Christmas Update (I know, an original title)

I'm just posting this because it gets repeatedly pointed out to me that I haven't and don't update my blog often anymore. Well don't you worry, in the coming weeks you'll start asking me again how I have the time to post all that will be on here, because I've been writing many things and not finishing them, but anticipate posting them soon enough in due time. But let's just say I'm not exactly inspired to write something more often than once a week, and this podcast of ours is really taking off. And yes, I know it's grammatically incorrect to begin a sentence with the word 'but' and 'and'.

I find my time online spent trying to put it in new directories and promote it in different ways. We've now approached 500 different I.P. addresses that have downloaded us on programs like iTunes. More than that if you count individual site downloads. That being said, I think finding ways to communicate using it is wiser than this blog where dozens read it regularly. That's not something I'm balking at either, since I love writing and journaling. So thank you to those who still check this. I actually decided to post this overdue entry as an opportunity to take a break from trying to figure out a solution to a problem with posting the RSS feed for our podcast in another large free directory I discovered.

Anyway, in the Spirit of things I thought I'd share the discovery and post a link to a website called emusic.com. For $9.99, you can download 30 songs per month, with a free 14 day trial, which includes the ability to download 25 songs for free, and one free audio book. So I went and downloaded about 20 songs and a C.S. Lewis audio book. The site consists mostly of independent artists, but if you look around carefully you can find some gems. I found the latest All Star United album on there (the band whose song lyrics I read in Episode 13 of Fire On Your Head). Hey--you can't go wrong with free music!

Also, a friend gave me a link to a pretty interesting website I thought was worth posting on here. It's for a game called Free Rice. It lists one word and gives you four synonyms, and you click on the word you think is the correct synonym. For every answer you get right, the UN will donate 20 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program.

So how about that-- a blog entry where you get to receive something free, AND you can help give something to those less fortunate! I couldn't have come up with a better Christmas-themed update if I copied and pasted it from elsewhere.

Merry Christmas, and don't forget-- I AM still here, just less frequently.

Blessings.

FIRE School Promotional Video

FIRE School Ministry Teams

Facebook--another way to not really relate to people on the internet

The World of Facebook...
....and other social not-working sites leave many of us more socially retarded than we were in high school…

Returning to Canada and running into “Facebook friends” of mine has really puzzled, humored--and in some cases annoyed me--enough that I think my thoughts should be put into an individual blog entry eventually, at least for my own sanity.

So here it finally is.

Does anyone else have the following contacts on Facebook?

• The brother or sister who is apparently too afraid to talk to you in person, but is chatty on your wall and private messages as if you’ve been through hell and high water together?

• Or what about Joe “I went to high school/elementary school with you, but don’t answer anything you write me—even though I’m the one who sent you the friend request in the first place?”

• Or the friend you know from somewhere, and have not been in touch with for years and years, and you have an initial “entry level communication” with? What I mean by that is, say that you found this person, and added them, and once they accepted your invite, you wrote on their wall or sent them a private message that showed up in their inbox, they responded, and had a follow up question of their own about your life and what is new with them. You respond to this and ask them one or two more details about their life, and the communication ends there with a total of three interactions--entry-level communication, but you remain "Facebook friends", and no doubt keep spying on each other’s sites to know the latest news and developments, but otherwise have no real communication whatsoever.

Now, I’m not popular, and never have been--don't get me wrong. I have never been known to have lots of friends in social settings, but this Facebook thing, well everybody seems to be on it! I have over 400 contacts on it, and yes, I am at the very minimum at least acquainted with all of them, and only a handful are fictional characters from TV shows like The Simpsons. I accept any and every invitation I get, even if I don’t recognize the person sending me the invite. If I don’t recognize them, I let them fill out the friend editor thing themselves and indicate how we know each other. Unless of course you’re some hoochie mama and in your picture you’re wearing almost clothes or I recognize your name from my seedy past of internet porn addiction, or I otherwise just simply know your name and pic is bad news and no real fruitful communication will come of it.

I’ve been on this thing for over a year now, and I’ve noticed some peculiar things about human and social interaction from this website, that I realized telling my computer illiterate grandmother about it has helped me see just how much this is ridiculously stupid the world of Facebook is (and of course, MySpace) if you really think about it and try describing to someone on the outside or who didn’t grow up with the Internet.

One of those ridiculous observations is in fact the very reason I joined it—how easy it is to stay moderately informed about the latest goings-on in the lives of people in my social network with very little effort involved on my part—or theirs. When I first joined Facebook, the privacy settings were such that everything people did on their page showed up in my mini-feed. This is the part of your page, where once you sign in, there’s a list of the latest activity that has taken place on your friends’ pages. I LOVED this feature, and have taken full use of it by constantly putting pictures and newsletters, and now audio mp3s of our podcast, onto this social network, to constantly make people reminded of me. That's simply it. I still don’t know the balance of how often is too often and becomes annoying, but this website is one of the most brilliant things people have invented for the internet and gotten me “in touch” with way more individuals than I could have on my own effort.

However, many people who joined the site were up in arms that they had so "little privacy" by having all the latest developments show up in their friends’ mini-feeds (basically the home page after signing into the site). This is the part that has puzzled me completely: why did people join such a site if they felt that what happens on it is an invasion of privacy? And if they don’t want certain people to know their latest updates, then why did they add them as friends on their network? If you don’t want someone to see your page, there’s boxes you check in your account information.

Myself, I have almost everything checked, and the more people on my account the merrier. I have forged for myself a career path that is public, and my life--generally speaking--is an open book, so the more I can put myself on peoples’ minds for prayer and knowledge of my missionary life, the better it is for my interests of keeping people informed--especially those who WANT to be. Most or at least many churches in North America give little time and interest to the Great Commission as it is (other than outreach to the local community—which many churches excel at, in my opinion--but the sending out of missionaries.....?), so missionaries like myself have to keep making sure they come to your attention as much as the local “change the color of the sanctuary carpet” fund. Pictures can say a thousand words, so I put almost all of them on Facebook and you can SEE what I’m doing.

Needless to say, I love Facebook! But probably for different reasons than most who use it.

But allow me to put my emphasis on the word touch in the “keeping in touch” that Facebook allows. You barely have any real interaction with each other on this site. I’ve known about peoples’ marriage and dating developments from their “relationship status” changing and showing up in my mini feed. I’ve known other people who’ve found out their girlfriends were dumping them by changing their relationship status on Facebook!


The Internet as a Buffer.
I’ve seen an ad on TV in Canada lately, where individuals with shopping carts bump into each other in a shopping aisle, and yell at each other and “honk” and tell each other to get out of their way and other such behavior that people would never do in real life, but do to each other on the road. Needless to say, it’s obvious to say the internet provides the exact same opportunities in our social interaction.

I remember in my time at the Bridge Youth Centre years ago, there was an individual who I mistakenly allowed on my MSN chat list, and would get sucked into way more arguing and debating and fighting than I really had the maturity to cut off and stop initially back then. But in person this girl was the biggest and most shy coward I still have ever come across. In fact, I hardly know what this person’s voice sounds like because I’d never heard it!

Another time, a friend of mine with the foulest temper I’d ever come across to date, was upset with me for challenging him over MSN about some areas of correction he needed in his Christian walk. He then threatened me and told me not to come to our Bible Study that week, because he would kick the crap out of me if I did (and by thus, proving the very attitudes I was attempting to gently challenge!) Scared of nothing other than wasting my time, I gave little thought to his ‘threat’, and the very next night, myself and some mutual friends all invited ourselves over to this brother’s house to go for a swim on that hot summer’s night. I had a bit of a lump in my throat knowing the last interaction I had with the brother who’s house we were going to was a less than pleasant one, but I knew I had nothing to be ashamed of. This guy said very little to me. Actually I don’t remember if we had any interaction, since there were many 10-12 other people present.

Do you know what happened next time I saw him on instant messenger? He cussed me out and told me I had a lot of nerve coming over to his house. I hope you get the picture by now—that no threat to my physical safety was ever going to happen at this tough guy’s hands. He was all talk, and just a coward with a keyboard. I’m sure we’ve all had incidents where we see people are not afraid to air their opinion on the internet but when you stand in front of them face to face and take the gloves off, there’s nothing to show for it.

I don’t mind having conversations sometimes on MSN if that’s the level of inhibition some people are at with sharing personal things with me. But other people are flat out wimps and need to come out of your shells and learn to have a normal conversation in real life. Heck, they make programs like Skype if you want to talk verbally to people but still not leave your house, much like a tradition phone.

I detoured from the subject of Facebook to say that to say this: if “social” networking sites are supposed to be revolutionizing the way we socialize and build our friendships, then how come they’re doing the opposite and making us more socially retarded than just simple internet blogging and IMing was making us in the first place? Since I’ve been back in North America, I’ve run into FIRE students I have on Facebook who will not even so much as say hi to me; I've had a cashier at the local Wal-Mart who upon making eye contact would not even say hi when I began to extend my hand for an ‘almost-handshake’--you know, where you try to say hi/offer a handshake, but see it’s not going to be reciprocated so you pretend you were scratching your head or doing something like that with your hand?

I also recently sat cross-aisle from another "Facebook friend” I went to high school with who absolutely would not make eye contact with me and I cannot figure for the life in me how to go two hours pretending we didn’t see each other. I have a list of examples, but those are the top of the list. Probably none of you reading this will go out of the way to leave a comment about what you agree or disagree with, but will read this anyway-this is typical of the online community our generation is becoming.

At least I enjoyed writing this.
That is all for today.
Check out the latest episode of Fire On Your Head--it's on the subject of alcohol.

An Urgent Cry From the Nation’s Evangelists

A group of charismatic ministers have called on American Christians to reclaim the neglected task of soul-winning.

The American church knows how to design functional buildings, develop sophisticated programs, utilize technology and preach to the proverbial choir. But we have forgotten the fundamental task of soul-winning—and as a result churches are closing at a record rate and more and more young people are leaving the faith.

That dire assessment of America’s spiritual condition was proposed last week in Orlando, when 50 national and international evangelists convened for an honest, 24-hour strategy session held at Charisma magazine’s headquarters. The participants included South African revivalist Rodney Howard-Browne, veteran street preacher Scott Hinkle and German crusade evangelist Reinhard Bonnke.

Rice Broocks, pastor of Bethel World Outreach Center in Nashville, Tenn., and founder of the Every Nation church-planting movement, organized the Orlando gathering because he believes the charismatic segment of the church has become distracted from its evangelistic mission.

“The statistics don’t lie,” Broocks says. “America has been described as a post-Christian nation. The urgency of the hour demands that we recapture the role of the evangelist for the planting of new churches and the equipping of churches to mobilize believers for ministry.”

Broocks recently teamed up with charismatic author and pastor Larry Tomczak to form ICE-CAP, the International Center for Evangelism, Church-Planting and Prayer, which just opened its offices in Nashville. ICE-CAP’s mission is to help train a new generation of evangelists and mobilize churches for strategic evangelism efforts.

Broocks introduced Tomczak as “the only guy I know who still gives out personal tracts.” Tomczak then told the story of how, on the previous night, he led a hotel desk clerk to salvation after giving him his printed testimony.

In three sessions held over two days, the leaders outlined several reasons why evangelism has waned. They include:

1. A lack of spiritual zeal in our churches. “Soul-winning must be a passion, not a program,” one attendee said. The renewing power of the Holy Spirit is the key to shifting our churches into a place of contagious faith.

2. A spectator mentality. Many Christians have been deceived into believing that evangelism is the work of paid clergy or itinerant specialists. Said one evangelist: “You don’t limit tithers to those who have ‘a gift of giving,’ do you? Everybody tithes. In the same way, everybody is supposed to be doing evangelism.” Broocks, Hinkle and others made it clear that the primary role of the evangelist is not to conduct meetings but to train and equip all believers to win souls.

3. A cultural disconnect. Hispanic leader Samuel Rodriguez pointed out that a large segment of the millennial generation has abandoned church because they feel it isn’t relevant to their lives. As long as the church remains mired in superficial religiosity, we won’t reach young people—who crave authenticity and want to apply the gospel to their world.

4. An increasingly secular culture. Vincent Esterman, who has done street evangelism for decades in France and Australia, believes the United States would do well to study how Christian faith has waned in Europe. Americans will most likely face similar hostilities in our culture, since universalism and atheism are growing here.

5. Tensions between evangelists and pastors. Eric Cowley of Global Focus Ministries spoke for many in the room when he shared that many pastors feel threatened by evangelists and don’t want to share local church resources with them. At a time when the role of apostles and prophets has been reclaimed in charismatic circles, the role of the evangelist has been marginalized.

6. The church’s credibility crisis. Recent religious scandals, incessant fundraising on Christian television and reports of televangelists living in opulence have produced increased skepticism about preachers’ motives. Many of the leaders in Orlando were incensed by the blatant moral and ethical abuses occurring in our movement. Said one leader in a moment of candor: “If I see one more telethon on Christian television I’m going to puke.”

7. Bad theology. Broocks pointed out that American Christianity has, at times, morphed into an errant “virus” that has had a negative impact on countries where it has been exported. “We preach a gospel that offers faith without repentance, grace without the fear of God and destiny without discipleship,” he said.

8. A poorly defined mission. Many churches no longer understand what evangelism is. Missionary mobilizer David Shibley offered the group a succinct definition, borrowed from his days in Southern Baptist seminary: “Evangelism is sharing the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit with a view to bringing people to repentance and faith in Christ so that they might serve Him in the church.”

In the first evening session, after a time of spontaneous prayer, Bonnke laid his hands on all the participants and asked God for a fresh anointing of evangelism on the American church. This humble man who has led 47 million people to Christ (and once saw 2 million make decisions for salvation in one meeting in Nigeria) told the group that this anointing has nothing to do with him. “I am not giving you my anointing when I lay hands on you. Jesus is the one who anoints you,” he said.

As Bonnke laid his hands on my head, I stood in the gap for all of us. I believe there is indeed a new grace available to the American church in this hour. I hope we are ready for the changes it will bring. When the spirit of evangelism grips our hearts, it will totally reorder our priorities, interrupt our schedules, mess up our church programs, destroy our religiosity, challenge our timidity and burn up our selfishness.

If you are willing to embrace that anointing without placing conditions on it, please ask for it now.

J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma.