Colossians 3:10-11 NLT Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. 11 In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.

Clay and Colin recently led worship for a gathering of christian college students. The word was that they “rocked out”.

 It is good to know that those guitars have some use other than driving me crazy.

Seriously, It is great to see them doing their thing for the King.

“When I grow up and am a superhero, I won’t need you any more.”

Cade, age 3, to his mother in church.

“I wish I were normal instead of a superhero.”

Creed, age 5

(They have been on a superhero kick lately.  They have invented their own superhero’s including Captain Bruce and Naked Man. Don’t ask.)

The Wilderness (Part 2)

What is the Problem?  Of course, I can only offer my opinions, so here are a few of them.

Problem #1 “Ya’ll Come.”

 “If people would just come to church…”  How many times have we heard or stated this lament?  What is our Biblical premise for such a statement – the parable of the great feast? Was “church” the point of the parable?  Why do we see our “worship services” as the primary tool by which the grace of God is dispensed?  Are we assuming that we are at the center of the world’s spiritual need?  Are we also assuming that when it comes to Jesus Christ that we hold some kind of monopoly?  If “normal” people (sometimes we call them lost) want to learn about Jesus Christ, are we the first place they turn.  “The Passion of Christ” was the eleventh largest grossing film in the history of film.  How much did your church grow because of it?  Chances are none at all.  Why? Let’s face it normal people are curious about Jesus. However, they are not interested in the established church’s opinion of Him.  Now you can blame that on the state of the world.  (God forbid that a lost world should act lost.)  Or, you can accept that as an indictment against us and respond appropriately.  (Maybe, if we acted a little more like Him.) We are not the center of spiritual thought anymore.  We are now, as we always should have been, missionaries attempting to invade a hostile culture.  Jesus issued the invitation to come. That invitation was to Him.  His orders to us were to go, teach, and baptize.  I also believe the actual work of building the church, He claimed as His own. What implications does that idea have upon us who have tried so hard to build His church for Him?As missionaries, it is time we got about our missional business.  It is time we started infecting the world with the message of Christ.  It is time we began to challenge common thought with the person of Christ.  And, it is time we began to sacrifice all for the Kingdom of Christ.  Read the rest of this entry »

This is just the beginning of a blog about the Maynard clan.  Hopefully soon it will contain much about our journey, our family, and the things that matter most to us.  Stay tuned. Who knows how this story will develop.