new dictionary

ginworld.net and songevolution.com have joined forces [as powerless as that is :) ] to form a new "wiki" based project called "ginktionary" [untill a better name is selected - and all ideas are welcome] - here is how it works, or is supose to work:

ginktionary is an open dictionary of emerging terms - we are looking for people to write definations to terms that are meaningful to the emerging church. sure, we have wikpedia and it's a great thing - this is just like that, except for terms that are used in the emerging.

being that it is new, just launched today, we still have some tweeking to do - but come on by and add definations, ideas and expressions. at ginkworld, and at songevolution, we believe that all people should have an active voice in the emerging. here is a way of getting your voice heard, and your views expressed - free, open and real.

pax
john o'keefe - ginkworld
stephen miracle - songevolution

Reflecting on Alabama Church Fires

It is no mistake that the burning of nine church buildings in Alabama over the past couple of weeks is a tragedy. However, it has spurred some reflections that follow closely to the line of thinking from my previous post here (and at my other blog).

If every church building (note that I did specify "building") in the Southeastern US, since that's what this blog is devoted to, were to burn to the ground, how do you think it would affect the Church (void of the term "building")? Do you think we could just brush it off and say, "Oh well, that was just bricks and mortar; merely a place where we gathered..."?

What is this dependency we have on "a building"? We are not ancient Israelites who must go to a specific location to meet with God or worship together. Why is it so hard to understand that the very life God has given us is to be itself a tapestry of worship?

Sorry, it's early, I've only had about 3/4 a cup of coffee, and I tossed and turned all last night, so you get my semi-stream of consciousness thought process. Nevertheless, any thoughts?

"So What Now?" "Uh, I Guess We'll Go to Church"

Perhaps that is what went through the minds of the disciples shortly following Jesus' ascension into Heaven. Well actually, they wouldn't have used the phrase "go to church" they would have probably said something more like, "gather at the temple". At any rate, I've been thinking about the possibility of that conversation for several months now, and a conversation I had Saturday morning rekindled the somewhat dormant flame of that idea.

I wonder if our 21st century dependency on the weekly corporate worship gathering (or worship service, as you may call it) is nothing more than 12 Jewish guys lack of creativity and thought regarding what it means to now be the Church. What if the systems that shortly followed his ascension were in no way what Jesus had in mind for us? What if God had a more holistic idea and plan for us as the Church? What if there is more to this disciple's life that we live than to study stories of how God communicated with and moved in other people's lives and to depend on weekly "feedings" as we congregate in close proximity with (but not necessarily in unity with) other believers?

I realize these questions may not be a place you choose, or even need, to go on your spiritual journey right now, but it's just where I am at the moment.

I wonder, what do we specifically here in the Southeastern USA think about these questions?