The Overflow

May 26 2009

Notes from The Pepperdine Lectures – Rick Atchley & Jonathan Storment

Notes from Rick Atchley & Jonathan Storment’s Class at The 2009 Pepperdine Lectures – “When Past Meets Post: What’s a Church to Do? pt. 1” – Wednesday May 6, 2009 – 8:30AM. This was the first class in a series of three discussing the church and postmodernism.

Postmoderism is “the collapse of inherited metanarratives.”
Modernity says, “We’re going to make the world a better place by reason, science, technology, etc.” Postmodernity says back to modernity, “The report cards are in, and you’ve failed!”
When Rick was in elementary school, the teacher taught him how Columbus sailed the ocean blue and found America. When Jonathan was in elementary school, the teacher taught him how Columbus sailed the ocean blue, found American, and butchered the Indians.
Our culture has a problem with the exclusive claim that Jesus is Lord – ONLY. That’s because our culture values consumerism above all else. The world revolves around self.
Churches have become more akin to the Home Shopping Network than a revolution!
Depending on mass-media too much reverses the incarnation – truth needs a body (the role of the church)!
Tony Campolo quote (not exact): “Mixing the gospel and politics is like mixing horse manure and ice cream. It won’t affect the horse manure that much, but you might not like the ice cream.”
Moderns come to a church and ask, “Is this true?” Postmoderns come to a church and ask, “Do I want to be like these people?”
Moderns: Believe –> Behave –> Belong
Postmoderns: Belong –> Believe –> Behave

Things that are going to happen to the church as a direct result of postmodern thought:

Postmodernity is going to diminish the rule of legalism.
Postmodernity will diminish self-righteousness.
Postmodernity will encourage the church to embrace mystery.
Postmodernity will call the church to be more authentic.
Postmodernity will cause us to hold up Jesus instead of the church. The church is embodied in a person. Where the church hasn’t looked like Jesus, we must confess and repent.
Postmodernity will cause us to rethink and rearticulate our story. Its hero is one who died on a cross.

For more teaching from Jonathan and Rick, subscribe to their podcast here.

Also, check out Jonathan’s blog. There’s a good post on keeping the Sabbath (taking a day off) there today.

Tagged collapse of metanarrative, collapse of metanarratives, jesus, jonathan storment, metanarrative, metanarratives, modern, modernism, modernity, Modernity and Jesus, notes from pepperdine lectures, pepperdine, pepperdine lectures, pepperdine lectures notes, postmodern, postmodern church, postmodernism, postmodernity, Postmodernity and Jesus, postmodernity and the church, postmodernity cartoon, postmodernity church, postmodernity humor, richland hills, richland hills church, richland hills church of christ, rick atchley, Tony Campolo

May 21 2009

5 Comments

Current Events, Popular Culture

Kris Allen – God of This City ft. Little Rock, AR

Even though I’m not what you would call an ‘American Idol fan’ (in fact, I mostly hate that show), it’s cool seeing all of the shots of my hometown in this video, and cool that Kris got the big dubya putting Little Rock on the map.

From what I hear, he’s an active member of a campus ministry at my old school – The University of Central Arkansas.

I hope he uses his newfound fame to share Jesus with people and doesn’t lose sight of what really matters in life.

Tagged american idol, american idol winner, god of this city, kris allen, uca, university of central arkansas

May 20 2009

Discipleship Among Friends – Groups of Three

Confession, prayer, accountability, godly advice, and your life’s direction.

All of these things are good – vital even, but they’re best when they’re working together. Sometimes that takes a little bit of intentionality.

I learned what I’m about to share from ACU professor Kent Smith. You might be interested in trying this out:

Find two other Christian friends of the same gender, and make a commitment to one another to meet together once a week.

Each week, each person asks these three questions of themselves to discuss with the others:

1) What is God calling me to do?

NOTE: You will be hard pressed to find an answer to #1 if you aren’t listening. God speaks to us in many ways, and the most common one is through our own personal time we spend with Him alone in prayer and Bible study. If you’re not in the habit of spending time with God, then it could be that you’re not listening to what He’s trying to tell you. Think about it.

2) What am I going to do about it?

That is, what tangible action am I going to take to accomplish what God is calling me to do or become?

3) How can this group help?

How can we work together to help one another accomplish what God is calling us to do in our lives?

This is a great thing to invite a friend to be apart of. Once you have three meeting together, encourage each other to bring more.

Once you get six people coming, multiply. Now you have two groups of three. Keep the format the same for both groups (three is a good number – six is too many for deep discussion and meaningful confession), and each time a group reaches six committed members, multiply again.

You don’t need a “leader” to start something like this – just three people willing to take it seriously.

This is a powerful, effective, and easily reproducible weekly study if the people involved take it seriously.

If you’re looking for something more, get a couple of friends together and try this.

It might just change your life.

Tagged Accountability, Confession, discipleship, group discipleship, group discipling, groups of three

The Overflow

"For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." -Jesus

Notes from The Pepperdine Lectures – Rick Atchley & Jonathan Storment

Kris Allen – God of This City ft. Little Rock, AR

Discipleship Among Friends – Groups of Three