I'm sitting in a doctor's office in Petoskey because of some minor ailments from the last couple days. Some thoughts that I have had after the end of the Big Ticket Festival Tour have been rolling around in my head.

First, I have come to the conclusion that serving others is the missing ingredient from most churches. I've heard stories and stats about how we are heading for a post-Christian America, and ways to combat it, but it seems to me that if we quit worrying about what is happening and engage the world as servants, not as combatants, we would do more to speak into the world's situations.

Second, which is related to the first, I am beginning to think that some of the legislating of morality is the wrong track. I understand it, but I think that more social conservatives do damage, by trying to legislate their interpretation of morality and lose the ability to speak into others' lives.

So what do we do? I think that the church needs to quit picking at theological issues and instead focus on practical issues. Earn the right to speak into someone's life. Don't be condemning. Like the women caught in adultery, Jesus said he didn't condemn her, and go and sin no more. I also think that eventhough marijuana use is wrong, treating it like we do alcohol, seems a better way than the farce of drug enforcement that we have. We need to listen and find out why someone is using substances rather than judge them for using.

I guess I see very little compassion from the church. That is where we need to start.