Saturday, February 15, 2003
Oh yeah, someone hacked into our church bulletin board and we lost all of our posting.
It is humbling to think that we got it from some pimple faced 13 year old sitting in his room somewhere with a cable modem.
Now we have ]increased out site warning level to Orange and everyone is duck taping our computers.
It is humbling to think that we got it from some pimple faced 13 year old sitting in his room somewhere with a cable modem.
Now we have ]increased out site warning level to Orange and everyone is duck taping our computers.
well what a week. Things are settling down at church with the odd gathering on Sunday, tomorrow will be normal Gathering, we are going to spend a few weeks in Daniel – how perfectly 2003 emerging church of us.
Shelley and I went to a movie last night with some free coupons from our mortgage guy - we are refinancing at 5.75% on a 30 year mortgage, crazy.
Anyway, we went to a newly built theater that we had not been to before due to the free tickets - we saw Catch Me If You Can.
The theater is in a newly remodeled mall that is really nice. But greatly over done in some ways. It is really beautiful. The food court has a huge fire place in the middle and upscale seating. The theater is like being in an airport terminal – the mega church scene almost makes sense in neighborhoods like that.
It made me reflect on when I was a kid and Knollwood mall was built. It was the total rage and in its’ day it was so nice, we use to wonder around it looking at how cool it was (Minnesota is the home of indoor malls, the first one ever built is in Edina and the largest one in the country is in Bloomington, so we know our malls). Well Knollwood is a scanky mall now, and hardly anyone goes there.
While we were in the Eden Prairie Center last night, I was thinking that in 25 years that really big, beautiful, overwhelming mall will probably be scanky and people wont want to go there. Instead there will be some big new beautiful mall somewhere - And the beat goes on.
The movie was pretty good anyway.
We have our annual meeting at Church tomorrow afternoon, then a dinner and then the gathering - it will be a full day.
I should probably be writing my book now instead of babbling on this blog.
Shelley and I went to a movie last night with some free coupons from our mortgage guy - we are refinancing at 5.75% on a 30 year mortgage, crazy.
Anyway, we went to a newly built theater that we had not been to before due to the free tickets - we saw Catch Me If You Can.
The theater is in a newly remodeled mall that is really nice. But greatly over done in some ways. It is really beautiful. The food court has a huge fire place in the middle and upscale seating. The theater is like being in an airport terminal – the mega church scene almost makes sense in neighborhoods like that.
It made me reflect on when I was a kid and Knollwood mall was built. It was the total rage and in its’ day it was so nice, we use to wonder around it looking at how cool it was (Minnesota is the home of indoor malls, the first one ever built is in Edina and the largest one in the country is in Bloomington, so we know our malls). Well Knollwood is a scanky mall now, and hardly anyone goes there.
While we were in the Eden Prairie Center last night, I was thinking that in 25 years that really big, beautiful, overwhelming mall will probably be scanky and people wont want to go there. Instead there will be some big new beautiful mall somewhere - And the beat goes on.
The movie was pretty good anyway.
We have our annual meeting at Church tomorrow afternoon, then a dinner and then the gathering - it will be a full day.
I should probably be writing my book now instead of babbling on this blog.
Monday, February 10, 2003
I love my church, and as I have said if it weren't for places like Solomon's Porch, Christianity would be a hard practice for me.
But last night went bizarre. I really do not want to re-live it by writing about it, other than to say the idea publicly shared that we are insufficient in some ways that I do not happen to think we are insufficient in. (there are plenty of ways that we are insufficient, but the ones mentioned list night in my opinion are not it).
I mentioned to a guy from SP last night, "whose crazy idea was it to change not only the structure of church, but the understanding of it as well."
Here are a few emails I received by this morning.
Doug,
I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate
what you have done for this church. I know how hard
you work, and how frustrating nights like last night
can be. Just know that you and the whole church are
in my prayers. I hope your week goes well.
Doug-
Wow, doesn't even begin, so I won't. Thank you so much for leading this church through things like this. Thank you for making sure that there wasn't a defense and an offense. Thank you for listening to people's uneducated opinions. I love you and you family a ton. I imagine how much stress your job can entail and that this will affect your family and marriage as well. Thank you for giving your energy and thank them for sharing your energy and time. Tonight was draining and frustrating for every single person in the room. I guess this is part of the job, but it sure sucks. I will be praying for you and those who spoke tonight. Have a wonderful day tomorrow.
Remember to smile!
sweet dreams
Hey Doug!
When you throw the doors of Solomon's Porch open wide, all manner of
people come in.
I was part of a church in Memphis whose focus was toward the university
campus there. Through the lifespan of that church there never ceased to
be a constant pull away from that mission and initial vision. That
church died with blueprints for a spendy building on the table and
needing to sell off the parcel of land we purchased in the suburbs far
away from campus.
Fast forward fifteen years to an early Willow Creek model church in
Shoreview/Circle Pines. The vision was clearly explained to everyone
from the get-go. The Sunday meeting is not meant to feed you Christians.
The Sunday meeting is tailored toward your family and friends who do not
feel comfortable in a traditional church and don't speak Christianese.
There never ceased to be a pull away from that plan. Christians wanted
that Sunday meeting to be for them. We don't want to come on Wednesday.
We want our Sunday church and that's it.
I can go to a hundred churches in the Twin Cities and get all of that
other stuff people always crab at you about. I play music in many of
those churches. That constant pull to make Solomon's Porch like all of
those other churches is the devil. I've waited my whole christian life
to feel like I fit in a church like Solomon's Porch and there is only
one like it in this town. Don't give in.
Don't worry. Get some sleep. You're the best.
just a quick thank you for laying yourself down and handling tonight with such grace.
Doug, I wasn't at church tonight, by God's grace. I would have had a
coronary if I had been. It’s just the kind of thing that happened tonight
which goes back to why I couldn't do what you do week in and week out.
Carla says you handled it masterfully.
That being the case, if you find yourself seething at any point and want to
talk to vent or just talk to talk, I'm open to that. I just want you to
know we can do that and you don't have to worry about it going anywhere.
But last night went bizarre. I really do not want to re-live it by writing about it, other than to say the idea publicly shared that we are insufficient in some ways that I do not happen to think we are insufficient in. (there are plenty of ways that we are insufficient, but the ones mentioned list night in my opinion are not it).
I mentioned to a guy from SP last night, "whose crazy idea was it to change not only the structure of church, but the understanding of it as well."
Here are a few emails I received by this morning.
Doug,
I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate
what you have done for this church. I know how hard
you work, and how frustrating nights like last night
can be. Just know that you and the whole church are
in my prayers. I hope your week goes well.
Doug-
Wow, doesn't even begin, so I won't. Thank you so much for leading this church through things like this. Thank you for making sure that there wasn't a defense and an offense. Thank you for listening to people's uneducated opinions. I love you and you family a ton. I imagine how much stress your job can entail and that this will affect your family and marriage as well. Thank you for giving your energy and thank them for sharing your energy and time. Tonight was draining and frustrating for every single person in the room. I guess this is part of the job, but it sure sucks. I will be praying for you and those who spoke tonight. Have a wonderful day tomorrow.
Remember to smile!
sweet dreams
Hey Doug!
When you throw the doors of Solomon's Porch open wide, all manner of
people come in.
I was part of a church in Memphis whose focus was toward the university
campus there. Through the lifespan of that church there never ceased to
be a constant pull away from that mission and initial vision. That
church died with blueprints for a spendy building on the table and
needing to sell off the parcel of land we purchased in the suburbs far
away from campus.
Fast forward fifteen years to an early Willow Creek model church in
Shoreview/Circle Pines. The vision was clearly explained to everyone
from the get-go. The Sunday meeting is not meant to feed you Christians.
The Sunday meeting is tailored toward your family and friends who do not
feel comfortable in a traditional church and don't speak Christianese.
There never ceased to be a pull away from that plan. Christians wanted
that Sunday meeting to be for them. We don't want to come on Wednesday.
We want our Sunday church and that's it.
I can go to a hundred churches in the Twin Cities and get all of that
other stuff people always crab at you about. I play music in many of
those churches. That constant pull to make Solomon's Porch like all of
those other churches is the devil. I've waited my whole christian life
to feel like I fit in a church like Solomon's Porch and there is only
one like it in this town. Don't give in.
Don't worry. Get some sleep. You're the best.
just a quick thank you for laying yourself down and handling tonight with such grace.
Doug, I wasn't at church tonight, by God's grace. I would have had a
coronary if I had been. It’s just the kind of thing that happened tonight
which goes back to why I couldn't do what you do week in and week out.
Carla says you handled it masterfully.
That being the case, if you find yourself seething at any point and want to
talk to vent or just talk to talk, I'm open to that. I just want you to
know we can do that and you don't have to worry about it going anywhere.
