NoelHeikkinen.com

Aon

Apr 30, 2007 Uncategorized

.:mood:. Swell
.:itunes:. Even Better Than The Real Thing by U2

Outstanding. Check out this Tai video from Certified RANDOM:

Interesting Commentary

Apr 30, 2007 Uncategorized

.:mood:. Thinking Again
.:itunes:. Old And Lonesome by Lost Dogs

I just read a very interesting piece on the VTech thing from Rev. Dr. Soong-Chan Rah. I’ll just let his words speak for himself. It comes from God’s Politics.

There is a collective shame felt by the Korean-American community for not taking care of one of our own and possibly preventing a national tragedy - not completely rational, but reflective of the valuing of community among Asians. Maybe collective shame is a good thing to feel every once in awhile. Maybe then, the shame of racism will be a social issue rather than reduced to attempting to absolve individual guilt (and what individual is actually guilty of racism? It is so much easier to scapegoat Imus and pretend that corporate racism doesn’t actually exist). So I personally feel the shame of someone that looks like me being responsible for the slaughter of innocent lives.

After the initial shock and sense of shame comes the frustration and anger. Why do the newscasters continue to point out that the shooter was a South Korean national when he was more American than Korean? Why is the South Korean government issuing not one, but two public apologies on behalf of an individual who was clearly more shaped by American culture than by his Korean origins? Why would anyone feel the need to lash out against the entire Asian-American community for the actions of an individual? Why can’t even one national newscaster pronounce his name right?

Mark Driscoll, Bill Hybels, and Betty Roche

Apr 30, 2007 Uncategorized

.:mood:. Thinking
.:itunes:. Trouble Trouble by Betty Roche

Last week at the National New Church Conference, there was little tousle of sorts. Mark Driscoll was asked to produce an 8 minute video on Church Planting that they would play and pass out to the attendees. Well, it was played but not passed out.

Apparently, Bill Hybels took issue with Mark’s complementarian position (men and women are equal, yet have different roles in the home and church). Bill is an egalitarian (men and women are equal, and either can play any role in the home and church).

After Mark’s video aired, Bill was the next on stage and he said this:

“After that video I would like to acknowledge that there are women in this room and they have spiritual gifts.”

After this comment, the conference decided not to pass out Mark’s video.

This is fascinating to me. I want to make a few observations:

1) I think Mark would have been impressed with Bill standing up for what he believes, even if they disagree.

2) I have issue when people’s views are misrepresented, regardless of what those views are. I think it’s unfortunate that Bill implied that a complementarian position denies that women have spiritual gifts or that they can’t use them in the church. I am sure that Bill understands this is not the complementarian position, and I can only assume that in a spur of the moment, he made his comment without fully thinking it through. I am certainly guilty of doing this.

Words mean things and I think it is important to let people define and articulate their own positions.

One place I see this is the abortion debate. I have seen Pro-Life people call Pro-Choice people “Pro-Abortion” and the latter have shot back with the title “Anti-Choice.” Come on, people. That’s lowering the bar. Let’s just have healthy debate.

3) It’s amazing to me that some positions (for instance complementarianism) are so un-PC that videos like Mark’s can be pulled when I suspect there was a lot of other controversy at the conference that remained on the table for discussion.

4) I find it ironic that I was listening to “Trouble Trouble” by Betty Roche when I began typing this post.

5) Read the comments on Andrew Jone’s page.

Here’s Mark’s video, in case you want to see what caused the stir:

Robert Webber has died

Apr 30, 2007 Uncategorized

.:mood:. Neutral
.:itunes:. Not Unusual by Tom Jones

Because of the crazy lack of internet I have had for the last week or so, I have been out of the loop. That’s why I was surprised to read on so many sites this morning that Robert Webber has died.
Most of my readers are probably unfamiliar with Webber, but he wrote one of my favorite books:

“The Younger Evangelicals: Facing the Challenges of the New World” (Robert E. Webber)

He was also the editor of this book, which just came out this year:

“Listening to the Beliefs of Emerging Churches: Five Perspectives” (Zondervan Publishing Company)

His opening chapter is worth the price of the book. He details the state of the church and why what is happening now is part of a historical cycle. Here’s an excerpt:

The church started as a missionary movement in Jerusalem.
It moved to Rome and became an institution.
It traveled to Europe and became a culture.
It crossed the Atlantic to American and became a big business.

Because we are in a time of great cultural upheaval from modernity to postmodernity, the twentieth century may be seen as the century of transition. The cycle of evangelicalism within the twentieth century may be interpreted as the last gasp of modernity and the first breath of postmodernity. For example, traditional evangelicalism (1947-1980) is the high point of modern evangelicalism; pragmatic evangelicalism (1980-2000) is the last gasp of evangelicalism in the modern world; and the emerging church is the first gasp of evangelicalism in the postmodern world. As evangelicalism now seeks to thrive in this new cultural context. it faces new challenges that demand new ways to think and speak the Christian message.

Riverview’s New Site

Apr 27, 2007 Uncategorized

.:mood:. Glad to be back
.:itunes:. Lord, Protect My Child by Lost Dogs

The beta version of the new Riverview website launched today. It looks great. Surf around enjoy the new digs.

My favorite part? The consistently sarcastic tone in the staff bios.

JBTR Challenge

Apr 22, 2007 Uncategorized

This week, I won’t be able to fill out the Jack Bauer Torture Report on time. So I ran a little contest to find a replacement for the week and found three capable people to take over. They will be posting on Monday for me. Here a little ad they came up with…

I will also be without internet access most of the week, so the blogging will be a little light. I will be back at the end of the week!

Have a great week.

Responding on Monday to the Notes People Write You on Sunday

Apr 17, 2007 Uncategorized

.:mood:. Really great, actually
.:itunes:. Goodbye by Hootie And The Blowfish

Well, it’s two for two. MondayMorningInsight.com printed another of my articles today. This one is actually a re-hash of an old post, but it got some good feedback, so I resurrected it. You can read the original post here or the update post…well….here:

I look forward to and dread Mondays at the same time because on Mondays, I read feedback from our church’s weekend services. The notes I receive can be divided into three categories…

Bereans
These are people who have legitimate questions about how I treated the Bible during the services. The “Berean” notes I get are people who have dug into the Word and come to a different conclusion than I did. These notes have a positive, respectful tone and I love dialoging with people like this. Many times, we will end up agreeing to disagree but will have an even greater respect for each other because of the tone of the exchange.

I love answering Bereans.

Encouragers
These are quick little notes encouraging me regarding the service. I get a few of these every week. Someone was touched by something I shared and wanted me to know. Often, it was an “aha” moment they had in their walk with Jesus. When I get these notes, I am always blown away that God is using me. He is obviously a great God if he can use me through all of my failings.

I love reading notes from Encouragers.

Cowards
These people find something nit picky they don’t like in me or my delivery or my message. Perhaps it’s a word I used that they don’t like, or an illustration they thought was inappropriate, or maybe they disagree with me on a gray area. Whatever their message, the strategies remain the same. Here are a few:

1) Anonymous notes. Recently someone wrote a letter “to the church,” (even though it was specifically about me) and mailed it without signing it. I read it and promptly threw it away. It carried zero weight. It was a gray area they had issue with but they were too cowardly to have a conversation with me, so we will never be able to talk about it. It’s a shame–I think we could have learned something from each other.

2) Hateful notes. These are attacking / offensive notes when people write what they would never say to my face. Often it is something disparaging my character or my faith. I usually respond politely once and if their tone does not change, I ignore any more notes I get from them.

3) Gossipy notes. This is when someone contacts me to tell me his or her “friend is upset.” My response is always the same, “What did they say to you when you reproved them for gossiping and asked them to talk directly to me?”

4) Symbolic Gestures. I once taught on money and someone ripped up a check into tiny pieces and threw it in the offering basket.

As pastors, what should we do with cowards? Ignore them. The thing about Cowards is that they could so easily be Bereans–it’s all about tone and respect. Until they see that, they won’t be teachable enough to hear you.

For everyone reading this who is not a pastor, may I ask a favor?

Please, be Bereans. If you have a concern/disagreement, bring it directly to your pastor. Don’t gossip, don’t be hateful, don’t be a coward; and by all means, be respectful. I have made good friends with people who started out as dissenters. Some of my biggest supporters started out as critics. Now, we will both defend each other to the death. We may still disagree, but we love each other. That’s Christian unity.

Dan Price & Ish

Apr 16, 2007 Uncategorized

.:mood:. Inspired
.:itunes:. Inner City Blues by Adam Again

Ish (one of the bands at Riverview) has been signed by a record label and is releasing a new CD. Dan Price talks about it on his blog. He was also interviewed by the record label and you can read that interview here.

Here’s his answer to one question. If you want to read the whole interview, you’ll have to go to the label page.

7. Worship is sometimes a contentious subject in the church, what key factors from a leadership perspective have helped the elders and congregation of Riverview get beyond this?

We unapologetically target young here. This means that the music sometimes is weird and loud and we ask that people who don’t like this, to sacrifice their preferences for the sake of our mission. It’s not much of an issue anymore. If your 50 years old and your 18 year old kid is into church, you’re usually pretty happy. Of course we do have an old timey folk gospel band (Folksplosion) that plays, and we get complements from the olders and youngers when they play. Targeting young means trying different things now-there’s not just one kind of music that people like. Go on myspace and you’ll see people that love Willie Nelson and Death Cab for Cutie too. I think things would be more stale if we just stuck with one kind of music like a Chris Tomlin (love the guy) cover band, which is what I did for quite a while.

Virginia Tech Shooting Kills at Least 22

Apr 16, 2007 Uncategorized

.:mood:. Sad and Encouraged
.:itunes:. Lucky Star by Madonna

Today, while I was eating lunch with someone, I found myself distracted watching the news on the TV in the corner. It was playing this story:

Virginia Tech Shooting Kills at Least 22 - New York Times:
At least 22 people were killed today, some of them students, and more were injured during shootings at Virginia Tech, some of them in a classroom on the campus, the police said. A gunman was also shot to death, officials said at a news conference.

Oddly, my emotions over this are an odd mix of sadness and encouragement.

The sadness is obvious.

The encouragement is that we have a sister church at Virginia Tech that is doing amazing things. I feel so confident that they will mobilize and make things happen in the wake of this tragedy.

Please pray for them.

UPDATE: LITERALLY SECONDS AFTER POSTING THIS, I RECEIVED THIS UPDATE FROM OUR SISTER CHURCH

In case you haven’t heard, there was a shooting spree this morning on the Virginia Tech Univ. campus. According to local news, there are 32 dead at this time.

Mike Swann informed me that there are reports of NLCF member’s friends that had been killed. There is no word on whether any nlcf members were among those killed - the authorities are keeping a tight lock on those names.

Mike asked for us to pray for the students at Va Tech, that they would know the presence and comfort of God at this time. He also asked us to pray that their church would know how best to respond in the aftermath.

Dealing with Criticism:  4 Ways to Lessen the Blow

Apr 16, 2007 Uncategorized

.:mood:. Good
.:itunes:. When Man Sinned by Ish

MondayMorningInsight.com posted an article I wrote this morning based on a crazy situation that happened recently at Riverview.

A woman approached me after church a few weeks ago and told me she was the mother of a good friend of mine and was visiting for the first time.

“Well, you’re practically family then!” I told her with a smile, moving in for a hug.

But she didn’t hug back. In fact, she stiff-armed me and immediately launched into the most comprehensive string of criticisms I have ever received.

She started by telling me everything that was wrong with our church, moved on to everything that was wrong with the message I had just preached and closed with a few things that were wrong with me personally.

While this situation is extreme, it is by no means an isolated event. Criticism comes with the turf of being a pastor, especially of a church that is “not normal” (whatever that means).

1. I spend the day Saturday ramping up spiritually.

Saturday is my alone day. I pray, practice my message, read, pray some more, wander around the empty building and get my mind in gear. I remind myself that it is my job to preach as if God himself were speaking through me (1 Peter 4:11). When I don’t do this, I can get defensive when faced with criticism because I think it’s about me, not God.

2. Between services, I try not to get caught up in long conversations.

We have 2 services on Saturday Night and 3 on Sunday Morning. Because of this, there isn’t much time between each of our services—sometimes there are people waiting in the lobby when the previous service hasn’t even let out yet.

During those few minutes, I try to connect briefly with as many people as possible. If I dive into a topic with someone for too long, I can’t shake it out of my head when I have to hop back up on the stage to teach again. This is especially true with criticism, but it applies to all long conversations.

3. I don’t check email from Saturday Morning until Monday Afternoon.

I am an Internet junkie and I used to check my email in between each service. Unfortunately, some of my critics travel at the speed of light from our church to their computer to email me a nasty note. There were times I would get a discouraging email minutes before going back onto the stage–that tends to take a little wind out of the sails.

Now, I wait until Monday afternoon because by then I have had time to refresh, spend time with my family, and get myself mentally disconnected from the weekend.

4. I smile and thank my critics

On the occasions when I can’t avoid the fiery criticism, I make sure my attitude is right regardless of my critic’s. Often, they have been burned by something and I have somehow become a target of their pain. It’s not personal even though it feels personal. A smile at a time like that is disarming and it shows my critics that I love them, no matter what they say or how they say it.

Are Americans Spoiled?

Apr 16, 2007 Uncategorized

.:mood:. Spoiled
.:itunes:. The Show Goes On by Bruce Hornsby & The Range

Are Americans spoiled?

Do Americans like cereal?

In this video, my children and I answer both questions.

What Finger Are You?

Apr 12, 2007 Uncategorized

.:mood:. Thankful
.:itunes:. Sooner Than You Think by New Order

(Via Couch)

You Are the Thumb

You’re unique and flexible. And you defy any category. Mentally strong and agile, you do things your own way. And you do them well. You are a natural leader… but also truly a loner. You inspire many but connect with few. You get along well with: The Middle Finger Stay away from: The Pinky

Little Ones

Apr 12, 2007 Uncategorized

.:mood:. Mad
.:mashup:. Sweet Whoomp by GNR vs Tag Team


Two stories I have read in the last day or so have broken my heart and made me angry at the same time.
The first is: Father Shows Toddler How To Use AK-47

Pawnshop manager Dan Reese said he never thought he’d see a diaper-clad 2-year-old holding an AK-47.

But that’s exactly what happened inside BJ’s Pawn Shop on the Westbank, Reese said.

The toddler’s father gave him the gun and proceeded to show the child how to hold, load and operate it.
Click here to find out more!

“He’s telling the boy, ‘This is how you hold it, like this. Anybody in front of you, you can mow them down. Kill everybody, soldier, because daddy’s going to buy you this chopper,’ repeating it over and over,” Reese said.

The second is a bunch of stats Kim pointed out:

Children’s Exposure to Pornography

* Average age of first Internet exposure to pornography ~11 years old
* Largest consumer of Internet pornography ~12-17 age group
* 15-17 year olds having multiple hard-core exposures ~80%
* 8-16 year olds having viewed porn online ~90% (most while doing homework)
* 7-17 year olds who would freely give out home address ~29%
* 7-17 year olds who would freely give out email address ~14%
* Children’s characters linked to thousands of porn links ~26 (including Pokeman and Action Man

For some reason, this verse kept running through my head.

Matthew 18:6
But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.

I like Jesus.

Daily Jeezit Podcast: Growing Up Christian

Apr 11, 2007 Uncategorized

.:mood:. Good
.:mashup:. St Jimmy The Prankster by Green Day

{UPDATE: I uploaded a new version of the video and audio, so it should work now.]

In this dealio, I respond to this question:

Hey Noel-
So, I have a question.
I was brought up with about a year of Sunday School under my belt in regards to Christianity in our home. After that, my dad, who I looked up to as being a completely reasonable and rational person, would sometimes voice his stance of being an atheist. I feel as though my looking up to him, in addition to there being no Christian influences at the time, completely shaped how I personally viewed religion as I grew up. It wasn’t until I got out of the house and had some significant life experiences that I started reconsidering my own views on religion. However, it was only when I started to consider there being a balance among logic, emotion and faith in the core of Christianity that I truly opened my heart to God.
Now onto that question…
How do you feel that your “religious upbringing” has impacted your own approach to Christianity? If at all, for that matter.

Here’s the video, as always the audio links are at the bottom of the post: