Thoughts from the verge....

So I've had a few days to ponder anew, what the verge conference can do.. or has done in my head and heart. I haven't had much time to process, but here are a few things I'm chewing on:

• The 'church' is a collection of Christ-followers who gather on a regular basis to worship, pray, take communion, baptize new (and I emphasize NEW) believers & learn the scriptures... not a building.. so I'm not sure we should even have our own buildings.. it confuses Christ followers. They forget they are the 'church'.
  

• I'm moving to Haiti. Well not really, but the focus on the poor, the orphans, widows and the least of these was moving and convicting. But you don't need to go to Haiti to love and serve these folks. The Western 'church' must do more. I must do more.
  

• The 'church' spends too much time on focusing on Christians. By all means Yes for Sunday worship, teaching and communion. Yes to a small group or accountability. But that's it. You got the Holy Spirit. You got a Bible. Come on- self sustaining faith on 3!! The 'church' should then go out and redeem the culture. Sunday 9am-11am- focus on believers. The rest of the time we are sent out to serve, love, and share Jesus with the world.
  

• The definition of discipleship is not what you think. Over and over the speakers talked about discipleship in the context of people that don't know Jesus. Evangelism. I really thought they were speaking on the wrong topic. Nope. Just seems I had the wrong definition. Life on Life, investing your life and the gospel in someone... that doesn't know Jesus, that's discipleship!

• Missional means many things to many people.. same with missional communties...and this has led to a simple thought becoming a jumbled, mangled, mess that people think is to hard to accomplish. I mean what do you love to do? Find people who don't know Jesus that love to do it too. Hang out! Be intentional! Too complicated? Love God. Love your neighbor (or classmate, roommate, hall mate, workmate, family, friends, etc etc).
  

• Speakers like to wear black.

• Frances Chan is a great communicator. I hope he can move his 'church' missional. I really do.

• Ed Stetzer said it best. "The 'church' has made it acceptable to sit in the pews week and after week and do nothing, and call yourself a Christian." The American or western 'church' has said it's been born again, and knows the Living God, but lives pretty joyless, spiritless life.. Who wants that?
  

• Frances's, can I call him Frances? He said that when he tells his daughter to clean her room, she doesn't go pray about it. She doesn't go get some friends and do a study on it. She doesn't go memorize what he said. She goes and cleans her room! But when Jesus says do something, or don't do something, what does the 'church' do? Convicting as all get out...

• The 'church' should be the most generous folks in the world...and we should laugh the loudest & cry the hardest.

• Spiritual disciplines are needed yes, but can we rename them, or preach a lot of gospel around them? I mean whats cool about spiritual disciplines? That's gonna make someone want to give their life to Jesus? We can't reduce the faith to them.

• You shouldn't have to say missional disciples. Disciples should be missional. A Christ- follower is a missionary. We shouldn't have to beg Christ- followers to be missional.
  

• The biting sarcasm of Jesus is awesome. I knew he was from the Northeast! :)

• Are we for people or against them? Do we point out God's work in them? Can we find a little bit of truth & then just listen.. really listen?? I can list the people the 'church' is not for.. and so can the world.. sad :(

• Ordinary life + gospel intentionality = hanging out with less church people and instead focusing on folks that don't know Him yet

More to come.. A lot more is stirring in my head and heart.. How bout yours? What's going on in your head and heart?

2009 : books i read this year

I am a seasonal reader; which means some seasons I read a ton and in others not so much. But here's a blurb about books I've read this year. We should always be learning and listening to other voices. I recommend reading many different authors :). And if folks tell you not to read a certain author.. I'd go ahead and read them and let the holy spirit guide you. The ** are ones I really enjoyed.

*Hudson Taylors Spiritual Secret: classic on going all in - exegeting your culture- missional living

Missional Church- Guder: Theory that inviting folks to join our christian community first will lead to life transformation 2nd

*Heart of a Servant Leader- Jack Miller: Pastoral letters to missionaries around the world- drips of gospel sonship

*Vintage Jesus- Driscoll: Sarcastic and revealing look at who Jesus really was.. and is

Vintage Church- Driscoll: Sarcastic and revealing look at who the church should be

*The Yankee Years-Joe Torre: Guide to dealing with stress and finding your leadership style

*Reaching the Campus Tribes- Hines: Why we need to blow up most college ministry methodology and start over on our unique campuses

**The Unlikely Disciple- Roose: Non- christian college student transfers from Brown to Liberty for a semester and lives to tell the tale

Idols of the Heart- Fitzpatrick: What happens when you don't believe the gospel

Serving as a church greeter- Parrott/ Fusion- Searcy: Loving people well the moment they walk through the door of your church

*I once was lost- Everts: fascinating look at the '5 thresholds' folks must walk through in coming to faith- it's my story too.

Compelled by love- Stetzer: What should motivate you to live missionally

*Practicing Greatness- McNeal: How to lead well

Off Road Disciplines- Creps: The title got me.. I admit.. but reminders of the disciplines that will keep you walking with Him

Rejesus- Frost: How we should be mini Jesus's to the world

The Blueprint- Ma: Helping college students to see themselves as missionaries on the campus

Sticky church- Osborne: How to get folks to stick to your church.. the right folks

On the NT, OT, Church Leadership, God- Driscoll: Attempt at being brief and sarcastic while sharing deep truths

**Ordering Your Private World- Macdonald: I read it every year..

*The Shack- Young: I should have read it years ago.. don't think too deeply, just enjoy the story.. it's fiction remember?? :)

*Going Rogue: Sarah Palin Bio- She got screwed by the man.. beware she knows how to handle a gun.. and wild caribou

Irresistible Revolution- Claiborne: Christian Pacifist calls for a new way of living.. in Philly

What should I read next year??? :) Holy spirit on 3!