Comments on: Re-thinking church http://paulpetersonlive.com/2007/12/28/re-thinking-church/ Evolving out loud: thoughts on parenting, spirituality, leadership, & a few other things too Thu, 24 May 2012 10:24:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Mike Paris http://paulpetersonlive.com/2007/12/28/re-thinking-church/#comment-4178 Wed, 02 Jan 2008 13:48:34 +0000 http://paulpetersonlive.com/2007/12/28/re-thinking-church/#comment-4178 MAC -
>>Sometimes when people hear the stories of others and how they have struggled, they do not feel so all alone. Sometimes we feel like we have committed the worst sin in the world until we hear a story about a person who has either done something the same or something worse and how God has changed their lives and used them.. <<

Yes. This is the greatest blessing of the OT narrative. NORMAL people used by a SUPERNATURAL God to do EXTRAORDINARY stuff. And the narrative records lumps. bumps, and warts! David’s life is on the fast track to glory when he gets derailed by 2 Samuel 11. Then its wreckage and carnage all over the place. Many of the cries of Psalms come out of these dark days for the man after God’s heart. God still used him after he blew it.

Check out the accounts of story in Hebrews 11. Guess who shows up there? Samson!! And our flannelgraph depictions of him are usually less than stellar. God uses guys (and gals) who blow it!

Mike (a guy who has blown it lots of times)

]]> By: MAC http://paulpetersonlive.com/2007/12/28/re-thinking-church/#comment-4164 Mon, 31 Dec 2007 12:54:15 +0000 http://paulpetersonlive.com/2007/12/28/re-thinking-church/#comment-4164 Sometimes when people hear the stories of others and how they have struggled, they do not feel so all alone. Sometimes we feel like we have committed the worst sin in the world until we hear a story about a person who has either done something the same or something worse and how God has changed their lives and used them.. This I feel, can help us to see how God can change our lives, it could help us realize no sin is any greater then then the other –a sin is a sin and God loves us all just as we are and he will heal us if we allow..I love your idea of a new and diffrent story each weekend it will help people to feel they are not alone in their struggles and problems. God Bless you…

]]> By: Mike Paris http://paulpetersonlive.com/2007/12/28/re-thinking-church/#comment-4154 Sat, 29 Dec 2007 14:33:33 +0000 http://paulpetersonlive.com/2007/12/28/re-thinking-church/#comment-4154 Paul,
Just an update on a resource that we are using here in Wyoming. It is a play produced by Lillenas, written by Don Bosley, called Baggage Claim. (http://www.lillenas.com) It is 1.5 hours long. But it journeys alongside a dysfunctional family that all have secret baggage that Jake (the Jesus character) wants desperately to help them with. “After all” Jake states plainly, “that is the reason why I’ve come (to pay your bill). That and to help you with your baggage.”

We just got done with our first showing of the play last night and it was great. I had good conversations about the significance of the parable shown on stage. Many people didn’t get it at first and were drawn into “story” only to find themselves “hooked”/convicted as the story unfolded.

The drama has a large cast, but it is very good! Thanks for allowing others to see that this relationship with Christ makes all the difference to their plotline!

]]> By: pastordarlene http://paulpetersonlive.com/2007/12/28/re-thinking-church/#comment-4146 Fri, 28 Dec 2007 16:15:46 +0000 http://paulpetersonlive.com/2007/12/28/re-thinking-church/#comment-4146 Paul,
We went with our son’s new roommate to a large church service, and one of the comments he made to me was that he tuned out a lot because he didn’t know anybody, nor did he get the inside jokes the pastors were referring to.

I love getting the perspectives of a “newbie” who sees us with a different set of eyes.

We had 54 at Christmas eve service, some were brand new. One visitor has been de-churched for 15 years. I am very interested in his perspective. I pray he heard part of his “story” that night.

]]> By: seasonedgrace http://paulpetersonlive.com/2007/12/28/re-thinking-church/#comment-4145 Fri, 28 Dec 2007 12:59:51 +0000 http://paulpetersonlive.com/2007/12/28/re-thinking-church/#comment-4145 “We will do whatever it takes, without violating Scripture, to tell them their story in a way that they “get it.”

I worry sometimes that contemporary Church leaders focus too strongly on who will or wont get it, and how we present it to them, and forget the ability of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit to convict

Simply presented, the Word is strong enough to convict.

Maybe were saying the same thing, just differently

“but it will not stop there. We will move to the unfamiliar: hope, meaning, forgiveness, grace, love, adventure, etc – all of the “things” found in Christ!”

Amen

Kind blessings

sg

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