Anne Marie Miller

Category: Church

  • I Ain’t Sayin’ She’s a Gold Digga

    money

    One of the most frequent complaints I hear about some churches is how they’re always asking for money. Teaching about money and what the Bible says is important, and there is definitely room for some churches to do more of that. But you also have your extremeists who are all about money and how they need more…and more.

    I’ve been part of three different churches who collect offerings in three different ways. One, we would take our offerings to the front during the service. Another, boxes were located by all the exits so you could drop it off whenever, but mainly as you entered or exited. And lastly, the traditional passing the plate.

    There were benefits of each one. The first church was a small church and they were full of faithful givers. For the size of the church and the demographic, how far their money went didn’t make logical sense. The second church, it was easy to see that they cared about not being all about money. The third (and my current church), honestly, at first it was weird for me to get back into passing a plate, but the more and more it happens, the more and more I see it as an expression of worship and setting an example of how we do worship through our finances.

    So, what is it for you? Do you pass a plate? Drop it off? Bring it up to the front?

  • Tagged

    I am usually a big opponent of tagging people. However, when someone as cool as Mark Waltz tags you, you can’t help but to oblige.

    First, let’s answer one question. Why is Mark Waltz cool? Mark is a pastor at Granger Community Church, and he and I have occasionally kept in touch over the last year and a half or so, after I attended one of their workshops last May. Although I’ve never met the guy face to face, one can tell he’s an authentic guy. He says people matter – and he means it. I love hearing about how his family’s doing…and those are the people who matter most.

    On to the questions…

    * One book that changed your life: The Barbarian Way – Erwin McManus. I realized I am, in fact, crazy. But that it’s okay. In fact, if you’re not…something might be wrong.

    * One book that you’ve read more than once:     In Cold Blood – Truman Capote. My senior-year English teacher Mr. Bennett had a theory that Truman Capote wrote To Kill a Mockingbird instead of Harper Lee. Next time you see the movie Capote, keep this theory in mind as you watch Truman & Harper interact. The people who put this movie together definitely think Capote wrote TKAM too.

    * One book that you’d want on a desert island: Survive on a Desert Island – Claire Llewellyn.

    * One book that made you laugh: Are You there God? It’s Me, Margaret – Judy Blume. Yes, it was a long time ago. Maybe I need to read more funny books.

    * One book that made you cry:     Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl. I still have my copy I bought 16 years ago (and it looks like the one I linked).

    * One book that you wish had been written: How to be a Preacher’s Kid and NOT develop a complex about the Church

    * One book you wish had never been written:     The Harry Potter books…I say this not because I think they’re full of witchcraft & evil, but because my friend has bought them, and they cost so dang much. When we’re in Scotland, we’re actually going to visit the West Highland Line, which is the train station they used in the movies.

    * One book you are currently reading: Cost of Discipleship – Deitrich Bonhoeffer. I’ve been reading this since 1999. It’s so intense it has seriously taken me that long.

    * One book you’ve been meaning to read: Revolution – George Barna. I’ve had about 20 people say I need to read it…but I have a rule about reading books…if it’s a trendy book, I’ll wait until it’s untrendy to read it.

    Now, in keeping with the rules of tagging, I am now supposed to tag people. But you all know me. I hate rules. So, instead of tagging five people – I tag YOU. Here’s the tradeoff – you don’t have to post it on your blog, but instead, I’d love to see your book list in my comments. That way, a little bit of cyberspace is saved and respected! I know I’m not as cool as Mark, so I don’t think I could legitimately tag anyone.

    Happy Tuesday.

  • The First Church of Forbes

    Every year, lists are published for the biggest and baddest churches. The fastest growing. The most innovative. The largest. On one hand, it’s great to see how more and more lives are being changed (assuming that the church growth is not just from church transfer) and to see what’s going on. A little inspiration now and then isn’t bad.

    But on the other hand…I wonder, why should we even care who gets on these lists?

    I read some Oswald Chambers the other day. He said,

    “Don’t rejoice in your successful service for [Christ], but rejoice because of your right relationship with [Christ]. The trap you may fall into in Christian work is to rejoice in successful service; rejoicing in the fact that God has used you. Yet you will never be able to measure fully what God will do through you if you have a right-standing relationship with Jesus Christ…it is actually by His mercy that He does not let you know it.“

    I realize Oswald is not the gospel, but I think he brings up a good point. So many churches today say this like, “We are so humbled God has chosen to use us” … “We can only attribute our growth and success to God” … I’m sorry, but isn’t that like restating the obvious?

    Maybe I’m just being cynical in writing this, but of course God has chosen to use you. It doesn’t take a magazine or a bunch of parachurch organizations to figure that out. What is disconcerting about it all is the feeling of inadequacy many pastors of churches not on these fashionable lists experience. As I researched blogs of pastors and church leaders, I found more dissention than unity, more discouragement than motivation when discussing these lists.

    I know there isn’t some gory battlefield where churches duke it out to make it on these lists. These churches didn’t invent the list. They just end up there. After I began writing this post yesterday, a pastor friend of mine emailed me to say “Congrats, I see the church you work at made it on both the Outreach Top 100 Lists.” I didn’t even have a clue. I know we aren’t doing what we do to get our name in black and white on some list. And I realize it’s the same with the other churches.

    Maybe the problem isn’t with the churches, but with the society that has to reward everything…Is it just me, or is it sad to discover the culture in which we “do church” has cultivated another one of our famous christian subculture spin-offs.

    We have our own little version of The Forbes 100.

    A very smart man said, “If you can’t be idealistic in a church, something’s wrong.” Is it too idealistic to hope that pastors who see the apparent “successes” of highly publicized churches could put down their church growth magazines and tune out all the buzz words that annihilate the innocent voice that was the only thing they needed to obey? Is it too idealistic for churches who gain attention to say, “You know what? It’s cool you have a list and all, but I’d rather not be on it. We’re just being obedient.” Is it too idealistic to think that the American church culture could just slow down a bit – and instead of doing church…actually BE the church?

    I’m not opposed to learning or being sharpened – but like everything else, it needs to be balanced with obedience, humility, and grace. And please don’t misread this: I’m not proclaiming churches with large crowds are bad – they aren’t. I work at one, and it has been the most amazing thing to see life change happen all the time – to see God move in fresh ways.

    BUT…I don’t think any “Top 100” list encourages anything. Then again, I could be wrong.

    Oswald finishes his sermon by saying this:

    Our tendency today is to put the emphasis on service. Beware of the people who make their request for help on the basis of someone’s usefulness. If you make usefulness the test, then Jesus Christ was the greatest failure who ever lived. For the saint, direction and guidance come from God Himself, not some measure of that saint’s usefulness. It is the work that God does through us that counts, not what we do for Him. All that our Lord gives His attention to in a person’s life is that person’s relationship with God-something of great value to His Father.

    Let’s get back to our relationship with our Creator. Let’s get back to pure, unadulterated obedience.

    And let’s stop being useful.

  • The Review.

    I have never been a fan of the performance review…the employee evaluation…the slow death brought about behind closed doors and over a fake pine desk… Yes, I realize I am being entirely overdramatic. But truth be told, my stomach is a little crampier than normal.

    My 90-day review at Lake Pointe is tomorrow.

    Fortunately, I work in a great environment & actually felt comfortable emailing my boss and expressing my nervousness. He replied back, “No worries.” I feel better. A little.

    Something I have been learning is I am not perfect. I will always have room to improve in some area. I guess it’s something I’m not really learning but rather I’m learning to accept.

    I just hate hearing it from someone else.

    A Proverb says:

    “Healthy correction is good, and if you accept it, you will be wise. You hurt only yourself by rejecting instruction, but it makes good sense to accept it.”

    I suppose it’s pride that keeps me from accepting my faults. It’s not that I think I’m perfect; I know I am FAR from it. But if I realize my shortcomings…and you realize my shortcomings…let’s just trust each other enough that I’ll work on improving those areas…must we really discuss them?

    We should. And we will. And I will pray for the courage to swallow the bad, ingest it entirely and work on the things I need to work on.

    What do you think about employee evaluations? Do you dread them? Love them?

    Have you ever been surprised in one – bad or good?

    Have a great Friday…

  • Cheap Grace

    Food for thought…

    Cheap grace is the deadly enemy of our Church. We are fighting today for costly grace.

    Cheap grace means grace sold on the market like cheapjack’s wares. The sacraments, the forgiveness of sin, and the consolations of religion are thrown away at cut prices…

    Cheap grace means the justification of sin without the justification of the sinner…

    Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession, absolution without personal confession.

    Cheap grace is grace without discipleship…

    Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it, a man will gladly go and sell all that he has…it is the kingly rule of Christ, for whose sake a man will pluck out the eye which causes him to stumble.

    Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift that must be asked for, the door at which one must knock.

    Words that could have been written today. But they weren’t. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote them in the 1930’s – when he was in his late twenties. A timeless truth that we should contemplate maybe more now in our commercialized, diagrammed culture.

    *What does grace mean to you?

    *How do you see the message of grace presented in our world today?

  • An Emotional Affair

    If you’ve watched TV recently, you would have noticed emotional affairs is a problem being recognized even outside of our little Christian bubble. On the Today show, they had their resident psychologist on talking about emotional affairs. The show created so much buzz, they had her on again…and again.

    With the introduction of internet communication as well as overworked career minds and the fallout of under met needs, it’s no wonder so many people are struggling getting a grip on their emotions and their thought lives. No longer is it just the stereotypical vice president sleeping with his secretary; but it’s the stay at home mom hooking up with her newly divorced neighbor. The assistant pastor messing around with the woman whose marriage is falling apart.

    And maybe they’re not even having sex.

    As a woman, this is an area in my life I have to constantly guard.

    There’s a book out there called Every Woman’s Battle: Discovering God’s Plan for Sexual and Emotional Fulfillment.

    This book has some valuable information in it. Whether you’re single or married – emotions are something that need to be guarded. They have to be guarded.

    If you’re young – learn how to now. Learn the warning signs early. Guys can have emotional affairs too, so this doesn’t just apply to us girls

    • Are you thinking about someone constantly. Does he or she pop in your head more than a few times a day?
    • Do you dress yourself based on who you are going to see (need to impress?) that day? If you know you might run into a particular person, do you make sure you look good?
    • Are you always anxiously awaiting a phone call or email from a certain person that isn’t your spouse?
    • Do you find yourself thinking, “I wonder if he (or she) finds me attractive?”
    • Do you dwell on thoughts of what it would be like to hug, touch or kiss a certain person?

    Those are some of the red flags mentioned in Every Woman’s Battle that show you might be leaning on the line of an emotional attraction that isn’t healthy.

    Especially if you’re married or with someone and you’re having these thoughts – talk to someone right away (but not the person you’re having the thoughts about!)

    The Bible talks about sex (including thoughts or actions) outside of marriage like this:

    “There’s more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact.” (1 Corinthians 6:16a – The Message)

    and a few sentences later:

    “Run away from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does.” (6:18 – NLT).

    Run away-Fast!

    Not just from having sex with someone you shouldn’t be having sex with?but from your thoughts and your emotions.

    We were created to follow our hearts and the desires we feel, but when they lead us away from God’s plan and into someone else?s arms instead (even if it’s just in our imagination), nothing?nothing good can ever come from that.

    This is serious business…and not something to be blown off as just a crush or infatuation.

  • Coffee, Commas & Candles

    First of all, happy Mothers’ Day to all you moms, grandmas, aunts, and other maternally instinctive souls.

    Secondly, I am dead-smack in the middle of editing my very dear Scottish friend James’ 90-100 page dissertation for his Ph.D in ministry at Asbury. I say that for two reasons:

    1) So you will know how smart he is

    2) So I can feel smart for editing a Ph.D’s paper (*note: FEEL smart)

    I spent a good 2 hours before church at Starbucks diving in. At times, I would forget I was supposed to be looking for passive tense verbs or misplaced commas and I would get wrapped up in what he was writing about.

    At church today, Pastor Steve talked about some of the Sacred Pathways of worship (based on the Gary Thomas book.) The service was structured very differently than normal. A meaningful moment happened about a quarter through the service. Probably close to 800 or so candles were set up around the auditorium and we had a response time for anyone who wanted to go light a candle for a recent commitment they have made. Some of the larger candles were already lit, signifying the light God is to us, and has passed on to us…and we were to light our candles using the flame already burning….

    After reading half of James’ dissertation about the spiritual condition of the UK, specifically Scotland, and talking to Chris before the service about how much we feel our hearts breaking for those in Scotland, we went up and lit a candle to physically represent our commitment to pointing the people of Edinburgh to Christ during the 16 or so days we are there. It was a very moving moment for us…also seeing hundreds of people make the walk and light their own candles as a response to their personal commitments.

    Well, I need to get back to the remaining 48 or so pages I’ve yet to read and edit….

    Question: Out of the following, what environment(s) do you personally express your worship in?

    *Nature
    *Senses
    *Ritual
    *Solitude
    *Obidience
    *Celebration
    *Knowledge

  • Guest Blogger on Church Marketing Sucks

    I took the idea of one of my previous posts this week and turned it into an article which is published on ChurchMarketingSucks.com.

    Read it here (and leave your thoughts if you want!    )

  • Environment Questions

    1. In which kind of musical environment do you find you corporately worship best?

    *Traditional (hymns, piano, organ, choir)

    *High Energy Contemporary (upbeat, guitar driven, a little louder, more lights, sound?)

    *Just plain ol’ Contemporary (moderately upbeat, calmer production)

    *Rock/Edgier (heavy distortion, effects)

    *Acoustic (no electric guitars, acoustic guitars/percussion, quieter)

    *Fill in the blank…

    2. Are there any aspects of corporate worship (your typical weekend/church service) that you find distracting? Inviting?

    3. What about your bulletin or worship guide…do you like having information about the church & programs in it, or would you rather it focus soley on the message and/or provide further devotional reading? What have you seen done well…or done poorly?