"Jesus Camp", a must see

This past weekend I went on a retreat with my father, brother-in-law, my dear friend and his father. During our time together in a worn down cabin which will cause the strongest sinus's to crumble under the weight of the allergenic in the air.

After a time of reflection, reading and prayer we watched the movie "Jesus Camp". During the wonderfully directed and filmed movie, the unveiling of a Christian perspective takes place. For me the context portrayed was all to familure. I was raised in a religious environment which promoted the charismatic movement in a fundamentalist context. It was clear to me that the “end was near” and we were the ones getting it.

As I watched the film which beckoned back to my upbringing, I was overwhelmed with the sense of what has formed my theological views, and how I see the church today.

I recommend this movie to anyone living in the North American contest who wants to ask the questions of how we move forward in relationships with the diversity of religions which promote a definitive reality of how to experience God through the Spirit. Please watch this movie in the community you are placed in and begin to ask questions about why we believe what we believe?

hope

There is hope

I can see it in your face

The way your smile catches the eyes of an on looker

The way your eyes open up to the sound of silence

And your ears hear possibilities in all things true

There is hope

For those who are restless

The people who can not seem to get a break

The ones who lie awake at night wondering;

What if I would have done that differently?

Where would I be now?

There is hope

I can see it in your eyes

The reality that there is something more to this…

You can not put into to words what you feel,

But you know it is real

There is hope in this space.

Please respond with your hope…

A few suggestions for the church

Embrace change. Like the companies in “Surfing the Edge of Chaos,” who sought to maintain an equilibrium during the 80’s, what happened to them is a decline during the chaotic shift in business which took place largely because of the internet and its ability to use chaos to create commerce.

Level the hierarchal structure. Function as an ecclesia, or a gathering of people based on the model of Jesus, and his teachings on mission as the Kingdom. He was this incarnation of the Kingdom of God, ushering in the reign of God we can all participate in. The church was founded out of the need to create order out of chaos, the need to get the Christian story straight. By the time of the enlightenment the church had seen its fair share of bloodshed and the control had all but left the hands of the people. Is it the role of the church to dictate morality and ethics through politics and personal reign?

Create Chaos and watch for the patterns to emerge. There is a need for churches to begin to bring their congregations into chaos, so that the need for direction from the Spirit can come. The church has fallen off mission it was founded on. The transformation of the world through Christ Bride has all but ceased in the Western world. Utilize Chaordic Leadership as you move out of Chaos into order. (Google chaordic, the experts will do a better job explaining it than I will)

Give the power back to the people. God obviously created us with the ability to change, adapt, growth, create, evolve and we sit a top our ivory castles of beliefs not willing to adapt to the context in which we now live. There is one thing that happens to a species which refuses to change, when the climate or environment changes, it dies or it leaves the area.