Hipster Faith!

In September there was an article in Christianity Today entitled “Hipster Faith, When Cool Meets Christ.” Listen to this dialogue.

And do not grieve the Spirit of God with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Ephesians 4:27

"Imagine, if you can, a Christian movement mostly designed by believers under age 40. They are concerned that their parent’s faith is too fundamentalist, culturally backward, anti-intellectual, and obsessed with dispensational end-times theology. The fundamentalists may have decent theology in many areas, say these Christians, but seem unconcerned about the poor and other social injustices; and mobilize politically on only one or two moral issues. If only we demonstrated Christ's love more, we would not only find more people drawn to Jesus, Christianity would also be much more culturally acceptable. That, more or less defines the neo-evangelical movement of Carl F.H. Henry, Richard Halvorson, Ken Taylor, Billy Graham, and Harold Ockenga in the late 1940's. Today's "Hipster Christianity" may be less a rejection of the evangelical movement than an echo of Henry's, “The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism." September Issue of Christianity Today (pg13)

Last Sunday night I preached at the Rooted Congregation. It was awesome. The music was cool, the testimony by a young male leader was… well, it knocked my socks off! The fellowship was hip. The only thing not cool at this service was me. I once lost my cool when my daughter Elise was a newborn and my football buddies caught me wearing a burp cloth, but I preached wearing a cool hat. Man that hat really did a great job that night of delivering the sermon.

I love every young person at that service. I pray for them weekly. They are really good people. Every so often a not so young person comes, but everyone is so cool – it’s just cool! I guess if I asked someone from the service they would not like me describing it as cool, but the article in Christianity Today reminded me of them. It defined the “Hipsters” as different from: The Jesus People, The Emergent Church, the Proto-Indie Folkies, and the Christian Surf Punk Scene. Brett McCracken’s “Hipster Faith” draws a line from the Jesus movement of the 60s and 70s through countercultural streets to the “Hipster Faith.” I for one am glad that the Rooted Congregation that started in the summer of 2010 is flourishing. When I pray for them I have great hopes. They are a new generation. Like any new service the attendance goes up and down but the spirit is always up. Sometimes that service’s offering is bigger than any other. Most times their jokes are the right up there with any congregation in the church. Their communion is sweet and it feels like they are going to change the world.

Do the whole world a favor and pray for the youth ministries, the Rooted Congregation and for those that are stepping out as leaders that God will mightily bless their lives.

Your friend for the rest of my life,

Pastor Tim White

"Please Hold Me Tight!"

A 3 Week Seminar

Cross-centered therapy towards greatness in marriage!

Suppose that we start at the beginning and assume that "God is Love" and He waits to teach us how we can be fully human and fully alive in a dynamic, sacred relationship we call marriage!
If it was God who invented sex, butterflies, sunshine and snicker bars; perhaps His plan for marriage is a continual healing celebration that works from the inside out!

What if it can only happen when we dare to be spiritual children, constantly open to "changing and becoming" as he taught us?

Pastors, Dr. Tim white will kick off this series on Wednesday nights at 7pm at "The Source". Pastor, Dr. Dale White, with some specially invited guests, will continue this "Building Great Marriage" seminar for the next 3 Wednesday nights at 7pm (October 27th, November 3rd & 10th).

This extremely joyful, extremely practical, extremely frank seminar, Pastor Dale calls "Please Hold Me Tight!"

Dr. Dale White will be quoting extensively from Rabbi Shmuley Boteach and his shockingly wonderful book "Kosher Sex." Expect extensive quotes from Dr. Sue Johnson's amazing book "Hold Me Tight" and Dr. John Gottman's "Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work."

Dr. Dale Caleb White

"New Babies Come to AFE"

One day some parents brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents for bothering him. Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Luke 18:15-17

They toddle in and wait in line for a hug and a kiss from Jessy, the directora. The come with snotty noses and carrying bags of coca cola, which is quickly snatched away and a bottle of milk put in its place. These are the babies of AFE, who play quietly and sweetly, until snacks emerge; then searching eyes and outstretched hands wait patiently. Rarely is a tear shed, never a fuss made, they are content in their brightly painted room, with their brothers and sisters, and the kind women who take care of their every need. They are the future students of AFE.
If they were not here, in the comfortable cribs of AFE’s nursery, they would be stored in cardboard boxes in the garbage dumps or cared for by nine-year olds in garbage-strewn shacks.

Recently, three new charges joined the ranks in the Guaderia, making the total number of babies cared for at AFE nine. Jose Dario, Dulce Maria, and Iris are younger siblings of a kindergartener at AFE, and only God knows their ages. Their mother, who works in the garbage dump all day, every day, gave birth to her children in her home. As soon as it was physically possible, she had another baby. And then another. She couldn’t care for them. A nine-year old, who looks like a six-year old, babysat all three. They would lie on a bed together instead of learning to crawl because the child couldn’t hold all three.

Since these children were not born in a hospital, there is no record of their birth. Neither is there a record of their mother’s birth. The world does not know about them, but God does. And God created them for a purpose. Now that the three babies are at AFE receiving milk and nutritious, age-appropriate foods, they have a chance at a normal life. And AFE accepted them with the stipulation that the mother would need to take precautions to avoid giving birth to more children than she can handle. Jose Dario, Iris and Dulce Maria are being immunized and receiving proper sleep and care. Who knows what these children will become or how God will use them! Perhaps, they will become influencers and leaders in Honduran society, righting many of the wrongs we see today.

Dr. Rey & Elise Diaz
Lead Pastor & Chief Cultural Architect & President of Together for Transformation

"A Gentle Conversation"

But in your hearts, set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)

He didn’t think I saw the tears, but I did just for an instant; then they were gone as he pawed clumsily at his lock of red hair. When you’re a 19 year old boy, crying in front of an adult is the ultimate in humiliation. “I think everyone I used to know hates me because I decided to stop trying to pretend I was a Christian.” The words flew at me like stinger bees. I felt each one hit their mark. Emotionally, I was devastated. This was a kid I had grown to love over the years. He had grown up in a church (not Washington Cathedral) and had spent several years serving in a variety of capacities. He’d been through that denomination’s youth program designed to bring kids to a point of acceptance of Jesus. He’d actually done that, accepted Jesus, and, in his own words: “Jesus was about my only friend all through high school. I talked with Him regularly, told Him all my struggles, but I never really heard back from Him.”

Then, it seems he started asking questions and that’s when the trouble began. “My few friends drifted away from me because they didn’t like the questions I was asking. My Pastors couldn’t explain anything that made any sense to me. My parents were no help. And now, the people I thought I could count on, my aunts, uncles, cousins, all of them Christians, don’t want anything to do with me.” At that point, he stopped the futile wiping of his eyes because the tears were coming too fast. All I could do was hug him and assure him that others, like me, loved him and would never reject him because of his questions. We had a very long conversation that evening and I went to bed feeling more powerless and sad than I had in a long time.

Here was a struggling young man on the cusp of adulthood, wanting some answers and sincerely seeking the Truth and yet his closest circle gave him nothing but a sense of rejection and, in his words “hate.”

Dear God! When are we, as Christians, going to stop withdrawing, judging and refusing to help those who ask the difficult questions? When are we going to reach out in love and, with the grace that we have so generously received, welcome the earnest seeker? What are we afraid of? Don’t we have a testimony? Didn’t Christ set us free? Can’t we share our story? Scripture urges us to “be prepared…..” Are we? If not, let’s get prepared. Let’s make sure our testimony is less than 24 hours old. Let’s re-read Psalms 103 and reclaim “all our benefits.” Let’s have a serious conversation with our Holy Spirit and ask Him for opportunities to share what we know as Truth with others. People are dying spiritually out there. Let’s be ready to offer true sustenance.

One way to do that is to get involved in one of the many opportunities to dig more deeply into God’s word through a TLC, WOW, Men’s Ministries or Wednesday night’s “The Source.” Your own personal searching will also yield a rich reward. We have the Holy Spirit as our ultimate Teacher, after all.

Let’s try to not let one person who comes onto our campus feel rejection because we haven’t engaged them in conversation and probed some of the deeper questions of our faith with them.

Pastor Sally Jo Holmes