Looking across the landscape of Christianity here in the Bible belt sometimes it really seems like we get our theology from country "music", our ecclesiology is an amalgamation of corporate America and the public education system, and we get our missiology from Field of Dreams.
Thoughts?
Friday, July 14, 2017
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Conversations That Would Never Happen
Lonnie: Hi Coach.
Coach: Hi Lonnie. Its good to see you. Did you come to watch the game?
Lonnie: Well, I came to watch, and play. Can't wait to get a little action.
Coach: Maybe I should talk to your folks. Are they here?
Lonnie: Sure, Dad's over by the concession stand.
Coach: Thanks.
Coach: Hello Mr. Westfall.
Mr. Westfall: Hey Coach. How's life? Ready for the game?
Coach: Ready as we're going to be I guess. We've practiced hard. That's kind of what I need to talk to you about.
Mr. Westfall: What do you mean?
Coach: Lonnie hasn't been here in four weeks. He missed eight practices. I actually thought he had quit the team. I can't really let him play today without practicing.
Mr. Westfall: But he's your best player. Don't you want to win?
Coach: Lonnie is very talented. But the other kids have practiced and bonded as a team. It just wouldn't be right to start Lonnie and I really don't even think he should play today.
Mr. Westfall: Coach, the truth is you are not much fun. Your practices are kind of boring. And none of Lonnie's friends are on this team. Most of his friends play for the Warriors so we've been letting him go to their practices. He has a good time there. But, this is still our team so we brought him to play today. You're being very unreasonable, Coach. Just let him play. Let's not turn this in to a difficult situation.
Nope, that conversation would never happen because we take sports very seriously. If we put a child on a team we expect them to be committed to that team. Church however, is another story. If our kid doesn't like something about our church, or someone at the church, or if they have friends at another church, then our solution is to let them go with their friends as often as they want and then come to church with us every now and then.
Let me be clear. Churches are not in competition with one another. I'm not comparing sports and church from the standpoint of competition. I'm comparing sports and church from the standpoint of commitment. We expect our kids to be committed to the team we sign them up for (or that drafts them). If they don't have friends on the team, they make new ones. If they don't like one of the coaches they suck it up and learn to respect authority. But when it comes to church none of that applies. We think of church as a place to make our kids happy. No longer is church about a transcendent cause. Rather it is about fun, feelings, and personal fancies.
Church membership. What does it mean to you? Do you back that up with your actions and how you train your kids?
Coach: Hi Lonnie. Its good to see you. Did you come to watch the game?
Lonnie: Well, I came to watch, and play. Can't wait to get a little action.
Coach: Maybe I should talk to your folks. Are they here?
Lonnie: Sure, Dad's over by the concession stand.
Coach: Thanks.
Coach: Hello Mr. Westfall.
Mr. Westfall: Hey Coach. How's life? Ready for the game?
Coach: Ready as we're going to be I guess. We've practiced hard. That's kind of what I need to talk to you about.
Mr. Westfall: What do you mean?
Coach: Lonnie hasn't been here in four weeks. He missed eight practices. I actually thought he had quit the team. I can't really let him play today without practicing.
Mr. Westfall: But he's your best player. Don't you want to win?
Coach: Lonnie is very talented. But the other kids have practiced and bonded as a team. It just wouldn't be right to start Lonnie and I really don't even think he should play today.
Mr. Westfall: Coach, the truth is you are not much fun. Your practices are kind of boring. And none of Lonnie's friends are on this team. Most of his friends play for the Warriors so we've been letting him go to their practices. He has a good time there. But, this is still our team so we brought him to play today. You're being very unreasonable, Coach. Just let him play. Let's not turn this in to a difficult situation.
Nope, that conversation would never happen because we take sports very seriously. If we put a child on a team we expect them to be committed to that team. Church however, is another story. If our kid doesn't like something about our church, or someone at the church, or if they have friends at another church, then our solution is to let them go with their friends as often as they want and then come to church with us every now and then.
Let me be clear. Churches are not in competition with one another. I'm not comparing sports and church from the standpoint of competition. I'm comparing sports and church from the standpoint of commitment. We expect our kids to be committed to the team we sign them up for (or that drafts them). If they don't have friends on the team, they make new ones. If they don't like one of the coaches they suck it up and learn to respect authority. But when it comes to church none of that applies. We think of church as a place to make our kids happy. No longer is church about a transcendent cause. Rather it is about fun, feelings, and personal fancies.
Church membership. What does it mean to you? Do you back that up with your actions and how you train your kids?
Thursday, May 11, 2017
New definitions
All the social re-engineering that has been going on in this country is pretty sad. Actually, it is worse than sad. However, I have to admit that is is truly fascinating to watch how ridiculously effective the liberal strategy is. I've been especially interested in how successfully they have been able to reshape many debates by commandeering the language. With the help of almost the entire journalism profession and lots of activist groups they have been quite efficient at getting people to believe lies by taking over a lot of our vocabulary.
Here's a sample. The left knows that it is quite clear that murder or killing is not too palatable for most people. So they have taken the idea of killing babies still in the womb and relabeled it as "reproductive rights" or "women's health care". It would be funny if it were not so tragic. However, once again, it has duped millions of Americans into thinking that abortion is something other than what it really is.
The left has also managed to sway a lot of opinions by making everything about hate and fear rather than reason. For example, if you believe in the rule of law and national sovereignty and therefore feel that people who enter our country should do so legally and through proper channels, you are no longer considered reasonable and prudent. You are now considered a xenophobe. You are help up as an intolerant, uncaring, terrible human being. Clear thinking people can easily see the flaws in this. Yet, millions of Americans buy the liberal slant. I guess it somehow makes them feel like they have some moral high ground.
Another example. If you have a basic understanding of what millions, literally millions of Muslims believe, if you grasp the massive ideological differences between sharia law and the United States constitution, and this causes great concern to you. If it is clear to you that many, many Muslims (note that I am not saying all Muslims are out to form Caliphates and enforce sharia, maybe there are more who are not than who are, but there are over a billion Muslims in the world so if even 10% of them want these things...) are not interested in assimilation and this bothers you because you do not want your culture to become like that of the middle east. If you see things this way, then you are no longer a patriot or a cogent thinker, you are now Islamophobic. And once again, millions of Americans buy into this and consider you to be the problem.
These are just a couple of examples of how progressives have twisted language to accomplish their purposes. It is planned and intentional. It is just one tool they are using to bring their agenda into reality in America. And, like I said, it is fascinating to watch. It might be something to marvel at were it not so heinous and were it not leading us down a dark, dark path. Give it some thought.
Help us, Jesus!
Here's a sample. The left knows that it is quite clear that murder or killing is not too palatable for most people. So they have taken the idea of killing babies still in the womb and relabeled it as "reproductive rights" or "women's health care". It would be funny if it were not so tragic. However, once again, it has duped millions of Americans into thinking that abortion is something other than what it really is.
The left has also managed to sway a lot of opinions by making everything about hate and fear rather than reason. For example, if you believe in the rule of law and national sovereignty and therefore feel that people who enter our country should do so legally and through proper channels, you are no longer considered reasonable and prudent. You are now considered a xenophobe. You are help up as an intolerant, uncaring, terrible human being. Clear thinking people can easily see the flaws in this. Yet, millions of Americans buy the liberal slant. I guess it somehow makes them feel like they have some moral high ground.
Another example. If you have a basic understanding of what millions, literally millions of Muslims believe, if you grasp the massive ideological differences between sharia law and the United States constitution, and this causes great concern to you. If it is clear to you that many, many Muslims (note that I am not saying all Muslims are out to form Caliphates and enforce sharia, maybe there are more who are not than who are, but there are over a billion Muslims in the world so if even 10% of them want these things...) are not interested in assimilation and this bothers you because you do not want your culture to become like that of the middle east. If you see things this way, then you are no longer a patriot or a cogent thinker, you are now Islamophobic. And once again, millions of Americans buy into this and consider you to be the problem.
These are just a couple of examples of how progressives have twisted language to accomplish their purposes. It is planned and intentional. It is just one tool they are using to bring their agenda into reality in America. And, like I said, it is fascinating to watch. It might be something to marvel at were it not so heinous and were it not leading us down a dark, dark path. Give it some thought.
Help us, Jesus!
Monday, November 7, 2016
Election tomorrow
If you are not sure what is at stake in tomorrow's election, or if you have not decided which party you will vote for, please watch this message by Tommy Nelson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwTAQpYhkug.
Thursday, September 8, 2016
Inquiring Minds Want To Know
Sat down at the computer to play words with friends and there was an ad in the side bar for a tee shirt that says, "I want to drink wine and rescue dogs." The link underneath said that every one of these tee shirts sold will feed seven shelter dogs. Of course that raises the obvious question, how many starving kids will seven shelter dogs feed?
Seriously, how much money, energy, and time could we put into helping under served children if we quit trying to "rescue" dogs and cats? I can assure you that there is no shortage of dogs and cats in this world.
Seriously, how much money, energy, and time could we put into helping under served children if we quit trying to "rescue" dogs and cats? I can assure you that there is no shortage of dogs and cats in this world.
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