10.The Crusades
9. The Inquisitions
8. The History of Europe (Church as State is a scary thing see #9)
7. The Partnership of Colonization and Christian Missions (for centuries - hello Africa)
6. The Church's Treatment of the Gay Community
5. The Silence of the Vatican and much of the Protestant Church During the Holocaust
4. The Vatican's Handling of Child Sexual Abuse
3. The Politicization of Christianity in America (the Moral Majority not so much WWJD)
2. The Hypocrisy of Christians (guilty as charged)
1. Jesus Meant It (Love your enemy, Blessed are the peacemakers, the meek shall inherit the earth...)
What are your reasons?
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Monday, September 12, 2011
The Worship Myth
There is a myth that has been circulating for decades and centuries. It doesn't involve Nessie, Big Foot, or chanting "Bloody Mary." The myth involves an hour (for some more) on Sunday. This pervasive myth is referred to as the Worship Myth, and at it's simplest it states that the worship service is the foundation of the church and its ministry in the world. To start, grow, or go to church is equivalent to getting people to gather in as large a crowd as possible to sing songs about God and to listen to a gifted communicator (sometimes) talk about God (hopefully). Ask most church planters in the United States about starting a church and they will give you a recipe about getting your launch team together, preparing your monthly preview services, and finally launching your %ss-kicking multi-media "worship experience!" Lady Gaga ain't got s!#t on the show we put on each Sunday in the East Shore Elementary School Cafeteria. Ask an established church pastor about church growth and he or she will probably launch into adding a new building for their "eco-friendly-accoustic-only-modern" worship service, or adding another campus, or investing in tech upgrades for their stadium-seating worship center/sanctuary. Ask most church members about going to church and they will respond with their personal dimensions, "I go to the 10am ancient-future service on the South Campus in my v-neck T and skinny jeans."
The problem with the Worship Myth is that it ignores the teachings of Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20 in which Jesus commanded his disciples to do as he had done which was to make disciples. Jesus never explicity commanded his followers to worship. Rather he commanded his followers to baptize and teach people to obey all that he commanded. And what did Jesus command? To love the Lord your God with all of heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love your neighbor as you love yourself. For Jesus the role and function of the church was to make disciples who didn't merely worship him for an hour on Sunday, but who worshipped him 24/7 as they began to look and act more like him in their homes, in their neighborhoods, in their jobs, and in their communities.
What might our homes, our communities, and our world look like if the church decided to invest as much time, energy, and money in helping people look and act more like Jesus the other 167 hours of the week?
The problem with the Worship Myth is that it ignores the teachings of Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20 in which Jesus commanded his disciples to do as he had done which was to make disciples. Jesus never explicity commanded his followers to worship. Rather he commanded his followers to baptize and teach people to obey all that he commanded. And what did Jesus command? To love the Lord your God with all of heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love your neighbor as you love yourself. For Jesus the role and function of the church was to make disciples who didn't merely worship him for an hour on Sunday, but who worshipped him 24/7 as they began to look and act more like him in their homes, in their neighborhoods, in their jobs, and in their communities.
What might our homes, our communities, and our world look like if the church decided to invest as much time, energy, and money in helping people look and act more like Jesus the other 167 hours of the week?
Monday, August 8, 2011
Night Lights
Over the past few weeks, I have twice been startled awake by the repeated cries, "Dad! Daaaaaaad! Daaaaaaad!" On both occassions, I rushed into my five-year-old's room to find him cocooned in his top bed sheet, a chrysalis of tears and whimpers.
"What's wrong buddy?"
"I'm scared."
"What are you scared of?"
"The dark."
My first thought, "Me too." I not ashamed to admit, I'm scared of the dark. I'm scared of the darkness of cancer and terminal illness. I'm scared of the darkness of genocide and repressive violence. I'm scared of the darkness of global sex-trafficking. I'm scared of the darkness of starvation and poverty. I'm scared of the darkness of foreclosure, bankrupcy and economic ruin. Mostly, I'm scared of the darkness in my own heart.
The day after my son's first cry in the dark we bought him a spaceship night light. After the second, we agreed to let him keep his door open through the night.
Of late I've been crying out in the night, "Dad! Daaaaaaad! Daaaaaaad!" The darkness has closed in, but I'm once again discovering those well-worn words, "Light of the world you stepped down into darkness opened my eyes let me see beauty that makes this heart adore You hope of a life spent with You."
"What's wrong buddy?"
"I'm scared."
"What are you scared of?"
"The dark."
My first thought, "Me too." I not ashamed to admit, I'm scared of the dark. I'm scared of the darkness of cancer and terminal illness. I'm scared of the darkness of genocide and repressive violence. I'm scared of the darkness of global sex-trafficking. I'm scared of the darkness of starvation and poverty. I'm scared of the darkness of foreclosure, bankrupcy and economic ruin. Mostly, I'm scared of the darkness in my own heart.
The day after my son's first cry in the dark we bought him a spaceship night light. After the second, we agreed to let him keep his door open through the night.
Of late I've been crying out in the night, "Dad! Daaaaaaad! Daaaaaaad!" The darkness has closed in, but I'm once again discovering those well-worn words, "Light of the world you stepped down into darkness opened my eyes let me see beauty that makes this heart adore You hope of a life spent with You."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)