Bill Easums Observations

I got a blackberry about a month ago. I know. I should have gotten one long before now. But now that Im “in” Im even more aware of how tight our world has become. Last week I was in the Dominican Republic fishing. We were ten miles out in the Atlantic and i noticed the deckhand talking to someone on the phone. Now, consider that the average deckhand in the Dominican probably paid a week or more salary to purchase that cellphone.  To  top that off we werent even on dry land and it was working. We are reaching the point where there alsmost anywhere you can go and not be connected with the rest of the world, at your convenience!

Now, bring that into the church and ask, which is more connected, the church or the world? and you get a rather nasty picture. the average church in the U.S. consists of opinionated individual consumers who vote with their feet the moment something happens they dont like. Worship styles are based on what they like rather than what will reach the unchurched. Organizational style is based on “what we’ve always done” rather than adjusting them to meet the fast pace of todays world.

Isnt it time we all realized that all of us should have our own blackberry? Do you see the metaphor? Jesus is the blackberry we all need. He is what binds up together and defeats our egos and opinions. So, Got Jesus?

Opps. my phone is ringing

I just returned from Venezuela. If you’ve never been there you can’t begin to imagine the filth that exists in such a rich and beautiful country. The stench from the port was so bad it burned my nostrils. Venezuela, or I should say, Chavez has more oil than the Saudi’s but his people live in abject poverty. Most of the professional people have either left or will leave soon. How could any leader live as Chavez lives and see the plight of his people every day.

Then along comes an idiot like Sean Penn and heralds Chavez as a great leader doing great things for his people. It just doesn’t make sense.  I hope none of you see Penn as a model figure.  Would it help you to know he has been arrested twice for assualt? Well, he has. Penn is not even close to anyone’s role model.

I know there are worst conditions throughout the world, but none of those countries have OIL, lots of oil. You can say what you want about the Saudi’s but they do take care of their own.I decided to never see a Sean Penn movie again as well as to never watch Oprah again since she thinks Penn is one of the great thinkers and humantarians of our time.  I doubt if Oprah has been to Venezuela.

This past weekend we had a lively debate on our advanced leadership forum on liberal vs. conservative labels.  It was a helpful discussion, but I’m really tired of all the talk about conservatives vs liberals.  Labels have soooooo much baggage. I doubt if God cares much about such things. So here’s my take on the issue

Let’s do away with labels and just ask this question - “Are you passionate about bringing people to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ and transforming you city?”

Isnt this ALL that matters? You see if one can say yes to the above, I say “Give me your hand and let’s walk together.  At least now we have some concrete way to evaluate ourselves.

I will tell you the one thing that pushes my button - the press who label any serious Christian as the “religious right.” I resent that. Im serious about transforming individuals and people taking responsibility for thier lives but I’m not in the religious right camp. I am a born again Christian, but not the kind that Barna always writes about and does ALL of his studies with.

But look, I’m the way I am because at the age of 16 I had never heard a bible story and easter was the only time we darkened the door of a church and we were Methodists. And guess what - when we did attend on Easter NO ONE from the church ever darkened our door or asks me about my spiritual well being.

I had to run into someone who cared about my soul on the golf course who wouldn’t let the issue rest until on the third hole of Hancock golf course I surrendered my life to Christ - surrender is the only workable term in my case.

So why don’t we drop the labels and just ask about people’s relationship with Christ and thier city?