cutting edge?

i've decided something:
growing up in a fairly conservative church proud of our commitment to doctrin and the teaching of the Word of God was not a bad thing.

right now there's a lot of concern that we as a church make sure we're relevant and speaking the language of the culture and stay cutting edge...which i think is extremely important. how is our fluctuating, experimental culture that is heavily impacted by post-modernistic philosophy going to understand the words coming out of our mouths and the actions pouring out of our hearts if we can't speak a language they know?

but ya know...sometimes i just miss being able to talk about the firm foundation i'm standing on.

maybe it's just me.
maybe i've just gotten so caught up in "reading" and "learning" the culture and trying to speak their language, that i've neglected to pour myself into the "reading" and "learning" of the precious, rock-hard truth of the Word of God.
it's not that i don't believe it. i've tasted....i know it's good...no, it's AMAZING!
so why have i spent so much time lately thinking about philosophies and worldviews and cultures and strategies for reaching those cultures (and aren't those good things to be studying?) to the neglect of digging and mining for the gold and jewels in God's Holy Word?

so much emphasis is placed on relationships now. build into people's lives. don't just go out on a sidewalk and preach fire and brimstone through your bullhorn...you have to love and live life with people. so is solid teaching of the Word of God irrelevant now? is it really just about loving people and listening to them and learning their language and living in community with them?

or is theology cutting edge?

what if i learned to really listen to people, and love them unconditionally, and lived with them in community...and then had something solid to tell them.

do you think that community could then be inflamed with passion to know the Words of God? to dig deep. to mine the precious gems. to see the Truth as a treasure. not just the scholars sitting in white towers surrounded by ancient texts...not just the pastor who brings me my spiritual shot of encouragement and enthusiasm for practical living. we're talking a raging hunger for more! to know the Truth. to know the One and Only. a community on a quest. growing in their worship of the Holy One in truth.

i think i might pick up my worldview, philosophy and strategy books AFTER i've gone under the knife of the cutting-edge sword of the Word of God (Heb. 4:12).

one

i hate numbers.

i usually hate anything that has to do with numbers. remember those TI-83 graphing calculators? i hated those things. basically because i didn't know how to use them. i was lucky if i could figure out how to use my pocket-sized, solar-powered calculator (the one with the least amount of buttons possible...i still don't know what those 'M-/M+' buttons do...)
i was the student you'd find still stuck on number 8 with 12 questions to go on the algebra test when the bell rang. and then all those smart guys (who had turned in their test after 15 minutes) would see you in the hall later and shove their TI-83 in your face because they couldn't wait to show you the new program they wrote that helped them solve all the problems on the test in record time. and all i could do was give 'em a thumbs-up on the way to tutoring.

i'm not bitter.
i just hate numbers.

except one...

ONE....or just "1"

maybe because it's so simple. i can count to ONE. i can understand ONE. ONE is beautiful. and yet ONE takes a lot of work.

check this out: "there is ONE body and ONE Spirit, just as also you were called in ONE hope of your calling; ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism, ONE God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all" (eph. 4:4-6 nasb).

we have ONE God. that means ONE who has the throne of my heart. yet the fight is there...always fighting ONE...a sin-cursed nature clawing and scratching to take the place of the ONE. that fight is alive and furious in your heart right now as well.
stop hiding it. admit it. you need help.

that is what's so amazing about our ONE God, we are His body. ONE body. ONE body that He bled and died for. ONE body of worshipers who have been set free, who love to give the Holy ONE all the glory.

so why is ONE so hard? why do we fight ONE? we were not created to be alONE but ONE body. you know, sometimes you can't make it on your own.
there are so many theological and philosophical battles being fought over the understanding of the "universal church" and the breakdown of denominations and what not...(a huge discussion that i have no intention of engaging in). but what about starting with our immediate relationships with His body? what a blessing to be a part of ONE body! why would you ever even try to make it all alone?

it's hard to put all of my thoughts down on this subject. i feel like i could write a book about it.
but all of this stems out of watching people close to me fall with noONE there to help them up. (ecc. 4:9-12)

i just wanna cry out to you...if you're out there trying to make it all alONE. STOP!!! run back to The ONE. you are part of His body. and there is ONE body who is there for you. and...that ONE body needs you!

as Christ prayed, "i do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be ONE"

how to start...

ok, so here's the deal, i have the most incredible wife EVER! and she always kindly listens as i rant and rave about my newest intellectual, philosophical, theological, practical, or otherwise completely random exploits. only on a needed occasion will she mercifully silence me as i launch into "what i've been thinking a lot about lately" (which really means, "i just started thinking about it and i like listening to myself talk...").
although i'm not a fan of labels, stereotypes, and categorizing...i could easily be classified as a classic verbal processor.

so...

i was looking on another pastor's blog site and had the revelation that i should have one of these. ok, so it may have started as a hidden desire to try to be all meditative and reflective and intellectual. but honestly, this could be the perfect way to help my wife out. i'm sure she really loves to listen to me talk about everything i get excited about...but there are somedays i'm sure she'd be grateful for a cyber-cave for my own thoughts to echo around in.

i mean, who knows if someone will actually read this. and assuming you are right now, i just wanna let you know... i'm hoping to be able to just put things down God's showing me, wrestle with my thoughts, and just engage in a discussion (whether someone joins me or not).

but hey, maybe you'll learn something along the way. or something may just make you laugh...or think...or even revolutionize your life. i hope so.

but hey, i gotta go play a game of euchre.

only the best game on the planet.