church » Love is the most excellent way

The right package

Communitas Collective, Writing 7 Responses »

Jun 162010

This is a copy of my latest post on the Communitas Collective blog.

When I signed up for broadband TV I thought I chose the cheapest package. Recently, I threatened to cancel because of price increases and that produced an interesting disclosure from the company. I could save $20 a month if I cut back to broadband network channels only.

I wish I’d known that in the first place since I wasn’t even watching the other channels in my package. (If you had my package you probably wouldn’t either)

Connecting and being part of a community are in my dreams. Church provides opportunities for those. It used to be the ‘right package’ because everything in it was important to me.

Now I’m looking for ‘connection and community only’ packages. I don’t have a dream church (our current theme) because all churches include things that wouldn’t be in my dream package.

The church Jesus prayed for

General updates 13 Responses »

Apr 292010

“Lord, if I thought you were listening, I’d pray for this above all: that any church set up in your name should remain poor, and powerless, and modest. That it should wield no authority except that of love. That it should never cast anyone out. That it should own no property and make no laws. That it should not condemn, but only forgive. That it should be not like a palace with marble walls and polished floors, and guards standing at the door, but like a tree with its roots deep in the soil that shelters every kind of bird and beast and gives blossom in the spring and shade in the hot sun and fruit in the season, and in time gives up its good sound wood for the carpenter; but that sheds many thousands of seeds so that new trees can grow in its place. Does the tree say to the sparrow “Get out, you don’t belong here?” Does the tree say to the hungry man “This fruit is not for you?” Does the tree test the loyalty of the beasts before it allows them into the shade?”

Part of Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before he was crucified, according to this new novel.

ChurchRater – a good idea?

Communitas Collective, Writing 2 Responses »

Feb 122010

This is a copy of my latest post on the Communitas Collective blog

I’ve been helping with churchrater.com, a website where anyone and everyone can post their rating of any church in the US.

This week ChurchRater was featured on Seattle’s King5 news and written about in the Seattle Times.

This publicity has brought more more feedback, some of it negative. Christians are worried that ChurchRater will damage the church and nothing good can come out of it.

I know you don’t all participate in church anymore, but even so, what do you think? Is ChurchRater likely to hurt or help churches?

I won’t take it personally if you don’t approve of it so fire away.