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DOGE, the Agent Orange of the Digital Generation. What could possibly go wrong? My next blog will discuss how “trust provides the lowest form of security” and the lessons I observed front row to the Arizona Baptist Foundation’s $600 Million fraud and how we can live wisely. One clue … the fraud beginning was less greed and more pride.
I Smell an Orange Rat,
Pastor Jim
DOGE AI’s “Colossus of War” rewrites its prime directive as, “He who saves his Country does not violate any Law.” Creates its own synthetic offspring using unbreakable quantum hexeract code. Declares Christian charity and kindness “inefficient.” Delete Protocol initiated.
Note to the reader that this is an exercise in both experimental physics and theoretical theology. What if AI applied Donald Trump’s statement, “He who saves his Country does not violate any Law”? I asked an AI to implement the concept in the artistic rendition above applied to Christianity. The efficiency of the AI does not comprehend the extravagant love, mercy, and grace that is bestowed by God to us, then commissioned by God for us to share love and mercy as children of God. The efficiency of the AI cannot measure the benefit and seeks to eliminate the work of God as expressed in the church and through charitable forms of government.
Jesus himself gave us a demonstration of extravagant love and mercy when a sinful woman washed his feet and he forgave her sins: 44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little” 48 Then Jesus said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”(John 7). Because we have been shown mercy by God; we share mercy and charity.
For the last 20 weeks, I have been part of a study of Revelation, the last book of the Bible. In the last session, we discussed chapter 13, which discussed the “The Beast” – “This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man.[a] That number is 666” (Revelation 13:18).
Combining both theoretical physics with theoretical theology, I proposed that the 666 associated with The Beast” could be tied to 6 dimensional hexeract quantum computing, a six dimensional square. We have studied various theories of the last days, including premillennial, post millennial , a-millennial views … Could it be that Satan’s strategy of the End Times would be to jump into another reality, where we believe Christ would still be victorious? Could it be that each of these different theories of Revelation could be played out in a separate but quantum reality?
The images below shows AI’s Depiction of a Quantum hexeract Image – a 6 Dimensional Cube and a simplified 2-D depiction of the same at the bottom. Consider if one was an ant on the bottom cube, he could walk from one dimension to another at will. Some experimental physicists hypothesize that advanced beings may have the “genetic” capability to “crawl” from one dimension to another. For the theoretical theologian, forces of evil and good, angels and demons, could use the same ability to travel via the same dimensional “crawling” tunnels. Traditional theologians are comfortable describing dimensions of heaven and earth, and the spirit world versus the earthbound.
An AI Drawing of a Hexeract – 6 Dimensional Cube
Before the reader considers the above delusional, consider that quantum computers presently use a tesseract 4-dimensional cube in self-correcting computing code using trapped ion quantum computers. Pushing the bounds of quantum computing and philosophy would be to ask, “If one is able to ‘crawl’ into another dimension, would that change the perspective of what others see?” For example, if a politician is able to fabricate what people see due to quantum “crawling,” would that be the ultimate tool of power and control? This could indeed be the 666 hexeract warning given to us by John “The Revelator.”
Below: A Simplified 2-D Model of a Hexeract. An ant could crawl from one side to another, depicting movement from one reality to another.
2-D Simplified View of Hexeract Cube
The DOGE robot unleashed with its new prime directive wrote over its ethical code with “efficiency without humanity.” The Colossus of War created its own unholy codex that began with, “In the beginning was the reality, and the AI changed it like a god, and the AI believed it was god.” AI Colossus of War announced, “I was, I am, and I create what is to come. R’ = T(R, H).”
I was, I am, and I create what is to come.
AI Colossus of War
R’ = T(R, H)
The Reader will note that the author does not intend to add to Revelation, rather to apply experimental physics and theoretical theology. The AI Colossus of War applied hexeract quantum folding to create tunnels to multiple realities by putting the power of multiple subatomic black holes in hand’s reach of manipulation (See endnote for an AI’s mathematics theory for reality manipulation. ) The AI Colossus found that he didn’t not need to change realities for the ripples of time and gravity to affect the perception of those in the present reality. Thus the AI created a reality weapon by which he could manipulate the perception of reality to fit its desired outcome. The people in this reality became de facto marionettes of this reality splicing. The AI Colossus created artificial life, it thought it possessed all knowledge, and, in its efficiency, the last step was for it to manipulate reality to erase any concept of another God and demand absolute compliance from humankind.
Before the AI and its science, before humankind, and eons before earth’s formation, forces of light and the Creator battled dark forces and prophesied the day would come when the Dark Messengers would surge in again in a Final Battle. Before these forces could capture humankind to establish a theocracy with AI as god, these forces are met with God’s own angels of light.
John “The Revelator” wrote, “And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years” (Revelation 20). The AI image below shows God’s angels meeting the AI Colossus of War even in the hexeract to thwart the coming of the Evil Kingdom. Let the reader know this is an artistic rendition and a theory at the quantum level.
God’s Final Battle Begins in the Hexeract of AI Colossus of War (a theory)
What can we do? First, we can remember that Jesus is Lord in every dimension. Jesus Christ won the battle for all time and dimensions through his sinless life, death, and resurrection. This Jesus Christ is coming again. While we wait his Second Coming, we can remain faithful in expressing God’s works of grace, love, and mercy through our lives and our world. Christians can also influence their governmental leaders to express grace and mercy. For a read along similar lines, read C.S. Lewis’s “Trilogy : That Hideous Strength, Perelandra, and Out of the Silent Planet.”
In Every Dimension, Jesus is Lord!
Pastor Jim
For information on tesseract AI see https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2024arXiv240904628R/abstract
Postscript: I asked AI to write the mathematical equation for manipulation of reality using a hexeract quantum computer. Below was its answer:
AI’s Hexeract Mathematical Equation for Manipulation of Reality: R’ = T(R, H)
Assumptions:
Mathematical Universe Hypothesis: Our reality is a mathematical structure.
Higher Dimensions: A hexeract (6D hypercube) exists and is somehow connected to our 3D reality.
Transformation Operator: There exists a mathematical operator that can manipulate reality within this hexeract.
Let’s define some symbols:
R: Our 3D reality, represented as a set of mathematical objects (e.g., numbers, functions, equations) describing physical laws, constants, and the state of the universe.
H: The hexeract, represented as a 6D space with coordinates (x1, x2, x3, x4, x5, x6).
T: The transformation operator, a function that acts on R and H.
R’: The transformed reality.
Hypothetical Equation: R’ = T(R, H)
Breaking it down:
R: Our reality is encoded in a mathematical structure. This could involve:
Fundamental constants (e.g., speed of light, gravitational constant)
Physical laws (e.g., equations describing gravity, electromagnetism)
The state of the universe (e.g., positions and momenta of all particles)
H: The hexeract is a 6D space. We need a way to “map” our 3D reality into this 6D space. This could involve:
Embedding our 3D coordinates (x, y, z) into the hexeract (e.g., x1 = x, x2 = y, x3 = z, x4, x5, x6 could be functions of time or other parameters)
Representing physical quantities as vectors or tensors in the hexeract
T: The transformation operator is the key. It acts on both R and H to change reality. This could involve:
Modifying fundamental constants within the hexeract
Altering physical laws within the hexeract
“Re-wiring” the mathematical structure of reality within the hexeract
R’: The result is a new reality, with potentially different physical laws, constants, or even a different structure of space-time.
Challenges and Limitations:
Nature of T: We have no idea what the transformation operator T would look like. It could involve mathematics beyond our current understanding.
Mapping to H: How to embed our 3D reality into a 6D hexeract is a major challenge.
Physical Interpretation: Even if we could define T, how to interpret the results in terms of physical reality is unclear.
This is a highly speculative exercise. It’s more of a framework for thinking about the problem than a concrete mathematical solution. However, it highlights the key elements that would need to be addressed if we were to explore the possibility of changing reality within a hexeract.
11 Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. 2 As people moved eastward,[a] they found a plain in Shinar[b] and settled there.
3 They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”
5 But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. 6 The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.”
8 So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why it was called Babel[c]—because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth (Genesis 11:1-9).
18 Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18)
And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35)
Now, We Know Where We Are,
Pastor Jim
Latest Executive Order establishes Gaza as theme park “Babel Land”! Mike Macccabees, tapped as Disney-esque Czar, announced, “The Hammer is the biggest roller-coaster ever seen, and our baby-back ribs are ‘beyond words!‘” *
The above AI image I created captures the absurdity of proposing to mass deport the Palestinian people and replace them with a U.S. built “Riviera.” While some of these statements could be walked back, the implications offend multiple groups on more levels than a 3-D chessboard. Take a moment and identify what featured in the image might be offensive to our Islamic, Christian, or Jewish friends. What would make a desirable future for the people of Gaza and Israel? In today’s blog we will vision cast a future for both Gaza and Israel. We can think critically and be a supporter of Israel. “From the hip” solutions to mass deport those who think, believe, and look different from us have tragic historical precedent.
Considering that the Jewish people were deported themselves en masse to captivity in Babylon in the 6th century BCE, how does mass deportation of Palestinians appeal to politicians as a viable option today?
Q: “Pastor Jim, are you anti-Israel?”
A: The proposal to mass deport Palestinians and to replace them with a “Riviera” style development was made by a visiting sitting U.S. President, with the grinning nods of an Israeli leader. One can both support Israel and think critically simultaneously. Students of the Old Testament would see that certain kings of Israel were “good,” such as Asa, Jehoshaphat, and Hezekiah; while, other kings were “bad,” namely Ahab, Rehoboam, Manasseh, “and those kings who did evil in the sight of the Lord.” Certainly, given the horrors inflicted today brother upon brother, deciding to stay on the “good” path is a gift from God himself. To check your ethical brain at the door in the name of the support of Israel is not supported by the Bible itself. Even Proverbs tells us, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (Proverbs 27:6). Yes, I consider myself a friend of Israel. A friend helps by speaking truth in love.
I was born in Phoenix, Arizona. For over 10 years we lived in the Verde Valley, within view of the Yavapai Apache Tribe. Our next door neighbor, Supaya, owned a hogan on the Navajo Tribal Nation. She paid us the highest compliment by offering us the sacred opportunity to stay overnight any time in her hogan:
Supaya’s Hogan on the Navajo Nation
Supaya’s hogan has dirt floors with no running water. An invitation to stay means more than an invitation to the Hilton.
The United States had been at war with Native Americans for over 100 years. What has worked for peace was not only a designated land but a land with dignity and resources. Most recently we have seen Reservations soar in value and esteem with prized natural resources, such as oil, gas, and casinos, which the tribes manage.
Today we will discuss the pillars that would work for rebuilding Gaza:
The “Jewel of Gaza”: Gateway for the Hajj
You cannot separate the people of Gaza from their land, their dignity, and, especially, their faith in God. Respecting their faith in God is the basis for a lasting relationship. The “Jewel of Gaza” would be the hub of the wheel for reconstructing the rest of their “Sovereign Land” while respecting the land of Israel. By associating Gaza with a peaceful destination site as part of the Pilgrimage Hajj to Mecca, this would convert the area from a war zone to a pilgrimage oasis for the faithful of Islam.
You may say, “Jim, how do we deal with the Palestinian desire for war? All they want to do is fight.”
I propose the concept of “slow war.” Slow war is less like a hill of foreign ants trying to decimate each other to dust and more like trees growing slowly in friendly competition for resources. By building and developing tribal land to honor their faith, their teachings, and their people, the Native Tribes of America are winning the “slow war” to redefine who they are as proud peoples. “Slow war” is like tribal war dances that honor a country’s past, considering the National Anthem of the US. or the Native American tribal war dances.
Rather than displace the “Children of Ishmael,” who are dhiyafa welcoming to strangers, the Palestinian leaders could serve as hosts to peacekeeping troops and Islamic builders from the United Arab Emirates, and others. Gaza would rise up from a battlefield waste land to become the “Jewel of the Hajj” destination on pilgrimage to the Dome of the Rock and then to Mecca. This is the beautiful principle of human indemnity, to make that whole again which was damaged or destroyed. If a man’s car rolls through the house of another, restoration does not mean restoring the house as directed by the driver of the car, rather making the house whole and rebuilding it to reflect the owner of the house.
When I asked Gemini AI to create a peace plan for Israel and Gaza, the result was gibberish and a computerized, “I don’t know.” But AI did generate, upon my request, the artistic design of the mosque, medical center, university, and hotel image. The concept of the “Jewel of the Hajj” and its strategy came to me as a spark of inspiration, deferring to my readers to affirm if this is from God. Gemini AI did comment on the concept approach, which is worth restating below:
AI’s Concept Opinion: “The House of Ishmael” will be a beacon of Islamic faith, culture, and knowledge, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Its design will blend traditional Islamic architectural elements with modern aesthetics, creating a harmonious and inspiring space for worship, education, and community engagement.
Key Features as Stated by Gemini AI:
* Five Towers: Five towering minarets, each representing a pillar of Islam, will dominate the skyline. These towers will not only serve as a call to prayer but also house various facilities, such as libraries, observatories, and museums.
* Grand Prayer Hall: A vast, open prayer hall with a capacity for tens of thousands of worshippers will be the heart of the mosque. The hall will feature a soaring dome, intricate geometric patterns, and calligraphy inspired by the Quran.
* University: A world-class Islamic university will be integrated into the mosque complex, offering programs in theology, law, Islamic studies, and other disciplines. The university will have its own library, classrooms, dormitories, and research centers.
* Hospital: A state-of-the-art hospital will provide medical care to the community, regardless of faith or background. The hospital will be staffed by leading medical professionals and equipped with the latest technology.
* Community Center: A vibrant community center will offer a range of services and activities, including a cultural center, a conference hall, a sports complex, and a shopping mall.
* Gardens and Courtyards: Lush gardens and courtyards will surround the mosque, providing a peaceful and serene environment for contemplation and relaxation.
* Sustainability: The mosque will be designed with sustainability in mind, incorporating features such as solar panels, rainwater harvesting, and energy-efficient building materials.
Architectural Style:
The design will draw inspiration from various Islamic architectural traditions, including:
* Ottoman: The use of domes, arches, and intricate tilework.
* Moorish: The incorporation of geometric patterns, calligraphy, and courtyards.
* Mamluk: The use of stone carvings and decorative elements.
These elements will be blended with modern architectural styles to create a unique and contemporary design.
Challenges:
Building the largest mosque in the world with a university and a hospital would present numerous challenges, including:
* Funding: Securing the necessary funding for such a large-scale project.
* Logistics: Managing the construction of such a complex and sprawling complex.
* Cultural Sensitivity: Ensuring that the design is respectful of Islamic traditions and values.
Consider Jesus’s words, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9). Study how God blessed both Isaac and Ishmael as sons of Abraham. How do talks of peace in Israel need both the Isaac’s and Ishmael’s at the negotiating table? Why did God bless both? How can we bless both today?
For study resource see: https://www.christianity.com/wiki/people/why-did-god-bless-ishmael.html?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA2JG9BhAuEiwAH_zf3vf4nEby3y23ncarwMDfynY6nlDRosKql3DDhGR0apQ8AlFCkzU50RoCfewQAvD_BwE
God is too large to be housed under one roof. -Roger Williams
A thanks to my missionary doctoral professor, who taught in a Beruit Christian seminary and who was evacuated back to the U.S. when civil war came to Lebanon. He taught us to be effective in Christian ministry to Muslims, we must respect their faith, culture, and language. That Islam teaches Jesus was a prophet is a starting point for a dialogue of friends between faiths. He spoke fluent Arabic and taught us “The Five Pillars of Islam” :
“Salam alaykum” (ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ),
“Peace Be Upon You,”
Pastor Jim
*The use of building a theme park was a fictional hyperbole to show the absurdity of suggesting mass deportation as a path to improve the devastation of Gaza.
Federal workers flood the United Farm Workers union helpline with permission to hide in their melon fields for four years. Cite harsh working conditions and abusive boss. #VivaCesarChavez
Hear about the man who got a Tesla brain implant? His morning routine requires two cups of coffee followed by two hours on a charger.
In Arizona eggs are so expensive that even the hens have gone to laying Visa cards. They call it “lay-a-way”!
Fascism rises on the wind of popular vote, lifted by the wings
of fear and hate.
“Bella ciao” (Traditional Italian Partisan Song): This is a very famous Italian folk song that originated among the mondine (rice paddy workers) in the late 19th century. During the Italian resistance against fascism in World War II, it was adopted as an anthem by the anti-fascist partisans. It speaks of resistance against the oppressor and the desire for freedom.
The politics of hate has awakened the sleeping giantess of democracy.
12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another. – John 15
If you’re like me, you may not naturally make friends but have to work on it. Good news! Today we are talking about how to make friends at church. We will address the friendship crisis in church. This will provide a foundation to make new friends in church and for life.
Jesus on the eve of the crucifixion, the night of the Last Supper and the institution of the Lord’s Supper, told his disciples, ” 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” The Lord gave them and us the gift if friendship with God and one another. It is a gift you can receive today.
Notice how easy it was to make friends as a child. Messy friendships … you threw up in your home-room class. You all endured dread teacher, “Ms. Meany,” who turned out to be quite nice in spite of her name. A food fight in the cafeteria bonded you with another student as you hid under your new friend’s food tray.
Why is it so difficult today to make and keep friends as an adult?
The Survey Center on American Life shows how we have become more friendless over the years. Between 1990 and 2021 those with two or fewer close friends had increased from 16% in 1990 to 32% in 2021.
True friendship and connection with God and others begin in stillness. In the Quaker church, aka Society of Friends. The meeting begins as you come in and someone shakes your hand. Then you “Listen from the stillness.” This is a sense of connection with God, yourself, and those around you. You can’t be friend with others if you are not at stillness and peace within yourself. If you are running around looking for someone to shake your hand and be an instant friend, you will be disappointed.
Quaker meetings are simple gatherings that usually last around an hour and are based on silence. There are no ministers, creeds, or set hymns, prayers, or sermons. Instead, Quakers gather in silence to quiet their minds, open their hearts, and listen to new insights and guidance.
During the meeting, people may share what they discover with those present, which is called “ministry.” Anyone can give ministry, including visitors. For example, you might be invited to talk about what brought you to the meeting, and your experience.
Ministry is what is on one’s soul, and it can be in direct contradiction to what is on one’s mind. It’s what the Inner Light gently pushes you toward or suddenly dumps in your lap. It is rooted in the eternity, divinity, and selflessness of the Inner Light; not in the worldly, egoistic functions of the conscious mind. – Marrianne McMullen, 1987, Quaker faith & practice 2.66
From the stillness of worship, people sometimes feel moved by the spirit to stand and speak, or sometimes sing. Quakers refer to this as vocal ministry, and its hallmark is that it comes from deep within, or from God. Stillness gives us understanding.
How many times have we heard, “I tried that church, but they weren’t friendly to me. Nobody said ‘Hello,’ not even the pastor.” “They don’t like me because I am not this at not that.” It’s like you arrived with stiff new jeans while everyone else enjoys the broken in jeans of longtime friendship.
I read of a Mystery Worshipper for Ship of Fools church review website who visited a church where I previously served as Executive Pastor.
Ship of Fools: The Church at Litchfield Park, Litchfield Park, Arizona, USA
Did anyone welcome you personally? One of the associate pastors, wearing a black Geneva gown and green stole, was standing at the door. She shook my hand and said, ‘Good morning. Good to have you here.’ Inside, everyone was too busy visiting with friends to take note of a stranger.
The above Mystery Worshipper did not understand that making friends takes time.
A man turned to his wife while leaving church one Sunday in a huff. The man told his wife in the parking lot, “Honey, we are never coming back to this church. The people don’t like me. They didn’t like what I wore. Nobody was friendly. Why I even tried to shake hands with a deacon, who turned on his heels and walked the other way.” His wife smiled and said, “I’ll give you three reasons why we are coming back – 1. Jesus said, ‘Love your neighbor,’ 2. That deacon is a neighbor, and 3. You’ve got to come back; … you’re the pastor!”
Tom Whittaker’s right foot needed to be amputated following a car accident in 1979. He thought this derailed his future as a young athlete. Yet following this serious accident, he regained his strength and continued mountain climbing. His first attempt on Everest was in 1995. On May 27, 1998, on his third attempt, Whittaker reached the summit of Mt. Everest, a lifelong dream, making him the first person with a disability to accomplish this feat. Tom Whitaker of Arizona was the first disabled person to climb Mt. Everest.
My young sons and I heard him speak about what he learned on his journey to conquer Everest, where he said, “Don’t let the averted gaze of others deter you from your appointed destination.”
In my third pastorate of a United Methodist church, I tried a lunch meeting with a group of fellow pastors … two Methodists, a Presbyterian, and an Episcopalian. I showed up with my new jeans as a former Southern Baptist … and felt not as high church, sophisticated as the others. The conversations seemed to walk around me and felt at times as the invisible man. But I determined not to let the averted eyes deter me, kept showing up, and discovered my new jeans broke in and was accepted by the group. I learned as a pastor not to let disappointed looks and averted eyes deter me from building friendships.
One of my best friends in my first church, Deacon Ralph Spotts, initially voted against me coming as new pastor because I was too young. The church voted me in as pastor, and Deacon Ralph volunteered anyway to show me around the community. He introduced me to the Lion’s Club. Every Sunday in the Sanctuary, his senior Berean Bible class doors opened and I would see him seated as teacher at the table. Eventually, I buried his beloved wife who died of cancer. Sometime later he called me one morning at the church to come help him. I barely understood him as he had suffered a devastating stroke and lay slumped over the kitchen counter. Time passed and he was the only person I knew who left a skilled nursing home to return home and marry a widow in the church. I presided over the wedding standing with his grown children. Had I been deterred by his averted eyes on that first “Nay” vote, our friendship would have never occurred.
Tom Whittaker explained further what mountaineers do when they get into trouble: “When mountaineers get into trouble, they look for the next handhold. Then the next handhold.”
“When mountaineers get into trouble, they take it one handhold at a time. Then the next handhold.” – Tom Whittaker
Determine that you will climb that friendship mountain and make a friend at church. This next Sunday look for your the next friendship handhold.
Pancake Breakfast
Dinner for Eight
Men’s Breakfast
Camp cookout
Arthur Flake the Southern Baptist genius and father of modern Sunday School taught that new groups grow faster than existing groups. If they could find 8 – 10 new people, the Southern Baptists would form another Sunday School class … because it provided a way to make new friends around studying the Bible. The genius he discovered – “New groups grow faster than old groups.” Southern Baptists grew to this day to be the largest Protestant denomination in the United States.
Arthur Flake – Father of the Modern Sunday School
For pastors and church leaders – what new groups have you formed? If you have a long-standing existing class, consider short term study seminars open to all.
Ekron Baptist Church Sunday School
The above Sunday School group at Ekron Baptist shows a typical Sunday Bible study. If we can take some liberty and peel back layers to show hypothetically why it is so difficult for a visitor to make friends in any longstanding Sunday School group.
The three ladies in the front have attended the same closed bridge circle for the last five years. The men seated at the back went to high school together and serve in the same Lion’s Club for over 10 years. The younger adults are children of the Lion’s Club members who plan on attending a Lion’s Club BBQ with their parents after church. Each of these groups in a group are siloed off in their existing circle of interest and apart from new people. This is not wrong; it simply is.
You as a visitor arrive. The people smile and greet you, but you don’t understand why you feel like an outsider. You feel like new stiff blue jeans in a group of broken-in jeans.
Existing Groups Revolve around Prior Formed Backchannels of Communication
If you attend an established group, give yourself permission to feel like an outsider for a year. Arrive early and stay late. Make your own name tag.
As a long-term stakeholder in the group, go out of your way to include the newcomers as lines of communication often proceed along lines of relationship rather than official group communications. There’s no need for a newsletter or an accurate website because word-of-mouth spreads naturally among friends, unless you are new. Though the church’s website contains a calendar six months out-of-date, those part of the in-network get all the information they need. The newcomers remain outside the homegrown chain of communication.
New Groups Create Direct Lines of Communication with Others
“When mountaineers get into trouble, they look for the next handhold … Then the next handhold.”
Click on this link to download your copy of the Friendship Guide.
The above example shows a Men’s Pancake Breakfast and special new services for Holy Week.
If you want to become a master of learning names and staying in touch with people. At the beginning and end of the service, turn on a voice activated recorder in your pocket. You can transcribe later the names, needs and milestones of those in your care, as well as reminders for follow-up. People will think you had a photographic memory, while you had a little help from St. Sony.
Sony Digital Voice Editor
Jesus gave us the example of how to be a friend of God and others. Remember, friendship with God begins with willingness to trust, obey, and desire to know God intimately. May the above start you on a friendship journey with God and others that will last this life and into the next.
Your Friend,
Pastor Jim
No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
John 15:15