Suzette and I are riding in the car after our Friday morning breakfast date in gorgeous (fall colors and temp.) downtown Asheville.
We're talking about getting her a digital camera and I start thinking about all the old, dead formats that have transitioned in just the last few years.
- From film photography to digital
- From Cassette to CD (which is now giving way to mp3)
- From VHS to DVD
The list could be quite long but you get the idea. I remember reading Paul Pilzer's "God Wants You To Be Rich" several years ago. The best book I've read on understanding abundance mentality.
He makes the case for the progression of discovery of new formats in all arenas as the way of uncovering all the abundance God has buit into the fabric of the universe. Fuel goes from whale blubber to coal to petroleum oil. Cars go from carburetors to fuel injection. In other words, there is no shortage in God or how He created the world. We're just on the journey of discovering all the abundance He has created.
To bring it home for me - and you. I wonder if there are "old formats" we hold on to that are limiting what God could do in our life.
I know there are some "formats" that shouldn't change. Like marriage.
A shark "formatted" into a 10 gallon aquarium will only grow to a few inches long. Throw that that same shark into an ocean "format" and it will grow to several feet.
I believe there are amazing things God wants to do in our planet - and in our lives -that could be released if we had a different format. A new category of thinking and believing.
Now, which camera should I get my wife?
5 comments
i think it's unfortunate that in the church's pursuits of uncovering god's "abundance mentality" we have become consumers instead of stewards. we throw away the old formats and look for the newest/shiniest formats that best serve our microwave culture.
the church should be less concerned with modeling our community of faith after products that capture the most global market share and more concerned with justice and charity when it comes to how we relate to this world.
Posted on October 19, 2007 at 2:43 PM
Cannon
Posted on October 19, 2007 at 6:43 PM
Equally as unfortunate is the church stuck in a time warp rendering it unable to speak effectively to it's current culture.
Or too small minded (or poor) to reach beyond it's own borders and be stuck in a maintenance of "us four and no more".
Posted on October 19, 2007 at 10:13 PM
after hearing about balance so much at church, i try to find it in all areas of life.
i love our new ways and models at our church, but am also compelled by thos's words "more concerned with justice and charity when it comes to how we relate to this world."
brian houston, shane claiborne, united, rob bell, etc. it actually seems like the "new format" is "justice and charity" - a format that i'd like to see us pursue as a whole church to a greater level.
Posted on October 20, 2007 at 7:07 PM
It is interesting! Who would have ever thought we would be blogging about religious interests. I think it's all relative. People of God trying to get a similar message across in different formats. Whatever works...there are worse things we could be doing than pursuing a relationship with God. In that aspect we are all united!
Posted on November 1, 2007 at 11:35 AM