The Economy and the Church: BROKEN!

If our bodies are temples, maybe we should all aspire to make them mega-churches?

When it comes to the church- spiritual progress is measured in terms of square footage, the number of attendees, and annual incomes. In Christian leadership conferences these Über-churches and their leaders are touted as the spiritual “gold standard”.  Over the years a sort of celebrity-like cult has developed around many of these churches and their pastors. This phenomenon makes me wonder whether the church is now in its ascendancy…or its decline?

Schism Sunday XVI: The Art of Memorializing Tragedy

I know today is not Sunday, and there is a reason for that. There are things I like to let pass before I open up a can worms. But today is Monday, and I am opening the can up!

If I had lost a loved one tragically 10 years ago and I was still actively mourning and commemorating his or her day of death with emotional displays and expensive rituals most people would either be annoyed with my inability to move on or concerned about me. People would urge me to move on and to heal and not to stew in grief for 10 years or more. People who cared for me would want me to find new meaning and purpose in life and would want to see me healthy and happy.

Sabotaged Plans

I went to my 10 year High School reunion about a month ago and I have a cluster college reunion coming up in a few weeks. And I’ve realized (like I’m sure most of us have at some point) that my life is not at all what I thought it would be. And you know what? I am so thankful for that.

What are you so afraid of?

We live in a scared world. Don’t read that wrong, I didn’t say we live in a scary world. We live in a scared world. Everyone lives scared. What are you all so afraid of anyway?

I’m sure you all have a bunch of answers for me. You’re afraid of your someone stealing your kids, of someone stealing your car, of a masked boogie man in the night. You’re afraid of Hurricane Irene, the crumbling economic system, hail damage to your new car. You’re afraid that you’re genetically inclined to get the heart disease that killed your father, that you’ll need surgery on your aching knee, and that bump is some kind of cancer. You’re afraid of car accidents, the evil in the middle east, and all the sex and violence on tv. You’re afraid someone will steal your identity, steal your wallet, or rape your wife.

And you’re afraid that if a blogger uses an edgy metaphor to describe modern Christianity that his blazonness could change your faith or change God. Or worse yet, that he might right.

God the Drunk Uncle (Part 2)

Because behind Every Drunk Uncle- there is one

In a dysfunctional family the mantra is often: "there is no problem here". Dysfunction is the culmination of secrets, lies, and hidden fears. These secrets, lies, and fears then manifest into a distorted view of reality, one which we are forced to live and defend. 

God the Drunk Uncle (Part 1)

Is that you God?

2 Timothy 3:5:

Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.​

I wonder if Christians are often afraid of making God look like an incompetent pussy? I say this because we always seem to be making excuses for God when it comes to tragedies and other matters of human drama. The God of Christianity has become like the drunk uncle who lives in the back room of Grandma's house.

Schism Sunday XV: Freak Flags

We are called to be set apart. We are called to be different; to be a peculiar race. We aren’t meant to be of this world and we are supposed to display the hope that is within us outwardly. We are, ourselves, the vessels of the Gospel and we are supposed to draw the curiosity of unbelievers. But when exactly, when we are in this world, interacting with new people, are we supposed to launch and display our Jesus freak flag? How do we prevent curiosity from turning into crazy Christianity that everyone easily dismisses? When do we set ourselves apart?