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Posts Tagged ‘church’

Donate For a Good Cause, Clothe a Metrosexual Worship Leader!

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

51dNVj7AlBL._SS500_When I grow into awesome Christian blogger, I want to be  something like Jon Acuff.

Acuff is the creator of the stellar blog Stuff Christians Like, an always hilarious and often dead-on take of stuff that — well, Christians like (”Rooting for Tim Tebow” is No. 649 on the list). But recently, Acuff decided to wield his wit and wisdom for good, calling on the blog’s readers to build a kindergarten in Vietnam. Price: $30,000.

The requisite cash was raised in 18 hours.

Perhaps figuring that his readers had more money than they knew what to do with, or perhaps counting on the fund-raising effort to fill blog space for several days, Jon decided to raise money for a second kindergarten for another $30,000. And he has a special incentive: For each $3,000 donated to the cause, Zakk — a hand-drawn “metrosexual worship leader” — gets a hip new article of clothing to wear. I’d love to print a picture of Zakk in his rockin’ jeans, scarf and skinny tie. But I don’t have permission, so you’ll just have to make due with a cover from Acuff’s book and follow this link.

If you’re so inclined, feel free to trot on over to the site and donate some money. I think Zakk needs some hair mousse.

Easy Come, Easy Go

Monday, November 16th, 2009

10 dollarsThe economy’s been hard on everyone. But what to do about it? Stick what’s left of our money in our mattresses? Buy Dodges and Chevys in the hopes that GM and Chrysler will be able to pay back their government loans? Ask the fed for an individualized bailout plan?

Robinwood Church in Surf City, Calif., had a different thought. The church — with a little help from an anonymous donor — decided to give $10 to the first 100 people through its doors yesterday, along with orders to spend it.

Now, $10 isn’t enough to send  anyone to college or pay their mortgage. But it is enough to help stimulate the local economy a bit, and that’s exactly what the money was intended to do, according to The Orange County Register. And, while some folks who walked through Robinwood’s doors tried to turn the gift down, Robinwood was having none of it. 

“We made them take it,” said Executive Business Pastor Robert Black.

Most of the congregants spent the money in local eateries after the service. And, with Robinwood contemplating turning the giveaway into a monthly event, you can bet restaurant owners around Surf City are feeling a bit more blessed these days.

Why the Wall Came Down

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009

 

A section of the Berlin Wall, circa 1990.

A section of the Berlin Wall, circa 1990.

Yesterday the world celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Berlin Wall coming down. Historians tell us there were many factors, and many people, responsible for the collapse of the wall — and, by extent, the Soviet Empire: the impracticality of communism, rampant defense spending, Reagan, Gorbachev, Pope John Paul II … but I had not known, until Monday morning, that Protestant Christian leaders in East Germany played a significant role, too.

 

Reuters posted a pretty fascinating article on their religion blog, talking about that very point: In the 1980s, some Lutheran leaders were working heavily to reform the East German government — instrumental movement toward the peaceful revolution that happened later. And many former West Germans don’t quite realize what a role their faithful country mates made toward reunification.

“The peaceful revolution was, at its core, also a Protestant revolution,” said German politician Werner Schulz. “Its pioneering motto ‘no violence’ was the essence of the Sermon on the Mount, the most revolutionary passage in the Gospel…  Protestant churches were base camps of this revolution… People went from peace prayers to street protests with a serious Protestant manner, disarming reasonableness and discipline.”

The Gospel of Optimism

Friday, November 6th, 2009

Joel Osteen

Joel Osteen

Joel Osteen, wildly popular and somewhat controversial purveyor of the so-called Prosperity Gospel, granted an interview with Time magazine recently. The magazine assumed that perhaps some of the sheen of Osteen’s message might’ve lost some of its glint, what with the recession clinging tenaciously to most folks’ pocketbooks.

Not so. Attendance at his Lakewood Church in Houston is up 10 percent, and this spring he preached in a sold-out Yankee Stadium. His message sounds as relentlessly optimistic as ever.

These days there are so many things trying to pull us down, with the economy and the swine flu. I really think there’s something [that affects people] on the inside when somebody tells them, like I do, God’s still in control. He’s got good things in store for your life. And when you trust, when you believe, you can see amazing things happen.

I’ve always thought the Prosperity Gospel, as I understand it, was kinda bunk, and suspected that those who pedaled it were too pollyannaish for my taste. A quick trip through the New Testament will tell you, in no uncertain terms, that getting right with God doesn’t guarantee a life on easy street.

But, being the optimist I am, what Osteen says in this piece resonates with me. I believe its the height of folly to assume God will monetarily reward us if we’re good Christians. But I do believe that God cares for us and (all things being equal) likes for us to be happy. And I do believe he does have great plans for us — though the greatness is in the plan, not us. 

But I gotta be honest with you — I’m not overly familiar with the Prosperity Gospel or what Osteen (or others) teach. Are any of you know a little more about this topic than I do? Fill me in, if you would. I’d love to hear from you.

Pain in the Pulpit

Friday, October 30th, 2009

Suicide, in some church cultures, is still considered to be the unforgivable sin. Some consider it to be the ultimate rejection of God’s ultimate gift. While many other churches don’t go quite so far — the deed may be wrong, but it doesn’t necessarily risk a person’s immortal soul — there’s still a powerful taboo when it comes to this most violent, most heartbreaking act.

Yet even pastors are not immune.

The Religion News Service recently offered a story (published here in USA Today) that tried to explain why pastors sometimes commit suicide. The conclusion, probably, shouldn’t surprise us. Pastors have one of the most stressful, most thankless jobs around. And when things go wrong, very often they have no one to turn to:

A pastor is like “a 24-hour ER” who is supposed to be available to any congregant at any time, said Steve Scoggin, president of CareNet, a network of 21 pastoral counseling centers in North Carolina. “We create an environment that makes it hard to admit our humanity.”

It’s a job that breeds isolation and loneliness—the pastorate’s “greatest occupational hazards,” said Scoggin, who counsels many Baptist and other ministers. “These suicides are born out of a lack of those social supports that can intervene in times of personal crisis.”

Silence Isn’t Always Golden, Pastor Says

Monday, October 26th, 2009

Interesting release from the Baptist Press. Johnny Hunt, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, visited four Middle-East countries this October, and he listened to Islamic imams call followers to worship. This is what he said in response.

We’re hearing the voice of the leaders of Islam giving their Friday messages. It’s the message of Muhammad, the message of the Qur’an that is dominant in an area that once was very Christian. The Apostle Paul would have made his way through these hills within probably 20 miles of this very city. We would have heard the message of Jesus Christ. But that voice has been silenced. We have been drowned out because we’ve allowed ourselves to be silenced. The voice of Islam has been raised because they are willing to pay the cost to make their message known, while we in our affluent culture have done less and less to make Jesus known. As never before in our lifetime, we must raise our voices even louder than the voice of Islam to make the Gospel known.