Shane Clements

Helping people understand why they do what they do so they can finally change it.
Anxiety • Trauma • Habits • Smoking Cessation • Brain Science • Hypnotherapist

[Shane Clements @shane_clements]

People do not experience reality. They experience their interpretation of reality.

[Shane Clements @shane_clements]

@DannyJBurnham This.

[Shane Clements @shane_clements]

From a walk around Paris Lake

[Shane Clements @shane_clements]

@dawgs_forever Great looking crew!

[Shane Clements @shane_clements]

As I get older, I keep walking into things...

Coffee Shops and Book Stores mostly

[Shane Clements @shane_clements]

@RichLeighton @TheEXECUTlONER_ They are my youngest daughter's favorite band. And she like most all things 80's, so I get to relive my youth while she explores hers :-)

[Shane Clements @shane_clements]

The JNCO Jig

[Massimo @Rainmaker1973]

What do you call this dance style?

[Shane Clements @shane_clements]

@RichLeighton @TheEXECUTlONER_ We're about an hour north of ATL so it can get rough on the wallet if I'm not careful.

[Shane Clements @shane_clements]

@RichLeighton @TheEXECUTlONER_ Saw them in concert 3 years ago. Amazing show (even from the nosebleed section)

[Shane Clements @shane_clements]

For decades, many of us were taught that we must derive our doctrine from explicit biblical commands, not tradition.

Yet when it comes to church practice, we often reverse that process. We take our inherited model, then search for verses to support it.

That's a danger for all of us.

If Paul or Luke walked into a typical evangelical service today, which parts could they point to in Scripture, and which parts would simply be recognized as cultural adaptations?

[Shane Clements @shane_clements]

From last Saturday. Haven't competed in a tournament in 25+ years. Took 1st place in Men Black Belt Forms ages 50-59

[Shane Clements @shane_clements]

There was a time when I thought certainty was faith.

Not trust in God.
Certainty.

Having an answer for everything.

Never questioning.
Never doubting.
Never admitting uncertainty.

I've learned those are not the same thing.

[Shane Clements @shane_clements]

The church was never primarily a place.

It was never primarily a building.

It was never primarily an event.

The church has always been people gathered around Jesus.

Everything else is secondary.

[Shane Clements @shane_clements]

I've had some of the deepest spiritual conversations of my life with 5 people around a table, a pot of coffee, open Bibles, and enough honesty to admit we didn't have all the answers.

That feels remarkably Acts-like to me.

[Shane Clements @shane_clements]

I'm not arguing against church buildings.

I'm not arguing against sermons.

I'm not arguing against pastors.

I'm simply asking whether we've confused one model with the only model.

[Shane Clements @shane_clements]

The New Testament church seems to have looked a lot more like a family gathered around a table than an audience gathered in rows.

That observation alone makes some people very uncomfortable.

[Shane Clements @shane_clements]

Somewhere along the way we replaced participation with attendance.

Disciples became spectators.

Ministry became a professional service.

And church became something we watch instead of something we do.

[Shane Clements @shane_clements]

1 Corinthians 14:26:

"When ye come together, every one of you hath..."

Not one of you.

Every one of you.

That's a much more participatory picture than most of us have experienced.

[Shane Clements @shane_clements]

The early church had no church buildings.

No stages.

No sound systems.

No worship teams.

No senior pastors with reserved parking spaces.

Yet somehow Christianity survived.

Imagine that.

[Shane Clements @shane_clements]

If the same person gets up at the same time every week and is the only one speaking for 20-60 minutes, you may be attending a perfectly fine church gathering.

But don't automatically assume that's what Acts looked like.