Church Voices

So this new book came out called Pagan Christianity and its getting some people upset. So here’s a podcast where Tim Reed podcasts from his basement in Owosso and Brant answers his phone somewhere in Florida and we talk about it.

I am watching Clifford with my 3 year old and it struck me how relevant the lesson being taught in the show was to church work.  I suppose that many problems we have in the church could be fixed if we were humble and mature enough to admit our immaturity and relearn our Kindergarten lessons.

This particular episode had Emily Elizabeth (Clifford’s owner) and some friends putting on a play for their neighborhood.  One of the friends was the director and began to tell everybody (including the dog stage hands) how to do it “right.”  One of the children was offended and gave up his role in the play because the director seemed to think she could do it better.  Eventually the director took over every job because she could do it better.  She proceeded to practice through the play (enjoying it I might add) until she crashed (literally).  She realized how she hurt her friends and asked them back promising not to interfere.

I’m a perfectionist.  Sort of.  If there is something that I think should be done a particular way (i.e. the right way) then I am inclined to say something and/or take over.  This is not healthy and is not conducive to good friendships.  I’ve had to learn the hard way to not intrude on the work and service of others in the church.  Granted, there are times when something needs to be said or done (not everybody is gifted or skilled in every way).  But for me, it’s usually not being done the way I would do it, and so that would be why I speak up.  I have found that more gets accomplished for the Kingdom of God when I don’t interfere and micromanage the ministries of my brothers and sisters.

Maybe you’ll find God teaching you something valuable in strange places. 

Podcasting somewhere deep in the bowels of Owosso Church of Christ, Tim Reed, Chris Lyons and Christian Penrod discuss the role of certainty in Christianity.

Recently, here in Owosso, a small church with a highly visible sign posted several verses condemning homosexual activity during the Xmas season. This caused quite a stir of controversy with various articles being written and letters to the editor being furiously pounded out. The battle lines were drawn along the usual lines, each side hurling their various invectives and preparing their defenses. The problem being that as I looked around both sides appeared to be wrong.

Here’s the thing, I believe the scriptures condemn homosexual activity. But I also believe that using the scriptures to put a thumb to the eye of people in your community is also condemned by the scriptures.

1Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Ephesians5:1-2

God became flesh, had that flesh ripped from his body, and took both the punishment the wrath of God demanded for us. And in this verse we’re commanded to live a life comparable to that. Sorry, but I don’t think posting verses about the sin of others during a time usually set aside to celebrate the beginning of Jesus’ life and the reconciliation of humanity to God has much to do with each other.

There’s a lot going through my mind right now, and there’s a lot going on under the surface of all this. I’m afraid I’m not doing a very good job of communicating it. But, let me just say that right now I’m feeling profoundly disillusioned with the church in the United States. I have friends that used to tell me how the church was filled with unloving, cold people who couldn’t forgive the smallest of sins. I used to think because of my personal experiences with my churches that this was the exception

But now, due to this recent dust up in our small town, and some recent personal experiences with Christians I think that perhaps God has simply blessed me with churches that know how to look like Jesus (on a sidenote, thank you Northern Hills Christian Church, Xenos Fellowship, Owosso Church of Christ, and individually Steve and Judy Walker, and Denny and Joann Risley for showing me what Jesus looks like).

If this is true, with cold hearts and unmerciful Christians being the majority expect to see the Church in the US whither up and blow away.

Podcasting from his basement in Owosso Michigan, Tim Reed talks to Nathan Neighbour about what makes Mosaic church in LA successful.

Joe Martino asks the question:

So if Tim Reed, Owosso Mi is sitting in his office surfing the net and one of the three churches in town produces a video about God loving people, is it Tim’s place to put up a hit piece about the failings of that video?

So the question becomes, at what point do Christians who have no connection with a church get to stand in judgment over that church?

When I first moved to Owosso I didn’t realize some of the more subtle differences between here and my hometown. I come from a tradition that believes in the priesthood of all believers and so we generally try to strip all titles out when referring to clergy so I started out correcting everyone who wasn’t a member of my congregation (as they had the hang of it already) by asking to just call me Tim. Well, one day I was talking with a funeral director on the phone and he called me Pastor Reed about 12 times in a few minutes. Here’s our actual conversation afterwards:

Me: Could you please just call me Tim?
Him: You got it Pastor Tim.

At that point I gave up. I think at this point if someone called me the Reverend Pastor Priest Pope Reed I’d probably not even notice.

Tim Reed of Owosso Church of Christ interviews Noel Heikkinen of Riverview Church about the way his church works.. Check it out.

Want to revitalize a church? Have some advice:

This principle was confirmed in a huge way in our study of Comeback Churches. According to Comeback leaders, the key to making a comeback was this - “renewed belief in Jesus Christ and the mission of the church.” That was the highest-rated single item in the study. How simple and basic is that!?

live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Ephesians 5.2

Today my tire blew out on the way to church. One of my elders came, got me, after church returned me to my car, and put my spare on for me while I stood around.

That, friends, is a life of love.