter seems to "get it". Thanks Jason for the link.

Veterans Day (If you're reading this)

If you're reading this... thank someone who served, or hug a family member of someone who is giving(or has given) their life to serve us all. (link for email subscribers)

What's your policy?

Michele and I have always loved this commercial (link for email subscribers) and they actually showed it a couple of weeks ago at church. Liberty Mutual uses the commercial to show "responsibility"...I think it is a great picture of what the Kingdom that Jesus preached about should look like. We should know people who follow Jesus because they are a little kinder, a little more generous, a little more loving and accepting, quicker to forgive, easier to work with, etc. Every time someone becomes a follower of Jesus the world should be a little better place. Christians should be known for setting off "chain reactions" of goodness instead of by what book they read or the meeting they go to on Sunday morning. That's my dream for my life. That's my dream for actionchurch. What's your "policy"?

43"Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you (pharisees)and given to a people who will produce its fruit. Matthew 21:43 Niv

All the right answers-to all the wrong questions.

What's the use of having all the "answers" if no one cares about the questions?..(email subscribers-link for video) I think the reason why we as Christians often seem so "out of touch" is because we haven't "listened" to our community enough to know what their "questions" are... We are saying "Hey wanna know more about the book of Galatians?" when our community wants to know how to deal with money. We are saying, "Hey we've got all the answers about the Hebrew "circumcision" sect in the first century church"-when our community would like to know how to deal with the relationships in their life. We're saying "Hey, we know what will happen when you die"- when in a country with an average lifespan of over nearly eighty years, most people think they can "wait"to deal with eternity.

Are the book of Galatians, circumcision, and heaven "unimportant" issues for the church? Nope, even the principals that related to the circumcision argument in the early church can be valuable if used to answer a "question" that our community has today. Maybe instead of teaching "about" the Apostle Paul, we should actually follow his example and teach "like" Paul. When teaching a community that worshiped natural "gods" like the sun and moon Paul would say that he had "news" from the God that brought the Rain and Sun for their crops. When talking to a hyper religious community that even had shrines to the "unknown god" Paul would say he represented that "unknown God"... He always framed his "answer" in relation to a "question" that his listeners had. I think we should too...otherwise we come off like Dwight on The Office who once asked Jim "Do you know what the best kind of Bear is?" He actually had an answer...I just can't remember it...because it didn't "matter" to me....

Sacred or Secular?

It's getting really exciting around here because we are now in the planning and preparation phase for our first public church services at Fat Daddy's. One response that I've noticed as I have been talking to different people about what will actually take place at an actionchurch service is: "You can do that in church???" From using songs you would hear on the radio, to using images and clips from television shows and movies in sermons as illustrations...we are going to break a lot of "church rules".

So why break the "rules"? Is nothing sacred? One person even told me that they listened to the kind of music we would be playing...and watched the movies we would be referencing...they just didn't think they should "be in church". Huh??? That's actually a really good example of why I believe we should break the line down between "sacred" and "secular". It's become accepted that there are "church songs" and "everyday songs", "church jokes" and "everyday jokes", "church clothes" and "everyday clothes", "church friends" and "everyday friends, "church language" and the way we actually talk the rest of the time...I could go on and on. Is that what God really intended? Are we supposed to set aside pulpits, pews, and cheap stackable chairs as "sacred" and then go home to our "secular" recliners and sectionals? Are we supposed to "set aside" a book of songs written in the 17th century or seven songs by Matt Redmond and Chris Tomlin and drive home to our ipods filled with great "secular" music? Is that really pleasing to God?

I believe we should put aside the ideas of "sacred" and "secular" and integrate God into every facet of our lives. I believe our tivo's, ipods, and lives and general should be filled with things that point us in a positive way toward the life that God has for us...no matter who wrote the material...

Want an example? Listen to this song. It's one we will be using on Sunday Mornings. Forget about whether Chris Daughtry is "sacred" or "secular", just take some time and listen to the words.(link for email subscribers)

Can you think of a better way to "portray" having a new life by following Jesus?...I can't. Will you ever "hear" the song on the radio in the same way again? That's the value of integrating God into our lives (or is it integrating our lives into God?), instead of trying to "imprison" our creator in the tiny box of the "sacred".

Big Mac-vs-Ten Commandments

I just read a news story lamenting the fact that more Americans were familiar with the ingredients of a Big Mac than with the Ten Commandments. (link) ....That actually doesn't surprise me... I just think it proves that 30 years of creative marketing and one annoyingly catchy tune can be more effective than 30 years of "sermons" and "Sunday School".... It's not just what we say-it's what they remember. ( Big Mac Commercial 1975-link)

Bringin' serving back

Since we've been having such a good time serving Dunkin Donuts Coffee at the York Fair, I thought I'd post a little "music to serve by"(link) from the guys at Community Christian Church. Be careful, you'll find yourself singing "please have some cocoa from my beverage pack" all day long!

Don't be an idiot...

Sometimes the simplest advice is the best advice. Wow, I wish I would have heard this "wisdom" earlier in life...like before I got that mullet hair cut...I could go on...and on.

How can I help?

Have you ever been "put" in a situation where you are the only person available to help someone but you felt unprepared? Sometimes you just have to send up a quick prayer, use what you already "know" and get a little creative... Mr. Bean shows us what not to do.

If you don't share my "sick" affection for all things Mr. Bean, skip the video and read this. (link)