Fireproof the Movie

There is a good looking movie called Fireproof that is coming out in September. It is from the same people that made Facing the Giants (as well as the crap movie Flywheel) Fireproof tackles the challenges of marriage. I am looking forward to this. I think that there are a lot of people around us that need the conversation opened up about how to invest better in a relationship. I know that I and my wife needed it a few years ago, and it sure wouldn’t hurt to take a fresh look today. I can see this being a great reason to have some group dates and then starting some much needed healing or deepening (BTW a great Missio Dei opportunity for the youth to take all the kids so that parents can go out and rediscover each other for an evening!) . Can’t you see it now, five or six couples going out, having dinner and going to a movie, then starbucks afterwards! From there, starting a journey of restoration, healing and oneness.

Not only can this be great in helping those in a marriage, but it may help young people have a better understanding of commitment before they step into things. I am working with a couple right now that seem to think they have everything figured out and can’t conceive that anything will go wrong in their soon-to-be marriage. Boy are they in store for a reality check.

I am sure that there will be more hype in the coming weeks, but in the mean time, you can at least enjoy this little teaser. Please be aware that it takes a little while to load.

 

Is Your Website Mobile

I have the Cingular 8525. One of my favorite things to do with my PDA is surf the web. I love mobile Myspace, mobile T.V. guide, mobile ESPN, and so many other sites that are created just for mobile phones. They seem to load fast, have the essentials, and don’t cause me to stare at an uploading page for hours.

I have experimented with a few mobile applications. The audio player that I posted about allows you to download MP3’s through a mobile site.

Anyway, I ran across this article. I think it points out some great things about having a mobile site. With all the kids living through their phone, and many quickly entering the adult world, we are going to need to accept this challenge and find creative ways to engage with it.

“Church Re-Imagined” by Doug Pagitt

It’s an imagi-nation.

“The time has come,” Jesus said. “The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the Good News!”

I had always understood the “Good News” as summed up in the life, death, resurrection, ascension, and promised return of Jesus. After reading this almost innocuously short passage, I started wondering. What was the Good News Jesus was referring to all those years before his death, burial, and resurrection? Could it be that the Good News Jesus talked about was less a call to believe in the things that happened to him or would happen to and through him and more an invitation into Kingdom Life?

Great book! I like that you basically walked through a week with this gathering. It wasn’t a bunch of “how to’s” but more of a “this is what we do, maybe you can shape it for you” kind of thing.  

This book basically follows the life of Solomon’s Porch. If you haven’t heard of this church, it is pretty cutting edge in the Organic Missional movement. They don’t appear to follow the traditional church pattern. There pastor, Doug Pagitt, takes you on an insider’s journey of the community. What is cool is that so much seems to revolve around “normal” life activites like meals, yoga, and community.

I have heard this guy speak at Mars Hill and have enjoyed his messages. He can be a little controversial in some cirlces. But, his holistic appraoch to faith captures me.

Doug argues that “many Christians find that their fellow congregants play no more crucial a role in their daily lives than the people they walk past in teh grocery store.” This has become more and more clear to me in the past few months. I believe that it was out of this longing for a deeper community that SP gots its mission. From it they were set on the path of “becoming people who are concerned with more than our own salvataion – people bent on practicing a Christian faith that is useful in the world.”

 

All in all, this journey through the week in the life of SP was pretty unique. I liked how Doug summed up their activities:

“Instead of having a special place unlike any other where we try to make the things of God seem normal, we have tried to create a normal place that gives us permission to dicuss the unique things of God.”

The journey through the week takes you through each day

Sunday – Worship

Monday – Physicality

Tuesday – Dialouge

Wednesday – Hospitality

thursday – Belief

Friday – Creativity

Saturday – Service

and then back again

If you want a great view of a more organic appraoch to churching together, this will provide some great insight.