What’s going on here?

Matt Heard (http://www.woodmenvalley.org/) introduced me to Jamie Buckingham’s Plumbing Theology (at least I think that’s where it originated…). The idea is that at the core all of us are either a bucket or a pipe. Buckets are great. We fill buckets, carry things in them, sit on them, and can bang them to make neat noise. Pipes are better.

Jesus told us “Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8), and “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (Acts 20:35) A pipe is full, but not stagnant, it is constantly emptied and re-filled. Being a follower of Jesus means being a pipe. Christ-followers get so wrapped up in being filled with the Spirit and receiving His blessings, but the purpose of those things is not that we’ll be filled, but that we’ll overflow.

The Dead Sea is full. Galilee receives the Jordan River’s water on one end, gives it up on the other, and teems with life. The Dead Sea has no outlet other than evaporation, which leaves behind sediments. Those sediments comprise more than a quarter of the Dead Sea’s volume, and the sea is completely devoid of life as a result. If we don’t have an outlet, we may be full, but we can be just as dead as that salty sea.

I want to be a conduit. Jesus says “Give, and it will be given to you. They will pour into your lap a good measure–pressed down, shaken together, {and} running over. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return.” (Luke 6:38) That is a promise I intend to claim. The bulk of what I post will be blatantly “Jesus Stuff” because my life revolves around Him (except when I’m stupid). The principles of plumbing theology apply to all aspects of life, however, so I also expect to talk about “Geek Stuff”, “Leadership Stuff”, and whatever else is on my mind.

This is about being a pipe, not trying to pontificate or impress. This is juvenilia, and I welcome your comments, especially when I’m wrong. Click on the comments link under any article to view and add comments. If you’re interested in posting an article of your own either once or on a regular basis, email me using the link on this page.

I hope you visit often and agree that these are things worth thinking about.

e

• ← Jesus Christ, Level 5 Leader
• Changing the World for Better and for Worse →