All posts by mjfelker1980

General

Sanctuary

I’ll be away this weekend on an area-wide retreat.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Peace.

Here today, gone tomorrow
Crack the bone, get to the marrow
To be a bee and the flower
Before the sweetness turns to sour

What we have we’re gonna keep, always
What we’ve lost we don’t need, always
What is it that won’t let you sleep, always

Be the arrow and the target
Put your head over the parapet
Be uncool, yes be awkward
Don’t look in the obvious place
The soul needs beauty for a soulmate

Get down off your holy cloud, always
God will not deal with the proud, always
Well if you dream then dream out loud, always
Eternally yours, always

I want you
I want you
I want you
Touch me now inside
I wanted to be a man
I wanted to call

You say you come to know yourself, always
Don’t find yourself in someone else, always
And always wear a safety belt, always
Wait for me I’m running late, always
This is the moment that we share for always
Turn each song into a prayer, always
Now and forever
For always

Always
U2

Customer Service, Patrick McGonigle

A Guarentee Is Only As Good As The People Behind It

3 Comments

receipt.jpg Last weekend I purchased what I thought was a General Admission floor seat to the Red Hot Chili Peppers through the up and coming StubHub.com. I read over the listing for the ticket, I read over the FanProtect guarentee, and I made the purchase. I felt comfortable that I was indeed purchasing a ticket on the floor of the American Airlines Center. I was trying to avoid what I witnessed in Atlanta at the U2 concert there. Watching young, happy couples skip up to the doors of the Phillips Areana only to be turned away because they had paid hundreds of dollars for fake tickets broke my heart.

Having seen so many fraudulent cases in the ATL I didn’t want to pay good money for a bogus ticket. I trusted StubHub and felt good about the listing. I pressed the purchase button.
When I received my email confirmation (see pic) I noticed that in the comments section I would also be receiving a parking ticket. At least that’s what I thought.

When my FedEx package arrived yesterday I quickly opened it to find that I had purchased, not a floor seat to the Chilli Peppers and Gnarles Barkley, but a platinum parking pass. The word livid comes to mind. It was late and there was nothing I could do last night so I gathered all the info I could and went to bed knowing that I was going to call StubHub this morning and get my money back come hell or high water.

I’m a college educated twenty something. I have been purchasing things off the internet since high school and have rarely run into a problem. In fact, I have never, never run into a problem by purchasing through mainstream sites like Amazon and Ticketmaster or even eBay. Once some monks stole my credit card but that is another story for another post. I felt completely duped. I know that this guy went to work yesterday and everyone had a good laugh at the stupid guy (me) who paid fifty dollars for a parking pass. My bet is that he will be sitting in a box next week and everyone would have another good laugh at my expense. Guess what, Homey Don’t Play That!

First thing this morning a called StubHub. A young woman answered the phone and I explained to her my situation. She politely put me on hold while she polished her nails spoke to her supervisor. When she came back to the phone she told me that there was nothing she could do. Most people would have been so frustrated that they would have cursed her out, hung up the phone, and then pouted. Not me.

I poured my heart out to this young phone operator. I told her that I felt that this was a case of blatant deceit on the part of the seller. Not only was it stupid to pay $50 for a parking pass but it was criminal. When she let out a small laugh I politely asked to speak to her manager because I knew I wasn’t going to get my money back from her.

Manager Mario got on the line and I explained the whole situation to him. I told him that I felt more comfortable with the StubHub process than the eBay one. I really believed that I was buying a floor seat and not a stupid parking pass. Most importantly, I told him that as a fan, I didn’t feel very protected by their “guarantee.” As nice as he was though, I felt like he was just humoring me. He kept saying all sales were final and that he was truly sorry but there was nothing he could do. Was I going to get stuck with this expensive parking space?

I threw everything on the line and said,” Mario, let me ask you something. When was the last time you parked you car in a seat?”

There was a pause. Mario quietly answered, “Never.” Bingo!!!

From that point on everything fell into place. Mario put me on hold while he called the seller and as soon as I publish the post I’m off to FedEx to send my parking pass back to the seller. I’m getting my money back although there was nothing that could be done!

Persistence. Patience. Politeness. It pays off.

2007, Books, Music

KatD Update

I have updated the On My Desk Page and the On My iPod Page with fresh readings and listening tos for this, the first week of 2007.

See my summary of the introduction to The Forgotten Ways I posted yesterday. mDNA + Apostolic Genius= A powerful Jesus Movement!

An ad for Ministry Mutiny simply reads “IT’S WORTH IT!”

A forward by a new kind of Christian is fitting for a book entitled A New Kind of Youth Ministry don’t you think?

I am totally rockin’ the new Matt Redman. Beautiful News is another gorgeous worship meditation from one of our greatest hymn writers. Well worth a listen.

Revisiting Both Sides of the Gun this week. Harper is a genius.

Matisyahu Miller has covered the Police and gone home to Israel in a great CD/DVD combo.

I got the Racontours for Christmas and I’m giving it a spin. At least until the weekend is over.

Chained to my Desk, Music

Break Free

On one hand today was incredibly routine and laid back while on the other hand it was incredibly stressful and trying.

One thing that helped me through today was my music library. I hit shuffle this morning and my office has been filled with great music all day.

Some great digital pairings happend today that totally put me at ease and motivated me to keep going.

I Give You My Heart Hillsong
All I Want is You U2
Take My Life (And Let It Be) Chris Tomlin

It Never Entered My Mind Miles Davis
Sweep Me Away Charlie Hall

Amazing Grace Chris Tomlin
City of Blinding Lights U2
Secret Garden Bruce Springsteen
Love’s In Need of Love Today Stevie Wonder

Move Along All-American Rejects
Fix You (Live) Coldplay
One U2
Can I Stay (Live) Ray LaMontange

I know that the shuffle mode doesn’t have a brain but these are some pretty good sets. Thanks iTunes.

Books, Church Planting, Discipleship, Ethos, Ministry, Popular Culture, Religion, Review

Beginings

2 Comments

..all God’s people carry within themselves the same potencies that energized the early Christian movement… Apostolic Genius (the primal missional potencies of the gospel and of God’s people) lies dormant in you, me, and every local church that seeks to follow jesus faithfully in any time. We have quite simply forgotten how to access and trigger it. This book is written to help us identify its constituent elements and to help us (re)activate it so that we might once again truly be a truly transformative Jesus movement in the West.

The first book I decided to tackle in 2007 is The Forgotten Ways by Alan Hirsch. Although it looks like a regular book it is dense and thick and that makes me all excited inside.

In the introduction Hirsch asks the $64,000 Question:

How did the early church grow from being a relatively small movement to the “most significant religious force in the Roman Empire in (just) two centuries?”

Hirsch explains that by most estimates the early church had grown to about 25,000 people at the close of the first century. Two hundred years later, conservative estimates put the church at 20 million strong. That is incredible growth. Hirsch throws a wrench in your answering of that question by reminding you that this growth happened in spite of the follow:

  • Christianity was an illegal religion at this time
  • No church buildings like we know them
  • The cannon was being put together during this period
  • No institutional or professional forms of leadership
  • No seeker-sensitive, youth groups, worship bands, seminaries, commentaries, etc.
  • It was actually hard to join a church

Ok, can you answer the question? How did they do it? 25 thousand to 20 million in 200 years?

Before you answer Hirsch adds this:

But before the example of the early Christian movement can be dismissed as a freak of history, there is another, even more astounding manifestation of Apostolic Genius, that unique and explosive power inherent in all of God’s people, in our own time- namely, the underground church in China.

When Mao took power 1949 the Chinese church was estimated at 2 million. Mao set out to wipe China clean of all religion focusing explicitly on Christianity. Those in senior leadership were executed, church property was nationalized, missionaries and foreign ministers were deported out of China, and public meetings were banned by threat of imprisonment and death. This still occurs even today.

When foreign missionaries were finally able to return in the early eighties they expected to find a severely diminished church. The found that the church in China had grown to 60 million.

Hirsch says that by looking at the growth of the early church and the Chinese church we find that elements such as “the strange mixture of the passionate love of God, prayer, incarnational practice, appropriate modes of leadership, relevant organization and structures, and the conditions that allow these to catalyze” allow something remarkable to take place.

I am very much looking forward to reading this book. If the inrtoduction is any indication than I am in for a wild ride through these pages. One can only hope.

TheForgottenWays.org
Discreet and Dynamic: Why, with no apparent resources, Chinese churches thrive.

General

All Is Quiet On New Years Day

We have logged about 29 hours on the road over the past week and I’ve done it all while fighting a stomach bug. We have been to Mississippi and back again. We ran over to Nacogdochas to visit a student and her family while they are worried about their grandfather in the hospital. Finially we have spent time in North Dallas with some great friends and their new baby. Other than the stomach bug, this past week has been a great wrap up tp 2006.

Last night, we were able to catch Night at the Museum which was completely packed and completly hi-larious!!! Great performances from Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan, Mickey Rooney, and Dick Van Dyke made the film an incredible treat. Robin Willams toned down the Robin Williams act and turned in a wonderful performance as the 26th President Teddy Roosevelt. I walked out of the theatre feeling on top of the world. Do yourself a favor and catch Night at the Museum!!!

I want to wish you all a Happy New Year and may you all have a great start to 2007!

Peace.

General

Happy Christmas

So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun

And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young

A very Merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let’s hope it’s a good one
Without any fear

And so this is Christmas
For weak and for strong
For rich and the poor ones
The world is so wrong

And so happy Christmas
For black and for white
For yellow and red ones
Let’s stop all the fight

A very Merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let’s hope it’s a good one
Without any fear

And so this is Christmas
War is over,
And what have we done
if you want it
Another year over
War is over
A new one just begun
now

And so happy Christmas
War is over,
We hope you have fun
if you want it
The near and the dear one
War is over
The old and the young
now

A very MerryChristmas
War is over,
And a happy New Year
if you want it
Let’s hope it’s a good one
War is over
Without any fear
now.

link

Advent, Christmas, Ministry, Stories

Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas everyone! Since Christmas Eve falls on a Sunday it is a working day for me. I am leading worship this morning and then I am in charge of our Christmas Eve service tonight. I am extremley excited about the candlelight service this evening. I am focusing on the action of the shepherds on that first Christmas night. Maybe I’ll even throw in a clip of Linus explaining the true meaning of Christmas. Who knows?

We head out to Memphis/Corith, MS tomorrow. I wish all of you a safe and merry Christmas.

Peace,
Micheal

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”
(Luke 2:8-20 TNIV)