Like A Splinter in Your Mind

In the movie, The Matrix, the character Morpheus said to Neo, “You are here because you know something.  What you know, you can’t explain, but you feel it.  You’ve felt it your entire life.  There is something wrong with the world, but you don’t know what it is.  But it’s there, like a splinter in your mind.”

The Gathered and Scattered Church

The record-breaking storms this winter caused huge delays in airline flight schedules, and as a result, thousands of people were stranded in airports all over the country.  Because of the backlog of canceled flights, many airports looked like pajama parties gone awry, with people gathered everywhere — many sleeping on couches, benches, chairs, tables, and floors. 

How is Business?

It has been said, there are two, critical questions every successful CEO and business owner must answer.  First, “What is your business?”  Second, “How is business?” If we put these two questions to the Church, how would we answer them?   “What is our business?”  In other words, what is our purpose, or our reason for

Releasing the Missionary in You

Let me ask you, “What is your calling?  How many of you are members of a church?  How many are ministers in that church?  How many consider yourselves to be missionaries of that church?  Most would say they are members.   Some would say they are ministers; but only a few would say they are

The “Marginal” Church

My article last week was about what it means to be an attractional church.  This week I want to focus on what it means to be a marginal church.  The term “marginal church” refers to the fact that we no longer live in a Christian culture in the United States, and that Christianity no longer

Attractional Church?

Mammoth Cave National Park, in south central Kentucky, is one of the oldest tourist attractions in North America.  People have visited this site since 1816. I often wonder what attracts people to these places. Is it the 400 miles of underground passageways in the longest cave in the world, or the hundreds of acres of

Church: Lamppost or Lighthouse

I love the analogy Jesus applied to himself and to His followers of light shining in the darkness. Speaking to His disciples, He said, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the

Being Church Without the Building?

Recently, I ran across a story in an on-line magazine about a couple in Kyloe, Northumberland, England, who purchased an old church building and turned it into a home. The article stated, “If they had not purchased the old church, who knows what would have happened to it, as it was in very bad shape.”

Still Serving It’s Purpose?

Forty years ago, Motorola introduced the first cell phone. On April 3, 1973, Dr. Martin Cooper, a  Motorola researcher, made the first mobile telephone call from handheld equipment.  The phone used by Mr. Cooper weighed 2.5 pounds, and measured 9 inches long, 5 inches deep, and1.75 inches wide. The battery in this phone lasted 30 minutes, and it took 10

Why I Stopped Inviting People to Church

Audio Version I know this will sound strange, but I have come to the point where I have stopped inviting people to church. I should make it clear I still invite people to go with me to worship services and events where the Gospel will be presented. I continue to urge church members to bring