Big Bog 1

We visited Big Bog State Park last weekend. At least parts of the park are very new. And I commend the state of Minnesota for preserving this unique area.

I was kind of ignorant of bogs. But it sounded like something new and different. In 2005, the state built a mile long boardwalk into the largest bog in the lower 48 states. It is roughly 70 miles wide by 30 miles north and south. The bog is mostly a peat bog with lots of the peat moss found at gardening stores. If I understand correctly, the dead plant life just builds up over time because it is too cold to decay it all into "soil".

The bog is definitely wet - although that isn't obvious at the surface. In spots, the actual soil is up to 15 feet below the surface. At pretty much any point, if a person tries to walk on the bog, they will sink knee-deep or deeper. It is a very unique ecosystem.

So the boardwalk gives us all a chance to experience the bog without being bogged down or stranded for days.

Walking along the boardwalk is kind of like staying on the straight and narrow. Straying from the path laid out before you can have some negative consequences.

If only following God's will and desires was so obvious... Even with good intentions, sometimes the path is not very obvious at all.

But God leads us in a variety of ways. Sometimes the path is very obvious. We may follow willingly. Or we might try to go our own way. Or perhaps we will delay, hoping that path will remain an option if we come back to it later. Even if the path is clear, it does not guarantee that every person will take that path.

Sometimes the path is pretty clear. But we have a very hard time going down the path. Fortunately, God is pretty patient. If we seek to please him, he will honor even our baby steps as we tentatively move out in a new direction.

Sometimes a narrow path seems too limiting. God gives us free will. If you don't wish to have time with him and be on his team for his purposes, he lets you go (with a few tears). God won't force a person to spend millions of years with him and worshipping him. He will let them go to hell. It isn't God's preference. But he lets people choose hell on their own.

And sometimes, even for believers, the path isn't as clear as we would like. An obvious path through the bog/wilderness/life would sure be handy. Sometimes it is appropriate to wait for further direction. But more often, we are called to step forward in baby steps and more will be revealed later (perhaps when we are ready for it). We can't let fear paralyze us from moving forward into new things. Quite often, God is just waiting for us to take those first steps.

When the path is revealed, how will you respond?

Relevant Christianity in Mainline Churches

I finally got a chance to check out the Praise in the Park in Osceola, Wisconsin. It is on Sundays at 6 pm. And I usually can't get to any event at that time due to other commitments.

I am sure the event varies from week to week as different churches lead. At least that appears to be how it works. One unnamed mainline church was leading this past Sunday.

For the most part, it felt like a time warp back 30 or 40 years. Nearly all of the 20 or so attendees were 70 years old and older. Most of the songs that were familiar were ones I hadn't heard in a church or any Christian event since childhood (many years ago).

We all have different musical preferences. But my concern is that the church be relevant. Christianity is very much relevant for life today in America and any other country. But the way it is often presented is as something that hasn't changed since the fifties. I have heard people express concern that teens and young adults don't attend church much. Is the church presenting a message that is relevant for their lives? Is the music style approachable and reflecting the musical tastes of this century? Do the spoken messages address the issues and concerns of real people under the age of 30 or 40? Many people prefer communication via video and other visual media. Is the church using that effectively?

I had a good time at the park. A time of worship is nearly always good. And it helped me on my little project of discovering more of the church "body". It is helpful to discover and know other parts of the church so we can understands roles and needs so we can work together.

Even though I was okay with the Praise in the Park. I doubt very much an unchurched young family in their twenties would feel comfortable there. A Community Worship in Forest Lake the following night had a totally different feel with free food for outreach, songs from the past five years, and a gathering from several churches. We are learning there too. Attendance numbers have struggled over the past few years. We are not connecting as well with the community as we would like either. We are experimenting to see how it can have a greater impact.

If you are a Christian, is the message you are presenting via your groups, and individually, relevant? Are we presenting something people actually want? The "good news" of the gospel has great benefits. There are also great costs as we give up the throne (lordship, ruling) of our lives to trust God. But if the message of the Bible is presented accurately, it is very relevant.

What are we communicating? What are we hearing?

Next up, Kum Ba Ya - They all sat around singing Kum Ba Ya...