I’m gonna jump on the “What Stirs You” bandwagon with a reaction of my own. As Editor-in-Chief I give myself permission! I’m composing this in my head with lots of impolite expletives so feel free to add your own where you think I may have edited ** them out.

Here’s what’s stirring me.

I pissed off at ** “Christians.” (of which I reluctantly include myself) I’m tired of not giving store employees any grace because I think there Customer Service policy should be different. I’m tired of reacting defensivly. I’m tired of Christians not acting like Christ. Don’t you remember how your mothers and Sunday School teachers taught you to behave? How they said to Treat others as we’d treat ourselves? And how we should Love God more than anything and love others better more than we love ourselves. <u>SHARE</u> for freakin Pete’s sake (expletive politely edited). I’m angry that I think so highly of myself that I need to correct everyone else.

I’m sick of non-Christians feeling like they have to preach to me by putting bumperstickers on their cars that read “I’m for separation of Church and Hate” and “Close your Bible and open your mind.” I see these and want to grab them by the collar and beg for mercy an forgiveness for that ** idiot that somewhere back in their lives acted like a ** meany and gave them the impression that the Christian faith was full of ** puritanical, bigots, and rednecks.

I’m tired of the people that taught me how to live not following their own teachings, and acting like ** pre-teens (with apologies to pre-teens).

I’m tired of preachers having afairs and stealing money from the church, and I’m tired of people that go to church on Sunday and then going out to eat not even leaving 15%– Its the MINIMUM, if you don’t have it then go to McDonalds. (Double the tax and add a dollar) By the way, either order straight off the menu or don’t act like a brat if the food doesn’t come out exactly like you <u>thought</u> you ordered it. The resturant sets its prices based on what’s on the menu and how long it takes to make it. Look, there are more single moms and people just above the poverty line waiting tables than in any other profession, if you want to show Jesus to someone then look them IN THE EYE, SMILE, and LEAVE A ** TIP. I’m just sayin’

I’m sick of people saying they have faith and then loosing all hope because the economy is “bad” or act like a brat when the wrong guy got elected, or they can’t find a job.

Christianity has survived the persecution of the Roman Empire, the brutally misguided Crusades and even the 60s. Our God created the universe, he is creative enough to give you profitable ideas for making money in a down market if you don’t mind getting off your arse and quit making excuses. He’s faithful enough to look after you when the stock market crashes. He loves you enough to give some away to others that are hurting worse than you. And He’ll give you enough grace to give someone you don’t agree with the benefit of a doubt (like the guy that did get elected, its not like the Republicans got a lot done in the last 8 years).

So come off it and start thinking before you react. Bert, be slower to get frustrated at someone who is trying to get out of the same trap you yourself fall into. For the sake of the name Jesus, start acting like followers of Christ.

Father, thank you for forgiving me, send your Holy Spirit to smack me in the head before I discredit Your Holy Name.

When I first moved to Colorado Springs one of the volunteer youth leaders introduced me to Enter the Worship Circle, an album of post-modern acoustic worship music – I loved it!  A few weeks after that I had lunch with a friend who had just moved to Denver and he wanted to introduce me to some musician friends of his that were set up close to my office.  Turns out his friends were Ben and Robin Pasley of 100 Portraits, the people heading up Enter the Worship Circle.

While I wasn’t in the “Springs” long enough to really get to know Ben and Robin in person, I have gotten to know them through the years through their music, writings, videos and most recently through ChurchThink.

ChurchThink is Ben’s blog where he engages ideas about the people of God though sharing his personal studies/revelations in articles and then a discussion based podcast.

Here are a few excerpts from one of his articles/podcasts

Try and win people to Christ through the dissemination of correct
thinking and what do you get? A bunch of people fighting and killing
each other over what is really right in the name of the God.

Try to win people to Christ through fancy events and amazement and
what will you get? A group of folks so obsessed with public events and
the vibration of experience that relationships are blindly burned and
left on the highway to the next “revival.”

Try to win people to Christ through a message of justice and social
reform and what do you get? Folks who see better and know better than
everyone else, who constantly apologize for God and his people, and
divide the world into “for us” and “against us” on the fields of their
cause.

BUT…

And another:

If you go and tell somebody that the end game of your Christian walk is to believe the right thing and to go to a building – then I’d have to say there’s less than something perfectly romantic and attractive about that.

And Another:

… asking the same old tired questions, you know, “where do you go to church?”  Good Lord, are you kidding me?  Are you still doing that?  Is that the end game for you – is going to this place where people are seated in a building while some body is teaching?

There are so many tasks we men put on our “to do” lists, but there is one that should trump that list:  To be knowing God, to chase after Him with more abandon than we chase after carreer, stuff, fun, or even the girl.

This blog/Podcast (blog-cast?) is a tool that should be added to your arsenal as you seek to grow in relationship with God and in the family of God.

I encourage you to be challenged at www.churchthink.com.

Not the site but they have moved to Las Vegas and they’ve started a new video podcast.