In the earliest years of the restoration movement, Alexander Campbell's father (Thomas Campbell)  wrote perhaps the most important piece of literature surrounding our movement.  It was called The Last Will and Testament of The Springfeild Presbytery.  It is hard to remove yourself from the religious scene of 2005 and place yourself in Thomas' shoes 201 years ago, but try to picture a scene where the denominational world was oppressive and dominating - they refused to practice the "Preisthood of all believers" and therefore said only clergy were important people.  They would put you on the Mourners Bench until you had a profound spiritual experience in which you might faint or have an "attack".  Only after this experience would you be considered a "Christian" and even then you were'nt anything compared to the religiously pious pastor's of the day. 

It was exactly this attitude that caused the men of the Springfeild Presbytery to write these words in their last will and testament. 

"We will that this body die, be dissolved, and sink into union with the body of Christ at large"

Now days the denominational world is hardly this way... Instead I see barriers being torn down all the time. In fact the Chruches of Christ themselves represent a denomination (whether or not they want to believe it).  I see an irony here.  Maybe it is time for someone to write a Last Will and Testament of the Churches of Christ?

Dude what a crazy last few weeks it has been.  How in the world did I make it through?  I guess b/c I've got it pretty good in life.  I mean look at me.  I've got a great job that I love, I've got a beautiful wife that I love, I've got a great family that I love (and that loves me back), I've got a lot of friends that I love (and that I think loves me back), and I've got no real money problems or addictions or huge moral sins.  I mean, WOW, it would seem as if Joe James is set!

But Guess what... I'm not.  I'm not anything without God.  The more of this stuff I got, the more distractions I have - not that my loved ones are a distraction - but that my idolization of my own wellbeing is a distraction. When I look back on the hectic month that April has already been, I wonder what really got me through.  Which God did I turn to?  The one that Joe created out of himself - or was it the one that just is with or without Joe James?

What's it mean to be poor in spirit?  Just ask the divorced, jobless, homeless, depraved, lost, sinful, drunken, starving, stinking, annoying guy you see living under the nearest overpass.  He can turn to God - the true God when he knows to.  He can't create an idol because he has nothing to mold it out of.  He can only turn to God.  Sometimes I wish I were him.  Then I remember that is the way God saw me, before I knew His Son.  That is who I am without God.  I'm that guy!  I NEED GOD! 

I just wish I needed Him last week, and not just when I write these blogs for you guys to revel in how spiritual Joe is.  Truth is... I pose as spiritual... there's your truth!

Last night was one of those "Radical Worship" experiences.  It is one of the few I've ever had and it came from the most unlikely of places... my home. 

Every Sunday evening, my wife and I host a small group at our house.  It is "extra" time for us because we begin at 7:30 pm which is after Sunday night services at Southwest.  We cherish this time however, because we have important relationships with the people in the room. 

I guess we started this little house church in June of 2004 and have had some wonderful experiences since then.  But last night was truly transformational.  We began, last night, a group study of 1 John.  In case you've never read 1 John, the theme of the short letter is "Love one another in times of peril".  (Or at least that's the perspective I carry).  Anyway, my wife and I decided it would be neat to cover the lesson each week and have discussion with the 14 some odd individuals in the group, and then break off into "smaller-small groups" and have "stations" in each bedroom.  Saturday, before this new way of doing house church, Shaila and I came up with 3 stations to go in each room that we could attend as "smaller-small groups"  Here is what we came up with. 

 1) A "Praise" station - in here we will spend time in prayer and praise to God.  You and 3 or 4 others will share with your group some praise that comes to mind based on the 1 John passages we cover that week.  It was GREAT to hear people respond to God's word like that.

2) A "Love" station (don't make fun!) was in another room.  In here you share with the group why you love each person there.  You actually tell other brothers and sisters that you love them and then say why... a lost art in a lot of communities.  Then we shared with each other someone outside the group that we needed to express love to but hadn't.  We then wrote that person a note telling them that we loved them. - Talk about open hearts!

3) A "Serve" station was in our office room.  It was by far my favorite!  Each week we decided that it would be cool if we could get into the "servant frame of mind" by doing an activity to serve each other.  This goes well with the "Love each other" theme of 1 John.  Last night we physically washed eached others hands and repeated Jesus' words to each other... "As I have washed your hands [feet], so you should do for others..."  After we had gained our focus on serving, we planned an activity to do outside the group for those in need.  My smaller-small group amazed me with the ideas they came up with.  We finally settled on bringing groceries next week and putting them in a bag and taking them to someone.  But here is the catch... we ring the door-bell and run!  We don't intorduce ourselves or anything.  We just leave a note in the bag that said "because Jesus loves you... that's why." No alterior motive, just love.  I was floored!  We are doing it this next Sunday.

I have been changed and many others have been to.  Not by our efforts but by a group realizing the power of love and closeness and concern for one another.  WE LOVE 1 JOHN!  WE LOVE EACH OTHER!

Man it has been a while since I posted on this blog.  I miss you guy's who read it (Michael).  Anyway, even if no one reads it, it is still threraputic for me.

I thought I'd just gab a little about the trip I went on last week.  I attended a children's ministry conference at Willow Creek Community Church.  It was called Festival and boy it was.  I sometimes forgot that I was at a church and felt like I was in Wonderland or something. They sure know how to get you pumped up to "do" ministry.  It was neat and I did in fact "continue my education".  I guess it was worth it.

I would go back to my hotel and it was like the party was over.  One night I went down to use the nice gym that was available near the lobby, and I ran about 2 or 3 miles on a cool looking treadmill.  But that was the most fun I had outside the conference. 

I got to wondering if God thought it was not cool of them to spend thousands on plama TV's that hung outside the auditorium or if He hated the expensive computerstations in the lobby.  What did God think about the cafeteria and the coffee shops and the bookstores?

Then I remembered where I was.  I remebered because I was at a nice restaurant alone one night and got to looking around at the people in this upscale suburb of Chicago.  I saw what they valued and how they interacted.  I saw to some degree the type of people they were and it dawned on me that they all belonged at Willow Creek.  Why?  Because 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 says so.

"Though I am free and belong to no man I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.  To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews.  To those under the law I became like one under the law... To those not having the law, I became as though I did not have the law myself... The the weak I became weak, in order to win some of the weak... I have become all things to all men so that I might by all possible means, save some.  I do this all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings."

How relevant is Willow Creek to its surrounding culture.  Well I think they became "Big Time" to save the "Big Timers"  because God loves them too.

I guess that is my take on healthy mega churches.  I repent of bashing them.  I am no better, infact they ended up teaching me a thing or two.  Granted that is just one megachurch who has somehow maintained health and community.  That is not for all churches.  But we do have to do what Willow Creek does and that is become a relvant church to the local community.

Our small group played basketball for about two hours last night.  I am very tired today and realized that I'm not as young as I used to be (duh).

Last night I had the desire to get in shape, but my fatigue today sort of dampens that desire.  I wish I could have paced myself a little more.

That is something that is not taught in our churches much anymore - the pacing thing that is.  Too many preachers and shepherds tell people they ought to attack the scriptures and prayer time and many other spiritual disciplines full force.  But I disagree.  They'll be pumped at first, but their fatigue might dampen that desire. 

What if people started out doing a little of the spiritual disciplines and had someone there to shepherd them.  And by shepherd I mean to encourage, love, listen, answer questions, and to simply be there.  That would be a positive alternative to browbeating and forcefeeding, don't you think?  Instead I beleive we ought to encourage people to do a little bit of prayer, a little scripture time, and little bit of the others.  What if we trusted God to work in there lives at the pace He sets for them - and stopped trying to be the pacesetters? 

Sometimes I feel like when we do the pacesetting, we expect people to live up to our standards and therefore make Christianity a burden.  Isn't Christian Spirituality supposed to be a liberation.  Shouldn't we set a pace that is enough for that person to experience the liberation, but not so much it becomes a burden?

I'm just saying what if... Maybe I'm wrong!  What do you think?