My Evening with Chuck Baldwin

I took off work yesterday at noon and went down to West Palm Beach with Ed Umpervitch to meet with Jack and Lois McLain and many other Constitution Party members to spend the evening with 2004 Constitution Party VP candidate, Chuck Baldwin. Ed and I enjoyed supper with Jack and Lois before heading over to the hotel to get everything set up for the meeting. The event started with Jack introducing Greg Dixon who opened in prayer before some young members of the Constitution Party provided some patriotic music before Dr. Baldwin was introduced to address the crowd.

Dr. Baldwin's message was excellent and received a standing ovation! After the meeting Ed and I joined Jack & Lois, along with Chuck Baldwin and his wife and another couple from the McLain's church for desert at The Cheesecake Factory. Arriving back home at 3AM, it was a very long trip, but was well worth it! I really enjoyed the fellowship I was able to share with the McLain's, the Baldwin's and everyone else that I met in West Palm Beach.

I will be posting some more pictures and video from the event on the Constitution Party of Florida web site: www.cpflorida.com

Reality Church?

Here is a great post over on Dan Kimball's blog:

http://www.dankimball.com/vintage_faith/2005/08/reality_church.html

I guess if I have to pick one, then I am in Stage 6. My beliefs, theology and convictions have been challenged and shaken up in the last year since I stepped down as the youth pastor of the small church I had been attending for five years. God has been teaching me about the NT principle of "Simple Church" during this past year. Thank you Dan for this great thought provoking post!

Are We Going to Church Today?

As most of us are aware, the church is also not a building. The word translated "church" in the NT (ekklesia) refers to a group of people: an official body, an informal gathering, or a community. "Community" best captures the biblical idea of the NT people of God. Yet we still say, "I am going to church." The church is God’s people. The church gathers and worships.

In Acts the church feared (5:11), was persecuted (8:1, 3; 12:1), enjoyed peace, went in the fear of the Lord, was comforted by the Spirit, increased (9:31; 16:5), heard news (11:22; 14:27), met with teachers (11:26; 14:28), prayed (12:5), included prophets, teachers, and elders (13:1; 14:23; 20:17), gathered (14:27), sent and received men (15:3, 4), made evaluations (15:22), was strengthened (15:41; 16:5), was greeted (18:22), and was to be shepherded by the elders (20:28).

Buildings and events cannot do these things....