Cover ups and credibility

I recently had the chance to sit and talk with several life long Catholics. It was very insightful to learn about the struggles they have with their church, and the desire to live a life of faith. It seems that the idea of being obedient to the local parish and the church as a whole is on equal footing with the desire to live a life of faith in God. I have not seen that same dedication in the protestestant churches that I have worked with. I was inspired by their faith, and challenged by their questions.

At what point does the church loose the credibility to represent God to someone? The scandals in the Catholic church have impacted many of their members' view of the institution. The on going cover ups and pay offs make them feel abandoned and disilusioned. As a new preist arrives, the question is in the back (or front) of their minds "Is he leaving a bad past to come here?". These issues are very real and speak directly to the question. Has the Catholic church lost it's credibility to represent God?

You may feel like I am bashing Catholicism. That is not my intention. There are many high profile Evangelical leaders that have created similar situations in their churches. The difference is that in the Catholic church the issues are beyond the local church. So how do they go about rebuilding the trust that is vital to the ability to speak in the name of God?

It's good to be a geek

As i sit here, I am using my very cool and very small router that has become the envy of those who have seen it. Imagine going on a business trip and trying to find a convenient networking jack to plug into. Being cabled to the wall is not a great thing for many settings. With this toy, I mean, this device- I can find a convenient port and settle in wherever I need to. Very very cool.

On the technology front, I want to pass on a website that has saved me big$. The site is www.dealnews.com and they have a little bit of everything. They surf the net finding specials on memory, computers, printers, etc. I have gotten several 17" flat panel monitors for about $150 each. You cannot find that price at your local walk in box.

I had the chance today to spend time with my brother in law who works in the telecommunications industry. It is very cool to get a glimpse of the things on the horizon, and to speculate on how they can impact the effectiveness of the church.

New book (for me) Malcom Gladwell's Tipping Point. I rate it a Way Worthy Read.

Free Wireless!

While traveling recently, I fell headlong into one of those technology issues. Maybe the right word is actually no-technology issues. I have gotten very accustomed to getting email and info on my laptop or palm. I checked into a hotel that had no wireless access. I checked my case, and no luck. I had gotten off without a dial up card or cable.

I did notice that my room had a rg45 jack (network), but did not know if it worked. I took a chance and got a compact wireless router.

After plugging it in, I found that it worked! I had access to high speed internet with little to no effort. Probably the coolest thing that happened was the discovery my neighbors made. Magically- the hotel they were in now offered free high-speed wireless access!

Rethinking Seekers

This evening, I had the chance to attend a worship service at a church I have never been to before. It was a great experience. I say that in the context of making me look at how I see my world.

The church was a different denomination than mine, and one that I have been in maybe three times in my life. There was a great deal of liturgy, which was fine, but I had no idea where they were reading from. My initial thought was that they were not very seeker friendly, but the truth may be that I am not very guest minded.

When I am a guest in someone's home, I don't expect things to be the way they are in my home. I do not expect them to change their family rules and customs to meet me at my experience level. I ask where things are and when things will happen and whatever else I may need to know. I do not expect them to radically change for me.

I had to stop and think about my attitudes. I wanted to be as comfortable as possible, but those who were at the service were there because that is their church, and the patterns, liturgy, and settings are all meaningful to them. I could tell that there was genuine worship happening. The fellowship was also heartfelt. This is their church home.

It was a great service, but it didn't connect with those of us who were unfamiliar. Who had the responsibility to make the connection?

So, would a truly innovative approach to be seeker sensitive or to help our guests remember they they are our guests?

Today...

Another Sunday is coming to an end. Each week, many hours are put into the planning and preparation for our three morning worship services (soon to be four). The entire process starts again in the morning. It is amazing sometimes to think about all the work that happens every week. As I read business and corporate bio's, I marvel at the things they vision and create. Long term goals, R&D, and product launch can take years. Sometimes the effectiveness of the effort isn't measurable for months or years.
Each week, we know if we have been successful. We can see indications in the eyes, words and actions of those who attend. We see it in the tears as people come forward to pray. We hear it in the words that are spoken to us immediately after the service. We see in the the lives that change for all eternity. Sure, there are many seeds planted that don't grow for years, but for the most part, we know. There are days that I envy the straighforwardness of the business world compared to the church world.

Today is not one of those days.