Freethinker777

2010-04-08T19:29:00.000-07:00

"It's unbelievable. Unbelievable," said Palin on Wednesday evening while appearing on Sean Hannity's Fox News program. "No administration in America's history would, I think, ever have considered such a step that we just found out President Obama is supporting today. It's kinda like getting out there on a playground, a bunch of kids, getting ready to fight, and one of the kids saying, 'Go ahead, punch me in the face and I'm not going to retaliate. Go ahead and do what you want to with me.'"

You could easily think she was referring to Jesus. Just take out the reference to playground and say, "Jesus in the garden." And this being so close to good friday and easter.

I wish I could say it's shocking. Instead it's normal for Palin and people of her ilk.

She hates the very actions of Jesus while claiming to love Jesus. It's the empty hypocrisy of a syncretistic republican christian. And it makes me sick.

2010-01-29T18:07:00.000-08:00

This was a refreshing change of pace in american politics.

Things Are Changing

2010-01-26T16:08:00.001-08:00

Here's a take on what's changing and what's not from Out of Ur

In light of this, I propose a few changes for our congregation.

1. We will implement the multi-site model. e.g. We will all sit at home and just video chat each week. No need to drive to see each other. This will save time, money, and I won't have to put on clothes.

2. We need to start giving online. Or better yet, why not kill two birds with one stone. We can encourage online giving at our new really cool website. But we'll load the site up with tons of pop up ads and other forms of pay per click avenues. Therefore we'll be able to make money from people as they attempt to give money. It's a win, win for everyone. Yes, dealing with large amounts of spyware is a form of suffering for Jesus.

3. Solve the building issue along with the funeral issue. We just open a funeral home! During the day we sell caskets at discount prices in the name of Jesus and good capitalism. Then on Sundays we could rent it out to those churches that haven't figured out the whole internet campus-multi-site approach. Again... banking for Jesus. Plus, having church in a funeral home is like a really big metaphor to dying to sin. And it's pretty handy in the event God smites you a la Ananias and Saphira.

4. We make national news for being the greenest church in America. Again, I'm just connecting the dots here, but we should use the ashes of people who were cremated as fertilizer in community gardens around town. Talk about giving back! We actually invest our community in the community... literally. That's a headline grabber.

5. We'll start a teaching school for missionaries that are coming to America from other countries. We will teach the foreigners the way of American Christianity so they can fit in better and therefore reach more folks. We'll start with teaching them how to raise money. Then teach them what political groups help further our agenda. And finally we'll take them to the mall and make sure they have the cool kid clothes so that everyone will want to be like them. I'm thinking it could be like a 3 week course on acclimating to Jesus in the states.

I'm sure if we're able to successfully pull this off... we'll be blinging for Jesus in no time.

Mainline Churches are going to die. Here's one author's take.

2010-01-17T03:44:00.000-08:00

That’s Tom Ehrich’s question:

“I think it’s time for leaders to lead, and for clergy to be aggressive about doing everything they can to grow their churches,” I told her. “Lay leaders shouldn't be allowed to stifle growth. It’s God’s church, not theirs.”

I wasn’t done.

“Other than budget expenses for something like a new Web site,” I said, strategies for moving forward aren’t about money or hiring. They are about mission, ministry, education, pastoral care, membership development and other factors that “shouldn’t require formal approval, unless your governing board has gotten into the habit of giving permission on everything that happens. If that is the case, correcting that dysfunctional sort of leadership is your starting point.”

Still, after 50 years of fighting about change, many mainline congregations seem braced for one last battle: whose hand gets to turn out the lights.

Time is running out. We need to break this deadlock. I think it’s time for change-minded leaders to lead, and for denominational officials to support them in the ensuing firestorm. Instead of fighting over who owns the building, we should be discerning who owns the mission. A congregation can’t be allowed to die just because entrenched leaders won’t allow life.

via Change or Die: When Lay Leaders Stifle Church Growth and Future.

2010-01-16T08:46:00.000-08:00

Robert Ebert responds to Limbaugh's insinuation that Obama would exploit Haiti

"This isn't going to be good."

2009-12-27T20:39:00.001-08:00

Have you seen the Ford commercial where they're talking about how the new truck has towing capabilities so it will prevent your boat trailer from coming off and passing you on the road? I think I need that truck.

The other day, my buddy and I hooked up the trailer to my ride. I was a bit distracted when my girlfriend came over and so I got sidetracked. We jumped into my ride and I jumped the curb and pulled the trailer out from around the house. A few minutes later my buddy and I were headed to pick up a refrigerator.

It wasn't long before I began asking, "What's that noise?" It was a ferocious grinding noise. I figured the chain had come off and was dragging behind me. I was right. The chain was off. I realized this as I looked to my left and saw my trailer screeching down the street next to me. Sparks flying as the tongue surfs across the asphalt.

At this point, several things happen besides screaming cuss words. First, you think to yourself, "This can't be my trailer. I hooked my trailer up. Someone must have sabotaged me. I wonder if this is like a practical joke or something. Oh wait, my trailer is going faster than I am now..." Then begins the analytical stage, "I wonder how this is going to end? Should I run my car into the trailer? Should I try to pull in front of it and then slow down? Do I pull over and watch the carnage?"

Well by the time I finished this inner monologue while screaming my verbal monologue, the trailer had cruised down the hill of a full city block. Thankfully there weren't any cars coming... except for that one parked ahead. It's at this point that resignation set in and I knew I had to just follow the trailer till it stopped and see what carnage took place.

The distance was closing quick as the trailer sped towards the parked car. A guy was actually sitting in his car watching as the trailer was coming towards him. The trailer then clipped the curb, jumped the curb, literally plowed through a person's yard, uprooting a water meter lid and then smashing into a tree.

I stopped the car in the middle of the road and jumped out relieved. I quickly realized I had an audience. It had crashed in front of the fire station and about 8 firefighters had heard the trailer grinding down the road. They were lined up at the bay doors with their mouths gaping. I assured everyone that it was all part of the act and will be featured on youtube the next week.

I then pulled the trailer out of the yard and hooked up my trailer. This time securing it and locking it down. No girlfriend to distract me and an audience to make sure I did it right.

Source of Morality

2009-12-23T09:51:00.001-08:00

If there's such thing as "right and wrong," then there is inherently an intent to all of creation. There's a way things are supposed to be. For something to be right, then there's some perfect standard to which to hold to. It's something that's right whether we agree or not. Apart from some invisible ideal, it's all mere preference. It's our inclinations and desires.

Postmodernism has issued in an age where we hold humbly to what we may perceive to be this absolute. We may hold more skepticism when looking to those who claim "the truth." We may not even agree on what the ideal or perfect way is. But if we say there's right and wrong, we are compelled to point to something outside of ourselves as universal, lest we become god. We know that the common good is not what creation seems to grown for. It's something more than the evolution of the species. Something exists and didn't ask me whether I was interested in agreeing.

There's something wrong here.

2009-12-08T07:06:00.001-08:00

America's Incarceration

Micro-finance loans

2009-12-07T22:14:00.001-08:00

This would be a cool Christmas present, eh?

Kiva.org

Ban Divorce.

2009-12-01T20:34:00.001-08:00

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120969156&sc=fb&cc=fp

The NTTA Sucks

2009-12-01T09:14:00.001-08:00

The North Texas Tollway Authority is ridiculous. I got a bill about 2 or 3 weeks from them a couple weeks ago for like $250 in tolls. Actually it was like $5 in tolls and $240 in fees. I never received a letter from them prior to this. Then this week I get one from the NTTA for like $300 with $10 in actual tolls. I called them and they said that you could just pay the toll on the original bill, but now I have all these fees. They even said they sent the original ones to the wrong address, but they refused to drop the fines.

This is completely absurd. Hey! "I'm going to fine you whatever the hell I want to. Then I'm not going to mail you the bill. Then I'm going to fine you even more." It's a racket. If they want to issue an official citation, I'll go to court about it. I don't care.

I emailed a Texas Senator Jane Nelson who apparently has taken issue with the tolls as well. I suppose I'll see what happens.

Guilty? Great!

2009-11-30T21:01:00.000-08:00

Have you seen this story about a Methodist church in Arizona being ruled against for feeding the poor? Yeah, the argument is that they're breaking zoning rules. They're acting as a dining hall in a residential neighborhood.

Wow. I wonder if they'd ever try to come after a church like ours where we meet in homes. I suppose brick and mortar churches are just easier targets.

May we find all of our churches to be found guilty of such things. May we be found guilty of acting as a place of shelter where hotels are not supposed to be. May we be found in violation of giving clothes away where storefronts are expressly forbidden. And may we be found with enough evidence to convict us for loving those who we'd rather forget.

I hope this church continues to feed. I hope they try to shut down the church. Then I hope the pastor, who lives in the neighborhood, begins to invite them over to her own home. What happens then? Will you tell us who we can feed within our own home?

The ACLU has offered to help the church in this suit. I'm really interested to see what comes about. The next hearing is in December. Sometimes you just have to feed some folks and piss some others off.

2009-11-11T12:50:00.001-08:00

"If there is no God, everything is permitted." Fyodor Dostoevsky born today 1821

Thanks

2009-11-09T07:07:00.001-08:00

Someone makes a deposit of $20 at least every month in our church's bank account. I don't know who it is. But I want to say thank you. Really. You're an amazing person. We're trying hard to make sure we're wise in how we use that money.

I'm not sure who you are, but thank you.

It sits empty most of the week, right?

2009-10-24T15:10:00.000-07:00

It feels like it's been an eternity since I've crossed the threshold of a church building. But that didn't stop me from reaching out to a couple of them this past week in an attempt to get some help for our rag tag group of Jesus followers. We're trying to do a couple ministry endeavors that involves mentoring and fixing up bikes for kids.

We need a place where we can work on bikes and keep them out of the rain. I thought maybe a church could point us in the right direction. So I sent out an email.... no response. Then I realized that most of these churches are part of the local Baptist Association. So I contacted them. Know what they asked? They asked if we were a member of their association. I let them know we were associated with the state convention. And we lived in their area. So I guess we'd be apart. They told me to fill out an application.

An application? Huh? Do we need to pay dues? (Probably.) Is this like a college rush thing? It was at this moment that I realized how far from Baptist life I am. I would have expected this a couple years ago probably. But the way we've operated for the past couple years is by talking to one another. Whether it was in our community or another community. We said, "Hey... can we help y'all somehow?" Not, "Fill out an application and I'll get back to you on the status of our willingness to assist."

I can post a need on facebook and within an hour have over ten churches see it and possibly respond. Or I could go through an association or state convention where it would take weeks and the results would likely be the same. What is this association for again? Are you telling me that you don't have any churches with empty space where someone could store stuff? Or are you saying that you won't tell me unless I'm part of the club?

I received an email this morning from the Director of the association and he wanted to understand why I didn't want to join his fraternity of churches. He pointed out that the association's membership was much easier than the state's which I had mentioned. I think he wanted to know if we were just too lazy to sign up or if we actually didn't want to enlist.

I explained to him we don't pay for a building, a staff, and we don't put requirements on people associating with us. So it's really difficult to justify why we would agree to those things by enlisting with them. I just thought the director of the association of church buildings would have a lead on a building for storage. I then invited him to meet with me anytime and let him know we'd be an available resource and friend anytime. We told him we'd like to cook dinner for him and his family as well. We'll see if he responds I suppose.

I'm not sure we're cool enough to be part of an association anyway. Besides, it's easier to go around these types of structures than to go through them. That's part of the beauty of the internet. It makes things more connected. The structures are essentially sidelined. Unless the structures change, they will simply die off.

I told the gentleman, "The mission is too big and too difficult to be putting requirements on who will join us in the endeavor." And that's what has me scratching my head. I'm just not sure we're about the same mission.

southwestern theological

2009-10-10T18:10:00.000-07:00

this is ridiculous. what has happened to swtbs? they've lost their collective mind. skip to the 23rd minute or so after you pick your jaw up off the floor.

Wow.

2009-09-27T07:57:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what to say about this. Unfortunately I think he's more right than wrong.

"Death Panel" Lady

2009-08-21T17:45:00.000-07:00

The lady who came up with the term "Death Panels" has a rather lengthy and frank conversation about her views of the legislation. This was fantastic.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Exclusive - Betsy McCaughey Extended Interview Pt. 1

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Healthcare Protests

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Exclusive - Betsy McCaughey Extended Interview Pt. 2

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Healthcare Protests

2009-08-20T16:43:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to do this at Walmart as well.

I Choose The City

2009-08-15T09:33:00.000-07:00

by Francis Dubose

I choose the city...
Not simply to live in it,
to see it,
to hear it;
But to touch it;
yes, to embrace it,
to hold it,

To feel the wild glory
of its pulsating soul,

To move over its wide,
hurried broadways,

To stand stilled and sobered
at the nowhere of its dead-end streets,

To be trapped with it in its
pain and problems,

To be at once chilled by its ill
and covered with its confetti.

I choose the city because I choose God,
Because I choose humanity,
Because I choose the divine-human
struggle--

The struggle which will be won
Not in the serene path through
meadow and wood,
among the bees and birds, and flowers,

But in the city street
Made by the hand of man
Through the gift of God--
Main Street: the final battle field,
The scene of the ultimate struggle,
Where man chooses right
Because he is free to choose wrong.

Babylon, dirty and daring--
Babylon, yes--
Babylon today--

Tomorrow...
The New Jerusalem!

(Mystic on Main Street, Chapel Hill, NC: Professional Press, 1993, pp. 78, 79.)

God made us in his image and we returned the favor.

2009-07-25T13:43:00.000-07:00

Know any minority women who are Calvinists? I look at the American landscape and see the Neo-Calvinists as predominantly white and male. Why do you suppose that is?

I know one staunch calvinist (Voddie Baucham) who is black. I'm not aware of too many others...

The Faithful Faithless

2009-07-19T10:28:00.000-07:00

Atheists are even starting their own churches. They just don't call them churches.

Everything from weddings to "de-baptisms" where they use blowdryers. Classy.

Then you have other groups who don't have rituals and like that they can meet to say whatever they want because no one is offended. ...sounds like a few churches I've been to.

Atheism: it's a new denomination. Whodathunkit.

Just throwing this out there.

2009-07-09T20:41:00.000-07:00

I know it's random. It's a bit embarrassing as well. But... McDonald's has stepped up its game. I can count on one hand how many times I've eaten at McDonald's in the past ten years. But a couple weeks ago I was stuck pretty far from home and starving, and Mickey D's was the only thing in sight. So I pulled in the drive-thru thinking I would try to force something down. To my shock, they had large sweet tea for a buck. That made me happy. Then I noticed that they had like "chicken select" sandwiches... what the hell. Let's try one. To my horror, it was actually really good. Since then, I've been to McDonald's like five times in the past couple weeks. I'd say their chicken sandwich gives even chic-fil-a a run for their money. But yeah... McDonald's is apparently not just for the homeless and people under 8 anymore. Go figure.

Peace Out

2009-06-25T18:59:00.000-07:00

The little big church down the street from me, Broadway Baptist, has been given the big "heev-ho." The big "wave goodbye." The big "syanara." The big "boot in the butt." Yes, they have been officially kicked out of the Southern Baptist Convention! *round of applause and cheers* This liberal bastion of over educated idiots were found to not be in "friendly fellowship" with the SBC. What did they do that wasn't friendly? They failed to add a check box to their membership card in order to weed out the gays.

For most churches, when you want to join, you fill out a card. A few questions such as:

Have you ever accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior? Yes or No

Have you ever experienced baptism by immersion?

Are you moving your letter from a sister Baptist church?

Would you like a minister to contact you?

Well that my friends was just not good enough. The SBC wanted something like this added:

Are you gay? Yes or No

If yes, you're living a life of sin and need to change.

I would suggest a followup question would be in order:

How gay are you?

a) I like Dane Cook

b) I have a small dog that's less than five pounds

c) I watch baseball to look at the cute butts

d) I talk with a lisp even though I don't have a speech impediment

And since Broadway didn't feel this was appropriate, well the SBC considers them to be too gay friendly and too SBC unfriendly and decided to kick their ass out of the convention. If you aren't able to be kicked out of the SBC these days, well friend, I'm just not sure you're doing anything of worth. Jesus would be kicked out of the SBC.

I sat down to chat with the interim pastor after he got back from a little meeting in Nashville with the Executive Committee. He had flown there with the head of that bastion of Baptist enlightenment Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, to discuss with these kind folks what it means to be in friendly fellowship. He seemed in high spirits about the meeting and reflects a bit on it in his blog.

The whole gist of it came down to this, chastity is not a requirement of membership at Broadway Baptist. Or any church that I've come across. So whether you're getting it on with a partner of the same sex or the opposite, churches just don't ask these questions. It's not because churches don't care. But most have enough sense to know that it's a slippery slope with no end in sight. So Broadway welcomed everyone and entered into a relationship with them where the Holy Spirit, scripture, and the Holy Spirit would transform lives. I suppose they could have done an exorcism like this. But you know... those tend to make headlines.

I have only visited Broadway once and spoken with their pastor once. But I tell you. They're good people. I'm all for the SBC kicking out whomever they wish. And I'm all for Broadway welcoming whomever they want. But it doesn't mean the SBC is any better for it. It just shows how completely lost in the woods the SBC and their followers really are.

The Insufficiency of Christ

2009-06-23T21:35:00.000-07:00

Jesus is not sufficient. It’s true. Jesus is not all I need. I’ve heard people talk about the “sufficiency of Christ" and about how God is all we should need or want. The truth is, it just isn’t so. So, you over there raising your hands and singing, “You’re all I want. You’re all I’ve ever needed…” Shut up. You’re lying. And to the girl who has given up dating because she wants to prove that Jesus is all she needs… stop. You are robbing people of yourself. If Jesus was really all we needed, no one would ever get married. To the American who consumes with little thought of conservation and reuse because God will provide for the poor… stop. You are the resource many are waiting on. Jesus isn't going to magically provide for their needs as you ignore them. To the missionary from Michigan that once came to my old church and spoke about how hungry children need the word of God more than food… shut up. Needs must be met with real food and not just spiritual thought.

Jesus told Satan, “Man does not live on bread alone.” Conversely, it is also true that man does not live on God alone. Jesus demonstrates this when he breaks his 40 days in the wilderness fast. He could not just hang out with God forever and neglect everything else. It’s just part of humanity. We need things other than God. We need food, love, shelter, clothing… you know… the stuff Maslow talks about. And this isn’t a bad thing. This doesn’t somehow diminish God’s glory. God created us that way and that’s the way we function.

I can see the objections coming, “What about the garden of eden?” “But God can provide for all our needs.” Blah, blah, blah. Yeah... first, let's not base our ideas of reality upon a utopian idea like Eden. Secondly, it’s quite convenient to talk about God meeting our needs here in America while just south of the border we have children dying from malnutrition and lack of clean drinking water in Mexico. How’s God doing at meeting their needs? (ouch.)

No, God created us to be dependent creatures. Yes, we are dependent. ( It’s quite humorous when we act like we’re these autonomous and independent things that need nothing and no one. The reality is that these people who are so called "independent" place their trust in the power of work and the dollar bill more than God.) Part of worship is recognizing who we are in relation to God. So we must recognize our dependency in order to live lives that are pleasing to God.

This dependency works two ways. We give and we take. We are in need of love from others. We need their words, touch, and protection. And so we receive from them as if receiving from God. But we must also give. We must not overuse or abuse our neighbors across the border or even across the street. We have to question whether living with our wants may rob someone else of their needs. It even works the same way with the earth itself. We take from it, but the question is what are we putting back? Are we simply depleting? We are dependent upon others and other things and they are dependent upon us. And that’s the way God made it.

It is irresponsible of us to act like we need nothing in this world but Jesus. It is even more immoral to act like we don't have a responsibility to helping our brothers and sisters out. We can't use the excuse that "God will meet their needs." Yes, God has created a means to supply our needs. But that means is quite oftentimes me and you. We cannot simply be sponges that suck everything up. We must give back and pour out.

So rejoice in your dependency. Squeeze your friends tight when you hug them. Savor that sip of ice water. Slurp the cereal loud. Sleep an extra half hour. You’re in need and it’s all right.

wolfmen

2009-06-19T21:12:00.001-07:00

Totally true and honest conversation:

You know the Geico guys. Is that make up and hair or are they wolfmen?

Wolfmen.

I was wondering. I bet the wolfman community doesn't like that.

Yeah, it's kind of like when midgets do stuff for showbiz. The community rejects that sort of thing.

I bet they're like wolfmen outcasts.

Probably...

I think started cracking up a couple minutes later.

"Wolfman community!" Hahaha

2009-06-02T21:49:00.000-07:00

I'm kind of enjoying watching the old school and neo school calvinistas debate the merits of "vulgar" language from the pulpit. Even Ed Young has chimed in with a video blog. (Ed Young annoys the hell out of me. Ooops. Sorry about the "hell.")

I would suggest this is a generation thing. I'd suggest that the younger generation is in a more correct place in viewing all words as inherently neutral and not stuck on one side or another of some Platonic divide. There are way we use words for lifting up and tearing down. There are words that are appropriate and controversial in certain situations. But to say some words are "dirty"? Well it's just plain empty. Perhaps they can give me a list of the dirty words and upon whose authority they've been deemed bad. I'd like to give them a list of my own words I find offensive and would like them to refrain from using. In the end, we'd both be protecting our own world views of social mores and acceptable behavior instead of fully engaging the other. We all get to control what we allow to be offensive. It's sad when we're offended by such petty things while horrors happen all around us.

I feel like this harkens back to the days of colonialism. Missionaries would go to other cultures and teach them how to become "civilized" (aka: put on clothes and look american) in order to be a better Christian. Isn't this the exact same thing? But instead of clothes, we're dressing ourselves up with arbitrary words and phrases? It's all for not I'd suggest.

Prop 8 Protest

2009-05-27T06:03:00.000-07:00

Well she's kind of right... lol

2009-05-21T21:41:00.001-07:00

Apparently even the BBC picked up on the shirt.

I may have to buy this.

2009-05-19T12:17:00.000-07:00

3 Wolves Shirt. Read the Amazon Reviews of it. Hilarious.

2009-05-15T19:12:00.000-07:00

Boyd reviews the Patriot Bible.

It's not until things like this come along that I realize just how bad things have gotten in many circles. I keep finding myself referring to them as "these people." I have a fiery anger for these people that fail to hold to the scripture they claim to be lifting up.

It's all mom's fault.

2009-05-10T10:27:00.000-07:00

I suppose I should just blame my mom. It really is her fault. She's the one that made life so difficult for me. People ask me why I do things a certain way. I just point to her. It's all her fault.

For instance, "John, why are you still single? Why haven't you settled down?" I suppose any woman I'm going to give the time of day to has to measure up to a huge iconic figure in my life: my mom. She has to be able to love well, work hard, and display a balance in life between serenity and tenacity. You know, the type of grit it takes to deal with three boys all the while not losing one's mind. That's my mom. She has always loved me well by teaching me to take care of myself all the while taking care of me. She served while teaching to serve. She loved while teaching to love. She embodied what a mother, wife, and woman should be. All women should tread lightly when speaking to any of the Young boys. You have large shoes to fill.

She's the one that allowed for me to become the man I am today. Don't blame her for where I may fall short, but lavish praise for anything good that may have come about. You see, I don't live up to all my mom's expectations. But in those few moments that I may... they're brilliant. I somehow stumble into the shadow of greatness. Not greatness as in fame, fortune, or power. No, that's not what my mom taught me to pursue. Instead, it's greatness in meekness, love, patience, and kindness. My mom helped send me into life after things that last. Things that matter. You won't find her blinged out or in the shopping mall. No, you'll probably find her serving the little ones and their families in her community.

Yet you can also blame her for some of my rougher points. My uncompromising pursuit of these things that are good can be seen as stubborness. My unwillingness to settle can be considered arrogance. And that's fine if you'd like to think of it as that. I chalk it up to that side of the family. From my grandfather to my mom, we don't know anything about settling for second best. We do things all the way and with a propensity to kick up a little dust. So if you find me frustrating. If you can't stand that I'm hard nosed and a bit over the top. You can blame my mom for that. She taught me that if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right.

It's worth noting that my mom is pretty much super mom. If you know me and my siblings, then you know my mom has to be one of the strongest people in the world. We're all quite different from each other, yet all free spirited. How many mom's can deal with this diversity? Heck, the military can't even deal with it. They dress people all the same and make them walk in straight lines. Yet mom let us be whatever we wanted. She loved us in our diversity and even in our bad decisions. Sure, there may have been times when the cops may have been on our tails or we may have made mom cry. But you shouldn't blame mom for those moments. Those are moments of learning and growth that good moms must allow for. It's a catalyst for maturity. It's a demonstration of love.

Yeah, if you find anything of worth in me... If you find the slightest bit of charm or responsibility... If I stumble upon some act of loving kindness... Don't look at me too closely. Just blame my mom.

Angry? Not so much.

2009-05-09T16:34:00.000-07:00

I had a great conversation in leiu of church on Sunday with a friend. He was talking about his process of healing from church and how he was trying not to do things in spite of the church. I totally understood where he was coming from. I remember when we first started Movement we were very intentional not to do things out of an attitude of rebellion or just to be different. We set our face towards embodying the most biblical form of a faith community as possible. In doing so, we found that we were living out a critique of both the traditional church and culture.

What I've found interesting is that we in return get critiqued by both outsiders and the traditional insiders. This is a good thing. We welcome that discussion. We should have a dialogue. People should think we're doing things wrong or right. If someone doesn't have an opinion, well I'd suggest they really don't have an idea for the way things should be. And I suppose that's their call too. But we love when people say, "That doesn't seem right because..." They have an opinion and a reason. Right on. Both sides may think they're right, but hopefully the process of fleshing things out we all learn something more.

One of the things I've caught backlash on, primarily in regards to my blogging, is that I think doing things (especially in regards to church) differently is wrong. Well there's two parts to this. First, I always overstate things for the sake of stirring conversation and thought. I tend to paint with broad strokes on purpose.

Secondly, there's a difference in how people talk and think about things. I don't see all things as black and white as some others. There's nuance and degrees. So I may speak about something in negative terms, but it doesn't necessarily mean it's evil or completely wrong. I'd like to compare it to how I speak about certain forms of music, politics, or sports. Baseball for instance. Not a sport. It's terrible. The world would be better without baseball. Now, although I may really loathe baseball, I can still understand that some people think it's the greatest thing. I disagree with them. And that's okay. We can both look at the exact same thing and come to completely different conclusions. That doesn't mean that I hate baseball players. I just really don't like the past time. At all. And we can dialogue about that. They can tell me why it's great. I can tell them why it's a waste. The truth is that I still go to baseball games on occasion and find myself enjoying it to some degree.

But we're called to do more than just critique and talk. We must do something other than complain. We must move forward and embody. Yes, call me out if I am just talk in something. In the meantime, I always invite you to dialogue and walk with me/us. We try to be more than just a voice, but a demonstration of a different way to live faithfully. We fall short far too often. But every once in a while. On the rare occasion... we may get something right. And it's quite beautiful.

let's get together and we'll be all right.

2009-05-04T07:18:00.001-07:00

Churches typically don't work together on things unless there's something in it for them. There are times when they get together to sit in the same space and breathe the same air under the guise of unity on occasion. But for the most part, we just live in separate worlds. We're busy doing our own things. And oftentimes those things are in competition.

I found that I enjoyed churches getting together in college. Black churches are real big on visiting other churches. They'll charter greyhound buses in order to go about 15 minutes to another sister church on a Sunday afternoon. The joint service takes place after a fantastic potluck typically. The services was always humorous to me. You would have the host church's choir sing. Then the visiting church choir sing. It was often like a sing off competition. My church only had like 10 people in the choir so we always lost.

Then came the preaching. The visiting pastor would always give a sermon. Afterwards we would take up an offering for the visiting preacher. And when I say they took up an offering, I really mean we got up row by row and walked to the front to drop a dollar in a plate (or just walk on by). (I got to the point where I just typically walked by.) There were times where both pastors would give sermons. I suppose that was a preach off. They sure were fun. And they sure were long. (Association meetings would have 2-3 sermons... it was ridiculous. Offerings walk bys and/or offering plates would increase by the number of preachers too by the way.) But there was something really neat about sharing a meal with these other communities. The communities did this on a regular basis. We would go to their place and our pastor would preach. They would come to our place and their pastor would preach. You couldn't help but get to know those folks. As flawed as some of the elements may have been, there was something truly healthy and good about these meetings.

White people don't do that type of thing. 2 sermons? Walk by offerings? Socialize with another church? Yeah, right. I even find it now on the micro church level. I've reached out to a number of other communities in an effort to get together. The answer always seems to be, "You can come join in on what we're doing anytime." Why thank you for the invitation. You mean, you're going to let me come to your church? Oh my. We have to learn to create time and space away from our regular routine to encounter other communities. We have to work together to find joint ventures. These are things that we can make a much larger difference together than individually. And before you old timers start saying this sounds a lot like a denomination or association, hold that thought. We shouldn't be doing things in name only, but in true relationship with others. It should be transformative and not just formal.

My hope is that our communities will find ways to work together and rub shoulders more than we do now.

Broken

2009-04-30T13:57:00.000-07:00

Church goers and torture?

This survey says it all.

Doubt that the church has absolutely failed? Wonder if our version of Christianity is absolutely bastardized? Look no further than that Pew survey.

Over half of people who say they go to church at least once a week think that torture is justifiable.

Absolutely disgusting.

It's no wonder these are the same folks who back the death penalty. These are the same people who wage war. These are the same people who raise the Jesus banner on Sunday mornings and then deny Jesus with their actions in what they support.

Alcohol? No. Abortion? No way! Torture... Why not.

You have to be kidding me.

There's no need to figure out how to get more people saved. Don't even think we should worry about whether we need a different worship style. Let's just spend the next year looking at the words and ways of Jesus. "Love your enemies." Revolutionary. It's the heart of Christianity. And yet we've clearly abandoned it or at least allowed it to pass by somehow. Bring back orthodoxy.

This survey should just crush the hearts of our clergy. Put on the sackcloth and ashes. Hand in the resumes. Unplug your bands. Shut off the lights. Put down your hymnals. Blow out your candles. All of us who have stood in a pulpit stand guilty of allowing this type of gross perversion to infiltrate our churches. We stand condemned that there would be people who would hold these views and sit in our pews for years.

God forbid that the clergy themselves don't hold that torture is somehow justifiable? But of course there are some. May they repent. May they hear and see the tortured Jesus on the cross. May they ask who Jesus would torture. May they understand the profound good news that God has called us to that stands in complete opposition to this tortored thinking.

Where is our voice? What have we done with Jesus?

God help us.

Twitter

2009-04-28T19:29:00.000-07:00

I signed up for Twitter about a month ago. I got one and I got one for our community. I did this with the idea that there may be a time in which the light shines from heavenand I will find myself wanting to Twitter. But the truth is, I'm very anti-twitter.

I think blogging is narcissistic enough. I feel that at least with blogging, we're able to, by chance even, communicate something of worth. By chance, we're able to express an entire thought and get some sort of real feedback. But Twitter? It's a bastardization of language, thought, and community. People in community are not "followers." People who leave two sentences are not collaborators. And people who "tweet" are not doing anything more than verbally vomiting whatever's on the top of their head. To cook this insanity up to something of worth and value really denigrates actual dialogue.

I know, I know. I'm probably a hypocrite since I update a facebook status and sometimes only blog a couple lines. But the idea behind both of these is that people can enter into actual, lengthy dialogue on the topic. In addition to this, you're not dialing into just my thoughts and when I write something, it's not being pinged to your phone immediately. It's different.

I sound like an old fuddy duddy I suppose. But I feel there are certain things we should resist and stand up to. We should put our foot down and say, "This is not something good. It is not something that betters humanity. There are things that show up that are not advancements in technology, but actually set us back centuries. Examples such as but not limited to: Wide-mouth cans. Battery powered fishing lures. The spinning lollipops. "5th meal." Dane Cook. Twitter.

You can add your thoughts to the list.

2009-04-24T14:36:00.000-07:00

"This is the point where a genuine biblical theology can come out of athe forest and startle both those who thought that the bible was irrelevant or dangerous for political ethics and those who thought that the Bible seriously meant being conservative politically as well as theologically. The truth is very different--as we should have guessed from jesus's own preaching of the kingdom, not to mention his death as a would-be rebel king. His resurrection, and the promise of God's new world that comes with it, creates a program for change and offers to empower it. Those who believe the gospel have no choice but to follow. (221)" N.T. Wright, Surprised by Hope

It's living and breathing. That's kind of creepy.

2009-04-23T17:52:00.000-07:00

It wasn't until I was in seminary that I began to get my head around what it means for the Bible to be the living Word. As a kid, you grow up looking at the Bible as having all the answers. It's a rule book. I heard preachers declare it had every answer to every one of life's problems. It was proclaimed as a blueprint for life and even a science book. Then in high school I started to wrestle with the inconsistencies of scripture. I delved into apologetics and learned how to overlook apparent contradictions. My faith was similar to what I believe Rob Bell calls "Brick-ianity." It was a formidable wall made up of all the facts and things I knew about the Bible and what it said. It was also borderline Bibliolatry (or worshiping scripture as something divine).

Then along came college and I found that things just weren't as solid as they appear. Oh, what I had learned was true and worthwhile. It was just that there was difficulty in the application I suppose. There was just a big gap between how I had approached scripture and what scripture actually was. I found myself asking the questions of what scripture says about itself, what was its purpose, and what was the sitz im laben (setting in which it was written). I realized my folly in treating it as an answer book or science book. The individual books actually had meaning and purpose independent of the whole. They had different authors and intent. It was only at this point that this book began to cough and wheez and come to life.

I found myself wrestling with how to interpret this breathing thing. How do I take scripture and say, "This part is hyperbole. This part is metaphorical. This part is cultural. This part is descriptive. And this part is prescriptive." It is just so much easier to treat the whole book as one genre, with one clear purpose, and one author: God. But when we start to admit that there's more subtly, more nuance, and more complexity to these writings, we find ourselves in a place of humility and with a dose of mystery. We recognize that we are not the final authority. Yet it also recognizes that those who think they are appear to be far more ignorant than they'd lead you to believe.

It appears to me that the church as a whole is guilty of not teaching well about scripture. It should be held in light of the history of the church. It should be read in community and a wide range of voices should be listened to. Turn off the sound systems that pipe the singular voice through the speakers and let's open up some books. Let's read the varying views. But this is a scary thing for some in the established clergy. Just like the Catholic church didn't want people reading scripture in the common tongue, today preachers fight for their parishioners to hear their voice the most loudly. It keeps things much more streamlined. The fear of "getting it wrong" or being infected by the church down the street leads to insular thinking and defensive postures sometimes. It's good intentions but leaves people holding an anemic Bible.

But we all wrestle with how to deal with a book that is thousands of years old. What's the proper reading? We all can admit that it's difficult to understand how these books were not only relevant to people of 600B.C., but also to a doctor wrestling with the ethics of cloning today. It's pretty amazing how these writings have shaped people (and a people) over such a long period of time. It's neat to listen and see the path(s) it has taken. We can all have our different take on what it says (and even exactly what it is), but we have to move beyond that. Let's begin to determine what we really believe scripture says and is by how we attempt to embody it. I'm not talking about just how we speak of it or what we claim we believe. But instead what we begin to put flesh on these ideas and writings. Perhaps then we'll begin to understand a little bit better what it means by the living word.

She said "yes"

2009-04-20T15:30:00.000-07:00

Many in still believe today that in the Columbine shooting a girl named Cassie was asked whether she believed in God by the gunmen. She supposedly said "yes" and then was shot. Then there was a story about another girl named Rachel that supposedly may have done the same thing. I remember hearing these stories and feeling a bit confused. I never knew which one was true.

Apparently neither one was. According to all eye witness accounts and available evidence, neither one of these girls were asked this before being shot. Instead, a girl named Valeen Schnurr was. Valeen was shot nine times. She lived.

I'm not sure what to think about this. It seems like several things have gone wrong. First, the initial media reports were wrong. Then the evangelical community rushed to hold up a martyr. But in the end, both were wrong. Then the actual girl who did get shot got very little recognition. Perhaps it was because her response when asked why she believed was, "Because that's what my parents raised me to believe." Not exactly a convincing defense, but a defense nonetheless faced with certain death.

I'm Not Okay. AKA: The way Kathy Lee needs Regis that's the way I need Jesus

2009-04-17T05:52:00.000-07:00

At the heart of following Jesus is the confession that "I'm not okay." In other words. Something is wrong. My path won't get me where I'm headed. My way of life isn't sufficient. I'm in need of something more. But there are times in life where I'm pretty self sufficient. Times when I don't need others or want any advice. I have my shit together and I'm pretty okay with where I'm at. I've arrived. Yet this only lasts for a season as I find myself on my knees shortly thereafter. A few bruises and a few lessons in humility later, I'm discovering how far off I really am still.

There are times when I tell people about Jesus. Tell them about how I find something more in Jesus... meaning... existence... truth...beauty. And sometimes they say, "That's neat. But I'm not in need of that." There are other times when I share and they say, "I've been there and done that. No thank you. I have my bruises and discovered how far off that was." Then there are others who profess to be Christians. And I share with them about a Jesus that's very different than their religion. This foreign Jesus I speak of seems too dangerous and different. They clutch tight to their normal religion and say, "I'm doing good." And then there are others who find themselves, like me so often, faced with a Jesus that's calling them down a different path that's contrary to where they're walking. But it's just easier to stay in the comfortable mess we've made. They too just respond, "I'm okay."

What can you or I say to people who hear about Jesus, understand the message of the gospel, and still find no need for it? We're Christians... we're supposed to have the answers... right? I'm afraid not. We can't say anything. These beautiful people are not in need. Followers of Jesus are in need. When I was younger, I would've whipped out my Bible and apologetics and begun to scream louder, argue harder, and pray more fervently. Now, I just silently acknowledge their ardent attempt at self sufficiency. I think of the rich young guy in scripture that had it all together. He left Jesus and Jesus never begged him to stay. And so I find myself realizing that this is nothing new. Jesus doesn't need a lawyer, sales pitch, billboard, necklace, or new gimmick. He doesn't need me either. And some people just don't need Jesus.

And so maybe these people really do have it together. Maybe Jesus is just my crutch. Maybe they are way beyond me and are in need of nothing and no one else. I'm not one to judge. I just know that I've had those passing moments of confidence, but I've found something more true in laying it down. And for me the illusion of a life without faith was not that spectacular compared to the beauty of a life lived in the rhythms of Jesus.

Money can't fix people

2009-04-05T14:27:00.000-07:00

We can have the best intentions in the world and hand money to everyone who asks, and we may be making things worse. I learned a while back working with the poor that you don't hand folks money. You can't always allow yourself to be caught up in another person's crisis. We have to be able to step back from the situation. Handing someone a buck or helping them get their next fix is not necessarily the best or most healthy thing. If someone is asking something of us, we shouldn't feel ashamed to ask something from them. It doesn't have to be a quib pro quo, or this for that, type of thing. But if we're going to make an investment, we need to know what we're investing in and why.

I was talking to a friend recently and he was talking about how his church knew a family who was struggling. The family's refrigerator went out and they couldn't afford a replacement so they were keeping all their food in ice chests. This community decided to step in and do something to help out. They all pooled their money and bought the family a new refrigerator. Not a used one. A brand spanking new one. A couple months later the family booked a vacation. They used the money they made from selling their new refrigerator. They then needed another refrigerator.

That's messed up.

I've seen people give up eating out and make real sacrifices in order to help someone else out. Sometimes it's family members. Sometimes friends. Sometimes we do it for complete strangers. What sucks though is when the giver is sacrificing in order to make a gift possible and the other person don't make any sacrifices. One side gives up eating out while the recipient now has extra money for cocktails.

What?

I don't think it's too much to ask people to be in relationship with us before making it rain. It shouldn't be a big deal to understand why people need money and what has gone wrong. The question is whether a person who is in need of money is humble enough to seek more than money. Are they willing to take the necessary steps to change a pattern that's gotten them to this place? Will they change spending patterns and practice disciplines? Will they enter into a transparent relationship in exchange for help? Handing out money doesn't fix it.

In the end, we have to be realistic. Money won't fix people. I've yet to see money change people in a positive way. So it seems that we should be eager to lend a helping hand but more than in monetary ways. We must be compelled to be creative. Sometimes throwing money at people can be a creative, but is never the answer to real problems. That's the easy way out for both parties. We're called to something more.

Let's buy something for Jesus

2009-04-03T21:00:00.000-07:00

The question I'm asking myself is what are Christians doing about all this financial craziness. Unfortunately it doesn't seem we're doing much. I love some of the prophetic voices that are speaking and living out alternative ways of living that critique the surrounding financial culture. Some of these communities are minimalists. Some are communist. Some are extravagantly generous. Some are creative. They're attempting to do something more than just gripe, complain, and yell about the situation. In my opinion, they're the ones worth listening to.

Our little community tries to demonstrate a different way of doing things individually and collectively. One example is a few weeks ago we practiced our own economic stimulus package. We went down to the local laundry mats and paid for people's wash. Some of us dropped coins while no one was watching. Others carried on conversations. At one point we even put out a bowl with a sign that said "free quarters." No strings attached. No flyers or tracts. Of course people asked. So we told them that we thought it's something Jesus would probably do. He'd probably be in the midst of the people in the laundry mats. They're hard working folks that don't want their underwear to stink. They also tend to be predominantly hispanic, poor women. Not sure if it's fair to consider them the "least of these," but we thought they'd be open to some free laundry.

Generosity can only come when we're not in debt though. It can only come when we have liquid assets that aren't tied up in our stuff that we fill our extra bedrooms with or park in our driveways. How we spend our money says something about us. And it's troubling when Christians who claim to follow and listen to Jesus spend so much time and money fixated on acquiring luxuries. I know I struggle to find that balance of belongings versus giving. But I don't see much tension in the churches around me.

The one thing I would hope for is that our churches would demonstrate a lifestyle of generosity. Yet that's not the norm. The communities I mentioned earlier are exceptions. They're the voices we should heed. The typical church spends less than 15% of their budget on folks outside of their church. The other 85% goes into providing the consumers with more... whatever. It's no wonder Christians live just like everyone else. We can't even rally together around scripture to create a budget that would reflect the kingdom, much less live it out.

There will be some that argue that we must keep the budgets fixated inwardly so they can grow to better reach outwardly. It's how one keeps the revenue coming in. You keep the services and keep the customer. And that perpetuates whatever it is that they're doing. But you might as well be running a Fortune 500 company with that mindset. The American church has adopted the capitalistic mentality of the culture around us. It's not that capitalism is necessarily inherently evil. It's just worth noting that the church has taken on the nations economy. Our churches have become microcosms of the nation around us instead of alternatives to it. So as the country goes, I would venture to say, so will most churches go. And once again, our churches have nothing unique to say. No place of integrity to speak from. It's the exact same stuff as the commercials on TV. The difference is we build gyms and light stages in the name of Jesus.

We can do things differently. It just takes a little bravery. Perhaps a little creativity.

i don't need money. i have credit.

2009-03-30T09:14:00.000-07:00

It was only a couple of generations ago that “credit” really didn’t even exist. If you didn’t have the money, you didn’t buy it. Today however, if you want it, you need it, you get it. You may not be able to afford it, but you can probably afford the minimum credit card payments.

This is asinine.

Seriously.

What the heck?

The average family last year carried $7,000 in credit card debt. Excuse me. Do what?!

This is simply outrageous.

I was watching a Dateline special last night where they were talking to a lady about how her husband had lost his job and credit card debt was just suffocating them. They had been able to pay the minimum, but now that seemed to be in jeopardy. Now it looked like they were going to have to file for bankruptcy.

All the while they’re having this conversation; they’re standing in this swank kitchen with nice cabinets and fancy countertops. Then cut to their little toddler for the emotional moment about how their debt is going to affect him. Scene: kid in his playroom surrounded by cabinets full of toys and playthings all over the floor. And herein lies the problem. It’s like a garage sale has never occurred to them.

They want to whine about their bills and possibly file for bankruptcy instead of clearing house. They accumulated all this stuff and yet it seems like they’re unwilling to part with it. There’s a great scene in Cinderella Man, a movie based on a boxer in the Great Depression, when Russell Crowe’s character goes into the uptown apartment of a friend who seems to somehow be a making it in the midst of a depression. What he finds there is a completely empty apartment. They had sold everything. Yet I look around and people seem to have lost their minds. People in debt just keep on buying. “Oh, it’s just $10.” Or, “I needed another shirt.” Come on. It’s a epidemic.

If I don’t have any money, I go find extra work. I sell something... anything and/or everything. I sure as heck don’t go out and buy a CD or DVD. I’ll live off Ramen and water until I can afford something. I have friends that live down the road from me in community. They don’t have TV. They share internet. Not all of them have cars. They don’t all have phones. Their rent is about $100 a month a person. And people look at them weird. No, it’s you who are in debt up to your eyeballs and insist on living a lie. The truth is that you’re not broke. You’re below broke. You’re in debt. It.

Here's the truth: you don't need most of that stuff. And the stuff you do need, you could probably find a cheaper version of it.

"The Devil Made Me Do It"

2009-03-26T16:59:00.001-07:00

Riiiiight. After Chopra and Driscoll went toe to toe, we now have the likes of Billo “the clown” Oreilly and thousands of others picking up the debate. "Does Satan exist?"

For the definitive answer, let's go to the scientific evidence for Satan… oh wait… there is none. I’m not going to recommend checking out the debate between Chopra and Driscoll because in the end, they both probably get it half way right. And the reality is… I too probably only get it halfway right. So if you’re looking for the definitive answer, you’re not going to find it.

This debate just gets under my skin. Let me tell you why. First and foremost, I think we have a hard enough time getting our head around whether God actually exists. Then secondly, I think that the necessity of a devil figure really comes down to one’s theology. In all reality, the figure is superfluous in my opinion. This is where Driscoll gets it wrong. If you take away an actual Satan figure, you’re still left with evil in the world. Period.

I just am not sure that there’s really all that much evidence in the Bible to argue that a single devil figure exists. We can look to the Old Testament and we don’t really get anything there. You have a snake in the garden… this is not Satan… this is not the devil. It’s a snake. Then you get the accuser in Job. The accuser is not Satan necessarily either. I interviewed a Jewish rabbi once who pointed this out to me. He pointed out that he didn’t believe in a Satan figure. Then we get to the New Testament. We get this Satan tempting Jesus out in the wilderness. Then we get Satan named… wait for it… yup… you got it… Peter. Not Judas… but Peter. He gets called Satan. (So one could make the argument that Satan is as real as the “first Pope.”) Then we have a anti-christ figure showing up with the other crazy stuff in Revelation. For me… it’s not a solid case.

And let’s just say that Satan exists. Does that change anything for you? Do you feel better if you can blame the devil? Well here’s the problem: if this devil does exist, he’s not omnipresent. He's going to only be able to be in one place at a time. Therefore he really isn’t going to bug you because, let’s be honest, you’re really not important enough for the Prince of Darkness to be wasting his time on. I’m sure he’s got to be spending his time talking in the ear of Vladimir Putin or that crazy president of Sudan or something.

In the end, I surprisingly think Chopra actually speaks a little truth (and Driscoll could actually let his Neo-Calvinism do some good) by pointing out that many of these problems are simply within us. We don’t need any excuses. We don’t have to blame a devil or someone else. We are creatures prone to great tragedy and beauty. What’s great about Jesus is that he comes and redeems us from all this darkness. He offers something that’s beautiful and redeeming.

I don’t think personifying evil is a bad thing. At the same time, I think God isn’t diminished in the least if there’s not an actual devil sitting on shoulders. But of course, I can’t really prove it either way. If Jesus was around today, he may be able to point Satan out to us and settle the debate once and for all. I just hope he’s not pointing at me when he calls him out.

10 Signs Your Church is in Trouble

2009-03-24T08:55:00.000-07:00

#1 You have more parking spots reserved for seniors than visitors.
#2 The most common gripes are that the preacher talks about Jesus too much and the worship band doesn't play enough U2.
#3 Your worship leader waves his hands around while leading music.
#4 The "deacons" are known as the guys that pass the plates and fire pastors.
#5 Your new plan to reach more people involves snakes and a revival.
#6 You just spent millions on a new youth complex. Now parents are leaving because they don't want their kids associating with "those kids."
#7 Sermons spend more time exegeting movies rather than scripture.
#8 Your church spends more money on lawn maintenance than helping the poor.
#9 A large portion of your church wants to canonize John Piper's writings.
#10 Following the latest fad of encouraging a week of sex for married couples, your church joins in but also suggests videotaping it.

Christian Dating

2009-03-22T16:34:00.001-07:00

It's amazing to me the ideas that Christians hold for "dating" and relationships and how they oftentimes consider them to be Biblical. If there's one thing that bothers me it is when we confuse Biblical and cultural norms. Let me see if I can explain.

Remember the whole, "I kissed dating goodbye" trend? There are still some who buy into it. What's funny is that they'll argue there's scriptural basis for courting. The reality is that there's not and it was a cultural thing a few centuries ago. I wonder why it didn't last? In fact, scripture says greet one another with a holy kiss. I'm pretty sure God's for kissing.

Typically the most common held phrase that I hear now and the phrase that's all over Christian dating books is "protect your heart." There's a verse in Proverbs that people throw out in defense of this phrase. I would suggest that we can properly translate the meaning of protecting your heart in proverbs as protecting your mind due to the thought that the heart was the center of one's thoughts. But nevertheless, is there biblical grounds for the call to protect one's heart?

Let's take some random biblical figure and see what kind of example he set... how about... let's say... Jesus. Yeah, there's a good one. So did Jesus protect his heart? Did he tell Judas, "Yo dawg, I a'int down with hanging out with you for the next three years because you're gonna screw me over." Did he tell the disciples, "You're all gonna punk out on me when I need you most. How 'bout you save yourself the time and just keep steppin'." You tell me that the dude that wept in the garden, hung on the cross, and asked for forgiveness of his murders protected his heart and I'll give it to you.

I see nothing to suggest anything whatsoever in scripture to provide a basis for "protecting" one's heart. I see quite the contrary. I see a call for us to lay our lives down for our brothers and sisters. "But John, that's not all these romantic feelings and emotions." Right... so you love without emotion and feelings? Because Jesus commands us to "love one another" and true love is "laying down one's life." Again... to protect one's heart is not even Christian.

It is arrogant and selfish to rob people of yourself. It's also a lonely life. I'm not saying to go be a whore and I'm not saying go be dumb and chase after everything. What I'm saying is that you have to be authentic and invest life in places where you may not always get a guaranteed return. This will involve pain. Why are we afraid of pain? Are we afraid to live and love? I believe we are. Because we serve a God that is too small to fill our broken hearts.

And while I'm on it... what's up with this whole woman as a prize idea? Someone's been reading too much John Eldridge. The idea of the woman being a prize is a cultural leftover from the days when the woman was property. Sure, it feels great to be fought for and won over. But come on... it's not a one sided thing. As much as the southern belle mentality wants to tell all the ladies that their prince charming's going to stroll up and sweep them off their feet, that's a bit naive i believe.

So is there any Biblical example of the woman being the prize to be won over? Off the top of my head I can't think of one. Weddings were typically prearranged. (How about someone write a book on that as the Christian method.) But I can think of one illustration of marriage and that's Ruth. Now what's funny is that this Biblical example goes completely contrary to everything that our ladies are being told currently. Ruth pursued the guy. Anyone catch that? A biblical example of how she went after him. And what did she do? Uncovered his feet. That's scandalous. Many believe that's a euphemism. Those of you under the age of 18 don't need to be researching that. And Boaz responds by marrying homegirl. But she won him over. That's biblical.

It's hypocritical for women to claim women's lib, equality, and all this stuff and then tell the boy that he's supposed to win her over, open her doors, buy her the huge rock for her finger, pay for everything. That's having your cake and eating it too. We need some women who want to be a mutual pursuer instead of a prize. So stop with this junk of confusing biblical examples and cultural norms. It's retarded.

Side note...And while I'm at it...no there's no such thing as love at first sight. And yes you grow to love people more. And no there's not just one person for everyone. And yes you're weak if you can't go 3 months without a relationship. And no I don't need a poll. And yes Christians oftentimes marry because they can't wait any longer to have sex. And no I will not make out with you.

Blame a Woman

2009-03-19T20:57:00.000-07:00

I’m tired of women being made out to be scapegoats. Men are real, real good about this. If something goes wrong, blame it on the woman. It’s literally happened since the beginning of time. Yet I hope you men will join with me and reject this sinful notion of placing the woman at fault for our sins and begin taking responsibility for ourselves.

Something that bothers me is the double standard that is applied to men and women when it comes to how we are supposed to dress. Women are made to wear dresses, certain length of shorts, sleeves, “modest bathing attire”… What the heck? The fact is that modesty is something spoken of in scripture, but we are in fact not talking about modesty, but social norms that the church has decided to call standards. We only have to jump back 75 years to find “modesty” was defined very differently. Not only is modesty defined by time, but also culture. So why is the church allowing time and culture to dictate what is appropriate and inappropriate to wear? I’ll tell you—because men are morons. That’s right… I said it! (Now of course some are thinking, “do what is right in the eyes of everyone.” Sorry, I don’t buy that “right” is defined by and changes with one’s setting.)

So what exactly am I getting at here? It’s just this: Women are being asked to dress in a certain fashion in order to keep men from lusting. They are “protecting” their Christian brothers supposedly. So let me go through this again and make sure you catch it… women dress with certain modesty as to draw attention not to their bodies but to their… personalities or something. Now men… be honest… if you want to lust after a woman… do you even need her present? Does it really matter what she’s wearing? The fact is that if a guy chooses to lust after a girl, she could be wearing a Barney costume and the guy would still succeed in undressing her in his mind.

I’m convinced that the problem does not lie with the woman and her dress—it lies with the man and his mind. Men! Take some responsibility! Quit using women as an excuse! Lust is not something that you stumble across. It’s not something that happens by accident. And it’s definitely not something that someone forces on you. It’s a willing decision of a man (or woman) to dwell on an unwholesome or dirty thought. What a woman wears does not matter as long as the man does not choose to dwell on something inappropriate. A man can look at a painting where a woman doesn’t have on the proper attire and still appreciate the painting without running away screaming “My eyes! My eyes!” It’s a responsibility of the man to control his thoughts and not allow something inappropriate to creep into his thoughts. It’s the same way in worship. Should we ban people from singing out of tune or lifting up their hands because they might be a distraction or somehow cause us to stumble? Absolutely not. The responsibility is on the worshiper to not allow others to distract from their purpose of worshipping God in Spirit and in Truth.

Why is this important? Because we live in a world with women who do not abide by the church’s so-called “standard” of dress. If immodesty causes lust then we would be forced to cloister ourselves. If a man can’t look on a woman because she doesn’t have enough clothes on, he would be walking around bumping into things because he had his eyes closed all the time. And what kind of moron does this? Do doctors refuse to operate on a woman because she’s naked? Does an artist paint the female figure out of lust? Lust can factor into all of these scenarios, but lust is not a default. It is not automatic. It is something that someone chooses.

We cannot walk up to girls and say, “You need to change what you’re wearing because someone may lust after you.” What the heck is that!? Well guess what… it doesn’t matter what they put on because someone MAY lust after them simply because they are really hot. (Believe it or not I’ve been asked to leave churches because all the women couldn’t stop staring at me and they were afraid the women would lust. Okay… maybe it didn’t happen just like that… yet.) The fact is that the guy may need to change what he’s wearing because a woman could lust after him. It’s absolutely ridiculous. We are attacking the problem at the wrong place. It’s like saying that no one should sit in the backseat of a car with someone of the opposite sex because people have sex in the backseat of cars. No… the problem isn’t with the backseat. The problem is when people choose sin. You can’t blame your sin on the backseat any more than we can blame lust on clothing.

I hope you see that we can’t dictate to women what they should wear. We are not the dress code police. Women’s clothes don’t make us stumble… we, as men, use women’s clothes as an excuse when we do stumble. We, as men, have to take personal responsibility in all circumstances and stop with the petty excuses.

[Now I’m not giving license to women to walk around like whores. I hope women will feel a freedom to dress as they please, yet realize that you should glorify God with their bodies.]