Passing Out...CCDA Miami Day 3
Day 3 was good. Day 3 was tiring. And so this post goes up after I have been home for 4 hours, because Day 3 ended late and Day 4 included a 5:30am cab ride to the airport. Said cab ride necessitates a Day 4 bedtime of 8pm. But now we're all gravy, baby. So the Day 3 Wrap...
Today my mind was blown when... Dr John Perkins started talking about unity. “Ain’t no such church, in reality, based on race. It nullifies the purpose of the church...We have created a society that reproduces racist people, because we haven’t raised up a people that believe the church is bigger than that...In America, one of the things that’s disturbing me is that you can’t love two things at the same time. The political system is making it worse. They say that to love the Democrat, you must hate the Republican. If you love the Jew, they say you have to hate the Arab. But you shouldn’t have to hate one person to love another in this society.”.
Today I was convicted when...Dr. Perkins got on a roll. "When capitalism is in the hands of greedy people, uncontrolled by the people of God, we must admit that the Christian Church did not have a prophetic voice in our society. We have minimized sin. We bought into the idea that the longer you can get the money and be prosperous, you are ok. There is a more authentic prosperity when you serve God and work hard and share your resources with the Church and the poor. There is the real prosperity."
Today I was surprised when...Soong Chan Rah called the Emergent Church movement "the most overrated movement in the history of the church". I've heard him say it before, and it was surprising. I understand where he is coming from, and agree with him to an extent. But it's a statement that I find to be a bit pugnacious, and that was almost surreal considering Brian McClaren had just spoken from the same stage 8 hours before.
Today I peed my pants when...The Emcee gave away DVD's. After most sessions, she would chuck tshirts into the crowd. She felt that it would be a little dangerous to chuck DVD's (what with the sharp edges and all), but she certainly didn't make the situation any safer. She set them down on the edge of the stage and announced that the first person up who had attended for at least 5 years could have them. Well, one dude jumps out of his seat right away. But he thinks he's the only one heading to the stage, so he slows down. I feel a Leon Lett moment coming on. And so does a guy a couple of rows back wearing a Tony Romo jersey. He has this notion that if he sprints as fast as he can, he can beat the sauntering man. Romo sprints. People start yelling. Man #1 is almost to the stage. Romo digs deep. A little too deep. His brain asks his legs to move faster than was possible. They get confused. They get tangled. Down goes Romo. In front of the whole conference. Sorry bro, but I was laughing my butt off. Every time I saw that dude the rest of the day, I had to chuckle.
Renew and Restore
Today my mind was blown when... Dr John Perkins started talking about unity. “Ain’t no such church, in reality, based on race. It nullifies the purpose of the church...We have created a society that reproduces racist people, because we haven’t raised up a people that believe the church is bigger than that...In America, one of the things that’s disturbing me is that you can’t love two things at the same time. The political system is making it worse. They say that to love the Democrat, you must hate the Republican. If you love the Jew, they say you have to hate the Arab. But you shouldn’t have to hate one person to love another in this society.”.
Today I was convicted when...Dr. Perkins got on a roll. "When capitalism is in the hands of greedy people, uncontrolled by the people of God, we must admit that the Christian Church did not have a prophetic voice in our society. We have minimized sin. We bought into the idea that the longer you can get the money and be prosperous, you are ok. There is a more authentic prosperity when you serve God and work hard and share your resources with the Church and the poor. There is the real prosperity."
Today I was surprised when...Soong Chan Rah called the Emergent Church movement "the most overrated movement in the history of the church". I've heard him say it before, and it was surprising. I understand where he is coming from, and agree with him to an extent. But it's a statement that I find to be a bit pugnacious, and that was almost surreal considering Brian McClaren had just spoken from the same stage 8 hours before.
Today I peed my pants when...The Emcee gave away DVD's. After most sessions, she would chuck tshirts into the crowd. She felt that it would be a little dangerous to chuck DVD's (what with the sharp edges and all), but she certainly didn't make the situation any safer. She set them down on the edge of the stage and announced that the first person up who had attended for at least 5 years could have them. Well, one dude jumps out of his seat right away. But he thinks he's the only one heading to the stage, so he slows down. I feel a Leon Lett moment coming on. And so does a guy a couple of rows back wearing a Tony Romo jersey. He has this notion that if he sprints as fast as he can, he can beat the sauntering man. Romo sprints. People start yelling. Man #1 is almost to the stage. Romo digs deep. A little too deep. His brain asks his legs to move faster than was possible. They get confused. They get tangled. Down goes Romo. In front of the whole conference. Sorry bro, but I was laughing my butt off. Every time I saw that dude the rest of the day, I had to chuckle.
Renew and Restore