CULTURE: Bono "Grace over Karma"

This is an amazing interview! Wow! I am floored!

Bono Interview: Grace Over Karma

(Excerpt from the book Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas)

Bono: My understanding of the Scriptures has been made simple by the person of Christ. Christ teaches that God is love. What does that mean? What it means for me: a study of the life of Christ. Love here describes itself as a child born in straw poverty, the most vulnerable situation of all, without honor. I don't let my religious world get too complicated. I just kind of go: Well, I think I know what God is. God is love, and as much as I respond [sighs] in allowing myself to be transformed by that love and acting in that love, that's my religion. Where things get complicated for me, is when I try to live this love. Now that's not so easy.

Assayas: What about the God of the Old Testament? He wasn't so "peace and love"?

Bono: There's nothing hippie about my picture of Christ. The Gospels paint a picture of a very demanding, sometimes divisive love, but love it is. I accept the Old Testament as more of an action movie: blood, car chases, evacuations, a lot of special effects, seas dividing, mass murder, adultery. The children of God are running amok, wayward. Maybe that's why they're so relatable. But the way we would see it, those of us who are trying to figure out our Christian conundrum, is that the God of the Old Testament is like the journey from stern father to friend. When you're a child, you need clear directions and some strict rules. But with Christ, we have access in a one-to-one relationship, for, as in the Old Testament, it was more one of worship and awe, a vertical relationship. The New Testament, on the other hand, we look across at a Jesus who looks familiar, horizontal. The combination is what makes the Cross.

Assayas: Speaking of bloody action movies, we were talking about South and Central America last time. The Jesuit priests arrived there with the gospel in one hand and a rifle in the other.

Bono: I know, I know. Religion can be the enemy of God. It's often what happens when God, like Elvis, has left the building. [laughs] A list of instructions where there was once conviction; dogma where once people just did it; a congregation led by a man where once they were led by the Holy Spirit. Discipline replacing discipleship. Why are you chuckling?

To read more: http://www.thepoachedegg.net/the-poached-egg/2010/09/bono-interview-grace-over-karma.html

CHURCH: Welcoming Visitors

Something our Church (GGC) should consider

[Editor's note: Mentanna Campbell recently returned to the United States after serving as a missionary in France for years. She started looking for a church. And then wrote this letter.]

Dear church members,

I am looking for a church. I’m already a believer, so I’m an easy catch. You don't have to convince me that God exists or that it is important to come to church regularly. I’m even one of those in the 20th percentile who will be actively engaged, eager to serve in my giftedness. I really want to find a church home (and soon), but I confess this search has been harder than I expected.

I see so many things that make me want to turn around and walk out the door.

To read more: http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/church/features/24374-an-open-letter-to-american-churches

CHURCH: Approaching a Post-Christian World

Pastor Tim Keller joined author Gabe Lyons for an exclusive live webcast Thursday afternoon discussing the new opportunities and obstacles that are arising for Christians today in a modern and industrial culture.

No longer under the umbrella of the early church, where faith had once shaped much of the culture and not vice versa, the new generation is witnessing a more multi-dimensional world where different faiths are celebrated, vocational success is rampant, individuality is pushed, and the gospel is becoming increasingly more and more irrelevant.

Both Keller and Lyons, seasoned in their respective fields, proposed their own solutions and perspectives on how to mobilize Christians for the sake of the gospel and approach the church and the world in a fresh way, distinct from the “church of Acts,” or the early church.

Read more: http://www.christianpost.com/news/americas-got-baggage-approaching-a-post-christian-world-with-tim-keller-gabe-lyons-49042/

CHURCH: Spiritual, Physical and Mental Health of Church Planter/Family

Most planters indicate that planting is one of the hardest things they've ever done. Those who survive are quick to highlight how discouraging and lonely it can be. But they are also quick to point out how rewarding it is. In some ways, it is the best of times and in others it is the worst of times.

Planters who responded often stated that they faced struggles in the areas of personal health: (1) the battle to overcome pride, self-reliance, drivenness and an uncoachable attitude; (2) loneliness and isolation; (3) mistrust; (4) lack of rest; and (5) maintaining joy. Although most planters understand the importance of making personal development and family nurturing top priorities, these things often get lost in a planter's busyness.

Continue reading at http://www.edstetzer.com/2011/02/7-top-issues-church-planters-f-4.html