Unprotected Church

I'm convinced that most Christians in America are scared to death of unprotected church and that what North American churches have evolved into are nothing more than one big giant condom of protection so we can have safe church. We are so worried about sin tainted distractions that we have put up barriers between the church and the world to make sure we safely satisfy ourselves. And boy, are we satisfied.

We are so afraid of infection that we insist on having our own everything so that we can be in control. We won't join the community soup kitchen (unless of course it is run by a church) so we start our own. We won't join the community athletic leagues so we start our own. We won't send our kids to public schools so we start our own. We won't set foot in a bar so we start our own and call it a cafe, with no alcohol of course. We love safe church.

In the middle of all this we still talk about casting seed and hoping that some of it will land on fertile ground. Just so you know, those barriers work both ways.

Unprotected church, on the other hand, is wild and risky. You can end up battered, bruised, spat on, kicked around and betrayed not only by the world but even by those who you thought were your friends. It could kill you. Demographics are only used to find sinners so that you can live with them, not so you can avoid them. You don't root yourself to one location, you hit the streets. It is just not safe. But it is the only way you'll be able to plant a seed.

Brain Overload

How do you present ideas when you speak in public? We've heard for a long time that we should try to engage as many of the senses as possible for maximum impact. Taking cue's from the marketing world I'm careful how I use graphics when I speak. I try not to show text that I'm going to speak and I try to use pictures as much as possible.

Have you ever been frustrated by new research regarding the health of your favorite food? One day it is good for you, the next day it's killing you. You wish they would make up their minds. (I once found a huge book listing the benefits of my all time favorite drink, coffee. I went around telling people how good it it for you. Never mind that the book was written in 1920 something.) I'm beginning to feel the same way about communication.

Now as I read about cognitive load theory I'm beginning to think I'm overloading people when I speak. It seems it is good that I try not to show text on the wall while I read it but I think I may be over doing it all the same. They say that having people follow along in their Bibles while I read the text isn't a good idea either. I know more than a few people who will be thrilled with that. I guess the KISS principle is here to stay. At least until tomorrow.

Most at Home

I've blogged on and off for several years and I have been involved in a few forums over that time too. I also follow several blogs and occasionally post a comment or two. In all of this I've noticed a rather fluttering feeling in the old stomach whenever it is time to push the "publish," "submit," "post" or whatever button is required to send my dribbled notes out into the world.

I suppose the feeling comes from my insecurities about being accepted by others in the world. I admit that often I couldn't care less but sometimes I really do. Every now and then I'll experience pangs of regret just seconds after I've pushed the button thinking that I've just hurt someone or will be hurt by someone else. This is why I will never be a prolific contributor.

I find the place where I feel most at home on the web rather odd. It is a forum based on a sports team and other than being a fan of a poor excuse of a professional football team I doubt I have much in common with any one else on the board. But it is there that I feel most at home and where I post most often. My opinions have been crucified there too, on occasion, but it happens to everyone and so it doesn't seem to sting as much.

We have mysteriously been able to create a sense of belonging on that board. We argue like siblings but for some reason we care about each other too. Out of the murk of profanity laced sports banter there often emerges sincere requests for prayer as a fellow poster undergoes cancer treatment, another's relative recovers from a car accident, and yet another deals with the death of a parent. People are missed when they stop posting because we are friends even though most of us have never met in person and probably never will.

I feel at home there because I feel like I belong. My fellow posters may disagree with my opinions but they treat me with kindness and respect at the end of the day. I always know they will welcome me back tomorrow. I wish most of the Christian forums I've been on were like that. I've been on a few good ones but I try to stay away from most of them. Most non-Christian forums can be pretty rough too. I'm glad I've found a home.

The Ugly Feet

If you look at a good copy of Holbein's version of the Last Supper you can get a good look at all the feet under the table. After staring at the picture for quite awhile I came to the conclusion that the feet are very ugly. Jesus' are the worst. Odd thing to have in a painting isn't it?

I imagine that feet where pretty disgusting in Jesus' day. They must have taken a lot of abuse, a lot of wear and tear. Cracked, scaly, deformed, gunky feet. To make matters worse Holbein seems, at least to me, to have made them a little larger than they should be. They aren't troll sized but they are close.

When I lived in Africa I used to see some ugly feet. Such was the result for men who toiled hard, on rough ground, with bared feet. Their feet were hard, calloused and deformed. Some had "used" their feet so much that they were flattened and the edges looked like the rubber skirt protruding from the side of a hovercraft.

I've never been totally at ease with my own feet. There is nothing weird about them though they do bare the marks of years of playing soccer. I have just always shied away from things as revealing as a foot washing service, say. I think I've only been involved in two in all my life. I guess I've never bought into the idea that one should put his best foot forward. Shake hands, I say, and leave it at that.

So why does Holbein go into detail with the feet? Why didn't he leave them in the shadows like Da Vinci and spare us the details? I don't know but I can offer two possibilities. Maybe he was trying to capture the "nothing to look upon" aspect of Jesus. If so I applaud the effort though I would have to say Jesus looks pretty good everywhere else in the painting.

He could also be trying to emphasize the sacrifice of a servant. Looking at all those feet under the table is rather unappealing. It would be hard for me to find any joy in the task of giving them a scrub. I would dread it and maybe that is the point.

Save the Earth, Get Rid of Your Mac

How many times have we heard a watchdog group rate companies only to hear said companies whine about being treated unfairly and "disagree with the report." What is shocking about a Greenpeace report is that the highest rated electronics firm in environmental friendliness is the Chinese company Lenovo who makes what we all knew as IBM Thinkpads. I think a lot of people perceive countries like China as places where companies can make a profit by not being environmentally friendly. Interesting that they come out on top in this case.

Just as surprising is Apple coming in last. Oh sure, they give their reasons but haven't we all heard that song and dance before? So save the earth and get rid of your Mac! At least one good about this is that I'm sure Steve Jobs has an army of marketing people working on a presentation for damage control even as I write this. Should be pretty cool as are most of his presentations.

I should also mention that I'm sure there are thousands of Mac users in Starbucks cafes around the world pounding out theories about incidental environmental damage caused by frustrated pc users. Many Mac users I know aren't aware that there are many pc users like me who rarely have a problem with their computers.