faithrunner

Sally Morgenthaler is known for her book and concept of “ Worship Evangelism .” She has begun to re-think that idea…radical stuff. Here’s an excerpt from a recent article to get you going. “In 2000 I didn't have all of the numbers I have now, but I had seen enough to know what was happening. The contemporary church—including the praise-and-worship church, the worship evangelism church—was in a holy huddle, and I began to talk about it. It was excruciating. It was career suicide. But from pastors conferences to worship seminars to seminaries, I began challenging leaders to give up their mythologies about how they were reaching the unchurched on Sunday morning . Yes, worship openly and unapologetically . Yes, worship well and deeply. (Which means singing songs that may include anger, sadness, and despair. Have we forgotten that David did this? Have we discarded the psalms?) But let our deepened, honest worship be the overflow of what God does through us beyond our walls .” Th...

Kim and I are in Austin this weekend to perform the wedding of Ryan Shipley and Cate Johnson . Ryan's mother and step-father are Bobbie and Doug Otto, and have been family friends for a long time. Weddings of family friends are some of the greatest joys of being a pastor. Pray for Ryan and Cate as they begin this life-long journey together this evening. The rehearsal dinner was at Chez - Zee . Go there is you have a chance! Awesome food and a fun place to eat. Thank you Doug and Bobbie for a wonderful meal and meaningful experience. We worshiped with my nephew and Kim's best friend (and their friends and family and about 1500 others) this morning at Austin Stone Community Church . This church is doing the deal, and the next generation is participating with passion and great numbers. They do the basics well: worship, small groups, training, and making disciples. Chris Tomlin leads worship there regularly. He was not there today, but the worship was passionate and Matt Carter,...

Saturday, August 25, we rode in this year's version of Hotter 'n Hell 100 bike ride . The conditions were better than last year, but it still lived up to its name. Here are the sleeping quarters at the Wichita Falls YMCA . That's Jim Craig in the suite next to me, and Frank and Beth Usnick are to my other side. Yes, that is plaster coming off the back wall of the racket ball court where we stayed. Over 400 of the 11,000 plus riders slept in every flat spot there. It's all part of the experience! The quote of the night was another guy in the room who said, "All I know is that my friend told me not to worry. He got me a room at the Y." Hey, it was $12 bucks! This is the gang at the spaghetti dinner the night before the big ride. Frank and Beth are closest to John Huber and his camera, them Tim Parker and me, Jim Craig and Keith and Bridget Giddens and their children are at the far end. I don't know all the others. Daniel, Ray and Shasta who ride with us ...

Wednesday, August 29, has been set aside as a day of prayer and fasting for the 40 Days of Community which begins September 9 . Patsy Weinberg, a member of our 40Days leadership team, shared this information with me. It provides everything you need to know to join us Wednesday. If you have questions, comment or email Patsy or me. 1) Here’s a link to Bill Bright’s website , and it has all kinds of practical stuff: It’s LONG--pages and pages and pages. And most of it deals with 7-40 day fasts, but it’s a good starting point. 2) Here are some practical things I found on a web site that agree with what I’ ve always been taught (my edited version is below) Prepare yourself physically . Fasting can actually be a cleansing opportunity for the body, but you don't want to make yourself sick. Eat a good meal prior to beginning your fast. Don't gorge yourself, but don't go into it on nothing but a snack-size meal. Avoid caffeine and any stimulants Prepare yourself ...

I taught my first class for Dallas Baptist University last night at their North Campus . I am teaching the Biblical Servant Leadership course , which is a core class for the Master level degrees in the Graduate School of Leadership . There are eight students in the class, working for degrees like the Masters in Global Leadership and Masters of Arts in Christian Education . The students come from varied ministry and vocational backgrounds, and they all have already made a contribution to the class. The diversity and multiple ministry applications will make for a very invigorating experience. We are using my book, Jesus On Leadership , and Peter Northouse's Leadership Theory and Practice . If you would like the full bibliography for the class, let me know and I'll email it to you. I am looking forward to the 16-week journey of learning together. At Legacy , we are gearing up for 40 Days of Community . I am really excited about what this season of spiritual renewal will do for u...

I've been back in ministry for a week now. Kim asked me after my first day back how it felt, and I answered, "it was typical." She said, "Typical! What does that mean?" I answered that typical meant it was just as it had been, phone calls, message prep, planning, seeing God at work in people's lives. You know, typical. I think while I like the adventure and the break from routine of holiday, I prefer typical . As I wrote before, that is where God shows up in the most practical and life-sustaining ways. This week Marcus and Lisa Lloyd joined our staff to lead our children's ministries and influence our commitment to the arts as a means to worship and experience God. I am very excited about what they bring to the team. I'm enjoying teaching the Sermon on the Mount. Check it out at the newly-updated Legacy Church message page . Also, Kenyon and Troy were excellent in my absence. Check out their messages, too, if you missed them. Fact: Barry Bonds has...

I return to the routine of ministry tomorrow. I've been out of these habits since 21 June, and I'm a bit anxious about returning to the office tomorrow. It's not that I don't like the people or the job or that I fear the future, but I am nervous about how to find God in the ordinary after experiencing Him in so many exotic places and events. It's easy to find God hiking on a rock face at 11,000 feet above sea level or walking beside a snow-melt filled stream rushing down a mountain side. It's not so easy to find God on the concrete, SUV-crowded streets and florescent lighted halls of my suburban life. After six weeks of the extra-ordinary I will commit again to the mundane, the daily grind, the live-where-you-are-planted life. For those addicted to adrenaline like I am at times, I will turn again to trust my Mentor and Leader who ultimately changed the hearts of generations while staying within 200 miles of his hometown. I live in an experience-enhanced existen...