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Self-Feeding (Centered?) Christianity?

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I should preface all this by saying that this post was informed and inspired by a recent segment on Issues, Etc titled The Decline of American Evangelicalism, where he interviews Dr. David Wells, author of The Courage to be Protestant.  You can listen to it here. I’m probably a little behind the times, but I’ve only in the last few months heard the term ‘self-feeding’ as it relates to christianity.   The church growth gurus, including Bill Hybels, have come to the conclusion (from their REVEAL study) that the church growth movement has been inadequate in making disciples of Christ.  Their new  ‘business plan’ in Hybels’ own words is this:

We made a mistake. What we should have done when people crossed the line of faith and became Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become ‘self feeders.’ We should have gotten people, taught people, how to read their bible between service, how to do the spiritual practices much more aggressively on their own………Our dream is that we fundamentally change the way we do church. That we take out a clean sheet of paper and we rethink all of our old assumptions.

There are several things that trouble about me these statements.  The first is the concept of ‘changing the way we do church’, as if church were a man-made institution that are we free to ‘do with’ what we will.   As Todd Wilken (Lutheran pastor and host of Issues) has frequently said, “We did not invent church, nor are we free to reinvent it”.  I guess the fundamental question then must be asked.    What is church?   Ask ten christians that question today and you are likely to get ten different answers.  But really, what is church?  What is its’ mission and purpose?  Can we make it into anything we want?   Should it be culturally relevant?  Should it be ‘marketed’?  Has it become just another casualty of modern capitalism?   Arthur Just was recently on Issues talking about true christian worship.  He reminds us that from earliest times, even in ancient Judaism,  worship was centered on teaching followed by eating (what we call Word and Sacrament).   These structures of worship continued even during the time of Jesus in the feeding of the 5000, the Last Supper, and in the Acts 2 church;

Acts 2:42  They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship,  and to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Furthermore, for nearly 2,000 years, christian worship centered around Christ, His word and His body and blood given in the Sacrament.  It has never tried to be culturally relevant…..until the last hundred years or so.  Christianity is counter-cultural.   And I don’t think we are free to decide ‘how to do church’.   It is Christ’s institution where He makes disciples through the washing of water combined with His word, in Baptism,  and where He feeds His flock with His Word and Sacrament.   That is church.   And though the specifics of how congregations do that may vary,   the essentials should be the same.   We are not permitted to start with our own clean slate and reinvent it in order to grow some super size church.  It is His church and He will grow it, if we let Him.  And I reluctantly say that what we ‘grow’ on our own, with our marketing schemes and fancy programs may not be church at all, despite what the sign says out front or how many people show up to participate.
Then there’s the concept of self-feeding.   I think I understand what he means by the term but I don’t think it gives an adequate picture of what’s happening in personal bible study.   I opened my Bible this morning and read the first seven chapters of John.  Was I self-feeding? When the shepherd leads his flock to green, fertile pastures and they begin eating, are they self-feeding?   Maybe in some basic sense of the word, but let’s not take credit for what He is doing for us in His word.  He is feeding us with Himself.   We are the recipients of His most holy mercy and grace in the forgiveness of our sins. 
And when these ‘growth-driven’ churches have all but abandoned the true preaching of God’s word and the administration of the Sacraments, is there any surprise when their own studies fail to show those methods effective in making disciples?   Christ gave us the formula Himself  when He said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded you, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
And where has He promised to be?  In John 6:51-63, he says,
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven.  Whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”  The Jews said, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”   So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you.  Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.  Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them…..The one who eats this bread will live forever.”   
When many of the disciples heard this, they said, “This teaching is difficult;  who can accept it?”

His words seem so clear.  He has given us our sustenance.   In His very Word and in His very body and blood in the Lord’s Supper.   I agree with the disciples.  This teaching is difficult and there isn’t one Sunday when I approach the rail for communion that I wonder, ‘Can this really be true’.  I can only accept it on faith.   I can only take Him at His word.  

So, as I see it,  it comes down to this.  Will we feed ourselves (through programs and self-help seminars and shwanky church growth methods) or will He feed us?   That is the question.  My attempts at ‘self-feeding’ over the past twenty years have brought nothing but despair to me, obscuring the all-availing work of Christ on my behalf.  My time spent in ‘seeker-sensitive, growth-driven’ churches left me hungering and left me wondering if there wasn’t more to christianity than I could seem to muster up on any given day.   I have been receiving regular communion and regular law/gospel sermons for almost three years now and the difference couldn’t be more stark.   I am not more spiritual now.  Not by a long shot.  But I am much more keenly aware of my sin and of my utter dependence on the nourishment that Christ gives us when He gives Himself in Word and Sacrament.   He is the very bread of life.  And when you eat of it, you shall never hunger.

Lamps are a girl’s best friend

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I’ve said it before, but I have a strict policy in my house. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES TURN ON OVERHEAD LIGHTS. My children faithfully abide by the rules ’cause if mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy’. Nothing puts me in a worse mood than someone turning on my Walmart-style flourescent light in the kitchen. So I was so happy to find out that the Nester was gonna host a party to celebrate lamps. I believe I currently have over 40 lamps or bookshelf lights in operation in my house. Lighting is everything. Next to lip gloss, lamps may be my most cherished earthly possession.

This is by far my favorite lighting project.   Once I removed the doors from my kitchen cabinets and painted them white, they needed to be shown off.  So I bought these bookshelf lights for $4.95 each at IKEA.   They are all plugged into extension cords which run behind the cabinets to plug in under the counters.  I know..I know…a little jerry-rigged ( or is it jury-rigged), but noone sees it.   And they look fabulous!

And this is my favorite lamp!  I added the starfish to him to  cultivate a little whimsy in what could have been a snobbish little  lamp.  He’s like a college professor.  Of  botany.

Then there’s the tall svelt mantel lamp.  She’s all form and very little function.   But we love her, just the same. 

……and my 2nd favorite lamp, the picture wall lamp.   She’s very matronly and can nearly light this whole room herself.  Sorry, but my lamps are definitely gendered.   I haven’t named them though.

And who couldn’t love these patriotic twins.   They work tirelessly day and night and are the only lamps that you can see from the road.   I love them.

And last but not least, the IKEA lights in my homeschool room.   

That was certainly a Lampalooza of a  good time for me.   Click here for more lamp fun!  Thank you to my friend the Nester for hosting.  I’m contemplating a ‘Painted Patio Furniture’ party in a week or two, so let me know if you’ve got old stuff you can rescue!   It doesn’t take much creativity to buy new furniture and it’s much more rewarding to rehab stuff you already have!

3 things

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This post has 3 clearly defined objectives.
1.  I wanted to make sure you saw my new button.  Isn’t she lovely?  She’s located at the bottom of the page.

lifeingrace
2.    Because it makes me feel like I’m giving an important presentation:
I wanted to use the ‘block quote’ box; which one would use for highlighting important points.  You may argue that this is not a particularly important point, but I’d beg to differ.
3.  a.   I was thinking of hosting a linky party to feature painted patio furniture.   What do you think?  Would you participate?  How much time do you need?
     b.   I fell behind on anwering emails during my sons’ graduation.   If you have a question for me, ask away.  It can be anything.  And I’ll copy Kimba and answer you here on the comments.  And if I can’t answer it here for reasons of posterity, I’ll let you know.

For example, someone ask me where I got the dress I wore to Taylor’s graduation party…….
answer:  Maurice’s about 3  years ago.
Example 2: Do you watch tv?   Not much.  I watch 24, Grey’s Anatomy and Lost.   That’s about it.  I’m not a fan of reality tv which constitutes about 90% of what’s on tv.   We’ve tried different methods for our kids—-no tv during the week, very limited tv with no set guidelines.   In general, if you ask my kids, they’ll say that ‘mom says tv turns your brain to mush’.
      c.  I haven’t added back a blogroll to my blog yet.  Do you like blogrolls?   I’m thinking of making it a separate page that you have to click to get to.   Do you prefer them on the side?   Tell me all your blogroll wisdom.  

Graduation Garden Party

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Edited to Add:  I’m excited to join Kimba’s Garden Party and welcome all you Kimba friends to my blog.  She has been such an encouragement to us all.  I’m planning to host (if Mr. Linky cooperates) a ‘Painted Patio Furniture’ Party next Monday so I hope you’ll join me.  If you don’t have any furniture to paint or don’t have time, just show us what you’re planning to do!   I’ve painted some already as you’ll see in this post, but I’m hoping to do a fun project to show you by Monday!  

Warning:  longest post known to mankind

As I sit here with puffy, tired eyes, and aching legs, I am so thankful for the wonderful celebration we had for Taylor on Saturday.  The weather was beautiful and with the help of many family and friends, I think we were able to communicate to him how special we all think he is.  My wonderful, supportive sister (and beloved Rock Band partner) spent the night with us after graduation on Friday to help me with the party.  I absolutely could not have made it through this weekend without her.  She knows that. We cried together watching Taylor’s video.  We laughed together looking through old pictures.   And she chuckled at me as she helped me hang the last ‘dropcloth’.   She kept me ‘on task’ when I needed to stop spray painting things yellow to  start making food and then when the guests arrived, she made me leave the kitchen and enjoy the party.  I love you, sis.  I thank God for you in my life.  Taylor is lucky to be loved by you.
The hardest part for me was finishing the video and having it ready to play by party time.  It was down to the wire, but we (my sister and I) finished it and even burned a few copies to share with family.  It turned out wonderful.  Thank you for your song suggestions.   I ended up using:  
1.  As long as you’re not leaving 
2.  Kite
3.  Flies on the Butter
4.  Then there’s you
5. How FAr We’ve Come
6. Say
7. Times Like These
8.  Song 42
9.  Hold On to Me      
The video was twenty minutes long and though I’d love to share it with you, I haven’t decided yet if it should be made ‘public’.  I may end up showing you parts of it.
 
The party was mostly outside, by the pool and gardens.
A few months ago, I found this table and two chairs (which are now yellow) on the curb at my neighbor Sues’ house.  I hauled ’em home and gave them new life!
Sue said they were rusting and surely ‘you can’t paint plastic’.   ‘Rust’ is no hill for a climber.  And I will at least attempt to paint anything.
The food was just perfect.  Thank you to all my friends who helped out.  And to my sister who helped me assemble all my appetizers.
These two sisters (my mom and Aunt Rosie) were like professional catering staff.  They took over the kitchen and didn’t sit down all day.  Until this moment late in the evening.  Thank you both for your tireless work.
Taylor’s great grandmother came and after watching his video and being reminded of his signature ‘cowlick’ as a child,  she inspected underneath his shaggy hair to see if it was still under there somewhere!    Too cute.
>Please pray for Andrews’ continued recovery.  After our party, he became very ill and ended up in the hospital with acute appendicitis.  The very day he was supposed to have his own party. We love you and are thinking of you Drew.
We are so thankful for our friends and neighbors.   Especially Kristi and Leigh Ann who went above and beyond the call of duty to help us.
And we are so thankful for family!  You made Taylor’s day by making the trip!
I think this is my favorite picture from the weekend.  I feel a little like Elea.  I will watch you leave with longing, with joy, and with anticipation.   “For I am confident that He who has begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Christ Jesus”.
You’re free to fly!