Greetings from Lake Highlands Church of Awesome...

I've been wanting to talk about my church for a while, and figured now was a good time (talking about religion is the best way to wash the bad taste of politics out of your mouth right?).

Our pastor, Dr. Jim Reynolds, has been talking for the past few weeks about being the church outside of the church building. He's trying to combat the idea that worship is something that starts on Sunday morning and ends at noon. Here's an excerpt from his sermon "Marketplace Ministry"

I found his comments about the fundamental issue in life being life and death instead of good and evil to be refreshing, especially coming from an older minister. It's comforting to hear such honest talk about the problems of the church and to hear them coming from the pulpit.

Lake Highlands has been described as unique by a lot of people who go there, and I would have to agree. There's very little disconnect between what is taught and what is practiced by the body.

It's exciting going on Sunday, because you really don't know what's going to take place, we have the standard liturgy of announcements, songs, sermon, closing prayer. However the lineup usually gets interrupted and changed in some way from week to week. We might have a discussion on corporate fasting, drama from the youth, extended prayer for someone sick. All this adds up to an atmosphere of vibrant community starkly opposed to wrote, traditional, autonomous "worship".

Here's another bit from Jim's sermon.

I think one of the worst things we've done as Christians in the past hundred years is to make an idol out of self-righteousness. Sin is either conquered effortlessly or hidden in a closet so it appears to have been effortlessly conquered. As a result we've become terrified of sin, we're so afraid we'll catch it we've become all about not watching R-rated movies, not going to clubs, not drinking liquor/beer/wine, not talking to morally suspect people. How does the secular world identify us? By what we aren't.

It's a relief to be in a place that is focused on becoming what I should be instead of telling me how to stop being what I shouldn't.

Another things is that while Lake Highlands has a pretty loud, fully fleshed out worship band, you have a hard time hearing them over the congregation.

Which is awesome.