The Church I Know...

I think by now we can all acknowledge that I'm a slacker when it comes to posting on my blog here. No, no - don't try to defend me... it's true. If it makes you feel any better, I will spend at least 2 hours tonight verbally flogging myself with really difficult Mandarin words. If that doesn't make up for it, then either this posting will, or it REALLY won't. A little over a week ago, a friend and I launched TheChurchYouKnow.com. It is the project that has been sucking up all of my creative web energy that would normally go into RuinedForLife... and I think that although this site has suffered lately for it, it was worth the wait.

Even as I post this, I am a little "nervous" doing so. I don't mean 'nervous' in the sense that my armpits are sweating and my bowels are preparing for the usual 'fight or flight - but first let me drop a load' response. I mean I'm a little... self-consciously nervous. Allow me to explain...

I know there are many people that read this site that I don't at all. I don't care about you. (I'm just kidding - c'mere, and gimme a hug). Then there are those that have stalked me my whole life and caused me to flee to Hong Kong for safety. But then, there are a lot of people (like, at LEAST 4 and a half people) that I do know personally, whether as a friend or family member. Many in this latter category (though not all) attend a local church service regularly. You'll understand more when you visit the site, but although I wish I could say that I've talked with each of you personally about some of my loves and frustrations with 'church life,' I haven't. This site definitely has some videos that are on the border of irreverance (and some might even say they are way past the border, enjoying a Corona somewhere in southern Mexico...). I guess at the end of the day, I want those people to know I still love and respect you and where God has you, even if you don't relate to this site at all - and as you know me for who I am, if we haven't been able to talk about these specific things, it's not because I had anything to hide... it just doesn't always comme up in the course of hanging out.

To the people that I haven't had a chance to talk with about some of these issues personally, I guess I would say that if we get the chance, or if you have any questions, I'd love to at any time. I'd recommend starting with a good look at the 'credo' page of the site before you watch the videos, as this is really where the heart behind our content is described. I'm not anti-church. And if you know me, you certainly know I'm pro-Jesus. But I do want to see the larger Church changed into a greater likeness of Christ... and these videos highlight just a few of the issues that I have come to take with what man has added to a relationship with God. Maybe I'm being overly paranoid, since we really have recieved an overwhelmingly positive response to the site and videos. But just in case it catches anyone off guard, I wanted to explain it to those that know me personally first.

Hope you enjoy... and if you don't, I hope the site will at least lead us to a conversation and discussion that draws us closer to Him. I have faith that despite my occasional irreverent humor, He is more than able to allow whatever is good to bear it's fruit, and whatever is bad to fall off the tree and into irrelevance.

P.S.: I would also say that if you're inclined, I'd recommend posting something in the forum on the site and joining the discussion there, as I think there is some potential for great discussion to take place on some of these issues.