simplicity
Posted by Please Don't Call Me Tom! in articles at 8:45 am | 
Permanent Link
I wanted to write basically to introduce myself and to talk about something heavy on my heart lately. I read the Rant by joseph today and it echoed much of what I feel now too. I am a church planter in South Beach in Miami, Fl. and my christian buble doesn’t exist anymore. Honestly sometimes I long for it. However when I’m not being selfish I love the fact that every conversation I have here is with someone that likely doesn’t know who Jesus is. Its very exciting and challanging. I am very fullfilled when I am surrounded by wanderers. I feel like I have purpose. When talking to these people I have concentrated on keeping my words simple and to the point and mostly listening. I try to keep my words few and speak straight to the point and I have found that to be successful. I am frustrated mostly when we christians gather around sometimes and talk in circles, literally and metaphorically, about theoretical evangelism and hypathetical scenarios all trying to teach each other “how to do it”. My frustration is with myself in those situations, because I know that I have a lot to learn from leaders that are around me. But I find myself leaving those situations sometimes saying “ok, what in the world did I just learn?” I am learning to keep it simple with everything. I find that most of the time God just wants me to listen. To Him first, but to other leaders, and to wanderers as well. Many times what they are saying is not really to be taken a face value. We must look deeper to see what feelings are there that might cause someone to say this. Many times those feelings are exactly the same ones that we feel daily. What a great way to connect with someone, to have the same feelings as they do. Anyway, I’m kind of contradicting myself, I am trying these days to keep it simple. Simplicity is the best form of communication
3rd of February, 2006 at 1:28 pm
thomas, hey bro. i didn’t realize you were part of the churchplant on south beach. have you registered for the miami regional next tuesday? you can link to it through “www.alexmcmanus.org”. hope to see you there.
5th of February, 2006 at 3:55 pm
good thoughts. What does simplicity mean in your material life?
6th of February, 2006 at 7:50 pm
I think that in my material life, if I understand your question, I am still learning what it means to be simple. We do not live in a simple time. Most high-schoolers in south beach are fluent in html and most of them have thier own websites. We are light years away from simple in our culture so it is quite difficult to simplify the complex lifestyle that we find ourselves in. I think also it is important to keep somewhat up to date with this complex lifestyle in order to speak the language of our culture. Our culture is the culture of technology. Its hard to speak thier language if we are isolated from what makes them tick.
I do know that we can live without the material possesions that we have in our afluent culture. I, however, have more than what I need. I continue to learn the older in faith I become what things I am meant to live without. Simply put, I am commited to simple language that speaks to the point, simple truths that never change, and simple affection for people around me.