TED HAGGARD, president of the NAE and pastor of the 11,000-member New Life Church in Colorado Springs is considering a run for Congress. While I appreciate his willingness to serve and think that he should do so if he senses that God is calling him to do it, I can't imagine giving up pastoral ministry for political office. Pastoral ministry is way too interesting and the rhythm is way too engaging to easily set aside -- even for something as high profile as Congress.
NPR STORY on megachurches which are using technology to branch out. Includes audio link. Link
One Willow Creek Community Church pastor explains, "It's our desire to be a local neighborhood church again..."
That is an interesting spin on the phenomena.
ON A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT wave-length are the folks in the "emerging" church movement -- featured in a Philadelphia Inquirer article.
RESPECTED LUTHERAN THEOLOGIAN Carl Braaten sent a letter to to ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson, complaining that they have become "just another liberal Protestant denomination." This is the warm-up for the ELCA debate on homosexuality at their Churchwide Assembly in Orlando, Florida this week.
TWO TEENS performed a c-section on a dead cat and saved one of her unborn kittens. I want to know how they knew what to do. I certainly wouldn't. This is one reason I'm optimistic about the future. Link
IT'S IMPORTANT to go to funerals. Link
ENERGY EFFICIENT suburban housing. Link
4 comments:
"It's our desire to be a local neighborhood church again..."
that's a ridiculous thing to say. i can guess what he's trying to say, the kind of dynamic they're after, but WCCC can never be a local neighborhood church again.
I found the Baptist church pastor's comments interesting and something I had not heard in discussions of these types of churches. (I haven't engaged in too many of them, though)
It was interesting that my 15-year-old daughter traveled to Chicago recently on an inner city mission trip. But part of the trip included attending the Sunday morning service at Willow Creek. She said she enjoyed it but volunteered that "I don't know if it was really a worship service. It was more like a show." I couldn't believe my daughter, with whom I had never discussed WC would say that.
I was thinking about that again as I read the church's announcements, which said: Tonight at New Community, their pastor, Robert Guerrero, takes our stage as guest teacher.
The use of "stage" was especially interesting given Rachel's comments.
I am not a Willow Creek basher. The church is far from perfect, but which one isn't. They do some things well and others not. I appreciate their willingness to try new things, even if I don't always agree with them.
Brad,
Willow's new model is one of the most exciting and important developments at Willow in 10 years. One of my close friends is at the heart of this, and this new approach is "missional" (as used in Emerging movement) and it is genuinely local.
Bill Hybels wants to see Willow become more evangelistic. Good thing, I'd say.
Scot wrote: "Willow's new model is one of the most exciting and important developments at Willow in 10 years. One of my close friends is at the heart of this, and this new approach is "missional" (as used in Emerging movement) and it is genuinely local."
I have no doubt that WC's approach is missional. They can be good at that. (I'm not anti-WC either) However, in my mind a neighborhood church involves a neighborhood pastor -- present there in the flesh -- experiencing the life of the community. The same person proclaiming the Word and serving the sacraments.
With this video sermon stuff we're inching too close to a disembodied gnostic style religion. "The Word became flesh and set up his tent among us." Pastoral presence shouldn't be anything less.
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