The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable man persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.

I think I need to open up a can of “unreasonable” on a couple of situations.  Time to go buy a six-pack.

(via Gadgetopia)

A couple of things stick out.  First, this book is not about dealing with people who are already actively involved in your congregation.  It is about reaching the unchurched. It deals with intentionally looking for the questions and themes that are reflected in the arts and media of our culture and using them to start God-conversations in our community.

Secondly, this book is challenging Christians to make some changes. There is a focus on becoming missionaries to our own communities, meeting needs in order to get the opportunity to talk about God.  Some of us have  become very comfortable inside the church subculture, but by doing so we become isolated and insulated from our neighbors.  As the book points out, when we are all bent over in our "holy huddles", we should consider the view that we are giving to everyone else!

What’s next?  I don’t know.  I’m pretty sure that I’m the first to read this book in our church. I don’t think I’ll be the last, though.  This could spawn some good conversations - and maybe some changes.

-Blessings-

That’s what I’ve been working on this week instead of blogging - just so you know

On a more technical note, we managed to get a live link set up so that our son Tim could watch the dress rehearsal from 1000 miles away!

Boldness - acting with courage - is the deliberate, willful, acceptance of risk. It means trusting something or someone more than you trust your own fear.  That’s hard to do.

Why? 

My fear has helped me avoid several types of pain. It keeps my mouth shut when I might embarrass myself. It keeps me from making phone calls when I might be considered rude.  It keeps me from going to the doctor when I might not like what he has to say.

But like any wall that is built to keep badness out, it also keeps me locked in.

<sigh>

I hate it when I talk myself into a corner.

If I want my ideas to have more impact, I need to write them down.  This is where I do that.

I think I’ve found a new blog entry that’s going to bug me for a while.  I just wrote it. 

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."  Deut. 31:6

Pop Goes the Church: Should the Church Engage Pop Culture? by Tim Stevens Read more about this book…

If the reviews are even half right, this will be a challenging read (and worth passing around!).  The author - Tim Stevens - is on the staff at Granger Community Church, and has co-authored the Simply Strategic books with Tony Morgan.  Apparently, the book is in its second printing already, even though it just came out in late March.