Livingloud - The Bowmanblog

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Francis Chan on the Church - The Comfortable Substitute

I really like Francis Chan... I loved his book 'Crazy Love' and his latest 'Forgotten God' is sure to be in my top books of '09 list.  He is a great speaker, his humility and passion shines through and he talks a lot of sense... good honest biblical sense.  And that is what he does in this article:

'It's time for us to stop defending the models we are comfortable with and start pursuing church in a way that allows us to do and be everything that God desires His church to do and be. It's time for us to make a change... continue reading here

Another Day Another Adventure

'Take the Holy Spirit out of the equation of my life, and it would spell b-o-r-i-n-g.  Add Him into the equation of your life, and anything can happen.  You never know who you'll meet, where you'll go, or what you'll do.  All bets are off.'

'If you would describe your relationship with God as anything less than adventurous, then maybe you think you're following the Spirit but have actually settled for something less - something I call inverted christianity.  Instead of following the Spirit, we invite the Spirit to follow us.  Instead of serving God's purposes, we want Him to serve our purposes.  And while it may seem like a subtle distinction, it makes an ocean of difference.  The result of this inverted relationship with God is not just a self absorbed spirituality that leaves us feeling empty, it's also the difference between spiritual boredom and spiritual adventure.'

Mark Batterson (Wild Goose Chase)

Fun with Sparklers

The girls had some fun with sparklers this weekend, and I had fun playing around with some long exposure shots.  There are a few more on flickr if you want to check them out. 

  

Paul Ponders - The Role & Significance of the 'Youth Group'

I love our youth group... I mean I really love our youth group!  I've watched it grow from just a few young people over the past couple of years in Saintfield.  I love Teen Track, Elevate and our d.ship groups, not primarily because of what we do; though I happen to think we do a lot of cool, fun and deep stuff.  I love it because I love the young people, and I love that we get to share and do life together both in and outside of these groups.  The youth group is extremely important, it's a place to belong, a place to 'be'.  Yes it absolutely is a two way street... young people need to be willing to invest in it just as much as I/we need to seek to engage and encourage them to be a part of it.  And it is a very special place, and because of that I must confess it breaks my heart that even in our faith community we have a few young people who choose not to engage with it (voluntary participation is a core  principle of youth work - not only in terms of chosing to be involved but also having a say in it) so I respect that.  But, what are they missing out on?  Why is it important?  What are the benefits of being part of a 'group'. So I've been pondering the role and significance of the 'youth group'. 

Consuming Jesus - Paul Ponders Youth Ministry & Consumerism

I have been reading the excellent ‘Advent Conspiracy: Can Christmas Still Change The World’ and I’ve been pondering the impact of consumerism not just on Christmas but on Christianity, church and youth ministry. 

The authors contend that the primary threat to true Christianity in America (and I would add the rest of the western/unreal world) is ‘not liberalism, fundamentalism, Darwinism, secularism, or any other –ism that happens to achieve some level of influence and power.’  It is consumerism. 
‘The fastest-growing religion in the world is not Islam or Christianity; the symbol of this rising is not the star and crescent or the cross, but a dollar sign.  This expanding belief system is radical consumerism.  It promises transcendence, power, pleasure, and fulfilment even as it demands complete devotion’. (Page 21) 

It has also had a persuasive and insidious influence on the church.  The authors note ‘Consumerism can also poison our relationship with Christ.  Jesus becomes a commodity we consume rather than a King who reigns.’  I believe this has particular pertinence to youth ministry, with all the programmes, events, activities and youth ministry stuff we offer to young people.  Our students are at risk of being deeply formed by a culture of consumerism and we may even be promoting it. 

Standing Out by MAD 11

A brilliant video that was made at MAD 11.  I absolutely love it, both creative and cool!  ht ruthEbabes

MAD 11 - Outstanding

What a weekend! 

Dr Timothy Keller - Free Sermons

Newsweek called him a “C.S. Lewis for the 21st century”
Dr. Timothy Keller is founder and pastor of New York’s Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan.  I had the good pleasure of visiting Redeemer Pres Church back in the summer of '95 and one of the things that impressed me most was Dr Kellers ability to balance deep Biblical teaching and apologetics.  Throughout his message he seemed ever mindful of the skeptic, and he was a terrifically engaging speaker. 

Now Redeemer Presbyterian Church has opened a free sermon resource. 
Here is more info from the site:
Redeemer’s Sermon Ministry has been faithfully recording, cataloging and reproducing all of our sermons for the past 20 years. To celebrate all 20 years of our history, and to meet the growing demand for our church’s teaching in New York City and around the world, we have created this resource of 150 sermons and lectures covering a broad array of topics, completely free to download and share.

The recordings chosen for the Free Sermon Resource were culled from classic sermon series as well as lectures and seminar addresses delivered to various Redeemer ministry gatherings, and are intended to present to the listener the full scope of teachings they would receive over several years of active involvement at Redeemer.

Download Dr Keller's Sermons

Why I Love This Band: King's X

Starting a new series on the blog: in 'Why I Love This Band' I'll give a short introduction to some of the bands and artists who have provided the soundtrack to my life.  First up is 'King's X'.

I must confess that I spent a fair bit  of my A Level course drinking coffee.  There were a couple of cafe's in Magherafelt where you could find us; one in particular had an 'old-school' juke box and we'd always listen to the Led Zeppelin singles they had loaded in there.  Another frequent hang out was my friend Rhys' brothers place. 
His brother had an impressive record collection (some incredible old blues records) and Rhys loved music too.  It was this mutual appreciation for music that initially connected us in friendship and it was Rhys who introduced me to the delights of Rush and Pink Floyd, The Beatles and a band that instantly became one of my favourites: King's X.  Now... all of this may well have contributed to the somewhat lacklustre A Level results at the time, but what a musical education I recieved!