It's been awhile. I bet that's the first time that's been posted on a blog! :)
Changing the world can be hard. Something that I've discovered is that when I talk about change, people listen intently and with enthusiasm. People know that change is inevitable. At the same time, change is scary. Because of this, when I try to lead change there's an initial buzz of energy. Then that fades and so does the momentum. So, now I'm trying to develop the endurance and patience to push through this down time, to persist until the momentum picks up again.
An encouraging support team are helpful to have. A leader can't rely on someone else to lead the charge when things get bogged down, though. It's always the leader's job to lead.
Another (more important) essential component is submission to our Holy Father. I keep finding myself being trusted with a vision. I quickly grab onto it and fail to steward it properly. I grasp it and run in my own direction with it rather than continually seeking direction from on high. Those of you with an active prayer life know what I'm talking about.
So....I'm on an intersting journey right now. Writing helps.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Perceptions
I spent most of my life teetering between atheist and agnostic. As such, I always felt like I had an outsiders, "objective" view of Christians. I was thinking about this last night and thought I'd share the perceptions that I had.
For starters, Christians spend a lot of time disapproving of others. There are a lot of types of sin in the world, and Christians look down on all of it! Whether it is someone that drinks, is gay, or swears, they are all looked down upon and shunned!
Christians also spend a lot of time with each other (probably talking about all those sinners). They tend to cluster, and then the don't let others into their circles. They are pretty closed off.
They are close minded. In fact, it was relatively easy for me to get someone to question their beliefs, I just had to get them to open their mind a little bit and once their mind was open to a little bit of doubt, all the pretend conviction that they had would leak out. This happened enough that I stopped discussing religion with people, I was tired of the tears and broken lives.
Christians are all about guilt and "don'ts". Don't dance, don't drink, don't swear, don't mess around outside of marriage, don't do anything fun. If you happen to do any of that stuff, you'd better feel guilty. Also, if you know of anyone else that does any of that stuff, make them feel guilty too!
Christians use a lot of the same jargon and rarely listen. If I don't feel like I need saving, I don't care that Jesus can save me. I don't care what Jesus would do. If I'm enjoying (or just think I'm enjoying) my sinful lifestyle, I sure won't turn from it because you say so. Giving up the things that give my life meaning (or pleasure, or at least temporarily fill a void), going to bed early on Saturday night so I can sleep in a sanctuary in front of some lame preacher who just wants my money? Why would I do that?
Of course, this is all in the past for me, but it is very real in the present for many, many non-believers. These are stereotypes based on interactions I had with very young Christians before I was aware of God's power and grace. What I find scary is that I still find myself surrounded by people that fit this stereotype. I believe that in order to be an effective Christian, to glorify Him and spread the Word, we need to be aware of these perceptions and do whatever we can to fight them. I don't mean fight them by arguing with people, but fight them by contradicting the stereotypes! Don't use empty phrases, embrace sinners (but not the sin), be a good listener first and not a dogmatic preacher. Be open to outsiders, make them feel welcome and special. Gently guide them into God's arms, don't hit them over the head with a Bible.
For starters, Christians spend a lot of time disapproving of others. There are a lot of types of sin in the world, and Christians look down on all of it! Whether it is someone that drinks, is gay, or swears, they are all looked down upon and shunned!
Christians also spend a lot of time with each other (probably talking about all those sinners). They tend to cluster, and then the don't let others into their circles. They are pretty closed off.
They are close minded. In fact, it was relatively easy for me to get someone to question their beliefs, I just had to get them to open their mind a little bit and once their mind was open to a little bit of doubt, all the pretend conviction that they had would leak out. This happened enough that I stopped discussing religion with people, I was tired of the tears and broken lives.
Christians are all about guilt and "don'ts". Don't dance, don't drink, don't swear, don't mess around outside of marriage, don't do anything fun. If you happen to do any of that stuff, you'd better feel guilty. Also, if you know of anyone else that does any of that stuff, make them feel guilty too!
Christians use a lot of the same jargon and rarely listen. If I don't feel like I need saving, I don't care that Jesus can save me. I don't care what Jesus would do. If I'm enjoying (or just think I'm enjoying) my sinful lifestyle, I sure won't turn from it because you say so. Giving up the things that give my life meaning (or pleasure, or at least temporarily fill a void), going to bed early on Saturday night so I can sleep in a sanctuary in front of some lame preacher who just wants my money? Why would I do that?
Of course, this is all in the past for me, but it is very real in the present for many, many non-believers. These are stereotypes based on interactions I had with very young Christians before I was aware of God's power and grace. What I find scary is that I still find myself surrounded by people that fit this stereotype. I believe that in order to be an effective Christian, to glorify Him and spread the Word, we need to be aware of these perceptions and do whatever we can to fight them. I don't mean fight them by arguing with people, but fight them by contradicting the stereotypes! Don't use empty phrases, embrace sinners (but not the sin), be a good listener first and not a dogmatic preacher. Be open to outsiders, make them feel welcome and special. Gently guide them into God's arms, don't hit them over the head with a Bible.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Blog change
I'm still a runner, still me. My life has taken a "turn for the real" lately, so instead of writing about running, I will be blogging more deeply (that is, deeply for me). My current ramblings and interests cover parenting, manhood (particularly father/son), God, leadership, marriage, and other random topics. If you stumble across this, feel free to leave me a comment or suggestion.
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