Urgency.

I spoke with a good friend of mine, Kyle, and he talked me off the edge today in regards to a great frustration that I have.

Over the past several days I have become frustrated at what I can only describe as a lack of urgency in the church I serve (both local and regional). This is not a knock on the people of the church but I find I am beat down sometimes by some aspects of the church culture - what I perceive as a lack of urgency.

After talking a bit with others I think my sense of urgency is deeply rooted in my lack of friends my age involved in the church. I thank God for Kyle to help me see this.

As I look to the older leadership of the church they have a lot of friends in the church. They have other ministers and even friends whom they have been in ministry with for years. They are around the same age or they have kids who share the same youth group. The older leadership of the church seems to have a lot of friends within the church.

I do not.

I have watched more and more of my peers become de-churched and are not coming back to the church. I have seen youth involved in youth programs and leadership in the youth programs, but then move out of the youth group only to find the church is not doing much for that age group. The resources are lacking.

And so, over time, most of my peers have left the church. I have few friends within the church. I have more friends my age who are outside the church, and the latter group grows by the week.

I wonder if my frustration with church work is rooted in this concept.

Would you "do" church differently if you gave your life to the church only to find there was no one your age?

Would you have a sense of urgency?

I pray for a spirit of urgency (not panic or stress or anxiety) in the lives of church leaders.

Imitation is the greatest form of flattery...

Recently my friend Rev. Steve Heyduck posted about some of the blogs he follows with links to the posts which were interesting to him. I thought this was a good idea and not because I was on the list. I have seen this done before, but I guess it took someone I know to push me over the edge and try it out.

Andy Crouch writes about the printed money with zero currency value.

Boston.com has some sweet pictures of fire and ice.

Steve writes about a worthy cause.

AFgan Lord writes about Google and Gandhi.

My good friend Kyle shared a video with me that continues to shape my theology of sermon, worship and community.

Relish, M&Ms and a Pepsi

That is what she bought in the express check out line at Target this afternoon. She was in scrubs and looked tired. I have no idea what here story was. Why would she need these random things? I did not ask.

I was buying yogurt for my son who has not slept well in 4 days and beer for my wife and I who also have not slept well for 4 days. I wonder if the people behind me were wondering what my story was just as I was wondering what the Relish/M&M/Pepsi woman's story was? They did not ask.

I feel I missed an opportunity to learn a story of a woman. I missed an opportunity to share grace with my fellow child of God. I missed a story. I did not engage the people behind me with my own story about the yogurt and beer (which seems just as random). I just stood in line, like a cow standing waiting to be milked.

I went to Target to get a couple of things, but I missed the opportunity to hear another's story. I missed an opportunity to be enriched by another person.

There was a person I have heard of who likes to make stories out of numbers. For instance when he steps up to pump gas into his car, he sees the dollar number left over from the previous customer. He makes a story about that number and prays for that person in the story.

$12.02 - a person was in a hurry and over squeezed for a round dollar amount. He prays for the people who are rushed.

$5.00 - a young person with little money to buy gas. He prays for the poor.

$45.35 - a WASP driving an SUV just got a full tank of gas. He prays for the restoration of creation.

Be it in the express line at Target or the gas pump at 7-11, we have opportunities to enter into another's story. We have opportunities to listen to others and/or to pray for others.

I missed a chance today, but later Estee and I are getting pizza delivered. Maybe the pizza delivery person has a story to share?