What About Bob

In Jesus Name, Booyah

Church Replaces “Amen” With “Booyah”

  "Times are changing and so are we." That's the opinion of Mark Levy, pastor of Fresh Winds Church of God. For some time now Levy's church of 500 has moved away from many of the traditional elements of worship into new approaches. One of those approaches is doing away with the word "amen" and replacing it with a new more "relevant" phrase - "booyah." "We're here to worship today, boo-yah?" Levy enthusiastically asks his congregation. "Boo-Yah!" they all respond in unison. 

Throughout the church’s worship time “amen” is consistently replaced. Praise and Worship songs are changed. After prayers the one praying will say “And all God’s people said...” to which the congregation replies "Boo-Yah!" appropriately.  “Amen” is even replaced in the Scripture readings Levy uses…

Read more HERE.

The Blessing of the iPod

The New Year's Day service at St. Mark's Catholic church used to draw a dozen people. Now it is the most popular service of the year, drawing hundreds of young people. The reason: Father Bolgren has started blessing the iPods.
    "It's a way of getting their hearts and minds," he says. "Kids take it very seriously."
    On the first day of 2007, several hundred teenagers stand in line to have Bolgren bless their iPods with a prayer and a daub of oil. All morning, Nanos, video iPods, Minis and more parade before him.
    "I really liked the black Nano," he says later in the rectory, resting between services. Asked if the service is simply a gimmick, he says no. "Priests bless cars and pets, so this is not far afield," he says.
    Several churches nationwide are using iPod-related rituals to get kids' attention. One church in Montclair, Calif., hosts regular playlist burnings, where kids set fire to a list of songs they promise to delete from their iPods.
    "It gets quite emotional," says youth pastor Ronny DeLane who founded the "God on the 'Pod" services at Evangelical Free church. "The kids lay their iPods on the altar and dedicate them to God. Then they set fire to a CD or list of songs in a metal bowl and promise to delete them from iTunes when they get home. There's a lot of crying."

Is an iPod tithe next?  Read the rest HERE.

Concert Sold Out

The Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Louis Giglio concert at my church is SOLD OUT!  WOW we will be completely packed in our worship center.  We will have 2800 folks there.  It should be a great night of worship.  The tour has been on break for a week so the guys will come in fresh and ready to lead us all in worship.  We are going to have some logistic issues with parking and bathrooms but those  are good problems to have.  If you're coming, wear comfortable clothes.  It will be packed but should be an awesome time in the Lord!

JC out to Terminate the Resurrection

  James Cameron, widely known film director of the Terminator movies and The Titanic, is now trying to terminate and sink the basic beliefs of Christianity.  In his upcoming movie, The Lost Tomb of Jesus, Cameron will claim that the burial site of Jesus has been found and suggests he had a wife and son.  Yet another attempt of our pop culture to take a controversial topic (which is fundamental to the Christian faith) and exploit it for profit.  This so-called "scientific evidence" is actually 11 years old and proven to be absolutely wrong.  On March 4th, they are building up the synergy on this tale with a Discovery Channel special by the same name. 
I guess if The Da Vinci Code was round one, this movie is round 2 and our next sermon series.  Better get busy building my tomb set...

Read my friend Rich Kirkpatrick's take on this very topic HERE.  Read the news release HERE.

Napkin Notes

One day I'm going to write a book entitled Napkin Notes.  Periodically, I find these loose notes either on a napkin or the back of magazines or papers.  Here is a napkin note neatly tucked in a book.  Another worship conference, I'm not sure which.

"On-Star" for the Soul - The 5 G's of Growth

Grace
Salvation is only the first step. 
Growth
Must Know the scriptures .. a Moral Compass. Too many Christians never grow.
Group
We don't talk to each other any more.  We've all become "Solo Sapiens"  Substituting  the virtual contact for human contact.  Small groups worth the risk.  Christ-like intimacy.
Gifts
128 hours in a week and we are asking someone to commit 18% a week.  There is this horse ranch.  For those who want to go fast, there are fast horses.  For those who want to go slow, there are slow horses.  There are big and small horses for those who've never ridden a horse.  And there are horses that have never been ridden.
Good Stewards
Who is happier; the man with 12 million dollars or the man with 12 children?  The correct answer is the man with 12 children because he doesn't want anymore.  Honor God with His Tithe.  Learn God's principles of money management.  To whom much is given, much is required.  Where your treasure is, there your heart is also.