Stop

We had a great conversation at Hope the other day on what it means to Stop.  And we used the "example" of a Stop Sign.  Actually, I should put the Stop Sign in quotes, since most of us seem to take that particular road sign with at least a little bit of latitude.  The California Stop seems to be the norm doesn't it?  We rarely stop at stop signs.  We slow down, we're cautious, we look for others, sure.  But to stop?  To add the extra 5 seconds to our drive time by coming to a full and complete stop?  Very few of us do that with great consistency (myself included :) )
So what does this say about us?  Perhaps not much.  Perhaps it's just a bad habit that many of us find ourselves in.  Or perhaps it says loads about our inability to stop in our life.
We're like Sharks, needing to always move forward in order to survive.  The thought of stopping and doing nothing, even for a few seconds is horrid to our world of multi-tasking addicts.  We have so much to do, we have so many places to be, we can't stop.  Not at home, not on the road, not ever, it seems.
Which, the more I think about it, is really a statement about our trust in God.  To stop means that we think we can stop.  That we can stop for a moment and the world will keep on spinning.  To stop means that things can happen without us.  Without our energy, without our presence.  To stop means that we don't have to be doing it all - all the time.  To stop means God might be more in control of things than we are.  And most of us don't really believe that.  Not deep down.  Not in our hearts.  No, again most of us (myself still included :) ) believe that we keep our world spinning, that we are responsible for keeping things going.  We believe that if we stop everything around us will come crashing down.  God isn't really in control.  That's just something we say, but don't really believe.

All that just because we don't stop at Stop signs?  Yeah, I think maybe so.  Please feel free to tell me if you think I'm wrong, but I would challenge you to ask the question, when was the last time you stopped?  When was the last time you trusted God to be in charge, and didn't try to do it all yourself?  The answer to that may be more telling than you realize.

Bill
Don't go to church, Be the Church.

The Mariners and Church

So, with the "Second Half" of the Mariners season starting today I've been curious hearing the thoughts/consternations of fans and bloggers about the Mariners season so far.  It's been pretty interesting, in my opinion, to hear people this year.  I think especially in light of the last few years.
Of particular note has been how people have compared this year to 2009 and how they feel about that squad in hindsight.  It's funny.  In 2009 Ken Griffey Jr. was back, the Mariners exceeded expectations and everyone loved them.  No, they didn't make the playoffs, but we had winning baseball in Seattle and that was fun enough for most.
However, after that season we crashed and burned big time in 2010.  Why?  Most analysts say it was because the Mariners of 2009 were "old" and couldn't sustain their winning ways long term.  They weren't built to last into the future, just have a good time in the present.  Yeah it was fun while it lasted, but we should have seen it wouldn't last very long at all.
Which is what we're hearing is different about this team.  They are, supposedly, a similar but different team to the 09 squad.  They're exceeding expectations, winning a few games.  But this winning will be sustainable.  It's being built for the future.  Everything this year is supposed to help this team be even better next year.  Ackley, Pineda, Smoak, Hernandez.  They're all looking forward as much as to today.
Well, we'll see.

But it got me thinking about churches.

As we're starting a new church here in Lake Stevens, it's easy to look at a number of churches around us and wonder, can we see the same patterns with them?  I see a lot of churches that have great histories, but sketchy presents, and pretty dismal futures in terms of continuing to reach new believers for Christ.
I see a number of churches with strong presents, but I wonder what their futures will be?  Are they built to sustain, and grow, and reach new believers in the future, or will they turn inward and begin a slow decline in the years to come?

And, to be honest, I don't think I'm a talented enough "scout" to know which churches will thrive in the future years, and which ones will stagnate.  I've got my guesses, and those guesses definitely color how we're building "Hope" here in Lake Stevens.  But will my guesses be right?  I suppose time will tell with us as well.

In the meantime, enjoy the Mariners these next few months.  They are more fun to watch then they've been in a long time.  And if you're looking for a church that is interested in being an effective place to share Christ with a world that desperately needs Him this year and the years to come, check us out at Hope.  We plan on being in this game for a long, long time.


Don't go to church, Be the Church

Bill