09.04.08 - 01:46pm
1. I especially appreciate hearing from the candidates when they are not using speeches written for them. I’m really not sure I want to hear one person read what someone else wrote for them to say. Seems quite disingenuous to me, though I may be naive on this issue.
2. I wish Palin was the one running for president. From what little I’ve read about her record, she’s actually taken measures as a mayor (reducing property taxes by 60%) and as governor (selling the governor’s jet on ebay) to actually shrink government and its ridiculous expenditures. In other words–she seems like a doer. We need a president who is a doer.
3. I wish the media would cover more Ron Paul stuff. For that matter, I wish we saw more coverage of other parties and their platforms.
Category: Culture | Tags: politics | 2 Comments »
09.02.08 - 01:17pm
That’s right…pagan Christianity. Does such a thing exist? According to George Barna and Frank Viola, definitely. I would agree with them. I don’t agree with all of their reasons or conclusions, but in general, the fact that Christianity has become defined as a religion rather than a relationship with Jesus and his mission and has syncretized many pagan cultural ideologies and practices, is undeniable.
My big critique of the book is what, at the very least, feels like over the top language designed to seem biblically objective while ultimately pigeon holing the readers into their conclusions. Perhaps my biggest disagreement with the authors comes from their recommendation on p. 5 when addressing what people should do that find themselves frustrated with their church’s pagan practices:
“Either leave your church quietly, refusing to cause division, or be at peace with it. There is a vast gulf between rebellion and taking a stand for what is true.”
This seems quite contrary to the Spirit of the living God who knits the body together as he sees fit and for the purpose of building it up in truth and love. Beyond that, in Viola’s follow up book Reimagining Church, he argues for communities that stay together despite differences so that they can work those out under the headship of Christ. These two pieces of advice seem conflicting in ways that leave the reader and potential practitioners scratching their heads.
Outside of those basic critiques, I think the value in the book is that it pushes us to ask questions that we may not otherwise think about asking. It is here that I’ve really enjoyed the books layout and information. Questions that it makes you ask:
- Why has discipleship become programmatic rather than relational?
- Why do we have church buildings?
- Where did our order of worship come from?
- Why is the sermon the central way of teaching God’s people?
- How did communion become a shot of grape juice and a shard of cracker?
- Why do we do systematic theology rather than biblical narrative theology?
There are plenty of other questions to ask, I’m sure, but those are some of the ones on my radar that I think this book offers some assistance in thinking through. I’d recommend you grab up the book and find some folks to talk about some of this stuff with. Or, talk about it here. Either way…
Category: Culture, God | Tags: church, religion, structure | Be the First to Comment »