LeaderLines: Elevating Vision, Part Two

In last week’s LeaderLines, I introduced you to the concept of the “elevator speech.” Business consultants advise clients to go through the discipline of preparing a 30-60 second summary of what their company does and how it could add value to the prospect. The theory is that you should be able to summarize what you do to a complete stranger in the time it would take you to share a ride in an elevator.

Last week, I challenged you to send me your Hillcrest elevator speech. If all you had with a stranger was the 30-60 seconds it takes to ride with someone up an elevator, what could you say about Hillcrest that would pique their interest enough to visit?

You sent me some great ones!

Barbara Fowler: “What you will find at Hillcrest is a place filled with love. Love of God, love for God, and love of each other. The minute you enter the door you can feel the peace and calmness that comes with the feeling of security you get when you know someone is watching over you.”

Mike Wiederkehr: “Hillcrest is a great multi generational church with a wonderful, dedicated staff that will guide you in your walk with Christ. You'll find a congregation that loves and cares about you, no matter what your circumstances may be, and will make you feel welcomed. You will hear the Bible preached with no apologies. You will learn about a God that loves you so much He sent His Son to die for you, so you would never be separated from Him.”

Sheila McHargue: “It’s the best way I know to start the week. It’s a chance to sing or listen to music that focuses your mind on God’s goodness, and then a message of encouragement, inspiration, and challenge to live life the way it was meant to be lived. Then we follow that by sitting down with a group of friends to discuss the message we just heard, share our own experiences, successes, failures, and concerns, and support each other in prayer. That usually leads to opportunities outside of church to continue building those relationships, so that we have a network of good friends who share our beliefs, values and interests.”

Lois Fullerton: “I like our church because there are a lot of friendly people who care about me. I have had the kind of prayer support that was needed. I get the support I need from sermons and Bible study to help me in everyday life.”

Donna Seymour: “Hillcrest has been my church home and spiritual family for more than 50 years. It has a warm and welcoming fellowship. Our pastor is Dr. Tom Goodman. Our Sunday worship service starts at 10 a.m. and Bible study for all age groups immediately follows. You can choose to participate in Common Ground groups discussing the pastor's message or traditional Sunday School. Hillcrest is located at 3838 Steck Avenue. If you need more information regarding the church you can go online to www.HillcrestAustin.org or contact the church at 345-3771. I would look forward to you visiting and learning more about Hillcrest Baptist Church.”

Clarence Cossey: “In the past, in the future, and right now we need good news. We need good news about our health, our finances, our families, our neighbors, our nation, and our world. Most of all we need good news about our spiritual needs, our spiritual conditions, and our relationship with God. Some Bible translators say ‘good news’ and some say ‘gospel.’ Perhaps all of us say ‘the four gospels’ when speaking about Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. These writers wanted us to know the ‘good news’ about Jesus Christ.”

Cheryl Selby: “Hillcrest is not what you might envision. It is a great place to meet others that are seeking what is empty in their life. It isn't always something tangible, but usually you find both. It could be enriching your life though contact with your creator or just hanging out with encouraging people. Come sit with me in front: The choir will blow your mind!”

Thanks for these elevator speeches! It’s not too late to send me yours, and I’ll add it to the weblog. Next week I’ll give you my own Hillcrest elevator speech. Until then, look for opportunities to share your convictions about Hillcrest with someone who needs a church home.

__________________________________

Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter for church leaders read by more than 350 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.

What’s The Thinker Thinking About?

I went outside again. I stood under the yellow trees, beside The Thinker. I leaned my elbow against the statue's base and waited. I remembered I had seen The Thinker in Paris once, a smaller version perched atop a sculpture of The Gates of Hell. In Paris, he brooded over churning scenes of the damned in their torments. Here in America, he just stared down at the ground, as if he were trying to decide whether to send out for pizza or head across the street for some Chinese.

This is from Andrew Klavan’s lead character in Empire of Lies. An otherwise forgettable book—but what a great quote. That may show up in a sermon down the line….

Winning Ways: More Connections

Take advantage of all the ways you can "connect" to your Hillcrest Family and to your community! Some of the following notes will be new to you, and some will be reminders.

Connection Countdown. As a way to prepare for Connection Sunday, we're setting aside this Sunday, October 2, as "Connection Countdown." Jon Randles will be speaking and the Chris Clayton Band will lead worship. We'll have a special evening session as well as a morning session this day.

Minute-To-Win-It: When Generations Connect. This will be a fun way for our multigenerational church to interact! At 5:30pm this Sunday, October 2, join us in the MPC for BBQ sandwiches and a Minute-to-Win-It competition between the generations. We're asking every Sunday School class and Common Ground group to put forth their "champion" for this great contest! After the fun, we'll go into the auditorium where the Chris Clayton Band will lead us in worship and Jon Randles will challenge us.

Greeters and Cookie Callers Needed! On Connection Sunday, October 16, we need lots of greeters to welcome people into the service, and we need lots of volunteers to deliver cookies to those who visit. The cookie delivery will take you a couple of hours on Sunday afternoon. Contact Herb Ingram right away at 345-3771 or herb@hbcaustin.org.

Golf Tournament. Our "Second-Half Ministry" is sponsoring a great way to connect by way of, um, "links"! Enlist a friend, pay your green fees by no later than Wednesday, October 12, and join us at 1:00pm on Saturday, October 22. You can register online by clicking here.

Connect with Your Hillcrest Family on Facebook. One of the easiest ways to keep up with your Hillcrest Family is by clicking the "Like" button on the Hillcrest page on Facebook. This will add updates from the Hillcrest page to your news feed. In the last few weeks those who have "liked" the Hillcrest Facebook page have been able to view photos of our Anderson football watermelon treat, Kits for Kids packing party, Club 56, and the Ministry Fair. They've also viewed a link to the Statesman story of our 9-year-old Cash Robinson, updates on our Connection Campaign, and notices about critical things to pray for. Go to the Hillcrest page on Facebook and "Like" us!

Links to Your World, Tuesday September 27

Are you a textrovert? It's someone who's introverted in public but extroverted on social media.


A new website and mobile app looks at your purchases and determines the amount of forced labor that's gone into everything you own. The number may surprise you. (story)


Fort Worth freshman high school student gets a 2-day suspension for expressing his religious beliefs about homosexuality. And here we go....


"From 2000 to 2010, the poor populations skyrocketed in the outskirts of many cities: The Atlanta, Austin, Dallas, and Milwaukee areas are among the 16 spots around the country where the number of suburban residents below the poverty level more than doubled during the decade" (Time)


Rod Dreher: "So let me get this right: if the public schools are seen as endorsing any particular form of religion, they’re being unconstitutional and oppressive. But if they refuse to endorse a particular and controversial view of homosexuality, they are being unconstitutional and oppressive. Got it. (A worthwhile piece about how a school shouldn't have to adopt gay advocacy to combat bullying.)


Sermon Illustration Alert: "The way we walk could be used as an accurate way of identifying us, according to an international team of bioengineers who analyzed the foot pressure patterns created by 104 subjects. They found they were able to identify individuals with 99.6 percent accuracy." Read the rest.


Wow, these are sad: Terrible seats in stadiums around the world.


Anonymous website gossip is ruining small-town life according to this report.

"The bland majority of people who find ancient religions dull but find themselves uniquely fascinating"

Okay, there's very little that the UCC and I have in common, so let's get that out of the way up front. That said, this is a provocative piece. Thanks to the Statesman's Joshunda Sanders for pointing it out. The devotional is by Lillian Daniel in reflection on Matthew 16:18, "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it."

On airplanes, I dread the conversation with the person who finds out I am a minister and wants to use the flight time to explain to me that he is "spiritual but not religious." Such a person will always share this as if it is some kind of daring insight, unique to him, bold in its rebellion against the religious status quo.

Next thing you know, he's telling me that he finds God in the sunsets. These people always find God in the sunsets. And in walks on the beach. Sometimes I think these people never leave the beach or the mountains, what with all the communing with God they do on hilltops, hiking trails and . . . did I mention the beach at sunset yet?

Like people who go to church don't see God in the sunset! Like we are these monastic little hermits who never leave the church building. How lucky we are to have these geniuses inform us that God is in nature. As if we don’t hear that in the psalms, the creation stories and throughout our deep tradition.

Being privately spiritual but not religious just doesn't interest me. There is nothing challenging about having deep thoughts all by oneself. What is interesting is doing this work in community, where other people might call you on stuff, or heaven forbid, disagree with you. Where life with God gets rich and provocative is when you dig deeply into a tradition that you did not invent all for yourself.

Thank you for sharing, spiritual but not religious sunset person. You are now comfortably in the norm for self-centered American culture, right smack in the bland majority of people who find ancient religions dull but find themselves uniquely fascinating. Can I switch seats now and sit next to someone who has been shaped by a mighty cloud of witnesses instead? Can I spend my time talking to someone brave enough to encounter God in a real human community? Because when this flight gets choppy, that's who I want by my side, holding my hand, saying a prayer and simply putting up with me, just like we try to do in church.

Prayer

Dear God, thank you for creating us in your image and not the other way around. Amen.

Good stuff. Then again, it reminds me of this bit of snark, so maybe I should repent of liking the rant.

LeaderLines: Elevating Vision, Part One

Business consultants advise their clients to have an “elevator speech.” This is a 30-60 second summary of what their company does and how it could add value to the prospect. The theory is that you should be able to summarize what you do to a complete stranger in the time it would take you to share a ride in an elevator.

It’s a good exercise for church leaders, too. If all you had with a stranger was the 30-60 seconds it takes to ride with someone up an elevator, what could you say about Hillcrest that would pique their interest enough to visit?

I’ll share my Hillcrest elevator speech in a future LeaderLines. But I want to hear from you first. Here’s the scene: You’ve invited someone to Hillcrest and they’ve asked you why they should come. In 3-4 sentences, tell me what you’d say.

No, really.

Take the next 5 minutes and send something back to me! I look forward to your comments.

_________________________________

Each Thursday I post my article from "LeaderLines," an e-newsletter for church leaders read by more than 350 subscribers. If you want to subscribe to "LeaderLines," sign up here.

Review of “Your 100 Day Prayer”

Jesus told two parables to press us to greater persistence in prayer. One was humorous, about a friend who keeps knocking on a good neighbor’s door at midnight because he’s confident the neighbor will respond. The other parable was darker, about a poor widow who continues to press her case before an unjust judge because she has no other recourse. Both parables were meant to shame us in how quickly we abandon our prayers. In his new book, Your 100 Day Prayer: The Transforming Power of Actively Waiting on God, John Snyder has given us a practical tool to help us stay faithful in bringing our concerns to God. Snyder encourages the reader to specify your need at the start, and then he provides 100 days of brief devotionals designed to keep us in conversation with God about the need. Here is a way to put discipline to intention.

Winning Ways: Connections

I hope you're planning on lots of "Connections" across the next few weeks. Here are a few:

Connecting in Prayer. "I pray only when I am in trouble," Isaac Bashevis Singer once said, and then added "but I am in trouble all the time so I pray all the time."  This Sunday we'll conclude our 4-week series on prayer. Last week we looked at Christ's instructions on prayer, and this week we'll look at Christ's call to prayer in Matthew 7.

Connecting Others to God in Prayer. I hope you've see the new sign in front of our church, asking those who pass by, "How Can We Pray for You?" In just one week of calling through our Connection Campaign, we've prayed for nearly 300 people in the neighborhoods surrounding our church. It would be a great thing for our church to be "famous" in Austin for intercessory prayer.

Connection Sunday. Continue to pray for our Big Day, Connection Sunday, October 16. In one week of calling, over 20 have already said "yes" to our invitation to come, and over 40 more have expressed interest and have asked for more information. You're already seeing some of those neighbors in attendance at church! (And a warm welcome to our neighbors who already attended last Sunday and are now receiving this weekly newsletter in their email inbox!). After 4 weeks of calling, we expect over a hundred new faces on October 16. Pray!

Connection Countdown. As a way to prepare for Connection Sunday, we're setting aside October 2 as "Connection Countdown." Jon Randles will be speaking and the Chris Clayton Band will lead worship. We'll have a special evening session as well as a morning session this day.

Minute-To-Win-It: When Generations Connect. This will be a fun way for our multigenerational church to interact! At 5:30pm on October 2, join us in the MPC for BBQ sandwiches and a Minute-to-Win-It competition between the generations. We're asking every Sunday School class and Common Ground group to put forth their "champion" for this great contest! After the fun, we'll go into the auditorium where the  Chris Clayton Band will lead us in worship and Jon Randles will challenge us.

Links to Your World, Tuesday September 20

The Origin of the Emoticon: It's a lot older than you think.


Cool: Better World Materials, a company in Salt Lake City has figured out how to make lumber out of garbage. "Our goal," says CEO Dalyn Judd, "is to take garbage and make it as valuable of a resource as we possibly can." (Via: Relevant)


Texting Makes U Stupid


50 Rules for Dads of Daughters


"There's nothing metaphorical about "gut feelings," for what happens in the gut really does influence what we feel." Here's an interesting article about how full-bodied the self really is. I disagree with the author's reductionism (see the last line: "we emerge from the very same stuff that digests our lunch"). But what we call the self is very much more "earthy" than many tend to realize--and Scripture has been there all along to point that out to those careful enough to notice. The idea that what "I" really am is not related to my body has its source in ancient Greek philosophy rather than biblical revelation.

Growing up at ACL

Cash Robinson and his parents got some recognition in this Austin American-Statesman piece. Cash has grown up with the Austin City Limits music festival. He and his parents are active at Hillcrest and in my Common Ground group. And a shout-out to Hillcrest!

Cash became a musician three weeks ago when his parents bought him an electric guitar. He's been taking lessons and can already play "Back in Black."

"I really got interested in it because a guy at (Hillcrest Baptist) church plays the guitar," he says, "and my uncle and cousins can play really well."

The guitarist he refers to is Hillcrest teen Neil Raulie, son of our children’s minister.

Way to go, Cash!

Ministry, Interrupted

We have fans of The Avett Brothers at Hillcrest. It’s an Austin church, after all. Here’s Scott Avett attempting to sing “Just a Closer Walk With Thee” while his kid will have nothing of it:

Been there. And it struck me as a kind of parable of the juggle many of us have with ministry and family. We’re trying to plan and lead and teach, and our kids—no matter the age—often “interrupt” all these profound things we’re trying to do. It’s best to take it all with the same humor that Scott displays.

Review of Hannah Coulter

I'm glad christianaudio offered Wendell Berry's Hannah Coulter for free last month (you can still get it at their website for $14.99). I just completed it. It's told from the perspective of an older woman remembering marriage, parenting, and widowhood in the context of a post-WW2 farming community. I loved Berry's appreciation for detail, not just in the characters' physical appearance, but evem more in the characters'--well--characters. It's a story you wish younger adults would read so they don't miss out on time with the older people in their families, but it's probably a story only appreciated by middle-aged folks who know how dear that time really is. Check it out.

The Perfect Church Has Been Found...And Its Alternative

I've always told people we need to quit looking for the "perfect church," seeing as we're all imperfect people. It's a reminder of grace and graciousness.

But now Ed Stetzer reports that there really is a Perfect Church out there. If that doesn't work out for you, though, there is a Perfect Alternative Church.

Good to know.

LeaderLines: How to be Used for God's Glory

Excuses, excuses.

When God calls us to do something, we’ve all used the same excuses Moses used. At the burning bush of Exodus 3, God called him to lead his people out of Egyptian slavery. Moses argued back, “Who me? I don’t have what it takes! You’ve got the wrong person: send someone else.”

In a blog post earlier this week, Jared Wilson said that such excuses don’t exempt us from God’s call but rather qualify us for God’s call. Once we match God’s answers to each of Moses’ excuses we can see this.

Wilson said that God’s reply to the excuses fall out like this:

Who am I to go for you?

Never mind who you are. That's irrelevant.

Exodus 3:11-12

 

Who are you for me to go for you?

I am GOD.

Exodus 3:13-15

 

What if they don't believe me?

It's not your accomplishments you're testifying to, but mine.

Here, have some miracles.

Exodus 4:1-9

 

Me no talk good.

I use junk and jackasses all the time.

Exodus 4:10-11

 

Send somebody else!

I'll send somebody with you, not instead of you.

Exodus 4:13-16

God’s answers do much more than just cancel Moses’ pleas. They show how Moses was actually perfectly suited for God’s call.

And so are you. And so are all the rest of us in leadership at Hillcrest. Based on this exchange between Moses and God, then, Wilson suggests five qualifications for responding to God’s call:

First, be a nobody.

Secondly, don't worry about your accomplishments or ability to persuade: what God has done -- namely, in the historical good news of Jesus Christ -- is a powerful persuasion all its own, and the Spirit will control who it stirs.

Thirdly, know God.

Fourthly, be unimpressive on your own.

Fifth, don't go it alone.

Good advice for those of us who know God has called us—or is calling us—for some task.

Tom

"Makes me want to avoid the one place and aspire to the other"

Andree Seu:

The range of temperatures you and I experience on earth seem to be very extreme: 100 degrees is almost unbearable, and 10 below zero is almost intolerable in the other direction. But of course we know that this range of heat and cold represents the thinnest slice of the total spectrum of temperatures in the universe, our Sun’s inner core topping the thermometer at 27,000,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

By analogy, I suspect that the spectrum of human joy and misery that you and I experience on earth, and that seem like the outer and impassible limits, are only the smallest taste of both the torments that hell will inflict and the joys that heaven will confer. Makes me want to avoid the one place and aspire to the other.

The article here.

Winning Ways: Lord, Teach Us to Pray

Kristin Harley works in a Minneapolis music store, so she frequently has to field strange requests from the confused parents and grandparents of young music students.

The strangest--and most frequent--question?

"Who wrote the lyrics to The Lord's Prayer?"

Um, that would be the Lord.

Before it was a song, it was a lesson. In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus taught us those familiar words. Most of us still recite it from the old King James Version:

Our Father which art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come,

Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.

Amen.

Note four things about the prayer model Jesus gave us:

He taught us how to address God: He is our heavenly Father.

He taught us how to begin our prayers with concerns for God’s glory: It is “thy name,” “thy kingdom,” and “thy will” we ask God to glorify.

He taught us how to continue our prayers with concerns for our needs: We plead "give us," "forgive us," and "lead us."

We’re taught how to end our prayers: In the traditional ending to the prayer we dedicate our lives to God’s kingdom, in God’s power, and for God’s glory forever.

We're in a four-week series on prayer at Hillcrest. You can catch up with the series at www.HillcrestAustin.org. Just go to the “Resources” menu and click on “Sermons.” This Sunday we'll look carefully at the instructions Jesus left us for our prayer life.

Connection Countdown

Mark your calendar for Sunday, October 2. Jon Randles will be our guest speaker and the Chris Clayton Band will lead worship. The morning session will take place during the 10am worship service and the evening session will take place at 6:30pm. This special day will start our countdown toward Connection Sunday (October 16). You’ll learn more about “Connection Countdown” in the next few weeks. For now, make plans to be at Hillcrest morning and evening on October 2!

Links to Your World, Tuesday, September 13

Fire Approaching Calvary Baptist Church in Bastrop (credit)

The Area of the Texas Wildfires Versus America's 10 Biggest Cities


Bastrop Pastor : losing house 'will help our witness'


Say a fire was heading to your house. Would you know what to grab besides your loved ones and your pets? Here's a list.



"Baylor isn’t standing in the way of progress. Baylor is taking a stand. It might be futile. That doesn’t mean it’s not brave." Mike DeCourcy for The Sporting News, on Baylor threatening to sue Texas A&M for breaking their contracts with Big 12 schools.



"President Obama constantly reminds us, with some justification, that he was dealt a difficult hand. But the evidence is overwhelming that he played it poorly" (Michael Boskin).



Stack Of Unused CD-Rs Turns Five


Sheriff cites 600 percent boost in drug arrests since local churches started praying



Internet Memes 101: A Guide to Online Wackiness. This will catch you up--and probably make you wonder if there are better things people could do with Internet access....

"It is the examined life that is no longer worth living for the naturalist"

Death Cab for Cutie "clearly state the ideas that many other pop artists only assume, namely that life is all there is and that it is up to us to fill it. Their most recent three albums, Plans, Narrow Stairs, and the recent Codes and Keys, chart a progression through the different manifestations of our culture's naturalism, from romantic despair, to near nihilism, to the rejection of these troubling questions entirely as unanswerable and even dangerous. At the end, with no answers in sight, it is the examined life that is no longer worth living for the naturalist."

From college sophomore Will Jones' review here.

"The aftermath of 9/11 was a growth spurt for evangelicals in America’s largest city"

John Stake wrote about New York’s Post-9/11 Church Boom

The following Sunday, September 16, churches overflowed with distraught visitors. At Redeemer [Presbyterian Church], the ordinary attendance of 2,800 ballooned to 5,400. [Pastor Tim] Keller opened his sermon with a reference to 1 Thessalonians 4:13, where Paul tells us to grieve but not like those without hope. And then he continued by citing John 11:20-53, where Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead.

“The morning service that Sunday was so full that Tim said, ‘Come back and we’ll do another service right after this one,’” one Redeemer member remembers. “Just like that Redeemer grew another service.”

Churches everywhere in the city saw new faces on September 16. Lots of them. One report shows that 40 percent of the evangelical churches in New York as of December 2010 started since 2000. Only an estimated 3 percent of New York’s residents attend an evangelical church. Still, that figure has tripled since 1990. During one two-month period in the fall of 2009 one new evangelical church opened its doors every Sunday. The aftermath of 9/11 was a growth spurt for evangelicals in America’s largest city.

“For the following year, ministry was just intense—every meeting and service had more emotion and tears in it than usual,” Keller says. “A good number of people started coming to Redeemer after 9/11 and found Christ. Evangelism was fruitful.”

Read the rest. And you can listen to Tim Keller's sermon from the Sunday immediately after the attacks here.

"At some level, the media survives by giving people what they want"

Brad Wright:

In general the public’s appetite for the news focuses on the novel. We want to hear about planes crashing, not landing safely, about CEOs defrauding companies, not those running companies well, about parents endangering their children, not those raising their children well. Applied to religion, what’s often most novel is when religious people violate their own beliefs, such as pastor sex scandals or people acting hypocritically. I realize that at some level, the media survives by giving people what they want, but I think that both journalists and their audience would benefit by being aware of this dynamic that highlights the problems of religion.

True. But I would take it a step further. There's something unique to religion reporting as opposed to reporting on plane crashes, corrupt CEOs, and dysfunctional parenting. Most people are familiar enough with planes landing normally, companies functioning normally, and parents acting normally. They live in that world, and they know what ought not to be.

People don't finish stories of perverse parenting convinced they should never be parents. And those of us who are familiar with religious faith can read stories of religious scandal as something tragic and out-of-the-ordinary. We know that, just as planes take off and land safely thousands of times a day, so religious organizations faithfully serve and teach and challenge and develop.

But it's different when those who know little about religion are exposed exclusively and relentlessly to the tragic and controversial stories reported in the media. They aren't reading the story inside the fuller context of familiarity to faith communities, and so with each story they end up with an increasingly warped view of the faith that is so important to their own co-workers and neighbors. And that can't possibly lead to more informed--and therefore more neighborly--communities. Brad Wright is correct: "Both journalists and their audience would benefit by being aware of this dynamic that highlights the problems of religion."

_______

Joshunda Sanders of our Austin American-Statesman gets a shout-out in the post I've linked to!

The Beauty and Offense of the Cross--And Not Just At A 9/11 Memorial

Ryan Holladay, who serves a church that meets 2 blocks from Ground Zero, reflects on the claims of some atheists that the image of a cross displayed at the World Trade Center 9/11 memorial site, has caused them to suffer "dyspepsia, symptoms of depression, headaches, anxiety, and mental pain and anguish."

"Christians should recognize," he writes, "that these seem to be the sort of symptoms many sane and thoughtful persons experience upon encountering an unwanted vision of the cross. Far from being silly, these four atheists seem to take the cross more seriously than many believers do."

Well, their claims are still silly, but he has a bigger point, so read on.

The cross "tells the world's strangest story in an image...: the whole world stands equally guilty of committing history's greatest atrocity, an atrocity in light of which the events of 9/11 pale in comparison. God came to earth, and we killed him."

So why would a nation cling to it as a sign of hope in the days after 9/11? The answer can be found in the writings of the Apostle Paul, "who advanced what would become the best-known but least-understood tenet of Christian theology: that somehow the death of the perfectly sinless Christ was itself the event which atoned for all the wrongdoing of the sinful human race."

Holladay concludes:

If true, this turns the cross into a profound paradox. The same event that condemns humanity also justifies it, standing at once as damning evidence of guilt and a doorway to forgiveness and innocence. What's more, the very episode that shows humanity at its worst shows God at his best, as he transforms an act of wickedness into a display of mercy and love. It is difficult to imagine themes more relevant to the attacks of September 11.

Suppose God himself has suffered and died at the hands of evil men. Suppose God himself has shown the capacity for taking what was intended for harm and using it for good. Might this affect the way we ourselves face evil and suffering? Might this be a source of strength to someone who is waist-deep in ash and rubble, trying to loosen bodies from steel and concrete?

For the person who accepts this narrative, the cross is the only thing that makes sense in the face of a senseless tragedy. But for the person who rejects it, the cross serves as a reminder of an offensive and seemingly absurd accusation, adding insult to injury. The trouble with the cross is that it refuses to be the universal symbol of beauty that some would make it out to be—it speaks life to those who believe, but death to those who do not.

No wonder people disagree about where it should be displayed.

It would be worth your while to read the whole thing. It will provoke some personal reflection as we move toward the 10th anniversary of the 9.11 attacks this Sunday.

Winning Ways: Who's On Your Fridge?

"Can I take your picture?" Peter Bregman asked. "I want you on my fridge."

Bregman was talking with Marvin, a man in his 70s, working out with boxing gloves in the gym. Bregman knew little about him, having just met him. But the man's energy and sunny outlook were an inspiration. So he took his picture.

Which sparked a thought: Why not start a collection? "A collection of pictures of ordinary people, about whom I know very little, but who inspire me with some quality I want to nurture in myself." He wrote about it for Fast Company magazine.

What a great idea! If your fridge displayed little snapshots of ordinary people who inspired you, whose pics would you post?

The practice wouldn't just help us in our personal development. It would also change what we decide to look for in others. Bregman writes:

We focus on what people are doing wrong, on their weaknesses and shortcomings. We gossip and complain. We get frustrated and passive aggressive. We find ourselves constantly surprised by the flaws of our colleagues: How could he/she/they do that?

What if, instead--or at least in addition--we chose not to miss an opportunity to be inspired? If we gossiped about things people did that energized us without fixating on the things that disappointed us? If we looked for sparks that ignited our enthusiasm and incited our goodwill? And if we allowed those sparks to light our fires of passion?

Believers, of all people, should be good at finding inspiring qualities in others. The Bible informs us that every person is made in the image of God. Yes, we are all fallen image-bearers who reveal our fallenness at every turn. And yet everyone still has what Pascal called "rumors of glory." As Aslan told the children in Narnia, "You come from the Lord Adam and the Lady Eve. And that is honor enough to erect the head of the poorest beggar, and shame enough to bow the shoulders of the greatest emperor on earth."

Shame and honor. Both. At the same time.

We should never forget the great capacity that fallen people have to disappoint--and plan accordingly. And yet we should never forget whose image fallen people still bear--and catch our breath when we see it.

And, maybe, preserve the moment in a snapshot for our fridge.

A Church That is Really "Biblical Through and Through"

Eugene Peterson:

Every time I move to a new community, I find a church close by and join it--committing myself to worship and work with that company of God's people....Every one turns out to be biblical through and through: murmurers, complainers, the faithless, the inconstant, those plagued with doubt and riddled with sin, boring moralizers, glamorous secularizes. Every once in a while a shaft of blazing beauty seems to break out of nowhere and illuminate these companies, and then I see what my sin-dulled eyes had missed: word of God-shaped, Holy Spirit-created lives of sacrificial humility, incredible courage, heroic virtue, holy praise, joyful suffering, constant prayer, persevering obedience. I see "Christ--for Christ plays in ten thousand places,/Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his/To the Father through the features of men's faces."

I hope you caught the surprise of how he describes a church that is really "biblical through and through." You only have to read of the headaches and disciplinary issues that Paul dealt with in his New Testament letters to know its true.

This excerpt is from Leap Over A Wall. I'm reading it in preparation for a sermon series on David. The poem he quotes is from "Inversnaid," by Gerard Manley Hopkins

Links to Your World, Tuesday September 6

This guy went out to pick broccoli and found another kind of green: $150,000 in 2 duffel bags of $20 bills. Time to start gardening....


Lobster ice cream? Government cheese ice cream? Beef tongue ice cream?


There's a process that can liquify your dead body to the point it could be flushed into the city's drinking water. Um....


This man is suited up for college football. Oh, and he's 61.


"A few conservative Roman Catholics are pointing to a dozen Bible verses and the church's original teachings as proof that Earth is the center of the universe, the view that was at the heart of the church's clash with Galileo Galilei four centuries ago" (story).


"'We're seeing a new breed of accident with these state-of-the-art planes,' said Rory Kay, an airline captain and co-chair of a Federal Aviation Administration advisory committee on pilot training. 'We're forgetting how to fly'" (story). There's a sermon illustration here....


"There are a number of water risks that the world will face in the coming years, including deteriorating water quality, growing competition for limited access to resources, and an increase in water scarcity. The World Resource Institute's Water Risk Atlas outlines those risks--and gives a preview of what you can expect in your town or city in the coming years" (Fast Company).


UT-Austin Study: Parents only as happy as least happy child


"Meet the members of what might be called Generation Limbo: highly educated 20-somethings, whose careers are stuck in neutral, coping with dead-end jobs and listless prospects" (story). All of us who are parents of 20-somethings--or pastors of 20-somethings--or both--know the current bleakness of post-college career prospects.


"Compassionate Texas Rangers catcher Mike Napoli could not bring himself to throw out Rays’ 37-year-old outfielder Johnny Damon as he attempted to steal second base Tuesday, allowing the two-time All Star to safely take the bag in the top of the seventh inning." (The Onion, of course)

Text? Twitter? Facebook Message? Email? Which Account? Old-Fashioned Call? Which Number?

Frank Bruni's observation is so true. With all the different ways of contacting people, it's hard to remember which person prefers which form:

The other night I did something silly. In a hurry to reach my friend K., I made the mistake of calling him on his mobile phone.

“You should have texted,” he chided me the next morning, when he finally heard the voice mail I’d left. “You know that’s the fastest way.”

It’s hard to keep track. Because my friend A., who frequently sends text messages, somehow fails to recognize that she might receive them as well and almost never checks. With her, I’m supposed to call.

But not with my friend D. Between his two mobile phones, two office phones and one home phone, you can never know which number to try, and he seems never to pick up, anyway. E-mail is his preference. He has three e-mail addresses, at least that I know about, but I’ve figured out the best one. I think.

You hear so much about how instantly reachable we all are, how hyperconnected, with our smartphones, laptops, tablets and such. But the maddening truth is that we’ve become so accessible we’re often inaccessible, the process of getting to any of us more tortured and tortuous than ever.

There are up to a dozen possible routes, and the direct one versus the scenic one versus the loop-de-loop versus the dead end changes from person to person. If you’re not dealing with your closest business associates or friends, whose territory and tics you’ve presumably learned, you’re lost.

So true. I have folks who make generous use of Facebook messaging, which I infrequently consult, and then I have to remember whether someone I'm contacting prefers text to email and, if email, which one.

The upside: We can all have an excuse when we didn't respond, hey?

Read the whole thing.

LeaderLines: Kids Ministry is Golden

Our children's ministry is one of the most strategic ministries in our church. Let me give you seven reasons why. This is from a recent post by Will Mancini. He says that kids ministry is "gold" to a church for the following reasons:

#1 The Golden Heart: Children model the ideal kingdom participant. Each of the gospel writers record that stunning moment when Jesus rebukes the disciples and tenderly engages some young children (Luke 18:17). In the face of self-importance, Jesus shockingly points to a child as the model for how to enter the kingdom. Maybe serving children holds unexpected benefit for Christian maturity?

#2 The Golden Years: Childhood is the most effective window for responding to the gospel. Eighty percent of people receive Christ between the ages of 4 and 14. Enough said.

#3 The Golden Glow: Children have a longer life to serve Christ and accomplish more for God’s glory. If you had a candle to burn for a nice romantic evening, would you choose the one that’s three-quarters used up, or would you choose a brand new candle? (It makes you wonder why generally speaking, our children get so little attention in ministry leadership!)

#4 The Golden Baton: Serving children plants the gospel into the next generation. Yes, the gospel is always one generation from extinction. You choose if the race is all about your short window to live or the enduring story of global redemption.

#5 The Golden Gate: Winning a child is a gateway to winning the whole family. I can’t tell you how many redeemed families I have seen on the beachhead of a child’s testimony. And yes, the more our culture idolizes their children, the more we can leverage this negative tendency for the gospel.

#6 The Golden Moment: Children’s lives are moldable and full of teachable moments.There is nothing like the moment of awe and insight, when child learns or asks a genuine question. Play and plant in the rich soil!

#7 The Golden Crown: Serving children has a unique significance which leads to special blessing. In Matthew 25-31-46, Jesus shares the parable about serving, “the least of these.” It’s apparent that “the least” include people of some status or need where they cannot repay if they are served (hungry, sick, imprisoned, estranged, poor) Children, though not listed explicitly, certainly fit this list by virtue of their inability. I believe that serving children brings an unexpected treasure of blessing.

How can you contribute to the success of the Hillcrest Kids ministry? Certainly one way is to volunteer for positions on the Hillcrest Kids team. Another is to invite your neighbors who have children to visit Hillcrest.

Even if you aren't being led to serve in our kids ministry and even if you don't have kids in the ministry, you can stay "kid conscious" at Hillcrest. Be a faithful reader of Karen Raulie's Beacon column. Occasionally write her notes to tell her you're praying for her work. Befriend moms or dads at Hillcrest and ask them to identify what they like about the kids program and what their dreams are for the future of our program. As we make church wide decisions in committee meetings, leadership retreats, and business meetings, be sure to ask how a decision will impact families with children. In short, put families "on your radar" when you're praying for and making decisions about Hillcrest's future.

Don't let us miss the "golden opportunity" that kids ministry provides!