Kingdom of God Project

I've been reading a pretty cool book lately, and I ran across a couple of quotes I thought I'd share with you. It's called "The Secret Message of Jesus" by Brian McLaren. I started reading it a year ago when it came out, but got sidetracked. I'm back now, and there are some great things in this little book.

We were reading about the kingdom, and this came up on page 78, "The whole kingdom-of-God project, then, began as a community of people learning to love and play the music of the kingdom in the tradition of the Master and his original apprentices" Could anything be more beautiful?

I love the concept, I love the poetry of the statement, I love the idea of a people learning and loving, even when it's not perfect, I just love it. It fills me with hope that maybe there are people out there that really want to find the original intent of the Master, and then try to live like that.

On the next page, we see a fairly accurate description of what I believe has happened in the church. "Frankly, our music has too often been shallow, discordant, or played with a wooden concern for technical correctness but without feeling and passion. Or it has been played with passion but has departed from the true notes, rhythm, and harmonies of the Master."

How truly sad that some of us just follow the rules to be technically "right", and how sad that many of us have decided to follow our own passions and claim that they are the will of the Master. Both ends of the spectrum are equally horrible and not in line with loving and playing as the Master intended.

I took about 12 years of piano lessons growing up and I'm a pretty accomplished drummer (and a slight hack on the guitar!) I think I can tell when someone is playing technically correct and it truly makes people stop and appreciate their correctness. Many people even see that correctness and want to emulate it. What has never happened to me, is to feel the music and actually be moved by a technical player.

However, when a person plays that has some sort of deeper connection to their music, you can tell. You listen, you watch, you may even dance or just sit and wonder, but you actually begin to interact with the music. It brings out emotions in you and stirs memories. It can move you to places you didn't know existed, and you are happy for it. It is also usually impossible to forget a performance that does this to you.

That's the type of Christ-follower I want to be. I don't care if people think I'm being "correct" or not, but I don't want any of them to question that I'm following my Master with all that I am. I hope that as my Master helps me make His music, that people are drawn in and experience Him as we interact. I hope they are inspired to seek my Master's leadership as well. I hope they can never forget how my Master makes me live and move. . .

It makes me wonder what do people remember about me? What do they remember about you? Does your life inspire or leave people with no hope? Will my music truly reflect my Master, or have I corrupted his tune? How do we learn to truly make music together with beautiful harmonies that could never happen when we are alone? These are things I wonder about. . .

Quick and General Thoughts on Politics

Okay, so I've been talking to some different people about the political race lately, and I keep saying the same things over and over, so I thought I'd get it off my chest here, and then I can be done with it. . .like that will happen!

Anyway, here's my thoughts on the two political parties, cuz let's face it, there really are only two. Anyway, my heart's desire for how I believe things should work probably lies with the actual platform of the Republican party. I say their actual platform because I don't see any Republicans actually standing for what they are supposed to stand for any more. I do think less govornment is better, I do think less taxes is better, I do believe we have a right to bear arms, I do believe life begins at conception (actually I think it begins before that, but that's another post! Anyway, I love their basic beliefs, yet I strongly oppose how I see this party acting or not acting on those beliefs.

The Democrats hold a closer place to my heart in their desire to see social justice. This fact alone is their sole redeeming tenet of belief in my opinion. I also really appreciate people who will not just speak about something, but will get out there and do something about it. I often times don't agree with how they do things, and I rarely agree with the fact that they use the govt. to do it. However, I think they have a better mindset of everyone working together for the betterment of all. Again, though, I rarely see this portrayed accurately by our current crop of legislators (read the legislators as big fat whiny blood suckers who hold their hands out to any special interest group they can).

Okay, here's my real thoughts on it all. I really don't like any of our choices politically. My opinion is that as a person seeking the kingdom of God, that means someone trying to bring about on earth what God intended for us in the beginning, we should be taking care of the social ills of society. If the true followers of God would stand up and care for the wounded and afflicted, we would not need the horrific social programs that drain our economy and provide hand-outs instead of true help. Every true follower of Jesus should be looking around their own city, state, and country to find the problems that need to be addressed. After that, since we live in such an overly blessed nation, we should also be finding ways to care for the poor and afflicted around the world.

If we were to do this, there would not be a need for large govt. and legislators trying to pass laws and institute programs that don't really help us move forward. The govt's. job would then be to organize the army, defend us, and maintain basic infrastructure. No more, that's it. Keep your crazy politically devious minds and fingers out of our lives. Of course, they way I see it, this can only happen when people realize who God created them to be, and then actually live that out. Unfortunately, I will agree with anyone who would say that the church as a whole has not been doing that lately. . .a lot of great people doing good things, but somewhat too little, too late as I see it. We need a revolution in our thinking and our living. We need to actually turn to the historical Jesus, and earnestly seek Him, and then truly live as we were made to do. . .

Of course these are just my thoughts, what do you think? Please reply and let me know.

Phatkat ><>

What am I Searching For?

Okay, so I'm on this journey, trying to figure out exactly what I think God intended and I ran across this quote. It's by Rob Bell, whom I absolutely feel a kindred spirit with:

“Church is when you are sitting around in your living room with people who would give their lives for each other. So I don’t have any time or tolerance for nice services where we feel good about ourselves and give a little bit of our money to some people over here or there. To me, church is the people whom you are journeying with. . .”

How beautiful is that?!?!? I love how he cuts thru the crap and comes up with something that really matters. Of course, I only believe it really matters because he happens to be saying something that I already believe. I am very concerned with how the church is supposed to be represented here on earth. I don't want to confuse anyone, either, so let me make sure and clarify that I believe there is only one church and we are all part of it. Denominations and styles matter none to me. I'm more concerned with living as we were meant to live, representing who Jesus is accurately, not tainted by so much religion and laziness.

So, it brings me to a question. Do you have anyone you could say you would give your life for? Are you truly journeying with others or just traveling a road alone? Do you share the joys and pains of life, or when someone asks you how you are doing do you just say fine? We live in such a plastic and surface level world. . .I want more!

I think we were meant for something more and I want to pursue it. I believe life is worth living, and that trying to live it just for my own gratification would be pointless and a waste. I want to connect with people that want to change the world, dream big, and also just sit around and laugh a lot. I want close enough connections that we all feel free to drop in on each other any time we want. I want to truly live my life in such a way that I think about you and your needs above my own. I want to see what's wrong with the world and be heartbroken enough to want to change it, not just walk on by and ignore yet another fault in this world.

So, there's a start of what I'm looking for. What about you? What is it you really want to see happen? What do you really think is worth living for?

Here We Go!

Hello All! Welcome to my new blog. This is the first time that I have attempted a blog, so I guess we're all in for a ride. I suppose I could at least explain who I am a little for those of you who don't know me from Adam. . .and who is this Adam that everyone talks about anyway?

Well, I'm 33, and I've got a gorgeous and loving wife and one of the greatest little boys in the world! (Indulge me, I'm a father.) I'm just about to leave the job that I've had for the past 5 years and embark on a new adventure. That's something about me that you'll find, I love adventure and trying new things. In this case, I believe very strongly that this is something I'm supposed to do. Up front, I should let you know that I am a follower of Jesus, and try every day to live the way He would want me to.

I want to explain a little more on that last part. I say follower of Jesus because I don't feel like saying I'm a christian really explains it anymore. I feel like the institutional church has kinda strayed from the original intent of our faith and has maybe become a little more of a religion than a lifestyle. Anyway, my goal is to live like Jesus, not the way a certain church or denomination tells me to live and think. Don't get me wrong, there are a LOT of great people in the churches, it just doesn't seem to do it for me anymore. I need something more. . .more on that later!

Okay, well, I guess that at least gets us started. I hope to use this blog to get out some of my thoughts, and hopefully you will help me by replying and even stretching my own thoughts on issues. I also promise to never pull any punches. I will say what I truly believe, and hopefully that will reflect my desire to follow Jesus. What you see is what you get with me, and I know that I'm not always right. My goal is to be on a journey with you as I continue to seek the way I was meant to live in this world.

Grace and Peace, the Phatkat ><>