Words matter, especially the words we use to describe ourselves. What we call ourselves, and what others call us, shapes our self-perception. That’s why we call everyone who trains in our gym an “athlete.” I recently had a friend challenge the notion that everyone who does CrossFit should be described as an athlete. He believed […]
How Long Would You Keep Going?
Imagine committing yourself to the strictest of diets. You brainstorm all the foods you love to eat and then your trainer tells you that you can’t eat them anymore. Say goodbye to chocolate covered chocolate. Because you respect your trainer and because your doctor told you to lose weight or die, you commit to this […]
September 26, 2011 by 1 Comment
Scaling Up is Just as Important as Scaling Down
One of the critiques of seeker churches, is that while they do a great job of accepting newcomers, providing a safe space for investigation, and initiating them in into the Christian faith, they don’t always do so well at helping new Christians continue to mature as followers of Jesus. (There are plenty of churches that […]
September 19, 2011 by 2 Comments
Another Clue for Scaling the Gospel: Seeker Churches
There is a difference between accepting people where they are and leaving them there. The CrossFit Community is built on acceptance, but acceptance is also accompanied by encouragement to seek out better ways to move, eat, sleep, and live. Part of accepting people where they are means that we’re willing to give them plenty of […]
September 16, 2011 by Leave a Comment
One Clue for Scaling the Gospel
We find one clue for how to scale the gospel in the way Jesus interacted with sinners. He was known as a “friend of sinners.” In other words, normal, everyday, non-religious people felt comfortable around him. They gravitated toward him while avoiding the other religious leaders of his day. (See Luke 15:1) One of the […]
September 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment
How Scalable is the Gospel?
An attitude of acceptance and the willingness to scale each workout for newcomers so that everyone can participate is one of the reasons CrossFit is exploding with growth. How can churches overcome the similar fears “out of shape” sinners have about showing up on a Sunday morning to explore what it means to follow Jesus? […]
September 14, 2011 by 4 Comments
I Need to Get in Shape First
Sometimes when I invite a friend to give CrossFit a try, they say something like, “I’d love to try it. Sounds fun, but I’ve got to get in shape first.” When someone says this, it tells me two things. First, they’ve misunderstood the purpose of the program. We CrossFit to get in shape and stay […]
September 12, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Let’s Pray Silently Together
One reason more Christians don’t regularly practice more of the traditional spiritual exercises is because they usually try to do them alone. While many of them are personal, they don’t have to be done in private. Some are just difficult enough that they’ll never become habits as long as we attempt to do them alone. […]
September 9, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Don’t Look, I’m Struggling
My failure to follow through on a good idea that was good for me illustrates everything that is wrong with our attempts to train for spiritual fitness in private. By going alone, I missed out on a great opportunity to develop “communitas” with a few others. I also put myself in a situation where it […]
September 7, 2011 by 2 Comments
Knock Knock: Why Door Knocking Is a Good Idea (Sort of)
One of the challenges facing Christians in North America is that we have to go out of our way to suffer for our beliefs. Our neighbors are more likely to ignore us than persecute us because we follow Jesus. The closest most of us come to shared suffering is when we endure a boring sermon […]
September 6, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Telling Stories, Asking Questions, Learning Lessons