next-wave:
charlie wear's notes

Steve Lewis, "hot" new blogger comments on blogging trend
Monday, December 22: "Seems like some of the postmodern deconstructionist thinking has come full circle for some people out there, and the notion of blogging is being questioned. I've read people challenging their own reasons for blogging, challenging others' reasons for blogging, defending the credibility of blogging, etc. Deconstructing all this stuff is good and helps distill motives and values . . . as long as people are actually willing to be deeply honest with themselves"...click here for more....

Posted by CRW---12/27/02, 9:00 PM

Steve Sjogren does some cool stuff on Christmas eve
Steve Sjogren is a guy with a creative mind...Some years ago, he and his staff got burned out on the regular kinds of Christmas church activities. You know, candlelight services, special music programs, that kind of stuff. It had to do with holding five services to accomodate his congregation. So, they got the bright idea of giving out Krispy Kreme donuts to folks working on Christmas eve. I've heard him talk about these experiences and they have been wonderful. Check out what he has to say here.

Posted by CRW---12/25/02, 9:20 PM

Did I mention that I talked to Jason Evans and Spencer Burke last week?....
I had breakfast with Spencer Burke, the chief enthooziast, and Jason Evans of the Church at Matthew's house last week. We were basically plotting how to subversively take over Christendom (just kidding, really, no honest :)). I always like meeting young (compared to a guy like me) leaders...

Jason has a great Seed Story interview with another young leader, Mark Palmer, posted at the ooze. You can also check in at his blog here.

Posted by CRW---12/23/02, 8:14 PM

Say it isn't so, Jordon....
Jordon Cooper threatened to quit blogging last week, I read it with my own two eyes. I hope you don't do it Jordon. The window into your life, and what you are thinking makes me feel like I am up to date on what one of the finest emerging leaders is thinking about...It makes me fell like I am in touch with what is happening....

Posted by CRW---12/23/02, 8:05 PM

Oh boy, what is the Evangelical world coming to?....
Len Hjalmarson blogs: "..This afternoon I braved a trip to CHAPTERS to pick up my copy of "The Younger Evangelicals," Webber's latest book. Honestly.. this looks excellent! The print is small, however, and the book is thick, at 45 years old I may have to invest in reading glasses and or a few bottles of Tylenol to make my way to the end..

On modern and postmodern boxes....
From the tall skinny kiwi himself: "Foreign Culture is a blog from Chris Alford - of good missionary stock - I like the fact that he is reading Roland Allen. Chris says something profound that I want to quote:

'Many of us postmoderns are simply replacing old boxes for new ones.
Some are choosing the house church box, the liturgical box, the art box, the cyber box, and whatever other box we can think of. I'm tired of boxes. Do we have to single out a postmodern box? I don't think so. If you ask me...which you really are not asking me, but...there is ample room for various methods, and models in the po[st]mo[dern] world. That is the beauty of where we are. It doesn't matter if you meet in a house, building, or cathedral. What matters is that we recognize the we are the breathing church, not the place where we meet.

The early church met in houses, primarily because they were not welcome anywhere else. The home is still a key part to the spread of the kingdom of Christ, but without a central focus it can quickly become self-centered. I'm of the humble belief that if we could mix various elements from house church, large groups, etc...we would have a more balanced method.' Chris Alford

Here's the deal. Modern [thinking] people focus on the One Thing, postmodern [thinking] people focus on the Other Thing (the abused thing, neglected thing, etc). Those in the emerging culture are focusing on the Whole Thing - that is, the composite of all the layers of the Things as they appear at one time.

This affects the way we see church., even house church. Moderns see House Church as the new One Thing, or Best Thing. Postmoderns see House Church as The Other Thing, preciously squashed by Institutional Church, but now allowed to emerge. They focus on the differences.

Emerging thinking (whatever it is called) which emerges from a deep ecclesiology, sees House Church as one of the many LAYERS of church expression, but it also sees the other layers of large celebration, Festival, coffee shop discussions, club nights, pilgrimage, etc. It sees the blend. And it does not ask "What is the best church expression" but rather "which layer of church expression do we bring to the front or send to the back (graphics talk).

Anyway, some thoughts to ponder on this Lords DAY. Enjoy church today, however you experience it."

Emphasis added, syntax corrected and personal preferences expanded by CRW when posting this entry.

Posted by CRW---12/15/02, 9:20 AM

A Thanksgiving to remember for the Wear family....
At 9:42 a.m. on 11/28/2002, Benjamin Matthew Wear was born. He weighed 9 lbs. 2 oz. and was 22 1/4" long....The 16 hour labor was particularly arduous on his mom, Loretta. It is a spectacular thing to have a child. When my first-born son came into the world, nearly 30 years ago now, it was a blessed experience. When I first saw him in the Nursery window I had an epiphany of what God's unconditional love is all about. It was the same when I saw my baby girl and now my newest son....This was a baby of choice. In order to bring about his conception we needed medical intervention and lots of money. I was a bit reluctant for some time, concerned for the feelings of my children, and grandchildren and because of my advanced age....But once again, God spoke and reminded me of Jer. 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Armed with faith that this choice was part of God's plan for the future, my wife and I embarked on the journey....With so much to be thankful for, I feel truly blessed....

This is my favorite picture of Ben so far, it looks like he is smiling, probably just gas.

Posted by CRW---11/29/02, 1:44 PM

Amazing things happen on the internet....
Since we started the Next-Wave discussion board in September 2001, we have had over 38,000 visitors and 800 participants. Over on the ooze they have over 8,000 messages on their board! However, this is a new one for me....On the thread comparing 1984 and Brave New World we've had three high school seniors post that they have used the discussion as a source for high school term papers!

Posted by CRW---11/24/02, 11:12 PM

Spencer Burke is a great guy....
I had a great time having lunch with Spencer Burke today. Most of you know that Spencer and Dave Trotter co-founded the ooze. They met with Next-Wave's founding editor, Rogier Bos, in 1999 when we were all beginning our adventures in cyberspace....As Next-Wave and the ooze begin their 5th year, Spencer has been busy doing some great stuff, Soularize, Soularize worship CDs. the ooze community with nearly 10,000 registered users, and about 75,000 visitors a month, Seed Stories, Etrek and much more to come....When I got the idea to start Next-Wave I was discouraged, thinking that not much was being done to foster missional churches to reach the emerging culture...It didn't take long to figure out that there was nothing to be discouraged about, God was busy raising up leaders and building his church....It's been fun to see Him at work and it will be fun to watch what He does in the years ahead....

Posted by CRW---11/22//02, 9:00 PM

Steve Sjogren is blogging....
If you have taken the time to read some of the stuff I've written over the years you will know that I like Steve Sjogren. I've read most of his books and have heard him speak at conferences a number of times. I got to spend some time with him a couple of years ago during a conference at the Vineyard Community Church in Cincinnatti that he planted. He's now the "launching pastor", which means he spends his time helping others plant new churches. And now he is blogging. Check it out.

Posted by CRW---11/14//02, 6:05 PM

Have I mentioned that I am a lawyer....
Sometimes I feel I should apologize for being a lawyer, but that's what I do to make a living, so no apologies. Because of my interest in all things legal I like to watch law shows on television. This evening I was watching one of my favorites, The Practice, produced by David Kelley. And right in the middle of the program, in the context of a case involving stem cell research, a discussion of religion and God broke out. Bobby was discussing his concern about some of Eugene's anti-catholic remarks and he said: "I'm a Catholic, not very religious, but I believe in God, and the soul." Eugene said, "I'm a protestant, I don't know how that is much different than your Catholocism, except that maybe our hymns are hipper." Bobby was concerned about the implications of the case, and some remarks made earlier to Jimmy, about "ruffling his Catholic feathers." He was telling Eugene that he had made the mistake of making the law his religion and that it appeared that this was making him angrier and angrier. Bobby said, "I'm not saying you should go out and get born again, but something's missing." While I've paraphrased the conversation, I always find it interesting when television characters display more than a cartoon caricature view of spirituality. Signs of the times, I think so....

Posted by CRW---11/03/02, 11:42 PM