A refreshing parallel

Today, after church, I sat with our visiting minister at a lunch table. It was an enjoying conversation, but traditionally the same. I grew up as a Minister's son, so I have sat with hundreds of traveling evangelist. One of the perks of PK status. But today, it took a turn that I have never gone before.

The evangelist's name is Sam Farina. A very well known evangelist in the Assemblies. During the course of conversation, postmodernism and the emergent movement was brought up. In caution I asked the visiting 51 year old minister his thoughts on the subject. To my surprise - "I love it. We have to think about it and embrace it. It is the church of the future." For the next two hours he began to speak on his knowledge of the subject - to my pastor and I and our wives.

He began to set up a parallel for us to think about and I would like to talk about. He talked of how Christianity flurished in Greek culture. How do you guys think greek culture can compare to us today? Is there a parallel? Your thoughts? Is the church in Acts a church of the future as much as it is a church of the past?

Mark

What is worth fighting for?

It would seem that last week the waiting masses were given yet another reason to marginalize the message of Christ. As you no doubt heard, James Dobson, president, founder and magnate of Focus on the Family, hit a nerve in his address to some of the nations legislature at a black tie affair celebrating the President's inauguration.

Dobson pointed out that the We Are Family Foundation is distributing a music video starring cartoons and children's show personalities featuring the great disco hit of the same name. The problem that Dobson has with this music video starring cartoons is that the foundation, he states, is an active proponent of tolerance, especially in the areas of "sexual identity". Dobson's remarks have unleashed the usually firefight of snide remarks and chuckles. Olbermann sarcastically might be the most telling when he reports one of the "We are Family Foundation" lawyers as saying, that critics of the video "need medication." Nile Rodgers, writer of "We are Family" says the attack by Dobson and others is "so myopic and harsh."

Focus on the Family officially delivers a very good response citing that they are not against cartoons or against tolerance. In my opinion although it wasn't much of an attack, Writers and TV personalities jumped on it to grab a quick laugh. Some would say that Pundits grabbed the chance to blurt out that Christians are haters...even of cartoon characters like Ron Stoppable and Lil' Bill (two of my favorites, actually in the video) Focus on the Family stands by their position of insisting that it is wrong to have tolerance of sexual identity to be taught to children. In fact they say that all they are doing is "attempting to do for parents what their busy lives prevent them from doing themselves, connecting the dots." (I believe I've just been insulted! But that's another post.)

This discussion is sure to bring up some of the same comments we have already been through here on forerunners. So I don't really don't want to beat a dead horse. (See Clay's thread on Duct Tape.) But I was thinking that all of our interaction here has basically come down to the same basic points that two thinkers, (both much smarter and well...more published than all of us) Chuck Colson and Brian McLaren, have already hashed and rehashed. If you haven't read through these now imfamous point/counterpoints you owe it to yourself to check it out. (I respect both of these guys and have read each of them, so it is kind of interesting to watch them jockey.) They boil it down to some basic questions beginning with, Is there truth and is it defined inside or outside of ourselves? Once defined, how far do you go to defend it? Your answers on this will largely determine how you feel about SpongeBob and James Dobson.

new here

Hi. I'm new here. First day. My name is Mark Carter and I am Daniel Baker's brother-in-law - a title I don't mind. I am a youth pastor in a church east of Houston and I am excited about sharing some life with all of you - whoever you guys are!

See you here

Do people want to see reality in you?

I have been thinking about what it means to be an authentic Christian. I struggle almost everyday with the idea, because I am not really sure where the line is between being a minister and being a Christian. I guess most people I know combine the two into some sort of hero Christian for everyone to look at and think "man I could never be like that, but good for him". Or live so far from the real world that they no longer effect the world around them. I guess I have never been a part of a church where you were really free to be a minister and authentic with the people you were serving and training to be a part of the kingdom. And if you were, it always felt like an under the table deal that no one could ever talk about because all the sudden you were not stage material.

In these times I like to think back on those that came before me and in some sort of way struggled with the same feelings. I cant help but think about St Francis that took a vow of poverty to serve the people he loved. I think of the writer of Ecclessiastes that spells out how everything is just smoke or vapor in the wind and realized that God is the only thing of value. These and others gave up conventional ministry for what I can only catergorize as true ministry.

What are all of these things that consume my time and really have no impact for the kingdom of God. Is it possible that I just dont understand God, perhaps.

Somehow at this point of the journey I am on with God I value friendship much more than I ever have before. I value family more than my selfish self. I value God, and feel him near, but feel like a fake when I cant express myself to the people I serve at church.

How do you guys live authentic Christian lives before God and man?

Questions about Mother Earth

Do you think that the earth shifting on its axis will really have any sort of measurable effect on the planet? Do you think that catastrophes and wild weather of late are any indicators of planetary changes that threaten human life? How do you feel about 'scare science' that would tell us that we are in danger here on our little marble? And finally, does any of this make any difference at all in the way people relate to God or the church? Check these recent news stories

An Ethic For Christians & Other Aliens in a Strange Land

"In the face of death, live humanly.
In the middle of chaos, celebrate the Word.
Amidst babel, speak truth.
Confront the noise and verbiage and falsehood of death with the
truth and potency and efficacy of the Word of God.
Know the Word, teach the Word,
nurture the Word, defend the Word,
preach the Word, incarnate the Word,
do the Word, live the Word."

-William Stringfellow

The Biggest Thing Since Jesus - THREAD OF THE WEEK

Os Guinness points out in Fit Bodies, Fat Minds: Why Evangelicals Don’t Think and What to do about It, “thinking Christianly should not be confused with adopting a ‘Christian line’ on every issue.” When I first read this statement I was blow away, not to mention by the book. It seems, that as a believer we should have all the answers and be able to pin point all those right and wrong issues floating around out there. I can except gray areas but it is hard to say I just don't don't know. After all we are the morality police. With the bible as our rule book we can tell you what is sin and what is not sin. Right?

Aren't we spending too much time on issues like the ten commandments in the court house and gay marriages? I cannot find where Jesus deals with these issues. Yet not only does it take up much of the churches time to protest at the abortion clinic, we have reduced the gospel to nothing more then a mere label. I refer to the largest church of our day as "Church of the Adjective";Christian movies, music, bookstores and resturants. We are the biggest thing since Jesus himself. What more could you ask for?

Instead of being people of influence and change we people of rules and regulations. Even after we let go some of legalism within the church, we go outside the church and oppress rules and regulations the world. Where are we at when Bono is more widely known for his work with poverty and the disinfranchised then the church? Jerod has spoken of the Phenix rising from the ashes, do we need to be the one to light the match just to get have ashes? How do we overcome such a huge black cloud and effectively change our communities?

05

Blessings to each of you during the new year.....

You who were trapped in fear, lost in sin, blinded by the darkness of evil,
Be free and walk in the light of truth, find your way in purity and release those stricken with fear.
For good is the way of God and blessed is the path that you walk upon, Amen