Church

Many times we find ourselves in the space between now and the not yet. It is the place in life where we may feel like we're in a holding pattern -- circling around, waiting for directions for directions to land or to be given the green light to takeoff.We often feel like the formative moments in life require action ... we must do something, tackle something, gain something, or give up something. Perhaps there is just as great formation in the still moments, when no action is required or expected. When taking action may be the least prudent of all decisions.Often God uses this space between the now and the not yet to shape and mold us in ways that endless action would never allow for. It may be that he is forming us in the interim for greater challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

I'm within a few pages of finishing The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. It's a book I vaguely remember hearing about a while back but not pursuing until I saw it referenced in a book by Phil Vischer. I finally picked up a copy this past Saturday at Borders and haven't been able to put it down. It's about how social epidemics spread -- and it's fascinating.He talks about the three types of people who help create and spread social epidemics -- connectors, mavens, and salespeople. A connector is someone who is well-connected. The maven is an information gatherer and disseminator. The salespeople is a persuader. These three are what he calls the Law of the Few ... that it only takes a few people to create a wave of change.He also discusses principles of stickiness -- what enables one message or product or trend to stick while others don't?…

As I was driving along in my car this past week, I heard an interesting statistic: between now and Super Bowl Sunday (February 4) an estimated 2.5 million people will buy an HDTV just for the game. That’s up from 1.7 million who did so last year during the same time frame (link).While I enjoy football, that statistic just cracks me up. I can almost hear the conversations as a couple drives past Best Buy ... “Honey, I was thinking that we needed a new 72-inch high definition TV so that you would enjoy the Gilmore Girls that much more.”I must admit that the new HDTV’s are a fine sight to behold ...larger, clearer, more realistic. But there’s one thing they are not able to do — they can’t put you in the game. While it definitely improves your experience, it’s not the same as being there.We are a people…

A few weeks ago I posted about reading "Letters to a Young Evangelical" by Tony Campolo. That one has been finished and passed on to a friend. I'm currently working on two books concurrently. The first is The Gospel According to Starbucks: Living with a Grande Passion by Leonard Sweet. It's an interesting read about how Starbucks creates an environment and how God calls us to live lives of passion.The second book is called Me, Myself, and Bob: A True Story About God, Dreams, and Talking Vegetables. It is the autobiography of Phil Vischer, the guy who created VeggieTales. I'm only about half-way through but it's a good read. Of course, it helps if you are a parent of a child who grew up on Bob and Larry.

A Few Phrases You Probably Will Never Hear at LifePoint ...“Way to go, Patriots.”“God prefers you to drink decaf coffee.”“Did you hear Pastor Ken got a tattoo?”“The Old Testament is way too long.”“I think we’ll go for a punk emo sound.”“Tuck your shirt in.”“God helps those who help themselves.”“Bingo!”