Great Article Defining "Emergent"

This is bodaciously long, but it is wonderfully wise. Must have been hard work. You guys might recognize the author, Michael Patton. He's the poor soul I raked over the coals for saying "God is mainly interested in the doctrine you believe, not in what you do." Well, I'm tippin' my hat to him today. Go read Will the Real Emerger Please Stand Up?

It's like Ultimate Fighting, but With the Bible

Okay, I think I get it. Preaching is a competitive sport, and the one who can interpret biblical truth in the most extreme and stringent way is the winner. Say it with style and it's like a slam dunk, except the spectators say "amen".

Hagee Clip. Huh?

I found this on a site quaintly called "Hard-Preaching-Dot-Com", on the "Heresy" tab. What do you make of it? What's the point he's trying to make? What could he possibly mean that "Jesus did not come to be the messiah"? I wonder how he explains why Jesus' disciples refer to him as "the christ" some 515 times?

Southern Baptist Seismic Activity

Interesting article from iMonk, Michael Spencer. Short and telling.

Professional Player loves Jesus?

Got this today from my friend Jeremiah. Went to LCC with him and he has definitely taken things in a different direction then we thought. I know it is sometimes hard to reconcile these two worlds, but if we really are to embrace the world around us, why not be a financial planner, a software developer, or even a professional blogger/poker player? This may be a source for some good discussion (or maybe not), but regardless, would you mind lifting him up in prayer?

Gentlemen,

Tomorrow I head back to Vegas for the 2009 World Series of Poker. Last WSOP was an incredible experience for me; I've never had that much fun playing poker or developing relationships. I'm incredibly excited about this summer...I am in a great spot this year for both working and playing. However, what I'm really looking forward to is renewing the relationships and friendships I've developed in the poker community over the past few years. Obviously, there's larger issues at stake for me than how my next podcast turns out or how I played in a given tournament.

One thing I'm going to need a lot of this summer is prayer support; Christians are few and far between in the poker community. If possible, I'd love it if you could include me in your regular prayer time these next several weeks. If you're interested, I'll send you at least a weekly email with bullet points to pray for. If you're not interested, that's too bad and I'll just spam your inbox :) Of primary concern to me is my relationship with Melissa; I'll be going back and forth a couple times and she's used to me traveling for work, but it's always tough being away from her and the pooch.

My schedule is very full; I hope to collect enough "data" for articles and such through the end of the year. Here's what I'll be doing:

• Producing a series of strategy videos for pokerlistings.com/pokerroad.com
• Weekly tournament articles for pokernews.com (newest one here)
• Cash Plays podcast for pokerroad.com - link
• I've had a number of requests for articles/blogs etc...gotta figure out what to do/not do
• Playing 10-12 tournaments (May 30, Jun 1, 3, 6 coming up quick)

I'm really hoping for a little more of Matthew 13:33 this summer:

"The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough."

Blessings,

Jeremiah

The Hidden Curriculum

And yet another one from Leadership Journal...

Your Hidden Curriculum: What do people learn from you about the Christian life? Sometimes it's what you never intended to teach.

Here's what Sr. Scribe JoeB had to say about the article:

If the invisible curriculum of my own life hasn't shouted it down, you may recall my many rants on this subject. I call the invisible curriculum the "Unwritten Rules", and I believe the Bible calls them "spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenlies."* I imagine all of his superb examples fall in the category of "reverse beatitudes", the ways of the world. Power before love; expedience before justice; victory before mercy. The shabbily dressed are welcome...if they sit here, at my feet. The meek inherit the earth...as soon as the powerful are done with it, and they've decided where the meek must stand.

I think these "spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenlies" begin as individuals' shortcomings, but people play along with them and they become institutionalized. They become prescriptions for attitudes and behavior. And people master the curriculum just by breathing the air.

The invisible curriculum can be positive, by the way. And it is overwhelmingly powerful. I have experienced communities that overflow with love in the holy spirit, and it is earthshaking. In evangelism terms it is like the irresistible force.

Traditionalism vs Reforming Tradition

Another great article from a friend:

Something Old, Something New: Combining liturgy and postmodern culture leads to fresh forms of worships in the U.K.

A few choice quotes:

"...the goal isn't to be trendy. The gospel always comes to us wearing cultural robes, speaking the language of its own time and society."

"the contemporary worship movement structured itself around bands that led blocks of singing followed by preaching and responses. In the 1970s and '80s, this movement was an exciting recovery of freedom of expression in worship. But over time, in many places, contemporary worship has gotten stuck, and what once felt radical and alive now feels a bit past its sell-by date."

"Communion is another precious old gift in the treasure house. We have improvised by putting Communion back in the context of a meal in homes or around tables in a café."

I also liked the part about NT Wright's example of "faithful improvisation," and us being in the middle of the fifth act of the Bible. Discuss.