http://www.parkstreetbrethren.org/discuss Thoughts & Sidenotes Thu, 21 Jan 2010 16:38:24 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en The crisis in Haiti in recent days has really weighed heavily on my heart; such devastation to an already incredibly impoverished area of the world.  Our prayers must continue to be with them.  Every believer should have a role in the help of the Haitians because every believer should be ... http://www.parkstreetbrethren.org/discuss/2010/01/haiti/ I was sitting in a local coffee shop having a great conversation with my dear friend, Aaron.  Aaron and I have been friends for several years and it seems that our conversations always swirl around the idea of significance. Don't get me wrong here...we're not talking about what makes us significant.  ... http://www.parkstreetbrethren.org/discuss/2010/01/a-life-of-significance/ Too often young adults are thought to be ambivalent and uncaring. A perceived lack of involvement is interpreted as a lack of concern. As Park Street Brethren Church seeks new horizons and depths, it's more important than ever for young adults to intentionally reverse misperceptions and engage in the change process with passion and honesty. Much of ... http://www.parkstreetbrethren.org/discuss/2009/10/we-need-the-young-adult-perspective/ Last year, before I was called to be Lead Pastor at Park Street Church, I sent out my resume with a cover letter. Here is part of what I said. You can decide if my wife was right in thinking I may have been too blunt. “Dear Yada, I ... http://www.parkstreetbrethren.org/discuss/2009/09/circles-of-friendship-in-the-life-of-christ/ Today I opened my Facebook page and had an invite to join somebody's cause.  You know what I'm talking about, there is a little side menu that tells you that somebody wants to be your friend, suggest you become friends with someone, invite you to an event, give you a ... http://www.parkstreetbrethren.org/discuss/2009/09/prayer-in-school/ Lately I've been pondering a whole slew of things.  Among them has been the evangelistic impulse of the church that calls us all to share the gospel and bring the life-saving message of Jesus to those around us.  The impetus for such a grand movement of God's people flows of ... http://www.parkstreetbrethren.org/discuss/2009/08/bring-gospel-to-people-or-bring-people-to-gospel/ In response to my previous post on this topic, one of the commenters said this: "I say, your faith must govern your politics, or you can’t really call yourself a “Christian”. If your politics cause you to do something that Christ would not do…you have violated those limits." This is the perfect ... http://www.parkstreetbrethren.org/discuss/2009/07/christians-in-america-good-vs-evil-vs-bad/ So, the question is how interactive can we make preaching and teaching at Park Street. I've decided to try to find out. While I am asking you to experiment with the spiritual practice of listening, I am going to experiment with interactive preaching. On Sunday August 2 we are going ... http://www.parkstreetbrethren.org/discuss/2009/07/why-wont-we-listen/ While reading, found a list of great questions we should always ask about any (and all) worship gatherings with which we're involved: Did we lift the name of Jesus up as a centerpiece of why we gathered? (See Revelation 5:6 and 5:13-14, Colossians 3:17, and Philippians 2:9-11.) Did we have a time ... http://www.parkstreetbrethren.org/discuss/2009/07/right-answers-from-right-questions/ The Jesus Prayer, also known as the Prayer of the Mind, Prayer of the Heart, or simply, The Prayer,  finds its roots in the rich history of the Eastern Orthodox Church.  (It's actually thought to be as old as the church itself.) It is a short, formulaic prayer whose words ... http://www.parkstreetbrethren.org/discuss/2009/07/jesus-prayer/