Racing Stripes

I watched the movie “Racing Stripes” over the Thanksgiving weekend. (For those of you who haven’t seen it, a quick summary): A zebra (not knowing that he is a zebra), ends up living on a farm near a horse race course. His interactions with race horses leads him to try out his abilities at running fast. He loves it and thus begins his own “training” to become a great race horse.

What a great movie. Sure the acting was okay, but the one thing that was cool was the message that in spite of what others may think, you are gifted. And the responsible thing is to use that gift to it’s fullest measure.

I came away from the movie asking myself, “Self, what is your greatest gift? What has the good Lord given to you to do that only you can do and that you must do in order to fill out the needs of the body of Christ in this world?”

I’m still wrestling with this question. I know that I have some spiritual gifts, the most prominent being “leadership” among others. But what, for example, is to be the application of that gift (and the others) in my personal, family & ministry life? What is it that I must do each year, month, week, day in order to fulfill my calling in the Lord’s ministry & body?

Need to spend some more time thinking on that one....

Current reading list & post-modernism

Just a quick note to inform you as to what I’m currently reading. I’m one of these people who reads several books at one time -- maybe there’s a smidgin’ of A.D.D. in my blood! ;-)

Wild at Heart -- John Eldredge (started this one 2x already!)
True-Faced -- (a Leadership Catalyst book)
Titus Coan’s biography on his mission work in Hawaii
Velvet Elvis - Rob Bell
Hurt - Chap Clark
Transitioning -- Don Southerland
An Unstoppable Force -- Erwin McManus
The Emerging Church -- Dan Kimball
Reformission -- Mark Driscoll

Of these, Reformission has been the most stimulating with Unstoppable Force running a close second. McManus and Driscoll seem to have a pulse on the culture of North America and an ability to penetrate that culture with ministry foci. As well, they both have an ability to peel away the layers of evangelicalism that are unhealthy and still remain faithful to the local church. Even though I sense in them a desire to radically reform the local church, I don’t get the flavor that they have given up on her as some of the other “post-modern” writers/speakers seem to do.

Any thoughts on “post-modern”? Are we trying to box in this generation with another label that enables us to sell books, go on speaking tours, etc? Or is there truly a significant character to this generation that is so very distinct from previous?

From much of what I have read on the “what” of post-modernism, I get the feeling that I am more post-modern that I would have ever thought.

Is the post-modern generation really that -- a generation? Or is it a movement of people who want to reform the Bride of Christ? Is it a style of worship/church? A paradigm? World view?

I have my own thoughts, but I’d certainly enjoy hearing from others who have wrestled with these -- and other -- questions.

Tattooing -- where do you draw the line?

I just read a thought- provoking article on the issue of tattooing. I have to say, that at first read, I am inclined to believe that tattooing is one of those areas (like pierced ears) where it can be sin, yet it does not have to be sin. The link to the article is: http://www.ransomfellowship.org/bodymod.html . The article is titled “Decorating or Desecrating the Temple?” and is written by Travis Scott.

I’m not going to rehash the entire article as it was quite lengthy and thorough (on some fronts), but I will say that I now have less of a knee-jerk reaction to all tattoos as desecration of the body/God’s temple.

1st post - Kelly's blog

Hmm, I guess it's not too bad when an "old dog" (this one's almost 48!) can learn a new trick and blogging is a new "trick!"

I'm interested in dialoging about the local church and it's fulfillment or lack of fulfillment (that's not an indictment on the present status of the local church -- just a realistic observation that not ALL churches are doing all that they can to fulfill the Great Commission) of the Great Commission and to live out the great commandment (John 13:34, 35 and Matt. 23:37-40).

I'll post more as I get accustomed to this new communication tool.

Blessings,
Kelly