THE MOST OR THE LEAST?
By Keith Giles
There's a post on Seth Godin's blog today about a group of Belgian Monks who create a very limited amount of beer each month. You can only buy two cases at a time, at a specific time each month, and once they're sold out that's it for the month.
They do not label their beer bottles. They see quality as being linked with scarcity and the limited availability of their product adds to the value.
Seth Godin notes:
"There are two ingredients to this remarkability. The first...is the idea of ritual. By changing the way the product is created and distributed, they add a religious and spiritual element to the process (even if they weren't monks). Second, they're not trying to sell the most. That's critical.
"When you try to maximize anything, you work to be efficient, to fit in, to appeal to the average person, since that's where the numbers are. Every time Budweiser makes a decision, it seems to make sense, since they're trying to sell the most beer. Most embraces systems and policies that make sense. But most rarely succeeds."
Read Seth's complete blog here:
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/
**
This article resonates with me on several levels. One, because it identifies a lost ideal of quality being a limited resource. In the house church we major on the few. We listen to everyone who wants to share or speak, whether they are eight years old, eighteen years old, or eighty. Everyone is important. Everyone has a chance to be heard, and to use their talent and their gift, and to be encouraged in their daily walk. No one gets ignored or left out. At least, that's our goal and it's much more within reach when you have ten people in a living room versus three hundred people sitting in rows facing the same direction.
I also love the idea of scarcity adding value. I also love the concept that "Most rarely succeeds." In today's corporate world, which has largely invaded the traditional Church model, it's all about going for the "most" you can possibly get. Pastors want the most members, they want the most tithe, they want the most amazing worship bands, they want the most talented volunteers, etc.
The Church has marginalized the least in order to get the most. That's pretty sad to me, especially since our Lord, our example, (Jesus), was more interested in the least than he was in the most. He always saw the one in the crowd. He stopped for the woman with the issue of blood and acknowledged her. He saw Zacheeus in the crowd and singled him out. He travelled to Samaria to meet with one woman beside the well. He walked through a sea of crippled people to ask one man beside the pool of Siloam "What would you have me to do for you?" and healed his legs so he could walk again.
The American Church has fallen short of the high calling of Jesus Christ by aiming for the "most" and has been blind to the importance of focusing on the value of the few.
Many years ago, as an on-staff pastor at a traditional church, I was expected to meet regularly with the leaders in the congregation. Each pastor was encouraged to identify those who exemplified leadership qualities and seek out friendships and "meaningful relationships" with them in order to influence them to volunteer for our ministry area. This was meant to help us build our leadership team and grow our ministries by recruiting the brightest and the best from among the flock.
I always wondered, "Who is going to identify our losers and meet with them each week?" I knew a lot of people who were far from leader material. Most were having a hard time with their marriages, or struggling with their finances, or trying to find a full-time job after being laid off. Who among the pastoral staff was going to make it their weekly duty to arrange a lunch with these people? Who was going to listen to their story? Who was going to encourage them and pray with them and provide Godly counsel to them?
For me, that's what being a pastor is all about. It's not about preaching a great sermon. It's not about putting more butts in the seats. It's not about developing the shiny, happy, successful leaders and mobilizing them to run the programs and make the Church business successful.
Being a pastor is being a shepherd. It's about feeding the sheep. It's about spending time with people and loving them as Jesus loves them. It's about being willing to associate with people of low position (see Romans 12) and being a servant to all (see Jesus).
I guess that's why I left the traditional church to start a house church. I wanted to spend time with every day losers like me and encourage them to walk with Jesus and help them to see the Kingdom.
Even now, everytime I mention to someone that our Mission House Church is going well the first question I get from people is always, "How many people are coming now?" As if the sheer numbers of people attending each week are what we measure success by. How did we get that into our heads? Jesus never measures success by numbers of people. Why do we insist on thinking this way?
When I say the house church is going well I mean that I see people growing in Christ. I hear them talk about how God is teaching them something new. I hear them share how God has helped them step outside their comfort zones. I observe them loving others and giving generously to people in need and I can see the character of Christ being revealed in them. That's what I mean when I say that our house church is being blessed and doing great.
It's not about "Most", it's about the rare quality of investing in a few people for an ongoing and consistent measure of loving support and encouragment.
That's Church, my friends. That's subversive…although it shouldn't be. It should be pervasive.
Peas,
kg
Friday, November 30, 2007
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
SEND GAP CLOTHES BACK
Press Release
Costa Mesa- November 29, 2007 - "Close The Gap"
A Nationwide protest against retail clothing giant Gap, Inc. is scheduled to coincide with the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party.
On Dec.16th, 2007, hundreds of young people will gather at Gap Stores around the country to give back their GAP, Inc. clothing in order to protest recent news that the retail chain has been using child slave labor in India.
"December 16th is the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party," said J.R., organizer of the planned protest. "We want to make a similar statement, as young people who have helped Gap build their clothing empire with our clothing purchases, that we no longer want to buy our clothes from an organization that supports or employs child slaves to produce their products."
Protests are currently scheduled to take place at Gap stores in San Francisco, Southern California, Miami, and at the Gap in Times Square in New York City. The protest will involve hundreds of people who are encouraged to bring all of their Gap, Inc. clothes items (which include Bannanna Republic and Old Navy) to the nearest Gap store and drop them on the front doorstep with a note to the owners that they will no longer support the retail chain or purchase their clothes.
According to a recent investigative report published by "News Of The World" (http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk) the nationwide clothing giant was caught using child slaves in a New Delhi, India sweatshop where children as young as ten were branded and forced to work 19 hours a day for nothing.
The Gap, Inc. acknowledged the use of child slaves to produce their clothing and quickly issued an official statement to condemn the practice, claiming ignorance of the situation and promising to discontinue contracts with the specific offender identified in the investigation.
For many former Gap customers the statement from the company's president was too little, too late.
"This most recent report of The Gap using children as slaves to produce their clothing is nothing new," says J.R., "This company has a history of employing child slaves over the years. If they really care to stop this practice, maybe they should stop producing their clothing in India- the child slavery capital of the world."
The Gap was founded in 1969 by Donald Fisher, who is one of America's wealthiest businessmen. Last year the firm embarked on a huge poster and TV campaign for Product Red, a charitable trust to help fight AIDS and treat other diseases in Africa.The Product Red Campaign was launched by U2 singer Bono and backed by celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, film director Steven Spielberg and actress Penelope Cruz.
The irony is that Gap, Inc. participated in the Red Campaign by selling branded products to raise awareness about the needs of the world's poorest and oppressed, even though their own products were created by poor, oppressed children who had no voice and often work for no pay.
"We want to give back our Gap, Inc. clothes because we are so repulsed at their use of children as slaves, who are forced to create their clothing under penalty of torture and abuse, that we cannot in good conscience continue to wear their clothing in public," said J.R. "This is our generation's Boston Tea Party. This is a statement against the exploitation of children. We will not participate in this atrocity."
For more info on the December 16th "Send Gap Clothes Back" Protest go here:http://www.sendgapclothesback.com/
Costa Mesa- November 29, 2007 - "Close The Gap"
A Nationwide protest against retail clothing giant Gap, Inc. is scheduled to coincide with the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party.
On Dec.16th, 2007, hundreds of young people will gather at Gap Stores around the country to give back their GAP, Inc. clothing in order to protest recent news that the retail chain has been using child slave labor in India.
"December 16th is the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party," said J.R., organizer of the planned protest. "We want to make a similar statement, as young people who have helped Gap build their clothing empire with our clothing purchases, that we no longer want to buy our clothes from an organization that supports or employs child slaves to produce their products."
Protests are currently scheduled to take place at Gap stores in San Francisco, Southern California, Miami, and at the Gap in Times Square in New York City. The protest will involve hundreds of people who are encouraged to bring all of their Gap, Inc. clothes items (which include Bannanna Republic and Old Navy) to the nearest Gap store and drop them on the front doorstep with a note to the owners that they will no longer support the retail chain or purchase their clothes.
According to a recent investigative report published by "News Of The World" (http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk) the nationwide clothing giant was caught using child slaves in a New Delhi, India sweatshop where children as young as ten were branded and forced to work 19 hours a day for nothing.
The Gap, Inc. acknowledged the use of child slaves to produce their clothing and quickly issued an official statement to condemn the practice, claiming ignorance of the situation and promising to discontinue contracts with the specific offender identified in the investigation.
For many former Gap customers the statement from the company's president was too little, too late.
"This most recent report of The Gap using children as slaves to produce their clothing is nothing new," says J.R., "This company has a history of employing child slaves over the years. If they really care to stop this practice, maybe they should stop producing their clothing in India- the child slavery capital of the world."
The Gap was founded in 1969 by Donald Fisher, who is one of America's wealthiest businessmen. Last year the firm embarked on a huge poster and TV campaign for Product Red, a charitable trust to help fight AIDS and treat other diseases in Africa.The Product Red Campaign was launched by U2 singer Bono and backed by celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, film director Steven Spielberg and actress Penelope Cruz.
The irony is that Gap, Inc. participated in the Red Campaign by selling branded products to raise awareness about the needs of the world's poorest and oppressed, even though their own products were created by poor, oppressed children who had no voice and often work for no pay.
"We want to give back our Gap, Inc. clothes because we are so repulsed at their use of children as slaves, who are forced to create their clothing under penalty of torture and abuse, that we cannot in good conscience continue to wear their clothing in public," said J.R. "This is our generation's Boston Tea Party. This is a statement against the exploitation of children. We will not participate in this atrocity."
For more info on the December 16th "Send Gap Clothes Back" Protest go here:http://www.sendgapclothesback.com/
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
US VS THEM?
US VS THEM?
By Keith Giles
Last week I received an email from someone who was interviewing various people regarding the Emerging/Emergent Church movement. She wanted to know what my thoughts were regarding the movement and had several specific questions for me about the differences between this and the Traditional Church.
I suppose she thought to ask me to weigh in on the subject since she assumes I am part of the "Emerging" crowd. For the record I don't consider myself to be an "Emerging" Christian.
I know I write for Ginkworld.net and TheOoze.com, both of which do categorize themselves as being among the "Emerging" Church camp. I also can understand how a lot of what I write about and the ideas I propose find a receptive audience among this group of believers. I just don't consider myself to be "Emerging" in any way.
First of all, I need to spend some time defining what the Emerging/Emergent movement is since there's a lot of confusion within and without on this very subject.
According to the entry at Wiki, "The emerging church (also known as the emerging church movement) is a controversial 21st-century Protestant Christian movement whose participants seek to engage postmodern people, especially the unchurched and post-churched. To accomplish this, "emerging Christians" (also known as "emergents") deconstruct and reconstruct Christian beliefs, standards, and methods to accommodate postmodern culture."
My simplification of that is that it's a movement of mostly younger Christians who are tired of the traditional structure and practice of doing church and who long for a newer, simplified, "faith-in-action" version of Christianity that goes beyond talking about doctrine and moves into actually putting the faith into practice every single day.
Truthfully the entire "Emerging" movement is difficult to define or categorize because you have no real leaders identified, no set doctrine or theology, and no specific examples to point to. Basically anyone who wants to distance themselves from the "old way" of doing Church can call themselves "Emerging" and then proceed to teach or preach or model whatever form or model of Church they please.
What does it really mean to be "Emerging"? I have my ideas, but others have their own ideas. The movement is difficult to grasp, like a wet bar of soap in the shower. It seems like anyone can call themselves Emerging as long as they're not a traditional church.
Because of this, I do not consider myself to be part of the Emerging movement. Although I'm personally inspired by many within the Emerging movement like Brian McLaren and Philip Yancy who have helped me to think about Jesus in a more radical way. I'm also very indebted to people like Dallas Willard, Todd Hunter, Scott Bartchy, David Ruis and A.W. Tozer. None of those guys are part of the Emerging movement, but they have great things to teach us about following Jesus, understanding the Gospel of the Kingdom and learning how to die to ourselves every single day.
So, what am I? I guess I'd classify myself as being part of the House Church movement, although even that feels like a limited label to me. While I'm currently leading two small house churches in my house each week, I'm largely an outsider when it comes to the various house church communities locally and internationally.
Even within the house church/simple church crowd there's a division of models between the "Organic Church" (ala Neil Cole) and the "House Church" (ala Wolfgang Simson or Frank Viola). Organic churches are more like open door evangelistic groups where anyone and everyone is welcome to come and debate Christianity whether or not they consider themselves to be followers of Jesus or not. The House Church is much more like a weekly gathering of believers who come together to worship, pray, encourage one another and share a meal. Unbelievers are not unwelcome, but our group isn't tailored to answer their questions or perform evangelism.
Instead, our house churches are designed to make disciples of those who already believe so that they can live a missional life outside the group.
Neil Cole and I have different perspectives on the nature and function of small groups, but we agree on the idea that this model of "being church" is more Biblical and closer to what Jesus had in mind for those who wanted to follow after him.
Having said that, one of the questions in the interview from last week really got me thinking. It was about the "Us vs Them" mentality and what causes it. Honestly, I wasn't sure if she was asking about the "Us vs Them" mentality between Christians and Non-Christians or the one between the Emerging Church and the Traditional Church. I'm still not exactly sure what her question was getting at, but I decided to answer her question by assuming it was about the divide between the Emergent/Organic Church and the Traditional Church since that topic is one
I've not spent a lot of time talking about previously, and also since I've already written quite extensively on the other issue lately.
When it comes to the divide between the Traditional Church and the Emerging Movement, or the House Church Movement, I think people on all sides of the issue are to blame. We tend to make the other side look misguided and often pick out the areas where they are wrong or (in our opinion) off base.
It's very easy to get tunnel vision and start believing that your way or model is the best and only way to do, or to be, the Church. There are very good reasons why we hold the opinions that we hold. Most of the passion, and therefore the "heat", is on the side of those who are called to step outside the Traditional model. We've got issues. We've decided to do something different. Some of us because we felt God calling us to step outside the existing model, others because we felt pushed out, or invited to leave if we didn't like the food on the traditional Chuck Wagon.
Because some of us have been hurt we feel at liberty to loudly proclaim our righteous indignation at the old guard.
Honestly, I really do believe that God is doing something exciting and new within the house church movement here in America. I've met too many people who feel just like I do, and none of us have watched the same movies, attended the same conference or read the same book. This movement is one being lead by the Holy Spirit as He calls individuals to step outside of the traditional church and into something new and radical like house church.
God has humbled me more than once and rebuked me for running down my traditional brothers and sisters. He's shown me that good, awesome Kingdom work is being done in those churches. God loves them. God is at work through them. He loves them just as much as He loves us in the house church. They are not the enemy.
Our house church partners with two local, traditional churches to serve at a local motel where hundreds of families live below the poverty line. This partnership forces us to work hand in hand with and to love our brothers and sisters in traditional church. One of the churches we partner with is a mega-church, the other is a small college fellowship with less than a hundred members. While I still couldn't fellowship or worship (long-term) the way they do, I still don't begrudge them for doing things the way they do it. They're my brothers and sisters in Christ. I'm learning to love them. They're learning to love a crazy house church pastor too.
The perspective we all need to gain is that we're all part of the larger Body of Christ, regardless of how we worship or what model we follow. We need to get over the labels and the models and start getting busy advancing the Kingdom of God.
I still believe we have a right, and even a duty, to express our different opinions to one another on issues of culture, practice, theology, eschatology, exegesis, and what have you. It's not wrong or a sin to disagree with other Christians about particulars of our Faith. We just have to get better about communicating with one another without hurting each others feelings. Just like every family does.
Let's be the Family of God, then. Let's focus on following Jesus first and foremost. We can debate the specifics, but we have to learn to love one another first of all.
No one wins unless Jesus wins. No team can celebrate if the other team suffers.
We are the family of God. Baptists, Methodists, Organic Churches, House Churches, Charismatic Churches, Pentecostal Churches, whatever.
Let freedom ring.
kg
By Keith Giles
Last week I received an email from someone who was interviewing various people regarding the Emerging/Emergent Church movement. She wanted to know what my thoughts were regarding the movement and had several specific questions for me about the differences between this and the Traditional Church.
I suppose she thought to ask me to weigh in on the subject since she assumes I am part of the "Emerging" crowd. For the record I don't consider myself to be an "Emerging" Christian.
I know I write for Ginkworld.net and TheOoze.com, both of which do categorize themselves as being among the "Emerging" Church camp. I also can understand how a lot of what I write about and the ideas I propose find a receptive audience among this group of believers. I just don't consider myself to be "Emerging" in any way.
First of all, I need to spend some time defining what the Emerging/Emergent movement is since there's a lot of confusion within and without on this very subject.
According to the entry at Wiki, "The emerging church (also known as the emerging church movement) is a controversial 21st-century Protestant Christian movement whose participants seek to engage postmodern people, especially the unchurched and post-churched. To accomplish this, "emerging Christians" (also known as "emergents") deconstruct and reconstruct Christian beliefs, standards, and methods to accommodate postmodern culture."
My simplification of that is that it's a movement of mostly younger Christians who are tired of the traditional structure and practice of doing church and who long for a newer, simplified, "faith-in-action" version of Christianity that goes beyond talking about doctrine and moves into actually putting the faith into practice every single day.
Truthfully the entire "Emerging" movement is difficult to define or categorize because you have no real leaders identified, no set doctrine or theology, and no specific examples to point to. Basically anyone who wants to distance themselves from the "old way" of doing Church can call themselves "Emerging" and then proceed to teach or preach or model whatever form or model of Church they please.
What does it really mean to be "Emerging"? I have my ideas, but others have their own ideas. The movement is difficult to grasp, like a wet bar of soap in the shower. It seems like anyone can call themselves Emerging as long as they're not a traditional church.
Because of this, I do not consider myself to be part of the Emerging movement. Although I'm personally inspired by many within the Emerging movement like Brian McLaren and Philip Yancy who have helped me to think about Jesus in a more radical way. I'm also very indebted to people like Dallas Willard, Todd Hunter, Scott Bartchy, David Ruis and A.W. Tozer. None of those guys are part of the Emerging movement, but they have great things to teach us about following Jesus, understanding the Gospel of the Kingdom and learning how to die to ourselves every single day.
So, what am I? I guess I'd classify myself as being part of the House Church movement, although even that feels like a limited label to me. While I'm currently leading two small house churches in my house each week, I'm largely an outsider when it comes to the various house church communities locally and internationally.
Even within the house church/simple church crowd there's a division of models between the "Organic Church" (ala Neil Cole) and the "House Church" (ala Wolfgang Simson or Frank Viola). Organic churches are more like open door evangelistic groups where anyone and everyone is welcome to come and debate Christianity whether or not they consider themselves to be followers of Jesus or not. The House Church is much more like a weekly gathering of believers who come together to worship, pray, encourage one another and share a meal. Unbelievers are not unwelcome, but our group isn't tailored to answer their questions or perform evangelism.
Instead, our house churches are designed to make disciples of those who already believe so that they can live a missional life outside the group.
Neil Cole and I have different perspectives on the nature and function of small groups, but we agree on the idea that this model of "being church" is more Biblical and closer to what Jesus had in mind for those who wanted to follow after him.
Having said that, one of the questions in the interview from last week really got me thinking. It was about the "Us vs Them" mentality and what causes it. Honestly, I wasn't sure if she was asking about the "Us vs Them" mentality between Christians and Non-Christians or the one between the Emerging Church and the Traditional Church. I'm still not exactly sure what her question was getting at, but I decided to answer her question by assuming it was about the divide between the Emergent/Organic Church and the Traditional Church since that topic is one
I've not spent a lot of time talking about previously, and also since I've already written quite extensively on the other issue lately.
When it comes to the divide between the Traditional Church and the Emerging Movement, or the House Church Movement, I think people on all sides of the issue are to blame. We tend to make the other side look misguided and often pick out the areas where they are wrong or (in our opinion) off base.
It's very easy to get tunnel vision and start believing that your way or model is the best and only way to do, or to be, the Church. There are very good reasons why we hold the opinions that we hold. Most of the passion, and therefore the "heat", is on the side of those who are called to step outside the Traditional model. We've got issues. We've decided to do something different. Some of us because we felt God calling us to step outside the existing model, others because we felt pushed out, or invited to leave if we didn't like the food on the traditional Chuck Wagon.
Because some of us have been hurt we feel at liberty to loudly proclaim our righteous indignation at the old guard.
Honestly, I really do believe that God is doing something exciting and new within the house church movement here in America. I've met too many people who feel just like I do, and none of us have watched the same movies, attended the same conference or read the same book. This movement is one being lead by the Holy Spirit as He calls individuals to step outside of the traditional church and into something new and radical like house church.
God has humbled me more than once and rebuked me for running down my traditional brothers and sisters. He's shown me that good, awesome Kingdom work is being done in those churches. God loves them. God is at work through them. He loves them just as much as He loves us in the house church. They are not the enemy.
Our house church partners with two local, traditional churches to serve at a local motel where hundreds of families live below the poverty line. This partnership forces us to work hand in hand with and to love our brothers and sisters in traditional church. One of the churches we partner with is a mega-church, the other is a small college fellowship with less than a hundred members. While I still couldn't fellowship or worship (long-term) the way they do, I still don't begrudge them for doing things the way they do it. They're my brothers and sisters in Christ. I'm learning to love them. They're learning to love a crazy house church pastor too.
The perspective we all need to gain is that we're all part of the larger Body of Christ, regardless of how we worship or what model we follow. We need to get over the labels and the models and start getting busy advancing the Kingdom of God.
I still believe we have a right, and even a duty, to express our different opinions to one another on issues of culture, practice, theology, eschatology, exegesis, and what have you. It's not wrong or a sin to disagree with other Christians about particulars of our Faith. We just have to get better about communicating with one another without hurting each others feelings. Just like every family does.
Let's be the Family of God, then. Let's focus on following Jesus first and foremost. We can debate the specifics, but we have to learn to love one another first of all.
No one wins unless Jesus wins. No team can celebrate if the other team suffers.
We are the family of God. Baptists, Methodists, Organic Churches, House Churches, Charismatic Churches, Pentecostal Churches, whatever.
Let freedom ring.
kg
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
God Still Loves Us
Not sure who is behind this worldwide viral marketing campaign...but I think I like it.
More info:
http://www.godstilllovesus.org/
For even more fun try googling "God Still Loves Us" and you'll discover a Flickr site, a .Ning page and loads more.
! Attention Christians: More like this, please.
kg
More info:
http://www.godstilllovesus.org/
For even more fun try googling "God Still Loves Us" and you'll discover a Flickr site, a .Ning page and loads more.
! Attention Christians: More like this, please.
kg
Monday, November 19, 2007
Reader Review of "Nobody Follows Jesus"
Charles Pike recently reviewed my book, "Nobody Follows Jesus" and I share his observations with you now.
"Nobody Follows Jesus" (A Review) by Charles Pike
I am obsessed. I can't control myself. Although I am mired in sin, not simply falling, but plummeting, like flaming pieces of space debris, far from the glory of God, I get up each day, say my prayers, search for my cross and set out into the world to discover my wonderful new daily failures.
To ease the pain of the realization of my own petty shamefulness, I cram my mind with cultural distractions. Some fill me with joy, knowledge, and hope. Others just serve as a diversion and keep me from more important things, like turning off the computer and playing with my children, or taking the time to show my wife how wonderful I think she is, and how I would be truly lost without her.
I watch the noomas and read the beautiful books of bell. I download mp3's of Shane Claiborne and marvel at his "irresistible revolution", fantasizing about living in a community like his "simple ways" collection in Philly. I cruise the ooze and get giddy on Ginkworld, always looking for a fix. A distraction. a reaffirmation that I am not crazy, and that Jesus is coming out of the tomb that our appropriative empire has encased him in, and walks among us with a desperate look of want and desire, eager to connect, and anxious to forgive.Furing these periods of societal denial, I have come across the writings of one Keith Giles. His essays and articles over the past few years in various non secular e-zines have constantly caught my eye, engaged my imagination, and allowed me to feel not quite so alone on this voyage toward salvation.
Keith has collected his writings from his e-newsletter "the subversive underground", next wave magazine, the ooze, and a few other joints he haunts, and put them into book form. So what's the big deal? Well, yes, he is selling them on line thru lulu.com, a wonderful site for the self published, but he has done something truly interesting and vested with Kingdom sensibility, he has posted the pdfs For free download to any who might not be able to afford the few bucks to reward him for his labor of love.
I, being one of those perpetually tight fisted, and terminally broke, individuals, thrilled to the very seat of my office chair, taxed my feeble dial up connection and spent eight hours downloading his two books, "Nobody Follows Jesus (so why should you)" and "The Gospel, For Here Or To Go".
The results were immediately disappointing. The pdfs opened in quick time format, and would only show the table of contents to the two books. I felt punked, had. Frustrated, but not defeated. I went to Keith's website and emailed him personally explaining to him my turmoil and asking if he would consider emailing a pdf to me in adobe. Much to my delight, he responded promptly and emailed me a pdf of "Nobody Follows Jesus (so why should you)", and I have spent the past week savoring it like a fine Bordeaux.
For those of you unfamiliar with Keith Giles, he is a licensed and ordained pastor, teacher, preacher, writer, singer, and progenitor of the home church movement via his home based orange county, California church "the mission". What I found in the body of this text was an amazing and sensitive intellect, drowning in the sea of the corporately corrupt, politically inundated and commercially plagued modern church of America. Each page describes his navigation to the shore, where he picks up his cross and follows the Son in ritual observation, leaving cyber pit-cairns of perception, and finally nailing them to himself like a post modern Marty Luther.
For anyone who leaves a church wondering where God is, and just why we are hiding him, I recommend you purchase or down load this book, and use it as a union oil map to discover your own cross. The really cool thing is that the trail has been blazed, all we have to do is pick up and follow.
*taken from his blog here:
http://abrahamsbosom.blogspot.com/2007/11/nobody-follow-jesus-so-why-should-you.html
"Nobody Follows Jesus" (A Review) by Charles Pike
I am obsessed. I can't control myself. Although I am mired in sin, not simply falling, but plummeting, like flaming pieces of space debris, far from the glory of God, I get up each day, say my prayers, search for my cross and set out into the world to discover my wonderful new daily failures.
To ease the pain of the realization of my own petty shamefulness, I cram my mind with cultural distractions. Some fill me with joy, knowledge, and hope. Others just serve as a diversion and keep me from more important things, like turning off the computer and playing with my children, or taking the time to show my wife how wonderful I think she is, and how I would be truly lost without her.
I watch the noomas and read the beautiful books of bell. I download mp3's of Shane Claiborne and marvel at his "irresistible revolution", fantasizing about living in a community like his "simple ways" collection in Philly. I cruise the ooze and get giddy on Ginkworld, always looking for a fix. A distraction. a reaffirmation that I am not crazy, and that Jesus is coming out of the tomb that our appropriative empire has encased him in, and walks among us with a desperate look of want and desire, eager to connect, and anxious to forgive.Furing these periods of societal denial, I have come across the writings of one Keith Giles. His essays and articles over the past few years in various non secular e-zines have constantly caught my eye, engaged my imagination, and allowed me to feel not quite so alone on this voyage toward salvation.
Keith has collected his writings from his e-newsletter "the subversive underground", next wave magazine, the ooze, and a few other joints he haunts, and put them into book form. So what's the big deal? Well, yes, he is selling them on line thru lulu.com, a wonderful site for the self published, but he has done something truly interesting and vested with Kingdom sensibility, he has posted the pdfs For free download to any who might not be able to afford the few bucks to reward him for his labor of love.
I, being one of those perpetually tight fisted, and terminally broke, individuals, thrilled to the very seat of my office chair, taxed my feeble dial up connection and spent eight hours downloading his two books, "Nobody Follows Jesus (so why should you)" and "The Gospel, For Here Or To Go".
The results were immediately disappointing. The pdfs opened in quick time format, and would only show the table of contents to the two books. I felt punked, had. Frustrated, but not defeated. I went to Keith's website and emailed him personally explaining to him my turmoil and asking if he would consider emailing a pdf to me in adobe. Much to my delight, he responded promptly and emailed me a pdf of "Nobody Follows Jesus (so why should you)", and I have spent the past week savoring it like a fine Bordeaux.
For those of you unfamiliar with Keith Giles, he is a licensed and ordained pastor, teacher, preacher, writer, singer, and progenitor of the home church movement via his home based orange county, California church "the mission". What I found in the body of this text was an amazing and sensitive intellect, drowning in the sea of the corporately corrupt, politically inundated and commercially plagued modern church of America. Each page describes his navigation to the shore, where he picks up his cross and follows the Son in ritual observation, leaving cyber pit-cairns of perception, and finally nailing them to himself like a post modern Marty Luther.
For anyone who leaves a church wondering where God is, and just why we are hiding him, I recommend you purchase or down load this book, and use it as a union oil map to discover your own cross. The really cool thing is that the trail has been blazed, all we have to do is pick up and follow.
*taken from his blog here:
http://abrahamsbosom.blogspot.com/2007/11/nobody-follow-jesus-so-why-should-you.html
Friday, November 16, 2007
Nobody Follows Jesus - Reaction
Reader reviews of my book, "Nobody Follows Jesus (So Why Should You?)" are below:
"The anointing is upon you, brother. That tongue is alive. It is a warm breeze on a cold night.When I have finished reading it, I would like to review it on my little blog.May God bless you every minute, every day."
-Charles P.
**
"I've been devouring your articles "Nobody Follows Jesus" and am...well, I would have thrown the book against the wall any number of times already (I'm on page 126) and am experiencing the coruscating pain of conviction. I haven't felt this...crushed and loved all at once at the same time in a long time. "
-Dan C.
**
"I feel like you climbed into my brain and scooped out all my thoughts on this issue...thoughts I've been thinking about since I became a Christian at 7 years old.
I can't help but want to follow Jesus...your words in this form help point others to do so too!.
Thank you!!!"
-Amy A.
**
You can download this book for free (or purchase the actual 205 book) online here
My second book, "The Gospel:For Here Or To Go?" is also available for free download or purchase.
Spread the [Subversive] goodness. Share the idea virus with a friend.
peas,
kg
Thursday, November 15, 2007
CLOSE THE GAP
CLOSE THE GAP
by Keith Giles
On Dec.16th, 2007, hundreds of young people will gather at Gap Stores around the country to give back their GAP, Inc. clothing in order to protest the retail chain's slave labor practices.
"December 16th is the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party," said J.R., organizer of the planned protest. "We want to make a similar statement, as young people who have helped Gap build their clothing empire with our clothing purchases, that we no longer want to buy our clothes from an organization that supports or employs child slaves to produce their products."
The planned event will involve hundreds of young protesters who are encouraged to bring all of their Gap, Inc. clothes items (which include Bannanna Republic and Old Navy) to the nearest Gap store and drop them on the front doorstep with a note to the owners that they will no longer support the retail chain or purchase their clothes.
"We want to give back our Gap, Inc. clothes because we are so repulsed at their use of children as slaves, who are forced to create their clothing under penalty of torture and abuse. This is our generation's Boston Tea Party. This is a statement against the exploitation of children. We will not participate in this atrocity," said J.R.
The Gap was founded in 1969 by Donald Fisher, who is one of America's wealthiest businessmen. Last year the firm embarked on a huge poster and TV campaign for Product Red, a charitable trust to help fight AIDS and treat other diseases in Africa.
The Product Red Campaign was launched by U2 singer Bono and backed by celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, film director Steven Spielberg and actress Penelope Cruz.
The irony is that Gap, Inc. participated in the Red Campaign by selling branded products to raise awareness about the needs of the World's poorest and oppressed, even though their own products were created by poor, oppressed children who had no voice and often work for no pay.
For more info on the "Send Gap Clothes Back" Protest on Dec.16th go here:
http://www.sendgapclothesback.com/
**
More on the topic of Gap's use of child slavery -
"GAP SLAVE KIDS?"
by Dan McDougall
EXPOSED: 10-year-old, unpaid workers who help clothing giants make billions.
Children as young as ten years old are being sold into slavery by poverty-stricken parents to churn out cheap, embroidered clothes for fashion chain Gap.
A News of the World investigation uncovered the scandal of sweatshop kids who work for abosolutely nothing in India's capital, New Delhi.
After talking to frightened youngsters as they laboured to produce goods in time for the lucrative Christmas season, we can reveal they are:
*Forced to work without pay for up to 19 hours a day in the stifling heat.
*Beaten with a rubber pipe if they cry or protest.
*Kept in stinking, poorly-lit sweatshops running with raw sewage and
*Branded with tattoos which bond them to their greedy bosses.
When we confronted horrified Gap chiefs with our findings, they immediately vowed to withdraw tens of thousands of their embroidered children's smock tops produced by sweatshop labour before they even reach the stores.
But the news will bring little comfort to ten-year-old Amitosh who was sold for around 1,000 rupees—just £10. Ironically, his name means Happiness in Hindi.
(more in lnk)
http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/2810_gap_slave_kids.shtml
I will be joining the protest here in Costa Mesa, California at the Gap Store in Triangle Square.
Those who wish to join me or want to learn more can contact me via e-mail at
elysiansky (at) hotmail (dot) com
Let's start a Boston Tea Party of our own and make a statement against child slavery and the companies who make a profit on the backs of innocent kids.
kg
GEORGIA GOVERNOR PRAYS FOR RAIN
Two days later the State is engulfed in heavy, powerful rainstorms.
The Gov. prayed for rain on the 13th of November
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3857886
Two days later a massive storm ripped through the South
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071115/ap_on_re_us/southern_drought_1
The rainfall came two days after Gov. Sonny Perdue led a prayer service on the steps of the state Capitol to beg the heavens for an end to the drought.
This just in....God answers prayer.
News at 11
kg
The Gov. prayed for rain on the 13th of November
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3857886
Two days later a massive storm ripped through the South
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071115/ap_on_re_us/southern_drought_1
The rainfall came two days after Gov. Sonny Perdue led a prayer service on the steps of the state Capitol to beg the heavens for an end to the drought.
This just in....God answers prayer.
News at 11
kg
Monday, November 12, 2007
NON-CON 2008 REGISTRATION OPEN NOW
Online Registration for the Non-Con on Saturday, March 15th, 2008 with David Ruis, Jackie Pullinger and Keith Giles is now open.
GO HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE NOW:
https://www.acteva.com/go/non
$40 PER PERSON
ONLY 100 SEATS AVAILABLE
*Shared Meals Included
Main website is at
http://www.non-con.com
kg
GO HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE NOW:
https://www.acteva.com/go/non
$40 PER PERSON
ONLY 100 SEATS AVAILABLE
*Shared Meals Included
Main website is at
http://www.non-con.com
kg
Friday, November 09, 2007
Happy Birthday (To Me)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY (to me)
Yes, forty one years ago this very week the fabric of space and time pulled back to reveal this fragile and yet strangely troubled soul.
It was a day of wonder and tears. Cigarettes were burned. Laughter echoed down the hallway. A mother's heart slid into gear.
The angel's sighed, and one of them farted, but no one knew which one it was so they pretended not to hear.
It was a day of love so great it hurt to breathe.
Glad to be here, friends. Hope to be here a bit longer before I join the flatulent angels.
Wubba,
Keith
Yes, forty one years ago this very week the fabric of space and time pulled back to reveal this fragile and yet strangely troubled soul.
It was a day of wonder and tears. Cigarettes were burned. Laughter echoed down the hallway. A mother's heart slid into gear.
The angel's sighed, and one of them farted, but no one knew which one it was so they pretended not to hear.
It was a day of love so great it hurt to breathe.
Glad to be here, friends. Hope to be here a bit longer before I join the flatulent angels.
Wubba,
Keith
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
THE NON-CON O8 - JACKIE PULLINGER
I've just received word from Jackie Pullinger that she will be with us on Saturday, March 15th 2008 for the Non-Con here in Orange County, California.
Online Registration opens this weekend.
Details online at
http://www.non-con.com
Online Registration opens this weekend.
Details online at
http://www.non-con.com
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
ANOTHER "CHRISTIAN VERSION OF" EXAMPLE
Finally! A doll company that helps stimulate Christian girls to enter a life of glorious materialism!
"A Life Of Faith" Girls
http://www.alof.com/
If you've got a young pre-teen daughter you probably know all about the "American Girls" phenomenon sweeping the nation. If not you can gaze in morbid fascination at the sheer audacity of materialism gone wild at their website
http://www.americangirl.com/
Of course, if there's money to be made by taking something that's popular and slapping a cross on it to make a buck someone will do it.
Presenting the "Christian Version of American Girl" - "A Life Of Faith" Girls!!
Now your daughter can engage in rampant materialism with a Christian flavor! Instead of spending $30 for a new doll outfit over at "American Girl" (which isn't Christian you know), you can now spend $25 on a set of underwear for your Christian "A Life Of Faith" doll!
Millie's Calico Undergarments (3 pieces)
Millie was appalled to discover that prairie girls wore calico underwear instead of white cotton or muslin. But soon she was wearing it herself. Millie’s favorite is her striped calico pantalette, full circle petticoat, and camisole, all boasting eyelet lace trim and embroidered ribbon accents....
Price: $ 24.99
Praise the Lord! (Operators are standing by. All major credit cards accepted).
Read the following from the "Life of Faith" Girls website:
"Living a life of faith every day is not always easy—no matter what era you live in. Even though Elsie, Millie, Violet, and Laylie lived in another time period, the issues they struggled with in their everyday lives (e.g., rejection, temptation, fear, etc.) are very much like the issues girls face today. Though the specific circumstances and lifestyles of 19th century girls may be different than for 21st century girls, because principles of God’s Word never change, the solutions are the same. That’s why we can learn so much from Godly role models of every generation."
Can someone help me find a barf bag?
kg
**
"A Life Of Faith" Girls
http://www.alof.com/
If you've got a young pre-teen daughter you probably know all about the "American Girls" phenomenon sweeping the nation. If not you can gaze in morbid fascination at the sheer audacity of materialism gone wild at their website
http://www.americangirl.com/
Of course, if there's money to be made by taking something that's popular and slapping a cross on it to make a buck someone will do it.
Presenting the "Christian Version of American Girl" - "A Life Of Faith" Girls!!
Now your daughter can engage in rampant materialism with a Christian flavor! Instead of spending $30 for a new doll outfit over at "American Girl" (which isn't Christian you know), you can now spend $25 on a set of underwear for your Christian "A Life Of Faith" doll!
Millie's Calico Undergarments (3 pieces)
Millie was appalled to discover that prairie girls wore calico underwear instead of white cotton or muslin. But soon she was wearing it herself. Millie’s favorite is her striped calico pantalette, full circle petticoat, and camisole, all boasting eyelet lace trim and embroidered ribbon accents....
Price: $ 24.99
Praise the Lord! (Operators are standing by. All major credit cards accepted).
Read the following from the "Life of Faith" Girls website:
"Living a life of faith every day is not always easy—no matter what era you live in. Even though Elsie, Millie, Violet, and Laylie lived in another time period, the issues they struggled with in their everyday lives (e.g., rejection, temptation, fear, etc.) are very much like the issues girls face today. Though the specific circumstances and lifestyles of 19th century girls may be different than for 21st century girls, because principles of God’s Word never change, the solutions are the same. That’s why we can learn so much from Godly role models of every generation."
Can someone help me find a barf bag?
kg
**
Monday, November 05, 2007
WHAT ARE WE MOST AFRAID OF?
Today I received an email asking me to oppose a new legislation designed to end discrimination regarding sexual orientation.
Here's a bit of what the email said:
"The full U.S. House of Representatives is likely to vote on H.R. 3685, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, as early as tomorrow or Wednesday. ENDA would prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of "actual or perceived sexual orientation." Every business or organization with more than 15 employees would be barred by federal law from refusing to hire a person because of the person's sexual orientation. Although the bill exempts "religious organizations," this exemption would likely result in expensive, time-consuming lawsuits to determine if the employer was a "religious organization." Organizations...and religiously based homeschool organizations or co-ops with 15 or more employees could face such lawsuits."
As I read this I can't help but think that we're upset about the wrong thing here.
First of all, what would be so bad about a Christian organization hiring a capable employee who was homosexual? Would that be the end of the world?
If we think about this a little I think we can see that we're getting our panties in a bunch over practically nothing.
Would a non-Christian want to work for your Church or ministry? Is there any legislation that prevents them from working for you now? Why would you want to keep them away from the work you're currently doing? Wouldn't it be a good thing if they got involved with your ministry efforts? Are you afraid that a non-Christian might slip through the cracks and get past your security gates in the HR department?
Why are we so afraid of catching what those non-believers have? Why do we go so far out of our way to avoid interaction with them?
Didn't Jesus command us to be loving? Didn't Jesus tell us to be the light of the world? How can we do that from behind our closed church doors?
I also wonder why someone who was living an alternative lifestyle actually WANT to work for your church or Christian ministry? Are we afraid that they'd want to infiltrate and corrupt our efforts from within? And if so, what prevents them from doing that right now? Anyone can pretend to be a Christian these days. There's practically no difference between us and them anyway.
If we can agree that most who are outside of the Church really have no desire to be around us, then maybe we should really be asking "Why?"
Weren't we supposed to be ambassadors of Christ? Weren't we supposed to be winsome and loving and compassionate and caring? Isn't that what Jesus modelled for us? Isn't that what the early Church put into practice?
Why are we so radically exclusive?
kg
Here's a bit of what the email said:
"The full U.S. House of Representatives is likely to vote on H.R. 3685, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, as early as tomorrow or Wednesday. ENDA would prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of "actual or perceived sexual orientation." Every business or organization with more than 15 employees would be barred by federal law from refusing to hire a person because of the person's sexual orientation. Although the bill exempts "religious organizations," this exemption would likely result in expensive, time-consuming lawsuits to determine if the employer was a "religious organization." Organizations...and religiously based homeschool organizations or co-ops with 15 or more employees could face such lawsuits."
As I read this I can't help but think that we're upset about the wrong thing here.
First of all, what would be so bad about a Christian organization hiring a capable employee who was homosexual? Would that be the end of the world?
If we think about this a little I think we can see that we're getting our panties in a bunch over practically nothing.
Would a non-Christian want to work for your Church or ministry? Is there any legislation that prevents them from working for you now? Why would you want to keep them away from the work you're currently doing? Wouldn't it be a good thing if they got involved with your ministry efforts? Are you afraid that a non-Christian might slip through the cracks and get past your security gates in the HR department?
Why are we so afraid of catching what those non-believers have? Why do we go so far out of our way to avoid interaction with them?
Didn't Jesus command us to be loving? Didn't Jesus tell us to be the light of the world? How can we do that from behind our closed church doors?
I also wonder why someone who was living an alternative lifestyle actually WANT to work for your church or Christian ministry? Are we afraid that they'd want to infiltrate and corrupt our efforts from within? And if so, what prevents them from doing that right now? Anyone can pretend to be a Christian these days. There's practically no difference between us and them anyway.
If we can agree that most who are outside of the Church really have no desire to be around us, then maybe we should really be asking "Why?"
Weren't we supposed to be ambassadors of Christ? Weren't we supposed to be winsome and loving and compassionate and caring? Isn't that what Jesus modelled for us? Isn't that what the early Church put into practice?
Why are we so radically exclusive?
kg
Friday, November 02, 2007
HOW TO START YOUR OWN HOUSE CHURCH
Ever wanted to know how to start a simple church in your home but didn't know how?
My friend Bob Sears has a great resource website for people wanting to know how to start their own Simple Church/House Church.
It's chock-full of wisdom and practical application. Go. See. Learn.
http://www.simple-minded.net/
kg
My friend Bob Sears has a great resource website for people wanting to know how to start their own Simple Church/House Church.
It's chock-full of wisdom and practical application. Go. See. Learn.
http://www.simple-minded.net/
kg
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