2012 Reading List

In many ways, these revelations were freeing. It allowed me to relax a little, and embrace the forgiveness God promises. It also means that my circle of friends has increased from people who are just like me to include people from different races, political parties, churches and sexual orientations.

I’ve learned a lot from this more graceful stance, and rather than fill a book with what I’ve learned, I point you to the words of Henri Nouwen.

But to be totally honest, it’s a bit exhausting.

Giving grace to yourself requires that you are conscious of when you fail to live up to your standards. It also means that you regularly take time to ask God for forgiveness for your failures. Just taking time to recognize those is exhausting.

Giving grace to others requires constantly staring at and listening to things you might not like. It forces you to think outside the box and question why you do what you do. It gives you far less opportunities to argue for your way. Like anything that makes you stronger, it tears you up a bit first.

Although grace is exhausting, hope is enlivening. This has altered how I look at the time I spend gathered with my church community. Whether it’s liturgy or cooking dinner or going for a ride or hitting up happy hour we are brought together by a common hope. We rest in our hope that we are forgiven. We rest in the humility that it is God, not us who will sort out the good and the bad. We rest in our hope that history is headed somewhere.

We rest because we trust that no matter how exhausting grace is, it’s worth it.

Three Things Twenty-Somethings Need From Church

Posted by Chris on Jul 5, 2011 in Church

I was recently taking part in a discussion at David Fitch’s blog, and was posed the following question: Why is that twenty-something seminary types (such as myself) have trouble stomaching being on staff at a traditional church? Here’s my brief answer that I may expand on later:

Are you familiar with the concept of “brain drain?” It’s when a small town’s best and brightest go off to college, never to return. They are overqualified for their small town’s job market, and accustomed to a broader world. In a very real way, they “can’t go home again.”

That’s my experience with church. Growing up I was taught a very specific set of legalistic doctrines. Now, I have a few college degrees, a taste for beer, an understanding of evolution and more than few homosexual friends. My generation needs a church that wrestles with my reality.

Briefly here’s 3 things I need from a church:

1. Why not How. Donald Miller once said something along the lines of “we were asking questions like ‘why am I here?’ and getting answers like ‘here’s how to have a great marriage.’”

2. Action Oriented. Most of my generation would agree with Gandhi’s infamous statement “I like your Jesus, not your Christians.” I would like to be a part of community that is more concerned with doing what Jesus said than some of the unsavory things the church has been known for lately.

3. Deep Community. Keller said something along the lines of “chastity is impossible outside of community.” There is no reason nor foundation to live like Christ if you do life alone. Cool music and a good small group isn’t enough. We need sacrificial, intensely interconnected relationships.

Do you agree? What would you add to the list?

Should You Kill Your Church?

Posted by Chris on Apr 28, 2010 in Church

Hundreds of churches will be closing there doors this year. I’m not about to call this a good thing, but it is inevitable. The fact is that no big news is coming out of the Jerusalem Church these days, or Corinth or Laodicea.

We like to talk about churches as “bodies” or “plants,” but we forget that all life dies. Some churches die in explosions of controversy. Others fizzle down to a few gray hairs paying exorbitant bills.

Perhaps today we should also talk about churches as stories. Essential elements of stories include Setting, Characters, Conflict, and most importantly the plot–beginning, middle and end.

Leaders could cast a vision the churches whole story: How did your church begin? What God has done through it in the past? What would it look like for the church to end well?

Great stories require great endings. A church might reinvent itself to by handing over the reins to a new generation, or selling the property and giving the money desperate church planters.

A church’s death could actually be the most powerful thing it does for the kingdom.

How do you want things to end?

A Church For Strippers

Posted by Chris on Dec 4, 2009 in Church

According to Vince Antonucci, only about 2.2 percent of churches grow by conversion growth. So your big, comfy megachurch, your cozy little house church or you nice traditional denominational church are either shrinking, or stealing people from other Churches.

In his hilarious I Became A Christian and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt, Vince tells how he came to Christ in college, having never met a single Christian in his life. This led him to plant Forefront in Virginia beach, where they have grown a dynamic church, almost totally from non-believers. Recently, Vince got the crazy idea to move to the Las Vegas strip and do it again.

Verve has an incredible vision and proven experienced leadership. They have spent the better part of a year researching and reaching out in Vegas, which has led them to lease a property right off the strip, which will be home to a non-profit they’re launching, church services and more. On Wednesday, Vince announced this on his site:

Shepherd of the Hills church let me know that they will match any donations given in December to our Verve Venture Capitalists campaign!! We are trying to raise $50,000 for the build-out costs of getting the warehouse turned into a space where we can do church services (and more). Our hope has been to have 500 people give $100 each, all in 100 days.

So far we’re about half way there, but with only 29 days left. So Shepherd of the Hills said to help us reach our goal, they will match your donations given in December, all the way up to $25,000! So, if you can PLEASE give, you can know that your gift will be doubled!! You can learn more, and give online, at www.verveventure.org.

Imagine the impact you could have by helping out this phenomenal ministry! There’s only a few days left for the matching gifts, and only only a few left for those who need to give in 2009. Please prayerfully consider how you can help the strippers.

Chris Morton

2012 Reading List

Related Posts:

Grace is Exhausting

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Three Things Twenty-Somethings Need From Church

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Should You Kill Your Church?

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A Church For Strippers

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What’s Been On My Mind

Travel Back In Time

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