I try to blog every other week while some of my colleagues are more faithful in their writing. In this week’s post, I thought I would write on stewardship (I know that is a dirty word in some churches) but received an email from a former professor of mine that linked back to his blog. Be assured that the content is of high quality but that is not the point of my ramblings today. You see I am an advocate for using technology for personal and spiritual advancement.

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I’m a fan of late night infomercials. Given that I’m an insomniac that shouldn’t be a surprise. I got hooked when I saw the first Pocket Fisherman infomercial by Ronco, an early (and still popular) product from Ron Popeil (more, more). Since those early days Ron Popeil and company have shaped the infomercial phenomenon with a steady stream of products. Using a successful format for pitching products, which included the teaser, “But wait! There’s more!” Popeil has sold his inventions, from the Veg-O-Matic, Mr. Microphone, the Inside-the-Shell Egg Scrambler to the wildly successful Ronco Rotisserie Oven, that last due in no small part to Ron Popeil’s memorable pitch, “Set it and forget it!”

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Here’s a site that contains some of my favorite things to talk about: congregations, systems, and design. First take some time to study the concept behind the graphic design of “this is not a church” by Steve Collins.

This is a terrific “visual metaphor” that effectively teaches a concept. Be sure to scroll the screen to take in the full impact and message of the image.

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An aspiring artist friend and I enjoy occasional conversations about art and aesthetics. One on-going philosophical conversation has to do with “what is art?” This, in the context of how current and emerging technologies are changing the practices, if not the nature, of the work of the artist. For example, a couple of days after moving into our new home I met the neighbor. When I asked him what he did for a living he replied, “I’m a graphic artist.”

I asked, “Oh, what medium do you usually use?”

He looked at me like I had a third eye growing out of my forehead before replying, “Computer.”

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Don’t miss CNN’s upcoming program “God’s Warriors”

Correspondent Christiane Amanpour presents a three part (Jewish, Muslim, Christian) documentary in the “God’s Warriors” series that will be airing on CNN at 9 pm Tuesday through Thursday evenings (Aug. 21-23) next week.

This can make for a great home Bible study. Invite some friends for viewing and discussion!

The following is from the book Myths: Fact and Fiction about Teaching and Learning by Israel Galindo. How well do you know fact from fiction?

MYTH: Penicillin kills bacteria.

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So, what’s your TTL (Trinity Teaching Level)?

Do you avoid the Trinity at all costs? Only give the “water, ice, steam” analogy when asked about the Trinity? Do you try to pray at least once in the “Father, Son, Holy Spirit” formula during worship? Have nightmares about your theology professor standing at the gates of heaven telling you that you can get in as soon as one of your parishioners can explain the doctrine of the Trinity?

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At a recent consultation I ran into a scenario that has come to symbolize for me what is wrong with much of what passes for “education” in congregations. I was being given a tour of the educational facilities by the congregational staff member and the lay Sunday School Director. They were proud of their facilities, and rightly so. Modern, well-maintained, and attractive, the building and the classrooms showed how much they valued education. Looking around their Sunday School Office (spacious and outfitted with enough equipment that would be the envy of any small congregation struggling to maintain a church office) I spotted a large stack of papers—two and a half feet high (I’m not exaggerating). I knew immediately what that stack was.

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Bowen Family Systems Theory (BFST) seems to continue to grow in its interest to and influence among clergy, denominational leaders, and seminaries. I think this is a good thing, overall. Many have found in BFST a frame of reference that helps them understand the nature congregations, leadership, and relationships more accurately than what a “devotional” mindset offers. Theological and biblical metaphors have their place—but they often fall short in accurately explaining what it is that actually is going on in the messy and complex dynamics of human emotional systems.

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The following is excerpted from the book Myths: Fact and Fiction about Teaching and Learning by Israel Galindo. How well do you know fact from fiction?

MYTH: Anybody can teach. Teaching is just communicating information, through effective verbal and instructional communication, skills that anybody can learn and master.

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