missionaries and the decline of the American Church

mission- a: ministry commissioned by a religious organization to propagate its faith or carry on humanitarian work b: assignment to or work in a field of missionary enterprise

OR-

mission-a body of persons sent to perform a service or carry on an activity; a specific task with which a person or a group is charged (webster.com)

wait...could it be both?

in kyle lake's book "understanding God's will", he says this:

"we might even go as far as to say the steady downward decline of the Church in America exists because many followers of Christ do not see their lives defined by mission. perhaps the very fact that this word--mission--evokes images of africa or india and not also new york, hollywood, merrill lynch, hillcrest hospital, or andy woods elementary school could be part of the problem. if we take our apprenticeship seriously, then Christians of all sizes, shapes, and colors should see their lives in a different light... the reason the Church has been on such a steady decline is because of this attitude: "well i'm not going to china or the middle east or india, so i guess i'll just be a teacher instead."...how about this: what would the face of the Church look like if we began commissioning missional Christians to andy woods elementary school? what would the face of the Church look like if we began commissioning missional Christians to hillcrest hospital? why dont we commission missional Christians to china and india...and actors living in la and ny? film students working in hollywood? accountants to phoenix, dallas, chicago..."

before i began this book, the word mission did evoke an image of africa in my head. and i'll be honest, they dont have wi-fi in africa. so do i wanna go? honestly no. but.. do the people of texas a&m university, or austin, tx, or lockhart high school, or the dude sitting next to you at lunch today; do they all need Jesus just like the people of africa? yes. i love the way kyle describes our purpose in life as missional, i also love how he calls our following of Christ an "apprenticeship." our society is constantly moving to be more "green" and "missional." while not a bad thing, might we merely throw money or prayer or relief efforts to folks in 3rd world countries (all not bad things mind you), while forgetting dave the cashier or steve the waiter or officer cliff (i hide behind any big objects i can to give you a ticket) (purely a fictional person obviously :). point taken

cheers

he's not a looker..but he sings like an angel

if u watched any kind of american idol, you might've seen this guy. he's chris sligh and he sings like an angel. and apparently he's in the process of his debut Christian album.

if you appreciate music....

i saw these guys' show tonight. incredible.

yes? no? maybe so?

POLL:

do you like the hat?

-yes you look amazing

-no you're an idiot

-it's growing on me

respond on the comment portion.


DISCLAIMER:ANY UNRULY COMMENTS WILL GET DELETED (NIC)!

Alamobowl trip

mi tierra's mexican food

meg and clay outside mi tierra's

the holy santos. they had a selena shrine to the bottom of mary

just thought this was an awesome name for a grocery

he might have a point...

Santa on Cross Protests Commercialism

BREMERTON, Wash. — Art Conrad has an issue with the commercialism of Christmas, and his protest has gone way beyond just shunning the malls or turning off his television. The Bremerton resident nailed Santa Claus to a 15-foot crucifix in front of his house.

"Santa has been perverted from who he started out to be," Conrad said. "Now he's the person being used by corporations to get us to buy more stuff."

A photo of the crucified Santa adorns his Christmas cards, with the message "Santa died for your MasterCard."

The display is also Conrad's way of poking fun at political correctness. He believes people don't express their feelings because they're afraid of what other people might think.

His neighbors found the will to express their feelings this past week. Some were offended but many were just curious.

Jake Tally walked by on Friday and chuckled, but didn't pretend to understand the message.

"I don't really know what to think. I know it's about God but Santa has nothing to do with it," he told the Kitsap Sun newspaper.

update on eric..

sorry its been a crazy wknd already.

nic is correct and eric has been freed. here's the statement from his family:

“Eric Volz was released from a Nicaraguan prison hospital earlier today and will be in hiding, due to reports of threats against him.

We have reason to believe he is being followed and are taking every precaution to assure his safety.

Our family is overwhelmed by the incredible outpouring of support of Eric’s innocence over the past year. In the center of an impossible situation, we have experienced the most abundant love from friends and total strangers, and we thank you.

We are grateful to the courageous individuals in the Nicaraguan government who fought for truth and justice to prevail in this case as well to those in the US government who provided assistance in securing Eric’s release.

This ordeal has taken an incredible physical and emotional toll on all of us, especially Eric. We thank you in advance for respecting our privacy and allowing our family to recover.”

pray for eric volz!

hey folks,

i just got an email bulletin i thought i needed to pass along. if you haven't seen this story on my blog before, here's the video of the backstory.



here's the latest:

"Today, the Nicaraguan Appellate Court ruled 2-1 in favor of Innocence for Eric Volz and demanded his immediate release. In fulfillment of Nicaraguan law, Judge Ivette Toruno, the convicting judge who is required by law to sign the release papers, arranged for Eric's attorney to pick-up the release papers at 2pm this afternoon. However, Toruno left the court at 1:30 and will not come back for the rest of the day. It is unclear as to whether or not she will be in the office tomorrow, as well.

Judge Toruno is currently in contempt of court by refusing to make her appointment and sign the release papers. Eric has been freed, but is still being detained illegally, against the orders of the Appellate Court.

Nicaraguan radio broadcasts have been announcing that the people need to take justice into their own hands, since word of the court's decision. We are more concerned than ever before, for Eric's safety.

It appears as if no one in the judicial, penal and/or immigration systems in Nicaragua is responding to requests by Eric's attorney or by the US Embassy to process Eric's release immediately as ordered by the court.

Eric's mother Maggie will appear on CNN AC360 TONIGHT and The Today Show tomorrow morning in the first hour."

visit eric's website for more info.

i ask you to add eric to what seems as an always-expanding prayer list

"in awe of the One who gave it all"

Matthew 6:27-34-Message

"Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion--do you think it makes that much difference?" Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.

If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers--most of which are never even seen--don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes."

For the broken and beat

For the wounded and weak

Come fall at his feet

He's the remedy

Come close. listen to the story

i've been searching. searching for the right words. searching for words that would help me make sense of this whole thing. this whole thing we call life. something that would help ease the pain, heal the hurt that many feel for various reasons. where else can we run? where else can we turn?

i opened my word today, something that i admit i dont do enough. in the back of the book, after God's word, the lovely people at zondervan put a few pages with selected scriptures arranged by different topics. the immediate one i landed on was the topic dealing with comfort. it led me to 2 Corinthians 1:3-7. and God's word says:

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. and our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort."

i liked how the niv words that it "produces in you patient endurance." too often we (and when i say we i always include myself) forget God's reasoning; however we hardly ever know what that is. it's not for us to know. i struggle to grasp that every single day.

i leave you with this song. i saw phil wickham a few wks ago open for the david crowder band. now, prior to the show i could care less who phil wickham was. honestly. im not easily impressed musically. just another guy with a guitar. i downloaded his cd "Cannons" and have only lately been listening to the lyrics. several incredible lyrically strong songs. this isnt really on the comfort subject matter, but it declares the incredible love of Christ. the video and the music are just for support. what i really want you to grasp here are the lyrics.

Phil Wickham's "True Love"




Come close listen to the story
About a love more faithful than the morning
The Father gave his only son just to save us

The earth was shaking in the dark
All creation felt the Father's broken heart
Tears were filling heaven's eyes
The day that true love died, the day that true love died
When blood and water hit the ground
Walls we couldn't move came crashing down
We were free and made alive
The day that true love died, the day that true love died

Search your heart, you know you can't deny it
Come on, lose your life just so you can find it
The Father gave his only son just to save us

The earth was shaking in the dark
All creation felt the father's broken heart
Tears were filling heaven's eyes
The day that true love died, the day that true love died
When blood and water hit the ground
Walls we couldn't move came crashing down
We were free and made alive
The day that true love died, the day that true love died

Now Jesus is alive
Jesus is alive
Jesus is alive
Jesus is alive
Jesus is alive
oh He is alive
He knows he can

When blood and water hit the ground
Walls we couldn't move came crashing down
We were free and made alive
The day that true love died, the day that true love died

Come close listen to the story

the story of Jason Ray.

here's a story I ran across watching sportscenter the other night. it's a sports-related story, but ESPN finally did something right as my dad said.

here's the story

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=rayofhope

here's the actual story. trust me, you will wanna see this.

some phone pics taken lately...

my camera for internet streaming purposes for volleyball

my view for volleyball from up top

maroon madness feat. soulja boy

our "big daddy" lenses ($100,000+) used for top angle football and top angle basketball

the camera loves me

yes on occasion i do see a sunrise

the ultimate musical instrument..

this wasnt the show i went to, but this is what the musical geeks that are the david crowder band have come up with

Jacob...

i never wrote this before because i didnt want to get caught up in the moment, and therefore possibly hinder anything i would write under a normal circumstance.

my friend, and most importantly brother in Christ, Mr. Jacob Parish (or as we had called him in football "diboll"), passed away on September the 14th, 2007 in an automobile accident. while the specific details are still being resolved, we do however know without a doubt jacob is with the Father. 

i cannot even remember when exactly i first met jacob, but i do know we weren't strangers long. he was the kind of guy that knew no strangers. everyone he met, he called friend. and how could you not call him friend back? he was the guy in the hallway that always wore the same thing everyday, a smile. he was the guy runnin up to you with his hand out ready to wish you a good day. he was one of the nicest, most passionate fellas i have ever had the pleasure of meeting. one passion, which i will get to a little later, was FFA and his animals. i had more experience with him in football. i played my senior year of high school, and he was a junior on the JV squad. jacob played on the defensive line. pretty big position of such a lanky guy. i remember vividly practices where he, along with some of his teammates would get driven off the line pretty hard by the big varsity guys. i remember jacob parish, getting back up everytime with a smile on his face and ready to go at em again. during the nutcracker drill (basically 2 guys head up trying to push each other out of a box), jacob fought every time against somebody bigger than he, and always got up ready to give it another go. i did have several conversations with him about wanting to quit the team, which i had those thoughts after the first practice. but he stuck it out all year and fulfilled his commitment. his FFA and animals were probably near the top of his list. i have little experience in this with him, but for whatever reason i did attend a stock show a few years back. and the only memory i have of that, in my opinion the only excitement in the whole thing, was when jacob won his event. i can't even remember what animal he was showing, but i remember his reaction. he was the only one that showed any emotion upon winning. he jumped up and down, hoopin and hollerin after he won for what i think was a rabbit or something. it was the best thing about that show for me. it showed his passion for what he loved. i wish i had half the amount of passion he did for the things he loved. i wish i could have a smile on my face half the time he did.

to be honest i never found myself asking God why? i knew why, i knew his time with jacob was done. it all kind of seemed surreal. i think God uses moments like that to tap us on the shoulder and let us know this thing called life is real, and that he IS in control.

being away from home for the past yr, i hadn't seen him much. only when i was home and was at church. i remember his camo tuxedo at prom, i remember his wrangler jeans and awesome pearl snap shirts, i remember his love of country music. most of all, i remember his smile, and his love for people, and his love for the God that's so mighty to save.

i miss you buddy.

----------------------------

I once was lost, but now I'm found
I once was lost, but now I'm found
So far away, but I'm home now
I once was lost, but now I'm found
And now my lifesong sings

I once was blind, but now I see
I once was blind, but now I see
I don't know how, but when He touched me
I once was blind, but now I see

And now my lifesong sings
And now my lifesong sings
And now my lifesong sings

I once was dead, but now I live
I once was dead, but now I live
Now my life to You I give
Now my life to You I give
Now my life to You I give

Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Let my lifesong sing to You


-casting crowns

thank you Mac haik...

gimmie a break folks. honest mistake

George said it best...

There's a short cut to the highway out of town why don't you take it

Don't let that speed limit slow you down go on and break it

Let us be the remedy

And the problem is this

We were bought with a kiss

But the cheek still turned

Even when it wasn’t hit

And I don’t know

What to do with a love like that

And I don’t know

How to be a love like that

When all the love in the world

Is right here among usAnd hatred too

And so we must choose

What our hands will do

Where there is pain

Let there be grace

Where there is suffering

Bring serenity

For those afraid

Help them be brave

Where there is misery

Bring expectancy

And surely we can change

Surely we can change

Something

And the problem it seems

Is with you and me

Not the Love who came

To repair everything

Where there is pain

Let us bring grace

Where there is suffering

Bring serenity

For those afraid

Let us be brave

Where there is misery

Let us bring them relief

And surely we can change

Surely we can change

Oh surely we can change

Something

Oh, the world’s about to change

The whole world’s about to change

--david crowder band's "surely we can change"

Project Witness: The Lost Footage

yep folks. this is where i grew up. at least until the 5th grade. but i do not claim it. and i can speak for the rest of my family when i say 'we glad we aint there now.' if you dont know why, turn on CNN tonight, or here's a link that explains somewhat. i do know that its not how the media shapes it to be.

Keep Singing

Another rainy day

I can't recall having sunshine on my face

All I feel is pain

All I wanna do is walk out of this place

But when I am stuck and I can't move

When I don't know what I should do

When I wonder if I'll ever make it through

I gotta keep singing

I gotta keep praising Your name

Your the one that's keeping my heart beating

I gotta keep singing

I gotta keep praising Your name

That's the only way that I'll find healing

Can I climb up in Your lap

I don't wanna leave

Jesus sing over me

I gotta keep singing

Can I climb up in Your lap

I don't wanna leave

Jesus sing over me

I gotta keep singing

-mercyme