TallSkinnyKiwi

Reformation Unfiltered

A few nights ago I listened to my friend Angus read some accounts of the Scottish Reformation from old books. One of the books [Fleming] was published in the 1600's but Angus had a version from the 1800's. He read accounts from that book and others of healings, raising from the dead, and a whole building shaking with the power of the Holy Spirit.

"No signs of life being forthcoming, ‘the physicians pronounced him stark dead’, but Welch ‘fell down before the pallet and cried to the Lord with all his might for the last time … till at length the dead youth opened his eyes and cried out to Mr Welch …" [link to short web version]
John Welch was the son-in-law of John Knox and possibly the one who said "Give me Scotland or I die", rather than Knox

All very interesting for Angus, who was involved in some more recent charismatic movements. And also for me having only read later editions and the [edited?] Banner of Truth versions which, although very informative, somehow managed to leave the supernatural phenomena out of the story - giving the impression that all the Scottish Reformers did was pray, preach and get martyred. As knowledge increases on the earth, we are no longer satisfied with half-truths. I would rather have the whole story and add my own filters if i need to.

Related: Banner of Truth on supernatural, and on miracles

Technorati Tags: reformation, reformed, welch

Left Behind: Eternal Forces

"The game is set in New York City after millions of Christians have been transported to heaven. Players are charged with recruiting, and converting, an army that will engage in physical and spiritual warfare with the antichrist and his evil followers." Now Public
Some say the Left Behind video game encourages prayer. Others say it promotes violence and intolerance. [Check out Wikipedia - [link fixed - thanks) What do you think?

UPDATE: OpenSourceTh. says theres a petition.

Technorati Tags: games, video games

Jesus Freaks, Emerging Church and 2007

Mirko from Jesus Freaks just sent me the NEW and FINAL DATES for Freakstock: 26th - 29th July, 2007

Did you know that there are 35 videos from Freakstock Festival on YouTube? None of them from my seminar, mind you. In case you were wondering about my talk on the emerging church history in Germany, the book I was quoting from was by the West German Johannes Baptist Metz entitled "The Emergent Church" (English version, 1981)

I thought Freakstock 2006 rocked and our Global Roundtable for Emerging Church had about 70 leaders from 24 countries! We will be doing that again next year. Trevor M. from Canada [who now has a blog] is already asking around for resources to pull it off.

The Jesus Freaks rock and I love their history. A bunch of teenagers in the early 90's from the punk culture find Jesus. They had no money but HUGE hearts for God. A few years later there are 100 churches around Germany. A festival starts and grows to 8000 people. And yet many people have never heard of them because:
- this is Germany and not USA
- they are too theologically sound to be controversial
- they haven't written any books in the English language, or none that i am aware of
- they are shy about using the word "emerging church". Mirko says they are just . . "church"

But you should be aware of them. And if you get the chance, come on over to Freakstock 2007 And check out some related festivals:
Poland: SLOT festival 11th - 15th July
Czech Republic: Freakfest 21st - 24th June
Italy: Rock the Rock [no dates yet but maybe late June)
UK: Destruction Festival [no details yet]

Technorati Tags: emerging church, freakstock

Orcadian Newspaper Today

The visit of the German 'cult' to a number of Orkney's churches made the front page in the Orcadian paper. It was good to hear other accounts and see unity emerge among Orkney's various churches and denominations.

Technorati Tags: orcadian

EuroChurch Conference

Details are online here. Switzerland April 17-19, 2007. I will be there and I think they are going to let me speak on the web/cyberspace/blogging and its relation to the new church planting movements. Subject not confirmed yet but the theme for the conference is . . .

Technorati Tags: church, dawn, mission

teach me how to see

hey
broken
one

hey
you
who
hurt
look
at me

let
your eyes
lock on to mine
and shed
the hidden secrets of
your troubled journey
your interrupted innocence
the muddied waters
of your broken memories

teach
me how to see
teach me how to see
because i am blinded
by my dollar bills
and the light
of my impending career
but i want to see
i want to see
who you are
who God created you to be
who He wants you
to become

Technorati Tags: poetry

Baptists and the Emerging Church

This month is my last as Consultant for the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Its been a fantastic 6 years and we have accomplished a lot with a little. I am preparing a final report for the BGCT and will also submit it to the SBC, IMB and NAMB for their information. If you dont know what those letters stand for, dont worry. If you do, you might be interested in tracking with me over the next week as I blog my thoughts here in in preparation of the final Boaz report of the impact of Baptists on the emerging church scene over the last decade.

Missing the Christmas Tree Farm

My biggest regret in having the family in Scotland this year instead of USA is the family custom of going Thornton's Treeland in Vancouver WA to pick up our monstrous Christmas tree. When we were living in Portland, our kids used to get hayrides and drink hot chocolate in the barn next to the nativity scene while Dad, the tall, good looking and extremely strong woodcutter, the Connoisseur of Conifers, picked the prize winning tree - which was always just a little taller than our ceiling.

They still do it all at Thorntons but we are in Scotland this Christmas and, since Christmas is a new arrival among holidays and still quite basic compared to the extravagance of the American version, we will simply pop down to the florist, buy a tree and bring it back home.
Message for Glen Thornton: Yo Glen - give my tree to someone else this Christmas.

Related: Christmas Trees and Paganism

Technorati Tags: christmas

Cults: We Gonna Expose Yo Ass!

"These people are grumblers and fault finders who go wherever their desires lead them, and they give bombastic speeches, enchanting folks for their own gain." [Jude 1:16, Net Bible]

Its Tuesday and the cult members are heading home to Germany. They tried really hard to hijack the church services this weekend to deliver their BOMBASTIC speeches and bring disunity but it backfired - the churches all pulled together, warned each other, turned up to protect each other, did some serious Kung Fu in the spirit realm, and kicked some CULT-ASS! I dont think we will be seeing the followers of Horst Shaffranek again for a long time. Off they go . . uh uh . .

Yeah . . .. YOU BETTER RUN!!!!!

And as for other cult members and wackos out there who might be thinking of coming to Orkney to prey on the lambs of God, please know that we will EXPOSE YO ASS WIT LOTSA BRITE JESUS LIGHT and we will put your sorry faces on youtube like we did this weekend and we will not be intimidated. What is whispered in secret rooms will be shouted from virtual rooftops and aggregated by Google.

"Always two there are, a master and an apprectice." Yoda

But what about you? Is your new emerging church a cult? Or a sect?

Is there something suspicious happening in your religious group? Is there a spiritual residue of divisiveness or confusion? Do conversations with these people leave you feeling bewildered? Bewitched? Hynotized? Cloudy? Bullied? Unempowered?
Deception can be a spiritual battle more than an intellectual one. And maybe that whole spiritual realm is unfamiliar to you. Read on.

Technorati Tags: cult, sect

Another Colorado Pastor Steps Down

Number 3 in a short period of time. Denver Post has the story about Rev. Paul Barnes and Grace Chapel and his confession of homosexual relationships . .. and the blog chatter is beginning - not nasty this time, more compassionate and understanding. And again - real pity that pastors don't have the freedom to tell those close to them the things they struggle with. An elder in his church sums it up:

"Church elder Russ Pilcher said the reaction at services Sunday was largely concern for the couple. "I thought, 'Where did I fall short in making myself so unapproachable that he couldn't come to me?"' Pilcher said.
HT: Talldrinkawater

Related: Meth was a bad choice, Ted Haggard: The Video, Carrying Your Dad's Dumbbell