Category Archives: religious innovation

A notebook, a smartphone, and a person walked into a . . .

Posted on November 5, 2013 by Steve Simms

A notebook, a smartphone, and a person walked into a restaurant. The notebook said, “I’m getting on Wi-Fi!” The smartphone said, “I’m making some calls!” The person, feeling rather lonely and depressed, ordered drink after drink. –The moral of the … Continue reading →

Posted in cell phone, cells, link, plan, religion, religious innovation, walked into a, wireless, wireless connection | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

From Independence Day to Dependence Day

Posted on July 5, 2013 by Steve Simms

Most people around the world know that the 4th of July is American Independence Day — when we relish the thought of being free from reliance on others.  However, perhaps we need to get beyond July 4th and acknowledge July … Continue reading →

Posted in American patriotism, American values, Americans, Christian values, Christianity, freedom, history, holidays, humility, kingdom of God, kingdom values, religious innovation, religious tradition, spiritual, spiritual healing, spiritual life, spirituality, values | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Could Church Services Be Like A Handbell Choir?

Posted on June 14, 2013 by Steve Simms

Have you ever seen a group of people play a tune with handbells? Each person holds two bells and all the bells play different notes. As a director leads them, each person plays one of his bells at the proper … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian community, Christianity, church leader, church leadership, church meetings, church program, church programs, church services, encountering God, experiencing God, participants, participators, participatory church, religious innovation, spiritual transformation | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Fire From God

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Steve Simms

Unless you hear it through the Spirit, the Bible will be boring. If the Word doesn’t burn in your heart your sins won’t depart! Without a Spirit-fire, you will drown in your own desire. So how do you start a … Continue reading →

Posted in church seating, flammable, God, hdden sin, heart-felt, heart-felt love, Holy Spirit, I set myself on fire, miraculous, mysticism, nature of God, passion, passionate, release of the Spirit, relevation, religion, religious innovation, spirit fire, Spirit's flow, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual awakening, spiritual church, spiritual fire, spiritual transformation | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Church of the Nazarene Leader Proclaimed Participatory Church

Posted on May 27, 2013 by Steve Simms

Early leader of the Church of the Nazarene, P.F. Bresee, proclaimed participatory church: “‘Pump handle’ religion has to give place to the ever-ready springing up and sending forth of testimony and praise. How often the ‘pump handle’ has to be … Continue reading →

Posted in 1 Corinthians 14:26, audience, Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, church fathers, church format, church history, church leader, church leadership, church meetings, church program, church roles, church services, church structure, fire, fire of the Holy Spirit, history, Holy Ghost, Nashville, Nashville charity, Nashville church, participatory church, performance, preacher, preaching, preaching the Word, religion, religious innovation, renewal, revival, sermon, sermon-free, sermon-hearing, sermons, spirit, Spirit's flow, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, spiritual, spiritual formation, spiritual innovation, spirituality, symphony, The Salvation Army | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Talk Church Is Better Than Talk Radio

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Steve Simms

Talk church is better than talk radio.  Its talking points are about the living, resurrected Jesus Christ. Sit-back-and-listen-church makes people passive.  Open line, talk church makes people powerful in God as they show and tell what God has done on … Continue reading →

Posted in Berry Street, Berry Street Worship Center, church format, church history, church meetings, church program, church programs, church roles, church services, church structure, faith, faith in God, faith-based, great awakening, hearing God, hearing Jesus, hearing the Holy Spirit, improv, improvisation, Jesus Christ, John Miley, led by the Spirit, listening, Methodism, Methodist class meeting, Nashville adventure, Nashville church, Nashville tourist attractions, non-church, open church, participants, participators, participatory church, power, powerful, quote, Quotes, religious innovation, Salvation Army church, Salvation Army Corps, Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, Spirit-prompted, spiritual church, spiritual flow, spiritual formation, spiritual innovation, spirituality, The Salvation Army | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Liturgy & The Letter-G Word

Posted on April 13, 2013 by Steve Simms

Liturgy can present the letter-G word:  God. However knowing God personally is much more than a word or a ritual.  It requires direct encounter followed by daily surrender to and obedience to His will. Liturgy began as spiritual life, as … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, bowing, chanting, God, habit, knowing God personally, memory, relationship with God, religious academics, religious ceremonies, religious information, religious innovation, religious talks, religious tradition, revelation, revival, Scriptures, singing, the g-word | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Church gets exciting when God takes the reins and redirects routine religion!

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Steve Simms

Church becomes powerful when passive people become participatory and begin to passionately pursue and obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit! Church gets exciting when God takes the reins and redirects routine religion!

Posted in church buildings, church format, church meetings, church program, church programs, church roles, church services, church structure, God takes the reigns, religion, religious ceremonies, religious information, religious innovation, religious tradition, routine, routine religion, simple church | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Setting The Clock Back To Pentecost

Posted on March 10, 2013 by Steve Simms

We set our clocks back one hour last night. However, let’s don’t just turn the clock back one hour . . . Let’s go all out (whole hog) And turn it back about 1,975 years To another Pentecost — A … Continue reading →

Posted in changing society, Christian, Christian values, Christianity, clocks, daylight savings time, great awakening, move of God, religion, religious innovation, revival, song, soul music, sound of, sound of God, spiritual fire, standard time | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Humorous Thought About The Cold & Flu Season

Posted on March 7, 2013 by Steve Simms

A funny thought (about the cold and flu season) came to my mind as I was driving into work: “When you have a runny nose, does it jog your memory? Does it remind you that the living God wants to … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, faith, funny thought, health, health care, jog your memory, joke, make me laugh, religious innovation, rivers of living water, runny nose, sickness, Spirit-led, Spirit-prompted, spiritual flow | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment