Junk Drawer Spirtuality

How Well Does Seminary Train a Person For Ministry?

I just read an article in Christianity Today about the gap that exists between the staff roles available for people seeking ministry and the trained ministers that seminaries are producing.  The author (Bobby Ross) suggests that seminaries should do a better job training seminary students for senior pastoral roles that require not only a dynamic pulpit ministry, but also the ability to manage personnel.  Right you are, Mr. Ross.  But let me even take that one step further.

Pin a Tie on a Small Group Leader

Last week,we had a small group fair at Waterfront, advertising our new groups starting up in a few weeks.  And since it was Father's Day, we had the idea that we would ask everyone to give the leader of the small group in which they were interested a necktie.

Actually, they weren't supposed to give them real neckties.  We had cut-out neckties on which they could write down their names and contact info, and then when they left the auditorium, they saw large 24X36 posters of each of our leaders where they could stick their ties.  John McDavitt made the pictures up, and I thought they were brilliant.  Check it out:

Funny Blog Post About a Guy Tracking Down a Stolen iPhone

Aaron Monts just twittered about this blog post, and since I haven't blogged about anything personally in a while, and since I don't feel like devoting much head space to create my own thoughts on any subject, I decided to post a link to someone else who posted a kick-butt and absolutely hilarious story.  This guy had his iPhone stolen one night, so he's telling the story of how he ended up tracking the thief down with a new Apple app "Find My iPhone."  It's really funny.

Here's THE POST

Fiddler on the Roof

Friday, my mom flew in from Texas to join me for a night of Chicago theater.  We went to see "The Fiddler on the Roof."  It's her all time favorite musical and one of my favorites too, although I'd only seen the movie, not the actual play.  And it was really cool.  First of all, it was the farewell performance for Topol.  Who's Topol, you ask?  He's the Israeli actor who played the Oscar nominated lead role of the father, Tevye, in "Fiddler" the movie.  And really ... anyone who's known by a one-word name already scores mega-cool points in my book.

And he was awesome.  Tevye is such a rich character with so much personality.  And it's hard for me to imagine anybody being able to play his role with the same depth as Topol does.  Amazingly (I didn't realize this), the original movie in which Topol played Tevye was a 1971 production.  That was 38 years ago and he's still playing that same character at age 74.  And the dude was as spry as he ever was in 1971!

It was a great show.  Watching live theater is, of course, so much more enjoyable than watching a movie, but it had even been awhile since I'd seen the movie, so it was kinda like hearing the story for the first time on Friday night.  It was a great night.  The theater was beautiful (the Oriental), the music was great, the sets were amazing . . .  It was all great.

Megachurches and Young People

I just read an article that talks about some research that was done suggesting that, contrary to popular opinion, the vast majority of younger church attenders attend megachurches (churches with an average of 2000 or more attenders) rather than non-megachurches.  I suppose it shouldn't be that surprising, but in recent years, there has been alot written by folks who've suggested that the new, upcoming, "postmodern" generation is tired of the megachurch model of their baby-boomer parents and they're ready for closer, more intimate, more "authentic" fellowship when they go to church.

According to this research, that thinking is ridiculous.  "Nearly two-thirds of megachurch attenders are under 45, double the numbers in Protestant congregations of all sizes. The vast majority are between 18 and 44."  That's pretty amazing when you consider the fact that the average attender age in a protestant church is 53!  Young people gravitate toward megachurches, not smaller more intimate churches.

Now, the big question is why . . . Why do younger people like their churches BIG?  Is it a quality issue (bigger means better music, more programs, facilities, speakers, etc.), an anonymity issue (it's easier to slip in and out of a megachurch without being noticed), an enthusiasm issue (bigger means the church leaders must have a compelling vision)?  It's hard to say.  

Moving

Last week, I moving out of my apartment and moving into my new home in Streamwood, IL.  I'm very excited to be in my new place.  It's great to have a home.  But I was just thinking about how taxing a move can be on a person.  This is something like my 15th move in 12 years, so I should be much more used to it, but I'm not.  

For me, I began boxing all of my possessions last Wednesday, boxed all day and continued boxing every free moment I had through Friday evening.  I picked up a 17 foot Uhaul truck early Saturday morning, began loading it around 10:30 (with the help of about 10 good friends), and finished by 1:00.  We arrived in Streamwood by 2:00 and unloaded the whole truck into my new place in alittle over an hour.  I returned the Uhaul, picked up a few odds and ends, and set up my bed in just enough time to crash on it 'til morning.  Sunday morning I picked up the Waterfront trailer to setup for church (and I totally had an awesome servant's attitude about that too :)) at about 6:45, worked and worshipped, and then dropped the trailer off by 1:00.  Then immediately, I drove back down to Aurora to finish cleaning my former apartment and box the last of my stuff.  I started cleaning around 3:30 and left about 7:30.  That's right, 7:30.

Since that time, I have unboxed, bought furnishings, constructed cheap target furnishings, moved furnishings, hooked up electronics, broken down boxes, etc., etc., etc.  And amazingly, I am still not relaxed.  The funny thing about a move is that I cannot take my mind off the move until the very last picture is hung, and the very last box is unpacked.  I'm compulsive that way.  And it's taxing . . . mentally and physically.  I'm happy to be here.  But I HATE moving.      

Jon and Kate Plus . . . Awwwwkwaaaard

I just watched the season opener of "Jon and Kate Plus 8," the TLC reality show featuring Jon and Kate Gosselin and their 8 children (a set of twins and a set of sextuplets).  I don't watch the show often, but when I do, I enjoy it.  It is just about the only reality show I can stand.  I hate the canned drama, pseudo-game shows, celebrity celebrations, and the obviously scripted realities you get on lots of other "reality" shows.  But you can't script what a 4 year old says, which makes Jon and Kate plus 8 the most refreshingly real reality show I've seen.  It shows good moments with parents and their kids, the challenges of raising multiples, and cute, tender moments between the mom and dad, Jon and Kate.  

Tonight was the first episode in their 5th season, which was really interesting because it was the first episode since the tabloid reports that Jon's been steppin' out on Kate.