I got in last night from the Ministry Impact ’04: Together Conference. It was a joint gathering of leaders from Churches of Christ and Independent Christian Churches. I saw lots of old friends and made a few new ones. God continues to be gracious to us as we explore ways we can demonstrate unity for the sake of the gospel. Personally, I’m interested in pursuing Christian unity on a much broader level, but you have to start somewhere. This is as good a place as any.

via Radical Congruency

Why Church Isn’t Really a Church
Too often, it’s just another charitable organization. But there’s hope.
by Chad Hall

Anyone familiar with Bill Hybels has heard it: “The hope of the world is the local church.” On dozens of occasions, I heard the phrase and nodded in agreement. The phrase led me to commit or recommit myself to serving the local church. The phrase caused me to weep. The phrase gave orientation to my life and to my work.

But lately when I hear it, my response is different. No commitment. No tears. No direction. Just a one-word question filled with doubt: “Really?”

I’m starting to believe the hope of the world cannot possibly rest with the 501(c)3 not-for-profit religious organizations dotting our landscape and holding themselves out to be “churches.” It just can’t be true.

It’s not that I doubt God or the unique and saving nature of Jesus; I truly believe Jesus is the hope of the world. I do not doubt that God’s plan is to empower and inspire ordinary people to carry the life-giving message of salvation. I do not even doubt that communities of believers are the God-ordained means for carrying out this grand plan. What I doubt is that what passes for “church” these days is the manifestation of Jesus in our world. I even doubt that my own church is a church.

Here is a list of my favorite TV shows of all time. These shows have shaped my consciousness in one way or another, for better or worse.

In no particular order:

1. MASH–I think I’ve seen every episode of Mash numerous times. Even now, if I’m channel surfing, it is hard not to stop and watch. Hawkeye’s wise cracks had a huge impact on me growing up.

2. Magnum PI–The episode where he is stranded out in the ocean after getting knocked off of his Sea Kayak is my favorite. We never did find out who Robin Masters was did we? I always figured it was Higgins.

3. Miami Vice–This was my first exposure to Michael Mann’s work. I didn’t miss an episode until high school when I started doing things on Friday nights and kept forgetting to set the VCR. Living in west Texas didn’t give me many opportunities to imitate Crocket’s wardrobe. I think the closest I ever came was wearing white pants with a brightly colored shirt. Now that I look back on it, I’m thankful it didn’t go any further than that.

4. Homicide: Life on the Street–I loved watching Pembleton (Andre Braugher) interrogate perps in the chamber.

5. Seinfeld–I still have a poster of Kramer hanging on my wall. “He’s a loathsome, offensive brute, yet I can’t look away.”

6. 24–I haven’t missed an episode in 3 years. I’ve learned a lot from Jack Baur over the years. I just can’t apply much of it to church work. Although there are times when I am seriously tempted.

7. ER–I only watch it now when convenient, but during the early years, I didn’t miss it.

8. Happy Days–When I was a kid, I thought I was The Fonz. What little boy didn’t? I even dressed up as him for Halloween one year. I remember going into a spook house and being terrified of a witch. I couldn’t figure out why my Fonzie costume didn’t keep me from being scared.

9. The Dukes of Hazzard–Every Friday night you could find me on my living room floor eating a bowl of ice cream and watching Bo, Luke, and the General Lee do their thing. At the time I was too young to have much of an opinion about Daisy.

10. Cheers– Sam: What are you up to Norm?
Norm: My ideal weight if I were eleven feet tall.

Honorable Mention: The X-Files, The West Wing

Check out Conrad Gempf’s blog. It is worth the read.