mayo-moyle

Author: mike

  • this week’s round-up (august 15)

       Dancers protest church – seems like it should be a story from the Onion, sadly it’s not. Todd Rhoades has some great thoughts, and pretty much puts into words what I’d been thinking since I first heard about the story. To summarize the story: for the past few years a congregation in Ohio has been staging protests every weekend in front of a local strip club, which included taking photos of the license plates of the club’s patrons and posting the info on the web. This past weekend the strip club fought back by having some of the dancers plant themselves in front of the church, grilling burgers and holding signs like “Matthew 7:15: Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing.”
       There are big issues surrounding the sex industry in this country, so I’m sympathetic to a congregation that is trying to do something about it, but at the same time, I can’t help but be amused at the dancer’s creative response.
       As I’ve been thinking about “what would I do if I found strippers on the front lawn on a Sunday morning”? I’d like to think that in my very best moments (after my initial panic) I’d announce that we’ll be having worship outside this morning with these ladies who have joined us, gotten some more hotdogs and hamburgers and turned the whole thing into a party. As I noted on facebook, “Somewhere along the line we’ve become allied with the Pharisees, instead of spending time with (as opposed to protesting) the people Jesus hung out with, AND we’ve forgotten that one of the key images Jesus uses again and again for the kingdom is that of a party! Sometimes we need to take a moral stand on issues, but maybe instead of a protest, we should offer a better party.”
       (Or you could try this).

    At EmergingUMC, Matt Kelly takes a slight tangent off the recent article about clergy health, and asks the question, who is responsible for fostering an environment of unhealthy expectations around church. Eugene Cho also offers his take on “Death By Ministry.” (In another tangent, one way to help foster personal happiness is to use your “extra” income towards memorial experiences rather than more stuff).

    Fred Clark looks to sewers and storm drains as a possible answer to the current economic problems.

    Seth Godin on “The Incredible Power of Slow Change.”

    Lifehacker suggests a list of foods that are cheaper to grow than buy. (I especially found the comments to be fascinating as one commentators suggest things like kiwi and shrimp (raised in a kiddie pool in the basement!?!) might also fall into this category).

    The Most Beautiful Churches in America

    Double-rainbow action in this week’s Fox Trot.

  • dis at cvs (i’m old and uncool)

    So Friday night I stop in to the local CVS because I needed to grab and gallon of milk and was too lazy to go to the grocery store; to provide some context, his CVS is across the street from DTE Music Theatre. Here’s the conversation that unfolded as I made my purchase:

    CVS guy: Hey, how’s it going?
    Me: Not bad.
    CVS guy: Do you know who’s playing across the street tonight?
    Me: Yeah, I think it’s like Rob Zombie and Korn.
    CVS girl standing nearby who overhears our conversation: ARE YOU GOING??!!
    CVS guy (answering before I can get a word in): No, this DOESN’T look like the kind of guy who would go to THAT SHOW!!
    Me (now mildly offended by the judgement): No, I’m not going, but back in the day I did work at a hard rock station and played stuff like Metallica and Tool.

    I saved the two the 20 minute lecture how I was listening to bands like White Zombie while they were still in diapers, met members from The Melvins and Fishbone, and have far more “rocker cred” than my appearance would suggest. But then I also remembered how I never looked liked rock guy, even back when I was a DJ and making frequent visits to Gabe’s during college, and today I would be that creepy old dood if I did make it to a show.

    I can admit it – I’m old, I’m not cool (and never really have been), and I’m okay with that… and really even back then I didn’t have much interest in bands like Rob Zombie and Korn, but I still have enjoy a good rock song. (And yeah, since I’m old, I’ve got to go old school) –

  • this week’s round-up (august 8)

    Playing catch-up from the past couple weeks, but here’s a few things that have caught my eye:

    This video is well worth your time – “A Thousand Questions” (via Jeremy Smith)

    From Cornel West:

    “We have a market-driven society so obsessed with buying and selling and obsessed with power and pleasure and property, it doesn’t leave a whole lot of time for non-market values and non-market activity so that love and trust and justice, concern for the poor, that’s being pushed to the margins, and you can see it.

    You can see it in terms of the obsession on Wall Street with not just profits but greed, more profit, more profit. You see it in our television culture that’s obsessed with superficial spectacle. You see it even in our educational systems, where the market model becomes central. It’s a matter of just gaining a skill or gaining access to a job to live in some vanilla suburb, as opposed to becoming a critical citizen concerned with public interest and common good.

    It’s a spiritual malnutrition tied to a moral constipation, where people have a sense of what’s right and what’s good. It’s just stuck, and they can’t get it out because there’s too much greed. There’s too much obsession with reputation and addiction to narrow conceptions of success.

    And when I talk about love, I’m talking about something that’s great, though, brother. I’m talking about something that will sustain you. It’s like an Aretha Franklin song, brother, or a Coltrane solo or Beethoven symphony, something that grabs you to the gut and gives you a sense of what it is to be human.

    That’s what we’re more and more lacking, and it’s very sad. It’s a sign of a decline of an empire, my brother.” (via Mike Todd)

    I love that line “It’s a spiritual malnutrition tied to a moral constipation” – don’t know how I’d ever work it into a sermon (or a poem), but it’s certainly an image that gets the point across. That quote also intersects with part of what I’ve been reading in Seth Godin’s latest book which talks about how that “market” undermines “art” and “community” – rather than delve into it right now, I’ll try to pick up more on that theme later. (Actually I have this idea of doing a Linchpin for pastors/churches series of blog posts that aim to apply the lessons of his book to the context of ministry; I don’t know if it will see the light of day, but it might).

    7 Reasons Leaders Quit Your Organization

    Scot McKnight points to an article on the erosion of the middle class. Also via McKnight’s blog this entertaining little cartoon on Twitter disciples.

    Among my circle of friends and colleagues the NY Times article on clergy burnout has been receiving (needed) attention this week. NPR’s Talk of the Nation also provides a discussion of it as well:

    Insightful, short article in Leading Ideas – The Promise and Peril of Conflict by David Brubaker.

    Fred Clark on why every AG in the country should be suing the credit rating agencies. Also check out this post which is a letter written by a former slave to his former slave owner; as Fred says, “The letter provides a valuable glimpse into the atrocious reality of our history, but it should also be studied and relished as one of the all time great examples of the cheerful and elaborately polite ‘Screw you.’“

    Donald Miller put this song by Andrew Peterson up on his blog a couple weeks ago; its a lovely little song about life and marriage:

    That does it for this week. I think I will probably be moving to a Sunday posting schedule, for the handful for people who actually follow this little thing.

  • this week’s round-up (july 23-ish)

    I don’t think the round-up is going to move to a Sunday evening publishing schedule (I’ve been trying to keep it on Fridays), but it might end up making that jump. It’s a short list of links this week, and nothing is really hitting me musically at the moment, but here you go:

    Tim Stevens on Reimagining Church.

    Carol Howard Merritt on What Causes Pastors to Burnout? (Thanks to Jeremy Peters for the link to this one!).

    Doug Pagitt posted an interview with Paul Jesep regarding a Christian response to credit cards.

    Julie Clawson has a great article this week on social justice, Glen Beck and a neighborless Christianity.

    Scot McKnight helps explain the Wesleyan Quadrilateral (for a non-Wesleyan perspective), and does a nice job at it.

  • this week’s round-up (july 16-ish)

     A few days late on the round-up this week – it was a busy week, an exhausting week, and an inspiring week at our Vacation Bible School. The church I serve hosts their VBS at a local campground so not only is there lots of space to run around, but it connects with a community of kids who might never find their way through the doors of our church building. (It was also a great opportunity to push the idea that the church needs to move from an “attractional” mindset to a “missional” one – go where the people are, don’t wait for them to come to us!)

     Links of interest this week:

    Fred Clark writes on how Martin Luther King’s legacy (and words) have been misused by some conservative thinkers.

    The 2010 State of the Church report is out for the UMC. I haven’t had a chance to study it yet, but Andrew Conrad summarizes a couple points noting that many churches lack a clear vision and that the average age of United Methodists is significantly higher than the general population – not really a surprise, but definitely a point of concern.

    Scot McKnight asks an important question around “Virtual Sermons.” McKnight shares an article from CNN on the topic which quotes Tom Long on the incarnational aspect of preaching that is missing from a video feed. I understand the appeal of allowing high-quality preaching to be heard in a variety of locations and freeing up others to do the work of ministry, but there are some serious questions it raises as well.

    Seth Godin offers some great thoughts around celebrating what’s right, instead of giving all our attention to the problems. I’ve also (finally) started to read Linchpin this week – only a few pages in and I’m in love with it. The book seems to coincide really well with this piece from Hugh MacLeod:

    Also, apparently now God Hates Nerds – is it bad that my first thought was that quote attributed to Niemoller, “Then they came for me and by that time there was no one left to speak up.”

    A couple nerd-rock anthems from the early ’90s to cap off this week’s post:

  • this week’s round-up (july 9b)

    After 5 minutes of hitting the “Publish Post” button, I remembered I wanted to include this piece of video from last night’s Daily Show. I doubt I’ll pick up the book, but I do like where the discussion is headed recognizing that science and religion aren’t necessarily in opposition, and what we need right now are the best minds from science and theology working together, instead of mediocre commentators waging cultural battles.

    The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c
    Marilynne Robinson
    www.thedailyshow.com
    Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

  • this week’s round-up (july 9)

    It’s been a while and I’ve been getting nervous about losing my discipline about getting something posted every week, but life is (slowly) returning to normal and the internet and phone problems I’ve been having are nearly resolved.

    College friends Clint and Courtney continue to do great ministry in Cedar Rapids with the Matthew 25 Ministry Hub.

    Andrew Conrad asks a pretty provocative question, What to Do with Unhealthy UM Congregations? Like the “ineffective clergy” issue I think it’s an important question to ask, but also fraught with potential abuse, beginning with the issue of how an “unhealthy” congregation is defined (which Conrad notes). Unhealthy congregations can’t simply be “written off” especially we we are going to hold to a theology of redemption and resurrection, but there is a tricky game of how do we deploy effective clergy into unhealthy situations? On one hand, it’s the only way a turn-around can be achieved, on the other without the proper support and understanding it can be a recipe for clergy burnout. (This is also reason #2348 of why I’m glad I’m not a DS).

    Andrew also offered some nice, brief additional thoughts on What to Do with Ineffective UM Clergy? As I think I’ve mentioned before, one of my primary concerns with the “ineffective clergy” question is if we need to remove clergy from leadership (due to ineffectiveness and not because of misconduct), can we do it in a way that is fair and pastoral? We need to give people the opportunity to change, but if they can’t (or won’t) grow, then there needs to be a level of support around the transition.  As Conrad says, it should never be about kicking people out of the church, but helping them find their vocation, and I think we need to take that helping part seriously.

    Interesting thoughts by Fred Clark about the trends in growth (or lack thereof) in evangelicalism.

    I’ve talked before about numbers (attendance, membership, etc.) being a key measure of clergy effectiveness; it’s an issue I’m torn on, because I understand the value and the appeal, but I also know that sometimes numbers can’t tell the whole story. So I found this article to be an interesting take on those types of measurements from a secular perspective. Chris Guillebeau writes:

    the numbers give you a goal—something to keep in mind as you go through a challenging process. The numbers can’t be your sole motivation or identity, but they can be a big help.

    I like that perspective, the numbers aren’t the sole motivation or identity, but they can be a healthy barometer of what is happening.

    I know I’ve missed a ton of good stuff while I’ve been away, but hopefully I’ll be back into my usual routine soon. I’ve been putting a “summer mix” of music together on the ipod this is one that hit me as one of those good summer songs. (The 80’s era video production is also pretty entertaining).

  • Moving day music

    David Byrne – This Must Be the Place (Native Melody)

  • this week’s round-up (june 18)

    More links, less commentary this week:

    Mike Todd offers some pretty hard hitting thoughts on WWJD About BP? with the reminder that we all have oil on our hands.

    Neighbors for Neighbors: Chalk it Up! Love this idea! (via Heif)

    Presentation lessons from Steve Jobs.

    Andrew Conrad explains the Internet #FAIL at Church of the Resurrection Online this week. Like the lesson from Jobs, transparency is good. If there is a problem, acknowledge it, solve it, and move on.

    Seth Godin explains how we’ve moved past “slick” and what matters now is transparency, reputation, and guts.

    More on clergy appointment guarantees. (via Steve)

    Justin Wise on Mormons, iPads, and a New Way. Good thoughts on evangelism – first rule, treat the person you’re dealing with like a human being.

    Small groups are the building block of small churches. The important reminder here for me is that small groups don’t always have to fit a certain model of a home “cell group” – sometimes just adding a new Sunday School class makes a difference.

    Establishing a culture of distributed leadership good read, written from a secular perspective, but very applicable to the church. I just finished reading Ultimately Responsible: When You’re in Charge of Igniting a Ministry by Sue Nilson Kibbey which really takes this idea and examines it in depth – all about finding and training the right people for the mission and task of the church, making sure they understand and support the vision, and giving them an environment to succeed.

    Jeff Nelson hits close to home this week’s offering – No Outlet.

    Crazy week ahead. Don’t expect a round-up (but who knows, maybe you’ll be pleasantly surprised).

    Another great video from OK Go

    If you like the music, check out the album:

  • On franchise churches and Methodist reform

     A couple days ago Jeremy Smith wrote a great article about his concerns with Church of the Resurrection entering into discussion with another struggling United Methodist congregation about becoming a remote campus of CoR. Jeremy does a great job not only naming the temptations of such a move, but also suggests the ramifications (specifically dangers of theological outsourcing, denominational splintering, and the marginalization of women and minority clergy).

     I think Jeremy’s on-target, but in the early morning hours as I found my mind awake before my body was ready to be, I found myself reconsidering.

     I’m playing “devil’s advocate” to a degree here, but is it possible this (or something like it) is exactly where United Methodist reform is going to come from?

     Is it possible that instead of this being the first step to a Wal-Mart church, this is a step back to what John Wesley was doing by traveling the English countryside preaching churches where he was invited in (and fields where he wasn’t), declaring “the world is my parish” and doing an end run around the (largely ineffective) structures of his day? Could an internet feed of a person’s preaching simply be the modern-day equivalent of publishing a volume of “Standard Sermons“? The reality is: creating a wide-spread movement, observing a set of unified expectations and practices, primarily driven by a single dynamic personality, that generated controversy and divisiveness is largely was Wesley was about.

     Now I’m not saying that’s what Hamilton is after, and he’s certainly not going to accomplish it by entering into a series of adoption agreements that involve studies of things like demographics and debt obligations, and the approval of Bishops, District Superintendents, and Church Councils.

     But it did strike me that Hamilton (and Slaughter) are both in the position to spark that kind of reform if they wanted. It seems to me that they are both very close to having the tools as well as the leverage in place to bring about significant denominal change if they so desired. By design the United Methodist system lacks a single visionary leader, largely to our credit; the system of leadership offered by regional Bishops works well. Yet, I find myself wondering, if we’ve entered a time when we need a new “John Wesley” – someone who can spark a wide-reaching, inspiring vision that is rooted in those unified standards and expectations.

     What if it’s not about building an empire of mini-CoRs, what if it is instead about inspiring a church to reach back to it’s roots (before it was a ‘church’), to be a reform movement once again, reaching out to the people who have been alienated from the institution, and motivating people to live their faith?

     I don’t think that’s what CoR is doing right now, and so in the end, I resonate with Jeremy’s concerns, but I find myself wondering if it could be possible.