Disclaimer: this post comes on the heels of me finding out that NBC has cancelled its show "The Book of Daniel," which I thouroghly enjoyed watching and will be submiting a letter to the American Family Association for its petitioning of the show "mocking Christianity." Maybe "Daniel" was what the church so desperately needed. A chance for the world to see that Christians are not perfect yet we strive to live by faith and to seek and follow Christ always. The cancellation only goes to show how much we (or better said the AFA and Christian Right) are willing to hide our own hypocrisy... our own sin.
So in light of all of this, it is time to have a State of the Church Address and I can think of no one better than Thomas Merton who said it best in 1956:
“The great tragedy of our age, dare I say it, is the fact that there are so many godless Christians, whose religion is a matter of pure conformity and expediency. Their faith is little more than a permanent evasion of reality... We have had far too much priesthood and almost no room for prophets. It creates a very imbalanced religion. We do not give up control to God easily. That is the story and testimony of every saint, mystic, and spiritual reformer. But the church, strange as it seems, has always been a bit uncomfortable with saints and mystics; it is content just to have people in the pews. If our culture has become soft and superficial, it is because religion did first.”
[From Merton's book "The Living Bread"]
January 26, 2006
December 22, 2005
What is relevance?
I am disturbed that the modern contemporary church and “mega” churches are doing nothing more than creating “Christian subcultures”. We have traded in our role as counterculture for subculture.
Let me elaborate for a moment on what I mean by a Christian subculture. You see it when you go to a Christian music Festival, most people there aren't non-Christians they are Christians there to hear their favorite Christian band. Look at some of the shirts people are wearing, they are usually taken from secular marketing which we usually condemn and replaced with Christian themes (think "A Breadcrumb and a Fish" instead of "Abercrombie and Fitch"). There is a growing concern in the church that we have what is called "Christian consumerism" due to the marketed approach of most companies to appeal to only Christians. Our churches no longer look like churches rather a theater or auditorium doing away with religious symbols. I could go on and on...
What is our responsibility? To be blending in our message with that of the culture only with a "Christian label" making us nothing more than a subculture? Or are we meant to be an active counterculture in our society? Something that doesn't look or feel like anything else. Something genuine. What does that look like for you?
December 15, 2005
A fellow sojourner... finally!
For those of you who grow tired of today's Contemporary Christian Music scene with all it's false unity and "feel good Christianity" then I invite you to check out a fellow troubadour for the Lord.
Derek Webb used to be a member of the group Caedmon's Call, but in 2003 became a solo artist and has written many poetic/prophetic songs about the Church and her struggles. His albums are:
She Must and Shall Go Free (2003)
I See Things Upside Down (2004)
How to Kill and Be Killed (DVD - 2005)
Mockingbird (2005)
He has become one of my favorite artists. Check out his stuff... you'll be encouraged and offended. But all the while, will see Jesus in the places you would dare not look.
Derek Webb used to be a member of the group Caedmon's Call, but in 2003 became a solo artist and has written many poetic/prophetic songs about the Church and her struggles. His albums are:
She Must and Shall Go Free (2003)
I See Things Upside Down (2004)
How to Kill and Be Killed (DVD - 2005)
Mockingbird (2005)
He has become one of my favorite artists. Check out his stuff... you'll be encouraged and offended. But all the while, will see Jesus in the places you would dare not look.
November 11, 2005
Pieces of the Puzzle
Each lifetime is the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.
For some there are more pieces.
For others the puzzle is more difficult to assemble.
Some seem to be born with a nearly completed puzzle.
And so it goes.
Souls going this way and that
Trying to assemble the myriad parts.
But know this. No one has within themselves
All the pieces to their puzzle.
Like before the days when they used to seal jigsaw puzzles in cellophane.
Insuring that all the pieces were there.
Everyone carries with them at least one and probably
Many pieces to someone else's puzzle.
Sometimes they don't know it.
Sometimes they don't know.
And when you present your piece
Which is worthless to you,
To another, whether you know it or not,
Whether they know it or not,
You are a messenger from the Most High.
[Used from Lawrence Kushner's book "Honey from the Rock" pg. 69-70]
We are all doing the the work of God whether we realize it or not. I hope that my "worthless" pieces will be blessings in your life and yours in mine.... let's not wander about unless we do so with grace and mercy!
For some there are more pieces.
For others the puzzle is more difficult to assemble.
Some seem to be born with a nearly completed puzzle.
And so it goes.
Souls going this way and that
Trying to assemble the myriad parts.
But know this. No one has within themselves
All the pieces to their puzzle.
Like before the days when they used to seal jigsaw puzzles in cellophane.
Insuring that all the pieces were there.
Everyone carries with them at least one and probably
Many pieces to someone else's puzzle.
Sometimes they don't know it.
Sometimes they don't know.
And when you present your piece
Which is worthless to you,
To another, whether you know it or not,
Whether they know it or not,
You are a messenger from the Most High.
[Used from Lawrence Kushner's book "Honey from the Rock" pg. 69-70]
We are all doing the the work of God whether we realize it or not. I hope that my "worthless" pieces will be blessings in your life and yours in mine.... let's not wander about unless we do so with grace and mercy!