CNN’s website has an excellent article on racial segregation in churches. It examined a lot of the nitty-gritty dynamics in churches with multiple ethnic groups, and how it can be like tip-toeing through a minefield as you try not to offend anyone.

The article mentions how black churches can prefer to remain mostly black, just as white churches may prefer to remain white. It mentioned how some sensitive black preachers have toned down their preaching style, knowing that whites sometimes cringe under traditional too-fiery preaching. Very interesting stuff.

My denomination, in the US, is close to lilly white. Until a few years ago (when they pulled out over petty disagreements), we had white churches in California that shared buildings with Hispanic church plants. The Hispanics were growing, the whites shrinking. But the whites pulled shenanigans to hold onto their power. It was sad, some of the stories I heard.

Dave Datema, on his blog, pointed people to a post by Tim Timmons from a year ago. He said it was long, but worth reading. Yes, it was extremely long. And yes, well worth the time.

Timmons talks about we spread cultural Christianity throughout the world, more than we spread a relationship with Jesus. People are “converted to Christianity,” rather than to citizenship in the Kingdom of the heart.

It’s quite a thought-provoding piece, and I found myself disagreeing with nothing he said.

This from a guy who has not only spent his life serving in institutional Christianity, but serving the interests of a subspecies of Christianity called United Brethrenism. We, like all other subspecies, sometimes grow churches by stealing from other folds. People are converted to United Brethrenism from Catholicism, Church of Godism, Nazarenism, Baptistism. Because there are specific United Brethren ways of doing things, United Brethren theological nuances, United Brethren structures and practices.

How much are we teaching United Brethrenism, as opposed to the Kingdom which Jesus taught–a relationship with Jesus; a relationship that enabled a Samaritan woman and a Roman centurion to remain in their cultures, yet be transformed?

On Sunday, Pam and I attended church at a United Methodist retreat center/camp called Epworth something, in Ludington, Mich. Every Sunday they have speakers from across the country. It was an enjoyable service.

But as we sang one hymn, I found myself cracking a smile. It was “The Lord’s My Shepherd,” a hymn I hadn’t heard before. It uses the text of Psalm 23, but contorts sentence structure in an obsessive and sadly desperate search for a rhyme. It’s like a Pennsylvania Dutch version of Yoda.

Here the first two verses are:

The Lord‚’s my Shepherd, I’ll not want;
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.

My soul He doth restore again,
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
E’en for His own name’s sake.

Isn’t that precious? “He makes me down to lie.”

I’m sorry, but as we sang, I restrain from cracking a smile had to. Not worshipful was it. This unusual with hymns is not. Many hymns I up with grew similarly mangle sentence structure to a rhyme find.

Modern songs do that don’t. They like people actually talk sound, and much prefer I that. And that’s yet another reason why miss hymns I don’t particularly.

The Ragamuffin Soul website showed this picture of a protest sign. Evidently, some confused Christian felt this was a good evangelism tactic.

I got a kick out of some of the comments:

• Winning people to Christ…one picket sign at a time!
• I once predicted the score of the Superbowl. I guess that makes me a “psychic sports fan” I’m screwed!
• I do appreciate that their sign has no objections to my potty mouth.
• I am glad Jesus was the one hanging out with those who needed Him, not holding signs up pushing them away.
• Shouldn’t it be “Heaven’s Most Wanted”?
• Sports fans? Wow, I haven’t seen that one in the scriptures. I thought running the race was a good thing.
• Is there really a need to put psychics on there? I’m sure they already knew!
• Tertullian did talk about Christians participating in sports as being immoral, but that was back when more people died during the contests.
• Looks like drug lords, murderers, slave owners, and those responsible for genocide are safe…
• I wonder why lesbians get hit twice?!?
• Wow. I guess that’s one way to evangelize. ????
• Since “people driving cars into people holding jackass signs” isn’t on the list, let me get my keys.

“The closer you are to the point of need, the more you can charge,” writes Seth Godin.

• Airport food is outrageously expensive, but people buy it, because they’re stuck.
• If you need a computer part tomorrow, you pay FedEx to make it happen.
• If the pipes burst in your house, you sell your firstborn to pay the plumber.

How does this apply in the church world? We’re not “charging” anything, but we do want people to accept something–the life Christ offers. Just as people will part with their money when confronted by an urgent need that money can solve, people will respond to God’s truth when they are at point of need.

How do we get close to that point of need?

On Sunday morning at Anchor, and at churches across America, the people listening in the pews certainly have needs. But most are not at a point of urgency. Their lives are at least okay. No need to make any big changes.

But down the road from Anchor is a bar. On Sunday morning, there’s probably a guy slouched in a darkened booth nursing a beer, staring blankly, unhappy, not wanting to leave and have to face whatever awaits him–wife and kids, work, bills, an ailing car. He lives with cloud constantly around him, and would love for something to change in his life.

How do we get close to that guy?