Clayton Bell | Online

Son. Husband. Father. Planter.

Archive for category Blog Crossover

When the internet meets real life

Apr 7

Posted by Clayton Bell in Blog Crossover, Church, Cultural Commentary, Our Family, Social Media, Spiritual Insights | 6 Comments

brad-ruggles1(Warning, bromance-type language head)

In what can only be described as the favor of God, uber-blogger Brad Ruggles and his fam just happened to be vacationing a mile from where my in-laws live, and at the same time my family and I were down in the area.

The result? Why, Starbucks and church talk, of course!

Unfortunately, there are no TwitPics to prove the event really happened. Two dudes taking pics of each other at a table outside a Starbucks isn’t the most…well, it just wouldn’t look good.

What was great about the experience was how natural it was. Brad and I have IM’ed and Skyped a bunch, but it was only on the internet. Would that translate to a friendship in real life? Would it be awkward? Turns out that community formed on the internet does translate to community in “real life.” We picked up like we’d been friends for months (because we have).

I know they’re quite a bit of debate in Christian circles evaluating if online community is “real” community, but I think we’ll look back on the debate years from now in the same way we look back at the “guitars are from the devil” debate. Community should never be exclusively online, but the online aspect serves to enhance it at every level. Just because it may not be your deal doesn’t mean it isn’t changing someone else’s life.

Any online/offline community stories you’d like to share?

(2 of 4) Blog Crossover: More of the same?

Dec 18

Posted by Clayton Bell in Blog Crossover, Church, Cultural Commentary, Leadership, Resources, Spiritual Insights, Tallahassee | 6 Comments

Today Brad Ruggles, Terrace Crawford, Zak White and I are tackling the topic of materialism and consumerism on our blogs, each from a different perspective. I encourage you to read part one on Brad’s blog, part three on Terrace’s blog, and part four on Zak’s blog. Now, on with the show…

materialism-logo

One of these things is not like the others,
One of these things just doesn’t belong,
Can you tell which thing is not like the others
By the time I finish my song?

Any Sesame Street fans out there? Remember the segment where they’d sing that song? Four objects would be shown, three of which were exactly the same, and a fourth that stuck out like a sore thumb. Even if you weren’t the most observant, you knew something was different about the fourth. My question for those reading the blog who are professed disciples of Jesus Christ is:

Are we any different?

  • Are we just as saddled with debt, thus unable to tithe?
  • Are we just as consumed with toys and tech that we don’t have the margin to give to things like creating clean water overseas?
  • Do our laser light shows on Sunday entertain or entreat to worship?
  • Are we so focused on working longer hours to earn more money we leave our families behind?
  • Do we find satisfaction, fulfillment and identity in places other than our bank accounts, summer homes and laptops?

If the transforming power of the cross has not also redeemed and transformed our wallets, if it does not confront and turn back “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life,” if the godliness we seek after doesn’t also include contentment, how else are we to have great gain?

Why would anyone listen to our words if our lives were not radically different?

I have not attained this perfect balance, nor do I ever expect to. But I am actively struggling to determine where I have been won over by the world, and where have I been redeemed by Christ. My great hope is that I will never give up the fight, never stop examining my motives, never be so willing to indulge myself without a moment’s hesitation. I hope I never stop wondering if I am OF the world, when I am called only to be IN the world.

Are you examining your financial motives? Or are you aimlessly following the current of culture?

(3 of 3) Blogging Crossover: Video Friday!

Nov 14

Posted by Clayton Bell in Blog Crossover, Church, Cultural Commentary, Leadership, Spiritual Insights, Tallahassee | 2 Comments

The third and final part of our first ever Blogging Crossover! Here’s part one on Zak’s blog, part two on mine. And without any further ado…

I think I look like a bobble head doll.

What did you think of the video, the topics brought up, and the Blogging Crossover all together?

(2 of 3) Blogging Crossover: Church FAIL?

Nov 13

Posted by Clayton Bell in Blog Crossover, Church, Cultural Commentary, Leadership, Spiritual Insights, Tallahassee | 10 Comments

I’m really excited to test out a blogging idea I’ve had for a while with none other than the magic man himself, Zak White.

Zak and I will both be blogging about the sabbath today, and then posting a video tomorrow of the two of us discussing how we sabbath. Part one of the discussion is posted on his blog (go check it out, I’ll still be here when you’re done), and part two is posted below. Our video conversation will be posted on both blogs tomorrow. Got it? Good. Now, on to the discussion.

When it come to the sabbath…

I think the American church encourages sin.

Most pastors I know, including myself, have the luxury of being able to take either Monday or Friday off since Sunday is a working day for us. For me, Sunday really is a working day, as I’m usually putting in at least 7 hours between services and additional work during the afternoon.

However, virtually everyone in our congregation has to work on both Friday and Monday, leaving them with only Saturday and Sunday to attempt to sabbath. Now, we’re expecting them to pack up the whole family, make the trip to church, probably serve in some capacity, and then get everyone packed back up to head home and prepare meals and finish homework for the rest of the night. But they still have Saturday, right?

Well, it seems that Saturdays can find congregants at men’s meetings, women’s lunches, car wash fundraisers, rehearsals, cookouts, conferences, etc. And that’s just from the church! This doesn’t count the games and practices and picnics from just plain ol’ life. If we’re trying to help our people love, serve and obey God, doesn’t that take in to account their weekend schedule and ability to sabbath?

I don’t know if it’s possible to take 24 uninterrupted hours and devote it to God and family in today’s society, but I believe the church should be using it’s considerable influence to push congregants TOWARDS resting, refreshing, pausing, reconnecting, not helping them fill up their time with more and more church activities, not matter how legitimate and spiritually refreshing they’re intended to be.

While I’m not a big fan of being counter-cultural (that’s another blog for another time), I’m a huge fan of being Christ-cultural. When it comes to the sabbath, I believe pushing an agenda of less is an opportunity for the church to be both counter-cultural and Christ-cultural.

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

When you sit down to make your calendars, schedule your events, and plan your conferences do you take into account this biblical command? Is it on your strategic radar at all?

Tomorrow Zak and I will post a video of us chatting and discussing how we individually sabbath. I can’t wait to hear how you try (or FAIL!) to observe this foundational challenge from God.