10 Reason I Don't Read Your Blog. I thought this was a pretty helpful read for those interested not only in blogging, but having people read their blogs as well.
Vision statements for churches. The benefits and pitfalls (mostly). Somehow the Church managed to survive a couple millennia without this little addition from corporate America. I don't mind sitting down and planning wisely for the future; the Sage admonishes us to go to the ant and who can deny that the godly woman of Proverbs 31 is looking down the road? However, it is dependence upon a vision statement and using it as a measurement of success or failure that is disconcerting.
Ligonier interviews Sinclair Ferguson. Their blog is off to a rousing start.
Londonistan. This reminds me of an actual conversation I read about somewhere on the web this weekend: A Londoner is traveling in the States and hops in a cab in NYC. The cabbie notices his accent and asks where home is. After hearing the Brit respond, "London," the quick-witted driver asks, "Shia or Sunni?"
Mass murderer in Jerusalem is declared a "holy martyr" by the Palestinian Authority.
I was tracking down links to my blog this weekend and noticed someone had used a bit of commentary I had written on Proverbs 26:4-5 on another blog, only the entry was in a foreign language. After a super quick perusal of the entry I said something about not being able to read French, but happy they could use my stuff and posted the comment. After I posted the comment I took a closer look at the language and noticed it was definitely not French, and after a little more research realized it was Romanian. Needless to say, the dumb American has once again embarrassed himself and they no doubt are having some fun at my expense...only I can't understand it. Anybody read Romanian?
And what will replace the SR-71 Blackbird? Maybe this.
I just happen to know someone from Romainia!
A gal I used to work with. I can send her a message if you'd like.
Posted by: AndyB | March 10, 2008 at 12:36 PM
Get out!! I really would like to know the gist of their conversation, if it is not too much trouble. Your call, Andy.
Posted by: jon | March 10, 2008 at 12:46 PM
Hi Jon
I have a snarky post waiting in my drafts folder called "a pox on mission statements". I am not sure if I will ever publish it, but I think the trendy pastoral methodologies derived from the corporate world are worse than useless. Where is the Spirit in all of this?
Regards,
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3
Posted by: Donald Johnson | March 10, 2008 at 12:46 PM
I've established communications with the Romainian contact. You will be notified shortly of the results of the intelligence operation.
Posted by: AndyB | March 10, 2008 at 01:14 PM
Oh no! The Romanian contact's ability to speak Romanian has been compromised!
In her own words:
We are from Moldova which was part of Romania and then became part of Soviet Union. Moldova and Romania have the same language. So you could expect me to know it. But since Moldova was part of the Empire everybody used Russian there.
They were assimilated!
Posted by: AndyB | March 10, 2008 at 01:46 PM
LOL--that's too funny! Oh well, we tried. Thanks, Andy.
Posted by: jon | March 10, 2008 at 01:50 PM
RE: Rick Phillips' article on strategic planning, it seems that he is trying to strike a balance (neither wholesale embracing nor throwing out the baby).
But isn't this true for nearly any aspect of church life? Too much emphasis on the preaching could cause neglect of personal pastoral care. Too much work on theological documents and position papers could weaken the weekly feeding of the flock. Too much emphasis on one doctrine could introduce its own converse error. Or too much (uncritical) study of one particular author could yield an unhealthy, unbalanced diet.
So, as with all aspects of church life, "Let's eat the fish and spit out the bones."
Strategic planning (or church schedule or weekly bulletins or committee meetings or technological gizmos or whatever) can be excellent "servants." But they make terrible "masters."
Posted by: Champ | March 10, 2008 at 02:09 PM
"Balance"--what a cursed word! Just kiddin, Champ, and yes, of course, hence my last sentence in the post and the italicized word. As one reads the typical church planting stuff out there, in the main, it appears the scales have shifted toward strategery.
Posted by: jon | March 10, 2008 at 02:19 PM
hold on, so we're eating fish, spitting bones, and shifting the scales?
what do y'all propose we do with the fins?
(does AndyB have any friends in Finland?)
Posted by: pgepps | March 11, 2008 at 08:19 PM
Peter,
At least Personal Trainer is going out in style, eh?
Posted by: jon | March 11, 2008 at 11:29 PM