Everything That's On My Mind

John Ortberg is one of those authors who seems to make every topic seem very understandable. Here he discusses the gospel and hits it out of the park.

The paradign shift that Ortberg touches on has been recently studied by Leadership magazine. The results of this study mirror my own spiritual journey over the last 20 years.

Mark Roberts is in the midst of a great series of blog posts entitled Spiritual Gifts in the Body of Christ. Great stuff, as usual.

Scot McKnight's new book The Blue Parakeet is in the "next to read" position on the shelf. He recently discussed some of the high points of the book at the Catalyst conference. Skye Jethani gives us the outline.

Skye also recently blogged on the Cult of Mac. I know a few members.

Finally, Michael Spencer really got my attention with his post "Do You Really Trust Your Father With Your Life?"

Dan Kimball riffs on church history when organs and choirs were controversial additions to worship.

Lane Douglas is uncomfortable. So am I.

Scot McKnight is beginning a series on how he will decide who to vote for in November. I don't know where he will go with this series, but I agree with this post 100%.

Michael Spencer rants about the "Suburban Jesus"

The Glass Booth is an interesting, though imperfect, idea.

I've been tagged and also chastised, deservedly so I suppose. For those of you new to reading blogs, a "tag" is a set of questions that one blogger answers and then "tags" their blogging friends to do the same. I've seen this one bouncing around different blogs, so this tagging wasn't entirely unexpected.

1. I dig that Jesus is deep. (Pun most sincerely intended.) When Jesus taught, he didn't wrap everything up into a nice, simple three point "how-to" sermon. He didn't over-simplify things just to grab people's attention. If something he taught was challenging, He allowed his audience to work at understanding. He wanted His disciples to wonder, to ask question, to develop their understanding gradually. Jesus didn't lower himself to the lowest common denominator, he raised the common denominator.
2. I dig that Jesus is common. I love that Jesus is a regular guy. God did not send him to earth to a family of privilege. He didn't attend the best schools and learn from all the best teachers. He didn't dwell in ivory towers teaching the elite. He was a common, working class guy who taught and served common people. He didn't seek to change the world through influencing the powerful and learned. He basically invented the grassroots campaign.
3. I dig that Jesus is direct. Jesus never pulls his punches. When something needed to be said, he said it. He was never intentionally antagonistic or abrasive, but he didn't soften what needed to be said. In every situation, he spoke the truth in just the right form and with just the right intensity. An amazing trait.
4. I dig that Jesus is patient. Even a cursory reading of the gospels reveals the disciples to be inconsistent, petty, short-sighted, and faithless. Yet through it all, Jesus never tossed them aside for a better bunch. He patiently allowed them to grow and develop into the men that would establish his church. Fortunately, he is still just as patient today. If he wasn't so patient I'd be in big, big trouble.
5. I dig that Jesus is alive. OK, so I'll end with the obvious one. Jesus isn't a hero, a philosopher, an icon, a revolutionary, or a martyr...he's God-made-flesh, crucified and raised to life eternal. He's not the ideal man to be emulated, he is the son of God who created us and, thank God, is re-creating us each day.

So now I'm supposed to tag five bloggers, but I don't think there are five other bloggers reading this. Bob and Corrine, consider yourselves tagged. Anyone else who's reading this but doesn't have a blog, feel free to leave your five in the comments.