One of the topics that came up in the comment section of my last post on church affiliation, was how one goes about picking a church that is right for them. I've blogged on this in the past. Including my struggle with Christian babies--those who go to churches demanding to be fed, with no thought of feeding others.

My response to this question is that people should choose a church based on two primary considerations--what they can receive, and what they can give. Here's the gist of what this looks like for me:

What You Should Expect to Receive From a Local Church

• Corporate worship, including communion and baptism
  
• Biblically based preaching and teaching
• Equipping for everyday life at home, work, and play
• Meaningful relationships
• Freedom to be yourself, with all of your strengths and weaknesses; successes and sins

• Your time
• Your service
• Your finances
• Your creativity
• Your grace

I'd appreciate your thoughts:

1. What would you add or change in these lists?
2. If you belong to a local church, how did you decide to be a part of it?
   

I'm often asked what church denomination I'm a part of. My typical answer is something like:

I became a Jesus-follower in a Calvary Chapel church, spent time with Youth With A Mission, first pastored in a Brethren church, then went through Bible college, was a pastor with, and was ordained by Australian Baptists. More recently I was involved with a charismatic Lutheran church. I currently teach at an Assemblies of God college and lead a non-denominational house church.

I have strong sympathies with the emerging-missional movement. But at the end of the day I see myself as a Jesus-follower who is part of the universal church. I've always been happy to serve in whatever setting God wants me to. But I've certainly felt more comfortable in some settings than others.

Tell me more about yourself:

1. Do you belong to a local church?
2. If you belong(ed) to a local church, what denomination is it?
3. What do you find are the strengths and weaknesses of denominations?
   

My friend Megan tagged me for a meme that involves sharing five old posts. It is supposed to involved past posts about family, friends, me, something I love, and anything I like.

Since my blog doesn't talk about these things very often, I'm going to list five old posts that come to mind.

1. Be Like Jesus. Toward the top of my blog there is a 'Popular' section that lists my five posts that have received the most attention. I'm glad that my post 'Be Like Jesus' has stayed at the top of the list. I'm shocked that the 'hits' count on this post (which can be found just below the post) is 44, 682 as of today.  I'm sure this has little to do with my writing, and much to do with how attractive and compelling Jesus is.
2. The Charmed Life of Pastors. The statistics of what pastors experience is awful. Loneliness, depression, believing their job is hazardous to their family, are all part of the experience of many pastors. I still believe there needs to be a serious and widespread discussion about what it means to be a pastor, and what realistic expectations for pastors should be.
3. On Being a Misfit. This was a post I wrote on my struggles with myself, the church, and living during a time of transition. I feel this way today as much as ever.
4. Toward An Inclusive Christianity. I've blogged a lot about this subject. I'm passionate about an expression of Christianity that includes, rather than excludes; and a faith that looks for connections we have with others, rather than disconnections.
5. 12 Reasons Why I Prefer the Term Jesus-Follower. I originally posted this on my old blog. It was a follow on post from my 11 Reasons Why I Don't Like the Term "Christian".
   

I'm very late posting on this month's synchroblog on Social Activism and Christian Mission.

One of the topics that came up recently in my ethics class while discussing utilitarian ethics, is the government's use of taxes. Two of the main highlights of the discussion were:

• The US government receives trillions of dollars each year in taxes.
• The US government has a wide range of choices it can make when it comes to where tax funds are spent, and how much is spent in each area.

Let me know:

1. What are your thoughts on this issue?
2. How do you think the government should decide where funds go when weighing issues as diverse as the military and health care?
   

I haven't participated in a Synchroblog for a few months because the topics haven't grabbed me. But this month's has. It's on Social Activism and Christian Mission. Mine will be up tomorrow. Until then, check out the others who have participated:

Phil Wyman at Square No More - Salem: No Place for Hating Witches
Mike Bursell at Mike's Musings
Bryan Riley at at Charis Shalom
Steve Hayes writes about Khanya: Christianity and social justice
Reba Baskett at In Reba's World
Prof Carlos Z. with Ramblings from a Sociologist
Cobus van Wyngaard at My Contemplations: David Bosch, Public Theology, Social Justic
Cindy Harvey at Tracking the Edge
Alan Knox at The Assembling of the Church
Matthew Stone at Matt Stone Journeys in Between
John Smulo at JohnSmulo.com
Sonja Andrews at Calacirian
Lainie Petersen at Headspace
KW Leslie: Shine: not let it shine
Stephanie Moulton at Faith and the Environment Collide
Julie Clawson at One Hand Clapping
Steve Hollinghurst at On Earth as in Heaven
Sam Norton at Elizaphanian: Tesco is a Big Red Herring

Normally Advil. Occasionally alcohol. 

We live in an age where just about everyone takes drugs. We've divided them up into two neat categories, "legal" and "illegal":

1. "Legal Drugs".

These are drugs, but I suspect we rarely think of them this way. They fill our homes. Some of them are incredibly powerful. The ones we take most often are simply to cope with physical pain. Yet some of them modify our thinking, emotions, and behavior. Sometimes they're given out far too easily. Sometimes they're given to children from a young age. Sometimes they save people's lives.


An increasing amount of people are using "legal" drugs illegally.


2. "Illegal Drugs".

In most people's minds, these are in a whole different category than the above. They are "bad". Yet I think its worth asking why we make this distinction. The best I can tell is because the above are sanctioned "good" by a government agency. Yet they also are used to cope with physical pain. And they also modify our thinking, emotions, and behavior.

People have always been using these illegally. But there's no other way to take them.

Anyhow, enough of my thoughts. I'd appreciate some of yours:

1. What would a biblical ethic of drug taking include?
2. What do you think of the distinction between "legal" and "illegal" drugs?
3. What do you think of the increasing use of "legal" drugs?
4. What are your thoughts on drug use?
   

One of the topics we've discussed here is bi-vocational ministry. I've had mixed feelings about this. But it's the direction I've taken recently. And now that I've taken the plunge, it's scary and exciting at the same time.

I've started two website and blog companies. The first is called Purple Cow Websites. It offers a range of services, including website design, copywriting, hosting, website marketing, website maintenance, and domain name registration.

The second business is called Church Website Consulting. It specializes in helping churches, para-church organizations, and Christian bloggers to develop a unique presence on the web, and effectively market their efforts to their community and beyond.

If you know anyone who could use a website or blog, whether it's a church, a small business, someone interested in starting to blog, or any of the dozens of reasons people have a website, I'd very much appreciate it if you let them know about my new ventures.

Your prayers, and letting others know about this on your blogs are also greatly appreciated! (Thanks for being the first to do so Lainie).

I had one of those weird "coincidence" moments recently. During the break of a morning class I had a student come up to me and share about a friend who was going through a crisis of faith after coming back from serving in the military in Iraq. They couldn't understand how God could forgive them, and how to relate to God, after what they saw and participated in overseas.

Then, during the break of my subsequent morning class I had a student come up to me and share about a friend who was going through a crisis of faith after coming back from serving in the military in Iraq. They couldn't understand how God could forgive them, and how to relate to God, after what they saw and participated in overseas.

Strangely, both students were sitting next to each other in my second class. I asked them individually if their stories were confidential, and when they said "no", we had a discussion about war and faith.

There are a handful of questions that I've been mulling around since. The first two are directed towards those who support war:

1. If you believe so strongly in a particular war, would you be willing to have it fought in your city?
2. If you are pro-life, is this limited merely to the as yet born, or to those who will inevitably die in war?

1. How do we care for military personnel who are going through a crisis of faith because of their participation in war?
2. On what biblical and ethical basis should, or should not, Christians be involved in war?

What are your thoughts on these or related questions? I'd appreciate your thoughts.

Last week, when I was picking up my three younger sons from elementary school, one of their school friends asked them where their cell phones were. One of my sons said that they didn't have cell phones. I was shocked by their friend's reaction. She said, "What?! You don't have a cell phone? How can you not have a cell phone? Everyone has a cell phone!" By her reaction, you would have thought they said they don't have shoes or a jacket.  

Communication is changing at such a rapid pace, that before long, I'm sure this fourth-grader's response will be more and more common. Even those of us out of elementary school might forget that when we were this age, we only had a few standard options for communicating with others. They were:

1. Face-to-face communication
2. A home telephone
3. A written or typed letter

1. Face-to-face communication
2. A home telephone
3. A written or typed letter
4. Email
5. SMS text messages
   
6. A cell phone
7. Instant message
8. Webcam
   
9. Internet phone call
10. Facebook
11. MySpace
12. Twitter
13. Blogs

There are other things that I'm not sure whether to be fascinated or disturbed by. For example:

• Many relationships will never be consummated with an in-person meeting. They will always be online, etc.
• Many communicate more often with friends and family via email or cell phone, than face-to-face
  

1. What is your reaction to newer forms of communication?
2. What are your primary modes of communication with people in your life?
3. What impact on relationships and society do you believe newer forms of communication are having?
4. Other thoughts?