Wrestling My Inner E-Thug
July 29, 2008 |
Earlier this summer, my husband, Rafi, was the target of a series of blog “attacks” (Is there a word for this? Blattack? Blogack?). The raging blogger was a woman who wasn’t thrilled that Rafi had written letters to the editors (yes, he is one of those people) of some local papers offering a version of a presidential candidate’s closed-door event (which they both attended) that differed drastically from the one she had shared with the press.
While I understand that no one likes to be called a liar (although he never used those words), this woman got angry and mean in a hurry. All of a sudden, we were getting emails from friends and acquaintances who had stumbled upon her off-color put-downs, name-calling, and taunts in various blogs across the web.
Rafi was nonplussed, finding it all mildly amusing. But while he was able to laugh it off (like when she misspelled words in the midst of “accusing” him of not being able to read or speak English as the reason he was so clueless), I had a harder time. After all, this was my husband she was trashing. When people go after my family, I get very mama bear.
Posted by Caryn Rivadeneira on July 29, 2008 | Comments (6)
Food for Thought
July 28, 2008 |
There is a difference between being peaceful and being a peacemaker. A fellow pastor told me about an elected church leader who refuses to become involved with anything controversial. This leader is a no-show on big issues and justifies his behavior as "a desire to be peaceful."
Being peaceful, however, is different from being a peacemaker, which we are all called to be.
Continue reading...Posted by Bonnie McMaken on July 28, 2008 | Comments (0)
The Life You’ve Always Wanted (in Bed)
July 25, 2008 |
Here's a good question: Does God want you to have a better sex life?
This week my teammate and friend Brandon O’Brien posted an article on Out of Ur that we thought our Gifted for Leadership friends might like to discuss. Read the article below and post your thoughts. You can also read it in its original context on Out of Ur (you might join the discussion there as well).
“A number of churches are now preaching a message I never heard from the pulpit growing up: God wants you to have sex. Lots of sex. Great sex. All for his glory, of course.
“In February 2008, Relevant Church of Tampa, Florida, issued a “30-Day Sex Challenge” during their sermon series on relationships. Married couples were exhorted to have some form of intercourse—and singles to abstain—every day for a month.
“Last month, New Direction Christian Church (Memphis, Tennessee) conducted its own ‘40 Nights of Grrreat Sex’ program. The pastoral staff handed out daily planners with suggestions for mixing things up. They set up a blog so members could ask questions—and presumably offer advice—anonymously. I hope they also have plans to increase their children's ministry budget in the coming months.
Posted by Amy Simpson on July 25, 2008 | Comments (19)
Really Real Life
July 22, 2008 |
Do you do Facebook? Are you LinkedIn? What about a MySpace page, do you have one of those?
I have to admit, I came into the whole social networking scene a little late. I only started a Facebook page this year (gasp!). I honestly just didn’t feel like I had the time or energy for it. But after much peer pressure, I gave in. And of course now that I have one, I enjoy spending time on it—putting up my favorite books and movies, playing Scrabble, posting photos, keeping up with friends, and even finding some old high school friends I’d lost track of.
I often wonder about the draw of social networking. Just what is it that’s made the whole thing so popular? I mean, sure, there’s the “social” part of it—seeing what your friends are up to, communicating easily with them (even over long distances), finding out interesting insights about them. You feel connected and like you’re part of…well, a network of friends.
But I also think part of the appeal is the opportunity to define yourself. These spaces are all about personalizing. You get to choose your friends, your games, your applications. You decide what you want to display and where you want it displayed. On MySpace, you can even choose from hundreds of backgrounds—making your page as colorful, eclectic, or artsy as you want it to be. As you consider yourself to be.
Posted by Roxanne Wieman on July 22, 2008 | Comments (7)
Food for Thought
July 21, 2008 |
What a relief to know I no longer need to fight this battle myself, since the Lord stands ready, willing, and able to conquer my sin through the power of his Spirit. "The Lord is sovereign, and we cannot add one inch to our stature, physically or any other way," a good friend recently reminded me. "He guides us every step and his ways are perfect. It has nothing to do with us!"
Posted by Bonnie McMaken on July 21, 2008 | Comments (1)
The Word of the Lord
July 18, 2008 |
Eleven women huddled on the paint-chipped picnic benches of a state park about an hour away from their homes. It was a beautiful day, and we all looked with anticipation on the 24 hours that would follow. Once a year I take our Children’s Ministry Staff away on an overnight planning retreat to prepare for the coming ministry year. They were ready to have fun, ready to brainstorm ministry initiatives, probably even prepared for the leadership training they knew I would include as part of the retreat. But were they ready to hear from God?
I could sense their hesitation as I explained how we were going to begin our retreat. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to participate; it’s that they were afraid it wouldn’t work. One told me later, “I just knew I was going to have to come back to the table and make something up because I doubted I’d really hear something from God.”
See for the last few weeks I’d been thinking about the phrase, “The Word of the Lord.” Sure, most times when we come across that phrase in Scripture it refers to the written Word, but I was thinking of the instances when that Word came as some sort of vision or audible voice or recognizable presence.
Posted by Caryn Rivadeneira on July 18, 2008 | Comments (7)
Service Outside the Pew
July 15, 2008 |
I climbed on a bright green trolley and instantly heard calls of “Suz!”
Twenty-seven freshman girls were perched in the seats, waving. The driver put the trolley in gear. And off we went.
We traveled to a refurbished theater from the 1950s and watched an independent film. Then we hopped back on the trolley and traveled to the Music Hall of Fame. The students went wild when they realized their entertainment was area musician Colton Swon, one of the Top 50 in this season’s American Idol. Next we traveled to WISH, a safe home for battered woman where we ate lunch and discussed statistics and where to find help if you are a victim of dating abuse. Our last stop was at The Castle, a local Renaissance Fair building complete with history, knights, kings, and queens.
It was a special day as a community mentor with a local high school.
What does this have to do with ministry?
Posted by Caryn Rivadeneira on July 15, 2008 | Comments (6)
Food for Thought
July 14, 2008 |
Even the most dedicated people often shy from being called into "leadership." So instead, when one of our current leaders (we like to call them "servants" or "coaches") sees someone passionate about a ministry, he or she approaches that person with an invitation:
"Beverly, I've watched you get passionate about God's purposes. And I've seen you display gifts of caring and evangelism. I'd like to invite you to serve with me on this missions project."
Posted by Bonnie McMaken on July 14, 2008 | Comments (1)
Jesus in Carhartts
July 11, 2008 |
Matthew 5:42 says, “Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow.”
That seems easy enough. Most believers are happy to give to those who have the courage to ask. But what should your response be when the need is obvious, yet the request is unspoken? And, how do you follow Jesus’ command to meet the needs of others when you can barely meet your own?
I asked myself those questions while buying diapers at a local grocery store. A few weeks prior, my husband and I had moved with our six-month-old son to center city Philadelphia to begin a new church and “save Philly for Jesus!” Brad and I were young, in love with the ministry, and felt ready to serve God in a radical way.
In short, we were passionately clueless.
Posted by Caryn Rivadeneira on July 11, 2008 | Comments (4)
The Wow Factor
July 8, 2008 |
Over the years, I’ve discovered that the best haircuts aren’t a matter of what I think when I stand up from the stylist’s chair, but the feedback I get from friends (and even strangers) after I walk out of the salon. Comments like “Great haircut!” and “Love the look!” signify that that the hairstylist knocked it out of the park. Whereas questions like, “Was that the look you were going for?” and “Wow—did you want it that blonde?” leave me wondering what just happened. I want to have the wow factor when it comes to my hair—just not that kind of wow factor.
So what’s this got to do with leadership? Bear with me, because just as I’ve been discovering secrets to increasing a healthy wow factor in my hairstyle, I’ve realized their application to leadership. Consider these wow factor hair tips:
Posted by Caryn Rivadeneira on July 8, 2008 | Comments (3)
Food for Thought
July 7, 2008 |
Some Christian couples focus on raising children. Kids are an exquisite, priceless gift from God, and raising them is one of God's primary purposes for marriage.
But what if a couple is not able to bear children? Even if a couple does bear children or adopt, the child-rearing period of life comes to an end. Our marriage will last longer than the years our nest is full.
Some couples share the goal of getting ahead—succeeding in careers, getting out of debt, finally getting that dream house. Those shared dreams can indeed bring a couple together, but once they are achieved—or never achieved—what's left?
Posted by Bonnie McMaken on July 7, 2008 | Comments (0)
World-Changing Politics
July 5, 2008 |
When mega-church pastor Rick Warren invited Senator Hillary Clinton to his AIDS conference at Saddleback Church, some Christians applauded—others branded him a liberal traitor. So goes the long-running debate on what constitutes a “proper” Evangelical public policy. As “salt and light” what role does political engagement play in our efforts to influence culture?
That is a question I have been mulling lately. Raised from the “cradle” by the "Religious Right," my views on societal transformation were initially shaped by close affiliation with the Republican Party, as well as petitions and protests against abortion and gay rights. In Bible college, I stood along Lancaster Drive in Salem, Oregon, with hundreds of other protesters holding signs that read “Abortion Kills.” While I have since departed from many of my ultra-conservative roots, I still face daily decisions about how I, as a Christian, will respond to cultural concerns.
Posted by Caryn Rivadeneira on July 5, 2008 | Comments (6)
The Little-by-Little Principle
July 1, 2008 |
Change is a constant in today’s world, impacting our personal and professional lives. Change comes in all shapes and sizes: there are small adjustments that we need to make in what we are doing, then there are the more significant changes where we plot our course, thinking through what we will do and how we will do it.
And then there is transformational change: doing something we have never done before. This is the most challenging type of change because we may not even be able to reach out to others for experienced advice. Here is where I think God’s principle of “little by little” applies. It can be both a comfort and helpful instruction to see us through the difficult process of change.
It was a season of transformational change where God revealed his little-by-little principle to the children of Israel. They had been delivered from slavery in Egypt and were now in the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land.
Posted by Caryn Rivadeneira on July 1, 2008 | Comments (3)
