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| Arizona 2011 |
Monday, January 30, 2012
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Steve Fuller on Tebowmania
Monday, January 16, 2012
Round 3: Jesus vs. Religion - The SMACKDOWN!
HOLY FREAKIN' SMACK! Oh this one took the cake. Especially if you know who all of the caricatures represent! This hit the nail on the head for me as far as how insane the Christian culture within evangelicalism can get and somehow completely miss the point of "the world out there". Oh thanks be to Jesus who tried really, really hard to make it so very simple for us to understand. Unfortunately we continue to make it much more complex, divisive, and judgmental than it ever was meant to be. Matthew 22:34-40; 1 Corinthians 13. Memorize it, live it, be it.
Round 2: Jesus vs. Religion - The Lesbian, Anorexic, Cutter
Here is another video that will mess with your mind when you consider who Jesus is and who we are as the "church". Are we close to being like Jesus or have we gotten very far from who he is and what he has modeled for us to be? This is something that we must all wrestle with. I am sure once again that there are churches that get it right and others that don't. Either way, this is a powerful video that gets us thinking. And I really want to read this book now.
Round 1: Jesus vs. Religion - The Idealistic 20-Something
Okay. Some very interesting stuff here about "religion" that was posted by one of my teenagers. There is a lot of truth here but there is reason to be cautious too. My Senior Pastor and I both posted comments that I copied and pasted here. Love to here your thoughts on this video. But wait! There are two more after this that I want you to see also that will mess with your mind as you consider the modern day church!
Doug Damron: A powerful message indeed....there is a difference between practicing a religion that looks like Christianity and following Christ whole-heartedly no doubt. The watch out with this poem is that it may cause some to forget the "centrality of community" to the work of making disciples of Jesus. Can't get two pages into the New Testament without discovering Jesus was working to create a Kingdom community (the Church) with a mission of transforming the world. You can't get three pages into the New Testament without discovering that being part of this community is difficult work--there are struggles, their is imperfection, not everone in Jesus' community looks like I do, thinks like I do, etc. Discipleship would be so much easier if it was only "me and Jesus" but thank God Jesus called me into a larger community with standards, expectations, practices, etc. that helps me to remember it is not all about me--it is about Him, through Us, changing the world.
Me: I agree. I hate when teachers try to teach me something in their expertise. Who are they to tell me what to believe. In fact why read books. Who do these authors think they are?!? Let's just wallow in our self-righteous stupidity. Come on guys. The video gives us a lot to think about. You do need to be careful and thoughtful when considering a school, church, book, music, etc. You want to feed your mind with good stuff and live in community with people who understand their vision and purpose. There are plenty of examples all throughout history of people who have really screwed things up in the name of religion, education, philosophy, etc., etc., etc. But taking the church for example: when they come together and get it right, they are a powerful force for good to all people. We are all imperfect people in an imperfect world. If you also approach people with compassion and grace with a servant's attitude, well then, that is a good church practicing the right religion. You can either look at the church and "throw the baby out with the bathwater" or be a reformer with what you see is wrong. If you have better ideas, then do something about it. But to dismiss it entirely is cowardly and to think faith is merely a private matter is to dismiss centuries of theology and biblical teaching. The church is a "hospital"? True. But even in a hospital they receive healing and are sent back out into the world to live to the best of their abilities. Just some random thoughts.
Doug Damron: A powerful message indeed....there is a difference between practicing a religion that looks like Christianity and following Christ whole-heartedly no doubt. The watch out with this poem is that it may cause some to forget the "centrality of community" to the work of making disciples of Jesus. Can't get two pages into the New Testament without discovering Jesus was working to create a Kingdom community (the Church) with a mission of transforming the world. You can't get three pages into the New Testament without discovering that being part of this community is difficult work--there are struggles, their is imperfection, not everone in Jesus' community looks like I do, thinks like I do, etc. Discipleship would be so much easier if it was only "me and Jesus" but thank God Jesus called me into a larger community with standards, expectations, practices, etc. that helps me to remember it is not all about me--it is about Him, through Us, changing the world.
Me: I agree. I hate when teachers try to teach me something in their expertise. Who are they to tell me what to believe. In fact why read books. Who do these authors think they are?!? Let's just wallow in our self-righteous stupidity. Come on guys. The video gives us a lot to think about. You do need to be careful and thoughtful when considering a school, church, book, music, etc. You want to feed your mind with good stuff and live in community with people who understand their vision and purpose. There are plenty of examples all throughout history of people who have really screwed things up in the name of religion, education, philosophy, etc., etc., etc. But taking the church for example: when they come together and get it right, they are a powerful force for good to all people. We are all imperfect people in an imperfect world. If you also approach people with compassion and grace with a servant's attitude, well then, that is a good church practicing the right religion. You can either look at the church and "throw the baby out with the bathwater" or be a reformer with what you see is wrong. If you have better ideas, then do something about it. But to dismiss it entirely is cowardly and to think faith is merely a private matter is to dismiss centuries of theology and biblical teaching. The church is a "hospital"? True. But even in a hospital they receive healing and are sent back out into the world to live to the best of their abilities. Just some random thoughts.
Tuesday, January 03, 2012
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