Somebody get Pfaff a cup of good coffee! Don't worry, the past is past and I have love for ALL of you. Something in that Bible about loving your neighbor (even if they block you in your driveway), loving your enemy (that person that cuts you off in traffic, or says something mean at the store), and loving your family (yes, ALL of your family), and the stranger (becuase you could be in the presence of angels unaware). Funny how the Scripture works, yes? I accept the mistakes I've made. I try and forgive and give that same grace to others. So, let's move on as that sounds like the right thing to do, and look to Barna's book and the idea that we can learn from one another.

I would put this in a comment to Pfaff's post, but I felt to share it a bit more. Me and Pfaff got in a discussion about Barna. And I admit, I was more critical of Revolution than I should have been. The context in which I was given the book made me more biased to its content. And that was kind of the point of the book, as I now see. OUR CONTEXT IS CHANGING in regards to church. Context is increasingly the driving force behind our reactions to what we intake, whether spiritually, emotionally, etc. The church's old context that is rigid and stuck is not working for much of the world, because it does not reflect their spiritual/emotional experience. And in that, I think Barna is dead on.

So, the question is this: what am I doing to align the context of my life with that of the kingdom of God?

If we begin to do that each day, I think we will find that the world around us is full of a little more hope and opportunity. So yes, George Barna, I want to be apart of the revolution of Jesus - in every way.

read the book. have a conversation like we did. open your world.
~Liles

P.S. - did you notice that he defended my age? HA!

mr. barna, you were right

i have to say george barna's book 'revolution' has been influential these past months. (i know liles is a bit skeptical, but it really helped me.) i knew he was right when he said to be prepared for criticism and even persecution by people who just can't understand... i just didn't really think it would come so fast or from where it did. no, i guess i figured on some from that place but not to such an extent. i didn't expect the personal attack on my closest friend. (even if he is a left wing wacko) why is it that people can't come to grips with the fact that everyone is not like them? why are differences so feared? and what's so strange/bad about an unmarried 28 year old who likes to dress and eat well? that's the norm these days you know. people are spending more time finding their place in this f-ed up world and figuring out what their career path etc will be. it's a rare case to find someone like me who maried his high school sweet-heart at 20. that's sooo 1970's. (and btw, not the soundest economical approach either) and who's business is it anyway? if a person chooses to live to a ripe old age w/o ever tying the knot isn't that up to them? (i'm not saying you will bro.) and why is that somehow suspicious? didn't paul go unmarried? didn't he say he wished everyone would be like him so that they could focus on the business of spreading the Gospel instead of personal commitments? (he did for those of you in rio linda) i'm pissed at the person for even thinking to say the things he said, but i'm also pissed at myself for gracing such ignorance with a response. i should have just ended the conversation then and there and i didn't. i'm sorry bro. it just caught me so off guard.

to those of you around me at the moment let me pre-apologize for any rudeness that might come out of me... i'm in a foul mood for a host of reasons the above is high on the list.

Updates and musings

Well, the weekend was a full one and I thought I'd do a little info sharing. Basic stuff.

For anyone associated with Calvary Church, this Sunday might be my last Sunday to guest speak in the Life Applications class @ 9:30. If you are in Ft. Worth, I'd love to see you all for one last class together.

***
On Saturday March 31st, I will be speaking at the morning sessions of the Praisefest Conference @ TCU.

Specifically, the conference portion at University Christian Church on...University Dr, of course. I'm one of several local ministers that will be speaking about Worship. It's an awesome small format local conference, and I hope to stir up some dialogue. Even that early in the morning - I'll get the start time posted. I believe it is a mere $7? And I think they hook you up on lunch. And the Praisefest concert is at 6pm on the lawn facing Univeristy and is free. So, any and all should come out and get involved.

If you want more info, just let me know.

***
Pfaff is off to begin exploring life in "the local church"...that's the best way to describe it? He & his clan of wife and son are going to be spending some time enriching themselves in new worship experiences other than what they have know up until this point. I am excited for him to share new thoughts about being in new environments here at the revolutioncollective blog.

***
As June approaches, I will be sharing some of the study material we will be using throughout the summer, and I would love for relevant discussion to break out here on the blog. Yes, I do feel it necessary to moderate comments...the internet is such that we don't want spam ads posted to the comment section, etc.

***
Finally, I like the idea of speaking at more at conferences, symposiums, etc. I hope God allows me to do more of that in the future. It's always humbling to speak about the thing that is your passion. Maybe, I'll get to the point that I might have time for the book idea I want to write.

next time we'll try to get back to deep thoughts (heh)

~Liles

St. Patrick's Day

A fun post today. Read up on St. Patrick's Day by copying and pasting the sites below. Dispell some myths, wow your friends with your history knowledge, and celebrate with us Irish folks who love this little holiday.

The point? Spend time with people you love, and have some laughs and a good time.

If Christians refuse to "party well" then the world gets to take all the credit for celebrations. And that would be a shame. Our celebrations should be full of love and joy and kick the heck out of the rest of culture's parties. Reclaim it all. That's what Jesus wanted, right?

Cheers & Slainte


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Patrick%27s_Day

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick

What's you GUI look like?

I recently watched the film "Stranger than Fiction" starring Will Ferell and a supporting cast of great actors. And I was struck by a portion of the film that really has something to say about culture and the church. Without giving too much away, Will's character is represented as having a GUI (Graphic User Interface), which the filmmakers show visually on the screen. This GUI is the way Will's character interacts with the word...it is the visual image OSX or Windows Vista for his life.

And it got me to thinking...we have spiritual GUI's. Not only do we have a set way of interpreting and interacting with our spiritual environments, but we then express and show these things in our own custom view to the world.

The thing is, the church does it too. It tries to interact with culture in a relevant way, and I think sometimes has sacrificed the delicate balance betwen style and substance. In the same way, we have to begin to look at ourselves to see whether our own GUI is working in a way that stays true to the message of Jesus. For example, bitterness about God or the church will morph the output of one's life to show the world a person who does not look like the Jesus we all say we know. If one is corrupt, the GUI will eventually be corrupted by that virus.

What's the GUI of your life look like?

I know I want mine to be like the One who came from the Father to the world - to change it, and to redeem it.


Cheers!