Less Spirituality: Post Christian and Post Spiritual

I went to Exalt - a worship service on Tuesday evening at IWU. Probably 40 attended while outside our area many sat chatting at the McConn Coffee Company. I guess I was disappointed that more didn't attend on a campus of thousands. Maybe the Fox News article was right, that people are just less spiritual today. Do we desire to connect less with our creator than ever before? How do we build up that desire? Worship for worship's sake isn't worth much but is it at least slightly better than chatting with others for the sake of chatting with others? Do our spiritual lives actually come in first on our list of priorities? Do we spend nearly enough time on our spiritual lives?

I know, as a pastor these things are always in the front of my mind making me hyper aware of them and I maybe should be more sympathetic to those who weren't at Exalt but as a pastor it is my job to help people think about these things. Oh, and it's my blog.

Love to hear your thoughts!

Pray for pastor Joe

I will be on a professional retreat March 10-14. I covet your prayers as I ask for God's leading for Courtland in the next year.

Each year I spend one week communing with God about what He has in store for our congregation. I simply go in telling God we are available and asking how we may be used. From there I listen for a theme for the year and out of that try to loosely schedule what needs to be communicated to our church throughout the next year. I also do the same thing for RISE the student ministry. I also look at what ministry opportunities God may be calling both groups to. And then spend time praying for both groups.

Last year I fasted from all technology and went to Quaker Haven for three days and Quaker Hill for two. Both places were very, very quiet and rest-filled. I had the opportunity to learn how to use pencil and paper again. This year I am going to try something different. I am going to hide out in the libraries of a couple of our somewhat-local Christian college campuses and use technology to help plan for the next year. I will probably attend some of their chapel services as well. I am looking forward to what God will be speaking during this week. Your prayers will make it even more exciting.

A new era of information

In an effort to make the information in our heads as accessible as possible, we want to start posting stuff on the Internet. Hopefully some of it will be amusing, inspiring, and clever but I am sure there will also be posts that are boring, sad, and bland. We do want to honor Christ in all we talk about so we will try to keep that in mind when we post.

Thanks a bunch for taking the time to read this.