i'm super intrigued by a new volkswagon line of advertising coming out.  and i'm pretty certain it has some far reaching implications.  it's called the fun theory.  start w/ this.



or maybe this



i'm looking forward to what they have coming next.  frankly, it's hard not to watch the piano video and not want to get a group of friends together and go figure out how to play a song on the stairs.  that would just be awesome.  and you can't tell me that kids everywhere weren't running around that park looking for trash to throw in the garbage.  and when they couldn't find any...i'm sure they turned to sticks and rocks just to see it work. 

so what is the place for fun?  in school, a student looks forward to the classes they enjoy more.  but do they learn more?  i would think so...but this fun theory looks at simply getting people to participate. 

so what does this mean for the church?  as i look at what we do in student ministries, there's definitely a fun factor to what we do.  if students don't want to come, why would they?  if they think they'll be bored, why on earth would they bring their friends to be bored w/ them?  they have to enjoy it. 

but what if fun only got them to participate?  it doesn't mean they actually learn more...it doesn't mean we've actually created more disciples.  it just means we've boosted our numbers...which may be great, but sadly...i don't want a numbers jump if i'm not teaching people how to love God and others better.  are they more open to what is being taught if they are having fun?  i would think so...but i'm not certain.  at the very least...we need them to show up to even have a chance...so there's got to be some merit to fun. 

that works in student ministry...but what about "big church"?  it's a very fine line you walk when you talk about entertainment value in a worship service.  and i think for many, it's a risky line not worth walking.  obviously it can't be all fun.  but should a service be entertaining?  if it will get people to come, is it worth it?  is it taking God too lightly?  really worship is only for believers b/c someone w/out the holy spirit cannot truly worship...so should it be strictly a serious issue?  is worship a serious issue that is for people who want to worship God so fun is not an issue?  is boredom a stumbling block to people who don't understand God or church?  if you're getting results, do you need the fun factor?  would adding the fun factor taint the results or would you produce results in  more people?

even if we agree that there is some entertainment value...then how far do you go?  seems like it won't take long before worship is gone and we have music and an entertaining speaker.  how far does the fun theory go?  what needs to change?  do we loosen up or are we already having too much fun and there's no more discipleship?

i've been reading through kings recently...specifically looking at elijah and elisha.  as a kid you hear so many stories of these prophets, but i know so little about them.  so i looked up their stories, where i found elijah in the OT and started reading from there.  and i've been quite surprised. 

we hear about elijah and the prophets of baal.  great...but i think i've always missed that he KILLED them all after they were done.  he hunted them down and killed every last one of them.  being a prophet was often a violent job.  there have been way more stories of them killing people or having people kill others or kill each other than i had expected.

because of that, they were hated by the kings of their time b/c they never got any good news from them, b/c they were terrible kings and did whatever they pleased.  not really a job many would like.  in fact, there were times the kings tried to kill them and they just slipped away. 

they did way more miracles than i remembered.  keeping it from raining, start raining, fire from heaven, made bad water good, raised people from the dead, the eternal pot of oil.  many of them resemble the miracles of Christ....but it was never about them.  they kept that straight at all times. 

i would have failed as a prophet...especially compared to these 2.  i'd be more like jonah.  i would have loved the miracles cause they make me look good, but would have failed to remember that the focus was on God.  i would have been too scared to kill anyone knowing that the king and his army would be after me.  and i wouldn't want to tell the king what's up and have everyone hate me.  i want to be loved and well thought of...and that can often limit the things i do b/c i can be scared to step on toes b/c i forget who i'm living for. 

i'm fairly certain the prophets were pretty on edge early in their ministry.  it takes guts going up to a king and saying..."by the way....um....you have leprosy now.  sorry, it's not up to me...his decision."  and then cross your fingers that you don't die.  but as they see God act over and over, their confidence would grow and grow.  and eventually they start going places and thinking...."man, wonder how God's gonna get me out of this one."  i think i need more times to step out in faith and see God work than just keep the status quo and worry about my own comfort.

i have the hardest time asking for help.  on sunday, we talked about service, and in that time mentioned that it's usually easier for me to help others than to ask others to help me. it's a big part of our culture that we're strong enough to stand on our own....that we don't need anyone. 

this whole house thing has showed me how stubborn i can be and how badly i want to be independent. 
 - when i found out mortgage rules had changed for me to get mortgage insurance, i didn't want to ask my parents for help, but realized i needed to if i ever wanted to move out. 
 - i don't want to ask people to help me move in, so i'm trying to remember every person that has offered to help me move so i can possibly remind them w/out having to beg for help.
 - several people have told me to have a house warming party and i think...why should people buy me stuff just b/c i bought a house? 
 - and lets not even talk about doing work on the house since i am the opposite of handy. those issues will come too.

i guess part of me figures...it's about time i move out of my parents house (for the 3rd time) i shouldn't need people to help. and if i have such a hard time asking for help with something big where you'd expect people to help, then how many small things do i pass on when i should be asking for help and support.